New Wallet Designs, Air Plants, and The Chicken Dance

This week has been really busy.   It started with busy-ness, and ended with busy-ness.  Just the usual stuff, lots of errands, lots of child related stuff, and lots of trying to purge this tiny apartment of the unnecessary before Summer hits full force.  In between, I have been working on a new wallet design, designing some clothing for me and my Ed.  (Ciaran only likes blue jeans and t-shirts, so no new summer dresses for him!)  I'm also reading a lot about social anxiety in children(and adults), I tried my hand at a hanging air plant terrarium and I'm hooked, it turned out looking like some little alien plant from a Dr. Suess book!   After all that,  we finished out the week with the chicken dance at Ciaran's school today.  He was not happy and cried through the whole thing.  He's a lot like his mom in the respect that it seems to terrify him to be in large groups with a lot of noise, not to mention having to dance in front of everyone.  I felt really bad for him but I cheered for him and I am so proud he made it through, tears and all.  Through the whole thing I kept thinking that if someone tried to force me to get up in front of a group like that now, I'd probably smack them with their own shoe.  Go Ciaran for getting up there despite all your woe and worry, and letting me post a picture of your cuteness:)

This Week's News

Louie, peeking out at me through the palms in his vivarium, my very cute and very picky gecko stinker!

So this week is going to be a bit crazy, not as crazy like the last couple of weeks, but pretty busy/crazy.  I have LOTS of appointments and such.  I also have a little custom order to finish up as well as my newest set of pendants.  I think I'm going to spend Saturday this week just sitting in the big chair watching re-runs of old paranormal shows and such to celebrate.  The busy-ness has been good, a craft show, lots of work, a couple of super fun birthday parties for the kids to attend, many exciting adventures but now it's time to take a little break and sit for a itty-bitty while.  Then I'll get myself together and move on to more making of leather/metal things. 

New for Today!

Purple, olive green, and bright pink, mmmmmm yummy!

blue, olive, and purple= happiness

I think this is my favorite billfold that I've made so far

I wasn't sure about this one but I think I really love these colors together.

 

 

I've been busy sewing over the last couple of weeks, preparing for the 3rd Annual Trinidad Indie Craft Show.  It was awesome!  Lots of wonderful artists and people hanging out in a big room together, what better way to spend the day!  I have a few wallets left over from the show and I will be listing those in my Etsy shop over the next week or so.  This group of wallets turned out really nice!  Lots of rich color and new applique designs.  I am excited to show them off.   The four above are just a small sample of what I have ready to go.  I hope you enjoy!

When Louie Ruled the World

Everyone got a free white pick-up truck and it was legal to ride on top of it at high speeds(sticky toes help to hold on of course), and free bottomless banana smoothies with crickets on the side all day, every day!  Rawr!!!!

Busy Little Bee

I am working on a lot of little things these days.  I am trying to get as many little copper/brass pendants made as possible AND I am cutting out and gluing things at the same time.  I had such great momentum going until everything in our apartment broke at once.  Not to mention, all of us have been sick non-stop since Ciaran started school.  Now, things are almost calm and with the exception of a still broken oven, a leaky roof, and a shower and floor that need to be replaced.  I can actually concentrate on something else! 

I am actually going to try to do a spring show this year too!  I just need to buckle down and actually sew some of this leathery goodness up!  Hopefully, the kids will let me work here and there and the endless phone calls and visits from repairmen will calm down.

Leprechaun Trap!

Leprechaun Truck Trap by Ciaran

Ciaran and I were busy building a leprechaun trap last week for his class.  He wanted a truck so we made one out of cereal boxes, sticks, bobbins, a vitamin bottle, and tissue paper.  Ciaran made a sign to entice the leprechaun to jump in the back of the truck and into the trap full of gold!    I think it turned out pretty darn cool:) 


Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The First One is Listed!

Pendant Number 1

I finally finished my pendants into "neck pieces" this week.  I added leather lacing to each one and some rivets to make them look super awesome and now, the first one is up in my Etsy shop.  I am diggin' how they are coming out and hope to expand on the idea a bit.  I think the thing I like the most is watching them patina before my eyes.  Since the metal I am using is scrap from my mask making, it already has some texture and patina to it.  I am adding more texture to help each piece of metal fit into the whole piece but I am leaving the rest alone.  Each piece is polished with a brass brush and soap and water only.  I only sand down the rough spots here and there.  So they are all going to naturally patina over time.  My goal is to have a completely new idea look like it has been around for ages, just like my masks do.  I am having way too much fun with these, I hope you enjoy looking at them too:)