Bakktalk Photo & Document Repair Services...

There... I've even designed a promotional flyer for this service. This means I'm serious about the whole thing. There are so many cherished photos (and documents) that have suffered the effects that age and conditions can inflict: discoloration, stains from the kitchen table, spills, cracks and tears, tragic fading from over-exposure to light. The list goes on. And this goes for those old documents, also. Great grandparents' birth certificates, marriage licenses, old newspaper articles, family letters, etc.

All of the above can be digitally restored, sometimes to a condition better even than the original originally was, if you follow that. And it's affordable and reasonably priced, when one considers that the battered and weary original is usually the only one left. It's loss would be a tragic one.

I've been restoring photos and documents for the last ten years at this point. It's challenging and creative. The customer's satisfaction gives me a great deal of the same; I have had many repeat clients. Now that my skills have grown, it is time for me to offer my services to a broader market.

If you do have any photos or documents in need of restoration of any kind, contact me at bladimz@dejazzd.com. I would be happy to discuss your project with you, give you a free quote and approximate time frame. It won't hurt to ask, but it might hurt not to.

In addition, consider that once your old photo has been revived, you can not only get multiple prints, plus the option to purchase the digital retouch on disk for your future use. You can also have that image placed on any of the available products here at CafePress. Consider the potential for special birthday, holiday and anniversary gifts, just for starters. Use your imagination; you'll be surprised at all the possibilities!

Bill

Summertime at Bakktalk!

Typical mid-July summer day; temp is at around 89 degrees, humidity is at around 90%. In short, a great day to stay inside. Even the dogs are not out much these days. For you pet people, remember that your animals are just as prone to heat-related problems as us humans. Make sure that they have, at the very least, some shelter from the sun and heat. Plenty of water is important for animals and people alike.

I spend quite some time creating new and diverse designs for Bakktalk Online Gifts daily. And i have a large number of ideas waiting their turn. Just go to my Newest Arrivals section for a look at the most recent graphics. I try to keep them as original as possible.

I have a hard time focusing on any specific subject or seasonal work for very long. Last week, for instance, i did a few Christmas-related designs. Next week, i might find myself doing a series of designs for Mothers Day... who knows?

Work at Bakktalk continues as usual. I am still contemplating a new and separate store to showcase the fabulous photographic efforts of my wife. She continues to compile a great number of images that i need to review, format and organize for offerings as note cards, greeting cards, both framed and unframed prints in various sizes. To take a peek at some of her work currently available at Bakktalk, just go to the Photo-Cards and Prints section. Eventually, her works will be moved to a separate shop.

Meanwhile, i'd like to share one of the most challenging photo retouching requests that i've received to date:














Obviously, the original scan is above, and my refinished version is to the right. The photo itself is over 100 years old. The client did not require that the corners be refinished, and in the interests of cost, i let most of that secondary work go. He was extremely pleased. Actually, i was very happy with the outcome. When i first saw the original scan, i was not too optimistic.

As i had mentioned in an earlier blog, i have become very comfortable with doing this type of work, and am very interested in offering this service to anyone who might wish it done. As before, if you have a photo that you would like to have digitally repaired, feel free to contact me at bladimz@dejazzd.com to discuss. Whether it's just a few creases or tears, or if the contrast is extremely weak, or whatever. I will be happy to review, discuss and supply you with a very reasonable quote. And, who knows? Maybe you'll even want to have the refurbished image placed on some mugs, or a shirt or two... That kind of thing can be a great gift for someone special in the family.

Ok. That's it for me for this time. If you have any special requests, or comments. Send them along. It could very possibly keep a good man from going bad...

Welcome, June!

No... not June Cleaver. The month of June. You can recognize it by the increasingly warm weather (generally), the surge in blissful, blessed wedding ceremonies, the explosion of graduation exercises and, of course, parties, and ... ticks. Oh well. No month is perfect.

But another thing that June seems to be good for is retirement announcements and parties. Educators initially come to mind, but corporately speaking, June attracts retirement. Well, Bakktalk Online Gifts has a spiffy retirement design and is featuring it this month.

Here's a quick peek at what the design looks like on the long sleeve white t-shirt. If you review the "Spotlight On..." section this month, you'll get a good look at the design available on all sorts of products. Many of them just perfect for a fun gift for that lucky duck. I like the hat, personally, but it works well on just about any of the products there.

Save yourself some time: if you know one person who is set to retire, chances are you know more than one who'll be taking that plunge sometime in the next year. Browse and buy now for all those future retirees. The design works just as well for women as it does for the guys. Go ahead; you'll be glad that you did. And those "ducks" will love their gifts.

Bakktalk Online Gifts is also planning the opening of it's sister shop, but at this point, there is not a firm opening date. The new shop will focus on the special photographic works of Eileen Adams. Specially selected images will be featured and available on notecards, postcards, prints, and, in many cases, even clothing and accessories. Watch for that in the next few months or so.

So, even if you don't have any retirees to buy for just now, take a few moments to look through some of the different sections in Bakktalk. Browse the eclectic selection. You'll see that there is a real variety of designs suitable for many, many occasions and many types of people.

June is moving fast. July and the 4th will be here soon. Check out my "Afternoon Delight" design in the "Newest Designs" section. And if i don't get the chance to post anything new by then, please have a great, safe, fun Independence Day Celebration!

May Flowers...

First, I have really nothing to say about May Flowers, except that she is probably a very nice person. But so far she has not purchased any items at all from Bakktalk Online Gifts. And that concerns me because I'm afraid that she hasn't because she doesn't know about my shop or the many unique and original designs available there. I'll stop picking on Ms. Flowers for now; my real concern is that I'm afraid that there are very many people just like her that just don't know about Bakktalk. They need to know about it. They need to visit it. See it. Taste it and smell it. And it's up to me to see that I get my shop noticed by as many people as possible. My problem is, however, that I am an artist/designer, not a promoter. So, if anyone reading this has any good solid ideas on this subject, please contact me and wake me up.

Second, about the real May flowers. They are starting to pop now. Everything is greening up. And that means summer is just around the corner. And that means vacation time is here. Like, beach vacations. Trips to the shore are and have been an American favorite for as long as this country has had a coastline. Even the native american indians would spend their summers on the coast to take advantage of the cool sea breezes and the relative lack of mosquitoes. Smart people. The really smart people, though, are the ones enhance their trips to the shore by browsing the LBI (Long Beach Island) section of my shop. It's loaded with unique and colorful beach related designs available on Cafepress's products. New ideas and designs show up on a regular basis. That means the ultra-smart shopper stops in a lot. Sure, you can stop at any of the island shops and buy the standard, run-of-the-mill offerings that the retailers bring in by the hundreds. Like sheep. Or... shop and buy the exclusive designs available here at Bakktalk, and truly stand out in the crowd. That's fun. Really fun. This season, add some real fun to your summer vacation experience: pick-up a unique and exclusive item here at Bakktalk, before you go. Or, after you come back. You'll be glad that you did. And, if you have an idea for a t-shirt design that you'd like to see available, e-mail me at bladimz@dejazzd.com. I'd love to hear from you.

Please have a great summer. And, if you're NOT going to the shore, rummage around in the other sections of my shop anyway. There's an eclectic blend of designs for almost any occasion.

Remember, shopping's only shopping until you buy!

Unfortunately....

The title hardly says it all, folks.

But, if you've recently attempted to view certain products only to have an empty page appear, please understand that this is only a temporary failure.

"Because of some temporary technical difficulties" some of my designs are currently unavailable for you, my valued customer. Be assured that all efforts are directed towards their revival as we speak (blog). I apologize for the inconvenience, of course.

From what i've been able to determine, most of the designs that have been "affected" are a number of my more recent designs. We hope to have them returned to their rightful places in my shop within the next few days. With that in mind, i hope that you take a minute to stop back here at Bakktalk in the very near future to shop then where you cannot shop now.

That being said, many other designs are unaffected and are just as deliciously tempting now as when they were originally built. Please show them you care: browse them, shop them and buy one or two things. It will make them and me feel a little better about this current "image crisis". Even if you don't buy, your understanding will be appreciated. I hope to see you and those lost designs back in my shop very, very soon!

Have a Great Weekend... it looks like it's gonna be a beautiful one here in SE Pennsylvania!

Bakktalk and its "Fungus" section...

It's already the beginning of April! I've gone over a month without a word, but i've been busy. My small collection of self-made "fungus woodburnings" has finally been digitized and creatively adapted to several of Cafepress' products. You can and should visit the "Woodburnings" section at Bakktalk. It's a unique section of the store that deserves a look. As you can see, the section is fairly small, and the products available are, at this point, limited to tile boxes, the framed and unframed tiles, mouse pads, note cards and postcards. I am currently experimenting with other products to find the most aesthetically pleasing manner in which to place my images: mugs, apparel and even the throw pillows that are available.

I hope several things: 1) that somebody is actually reading these posts; 2) that i can expand on this section successfully, and fairly soon; and 3) that somebody buys a boatload of products within this section. Heck, if i could sell even one or two items, i'd be tickled. Being tickled is good. Most of the designs in Bakktalk have been created specifically for this store. The "Woodburnings" section is different and is just a little special to me.

I've been a little distracted lately... I've had to put some major time into the graphic design work i do for a local printing company, and it looks like that might continue for some time. It's good because it's real money, and that stuff is like cash to me. Gotta pay the bills. But it's bad because i would much rather be putting time into Bakktalk on a regular basis. Life's tough, huh?

Not much to report otherwise. My only major complaint is that i would really love to customize my shop's look, but lack the web skills to do it. I might just have to pass that off to some skilled individual, along with Web Marketing... i'm not too sure about that either.

Oh, well. If, after browsing the store, you have some suggestions or ideas that might improve my the shopping experience in my shop, please post a comment. I would really like some input. If i get some reasonable suggestions, that just might push me into hiring some smart cookie to revitalize Bakktalk. It couldn't hurt!

Woodburnings, Fungus and Bakktalk...

Woodburnings. Fungus. Bakktalk.

It's crazytalk, you say. And maybe up to now it was. But, soon, very soon, i will be unveiling a new and completely new section in Bakktalk Online Gifts completely dedicated to a series of woodburnings that i had personally done over a period of 25 years. What makes these perhaps most curious is that i used a type of tree fungus as the "canvas". I apologize in advance, but i will not even offer any previews here. I am extremely excited to announce this section. I have absolutely no idea how it will be received. I only know how the original pieces sold as they were presented in art shows over the years. Unfortunately, many of my best pieces were sold without being photographed first. My fault, my loss.

When i unveil the new section, i will tell you more about it. How it all began. Where i got my "canvases", etc. For now, this is just a note to let you know that woodburnings, fungi and Bakktalk will soon come together... finally.

Meanwhile, i have some traveling to do, some additional photos to take, to continue work on this section. My hope is to have this section ready for viewing one month from today.

Fingers are crossed!

Not Just Another Pretty Face!

No sir! At least, not anymore. January is flying by, snow has finally fallen here in SE Pennsylvania, and i'm designing my head off. And since i'm by myself during the brunt of the day and working unattended, my path seems to be somewhat erratic. I mean, really bad. Like, i feel like i've been going upstairs to go to the basement. So, i need to sit down and serious (re)think my work strategy. The problem with that is, i am having so much fun conceptualizing and creating these designs that everything else goes on the back burner. The only reason that i'm even mentioning this is because i have a strong suspicion that it is evident in the host of new designs in my shop.

Ok... i don't need to go on about that. I will work on a strategy. What i do want to discuss is digital photo restoration. I have been quite successful professionally over the last 4-5 years in this fairly demanding field, and am now free to offer this service at a very reasonable price for those who have need. The item requiring restoration can be either a photograph or a document, color or black & white. And, of course, the more intense the reconstruction, the more work that is required, the more expensive it will be. One important thing to remember is that the original photo or document will not be restored. It will merely be digitally scanned, and the digital reproduction will be reconstructed. Here is just one common example:

There is lots more to discuss concerning this service, but if anyone of you is truly interested in talking to me about it, or has any questions, simply e-mail me at bladimz@dejazzd.com. I'd be happy to chat with you about assisting you with reparation with an old family photo or birth certificate, for instance.

Think about it: Restore a really old family photo and have it printed on a number of mugs or tiles, or magnets, or shirts, etc. for a very special family picnic or outing. Not a bad idea...

Keep checking in. I'll keep posting new designs as i can!

The Back End of the Holidays...

That's right. When i say the back end of the holidays, i mean just that. I sincerely hope that everyone has taken the time this season to make the best of it, and squeeze every last second out of it. Soon enough, if we allow it, the feelings of good cheer and peace to our fellow man will fade as the media and our routine drag us back to the daily grind. We both know it'll happen. But, i can say that for a little while; a week or so; it was nice to be able to leave the crap behind and just enjoy what Christmas is to us. Somehow, what Christmas is entirely overshadows whatever else is tossed at us. Because... That is exactly what we want it to do. What a singularly magical time in our existence!

While most of us can escape for a short time during the winter holiday season, eventually we are back into it soon enough. For me, January is really kind of a wash; it always has been. But what really jerks me back to reality is Valentine's Day on February 14th. Like many insensitives, I've never had much regard for this "Hallmark Holiday"... The image to the right is from an actual valentine's day postcard published circa 1910. Almost 100 years of disgusting, stomach-wretching drivel. And it doesn't look like it's going to abate any time soon, as long as there is money to be made. That reminds me, below is one of my valentines day designs:

... and here is the link to that so-clever product line, the Certified Romance Technician, for those of you who must purchase one (or more) now! Since this design is fairly new, it's still in featured in the "Newest Designs" sections; it won't be in the "Seasonal Offerings" section for a week or so just yet.

Valentines Day will be here and gone before we know it, so keep the "General Store" section bookmarked. That one has by far the widest range of everyday ideas and designs, and grows almost daily. The more i work in the General Store the more i like it. What i would really like the best is some input from you, dear readers. Is there something that you'd like to see? Are there some ideas that you'd like me to work on? Do you have any questions? As always, you can e-mail me at bladimz@dejazzd.com.

Well, i didn't say it yet, but of course i wish you all a very healthy, successful and prosperous 2007. If someone asked me right now about how i feel about 2007, i'd change the subject i think.
Here's hoping that i'm wrong, as usual and that you, me and Bakktalk Online Gifts all have a hard time finding a way to get it all to the bank this year!!!

Bill Adams