Weekly update . . .unmotivated

I've been feeling distracted and unmotivated this week. The kitty seems to be better he's eating good and more active, acting more like his old self. My dental issues will continue for a while, I am not currently in lots of pain since we pulled the bad tooth, but I do have to get the deep cleaning and back on a regular cleaning schedule. But first I have a couple of fresh cavities that I need to get filled next Tuesday, they are very small, but I'd rather get them addressed now before they get bigger. 

Honestly, I just don't feel much like being in my shop. I've been trying to make myself make something each day, but since I didn't get into the show next month there is a part of me that is like "what's the point?" My next event is the only other event I have left for the whole year and it's not until November. 😏 So I literally have months to prepare and make whatever. 

I am calling these JingleBalls. 😁😂 Yes, I put jingle bells inside of balls, and this particular size is semi-rigid and fun to play with so the fact that it now jingles when you play with it is even better.  😎 I've also been putting beads inside some of them to make jewelry. Although, I admit that the tiny ones are a total PITA and even though I initially planned to make a dozen pairs of earrings with different colored centers I currently only have 2 done. 😅😏 I like the slightly larger sizes better and I am testing various necklace ideas for them.

This would be simple/easy but I don't like the way they look squished together. I may use the leather cord for single ball pendants, but I think some of these may need real chain necklaces so that the balls can be attached and spaced properly and so I can hang jingle bells in between the balls. 😊 

Weekly update. . . rejection

While it is polite, it is still a rejection. I did not make the cut for that "juried" show I applied for, no reason given just a maybe next year. 😏 Well, guess who is probably not going to bother to apply to the snobby show next year. ✋ I know no one likes rejection but I find myself rather upset about this one. 

Or maybe I'm just overreacting because yesterday the kitty wouldn't eat and I thought I was going to have to take him to the vet again. But I woke up this morning to him being much better and wanting his tuna-breakfast and seeming more alert and normal. 😌 I think I'm just going to be stuck in a perpetual state of worry for the rest of Jaspurrr's life. 😇

Now in the things that make me feel old department, I admit this year was my 25th wedding anniversary. 😎 The "Silver" anniversary and my husband bought awesome silver themed gifts, including a silver-dipped real rose that is so beautiful it is nearly impossible to photograph. 

It is so shiny it reflects everything anywhere near it. 😅 I mean, I've had a lot of practice at photographing shiny objects and this thing really tested me. 😉

In the meantime, I have continued to work on Balls! and testing different bead captures. Trying to figure out how to attach and hang them for earrings and pendants is an interesting battle I don't want them to hang all crooked but I also didn't want to have to over-do the attachments. I wanted it to be simple but look elegant, so far not exactly happy with the earrings. Also, nearly impossible to photograph due to being tiny and shiny. 😕😏

Weekly update. . .extracted

Well, I finally got the tooth extracted, after weeks of dealing with pain, fighting the infection, taking antibiotics, I gave up and just got the damn thing pulled. 😏 Ironically the bloody gaping hole hurts less.

The kitty is mostly recovered from his bout of anemia, but he's still not quite himself and actually according to the vet may never be again. He's still super lovey he's just very nap-centric and doesn't want to play. 😐 

 

I am a bit disappointed that he hasn't bounced back faster. I am also disappointed that in spite of weeks of planning and work and fancy stylized photos everyone said they liked I didn't make the cut for the maker challenge. 😔 Now I have to reconsider how much effort I actually put into that in the future, because not only does the disappointment sting but the number of hours I spent making a thing I don't normally make and I don't even really like, that I will likely be stuck with for months to years seems really wasteful. 😕 

Balls!!

If you are not a Supernatural fan and that wasn't Bobby Singer's voice, then you probably don't get why Balls!! makes me giggle so much. 😄😆 It is just one of those "if you know you know" and if you don't know I can't really explain it. Similar to how chainmaille balls are made, once you know they are super easy and even fun but until you know they are a bit intimidating, at least they were to me. 

I have mastered the pattern and some of my ring sizes actually work well if you triple up the connectors. I even managed to capture some beads inside a couple of them, so check bead captures off my "learn-it" list. Unfortunately, most of my beads are pretty small so you can't really see them that well and they don't work in the larger versions. 😅 I still have to decide what I'm going to do with all these balls now, originally, I had planned for Christmas ornaments but now I'm thinking fidget toys and even jewelry depending on the size. 

Tiny gold "disco" ball earrings, "holiday ornament" pendants, squishy fidget toys, so many possibilities. Although, I can't stay distracted with these balls for too long, I still have scale-flower kits and star ornaments to make also. 😇 

Weekly update. . .recovery is a process

Thankfully my kitty is recovering 😇 he made it thru the medicine and seems to be eating more voluntarily. The vet check-up was ok, his blood work is still not right, but we will go back on Monday and hope for continued improvement. 🙏My own toothache is still here, I'm almost thru my antibiotics so it is hurting way less than before. 

I feel like I didn't accomplish much this week, but I actually did. 😉 I did finish a 3rd pumpkin.  I did redo the stem on the large one.  I did get them turned into jewelry. 

I did get set-up for a photo shoot and I did get some really good shots, I think. 😊 I even did stylized photos with props, which is a first for me. 

I think I need some practice, but after lots of shifting things around and trying different display stands, I am pretty happy with the photos in the listing. 😎 The best part is I did get it finished, photographed and listed just in time for the #makerchallenge deadline. 🎉  

Next week it is time to dive into the kits I bought, scalemaille flowers, Japanese balls, and star ornaments. Yes, I am starting on Christmas ornaments, I am hoping that by starting so early in the year I can have dozens of them done for the "holiday" shows I applied for. Even if I don't get into the second juried event, I'd like to list them online as sets this year.  😉

Weekly update. . .not so good

Well, it is time for a weekly update but this week the update is not so good.  I have a dental infection and am on drugs for my toothache. Also, my Jaspurrr has been diagnosed with FIV and is having a bout of anemia. 😞 

Ironically my cat and I are both on amoxicillin 😅 although mine are capsules and his liquid is mixed with something else. 

I did get a couple of things done.  I even got them photographed and listed too. 😉  But I have not started on my kits from Metal Designz yet. I really need to get another pumpkin done so I can make them into the earrings and pendant set to submit to the #makerchallenge for the month. There are only 5 days until the deadline for the monthly maker challenge. I did not get to make several practice versions or work on my wire stems, but I am going to finish the set and submit it. 😐

I got a new tool! A cute little tumbler to clean and polish all my bright aluminum rings. I have used it a bit, just testing but I cleaned and started to polish a couple of my old bracelets. A good and bad idea at the same time because not all patterns took it well. 😏 I mean all the bracelets came out clean and shinier, but I had to spend some time getting the one un-bound and straightened out.  So, I plan to pre-tumble the rings from now on that way they can be clean and extra shiny *before* they become complicated weaves that are hard to clean. 😉

I am claiming victory over my google analytics conversion, I got the new stuff to work with my Mosiac, so I can still get visitor/traffic data. Unfortunately, my pinterest html has all been blanked again. 😐 All this tech stuff is supposed to be easy-peasy set and go but it seems like it is in constant need of maintenance and monitoring instead.  😅

Weekly update. . .busy week

In this week's update I admit to being too busy. 😏 I had big plans for learning all the new things and making lots of Christmas ornaments and pumpkins and earrings. However, that didn't quite work out, instead someone bought the rainbow box chain before I even had it finished. 😧 So I had to finish it and get it in the mail quickly and start it all over again. (I took the listing down this time) 

I did get it shipped on time and the latest re-make is going quick so hopefully soon I can get back to doing all the other things, which would be good because I have a lot planned.  I need to make the Celtic star earrings in several colors with matching pendants. I did figure out chainmaille pumpkins and I can do 2 sizes with the rings I have on hand, but I do need to practice with the wire stems. 😏

Even though the pumpkins are cute I have no idea what to do with them. I'm not sure I trust the wire stems for earrings or pendants, maybe my wire is too soft or I'm just crazy, but I am concerned that it will wear badly and not last. 😟 I have always been way paranoid about people being disappointed. 

In a rare move for me I bought "kits" from another mailler. 

I have not purchased an actual kit since I first started over a decade ago. 

Thanks go to Metal Designz

I have never been able to figure out scale flowers, I have tried and they just don't work, I think it's because my standard ring sizes are the wrong sizes for the pattern. I also really wanted to learn those Japanese ball ornaments because they look amazing but again I didn't have the right rings sizes to make them. Now I get to test myself and see if I can follow directions, lol.

😅 I'm not sure the odds are in my favor. 😂😅

 

It's July and I'm late. . .

I have been trying to post weekly lately but after the craft fair and recovery and the July Fourth holiday I've been busy planning for the next big thing. 😅 I have been making things, learning new chain patterns, and I applied for 2 more events. 😉 I'm not sure I'll get into both, one of them is a "juried" thing which I've never done before, the other is a fall version of the craft fair at the fairgrounds like I did last month.  

Both events have a fall/winter/holiday theme, so I am working on more Christmas ornament designs and autumnal wire trees. I'm also going to add some orange and black chainmaille and attempt some pumpkins. 😎 I have several ideas for booth decorations including a small Christmas tree to display the ornaments. 

There are some star designs that I think will make great ornaments if I upsize the rings. My current ring sizes are a bit limited, but they do make nice earrings. 😇

And also pendants, especially if I can find the right sized crystals to capture in the center. 

I have so many ideas for things to make, it's a good thing that the shows aren't until September and November. 😅