Moving on

Fair has finally started, which means that Ray is wearing all the pretty pretty things I have made him. Check it out! Isn't it awesome. He is wearing the archery bracers (which I won't make again, WAY too much work), Red and Black asymmetrical Shoulder Pauldrons (Articulated - which means having the ability to move joints - armor for the shoulders), and Red and Black Greaves (Articulated Shin Armor). Isn't it pretty?

Of course Ray's looking good has two of our good friends asking for their own set of Armor like his but different :) I named the price and already have my first check for armor (which I do a little happy dance for). So, from my Red and Black boyo, I have moved on to a Black and White (_EVIL_ EVIL_ White!) matching full shoulder pauldron set!

Being done with the Satan-bracers, and with Becky's pretty blue and black, and having no other paid projects I got right to work. Seriously, Cut the leather Monday after getting the design e-mailed to me on Monday morning. Tooled it all Tuesday. Let it Dry for a few days. Got off work early Friday and spent the entire afternoon dying the leather and setting the majority of the Articulation. We have it set to free-floating (Using a leather strap to keep it attached rather than attached each section to each other at the points) for all but the bottom two lames (Sections of leather). Didn't have his jerkin (also called a doublet, surcoat, or leather pretty thing) so set all but the top points and brought my tools with me to Fair to finish with him there to confirm sizes and locations.

I will say - I am Awesome! And I am betting there will be another contract or two in the next few weeks :)

Check out the pretty!



Now I just wonder if he will want matching bracers or greaves :)

It was a really fun project and a great test-run to see how I can do without direct measurements for the majority of it. I really love to challenge myself with a new project. I just hope that the boyo loves it as much as my boyo loves his. :)

Busy Busy Girl

So, I last left off with the seemingly never ending pile of *GAH!* known as Randy's cursed bracers. Let's review where we left off. At our last end the 7 or 8 hours of tooling and dye work had been ruining by a tipped over bottle of dye leaving me in near-tears with the thought I would be re-doing both bracers. Thank the heavens, it was only one! With the end in sight i took up the task on Friday to finish the darn things and be back to sanity (as much as ever) but the heavens were not in alignment - seriously his Bracers are CURSED I TELL YOU!

Back to the adventure, almost done with the newly cut, tooled and almost fully dyed bracer when I (Gracefully as ever) knock over the OPEN bottle of brown dye all over the table, narrowly missing the bracer. I was so frustrated I actually went outside to be alone so I didn't scream, shout, or throw a fit. GAH!!!! It was...not fun. Seriously not fun.

But, ater my little outside-time fit I headed back in, finished both bracers, and handed them off to my dearest BIL with the instructions to keep them FAR FAR _FAR_ away from me.

But they did turn out quite pretty :)

Just Might Cry Still

So, last week was ridiculously over-productive, but I still didn't get everything done. Walin's bracers are complete, other than needing to decide if they need grommeting. Becky's Bracers are just waiting for dye and finish. And Randy's... Well Randy's are the reason I am thinking about crying.

You see, most of the things I have done are intrinsically simple designs. Things that are beautifully simple, but simple. Randy's design is complex, intertwining, and to be a honest, a pain in the wrist! But beautiful. Seriously, they are going to be freaking amazing. Except - well. After what was probably six hours of tooling and another hour of basic dye work I left the bracers on the table to dry while I went to work. The plan was to finish them when I got home.

Then I came home to dye knocked over on them and leaking all over (this is me crying - right here) See? :( I guess our dog jumped up on the table trying to get to something else and Ray didn't notice the dye got knocked over. The dog is lucky to be alive. Very VERY _VERY_ lucky.

Now, back to the beginning to cut and to re-tool. Both of them since there is a splash on the other that I don't think I can hide.

*pouts*

Working My Rear End Off

So, it has been a CRAZY week. Minus last night's migraine interruption I have been working every night this week.

Here is the list
1)Walin's Bracers are dyed, need the final silver touch up and to get the sheen coat.
2)Becky's Bracers are cut, tooled, beveled, and just need dye and final sheen coat
3)Randy's Bracers are both cut, one is tooled (And seriously, why did I design something that is KILLING my poor innocent hands and wrists and eyes from strain?), the other will get tooled tonight - though it means I will ignore my lovely guest after dinner, and I will bevel the first one - possibly both.
4)Liz's Wrist guard is designed, marked and just needs me to get a fresh exacto blade to be fully used, then she and I need to talk color and do the dye and sheen.
5)Gary's Baldric simply needs the lower sword-frog set in place and given the correct leather sheen.
6)Ray's greaves are tooled, just need to punch a middle hole and do the strapping
7)We need to adjust Ray's armor to remove the free-floating articulation in the lowermost joins so that it fits better on him as he moves.

In other words. I am awesome. Everyone loves me. And D.A.M.N. Adore me... :)

Blisters

Tonight was a great night for the crafty side! I ran by the leather store to pick up a new green hide since I didn't have enough for the project I was working on and ended up with a lovely deep green deer hide. Created the "child" design set, cut, grommetted, and then added embellishments! The stretch of the deerskin ended up being more of a challenge than I expected, but I think it will grow with her and I am really pleased and I am just hoping the set works out for the kiddo :)

After breaking myself on that one - I went and helped Ray by braiding 2 separate 2 ft long metal wire braids. One in copper and one in Copper, Silver, and Gold. I managed to give myself blisters on my fingers from all of it tonight.

But...Really pleased :)

Tomorrow - Garden Update! And Pictures!

Getting things done - Strangely enough

So, after my last rant about how I haven't been getting anything done I went out and got productive. I finished the tooling, dying, grommet's, and finishing on Shanti's Wild Rose/Thistle Bracers - I did the tooled, bevelling, and am ready to dye Walin's Panther Bracers as soon as he and I have a chat about colors. Finished putting together the greaves for Ray, just need to go buy straps to attach them. Sadly, my computer doesn't take thumbdrives so I don't have any pics to share with you all. Love you anyways and will try to get some more up soon.

Had an awesome time last night with Becky, Randy and Lance setting up a bunch of projects they would like me to do for them. I think one of my goals today will be to actually get all of their required measurements and get the art/sketches done. I need to check size and do a true job on the knotwork (which means that the over-under's will all go correctly, with no fudging it).

One of the neat things I am looking at how to figure out how to do is place copper wire within the tooling. I am not sure yet how to make it stay :( So, I will be poking around online and possibly fooling around with some of the wire today to see how I can make it stay within the tooling lines without having to run it through the back (inside) of the piece which I think would irritate skin.

Other than that I still haven't made any sales on Etsy (which makes me sad) but it means I need to get more stuff up or change my prices. I have already changed them a few times, but am nervous about letting them get any lower. Meh. Hopefully Ray and I will be able to work on some knives this weekend and get them up there and ready to go! Wish us luck :)

Putting Things Off

I think everyone does it sometimes, well, I know that everyone that I know does - but lately I have been having a hard time starting the next project. I have Ray's Greaves set for Red Dye, not that I have done it yet; I have Walin's Bracers cut and the design on trace-paper ready to be tooled; and I have the deep and quite sincere need to get Ray's black fair shirt made.

Yet, I am not working on any of it as much as I should be. For whatever reason I am just kind of letting it all sit. Sit Sit Sit Sit Sit :( Which is not so awesome.

So yeah, anyone have a suggestion for how to break out of the _not_ getting things done and go back to my super-productive side?