Getting There

I think I'm almost recovered from our vacation. I could probably use a full day of sleep, but since that's not going to happen, I'll just call it close enough. Yesterday right after schooling I got back to work on the tatted pair of slave bracelets. This time I managed to get them both made.

After that was done I picked up my kindle and did a little reading, which was another thing I completely neglected on vacation. We knew it was unlikely that we would be going back there anytime soon, so we spent the vast majority of our time doing all the things. I don't think I read anything longer than an email the whole time we were gone. Nor did I sit down for longer than it took to eat a meal aside from the car rides.

I also got back to some knitting. That was something I tried to do in the car, but the distraction of wanting to pay attention to where we were and not get lost while following another car meant that I totally botched the pattern I was trying to do. Sitting in my living room is a much more stable knitting environment. Plus, I think it's helping me get back to normal faster.

Aside from the knitting, I don't have any projects in queue for today. I'm okay with that as I'm pretty sure I won't be firing on all cylinders until I get a weekend worth of actual rest. Not that I would object to the shop getting busy again. In fact, that would be just fine.

Stress

Yesterday was a bit of a stressful one. It wasn't any one thing, but a whole lot of little ones that I suppose have been building up for awhile. It seems to have culminated in a very knotted up back this morning. It seems that testing season is almost as stressful for me as it is for the child. I won't get into particulars, but let's just say I think I need a vacation from everything. Since that's not going to happen though, I really just need to try and not let every little thing add itself to the pile that is apparently stacked on my back.

Back to tatting though. I still haven't finished the choker yet. I was distracted by other things. I did work on the slave bracelet that sold in my shop though. This one is made using the same elements that are in my Petals Pattern. I didn't add this one to the sale pattern because I wanted to keep a little something for myself though. It was fairly quick to work up which is good because of all that distraction I was talking about earlier. Let me just say how much I hate having to be the 'grown up' sometimes. It's really the worst.

In other lace news, I decided that it was about time for me to learn something new. I've been tatting almost exclusively for a decade now and while I'm still pretty far from being an expert, I've certainly gotten the hang of it. So for my new craft attempt, I picked up a bobbin lace kit. It was at a nice reduced price and the kids are old enough for me to leave pins and bobbins around, so it was time. I'm sure I'll show you what I'm up to once I'm confident that I have half a clue. So far, it's a bit of a mess. If I didn't have the internet to supplement the  inadequate instructions included in the kit I would have tossed the thing in the trash. Thank goodness for how-to videos. I'm also hoping that this will reduce, not increase my stress level. I'm not sure that will be the case yet though. I'm crossing my fingers.

The Slave Bracelet Becomes

I was fairly determined to do a few things yesterday. I wanted to make sure we got back into a nice routine that included yoga in the morning. I wanted to avoid the blistering heat that is upon us here by staying inside all day and I wanted to finally figure out the slave bracelet pattern. I know my bar is set pretty low, but I managed all three and I have to say, that feels pretty good.

I found a small adjustment to the pattern that allows for greater customization in sizing and got one slave bracelet made up in my standard black. Usually I'm not completely enamored with my own work, but I really loved the way this turned out. It has sort of a mitt appearance and from a distance it looks a bit like Venice lace. While I'm not overly found of machine made lace, personal bias I suppose, I do like the look of some of it. Anyway, I immediately thought it would be nice in a pair as bridal jewelry.

I buckled down and worked non-stop the rest of the afternoon. In a shocking display of productivity I got a pair done in time to share it, but not get any of these things listed in the shop. I also did not get the new necklace listed either though further feedback from several sources confirmed that the crystal is staying.

Right before bed I received an order with several small pieces in custom colors that will need to be made, so the day was a high note all the way through. Today I'll try to get all these new pieces listed, as well as get that order made up. I do so adore starting the day with projects and purpose. Here's to another productive one ahead.

It Is Becoming

I'm feeling a bit off as of late. I'm not certain as to why, but it's definitely put a cramp in my creative mood. The entire weekend was sale free in the shop, which is likely to have contributed to the oddness, but it's something more than that and it's driving me batty. I shan't dwell on it though. I didn't do much tatting over the weekend because we decided to do a culling of the children's toys. That task took hours and it isn't even close to done yet. I also got in the school supplies for the youngest child and she has so many more books than last year that I decided I best get a new bookshelf before her sister's things arrive as well. It looks like the school year is going to be a time consuming one.

Late Sunday afternoon sore and tired from all those physical labors, I did finally pull out my tatting and get back to modifying the new pattern into things. I got one barefoot sandal done and then moved onto the slave bracelet design. I had wanted to start with the necklace, but the prototype taught me that there would be many more significant changes with that design. The feet and hands were much closer to right, though I did have to do many more changes. More joins to strengthen chains, a new ring toward the bottom for stability and several more stitch changes to make the piece lay right on rounded body parts.

Today I have the second barefoot sandal to finish and if all goes as planned, I'll get both new pieces listed. Then I'll get back to designing the necklace version. I think I know what I need to do to get it into the shape I want, but I already have an immense pile of prototypes and I just hate having all that wasted lace. I'll probably do a heck of a lot of thinking about the pattern changes before I put them to the needle. I'm also going to need to write up the stitch counts for this thing because they are all over the place. Usually I try for similar counts throughout a piece, but this needed so many changes that I fear even I won't remember if I don't note them.

I'm also hoping that the oddness works itself out today. Maybe I need to sell something or maybe I just need to get out of my head a little bit. Whatever I actually need, here's to it happening for me today so I can get back to what passes for my normal.

Friday

It's probably no shock that I didn't get round to doing a video yesterday. Once schooling was wrapped, I didn't really have enough time before lunch to do it and by lunch time I had gotten a mask order that needed making. People paying me money for things always takes precedence over the free things I do because I like to help folk. Those are spare time things and luckily I had none of that yesterday. Man, I'd make an awful philanthropist...unless I was already wealthy and then you'd get tons of free tutorials.

On top of the mask I needed to make, there was also a book fair/open house at the book store for the kids virtual school. We try to do as many of the 'social' things as we can manage, so we went off to that for the afternoon. This put another huge dent in the day though, so I still have plenty of mask making left over for today.

Ooh, I almost forgot that I did do at least one thing I said I would yesterday, I finished, photographed, and listed the slave bracelet fairly early in the morning. It seemed rather well received. While it didn't fly off the shelves or anything, it was added to a few favorites listed quite quickly, so I'm feeling pretty good about that.

So today I still have a mask to finish and late last night I got another order for a necklace in a custom color, so I've got plenty of work on my plate. If by some stroke of luck those task go quickly and I get some quiet time I may revisit the video idea. I'm not holding out much hope though. I would like to get it done before I release the pattern which is being test tatted by one of the nicest tatters I know as we speak. I've still got a week and some change though, so no rush I guess. I never been this on top of things before, Usually I put things together at the last minute and everything is immediately out into the world. Holding onto things for a specific date is weird, but I digress.  Have a great Friday and lovely weekend all.

Necklace To Bracelet

It was another fairly productive day around here. Right after schooling I managed to keep myself on task again. I got pictures taken and the new necklace listed right away. I almost stalled on it because I haven't been feeling up to modeling for pictures, but hold the camera just right and you don't even really see me and so that's what I went with.

As soon as that was done I went ahead and got back to the new piece I'm playing with. As is often the case, this one was born from plating with the last piece and seeing where else it could be worn. It almost fit across my hand so I decided to muck with it until I could make it into probably the daintiest slave bracelet I'm made yet. This one actually closes with a lobster clasp instead of the usual hook because I wanted it to sit over the hand more and just at the base of the wrist.

The rest of the day was devoted to remaking the pair of barefoot sandals that sold. While all this work didn't result in more sales, I did stay pretty busy and I still have to finish those sandals today followed by getting the new bracelet listed. So there's another day of tasks right there. My last major project is also out the door this morning meaning I have nothing that needs doing for anyone else. It's a weird and slightly uncomfortable state for me, so I'm of course hoping for another large project to descend from the heavens. Barring that, the muses could grant me an idea for one myself.  I could also just continue working hard and focus on what's in front of me...yeah, I'm still holding out for divine intervention.

Back To Work

Perhaps I was subtly influenced by other tatters without realizing it, but when I went on a hunt yesterday morning for an interesting old pattern to adapt, I ended up in the pages of the Priscilla book No. 2. Of course I didn't realize that's what everyone else was doing until I was browsing blogs this morning, so maybe it was a psychic connection. Anyway I ended up picking a triangular motif that belongs to the center mat. First I always tat patterns as written because I've found with these older patterns that they always end up looking much different that the pictures so I can't make any modifications until I see what it 'really' looks like and how each element of the lace behaves.

The next step for me is to muck with the pattern a bit. First I change small things like the number of picots. For this one, there are just too many decorative ones for my liking. I also change the size of them so the joins are tighter where I think they should be and add joins to increase the stability. Floppy is fine for a doily lying on a table, not so much for a wearable piece. Then it's onto the decision of what it is to become. My first thought was barefoot sandal or slave bracelet and since my feet are firmly ensconced in socks I started with the bracelet idea and began further mucking the pattern on the outside row to give me the shape I needed.

The bracelet came out okay, but a little large and not just in the size of the motif itself, but too big around for my hand. That's not necessarily a bad this as I have ridiculously small wrists and making things to fit other people well is a good thing so it will likely end up in the shop. either way designing it provided me with the base for the barefoot sandals and after employing my daughter as a test foot since she wasn't wearing socks, silly child, I determined it would work well and got to work on that idea.

I did a few more stitch count changes and again added some more joins for the barefoot sandal version, but the biggest difference was simply the crochet ties. I wasn't too keen on pulling off my long, comfy socks to get a picture, but I did anyway. You will note though that I applied quite the filter on the picture to obfuscate the quality of my winter skin. I also sense a necklace in this pattern as well and that, as well as the twin to this barefoot sandal are on the agenda today. If only they could have imagined back in what 1915 that a small motif design for fancy tableware would be abused in such a fashion.

Before I go I wanted to say thanks for all the well wishes regarding my stomach bug. Clearly I was feeling much better yesterday though all this work was done firmly seated in a resting position. We have one last day of vacation from homeschooling so this is my last burst of creativity for a while. I also have one secret project in the works. It's nothing new that's making, but rather...well, I just won't say anything more until it's all finalized. In fact, forget I said anything. I had a good day and I'm looking forward to another one today. Hopes yours is good as well.

I'm Back

Home again, home again, jiggity jig. That's right, vacation is over and as the husband is back to work today, so am I. Will I miss it? Well, yes and no. I was itching to get back to work, I just can't maintain lazy nearly as long as I would like to. I am however going to miss the cool, cool air of the coast and the big meals that someone else makes for me. Not their prices though, those are awful.

I did in fact get something done already. I spent some lazy movie  time making up the final version of the newest slave bracelet design. The only problem with the first one was the finger loop. I crocheted them while I was tatting using the working thread and the first go I made it too short and it was a bit tight even on me. Unfortunately since I made the piece in one go and with one length of thread, I just couldn't bring myself to cutting it up to redo that section, so I made a whole new one.  I was a little worried at first with this one as well because my tension is always so much tighter when I know what I'm doing as apposed to designing as I work, so this one seemed a bit smaller. Luckily a quick steam and it was perfect.

Today I'm hoping to get the second barefoot sandal version done. I've got one of the pair knocked out, so it's possible that I'll have them done and listed today as well. Then it'll feel like I really am back to work. Of course I also really should attend to the floors around here as I've been ignoring them as part of my vacation. I might save that for tomorrow though. I wouldn't want to rush into too much, now would I?

We Have Winners

I can't believe it's already Monday and I know that this week is going to fly by as well. Why? Because it's vacation week for the husband which means I will oscillate between trying to get too many things done and trying to "relax" and doing neither as well as I like. You don't care much about that though do you? I have giveaway winners to announce this morning.

The random number generator has chosen a few names for us though there were a couple who might have won had their entries or profiles contained an easy way to contact them. I'm just saying you've got to make sure one can find your info if you want free stuff. The three winners are Fox, Jillian Rueter, and Simeon Huff. I'll be contacting everyone for their mailing addresses in just a few minutes and three pieces will be heading to new homes. I think I might be donating the ones that didn't make it into the giveaway. To whom, I don't know yet, but I'm certain to find someone who can use it for charity fundraising.

Aside from the giveaway I did get some work done on the new slave bracelet and ankle corset/barefoot sandal. This is the bracelet version I think I'm going to go with. I need to do it over again with a longer ring loop though as it's tight even on my tiny hands. Of course this has a completely different look than the first version, but that one is how the foot version will look...basically. I did do all the complicated mapping to make the pieces in one pass this time. I even worked out how to crochet the finger loop within the tatting. It's a little odd to crochet with the tatting needle still in play, but it makes for a nice sturdy piece all with one continuous thread,

I don't have any pictures of the foot piece, but I've got one made up. It's got the addition of metal chains on the sides. That will make more sense when you see them. Today I've got a mask to finish remaking for the shop and then I'll use any spare time I'm afforded this week to get these pieces up to selling quality and then hopefully get them listed. I have have changed my mind about the week. It might be a long one.

Not Quite It

Finally, it's Friday. That whole holiday in the middle of the week thing really messed with my sense of time and since next week is vacation, it won't be much better I'm afraid, but enough about all that, I have things to share. If you haven't yet done so, please go to yesterday's giveaway post and leave a comment to enter! As of this moment we still need about six entrants to add a third prize. I've got six pieces I can giveaway should I get enough people to enter. Please do also read the rules so you make sure your entry counts as well.

I had a pendant to remake yesterday morning and it inspired me to try out a new slave bracelet design. What you might not know about my designing process is that it is mostly in my head. I play with existing bits of lace, make up configurations in my head and then start working. More than 9 times out of 10 what I wanted to make is what comes out. This one was one of the other ones. I'm just not happy with the way it sits at all. It's really frustrating for me to have spent all that time on something and know damn well that I'm not going to use it. This one was particularly annoying because I made all the rings first and then tatted around them all so I have to make tons more little rings before I can begin again or I have to work out the directionality so I can do it in one pass with the rings which is kind of making my head hurt right now.

The good news is the design as it is now with a few added details makes a really neat barefoot sandal/ankle corset design. So over the weekend I'll try out another configuration for the bracelet that will likely see the space between the hand bit and the wrist bit disappear and become a solid piece. Then I will work on making it into the foot piece. Hopefully come Monday I'll have both pieces worked out and I can feel satisfied that I designed something new and functional. Right now I'm just annoyed with myself for failing in the first place.

One last giveaway reminder before I go. I'll pull winners by random number generator early Monday morning so you all have until then to throw your hats into the rings and get your friends to do the same. Also don't forget that any purchases made in my etsy shop until that time that mention the giveaway at checkout will receive a free tatted surprise with their order as well, but everything ends on Monday.

Hands And Feet

First off, thanks for all the comments yesterday though you didn't really help narrow down the giveaway item much. That's okay though I think I have a fine idea you'll like for it regardless. The giveaway won't be up until tomorrow and you will only have until I post Monday morning to enter...you have been warned.

Yesterday after schooling I got the new slave bracelet all listed. Sometimes pricing these pieces gets difficult though. This one for example is far more complex in design and execution than a similarly sized one, but I'd doubt the difference would be terribly apparent to the average person, so do I charge what it's complexity demands or do I take a small hit on price to keep in line with perceived value. Well, in the end I decided that since I actually enjoy making the design unlike some others that I'm burned out on, so I'll take the hit...at least for now.

At this point I started back on the barefoot sandals and I have to say that I really like the way these ones turned out. I tried them on with heels as well and they look pretty neat that way too. Of course the only downside to making another foot accessory is that my flickr account will soon be deluged with foot fetishist attention. It's not too bad though, only a few of them are really creepy and I really do like making them.

Let's see, what else? Well, I finally got a sale around bedtime last night. I don't mind telling you it was quite a relief. Even when I do everything right, my income is still reliant on other peoples shopping whims and worse their budgets. And that's assuming that I ever to everything right. I mostly just make stuff I like, list it and remain chatty online, but I digress. I think I'm done with new pieces from the scroll design. I will definitely be making more of them in different color variations, but I think I'm done with the line as it were. I got halfway through a brown one yesterday that I should get finished and up today and then I get to remake the sale items from last night which should use up the day.

Oh, and do remember to pop by tomorrow or over the weekend to get entered in the giveaway.

The Queen's Hand

I wanted to start off today with another thank you, this time to Gilliauna who has a lovely write up on my work on her blog, Handmade Gift and Shopping Guide. It is a very flattering piece and very much appreciated.

Now back to the tatting. First up another peek at the veil motif now all embellished and sewn together sitting on top of the silver french veiling I'll be using. I also got in the ostrich feathers I needed, but the final construction will wait until the hat base arrives. I added five crystals to the center of the silver motif in black diamond and, well actual black. I thought about adding some filament to the edges, but I think it might have a better era feel without that embellishment.

Next up is the new slave bracelet design. Now, you saw the one with an open center, but that has a very specific purpose. So once it was finished I went ahead and made another with the center and it joins the other 'Queen' pieces as the Queen's Hand. This one is very small and by that I mean it fits me like a glove. In fact I think it rather gives off more of the fingerless glove look than my other slave bracelets. I can of course adjust the length. I've been making the bracelet portion of this design so long that it has been requested in a great many lengths.

Ooh and while I was making up one of my 'In Bloom' pendants yesterday, I had an idea for another simple pendant, so I might give that a go today. I've also been stalling on remaking a sold mask since I have only made it once. I wrote down the basic pattern before I popped it in the mail, but what I honestly don't remember is the order of construction. I don't recall how I started the piece and it wasn't immediately clear upon even close inspection. I think I might have blogged some of it so I guess it's digging through the archives for me. I guess it's just a good thing I document or posterity or I'd be out of luck.

Just A Slave

Okay Blogger, what is the deal? The disappearing comments stopped, but as soon as they were fixed I stopped getting email notification of comments to moderate. Sure I can see them on my dashboard, but come on, I don't spend all day checking that out and thus I can publish comments only if I happen by and that is slightly annoying. I try not to complain about free services, so this will be my only comment on the subject...fix it, please.

Yesterday was the last day of vacation, so we were out out and about soaking up the last hours of my husbands freedom. Caught Despicable Me, fun movie, took the kids on a bike ride and let them slip n slide in the back yard for a spell and yet I did manage some tatting. I got the silver and gray motifs tatted and then after I received the go ahead on the slave bracelet, I started on that.

I won't get into the particulars of the reason for the special order though I will tell you it is one of the more interesting requests. You might recognize the design already, well basically anyway. It's the Vive La Reine Motif that was also used for my Queen's Feet sandals minus the center, plus a few extra attachments to make it more stable. I though I was going to need to add something more to the center, but I still have to make the bracelet portion and I think that will solidify the upper edge and hold the center window perfectly.

This one is also being made for a larger wrist size than mine so it will require some more design changes to the usual slave bracelet wrist section and I'm still working out all the connections. It should still come to fruition today and I will also be getting the crystals sewn onto the veil motifs today, time permitting. So I should have even more tatting to share with you tomorrow.

If you don't read the blog comments, you didn't see the antique store collar being identified by Marliee, or YarnPlayer as a piece she's done before. I also got a lovely email with the same id, so thanks all. Yarnplayer left the blog link to a picture of hers and I do remember seeing it now among so many crazy detailed pieces years ago, but if you're new round these parts and haven't dug back on her blog, go look here. I am particularly jealous of the pieces on net. I want to do that so badly, but I know I won't for a million boring reasons. I guess it's off to it then, let normality commence.

Two Colors & New

So yesterday mail was a partial success with the remaining books I ordered arriving. Of course again I was generally disappointed with the contents. There was another Coats and Clark book from the 40's. I have decided that the company had all of 40 patterns and just chopped and pasted them into different orders for all of their books adding only maybe one or two that hadn't been seen before. Still, it is nice to create a collection and since I avoid modern books like the plague, they will have to do. I also bought a lot of 4 books which were mostly filet crochet with one being a crochet and tatting book from 1916. Unfortunately the fairly thick booklet contained four whole tatting patterns, so basically a bust there too. While not as nice as having the actually books in my possession, I think I might just stick to the antique pattern library and my handy collections of pdfs for future inspiration...it's less disappointing.

I felt extreme relief yesterday to finally pack up all my custom orders including the two color slave bracelet you see above. See, it looks neat in two colors...I just wish it wasn't like tatting molasses to make them in two. I'm guessing it must be an easier process with a couple of shuttles, but no matter it is done now.

So I rummaged through my jewelry bits to find something to match with one of the new patterns I did get out of my books and found this large silver and glass pendant. Now, when I bought it quite some time ago the seller described it as Australian white fire opal. Sure, it's pretty and it has an opalescent quality, but this huge thing is most assuredly not opal. I bought it for a gift, then when I saw it I couldn't bring myself to giving it. Hell I'm not even sure it it is really silver as there is no marking. Anyway, it is lovely and I tatted it onto the new piece, added a silver plated chain to it and we have another one of a kind piece. I haven't listed it yet. I want to try and get one modeled photo first and then get it up today.

Then I'm back to remaking a few sold pieces that have been languishing in unlisted limbo. I also promised that there would be an anklet embellished with only bells soon and I got new ridiculously tiny drill bits so I can proceed with an elytra based collar at some point. I think that there is at least one more new piece to be pulled from these book pages, but you knows when it will arrive, so that's it for now.

Slave Bracelet Pattern

I promised you one last free pattern as a holiday gift. Yes, I'm aware as gifts go, it's a little lame, sort of like handing someone stereo instructions and no stereo. However, I think that some of you out there will like it a bunch. This pattern was written up as a request from someone, so it's not been tatted up by a bunch of people who tell me what I did wrong, so be warned and feel free to share any mistakes you find and I'll correct them here with a note as to the changes if any. This was my first slave bracelet design, recently featured as my bridal slave bracelets in the Etsy Storque. As always I provide the pattern for personal use only, if you'd be so kind!

Slave Bracelet Pattern:

Size 10 thread, size 5 needle or two shuttles

You will need two hooks closures, size 3 I believe. Instead of using the eye portion, I hook directly onto the lace to close the bracelet.

R 3-3-3-3 cl rw, Ch 6 cl rw, R 3-3-3-3 cl rw, Ch 6-5 join to first loop of hook 2 join to second look of hook 5 cl rw, R 3 join to last picot of previous ring 3-3-3 cl rw, ch 5 add hook 2 add hook 5-2-6 cl rw, R 3+3-3-3, ch 6-2-6-6 cl rw, R 3+3-3+3 cl rw, Ch 6 cl rw, R 3 join to side picot of first ring 3-3-3 cl rw, Ch 6 cl rw, r 3-3-3-3 cl rw, ch 6 join to opposite ch 6-2-6 cl rw, r 3+3-3-3 cl rw, ch 6-2-6-6 cl rw, 3+3-3-3 cl rw, ch 6-6-6 cl rw, r 3+3-3+3 cl rw, ch 6 cl rw, r 2-2 join to side picot of ring 2-2-2-2 cl rw, ch4 cl rw, R 2-2-2-2-2-2 cl rw, ch 6 join to opposite chain6-6 cl rw, r 2-2+2-2-2-2 cl rw, ch 6-6 cl rw, r 2-2+2-2-2-2 cl rw, ch 4 cl rw, r 2+2-2-2-2-2 cl rw, ch 4 cl rw, r 2+2-2-2-2-2 cl rw, ch 4 cl rw, r 2+2-2-2-2-2 cl rw, ch 4 cl rw, r 2+2-2-2-2-2 cl rw, ch6 join to opposite chain 6 cl rw.

Continue working as a mirror to the first half. When you get to the end, instead of adding hooks just tat the picots instead.

Center Motif: 8 rings of 5p sep by 2ds and 4ds chains. Join to bracelet by center picot of rings.

Finger loop: R 3-3 join to center motif 3-3 cl rw, Make a josphine knot ring of about 150 jk. You can adjust the number to fit your hand.

This bracelet will fit a smaller wrist, to make it fit larger, I've used several methods depending on the size needed, A row of three split rings attached to either end is the easiest, but if you plan on doing so, you will need to add your hooks to this section rather that the main one. You may of course leave off the hooks entirely and use a ribbon to lace and tie shut eliminating the sizing need. If you've any question or comments, please do leave them!

Found

I feel certain that the good karma should be wearing off soon. Again yesterday, I was surprised with a lovely bit of news. I had just gotten up to do something, came back to the computer to see a bunch of messages all of a sudden. Their subject, the etsy finds email. So I open the email to discover that my bridal pair of slave bracelets were among the many winter wedding themed finds. The other messages in my inbox were friends alerting and congratulating my luck! Once many moons ago, one of my masks earned a feature in the finds email, though I was contacted before hand that time, so I prepared to spend the day counting views and whatnot. This time was a complete surprise.

If you're wondering what a feature like this can do, I have prepared some comparisons. First off, it didn't do anything for sales really at all, this time nor the last. What does happen is a lot of convos are received with mostly, "I love your work" or "I didn't know anyone tatted anymore". Your views on the item featured and your store do in fact go through the roof. On a typical day I get between 150 and 250 store views, yesterday the number was nearly 1200. That's good news as are the nearly 60 new hearts on the shop. I do not mean to undermine the excitement at being featured somewhere with such great exposure, but this feature had a large amount of picks in it. I figured sharing the data would put a realistic spin on it. This is awesome, but not the same as say being the featured seller which does result in tremendous sales for anyone that gets that spot.

In between all the extra conversations including one where I was asked to make pieces 'exclusively for her brand', I declined, I mostly worked on sold pieces. My eyes did wander a few times to the beads in my tatting jar, teasing me with potential, but I must stay the course. This is turning to to be one extremely long and busy week. And to karma, here's hoping it just gets busier, but only in that I have tons of sales to take care of way, not more cleaning or errands or anything though. On a karma related note, I do plan on offering up that other pattern I teased about on Monday or Tuesday next week, so be on the look out for that as well. Back to the salt mine for me.

Slave for Love

I promised a photo of the bridal slave bracelets should I actually finish them and I did and here is one. They aren't much different than my other slave bracelets, but I listed them as a custom wedding piece anyway. They really fit best when they are made to specific hand measurements. In fact even though the customers hand measurements were only slightly larger than my own, these ones bunched and were not the most comfortable to wear even to just get the photos done.

In other news, I have five words for you...hula hoop in a corset. Since we busted out the Wii Fit again for the child both me and my husband have also been using it just a bit. Mostly the continue to encourage the child to keep at it. She chose to have me do the Super Hula Hoop...and I was indeed wearing a corset. While it did improve my form, I was so super sore and exhausted after just one session...yeah, seriously out of shape. However, I can now add virtual hula hooping to the ridiculous list of things I have done whilst wearing a corset.

I was fortunate to wake up to another nice sale. Things have been so horribly slow for everyone lately that I was getting terribly disheartened. After a nice little me too session on twitter yesterday, I already felt much better. Some times it is just so nice to commiserate with others and that can be so hard to do when people look at my sales and say I shouldn't be able to complain. I talked to another seller yesterday who blamed the slowness of her signing a new lease & I blamed it on buying the house. It was our own fault, you see, for beginning to rely on the etsy income. Anyway, I digress. What I really wanted to do was tell you that I am now just seven sales away from 800. I'm hoping that I make it to the 1000 mark by the end of the year, but the slow down puts that in doubt even with a holiday rush. I was going to do something for the 800, but I think Ill wait for the big one instead, what I don't yet know.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

Well, at least here it is and it has me in a sedentary mood. It's a good thing that I made it out of the house on Saturday to finish the last of the Holiday shopping, namely the gift certificates that make up for the other, let's say less pricey gifts. Otherwise we spent another weekend in trying to help the kids heal and while the youngest is now fine the oldest is still in need of stay at home TLC.

I finished up a custom mask and then got a request for a pair of slave bracelets. That is one piece of jewelry that I always wanted and could never wear. I just couldn't seem to pull the look off at all so I gave up. When I started tatting cuffs I toyed with the idea of making some, but I could never come up with a way to make them adjustable to fit a wide range of hands. With a proper set of measurements, I was finally able to design a pair and lucky for me the measurements were nearly the same as my own.

I started with my 'La Petite Goth' cuff and substituted another vintage pattern for the pointed section. I added a matching medallion in the center and then made a Josephine ring for, well the ring. To wear the bracelet, you simply put the ring portion on first and hook the bracelet. I wore the first one around for a little while and it moved well with my hand and was fairly comfortable. I'm certain that I will make another to sell, perhaps as a custom piece so I can adjust the pattern to other sized hands.

I thought I wouldn't get around to these until this week, but I needed a break from making up masks and the process of design really provides a diversion from the monotony of remaking the same pieces over and over again. Of course now that they are done, I'm back to the masks. It was fun while it lasted and since the holiday rush has now reduced to a trickle perhaps I'll get to create a little more going forward.