Suddenly Online Teaching- how to make an overhead document camera

Like most college educators, I have found myself suddenly online teaching. This series will hopefully help other educators, or new home office users, who have similarly found themselves in the same position, to be helpful.

Five quick tips!

1. Your IP address will change so each day that you log in with the second webcam, you will need to enter the new address. It is at the bottom of the camera screen.

2. You will need to make the same adjustments each time you log on. 

3. Do not spend time locating extra lighting, the system will auto-correct for lighting.

4. You do not need to have a SIM card in the phone if you have it connected to your wifi.

5. This is fiddly, just know that going in and be prepared to fiddle. Get it together before class "starts."

The back story:

As an interior design instructor, I need to demo drawing techniques live so that I can answer questions or repeat a technique again. Thus, I needed an overhead camera than integrated with my laptop so that I could "share my screen." I do not have a separate webcam from my laptop, nor did I want to burden my college when they have so many irons in the fire with everyone all of the suddenly teaching online.

So, I had to get creative.

 The idea:

I thought that I could just plug in my cellphone and use the camera, but my iPhone and Surface Pro do not talk to each other. So, I looked on the web for a solution (article from here) and it was to take an old cell phone that is the same type of operating system as the laptop. On a quest for an old phone at home, I found my 7-10-year-old android cell phone. It still charged up and I had a cable.

I was cooking!

The plan: 

You will need to get the cell phone camera to broadcast on your laptop and from a height above the workspace.

I installed IP Webcam for Android app on my phone and followed the online instructions to create the linkage (found here). Then, I entered my IP address from the phone in my browser. The web address can be found at the bottom of the cell phone screen when the app is running.

And magically on my computer screen came the image on the camera. I couldn't be more proud of myself. But that was only half the solution. I still needed to get in to float over my work table.

The equipment:

cellphone
charging cable
something for height above the table surface

When I hatched the plan to do this about a week ago, I ordered a "selfie ring with camera holder" from Amazon. The key to this product was that all the parts articulated so that I could set the height and turn the phone holder parallel to the tabletop.

This allows me to have an effective, though rather crude overhead camera that connects to my laptop that I can demo live drawing techniques with my student through screen sharing.

So, what if you do not have a selfie ring? You can still float the camera above the table with a different method. You might have a camera tripod with a cellphone holder. You could use a lightweight table or child's chair to attach the cell phone to and place the table above the surface. The IP webcam app will zoom the image for you, so distance is not as important as you might think.

If you have one of those new "C-tables", that would work very well because you can snuggle the table closer to the drawing surface. The one to right is from West Elm (found here). With this table, you could simply lay your phone on the table with the camera over the end and pointed down!

Because my cell phone is an old gal, I need to keep it plugged in and charging. So for me, the charging cord is a must. But if your phone holds a better charge, you will not need to do this.

Now, I am able to DUAL webcam with the zoom meeting. One camera of my face on the laptop camera and one that I can flip to on the laptop that allows me to "share my screen" and see the drawings. 

I hope you and your family are well, your students are happy and staying away from people and that you teaching is superb!

Please check out my other Suddenly Online Teaching series for more ideas coming this week.

Workroom tour - my re-imagined work space

Color, color, color! I love to see the array of ribbons and twine.

I don't actually call my workroom a craft room. However, I realize that to most people, it looks like a craft room. It has crafting supplies, art supplies, gift wrap and lots and lots of scissors! By whatever name you choose, I have some ideas and inspirations to share from my remade work space.

The dining table, cleaned and ready for pricing linens. Check out that fab chair I found at a private estate sale!

This space is actually the dining room and for the first time in two years, I cleaned it out for Christmas dinner. This major cleanout allowed me to rethink how I use the space and how I want to use the space. I like the wood top on the dining table, but it is not a sealed finished and I want to protect it from paint, markers and abuse. So, pricing linens was going to be the last thing I did before covering it.

Goodbye nice wood tabletop, hello vintage cardboard cutting board.

TIP: using a cardboard cutting board not only protects my table top, but because it is for cutting out dress patterns, it has a grid and measurements. I use the yardage measurements to measure twine and ribbon I am cutting and it's a great tool for quickly checking the size of something without getting out a ruler.

 The room needed to work for storing my vintage items that I sell online and items that are waiting to be listed or sent to my antique shop. Ideally, I would like these shelves to be able to separate online store items, brick and mortar store items and just purchased items. But I am not there yet. 

Admittedly, this looks a bit jumbled, but it is actually arranged for easy access to the items, which are stacked in a way to protect them from damage.

And really, the "just purchased" items need to live with the cleaning supplies that I use for rehabbing them. Again, not there yet.

The "to be solds" cleaning supplies, art supplies, fabric books for my design business and photo props

 I also needed to store everything I sell in my paper goods online store. I store my paper goods in a "Pick and Pack" system, so that I can quickly find the size, shape, and color I need for each item. This is a great store owner solution that I picked up from a big online retailer! I prepackage items and store them together so that I can quickly ship. I feel very Henry Ford when I am packaging them. It's also a great "down time" or "thinking time" project, too. When I do not have a project brewing, or I need to stew on a project, counting out doilies is a useful way to clear your head and re-focus. It's also a great time management practice to package everything when I get them in stock rather than when they are ordered.

Vintage metal drawer boxes, paper drawer boxes and clear drawer shoe boxes- all easy access storage. The turquoise paper sorter was spray painted to add color and store 10 inch doilies.

I want to package my items to ship from here, as well as do photo shoots here. A shipping center is a must for this space.

A collection of black and white art acts as a foil to the brightly colored ribbons and twine. And, they look great when the table is in the center of the room as the dining table.

Poly bags are stored, sorted by size, in a rack that I also use when I do outdoor shows. It's easy to empty the rack for a show and I don't have to store and empty rack somewhere for other 350 days in the year. It is still looking for a permanent home, for now, it's by the window.

Dual use vintage store display. perfect for storing shipping bags and works great for outdoor art shows.

Photo shoots are a preferred task for this space. This room gets great light and the table is by the window. I am working on a new method of photographing items, so I think this will be a good fit. I can store backgrounds beside the bookshelf, like the lovely antique enamel ceiling tile (above), and the camera can live on the tripod here. I found that shooting in natural light requires a slower shutter speed and a more stable grip than my hands!

Love a Sapien bookcase (also known as a spine bookcase) it is invisible when in use and keeps all book accessible! Check out my post on this fantastic bookcase HERE.

My lovely, Spanish, mid-century umbrella stand is holding my pre-packaged kraft gift wrapping paper. Eventually, I will find the perfect spot to store my 12 inch cardboard squares that are the shipping support for my 12 inch doilies... for now, they live by the wrapping paper. I have moved a bed for my schnauzer under my work table for the cold weather this week. He does not come in my workroom, normally. And even with a bed in here, he seems uninterested in the temptation of spending some quality sleeping time at my feet.

A new use for an unused item from the past. Umbrella stands are not much in use these days, but they make a great storage piece for rolls of paper and would be a fun addition to any craft or gift wrap room!

Do you have a great work room to share, please post a link below!

Back to school- bookends

I have run across a plethora of bookends recently and thought I would share! They are great for back to school bookshelves and to send those kids back to college! Please click on the links below to purchase!

Buy me here!

Buy me here!

Buy me here!

Buy me here!

Buy me here!

 

Buy me here!

Storage quest!

 

I'm on a storage quest. I want vintage-esque/ used/ recycled, metal and uber functional. I care not the color or if it is a bit rusty as I plan to paint it/them lovely colors. Bringing the office home is not a new concept, but more home office probably lack the accessories that work offers and leaves you spinning your wheels searching for something.
I am making a conscious decision to purchase metal and used. For one reason, I like the durability of metal, for another I want to encourage recycling when possible. Lastly, I want to resist the "quick- fix" urge to by the plastic, on sale, bulky boxes from the craft stores. Metal always seems cleaner than the plastic items anyway! And I can paint them in the colors of my choice.
Valspar has launched an array of fantastic colors that are well suited to painting metals and changing one's mind! I'll admit part of the attraction to the product was the new can design! I love the look of the cap-less design and the new design will alleviate the "spray paint finger" I always seem to have which requires a new manicure!

 On my quest, I found a fantastic small metal file drawer at the Hoover Antique Gallery. The finish is so nice, I haven't painted it yet! And I am still thinking about a beautiful eggplant storage drawer that I didn't buy! So, today I will be questing a different antique gallery for more metal office storage!

Home Office-English style- Turquoise and Chocolate

For my weekly room design, I have taken the home office from my last post (image from country living) and as inspiration for a home office.  It's soft, romantic, and looks highly functional! I choose a chocolate and turquoise as the color palette for my office. Below is the decorators story board including wallpaper, paint, carpet and furnishings. All you need to add you office supplies!

The home office- English style

                                               photo credit: Keith Scott Morton

What a great home office from Country Living! Often the problem with a home office is the clutter and the make do attitude to the space. This space has none of that- pretty, a bit formal, and functional.
 Here are some tips inspired by this room for your home office.
1. Storage- lovely small cabinet in the back can conceal your papers, wireless printer, routers and other messy minutiae.. or an office bar!
2. Color- An office does not have to be  devoid of color. Color can be inspiring, soothing or invigorating. Find a color palette that you love and go to town. I love the English looking  wallpaper in rose, charteuese and chocolate from Osborne and Little. Such a great starting point for the rose color upholstry and the chartreuse office chair.
3. Function- One of the reasons this office is so function is the ability of the furnishings to serve more than one purpose. Th small footstools can also double as small group seating and the side chair is a nce way to get away from your desk to read. The accessories in the space allow for a place for the mail or working papers. The desk houses just enough space for a laptop and room to store the footstools underneath.
4. Lighting- The two windows afford great natural light and the heavy drapes afford light control. The desk light is large enough for true task lighting. The chandelier  seem to be more for looks than function, but would give off nice ambient light in the evenings.
5. Pattern- I love mixing patterns, when they are mixed well and this room mixes them well. Dark on the walls, light on the floor, both patterns of equal size. The drapes are a tonal stripe, which works as a neutral in the room and the velvets, though not patterns, provide texture from grounding the space.

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