Someone has been very BAD!

Well, partially me because I havent updated in a while... sorry about that. Life is really hectic right now (that's what I always say... right?)
The real bad girl today was my kitty Dot. Hubby and I were working on getting some paper work put together for a very important meeting and we heard a crash. We had no idea what it could be, so we started to investigate. In the hallway we see Dot, doing her best "OMG, I did something bad, avoid mom and dad" routine.

 Shut up, you love me!

Going into the craft room, we are greeted with this:

We only had about 15 minutes to clean it up before we had to leave for this meeting! Luckily I knew a trick. I learned this on the Etsy forums... so if you ever have a bead spill this is what you do. Take a nylon and put it over the nozzle of your vacuum. Let the 'foot' part be loose enough to suck into the nozzle a bit. Secure it with a rubber band if you have one... now all you need to do is vacuum up the beads and empty the nylon filter when you loose suction. Voila!
I am guessing Dot was trying to see if she could get on the stack of bead boxes I had in the corner of my desk (she likes to climb and get into funky spaces) and she managed to topple the 'tower'.

I am a writer!!!

I wrote a little article about future fashion in Viva La Mode magazine! And it is now out on the web for everyone to look at! The whole magazine is a great read... so check it out! I hope to have time to write an article or two for the next issue too!

Product Review: Custom Silver 8 gauge Earrings with Coral Drops from Lisa's Lovlies

I saved up all my etsy money to buy myself something really special, and I decided to go with a pair of custom earrings from Lisa's Lovlies! While I make jewelry myself, I dont made large gauge earrings. I have 8 gauge main holes and there arent many sellers on etsy who cater to those with stretched lobes. Lisa's Lovlies is one beautiful shop where you can get larger gauge earrings, along with normal sized jewelry.

I contacted Lisa and we quickly worked out exaclty what I wanted, which was a pair of sterling silver 1 inch diameter hoops with beautiful coral drops. She made them in a few days, and I had them at my door with in a week of finalizing the design. I was so giddy when I got them, I just had to get them in as soon as I got them! They are extremely solidly made and they have a great weight to them. I am so happy to have dangly earrings again! I wear them 24 hours a day, and they have been a dream!



Overall Impression: Lisa has excellent customer service and is very attentive. She is great to work with and works extremely fast. These earrings are well made and will last a long time. They are worth every penny for the wonderful quality!

Memory Wire Bracelet

Lake Shore Memory Wire Bracelet
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

This is my first attempt at a memory wire style bracelet. I really like it, it isnt my personal colors, but I still love the way the colors play off each other. I am listing it as I write this, so if you like it, take a look in my shop! It is a bit tricky working with this wire... I think my cheapy pliers may snap some day trying to work it... but I will take that chance. Enjoy!

Bondage Doll Necklace 1

Bondage Doll Necklace 1
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

I am so excited that I have to tell the whole world! I made my first mature listing on etsy! I wonder if anyone will buy this little doll, but it is waiting for the perfect person to come along! It was quite a pain to make, it seems like every time I tried to work on it, something else would go wrong. I dont know if I will ever make another one because of the difficulty level in both execution and finding a good used doll body w/o any damage to it and the correct head attachment. While it was difficult to make, I am very happy with the result!

Work Frenzy!

Work Frenzie!
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

A friend of mine got me on an earring kick the other night and I ended up making just about 30 pairs of earrings in one night! I have no idea when I will find the time to photograph them all and list them. I really love when I get creative spurts, but then having to follow through... yikes! Most the earrings are smaller, simpler designs and will probably be prices in the 3-5 dollar range depend on. I also have a few more styles of "Geisha Head" earrings, but those run about 10-15. If you look closely you can see some body part jewelry making a reappearance! I finally found a couple of yard sales that had old Barbie's for a decent price this year! It only took me ALL year to find them! Some more cha-cha style bracelets are on the horizon too, along with my first ever wire ring. Keep checking my shop as I try to list all these in the next... I dont know, month?!?

UPDATE: I just finished a massive photo session and if you want to see a taste of what I had on my work bench, take a look!

Nice Things Just for Me

I dont often get to sit down and create something that is specifically for me. Tonight was a rare night. I decided to take a night for myself. I just wanted something nice to wear when I go out some times. I normally wear the same jewelry all the time and dont spend money on "frill" jewelry.
I made myself an long "over the head" style black and red necklace. I tried to use all the black and red odds and ends I had laying around. It has all different kinds of beads in it, including glass, stone, bone and coral.
The next two things I tried out was some hair clips. Since I got rid of my wool dreads, I have some crazy hair... that needs to be restrained. It is too short for any kind of pony tails yet, so clips will have to do. The first of the two clips has an actual preserved maple leaf focal "bead". It is a bead, it even has a hole to string it by. I have been waiting for inspiration to come to me so I could use it, but I was so afraid that if I put it in a necklace, it would break. It is pretty sturdy, but I like to make things that are durable when used in their normal capacity. I figured I could safely use it on a hair clip because you don't normally knock you head into things, but you may catch a necklace on something. I really like the little beaded drop off the end of the clip... it sorta jazzes up that end of things. The second hair clip is just something fun. All the tiny rhinestones were glued by hand. There are 3 drops with 3 jingle bells on each end. It is just something simple and fun to wear.
I dont think I will be putting any of these into "production" any time soon, but if you really like what you see, I have no problem doing a custom order for you! Just go to my etsy shop and get the process started!

Update... its been a long time!

Man, it has been a long time since I blogged. Sorry about that everyone in cyberspace. There have been some interesting things going on in my life, plus I wanted a little down time before my summer semester started up again.

First off, the Amazing Technicolored Dream Hat sold a few days after I listed it, and that was super exciting. I have another one that is almost ready to list and I hope that one goes just as fast. I also whipped up another similar hat but it uses different granny squares, different colors and is smaller. I hope to list that soon as well.

We have a new addition to our home, and her name is Mesha and she is about a year old. She is really uniquely colored, and her eyes are the color of the sky. We got her about two weeks ago from the local humane society. She is still very shy and skiddish, but when she decides to come out from under the bed all she wants to do is be petted and loved. Her purr box is very loud! Our other cat Dot is still working on adjusting from being an only cat to sharing the love. They occasionally get in each others faces, but it is quickly over. I hope that all these little scuffles disappear soon.

Also, about 2 and a half weeks ago my husband and his sister installed my roving wool dreads, and you can see how they came out. I like them and they are very light. They are slightly easier to clean because you can wring them out, which you cant really do with synthetic dreads. The next batch I made is going to be longer though.

I also bought an old wool sweater from a local thrift store and did some needle felting on it. While the colors arent my favorite (I never wear pastels) I think it is cute. I also hope to list this, but I think I am going to try and sell in on Vampire Freaks first. I hope it sells, because it was a blast to make!

More Photo Questions!

I am working the bugs out of my new light tent and props, and I thought I would get a critique of how it is going. I just listed an item using my new set up... and I will show you a similar item from before with my old set up. Please tell me what you like/dislike about both. I want to make my photos as good as they can be!

New: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9974021

Old: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8979853


If you want, take a look at my flickr for more examples of the shots I am taking with this new set up!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzyizmit/

Photo Test Shots

I am trying to figure out what looks best for my photos. I got a new photo tent for my birthday and I am trying out all the backgrounds that come with it. I know what ones I tend to like, but I thought I would open it up to more people. All of these photos were taken under the exact same lighting conditions and camera settings. Which looks the best to you?

Next Bead Embroidery Project

I thought that I would share with you my next big project. This is eventually going to be completely bead embroidered in shades of gold and green. I havent yet decided what the part that will go around the neck will be, but it will probably be beaded as well. This is my first try at doing an entire piece "free style", meaning that there will be next to no pattern and I am sorta making it up as I go along. The beads are also a larger size than those that I used on my previous project (the Fire Ball Necklace), so I have to get used to working with these as well. To give you an idea, the yellow bead surrounded by pearls actually has the light yellow beads from my previous project as well between the bead and the pearls. The green beads are huge in comparison! The cabochon in the middle is (I think) malachite. but it came in a grab bag so I cant be 100% sure. I probably shouldnt have used black thread, but to late for that. I am hoping it should all work out in the end. I think I will also have some elements hanging down off the edge of the necklace as well, possibly incorporating brass coins. I am also working with my last appropriatly sized needle for this kind of work. If it breaks, I will be S.O.L. until I get the funds to get another order into my supplier. Wish me luck!

My First PMC Ring...

Just so you know, this post is going to be picture heavy.

Well, here are the pictures of my first ever anything made out of Silver Art Clay. I fashioned this ring off of a piece of silverware (see my previous post). I found that working with the polymer clay some what useful, but Art Clay is a creature all its own. I really like how the band turned out, but the place where it joined was not very... elegant. I tried to make it easier on the eyes by adding a little space for some polymer clay to act as a kind of focal point, but my execution of that element was lacking. Gluing an expensive crystal to it (you know, the one with the hard to pronounce name) didnt make it any more appealing. Also, I decided I wanted to add some patina to add depth to my ring. I dont have any liver of sulfur, but I did notice that last time I washed out sea shells with bleach, my silver rings got tarnished right away. So, thinking myself clever, I poured some bleach in my sink and mixed it with water. I set the ring in it, and it sure did tarnish, but the bleach all settled to the bottom (I guess it is more dense than water) and just the BOTTOM of my ring tarnished. The top was absolutely untouched. Well, what a great misadventure! I will not be offering this ring in my shop for sale, but if someone really must have it, just email me. I am sure my next one will turn out better. I hope my learning curve is really steep, this stuff costs a fortune and I cant waste any of it!

Knifey, Spoony...

I did a whole bunch of running around today and one of the stops that we made was to a local thrift store to rummage through their silverware bins. I got this idea to start my adventure into the arena of precious metal clay (PMC) from a book that I got titled: The Art of Metal Clay by Sherri Haab. I found the book really helpful so far and easy to read with great examples. Basically you use the patterning on silverware to make rings. My husband helped me find 5 nice examples and I cant wait to start tonight. The one I want to keep is the one second from the right, the more geometric design. Floral isnt really my thing. I wish the picture wasnt so dark, but at least you get the idea. Anyway... wish me luck!

Giving Mood...

I got a call from my mom the other day and it started me down this road to create this necklace. My mom is on the board for my old middle school, Stepping Stone. Every year they hold a auction to raise money for stuff the school needs. She asked me if I wouldnt mind donating some of my jewelry to the cause. I figure it will be really nice to not only give back to a school that has given me so much, plus I could get some exposure. I figured I could make some stuff easy enough, plus it will be tax deductible! I sat down the other night to create. The last piece I figured I would make a big and bold necklace. I had it finished when things started to go wrong...I wont name them all but lets just say that at about 12 midnight I ended up with a broken necklace, a work table full of beads and my crimp beads were knocked over. I was so frustrated! I decided to take some time off, just leave it all there and come back later. After an hour on tooling around Etsy, I found some sterling silver medallions that I use for my rosaries and decided to put them away. As I sat down I to put them away and started to clean up the crimp beads. Then I saw the messy pile of beads that used to be a beautiful necklace. I just couldnt let that sit over night. Must be bad mojo or something. So I went through and restrung the whole thing and made everything stronger. I want to make a few pairs of earrings to or something, but that will be another day! Let me know what you think of the necklace! That cross is 2 1/3 inches long, just to give you an idea of scale!

Clay, I hardly knew you...

until tonight! I thought I would try my hand at some Sculpey before I got my Art Clay (precious metal clay) in the mail...some day...the kit is on back order. I plan on using these pieces either as masters for some molds I want to try or as stamps themselves. I dont know how good they will turn out... I havent even given them time to dry yet. I used some dental tools and a small flat head screwdriver most of the time. I sculpted on some porcelain tile that I had laying around that normally I mix paint of for painting gaming miniatures (a retired hobby of late...to time consuming). The skull was fun to do. I will probably do another one some day that is more anatomically correct, but for now that one is good. The round ones I think I may make buttons out of. Do you think hand made 99.9% silver buttons would sell? They might also be interesting if I get into the enamel aspects of Art Clay. There is also a snail shell. Duh! Of course I had to do something snail related! Please tell me what you think and let me know any tips that might help me in the future! Anything to help me not waste any of my precious (and expensive) Art Clay!

Front Page on Etsy

frontpage
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

I am so glad I got a screen capture of this! That is my fireball necklace right on the front page of Etsy! I didnt even know it...I just opened my Etsy page and had all these convos congratulating me...and I had no idea why! Well, I quickly figured it out and I just had to share my excitement. It is really nice to see that someone else likes my work enough to put it on the front page...and it might be cool for you readers as well. Following this piece from it's infancy all the way through to this! Lets hope that someone takes a shine to my little necklace and wants give it a home. I was debating on buying a showcase, but now I dont think that I will (especially since people seem to be on the fence about it's effectiveness). Even if I dont sell my fireball necklace, it is getting a lot of views, and hopefully that will spill over into my shop. Thanks who ever thought my work was good enough to get this honored spot! I am so greatful!

Turqouise Wood and Clear Bead Chaplet

Turqouise Wood and Clear Bead Chaplet
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

I have started to list various kinds of prayer beads on my Etsy site. I have been using a lot of turquoise beads, but I hope to start using (and listing) more pearl items as soon as my next shipment of supplies come. I even sold a rosary bracelet already! I really hope that people enjoy these, I really like making them. So far, my Catholic prayer beads (chaplets and rosary bracelets) have seen the most views, but the Anglican rosary is falling behind. I wonder what will happen when I start listing Malas and Misbahas. I also hope to put up some full rosaries, but right now I ran out of "matching sets" of centers and crosses. I have tons of pewter centers and some sterling silver crosses/crucifixes...but no sterling centers or pewter crosses/crucifixes. Go figure... If anyone out there is interested in specific things or improvements on my designs, please let me know. I am trying to learn about the various kinds of prayer beads and their requirements as I go...but I am not an expert in every religion! If you know of any other kinds of prayer beads that I have not mentioned, please let me know about them as well.

Great Balls of Fire DONE!

Well, it is finished! I have even listed it in my shop. I thought that I would treat you with some photos that didnt make it on the listing. I am so glad that it is over. I want to start thinking about some of the other things I have in the works. I also want to make a bead embroidered skull with red eyes some day. I just hope that it sells, it is such a beautiful piece! I really love how it came out and all the hard work that I put into it really paid off in the end. I thought I was never going to finish it there for a while! I just with these pictures would line up straight! Ugh!

Great Balls of Fire part 5

Since break started I have been hard at work trying to finish my fire ball necklace. I have finished the bead embroidery part...finally! Now I just have to finish it. I glued a black Tandy leather back on with E6000 and now I am in the process of stitching the two sides more securely together with black seed beads (the same time I used for the chain part) in a modified brick stitch. I actually had to wrap a scrap of leather around my finger so I could push the needle though the leather. I was actually starting to use the table instead of my fingers for this task because I had started to push the needle though my finger...instead of the leather, then along came the idea of wrapping my finger in leather! Work has gone a lot faster after that light bulb moment.
I also took a day off in frustration. See, my inspiration for bead embroidery came from the Fire Mountain Gems Website (FMG) and their Bead Embroidered Cuff bracelet. Keep in mind, when I started this project many many many months ago...FMG also had a whole set of videos that you could view to help you along with certain projects. These videos were actually clips of some show that actually used to be on the local public television channel around there. They helped tremendously when I first started, because I learn the best from watching. I watch this video back then thinking, that when I got to the next step I could just refer back to it for more help. Well, man was I wrong. Not only are NONE of the videos up any more, the instructions they have make zero sense to me. I did have some foresight and printed off the directions back when I started (they had the written instructions available as well). Apparently, they decided to take off the pictures that went with every step and only include a handful and stop at step 11...I need help on steps 14 on!!! The written isntructions make no sense...like what side of the backing are you stitching from? That would help... So basically I had to go back to the stuff I had printed off from before, which had stills from the video (thank God!) and figure it out from there. I think I did...they basically used a modified brick stitch. I was pulling my hair out before I sat down and figured it out. I didnt want to ruin this piece that I have worked on for months just because FMG decided to be poop heads and pull the videos off from their website. So far everything else is going along well...except for the time I tried to trim some leather and accidentally sniped my thread. That was a bit hairy. Now I just have to finish the edging and connect the embroidery to the more "necklace" part then attach the clasp. I am so close I can almost taste it!! mmmmm beads.....

Great Balls of Fire part 4

I just wanted to show you what little progress I have had on the Fire Ball Necklace I have been working on for months. Because of school, I havent had much time to work on it. The bead embroidery is very labor and time intensive. I did complete some, so I thought I would post what I have done. I think I will try to work on it when we do laundry every week. We shall see how long that keeps up...
Anyway, enjoy!