Newest Instructable: Needle Tatted Chainmaille

Sometimes an impulsive comment like, 'I might make this my next Instructable.' turns into an actual thing without much planning on my part. After schooling and laundry and the wunderkammer were all done yesterday I sat down with my tatted chainmaille again. As I worked I realized how simple it would be to get shots of the construction as I worked since each ring works up quickly. So I stopped weaving and got a surplus of rings made up so I could do just that.

You can find the tutorial up on Instructables here: Needle Tatted Chainmaille if you're interested in working one of these up, though if you're already a tatter and know even a little chainmaille, you will likely have already figured it out already or can now that the idea has been presented. That's the point of posting on Instructables though, it's for those who aren't tatters, those that need to see the off center things you can do with the art before they give it a go. I have been so very fortunate to reach such a large uninitiated audience there...I love Instructables.

I got back to the scarf once that was posted and it's at about 25 inches right now. I figured I would just going until I run out of yarn and hopefully I get at least three feet, four would be nice. I'm not even certain that this will make it into the shop at all. I guess I'll make that decision when its done. I do have to take a break on it now so I can work up a custom colored necklace for one of my favorite customers. I still don't think my shop is fully awake yet though so I should be able to finish the scarf soon.

So to recap, the tutorial was yesterday's task and today is just making, though I am still tossing around the idea of making a quick video of making the ring needed for the chainmaille since it is a true ring, not the usual mock one generally used in needle tatting, but I'll just wait until I'm better motivated to do so, or someone actually asks. I have also had another streak of custom item inquiries where the customer doesn't get back to me at all and I fear that they will all return at the same time, though actually that would be awesome for business, so forget about that fear thing I just said. Wait, no, it still scares me, but it's unlikely to happen, so I'll just take a deep breath and hope that future inquiry discussions actually come to a conclusion at all, whether it be to move forward or not. It's the not knowing that causes all the stress. Crap, I'm rambling again...I'll just leave now before it gets worse.

Is That A Challenge

One of the fun things about being in an etsy street team, in my case the steam team, is creative challenges. I haven't been able to participate in many of them, though I've enjoyed watching and voting on entries. This time, I can. The theme is a challenge of metal and cloth and lace counts as cloth. I found in the clearance section of Micheal's these large metal filigree pieces and saw something in them that I could work with.

I started yesterday by setting the piece with several different tatted necklace to find the right partner. I settled on the flower garland design and began tatting it directly onto the piece, which is not as much fun as you might imagine. The metal is heavy and pulls on the work so I have to hold it in my palm to avoid drama. Next up is figuring the best way to utilize the four rings at the bottom. I was going to do triangles to match a motif in the design, but they did not turn out well, so I'm rethinking that later.

Other events yesterday include getting another dozen boxes out of the garage to prep for more unpacking. Then smashing my already broken toe against a box when the 2 year old panicked over cats in the garage. I stopped pulling out boxes after that, but went ahead and started opening the boxes and managed to stab myself in the finger with the utility knife when I failed to pull the blade in all the way. This is when I decided to go ahead, sit down and just work on the tatting for the rest of the day. Yeah, I know, I just need to cut it out and let my foot heal, but there's just so much to be done.

Today, I add one more thing to the list of things to do, start the homeschooling of the 5 year old. If you've been following that drama, you know that I managed to wait too long to sign her up for formal Internet based classes and found they were full. This was followed by panic over my extreme parent fail. Then, I discovered that all was not lost as kindergarten is not required. This means that I can do kindergarten informally and get her signed up in time for first grade in the spring. I decided that the first of September was a great time to start and that's today so we'll see how this goes with all the tatting and house cleaning and everything else my day brings. Here we go.

A Lost Art

So awhile back I made some ridiculous goals with the intent of keeping myself forever moving forward. One of those unreachable goals was to make tatting the next big crafting craze. Then something weird happened, I thought I might actually give it a go, well not exactly that, but a modified version. I what to expose tatting to a wider audience so that it is no longer referred to as a lost art. How, you ask. Well, I'm still working out all the details and I'm gonna need a little help from as many people as I can get.

I submit to you, Tatting is not a lost art: the challenge. I've done a beading challenge a few times and I thought, why not do something like that to get more people to not only see tatting, but use it in their own pieces. What I was thinking of doing is offering a tatted medallion in one or two colors at maybe $5 or $6 to anyone that wants to participate. The challenge would be to use that medallion in your own work, be it jewelry, multimedia art, clothing, whatever. Then you would list the creation for sale on etsy using something like TotusMelchallenge as a tag or upload it to a flickr group I would create if you aren't a seller or simply don't want to sell the piece. All of this would be done within a set time limit. I would recruit a small panel of judges and the winner(s) would receive something from my shop or another prize to be determined.

My ultimate goal here, is to get tatting a lot of exposure and hopefully by association get myself a little exposure even if it means eventually there will be more tatters to compete with. What I need from all of you out there is input. I need to know if you think this is a good idea. Would you participate? How good would the prize have to be to get you to play? Should I offer the medallion in just one color(ecru) or perhaps two (ecru & black)? How long should the time limit be? I'm thinking that I need a least a dozen people to make this worth the effort, so I'm going on a forum recruiting spree soon. If you'd like to be kept in the loop, just shoot me an email using the Contact Totusmel link on the bottom of the right column or convo me on etsy.

We're All Winners, Right?

Well I've got a couple of pieces of news today. First I have the results of the Spring Beading Challenge. As I predicted, I did not win, but I was surprised to get a special mention in the judges, Linda Chandler's write-up:

"First, I want to thank you all for letting me judge this beading contest. With so many wonderful and outstanding pieces it was very hard to make a decision.

Some of the things I look for in a piece of jewelry are uniqueness and choices of color and components. Another thing I like to see is the use of creative, and sometimes even mismatched, elements that are combined. Persuading disparate elements to come together and unify into a completed piece with unity and balance can elevate a jewelry piece to a work of art.

Above all, the jewelry should be comfortable to wear and be constructed to withstand prolonged wear. The attention to detail and workmanship are very important to making an heirloom piece of jewelry that can be handed down from generation to generation.

Now, to the jewelry! Totusmel's tatted collar deserves special mention. Anyone who has tried tatting knows how difficult it is to master and how much work is involved! This is a lovely collar that hearkens back to more romantic, Victorian times. Made in black or perhaps ecru, and the addition of Swarovsky pearls would make this collar a truly spectacular piece!

An Honorable Mention goes to tanqukarnitz! This necklace shows a lovely balance between beads and chain. The hard work and attention to perfect detail, especially in the silver chain and bail, truly make this a piece to be cherished and admired for its uniqueness.

Another Honorable Mention goes to morwynskya. This beaded cuff is beautifully made and shows a flair for color and design. It's eye-catching and evokes a joyful feeling of Spring and renewal.

Finally, I chose boxc.jewelry as the winner of the 2008 beading contest. This collar is like nothing I've ever seen before. Wearing it must feel almost like wearing a cape. The execution is lovely and original. There's a sense of fun balanced with a sense of drama. The variety of colors would go with just about anything. This necklace is obviously well thought-out and executed. Congratulations to boxc.jewelry on your win!

To everyone who entered this contest, well done! All the entries were great and that's what made judging so difficult. I would encourage each of your to keep entering contests and challenging yourselves in different ways. I hope you will all keep creating wonderful jewelry. You are all winners!"

You can check out all of the entries and winners at the flickr site for the challenge. I really feel flattered to have been mentioned at all.

I also want to thank everyone for the support I got after Monday's post. I never had any real intention of quitting, even though I was feeling a bit discouraged. When I started this thread at etsy, I was surprised by the many people who lamented my potential departure. There are often threads in the forums where people are asked who their etsy buddies, mentors, idols, etc. and I have never been mentioned. I know because I'm constantly searching for mention of my name. The reaction I got made me feel very special and I want to thank everyone who posted something in support.

On a related subject, I actually made a couple of sales Monday and one was a really good one that included my Portrait of an Elegant Lady choker. So WooHoo for me! Maybe I should make idle threats of quitting more often. Who am I kidding, I couldn't do it even if I wanted to, I am a horrible liar and I mock those who make theses kinds of threats to get attention. I think it's gonna be a good week...unless my husband makes me try to buy the limited edition Metal Gear Solid PlayStation 3 bundle again tomorrow, 'cause after today, I'll kill something, I swear.

Who Will Beat Me?

Yesterday, LavaJewelry posted a striking treasury of some of the competition for the Spring Beading Challenge. This is the third challenge I have participated in, and even though I have little chance of ever winning, I'm sure it is not the last one either. I am not a bead artist, but I like to try my hand at it every now and again. This one was particularly difficult for me for some reason. I don't know whether it was the colors or my choice of patterns, but it's over now. I'll post the winners when they are decided.

It seems I just got one of those flood moment when it comes to treasuries. I hadn't been in one for a while and now three in a row. I'm hoping that this good juju will spill over into the sales department.




I also promised a quick look at my new tatted scarf design. This one is based on my Art Deco pendant pattern that was originally the center of a vintage place mat pattern. I'm starting out by simply stringing the motifs together. I'm using the same purple wool yarn from NoTwoSnowflakes that I used to design my first tatted scarf. I have no idea how it will turn out as I have a nasty habit of doing the design work while I'm tatting. I really don't know why I'm on a tatted scarf kick just as the weather turns warmer, maybe I'm hoping I get really popular with the Australia crowd.

I Actually Finished!

Despite all my efforts to the contrary, I actually completed yesterday's task. My entry for the Spring Beading Challenge has been photographed and listed in all the appropriate places. I'm calling it "The Lady Loves Absinthe". So far, it has no love, but it is much more of an 'art' piece than I usually create.

I also finished one of two Mother's Day presents, which I will show off just as soon as they've been gifted. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise on the off chance either of them stumbled upon my blog.

I still need to finish writing my article for the magazine and taking step-out photos for it, which is my least favorite part of the process, by a mile. I swear, I will be making some new pieces for my store soon, maybe today, unless I get sidetracked which of course I will.

Why Do I Procrastinate Now?

I hate being late for anything. When I'm given a project, I generally start it right away and finish long before I need to. The exception to my virtually flawless on time record occurs when I'm faced with too many projects at once. They don't have to be big projects with the same deadline, just one too many will do me in. I simply can't decide where to start and as my husband would say, I BSOD.

So here I am with one day left to finish my entry for the Spring Beading Challenge and what am I doing? I'm stalling. It's almost as if I've already decided that I'm going to fail. I have Mother's day gifts to make, an article for Belle Armoire Jewelry to write and I really should make something new to list in my shop, none of those things are due tomorrow, but I've spent far more time on them than on this bloody beaded necklace.

I'm going to get on it now, I swear. Maybe I'll even finish it on time. The funny thing is, as soon as I finish these project, I'll probably have weeks of free time. Flood or famine...damn, I'm stalling again.

The Way Back Machine

BeaG & Mamadelic

While reviewing my newest purchases, I thought, too bad I didn't have a blog two years ago when I started my etsy shopping spree. I then proceeded to rush about my house collecting all the various items I could find and began taking photos for a Way Back Machine review series. A great many of them became gifts and I've clearly used and abused others. I still need to find some more things that are strewn about, but I've got enough to start with.

This review series will be different not only because of the time lapsed, but also because I will be focusing on the longevity of the items. These will be short and sweet, so you shouldn't get bored. If I bought something from you in the last couple of years, don't be surprised to see it here.

My first two are from my first real shopping spree back in August of 2006. These items are special because I not only still use them daily, but I couldn't imagine not having them around.

BeaG makes these simple crochet key chain holders for lip balm and Vaseline tins. I do crochet, so as soon as I received these, I immediately tried to figure out the pattern. Then I stopped and realized for the first time that I did not need to learn how to make these. Why? Because she makes them so well, I'll never need another one. That did not stop me from buying more as gifts. Sometimes we must simply bow to the superior skill. Two years later, these are still in my bag daily and have held up amazingly well. I am really hard on my stuff and I have two small kids who play with everything, so when I say they hold up well, it's practically a guarantee.




Mamadelic is an awesome seller too. Back when I bought this in August 2006 , I saw her almost everyday in the forums. I figured it was time to get a business card holder, so I picked one up from her. Guess what, its still in my bag packed with cards on one side and tissues on the other. Did I mention I'm mom.

This was very well made, professionally packaged and again has held up to an amazing amount of abuse. It's just stiff enough to hold up and is made from some lovely fabric. I notice that she doesn't make these anymore, but you can still check out her other amazing products, I haven't bought a tote in a while...




On another subject, lest you think I've stopped creating if favor of deep meaningful blog posts, here's a sneak peek at my entry for the Spring Beading Challenge. Clearly, I am no a beader. It is a challenge for me to simply add beads to an existing tatting design, so I participate in the challenge as a learning exercise. I'm fully aware I have snowballs chance in hell of winning, but I press on.