At The End Of The Week

Have we already arrived at Friday? Well it wasn't exactly a whirlwind of a week, but it seemed to end rather quickly. Perhaps that's because everything interesting happened midweek, not leaving me enough time to go great things with my new toys. I did make one last beetle wing piece yesterday. This one is just my small heart with the wing case hanging from it. I know, I promise I will get those crazy amazing necklaces made up at some point. I'm a little nervous right now because I still haven't gotten a ship confirmation for my thread order and I am truly almost out of black thread. I may just have to chill on the new stuff until it arrives to keep the thread for orders. Sure, I could go out and buy some meantime...if they've restocked, but after you spend as much as I just spent on thread it seems silly to spend any more for a while.

I do of course have other thread colors I could work with, but maybe I'll just take the weekend off anyway and relax a bit. I spent a large portion of yesterday cleaning. I actually got rid of a few boxes that have been holding on since we moved in...over six months ago. There are however a whole bunch more still littering the house. I also did the great switch out of kids clothes, swapping winter for spring and summer and bagging up those that are too small. Then sighing at all the cute things they'll never wear again. Anyway, I might do some more of that this weekend rather than tat my fingers off, but who knows, I just got a request for custom wedding jewelry and that is always tempting.

More Elytra

Another day, another elytra piece. Okay, well that's not strictly true, I had these done the day before and I actually dug through my baggie of elytra to find just two more small ones to make a couple more cameo pendants, but you already know what that looks like. So back then to the new ones. I used the same vintage pattern that I call tenebrous and first used...yeah, I don't remember, anyway, it's got the perfect structure for hanging pieces off. This time I sewed a swarovski in the center just to give it a bit more polish. I thought about tatting the elytra directing into the lace, but in the end I wanted them to hang and swing a bit so I added a jump ring to each and tatted that directly into the lace rather than hand them from picots.

I also picked this pattern because I had already devised an earring pattern to match that was also perfect from hanging bits from. I did add the crystal to the earring in the same place as the pendant and the only rough patch here was finding the perfect elytra that all matched in size and each earring has a right and a left facing one on the sides. I thought about shaping the center one so it was more symmetrical, but it's nature and I figured I'd rather let it be.

So, I suppose you might be wondering where I'm going with theses babies next. After some great comments here and on the fan page, I think there are at the very least a few souls that like what I'm doing with these, so I shall keep on for a bit. Next up I think will be a necklace, not quite a collar. I'm thinking of using the same one I used to add bells and coins to and hanging a larger amount of these instead. I know, but what about something truly new? Well, to that end I acquired a few new vintage pattern books. Nothing inspires me to new like those old ones. Of course if I'm inspired to create from scratch before they arrive great, but nothing has popped in the old head yet.

Beautiful Beetle Wing Cases

Look what came in the mail! That's right, I have my elytra and I am off and running with them. The ones I purchased were not drilled which means there shall always be one more step before I can start working with them, but as I have a cute little dremel, this is not a problem. As soon as the kids set down for a nap I drilled a few and got down to business.

I found the smallest one I could in the bag full and decided that the first piece would be a quicky. I needed some instant gratification after waiting for them to be shipped all the way from Thailand. I made up a cameo pendant and after a bit of fiddling with the head pin to hand the sucker it was done and listed. I then started immediately on a set using the Tenebrous pattern. Though it was too late for pictures last night when they were done. I'm sure I'll tell you all about them tomorrow morning. This is also nowhere near the end of what I have planned for these exotic beauties. They are colorful. lightweight and can be drilled all along their edges if I so choose. The possibilities are endless really. Though it is my way to get carried away with a new idea regardless of whether anybody else likes it at all, so if you'd like to offer up opinions of dissent, please do tell. I really ought not make a dozen elytra pieces if I really am alone in my affection.

Well, isn't this something, I finally have something new to share and the blog post is still the short. I guess that I can at least say it is sweet this time, instead of a place holder for the day. I will have at least the tenebrous set to show you tomorrow, so I can promise more new for then as well. Now off to enjoy drilling holes in beetle wing cases for a spell.

Butterfly

I know I said that I'd try to do better for today, but I'm a lying liar and I've got nothing much to share. Most of my day was taken over by butterflies. Yes, butterflies hatching out of their chrysalis all day long. You see my children love insects and not casually. They love them with the passion that has everyone assuming my oldest daughter's career will be entomology, but I digress. We tend to keep insects as pets, the praying mantis for instance, we currently have 4 egg cases waiting to hatch out, and we send away fro caterpillars. This year we got ten of them and, well I already told you what they were doing yesterday. There is only one left to emerge and after a few days of keeping them around, we'll release them hoping that they will stick around the area for a spell.

Aside from the great butterfly rebirth, I was just getting yet another pair of ankle corsets made up. I feels weird to be making the last pieces with this last ball of thread before I upgrade to the cebelia that I ordered this weekend. Of course I do still have to wait for that to arrive and I've yet to get a ship confirmation. I sure hop they actually had all that in stock and I don't have to wait. You would be shocked how quickly I can go through 400 yards of thread...it is mind boggling to me.

I did get my peacock seed pearls in that I ordered to go with the elytra, but those haven't arrived yet. Both packages were coming from Asia so I really didn't except them quickly, but I am anxious to get something beetle covered made. I also got an interesting business proposal yesterday. They requested a shop shipping arrangement where they would list my pieces on their sites and when an inquiry was made...by which I assume they mean purchase, they would then pay me and I would ship to the customer. Well, it seemed like a rather convoluted system and one I would not be able to directly control. I do not keep multiples in stock of anything which is why I will not likely open a store front on any of the other hand made sites. I just don't like that many variables. What if something sells in two places at the same time? Anyway, these folks were also located in Turkey and as much as I love my customers Worldwide, I don't really want to be shipping internationally all the time, it's a pain in the neck. I guess what it really comes down to is that I don't want to do it, so I said so and then they tried again to convince me and I didn't respond. I have no idea what the financial arrangement would have been, though I assume they would want a cut or why bother and I really don't want to make less money for more frustration...I just don't see an upside. Oh, sure there's the 'It'll open up your product to a new customer base'. Fine, that is a legitimate upside, but is it weird that I still don't think it's worth it? I keep having to remind people that although I'm a fairly fast tatter, I'm still just one person making a time intensive craft and I can't handle volume...it's just not possible. I don't have a team of tatting elves chained in my attic. What I do have is two kids, one who is home schooled, a house to take care of and a host of other things that need to be done by me. So thanks for wanting me to wholesale, to drop ship, to expand my tiny empire, but I'm staying in my small storefront though I am still up for a bit of fame...that it all.

How Much Thread?

A good Monday morning to you all. While less eventful than last weekend of the sunburn and play set, this one was at least productive. I managed to not only catch up on orders but also got most of the sold pieces that I am going to remake...remade. Sunday I ran to Micheal's for more thread since last time I was there they only had one ball of black. They had not restocked. So I thought and decided to try an alternate method to maintain the ridiculous amount of black thread I require. At the end of my admittedly truncated Internet search, I found a site that offered a 15% discount when you purchased more than $150 dollars as a sort of unofficial wholesale price. They didn't have my standard thread of choice, but they did carry the better thread I only occasionally use because I haven't had a good enough reason to buy thread three times the cost. So I bought 50 balls. Yes, 50...no, I don't know where I'm going to put it all. I suppose at the very least I won't be going thread shopping for a while, a long while.

Let's see, what else this weekend? Not much I'm afraid. I went to go see the movie Kick-Ass. I had read the comic and I did enjoy the movie. A bit of the old ultra violence...the kids stayed home. Just this morning, I got another ankle corset order, so I'm back to order making, but I do plan on getting at least one completely new piece made up and I got some gorgeous pictures of my fancy mask emailed to me last night, so I think I might finally get that mask listed to sell as well. In fact, I must show one to you...you already knew that though, 'cause you have eyes.

This one is also by Azcra Woodward who did the amazing white mask photos as well. So I want to say that's it for today and hey, a least it's better than Friday by a long shot. We'll aim for better tomorrow too, I promise.