Wolf's Den

So 2 of the 3 scarves are ready, photographed and waiting for their photos to be finished with editing, so they can be listed in my shop.

DawnFire is taking abit longer as I'm doing something somewhat elaborate with the beads on that one.

Did finally decide to go ahead and list the variation of Cosmos I and II (see-here for example) , so that'll be listed as well. The variation is that this one doesn't have the sponge painting.

Ok, back to editing photos.

DawnFire, WiP, closeup by *WolfSilverOak on deviantART

Trio is 3 different Habotai silk scarves I am currently working on. Fresh from the pole, 2 are Arashi, 1 is Bomaki.

I'm also working on another beadwork piece, as yet to be named.

A piece just doesn't want to be photographed properly.

Case in point is my Spirit of the Cove piece.

I took 2 sets of photos of that piece. Both on sunny days.

tHe first time, they came out so badly backlit, that you couldn't edit the photos to see the details without ruining the integrity of the photos. Today, I retook them, and while I'm still not entirely happy with them, you can definitely see details and they were a vast improvement.

Knowing me, I'll retake them again sometime, in an attempt to improve them.}:)

But for now, I guess they'll have to do.

I have a new scarf waiting for its beadwork trim. I need certain charms to go on it, and have to wait until payday to order them. It's a very interesting scarf, one that Mark gave me the idea of doing. Not my colors, certainly, but someone will love it.

I am also getting ready, as soon as I move Max off the design table, to fold an Indigo base dyed scarf to prepare it for shibori. This one, if it does what I want, should come out gorgeous, with blue undertones and red and purple highlights.

I still need to finish my EBW Monthly Challenge piece. I still have roughly 12 more inches of branched fringe to do, then to attach the main componant and bead it. SHOULD be finished by next weekend, I hope. Also need to finish the commissioned piece for the guy from Mark's work. That will only take a few hours, tops, though, so not too worried about that.

Back to work I go...

Polished Brass, finished by *WolfSilverOak on deviantART


(OH YAY! It worked!!! WooHoo! Rock on, Squeaky!!!!!)

Polished Bronze I by *WolfSilverOak on deviantART

I don't agree with some of the negative traits, mainly because, well, I don't feel I have them.}:P

Procrastination on the other hand...

That I have in spades. I still haven't wrapped those 2 silk scarves yet. I completely forgot about the 2 color run sitting in the dye cups in the closet. Oops. I haven't been working on 'Water' lately. Nor have I been working on this piece for the Sept bead competition. Double oops.

I did wake up to a delicious breakfast in bed- choco chip pancakes and an omelet. Yum.

However, I really need to get that 2 color un finished, so I can get it listed. Did you know.. that on all my fabrics, all the shipping goes to Akita Rescue? Now you do, so now you can go buy some! }:P

Ok, to work I go....hey what's that!? Oh how cool! I have so got to try this sometime!

Ok NOW I'm off to work on stuff, I swear!

Crap, I forgot I promised Mark I'd make him some Pizzelles today. ARGH. NEED. MORE. HOURS. IN. THE. DAY.


Edit, 3 hours later- Yes, yes, still procrastinating.

Sometimes it's nice getting spam mail in the snail mail. I got a free CD 'book' of Mozart's Musical Masterpieces. Huh. This is actually something I might sign up for... at a way later date.}:P but for now, thanks for the free CD.}:P

Oh and I'm about to plant me some radish seeds and bell pepper seeds. Whee.}:P I'm running out of room for my seed trays. LOL

Ocean Dreams has been listed for sale.




I have 3 more in various stages, that should be ready by Friday(listed by Friday, photos as soon as Thursday afternoon), in 3 different color palates. So keep an eye out. First come, first serve. Remember, there is only ONE of each. Colors can be duplicated, but there will never be another one of the very first ones.

I create something that just blows me away. That completely catches me off guard and vastly exceeds my highest expectations. That makes you not want to stop taking photos of it. Today, a piece has done that once again.

I wrapped this silk scarf the same night I wrapped the Water shibori. I just unwrapped it today.

I let it completely dry, then rinsed the hel out of it while still on the pole, washing it with synthrapol as well, to get as much excess dye out as possible. When the water ran clear, I let it drain, then laid it over the heater vent to dry over night.

I had a name for this piece before I even had it dyed. I knew what I wanted and how I wanted it to look. I got that and so much more....

( More... )

So this year I got a late start, but I finally got my seeds started last night.

( Continued.... )

So I was wrapping some Kona cotton for shibori, in an attempt to approximate what I created earlier. I knew my fingers were getting sore but little did I know that I not only developed a blister in the top bend of my right pinkie, but that I'd ripped it clean open.

I also have a blister on the inside of my left middle finger. Guess the left pinkie is toughened up enough for pulling FireLine, cause it's tender but no blisters.

That goes to show you exactly how hard I pull on the string when wrapping fabric for shibori.

Let that be a lesson to you.}:P

So I signed up for the shibori fat eigth swap on the Dyehard list. 8 fat eigths that you dye in the shibori style(any shibori technique) and send in for 8 different pieces of shibori dyed fabric by 8 other people.

I just finished unwrapping and washing out my yard of Kona fabric I did for the swap.


(Unwrapped from the pole, ready to be washed/rinsed)

I used Kona cotton and Procion MX Old Rose dye.


(closeup prior to washing)

I have a problem now, though.


(another closeup)

I don't want to cut it up now.

(One of these days I'll remember that it's 2008 not 2007 when I 'sign' my photos. *headdesk*)


(rinsing)

Heck, I liked what it looked like right off the pole, unwashed and unrinsed.}:P Ah well, I don't have time to do another, so I guess I'll have to cut this piece up.}:)

I do have 9 more yards of Kona, so I guess I best get to wrapping some more cause I want a piece for myself now! LOL


(hung to drip dry)

And of course, I know I'll need to dye up some to sell, as my hand dyes always did sell quite well. Guess I know what I'm doing this weekend in between workingh on my Bead Dreams beadwork.}:)

We don't celebrate Valentine's Day. We celebrate the day AFTER Valentine's Day.

Why? Because 16 years ago yesterday, Mark asked me to marry him. On bended knee in the mud outside the bowling alley on Camp Butler, Okinawa, Japan.

We usually give each other something small, not too extravagent. This year, he went a little more extravagent.}:P



Yeah, he so out did me this year. LOL This is what I got him-



Then we grilled out some hamburgers and watched 'Holmes on Homes'. Yup, we lead exciting lives.

So today, we headed up to Harrisonburg, mainly to go to the Shenadoah Heritage Market, but also to walk through the mall there.

The Mall was a bust, the Banshee Car started acting up in the parking lot, should have been our first clue that the Mall would suck. 20 minutes later, we walked back out again and headed to the Market instead. Could have sworn that Mall was better than that. Oh well.

We got the the Heritage Market, and the Banshee Car was running fine. Go figure.

We browsed the greenhouses there, seeing what plants they had ready or near ready, then looked in the produce store, checking out their stuff too. Nice looking hothouse strawberries, but we decided against getting any.

When we went into the main building, Mark decided to look through the antiques. We found a bunch of books, made note of original Nancy Drew series books (first edition printings to boot) and said we'd come back for them. He found a book he wanted, 'Band of Brothers', I found an Original 1939 first printing hardcover edition of Pearl S. Buck's 'The Patriot'. No dustjacket, some wear on the corners, but otherwise in awesome condition. One of these days when we feel more up to it, we'll go more thoroughly through the books.

they have a 'Kitchen Corner' there as well, that sells some hard to find stuffs. I needed new rubber spatulas, and my mom in law has some really neat wire handled ones*. She couldn't remember where she got them, but I found some exactly like hers there. As well as a 13x15 pizza stone, (still need to get a round stone from Wyvera on LJ though, as mine had broken early last year. )

We then hit the Pantry store, and stoked up on Chai Black Tea(4 bags!}:P), granola, ground ginger, pure vanilla extract, blueberry pancake mix... yeah. Love that store.

Then we headed home. And the Banshee Car behaved the entire way. Odd, that.

Hit the Valley View Mall on the way home. It was PACKEd. Seems there's a Keith Urban concert tonight(yay?), and everyone was at the Mall prior to the concert.

Ate dinner, a late anniversary dinner of sorts, at Smokey Bones. Got a dessert of their fresh made donuts to go and came home.

And that was our day. Fun too, thankfully, once Mark stopped stressing over the car, it just didn't want to be at that Mall.

So I'm bored with the 3 colors of Manic Panic I usually use on my hair. A regular customer works at a wholesale salon supply store right down the street and has been trying to get me to stop by for a few months now. So I did on Thursday.

They (CosmoProf) carry two lines of semi-perm hair dye, one I believe is 'Colorworks', the other is Paul Mitchell's 'InkWorks'. Because I don't have a professional haircare liscense, I had to have him buy the stuff for me. I just told him what I wanted.

So I'm trying a color and a brand I've never used/done before(I use Paul Mitchell Brilliant Brunette Shampoo/Conditioner religiously, love the stuff and Shineshock is AWESOME), so in the next few weeks, I'll be sporting a new color.




And last but not least, a few teaser shots of my Bead&Button Bead Dreams entry piece I'm working on.



In the beginning, all I had was bowls of beads...but a few days later...


And that's all you get for now.}:P

* Mine are like these, but in three sizes and green.

I love sunny days.

Sunny days make it so much easier to photograph a piece and have its colors be as true to form as possible.

Winter Sun can be harsh, and stark, but diffused through the bare branches of the Oak Trees above, it's softened just enough.

I took advantage of the early morning Sun today to photograph 2 silk scarves, a new necklace and rephotograph Our Lady of Storms.

I'm much more happy with these photos than the ones I took first. Even though I use the GE Reveal lights, there's nothing that compares to real, honest to goodness Sunlight.

Off to edit my photos and upload them.}:)

'Indigo Ferns', Sunprinted 100% Stonewashed Crepe De Chine Silk ScarfSOLD

MOST CURRENTLY Listed Items are now 50% OFF.

All Silk Scarves- 50% OFF

All Chainmaille- 50% OFF

All Fabrics- 50% OFF

SELECTED Beadwork- 50% OFF

Everything not mentioned- 50% OFF


Prices have been adjusted already.

Several photos.. as well as beadwork..( here... )

To figure out what colors I used in 'Sorrow'... I know one color was stormy Sky, but the other color still eludes me.

I do, however, have a new scarf, as a result of trial and error, that is now called 'Bruised Ego'.

Rinsed, and washed the second of the scarves I tried a new technique on. As soon as it's dry, I'll be getting photos and uploading them. That'll be 5 new scarves.

Also have a new beadwork piece to photograph. and another to finish. This month's Challenge is 'Monochrome' and is definately a challenge indeed, when you don't really have that broad of a selection of bead colors because you're still trying to replenish your stock. LOL.

Found another site to promote my works on.

Promote, promote, promote.. that seems to be all I'm doing lately. While it does seem to be getting my name and work out there more, and the shop is getting more hits, I've not noticed the increased sales yet. Even at 50% off, stuff just isn't really selling.

Have found 2 other places to list and sell from, so come Jan, I'll sign up and give them a try. I honestly believe that Etsy has just simply become too saturated with sellers and not enough buyers anymore. Nearly everyone that goes there, ends up becoming a seller instead. Even in the forums, people are saying they aren't buying until they sell stuff, which isn't selling either. Rather defeats the purpose if you ask me.

But I keep trying and one of these days, I'll break through and finally find the right mix that will bring in the sales.


Edit, 1024pm- Aha! I have found the elusive second color to the Sorrow scarf. Photos tomorrow. Sometime this month, I so need to do a dye order.

I really could just kick myself sometimes.

I mean, the WHOLE POINT of keeping a blank book handy for when I dye up a really cool scraf, is so I can write down the dyes used, how they were used, what proportions, etc, and include a photo of said scarf.

For some reason, I haven't done that for the last couple of scarves. And now that I need to know what other color was used in THIS scarf, I don't have it written down and can't for the life of me remember the other color I used.

*bangs head on desk repeatedly*

And I'm plain evil as well all know...



Empty container, a squirt bottle of vinegar, a silk scarf, and steel wool... hmmm... curious?


Too bad, you'll have to wait to find out what I'm doing.