Monday, May 31, 2010

The Workspace From Hell!

Actually, it's not, but it really gets on my nerve that my once daily utilized work area for all things metal and paint has been turned into the table of "I don't know where to put this right now" I finally managed to clean it up a little bit and now have some space to lay out my newest metal piece and actually work on it! Here are some pictures of my space. I have yet to decide what to do about my painting/beading area. There is still a LOT of organization to do but at least I've made a dent!

This is my painting and beading mess that needs some more work, but at least I've confined it to one small area........well, small-er area. All I really need to do here is organize my projects and find a bigger container for my paints and brushes then all will be O.K. Then back to cleaning up my sewing area..........UGH! It just never stops. Well, the mess means I am using my space, right?

Friday, May 28, 2010

Crazy Craft Store People!

Yeah.........So, I don't spend a whole lot of time at our local craft store. I buy most of my supplies online or from our local fabric store However, the last couple of weeks it's been a convenient stop on the way home from our play date with Grammy. She lives in Eureka, we live in Arcata. The store in Eureka is a national chain and usually has what I need if the store in Arcata doesn't. I usually go there to pick up little things like thread, interfacing, maybe occasionally some zippers, machine needles, or lining fabric. It so happened that I broke the last of my leather needles the previous day while I was finishing up a custom order, so I asked Grammy if we could stop by the fabric store so I could stock up on some needles. Grammy is wonderful about that, she will sit with kid 1 and 2 while I get my stuff and wait in line to purchase my goods. I try not to make them wait for me for too long when I go because I HATE IT when I have to do that for other people.

Well, first of all while I was trying to find where the store had moved all the various sewing needles I listened as a couple barked on and on about the assortment and prices of sewing machines the store carries. I thought it was kind of rude, it's not really the salesperson's fault but whatever, and I went along my path to the cash register. Happy to be leaving the store and heading home for the day I find myself alongside a very angry looking woman with an armload of stuff. She is walking right beside me and literally stepping out in front of me to cut me off from reaching the register first. I decided to give her a run for her money and speed up my step a bit just so she had to march even faster to get ahead of me. Made me giggle just a little bit. We reach the front of the line for the register and she stops dead in her tracks to admire something hanging on the racks at the front of the store. So I just nestle myself into the line right in front of the registers. As I am waiting my turn in line there goes Ms. Beeupmybutt marching right past me and right up the butt of the person completing their purchase at the register. She didn't even wait for the woman to collect her change before she starts putting all of her stuff down on the counter and grumbling about selection and coupons. As I am watching the grouchball get her rude on full force, some goofball walks right ahead of me and right up to grouchball. As I point out as politely as I can muster " Dude, the line's back here", he looks all around like the angels must be talking to him and stands practically on top of Ms. Beeupmybutt. Then he has to get all uppity with the cashier about coupons too! What should have taken me maybe five minutes to do ended up taking almost 30 minutes! What the heck, Conrad!?!( I don't know who Conrad is, I just love the name.)

Monday, May 24, 2010

It's Gonna Be Slow-Goin' for a While

Wow! I thought my wrist injury was bad! Now that my elbow is acting up I can't do much of anything for long. Just squeezing the tube of toothpaste hurts like hell! I got this crazy idea for a new piece of jewelry that would incorporate some of my metal work with some of my leather work and I decided today was the day to start on it (I am working on a self imposed deadline here) I just started working and OUCH! I was only able to saw for a couple of minutes before I needed a break. ELBOW LOCK! GREAT PAIN! GREAT PAIN! I guess there will be no more 16 hour plus work days without stopping for more than a pee and a cup of coffee. I so miss my metal work but I guess I will have to make my peace with little bits of work time here and there until I heal up, IF I heal up. It is better this way with the little ones though. I can't get so immersed in what I am working on right now, so instead of forcing a project to completion I have to make myself really enjoy the process at a much slower pace. Not a bad idea really, I never wanted to produce tons and tons of the same piece anyways, I enjoy my mask making for the process and how each individual piece turns out, I'll just have to put that idea behind my jewelry and accessory work for now.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Anixiously Awaiting......

Some beautiful antique "french jet" beads and a big ol' lampwork bead in the mail. I just so want them to come and save me from my doldrums. My head is all swimmy with a sniffle and tons of ideas for collars and leather bib necklaces that are not happy just paddling, they want to come to life! I am anxious to finish up collar number two and to get a good start on my first metal and leather bib necklace. I am going with copper and brass with this one, hopefully an organic design with lots of little rivets here and there. I will just have to pass the time with some sewing and kid chasing today. Oh boy, it's hard to wait.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Some Days Are Just "Off"

Today is one of those "off" days for me. Usually it starts out with a series of clumsy mistakes and ends in a sigh and a plopping of my butt in the big "papa" chair. Today is kind of weird though, not really a series of unfortunate mistakes, more like a not wanting to do anything, frustration and lack of motivation all rolled into one ball. I don't even want to play on the computer and do some serious materials shopping! It just doesn't seem like any fun today. Not good, not good at all. I wanted to work I have the perfect opportunity to sew right at the moment, I just can't get my butt out of the chair! But hey, everyone needs a play day, so that is what today will be, a happy little play day full of treasure hunting and dinner grabbing. Maybe a well nourished tummy tonight will provide a better frame of mind tomorrow? I will cross my fingers and wish away!

Monday, May 10, 2010

New Blogs, Old Movies, and Other Such Nonsense

I forgot to mention that I played around with my blog layout and look. Let me know if it drives you crazy to try and read it. I know that with vertigo, I couldn't stomach looking at any text on a black background for long without getting pretty darn stomach sick. This seems to work so far, at least I read through the first couple of entries just to give it a try. I think I like the look, not too out there but just enough to make me happy.

The last few days have been dedicated to the stomach badness that Mark brought home to us from work. Lots of vomit here and there with one little dude still having trouble every other night. We are crossing our fingers that it is passing now since last night was pretty peaceful and puke free for all of us. We'll be eating some bland foods for a while yet. One good thing has come out of all of the late nights tending to the sick. I have rediscovered my love of old spooky movies and found some new inspiration for some of my work through them. If you haven't noticed, I am kind of consumed by all things paranormal. I love old and ghostly! Ghost stories true and imagined, ghost towns, old buildings, old cemeteries, anything with a little bit of history to it. I swear, the second I have a car, I am taking my dude and my two kiddos on a tour of ghost towns of the west. I can't wait! It will be wonderful!

Since I was all cooped up for most of last year, I spent a lot of time searching for inspiration from different areas. I really needed something new to keep me going through my new mama tiredness. So much of my time has been spent here in the papa chair watching old movies, looking up reference materials and perusing old books for things that make my heart go all a-flutter. I have once again reclaimed my love of antiques, thrifting, and all things old and gently used, just like when I was fourteen. Except now I have actual working ideas on how to incorporate what I do now with elements that I love from the past.

With Ed and her non-sleepy baby ways, I spend a fair amount of time watching old movies anyways and drooling over costumes, jewelry, and make-up, and wanting somehow to incorporate some of those feelings into my work. That, and all this love of the unknown is kind of taking over my soul at the moment. I think that's where things are headed, a little of this, a little of that, and some of the same. It's a great time for experimentation!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Mother's Day!


These are my most favorite Mother's Day presents EVER! Have a good one everyone!

and, Happy Mother's Day to all the past mamas, present mamas, and mamas yet to be!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Yep.

I fought it in every way possible but it still caught up with me. I have to say that now that I am done puking all is well. Still feel pretty gnarly inside though. Yep, puking is never going to be any fun, never has, never will be. Hate it! That is all I have to say about it for now. Hope I didn't ruin your breakfast/lunch/dinner/mid-day snack.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Tuesday's Show and Tell

Collar number two! Getting more bedazzled by the day. This one is in lavender suede, black leather, antique nailhead beads, and a beautiful Victorian hat band that has yet to be sewn onto the collar. As Ciaran would say "She's lookin' pretty good!"


My wallet! It's finally finished! I get to parade one of my own designs about and I love it! It's got lots of room, I can clip it to just about anything, and since it is super bright, it's hard to misplace. My only complaint is that I didn't make it sooner.

So that's show and tell for today. Short and sweet. We are all working on a stomach virus around here so my plans for the week are all up in the air. Think good thoughts for us!

Monday, May 3, 2010

Locked Elbows and New Collars!

I finished my newest custom order on Saturday. I think it's gonna be a hit! An Ipad envelope out of the softest suede ever. Fully lined and padded and with pockets on front and back. I hope it's new owner loves it and gets a lot of use out of it.

Other than custom orders, I have been nursing a very sore elbow. Seems to be tennis elbow to some extent. It keeps locking up on me and getting really painful and achy. I joke around that it is actually stroller/coffee elbow because it's the arm I push the stroller with while I joyfully carry my cup o' joe in the other hand. I guess I'll actually have to sit down and enjoy my frothy coffee drinks for a while. I don't know what it is about coffee on the go, It's just my favorite way to drink it. Walking with the kiddos, enjoying the day. I am guessing it must tie back into my working days where I would buy a cup of coffee on my way to work just to keep me warm and to wake me up so I would be prepared for the torture ahead. Mmmmmm comforting hot brown caffeinated liquid mmmmmmmm. Now it seems to be more habit than anything. It is definitely a treat when I get to head downtown for a bit and have the time and energy to get a cup of coffee, can't wait to heal up and try it again. Until then, it's the weekly trip to the mall for playing on the climber and a coffee at the bookstore. It's good, can't complain.

I took the opportunity to work on some different things this weekend. Mark seems to have had a bout with food poisoning, so we were homebodies all weekend. I did take Ciaran and Ed out for a couple of short walks but nothing like our usual Saturday adventure. We didn't do the whole walk downtown and bum around thing, so, I had a lot more time to work, and I finally finished my very own wallet. It's a lovely emerald green with a reverse applique in violet, orange, and pink. I love it to bits! It even holds Ed's pacifiers! I will have to get a picture up to show it off. I think I started working on it over a year ago, just never had the time until now to really sew for myself. I also started on collar number two. It's gonna be wicked! Lavender suede with black leather tufts, sparkly antique beads, buttons, and baubles, It is only partly done, not even close to being beaded yet and I already love it! Even more than collar number one! I have yet to snap some pics of it. I think I'll do that right now while I wait for more glue to dry and for the kidlets to wake up from nappies.