It's The Way Things Go

Well, I am a tad bummed this morning. I recently discovered that the secret project I've been yammering on about fizzled into a whole lotta nothing, as least as far as my contributions to it go. Basically, I was paid for some pieces for a project and they were not ultimately used for said project. I could dwell on that, spiral into the depths of self doubt because this sort of thing just keeps happening every time I get close to something great and whatnot or I could just say, 'Meh, at least I got paid'. I am going with the latter. I am also not going to divulge any details about the project as a precaution. The pieces are still out there in other hands and there is no sense in me burning bridges, you know...just in case. That being said I am also not holding my breath. Instead I am just moving on.

I've got a couple of new pieces on track to be listed this weekend. I think I might get one up today, but I'm not certain which one yet. I thought I'd add a teaser pic of one of them though. Clearly it's a mask and it was designed for the secret project, but I made another to list. I figured I'd wait until I knew one way or another to list it. Since I now know it went the other way, I might as well use the designs in the shop.

Other plans for today and this weekend include a whole lot of family geek. We'll head out to see Thor, make a project with the kids at Lowe's and head to a video game tournament at the comic book shop where it is also Free Comic Book Day. Then there's Sunday and the barbeque for the our respective Mother's which means I need to get the house into some semblance of order before it is overrun by cousins. So big, non tatting related weekend ahead and after that everything should be, well, back to normal.

Too Warm

I had a hard time staying on task yesterday. I think it was the weather...it was hot. Not as hot as it will get mind you, not even close, but 90 the first week of May is a bit much to take. It's suppose to be just as warm today before it cools off a bit the rest of the week. No joke, I actually found myself on more than one occasion, just sprawling across the couch like one of the cats. I did manage to make something new, but fairly useless at this point. I was using the corner of another design and morphed it into a heart. I really don't need another tatted heart design. I was hoping to come up with something more clever from the corner bit and I guess I still might, but since it is in fact new, I figured I'd at least share it.

I've been dealing with a small glut of improbable requests. You know, this with that sort of things. Can you make this piece, but with that there instead? Often these requests are more than possible, but lately they've been ones that would severely deplete my brain cells to figure out or we'll just stick with improbable. You know how much I love a challenge but I am just not in the mood for improbable right now. Perhaps it is the afore mentioned heat. So, I've been politely honest in my replies stating that the thing they'd like done is not something that will likely work out. After years of making what some might call ridiculous pieces, I have a fairly firm grip on the limitations of the lace and how it will ultimately behave. I suppose I just don't feel like fighting it right now.

The week is almost ended and I am still trying to get a necklace remade...I keep getting distracted. I will get that done this morning I promise and then perhaps get back to playing with that little corner. Maybe it will finally tell me what it wants to be and I'll get it made up into something more interesting. Also, I don't think I'll be making any decisions about that pattern gig for a couple of days at least. I need to figure out if I can honor the time commitment involved when I can't even stay on task for my own small projects. It could be Spring fever...I can blame that right?

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.

See, Look, Tatting

Well, that was more like it...a typical Monday. There was schooling and dishes to do. There were children playing roughly and loudly and there was tatting to be done. I'll start by showing you the new necklace. Again, it's just another tatting over rings piece. This time I just just joined them together in a stacking pattern after making up each ring as I went. I wonder if I will eventually be able to know how many stitches I can get on a ring, because right now I just keep going until I run out of space and plan the next round at that point. I hung a grayish bead from the end that was part of one of my infamous grab bag purchases. It's probably just glass, but it resembles a smoky quartz and fit the design well.

Next up was a custom red mask and I actually got it done fairly quickly. I think I might have been itching to get back to work so it was like my fingers were spring loaded. I even got to start work on another custom piece. This one is a pair of barefoot sandals for a wedding, complete with eleven coin pearls sewn into each one. That will be today's project and then I still have one more sold piece that needs remaking. Then if I have some time left I might try the stacking necklace again with different bits handing from it.

In other news, the large order I've been tracking on its journey away from me has been signed for. Half of me is still expecting something to go awry, but that is certainly one less thing to worry about. I'd also like to use this opportunity to state that it would take some serious flattery and likely many dollars to make me ever go through that sort of drama again. Weeks of tatting one order, communication issues, payment delays and very stressful overseas shipping...many, many dollars and much flattery.

In other, other news, my youtube channel has been steadily getting more subscribers and the total views on all my videos has well exceeded 100,000 views. No, I'm not bragging...this time, I'm setting the scene. Along with all the views have been more questions and comments recently, so I think it's about time to set up for another video. I'm thinking I might try sharing two color tatting, even though it's not my favorite technique to use. Doing so will also allow me to show tatting with cut thread which I also do not utilize often, but it is certainly useful to know. I have no idea when I might get around to actually making the video, but I will start be coming up with a small project that I can use both techniques on. I'm sure I have something lying around, but finding it is another story. And I think that's all for me this morning, have a nice, normal or amazing day.

Back To Normal

The very worst thing about the husband being home for a week was I got to sleep in. It started with a few minutes, but quickly stretched to an hour and the cats just let it happen. I actually had to set an alarm to make sure I got up on time today as normality is restored...yawn. Anyway, the family finished up some more adventuring, gardening and random house related tasks. I tackled the closet and drawers in the kids room on Saturday. Everything that is officially outgrown has been bagged and clothes have been passed from one sister to the other and new clothes were bought to supplement the oldest daughter's shrinking wardrobe. That child is getting huge and it just won't be that long before she is bigger than me.

By Sunday I was back to tatting. I even got something new made, but I didn't get any pictures yet so you don't get to see it. It's just a simple necklace made with the metal rings. I needed something new to do and though I do have a custom order to attend to, I'm waiting for pearls for that one, so I really had nothing better to do with my time. Later in the evening I made another sale that gets to be remade today and just this morning it looks like a custom mask order rolled in, so I am officially busy again. I did enjoy the mostly off week for a little recharging. I love when the Universe listens well and lets the orders slow just when I need them to and brings them back when I'm ready. I know it doesn't always work out like that, but thanks for it this time, Universe.

So, today it is back to normality. There is schooling to do, the wunderkammer to schedule, tatting to tat and I must get back into my normal schedule of laundry and dishes and all those other tasks that keep us from living in man made squalor. I swear there will even be tatting pictures tomorrow. I hope my week off from tatting hasn't bored you too badly. I will try to be more entertaining this week...if I can just get enough sleep.