Motivation

  For some reason I have been lacking in motivation lately.  My brain has been coming up with newer or better things to make, but getting to making them is oddly difficult for me right now.  Tonight, for example, I had planned to sit down and try and making a beaded bangle cover for the forms I bought a while ago.  The internet and BluRay players were not getting along and Netflix kept having to load, play at low quality, and sometimes didn't have sound.  I got annoyed after restarting it a few times and having the same problems.  Instead of just putting on a regular movie or using my tablet to watch things I got onto the computer and just watched YouTube instead of doing anything.
  I'm hoping once I get a good night's sleep tonight and finish with work tomorrow I will be able to focus more.  I have had these bracelets planned for a while now, and no one will notice them until I have them made and ready to show off.

Matching necklaces.

  I had a vision that I would list my crochet flower earrings and that they would just fly off the "shelf."  This has not happened.  As of right now I've only sold one pair of earrings.  I don't think it is because of how they look, I get lots of compliments when I wear the pair I made for myself.  I think the size is the problem.  Not everyone likes big earrings.

 

   I already made one pair of rainbow flower earrings, but I also wanted to make a pair with my blue gold-stone beads.  I couldn't tell which I would like better, so I decided to make a pair of each.

  When I went to go put them on the hoops I realized that I had no idea where I had put the two new bags I had purchased when they were on sale.  I was able to find one of the older ones that I hadn't put rubber bands on yet.  As I was looking at the single earring it occurred to me that they would also make very pretty necklaces.  This will let people who like the look of the items, but who don't like big earrings, enjoy them too.  It is also a good excuse to find more thread/bead combos I like.

Knitting designer problems.

  I also finally got my cascading leaves and vines shawl blocked.  I had a lot of fun with the other test of a pattern, so I am excited to get another going.  It helps people to have a picture to know if they want to test it or not.
  I'm also having some designer issues in my head.  I thought of a fun shawl idea, but it was so easy I figured someone else had already done it.  Then I thought about it more and thought of a variation on it.  I have been checking to see about the original on Ravelry, but so far I have not seen it.  I tried "block shawl" and found nothing.  I have been browsing through "stripe shawl" but there are over 100 pages of patterns to look at.  I'm on page 51 and so far I have not found the original idea I had.
  So now I'm wondering if I should make two patterns, one pattern, or a two-in-one pattern.  I also need to get my hands on some yarn in the weight I want before I can do any of this.  It will give me some more time to think it over. 

First Etsy sale of the year!

I have been a bit slower than I had planned on listing things, but I made my first Etsy sale of the year.  I shipped it out yesterday.  It was the yellow owl snag free stitch markers with green beads.
I celebrated by making myself some fancy tea.

It doesn't hurt so much when you just sit down and do it.

I kept putting off so many things that last night I just made something.  I didn't think about it too much to worry about that people might like or not like, I just made something and timed it.  I think I needed this because I tried to make a sample for the crochet bracelet and the beads are not taking up as much space as I had assumed.
This means that I can hold my arm to the side and drop the bracelet onto my wrist.  It usually twirls and falls right back off right after that.  I am hoping that it will fit someone's wrist since it have to push it halfway up my forearm to get it to stay on.  If I need to label some as 'large' and some as 'small' I think I will be alright with that.  I was really hoping for a more 'one size fits most' thing, but that isn't working out for me right now. 

Making knotted bracelets like this feel like they take longer than they really do.  I'm feeling there will be more of these made.  Once the awkward beginning part is done then it becomes pretty portable.

I am still on the hunt for good beads for the Poinsettia earrings and I still need to try out the fabric flower pattern to make some Poinsettia hair clips.  I mentioned that I'm not good working on things to match the season, right?  I think because it is cold out that I just want to head somewhere warm.

Not Enough Hours in the Day!

I know a lot of people say that, but I'm really feeling it lately.  I have so many things I want to make to list, but I don't seem to be able to find the time for some of them.  I also sometimes have a problem making things that are seasonally appropriate.  It seems all I want to make things for is the holiday or season that has just passed.  That is not very helpful.

I have a lot of things planned for my Etsy shop, but what I really need to do is to sit down and get some stuff done.  One of the problems is that when I make something new is that I also need to keep track of time when I am working on them.  That is helpful so I will know how much to charge for time.  I know that there is a great debate when it comes to charging for time but I won't go into all of that here.
It makes it take longer for me to make some of those new things because I also like to keep notes of how long each step takes me. This is something I do in case I don't need to do one of the steps or in case I find something else to use that cuts down on the time.  I've also had timers reset themselves before when I would keep stopping and starting them.  Some of the things I have planned will also take a while to create.
I am not sure if I want to crochet or do some hand weaving when I am making my beaded bracelets.  I got some blank C shaped bracelet bases that I plan on covering.  It was interesting trying to find something to use for these.  A lot of people just join the ends of their beaded tubes to make them into bangles.  This would work fine if someone could try it on and make sure it fits, but it is a bit more tricky when dealing with people on the internet and not being able to easily fix a problem.  I tried asking people to measure their hand for me but that doesn't always work out.
I'm also going to be trying different ways of finishing the ends of the tubes I will be making.  The plan had to be to use bead caps to cover any parts that might be showing that aren't the best, but the ones I purchased don't fit onto the bracelet blank.  Another idea for the bracelets was to use Memory wire in the center, but that would just make making each on take that much longer.

Though speaking of memory wire, I do have some plans involving that.  As I posted a few months ago, I want to make some more Kukui nut bracelets.  I still have to time myself though.  I also have to go back and try and calculate the price of materials.  This will be interesting since I can't just go to the store to get some more, but it seems kind of ridiculous to try and factor in the price of a ticket to Hawai'i.  As much as I would love to be able to take a trip over "just to buy supplies" I'm sure no one out there wants to fund that for me.

I am also on the lookout for some beads I can use to make some crochet Poinsettia earrings.  They will be similar to the cherry blossom ones I had made in the spring.  The original plan had been to get the gold hoops and gold earring finds, but I can't find the gold hoops.  All the silver beads I have seen in the store look very cheap to me, so it wasn't so easy as to just make everything I had planned to be gold into silver.
There are also plans on messing around with thinner thread and the clear beads to make some snowflakes.  That will take a bit longer to test out different stitches and bead combinations.

So many words, so little production.  I really need to work on that.

My head is filled with flowers!

I have been having an interesting predicament lately.  I have been thinking that I should be working on some more bracelets and some fall or winter crochet earrings.  However the things that have been catching my eye are fabrics that would make fabric flowers.  While I do love making them, there are about a billion on Etsy.  There are also a good chunk of them that are listed below what I would be selling them for.
This is getting in the way of me making other things.  So instead of trying to just ignore that I want to make some fabric flowers, I am trying to figure out how to make mine more exciting.  I'm feeling some bead dangles on some very skinny chains.  I just have to figure out how to attach it in a way that will let it hang in either direction.

After I get that out of my system I am going to be making two beaded bracelets in two ways.  I will then be putting a poll on the FaceBook fan page to see if there is one people like better.  Though knowing me I will want to make more of both.

Stay tuned to see those!

Back home.

I'm back home again.  This means that the shop is back out of vacation mode.
I was hoping to find some cool things to work with while I was in Germany, but that didn't happen.  I saw a few things but ran into some problems: 1) It was tourist trap stuff, so not materials to work with, and not cheap; 2) All the craft shops we found were closed when we would have been able to go to them.

Oh well, I had fun.

Slowly filling up the store.

While I have not met my goal of adding some things every few days, I am still adding new items to the store.  The one problem I seem to be running into now is finding things to list.  I made a ton of those earrings and listed a lot of them, but I don't want to have my shop be 90% very similar earrings, 10% random other things.  I want some sort of balance.  Right now I have about 4 card holders, 4 tissue covers, and 5 pairs of earrings.  I think that is pretty good and I should start adding new things.  I have made two sets of stitch markers and I have plans for more.

Yellow Owls with green beads.

Yellow Owls with blue beads.

Good news time!  Though the button thing I mention late last year seems to be on a hold, she is still interested.  I will have all the supply to make them once we both can get everything in order.  Not sure when this will be, but it is good to stay positive.  I also sold a pair of my cherry blossom earrings!  I am super happy about that.

Earring mania!

I seem to have a small obsession.  Not sure if I am calling it small because I don't want to admit how often I think about making these or if it is because the finished project is on the small side.
Crocheting flower themed earrings with beads is a lot more fun than I thought it would be.  This very moment I have made about 8 pairs and I have 6 of them listed.  While I still really like making them, I feel that my shop needs some more verity.  Right now I only have a few pocket tissue covers, a few bi-fold wallets/card holders, and a bunch of cute earrings.
I was thinking of making some knotted bracelets, but I'm worried that they will take more time to make than people are willing to pay for.  I will just have to do a test piece and see what happens.
Sorry for the short update, but I'm distracted by all the tiny crochet flowers dancing around my head.

Still nothing on the side bar? I think I know why.

I have been wonder and pondering over a problem I have noticed that I have.  I keep thinking of wonderful things to make for my Etsy shop, I have all the materials to make the things, and I have the technical skills to do everything.  Sounds great right?  It sounds like I should have lots of things listed on my shop that people would love to look at, right? 
So why is my shop still in vacation mode with nothing sitting in it?
I think I have it figured out.  I keep feeling like I don't have enough things to list.  I think this is because I have a new idea, I make one item, then move on again.  I need to focus more.  I need to take that one idea and make a few of them.  Then I can have some to list and then I can move on to the next idea if I wanted to.  This way I won't have a ton of single samples sitting around taking up space and not helping me.  No one wants to buy something they don't know they can. 
Who knows, I might have made the perfect ~insert item~ that someone was just thinking about the other day.  If they did a search for it, they wouldn't find it because it is just sitting in my living room.
So my new goal is to take some pictures of the things I have made and go back to some of the older "new" ideas and get a few more of those made.
It feels good to have solid goals and a good plan.

This time I mean it!

Yesterday I noticed that on my schedule for my "day job" I only work 2 days next week.  I knew it was a sign!  It also snowed a ton last night and I got a snow-day today.  Another sign in my eyes.
Last night I spent some time and worked on a style I liked better for the pocket tissue covers.  I also made a style that takes a lot longer to make and is harder for people to get the tissues into and out of.  I think that one won't be made more than once.

Here is a picture of the original style on the top and the newer one on the bottom.  I like how the lining is showing.  What is the point of picking out a fun lining if it is kept a secret?  I think I am going to make that border a bit bigger on future ones.

 

This is the one that will be one of a kind.  It looks pretty cool and you wouldn't think it would be much harder to make, but for some reason it was a pain.  I don't know if it was just because it was the first time I made it or something else.  But like I said before, it also makes getting the tissues in and out a pain.  I don't think people want to work for them when they need a tissue.



Because people like cat pictures.  Here is my boss telling me I'm not doing it right and to work harder. 

I think I'm finally getting back on track.

I know last year this place was a ghost town, but I know that was my own fault.  I had a lot of ideas and projects I wanted to get going on.  Too many in fact.  I couldn't decide which was more important than the others and didn't really start anything.
This year I plan on being more focused. I already got the last payment and dropped off all of the extra things to the Accessory Lady.  Here is a link to her main page.  We talked how I would get to show off the things I helped make and decided linking would work out best for both of us.  I helped on the Sanaa(mixed media flower), Fedha(gem scoop), Yulu(mixed media bow), Zizi(asymmetrical flower), Roka(metal mesh shoe bib), Ari(asymmetrical pleated ankle cuff), and Ngoma(feather cuff).  I know those are the only designs listed now, but she mentioned new designs that she was thinking of starting in the spring.  She mentioned us working together again, I'm hesitant.  It was nice at first, but a little rushed and frantic near the end.


I have been thinking of new ways to make the kanzashi flowers I really love making.  They are fine as they are for the most part, but I've been watching a lot of TV where they add sparkle and gems to everything and I want to add some to the flowers.  I found a trim I had bought a really long time ago that would work perfectly.  I had only bought a bit of it, since at that time I had no idea what I was going to do with it.  Big mistake.  I can't get more from the store I got it from because I bought it when it was on clearance.  I've tried looking online, but it seems it doesn't really exist.  I might have thought I dreamed it up if I still didn't have some.
Since that wasn't working, I'm trying other things.  So far my ideas of bright ribbon are working out for me.  Here is my newest problem with them.  I want to be able to list and sell them on Etsy, but I'm not sure how to make mine stand-out in the search.  They will look different if people actually see them and click on the listing, but I'm worried they won't get that far.  Even if you type in "ribbon kanzashi" you still get over 900 results. "Bling kanzashi" gets you only 65 results, so if I stick with sparkly ribbon that might work out for me.
The picture of my first finished one is coming soon.  The glue on the ribbon is drying as we speak.

No way!

So I was feeling a bit bummed about how my buttons only seem to slowly gain a bit of interest.  I also have tried contacting a few places, but have usually not heard back from them.
While I was at a recent anime convention I found a booth in the artist alley that had stuff I liked.  The friend who was with me at the time said it is the place she gets a lot of stuff from.  I didn't want to commit to a big print, I was thinking a button would be good though.  They didn't have any!  I put it off for a bit, but then decided one night to try sending an e-mail.
Well, we have been talking and she is very interested!  I didn't want to say anything and jinx myself before this.  She is making a contract tomorrow and I just finished sending her an invoice.  I'm so excited!
Since there is still time for things to go wrong I won't mention too many details.  Though once things are going along I will put more info here.

Because of this, I get a new toy.  I've always cut out the button circles by hand.  This is soothing to me, but takes a while.  Because of the number of buttons she wants, I got myself a little punch.  It looks like a lot of fun to use.
http://buttonmakers.net/product_info.php?cPath=59&products_id=78
That is the specific one I will be getting.
I can't wait to play with it!

This really needs to not become a habit!

I don't know where the time has gone!  I can't go and ignore this blog so for long.  I'm sorry!

Anyway, I'm spending the morning enjoying my new candle and painting a back-ground for my photos for the shop.  I got this paint months and months ago!  I even lost it at one point.  It looked the perfect light grey in the bottle.  After mixing it and spreading some out, I was wondering if I was seeing things.  It looked shiny to me!
I tilted it this way and that but it looked the same.  I then looked at the bottle.  Yup, right there in plain black text "silver metallic".  This is what I get for not reading things.
Though the more I look at it, the more I start to like it.  This might not have been a bad thing.

Sorry for the silence.

I've been busy with lots of things, but I hope to be able to get focused again.

This is my latest sample for my serger wallet.  I think it looks good to go.  In the picture there are 8 cards in it.  It might be able to hold one or two more, but not much beyond that.

This is going to be a short update since I still need to get my photo area ready for all the fun pictures I will be taking!

It's what time of year?

I can not believe that it is almost the end of the year!  Where did it all go?  I feel like I haven't gotten anything done!  I still haven't made my little mock-up photo "studio" (a cardboard box with a nice smooth and plain background) and I haven't gotten my Etsy shop back up and running.  Good news is that I got more work doing creative things than I have in previous years.
While I know the year is not over, I definitely plan to be more productive next year.

Some finished things.

While I am not completely done with everything needed for The Accessory Lady (she needed to get some things for me and we have yet to meet again) but I have been able to work on some things of my own.

A few not very exciting, but still cute bottle-cap pendants.

Here are some fabric card holders.

 These are a few pocket tissue covers.

The fancy kanzashi pictured here was a birthday present to the person in the picture, but I Pam to make similar ones to sell.

 Like the other picture, this exact one was a birthday present, but I plan to make more of these in different colors.

I send a copy of a few of these pictures to a shop who I'm hoping to sell my things through.  I've seen their website and they have some really cute consignment items.  I'm hoping they like what they see!

Lazy person is lazy...

I keep telling myself that I either need to finish the last few things for The Accessory Lady or work on things to show the consignment shop. I've done neither of those things, but I have done some things.
I have figured out the size I need to make the wallet so that it can fit money folded once. I've also worked on some charity things for my other project.

I'm not sure there is an end...

I keep slowly creeping to the end of my commissioned/freelance accessory job, but I don't seem to be able to actually get to the end.
I was also hoping to get some stuff for the shop done while I was at an event in GA, but I was having too much fun running around to sit and make anything.
In good news, one of my friends works at a boutique in DC. They specialize in recycled and upcycled items. My friend thinks that if I made some fabric flowers and card-holders out of old shirts and ties, they might be interested.
Once I get some time I am going to make some inventory and contract them for a meeting, I'm exited!