On my plate

I think I'm picking up speed. I have begun to DO stuff with what's on my plate instead of just moving it around and playing with it like a child who is face to face with a less than appetizing dinner. The past couple of days it has been straight down to the gym after work, then into the studio to do something...ANYthing. So far, the results are less than stellar, but there are bits and baubles to prove my hands have been working.

I made some paper beads the other day. I think they are really cute, though I have not decided what to do with them. It really was just something to get my hands dirty (or glue-y) again.

Hubby brought home a TON of scraps of paper from work several months ago. I decided to start small with these beads. A lot of it is too wrinkled to do much with, but it is high quality paper, so instead of tossing it, I will likely make new paper from it some day. In the meantime, I have these cuties to show off. I LOVE the tiny one in front that kind of looks like one of those old Renuzit air fresheners.
The super annoying thing is that I have lost it! The thing I made as a drying rack is just a sturdy piece of my handmade paper with some stick pins stuck through it. Then I put the beads on the pins to dry. Well, while taking photos this evening, I hit the paper, and everything went flying. That tiny blue bead is no where to be found. :(

These I made with some other scraps of paper and experimented with fancy scissors for the edging. I thought the brown ones reminded me of pine cones.

I also want to get some stuff in my etsy shop again. Right now I am in vacation mode so that I could use the summer to re-shoot some pictures. I REALLY wanted to have some new stuff, but have not gotten that far, as we all know.

I think I'm getting better with my camera, but now I can't decide...do I use a plain white background which makes exposure easier? Or do I stick with my old background that is sort of my 'signature' background which adds a little colorful interest to the picture? I mean, I want to sell the piece, not the background...but I want my stuff to be noticeable as 'my stuff'.

What do you think?

White background, or...

dotted background?

The strange thing is that the color of the bowl is closer to the color with the spotted background, but the background color is off of the original. The white is more washed out. Neither is exact though. I think I'll start re-listing things in a couple weeks though, so I can reopen the shop soon.

I'm in another 8 day work stretch so that I could get this coming Saturday off. We're headed to the county fair to see the Gin Blossoms on Friday and I don't want to have to be up at 4 the next morning to get to work. I'm planning on sleeping in and having an entire relaxing day with Hubby. But I may also start sewing!

I decided to check out some patterns at Jo-Ann's Fabric after work today, since it is just 2 doors down from where I work. It just so happened that Simplicity patterns were $1.99 each with the sale ending today. I found 2 pretty basic patterns I thought I'd be able to manage. Of course, upon opening the packages and looking at the instructions I thought 'why did I think I wanted to try this again??' It has been 20+ years since I last attempted to make a dress. I will also be using a very temperamental machine that I found in the attic of the house we bought. My theory was that if I could find a simple dress pattern, I could just make a few dresses to bring for our Vegas trip, therefore cutting down on unnecessary over packing and multiple pairs of shoes. Hubby and I are light packers. I don't think we have ever checked our bags. We are one carry on each kind of people. Although, we are flying directly...it might be nice to not have to deal with the overheads and cramped legs...?

Anyway, that project should start soon, I hope, but probably not seriously until after next weekend.

I got this one, because I thought I could make the sleeveless top, but in the longer 'mini dress' length, or as a cute top for jeans or capris.

This one is the best because it's just a simple dress that I think would still make me feel like I should be staying at the Flamingo waiting to see Sammy Davis, Jr. crooning with his pals while I sip my Manhattan. And, I think a friend of mine actually has the original pattern in her collection! (yes...Donna?)

I got a third one, too, but can't find it on their website. It's just another plain dress, but there's also a pattern for a little jacket to go over it. This may all turn into me saying to my friends, 'you want these patterns?' but I gotta give it a shot. I mean, with the patterns being so cheap and me sitting on a stack of sheets I never use, what's the harm, right!? :)

I'll keep you posted on my 'sheet dress'!

Until then, time for sleep!