Gotta Get In My Last Post of 2008

I don't have much to say today. Mostly because my caffeine hasn't kicked in yet. I just want to wish everybody a Happy New Year and hope your New Year's Eve is super fun and super safe. Mine will be spent looking after the big sick guy and the little sick guy with sniffles. Should be a blast. All of you crazy Arcatans, have a great time hanging out on the plaza, climbing the McKinley statue, maybe next year I will join you:)

Tortoises with Hangovers

They have a huge lettuce leaf hangover. After our cold weather spell where they both dug down and slept for a few days, Abner and Imogene came out to eat for the first time in almost a week. I piled a plate full of some spring mix and set it down for them. Afterwards, they looked like this-->

I think I need a lettuce feast too. All the rich food that the holidays bring has given me super huge food burn-out. I am actually craving salad! I wanted salad this morning when I woke up and I am now anxiously awaiting lunchtime so I can make one for myself. I think it will have cucumber, tomato, carrot, a little onion, and some cheese on top. Yummy! can't wait. Then off to the post office to mail off a few orders and over to the fabric shop for a few supplies. Then home for more salad!

A Long, Long Day

Yes, very long indeed. After a week of whirlwind shopping, visits, and adventures to have such a quiet uneventful day seemed awfully boring. Just rainy and quiet and not much of anything happening. Not that I am complaining, but it is so strange to me, how easily it is to become so used to busy, busy, busy, and when the busy is gone, I kind of don't know what to do with myself. So I used my time to work a bit and start a new shop. I decided to try an Artfire shop after all. I see that it is a big topic of discussion on Etsy right now, so out of curiosity I checked it out. It seemed to be a nice set-up, easy to use, and a nice lay-out, so I jumped in and decided to give it a go. We will see what happens. I still have my icraft shop which I love, but I need to give myself more opportunities to get out there. So here is to organizing, experimenting, and just seeing what happens, what harm can that do. Off to do a little bit of work, drink some dark and devilish brew, then get my butt to bed.

A Christmas Cold and Hangover to Match

What a wonderful Christmas except for the nasty cold and a little bit of a hangover from my shot of whiskey and a glass of wine to follow. Lots of wonderful gifts for the little boy and lovely times for everyone. Today I am actually sore, like a ran a marathon or something. I think it is from keeping the kiddo propped up on the couch all night so he could breath. He has a pretty nasty cold but seems to be in really good spirits despite the really runny nose and not quite knowing what to do with all of that snot.

Today is the last day with my sister and cousins before they head back to L.A. It has been so nice to have them all here, I wish they could stay much longer. But no, back to real life, she and the kids get to go and enjoy the rest of the holiday season with more family, and back to work for me. I am lucky enough to be working on a couple orders for the next week. Yay! happy times!

Happy Holidays!

I am wishing you all some very Happy Holidays! Hope you all get to have some fun! I am off with the family battling stormy weather and sniffles. Right now we have some awesome thunderstorms going on and lots and lots of rain. Sniffles just come with the territory I think. Enjoy your day all!

Procrastination Station

That's me! I should be working on my last minute gifts but I can't get my butt out the chair to do so. I am having too much fun watching our latest storm roll in and the kiddo playing on the floor in his Christmas footy pajamas. It is just so nice and peaceful in here....why muck it up with work? My little projects are staring at me though, making me feel nice and guilty. That would be the way the treat me darn it! Oh well, might as well dig in and get things done, that way I can play later in the week instead sitting at the machine sewing away. Off to work I go!

It's Disgusting and I LOVE IT!

I am wearing the grubbiest, dustiest, old sweater there ever was and I LOVE IT! It is warm, it is comfortable, it just came out of the dryer so it smells nice, and it goes with my grubby old wool socks that I love too. I think I may wear this outfit straight through the holidays. Nothing like hanging around the house on a rainy day making cool stuff in a worn out old sweater. With all these super cold storms coming our way, I see no sense in changing into real clothes, it is pointless when I will not be leaving the house at all today......well.........maybe to go up the street to get chips and salsa, but I am not changing, not showering, and not even brushing my teeth. Because it is Saturday, and I am feeling really lazy.

O.K. Back to Work

I've got my wonder cuff on!..............and there I go. After two days of shopping for the holidays, I am geared up and rrready to get to work. I have just come up with a genius idea for an organizer bag for my mom, my sister's bag is just about done and I only have two little bags for my little sister to finish up. Should be a snap. After I got up, ate breakfast, chased the kid around and gave him a haircut, drank some cold coffee, did some yoga and jogged around the couch a few times , I have the energy to GO!GO!GO! I can't wait to post some pics for you all! Have the greatest of great weekends!

OOh! This is Fun!

I am spending this slow time working on a few new items for my shops which require a little extra design work. Surprisingly, after all the work for my holiday shows this past few months, I am having a really good time making stuff. I am going a little bit bigger on some of my already established designs mainly to make more room for card pockets, and zipper pockets, and some are just getting a little make over. Some are just staying the same for now since they seem to work well as is. The most fun so far has been working on my new cuffs, some with fringe, some with ruffles, some just plain, it's all so much fun, because everything is so different. I like that. I don't want to over do it with new designs, but I definitely want to expand the variety of what I do, and keep improving my already existing designs. One thing doing craft fairs is really good for is getting some insight into what a buyer is looking for and what they are not looking for. I did get a lot of suggestions, some of which are wonderful and I can incorporate, some of which just won't work for what I do. I am thankful for all the input I got, good or bad, useful or not.

On With The Show

So, no check yet, no Christmas shopping done. I hate the wait but I feel resigned to it now. All I can do is keep myself going, making stuff for all my peoples. Luckily I had a few ideas in mind for everyone. It's just crunch time now and I just want to get everything done! So off I go to glue, and sew, and bead, and hope a little bit more that my little check will be smiling at me from the mail box tomorrow afternoon. Think good thoughts for me, I need them!

Cuffs and Other New Stuff

I have been battling some sort of yuckiness the past few days and my Christmas projects have been put off. So with a lovely icy storm coming in from Alaska, the kiddo and I have been stuck inside for the last day or two. I decided to use that time to play around with my projects and think about some new items for my shops. I am playing around with some new cuff designs, very similar applique work to my wallets and upcoming handbags, and they look pretty good! I have one now that I am playing with, I will be adding some beads to it and figuring out a new closure for it. I love how the button and loop looks, it is extra comfortable during wear, but, some people just aren't in to that whole button thing. The cuff I have posted here is a little on the small side so the closure doesn't look fantastic like the others. So I will try a snap, and an elastic closure for my next few.

The handbag I am putting together is coming out great. A mixture of purples, mauves, and brown. Lots of texture, and a nice shape. I am messing around a bit with one of my older designs to make it a little more appealing. I am hopeful that I can put a few together to list in my shops when the new year comes. I am just so excited about new designs that it is hard to concentrate on just one. I hope everyone likes the new stuff. I am definitely having a great time coming up with new items.

I am Frozen With A Cold

Yes, both at the same time. It is coldish here and I have a cold too. I made the mistake of deciding to walk downtown yesterday instead of taking the bus. The storm that was supposed to have come in last night made it an afternoon appearance instead, leaving me pretty much soaked all over. I have been fighting off a sore throat/cold thing since last Sunday and MAN OH MAN did it hit last night. Chills, aches, stuffiness, you name it. I am still cold but in a better mood and looking forward to another adventure in handbag making. This time in some super funky embossed, metallic leathers that my sister picked out for her new handbag. Since it is a super simple bag design, it should be a snap, other than putting in a hidden zipper pocket. I will let you all know how that goes. All that and a trip to the mall to help Mark do a little shopping for the kiddo and the parents. All I know is that I am getting myself a mocha! YES!!!!

Tabby Wars

I was just finishing up my listing for this little pouch when the big whirlwind of excitement occurred. I was peacefully pressing buttons and typing away when BLAM! THERE HE WAS! Smacking the window with all of his might! The big grey tabby with white socks that lives under our deck. He usually comes up to taunt our cat Mac, who growls and hisses and sputters while he rolls back and forth on the deck with his fuzzy belly in the air. He seems to enjoy mocking her, and I get a pretty good kick out of it too. Today, he happened across our huge Tabby boy Yui. Yui usually minds his own business and seems to be scared of his own shadow. Today, he must have had it with the other cat's antics though because he stalked the other tabby through the window and ended up standing upright on his back two legs, frantically scratching and clawing the window to get at Big Tabby. It was a battle in silence, neither party said a word, they just smacked at each other through the window, over and over again. Then they both stopped, and sat and stared at one another for about five minutes. Big Tabby was distracted by a bird flying overhead, and Yui was distracted by the sound of a can of cat food being kicked across the floor. The battle was over. No one was harmed. Life is peaceful again.

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting...................

I am waiting for my check from my craft show I did after Thanksgiving. I kind of feel dumb not being on it with this one. I know they have my current address, I know this will eventually get sorted out but I need to get a crackin' on some shopping and some more supplies. Even though it is not a huge amount of money, it is enough to get through this next couple of weeks without scrimping too much. It is so funny that I always assume the worst. I am thinking everything from it getting sent to my parent's house and them not recognizing my name, to my postman putting it into someone else's mailbox(which is definitely a possibility), to it getting sent to my old apartment(another possibility) and being cashed and spent by some starving student. Then I think of all the situations that would happen when I call to check on my check from losing my patience and screaming at innocent people to frantic crying. I am truly blessed to have a wild imagination but sometimes it gets in the way a little bit. So, I wait another day. Wish me luck everyone.

Organization Station

I don't have one but I need one. A place to pile stuff that I need to organize instead of piling it on top of my work spaces. Even though the organization station would be a huge pile of clutter, I would still have room to work without having to precariously balance things on top of one another. I am really tired of going to get my scissors and a huge pile of pens fall out on me, or the box of snaps gets knocked over and spread everywhere. Or I go to pick up a pile of leather to put back and find one of the cats or a tortoise snoozing underneath(just kidding, but I could see that one happening) If I could just have a place to put all of the extraneous paperwork and other things that I need to hold on to but don't need at the moment without having to hide them away where I will never be able to find them again. Maybe if I just get over piling everything up as I work and putting other crap away once in awhile, I could make it work. That is so not me though. Oh well, I'll figure something out, it can't be that hard to be organized and busily working at the same time. Back to coffee drinking and trying to wake up. Up at 6 am with a cold is not pleasant. Sniffle, sniffle, cough, cough.

I am Allergic to My Christmas Tree!

My newest little wristlet. I am so surprised this one didn't sell this weekend. Almost everyone that came by our table picked it up and commented on it. Oh well, I thought I would show it off here so you all could see some of the newer things I have been working on.


So, I decided to use a few dollars of my craft show makings to buy my family a live Christmas tree this year. I ended up with the perfectly fat little spruce that smells wonderful and just livens up our little apartment. The only trouble is that I can't touch it! I put a small strand of lights on it yesterday and my hands broke out in hives. It didn't last long but long enough to make me miserable for the morning. I still love our little tree. Next time I have to touch it I will make sure to wear some gloves.

Other than Christmas tree allergies, Ciaran and I are lounging about. I am making up a couple of patterns for some new items I will be featuring in my shop soon. That is about it. Finishing up a couple of wallets, cleaning and organizing, and making a few little gifts for the family. I like the quiet and calm, it is much appreciated after a few weeks of craziness. I also get to get a new haircut today! I love getting my hair cut. Maybe with all this slowness, I will be able to take better care of my hair and everything else:) Here's to hoping!

Craft Show Hangover

I have a craft show hangover. Not really from the show so much as the clean-up afterwards. My house is a mess(it always is though), my work tables need organizing, I need to retake pictures of some of my items that didn't sell, I need to do laundry, I need to sit down and redesign one of my wallets, I need to finish decorating for Christmas, I need to do lots of stuff!

I am taking today off just to reconnect with my everyday life. I am going for a nice long walk with the kiddo and then I am going to find myself a dazzling outfit(and hopefully some things I can use in my wallets) at our local thrift store, then this evening, I am going to make burritos. All will be well! Then tomorrow I get to do the cleaning, decorating, organizing, and redesigning. I am actually looking forward to it, should be fun!

I Made it!

Twitchy eye and all! I made it through my first day at the big fair. Only two sales, but at least I sold something. Ciaran is such a trooper, he woke up around the same time I did which I can only described as way, WAY too early, and stuck it out the whole day with very little whining or fit throwing. He even took a nap! I swear that the evil baby went home with someone else at the hospital. I got the good baby:)

My Eye, My Eye, My Eye!

My newest wallet, I have this one and many more like it ready for my show this weekend. I am loving this color combination of tan with an iridescent pink wash over the top of it with the brown and sparkly green. Too bad all the brown suede is now gone. I will miss it.

Other than new wallets, my eye is driving me nuts! It's twitching like crazy! It actually hurts! I think it may be from overwork. I hope after Sunday it will calm down and let me enjoy the rest of my Holiday season. I have been functioning on very little rest over the last couple of weeks plus a little family stress added in and there you go! Uncooperative eye muscles. Oh well, rest and relaxation come on Sunday evening, and I am so looking forward to it:)

I'll Take One of These Please

I so wish there was some wonderful fairy that would just drop a christmas tree at my door so I wouldn't have to cart my son downtown and struggle with pushing his stroller and dragging a tree home at the same time.

Having no car makes it tricky to get things like Christmas trees. My first Christmas back in Humboldt, I carried my tree home from the store. It was a tiny little thing but quite sticky with sap and prickly. I made it home despite hoots and hollers and pointy fingers and this is how it looked.

This year I am thinking I will buy a live tree. We have a bit of space to plant it outside when the holiday is over and the live trees are so lovely and the perfect size for our little apartment. I can't wait to decorate my little tree and sit at night watching the little colorful lights. Yay for pretty little trees, they smell great too!

Something is Happening!

The little egg is not as far along as the one in this picture but that is what it is starting to look like. It is so exciting! I just hope all goes o.k. for the little guy/gal. I am so surprised that it has made it this long with my shotty incubator thingy. I meant to buy a real incubator years ago just to have on hand I am kicking myself for not getting one sooner. Oh well, what I have set up seems to be working. Having a baby tortoise around would be awesome!

So as I dream about baby tortoises, I am cutting out a couple more wallets to sew up right quick for the show this weekend. I am only doing the extra sewing because I have really messed up my wrist and I can't get my ornaments done. I am super bummed about that but there is really nothing I can do until my wrist heals.

I started getting nervous about our upcoming show yesterday while I was out trying to find decor for our booth. My partner doesn't want to invest in any decor or lights until we see how the other booths are being set up which makes me really nervous. I don't like waiting until the last minute to get things done. I wish I could just go out and buy all the stuff we need today so we would be ready but I really don't have the money to get it all today. I think next year I will make sure to set enough cash aside so I can feel like I have prepared adequately for these shows. I really can't afford to do anything half-assed these days, especially when I am trying to build a business. I guess it all comes back to how much I hate relying on other people to do their part. I think that is why I prefer working alone. I know if I screw up it is all mine to take responsibility for, so out of fear of screwing up, not being prepare, etc. I get shit done! and well before on time. OOOH! I am getting antsy and angry just writing about it. I best get back to work and stop complaining. Here's to hoping for last minute miracles.

One Down, One to Go

I finished up my first of two holiday artisan fairs this past weekend. It was better than I expected and the public seemed a bit more receptive to the thought of recycled leather accessories. Last year there seemed to be a little bit of reluctance from customers on buying recycled leather. This year more people seemed open to the idea and I made a few more sales than expected which was great because I had a HUGE oopsie with my ornament making last week. I not only injured my wrist but I couldn't get my bezels to solder properly. I was really bummed! I have some new designs I wanted feedback on and now I can't because I don't have any of my finished ornaments to display. I am hoping that I will heal properly in the next month and get some of them in my shops so I can see if they get views or not. I did sell a lot of my older ornaments which was great! It is nice to know that all that hard work is appreciated by others.


The only thing I was really not happy about this weekend was not being able to do any Christmas shopping at the show. One of the kids that I used to work with, had some really fun fused glass bowls for sale and I so wanted to buy one. His mom is a wonderful glass artist and I think it is great that she is teaching him how to work with glass. He is really good too! I am off to sew a few more items for my show this weekend. Wish me luck:)