For those of you celebrating Christmas, its crunch time. I am still trying to catch up and finish multiple things. Gifts for family. Special orders that are bordering on, if not already, overdue. To those of you I am so sorry if your orders are not finished. This is my first year balancing business with personal, and even though I don't get nearly as much business as some of my most favorite artists, I feel like I was scrambling the entire time. I give them all so much more credit. I hope as the years go on, that my business will blossom, and I will have to scramble that much more :) I am really thankful for the scrambling. I just had no idea what my custom orders would have in store for me. Hopefully, if I am as fortunate next year, I will be able to balance it all out better. :)
With the lunar eclipse tonight for all of Northern America, I have decided to stay up to see it. Tomorrow is Yule, also known as the Winter Solstice, another holiday I like to celebrate. So with it being the longest night of the year, it will also be the darkest. They say that the moon in the total eclipse will be a red color. I just have to stay up to see it. I'm not good at going to bed and then setting an alarm to get up to see it. When I'm asleep, I have a hard time pulling myself out of bed to do that sort of thing. I'm way better at just staying awake. I plan on working my buns off on the last few orders and presents. I might also start my stew for tomorrow and wake up starving because my whole house will smell awesome. :) Might have to run to the 24 hour grocery store and get a couple more potatoes though. Mine seem to have turned against me. :X Should be a fun night. :) Then I wont have to get up at 8 or 9 in the morning to make the stew. It should be ready at lunchtime, but I think I'm still going to let it stew till dinner. :)
While risking sounding like a great big holiday sap, I'm going to share a story...
Tonight was my friends holiday cookie exchange. A tradition that I have been lucky enough to take part of for the last 3 years now. The first year I got invited was because one of my friends mothers friends couldn't make it at last minute, and they asked me if I would like to be a part. Well, I think she did end up being able to make it or something, but I think I ended up having to bake 13 dozen cookies. This year and the last its been 12 dozen, and I'm pretty sure that will end up being a set number from now on. More than 12 dozen cookies gets a little out of control.
Anyway, this year has been hard for me to get in the spirit, but I would like to thank my 6-year-old Goddaughter, and her little 2-year-old sister for rekindling some of that magic for me. Though the budget was tight, I picked up a little book for them, and made them each an ornament.
When I arrived I was greeted by my Goddaughter, and shortly after she told me she had a present for me. She ran to the kitchen and right back with a little box in her hands that she proclaimed proudly that she had wrapped all by herself without any help, and with what had to have been an entire roll of tape. That alone makes me smile. There was a little gift wrapped and taped to the outside. It was her gift to me from her schools Santa Shop. Its crazy to me, because I remember Santa Shop when I was a kid. Mom would give me money and I would get to go shopping for my family members, picking out each thing specifically for them. I unwrapped it, and it was one of those magic towels. In case you are unfamiliar, basically a compressed cotton brick that you put in water and it expands and turns into a towel. Mine has penguins on it. The bigger box I unwrapped had an ornament just for me with "Godmother" in red on a silver bulb. It was very sweet. It had to be the look on her little face when I looked up, how excited and happy she was to give it to me, that really struck me right in the heart. She gave me a big hug, and when I told her I had something for her and her sister, she got so excited. By the end of the night, her and I ended up on the couch, reading the story book I got her together.
Christmas is different being a grownup. Its harder to keep that magic going sometimes. My Goddaughter reminded me tonight though why I like Christmas. She was so happy to give me a present. She didn't even know I had something for her. I had gone there, planning to surprise them with a little gift, when in fact she surprised me. She gave me a better gift than she even knows.
I'm feeling nostalgic today folks. I didn't think I could get into the season this year. I didn't think I would find myself smiling about the holidays. I've been a bit of a Grinch for the last couple years. It seemed to get worse with each one. I don't know why. Like last year, I wasn't going to put up my tree. I wasn't going to put up any decorations. However, yesterday, I decided to dig my stuff out. Perhaps because I was feeling a twinge of guilt, perhaps it was a phone call I had a few days ago where my mom asked if I had put up my tree, and I said I didn't, and she said "Do it.". I really wasn't going to, but here I am now, typing next to the glow of little colored lights.
My city is being bombarded with big fluffy snowflakes. Its sticking to the branches and everything else. Its pretty, and snow before the new year makes me happy.
So, as I look out the window, I guess I could say I feel like this...
I've been working on a few different custom orders, making presents for family and friends, planning for parties and get togethers, contemplating building a toboggan, and I'm going to be baking cookies and maybe making fudge. :)
Time to get back to work. I'll leave you all with this :) Fahoo Fores Dahoo Dores...
Well, time is just flying by. Thanksgiving today. I'll blink and it will be Christmas tomorrow. I've been working on a few custom orders. Some new jewelry. Trying to get my present and card list in order. I've only got one present so far. Debating on the big black friday rush, but I don't need a flat screen tv, or mass amounts of DVDs, and I would LOVE to get myself a new laptop, but I would imagine people who want those are already in line. Which means, I am already too late for something like that. So, I don't know if black friday is something I will be participating in.
So far this season, southern Michigan has had a pretty mild November. It doesn't feel like Christmas time to me at all. Makes it hard for me to get in the mood for it all. Snow might help, but then that means snow. Which means boots, shovels, heavy jackets, cleaning cars off.... ETC. Don't know if that is what I really want after all.
I planned on being ready for it. I meant to have my cards done, and most if not all, of my presents collected. Not necessarily wrapped, but ready to be. I right back in the same situation as usual. Scrambling to get things done. So, I am going to try like crazy to get it together in the next few days. Play some catch up. Or at the very least, get my custom orders done so someone else can have a nice holiday and not be scrambling.
OH! I almost forgot to say what I am thankful for... I'm thankful for many things. My sweetheart, my friends, my health, my family, my animals, my life. There is more, but it would take forever to write it all out. So, to all of you out there celebrating, Happy Thanksgiving.
Here are the new charms (and some that have been revisited) for Halloween! Some have sold, and some have almost sold out, but I plan on making more. :)
Lets start with the revisited charms!
Pumpkins are watching you!
Close up
Skulls
Hobgoblins
Frankies
Close up
Batty Bats
Puff Cats with glow in the dark eyes
Side view
Close up
And now for the new designs!
Pumpkin Skulls!
Close up
Ghosties!
Close up
Lurking!
Glow in the dark Ghosties
Close up
Tiny Candy Corns
All lined up
Grimacing Candy Corns
Dracula!
Bloody teeth!
Spiders!!!
Close up on the eight eyes watching you
The new designs were a big hit at the craft show. I'm looking into doing a couple more shows this month. If all goes as planned I'll have some charms in the shop too. If you don't see them listed and are interested in something, send me a message at bluedesertrose1(at)yahoo(dot)com. I can let you know whats still available.
Alrighty everybody :) After a long day of working out the details, here it is.
I am going to open commissions for these OOAK charms/pendants. Orders will take about 1 to 2 weeks to complete between the forming/sculpting, baking/sanding, sketches/design layout, and painting and finishing. The price of the pendants/charms are US $40.00 each. They will come with a sterling silver split ring attached. I will also be offering the option of a 25" sterling silver fine chain for an additional US $5.00 or US $5.50, depending on which style you are interested in.
From you I will need photos of the front, back, both sides, top and bottom of your critters. :) This way I can capture all of the patterns and details on your little one.
I will ship internationally from the U.S. I haven't offered it before, so I am researching shipping prices. So far, it looks like the most cost effective would be using the USPS.
On another note, I will be reopening to shop with some sale prices on some of the pieces. So if there is something you've been eyeballing you might want to take a look and see if its on sale :)
Here is the custom guinea pig pendant/charm I created as a wedding gift for my friend :)
If you are interested in a custom order you can contact me with bluedesertrose1(at)yahoo(dot)com. I'm working out the details like cost and time and international shipping costs. Stay updated here or my Artfire shop blog. :)
I know, I know, it's a little early for me to even want to think about the upcoming holidays. Insert nauseous face here. However, I have a good reason for bringing it up before Thanksgiving Halloween. I have discovered a giveaway being put on by Craftbits.com. They are giving you the opportunity to win anything you want up to $150 and $20 shipping. A huge generous win your own Christmas gift giveaway. :)
So, I have picked my gift out. I have decided, and it was hard to pick, that if I were to win I would absolutely love to win the Harmony Wood Circular Knitting Needle Set from KnitPicks.com. They are beautiful wooden interchangeable knitting needles, and I had almost forgotten about them seeing as how they are a little out of my budget for now. I love them, and a very good friend of mine has some and she loves them. The joins between the needle and the cable is very smooth and wont snag up my yarn as I work. This would be an amazing gift. :)
While I was perusing Craftbits.com, I came across something that took me back to when I was kid at Christmas. Every year when I was little, I would decorate the tree with my family. I could tell you about all my favorite ornaments, but for now I will just tell you about one. It was a little scotty dog shaped ornament. It was plain and brown colored, and kind of like a cookie with a ribbon thru it. It was kept in an old butter dish with some tissue paper because it was handmade and fragile. The best part about this ornament is that it smelled like cinnamon apples. :) So, while I was looking at all the little crafty projects on Craftbits.com I was really excited to find this project. Cinnamon applesauce tree ornaments. I'm so excited to finally know how to make these. :) I think this might be the ornament I make for the family this year. I just need to find a cookie cutter that I would like to use. Or maybe 2 or 3! Lol! I never realized how simple it was to make these. Plus, this is a nice craft to do with little ones. Kids love to get dirty!
Singingwoods blog is having a giveaway! Even if you aren't interested in the giveaway itself you should check out the blog because she talks about other giveaways, jewelry, life, and lots of other nifty things. Her current post is about her giveaway and also Fairy Doors! So if you are interested in reading about stuff like this you should go check out her blog :)
Here are a couple pictures from her current post! :)
Here are some sneak peeks of me working on Frankies and Pumpkins.
Some naked Franks waiting in the workspace.
Blank Franks waiting to be completed.
Since these pictures the Frankies have been finished up and are drying. Hobgoblins are waiting for a baking. Cats are being assembled.
Haven't been super focused lately. I was distracted by a photography challenge. I wasted spent a lot of time going around and shooting random photos and playing with my camera. Then there was this local butterfly gathering at the park that I went to. That was pretty nifty though. I've got big plans for next spring. :) I took my very awesome film SLR camera with me and shot some close ups of butterflies and caterpillars. It was a lot of fun :) I learned a lot and it rekindled my old ideas and plans. So not entirely unproductive.
I need to get rolling though. These charms aren't going to make themselves, and the fairs are approaching. After today I should have lots of time to just get working. Lately its just always been something hindering my work. Hopefully the added pressure will help me whip up some stuff. I did manage to get my show book started for custom orders of my birthstone bracelets. Its almost done. :)
One of my absolute favorite websites is having a giveaway. A wonderful amazing giveaway. Craft Gossip has so many tutorials, craft ideas, giveaways, reviews, and so much more in all things craft. This Etsy Wish List contest will be drawn on September 1st for $100! Speaking of September 1st, it's perfect, because my birthday is just 7 days after that on the 8th. This would be such an awesome present!
So here is my super special birthday Etsy Wish List:
3. Daily Illustration 1/15 ORIGINAL by love and a sandwich ~ $18
Believe it or not, but when this artist was requesting ideas on her DeviantArt blog, this was the variation on my suggested idea that she drew. I love the drawing, and would go bananas to have it hanging on my wall!
4. Glenda Kitty Is Soft and Grey by chet and dot ~ $14
Kitties have always been where its at for me since I was a little kid rocking my kitty shirts and coloring kitties. Plus, this kitty was recycled from a soft cashmere sweater. That's just awesome. I won't even begin to go into how I feel about handmade plushes! Lol <3
8. PDF Pattern - Baby Sprite by Amigurumi Paradise ~ $5
And last but not least, baby sprite. I look at this pattern and can already visualize all the cute variations I can make. I have a bunch of little girls in my life that I would like to make this for. :)
The grand total comes to $99.75! So thank-you Craft Gossip! I hope my wish comes true! :)
