Eyes

A full half of yesterday was spent sitting in the eye doctor's office with the family, because that's what happens when you schedule 4 appointments in a row and 3 of you have your eyes dilated extending the appointment. The first half of the day was pretty nice though. Look what I got in the mail from Instructables. It's a neat new prize pack. I know I haven't put anything new on that site in a while, but I do go there all the time to learn new things. It's my first stop when curiosity hits.

I've been getting a few comments on facebook asking for an Armenian knotted lace tutorial, but I don't think I'm quite good enough, or more importantly, knowledgeable enough of the technique to teach it. I mean, everything I know I learned from one book or experimentation. Does that even remotely qualify me to teach something to other people? No, really I'm asking. What do you think?

Leaving that question, this is what I got done on the gray piece during the day. I actually worked on it a bit in the waiting room before my eyes were dilated and I could no longer see. I didn't measure it so I'm not sure how big it is right now. I think I'm going to continue with the design I've worked out by growing the points every new round. So far it's working out okay, but this one is just pure guesswork. I'll likely just work it up to about the same size as the purple one.

A Question For You

Well, my sick brain is fading, just a bit. I likely have the rest of the week to spend time with this cold though, so don't expect too much. I spent most of yesterday knotting on the Armenian lace again with no pictures to show for it. I did attempt to get back to reading a bit while doing so and since everything made sense, I must be getting better.


I remembered yesterday afternoon that I forgot to mention something here. You see, next week, on the 19th, is my 10th anniversary selling my tatting on Etsy. I'd like to do something to commemorate this milestone. I was thinking a sale, but I'd love to know what percent off would be the most inciting to get you to celebrate with me? You know, within reason. Personally I don't consider it a sale until it's 25% off, but that's just me. I was also thinking about maybe creating a sale section where I put the patterns on sale for a couple of bucks each and some tatting for $10 or something like that. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. The shop is still mighty quiet and I'm kind of hoping that I can at least wake it up next week.

Done and Done

I started the day with plans to watch my nieces, but they apparently slept in and we had the house to ourselves for the day. I had two pieces of crochet cord and a desire to use them to make something, so I spent the day with them. This first one here is destined to be a bracelet like the last one. I went ahead and learned a couple new stitches for this one. I looked through an old lace book I got on the Antique Pattern Library. It's actually a book on Battenberg lace, but the concept seems the same save for the use of what I assume is the 'tape' in tape lace. It looks like ribbon and the cord serves the same purpose except with more surface area for stitching and hiding thread. I still didn't bother to learn the names of the stitches, just thought they looked neat and gave them a go.

This next one was still done without a pattern and simply by eyeballing, but I attempted to make it fairly symmetrical. I know it's not perfect, but if I'd wanted perfect I would have taken the time to drawn up a pattern. I thought this piece had an 'evil eye' vibe so if nothing else it already has a name. The plan is to add chains on the side of this one and turn it into a necklace.

I do have a question I need help with regarding the bracelets. Would you prefer them with metal lobster clasps or with the sliding macrame clasp I did on my last simple necklace? I want to try to get them in the shop today if I can figure that bit out. Oh, and I wouldn't hate price opinions on these either.

So today if I can figure out clasps and prices, I'll get these all up in my shop. If not I'll just sit on them another day. Either way I'll probably spend much of the day making new cords and thinking about what's next. I'm hoping to combine tatting and the Romanian point lace at some point, but the idea hasn't coalesced yet. These pieces definitely have potential as all sorts of pieces as I get braver and make larger ones. That might be a while though.

Lots of Color

On one hand I got quite a bit done yesterday. On the other, it wasn't all that I had planned to get done. For one, I didn't list anything new in the shop at all. I did get a whole bunch more of the new motif tatted up though. I asked over on my Facebook page for color suggestions and I got all but one of the requests made. The other color I couldn't make was a light blue because I just don't have any light blue thread. I hope I can stay motivated enough after schooling today to get these up in the shop. I certainly am not making any more of them unless one goes to a new home.

I still haven't come up with any good ideas for a new piece or pattern for next month either. I guess I'll try to think on it over the weekend and maybe something will come to me. I may just release the pattern for one of my previous designs, so if there was something you really wanted the pattern of, please do let me know. Otherwise you'll just get whatever I fancy. Hopefully some inspiration kicks in with this sunshine.

Another Dud

Well Cyber Monday did not provide any more sales than any other Monday might have. It brought one sale, is what I'm trying to say, but that one was a custom sized mask meaning at least it gave me something specific to do for the day. So that's pretty much all I did, but I did get the mask finished so I'm feeling pretty good about that.

I do have a question for tat land though. I have been receiving a lot more messages on etsy and through formspring asking for patterns and general tatting instruction lately.  I was curious if this is a trend that's anyone else is seeing. I imagine it's connected to the holidays and the desire to be able to make unique gifts, but I don't remember the same thing occurring in years past. I have gotten so many request lately that I'm actually contemplating a book again. Don't get excited though, it's so not happening anytime soon. I just don't have the skill set required to put that together, but I digress, my initial curiosity is well, are you seeing more curiosity lately?

Let's see, for today, I did wake up to a few more messages on etsy asking for custom lengths and colors so hopefully those customers will provide me with something to do for today. Otherwise I'm, making more snowflakes for 'just in case' gifts. I do have a meeting with the home school 'teacher' this morning for the quickly approaching end of the semester, but that's the whole of my days plans. Here's to something wonderful and unexpected happening.

Look At My Feet...Again

Wow, new two days in a row. Given my more recent lack of anything new, two days in a row can be considered a significant achievement. The piece I needed to remake yesterday was a slave bracelet and as I was working on it I made the decision to turn that sucker into a pair of barefoot sandals. I again abused that Betsy Evans heart pattern by changing all the stitch counts yet again, to make it large enough to sit on the foot. I added the toe loop and then puzzled awhile on how to best add the side ties. The other sandal motifs had easily repeatable bits that lent themselves quite easily to corner attachment, this one, not so much. I did eventually settle on a simple chain and ring combo similar to how I made the bracelet attach to the wrist portion. I know you're probably shocked that I made them in red too. It's a nice deep cranberry color and I just finished a mask with this thread and I guess I was in a red mood.

Other than the barefoot sandal business, yesterday was fairly normal. Schooling has about a month and some change left so I'm just trying to keep us both interested enough to get through it as the weather outside gets increasing pleasant. The sweet, cool breeze keeps calling to us and luckily we can just skip outside whenever we like. There is just not much else to report unless you want a laundry play by play.

I did have a few other ideas while I was off adventuring last week that I will try to get around to trying out soon. Just bits of other patterns that told me they could be something else. I'm not sure any of those ideas will properly manifest, but I never am, so I'll give it a go. Oh, I do have a question for you all before I stopped rambling. Has anyone ever worked with a company to design patterns for them to distribute? I was contacted by someone to do that and I'm thinking on it, but some experienced advice would be lovely. The patterns would be distributed for free and I wondered what one would charge for that service. I've never sold a single pattern so I'm in the dark here. If you'd prefer to message me privately, my email is in my blogger profile. I honestly don't even know if I feel comfortable committing to the time needed to design and create a tutorial, but more information before deciding is always good. Well, that's it then, off to the day.

Well, That I Could Have Done Without

Yesterday was what you might call a wash. My oldest daughter woke up with a leaking ear, yep again. She just got over one ear infection only to get one in the other ear. So my day included getting an appointment at the doctor's office only to find that another doctor was covering the day and they were already booked. They squeezed us in, but as you might imagine that meant our wait was significant. Then because it was just that sort of day, the pharmacy was extremely busy and it took over an hour to get her medicine. All that adventure ate up most of the afternoon, leaving me little time to do anything. Earlier in the day I managed to remake a couple of sold pieces, so the day wasn't a complete loss I suppose.

I was reminded by a friends tweet that I had purchased some black feathers last weekend with the intention of creating a more embellished hair piece. So I keep trying to figure out how to attach feathers and tatting. I mean, do I use 'clever' stitching as was suggested when it was just tatting or do the feathers require a little hot glue or something. I have zero millinery experience, so I just muddle through. Of course I don't know whether I'll get to this project today or even tomorrow though I do have some free time since I am still waiting for my last skein of bamboo yarn. As I shared yesterday, I managed to sell a pair of ankle corsets and I'd like to get a pair done enough to list them again since I already have too many "custom" pieces listed as it is.

I also noted that I have not done a personal reveal post this week. I don't think I managed one last week either. So I thought for kicks I would ask you what you want to know about me, my life, my craft or whatever. I always pretend to answer a question because no one has ever asked a thing. I mean, it's fine if no one is curious about anything that's fine. I don't live the most glamorous or amazing life and I never have, but if you do have any question, throw them at me. Seriously, anything at all. I can't promise that I'll answer them, but I'll do my level best.

What Am I Doing Right?

Here I am sitting on top of a large and shiny bubble. Below me I hear the familiar sound of popping as people are unceremoniously thrown to the ground. All around and above I see other bubbles resisting the urge to burst. Some of their riders seem terribly confident while others appear to be bracing for an inevitable fall. I don't know why or how my bubble maintains its shape and I too am preparing for an unannounced tumble. Normally I wouldn't question my luck, but as it often happens, I am a slave to my own curiosity.

It is fairly easy to see why the smaller bubbles are bursting. To abandon the metaphor for a bit and speak a bit clearer, the smaller handmade sellers are not selling for the simple reasons. They have bad pictures or descriptions. The objects they make are generic or poorly made. They do not network, list often or price their items well. It is always easy to point out the things one is doing very wrong. What is not as easy is pinpointing what someone is doing right and replicating that.

There are tons of people that do all those thing right and they are still not selling. Sure, you could blame the economy for a lack of sales. It is simple to put the responsibility outside your sphere of influence, throw up your hands and say there is nothing that can be done about it. The only problem with that, is there are people selling. I'm been very lucky to maintain fairly regular sales even after the holidays, even in this economy. The big question is of course, why? What am I doing right that someone just as skilled as me is doing wrong? Is it dumb luck? I am also aware that by asking the question I am more than likely jinxing myself, but I must ask.

I don't visit the etsy forums much anymore, unless someone on twitter links to something interesting, but I still see all the I'm not selling threads. I see all the complaints about not getting any views when listing new items and I see people blaming the growing size of the venue for their lack of exposure. So again, what am I doing that is different? I seem to get plenty of views when I list new pieces. I see the growth of the site as a what good for the whole is good for the individual. I don't get a sale everyday, but often enough that I'm keeping busy.

I know you were thinking that I had answer to all these questions, I don't. I really have no idea what I'm doing, though I wish I did so that I could help people out. I don't advertise. I don't run sales. I network a bit, mostly on twitter these days, but other than keeping my "face" out there I don't see that as a huge boon. I write in the blog regularly, but I barely get any traffic from the blog to my shop. I try to list something everyday, but I generally don't renew unless something is about to expire. If someone else out there sees the secret formula that I'm missing, please share. I'd really love to know what's keeping my bubble afloat so I can make sure it continues to float on.

I'm No Expert

I have a confession, I was a geek. Well, that's not quite true, I was actually a nerd. A stringy haired, thick glasses wearing, too smart for my own good nerd. While I eventually grew into a, shall we say, freak, I spent most of my youth firmly planted in Nerdland. I was mocked, tortured and teased, but none of that kept me from being a know-it-all. I had no problem sharing knowledge with anyone no matter how inappropriate the situation or how much I actually knew. As I grew, I learned to qualify my statements so that it was clear that I knew there was a chance that I was wrong. I now try my hardest to not talk down to people and to never mislead people into thinking that I know more than I actually do.

I believe giving you this background will help you understand why it is that I am so confused. You see, people keep thinking that I am an expert or authority on both tatting and jewelry. Etsy is full of people with amazing resumes, they've attended fashion and art schools, been published and taught, they've gone through apprenticeships and earned their knowledge through years of hard work. I am not one of them. I taught myself tatting just a few years ago with the help of a book and the Internet. I have zero education in the jewelry field. It took my months just to figure out what a headpin was for and I know nothing of color theory or design fundamentals. I am just simply muddling through.

I continue to get questions and comments that infer that I know much more than I really do. I find myself wondering how it is that I have given the impression that I have all the answers. I really have tried to be upfront about my qualifications, yet they keep asking. Oh, I do answer the questions, but not without a thorough Google search. I do have the skill necessary to find the answers, but I am still perplexed. What is it that I do or say that inspires this faith in my knowledge? I suppose I should be happy that people trust me and look to me for answers, it is certainly better than being called four eyes every time I answer a question.