A Kind Of Pale Jewel

I am so late getting tot he blog this morning. This is what happens when a 1 year old gets sick and keeps me up all night. I can't even remember what it was that I was going to talk about today. I had promised myself that I would lay off the mask business for at least a day and blather on about another subject, but since I'm fairly certain that you don't want to hear about how my baby kept me up all night I'll just go back to mask progress and hope you all don't boycott my lack of creative subjects.

I finished the base structure for the Mardi Gras mask, put it on with the matching necklace and promptly decided that it still needed something. I couldn't figure out what, so I've put the design on the back burner. I'm hoping it will come to me as I work on other designs. I do think that it looks great with the necklace so I won't abandon it entirely, but for now I'll be moving on.

I picked up the jeweled version of my first mask and finished it up yesterday and managed to get some photos so I could list it on the etsy. I paired it with my Portrait choker for the photos and I think they look amazing together and I keep wishing that I had any reason to wear them out, but as I rarely leave my home to go anywhere terribly interesting, it's unlikely that I will be soing that anytime soon. Check out the listing for more photos of the pair, I really like a couple of them. This one is called "A Kind Of Pale Jewel" because I've decided all of my masks will have a Labryinth themed name. This has had the unfortunate side effect of wedging the soundtrack into my head for the last week. I've tried, but it just won't budge.

I've now moved on to a mask design based on my Gears of Grace and Diamond in Lace chokers only much bigger. I think this design will have to take on an entirely different look to be a successful mask, but it should still match the necklace. I might have a prototype done by Monday, but my baby brother is coming up for a visit this weekend so I might be a little too busy with that. Well, I'm sure I'll have soemthing for you.

Here We Go Again

I hope that I haven't bored you to death with all this mask nonsense, because I'm afraid that I have more. First, my mask got it's first virtual shout out over on the Access Fashion blog. It's just a little blurb and a picture, but it's always nice to get a little unsolicited praise. I managed to get about halfway through the embellished version of the mask before I stopped to work on my newest idea.

This one was actually inspired by the avatar of a fellow steam teamers avatar, well that and Mardi Gras in general. I still don't know if it's going to work after shaping and I think that I'm going to have to do some sort of border to make it looka little less like a granny square quilt on your face, but I shall work through my doubt. Doing this mask has actually gotten me thinking about trying to make a mask counter part to a few more of my chokers. The picture here is actually my Art Deco Duo necklace laid with some new pieces to see if this idea will fly. Imagine the neckalce worn with mask though. I think it would be pretty stunning. So after this one, I imagine I'll make a least a couple more before I get utterly sick of this mask making.

When I first started tatting bookmarks and doilies, I never imagined that just a few years later I would not only be making such elaborate things, but doing so much of my own designing. I never thought I would be able to translate shapes into stiches, rings and chains. It just seemed like such a mathematical operation. I mean look at my first sale on etsy, which was one of my very first bracelets. It's just a string of simple flowers from a pattern I found somewhere online. I assumed that this was the most I could expect out of my newly discovered craft. Now I know that there are no limits to what can be created with tatted lace and I'm certain that I will come up with many more off the wall ideas in the years to come.

I'm babbling on about this stuff in hopes that it can be inspiring to new tatters or anyone who thinks that they've taken thier art of craft as far as they can. There is always another hill you can climb if only you simply try. I am by no means suggesting that everyone can succeed at anything if they try hard enough, talent is not universal and hard work does not always make up for raw talent. I am suggesting that you don't know, if you don't try as I certainly didn't know what I was capable of before I picked up my needle and thread and simply tried. I used this slow sales time to stretch my limits and I think I will be better off for it in the long run. So that's the end of my inspirational speech. I'll be back tomorrow with more mask news!

Just Another Day

It's another of those blah days. I worked all day yesterday on a second tatted mask to relist and thankfully I finished that. Today, I must attend to my neglected home. You know, all the mundane details, dishes, laundry, kitty litter, feeding and clothing the children. I do have a new idea for another mask, although this one is a little far fetched. I want to use the Art Deco motif that I've made scarfs and chokers from in the past, but it's such a solid shape that I'm not certain that I will be able to adjust it to fit a face properly without warping the design too much.

Of course my design process is being tested by my one year old. See, she has taken to screaming in short bursts to get my attention. This has made any extended thought nearly impossible. I must stop and address said screams immediately or they will not cease and they are not quiet. The continuing war between stay at home mother and creater of objects wages on unabated. Only thier tactics change, but the end result is the same, me with my sanity hanging on by a thread, the house barely presentable and a large portion of my creative ideas lying unfullfilled.

So, here's one more of the pictures from the photo shoot. I love the way my neckpiece stands out in this one, all stark and white! I'm told there are still more coming and I will show them off as I recieve them.
Photos: Silent Shudder Photography / Model/MUA Beaux Deadly / Hat & Styling - Topsy Turvy Design

Wow, Just Wow!

After I finished my mask, I was proud of myself. I thought,'Wow, I did it', then I listed the mask. I showed it off with all the excitement of a five year old on show and tell day. I assumed that it would, however, sit in my store for a millennium just as my other "art" pieces like my hats and scarfs have. I even awoke this morning overwhelmingly curious to see how many views my creation had received whilst I slept. Instead, I discovered that my baby had already found a very good home. After a full day of wonderful and might I say ego boosting comments, I am exhausted and happy.

Of course this just means I have to get off my duff and make those other masks that I said I was going to make right away! So that's enough from me today, I've got work to do. I shall leave you with a couple more photos from the photo shoot with Topsyturvydesign and her lovely model credited below.
Photos: Silent Shudder Photography / Model/MUA Beaux Deadly / Hat & Styling - Topsy Turvy Design

A Mask And Some Hats

So either I severely underestimate my skills or I am just a huge liar. Either way, I have completed my prototype tatted mask. I actually finished it on Friday and took a bunch of pictures. I was so pleased with the way it turned out I didn't even bother putting on my makeup before snapping a few of me wearing it. I say this so you will forgive my appearance in said photos. As I anticipated the person who had made the initial request has decided against the mask, but as I mentioned this project had ceased being about a custom order the second I decided I had to attempt this.

I am already finished with the black version as well, which I will offer up for sale later today. I'm hoping that I will reach the masquerade ball crowd or high end Halloween costume types. As per usual, I am struggling with the pricing for this one especially since it contains more time consuming elements like wrapping the wire around the eyes with thread, I will list with a ballpark price and adjust as i settle in. I sure am glad I opted not to give the perimeter a wire base as I am certain that would have driven me batty. Thankfully it lays nicely without it and is remarkable comfortable. You might also have noticed that I got a bit of a makeover this weekend. I am simply returning to my pre-baby hair. Anyway, after the basic black model, I plan on making one more black one embellished with crystals for an extra fancy look.

Speaking of extra fancy, recently I was approached by Kim of TopsyTurvyDesign to use a couple of my chokers for a photo shoot of her fabulous hats. If you have seen her etsy shop, you know that she has the most spectacular photos and models in her listings. This was not an opportunity that I was going to pass up. So I made up two pieces and sent them to her a month or so ago and I now have the results of the secret alliance. I shall just offer up a couple here today and perhaps I shall dole them out to you in small doses when I've nothing better to share. I'm still trying to decide the most effective way to use them in my listings. She will also be submitting the photos to other sites for publication and the potential exposure for my pieces is really exciting.
Photos: Silent Shudder Photography / Model/MUA Beaux Deadly / Hat & Styling - Topsy Turvy Design