Done With That

Let's see, I finished up the third piece born from messing with the hen and chicks pattern and I got all three listed. There reception has been lukewarm, but I needed to make some new things and I did. I was also thinking about making a slave bracelet as well, but given the lack of love for the design in general, I think it would be a mistake to toss yet another piece out so soon. Maybe as the holiday season gets underway and I need a creation break I'll get it created.

I was also lucky enough to get yet another etsy finds shout out. This time it was for Dia De Los Muertos. The link will take you to the web version of the email. Again, it was no great windfall of attention, but I'll take any I can get. After I ran my shop numbers for October I have to say that I am desperate for a fantastic November and December. October was absolutely dismal compared to last year.

I also got a custom request for my boutonniere in Christmas colors with matching earrings.  Since I took a picture of the prototype earring. I thought I'd share it here. I wasn't so sure it would work as an earring, but it seems to. I may get these made up for the shop, in more basic colors. No other great or interesting news for you and I think I've got a pretty good queue lined up of things that need tatting so I'll be busy today. Busy is good...busier, better.

Hen & Chicks

Again I avoided making the one thing I've said needed making for the last two days. I just wasn't feeling it. I needed to do something different, something that required I figure out something. So I started flipping through my antique pattern collection for inspiration. It didn't take long to get a hit on the perfect project. I got so much satisfaction out of working the last one shuttle medallion into a needle pattern that I thought I'd tackle another classic, the hen and chicks pattern. I mean it doesn't get any more classic and well known than that. Heck it's the only tatting pattern I know of with a name. I've worked it with cut thread before, but I hate all that extra thread, so a little zig-zag chain and it's loads more fun to work.

Of course I wasn't finished with the pattern as worked. I decided to add the dropped rings on the other side as well and it worked up into a bracelet rather well. Of course I now saw a few more projects hiding in this newly revisited classic. First up was a simple pendant design made using just one repeat of the pattern. I love the way it looks, but I still haven't decided which way to hang it. I'm leaning toward the way it is in the picture because it looks more interesting, but it looks more natural hanging from the larger ring.Or I might use chains and attach them to the top small side rings.

I found one more project in the pattern and I'll be working that up today. I'm going to do a choker with the hen and chicks not doubled and add the pendant bit at the center. I've done this before with the original version of the pattern, hanging actual pendants from the center, but I think this should have a nice unique look to it. I also finally have a couple of other pieces in queue to be remade and maybe I'll feel like a little production work now that I've got the creation bug out of my system. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

After

Yes, I am just as exhausted by yesterday as I thought I would be. The children had a fine time with their multiple trick-or-treat trips and I even dressed up at the last minute to go out with them and my sister's family. I, however have no pictures of this event as I left all that to the husband and I have yet to steal some from him. It was a long night. Maybe I'll snag some today for tomorrows post so you can see the girls at least.

As I feared I got zero tatting done. There were just too many other things that needed doing. Laundry, dishes, floors and of course costumes and decorations. To save the display from being kitty killed, we opted for small window display and didn't put it up until late in the afternoon. Never mind that the display is mostly culled from bits that are up in our house all the time. One day when the kids have lost their Halloween fear, we'll go big. But I digress, today I have to finish undoing all that and hopefully I'll have some time to get back to tatting. I still have that one mask to make and I want to get a few more snowflakes done.

I have had a few custom requests lately that haven't returned yet, so I could theoretically get busy at any moment. I did also have one I had to say no to because I felt it wouldn't work. It is so hard to say, 'No, I can't do that'. The reality is I maybe could, but it would stress me out and I must remember that it is okay to say no. One does not have to accept every request and challenge just because you are asked. Sometimes I forget that when I need sales and things are rough in the shop, but I remembered this time. Well, off to it then...the holiday season is upon us all.

Happy Halloween

Another long weekend in the can. We had a nice movie outing, dinner with friends and the annual massacre of the pumpkins, but what I fear most is how today marks the beginning of the holiday season. This day alone is packed with Halloween things and a birthday. There's another birthday tomorrow and they don't stop the rest of the month. Much of our immediate family has birthday's in the months of October and November. This coupled with the regular holiday mess makes for one stressed out Pamela...you have been warned.

I did get some tatting done here and there over the weekend. I did up the new earrings in bells and coins and plain and got those all listed. Then I made up the Center Medallion pendant in navy blue, green and lavender and got those all listed. I've also been pretty good about making up a couple of small snowflakes every day. I figure I'll work on more this week and should have enough stockpiled to begin giving them out next week.

I do have one mask that needs remaking, so that's in queue for today should I actually find any time to do so. You see there is regular schooling, then I take the girls to their father's work for trick or treating. We then return home to a birthday dinner with the family for my mom and then more trick or treating. With the cleaning I'll have to do this morning to make the house presentable again, I'm not certain I'll have much time for anything. In fact, I'm tired just thinking about it and since I had to pay bills this morning I am also feeling poor and I don't have enough time to walk on the treadmill this morning. Wow, I am a fountain of complaint today, hope it's all out of my system now, I have things to do.

Deconstructing Doilies

So, let's see...I finished up the new cuff design. It was not a well received as the first, but I like it. This of course means that if it manages to remain unsold for four months, it is mine. I like the way it comes over my hand a bit and it's comfy.

I managed to also get a couple of snowflakes made for the coffers. I meant to take a picture of them so you'd have an idea what I was yammering on about, but I didn't. I guess I save those for when I am ready to start giving them away. Then I got an idea in my head regarding the first doily bracelet design...start the deconstructing.

First I went with a simple center piece that should make a lovely dense pendant. That was of course simple, but then I started to deconstruct for a potential pair of earrings and that took several iterations, including these two to get what felt right. One was too wide, one too narrow. In the end I settled for four outer rings. This in interesting only because I fought it. I hate round numbers in jewelry...I have no idea why, but they turned out great with the blasphemous four.

Then I wanted to add something to them and asked the internet, coins or bells? Apparently there is no easy answer to this question. The answers were very mixed and so in the end I decided to make it both ways. One pair with coins, one pair with bells. I'm, not quite finished with the last pair, so that's what I'll get done today. Then I'll get the lot of them all listed and I was thinking about making the same pieces in color, though what color, I don't know yet. I will certainly take opinions on that matter. What other colors look good with tribal, bell dance type outfits? Well, I guess that's it for me, have a great weekend all.