Weekly update. . .I need more rings

I live in a perpetual state of "I need more rings". 😅 If you saw all the rings I have you would not think I need more but I actually do, really. I am working on putting together my next order right now because I was right last week when I said I'd run out of rings before I had "dozens" of stars. I am just over halfway through the square rings I ordered for the stars and I only have 11 finished. 😏

So yeah, I am putting together the re-order for more square rings and some other sizes to try some new things. It seems like whenever I try something new, I need new rings, my standard sizes are great for a lot of patterns and projects, but some things really are size sensitive and just don't work with the "wrong" rings. 😐 I've had quite a few fails over the years where things end up too tight or too loose. 

Some of them I have kept some of them have been disassembled and recycled. Although, the ones I have "kept" were not saved because I liked them more like thrown in a drawer out of frustration when it didn't work. 😅 The cross attempts have cost me several hours in the last few days and neither of them turned out right. The second one I tried 3 different ways/size combos in the center and still cannot get it to stand straight like it's supposed to. 😖 Nothing quite like spending hours and hours and ending up with nothing useable to show for it. 😕 That's R&D for ya' though, it happens. 😅

Weekly update. . .stars!

I've been working through my plans for Christmas ornaments, learning new patterns for balls and stars, buying larger rings. The ball pattern is the same no matter how big the rings you use are, it is the same number of rings. Stars are a bit trickier there are multiple patterns and variations of patterns so they can vary greatly in the number of rings. 

I had thought of selling them in sets but I would need to make literally dozens of them. 😅 I'm not sure I ordered enough rings, seriously the one style is nice, but it takes over 70 rings per star. 😦 Even the lighter version have over 40 rings per star. I think I need to order more rings because I will undoubtedly run out before I have "dozens" of ornaments. 

I pulled out my little Christmas tree to set up and try to get photos of the new ornaments but I think I need to strip all the tinsel off and try again. 🤣 I do think that both the balls! and stars look cool, they look cool together and I even tried different sizes too. 

The extra large lavender even makes a good tree-topper on my little tree, although it's a 3' mini not a full sized tree. 😇 Most of the photos I shot are un-usable, they are way too busy with the extra stuff on the tree but a few of them are framed just right. I'll try again without the tinsel and extra stuff, in the meantime I'll also need straight shots of them with a plain background if I plan to list them online.  

Weekly update. . . sad

Ok, so this week's update will be short as it has been a weird, sad and mostly non-productive week. 😔 

Good news the kitty is acting almost normal, eating good, playing even. 😇 I got a small cavity filled, I have 1 more filling and the other half of my root-scaling and then I think the "weekly" frequency of dental appointments will be done. 😏 

Sad news we've had a death in the family. I haven't really made much and I haven't really been posting on social media because. . .well I'm sad. 😢😭 

In the weird column this week, I am still making balls! there are 6 sizes in this photo but I think I'm going to end up with 8. My Mom has requested a set of ornaments and I plan to make her some but not as many or as big as she initially requested. See that's the thing sometimes with shopping from photos you can't always tell size/scale. So just to clarify for anyone who reads this, the tiny gold balls are only 1" but they do get big kind of quick, you can't really tell when they are just lined up on the bench but that lavender in the back row is over 8" around, I can't close my fist around it. 👀

Also, I got an email an actual email from someone about commissioning a custom color boxchain. 😯 I'm surprised because it doesn't happen often, custom requests or actual emails. 😅 Now I'm putting this in the "Weird" column because of the email nature of the inquiry, I have no idea how this person found me, it's not a message on any 1 of the 3 platforms I have a shop, the email doesn't mention where they saw my work. 💩 So when I finish this necklace I have no idea where to list it, also after the initial exchange the person hasn't replied for days. . .so I'm not even sure how serious they were. 😏 But it is a cool color combo so I'm sure someone will buy it. 

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.  😉