It's My Etsy-versary Today!

Here are some pretty flowers for all of you on this last day of July! An Etsy-versary present of sorts:)


A year ago today, I was super bummed out over just losing a little part-time job that I had counted on to make a little extra cash. It wasn't much, just some filing, filing out paperwork, making phone calls, a few hours a week. But it was my way of making a little extra money while I took care of Ciaran. Not that I needed the job, or even wanted it, it was just something to do, and I could bring Ciaran with me. Well, that didn't work out very well. Poor little guy didn't like the place I guess. It was too hard for me to get anything done with him there. He just wanted to be held and fed the whole time we were there. When I went in on my last day, the woman I worked for told me very kindly that she didn't think it was the appropriate job for me and that she was going to be re-structuring the position and make it easier for the people that already worked for her. Then she told me I should stick with childcare........I don't remember if I rolled my eyes at her or not. It is amazing how many people have said that to me, even after they hear all of my horror stories from my child care adventure. Apparently I should go back to school and get more education AND THEN open up my own child care center. I guess she really didn't bother to listen to my education and work history. Oh well, not many people do. (I worked as a teacher and ran three different child care programs over the last twenty-one years, I HATED IT towards the end and I wasn't quiet about that fact.)

If I remember correctly, I found and announcement for a local artist's new Etsy store in craigslist. I quickly looked Etsy up. Then I started looking around. Then I fell in love. It's funny I can not find that artist's shop now. I always meant to convo her to congratulate her on her shop and to thank her for introducing me to Etsy. So I say congratulations and Thank you to you anonymous artist person, wherever you may be.

So shortly after, I put my shop together and listed a few things. I think I listed my masks and sun catchers first, then some jewelry, then some leather pieces. It took me from my opening to Halloween to make my first sale, but I did and I am happy. I have met the most interesting and wonderful people through Etsy. That in itself is worth it all to me. It is because of Etsy that I can stay at home with Ciaran and follow my path.........thanks to all the people of Etsy for being so wonderful, You guys ROCK!

I Think I am Growing a New Nostril

My right nostril is really sore. It has been for a while now. I thought it might be from all the sneezing and snuffling from my one continuous allergy attack. My nose is constantly runny and my head is constantly stuffed up. Today I blew my nose and OUCH! that side was sore, I noticed a big red bump on the side of it. It's HUGE! I am hoping it's a third nostril and not the huge zit it seems to be turning in to. At least it would be worth some odd stares and discussion.

So Yui made it through his trip to the vet yesterday. His exam went great and his blood work to check his liver and kidney functions came back, and all is o.k. Today he is back to chasing birds through the kitchen window and running away from Ciaran. Looks like the washer may be fixed too! Ah clean clothes once again.

Ciaran and I are heading out to visit Mark at work and to look for belts at our local thrift store. I have an idea for a small leather bag and I want to get started. Hopefully they have something that will go with this lovely lavender suede I am using. I must remember to take swatches. So I can at least find something that coordinates. If all else fails, I will go with brown.

Dirty Clothes and A Visit to the Vet

Here is my newest made amongst the chaos of fighting cats and screaming toddler. I love the color combination. The blue leather by itself is kind of odd. It is a blue-grey leather and not very exciting by itself. The purple and the green seem to make it happy because it brightens up next to them. Oh happy little wallet!

Today is vet day! I get to go in dirty clothes because the washing machine for our apartment complex is broken and no one has come out to fix it. So I am stinky. I doubt the pets will mind. It will give them more to do while they are waiting for their turn to be poked and prodded by their doctor. It just feels so gross to not have anything clean to wear. Why bother taking a shower if I have to wear the same pair of jeans that I have been wearing for the last week. Blah! Luckily, I have clean underwear. If I didn 't I would have probably cancelled Yui's appointment.

Right now I am sipping on my second cup of coffee and listening to Ciaran make velociraptor noises from his crib. The kid cracks me up! He has quite a collection of sound effects and it keeps growing day by day. Yay for a sunny day and COFFEE!!!

A Whole New Week

A whole new week to get stuff done. I have a lot to do this week. Lots of sewing, soldering, and some ordering of materials. I always get so happy when I order supplies. Especially metalsmithing stuff. I get to order some copper this week for my yearly supply of colorful sun catchers for our local holiday gift fair. This will be the first time in almost three years that I will be incorporating new designs and colors. I am really excited to see what people think. I started doing the sun catchers for my first craft show many years back. It has been amazing to see how well they usually sell. I often get people that come back year after year to buy more. I am hoping that the new designs will go over well for my repeat customers.

My mom and I are also trying for booth space at two other shows so things will be getting busy for the both of us. Now that I have expanded from just jewelry and sun catchers, to wallets and handbags, I have a lot of work to be getting done. I also need to start collecting display materials for my table. I have a few handbags cut out already so all I need to do is get off my butt and sew. It will be nice to see what the reaction is to the bags this year. I got a great idea of what people are looking for in a handbag last year. So I am trying to incorporate those wants and needs into my designs. Eek! now I feel really overwhelmed. I just have to keep those little positive thoughts going and all will be well!

Coffee, Cats, and Painting

I am getting a rare moment to myself with my steaming hot cup of coffee and a warm purring cat snuggled next to me. I am painting some plum and lime green leather for some "splat" appliques for my next wallet. I love it! I can get a little bit done, enjoy my coffee, and reconnect with one of our fuzzy roommates. This particular fuzzy one has a date with the veterinarian on Tuesday. He must be so excited. It will be nice to have all of his medical needs out of the way for the rest of the year.

Yui suffers from seizures, so he has to have medication on a daily basis. So once a year, poor Yui goes to visit his friends at the animal clinic, where he is poked with needles, and checked out head to toe. Looking at him you would never guess that he has a medical condition at all. He is HUGE! He weighs a bit over seventeen pounds and is taller and longer than any other cat in our neighborhood. He is also the sweetest and most timid cat in the neighborhood. I don't think I have ever heard him growl or hiss at any other cat. The only time he has hissed at me was when I was stepping on his tail and didn't realize it. Sorry Yui.

Stinker is 18 months Today!

I can't believe this little guy is already 18 months old. It goes by so darn fast! From wiggling, squirming, eating, pooping, and crying, to all those plus walking......I mean running, and talking. It has been the best adventure in my life so far. My little barnacle. I love him.

So today in honor of his 18 month birthday, Ciaran and I are going to visit Grammy and Grampy and go to the local woodfair. I don't know if this was exactly what Ciaran had in mind for his special day but he seems to love just to get out to flirt with anyone who will make eye contact with him. Then we head downtown for a donut, coffee, and one purple zipper, then to the park. Somewhere in there today I need to fit in some wallet sewing and ring making. Should be an adventure. I wish you all the best of weekends. Have fun!:)

Friday Blahhhh!!!!!!!

Feeling kind of blah today. Luckily it is one of those hang out and watch the clouds move kind of days. I will utilize the time by working on some of my various projects. I am working on a lime green and purple travel wallet and another men's billfold wallet, so those also get some love today. Then we head downtown to the post office and another thrift store for more treasure, and then on to the fabric/yarn store for some emerald green yarn. I have decided what I want to do with my latest sweater and I need some green yarn to finish it up. I think it will make a great layering piece. I am hoping so anyways. I will post a picture when it is all done. I don't know what I am going to do with all of my sweater creations. I must not get too carried away!

This weekend we bottle the applewine. I can't wait! It is already so tasty. Then our closet will be full of beer and applewine. Pretty soon we are going to have to look for a place with another bedroom just for our growing collection of beer and everything else Mark has his himself set on making. It is amazing how much room all these wonderful things we do take up. I really love that we each have such wonderful interests. It makes for a very happy and interesting life. Well off I go to do my yoga workout then it is back to work.

You Must Be Tired of Seeing These By Now

I think I post more pictures of my wallets here than in my shop. Well, each time I finish one I get all bubbly and happy and have to show it off somewhere. Since this is my little place to talk about myself, I figure it's better here than somewhere else. I am going to be so sad when I run out of this crazy orange suede. It is so incredibly soft and yummy to look at. I am supposed to be getting another orange suede jacket sometime soon ,but I think that one will be a little less on the pink side and more on the yellow side.

So yesterday was another day of illness. I felt awful most of the day but still had to get out for some sewing supplies. On the way to the fabric store we almost had a large accident which helped that whole feeling sick to my stomach thing so much! I just can't put it into words. Luckily we were all o.k. I think my feet will be in "slam on the brakes" mode permanently. Once again, my stomach and it's contents spent most of the afternoon trying to claw their way out. By the evening I was better but tired, Ciaran couldn't have cared less. Happy little guy all around. Just happy to be happy I guess. I wish I was more like him.

Today is a brand new day! We will be heading downtown to do some mailing, dinner hunting, and treasure hunting, as well as a visit to Mark at work. Thankfully no car rides today. Yipee!

Aww Nuts!!!

I made it on to the front page of Etsy yesterday and I missed it! I can't believe I missed it. Oh well, what can you do. I just feel so happy to have been on the front page. How cool is that? It made my day, especially because I ended up sick and taking the night off from work to try to get my sinus headache under control. There really is nothing like spending your evening on the couch with a crazy 18 month old running loose around your house and being on the verge of vomit-city if you try to move in the slightest. Yuck! Thankfully, my young son had a little bit of mercy on me and curled up with me on the couch before bed. He is a sweet little guy.

I finished another wallet, I decided to expand on my polka dot card wallet design and add a cash pocket to this one. I really like how it turned out. The purple leather is incredibly soft and easy to work with so it was a good start to this design. I have another ready to go in orange suede but I have to think of a color combination/applique design that will work with the design of the wallet. That gets to be tricky with the button loop closure. Only because I want it all to flow well and not look like I stuck a button on the wallet just because.

On my way home from my postcard search yesterday afternoon, I decided to stop by one of our local thrift stores to look for treasures......AND I SCORED!!!! I found a lilac colored suede jacket for twenty-five cents and a big wool sweater in a brilliant green for two dollars. I was so happy! I rarely find such good deals at this particular place so my little head achy, pukey self was just singing happy songs on the way home yesterday. Now I have to figure out what I want to do to this particular sweater. I think I want to make another mangled cardigan. I really like how my first sweater adventure turned out, I think I want to do something similar but a little more asymmetrical. It should be a good adventure.

So we are off today to replenish our supply of thread, snaps, and cool and crazy lining material. Then coffee for me, cookie for the baby, and off once again to visit the two little fuzzy puppies that now own my parents . Have a good day all!

What is Up With My Style?

I don't really have one, but I do a lot of catalog, magazine browsing. I tend to fall in love with clothing and shoes that are highly inappropriate for the climate here. Lots of sandals and dresses and clothing that doesn't work well with walking long distances. I just fell in love with a pair of boots with cut-outs all over them. Those will be perfect for the rainy season! I can't wait for super soggy feet! OOOOH and walking in the rain in soggy feet with heels, EVEN BETTER! It is a really good thing that I do not have extra money to spend these days or I would be making some poor investments in a useless wardrobe. I will just stick with my chunky boots, knee socks, sweaters, and my one skirt that fits.

I finished another wallet yesterday. I wasn't sure about combining blue, brown, and red, but it worked really well. I think I may try a couple more with the same color combination/theme. Maybe a little pouch next time.

I am so excited about a postcard exchange through Etsy, I love postcards! I also love the idea of connecting with my fellow artsy/craftsy persons. I also signed up to be a pen pal and I love that too! I had so many pen pals when I was younger. It was so wonderful to read about their lives and living in other places. I even got to meet a couple of my pen pals when I was younger. Twins from England that used to write my best friend and I. It is a shame that we didn't keep in touch after that. I can't wait to start writing! Ciaran and I are heading out today to collect some postcards to send off. Then back home to make more wallets:)

Nothing Happening Here

I feel a little blah today. Yesterday I was sick all day with my darn unruly stomach. It seriously feels like some critter with razor sharp nails and teeth is clawing and gnawing to get out.

I managed to do a little yoga this morning until Ciaran pushed me over and I hurt my wrist. It did make me feel better(not the hurt wrist part but the yoga part). I was energized enough to work on some wallets. I am hoping to get a couple done today for posting tomorrow. I need a couple of items to put in my icraft and bigcartel shops(yes, I started a new shop, just to see how it goes). I am having a hard time keeping up right now, I need better time management. I think I just need to sit down and cut out a bunch of wallet pieces so they are ready to go when I need them. I also need to sift through my leather pieces and decide what pieces I am going to use for what. I keep saying it, now I need to do it. Other than my leatherwork dilemma, I am hungry, I want sushi, hot chocolate, and carmel apple pie..........maybe not all together, that would probably make me sick.

I Can Barely Keep My Eyes Open

I didn't stay up late. I went to be at about 11:30, I slept straight through the night, I woke up at 7:30 but I am so tired my eyes want to close themselves and go back to bed. Trouble is, this kid Ciaran is up and running around full speed ahead and won't be having none of that down time stuff until about noon. I don't think I can wait that long.....CAFFEINE! WHY ARE YOU NOT WORKING?!! Oh well, I will just slink along until I can catch a nap or get over this tired thing.

So I did find a treasure yesterday. Our local thrift store had all their clothing on sale for a dollar. I happened to find a bright red wool turtleneck to play with. It fits really well so I don't know if I will just wear it as is or turn it into something else. I may go back today and look for more stuff, if I can get up off my butt long enough to get us all ready for a walk.

Tonight Mark is bottling the second batch of beer. We are both very excited about it, it is already really good, so I am sure it will be even better when it is officially ready. Yummy! Hopefully this batch will last long enough for us to give out a few bottles to family and friends. The last batch disappeared before we knew it.

I Did It!

I went treasure hunting yesterday and found not only a grey suede jacket that would be perfect for my wallet making but also a merino wool sweater for my first upcycled clothing project. So I brought it home and sat down and started cutting. I thought at first I would make a cardigan that fastened at the top but ended up with something a little different, I can't wait to wear it, I even used a couple of leather covered buttons from a jacket I had cut up already. Check it out. I put my red t-shirt inside because all I kept getting on film was a black blob. I don't know if this is any better but It seems really weird to talk about something I am working on but not show a picture.

So today Ciaran and I are off to do more treasure hunting, package mailing, and dinner getting. I wonder what treasures I will come across today?

Off to Hunt for Treasure!

That is the plan for today. I am off to our biggest thrift store to search for more leather and some wool sweaters for various projects. I also need to find Ciaran a high chair so we can transition from his baby seat to a more distinctive toddler seat. Actually, he is just to darn big for that little seat anymore so he needs something that is a bit more roomy. I am sure he will appreciate having a bit more elbow room when he is refusing every single little bit of food we offer him. Last night he refused his dinner of chicken, carrots, and cheerios so the cats got most of it.

I was really inspired to make some fall/winter clothing the other day. I was looking through a clothing catalog that had it's selection of new and inspired fall and winter wear. All of which was super over priced but some really great ideas for easy, comfortable, and warm clothing. Lots of big bulky vests and things. I have been searching for a way to utilize old sweaters to make some nice outerwear for myself for my chilly day walks. (I can't believe I am already thinking about the fall and winter) I keep finding great wool sweaters when I am searching for treasure at the local thrift stores but they are usually too small, or worn in certain areas, so I plan to play around with some deconstruction and reconstruction to see what happens. I think I have found my inner fourteen year old, thrift store searching, used clothes wearing, punk rock self. I now prefer a do it yourself outfit to anything brand new. I kind of like it that way.

My custom ladybug wallet is all done and very ladybug-i-licious! I am quite proud of it and I really like the design. I expanded on the polka dot wallet by making it a little bigger and adding on slip pocket for cash. I hope it is well loved by it's new owner.

Earlier, Ciaran and I had an appointment up the street and decided to take a walk through the fields. We saw lots of beautiful blooming plants. His favorites are dandelions and buttercups. I really love looking at all the different colors and shapes of the wild flowers. We also saw lots of blueberries and currants, yum!!! Now I want blueberry muffins, crumble, waffles, and anything else that tastes wonderful with blueberries in it. We saw a lot of birds out there today too. Two hawks that were soaring overhead and lots of hummingbirds zooming about. It was a really wonderful way to start the day.

I am so glad that Ciaran takes his cookie monster toy wherever we go because he usually falls flat on his face when he is running around and cookie monster it seems, has saved him from scraping his little face off. All those little mini heart attacks, and it just gets better from here. So I am off to my secret laboratory to work while the little guy snoozes. Have a great day!

Applewine and a Walk Downtown

I got to try the applewine last night. It is really good! I can't wait to have more than just a sip. Yummy, slightly sweet, kind of dry, like hard cider. Mark is getting pretty good at this brewing stuff. I hope he keeps his interest. Now everyone in the family wants to try his concoctions, mostly out of curiosity. I think everyone should be pleasantly surprised. The applewine should be ready by my birthday next month so I can celebrate my 39th with a nice cold glass! EEK! 39? Already? How did that happen?

Today, Ciaran and I are heading downtown to mail out a few parcels and pick up some interfacing and paint. I will probably cruise the thrift stores to see if there is any treasure to be had. It is a foggy day, not too cold, not too hot, just perfect for a walk. A perfect day for coffee, a cookie, the post office, the fabric store, and the thrift stores. I just found a pumpkin orange suede jacket yesterday, I can't wait to make things with it. I have been so inspired by the colors of the lupines and poppies growing along the highway, I really want to make a few items in those particular colors. The colors we have in this world are really amazing!

Later, I am hoping to get a few minutes to solder a pendant and a ring that I have been working on for ages. The ring is a mixture of copper and sterling silver, which will have an opal set in it, and the pendant is one of my fused sterling silver pieces. My real concern is the ring. I haven't soldered copper and silver together in a long time and this piece is a custom order for someone else. This is my second attempt at this project. I only solder when Ciaran is safely asleep so it might have to wait until late tonight. I will be the secret midnight solderer. I have my fingers crossed that all will go well. Soldering is tricky even when you know what you are doing. It gets really tricky when you pick it up after not doing it for a while. I hope I have good soldering energy tonight. Wish me luck!

Martian Pouches and New Puppies!

I finished this pouch yesterday. I had made one before but a little smaller and in black and white, not sparkly green and black. I really like the idea. I think I will play with the design a bit more, just to see what the possibilities are. The green is really wonderful, shimmery and pale but with a bit of gold in it. It looks great against the black leather. It kind of reminds me of space. I think I will call it the "Martian Pouch" because of it's space-like qualities. I put a couple pockets inside for organizing. I like the idea of being able to find what you are looking for in a flash, even with a little bag. I chose to add the key clip too, I just like the idea of having all my stuff in one place, especially when I am chasing Ciaran all over the place. Well, I hope someone falls in love with it, because if they don't, I just may use it myself.

Ciaran and I had planned to meet our parent's new puppy Duffy yesterday. Except that Ciaran is running a bit of a fever and is sort of lethargic. I think it is the new teeth he is getting, but we decided to play it safe and stay home. I called my mom to let her know that we would be staying home for the evening and that we would try to get over there to meet the puppy sometime this week. It turns out that they adopted two puppies instead of just one. Now they have Duffy and Matilda, I guess my mom just fell in love with Matilda so now they have gone from a non doggy household to a two doggy household. This should be an interesting journey for them. I can't wait to meet them and see how Ciaran reacts to them, he has developed a great love of all dogs over the last couple of weeks. He is going to be in doggy heaven!

Nothing New

Humbug Beazus is fighting the computer for a spot on my lap, Ciaran is playing with his piano, two baby wipes containers, Elmo, and a cardboard tube on the couch, Mac is having an argument with a large tabby through the deck window, and Yui is just hanging out watching the birds fly by. A lovely mellow day. Still smokey and orange out there but it is a little more tolerable than the past few weeks have been.

Later we head downtown to get Mark more supplies for his second brewing attempt. I love trips downtown, I get fancy coffee drinks, and Ciaran gets a cookie! I need to get a few things too. I have been looking for nice sized/weight snap clips for my bags and wallets for a while now. So I am heading to our local hardware store to get a couple from there. Then tonight, Ciaran and I head over to my parents' house to meet the new puppy and have pizza. My parents sound like they are already in love. I think it is great, exactly what they need right now. It is amazing how just a little being like that can bring all the happy back in an instant. It is great to hear them sound so positive.

I am so excited, I sold my first travel wallet! I sure hope it's new owner gets great use out of it. It definitely makes me excited about working. I just keep sewing and a sewing and a sewing, and I like it like that. I think I will celebrate by getting some new paint! I have my eye on some metallic lavender at the art store downtown, and it's on sale, Yipee!

It's done! My first travel wallet, complete with zipper compartment on the interior. I really like how it turned out. The design of the wallet needs a few minor adjustments but I think it will work. I am having so much fun making snaps I can't believe I didn't try sooner. I hope to make a lot more in the next few weeks. As soon as I finish up a few other things then I will be concentrating on perfecting my snap an zipper techniques. I think I have it down pretty much, but I just want to see what possibilities my abilities have.

Other than that, Ciaran and I will probably take a little break this afternoon to go and check on my parents' elderly kitty Oliver, who is very old and completely deaf. My parents are in Seattle this week picking up their new puppy Duffy. My dad is so excited about his new little friend. He lost Zeke (his other dog) in November and has been so upset about it. I hope Oliver deals well with the new friend. He is pretty tolerant of everyone around him including dogs but he is so old and frail now, I hope his health holds out. So Ciaran and I will go and hang out with Oliver and keep him company for a while. He always seems to appreciate a visit. Ciaran always appreciates having a new furry friend to hang out with.

Blackberries!

I was up at 4am this morning admiring our deck which has been over taken by a huge blackberry bramble. That is the view from the deck now. I didn't realize how much it had grown over the last few weeks. Not only is it growing like crazy, it is blooming like crazy, which hopefully means we will have lots and lots of blackberries later in the summer. I guess it depends on the little woodland critters that share the bramble with us. They may have other plans for them. My plans are at least one blackberry cobbler or pie. I am not planning on sharing with the woodland critters, they can make their own! Yay for blackberries!!!!

An Orange Day

That is the color of the sky today. Orange, hazy, foggy, smokey, it is such a weird color. I wish I didn't have to go out in it but I need to make my way downtown for errands. I don't have a lot to do but enough to make me get off my butt and make the trip. I just hate walking in this stuff it makes me super wheezy/sneezy. I was hoping the fires would die down soon but it seems like the ones east of us are growing. Apparently around Burnt Ranch. That makes it extra smokey and weird down here at the coast. So I will be taking it easy today as much as possible. Working all my little things, watching Ciaran race around the house, watching the cats watch Ciaran run around the house, and then running off to hide in various places. They are fearless of everything else, except a happy screaming toddler, the most terrifying of all creatures. Ciaran is so sweet to them too. He rarely tries to touch them, he just looks at them and speaks baby to them. Occasionally he tries to kiss their ears but ends up drooling in their eyes. Or he pats them gently. They are all terrified of him though, no matter what. Maybe he is offering threats of death in their language or something. Drowning them in his drool, or trying to feed them cheerios and peanut butter until they explode. It is a mystery to me, I don't think I will ever uncover this mystery. It is not my destiny to uncover it. I just get to sit back and giggle about it. It is a sight to behold. An amusing mystery on this weird, orange day.

I am Diggin' The Purple!

I have to say, I really like the purple. I really wanted to stick with a black background but when I woke up this morning and got ready to write. I was pleasantly surprised by the crazy purple background. O.K. I am done talking about my background color.

I woke up a bit early this morning. Last night, Ciaran's toys started turning on by themselves. We had just gotten into to bed and started to hear a whirring sound at first then some random beeping. It took me a while to figure out what it was. Luckily, Mark went out to the living room to turn them off, I was to scared. It was funny but spooky at the same time. Either we are haunted, or we need some new batteries around here. Shortly after that disturbance, Mr. Ciaran woke up crying and could not be soothed back to sleep, so I brought him in to bed with us where he tossed and turned and talked in his sleep until about 5:30 am. Then the little booger ran down the hall at top speed, squealing at the top of his lungs! He got out into the living room before I could stop him. So we have been up for a while now. I am pretty darn sleepy but having my first dose of caffeine for the day, that should help.

I made a pattern for a large travel wallet last night. So I plan to work on that today. I am curious to see how it turns out. This one will be out of black leather, but I can't figure out what I want to do as an applique on it. So that will be the task for the day! Figuring out a new and unusual color combination that will be pleasing to the eyeballs, not pukey. Once that is done, we are off to farmer's market to pick up some fresh veggies and to get some exercise and fresh air. It looks beautiful out there so far. A bright and sunny day without all the smoke that has been plaguing us for the last couple of weeks. Hopefully we will get outside before the fog rolls back in. Well, off I go to my secret laboratory to mess around with colored leather.

I Have Rearranged a Bit

The darn black background was killing my eyes! I really like the black background but my eyes did not. I needed something that still made me think about gurgly things so it had to be something that I thought would nicely go with green. When I think of green, I think of gurgly. I love purple and green together. Purple is kind of gurgly too. So I chose purple! So far, so good. I think it's purty!

I am so excited! I finally came up with a new idea for a mask that will incorporate my metal and leather work. It will be similar to the one you see here in structure but instead of the ribbons there will be some wild leather work! Yay! I hope I have time to get it done before the annual maskibition at the Ink People(one of our local arts organizations) before the deadline. I have a few things to get finished this week before I can start on my mask.
Tripetta will have a sister! I can't wait!

So the plans for the day are to sew up another couple of little snap wallets, finish a little custom order, cut out a pattern for a larger wallet, and play around with another idea for a sterling silver, and copper ring with a freeform cut opal set into it. Should be a good day. I have a great idea for another pendant to. I just have to find the piece of silver I planned on using for it. I have to catch up from a weekend with very little working. I had planned a couple of hours of working but ended up gardening on Sunday, which set off a terrible allergic reaction complete with sneezing, dripping, itching, hives, and wheezing. I managed to get all the weeds pulled along the back of the yard but paid for it for the rest of the day. I am still super stuffy and drippy today but I need to get back to work. Snotty or not. I should be fine as long as there is enough caffeine in my system to counteract the zombifying anti-snozzle meds I have to take. At least I don't have to go back out and weed today. That would be it for me. I wish I knew what was causing me all this trouble. There is just so much stuff growing out there, it could be anything. Oh well, as long as I can still work on all my various projects without too much trouble, I can't really complain.

Sleepy Day.......

Sleepy and tired and achy! That goes for all of us. Ciaran is sleeping in so I have a chance to write before he is up and running. We decided on our way home that today we would make pancakes for breakfast which sounds great, now I just wish we had decided to go out and have pancakes at a restaurant instead of having to make them. I don't want to stand up. I just want to sit in this chair and watch my zombie movies all day. I have also had to break up at least three cat fights this morning between the stray tabby that has adopted us and Mac, the little cat that thinks she is a huge leopard. It is pretty funny to watch them fight with each other through the window. They are so serious and so loud! They go through all the motions but can't really get at each other. I guess it would help if they actually made eye contact when they were screaming at one another. All it turns out to be is just a lot of yowling and hissing. I think it is funny but it scares Ciaran and I figured it would wake him up if he heard it. He needs his beauty sleep. I need him to have his beauty sleep without scary cat fight noises. So that is the plan: sleeping in, pancakes, zombie movies, and lots of hanging out on the couch.

Happy Fourth!

Not much to report today. I will be taking the kid downtown to our annual Fourth of July festival on the plaza. It is a really nice way to celebrate the holiday with lots of arts and crafts, local food, and music. It seems that all of Humboldt County is out celebrating. Mark doesn't really want to go, he is so over the arts and crafts thing. So it will be me and Ciaran. Then later this evening we trudge back downtown for our annual foggy fireworks display. I don't think I have been through one of our fireworks displays that wasn't foggy. The fog adds to the beauty I think. After that, we head home, put small child to bed, and I pass out on the couch from exhaustion. When the day is done I will have walked to town and back four times(over 12 miles), I will be tired, but at least I will have gotten my exercise for the weekend. Have a great day everyone!

Birthdays and Other Exciting Things

I finally finished my first expandable bag. I am very happy with it. I think I will play around with some different shapes and designs for a while and see what happens. I began this little bag as a small pouch with nothing more than a zipper closure but it seemed like a great shape for the particular bag design I was going for. Bag making is tricky stuff. I can pound on a piece of metal and figure out the sequence of events in my jewelry and other metall projects with no problem but handbag making still stumps me at times. I will keep on plugging away, Hopefully it will be successful journey for me.

Today my little, or not so little nephew turns fourteen years old. I can't believe that little purple squirming and screaming baby I fell in love with fourteen years ago is now a teenager. How does that happen so fast? I sure do miss him, we were the best of buddies when he was a little guy and now we send each other silly emails and share sickening jokes(yes, I have a very dark and silly sense of humor)all the time. It is still not the same as seeing him every day. I hope one day our whole family will be a little closer in distance so I can at least give him a big ol' hug on his birthdays. Well Happy Birthday! my dear nephew, I hope your fourteenth year is good to you.

Today I Try Something New

So I recently tried snaps as a closure which worked out fabulously and I have many more to put together to list and sell. Today I am trying an experiment with a wristlet I have been working on for a while now to make expandable, meaning, I will be adding a little extra leather to the bottom and sides to give a little extra room for stuff while it is being used. I sure hope it works out. I love the bag already, it is in deep purple suede with a tree branch design in black leather and golden leaves. If I mess up then back to the drawing board. I will post a photo when I finish.

Other than my adventures in expandable wristlets, I am going to be cutting up another leather coat for use in my projects. I always love that part. For some reason it just feels really good to deconstruct an article of clothing and know it will be reconstructed into something wonderful. This time it is a full length leather coat that has a few dings and tears that I can work around. I just picked up a pair of brown suede pants too! Should be a fun way to spend this foggy day.

When the sun comes out later, if it comes out today, we will venture over to the pastures and say Hi! to the cows. We haven't been out that way in a while and it is so peaceful out there. I love watching how the light hits everything out there at the end of the day. The only thing I don't like are the sneezes and the little bitey bugs that seem to find me and attack. That should be a great way to end our day. Then it is rice pockets, veggies, and cake for dinner.

Abner and Imogene Need a New Home

They really do. Not a new family, but a new enclosure, one with a little bit more crawling room. The trouble is finding a new home that Ciaran can't get in to. Their present enclosure is now torn on one side from Abner trying to escape and their almost new uvb/heat bulb just blew out. So I figure I will either invest in a new reptarium( a very cool screen covered enclosure) for them or a huge water tub, like the kind they have on farms for cattle, in the next month or so. I think the reptarium is the best bet because it is fully enclosed in screen so my little investigative darling can't open it up. The first necessity is a new uvb/heat bulb for them. They need that when they are inside and especially since we have so much grey and foggy weather it helps to keep their little bodies in check. I worry about them having enough room to get much needed exercise and enough heat to bask in.

I really wanted to build them an outside enclosure this year since we have the perfect space for it. I just don't think it would be wise with all the raccoons and other critters that hang out in our yard. Someday, I hope to have them outside in their own space with lots of plants to eat and things to climb and places to dig and tunnel in to. That would be the best!

Well hopefully my little shelled wonders will forgive me until then. For now it is a magical inside terrarium, a bit bigger and in better shape than the one they are in now, and a brand new sunshine.