Inspiration

It's no secret that my husband has mixed feeling regarding not only etsy, but my tatting in general. That said, he sometimes jumps into my world with both feet. He expressed an affection recently for my masks and attempted to get me to wear one to the Ren Faire last week, though I ultimately chickened out because I was afraid of the attention. I know, silly given that my hair is currently blue and purple and one can't help but notice me. Anyway, just this weekend as he was fawning over screen shots and videos of the newest Castlevania games he called me into his computer room with an idea for my tatting.

This is such a rare occurrence that any hesitation on my part would have been foolhardy, so rather than stare agape at him making a suggestion for my tatting, I went to see what it was. Well, the newest star of the Castlevania games in a rather goth looking gal with an insane amount of hair, which would preclude her from fighting effectively, I might add. On her arms she wears long gloves with a lace edge and on her neck she wears what appears to be a lace collar with a ribbon tying it in front. The suggestion was of course that I should make these items with tatting. While it is hard to get past the origin of the suggestion, it is a good one. So onto the list of future projects are tatted Castlevania accessories.

The collar is quite similar to ones already found on etsy, but as with many of my projects, I haven't seen it in tatting. The projects will probably have to wait until after the holidays, like so many others, but I'll get around to them, if for no other reason than to involve my husband in my work. It just goes to show you though, you just never know where inspiration is going to come from.

The Tatted Eye Patch

I wish I could tell you that I am a creative genius and that all of my designs were born of my own imagination, but it's simply no true. Sure, I've come up with quite a lot of ideas all by my lonesome, but some of my most interesting pieces have been the ideas of others. My tatted mask were only designed after someone asked for a lace mask. My tatted cuffs were a gentle suggestion for Belle Armoire. Just yesterday, I had perhaps one of the oddest requests I've had in a while. I was asked if I could create an eye patch which I did.

I think the reason that I get such wonderfully different ideas from others is they have no idea what the process of tatting actually is. This allows them to assume that anything can be created with it. They can think outside the box because they have no idea what the box really is. When I get one of these suggestions, I have to step outside my comfort zone and imagine the end result without thinking of the how. If I can see the resulting object, then I can start to suss out how I will go about creating it . Sometimes it turns out to be simple and sometimes it turns out to be harder than it's worth. Whatever the process the result of these suggestions is always unique and something I am proud of.

I guess I just wanted to publicly thank all those idea makers. Every idea you have placed in my hands has made me think and grow as an artist. Every idea that has grown far beyond a simple suggestion and has fueled other ideas and started a snowball effect. I hope that I continue to get outlandish and sometimes bizarre ideas for my tatting. I certainly would have bored of this craft long ago had I never moved beyond the traditional edgings and doilies. So, thanks and keep the ideas coming!

Huzzah

Yeah, that's right, I said huzzah. It's over now, let's move on. You might have noticed that there is a new link at the top of the 'Where I'm featured now' list. I was fortunate to do an interview for a lovely fellow who writes a Steam Punk blog. He's a wonderful writer and the the pieces are a great mix of topics. Okay that's the end of the plug. The reason I mention this is, he asked about my Lady Loves Absinthe necklace. It's the one I created for the Spring Beading Challenge. Unlike most of my pieces, it was anything but simple. It's over the top and extremely dramatic. I assumed it would sit in my store forever as an art piece that everyone likes to look at, but would never even imagine wearing it. I think you probably know where I'm going with this, but just in case, you haven't already figured it out, I sold it!

While I'm extraordinarily happy about the sale, it's a bittersweet moment. Each time I sell a one of a kind piece, it's kind of like saying goodbye to a child. Okay, that's a bad metaphor, but you get what I'm saying. A lot of my pieces can be recreated with little effort and I have no problem sending them on their way, but there will never be another Lady Loves Absinthe. I don't think I could make this piece again, even if I tried. The sale has also given me a kick in the butt to create another 'art' piece. I've gotten used to having at least one around, so I'll be mulling over ideas for the next few days. Please feel free to share any ideas you have as I create best when challenged outside my comfort zone.