Austin, there and back

It's a short trip actually, about an hour each way, but it still takes up the whole darn day: a visit with my endocrinologist, then lunch, then hitting a few stores we can't get to out here in the country.

When I got home--even though I desperately need to straighten up--I added yet another listing on Etsy, this one a tassel I embellished. Yesterday I picked up several of these from the dollar store (look at the price; can you blame me?):

This is the one I listed this afternoon. She looks better, doesn't she?

Tomorrow, Tom plays poker. I'm taking my SIL to lunch in Marble Falls, and we'll probably hit a couple of thrift stores plus I might stop at the dollar store again. I know, what in the heck will I do with more Christmas tassels? It's just about too late to sell them on Etsy, but there's always next year.

Now I really need to get to something constructive. Oh, btw, I sold another ornament, my fave:

Best to everyone. Ta!

Still pluggin' along...

But it seems I'm ignoring everything that needs to be done around here--Christmas cards for one, arranging speakers for the master gardeners' lawn and garden show for another--focusing so much on etsy. Yesterday I followed Little's example and used a pic of my toes as an avatar. She, clever girl that she is, takes pics of her and her DH's feet wherever they travel: feet in Florida, feet in New York, etc. Ain't no way my dh would let me take pics of his feet, regardless of where they happened to be! Nor should I have taken any of my own. Can't tell I cut my nails just the other day; they look a bit raggledy.
Little used champagne glasses with her pic. I'm more of a Fiesta mug of coffee gal.


Taking toe pics wasn't all I did yesterday. I also started another ornament, finished it this morning and already have it posted on etsy.


I used a clip-art drawing to make this one. Whenever I translate a drawing to felting, I need something simple. I'd like to do a Santa next, but I need a simple line drawing and haven't been able to find one.

I'm wondering if I should be spending so much time on ornaments. They're priced low to draw in the business, but the profit margin is slim. I'm hoping if people like what I do they'll move into other areas, such as this:

I need to redo the photos on my tassels. I've done it once, but I'm not there yet. Perhaps if I do close-ups of the top? I found this post on Babyluvgifts blog, which gives ideas on how to photograph: http://babyluvgifts.blogspot.com/2008/11/etsy-photography.html I've used her techniques on everything I've posted since I read this.

I'm off now to try to accomplish something productive today. Think good thoughts for me.

Here we go a-tassel-ing...

I've been busy the past few days, but I think maybe I've learned a few things about this blogging thing. Then again, maybe not. I've already made a couple of mistakes this morning trying to post a picture, so here I go again. This is the Christmas tassel I made from the beaded thing-a-bob Ginge and Sunny and I found on a recent trip to Austin.

(It worked!)

The tassel isn't as bad as I thought it was nor as good as I'd like it to be. I may not do another, may just call it a learning experience.

I spent some time this morning working in the studio on another tassel, which now that it's done, I have to do over. I used a couple of the plastic beads I picked up the other day, did the little manipulation thingie to get it all together, and now see that the top ball is sitting wonky. And it's all glued up and everything.

Later, after I get over my ticked-offedness, I'll do over without the middle beads. May turn out they're useless for my purposes. Chalk that to experience too? When does experience become capability?

Happy Election Day!

I'm tiptoeing...

through this new venture. I don't know how to add pics to a post, though I don't really have any to add since my camera battery is busy recharging.

Today I worked on a new tassel head. I made the beginnings of the skirt yesterday out of a multicolor yarn I picked up in Washington last year. It's burgundy and teal and green and gold and purple. Totally love it.

My sis Daisy and I discussed what direction I should go in on my tassel heads. She thinks I should stick to the whimsical kind, and she's probably right since the whimsical one I have on etsy right now is drawing far more lookers than any of the others. So-o-o, the head I worked on today is purple and green and yellow with some black and gold thrown in for good measure.

I picked up some plastic beads at Walmart yesterday, a big honking bag for a couple of bucks, and a bag of marble beads too. I'm thinking I can use each of them in tassel heads. Problem is the hole's not big enough to run the cord through as I usually do. What I'm thinking I'll do is attach wire to the cord, run it all the way through the head, pulling it down to where the cord is through the top bead. That way, it'll have the look of a cord running all the way through and I'll still be able to use the smaller hole beads.

I also worked on a lamp today. I put it together from pieces and parts five or six years ago and have never been fully satisfied with it. One of the feet broke off the other day, so I had to take it out and glue that back together and thought since I had it in the shop I might as well take it all apart and glue it back together more securely this time. (That was what I didn't like about it originally. I'd tried to hold it together with a threaded rod, and it just didn't work.)

Also finished a Christmas tassel. I'm making one for my sister Ginger and one for my SIL. We picked up the makings on one of our trips into Austin a couple of months ago, so I thought I ought to get started on them. One down, one to go. (I'm so sick of them I doubt I'll make the one I got for me.)

This is me signing off.

My first post

Okay, here I am slogging my way through blogland, a real neophyte. I read so many that are beautifully written and exciting to read I tremble to breathe the same air.

Right now, I have no idea what the purpose of this blog will be. I just opened a shop on etsy. So far I only have a few tassels and a pillow listed. I have more ready to go on, but it seems to take so long right now to do it that it feels more an annoyance than I want to endure for long.

This afternoon I worked on a tassel head that was coming along beautifully. I totally loved it, and it was all done except the final layer of gloss. Then I picked up the wrong spray can. So my beautiful tassel head now has one side that's...white. It would be impossible to recreate the finishes I used on the piece: a fantasy marble on the top ball, a faux tortoise on the next bead, another fantasy marble on the wheel, and a yellow and black check pattern on the bottom. Since it's all glued up--firmly since I use gorilla glue--I guess I'll finish spraying it out white and maybe do a fantasy marble on the entire thing. Doncha just hate when that happens?

Maybe tomorrow I'll get some more things listed on etsy. Still have three pincushions, a couple of memory bags, and a linen pillow I want to list.