Month: November 2014

No Snow Yet

Spearcarrier

Don’t look now, but I think I got the Silhouette Cut It Yourself working right. Since last night I’ve cut about 100 fairies for charms and several half inch labels for another project I’m poking at. It cut as correctly as cheap machinery will allow. Hoozah. Let’s hope it holds.

It promises to be a busy day. I created five “snow globe” bottle charms last night, and today I have to take those half inch labels I mentioned before and get them prepped for attaching. I’m going to dome them with resin, because it would make them more durable. I’ve completely fallen in love with resin, and I’m constantly going over in my head for things I can do with it.

The problem with resin, though, is that it gets all over my art desk – the place where pages of Heavenly Bride are worked on. I read somewhere the resin won’t stick to white paper bags, so I’ve spent some time this morning also inventing a coated anti-resin board. If it works, I’ll maybe sell them. Or give out the instructions. Or both. My guillotine cutters haven’t shown up from the move yet. I’ve written them off as things that “weren’t left behind” and have been trying to cope without them… but without them I’m reluctant to make resin mats to sell. I can’t afford to replace the big one just now. I’d need at least $50, and I need that $50 to try to send at least something to the house payment. It’s been running on 3 months now that we haven’t paid the mortgage.

But now that the Cameo is behaving, I’ve made some real progress on my charm project. This makes me uber happy, even if I haven’t sold a single thing in months. Ha! I’m being inventive, watch me get covered in glitter!

My nose is to the grind on commissions as well. I’ve a large amount of flatting to do right now, and this means Heavenly Bride has been put into the slow lane. I don’t get double flats but maybe every two months, so I normally don’t mind. But right now I sure wish I could get the next page out already.

I think if I were an uber billionaire, I’d still keep myself busy with projects. I just like being busy. Of course, I’d also travel, know twelve different languages, and own a large publishing firm. And maybe go to SCA events and follow the powwow trail.

Oh. And buy cheese. Because we love cheese.

 

All Bottled Up

Spearcarrier

Today has been a very productive day, even though I’m running behind schedule. I’m running behind schedule because a lot of work has come in, which always happens when I put myself on hiatus. Funny old world. But craftwise I am super super pleased because a certain item I’ve been inventing (see: more advanced than simply creating) has decided to work perfectly a few minutes ago. I am the super supreme commander of crafts! (Even if I don’t know that much about all of them.)

To create this item, I had to learn decoupage. It was interesting. I’ll be experimenting further. Meanwhile one of my friends pointed out I should get a patent on this item. She’s right of course, what with the way big business steals things these days and blocks the rightful owners from just about anything. I don’t think I can afford a patent. And the “poor man’s patent” method of mailing things to yourself isn’t even fake insurance. The courts throw it right out.

Meanwhile some items I’d ordered weeks ago finally arrived, and I was able to produce one of the charm ideas I’ve been waiting to hatch. It’s a tiny bottle charm with mini dice in it labeled “Genuine Dice Seeds”. They’re currently available in my etsy shop, and if I can get the OOAKleaf shop to update and cooperate I’ll put it up there as well. I was so happy to finally make these!

But the happiness is pretty dampered with hate and anger at this stupid Silhouette Cameo. I’ve taken to thinking of it as a Silhouette “Cut It Yourself” anymore. The company called me and troubleshooted with me. The girl on the phone was real nice (and actually spoke English). So a few days ago when I hung up the phone with the Silhouette rep, I had hope.

My mistake was waiting a few days to try it again. But what can I say. I’ve been busy. Today was the day – all my future plans are hinged on a cutter that actually works. So I have spent all day preparing and getting set up. The moment came. I followed the rep’s instructions.

The damn Cut It Yourself is once again cutting off the mark.

I mean, I seriously sat in my office in a fugue of real depression. This problem has been ongoing since shortly after I brought the sharp paperweight home. And it’s only getting worse with each and every failed project – and I do mean failed projects. I’ve still YET to be able to finish something using this expensive waste of resources. I tried calibrating it and got nowhere. I reset defaults, I’ve looked and looked for help. I’m convinced the machine is broken, but this late in the game it no longer matters. I’ve lost basically a car payment on an investment that, like everything else, is going nowhere.

So I’m pretty depressed over it. Not “frustrated” or some other meaningless label you want to apply to me. I’m flat depressed. And fed up. If I had the guts I’d stick firecrackers in it and set it on fire in the backyard.

But the bottles are fun to make… so here’s a picture of the little dice seeds. SONY DSCYay dice seeds! I’m looking forward to making more… and then later I’m thinking something that… matters. Heh.

 

Pun? What pun?