Runway

First off this morning, I have horrible tatting news to share. About halfway down the second side of my Art Deco scarf in black...I ran out of yarn. Now, this wouldn't be so tragic except the yarn I used was acquired elsewhere and not carried in my neck of the woods. I prompted ordered some more from a quick shipping company, but it will still be days before I can finish the scarf...I am sad.

In other news, you might recall how I purchased a top on etsy and was cajoled into providing models pictures of said top to the maker. No? Well, I did and the shirt arrived on Friday along with a great many extras thrown in as a bribe. I am in love with this top from poppyswickedgarden. Honestly, it looks great, feels better and well, here is a picture. You can see more if you click the image as it links to the listing at etsy. I always feel goofy "modeling", but my 5 year old helped with the pictures and it was a bit more fun than I thought. So, if you'd like to send me free handmade clothes to "model" for you...feel free. No? Fine, be that way.

Again I fall into the task of remaking pieces. I did manage to get a few new small ones listed in the store over the weekend and I even got a front page feature...at 4 in the morning. I didn't it because I sleep, but it got me a few views and a couple of convos all about the listing picture that was not done by me, but still. Here's hoping for a feature in a more prominent time slot some time soon.

Last bit of news here. I plan on starting an exclusive facebook fan sale today. It will be one item a day on sale advertised only there, available only to fans. So if you're there and not a fan yet, click over there in the left column to become one so you might be privy to such goings on.

At Least It's Over

This has been one horrifyingly long week. There were headaches, tatting projects, secret histories revealed and for some reason an awful lot of introspection. My Grandfather was also visiting for the better part of the week from Utah and as wonderful as it is to see him and have the whole family over the stress of keeping a house normally run by two small tornadoes clean to its toll. To add a little extra something to the chaos, while trying to get a new feature on iphoto to work for me I managed to get myself locked out of my flickr account. I literally performed a graceful 'headdesk' moment and I began to give up. Still haven't figured out why the feature won't work for me on either of my computers, but at least I'm back into my flickr thanks to my much more patient husbands computer skills.

Last weeks new tatting designs appear to have appeased my muse and I was content just to remake pieces this week. Probably better given all the other events of the week took most of my energy. I do have a few new ideas swirling around in my head, but I'm not certain when they will reach escape velocity. There's no rush I suppose.

I did get an etsy purchase in the mail on Wednesday. I bought these shoes after falling in love with them when they were first featured on Etsy. Clearly the stores purveyor had no idea they would get so much attention and she was bombarded with orders. It took quite some time before I received an message that she was now making the shoes in the black I had requested. I almost didn't buy them because I was annoyed at being ignored so long and the price had gone up as well...but I really wanted them so I caved.

They are well made, cute and vegan, if you're into that sort of thing. I don't really care on that point. She says that they are suitable for outdoor and indoor wear, but the soles have no rigid material. This makes for a bit of a Princess and the Pea situation. Sure, you can wear them outside, but they are definitely not all season and you'll feel a little like you're barefoot. Of course the lack of a rigid soles means they are horribly comfortable to wear around the house. I can even sit, legs crossed without any shoe based discomfort. They are available from HydraHeart at etsy for $48. Be careful when you measure your feet though, I was a little generous with my measurements thinking it would help comfort, but instead I ended up with my shoes being a bit looser than I'd like. I still like them a lot, in fact I'm wearing them right now.

Nice And Calm

After what must have been a whole week of whirlwind events, yesterday was strangely quiet. No emails, no orders, no drama at all. I have to admit it was kind of nice. I spent most of the day comforting one sick child and keeping the well child entertained so she would stop jumping on her sister. I worked a little on a custom mask, but other than that, there was no tatting either. I suppose it is too soon to say whether this is the calm after the storm or simply a false calm like the eye of the storm.

So with all the non events of yesterday, I really have little to say today. Ooh, I did get some lovely earrings I ordered in the mail yesterday. So, I guess I'll show them to you. They are from duckduckgoosestuff and I absolutely love wearing them. I love unique earrings with simple lines, but have a nasty habit of losing them. I doubt that is possible as they would have to do some ridiculously complicated swerves to get out of my ear without me knowing.

I also want to pick up some of her ear coils meant to coil through several holes since I have 4 on the lobes of each ear and I love lacing ear threads through them. These pieces are incredibly simple, but create a striking image and I'm so glad I found this shop across the pond!

Tatted Goggles?

So, I've been super busy lately, mostly making masks. I really did not anticipate having to make more than a dozen of these suckers. Not that I'm complaining mind you, but I am looking forward to making something, anything else after Halloween. To that end, I have finally broken down and purchased a pair of brazing goggles for future embellishment. They came in the mail yesterday and and I'm bursting with tatting ideas. The plan is to use tatting to encircle each eye cup and if I'm feeling adventurous, also covering the headband portion as well. I'm afraid right now that using black on black would lose all details of the lace, but since I won't be working on it for a while anyway, I can let the ideas percolate. I imagine if they turn out really good I'll make a few for sale, but the first pair is definitely mine.

Since that's about all that's happened recently on the creative front, I thought I'd give a product plug out for one of my recent purchases on the etsy. As I have repeatedly mentioned, I used to work at a music store. We received tons of promo tags to wear and these were always accompanied by piles of bead chains, which I collected. I would wear several connected together wrapped around my wrist and neck...because they looked cool. Anyway, as I was checking one of my fav stores, I saw this beauty. It is just so me, and I quickly snatched one up.

The description states that it will wrap about 10 times...mine goes 11 and it is so comfy and neat looking. I actually haven't taken it off since I got it. I can't really wear jelly bracelets or bangles because my wrists are so small, but this piece lets me rock the look of tons of jewelry easily. Allison from RockLove is also an awesome seller I've had the pleasure of being acquainted with for a while now and I highly recommend her as a seller as well as her fabulous edgy pieces.
Just for a bit of added kick, here I am rocking the bracelets.

Alchemy Made Me A Shrug

All the way from across the pond, I received my brand new shrug! I wanted something different, something unique and most importantly something handmade. I posted an alchemy request for this mystery item and this is what I got.
The picture on the left really doesn't do it justice. The one on the right is the same shrug with a red vampire bat wings. It fits great and has the unique look I was going for, so thanks fallenangelgothtogs, I love it!




I already showed off my purchase from kindredspiritsyarn by showing you the amazing orange scarf I tatted up as a custom order, but I'd like to give special mention to her wonderful customer service. The yarn came lovingly wrapped very quickly enabling me to finish my order in a very timely manner. The colors were brilliant and perfectly captured in her listings which I image can be hard to do with dyed yarn. Thanks so much!

Before & After

Pinkchihuahuaart & TimothyAdamsDesigns

I thought that I might actually convince a few people to share their before and after listings for my countdown to 1000 celebration, but no one bit. Instead I will use two of my most recent purchases to show not only where we all come from, but where we can all get to under the right set of circumstances.

While playing the, "look at my blog" game, I ran across a picture of the cutest little polymer ladybug. I immediately proceeded to the sellers etsy store and picked it up for my bug loving daughter. It was pinkchihuahuaart's first sale and I have to admit, I didn't pay that much attention to the details, it was perfectly priced for an impulse buy. I didn't receive a confirmation convo, but I didn't really expect one. When the package arrived, I was impressed with the careful packaging and pleasantly surprised with the cute felt pin included as a gift. I have to point out that the ladybug, while "super cute", was far from flawless with little fingernail marks and a slightly peeling antenna. I still love it and I will add it to my daughters birthday gifts next month. The reason I mention the flaws, other than my sick need to always speak true, is to make my before and after point. Pinkchihuahuaart is clearly talented, but has quite a way to go before she could ever sit at the table with the creator of my next purchase.



The one thing these two purchases have in common is, I found them both through the sellers blog. TimothyAdamsDesigns was launching a product test of a new necklace design at a reduced price. I could not pass up the deal. I've wanted one of his pieces for quite some time and like a lot of other new Etsian bloggers, I've been visting his blog regularly for tips and whatnot. As soon as his test necklace was available I ran to his store to pick it up. Soon after I received a convo confirming my purchase and letting me know when it would be shipped. It arrived the other day, professionally packaged and in pristine condition. I know that he has recently joined the 700 club (sales that is) and the reason is obvious. The necklace is well constructed, each cut deliberate and well designed. It hangs beautifully and comfortably from the amazing magnetic steel cable, perfect in its simplicity. In fact I'm wearing it right now and I'll most likely be wearing it tomorrow and the next day and the next day.



I guess, I'm somewhere between these two sellers and I hope to one day join the ranks of TimothyAdamsDesigns, but it might be awhile. My two year anniversary on Etsy is coming up on April 18th and I'm 7 sales shy of 250 and just broke my goal of 1000 hearts yesterday. I think I might feel a sale coming on...stay tuned.

Shopping Habits

I've noticed a generally trend in etsy blogging in particular to feature a random seller for the benefit of both parties. This is a fabulous idea & I have been lucky enough to garner a few features here & there. However it strikes me as a little odd that most of these features have come about as the result of me replying in a forum to a general call for artists. I'm not complaining, mind you, but I think that if I were to "feature" artists, they would be ones that I personally have either purchased from or at least wished that I could.

So, to that end, I will now begin trotting out all my etsy purchases & personally lauding each one that deserves praise. I mention that last caveat about deserving praise because of another trend I have recently begun to hate. Hollow compliments strewn about the etsy forums with wild abandon. I have never & would never tell someone that I liked something that I did not like. I won't toss in a "hey, cute owl", if I did not actually think that. Obviously that means I can be pretty quiet at times, but I digress.

Here are the pretties that the mailman brought me yesterday...I took the pictures myself so as to avoid any property issues that may arise.

First is a beautiful pair of earrings purchased from Danielle at bowerofbliss. They are so light & hang perfectly next to the pair of threader earrings that I never take out. She's a really wonderful seller that put up with my mail paranoia well.Next we have a lovely skein of hand dyed merino from Nicole at NoTwoSnowflakes. It contains just the prettiest shades of purple and I can hardly wait to tat up a scarf with it for the fall. So far I've had the best luck with my purchases.

I may trot out whatever I make with this for a later post...of course I have to add it to the already too long project list.