They're Back

The ants are back so I must be quick so I may eradicate them. Well, that's not entirely true. I can't eradicate until the kids are awake because my primary mode of death is the vacuum cleaner, so yeah.

Anyway, the resurrected piece I spoke of yesterday is now listed with some much better pictures. Seriously look though my first year worth of sold pieces and you would have pity for my lack of skills. I still have a long way to go, but I clearly got better at showcasing the tatting and making the pictures more eye catching.

Once that was done it was on to the next resurrection. I dug back through the old pages and chose a few more pieces to remake. Some of them will be redesigned entirely while keeping the same fell, while other like the Grand Daisy pieces were made exactly the same. The next one up was this bracelet I only ever made one of in bright purple thread. It used to tie on and consisted of just the motif you see here. Since I prefer to use clasps now, I added a couple of flowers to the ends weaving them in Celtic style and added the clasp to that. I remember when I did this piece the first time it was a tat it and see sort of thing.

The next piece I didn't take a picture of yet, but I used to call it my whole heart choker. I completely redesigned it as I had no pattern written down and the pictures were so unclear I couldn't count stitches. When I was done with it I received material in the mail so I went to work on the bridal veil I've been working on. I should get some pictures of the choker and finish the veil today...theoretically. Then I decided that the choker would make an adorable tatted tiara, so I'm going to make one in silver and stiffen it for that purpose as well.

Also, stop by the fan page today or this weekend as I'll be doing another giveaway there. The link is in the left column. Now, back to the ants.

Old, New, Nothing Blue

I was going to call this post flashback Friday, but then realized that it is in fact Thursday and that is not nearly as catchy so yeah. Why, you ask? Well, do you recognize the piece there? I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. For one it was nowhere near done when I took the picture and two, I stopped making it like a year ago. This piece was one of my first choker designs. The first one that was not built on an edging. I made it back in 2008 and the instructions for it were published in the Autumn issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry which I blogged about eons ago. I decided to revisit it and likely several other older pieces that would benefit from my current skill level. Meaning I really wasn't all that great then and even though I hope I'll get even better, I'm much more confident now.

Along with the way back machine up there, I also went for something new. I used one of the lapel pins with the ting at the end to tat this new design. I was basically about how many stitches I could fit around the ring and making it all up from there. This is actually the third iteration as I cut out a third layer, then thought I leave it small, then added the second row to the back layer. Funny, now that I look at it in the picture it kinda reminds me of a button. Now I remember there was someone asking for tatting that looked like a button, but who, I have no recollection. Anyway, the lapel pin is listed and the Grand Victorian Daisy choker is finished and will be getting a fresh photo shoot today and get listed as well. I might dig through my archives today and resurrect another piece, but we'll see where the day goes.

One last little piece of news to share. My first online ad is up at HauteMacabre and the lovely ladies who run the site give a brief feature to their advertisers. So that means my work was also featured there yesterday evening. So go check out the feature. The ad is toward the bottom right side and you really don't need to check that out as you're already here. The feature doubled my views for yesterday and it wasn't up until like five or something. I also received a few new twitter followers from the exposure and hopefully between that and the print ad in Coilhouse, a copy of which I have just been informed I should be getting soon so I'll post the ad page page it gets here, I should see a bit of new business. Boy all this tatting business was easier before it was a business and I actually needed the income. I'm still supremely lucky to stay home with my girls and make lace for a living, supremely lucky.

What I Learned

While I have no new tatting to share with you, I do have a confession and what I learned yesterday. First my confession...I don't read blogs. Well, that's not entirely true, I read a few blogs, inconsistently. I just don't have the time nor the inclination to scour through hundreds of blogs out of some sense of obligation or desire to network. So I read a few that I have come to enjoy and I move on. I pop by new ones when I get linked somewhere or am curious for whatever reason, but I rarely go back for a second taste either. So if you read or comment here solely for a reciprocal reaction, stop holding your breath. Why I bring this up is related to the things I learned yesterday.

I'll start with the second thing first. What I do often do is check the profile of a commenter if they are not immediately recognized and that often leads to that random blog read. I glanced through quite a few yesterday much to my delight. There are so many folks giving tatting a first go or coming back to it in part because they've seen my work and that makes me giddy with joy. There are also way more tatting blogs in existence than there were when I first began my journey...way more.

The other thing, the first thing I learned, is that you people are smart and opinionated. You didn't just randomly shout out which design you liked, you supported your opinion with detailed explanations. I assumed I'd get easy to quantify responses but instead I got points to ponder regarding what I wanted to get out of the sticker image. Just to clarify the sticker goes onto the tissue I have wrapped sold pieces in and is not intended to grab new customers, but rather as part of the packaging. That being said after reading a few comments I went out with the new image and bought my first online ad someplace where that eye catching image would make a perfect ad. It should be up soon at HauteMacabre.com. While I agree that consistency helps create a brand, change is often utilized to revitalize an existing brand. Even though I have only existed in this form for four years or so, there is a lot of new competition out there and I need to step it up. So, yes I will be using the new image, at least for a while.

I still have a couple of pieces in queue to be remade and listed so I will likely be working on that today. I did order more lapel pin bases so I might get to work on a second version that is based on the veil I'm working on right now, but I'm also booked for a craft tutoring lesson for my Mother in Law and her friend so we'll see how that goes and if I have any 'me' time at the end of the day.

Oh and the picture is just because I felt naked without one today. It is a super artsy shot of one of my newly adorned walls. It's like someone actually lives here now...of course the real wall is stark white, not this interesting sepia shade, that of course is all camera filter and boredom.

Which One?

As I knew it would, yesterday was simply the act of making followed by more making. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it just makes for a fairly boring blog post the next morning. I took breaks throughout the day to decorate my walls. If you've been around awhile, you might be thinking, didn't you move into your house almost a year ago? You would of course be right. Still stuck in rental mode and afraid of making the wrong decisions, we opted to do nothing and the walls of our house have been bare up until two days ago. I'm working on it little by little as I felt like this was the thing to make me feel more comfortable about having people over. Yep, the stuff on the walls are like a comfy shield of distraction from the less than Martha Stewart level house cleaning I put out.

There is one tatting related question I'd like to put before you today. Now you've likely seen this image, it is the one I have used for my package stickers since I thought that was a good idea...it's been a long time. I figured it was good to have the same image I was using as an avatar everywhere, plus I just liked the picture.

Well, I've switched avatars and I am almost out of stickers for my packages so thought maybe it was time for something new. I totally fell in love with this image. I still can't believe I did it with a phone and I thought it might be a striking ad type image and I could change to that for the sticker.

I asked twitter and they overwhelming supported the change. I asked the facebook fans and they were nearly split down the middle. When I suggested alternating with them in an effort to give the right sticker to the right audience, I was both supported and rebuked as well as they felt consistency is important. The other option is to try and turn my current avatar into an ad, but it's the stark white on the new image that made it perfect for adding text and I would have to make similar adjustments to the avatar image to make it work. I am used to the old image, but leaning toward the change. I really don't know for sure, so I am asking for your opinions as well.

Hey There

Good Monday morning all...and I mean that. It was a pleasant weekend full of socializing with friends and adventuring. There was however little tatting to share aside from some making of custom pieces. I even have good news regarding the new boutonniere, the first is sold and on its way across the pond and I have been queried regarding them for a most lovely friends upcoming wedding, though I'm sworn to secrecy on identity. I am truly excited to have finally managed something for men, even if only for formal events.

The custom order I was working on was my Salome anklet as a pair with more bells. When asked if I could do more bells, I said certainly, then I looked at the lace and puzzled over where they would go. I opted to put them in the center of the motifs. I think sometimes people think you can string anything on the lace since it's fairly strong, but it's just string that holding this stuff on people. It can only hold so much weight before friction and gravity and going the warp the crap out of it. So I hope this is enough bells.

After a really slow sales month, this weekend picked up quite a bit. I'm not throwing a huge party or anything, but I am pleased and will be busy remaking sold pieces today, once the Salome anklet's mate is complete. I thought about just adding the center bells by tying them on, but I would be devastated if they were to come loose on the customer, so it's onto a pair with all bells tatted securely in.

Also, my sarcastic thanks go out to Jane, who innocently suggested that I was photographing my pieces upside down and I replied that since I don't do wrong side, right side tatting, there is no up side. She was being helpful and is a truly lovely person I'm honored to be acquainted with, but now I feel compelled to start right side tatting. So, yeah...thanks for planting that seed I couldn't ignore. Hopefully I'll get it out of my system soon and be back to not caring anymore.

Also thanks for all the ant advice. Then are generally stopped now thank to both sealing cracks and bait traps, but it's a large house and they keep returning in smaller amounts, so the traps and sealant are ready to go at a moments notice. It really is just this area I live in that appears to have been built on an extremely large sugar ant population and the incursions will likely occur ever year about this time. Sure, I could hire a bug guy, but I like all the other bugs around, so we'll handle it...won't stop me from complaining about it though.