Project day!

It's been go-go-go-go here with work and the like, so the fun projects were put on hold. I had an unexpected day off today, and my head said "Work on your portfolio! Take care of the animals! Clean the house!" and some other, less responsible part said "No! MAKE STUFF!" Actually, it's *sorta* responsible since these projects do have a deadline ... there's a performance coming up and I'll need to match everyone else and have these costumes together. Also, the pieces of these projects are all over the house, and it would be nice to put it all away, which can't happen until they're finished.
So here they are ...
First is the nearly-finished "belly drape" that goes underneath the coin bra. I just need to punch holes in a bunch of coins so all that bare chain is dripping in coins.
And then there is a hip scarf... originally a pillow case, it was cut in half, then embellished to match my blue skirt. It's getting close ... but I think it needs more. Other girls have lots of coin belts and the like to really dress it up, but those things are EXPENSIVE and I think that I can punch holes in a bunch of pennies and link them together in some interesting manner. Sounds like a lot of work though! Maybe I can come up with something else.

A flurry of creative planning!

Friday was spent shopping ... in an amazing twist, our heroine brought all the bits & pieces for 3 separate costumes with her into 3 different fabric/craft stores and planned for each costume's next step. I spent way too much money, but it's all justified as stuff I need!
But now I have all these things for all these separate projects, and it's hard to keep everything straight, so now I have paper bags lined up against the living room wall. Each is labeled:
1. Blue Flounce costume hip scarf
2. Blue Flounce costume headpiece
3. Black Flounce costume headpiece
4. Black Flounce costume belly drape
5. Purple Flounce costume headpiece

The hip scarf is priority, as we'll be wearing that costume sooner than the others, but I started working on my belly drape yesterday instead. My neighbor used to make jewelry and glass stuff, so when he started showing me all his bits and pieces that I could work with, I went bananas with the creating! Now that I see all the stuff he's got, I want to make all sorts of things! But I must focus on one project at a time. After these 5 things get done, maybe then I can start making jewelry out of all the lovely things found in those tackle boxes!

Whoa!

Did you think I've been slacking on the projects since I've been quiet? Oh, no. Quite the opposite, in fact. I've not had time to photograph anything, and so I haven't been updating.
But yesterday I did start work on a new stamp -- soon to be another card. A friend mentioned that his mom loves owls, and since I did a hummingbird stamp already I thought "Oooh! A lot of people are into owls and may love to have an owl card!" So here ya go! I started to create one. I must say, though, that whoever it was that recommended this pink carving stuff (Speedball Speedy-Stamp) really got it wrong. It doesn't crumble, I'll give it that much (several other varieties crumble, making it hard to do fine work) but it's really bendy, really flexible. So if you're trying to carve any thin lines, they bend away from the knife, rather than get sliced. The only reason I used it was a) I had it laying around; and b) I was out of the orange stuff. And you know how it goes -- once you're in the grip of projectitis, you sorta have to just go with it. No waiting around for proper materials! In any case, I think he's looking really cute, and hope the cards come out well. I did sell a couple orchid cards already, and that makes me happy. $2 isn't much, but it's $2, and it's more than I had before. :)

Other projects lately involve the paying, work kind. I've got a couple magazine deadlines looming in my future, so I've been busy designing. Also spent an afternoon making beautiful headpieces for my bellydancing troupe. Hopefully I'll have photos of those soon. There were also orchid centerpieces to create for a benefit dinner, and several more of the "couture clutches." LOTS more of them, in fact. I got really gung-ho with those, and if not for all the work I have to do, I'd probably be making lots more. They're really awesome.

don't let me forget about these

What a simple thing. I could totally make something like this, and I am going to. Later. When I don't have so much else going on.

Oh, I do love the accessories

The purses are coming out really awesome. Every single one has something I adore about it, and something about it that sucks. The process of learning how to best assemble them is really not going as smoothly as hoped. For one thing, the smaller purses are very difficult to sew; it's like they require a very tiny sewing machine to fit inside the opening to topstitch that final seam. In my first attempt, I hand-stitched it, since the machine was just too cumbersome. But hand-stitching is too time-consuming. Another problem I encountered is my own darn brain. I went ahead and finished the purse before inserting the magnetic snap. Which meant that I either had to undo everything, so I could reach in between the lining & the outer fabric, or I had to sew on a little regular snap. I did decide to sew on a regular snap, but that turned out badly as well, since it really is important to sew through the stiff stuff sandwiched between the outer & lining, but important to not sew through the outer. In any case, it looks sloppy now, and I'm sad because in all it started out as my favorite purse, the most professional looking and pretty.

In case making a gajillion purses wasn't enough stuff to do, I got all inspired talking with a friend and want to make hats, too. I bought a pattern for some hats from the goddess of everything (I don't know what else to call her!) -- Amy Butler. Her fabrics are beyond belief. And I have to admit, I often wanted to be a wrapping paper designer growing up. More so than anything else, but I never voiced this desire, because I didn't really believe there *was* such a thing. But I still want to design fabric, wrapping paper, wallpaper ... anything with repeating patterns. And I know I'd be really good at it, but I have no idea how one goes about that sort of thing. Anyway, as it is, there are too many other things I am digging doing right now, so I will just let that one be on the back burner a while.
Whoa, that was a ramble. But see, Amy Butler's work kinda does that to a person! For more inspiration, check out her inspiration page ... full of beautiful photos and links that will get your creative juices overflowing!

The pattern I got is similar, but not exactly like the hat I really want to make. But I have never made a hat before, and am hoping that after doing several of these, I can edit the pattern to be closer to the hats I want to make. I'm fairly certain that this pattern will teach me the basic construction of a hat, and I'll be able to go wild with my own designs. The same thing happened with the purses. Now that I understand how it works, I am editing each one a little bit to be more like what I envision. It's really quite fun to learn something new this way.

pictures

Here is a photo of the first silly hat, midway through.
There has been a second, blue hat that was started, but due to lost stitches during transport (oh, I should have capped the ends of the DPNs!) I'm feeling like just starting over. I very well may do that, since I just discovered that the original hat that I'm trying to replicate was crocheted, not knitted. And I'm much more confident crocheting, so it would be a good idea to start over.
Another project we've begun is starting some seedlings in the house. Here they are!
Additionally, I have a shot of the kitchen as it's being painted. Well, sorta. You can see an old project ... a shelf that we made using brackets that were originally designed for hanging plants from, not for shelving.

Another project I forgot to mention

Yesterday, I got motivated and created a new blog ... like I need to waste more time on the internet. But this one is GOOD! Check it out: http://mbgardeners.blogspot.com/
It's for local people to get together and exchange vegetables that you've grown. Like a farmers market without money. You trade stuff you don't need for stuff you do need.