simpletruths

Almost done!

I'm this close to finishing the first of my secret projects. Everything should be complete, and beautiful, and photographed (with my real camera - not just my phone) this week.

In the meantime...

Don't let the grandma-doilyness of the photo fool you. The cropped areas are hiding a big surprise.

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In other news, as the little Mr and Ms get older I'm being drawn more and more to the idea of house rules. Here are some of my favorites:

 

from: http://danielandbrittneydye.blogspot.com/2010/12/house-rules.html

 

from: Cool Wall Art

The final line in this one is "If it doesn't concern you, don't mess with it"

from: The Print Boutique

 

What do you think about house rule as a poster? Do you have written rules in your house?

Secret Projects

I'm working on three Top Secret projects right now.

 

Do you want a peek?

...

...

 

and....

 

 

and then there's this...

 

tee hee hee

 

On the horizon

With only one more week left in February, spring is upon us (although truth be told, it seems like winter JUST arrived here in the Bay Area).  I've been busy thinking, planning and working on the spring/summer 2011 items for the shop. 

It's gonna be fun.

more recycled t shirt accessories - necklaces, cowls, bracelets...

granny square fun - necklaces, key chain charms, bracelets...

beaded strands that can be worn as a necklace or a bracelet...

hair clips..?

rings...

 

As always, I'll make sure I have a few cowls and scarves in the shop for folks who are coming up to their cool weather season.

 

 

 

 

 

Granny square sneak peek

OK - here's a quick peek at what I'm working on. I'm loving tiny grannies right now

Who's your granny?

Wait till you see what I do with these granny squares:

 

Organized Chaos

This may look like a mess of yarn to most people

but to me, this is progress.  Take a look at the few close ups....

This little sparkly circles are going to be the brilliant focal point of a Christmas garland

 

One yet-to-be-stiffened snowflake

 

 

earrings galore

 

 

And I didn't even get into the assorted neck warming apparatuses....apparati?   

I also have a few new designs in the works.  No pictures yet but I can say that felt is fun :) 

Worker bee

I'll be posting pictures soon but I'm going to be quite busy over the next few weeks being my own worker bee because I have my first holiday craft booth coming up early December.

I have a little schedule worked out for the next 6 weeks where i'm basically working on something every night and during my commute. I'm reserving naptime on the weekends  for assembly (attaching buttons, glueing backings, and general finishing....)

  not sure if I'll make any more of these bracelets to bring, they haven't sold well (ok they haven't sold at all)

 

 

I have no idea how much inventory I'm going to end up bringing, but since I'm a one woman show I have to make do with what ever can be created with the two hands I have.

My mom did offer to help.  She's actually the one who taught me how to crochet - but she's going to need  crochet a refresher course (she doesn't knit)... on second thought, mom, maybe I'll just put you on assembly duty :)

 
I'm making these in multiple colors and sizes

Aside from the actual produts, I also need to get labels made for the button scarves(something I've been meaning to do for a while)...and a whole list of other stuff.

Have any of you ever had a booth at a craft fair? Any tips?  Lucikly, there wont' be a lot of competition as this is more of a company holiday celebration at which there will also be a toys of tots donation, games, music, drinks etc...I will eb one of a handfull of booths set up to enhance the theme.

There will be over 1000 people in attendance.

 

Working in miniture

Recently, I've been using my tiny crochet hooks recently to make these tiny little treasures...

bitty nests

rosette rings

 

pint-sized butterflies

 

  making things into rings

Finishing touches - in progress

This is the little drawer of almost complete little projects that I'm intent on finishing this weekend. Everything in here represents about 7 pair of earrings, 4-5 rings, 6 bracelets, 2-3 hair clips, and 6 necklaces.
 

That's a ton of work that I've put into this little box and it's all just wasting away in various stages of incomplete. 

 

It's Sunday night and I've already gotten through a couple of hair clips, rings and most of the earrings. We'll see how much more I can accomplish during our movie tonight and tomorrow's nap time!

Stay tuned :)

Double Pointed Dilemma

I've avoided them for a while but then I saw the most adorable newborn hat pattern ever on this blog.

Most of the hat is done using a 12" circular, but for the decreases you need to use dpns (Double Pointed Needles)....but I really wanted to make this hat.

so here I am

It's going - albeit slowly and the one thought I keep having is that people used to knit entire sweaters using only dpns. 

that's just crazy talk 

see...

I have been working on a few things

(those are my favorite hot tamale PJ pants) 

 

cute baby sweater (crochet) and the first few rounds of a little pink hat (knit)

Work in Progress....

photo taken after 10 week ultrasound

I know the posts have been few and far between the last couple of months but I've been a little preoccupied with the newest member of our family - who will be arriving this holiday season :)

I'm finally coming out of the first trimester fog and have started tackling fall inventory for the shop. Pictures of those to come...I'm also on a mission to find a killer peach cobbler recipe - so if you know of any, send them my way.

End of April WIPs

 

The beginnings of a large earring request. 

 

More bracelets. All I need to do is find the perfect buttons. 

This is the beginnings of a necklace idea that's been bouncing around in my head for a while now. 

 

Green rings on a chain.

 

Headband? Bracelet? Should I make one of each?

Recycled T-Shirt necklace (extra long). I just put this in the store.  

The colors of this one remind me of orange sorbet - yummm.
 

   

peripheral vision

Here's a quick glimpse of something I've been working on. 

 

 

WIPs

Here's some of what I've been doing:

This burgundy scarf is for the Orphan Foundation of America’s Red Scarf Project, that I'm participating in through craft hope. 

 

Each year over 25,000 students age out of the foster care system (having never been adopted). The Orphan Foundation is committed to helping them become tomorrow’s successful citizens. 

 

 

Then there are the bracelets (so excited for these).  These are three sets that I've recently put together.

  

  
 

And the coasters are coming along very nicely :)

The "not quites"

Like most people (I think) with a relatively compact hobby, I have a projects sitting around in various stages of 'doneness.'  I have projects I've abandoned so long ago that even if I wanted to continue them, I have no idea what the stitch pattern is, or what book it came from.

Then I have the WIPs, or Works in Progress. Most of those are in active rotation and won't sit in the bottom of a drawer or shelf. 

Then there are the "ideas" and the "materials."   By ideas I mean the stack (both physical and virtual) of patterns I've deluded myself into think I'll one day have time to attempt.  Like the cape I'm going to knit for Isaiah for halloween...riiiiiight.  

By materials I'm referring mostly to the bin of unused or partially used yarn currently sitting in the garage; materials also includes the cute storage boxes of fabric, from those ideas I had about making cloth napkins, and curtains for the kitchen and a runner for the table....yeaaaaaa - It's all in a box in the garage. Materials also includes the too-slippery yarn that's a too orangey -red for me to be even remotely pleased with it. 

Then there are the 'not quite right' projects that are finished, but, well, not quite right.    

 it this the top?

 or is this the top? Is it an earring or a pendant or a...yea, I don't know either.

I love making flowers.  I'm not sure what I was attempting to accomplish with those beads though. That said, I haven't taken it apart yet because it might work with something - I just haven't figured out what yet.

 This was a flower I started to make with scraps. two problems - even the scraps were too scrappy and I didn't have enough to finish. Also, unless I plan on doing a special set of products for the 4th of July...hmmm, that's not going to happen.

 This bracelet is almost perfect.  It's just a tad too big.
  

   

Knitting - round and round and up and down

 

 

Then there's the button dilemma 

not quite

 

...I just don't know

Behind the scenes of a product photoshoot

Any online site that wants to draw people in knows it happens first with pictures. And like any other site - I want my etsy shop to draw people in.  So, I put a lot of thought into my photos. 

Some people have photobooth-like set -ups with lamps and white balancing and the like.  Other people go outside and prop their wares on whatever nature has to offer - fence posts, tree limbs, etc.  

I have an extra couple of yards of linen I haven't gotten around to making into anything more useful.  Some people iron their background cloths to smooth perfection, but I think the cream colored linen lends itself to a softer more relaxed look; that and I tend to avoid any and all ironing that isn't completely necessary - I've been known to run the dryer a second time just to shake the wrinkles out of clothes that may have been sitting in the basket a little too long. 

Since the best light is usually during the little guys nap time, and product photography is just one bullet point on a long list of things I attempt to get done during nap time, I can't spend a lot of time on set up and break down.  I toss the cloth on the table (right over the fruit bowl and whatever else happens to be cluttering the table), grab a few props - ranging from a couple of kitchen mugs to Mr. Man's fedora, and go to work, 

 

This photo shoot features a couple pair of earrings with some wool roving-hand felted by yours truly, and a brass bead. I also did a pretty col wrapped bone ring right afterwards.  The above photos are the 'behind the scene's look"

These will be the actual product photos from that session.

 

this one hasn't made it to the shop just yet.  After looking at the photos, I decided a few tweaks were necessary

 

 The macro setting is my friend :)
 

Visual Proof

I just realized that It's been months since I posted a picture of any of the projects I've been working on or the things I've finished.

I hope to remedy that this weekend.  I've figured out a few things about my new camera and I've found a few nice spots in the house to set up a little photo shoot of sorts.

In the meantime, this will have to tide you over...

Rainy day thoughts

Having a bit of a panic attack of sorts.  The kind I know is silly and will pass shortly but, in the moment, quite urgent. 

I hope I’m a good mom.  I mean really, that’s a lot of pressure – much of it self afflicted. 

I also want to garden, and sew, and knit and crochet and cook and dance and play and teach and love and be loved and I, of course, feel like it ALL needs to be done right now. 

Oh, there’s just so much doing to be done. 

Almost every night, after the little one has been put to bed, and dinner has been eaten– you'll find me standing in the dining room, staring at the dishes in the kitchen, or the stuff I still haven't organized on the table, or the unfinished scarf/pair of earrings/hat….just staring. 

I know that I can only pick one before my mind becomes completely useless, but I'm steadily working through scenarios in my head where all three can be completed, if not simultaneously, then at least in rapid succession.
At some point, when my mind starts racing faster than I can realistically keep up, I hear this calm voice of reason “Julia, come sit down.”  And that’s really all I need most nights, to cuddle on the couch with my husband, a skein of yarn, a glass of wine and Top Chef from the previous night (what did I do before DVR?).
 
I know, I know I try to do too much. And then the thought of everything I want to do paralyzes me - until nothing gets done. 

This fall my mantra is ‘pick one thing’ 

 For now, the yard will have to wait.  I'm content just enjoying the walnuts and oranges - but come springtime it's on!

That one thing is etsy/artfire.  I hope to have a few pieces (earrings, button scarves, and knitted cowls) up on etsy and possibly artfire by the end of this month. Yea I know,  3 weeks isn’t a lot of time, but I've thought it out.

• I’ve been sitting on several pairs of half finished earrings for about a month
• I’d planned on doing a small local sales event of sorts on that day, but it fell through
• If I work on a little each day then it's plenty of time
• I’m not trying to stock my shop like I’m Macy’s; a few, well made items is all I’d like to start with.

But assuming someone actually wants to buy something – I’m looking for nice, inexpensive, packaging ideas…anyone?