Summer Goals

I should have posted my summer goals at the beginning of the summer. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might know that, at least when I'm not immersed in the life of a law student, I'm usually working towards goals in four different arenas - knitting, beading, hiking, and running. So here is an update on how these different things are going for me.

Beading: Right on track! I completed an EBW Challenge piece that I'm really proud of. I listed two pieces that were on the back burner forever. I experimented with shapes, like I wanted to. I have two pieces that are almost ready to list and another piece that's about half finished right now. Now that I have a brand new camera, these pieces will be displayed here and on my Etsy site very soon. I also made a new piece for myself, and as a bonus, Sam found a piece I'd made for myself years ago under the radiator!

Knitting: I kind of told myself that I would finish one sweater this summer. Unfortunately, it looks like that is not going to happen. I've been working on my double v cardigan, but after I messed up and had to unknit for many rows. This was really boring and caused me to avoid the project for a while. So I'm still on the first piece - the back piece - though I'm almost done with it. I'd have to really struggle to finish by the end of the summer, and really, that's not a challenge I feel like undertaking right now. But I'll keep working on it, because it's true that I can't wait to wear it!

Oh, and also, my crocheting is on hold. That one stitch I was doing got very tedious. Hopefully I will get the patience to pick that blanket up again soon.

Hiking: This is a hobby that's never really materialized as much as I would have liked. I did some backpacking in high school, which I absolutely loved, but since then, I haven't hiked very much at all. Sam and I went a couple of times before I started law school, but especially since we live in the city, hiking is an all-day adventure for us, and I simply haven't had time to go on an organized trip. It's true that I had an internship this summer and had weekends off, but law school doesn't really end when the semester is over - there are still things law students need to be working on over the summer (like, you know, finding a job). BUT Sam and I are going hiking in Virginia for two days in about a week and a half! I'm super excited about it!

Running: This was a lost cause this summer. After years of knee pain, I found out a couple of years ago that I had tendinitis and cartilage damage. I can still run, but I have to build up my quads first. This past year and this summer, I was pretty bad about going to the gym. So for now, I have to work on my quads before I can even start running again.

My internship is over now (which is sad, because I really loved it) but I don't quite feel like I'm on vacation. I do have some things that need to get done ASAP. Still, I have two more weeks to work on my goals. But they're really only loose goals - I have enough stress in my life already and I'm not going to let my hobbies add to that stress!

My new bracelet

Yes, MINE! I made it for me! Ok, well I didn't actually make it for me, but it turned out slightly unperfect, so I gave it to myself as a present. I'd like it to be a little longer, and I accidentally made the ends uneven. You can't tell about the ends, but I still couldn't sell something like that. Also, I have very narrow wrists, so the length is actually perfect for me, but since my bracelets are adjustable, I prefer to make my own wrists the smallest possible size for the bracelets that I sell so that they look good on people with normal sized wrists too.

BUT Sam is home from Chile, I have downloaded the program and I have the cord...and my computer isn't recognizing the cord! I think the store gave me the wrong one! This is the LAST time I buy a camera equipment somewhere other than online! To make matters worse, my old camera, which was already on the fritz, completely died while Sam was in Chile. So here are some really terrible photos that I took of a really beautiful bracelet on my computer's "photobooth."

And the Voting Begins!

To vote for your favorite Entry for the July EBW challenge, Sizzling Sunshine and Soothing Water, click on the link on the right hand side of the EBW blog between July 9 and July 15.

Happy voting!

More Beady Things

These two pieces had been on the back burner forever, but I finally finished and photographed them and listed them in my Etsy shop. It's so nice to have some new, sparkly, shiny things when I look at it :-)

Sizzling Sunshine and Soothing Water

My Etsy Beadweavers July Challenge piece is done!

Most of my beadweaving incorporates the peyote stitch to some extent. But this was my first crack at designing a peyote pattern and I must say, I'm pretty proud of it. It was inspired by a picture that Sam took from a helicopter when we visited Australia in 2009.

The only thing disappointing is that I just can't get this new camera to work. First I had to buy a new battery, and now I can't get the software to upload to my computer. So I feel like the colors in these pics aren't quite as pretty as they are in real life.

Interim Report!

In the past, I've gotten super excited about beading and then school has gotten in the way and my beading ambitions have fizzled out. Well, I can safely say that my July EBWC piece is still underway! I've also said in the past that I love these challenge pieces because they force me to stretch myself and use techniques I haven't used before, whilst staying true to myself and my own style. This remains true. This piece is taking a little longer than I thought it would, but I'm about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through with it. It's really fun to work on, but I still can't wait to photograph it and show you pictures!

Shop Announcement

From June through August, I will once again be routinely accepting custom orders in my Etsy shop! Woohoo!

Treasury

It's been quite some time since I've written about an Etsy treasury. But I'm just in love with this treasury curated by trinitydj, and it really is an honor for me to have one of my pieces featured amongst such beautiful things.

Crafting Woes and Silver Linings

Even before I went to law school, I felt that there was never enough time in the day to make as many things as I wanted to. Before I got my Etsy shop up, I had a strict routine of designing and making as many jewelry pieces as possible so that I would have merchandise when I opened up shop. Then, there were always deadlines for the EBW challenges. I entered most of them (actually, all of them) during the months between opening my shop and the beginning of my law school application process. They were great because they really forced me to expand my craft and come into my own. My Etsy street teem requires entry in one challenge a year, and so far I've managed to comply with that rule, but I wish I had more time to design.

And I also wish I had more time to knit! There are so many adorable patterns on Ravelry, I just want to knit them all! Right now I'm making a hat with some yarn that I bought on Etsy. I love the yarn, and it's nice making a hat because it's nice and relaxing and uncomplicated, but I do wish I could make a dent in my Ravelry queue.

This summer, I did finish Butterfly Bush, and now that warm shawls are apparently "in," I have even more occasions to wear it than I thought I would! It's so versatile - I can wear it every day, but also to formal occasions - which I have done! I just wish I could make more of the things I want...instead of just dreaming about them! I've been meaning to make a beret for literally years, and there are some adorable sweaters that I've just been itching to make!

Feeling Crafty

A requirement of my Etsy Team, Etsy Beadweavers, is to enter one monthly challenge a year. Since I started it's been difficult for me to enter these challenges, as I have been up to my eyeballs in work and other school activities. However, when I do enter the challenges, I always feel re-energized about beading and more creative. The challenges make me think about my craft in new and exciting ways, while still staying true to my own style.

This month's EBW Challenge was "Autumn Leaves." I chose to make a choker in autumn colors, which I call Falling Leaves. I actually came up with the color pattern as I went along, which was new for me, and as close to freeform as I've ever come.
To see all of this month's entries and vote for your favorite, please visit the EBW blog from today until October 15.

CELEBRATION SALE

My finals are over and it feels so good to be free of them that I decided to celebrate by having a sale! 15% off of everything in my etsy shop until December 22! Wahoo!

If you pay with PayPal, either subtract 15% from you purchase, or else I will refund you 15%. If paying by check or money order, just subtract 15% from your purchase price.

Quick Entry

I have my last exam tomorrow, which is why I've been MIA for a while. But before it's too late, I wanted to let you know about the December EBW Challenge, "Peace Piece." Here is my entry for the challenge, Peace, Love, and Beautiful Hair (Clip):

So the pictures of this hair clip aren't great because I wasn't able to take them in the daylight. (In real life, it looks much prettier!) You can see this and all of the other entries on the EBW blog. Vote for your favorite until December 15th!

Some Beady Things

On Monday, Sam and I got back from a week in Costa Rica. By the way, it was AWESOME. The most amazing vacation ever. I'll write more about that as soon as Sam uploads the pictures we took. 

School starts again on Monday, and until then, I'm trying to pack as must fun and productivity into my days as possible.

Last night, I finally jumped on the bandwagon and started a Facebook page for my little business. Feel free to become a fan! :-)

And I FINALLY put up something new on my Etsy site! A dreamy star bracelet in blue. I'm really proud of this line, and I'm going to try to expand it a little this week...fingers crossed!

Usually, my brain turns off at 10. During the week before exams, it's a little more courteous and waits until 11 to shut down. And seeing as it's after 11, I don't have to feel guilty about blogging!

During the three years between college and law school, I kind of felt like I was on one long summer break. Yes, I was working, but I had worked full time every summer when I was in college, so that was nothing new. And now, when other students are getting ready to start school, I'm holed up in my apartment studying for finals! The weird thing is that it doesn't feel weird. Maybe that happened when I started being a grown up. The seasons just melted into one another.

Anyway, during my study breaks, I've been trying to participate a little more with the Etsy Beadweavers, and I've been thinking about my little business. My silver illusion pieces are by far my best selling items. I think that might be where my niche is, and I think that's the direction in which I am moving. (I still have a couple of pieces I've had finished forever but for camera or computer or lighting reasons, I still haven't gotten them up on my site.) Anyway, that's just some food for thought. I'm kind of thinking out loud.

It's been a while (again)

I have so many blog posts in my head but I haven't blogged in so long! January was crazy - I had four Australian friends staying with me at different times (sometimes overlapping), and I finished 8 out of 9 law school applications. I also spent two days in DC to see Sam's dad receive the French Legion of Honor.

I've been knitting like crazy. Once I finished Sam's scarf (yes, I can finally announce that it's a scarf), I went on to finish my dad's scarf that had been in the works, like, forever. I finally knit myself a hat, and I'm a little over halfway done with my first cardigan. Unfortunately, I put my camera somewhere and am unable to locate it. Luckily, facebook exists. Here is a picture my friend Dave took of me knitting my lovely Thorpe hat (pattern downloaded from Ravelry).

Notice it was knit from the top down. Something about that was incredibly exciting and fun.

This next picture was taken at a bar in Park Slope (Brooklyn) after a hard day of football. It normally sits a little lower on my head, but it was kind of pulled up.

I've kind of been neglecting my beading, and I've felt bad about that, but I'm slowly getting back into promoting my Etsy store and supporting my Street Team. I've still been receiving hearts, and that's very encouraging.

I also have another little project up my sleeve that I hope comes into fruition. Here's a hint: what's exactly eleven days from now?

Complimentary Contradictions

That is the theme for the Etsy Beadweavers September Challenge. For once, I wasn't scrambling to finish at the eleventh hour, and I had so much fun with this one! My piece is called, "Black and White - A Story in Color." It's made up of six hexagons woven together. Three of them are made up of different colors, and two of them are black, white, and different shades of gray. It's finished off with a real silver chain and a red glass bead. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. These colors were so fun to use, and I'm also really pleased with the final proportions. I have a feeling that this piece will be my inspiration for many pieces to come.

You can vote for your favorite September EBWC Entry on September 9th on the EBW blog, http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com.

I've only been a member of the Etsy Beadweavers since May, but it's been such an awesome experience so far. And the three challenges in which I have participated have truly influenced the way I bead, for the better! Lately, I haven't had much time to bead, because I've been getting ready to move apartments, and I've also begun the law school application process. I have finished a gift and a custom order, and I finished two more bracelets a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't had a chance to photograph them and get the up on Etsy yet. But I will soon! All in good time...

Guilty Pleasures

I've developed an addiction to reality TV shows on Bravo. In the past, I would never had admitted to this, but we're all friends here, right?

My all time favorite, of course, is Project Runway. I've also really gotten into Shear Genius. I love watching the challenges and the wonderful and awful things that these people come up with. I love choosing my favorites and least favorites and imagining myself wearing those outfits and haircuts. My favorite "character" is Stella, the wonderfully ridiculous designer of all things "leatha."

I rush home every Wednesday to watch these favorite shows of mine. If I can't be home to watch them, they'll always be on the next day. And the day after that. And pretty much every day until the next Wednesday, the next episode. But then, all the episodes are on that day too...

This all got me thinking. What if there was a Bravo TV show about the type of designing that I do? What if there was a show just about beadweaving. Or about knitting and crocheting. The camera focuses on me. I'm beadweaving, and you hear a voiceover. "I decided to do a peyote cuff. So I started with some beads. And then I put on another bead. And then I put on another bead. And then I put on another bead. And then I decide to change colors." Or "I did a row of knit. And a row of purl. Then I did an intricate lace. Yarn over..." Maybe it's just that I've been watching too much TV and frying my brain, but this concept makes me laugh! Just imagine how entertaining that would be to the outside world! (Not!)

But it also got me thinking about the people I design for. I always design with a little piece of myself in mind. After all, who could love something I make that I don't even love? In their own way, the Etsy Beadweaving challenges are kind of the same concept. The last challenge in particular got me out of my comfort zone, but I was determined to make something beautiful within the guidelines that was still true to my own sense of style, and I'm pretty sure I pulled it off.

And of course there are the people who wear my jewelry. I just love opening a package in which there is something wearable that I ordered from Etsy. (Lamp work jewelry is another guilty pleasure of mine.) And when I put it on, I feel amazing and beautiful. That is exactly how I want people to feel when they wear my jewelry. I want them to feel like the powerful women they are, or to feel like princesses. Whatever makes them feel best, that is how I want them to feel. Whether I give pieces I make away or people purchase them or even have me custom make them, I just want my pieces to be loved, and I want the people who wear them to feel just that little bit more amazing.

Art Deco

Once again, I listed my EBW Challenge piece at the very last minute, but I listed it!

This piece was inspired by colors and geometric designs of the Art Deco period. It's an adjustable peyote cuff with rectangular windows ascending (or descending, depending on which way you look at it) across the bracelet. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

When I started this piece, I had a vague idea that I wanted it to be red, with maybe some black and or white, and preferable with some sort of window. It evolved as I continued with it. As geometric as it is, this piece is the closest I have ever come to free form. Perhaps it is time for me to give real free form a try! :-)

Starting August 9, you can see all the beautiful entries on the EBW Blog, and vote for your favorite!

Checking In

I've had various things going on for the past couple of weeks, and I've been kind of absent from the blogosphere. A few weeks ago, Sam and I had an amazing time visiting friends in Ithaca. And the Thursday and Friday before last, I had jury duty. (Yes, in New York, federal jury duty lasts two days!) I spent all of Thursday in a court room, but in the end, I didn't get picked. It was pretty interesting, though. I started my Art Deco challenge entry that night, and was able to work on it a lot on Friday in the "Jurors Lounge" and then at Starbucks as I waited for Sam to get out from work so we could head off to a Ween concert, which is one of his favorite bands.

The next day, Saturday, was Sam's birthday, and we walked from his apartment in Astoria to Peter Luger's in Brooklyn. It was lots of fun, but I wasn't wearing the right shoes. We finally took advantage of his back yard that night, during Sam's big birthday bash. When I excused myself to "nap" (i.e. go to sleep) at 2:00, the party was still going strong.

My big endeavor for this week was to finish my August EBW challenge, Art Deco. Sam and I had planned to go hiking upstate with a few friends yesterday, but a few hours into our drive, it started to thunder and pour. So we took a tour of an old mansion for an hour or two and then got ice cream before the long ride home. But today, at 1:00 p.m., I finally finished my piece! I took my pictures, but I haven't had a chance to list it yet, or even put up the pictures (a very late brunch in Sam's neighborhood took priority) so I'll get them up tomorrow before the midnight deadline. But...Woohoo! Done! Yay! :-)

It must be genetic

At least it runs in the family. Or maybe it's just a family trait.

People in my family tend to buy gifts for birthdays and holidays early or on time, and then just never send them (instead, waiting to give them in person), or send them really late. It's not a negative thing, because we all do it and so we all expect it.

So that is why my Auntie Carol got her birthday necklace three weeks late! It was one of the things I was madly trying to finish in June, but I didn't exactly send it until the middle of July. At least the outcome was success -- she loved it! After all, it was her colors! :-)
This isn't the greatest picture of it. It was almost 100 degrees outside when I took it. (I was determined to take it in natural sunlight.) I had to run inside before I could take another one! But you get the idea...

And now, I'm off to watch the new season of Project Runway! Woohoo!!