Diary of a Manic Beader

Getting back in the swing of things

2012-02-07T11:03:00.000-06:00

Wow, it's been more than three months since I posted a blog. And what changes have occured since!

For starters, I quite my job at SeaWorld. Being in a city were I knew very little people, being forced to live with strangers as roommates because I couldn't afford my own place, and being limited on the amount I was allowed to make was really getting me down. Something I've learned in this life is that no job is worth the deteoriation of your mental state. But that is in the past.

Now I find myself in a little apartment in Houston, Tx with my long-time friend and a new start staring me in the face. I'm going back to school to finally get my costume design degree. We kinda just picked up and moved on the last few paychecks I had from SeaWorld. I start a new job at Target soon! Yes, it's only part-time but I love part-time. It means I can still work on my crafts and still have time to focus on getting my homework done.

We are four weeks in the semester already. I have to be honest I find myself a little bored but only because I'm having to take courses on things I already know about like Fashion History and Beginner Sewing. I have to take them in order to enroll in the more advanced classes. So I'm just whizzing through all the homework and assignments and have lots of free time.

Which brings me back to my crafting. I closed down my Artfire shop indefinitely and move to the Handmade Artist's Shop. You can check out what I have in there right now by clicking on the AlchemyAtelier Handmade tab or going to directing there by clicking HERE. I'm still working on getting my better pieces listed and making new. Now, I'm focusing on getting Spring together and ready by March.

Biggest pet peeves in the WORLD...

2011-10-10T19:20:00.000-05:00

I have a pet peeve. As a seamstress and costume technician, sewing is my job. I know what it takes to make just about anything. And what it costs to do it. So my peeve is this: When people post an add on a free site to remain nameless at this time begging for someone to make an inlaborate costume for them but not waiting to spend oh let's say $50 on it. These days that can't even pay for the fabric, let alone the labor. So I laugh and more on reading down the wait ads. But I know it has a lot to do with consumer additudes.

Why are people so keen to spend $800 on brand new technology that will be obsolete in six months but cringe at spend that much for a custom designed and hand crafted gown? Because chains stores have moved into the territory of once dominated by department stores and boutiques. You can go to Walmart and buy a cheap, foreign made coat for $60. But it you went to a seamstress with a specific coat in made that was similiar but made to your specifications it might set you back $300-400.

My point is that there is no value put on craftsmanship anymore. Sewing is a dying artform. I should know. I work in a costume shop everyday. And the number of qualified applications that end up on my desk is about once every four months. Most of the time I can't even hire them because they have never sewn apparel. (Another pet peeve, for a later date.) They don't even teach home economics in high school anymore. So how do consumers even know how to price something as complicated as a costume?

They don't. And honestly I am not going to waste my time even responding to ads as ridiculous as the ones I've seen for costume requests. I just needed to get it off my chest because this time of year I am always getting requests for stupid costumes ideas that they want on the cheap and last minute. My advice is if your that desparate...go to your local Spirit Halloween.

Short Status update

2011-08-18T05:56:00.000-05:00

It's been for ages since I've been on blogger or updated any of my sites. I started a new job at SeaWorld San Antonio in July and have been working my behind off. Haven't had much chance to create new things or post stuff that is finished by not listed.

I've been considering my options, taking into account the dissappointing sales of my Christmas in July clearance. I want to do more complicated pieces, not just simple earrings and other jewelry I've assembled. I want to sell things I've designed and fabricated, not just from bits purchased.

It's hard because I am having to rent a room instead of having my own place here in San Antonio. I don't have a lot of space and I can't really do much metal or glass work. I've been playing around with bead crotchet when i'm not totally exhausted from work. But that is the extent of my creative outlet for the time being.

I don't think I'm going to shut down my Artfire just yet. I think I'll wait until the end of the year and see how Christmas goes. I don't expect much, only hope I can make more that $20 in one month during the Holidays.

On a more positive note, I've been changed from a part-timer to full-time. Now I can work a full 40 hour week without having to worry about making up those hours. And benefits! I get health insurance again! And dental. I really need dental. And hopefully the extra money I make I can afford to get my own place.

We'll see.

HAForum: A great place to be a part of

2011-07-17T18:39:00.000-05:00

There's a wonderful place online known as the Handmade Artists Forum. It is a place without pretension, that welcomes all into the circle with out judgement. It's like a sanctuary online for artisans of handmade goods to come to for friendly discussions, help, and networking. I am particularly fond of the networking aspect of the forum. They have rotating lists of blog, twitter, and facebook fan page rings that members can participate in to help promote themselves and their fellow artisans. It's a proactive approach to getting word out into the internet about what is going on in the crafting world. They also have lots of fun things going on like challenges that you can submit your work in for great prizes. Participation and membership is totally free. So check them out at Handmade Artists Forum.
If you are looking for an affordable place to sell your goods, HAForums also has it's own online marketplace that only cost only $5 a months. No listing fees, no commissions. For more information about selling, check out the Handmade Artists Shop

If you are an artist of the handmade variety, no matter what it is that you make or level of experience, being a member of HAForums is a must.

Places I've been, Part 1: Taiwan EDITED

2011-07-05T09:00:00.001-05:00

This time last year I was in Taiwan. That's right TAIWAN. It was just as hot there as it is here in Texas, but for some reason it didn't feel nearly as bad. Taiwan is an island so it's always 100% humidity. I'm not complaining, I was in a place I had never been before and would very much like to go back to. So in remimencing about the six weeks I spent there, I thought I would share some of my photos from that time.

This was just tucked away in an alley between two large high

rise apartment buildings in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Me, stuffing my face with authentic street meat

in Kaohsiung. It was tasty and I didn't regret it

the next morning at all!

In Taipei there's this little shopping center a few blocks

from Taipei 101. It has Dunkin Donuts, McDonald's, 

and Starbucks right on the ground floor. No wonder

there is a silver Lady Liberty outside on the main corner.

 This lovely fish were a series of statues randomly set out 

in a square that doubled as an outdoor market. 

I love the bright colors and bizarre surrealism of them.

There was a lot of places I went, like the Taipei Jade and Flower Markets that I couldn't take photos. Some of the vendors in these places would snatch the camera right out of your hand if you tried. I wish I could have had photos of all the tables of jade beads as well as the rows and rows of exotic orchids as the flower market. I spent some time too as the night market. I swear I can still smell the aroma of stinky tofu being fried. I think the one smell I'd love to forget is the citrusy rotten meat smell of the Durian Fruit. Just walking into Taipei 101 or just about any street market, I'd immediately get smacked in the face by that smell. In the hotels we stayed at there was always a big sign in the lobby that read "No Durian". No wonder why from me or my group. My friend Dia tried to get us to try it. Uh-huh I said. Then he chased me around the parking lot until my legs got tried and I hid in the building away from the smell.

I would love to go back to Taiwan, but especially Taipei. It's beautiful, the people are friendly and very accommodating to English speaking tourists. I met a lot of people who were just too happy to talk to me just so they could practice their English. This was much more predominate in the more rural cities we visited rather than the huge International hub that Taipei is. There was so much westernization but every once in a while you would be lucky and come across a local artist or craftsperson sitting by them lonesome, carving out a meager living by selling their wares on the street. I think that's the best part about traveling. Creation is universal. As humans, we all have the need to use our hands. It quietly unites us, in a diverse but unilateral quest to make something.

**EDIT**

I realized several days after posting this that I never mentioned that I actually bought a fair amount of candy jade beads while I was in Taipei. And have since made a few pieces of jewelry from them that is in my shop now. So I thought I would share them here as well, in memory of my time in Taiwan.

Modern Bohemian - Spring Leaf Earrings with Fuchsia Candy Jade

Victorian-inspired Fuchsia Chandlier Earrings

Coming Soon to my Artfire!

Happy Pickled July 4th!

2011-07-04T17:15:00.000-05:00

We interrupt this beading blog for an ordinary diversion:

Hope everyone is having a safe and happy 4th of July! Down here in Texas, our country officials have banned the use of fireworks and even sparklers, but I'm still having good holiday.

LOL My sister and I made refrigerator pickles from the cucumbers grown in our garden. We managed to fill a two gallon jar! We even discovered that one plant produced a single hybrid of cantelope and cucumber, thanks to cross pollination by my sister's honeybees. It tasted like a honeydew melon and was pale green on the outside and orange around the seeds. Since the seeds were fully mature, my sister saved them and is going to try to plant it in the next growing season. Maybe we can make pickled melumbers come this winter.

We also managed to pull up our first harvesting of beets, which I also made a simple pickle and threw in some hard-boiled eggs. Mmmm. I know they aren't to everyone's taste, but I love pickled eggs. I just don't get to eat them very often because of my allergy to eggs. So this will be a special treat!

Well, tonight my family and I are going to BBQ a brisket and have potato salad as we watch the fireworks on TV. It sure beats being outside in this 100+ degree heat.

Also, AlchemyAtelier has gone global! I managed to have my first international sell this weekend! I am excited because now I know how to handle international shipping, with the custom forms and the postage. It's a lot easier to just go straight to the post office instead of using Paypal shipping, which is much more expensive.

Has anyone else out there in blogland ever had an International sale? And where did you have to ship it too?

Happy Independence Day!

Moving News & Beady Projects

2011-06-26T19:27:00.000-05:00

So it turns out that I now have to change my plans in moving in my parents rental place.

As of Friday I received a job offer in San Antonio and of course I accepted it. It's a pay cut compared to what I made when I toured, but that doesn't really matter to me right now. Right now all I want is a stable place of my own, that I don't have to pack up and leave just to make a paycheck.

I'm looking at renting a room for a few months until I get settled into my new job. I have every intention of taking my crafting supplies, since all the jewelry and felting stuff can fit into my wooden chest. Hopefully the online business will pick up come Christmas.

Speaking of crafting..I've been playing around with the idea of adding seed beads to my work. I started first with beading some typewriter keys I bought a while back from the now defunct "Got to Bead" shop in town.

Inspired by an article on "Beadpunk" jewelry featured in Bead & Button magazine.

You can the article on their website here.

I've also experimented with the ruffled beaded bead technique designed by Pascal Pinther in this month's B&B to add some detail to a wirewrapped pearl ring. Though I feel like something is missing. Maybe I should take out a few rows of the grey line seed beads and replace them with with seed beads of higher contrast.

I could use some input. I've been staring at that ring for hours as I beaded the ruffly circle

around the base of the pearl. It just seems so plain now that I look at the photos of it.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Nine Best Films for Costuming Nerds (like me!)

2011-06-17T09:30:00.004-05:00

I admit it. There are movies I watch just because of the costumes in it. I could care less for the film's storyline or the abilities of the actors. I just want to see beautiful, frilly things.

So here's the films I like (in no particular order) to indulge in when I'm in the mood for some costumery overload:

The Young Victoria (2009)
Oscar Winner for Costume Design
by Sandy Powell
I love the use of color in this film. At the time Queen Victoria was married to Prince Albert, aniline dyes were just discovered and started being used in the production of cloth. Bright, gawdy colors were all the rage!

Titanic (1997)
Costume Design by
Deborah Lynn Scott
Kate Winslet in the purple hat. Need I say more? Yes? ok..Not costume related but...Leonardo Dicaprio. There.

Marie Antoinette (2006)
Costume Design by
Milena Canonero
Horridly acted movie but beautiful put together and designed. I love the gowns in this film. And how could you not? It's Marie Antoinette in all her deviant finery!

Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Costume Design by
Sandy Powell
Wonderfully costumed, sappy sweet love story with a hint of scandal. Delicious with tea on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
Costume Design by
Alexandra Byrne
I'm a sucker for all things Queen Elizabeth. You gotta love a fiery red-headed heroine who also was an unmarried ruler of the British Empire.

Little Women (1994)
Costume Design by
Colleen Atwood
Classic and simple costuming of the middle 19th century. The clothing gets more interesting the older the March girls get. One of my most favorite since it was the first period film I saw as a kid. Colleen Atwood has been my idol ever since.

Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Costume Design by
Colleen Atwood
Keeping true to the vision of Tim Burton, though lacking on the number of women's costuming. It still has some brilliant gowns, especially Christiana Ricci's black and white striped number at the end.

Pride and Prejudice (1940)
Costume Design by
Adrian Adolph Greenburg (think Wizard of Oz)
Yes, it's in black and white and I can still appreciate the wonderfully frilly dresses in this classic story from Jane Austin.

Vanity Fair (2004)
Costume Design by
Beatrix Aruna Pasztor
Again not the most brilliantly acted film, but the costuming is so luscious, who really care about the dialogue?

STEAMPUNK?!?

2011-06-14T10:00:00.017-05:00

Steampunk is a rather recent (in the last five years) fad in the world of alternative fashion. And though I am not a stranger to the ways of Neo-Victorianism, Steampunk is completely foreign to me.

I have to argue that there is a difference between Steampunk and Neo-Victorianism. Neo-Victorians concern themselves with the historically accurate, dressing to the nines in period correct clothing from undergarments to outerwear. They research and hunt for items that depict their desired era in order to be exact to the most minute detail. They live the life of a Victorian in today's world.

Steampunk seems to be the stuff of science fiction. Of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells with a touch of goth, a splash of technology and a heaping of DIY. It's inspired by the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian obsession with villians and heroes. It's like someone made a clockwork space fleet and shipped them off into space to build the British Intergalactic Empire under the rule of Queen Victoria. I can't really fully explain the originals of SP but I can certainly see the influences in the people who follow it. And I'm not knocking Steampunk. I think it's probably one of the most creatively inspired fads of our time. I would much rather work in the genre than any other. A friend of mine, who runs Rising New Moon Studios went to an anime convention where a group of SP enthusiasts redesigned the look of the Ghostbusters to fit into their favorite genre, proton packs and all. But still...it does work against my better judgement coming from a Neo-Victorian standpoint.

For me, it's difficult to let go of the "period correct" mantra hammered into my brain as a teenager. Think of Wild Wild West and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I'm also aghast at the tiny bits and gears that go into the decorative workings of Steampunk accessories. I've been very tempted to dip my toe into the pool, sort to speak, but I haven't the confidence to truly contribute just yet in the market. So, for now, I'm just going to experiment and work on some sketches and try to work out my anxieties about Steampunk. Loosen up the old griddle strings and try to open myself up to the world of possibilities that Steampunk presents.

And if in the end I still don't really take to it, so be it. At least I gave it a shot.

The Five Books Every Costume Student Needs

2011-06-11T11:00:00.002-05:00

I never went to school to learn to be a costume designer or seamstress. I honed my skills at home, on my own time as a teenager, desparately trying to develop my abilities without a mentor. These are some of the most influencial books I have on my own bookshelf and find them to be the most indispensible books on the subject of costuming and sewing.

The Costume Designer's Handbook
by Rosemary Ingram and Liz Covey

Rosemary Ingram and Liz Covey's detailed work on how to be a costume designer. Everything from the rendering and research to paperwork is covered in this book.

The Costume Technician's Handbook
by Rosemary Ingram and Liz Covey

Another valuable guide by Rosemary Ingram and Liz Covey. This one is more of the technicals of making costumes. It covers construstion technique important to making costumes as well as safety and health issues associated with working in a costume shop.

Couture Sewing Techniques
by Claire Shaeffer

You may not associate couture with costumes, but this book really influenced me in being able to pay attention to details. Though always been told that the tiny details don't matter because the audience will never see them, but I tend to disagree. I think that even the smallest detail of a costume adds that much more depth and richness to the whole of the character being portrayed.

Patterns for Theatrical Costumes
by Katherine Strand Holkeboer

It may seem like cheating to have a book of costume patterns. But it helps, when you're working on a period play and having to drafting dozens of costumes in a short amount of time, to be able to thumb through a book and reference a pattern to ensure that you're drafting the right sillouhette. I wouldn't plagarize the drafted patterns, but I use this book as a basic reference to get me on the right track.

The Surface Designer's Handbook
by Holly Brackman

I love this book because it opened my eyes to a whole world of fabric treatements. Though I consider pattern drafting and stitching to be some of the most important skills in costume, being able to alter the look and feel of the fabric being used through painting and dyeing techniques is an equally valuable skill to have.

There are so many more great books on costume design and sewing. There I feel are the ones I could never be without in my workroom. They are also helpful to the aspiring designer in guiding them through the basics. But there are also online resources like The Costumer's Manifesto which has everything posted in regards to costumes for theatre and resources about film costuming. Here's a few other websites you may find helpful:
The Costume Gallery
Creative Costumer
Sewing.org
Playbill online
Greenberg and Hammer
Stage Wear
Arts Alive: The Secret Life of Costumes

I can't stress enough that being a costume designer is more than just drawing pretty clothes. It's being able to research and identify historical periods of fashion, organize and plot costume needs, supervise your workroom staff, and most importantly...to be able to SEW! I've met so many undergrad costume students that could barely sew. If you really want to be able to design, you need to have a thorough grasp of how those designs can be made.

Moving Sucks

2011-06-09T23:00:00.004-05:00

So I'm at a stand still. The clutch in the truck I've been borrowing from my parents has gone out. All my crafting supplies is packed up in the new house. But because the truck is broke, I can't get my work tables up there. Or any other big pieces of furniture for that matter. The move at this point was already stalled because of gas prices rising to nearly $4 a gallon. I haven't crafted a thing in a few weeks because all my supplies and materals are in boxes. Which is probably why I am getting an anxious itch to create in my hands. But there's a glimmer of hope.

For one gas prices have fell at least 30 cents in our area. And I now have a job interview lined up. Which is super exciting to me because it is NOT a touring position. It's in a costume shop, where I can live in one place and truly have a stable life for once. I just hope everything goes well with the interview. I'm not counting my chicks before they hatch in this interview, I've applied at the normal work places like Target and Home Depot and Wal-mart. But I am optimistic that I have the right stuff to fulfill the requirements needed to land the job.

I guess I should give some back story. My day job, at least the one that employs me about 9-11 months of the year for the last six years has been working on the road in wardrobe. What does that mean? I undress people and wash their underwear and sew up their holes for a living. Glamorous, right? Not really. And I really want to get out of it because it only uses about 5% of my skills as a costumer. The rest is paperwork and interperson communication skills. Neither of which I like much. It doesn't help at all that the surgery I had back in January has left me significantly weaker than I used to be. I can't overdo it or else I get stabbing and shooting pains where I was operated on. My current job requires me to be able to push and pull 1500-3000 pound crates (on wheels but still heavy), be on my feet for anywhere between 8 to 14 hours a day, and manage a cast of anywhere between 15 to 40 people. In short, it's a stresful job that takes me away from my loved ones and my beloved studio far too often.

And I have no time or space for my crafting while traveling. Yea I usually travel a few sets of crochet hooks and knitting needles with yarn. I'll even occasionally sew myself something if I have enough free time. This last tour I did I actually traveled a small selection of beads, findings, and the necessary tools. All of which came out to weight about 15 pounds. I had to pack it in my carry-on in order not to be overweight. When you're away for 4-9 months at a time, luggage space is at a premium. And it sucks that the airlines are getting way out of control with all their restrictions and fees.

But I digress. The thing is that I clearly am no stranger to moving, but more used to only having two 50 pound bags, a carry-on and a laptop case to deal with at once. Not really used to moving a house full of furniture plus my entire studio to a new place. This is definitely a learning experience and one which I will be better prepared for next time (because there's ALWAYS a next time in my line of work)

Taking back up the pen and pencil. (Image Heavy)

2011-06-07T18:00:00.002-05:00

I had a recent urge to dust off the ol' sketchbook and start rendering again. It was short lived but it proved to be an exercise in the evolution of my figure drawing.

Well, let's start in 2004, when I was a sophomore at the community college studying art and working in theatre costume shop:

Now here's what I did just last night during my fit of creative inspiration:

Why does this matter? I'm a jewelry artist, right? Well, my day job is costume design. That's what pays the bills and keeps me fed. So my style of drawing and how detailed I can get directly relates to my abilities as a designer. Yes, most of these I do are purely conceptual but it takes practice to be a good artist. And that goes for more than just 2D artwork. That's everything from crafting to woodwork.

And if you want to see more of my design work

you can click over to my DeviantArt page at

AlchemyAtelier DeviantArt

All in Favor of Artisan Made

2011-06-06T12:37:00.001-05:00

I recently had an experience with a customer that made me realize the real difference between buying artisan made goods and mass produced.

First, you're dealing with a real person when buying from an artisan. This had never occurred that that would be any different. Except when a customer was having problems with their payment going through, I was there for them to talk to directly. Not some nameless, faceless automatic customer support bot. I was able to give immediate feedback about whether the order or payment had successfully gone through or not.

Also, if something isn't listed in the size or color or style that the seeker desires, there is always the option to contact the artisan and ask for a custom piece to be made or alterations on an existing piece. I know as an artist, I relish the challenge and creativity involved in making a truly OOAK piece. I've worked with buyers to make a desired product to their specifications as needed.

In the end, what this all comes down to is cultivating a relationship between the makers and the buyers. It makes the process of buying goods more individualized. And in a world where the impersonal has become the norm, I think that's a change in the right direction.

Putting on my other caps of creativity..(forgive the pun, you'll see why in a moment)

2011-05-26T23:26:00.000-05:00

I LOVE hats. I love making them (when I worked in the theatre costume shop in college. And I know it's been a month since the wedding of Prince William and Kate but in scoping out the headwear of the guests has revatialized my passion for millinery.

Photo from Truthquake.com

We all know the infamous Princess Beatrice and Princes Eugenie's fabulous (or horrorfic, whatever your taste) pieces of headgear.
But that's pretty much the norm in England whenever someone gets married or a church holiday is involved. I think that's what I love about the English. They never left behind the tradition of wearing hats to events. Weddings, races, church. Doesn't matter, you wear a hat. Well, and all the finest Southern Ladies here in the U.S. still do, too. But for the most part, women in the U.S. don't really wear hats as much.

Not that I'm looking to start a revolution. But where I grew up, hats had to be utilitarian. You wore a hat to shield the sun and/or wind. They weren't pretty, usually beat up an old ballcap or straw hat. If you wanted pretty, you had to wait for Easter. That's it. Now, that may have been just my parents, but I had a grandmother who loved hats too. She gave me some of the vintage ones she had back in the fifties and sixties whenever she and my granddad were moving to a smaller home. Whether or not she wore them is debatable, but whenever she passed away when I was a freshmen in college we found dozens more that she had made or recon-ed. (I'll have to blog about my grandmother in the near future, because she was something else.)

Photo from DailyMail UK

So why is it that there isn't a market for fabulous hats in this country??? It's like we've completely lost the art of millinery in this country. Hats can be self-expressive in situations (like weddings and church event) where women can shout "Here I am!" without saying a word. But all this solemnity. The first wedding I ever went to was a Catholic wedding, when I was about 8 or 9. Not a hat in sight. We see the over-the-top hats of the British and make fun of them for the ridiculous spectacle they make of themselves wearing them. I admire even women that Princess Beatrice who have absolutely no quoms about wearing a silly (even though expensive) piece of millinery. I mean check this one out from a 2008 wedding:

You can't get more sillier than that, Some "fashion police" might called them disasters but I definitely call them fearless. Google "crazy British hats" and you will see some real winners. Why is it such a bad thing to be go against the grain of what is trendy or fashionable. Fashion as always been about the person who wears it. Why have we lost the idea that is can be an extension of our personality? You can also check out what StyleList, The Telegraph, and Smosh has to say about it.

From Costumer's Manifesto

In the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century it was a normal thing for upper class women to wear hats all the time. In fact whenever a young woman was having a new outfit made, a trip to the milliner was always the final touch to her ensemble. Middle class women made their own clothing and hats, or revamped the hand-me-downs from charity rag sells. The Victorians and Edwardian periods were known for the crazy, elaborate hats made with everything from fabric and ribbons to flowers and small taxidermied animals. But if you want to know more about fashion history, you should check out The Costumer's Manifesto, my favorite online bible of costume information. There's also lots of Victorian and Edwardian specific fashion information on Victoriana.

If I ever get married, on my invitations will specify for my guest to come gayly adorned in their finest headgear. I want to look out into the seats and see a brightly colored garden of hats. Even if I have to make them myself and pass them out as favors before the wedding. Even without weddings, I think it would be fabulous to see more women in America wearing well-made, vibrantly unique hats.

Who's with me?

Zomg, Inchies?!?! (Link Heavy)

2011-05-19T19:17:00.000-05:00

Ok so I recently started following cool blogger Kira Nickols over at Oops, I Craft My Pants after seeing her a-maze-balls Witched Witch of the East bookmarks on Craftster.org. Through her total aweomeness of crafty works, I was introduced to the world of

INCHIES!!!

And immediately I was like: Holy cow where have you been all my life?!! If you, too, are uneducated in the world of Inchies Wonderness, check this post on Craftster for What is an Inchie?

Why I am so stoked about the concepts of Inchies? To begin, I have some major pain issues with my hands. Arithitis, carpel tunnels, and ganglion cysts to be prescise. This definitley cuts down on the creatvie options of what I do when they all decided to gang up on me and render my hands near useless. Just the idea of doing teeny little works of art that may take me only minutes to execute (though probably hours to plan) makes me hopeful for the creative possibilities on my bad days, when the thought of picking up a pair of pliers or a sewing needle makes me cringe.

Anyway, enough about the pain stuff. The shear joyfully compact, concentrated cuteness factor in Inchies is enough to hype me up like a four-year-old on a sugar high. There is even a website for Inchie Quilts (aptly named INCHIE QUILTS) about tiny little quilted square. They even have a widget for your site that displays a new Inchie Quilt everyday. Which I'll probably be adding to my blog before the steam coming off this post has even dissipated.

So while my lampwork and metal stuff is all packed away lovingly (and longingly) in boxes ready to be taken to the new place, I'll utilize my free moments to de-stress in the creation of teeny little works of art.

Shout out for why Artfire is made of total Awesome Sauce

2011-05-19T14:03:00.002-05:00

I sell on Artfire. My handmade jewelry is sold exclusively through my Artfire and as long as Artfire has been around is still surprises me to come across people (both crafters and buyers of craft things) that have never even heard of it. Sad Panda.

So I feel the need to share what I love about Artfire:

1) No fees-no comissions. Period. What you sell you product for is what you get. Artfire will never take a chuck of that for themselves. It's always free to list and relist if you like. No fee piling up like dust bunnies under the bed. (And I'd like to add that buyers don't even have to sign up for Artfire to buy your goods. WIN! Though it'd be great if EVERYBODY joined Artfire)

2) Everyone I talk to on Artfire is friendly and helpful, especially the Staff. They want you to succeed in your dreams of being a handmade artisan. There's no uppity, we're too good to help a newbie out attitude there at all.

3) Resources, Resources, Resources. Artfire has them all. A great easy to follow forum, lots of help for SEO and social media networking. PLUS weekly Inside Handmade podcasts are great to listen to while your crafting.

4) Artfire also trys it best to cut down on resellers. If you don't know what that is, it's a seller that buys ready-made products wholesale and posts it online as handmade. Which is total cheating in my book and glad that there is someone trying to put a stop to it.

5) Upgrading to a Pro Account is quick, easy, and painless. And easy on the pocketbook. Use my referral link HERE, and you get a month of Artfire FREE. Why go Pro? You have more customizing options for your store, can run promotions and generat coupon codes, and have access to more tools to help you keep your store organized.

So in short, you should get on over to Artfire and show them some love. I absolutely believe that they are pioneering the best online shopping experience ever.

Guess what? you guys just got a sneak pick of my newest earrings, yet to be listed!

Attack of the Killer [Dust] Bunnies

2011-05-16T14:09:00.001-05:00

This move has become the bane of my existence, quite literally. I am stirring up layers of dust from inside closets and somehow under furniture. And I'm horribly allergic to dust. The problem is that the place I live now doesn't have a central AC system that can be turned on during the warm months to remove the dust. So it just settles everywhere in thick blankets in a relatively short time. And in my crusafe to clean and pack, I'm always breathing in all the dust that could have be prevented with a HVAC system with a filter. This house is literally making me ill. But the new house has a central HVAC and a will be installed a allergan filter on it so I have less dusting and allergies to deal with and I'm so stoked about it.

But for today I'm totally in bed drugged up on Allegra and Benadryl. At some point I will stop with the social media posting and fighting to stay conscious and let my body sleep off the histamines.

I'm moving..no really, physically, in the real world.

2011-05-14T15:48:00.001-05:00

So I am moving to a whole new town here in Texas, thought not far from where I live now. It will have more space that the little 6 x 10 closet office that I use as a studio now. And it has a garage, which will allow be to fully set up my arsenal of tools. Not having a space large enough to work has really effected my ability to produce unique items. Most of the time I buy my beads online or at bead shops. But I know how to work with fabric, glass, ceramic, wood, and metal (cold-work). But right now all of my tools for these things are packed up because there's no room for it. So I'm hoping that this move with remove the stunted creative growth I have been experiencing and allow myself to experiment and play in ways that produce wonderful and TRULY unique items to share with the world.

Which brings me to another new (relatively) development. I've been taking correspondence course through the mail for jewelry repair and metalsmithing. Before you poo-poo the concept, I have to admit that mail correspondence is how I got through High School. And that I completed in 16 months instead of 4 years, with a 3.9 GPA. So I do well with self-taught over traditional instruction. But the point is that I'm finally getting into wax and casting so I should have some pretty cool stuff to share in the coming weeks.

Anyway, I look forward to moving beyond wirewrapped and store-bought supplies. Ciao!

New stuff for Artfire

2011-05-11T15:35:00.001-05:00

So after spending all of April making new jewelry pieces, I'm finally getting around to posting them on my Artfire page. I'll also be moving to a new house this month. Which means I won't be able to make as many new pieces as I normally do.
Here's some of my new pieces:

36 hours and 16 items

2011-04-29T15:11:00.001-05:00

That's how long I have to complete my goal and how many more items I still need to make. Hopefully I can spend all of Sunday taking photos and posting them online. That's my least favorite part. It takes so long to get everything just how I like it. And then I never know what to write in the description. Anyway. Anyone else have a least favorite thing in being an online artisan?

Headin' for Houston.

2011-04-14T23:45:00.000-05:00

So I'm going to Houston for about a week to stay with some friends and get up to the usual shenanagins we usually get up to while the whole crew is together in one place long enough. And at some point also running up to Austin for a day trip as well. Hoping also to visit some bead shops while in town as well, but since this is more for pleasure rather than business I'm not counting on a folic through one of the few brick-and-mortar beads shops left in Texas. I will be bringing a bit of my supplies with me to keep me occupied in the down time.

I will be keeping my store up and checking on it regularly, but any orders coming in between April 16th through the 26th won't be shipped until the 27th. And though I've been busy working on more awesome accessories (namely rings and earrings) I won't be posting any new stuff until after the 27th as well.

The Ever Present Chaos

2011-04-11T18:33:00.001-05:00

My worktable from a beetle perspective

I feel like as an artist, especially one that uses a wide variety of media and forms in my work, my work table is in a constant state of chaos. And I like it that way. In fact I think I thrive on it. A clean and neat work table is barren, stark, void of creativity for me.

On the hunt for the perfect bead OR A plea for the state of my sanity.

2011-04-04T12:12:00.001-05:00

I get on these tangents. I come across a project with a specific kind of bead needed and I obcessively hunt it down. Seriously. I will stay up sorting through google searches, eBay, Etsy, Artfire, and online beads stores trying to find exactly what I'm looking for. And most of the time I end up unsatisfied with the results and throw the ambition to make that project (or one inspired by the idea) completely into my mental recycle bin.

I find myself in this state one again after picking up the May issue of Bead Style Magazine.

They have a brightly colored necklace and bracelet on the cover made of Lucite beads and chain. I'm not a big fan of the chain, but I think the color palette would make for some amazing earrings and cha-cha rings. So I have been on a hunt for lucite beads in bright colors (mostly red, pink, green, mint, royal blue, and orange) in sizes ranging between 4-8mm. Also, in opaque, frosted, and clear faceted styles. I'm not looking for huge quantities, but a good price would be nice.

Tall order, right? Which is why I've been having so much trouble filling it. So if anybody out there in interwebland has any tips or sources for me to check out, I'd greatly appreciate.

New Goal for April

2011-03-30T14:57:00.001-05:00

I'm posting this before April 1st so that no one takes it as a joke.

I have 34 listings for sell in my Artfire store. I want that to be 100 listings. So I've got to get my rear in gear producing. I managed to make 58 pairs of earring in the course of a week. There is a definite possibly that I could reach my goal of 100 listings farely quickly. It's the matter of taking pictures, editing photos and writing the listings that seems to take more time.

I think I should be able to finish making the actual product in about three weeks. What do you think?

My First Sell

2011-03-29T16:44:00.001-05:00

I made my very first sell online EVER in my history of putting my handmade wares up for all the world to see. I'm so hyped and I hoped that this is just the beginning of more sales to come.