Still Busy

I was nice and busy again yesterday. I finished up the ankle corsets while schooling actually. Some days I can get away with tatting while teaching, though it doesn't always work. Some days I'm up and around so much helping with two different classes at once that I'm surprised I don't drop weight, but not yesterday. Yesterday I was able to sit and work long enough between helping that I got things done.

Right after schooling, I got a necklace order in the shop and I set to work on remaking that one. Finally I had a request for a slightly larger version of my doily fascinator head pieces. I couldn't answer the customers questions theoretically, so I'm working on a new prototype for the request right now. That should take me a bit today and then depending on the results, I could have more tasks ahead. I certainly hope this work level lasts for a while.

A Little Luck

I had a wonderfully busy day yesterday. After schooling me and the kids jogged and walked for a spell and then I sat down to work. I got the pattern written up for tomorrow and it's ready to go. I still need to get the listing ready for the sale pendant, but that's just a couple more pictures and some listing details. So this is your reminder that tomorrow is International Tatting Day and I will have the new pendant available for a special one day only price, the patterns will also be slightly discounted tomorrow only. So you might want to make some time to pop by the shop sometime before I wake up on Thursday and change the prices back!

I also got a pleasant surprise as I was tatting up a pair of ankle corsets so I'd have two pairs on hand, the other available pair sold. I know, weird. So once I get tomorrow's listings all sorted, it's back to tatting another pair of them. I finished this pair just before I retired for the evening. I'm wondering if I should make two more, just in case, but honestly this selling two in a row thing was an awful fluke. I don't think that sort of thing has happened ever. I can't imagine that kind of luck holds very long, but I'm certainly glad I got a little taste of it. Here's to that luck holding on just a bit longer.

One Done

Let's see, I finished the novel I was reading early in the morning and ordered book three in the series. It won't be here until Saturday, so I read comic books much of the day. I think I knocked out at least twenty of them in a quest to finish a whole short box full of them. Oh, and yes I did get some tatting done as well.

I decided to avoid the mistakes of the previous day, I would do the ankle corsets one at a time. I did finish one of them and it looks great. Unfortunately, it's a bit bigger than I anticipated. Not too big really, just too big for me to wear properly. I do have really small ankles, so I figure that they'll probably fit other people better than my other ones do. Only problem is, I am my only model currently. I mean, give my oldest daughter a couple more years and she'd be perfect, but not quite yet. So today while I work on this one's twin, I'll also be trying to figure out the best way to wear them so that they photograph well.

If I do finish this, then it will probably be onto the other pieces I mentioned yesterday. A label pin, hair pin, maybe a pendant. Man, I really do hope that these are well received, because this is a lot of effort if they turn out to be unloved. Why am I just now thinking about this? Oh well, the only way out is through.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Things were going so good yesterday. I was hard at work tatting up the pieces for the matching ankle corsets. I had decided due to fog, that I wouldn't even bother dong the finishing work on the necklace. Anyway, I'm doing both pieces at the same time. Well really I'm doing one center motif, then the other followed by the smaller motifs around each one. See all that progress there.

Then as I started the second rounds of the smaller motifs, my mistake showed itself. I had attached every single one of the smaller motifs in the wrong orientation. At first I thought, well maybe it won't make that big a difference and I'll just  make some small adjustments. So I went ahead and did the second round on a couple of them to see. Turns out I was really wrong, the difference was significant and the results would have been an entirely different looking piece.

Since I'm making these to match the necklace, that wouldn't do at all, so out came the scissors and I clipped them down to the center motif. The sense of defeat kept me from picking them back up and starting over. Instead I just read my novel, which is incredibly near the end, and ignored the lace for the rest of the day. Thankfully the day was already close to over, so I didn't lose too much time.

Today I'll start fresh, pay more attention and hopefully get these made up. No sun is really expected today either though, so it will still be a while before I finish up the necklace and get it in the shop. I also thought perhaps the motif might make an appearance as a new lapel pin or hair pin. I also have yet to just make it up as a plain pendant. Maybe I'll just get all these pieces made up and photograph them at the same time. Then I can put them all in the store and pretend it's a 'collection'. That sounds fancy, right? Who knows, I do have to get them all made first and that should take a while so I can decide all that later.

Resolved

Unexpectedly, yesterday morning I got another response in the drama I've been lamenting about recently. They relented and apologized. Honestly I did not see that coming, but I am surely glad that it did. I know it will only be a matter of time before something else like this happens again, but I am just so relived that this one came to a amicable conclusion. Big upside for you, no more listening to me complain about it!

I'm afraid I didn't do much else except work on the ankle corsets that I needed to remake. Aside from that, I spent most of the day just hanging out with my brothers and sister-in-law with the kids. So I didn't play with the new motif and I didn't really do much of anything else. It's actually pretty surprising that I managed to finish the ankle corsets at all, but I was determined.

Since those are done and I didn't sell anything yesterday, I'm certain to get round to the motif today. I'm still trying to work out the best way to join two of them so that they are sturdy. I'm not certain what I am going to join them into quite yet, but it seems like the thing to do. So here's to a productive day of problem solving and knot making.

New and Now I'm Tired

Man, did I make Monday count and I think I regret it this morning. I did the dishes, laundry, vacuumed and cleaned all the tile floors downstairs. I went on a walk with the kids in the morning and remade two sold pieces for the store. I had a few long email questions to answer and pulled weeds in the front yard. No, I'm not sure what got into me. I suppose I was making up for a week of general sloth, but this morning my back is a bit sore and I'm not entirely sure that I even want to be awake at this point.

I also got the new piece done, photographed and listed. I really like how these turned out. I used actual metal chains on the side of the design instead of tatted ones because I thought it gave it a little decorative touch without taking away from the lace. They also weigh down the sides on the center motif just a bit so it lays better on the foot. Usually I would use silver plated, but since it's on ones feet, I opted for the inexpensive silver toned stuff. It's lighter, but it does the job. These also look cute in shoes as well which is why I'm calling them both barefoot sandals and ankle corsets. Since I used the Ambrosius pattern, I can do them in two colors as well. I might even do that at some point just to have them listed as such, but I still have a few pieces that need remaking that I want to get to first.

So that's my task for today, work on getting some things remade. Since all the housework...OK, most of the housework is caught up on, I think I've earned a good sit on my tush and tat day. Just me, my needle and thread...and the kids trying to kill each other because summer is one month too long. C'est la vie, right?

Not Exactly What I Was Hoping For

Let's see, I started yesterday with a large measure of stalling. The mask I needed to finish is white and there is just so much more effort when working with white thread. I can't scratch my nose, I need to make sure my hands stay extra clean and I have to constantly shoo away very persistent cats with various shades of contaminating fur. So I stalled until after schooling when I could prepare my area. I got that finished and I managed to get pictures and list a pair of lace maille ankle corsets. These ones were meant to be a special order for someone who was going to come back for them. I didn't want to be rushed when and if they did so I made them between other projects. Yes, I should know better. Clearly they changed their mind, so I listed them instead. They're the same as my other pair expect without ten tons of crystals sewn into them.

After that there was more stalling as I was trying to think of something more interesting to do. It was at this point that I got the opportunity I asked for in the blog yesterday morning. I should have been more specific in my request however since it was an opportunity that I not only didn't fit, but would never be able to do anyway. In case you're curious it was a production company casting for one of those Pawn Stars sort of shows, I got the email because of my work on the Wunderkammer. Sure it would be flattering expect they're looking for people with antiques and history expertise and they want said persons to travel the country buying antiques and oddities. I have no such expertise and I homeschool two kids, so clearly they aren't really looking for someone like me, but it was surely an unexpected opportunity.

I did get back to the reticule in the evening finally finishing the second round and starting on the first round of the top edge. In the prototype I made three rounds on the top for that frilled look so I still have a way to go. Then there will be the lining and a few embellishments I think. I also got one sale yesterday so I do have one thing I can remake as well. Then since we are at the end of the blog I will more specifically ask for an amazing project or opportunity that I can feasibly take advantage of...you know, something actually within the realm of possibility. That would be awesome Universe, thanks.

Done And Done

Yikes, what a long day. I started off by getting a cameo pendant remade as that was what sold yesterday and when that was done it was still too early to get photos of the ankle corsets so I opted to make something instead. During my last supply order I picked up some new silver filigree bits exactly like the copper ones I've used before and some others that were just similar so I could eventually make this necklace. It's such a nice quick piece, but the metal bits really make it a neat piece...you know in my opinion anyway.

Then it was off to get schooling done for the day. When I finished that up my house guests decided to go out for a run which gave me the perfect opportunity to get those photos done. I hate doing them in front of people because when I do, I am mocked for looking ridiculous. I really do look ridiculous, but the picture usually come out relatively good so it's worth it in the end I suppose. Anyway, I got that done and the ankle corsets finally listed and then I proceeded to accomplish nothing for a couple of hours.

I started to get productive a bit later and worked on the new thick choker design, but with my dental appointment getting closer, I was a bit distracted. It's not that I still get nervous at the dentist, I was just afraid of getting too engaged in work and losing track of time. So next up was the dentist and a small filling. I managed to get a lot of reading done there. I'm doing the the twitter book club thing again, it's now called "1book140" and we're reading The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, but I digress. When I got home the anesthetic started making me incredibly sleepy so I think I got a whole ring or two done on the choker before I called it a night.

Today it's off to the mountains to get my Gold Rush on with the family. In fact we're leaving in just a couple of hours so I really ought to get my tush up and going. I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend.

Keep On Swimming

I didn't get as much done yesterday as I had hoped. We're coming down to the wire on my daughter's schooling for the year and that seems to mean a lot of wrap up and making sure she actually remembers all that she's been taught over the last few months. She does...remember a lot, that it, but I still have to make sure.

I did manage to finish sewing the crystals on the first ankle corset and I got all the motifs done and assembled for the second one. I have very little free time allotted to me today, but what little I have will be sewing crystals on the second piece. If I'm lucky I should have this one finished tomorrow and hopefully I'll have some time Thursday to get photographs and get them listed. As I mentioned yesterday, sales in the shop have been m.i.a. since Friday and I need to get something fresh in there to draw some new attention or something. These should do the trick if I can get them done and listed anyway.

There is really nothing else to speak of today as you know the while of my tatting focus and I'd just be repeating myself to list those things that I will do next. They are of course the same things that I said I would do next days ago. This is why I typically avoid long projects as they not only take too much time, they also make me an exceptionally boring person. I am much more interesting to read when I am juggling a handful of projects or at a different one every day. It shouldn't be too much longer. I'll be more fun next week...I promise.

Lace Maille Again

I'm taking a big breath as I look forward to the busy week ahead. My guests arrived overnight and are still slumbering of course. We planned a barbecue for this afternoon, not to celebrate the holiday, but to have the family get together and visit. This is slightly amusing to me because with the exception of my brother and his fiancée, they were all over here on Saturday for my daughter's birthday party. So to recap the weekend, there was cleaning, birthday party, more cleaning, Kung Fu Panda 2 and a little more cleaning.

I had an idea back when I made the first lace maille piece to use the design for a pair of similarly embellished ankle corsets. I draped them over my foot and this was what it looked like, so I assumed it would be a simple conversion. It kind of has a gladiator sandal look...though honestly I hate gladiator sandals except when they're on gladiators. But I digress, I had a little time of Friday to start working on the motifs and yesterday during nap time I was able to finish them all and get them assembled.

While, the conversion was not as simple as I thought and I did try a couple of different approaches before I settled on a split ring edge, it should be easy enough to replicate. With all the cutting and tying of individual motifs, it is a time consuming project already. It lays out nicely and fits the foot well and just like it's necklace cousin, the attachment of jump rings for connections makes it a bit more adjustable. Next up is the also time consuming task of sewing on all the crystals. I bet you're wondering why they need to be sewed on and not just tatted into the design. The crystals are in montée settings which have two crossed channels on the underside for sewing. The channels are two narrow to accommodate my size 10 thread once let alone doubled. I love the look of them which is far more sparkly than the crystal bead versions so I sew. I've been using clean quilting thread for this sort of task ever since I discovered it and I've worked out a way to neatly sew all four crystals to a motif in one go while keeping the visible thread on the back to a minimum.

I'll likely attempt to work on the crystals during any downtime I get this week, but will all the activity, that may be all I do get done. I do still have a couple of necklaces that need remaking and I still do want to make a thicker version of the midnight choker too. Those all all lined up to work on and after those I hope to get some time to really look through my newest tatting book acquisitions for new ideas and bits. Another deep breath and it's onto the week ahead.

New Ankle Corsets

I was all ready to get the ankle corsets listed yesterday morning when I looked back at the pictures I had initially took of them. I decided that I didn't like one element of them at all. They just didn't lay right. This happens a lot when I use one piece as a base, in this case the In Bloom ankle corsets, and add new elements to it, a modification of the Victorious necklace edging. They just don't naturally line up...sometimes you have to make them behave. So I ripped out what I didn't like and made them again and with just a few differences, they were just right. The clover edging also made these ones take quite a bit longer, but I do like the result. Of course all this meant an unplanned photo shoot in the morning and as luck would have it we were having a cloudy day. I somehow managed to still get some good pictures and they are listed now.

I immediately started wondering if I should have bought red shoes to take pictures of red pieces with. I bought off white ones for all the future white & cream pieces since black was so harsh with them, but I ultimately decided that the red looks good with the black. Besides, as much as it would be nice to have a pair of red heels, I know damn well they would only be used for photo shoots and if the black ones work, there's really no point.

I received an order for barefoot sandals in a custom size yesterday so that was pretty much the remainder of my day. I've been trying really hard lately to get any custom orders in and out as quickly as possible. I really need to get a few things remade before the list keeps growing. At the same time I am contemplating doing a bit of a clearance sale on a handful of pieces that have been around too long. My little storage bins are getting full to bursting and since I can't seem to stop making new things, something has to give. What I'll likely do is make a sale section, mark those things down a bit and hope it's the nudge people need to pick up a few of them and I won't remake them when they're gone.

I've been very overprotective of my designs in the past, keeping them all listed just as public evidence that they are mine even though I was certainly ready to let many of them retire, if but for a while. That was because of certain incidents and people that have since seemed to disappear(knock on wood). I don't want to let my guard completely down, but I really ought not be so paranoid all the time. One day I will get a nice portfolio up with all my designs from the very beginning, warts and all, but I suppose there really is no rush.

So today is more remaking and if I get a burst of creativity, I might whip up another one off. That will of course remind me that I said I would make that clearance section. Then I will have to find a more eloquent name for a clearance section, perhaps Retiring Designs Sale. Maybe then I'll get another order to keep me busy. You know how much I like busy.

Tatting Walks The Runway

I spent much of the weekend in nervous anticipation of this singular event. I kept thinking that this might be one of those moments that changes everything...or not. Whether or not it does a single thing for my personal career, one thing is absolutely true. Hand tatted lace has now walked the runway during New York Fashion Week. It is already this morning a small part of features on Vogue.com, Style.com and New York Fashion. So far, no one, but my friends has mentioned the lace accessories, but maybe still. So I present some pictures with my ankle corsets and necklaces. The masks weren't ultimately worn and you'll notice the ankle corsets also being used as necklaces, but you will notice them.

 Photos: Amanda De Simone / GoRunway.com

There are also a couple of videos posted on my facebook page of the final walk and a link to one blogger review. I am of course stalking mentions of the show for more reviews and I will share them if I find any. Thank you to Sonia of Bensoni for her creative use of my lace, I totally want a few of those dresses and if you get a moment visit the links up top for more of the pieces in the collection.

Vanity and Bloomers

Yesterday kick my butt. Seriously I could write a novel on all the going ons that occurred throughout the course of what what not so much a bad day as a day of...not smooth. There was the teacher meeting that went quite well and the errands to the store that followed that ate up the entire morning. When we returned home it was to an ant invasion in the kitchen and then the children went down for their nap, but didn't actually sleep. Though at this point I must confess that I completed my ankle corsets, took photos and got them listed and that was as smooth as ice. However shortly after that I though it would be okay to list my unmade mask as a custom order. I mean who is actually shopping online for Halloween at this point right? Wrong.

The mask that was not yet made was ordered and requested to be shipped overnight. So I spent a great deal of the afternoon trying to sort that. Oddly enough the same overnight shipping request would be made of another ready to ship mask right before bed. Though the second time around I already had all the answers having looked it all up. Though the first customer still has not paid for their upgraded shopping yet, so I am still stressed about shipping it this morning. Deep breath.

Then I got a note from Krystledawn on twitter letting me know that she had used the idea I came up with for my bobby pins and lapel pins on her new rings...which are adorable by the way. Then I though, why haven't I tried that on rings yet. I made a few rings on bases years ago but they were difficult to put together and I just stopped. Of course I know more now, so in a rare case of the 'me-too's' I dug out slumbering ring bases and tried a ring using the same basic design as my bobbies. The biggest difference is the inner ring I had to add to fully hide the larger silver base. I only have a few of these ring bases left, the others I have are the ones with cups meant for jewels and I'm not certain those will work with this technique. These might be good for Christmas shopping season so I'll get the other two made up I think. Or I might crawl back into bed and try to ignore any more crazy that ,might want to fling itself my way.

Grand Daisy Ankle Corsets

A good Friday the 13th to you all. This was definitely my favorite non holiday when I was younger. I would dress all up in black and try to scare or at least disturb everyone around me. Of course as I got older I was dressing black most days anyway and it sort of lost any sense of strangeness. This Friday I do have something in black to show you though. The newest ankle corset design was completed after some trial and error made possible by my Internet friends.

After the first one was done I asked for opinions as it didn't feel finished to me. After some opinions on facebook and twitter I decided to make up the second with another flower at the side. Then it was proffered to the people again for further analysis. It was much better filled in. Here's where making it almost entirely out of separate motifs came in handy, I just cut out the last bit of the first and made it exactly as the second and I was done.

I also placed one of the corsets on my neck and realized that along with the bracelet I had already decided I was making, this would make quite a dramatic choker. So as you might have guessed that is on tap for today. The bracelet I already made up, but haven't listed yet as I like to keep new pieces to one a day.

The last thing I'd like to share is the birthday deal I decided on yesterday as I accidentally made a few too many daisy motifs. We're going to go with a gift with purchase. Every order from today through Sunday the 15th, my actual birthday will come with a free small daisy pendant. I'll be announcing this on twitter, facebook and in the announcements of the shop. To get the free pendant you must wish me a 'Happy Birthday' in the notes to seller. No 'happy', no freebie. I will talk to you again when I am another year older...sigh.

Another Ankle Corset

Ah, yesterday was exactly what I needed it to be, calm. My grandfather had himself a round of golf in morning leaving me some time to pick up and then relax. The kids have been thankfully addicted to their legos for days and with no further news regarding money or the cats health. I got to focus on work.

While I did spend much of the day finishing up a pair of sold ankle corsets and remaking a few necklaces that just needed hardware attached, I did get round to the new design toward the evening. I thought about making the whole piece a very dense design, but decided to make it more like the mask and added a simple chain edging to tie the pieces together. I did get more done after the picture here as well. I added chains climbing between the three lengths of daisies and I think I might have finished with the first of the pair. I'll lace it on later today and see how it lays. If it works, I'll move onto the second and perhaps if time allows go back and get the bracelet made from the start of the design.

I have to tell you these ankle corsets, like the masks used to be much more fun to come up with as no one else was making them for sale and they were a pure creative endeavor, but now I feel more motivated by a competitive spirit. I don't like that spirit honestly, I prefer creating for the sheer joy of discovery, not so I can come up with better or more designs than someone shadowing me. I don't enjoy the feeling of constantly trying to, I don't know, defend myself I guess. Yeah, I'm just annoyed, but I won't let that stop me from creating what was my own idea in the first place. Sorry, I got all weird there for a minute.

So, moving on...my grandfather heads down south today to visit more family and the house will want to get cleaned even more more for the upcoming housewarming thing. Hopefully, I'll be able to simply maintain this level of clean, but the children are likely to cooperate only for so long. There is also the matter of my birthday on Sunday, which I haven't yet decided how to handle online and off. Should I just let is quietly slip by as I'm inclined at this minute, or make it a sale day with lots of 'look at me'? I probably won't decide until it is here as my mind has elsewhere for some time. In the meantime, let there be tatting.

Such Great Heights

What a day. When I say hat please believe I am not exaggerating...well maybe a bit, but still. The kids were entertaining my Grandfather, the weather was lovely and I was getting plenty of work done on the new ankle corset design. In fact things were just humming right along. I saw what will be the bracelet in the design and reached a fairly good point. Then grandpa left to get his brakes looked at which would eventually take him all day as they kept getting the wrong parts. This is where the day took a turn...I went to fetch the mail.

This is the point in the day where I learned that due to increased taxes, my mortgage is going up three hundred dollars a month. I don't know about you, but I really haven't budgeted for that sort of amount. Sure, we'll figure it out, there are worse things that could happen, but it still turned my stress levels up to 'yikes'. I resolved that I must maintain more consistent sales in order to combat the new bill, unfortunately I'm not certain how. The stress level remained there as I was kindly consoled by twitter friends and several people offered up the sentiment of hoping for more customers for me.

Oddly enough it worked... I think. I sold a pair of ankle corsets fairly quickly after all this and abandoned my ankle corset design to begin work on them. Then the roller coaster took me down one more peg with the news that though kitty's thyroid was being perfectly controlled by her medication, her urine revealed a large bacterial load despite a course of antibiotics. This of course means more expensive tests to determine the exact bacteria so I can give her the best expensive medicine to get rid of it. So one up and one down. Also had the entire family over for dinner which always magnifies everything.

At this point I am emotionally exhausted, but I received one more sale before bedtime and word of a potentially large wedding sale on the horizon if I can acquire the proper thread color. I was also contacted to be included in a design journal and I'll let you know more details about that one when it gets closer. So to recap, the day was a roller coaster and I am hoping for a smoother going today because when the ups are paired with such great lows it really never evens out, does it?