Just Keep Making

I am going to attempt to not complain in this blog post. There are quite a few things I could go all whiny about, but you don't want to hear it. I'm just going to buck up and recap the creative things I did manage to do yesterday. First, I did get the new pendant design done and listed. I didn't get any extra colors done, mostly because every time I do that, I end up with several pieces nobody is ever going to buy. It is listed as available in every color thread I have on hand though.

I couldn't seem to get motivated to tat anymore, so I looked about for something else to make. I remembered that I had bought this cross stitch phone cover and never did anything with it. I had ordered a black one, they sent white and then wanted me to jump through 100 hoops and pay for return shipping before they would send me the right one. I got a bit...we'll go with tiffed and put it away instead. So anyway, I found it and cross stitched little skulls into it and there was my afternoon project.

It wasn't a long project, so I found myself wanting for something else to keep my hands busy and my mind distracted. I'm not sure why I decided on crocheting a spiderweb doily, but after a quick internet search I'd found and interesting enough pattern and I was off. I know I should be more focused on the shop and tatting, but...wait, I said I wasn't going to complain. I'm not even halfway through the spiderweb, so I'll at least have that to do today and probably throughout the weekend. I'm using some odd thin yarn I was gifted whose true origin and makeup I am unaware of, but it has a bit of stretch to it and it's fun to use for this. Once it's gone I'm done either way.

That was a pretty complaint free post. Yes, I feel okay about that. Here's to having a day and weekend I won't feel compelled to complain about on Monday.

Something New

Another long day of schooling and a another ghost town of a day in the shop. I really am trying to stay optimistic, but it's getting more difficult by the day. I finished up the last of the cross stitch designs in the kit and like I said I would, I got stir crazy. I had to make something. I started by skimming through antique books hoping for inspiration, but it was actually a quick glance at the front page of Etsy that gave me the source material. I saw this antique engagement ring. It was just the bit of inspiration that I needed and I made this, not quite right yet, pendant.

It definitely wasn't right straight off. The amount of negative space was too little and the whole thing had a cramped feel. I wanted more of that classic cartouche shape so I kept on working. I tried it with beads between the elements and while some people liked it, it was a pain in the neck to make. I also think the shape was still off and I didn't feel like making yet another attempt with the fiddly beads. It was the top one in this set that I finally settled on. More negative space, the right shape and using a lock chain for the hanging loop makes it less noticeable. In the first one, it took too much focus.

The crystals for all these were sewn on, but I did make one with swarovski rounds where the beads were encapsulated, the bottom one here. It's also more fiddly to work with and my thread is generally too thick to comfortably double inside these beads, but I liked the way it looked as well. I only have these crystals in clear, but I have rounds in all sorts of shades, so I may list them both and offer a bit of customization. They are pretty small and quick to make so I might get them listed today once I have a few more color examples. Or I might slide into ennui and get nothing done. It's really too soon to tell, but at least I did something yesterday, right?

Dissapointing

The only thing worse than starting yet another day without a sales in the shop is knowing that you just lost one because you won't lie on a customs form. I got a message overnight asking for a pair of ankle corsets to be shipped as a 'gift' with a value under $10. It's been a long time since someone tried this one. I mean I know why, but I'm pretty sure I'm the one that gets caught and pays the heavy fines. Then the item is confiscated, the customer wants their money back and it's just totally not worth even playing that game, so I said no.

In other news, while the etsy seller I mentioned yesterday with the copy of one of my necklaces did remove the listing, the message I received back from her was disheartening. This was part of it:

 "I removed my listing but not because I made it after your design.  Is this pattern(design) copyrighted? I foud it on google, I didn't know it was your "original design"."

Oh, dear. While I'm not a lawyer and I don't want to get into the copyright issue, I am sad that anyone thinks that just because you find something on Google that it's fair use for everyone for any reason. I suppose it could just be a cultural difference, I know there are a couple of countries that seem to keep popping up with this issue, but seriously EVERYTHING is on Google. How can anyone think everything posted online is free to profit from? Clearly this person found my listing image in a Google search and copied it not knowing nor caring that the design belonged to anyone. I know I can't fix people that see no issue with this, but I can write about how it's wrong and inconsiderate and hope someone reads this before they try it themselves. I let the seller know to be careful with that as I am by far, not the meanest tatter in this regard. She copies the wrong one and they'll be cease and desist letters and threats of lawyers.

In other, other news, I didn't get any tatting in yesterday either, but I did list the white collar and I did do more cross stitching. I'll get stir crazy again soon I'm sure and they'll be fresh tatting. I just can't sit on my hands and make nothing. I just have to keep my hands moving.

Labor Day

Well, I started the day on a bad note when I went looking through tatting listings on the etsy. Yep, another copy floating about. Now, I don't get upset when folks use the same source material, antique and vintage patterns, for their piece, but when I make something more unique and they copy it, I get touchy. So I've sent off that mean, take down your listing, note which I honestly hate sending. The seller is from overseas so there might be both a language and cultural barrier there, but we'll see how it goes.

That reminds me of something else I ran across the other day that has me a bit nervous. Remember when everyone was talking about that lady who was making embroidery machine templates to look like tatted lace. I, and many others were contacted for permission to use our patterns, which I refused. I'm pretty proud of the fact that tatted lace requires more work than pushing a button on a machine. Anyway, I just saw the first example of it pop up on etsy described as tatted lace in the form of a pair of earrings. It makes me nervous because while we can tell the difference, many people may not, particularly if the seller is not forthcoming with the truth. So we wait and see if it's an aberration or the start of something unpleasant.

So, I had all these plans yesterday and instead of accomplishing any of them, I cleaned. Yeah, that's right I vacuumed and steam mopped the floors. Did some deep cleaning on cat stains and since the sick cat hasn't soiled anything new, I properly cleaned the couch as well. I guess I labored on Labor Day...that's celebrating right.

I was going to make a mask, but I couldn't find the beads I needed, so I did a little cross stitch instead. As you might have guessed, it was another, no sales in the shop, day. You might think I'm going to use these cross stitch pieces for Halloween, but they'll likely find some cute clearance frames after the holiday and go up all year long. I've got a few more in the kit to make, so if boredom strikes again, I've something to do. I promise I will get photos of the white collar today so I can get it listed. Not that anyone is waiting for it, but it certainly can't sell if it's not listed.

The White Collar

Ah what a nice long weekend and it's not even over. Well, it's sort of over because a Monday is a Monday and I have Monday things to do, even if the kids have no schooling and the husband has no work. We took a lovely trip out to the coast to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Saturday. Yes, I am aware that we do that often, but we love it out there. There's the cool weather, the Ocean and of course the aquarium itself. We visited because it was the last weekend of the seahorse exhibit and well, we really didn't need and excuse, but that was the one we chose.

Sunday was mostly recovering from the day of walking. It was more crowded than usual and that always makes the trip more stressful than we like it. I did manage to finish the white, embellished collar while we watched Lawrence Of Arabia for the first time in the afternoon. I didn't press it nor get proper photos...it's a really long movie with an inordinate amount of walking though the desert. It was dinner time by the time we were finished and there was no sun after that.

Today, despite the vacationing family, I shall get it photographed and listed. I still have yet to sell anything that needs remaking. In fact it's been well over a week since I sold anything I needed to make at all. It wasn't too bothersome as I had these collars to work on, but now that they're done, I sure hope the sales come back. I think I might be out of ideas for a while, or who knows, they do come around when I least expect them. Mostly I just need to really start making some money around here again, I have bills to pay. Here's hoping for a great day, week and month, starting now.