It is so frustrating! I want to make new stuff. I have some that I can make new stuff with, but not enough stuff. I need more stuff! Gimme stuff! I want stuff!
Where's the stuff!?!
In more positive news, late late last night I found a place that sells some of the stuff I need for less than the other place I usually get the stuff.
Do you think I might have used 'stuff' enough? Maybe I should say it again: stuff.
Hehehe sorry y'all. think I'm starting to get a touch of the ol' cabin fever, maybe.
I do, actually, have some good news. The Frog Princess reached its destination! According to Kaelyn's mom via a Facebook post:
"We got mail! Kaelyn is gonna freak out! I think I am going to get the whole outfit together before I show her though :) love it love it love it. I'm jealous, lol"
So now we have first invoice, first sale, first shipment, and now first testimonial! Kaelyn's mom will send me photos as soon as she has some to send.
I am reaching milestones now so quickly! I mean, I haven't even launched the store yet, and already one sale and glowing review...I hope I can keep it up.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Speak to me, O Muses!
If I have a Muse, she whispered in my ear sometime this morning. After making those beaded medallions, and then pleating that green ribbon and sewing it to them, I laid the medallions on either end of a belt I'd been given and thought to myself, "Now WHAT?" Well, I think I know! I have some green satin that I could pleat and attach to the belt, framing it on one side, and then add some camel-colored chainette fringe (the belt is camel-colored) and voila! I may have a sell-able piece! <sigh> if I can part with it. I really do like those medallions...
Well, come on, May! I think you're going to be THE month. I hope to maybe at least schedule that photo shoot for the store this month, if not actually have it - I just need to coordinate with work, the model, and the photographer for that to happen. I have 6 pieces at the moment that are priced and ready for adding to the store - I just want them to look great when I post them!
I was given some beautiful fabric today for making HipScraps with, and after a tiny bit of research I learned that the fabric actually are head wraps sold by The American Cancer Society of America at their site, tlcdirect.org. They are far too big for use singly as HipScraps, but I think I can make each one into two or more (depending on size) HipScraps. They were given to me by my very good friend, Elena, whose mother recently passed away from cancer. The head wraps were hers - Dana's. Per Elena's request, one of the head wraps is reserved for a Gypsy costume she is building, and another she has asked I name the resulting HipScraps after her mother. The fabric for what will be come the 'Dana' is a lovely camel color, with a line drawing of twigs and leaves on it in black. I happen to know where to order some great beaded tassel trim in a matching camel color, or in black, so I think I'll be able to do Dana justice when I create the 'Dana' HipScrap(s).
Each of these head wraps sells at the American Cancer Society site for $18.00, and the price of the resulting HipScraps will reflect that. I have thought about it, and think it would only be right to make a donation to that organization, or one that Dana preferred, from the proceeds of any sales from HipScraps made from these six head wraps. Here's a photo of them all together:
I'd write more, but honestly, I want to get to work on that medallion belt idea - it's kinda burning my brain right now! More later, I'm sure.
Well, come on, May! I think you're going to be THE month. I hope to maybe at least schedule that photo shoot for the store this month, if not actually have it - I just need to coordinate with work, the model, and the photographer for that to happen. I have 6 pieces at the moment that are priced and ready for adding to the store - I just want them to look great when I post them!
I was given some beautiful fabric today for making HipScraps with, and after a tiny bit of research I learned that the fabric actually are head wraps sold by The American Cancer Society of America at their site, tlcdirect.org. They are far too big for use singly as HipScraps, but I think I can make each one into two or more (depending on size) HipScraps. They were given to me by my very good friend, Elena, whose mother recently passed away from cancer. The head wraps were hers - Dana's. Per Elena's request, one of the head wraps is reserved for a Gypsy costume she is building, and another she has asked I name the resulting HipScraps after her mother. The fabric for what will be come the 'Dana' is a lovely camel color, with a line drawing of twigs and leaves on it in black. I happen to know where to order some great beaded tassel trim in a matching camel color, or in black, so I think I'll be able to do Dana justice when I create the 'Dana' HipScrap(s).
Each of these head wraps sells at the American Cancer Society site for $18.00, and the price of the resulting HipScraps will reflect that. I have thought about it, and think it would only be right to make a donation to that organization, or one that Dana preferred, from the proceeds of any sales from HipScraps made from these six head wraps. Here's a photo of them all together:
I'd write more, but honestly, I want to get to work on that medallion belt idea - it's kinda burning my brain right now! More later, I'm sure.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Shipped!
Wow, I feel like an official business now! My first sale is complete! I went to the post office about an hour ago and shipped the Frog Princess. Miss Kaelyn will get it on Thursday, most likely, and I am sure she will love it. She's big into princesses, I hear. I really hope I get photos of her wearing it at Scarborough Faire - she and her mom live in Texas, home to many awesome renafaires, and Scarborough Faire is my most favorite. Then again, it was also my first renfaire, so I may be a touch biased. :P
Monday, April 25, 2011
An Apology
Everyone, I apologize. There's nothing less professional than venting about one's personal life on one's business blog. I hope you will forgive me.
So I received payment for my very first sale today, and tomorrow when my guy gets home from work (yes, work, he got called back in,) I shall hie myself off to the post office to send it off. I'm so excited! I really hope miss Kaelyn likes it! Ooh! That reminds me! I had planned to embroider her name on the inside of the band, next to the month and year that I already put there.
Now where's that pink embroidery floss?
So I received payment for my very first sale today, and tomorrow when my guy gets home from work (yes, work, he got called back in,) I shall hie myself off to the post office to send it off. I'm so excited! I really hope miss Kaelyn likes it! Ooh! That reminds me! I had planned to embroider her name on the inside of the band, next to the month and year that I already put there.
Now where's that pink embroidery floss?
Take a Deep Breath...
...and just breathe. Things will get better, we will be OK.
I need to 'ohm', I think. In the land of HipScraps, everything is chugging along nicely, things look good. I've made a sale, I have 'spec' inventory that I simply need to get photos done of to post to the store to launch it, there seems to be a modicum of genuine interest in the product...I'm positive, I'm optimistic.
Outside of the HipScraps world, things aren't so good.
I have a full time job, as a contractor, working for a very large, well known company, for their client, also a very large, well known company. I was hired originally last year on a one year gig with the expectation that I may be hired on full-time after a year or so. I'm not being hired on full-time - yet - and my contract ended on, of all days, my birthday. My boss tried to extend my contract, but there have been...issues...and I have not worked for two weeks now. I get paid weekly, so I have now not been paid once, and even if I get to go back to work this week, I won't get paid this coming payday, either.
Compounding this is that my fiancée also works with me, and is also a contractor, and also has been out of work for two weeks while they sort out the whole deal.
This means that as of today we have less than 25 dollars between us, and his bank will be charging him two overdraft fees by the end of the day today.
<sigh> Things will get better, we will be OK.
I try very hard to be positive, but sometimes I just want to scream and curl up in a ball in a corner. We filed for unemployment, but waited a week before we did, thinking we were only going to miss a day or two.
I am trying to keep myself busy, work on making more product, trying new things, but soon enough I will run out of supplies altogether and then I will likely freak out.
Sorry for dumping all this here, but I needed an outlet today.
In lighter news, I made a thing last night. Not sure what it is...sort of a flower/tassel thingie made of beads and fabric circles...I was just fiddling around. Here's what it looks like:
If I were to use this idea for tassels, it could possibly work. I could also see it as a hair thing, I dunno.
Well, that's all I've got for now, y'all. Laters.
I need to 'ohm', I think. In the land of HipScraps, everything is chugging along nicely, things look good. I've made a sale, I have 'spec' inventory that I simply need to get photos done of to post to the store to launch it, there seems to be a modicum of genuine interest in the product...I'm positive, I'm optimistic.
Outside of the HipScraps world, things aren't so good.
I have a full time job, as a contractor, working for a very large, well known company, for their client, also a very large, well known company. I was hired originally last year on a one year gig with the expectation that I may be hired on full-time after a year or so. I'm not being hired on full-time - yet - and my contract ended on, of all days, my birthday. My boss tried to extend my contract, but there have been...issues...and I have not worked for two weeks now. I get paid weekly, so I have now not been paid once, and even if I get to go back to work this week, I won't get paid this coming payday, either.
Compounding this is that my fiancée also works with me, and is also a contractor, and also has been out of work for two weeks while they sort out the whole deal.
This means that as of today we have less than 25 dollars between us, and his bank will be charging him two overdraft fees by the end of the day today.
<sigh> Things will get better, we will be OK.
I try very hard to be positive, but sometimes I just want to scream and curl up in a ball in a corner. We filed for unemployment, but waited a week before we did, thinking we were only going to miss a day or two.
I am trying to keep myself busy, work on making more product, trying new things, but soon enough I will run out of supplies altogether and then I will likely freak out.
Sorry for dumping all this here, but I needed an outlet today.
In lighter news, I made a thing last night. Not sure what it is...sort of a flower/tassel thingie made of beads and fabric circles...I was just fiddling around. Here's what it looks like:
Well, that's all I've got for now, y'all. Laters.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter, Eostre, Beltane, Whatever...
...or Zombie Jesus Day, even. I don't care. It's raining, so I can't give the kids their egg hunt like I want to. We're heading over to a family shindig...an Easter/Cousin Holly's Birthday Party - Party. So probably no HipScrapping for me today, just kid-wrangling and face-stuffing. Whee!
Have a good day today, everyone. Bite the ears off a chocolate bunny for me. Make sure it's a dark chocolate one, though. I hate milk chocolate.
Have a good day today, everyone. Bite the ears off a chocolate bunny for me. Make sure it's a dark chocolate one, though. I hate milk chocolate.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Major Mental Malfunction
So I just realized that I apparently have a major mental malfunction. Instead of rambling on and on as I did in my post yesterday, I should have been gushing and squee-ing my little heart out because...
I knew I'd made it already, but it wasn't truly a real sale until I sent a PayPal invoice out. Wow! I did it! I guess it really really won't be true until I get the money and ship it off, but I'm still so excited! Oddly enough, it wasn't an Adult Standard HipScrap - it was a semi-custom Teen/Child sized one that was initially going to made on spec., but an old friend from many many years ago in Texas saw it, and thought her dancing toddler daughter would love it, and so we chatted a bit and she agreed to the price it set! (Bless her!)
This is what it looks like:
So that's what all the delayed excitement is about.
Last night I found myself at odds. i don't have a lot of supplies, and having been out of work for two weeks while my temp agency and the company I work for sort out contract stuff, I cannot afford to go get more stuff...it's very frustrating. So after trying to distract myself from lack of work and lack of supplies by playing some Little Big Planet 2, I was looking at Facebook on my phone and saw some work that Benne Gezeritt DesignsCo was doing and thought that I ought to try it out, just to have something to do. I have a bunch of beads and stuff just sitting around from when I would make jewelry all the time, and I had a couple of interesting buttons that I'd bought because I couldn't not buy them when I saw them, so I did this:
So yeah. Made a couple of beaded medallions, but dunno what to attach them to. I've seen things like this used in several different ways in the belly dance world; headpieces, belts, and bra centers. I'm nowhere near making bras, so that idea is out of the question, but a belt seems more up my alley. Benne Gezeritt does lovely headpieces, and I couldn't even think of coming close to doing what they do, so a belt it is! ( I'll have to put links to everyone in a sidebar, as I expect everyone I have linked so far will get multiple mentions as we go on)
Today, I started working on another HipScrap - a Toddler sized one. Here it is so far:
I can't go any further without a certain blue beaded tassel trim that I don't have, so here it sits, pinned and ready for more embellishment. I really liked the way the gold metallic velvet worked out on another piece, so I'm considering getting silver or blue metallic velvet for this one, instead of sequins.
All, in all, it's been a rather productive 24 hours in the world of HipScraps, so yay! It started out with going to belly dance class, which is always a good thing, and ended with me at least getting something done. Oh! And and and, my dance buddy and fellow crafter of belly dance accessories (and other stuff, too!) was at class today and she's been a busy bee, as well. You will be able to check out her stuff on Etsy soon, but for now you can see her here.
Time to eat something, as I've not had supper yet. Taraa!
I MADE MY FIRST SALE!
I knew I'd made it already, but it wasn't truly a real sale until I sent a PayPal invoice out. Wow! I did it! I guess it really really won't be true until I get the money and ship it off, but I'm still so excited! Oddly enough, it wasn't an Adult Standard HipScrap - it was a semi-custom Teen/Child sized one that was initially going to made on spec., but an old friend from many many years ago in Texas saw it, and thought her dancing toddler daughter would love it, and so we chatted a bit and she agreed to the price it set! (Bless her!)
This is what it looks like:
 |
| Three chevrons of pink beaded trim laid under three rows of pink, sage, and butter tassel trim, with silver sequins on a pink cotton base with sage cotton edging and grosgrain ribbon. I managed to squeeze a teeny bit more of both trims into the very top, too! |
 |
| I embroidered the month and year in to the wrong side of the sage edging at the top, where a label might be, just to make it special. I think I ought to start doing that on all of them. |
Last night I found myself at odds. i don't have a lot of supplies, and having been out of work for two weeks while my temp agency and the company I work for sort out contract stuff, I cannot afford to go get more stuff...it's very frustrating. So after trying to distract myself from lack of work and lack of supplies by playing some Little Big Planet 2, I was looking at Facebook on my phone and saw some work that Benne Gezeritt DesignsCo was doing and thought that I ought to try it out, just to have something to do. I have a bunch of beads and stuff just sitting around from when I would make jewelry all the time, and I had a couple of interesting buttons that I'd bought because I couldn't not buy them when I saw them, so I did this:
 |
| I didn't sew them to the belt - I'm just playing around with what to DO with the darned things, now I've made them. |
Today, I started working on another HipScrap - a Toddler sized one. Here it is so far:
I can't go any further without a certain blue beaded tassel trim that I don't have, so here it sits, pinned and ready for more embellishment. I really liked the way the gold metallic velvet worked out on another piece, so I'm considering getting silver or blue metallic velvet for this one, instead of sequins.
All, in all, it's been a rather productive 24 hours in the world of HipScraps, so yay! It started out with going to belly dance class, which is always a good thing, and ended with me at least getting something done. Oh! And and and, my dance buddy and fellow crafter of belly dance accessories (and other stuff, too!) was at class today and she's been a busy bee, as well. You will be able to check out her stuff on Etsy soon, but for now you can see her here.
Time to eat something, as I've not had supper yet. Taraa!
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