At First Blush

I had a little too much fun writing this Etsy post.  I just thought I'd post it here too because it really made me giggle.  I think I want to write more things like this.

It was the last photo they took before he broke into tears and ran out of the room yelling, "I hate you, I hate you all!" Her face hurt for a full week. 

At first blush, you might want to place the blame on the photographer. He was unrelenting in his pursuit of the biggest possible smiles. He cajoled, yelled, laughed manically all while taunting their, at least to his eye, dour expressions. 

The day had started off on a pleasant note. Surely, this couldn't take more than an hour or two. They were consummate professionals. This was not their first ride on the record cover photo shoot pony. Hell, they'd been cranking out records to the tune of two a year since joining Decca. 

But this time was different. The photographer had received news that if the smiles of the dancing couple weren't the biggest smiles on any record cover to date, he would lose his job. Even that wouldn't normally be enough to shake him, after all, the record cover photography business has always been cut throat. But on this day, the photographer had just incurred a huge gambling debt to Billy "The Knee Splitter" Johnson. Also his home wife has found out about his away wife. 

Actually, you could totally put the blame on the photographer. He was a real tool. There can be no surprise then that the photo session ended in tears and in two divorces and a hospital bill that would make anyone weep. It's surprising that it didn't have a worse end.

You can enjoy this record, if you really want to, by turning the volume down. It's pretty boring and no one explained to me why a record of happy songs has "You Always Hurt The One You Love" on it, but has no skips that I heard. It's got a great picture and ridiculous title. If you need more reason than that to buy a vintage record off of the internet, how about the fun copy on the back that explains why the "growth in suburban living" has caused the rise of "happy music" or the great little pictures of other related re

Didn't Know An Eyelet From A Hole In The Grommet

And to think, an hour ago I didn't know an eyelet from a hole in the grommet.  

Yesterday I took a pile of canvas bags that I bought at the thrift shop...

Chopped them up and (though you can't tell and it felt sort of pointless) ironed the bejeebers out of them.

I used the pattern from this book as a general guide

and made an apron.

Here are some extraneous close ups

Because I like extraneous close ups.

I got stuck for a bit at the ties because I knew what I wanted but I had never successfully made eyelets before.  My business partner and I have spent a fair amount of time figuring the ins and outs of good apron ties.  They can't just go around your neck - that pulls and is uncomfortable- they need to cross in back.  

Eyelets are not hard, it turns out.  They are hard if you just grab some and start hammering them without knowing what you're doing.  That's the technique I've been using for years.  

Today I checked youtube and learned that there's an actual technique and that I already owned all the right tools.  How did we ever know things before the internet?

So...BOOM...apron.  I think next time I'd round the edges at the bottom.  I do plan on making more.  This is just a practice apron.  I have some other apron ideas:  I'd like to try a patchwork of canvas bags and also of denim and then make one out of linen ...

I've spared you the NINE shots of just my butt as tried to guess the right photo taking angle.  

I really only wanted to get a picture of the ties.  

Also, I found this when I was out shopping and put it right up on the Etsy shop.  How cute it that?

It's totally cute but I think someone else should use it to make stuff or to watch or for some other purpose.  I've got a pretty good eye for finding tidbits, though.  Just not an idea of what to do with every kind of tidbit I find.  They do tend to pile up sometimes.

You Never Know What's There Unless You Look.

Damn that Craig's List!

Did I need anything? 

No. 

Do I ever?

Well, sometimes.  And you never know what's there unless you look.

This was there.  It's a goofy little project holder thing.

A little worse for wear but cute anyway.

It opens up. 

And is already overflowing with unfinished projects.

This one I thought was the real find.

The front opens like a garage door.

Cute right?  When I got it home I realized that I was wrong.

It's all kinds of falling apart and loose.  

I should have looked closer before I threw it in the car but I already loved it.

I glued and clamped the part that was just straight out broken right away.

My hero.

But it's loose here and there and everywhere.

Does anyone know if its actually worth anything?  I suspect it isn't. 

 

Inspired by this book, I am picturing wiring or wrapping the loose and broken parts together with colorful wire or twine and keeping them wrapped.  

That's pretty cool looking, I think.

That's assuming that it isn't actually a good piece.  I don't know how to really tell.  I googled around a bit and  didn't find anything exactly like it.  If it's a good piece of furniture, I'd hate to do something to lower it's value.  

In any case.  I paid $35 for both.  At first, in my head, I thought of it as $10 for the top piece and $25 for the table.  Once I got it home and got to know it better, it made me happier to think it was more of a $15 and $20 cut.  I can't be happy if I think the top one cost me $20 because that's what they were asking.  

Any leads on where to find a value for it?

Not Much To Say

Playing around with Zentangles

 

and macro camera settings.  

Logic Is So Overrated.

Look how tidy!  I just had to brag a little bit

I did empty this  - two glasses worth - and today my stomach is mad at me.

I found this which I had totally forgotten about.  It was a learning piece from Subversive Crossstitch.  

I also added a doorknob to this cheap little dresser I picked up.  It was missing a drawer pull. I have plans to paint it at some point.

 

Look, I made an unintentional face.

So now I can move on to some of the million and seven things I want to work on.   I started to work on the journal idea I'm all excited about.  

I cut out the guts of this book.  It's the perfect size for pages that are folded in half regular paper.

I want to add some regular printer paper, pretty paper, some cool looking pages and some random inspiring quotes and bind it all in there. I'm stuck at the quotes part. I know how I want them to look but I think the idea needs to marinate a little bit before I make my quote pages.  I do have a collection of quotes in two separate Pinterest boards with content that overlaps quite a bit.  

Logic is so overrated.  

Plus Life

  

I wont get too much more done today.  I just brought in some wine, it's there on the right.  

 Ugh.  No matter how long I ignore it, my mess doesn't clean itself up.  Remember how I just did a big clean up just two short months ago?  The room did not keep itself tidy.  I know, you're as shocked as I am.

Check out this cool carousel display rack.  For the next craft fair.

 Today I'm trying to tackle it a little bit while making room for paper stuff.  I now have enough paper supplies that I have to acknowledge that I like making things with paper.  The paper needs it's own area.

I'm trying all my collage books in here but I have to many, I think.  I actually sorted pens today.

There are, of course, so many other things I want to do.  Just right up front, I want to do some zentangle drawing.  I want to make some art to mail.  I have some journal ideas I am really excited to try out.  But first, I need to find homes for all my paper and put away the blown out craft sale stuff. 

Plus life.   :)

Unicorns Are Real

Did you know that I work at the library?  

My favorite part of working there is connecting someone with the right book.

I also like my easy access to so many craft books.  

Here's the list of what I am looking at and loving right now.

Where Women Create Book of Organization - Jo Packham*

Where Women Create Book of Inspiration - Jo Packham and Jenny Doh*

Built by Wendy: Dresses - Wendy Mullin

Shape Shape2 - Natsuno Hiraiwa

Journal Revolution - Linda Woods and Karen Dinino

Hand in Hand - Jenny Doh

Stamp it - Jenny Doh

Art Saves - Jenny Doh

Habitually Chic: Creativity at Work - Heather Clawson*

Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing - Gretchen Hirsch

Yes, I realize that that's a whole lot of Jenny Doh.  

I like to put related things on hold at the same time.  

I've been spending my creative energies getting our Etsy shop set up.  I've found that I LOVE writing out the descriptions.  It's so fun.  That sounds a bit nutty, I hear it now.  You should just go read them.  I tried to tell a little story for each thing.  Well, less so for the jewelry.  Anyway, go and check it out and please let me know what you think.

With all that going on, I especially have been enjoying Habitually Chic:  Creativity at Work because it's easy to read for reasons you'll see in the note below.  It's pretty pictures of people's studios with inspiring quotes and interviews.  

This is my favorite quote from the book.  

My daughter, of course, shot it down right away.  She closed her eyes and said:

"Unicorns are real.  I'm blonde and I live in New York."  Opened her eyes, looked around, looked in the mirror and shrugged.  

So literal.

I plan to get back to making stuff really soon.  Experiments with indigo dye are in the near future.  I'll keep you posted.

* These books I consider to be craft porn.

Curvy As The Learning Process

It's called a learning curve.  We're in one.  First, I'm on my third try at a tank top ala Alabama Chanin (but my size).  Somehow it's not quite perfect but I'm getting there.  

I have gained a huge appreciation for wax paper.  I copied the pattern onto wax paper and altering it is as easy as taping on more or cutting it up. Which is, in case you didn't know, really easy.  

I don't have a picture of the first try because it has already joined the rag pile.  It was a bit small in the bust so I added a little triangle of wax paper to the front of the pattern.  It also had too large of an arm opening.  The side of my bra showed.  That  happens for me a lot with tank tops,  It's so awesome just to be able to add a little wax paper to the pattern and voila:  A shirt that's fit just for me!

2nd try, pretty good, but the little triangle I added in the front made it a little low cut for me.  

Number 3, much better.

What I need to figure out now is how to place a couple of darts - because I'm as curvy as the learning process.  

I think I can figure it out.

Then there's taking pictures for our Etsy Shop opening which is speeding towards us at an alarming rate.  I made a light box using some online tutorials (I love you, on-line tutorials - How did we ever know things before the internet?).  But the pictures taken using it are dim.  I think the bedside lamps didn't quite cut it and we'll need to buy some bright lights with reflectors.  But I did take a little time and f try to edit the picture online.

Can you tell which is which?  I realize that these are very shadowy..learning process, remember?

So we took some pictures outside.  It worked well but somehow books don't belong in the grass.  

Also, what do we do in the winter?  We talked and planned as we snapped pictures and the process of doing it all at the same time was very helpful.  Kind of like doodling while talking on the phone.  

We've come up with some ideas for how we want our pictures to look and what we want our aesthetic to be.  That makes it easier to make choices - kind of like a mission statement.  It's a process and it's really inspiring and enjoyable to be able to dig in and work to make everything come to life. It's a good learning curve, I really enjoy the process of learning now that I'm a grownup and get to pick what I learn and how I learn it.