ice cubes and craft glue

So apart from filling multiple ice block trays with colourful gook, I have been contemplating what to get my husband, father-in-law and brother-in-law for christmas. I've got josh about five presents so far, but it's his birthday as well, on the 23rd, and he always moans that his birthday isn't made a big deal of, so I guess I got some ways to go yet. And as for John and Matt . . . . aargh!
Anyway, in the craft side of life, I have been doing some experimenting for a client - my first personal order from someone - with photos. Usually I have an image that is cut out from a book or poster or card etc, that is on card or paper, which is quite absorbant. However, what I am realizing(I should have known) is that photo paper is NOT absorbent, and as a result I have two half finished pendants which are NOT drying. Usually the paper absorbs whatever doesn't get air-dried, but because it's sandwiched between leatherette and perspex, not much air gets in anyway, so I have a bit of a crisis. I am not sure whether to abandon them and just get a couple of images resined and then wrap those in leather(a bigger pain-in-the-butt than wrapping the perspex) or to persist and hope that they will dry completely. They have definitely come a long way, but am not sure whether I can gamble on them coming all the way. If there wasn't a time pressure, I would be fine, but they are christmas gifts and so need to be finished for my lovely client soon! I have placed them out on a window sill in the sun and am praying that they don't yellow or wrinkle! Eek! Will update you as to the fate of these two poor pendants. In the mean time I will pulverise some more pumkpin for the beautiful Lewis.

aftermath

Well I have to say that I had a great and truly enjoyable birthday weekend! Thanks to everyone who sent me wee texts and love, and the beautiful gifts and flowers, you are all darlings. And yes, people gave me jewellery! Hurray!
In my craft-life, I am impatiently waiting for a huge amount of chain(for pendants etc) to arrive, it's never entirely certain how things you order online will actually turn out in your hand. Anyway, hopefully this means that I can hang the bazillion (not brazilian) pendants I have made!
It really means a lot when people comment on my work, and although I haven't posted anything comment-worthy today, I'm always happy to hear from you! I need to somehow publicize this blog more, so far I have only one person following it, and had only three responses to my effort last week! EEk! Any ideas are welcome - I need people to see my stuff! happy times.

birthday

Birthday birthday birthday. . . people don't tend to give me jewellery for gifts because they assume that because I make my own, my yen for all things dangly and wearable has been satisfied. It has not!!! Attention all, jewellery is still a great present to give to a jewellery designer. :) Anyway, I am going to spend the day trawling shops in Ponsonby and K' rd, with my two angels(I hope) in tow. And because I can't spend any more money on myself(is it just me or does it just feel bad to buy stuff for yourself on your birthday - unless it was given to me for that purpose) I will be looking for christmas presents. And perhaps a birthday present for my own sweet man who is turning 27 on December 23, and always complains that his birthday gets squished into Christmas. Maybe he needs an early celebration.
On the business side of things, there is only one day left to comment on the previous post(you can comment on this one too - please!) and recieve your own wholesale price catalogue - ONE MORE DAY. And more importantly, only one sleep left till my birthday. OOh, and a wee shoutout to my new fave jewellery girl, 'Annie Blackberry', a Tauranga bling maker whose stuff sells on trademe - go and search for her, she has several special necklaces on sale which I luuuuurve! So if you need to buy me a present(I've heard some people do), go there. Ok. And one last thing(promise), in case you hadn't noticed, I'm really desperate for people to read my blog - and comment! So if you know someone who might enjoy it, please please send them my address.
shalom.

opportunity knocking

so if you got an email from me about my great special, yay! If you are here of your own doing, than YAY! So the offer is: Have a look at my blogspot, have a look at my jewellery, and leave a comment . . . and if I know your email address(if I don't then leave that there too) I will email you an order sheet with WHOLESALE prices, which you can order off ONCE ONLY, and then we can do some business! Cheap as chips. cool. love

reading list

I was just looking at my blog 'dashboard' and noticed the 'reading list' option - the phrase 'reading list' conjures up long summer afternoons, lying in a hammock with a pile of books I'm dying to read, with hot sticky children curled up asleep in my lap. Who thought I would be able to fit two? Ssh its just a fantasy. . .the luxurious connotations of a 'reading list' do not apply to real life: I have five books beside my bed, a month old magazine only half read(one that I absolutely love and used to devour in an afternoon), a week old magazine about a quarter read, and a brand new one that arrived in the mail a few days ago, still in it's plastic sleeve! If you knew me and my obsessions with glossy magazines full of lustrous photos of all things art, you would know how unusual and sad a tale this pile of un-read beauties tells about me.
I have no time. capital N capital O.
Anyway, on the crafty side, I have had two horrendous markets, one rejection from a market that I actually WANTED to be a part of(so sad- kraftbomb), and several other rejections in the past couple of months. Markets SUCK!!!! So attention everyone, I am downscaling my market involvements, and UPscaling my shop involvements. We are working on a flash catalogue(as in fancy looking, not the website thingy), josh and I, and hopefully business cards and professional looking tags for my jewellery(although I do so love the little leatherette heart-shaped tags. All of this means actually being PROACTIVE(a word that I loathe) and starting to pound the streets for viable selling points. Watch out, quirky-unique-and-gorgous design shops, I'm on my wa!. So far I have 9 shops interested, so let's see what we can do. . .
And somehow I still have to do several loads of washing, some vacuuming and dishes and a whole load of bums to change. . .and READ SOMETHING. Wish me luck.