New Stuff!

I finally got to listing a few new things today in my Etsy shop.  It was about time!  I have been working on planning a birthday party for my soon to be seven year old and also some custom orders.  Life has been busy!  I think I may take a break from custom orders for a while after the few I have are finished.  Not that I don't enjoy them, it is incredibly fun and challenging to make things for other people, but I really need to clear off my table, finish up some pieces that have been sitting for a long while now.  I look forward to getting all of my unfinished projects off of my table and getting some new ideas finished up and out there.  So far, I have a stack of cuffs, a couple of collars, and a new wallet design that need my attention.  I am also playing a lot with rivets and my own metal work and incorporating them into my leather pieces.  I am hoping that this is the theme of 2014, a steady stream of ideas and the time to make them into something.  I like what I'm seeing so far!  I hope you will too:)

A Nice Long Walk

We took a nice long walk through the fields behind our house today. It was surprisingly warm today, in the 70's and beautiful. We spyed lots of pretty birds, dandelions, berry brambles, two horses, and many, many other things. I hope it helped Ciaran get a little bit of that stinky energy out. I needed to put my thoughts in order so I could come home and relax. So now here I am, back at home, with super swollen hands, getting my plan into action. Do I finish my taxes first, my custom orders, or do the dishes? Hmmmmmmm, the only thing I really want to do is work on is my custom orders, but I also want my taxes out of my hair, and a clean kitchen. Maybe I will just make a quesadilla and let the swelling go down, and then put the dishes and the taxes off until tomorrow.

I Got Some Work!

My shop has been pretty slow, and since I've been sick, I haven't really been able to list anything. So I was very happily surprised to get a couple of custom orders to work on. It has been so nice to have something to work on instead of just sitting and staring at the wall. I am hoping it will motivate me to get cracking on other projects that need finishing and stocking up on inventory for my shops. Until then I am content just to be doing a little bit. It feels good to be back to work. I don't think I was meant for sitting still and doing nothing. It just doesn't work in my favor.

Well This Is Cool!

With all my dizziness this last couple of weeks, I still managed to get a couple of custom orders done. I made my first circular zipper pouch, and it worked out so well! Me like it enough to make a few more!


A day without dizziness! I woke up sleeping on my side which I haven't been able to do in about two weeks now, and I didn't even fall down when I got out of bed! It feels so nice to feel normal again! I hope it lasts. I am so happy I could dance..............but, I don't really want to take a chance quite yet. Maybe I will wait for a couple of days until I dance, that way, I can make sure my non-dizzy self is still non-dizzy. I guess Friday the 13th was good luck for me this year! YIPEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

My newest custom creation with the cutest little currency signs ever. I sure had fun making this one! I hope it's new owner enjoys it just as much:)




The little devil is coming along nicely. The little devil costume that is. Ciaran wants to wear his new little horned hoodie around the house and throws huge fits whenever I tell him no. My sewing machine is once again putting up with me despite it's injury so the sewing is going just fine. I am just praying that it holds out through the rest of the costume sewing. Now Mark wants a devil costume too. I don't think I can take having two devils in the house at the same time. Too darn evil for me:)

The week ahead holds lots of baking( I am trying my hand at soul cakes and yummy pumpkin cookies, hopefully the arrival of a new sewing machine, then lots of sewing, trick or treating and hot apple cider. Maybe even a ghoulish dance with a jack o'lantern. Sounds like spooky good fun to me. I am off to enjoy a scary movie and a cup of coffee while my little devil is napping. Have a great day all!

Sleepy Saturday

Indecision is killing me, I am finishing a custom order and I can't quite figure out the last part of the applique design I am using. I had planned out something I thought was fabulous and then Mark took a look at it and said that he thought that I didn't need to go so ornate. So now I am full of indecision about it. It is supposed to be a cross. I had designed the cross to fit the area of the bag that it will be appliqued on, which I still think is fine, but now I keep going back and forth about making it more simple. Oh well, I am going to go with my gut on this one and pray it will work for my customer.

So I am spending my sleepy Saturday working on my leather projects and hoping for a good ghost story on t.v. That or a good zombie flick. I need some creepiness and blood and guts to keep me going. Caffeine is simply not enough. A nap would be great but then I wouldn't get any of my work done. I remember when I used to nap all the time. It was one of my favorite hobbies. Now I can't bear to shut my eyes! I just keep thinking of all the stuff I could get done while the kiddo is sleeping. Today may be the exception though. I am fighting to keep my peepers open!

I'm Finished!

I finished my custom order for my first ever computer bag! I had a great time working on it. So last night I celebrated by cutting out many little snappy wallets and billfolds. I am trying to get as many done as I can in the next few days for my trunk show on Friday.

I am having a hard time deciding what colors to use for the wallets. I tend to want to cut out the more sell-able colors but with the trend in my Etsy shop it seems like anything goes these days. I guess I will just go with the flow and enjoy the process. I can't see working any other way.

I just put a bid in on another green suede jacket and a pair of bright orange pants for my newest collection of wallets. The people at the auction site must think I have some sort of screwed up fashion sense. Although they both would make a lovely and warm fall outfit. I am still trying to find that perfect bright pink leather something or other to turn into something fantabulous. The last ensemble I found was a three piece stripper-ly looking thing that ended up selling for over a hundred dollars. The perfect bright pink leather, but a little out of my price range. I will just keep searching and hope to happen upon some pink leather for a more reasonable price.

Yesterday, Mark, Ciaran, and I went out for ice cream. It was so much fun. I love watching Mark and Ciaran together. They make such a cute couple! They are so alike in every way it's hilarious and scary at the same time. Ciaran lucked out in the daddy department and I think Mark lucked out in the baby department. They make it very easy to love them both.

Nightmares About Shipping

So this week has been pretty busy. I am juggling mommy-ness with custom orders, getting my shop stuffed with stuff, and getting ready for a trunk show week after next. In between all of this I am packaging up orders and shipping them off which is usually o.k. but this week I had to do all of my shipping on one day so I got confused. I know everything is going to the proper place but I woke up from a little nap with my heart pounding because I dreamed I shipped everything to different addresses and nothing got to where it supposed to go. Eek! I remember a while back when I worked at a local jewelry manufacturer and part of my job was to help with shipping. The job was ridiculously overwhelming to begin with, I spent most days not taking any breaks and usually left feeling like I had gotten nothing done, and they had the most confusing shipping system I had ever seen. As a result I almost lost my job for mixing up shipping costs for different packages. Now I am extra sensitive about my shipping so I don't have the same sort of problems with confusion. Who knows, maybe I did screw up but at least I can fire myself, not some other ding-bat that gets comfort from pushing too much work on other people. Hmmmm, I sound a little bitter there, I need to get over that.

An Early Start

I was up before dawn finishing a couple of these for a custom order. Battling a sinus headache and a scary, stressful dream hangover. It was so peaceful and the sunrise was so lovely! I love getting up early, it is the only time I truly get to myself. Late nights belong to Mark, that is when he unwinds by hanging out in the bike forums and drinking his fancy beers, I usually fall asleep well before midnight and snore up a storm on the couch next to him.

I usually try to sleep in if I can so I have the energy to work after Ciaran has gone to bed. I usually get three to four hours of work time when the little guy is snoozing. I tried working yesterday but my unruly sinus condition wasn't having it. I spent most of the day lying on the floor watching Ciaran do laps around my body. He seems to enjoy this game. He runs a few laps, jumps on my stomach, pokes me in the eye or the nose, and then runs off again, squealing with delight the whole time.

So my big custom order is just about done and ready to go. Yay! I look forward to my next custom order and making many goodies for my shops. I just hope my sinus stuff lets me work.

Just A Quick Hello

I am a blogger slacker! I haven't written in a couple of days and now I feel out of sorts. It's just been a bit busy around these parts. I apologize for not writing and I hope that the picture of Yui eating bigfoot will make you all smile. (Bigfoot is actually a orangutan named "Dexter" but he looks more like Bigfoot to me) I get to run off and do some shipping and shopping today, and then back home to work on a big custom order. Once that is all done, I can concentrate on my shops and getting them all stocked up with marvelous creations. I promise I will write again soon. Have a good day all:)

Besides Professional Toast Burning.........

I finished a couple of other little projects that I wanted to share. I finished my piece for the Namaste Art Swap and which turned out amazing! I hope it's new owner will love it. It is a mash up of different pieces that I had been figuring out how to put together for years. I finally came up with this. The amethyst is amazing because it has so much going on in it. Lots of streaks and striations which I think make it beautiful.

Then I finished this little black and red purse. I really appreciate how easy it was to put together. It took a while to design and play around with but once I started working on it, it went together like a dream. Now I get to work on a few custom orders. Including another heart shaped wristlet, a snappy wallet, and four pouch/wallets. I am gonna be a busy girl! All this and my 39th birthday coming up this week wow! I think I'll go celebrate by burning more toast!

Lots of Peace and Love Around Here

Well lots of wallets with peace and love themes. These are my newest custom pieces I just finished. I really like the colors in the billfold. I will have to experiment further with those. So I haven't been around for a few days mostly because I got a few custom orders and I was sick at the same time. One of those tricky illnesses that make you think your better one second and the next second you feel like crap. I am still a little wobbly, but ready to join the living once again. Today will be another day of custom order fun. I have a wristlet to make and a jewelry piece to finish. I love it when I am busy! A little overwhelming but much better than sitting around wondering what to start next.

Tomorrow, Ciaran and I are having lunch with friends and searching out some fresh leather pieces. I am finding myself in need of some bright colors again. My supplies are starting to diminish a bit. Eek! I love my lime green suede and my salmon orange suede and they are almost gone! So I will go searching for some more fabulous colors to call my own. That's my plan and I will hopefully be able to stick to it, sickness or not.

I Love Custom Orders

I just got a couple of custom orders and I have to say I get really excited about doing custom orders. I find it challenging. It is nice to take a break from the daily to do list for my business and work strictly on a custom order. A few years back, I don't think I could have done a custom order for the life of me. Too much insecurity I guess. Now I just like the challenge of putting another person's idea or design into one of my products and still having it look good when it's done. My favorite custom order was for my sister, who just wanted an interesting copper necklace with an ammonite set into it somewhere. It took me a while to figure out what to do with it but when it was done I was really proud of it. I love that "I did it!" feeling. I have also failed at a lot of my attempts to pull designs together for other people, so the little successes that I do have are so appreciated. As much as I love being in my own creative world and hanging out with my own ideas, it sure is nice to visit someone else's world for a while.

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!