It's catch time

Ok my new years idea was to craft something everyday, take a picture and blogg about it. Well I fell of the wagon before it left the station. One of the reasons was at the stoke of midnight I caught a cold and wasn't feeling well. That was followed by a kidney infection that put me in a world of pain. It's my day off and I am playing catch up. No pictures yet but today I sewed the pockets for the boning on my renaissance faire corset and started the eyelet holes. I have all the holes made and two finished. I need to find my bucket of poly boning to stiffen it to try it on and make any adjustments and I still have to make the busk. Once it's the right size I can order the spring steel boning. Then all I have to do is insert the boning, run a line of stitching and attach the edging to seal it all in. While waiting for the boning I can start the Kirtle (I'm doing 16 century Flemish if you remember) it's based on the corset pattern so it's essentially already started.

Today I had a really long list of crafts I wanted to do and I got about half way thru the list, which might seem lame but i was sidetracked by another craft avenue. My very best friend came over and she brought this extremely cute project with her. She learned this at this year's S.O.A.R.. It's little felted bunnies made from roving and felted around those ever present plastic easter eggs which of course are not available around Thanksgiving when we wanted to attempt this project. Her mother found some so we set out to do these today. As felting projects go it's a simple one and is extremely cute. Depending on the size you make is what you can do with them. The size we made were infant bunny slipper size. The second my husband saw them he wanted a pair... for a coworker who's wife delivered their baby today. How timely. I'll make a pair tomorrow.

I also designed a pair of earrings and have thought of a way to engineer them so that they are reproducible. I think they will be a good seller someday. I spent some time getting ready for a torch-a-rific craft-a-thon tomorrow. I dipped my mandrels to get ready to melt some glass and make some beads. I also plan to try my hand at making a bezel for setting a stone and maybe one with sections that I can fill with colored resin to make a pendant. I also want to finally solder my Triskel design pendant. Of course the original got encased in resin last week.
Speaking of resin, I plan to try my hand at resin again, now that the weather is perfect.

Ok time to take inventory.... I knitted, did a resin experiment, started my corset, designed a pair of earrings, learned how to make bunnies, made a custom stone pendant, spun some Polwarth. That's seven days worth. Tomorrow I'll do beads, silver soldering, silver and resin, resin, another pair or two of bunnies, and solder my triskel pendant. I also want to cut out and stamp some word pendants from copper and sterling. If I can complete these tasks that would cover me until the 15th... If I can fit one more in it would take me to my next day off. OK I figured out the last craft project- finish the eyelets on the corset or at least half of them.

I got info about a juried craft show in May. I need to take some time and get my jewelery website up so that they can check out my stuff. I'm just decent photo graphs short of a website. I have four days off next week, Thursday, Friday, Sunday, Monday. Maybe I'll take that time to get the site up and running. Lets see if I survive my craft-a-thon first.

Breaking all the Rules!

Not that anyone reads this or will notice but ....I didn't blog for two or three days. In that time I drafted my pattern for my corset for my renaissance faire outfit and I decided I'm going Flemish again. It's easy enough and you can do different outfits out of the basic configuration. I also tried my hand at resin. Don't try resin on a rainy day. But at least I tried and at least it's a craft. So that's three crafts for 4 days. I need to double craft today. Maybe I'll play with photography and get some better pictures of my jewelry and put them on my website. Not exactly creative but it helps the process. Maybe I'll craft a clear spot in my craft room. I find that I am stiff led as an artist when my craft room is cluttered... messy .... ok out of control. I have to get organized again. I have been a mess since the craft faire at work . It shouldn't be that hard to just put some stuff away. Then I'll have room to lay out my corset pattern and get started on that. I need more hours in the day. Oh... must check on rating on fly rod. I'll check back later with photos of my resin or something.

How about health permitting

Okay, the first day of the new year and I feel ill. My nose is running and my throat is sore. I think it's the late nights and no sleep. I wore myself down. But I have a whole new year to build it back up.

I didn't get the resin project too far along. The weather wasn't too bad. It looked like it was going to rain but the humidity was only 25% and it was in the 70's. I created an image and printed it out and then my husband wanted to clean up Christmas so we did that. Then it was time to cook dinner. So we did that. Then it was too late. No biggie I just have to cut out my images, measure and pour my first layer of resin and let it sit a few minutes. Then I can set my images and do the 2nd pour. Maybe I can do the first pour on my lunch break tomorrow. Sound productive.

My picture today is of one of my current knitting projects. It's that multifunctional scarf from Knitty.com named wisp. I am using Filatura di Crosa Multicolor 2105 Yarn on size 9 needles. I couldn't find my #8s. It's 60% Mohair and 40% acrylic. It's a really easy pattern to follow, but for some reason I get to the end of the 2nd pattern repeat and have to frog it and this yarn is not forgiving, if you make a mistake it's an instant felter and won't unravel. I like the color flow so I have ordered back up skeins. I will finish this project.

Time to relax and sip some NyQuil and doze off to sleep. Tomorrow is my Friday and tis the season for everyone who got a new electronic toy to call in to technical support and play dumb that they have no idea how to work it. Read the manufacturer's instructions!!! Everything comes with a quick start diagram now a days.

356 days of crafting

I wanted to start a new blog today and remove an old blog, but it seems you can't remove a blog. That's OK I can blog anywhere. So here's my idea I want to create something everyday. Starting January 1st 2008 I want to craft something or at least work on a craft everyday and then blog about it. Why blog? Jeeze if you are reading this you probably either have your own blog or subscribe to at least two other blogs. Do I really have to answer that question.? But to answer your question: I am working on a creative process to live a more artful and creative lifestyle. I ultimately want to stop taking calls and teach various arts and crafts. My goal the past few years has been to gather the tools. 2008 I want to use the tools. Get good with the tools and use the other tools like getting an Etsy space and start marketing my craft work and maybe do some art shows or craft showcases. I also want to start using my marketing tools and get the advertising specialties business going. I have my target income goals - which are just that goals. If I don't make them I don't fail. If I surpass them I surpass them and can afford more tools and toys. The goal is to go forth and create and be happy.

Tomorrow, my first day of this new artful life, I am going to play with resin - weather permitting of course. I may also work on any of my three knitting projects. I need to start filling out my calendar with stuff like our trip to Yellowstone, the Arizona Renaissance Faire. I need to do some organizing also. After the craft sale I did back in December my supplies seem to be a little scattered and my organization needs to be re-labeled.

I need to start planning my new garb for the Renaissance Faire season. Since I have dropped 70lbs since the last time I went to a Renfaire I need to make new clothes. Hopefully I will have to do that next year too, the year after I should be at a stable weight. I figure if I lose about 100lbs a year (I have until early March to make that goal) then I'm doing good. I have all or most of the materials and pattern blueprints. Heaven knows my linen and wool stash is obscene. Of course I won't have anything in a color I want. but that's normal. That's what all the white linen in various weights is for.

So meet me back here tomorrow for the tales of great resin adventure and maybe some pictures of other stuff I am working on. My husband gave me a portable lighting studio to take better pictures of my craft work. Another tool to put to work!!

Exercising the Jewelry demons

Had to get this one out. It is a freefrom bezel with sterling silver wire glass beads on a faceted citrine. It is so un-me. I am more calculated wire wrap tight and organized. This opens up a whole new world for me.

For now my insomnia is gone .. it's 11:00 and I am sleepy - time to go to bed. They are replacing some servers on the network at work tomorrow so I have to go into the office. That takes away three hours of my day away from me. I'm starting my etme chant early.

Reruns and my procrastination

I'm watching Craig Fergusson again dealing with my insomnia. It's a rerun. Last night it was a rerun of a show that was on the last day I blogged. Ben Kingsley - very funny. I mentioned at the end of that entry to tell you about the haunted lamp. Ok here goes. One of my many hobbies is paranormal investigation. I've seen some crazy stuff. My house is haunted. We thought we had a paranormal thing going on until I debunked it. We have a lamp in my office that would go on by itself. It's not just a on/off thing it has four settings. When it went on it was never just on, it was two or three settings into the pattern. It entertained us for weeks. Then one day I was having a bad day at work and I plugged in my laptop and the light went on. I was hoping that it was the ghost cheering me up. It wasn't. It's the electronic brain on the lamp. When ever the slightest change of electricity happens in the house it goes on... or off. We hooked up a tester to the house and the change in current didn't register. We don't have 100% of the explaination but pretty much if something gets plugged in in the house the lamp changes. We were bummed. It doesn't change the fact that the house is haunted. We had the former owner over a few weeks ago helping us troubleshoot a septic system problem and I mentioned the lamp and we started exchanging wierd experiences from the house. He told stories of seeing someone peeking out the upstairs windows way back when. He knew the people who owned the house since the 30's. It has a history of activity.
I'll spin tommorrow. This used to be my Sunday but my shift changed and tomorrow is my Friday. Friday, which is my new Sunday, I have an appointment with my web designer. Are you taking notes? We hope to bang out the details for my website for Promotional Products domination. Have you looked at how your advertising dollars are working for you? I could probably save you some money!

So I've been busy with the beads

I'm sitting here with my spinning wheel 5 feet away and a pound of some luscious creamy merino 4 feet away posting pictures of my late night frolic with beads and wire. Something must be wrong. It's ok... I'll run out of pictures before my insomnia runs out, Plenty of time to spin. Congress is pulling an all-nighter. With my sleep patterns I might be too. I am told it's a woman over 40 thing. So are mood swings, night sweats, and hot flashes. However most women go nutso about chocolate. I have done the opposite. I turned against sweets, I dislike chocolate and would rather have a salad with that miso vinegrette dressing than cake, pie, or pudding. I probably wouldn't turn down Tiramisu but would get part way through and wish I had a salad. The diet thing is going OK -thanks for asking. I am bouncing between minus 40 and 50 pounds lost. I have a short term goal. If I lose 70 more pounds I'm going to Disneyland!!! I miss going there. I haven't been able to fit on a ride in some time. It's also the "only 100 more pounds to lose" mark. It's past than 50% milestone. And damn it! I wanna ride the Indiana Jones ride over and over and over again. With the new Indy movie in production they might spiff it up a little. I have fond memories of that ride. I think we were there for opening day. It was back in the day when I did Archaeology. My better half still does. We went with a bunch of other Archaeologist, it was a hoot! One season we worked up in Orange County on a freeway project and we went to Disneyland a lot. Did I say a lot. I mean a lot. It was a fun summer. I might even splurge on a Monte Cristo sandwich from the Blue Bayou. Good times!

Well I posted three more of my crafty art projects. I think I can spin now... or go to bed. Naw..

Equal Opportunity Crafting

Ok so I did the knit blog entry. Now for the other crafts I do. It started with disgust for the price of the cute jewelry in the trendy catalogs. I know you've drooled on them too. So I decided to make my own. Not exactly like theirs, but just as cute. I study bead and jewelery magazines and read books, I am working on my skills. Here are some examples of my work. I am not in the designer phase yet. So they aren't exactly original. I need more tools and skills. So if things look likes something you have seen somewhere it probably is. It was probably a really cool piece. I like working with silver best, copper second and gold third. Gold and diamonds aren't my thing. I've never been a fan of pearls, but they have recently started growing on me. Does that mean I'm an oyster? My doctor called my age spots "barnacles of aging".