So...Yeah

It's been a bit longer than I anticipated. Life has been very crazy in a lot of complicated ways - But! I have picked the next project. A good friend asked me to design her a sword/knife Frog for steampunk/pirate/ren fair events. My goal is to have it finished by Monday to give it to her as a Halloween present :) We'll see how I do.

Wish me luck!

Life Happens

Things have been remarkably busy with end of fair, Ray's birthday and wrapping up almost all of my projects. I promise I won't leave things hanging too long - but don't think there will be any updates for at least another week or two.

Thanks for hanging in there - and not hating me for taking so long to post!

Other Projects Happening

This has been a really great summer for me for commissions already. I did Bracers for Randy and Becky and will be doing a waist cinch for Becky to match her bracers. I did Vin's Should Pauldron's. And, I did several projects for Lance.

Lance first wanted horns for his fair hat. And I don't mean the cute little pan horns you buy at fair, oh no. He wanted Buffalo horns! I started off with the simple horn, dremmelled holes in the sides and Hot glued leather to the edge for protecting the hat and to keep the horn from shredding. After that it was as simple as setting up the Tie on and handing it back. I still want to do a little work on the hat attachment, it looks weird to me.

After his horns were done we moved on to his bracers. Simple Paw-print in red and black with borders in black and chicago screws for accent points that way he can replace them with spikes if he ever feels the urge. To finish up a red and black belt that matches the bracers with a simple fair style wrap.

Doesn't he look good?

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... :)