Crunch time

This is a point in time when my ambitious nature gets the best of me because I'm actually acting on things and this is sheer trouble. However, I am managing to focus on one thing at a time so things are actually getting accomplished. On today's ambitious agenda I have to run to the grocery store to get the rest of the ingredients for the gluten free vegan cookies to bake, I have around 15 items on stand by waiting for the industrial glue finishing and this needs to be done before the 3pm which is the Santa Monica new mommies and preggos group meet up. After that I need to head to home depot and get the metal rod and wood rosette to create a base for the acrylic ring/bracelet display for thursday (<---ambitious). Then I need to find time to figure out illustrator and create my logo(<--- insanely ambitious) so I can then print them out on the photo sheets and cut them for business cards. On top of that I need to list the ingredients for the vegan pumpkin bread and vegan cookies cut those suckers out and get them on the packaging which I still need to get food grade cellophane from Surfas to seal the cookies in and I might as well get a display for samples of the pumpkin bread and cookies too. The time is now 11:40 I need to crack the whip!

Also I haven't been farting around this morning I had a somewhat pointless obgyn appointment with the male dr where I'm sitting around for 30 minutes then get the blood pressure test, pee in a cup, the dr checks the babies heart beat only to say everything's good which takes a whole 8 minutes, also this was with the male dr who is the partner of my usual obgyn and I don't care for him at all I can't wait to jump that ship and finalize the hiring of my midwife. Jason is getting hung up on the budgeting details and I'm just like f*ck it this is more then just money to me this is my peace for the delivery and health of our child.

Super Urber Busy

This week is crazy to say the least, I may be a part of a reality TV show providing it gets green lit, which I need any and all who read this to pray, send good vibes and other positivitys upon this endeavor. Also this week is the gift fair holiday boutique at EA so today I need to work hard on getting everything prepped and ready for this and I pray I make a grip of sales! I'm also still looking for someone to help me carry stuff since Jason is completely tied up this week. Also the day of the boutique is Jason and my 4th anniversary! Four years and we're having a kid! So along with all of that there is the never ending process of getting this place situated while breaking out the Christmas festivities. Most of these things I need to accomplish today and finish up tomorrow so I can finalize boutique preps and finish a few creations.

Oh and the really fun news is that I finally ordered a custom kimono from Sky Creations of which I have drooled over for a long time and will be good preggo wear! I can't wait it's to be finished in seven days! Here's what one looks like click on the pic to go to her page

and my kimono will look a little like this
for custom orders check out http://www.skycreation.com/

Ultrasound 11-11-08

Ultrasound 11-11-08
Originally uploaded by ye wenchie

Here's the most recent image of the baby upon this visit we found out that it's a girl! In regards to names I have one that I've settled on but the hubby finds it depressing although it means "to bring comfort." However everyone else who we have told has loved the name so there =P
Anyways in the pic she's getting big so you can only see her head and torso. She's healthy and very active I can feel her using my uterus as a punching bag, which happens more frequently in the evenings around dinner time. In addition to spending time with friends I've been doing the finishing touches on moving in to the apartment, and squeezing in some time for painting/ornament creation the first of these can be seen here . Within the next week I should have two sets of Holiday ornaments for up for sale in the shop.
Lately I've been in a much better and obviously more productive mood so my presence online has dwindled a bit. I will try to update more frequently once the apartment has become entirely livable with should be by the end of this week for a 24 tv movie party =D

Getting the Blagh out

Well actually I've been getting out more often and spending time with friends which has been a great help in getting my sanity back on track. I've also been baking a lot more, which tends to happen around this time because pumpkins are in season. Along with the baking I've been thinking about offering some of these goodies in my shop such as vegan and gluten free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies which is an option that no one is offering on etsy at the moment and to my surprise these are being well received by non vegans and non gluten free people.
I have lots to do such as repairing my mother's(in-law)necklace, painting, gearing up for the holidays and an opportunity to sell at a consignment shop. However these things are still on hold for the time being as I'm not back to 100 percent yet but I anticipate that I will be soon.

Bleak - A Rant

Well I'm laying low for a bit I just feel creatively blegh and a little preggo sick still =/ which I'm going to see someone about or I may just get acupuncture if it can be afforded. But my sales are doing terrible right now, and it sorta spurns on the blaghness, because I do take pride in my work by making sure things meet my high demand of quality. However, I guess most of my skills are going towards culinary delights of which I will be serving to my mother tomorrow who is to be home on crutches for two weeks. Also some of this blaghness could just be from pregnancy stuff with the crazy hormonal imbalances and such.
I'm also pretty sad right now because I have no halloween costume and I love dressing up =(. I also can't wear my default victorian/steampunkish costume because corsets and being 4 months pregnant don't mix unless you can find or afford to have an authentic preggo corset made. Though what I really wanted to do for this year was master the art of wearing a real kimono with a tied obi, which can be bough at the massive Marukai, but sadly that will have to wait because of a lack of sales =(.
Anyways to end this on a good note I did my first yelp review today on Funnel Mill you can click here to see it.

Aloha goodbye

Jason and I arrived safely in LAX at 8am thins morning (redeye flights For The Win) with my left ankle(which has two metal screws in it) painful and swollen =/ I slept most of the way home so I didn't move my legs around as I should have which can cause blood clotting while being pregnant because of the increased blood flow. Right now my ankle is elevated and I'll see if it improves over night if not I get a field trip to the Doc tomorrow =(
My time in Hawaii was great and crappy as well. For some reason my body does not like Hawaiian food even if it is vegan =/ but I did alright with veggie sushi(ume shiso and natto rolls are a new obsession since albacore is out for now) which unfortunate for me was not really near where Jason and I were staying (which was at my brother's house). Other then that being pregnant puts a damper on things while Jason was out partying with the bridal party and other wedding guests I was at my brother's place reading The Graveyard Book. So needless to say I didn't get any quality with my husband(besides sleeping) because we had to be chauffeured by someone since we didn't rent a car =( which was a bad idea at times. But the one fun thing I was able to do besides walking around and shopping on a super tight budget was snorkeling and finding a sea turtle which was great and there's a whole back story with that and my first trip to Hawaii when I was 5.
The main highlight of the trip was my brother's wedding. Which I must say was beautiful and Lindsey (my new sister) looked very lovey They rented a beautiful beach house for the bridal party and the ceremony which worked out really well and made things a lot of fun. There was a threat of rain which actually passed before the ceremony and high winds which worked to give the wedding a mystical appearance with Lindsey's veil flowing elegantly with it. Most of all with this trip it was great to be able to know Lindsey more and meet her great family and their friends as well. It's always great to see most of the family gathered together and I was able to meet my Uncle Dee (my aunt Teresa just re-married a year or two ago) and other family members I don't get to see that often. Although the wedding guest list was small(because the trip to Hawaii is expensive) I personally thought and felt that things were more meaningful families joined together as if they always were, new friends were made and everything that meant the most worked out beautifully.

Uneventful Appointment

We did not find out if the baby is a boy or a girl today as things were rushed at the obgyn office because of the delay in the Dr's arrival so all we got today was paper work for more blood tests(which I need to take in 2 weeks) and to hear the baby's heart beat(sounded like a techno beat to me). So no new pics as there was not time for the ultrasound =/ but in 4 weeks we will find out the details ;)
In other news I finished my brother's cuff links and I think I shall make more like them since I have not come across anyone else making ones like these. Also for the time being I shall not reveal them until I make a second pair because I want something in my shop so people won't harass me to make them a pair =P Anyways I pray that he likes them and that they will fit well as they are a bit on the large and odd shape side. Jason gave me the thumbs up on them so I shall trust his opinion.
In other news I will be in Hawaii for my bro's wedding this week, and we leave early weds morning and we will be back late on Sunday. I still need to update my shop announcement and stuff but that is all for now.

Last Night

I was able to attend the Graveyard Book tour here in Santa Monica it was a fun and unique event which started out with a Vincent Price impersonator, who did an ok job but I was most pleased that he mentioned Vincent Price's cookbooks of which there are two, one of which I own and is worth $100 ^_^. But back on the details of the event Neil Gaiman then read a portion of the 7th chapter of the book. Along the tour he has been reading a chapter starting from the beginning to the end which is available online you can find the links through his website http://www.neilgaiman.com/. after the reading clips of the Coraline movie were shown and it looks great he choose to have it done in claymation and it will be shown in theaters using the new 3d technology. After that was the Q&A, of which no question is treated like a dumb question and he answered them with complete sincerity and wit.
One of the many admirable things about Gaiman is that during the Q&A section he mentioned how he packages his own scripts (packaging means he chooses and attaches a director most likely some of the actors as well to the script).
After the Q&A he gave a reading of a prayer/poem that he wrote for Tori Amos when she was pregnant it's called Blueberry Girl and he saw it in print for the first time at one of his stops during this tour. It's a really lovely poem and I want a copy of it being pregnant and all ^_~
Needless to say it was a great event, Neil Gaiman was as charismatic as usual and to be expected, and I purchased a signed copy of the book the perfect Oct read.

Relief

Yeay for sales which helps quite a bit so I can now get at least some alginate, which by the way is an enviro friendly non toxic mold making compound that is derived from seaweed. Which I will be using to remake wax versions of my hair sticks. I was also thinking of making a new mask for Halloween using the alginate, I found a tutorial on www.artmolds.com (where I will be purchasing my alginate from) which is an amazing website for casting stuff and its making me get a bit too ambitious. My ambitions get me into trouble by making my Wenchie etsy shop too eclectic =/

There is a lack of

Sales V_V nothing has moved this week I still have a bunch to list but I'm being lazy about it because I'm not feeling the love. But! I am however not puking! Second trimester here I come!
So this week I've had a bit of a problem because no sales = no supplies to finish these unique ambitious creations I have floating about. One of the most frustrating things is the fact that I never got the molds for the hair sticks I made for the lost wax class which has set me back quite a bit in time and more so in money since I need to buy some sort of mold making material to make another wax casting of the originals. The hair sticks I make have always been decent sellers but the wood bases in my area have run out and it looks like they are unable to get more of the same type =/ that's why I'm making my own but out of metal. I was able to track some down online but I need money to get them.
Rant session is over
Other then feeling better and not puking I was able to deal in some culinary arts by making some delicious Vegan Banana Bread with Pecans and the ultimate Vegan Breakfast Sandwich (hash browns, grilled tofu patty, soy cheese, and tempeh bacon between two slices of toasted whole wheat bread)
Also I've discovered that I'm officially off of gaming hiatus I can enjoy playing video/computer games again it feels so good to be back in the habit, I miss you Guild Wars!^_^

Here's the latest creation the Moon Bat I will try to get it up this evening:

Fascinating !

Lately I've felt inspired to make a few things and I bought supplies (on etsy of course because I'm not going anywhere with how bad I've been feeling) to facilitate my inspiration instead of unpacking and organizing the supplies I have currently. Which I must say is bad but I do have to dig through my supply swamp for some bits but that still fails to get it organized. Anyways I made a little steampunk Halloween pendant pics will be posted once it's in my shop, and I am making a pair of cuff links for my brother which will have a bit of a military flare since he's in the navy I just pray that they are not too big because they will be on the larger side for cuff links.

Now for the Fascinating part since I'm going to Hawaii for my brother's wedding on Oct 16th to the 19th I've been doing research on what I can actually do while I'm out there being prematurely pregnant and all, as Jason and I were actually going to work on getting me pregnant while in Hawaii. Back on to the topic at hand, what can I do while in Hawaii? The only thing that came to my mind as safe was snorkeling so I thoroughly researched it and came across and interesting article that said this about dolphins click on the text for the link,"Using echolocation, similar to an ultrasound, a dolphin can tell that a woman is pregnant, and anecdotal evidence suggests dolphins may pay more attention to pregnant swimmers." I had no idea that dolphins would be able to detect that. They are some crazy little critters! So really besides eating, light walking, and snorkeling/swimming there isn't much else I can do no surfing no kayaking no parasailing, no rides on power boats, ect ect ect. Right now I just keep praying for the "morning" sickness to leave me be.

Still

I'm still dealing with the morning sickness =( supposedly later this week as I enter week 14 of pregnancy it should be over... I pray the vomming will be over! So enough whining, I found out yesterday that as I'm at the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy that I should not be sleeping on my back as the weighted uterus can block crucial blood vessels to the baby and lower my blood pressure. I found this out while trying to find some at home exercises I can do that are preggo safe, upon looking up sit ups or crunches this is what I came across Click Here

Sorry for the delay

My computer was exiled from the internets for a span of several days per order of the hubby and I had to lobby to get them back on. (Actually the hubby was trying to make the wireless more secure and take care of other issues) On top of that the all day "morning sickness" decided to rear its ugly stomach angering head once again. But other then that there really are no other excuses besides that I'm a lazy blog neglector. Blog neglect is a serious crime and should not be taken lightly =(

Now for the update



That's the new ultrasound pic that was taken last week at 11 weeks along. Although you can only really see in the pic that the little one is bigger in the ultrasound we could see it's fully formed hands and feet if which it was using to do the Curly shoulder spin or rug spin which was really cute and entertaining and even the obgyn was surprised at the little ones vitality. As of yet the sex cannot be determined but on the next appointment which is right before Jason and I leave for Hawaii for my brother's wedding. Of which I need to make him some cuff links as a late b-day present.

Which brings me to the last part of the update which is with my creations. From the move my crafting supplies are still in disarray so not many new things will be made except for this one as I have catching up to do on getting completed items that have been floating around for a while listed. Then I get more items up in the supply shop and make more sales before I leave in Oct.

Back in business!

The move is finished and things are still being sorted out and put in their places but the best thing is that I can get back to making and selling things =D I have some really exciting projects to finish up as I got the last components for them arrived right before the move so I'm really looking forward to getting back to these secret little accessories I'm creating.

Other then that the new apt is great so Jason and I have the second bedroom as his office/my mad crafting space. However this place has its little quarks which I have decided is a subtle homage to the Winchester House. What exactly are the quarks? Well they mainly deal with the sliding glass doors out to the balcony. The word "doors" is not a typo as there are two that slide into each other where as there is usually only one that slides, and the other side is a glass panel. So to aid in this confusion the screen door is on the wrong sliding glass door because there is no space for it on the side that it is on. Lastly to make things more complicated there are no handles on the outside of either of the sliding glass doors so getting back in is complicated to say the least (yes I almost closed myself out on the balcony). Needless to say things like this highly amuse me, but I will fix the screen door and the handle dilemma. There are also other subtle mistakes in this place but they can be easily taken care of by me and are not as amusing as the sliding glass doors.

Tomorrow I go in for my second obgyn appt to check on the baby so another ultrasound should be done tomorrow.

Moving Mayhem and the Aftermath

After much packing last week Sat was the truck rental and the big move. We kidnapped a mexican from U-haul who was the Übermensch in disguise as he carried very large and very heavy items with ease for his slender build. In addition to that he was a hard core motivator who showed us what lazy and weak Americans we are (like little kittens, or girly men) of course that didn't apply to me as I'm in Preggo Exempt status and we were sure pay him very well for the torture of our moving hell. I would highly recommend kidnapping this particular mexican if you are in the Santa Monica area as he totally kicked our butts and did a super fine job and speaks fluent english, however I can't remember his name but he is out at the U-haul on Lincoln daily so I'll have to ask him for a refresh on that.
So during that George and Lori came over to help with packing and Lori busted out the nightmare of a kitchen.(I cook nearly every day so there's a lot of stuff and its usually dirty because Jason doesn't help with doing dishes, a problem that will be resolved with mister dishwasher machine). So continuing with the move we still had a bunch of stuff to pack and no boxes so I had to put items away in the new place to free up the boxage. Sunday rolled around and we had Benson help us out as there were still a ton of boxes. Our ex-neighbor to be (the nicest neighbor, and I'm not being sarcastic) commented that it was "the move that never ends" and she certainly was right! I one bedroom apartment was packed like one of those mini clown cars where 50 clowns come out when it seems only one midget should fit in it, or more like how Jesus fed five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish.
At the end of Sunday we still had more stuff to move which was completed on monday with a huge pile of stuff (clothes electronics pretty little things ect ect ect) for Salvation Home Pickup to take seriously it was huge and I should've taken pics. The salvation army gents came over this morning to take the items they would have taken a lot less (only the items that you call them to take) but I played the preggo card without meaning to and they took most of it cause they were cool peoples. Alright the next course of action is getting the rest of the stuff out which was a 16mm projector, weights, coat rack, desk, bookshelf, and a computer monitor. The only things that are left are the desk and bookshelf and they will go to the street for someone to feel like they are stealing but they are really free.
Anywhoo we have a cleaning crew coming over to the old place tomorrow to bust out the dust and fur (it's such a mess OMG) but the moral of the story is don't horde useless s*it.

Oh and we don't get the internets set up at our new place till Saturday so Jason and I have been leaching off of Funnel Mill which should have closed an hour ago but they are so kind that they stay open for us lame people who keep them here an hour past closing, seriously this place is the Heaven to our moving hell.

V_V

I now have an idea of what bulimia feels like as since yesterday I have been unable to keep food down. Liquids are ok if taken slowly and same with the soy yogurt I've been having in the morning. I despise vomiting and I don't like the fact that it comes with being pregnant. Also so far I've been the only one able to pack for the move as Jason has been really busy this week, and the packing is not going very fast with the way I'm feeling. This is just a really crappy situation.

We're Moving

Thats right we're moving a lengthy 4 miles from our current one bedroom place in the Palisades to a spacious 2 bedroom place in Santa Monica a decent area just not quite as nice as the Palisades of which I shall miss =( but the new place is in walking/biking distance from the places we frequent. This move will take place next weekend so sending out orders may take a bit more time.
Moving while I'm still in the first trimester is harsh and the packing of my supplies and product is going slow. I still have a bunch of items to list mainly watch movements for sacred supplies. I did however, get three creations up in my regular shop:

Earthly Pendant


Sultry Rose Brooch


Bell Flowers

Ultrasound pic

Ultrasound pic
Originally uploaded by ye wenchie

Click on the pic to see a bigger version.
This is the picture from the first ultrasound, the forming baby is in the red ring I drew in, and we could even see the little flutter of a heart beat which was very cool.

Today the morning sickness was too much and I vommed today has been by far the worst with the morning sickness and I had to get a nausea prescription which is something usually used for cancer patients but works for morning sickness as well. I'm also supposed to take a break on my prenatal vitamins, of which I have ordered natural organic ones that should be gentler on the tummy. and are less expensive then the prescribed ones.

Slow Going

I managed to get a few movements up on my supply shop Sacred Supplies, Other them that nothing. =( I've been hit with the morning sickness and a sinus infection which leaves me feeling nauseous and air headed all day. On top of this we're going to be moving soon, actually at the end of the month so things will be even slower during that time. It's really aggravating not being able to get anything done. Anyways yesterday I had the first appt with the obgyn and with the ultrasound got to see the little flutters of a heart beat with the baby. I got pics and I will get around to posting them um sometime. It's pretty crazy and brings this to a whole new level of reality.
Well I'm off to try to feel better.

Ugh

I will get some items up in both of my shops this week I have been feeling exhausted and blagh because of being pregnant but supposedly this should be subsiding soon. I've also been busy with the pregnancy stuff trying to find a ob-gyn that is more holistic minded which sadly is tough to find. Today I spent the day cleaning the stove. I cook almost every night and it hasn't been cleaned for well over a year so it was quite a mess. Also I cleaned the bathroom which I didn't even finish before feeling extreamly exhausted because I don't have an adequate brush for cleaning out the grout as I have an old tooth brush that I've re-purposed for cleaning.
I also had a great chat with Kieu today and we whined at each other for about an hour =P.
Other good news is that I have items back from the lost wax technique class and I'm working on finishing them to a nice mirrored polish before I post pics of them ^_^

I also need to begin getting super serious about the business side of things and keeping precise track of expenses and such which I am terrible at, such is the burden of the artist =(.

Other news is that Jason and I may be moving within the end of this month to a two bedroom place so I have a bunch of items to try to sell and get packed organized ect.
I'm so busy for feeling like I'm not doing much. I hate having my shop upkeep prowess thrown off by this =/

Brix is a Jerk!

Pirate Brix
Originally uploaded by ye wenchie

Yes the terror of the high seas (household) created quite a commotion on his luxurious and relaxing vacation at the California Cat Center, while Jason and I were off in New York celebrating our mother's birthday (actually my mother-in-law but she awesome so I prefer to drop the in-law part) and that I'm pregnant.
So back on the terror for the first time he decided to attack a woman for the first time at the Cat Center and bit her pretty dang hard too I'm very thankful that she did not have to get stitches but Brix has reached infamous bastard status and did this for no apparent reason either. So I need to contact his previous owner and try to get his vaccination records =/ that poor woman. He has bitten and is usually only aggressive with men so this really sucks and there are a ton of health concerns for being bitten by a cat as they harbor some very harmful bacteria ect in their mouths, but the owners of the California Cat Center are very gracious women and are willing to give him one more chance at the original Van Nuys location. Of course he had to be reported to the state as with any aggressive animal and we have to do a rabies quarantine on him.

Very Rare Indeed

I have an item of which I thought was a movement from a pocket watch but it is actually from "a gas light night clock." Here is a bit of the correspondence from an awesome gent with the Waltham Database Tom McIntyre,"Thanks for the pictures. Your “watch” is actually part of a gas light night clock. It was fitted with a milk glass dial and a bracket that held it in front of the flame of a gas light...The movement was made in 1896."
This item is pretty hard to come by considering that I have never heard of such thing. Also this clock still wants to tick so I need to hunt down someone looking to restore one, even though this movement is missing the gears for the hands which were made specifically for this clock only.

I've got Diamonds Biotch!

Actually I nabbed some really nice lots of watch parts and several of the fancy watch cases have little diamonds in them =D these lots cost much less then the worth of the diamonds. One case will be going to my mother in law for her b-day this weekend and the other two will be snazzed up and sold on etsy.

Welcome to my Insanity: Symmetry vs. The Watch works

Ladies Bondale pocket watch face
Originally uploaded by ye wenchie

There is something wrong with the roman numerals on this watch face and it tugged at my intrigue so much so that I had to see with this is all about. What is the problem you may ask, I shall put it simply! The representation of the roman numeral four is wrong! Instead of the correct numeral representation IV it is IIII which seems quite self-centered if you ask me ;)~
Moving on with this simple problem there is a simple and positively compelling reason behind this numeral treason that is based in artistic aesthetic of symmetry. Which is something that compels or restrains me in my own works of art. The four represented as IIII balances the dial with the eight VIII because eight is the heaviest numeral or the numeral containing the most strokes which would set the symmetry of the dial off "balance." Thus the four has taken up the slack in restoring the balance, and to tell you the truth I would have done the same thing!

The Precious' Of The Pirate Wenchie

There's this one watch movement which of course is of the captivating Elgin brand and upon my research last night here's what the serial number revealed Click Here. My little precious is from 1905 =D I did a little dance and blabbered to my uninterested husband. In my hands I held a piece of equipment 103 years old and it is nearly pristine (one of the top silver gears has been replaced or scratched to heck so the etched design is gone). I will be taking pics then turning it over to be sold =( but for now it's my precious!
Which has got me thinking my treasures are and have always been antique items because of the pure artistic nature of them which lacks in this fast mass produced blandness of a world we live in. However even that can be appreciated in a way but it lacks a soul the personality an artist can give to their work. I subconsciously believe that when I create something I breathe life into it. A piece of my soul gives life to my work and I feel that with the artwork I admire I can see it's soul as well.

Another precious thing to me is my sacred coffee shop funnel mill which shall soon be over run by yuppies and hipsters =( which is good (the place shall stay)and bad (over crowding). Funnel Mill has just been voted the best coffee/tea shop in all of LA by the Los Angeles magazine =D and so this shall be revealed once that publication comes out (I know this before hand because I'm a regular) but as a symbol of gratitude they will be offering the Kopi Luwak (poop) coffee with a $20 discount of $40 a cup.

Here's a snippet of what Funnel Mill has about it and click on the image above for the full story.
"Kopi Luwak coffee comes from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, an area well-known for its excellent coffee. Also native to the area is a small civet-like animal called a Paradoxurus. That's the scientific name, but the locals called them Luwaks. These little mammals live in the trees and one of their favorite foods is the red, ripe coffee cherry. They eat the cherries, bean and all. While the beans are in the Luwak's stomach, they undergo chemical treatments and fermentations. The beans finish the journey through the digestive system, exit. The still-intact beans are collected from the forest floor, and are cleaned, then medium-roasted and ground just like any other coffee."

So Sleepy -_- zzZzZzZZZzZzZzz

I have succeeded at not getting done what I had wanted to get done today. What has been done is taking my car to the shop and it's going to be a shiny new radiator for Jeepness. Yes I named my Jeep Wrangler her full name is Jeepness of Fury =D and I figure cars are like large mechanical pets, you feed them, clean them and take them to the Mechanic Doctor when they are sick. Which means Jeepness is having surgery omg my poor car!
Now enough of my insane banter from being very sleepy, I tend to research my items pretty heavily and fill my brain with useless knowledge which I shall from this day forward share with those who may so happen to stumble upon this blogamigigger.

I recently wrote of acquiring my grubby little paws on a fabulous lot of watch parts with are cases, bands, movements, watch makers vials, amazing tins, and other fun things. So most of the intact movements I will be selling and I like to know what I selling so I've been doing research on the brands and the history of wrist watches in general which I found out women were the first to wear wrist watches or wristlets as they were referred to at the time, where as the watches were decorative pieces more like bracelets and even as I've found brooches with the watch set upside down so the lady could peer down and not have to fondle with her bosom trying to peer at the time. The reason behind why women lay claim to wearing the first wrist watch has been said to be because of the women's rights movements and women moving towards being in the work place. This essentially began in 1848 when the first official Women's Rights Convention convened and push ahead in the 1920s with the 19th Amendment allowing women to vote.
Men later too on the trend starting with the first world war. Here's what a site on the history of the Gruen Watch Co has to say about it,"Most men saw wristwatches as being extremely effeminate and continued to carry pocket watches. Things began to change after the military on both sides used wristwatches during the First World War. When huddled in a muddy trench or flying an airplane, a wristwatch proved to be much more practical and convenient than a pocket watch, and was easier to protect from damage. This helped to remove the wristwatch's feminine stigma, making them acceptable for men to wear in civilian life. However, most manufacturers, including Gruen, were careful to call them "strap watches" since "wristwatch" still sounded effeminate to male customers."
Those are the interesting tid bits I found out today and I look forward to getting the movements up on my Sacred Supplies shop tonight.
Here's a list that I worked up of the brands to expect:
Bering Watch co
Benrus Watch co inc
Beverly
Bulovia Watch Co
Englin USA
Etna Watch co
Glycine watch co
Gruen Watch co
Harman Watch Co
Helbros Watch Co
Klasons Watch Co
Liban Watch Co
Libela Watch Co
Louis Watch co inc
Mildus watch co
Rensie Watch co
Royce watch co
Winton Watch Co

The Motherload Has Arrived!

OMGWTFBBQWFSLOLSFCROFL LOLZERS

I won this ebay auction and it's a huge lot with the most amazing things a 1950's "standard" broken high school clock that I just dismantled. Guilty Pleasure: I love destroying things to see how they work but I won't do that to working pieces or heirlooms. So the second part of this lot are Watch Parts! A ton of tiny amazing whatch parts in amazing vintage tins like an Underwood typewriter ribbon tin (I have never missed my underwood typewriter more then I do now I should have kept, it I was 19 when I let go of it). I also just found a watch face with jewels set in it which I have to see what they are. OMG I'm in over my head =D

Bringing in the new

"Bring out the ol' bring in the new" strangly one of my fave lines from The Hudsucker Proxy <---I love that movie<

Here's the scoop on the new items click on their images to visit the listing in the shop:
Rosebud Steamworks Bracelet

Since the earrings were so popular (and I have no more matching french hook ear wires in stock to make more)I made a bracelet which I tested for two days first without the watch gears then with them in.

The Gentleman's Tie Tack Lapel Pin

I really love how this one turned out, the texture of the button reminds me of a lizard skin texture and something for a refined yet adventurous gent. I used one of the left over button portions from the Industrial Gape Leaves earrings, and then topped that with another metal victorian button then a watch gear.

Gear Simplicity Tie Tack Lapel Pin

This was one of those pieces that made it's self where as the gear fit perfectly in the crevice with a little gentle hammering after I removed the top section of the 2 part vintage plastic button. Then I secured the screw head(from a broken clock I dismantled)upon the top.


So there you have it more items will be up later today!

PHAILED

phailed
Originally uploaded by ye wenchie

I've totally phailed, failed so bad it's spelled with a ph! Well my efforts to being productive have been halted at every turn.
I finally finished my acting resume and found out that my hubby took the usb cable to the printer so I had to spend 20 minutes combing through our disaster area of an apartment to find one which I did! So I got them all printed and the stapler we have is retarded so I have to calk it like a shotgun each time I make a staple with was 40 times 4 staples on ten sheets of resume + headshot. Mind you the hours of the agency are wonky so at that point I'm running low on time.
I got the shotgun stapleness completed and run around like a psycho in a padded room to get everything together to nail out a bunch of tasks today. I get out to my car and there's a nice little puddle underneath. I proceed to set down my items and inspect the leakage it's anti-freze the nice green stuff that animals like to kill themselves with because it's sweet. I proceed to my apt grab kitty litter so no animals attempt to drink the stuff ( plain clay kitty litter is great for cleaning up oil vomit and other nasty chemical spills =D ). Back at my car I shake the litter al over the puddle, unlocked the hood checked the radiator hoses which one could be tightened as there is the slightest hint of a leak at the top, then I got down as low as possible because I'm dressed nicely but in black so it's not too big of a deal. and noticed the lovely green anti freeze seeping from the while bottom of my radiator yes my dear friends I most likely have a crack in the sucker. My plans are crushed and my bank account is looking pretty bleak.
Needless to say this day is a frustration fest, but I’ve had worse days and I still being productive with other things and last night I uploaded more items to my supply shop so I may get a few in my regular shop today but I'm not to sure about that now.

Sporting the Goodies From Figments and TotusMel

Sporting the Goodies From Figments and TotusMel
Originally uploaded by ye wenchie

The earrings are by TotusMel(Click Here) and the necklace by Figments (Click Here). Two very stunning items from Steamteam buddies.

(My messed up teeth bug I got to get them fixed again V_V stupid retainers being breakable)

New items in my shop soon I promise!

Last week was havoc on my presence in the internets, but that doesn't mean I have not created anything during that time. I have 9 to 10 items to get in my shop today and tomorrow. Lately I've just been really tired and some what depressed and that has led to the neglect of putting things up in my shops.

So what to expect?
I will be putting up bracelets for the first time 2 of them! One I've had for a long time and I just haven't felt like putting it up till now it is a part of the Elegant Deco style the other matches the Rosebud Steamworks earrings there may be a necklace in the future but don't count on it.
One ring (for now another is in the works)several pendants one necklace, hair sticks, tie tacks, and the top secret item has been changed to another top secret item which happened to be finished last week and the second top secret item is in the process of being finished. I have cuff links to work on and lately I've been on a filigree wrapping kick in part because of the lovely czech jewels that I purchased from a most amazing steampunk jewelry designer and supply seller Katrina's Treasures

Max update: Max hates and literally fears the meds V_V I feel so bad having to give him his meds because when he sees the syringe filled with clavamox or the pill he has to take he cowers in a corner =( it's like torture to him. But he's being really forgiving about it and doesn't hold it against me.

Back onto makin things!

I have been working on items while fussing over my cat so far I've made 2 lapel pins 1 pair of another one of a kind hair gear hair sticks and a really lovely unique pendant and a secret item that I shall not reveal until it's up in my shop! I also carved a hair stick so that I will no longer be dependant on the lack of the wooden ones in my area. I and perhaps with the help of others have managed to clean out all of the black lacquered hair sticks within my area so there won't be any new ones for a few weeks. The metal ones cast of course will be more expensive but that is to be expected.

Other good news I got more supplies today in the form of a beautiful desk clock that I got from ebay. Sadly it has been dismantled (insert scream of horror here) however, as beautiful as it was it did not work and was missing the pendulum at the bottom for it to tick and perhaps some other parts as well =/ So it will be getting new life in jewelry, accessories, and perhaps collages. I really hate destroying such lovely items of antiquity but I paid for it by not being smart and wearing gloves so the spring cut me on my finger and knuckle it's not bad at all but my harp lesson tonight will be painful =P

Max Update:
He's feeling well enough to resume his morning duties of waking Jason and I up in the morning. I still gave him fluids and of course the ever hated meds. I'm going to try to get a pic of his clavamox face tomorrow.

A very sick Max getting fluids through IV

A very sick Max getting fluids through IV
Originally uploaded by ye wenchie

Max has cholangiohepatitis poor boy is really sick but thankfully he is getting better. I have to administer fluids to him which involves sticking a needle in him =( Brings me back to over 10 years ago when I was practically doing vet stuff.

Jason and I were able to bring him home on Tuesday he's on five meds =/ and the fluids as pictured. He's been a little dizzy but he's getting around just fine and he even played with a peacock feather last night! So he has a few weeks of being on the meds and then a check up next week. I'm so thankful he's doing better

Max update

Well we just heard back that the blood tests have shown its an issue with his liver =(
Were getting an ultra sound done on him to see if they can find out if it is from some sort of infection, cancer or something else =( . As of now it looks as if he may be rivaling Brix ($3000 to $4000 dollar cat) for the most expensive cat of the household.

Max is a very special cat to me I partook in his recuse when he was 4 months old. He was a little kitten hanging around a car repair shop had his whiskers cut off and had grease stains all over him. After he was cleaned up I found out he was a pure breed chocolate point ragdoll which is a cat breed that I had admired at the cat show I worked as a steward at. He was the first cat that was actually mine (Jazz was a birthday gift for my brother but she declared herself my cat she's, been gone for a long time now), so he's been raised and taken care of by me for the past 10 years. When I moved out of my moms house of several cats I took Max with me but he was depressed because there were no other cats so that's when I got Ruby(Ru) as a friend for him.

V_V

I've had quite the day today well first I had to get up early 6:45 am early because Jason was working sound at Mosaic this morning. Then the highlights were a Dim Sum lunch and seeing Get Smart, which is excellent, an all around enjoyable movie, and sadly reminds me Mel Brooks, who created of Get Smart, is not going to be around much longer. And this brings me to the cause on my anxiety and worry is that my cat Max is not doing well right now. He's been vomiting since last night and today when I got home he was unresponsive to sound or sight he was acting disoriented and out right abnormal and has a fever. I'm thinking it my be slight heat stroke combined with something else, but I really don't know. I'm really worried about him he will be at the pet hospital over night and well get more info tomorrow.
As for tonight Valerian will be my bedfellow so I can get some rest and take care of things tomorrow.

This is my Max cat

Crazyness

I will begin with the bad news one of my pieces that a customer purchased broke V_V which makes me sad because that is a hassle for them and it makes me feel really bad because I really take pride in my work. Needless to say, I am researching other methods for adhering the item together so this doesn't happen again, and I'm kinda going into insane research mode which is forcing me to do more metal work. It's a good thing but I don't have the space or the money to invest in the necessary supplies or supervised instruction to really do it correctly. However the instructor of my lost wax technique class is a Blacksmith (with a studio space in Venice Beach) so I'm going to talk with him today and see what he has to say and if he also teaches classes on Blacksmithing (I wanna make swords and sharp pointy spiky things =D )

Well I have a ton of things to take care of this week (or month)and this is the list!
-Finish the Actors Reps resume and get that in on Thurs
-Buy a dremel tool and bits to drill through metal
-Flush out and finish the pieces that have been sitting around for a bit (Mr Dremel will help with that)
-Prep pics and do the write ups for the items I need to list (most are done so there's only a few left to go)
-My mom's birthday is tomorrow and the gift will have to wait(funds are at a critical low)
-Finish sorting buttons
-Continue on the organization of the living room/workshop (the never ending battle)
-Work on paintings
-Work on art nouveau clock project
-Work on "D-Grey Man" Munny (I'm an anime nerd)
-Chores and more chores <---intentionally last on the list =P

Voting Season is Open

The first Etsy Steamteam contest is now in full effect! The voting is well underway Click Here to place your vote!

On The D.L.(Down Low)

I've been out for a bit but that does not mean I've been flaking on creating new wonderious things!
I shall keep this short as I need to take care of my semi-neglected shops, but click on the pic below to be magically transported to my Flicker acct so you get the full scoop on the noobs(new items which are yet to be listed that is)

Time Flies...when you are having fun

Time Flies...when you are having fun
Originally uploaded by ye wenchie

This is my entry into the first Etsy SteamTeam contest which was create something around the phrase "time flies."

Originally this was going to just be the painting but then yesterday I got a little ambitious and decided to step up my game and make this an actual desk clock. My ambitions proved successful as the pieces I had on hand and the clock mechanism fit perfectly, as if they belonged together ( there's that phenomenon again). This was created out of my acrylic painting on canvas, a brand new clock mechanism, a vase holder from this handmade wooden clock I found at the thrift store. (there's a hole in the back that leaves perfect access for the battery and time adjustment of the clock ) There are a total of 8 gears on this guy one is sectioned into four pieces as corner embellishments with watch gears set in the centers, then the three at the top with the centers still in.

On to a description of the depiction! I wanted to convey the concept behind the phrase "Time Flies" but without the cliche of adding wings, for me that's just too easy I needed a challenge. So i decided to depict a clock face with the passage of time (based 12 hours) all at once, which has been displayed in my typical radial fashion, and then with the ghostly clock hands falling in the background. I added the gears to add more of a frame at the top for the piece, where as the wood piece was a little low for my likes, and I had to add the gear corner embellishment to tie in the gears at the top.

Fantastic!

I have accomplished 5 pieces in my lost wax class all of which will be sent off for casting tomorrow! Yeay!
One is a spike thing two are of shells one is a shell and then the signet ring. I'm getting two of the pieces cast in silver the spike thing and the shell! With my class I have mastered getting a smooth surface with the x-acto blade which is a great thing but I can't seem to be able to carve shapes with rounded or complex edges yet so I will have to work on it and waste lots of wax in the process V_V
In other news I have nearly completed my entry for the Etsy SteamTeam challenge! and It became more complex then what I had first imagined it to be. I must say it has become one of my insanely unique pieces much like the infamous winged chair. I am curious to see how it goes with people as I feel like a very mad mad crafter Mua ha ha...hahahaha...ha!

un-named pendant or necklace

un-named pendant or necklace
Originally uploaded by ye wenchie

I just finished this piece and I may add a silk ribbon for it to be a necklace. This is yet another one of those pieces that sorta built it's self. I had the filigree part at the bottom on but then I had to find the perfect pieces to tie in with it. When I first started working on this it was not intended to be of the lolita style it just happened to piece together that way.
A lot of work went into this pendant as well where I had to clip and bend the filigree then clip a slim brass strip (a clicky thing on the large gears I have) then remove th back of the Victorian button and flip the background piece so it looks brand spanking new.
(Tangent Safari: I've had a delima with these stunning Victorian buttons I have and using them with in my jewelry because I have to destroy the historical integrity of them which makes me so friggin sad. However, the back of this button used was loose already and the back, before I flipped it, was pretty gummed up so it found a home on this pendant. End Tangent Safari) Beneath the button is a gear and beneath that is a full filigree piece of which the section at the bottom originates from. The bail on the clock hand is another random clock piece and in the hole of the clock hand on the back is a little watch gear that fit perfectly. Then I was farting around with these awesome raw brass bows that I got from Epoch Beads and it went great as the top of this piece except there are no loops at the top so I had to figure that out and my bails that I got a while ago happened to fit perfectly over the bow I had to contour it to the shape of the bow a little too. But seriously those pieces belong together they were meant to be.

Yesterday's Listings

Here's the new items up on etsy

Pirate's Pike Earrings
They are a bit pricey because I had to remove the loop at the top of the skull and crossbones charm. Then carve out the back portion of and widen the skull charms so they would sit correctly on the spikes. All of that paid off to make a wickedly good pair of pirate earrings.


Elegant Deco - Chandelier Earrings
I've made several pairs of these before I started my etsy store but I've had to update the design with doing actual wire wrapped loops pricey again because of the wrapping work, sterling silver wire, and the fact that swarovski's are a b*tch to deal with I cracked one on this pair and had to discard it and redo one of the dangling bars.


Lately I've been in a wire wrapping mood and I'm planning a bracelet with some faceted turquoise beads and I have a matching bracelet for the Elegant Deco set but for some odd reason I just haven't put it up yet. On the flip side I'm working hard on the steamteam competition piece which is an acrylic on canvas painting! The contest is titled "Time Flies" but I decided to do my piece without the use of wings as a challenge to myself so far it looks pretty good and pics will be posted when it's finished.
I've got 5 jewelry pieces that need to be assembled and a horde of items to list in my destash/supply shop. On top of that I need to turn in more headshots and reformat my resume for the acting stuff and get that done by tues then I'm eager to see what I learn next in the lost wax class I should take pics of the ring before I send it off too!

Success!

I've got myself a casting agency! I've just gotta spruce up my resume and then I'm set for some real work. (side note: in LA when you say you're an actor people ask you, "So whats your real job?" heh) So I still have things to take care of with that and I will have more time for plotting things and wire-wrapping but less for listing so I really don't know if my shops will suffer a bit...but I pray they do not.
On to my next order of business, I now have over 80 items in my shop! Here's the two new steampunk items listed today:
The Gear Heart Locket Ring


Industrial Grape Leaves Earrings


More items Elegant Deco earrings (I've made these, and sold them) even before I had the etsy account but I just got around to making more)I will also be getting the Pirates Pike earrings up as well.

The first class

The first class of the lost wax technique went pretty well we started with a sand paper technique although I feel better working with an x-acto knife. So the first item I made was an iron cross signet ring ^_^ it's lovely and I have plans for it, fun plans for it muaha ha ha ha!
I just uploaded two pairs of earrings up on etsy Ephemere's Earrings and the LAPD Bling earrings. And I am to antsy about the casting company audition tomorrow to get anything done today, it's making me all scatter-brained and such. V_V

Slacker!

Or not...I've been posting pics of these wonderful military inspired pieces but they are not up on etsy yet (The Empyreal Pendant and the Esteemed General's Emblem and a new one pictured on my flickr account)So why am I stalling on getting these guys up? First off I love the Empyreal Pendant so it's mine, for now! Also I'm figuring on doing something different and much more then just a military themed line of jewelry and I may need to do a collaboration on this as well. I'm working out the details and I need to get some feedback from my trusted sources before I move forward and get people's hopes up with bs which I've sorta done so far with saying I'm going to post these items =/. So it shall be a while before those go up and if this project goes through It will be very exciting. I honestly ave been a slacker in one thing though and that is making my official shop logo =/ which I will try to get done this week as well as a half finished painting for the SteamTeam competition. Other things I'm excited about is my lost wax technique class starts this evening, and I have an audition for a casting company on Thursday afternoon! Please wish me luck send happy thoughts or prayers with these things!

Once again

the things of this world have kept me busy and I have neglected my blog. I've been working on pumping out more Gear Heart lockets and I may make a Gear Heart locket ring how much fun would that be! So I'm looking forward to creating it as well as dabbling in with the lovelies I have gotten off of that seductress known as ebay! Items that should be listed by tomorrow are the long awaited posting of the Esteemed General's Emblem


This fun button ring

The Regal Lion Cuff Links

Lastly this fun little tie tack lapel pin


I also have a key pendant to work on it is to be called Victoria's(Nike's) Key also one more item I need to get on the Etsy is Ephemere's Earrings which are amazing and photos of them have been very had to get right but I will get them up there!

Fun Etsy Stuff

I'm feeling better and to top it off I got an Etsy Treasury! These things are tough to get and I happened to be in the right place at the right time (in front of my compy) Here's what it looks like


They only last for a few days so it's gone now.

However, I'm still all proud of it and stuff =P

Breaking News

My stomach hates me and in angry protest has denied food. I currently have the Pepto Police standing by to keep the protesting in order. However, earlier this morning a fiery rampage let loose but it is now somewhat under control once the Bismol division of the Pepto Police stepped in. The protest rages on but it should subside within the next few days.

I haven't been sick with a stomach flu like this since one incident 14 years ago. I generally use sheer will power not to vom (as when Kieu and I had minor food poisoning from unhappy sushi) but this was too much. My stomach is still really irritated so I;m not eating any solids right now, just sticking with the water and peptmo.

Overwhelmed!!!

I just got so many goodies today I don't know what to do with them I'm all stupid excited pawing through my treasures right now. I was able to finish one item today a steampunk military themed one and I'm indecisive about another. I still waiting on several items so I can finish a few more pieces then I can let my brain meats run free upon new creations. I still have several items to put up and I'm getting so behind, especially since I'm in the process of setting up a destash shop on etsy. I've got to get rid of the stuff (clutter) that I don't use anymore and items that I don't need that came in lots. I've got so much to do!
Upon my new obsession, which actually has been dormant for a while, is military themes (part of the reason why I drive a Jeep Wrangler)and this is being channeled though the steampunk stuff. Yeay for goodies!

Ru doing a happy dance

She's a weird and insanely adorable cat but she does this when she's happy and in the kitchen. Usually she can do perfect somersaults but she over did things a bit for the camera what a poser =P

Lots

I've been very busy lately I have 9lbs of vintage buttons (there's hidden goodies in this stash too) to sort through a destash/supply store to set up, I had to move all of my supplies because we're getting a new table that has arrived as I sit down to eat my dinner. So on the previous post I've committed to what I'm going to be doing next and that is learning the Lost Wax technique I'll be taking classes at Otis and I'll save the other thing until I've accomplished it. Other then that last night Jason and I did a shoot for a very talented singer/songwriter named John Torres and Jason being the awesome person that he is was able to get a Red Camera but the best part is that the operator is a pirate he had an eyepatch and a bald head (Pirate!!!). SO it was great went over well and after staying out till midnight I had to wake up early and drop off the stuff we borrowed from people this morning. I'm so tired.

How Inconvenient

So last night I got a piece of crappy metal plating in my eye I couldn't get it out so I slept on it to let my eye work it out naturally but that didn't remove it either. So this morning I had to miss church and go to the ER to get the thing removed (it was lodged in my eyelid but at a spot where it didn't scratch my eye, thank God for that) to make it to my mother's place for celebrating mother's day. Fortunately the UCLA ER is awesome and they took care of things fast, gave me a tetanus shot, my eye still hurts but I don't have s tiny flake of metal jabbing it from my eyelid.
I hate crappy plated metal partly because if you just slightly bend it the plating turns into dust and pops off of the metal(like it did into my eye). Also it wears down way to easily dealing with having to go to the ER just makes me hate it more as I try my best to go with quality products that last a long time substances are just out right crap. I know I'm a jewelry designing snob but now I need to get me some goggles and you bet they will either be steampunk or cyber goth/punk.

Cryptic for now

This is a big week in all aspects from the multitude of creative dealings to finally making a solid decision on what I push myself into next. I feel like I'm taking over the world in a way. I'm finally breaking through the confines of my subconscience fear of success and heading into the vast unknown due to my nature I am almost certian to succeed. It feels like several pieces in a puzzle are coming together all at once.
Ok so enough with the fluffy writing I've got some exciting things going on right now which will be touched upon in depth once they are fulfilled. Other than that I'm making things like the mad crafter that I am, and I'm totally focused in getting these items out of my head and on to etsy. Which has led to blog neglect but it's worth it for now my goal for the week it to have 80 items listed. YATA!

Seven Items and More Interesting things

Today was utilized in the completion of seven items six of which are the long awaited steampunk style ones (which were sitting around waiting for supplies to arrive) and one is sorta neo-victorian. I will be getting all of these up tomorrow and perhaps even finish the next chastity in chains necklace and get that up as well in addition to that I just remembered that I have another version of spiked earrings to put up too. Geeze I've been busy in the past few days.
Also the steampunk petite locket is a hit and I plan on making more of those little guys and perhaps one for me too ^_^ but I dunno.
Going on with the conscious stream of thought writing....I had to remove the Pulchritudinous Gear Pendant because I can't find it at the moment =(

Now on the other interesting things...
I was farting around with the Geolocator thinggy on etsy and the only other person listed in my area is a person who lives in my apartment complex and has taken pics showing an outside wall of my apt (how scandalous =P). She also has three kitties and I sent her a convo on the site. It's pretty amusing how things are funny like that.
This is all for now oh and I shall leave you with a sneak peek at one piece:

Other News

Today I received shocking news actually it's not shocking but someone in my family supposedly found someone else selling my items (or something like them) at a very high price. However I am awaiting to see any proof and on top of that the fam is telling me my items are priced too low. Why must pricing be such a challenge V_V I don't want to screw people and I don't want to be pricing my work too low either I do put a lot of effort into what I create so I dunno it seems to be a never ending battle.
Anyways I have much to do tomorrow in making my mad creations, and then there's this short film I'm trying to write so much to do so little time.

I've fallen

For steampunk..... so this is the thing that I am currently obsessed with now, however it may be more then just a fad. I am really enjoying playing with the broken clock/watch machinery bits and pairing them with lovely vintage or vintage looking pieces of filigree and other embellishments. I love to make one of a kind pieces and this is the greatest outlet for that whim. It's almost like painting a picture or, for a better analogy, putting together a wearable collage. When creating these pieces it's almost like they create themselves where as pieces fit perfectly only with very specific pieces. For example I've had a brooch waiting for the perfect piece to finish as the focal and today I got in my supplies from Epoch Beads with some amazing consolation pieces (OMG I love her!!!) anyways one of the extras was a unique vintage plastic heart that just so happened to fit perfectly as the focal so now that item can be completed. I have been racking my brain for weeks trying to place something as the focal and the focal comes by pure chance (it really seems more than just by chance).
Along with my supplies from Epoch Beads (I would so give her a hug if I could) I received my supplies from Just Peachy Designs another really nice seller that I adore and got a really cute hand made box from her as a thank you gift (which I shall order more and perhaps use for packaging as promo for her shop). Back on to the topic at hand I got gears little and large a purely wonderful mix and several of them have already been used to finally finish some pieces a key pendant which will be set on rolo chain and a clover pendant.
I finally finished another steampunk necklace which was awaiting my trip to the Bead Source for some rolo chain and a clasp (Gasp it's amazing I love it but it must be sold)and tomorrow I shall finally finish the brooch. For tomorrow I also need to make another Chastity in chains necklace I've been flaking on the wire-wrapping.

Etsy Highlight: My Favorite Supply Seller

I love to experiment with jewelry, which is often creating something completely new or outright unique. Recently I have been sucked into the buyer mode addiction on Etsy which has further pushed me to experimenting with some very unique and usually vintage supplies. These are items that I've only found through the supply sellers on Etsy.
I look for supply sellers that sell vintage items because of my love for the unique and hard to find parts. I love vintage items because there seems to be more integrity with the quality of the work put into the piece, it has a nice rustic look or a lovely natural patina sheen.
The first thing I look for in supply sellers are the images. If it is one thing I value the most with being Etsy Tutored by Kieutiepie is that you need to take pics that view every angle of a piece. With supplies this is crucial because I need to know what it is that I'm getting since I can't see it first hand. Supply sellers who consistently do this are on the top of my list.
The second thing I look for is what the camera can't capture, a good description of the part. This is when a seller becomes a true sales person. What is the object made out of? What are the measurements? What style is the piece? Why should I buy this item? Also some sellers like to include what the item can be used for which is something that should be included in the descriptions as a selling point.
The first supply store I've purchased from which fits the bill precisely is Epoch Beads with great photos,fantastic descriptions, well priced items and shipping, super friendly, and most of all a sleuth at finding unique vintage items. Also with all of that that Epoch Beads hard work with images and descriptions has really paid off and shows with a whopping total of nearly 14,000 sales in only one year.
Below are picks of my favorite items from Epoch Beads.

Flying Cars and Almond Butter Together At Last...

http://www.quailoaksranch.com/faq.htm#Who_is_Moller_International
Yes the people from Moller International are leading the charge for an environmentally friendly flying car http://www.moller.com/ but something more accessible than that at the moment is their amazing heirloom certified-organic almond butter.


As the story goes (which they used to have up on the moller website) Paul Moller knew that creating the flying car was going to take a life time of work so be began to do longevity studies and ended up at almonds. However for the almonds to be effective you have to eat a large amount or have it crushed into almond butter were as you are eating "22 whole kernels in one oz." So the Mollers researched almond butters "We have also found after studying the process of making almond butter that organic or otherwise, it is generally made from almond remnants and bulk producing varieties. This sounded to us like a poor recipe for what could be a premium product." And thus Quail Oaks Ranch began mainly for them but as with any good product they could not keep it to themselves so they began selling it. Quail Oaks Ranch is still a small operation with Jennifer Moller taking care of most of it as well as doing other things for Moller International.

Upon trying their almond butter compared to other leading organic-certified brands it is really better in balance of flavor to the light addition of sea salt and the almond chunks in their chunky style almond butter. The flavor is robust not dry, as the Whole Foods fresh crushed almond butter tends to be, and the sea salt adds a prefect amount of salt to the natural sweetness of the almonds. I highly recommend the chunky version as the creamy tends to be a little thin, which is my only dislike with this product but it could have been batch specific. My other dislike is that they went from glass containers to plastic but this is my personal preference of glass over plastic.
At the moment they have the creamy and chunky styles and are planning to have a raw variety, but they could use some feedback so they know there is an interest for it. So this review has made me remember to order more as my almond butter supply has run out, for more info on this product check out http://www.quailoaksranch.com/.

The Good and the Bad

I'm stuck in Orange making pendants, sales and getting my car worked on. The bad thing is that my car has been way over due for a tune up and I had fuel leaks 2 fuel leaks and a ball bearing that was about to release my front left tire in a crash of highly dangerous glory combine wheel falling off with fuel leak and I most likely would have had a car explosion (SCARY.) Needless to say I'm getting everything taken care of since I'm only in orange a few times a year and the only car mechanics I trust (Titan Automotive) are out here. So the price for the repairs is $850 (YIKES) but compared to the places out in LA it is a great deal. Also I had no idea as to how I was going to pay for the repairs until I got some checks in the mail yesterday (Kieu Family and I went to Lancaster to see the poppy flowers and stopped off at my place to feed the cats and get the mail on the way back.)
So everything has worked out in an unplanned but more than a coincidently manner funny how these things happen.

Now on to the marvelous inspirations and creations!
So my latest fancies have been wings then for a brief time rings and now I give you ringed wings!

I am a mad crafter and proud about it!

So the latest creations are angels in rings as earrings and pendants, these stunning ringed dragonfly earrings. Then I had extra rings and some recycled jewelry crosses and I made ringed crosses =D

I'm also working on my pearl necklace with the crimps but I will most likely change the clasp =( and shorten it to make it more of a choker length.

Today is Today

Let me start with saying I love the Dattebayo trolls the HDTV Bleach is awesome.

Now on the real stuff, today I cleaned up a bit and swept under the couch but because I dropped a whole strand of pearls mixed with sterling silver spacers which made me cry and then clean. Fortunately I found all of the sterling silver spacers and missed a few pearls somewhere =( but the floor is nicely swept.
The bat topped hair sticks can now be seen on etsy and getting the ring up is a pain because for some reason purples do not come out well with the camera and correcting the color is a nightmare because I have terrible color perception, (which makes me wonder how I manage to paint with colors, then again I do stick with vibrant colors) but it will be up once I can figure that out.
The things I'm working on today are a different color of vintage lucie flower hair sticks. I bought some more dye and they have been dyed a bright blue. Also right when I was running out of my supply of these guys (I only have one more pair of flowers after these blue ones) I happened across some more yesterday. The other item I'm working on deals with the strand that was dropped and it is a lovely necklace with my second attempt at using crimps; the first attempt was 10+ years ago. SO as I'm making this necklace I'm being super careful and over cautious with the crimps and crimp covers with which I'm using dainty amounts of glue to make sure they are totally secure because I really don't like things breaking or sitting wrong ect. Being a perfectionist is quite a burden V_V. Also with in the typing of this I came up with a bracelet to match the necklace so sometime in the near future I must visit beads beads.

I hope that my babbleings did not hurt someone's brain today as it seems to be all over the place.

Concept in progress

Lately I've been on a wing kick, which promptly followed the chain tassel fad, and I had a winged hair stick concept floating around in the synapses of the right side of my brain. Then today in my wanderings of Santa Monica (did you know there's a farmers market there today...I didn't) I did happen upon 2 top drilled metal bats waiting for me to snatch them up calling and beaconing me to complete my winged hair stick concept and that with their help I have.
They should be on etsy by tomorrow I so excited I want a pair for myself but there were literally only 2 bats there and on top of that I have cleaned out the places that sell my hair stick base =( I may have to lacquer some of the plain ones myself but that makes the price go up =(

A Sneak Peek at the Bats




^^v^^ <--- It's a bat

Hello?

I've been away for a bit playing behind the "Orange Curtain." The ring I created is now a full fledged prototype sterling silver and round vibrant purple freshwater pearls and I plan on making more. I've also decided to make a few angel earrings some other metal beaded earrings and I'm working on getting more hair sticks up.
That is all.

Hell Froze Over

I am convinced that this happened because yesterday I made a ring and what is more surprising is that I want to make more.

Have you hugged a homeless person today?

Yes well yesterday I did, which kicked off the beginning of a day of awkward moments. While I was getting bead supplies a homeless guy walks into the store and starts asking for money which I promptly said Nope. Word of advice when dealing with the homeless try not to give money (unless they sell you something) but do offer food useful items and most of all speak with them as an equal human being they need their existence to be acknowledged.
Ok so back to the story the guy then asks for a hug which are always free and plentiful. So yes I gave the guy a hug why not? http://www.freehugscampaign.org/

After that Jason and I had to go help a buddy at the echo park film center which is an awesome place and organization. A little too much on the radical side of things but still an organization doing some great things. While being there a Jew walks in (yeah this sounds like a bad joke) and asks in an urgent if anyone there was Jewish the guy at the desk said "What?" kind of thrown off by a Jew in traditional Jewish dress was asking if there was a Jew in the house. So the guy at the desk goes to the back room and asks if anyone is Jewish and the reply to the Jewish gent at the door was a no.
Then after that Jason and I saw a pre-screening of Expelled at the DGA theatre with Ben Stein, the producers, and several of the scientists who appear in the film.
Expelled film review:
This is one of the best documentary's you will ever see and I say this just with the quality of the work. This really puts documentary's as something that should be seen in a theater rather then something on the discovery or history channel. There was striking attention to details in the film making, the intro titles are amazing and very creatively done, the camera work was done really well, editing and combination of the stock footage gathered and used was amazing.
With what the film is about Ben Stein really does play devils advocate in a purely innocent way playing against both sides in a long standing argument of Darwinism vs. Intelligent Design (This is NOT "Creationism" there is a difference which is made clear in the film), science, the current limitations of freedoms, and the Holocaust.
Ben Stein is a very witty, frank, and interesting person who pairs sneakers with nice suits.
End of review
Really I want to go off on a tangent right now about the movie but I will stay on the topic and not write a novel.
So after the screening there was a panel of Ben and the producers except one of the Scientists got up on the stage taking the seat of the main marketing guy. The scientist guy is a bit eccentric and talked a lot for someone who was not supposed to be on the stage. Yes awkward moment number three however, the scientist did have some brilliant views that were welcomed.

The Internets

do not look favorably upon me today =(


but I was able to get two new items listed on etsy in an hour and a half V_V.
It's 2:30 am so I'm going to retire and then write about the adventures and ackword situations of today well 2 and a half hours into yesterday.

ZOMG

Yesterday I walked three miles and I am sore! I will keep this brief as I have a mass amount of hair sticks to make,this is the season for them! But I have three necklaces to put up on Etsy, two earrings, and the hair sticks once they are finished setting. To compensate with the current demand the price of the simple spiked ones has been raised.
Back to work for me ^_^

Out all day

Jason and I were out all day today first to find a replacement bulb for his car which was a bit of a wild goose chase to find since it's a, omg expensive, $115 zenon light bulb which needed to be replaced since we got a fix it ticket V_V.
After driving across the city in search of the allusive bulb we went to give an electric guitar to Damien an awesome hair stylist who we do trades with, mainly Jason takes care of his computer stuff and Damien does our hair but we've had the guitar sitting around unused so it just made sense. After a bit of lunch we went to look at less expensive even more gas efficient cars so we can save money on Jason's car payment. Speaking of gas efficient, Tesla Motors http://www.teslamotors.com/ the fist American company to make a really nice fully electric sports car is getting close to opening their show room on Santa Monica Blvd off the 405 I want one but it's $100,000 just slightly out of our price range =P. Gah gas is getting so expensive, $50 to fill Jeepness' tank!

On to the art work update, yesterday I finished the painting for Mosaic and it can be seen on my flickr account. I have two pearl necklaces in the works, four pairs of hair sticks 3 spiked, 1 with the vintage Lucite flowers. I still have to get one necklace and two bracelets up on etsy. Also I didn't care much for the last pair of earrings to put up and I'm going to figure a different design for them.
My future plans are to do more paintings until more of the jewelry begins to sell, but I will most likely go the ACEO route to get me in to being more disciplined with my painting and perhaps even do a little every day.

Ouch

I just cut myself scoring spikes for hair sticks so you can't say I don't put my blood sweat and tears into making these items =P Anyways the Hello Kitty bandage I put on it makes it all better.

Painting Finally! Sort of

I'm catching up on items and as I catch up I seem to be selling more. However I've finally got The Wind and the Rain giclee on canvas reproduction up on etsy. Which is the second item in the painting section yeay.
So today I painted at Mosaic I did not finish it and I sorta messed up which is something I really try to avoid doing, it's such an inconvenience! V_V Well since it's acrylic I can fix it easily, but it's something to be expected upon dabbling with a bit of a different technique. Gah how frustrating though!
Anywhoo, tomorrow I need to go pick up more hair stick supplies which are my best sellers so far. I have a broad spectrum of items I make so figuring out what people gravitate to the most so quickly is great!

Insomia Breeds ideas

Last night Jason my hubby went to go visit his ill grandmother in Pittsburgh and I hit up Mitsuwa Market for some seared albacore (excellent with grilled or fried onions and ponzu, which is soy sauce with lemon)and sake. Then I camped at home and watched anime(sushi+sake+anime = a relaxing night), and hit up the etsy forums into the wee hours of the morning until inspiration seeped into my brain. Its as if the dark of night had invoked a muse and the sudden urge had befallen upon me to create. And of that urge I did give creative birth to the Black Hearted Vamp necklace. Its simple it's elegant it's dark and based on the 1920's flapper/vamp style.
Actually I just did the focal point of it which is the chain tassel and heart and then I finished it when I woke up this morning. I spent a good 5 min of frustration chasing a piece of chain around to top of the heart in numerous failed attempts to close the chain ring to hide the sterling silver loop at the top of the heart and while in the process I was thinking of how my perfectionists stubbornness causes me grief and that I am a mad(as in insane) crafter to be putting myself through such frustration. I did get the chain ring finished and I love the look of the necklace I pray others will as well.

My goals for today are to get the 3 earrings I made while acting and the Black Hearted Vamp necklace up on etsy.

Dreamcatcher

I just posted a dream catcher that I made in middle school. Making dreamcatchers was one of the first crafts I really did compulsively with my technique of tediously wrapping embroidery floss around he edge of a 5 in in diameter ring. Also it was the first things I made in custom colors and sold. I haven't made one since my freshmen year of High School but I still have plenty of supplies to make more which I may end up doing if the one posted sells fast. Well actually I should create more anyways because I have so much in supplies left over and I make them without the use of animal products. The dreamcatcher can be seen by clicking on the image below.

Sales and other things

Last night I posted the Vegas Spikes and Dice hair sticks along with the Blossoming Cube(Grow Cube)hair sticks. The Blossoming hair sticks sold instantly and went along with the Crown Jewels. I pray that who they are going to really likes them and that they are throughly sturdy. Its something I fret about and this along with making sure that they get there alright of which makes me want to over package, which I prevent myself from doing constantly due to cost and environmental reasons.
Speaking of environmental stuff I have discovered the best vegan lunch meat-like item its a brand called Field Roast and the smoked tomato flavor is the best! I just got some today its so yum and I'm going to have some marshmallows after I have another slice of the Field Roast deli slices.

Back on creations I'm gonna use sculpy clay to make a pillow stand for Vamp and perhaps make some jewelry with it. I'm still slacking on painting but I will be painting on Sunday and that is a small canvas so It shall be finished in one sitting and that should help me get more motivation to paint. I'm also figuring on doing some mixed media paintings or going the ACEO route but we shall see.

Kieu's birthday is on the 17th I've got to get her a gift now what to get her...decisions desisions...

2 Up and several more to go

Yesterday I was able to get the Princess bookmark and the Nightlight necklace up on etsy. The details on the items can be seen by clicking on their images


As of getting those items up I still have a giclee on canvas painting reproduction, one necklace, 3 earrings, 3 hair sticks, and a bracelet to post. Also with the meeting I had last night I will be painting at Mosaic, along with 4 to 5 other people, in the lobby on a unique project.
I've also forgot to mention that my photos have dramatically improved because of Kieutiepie's help in teaching me the ropes of doing the whole etsy thing, so I am very thankful for her and her help! Also Kieu's birthday is this week so don't forget to buy something from her!

Fun Music Video Thinggy

This is a great program these people put together I am very impressed and more so that it is free!

What a weekend!

I had a fantastic birthday weekend thanks to my hubby, Kieu, Benson, and everyone else who came out to celebrate my birthday on Sat. Jason tricked me into thinking we were going for sushi and we went to this wonderful Moroccan place called Marrakesh. They had great food and belly dancers. One kept wiggleing at Kieu LOL.
Speaking of which Kieu made me a giant stfu Roboxunny http://kieutiepie.etsy.com with purple eyes and a a date stamp on its bottom! Also it has a pouch of which Kieu hid a necklace I love it and I have to color correct photos of it and post them on rauu! Benson got me an awesome box really it's a wine box but it's awesome oh yeah and there was some wine in it. Actually smoking loon and a really nice reserve desert wine. Jason got me devil may cry 4 oh the gaming goodness!
Vince and Mchelle made a beautiful bouquet of lilies and lavender roses and Damien the owner and hair artist of The Scene salon did my hair.

Sunday was interesting and the details can be seen on my flicker account by clicking on the pic below


Other than that we went to Madeleine Bistro http://www.madeleinebistro.com/ which is the only place to find amazing French style vegan food and deserts. Then today I received marshmallow goodness! Of which was purchased from http://CreationsbyChristina.etsy.com

Busy

So I failed to follow my own restrictions of not making anymore items until I had caught up in posting all of the ones I had =}. However, it was for good reason, I needed something to keep me busy while doing volunteer extra work for my friends participating in the 168 hour film project, so I ended up making earrings... three pairs to be exact.

Failed

This a failure of a hair stick concept. I tried to put a jeweled spacer rondelle in between the spike and the bare wooden hair stick however between the rondelle and the stick it was too flimsy even having a headpin down the middle of the hair stick. I could have tried to glue once more but it was already getting too messy in appearance, so the concept is now scrapped.