I'm going to whine now... you are warned!

This is one blurry, crappy pic.  Which seem appropriate when I'm blogging about things going and wrong and the freak zone.  Brass painted/patina, sealed, and riveted.  the cuff is hand-shaped.. or I suppose I should say bail pliers shaped.

I think I mentioned a blog or two ago how I'm reaching the freak out stage of show planning.  You know, the stage where you have only doubts and fears, you are running around trying to get the last few things done, trying to make arrangements for the Kid, figure out the layout of your booth this year, and trying to keep the rest of real life from crashing around your ears in a pile of dirty dishes, filthy laundry and dusty furniture. 

Nothing you make seems to be right, you ruin components by rushing things, you drop stuff, you can't find things, you stab yourself with needles and wire, and the list can go on.

The doubt can be crippling.  Paralyzing.  I've had evenings after work and diner and some quick, modest attempt at housekeeping where I get in the studio and stare at the walls.  I'll start a project, and can't finish it.  Even if I finish something, I don't like it. 

Add the pressure and stress of how very important doing well this year really is.  I want to do well every year of course.. but this year most of my profits go to the family budget, not back into my business coffers. 

I want to do my best every year... but in the past a "bad" year was depressing, but overall the effects are not great.  This year, not doing well means less grocery money, not fewer beady buying trips.

The icing on the cake came today in the form of an email.  Apparently a show I applied for and never heard back from actually accepted me and had me on their website as being in the show.  I never got any email stating I was in.  I never got the PayPal money request for the show fees, which were due by April 5th or you would lose your spot.  Yet here I got the email about how to set up!  This show is this weekend BTW.  Which means from my perspective, I've been given 3 days notice.

Considering the state I'm in to begin with, this just about shoved me over. 

First I panic and think I've somehow lost track of the show.... One of my big fears is double booking.  Lots of artist apply to more than one show a weekend, as insurance for not making this show or that.  If they get into both shows, they pick one and eat the jury fees on the other.   It does make certain financial sense for those who have to do a show every weekend.  Getting into shows can be tough, and the deadlines can make it hard to juggle.   Every year I take into consideration the deadlines and some shows I might want to apply to I don't because of  the conflicts.  Some weekends are reserved for family time or Birthdays.  ( I booked a show once on Jerry birthday.. NEVER AGAIN)  But I'm scared to death at some point I'll slip up and double book by accident.  My reputation as an artist is very important to me.  If you ditch shows without really good cause you can get a bad name. 

In the 10 plus years of doing shows, I've only really missed 3 shows, when My mother-in-law was dying and in a show 2008 when the roads were flooded and we literately couldn't get there safely.   Last year I had to back out of a Jazz in July due to a asthma attack. 

But after looking over my emails in the last month,  and double checking my PayPal, I'm very sure I didn't know.  I was pretty sure before, because I do pay very careful attention.  See all the above about how I don't want to mess up show dates. 

But boy, I hate what that show promoter is thinking about me right now. 


I have commitments this weekend I can't break, set up after I didn't hear from the show.  I'm sure it will all get worked out and be fine in the end... only I really didn't need this extra stress right now.  I'm doing just fine boiling in my own juices without any outside help.

Maybe my asthma attack last weekend was as much about stress as it was about wacky Iowa weather and allergy triggers.

So..... I'm trying to take deep breaths, trying to stay calm and tell myself whatever doesn't get done is OK, and not to blame myself for email mishaps.  If I make something, and don't like it, I'll put it out of sight and look at it again in a few days with fresh eyes.  Jerry is helping ... Jerry washed dishes today.  (Thank you Sweetie!!) Jesscera gives me extra hugs, and tries not to complain as much when I give her extra chores.


I'm going to try very hard to be productive this weekend, without losing sight of why I make jewelry... the joy of creating it *normally* brings me.  

I'm also going to -stop- making things Tues evening.  I'm going to get everything packed up (hopefully) so I can relax Wednesday before the Dutch Market at the Tulip festival starts Thursday morning at 9am.

This will probably be my last blog until after the Dutch Market,  yet another effort to relax and be realistic about what I can get accomplished in this last push before show season starts.

Don't forget Chainmail

Inverted capture chainmail.  I love the fluidity of this pattern!

I've added more designs using Oh rings... which gives some "give"for fitting and wearing bracelets. 

 Regardless how you want to spell it, I still adore making chainmail.. someone asked me if I still made it cause lately all I've blogged about is salvaged/industrial/steampunk stuff.  So here are some pics of chainmaile just from the last couple of weeks. 

Got to have earrings!

Treasure Box

Here's how the necklace started: throwing stuff on my work desk until something "sticks" mentally, and then go from there.  The little tin is a old needle case, no idea of age, you can barely read "needles" on the front... but great patina!

Finished necklace, the red ribbon is vintage sari ribbon, woven in brass chain.

While the box stays closed by itself right now, I thought it might be loose overtime, so added a "locking" mechanism.  Besides, the extra fall of chain looks kewl.

The inside is lined in ripped up newspaper sticker, alittle bling and a red crystal  heart.  We keep our treasures (memories) close to our hearts...

Close up of the ribbon and chain.

just 1 picture

The ring says "dream and the little charm says "wish"

Sadly I'm under the weather today.  Had big plans to get 8-10 inventory items done, do a long blog  (as I've been skimpy on them lately) and clean the studio as it's reaching annoyance level of unorganized.


Instead, I had an asthma attack this morning around 830am, promptly went back to bed, just got up around 130pm, I'm writing this, eating something, and then probably go back to bed.   If that didn't translate, I feel crappy, moving hurts so I might as well not move.  Hope your days are going better.

Working, working, working.......

bookchain bracelets.  love this stuff!

Love mixing different finishes!

 I'm being very productive in the studio... no time to chat! just a few pics to hold you over.. over what, I have no idea!

a flock of flying key pins. 

Inventory Mode

My entire studio looks like this right now.. messy messy messy!  Check out my new stuff bear.. who's actually old.. My great Aunt Poss give him to me!  She's recently moved in with my parents and had to weed out a bunch of stuff bears from her bear collection.. she had like a 100 of them!

Made from nuts and other weird metal bits from a sewing machine, a cash register and a adding machine.  I think they work great with chainmaile, don't you?

 I am in full blown inventory mode.  About bloody time!!

Here is a peek at some pieces I've made in the last week.  I've made 9 items today (pics to come) and tomorrow I am hopeful I can get that much stuff done as well.  The house isn't too trashed.  ( except for the studio, which is a huge, crappy flaming mess right now... nothing put away, jewelry laid out to see what I've already got, the cat's messing things up even further... I might have to break down tomorrow and clean some of this up.. I can only tolerate being this UN-organized for so long)   I've gotten 2 more show acceptances in the mail this week... so the show machine is gearing up and really starting to gather steam.  First show is the Dutch Market at Pella Tulip Time!  It starts May 2th.  ( less than 3 weeks away!)

Vintaj brass with green crystals.  I sort of made them as a set, but of course available separately.  Hm... maybe I need to make earrings too.

Time keeps on slipping......

Not really in the mood to blog today... and I am reaching that period of time fondly known in my household as " Kat freaking out" because shows season starts in 3 weeks and a few days... yikes!!

So I offer this lovely pic of a mechanical clock we bought recently, and which has already sacrificed  it's non working life to become fantastic jewelry in the future.  Really pretty shinny cogs and gears in this critter.... and I already have a design in my sketch pad for some of the brass infrastructure of the clock.  bhaw hahahaha!

OK, I'm going to cook supper and disappear the rest of the night in the studio before my evil laugh gets even scarier.

Flea Market Finds 04/06/13

WWI buttons... got 6 buttons.

the drawers I'm guessing used to be apart of a desk.. I love them! they are going up to the studio!  A variety of jewelry, small blue bottle, stamps, old watches, door hardware and mason jars of weird bits.. but cheap!

there is this one lady vendor that has bags and bags ( and bags and bags!! ) of jewelry, watches, etc.  You could spend hours just looking at her stuff, trying to figure out which bags to buy.  Most of whats in the bags is probably junk.. but I'll find just enough cool watch faces and watch parts to make it worth the rest.. and occasionally I'll find that one piece that makes the whole buy worth it.  This is 4 bags in case you are curious.

Can you believe it.. we found yet another typewriter!!   This one is in rough shape, but I talked him down to a price that is worth it if I can get even one piece of jewelry made from it's parts. I'm guessing 1920's as it's very similar to my mom's typewriter.

And So it Begins....

Yet another typewriter is up on the chopping block.  Now I am planning on using some of these keys in jewelry, because one of them is broken, so I can't sell a full set anyway.  Besides this one has real meaning to me... this typewriter I grew up with.  My mom Generously gave it to me to chop up.  It's been stored in the musty, damp basement for several years... it's got some realllll issues and is non functional.  ( I can remember it working.. I can even remember attempting to type stuff on it)   Best I can date it is early to mid 1920's.  I will make something for me, and for my mom out of this one.  I can't wait to see what the guts of a 1920's Smith and Corona looks like in comparison to a 1935 Royal!

Now I've got to get back to looking at my fellow Blog hoppers for the Bead Soup Blog Party!  
I'm planning on checking out all the blogs, a few a day.  So it might take me a couple of weeks... we had over 150 people in the first reveal! Join me... lots of good eye candy!