BayCon and Westercon 2010 Photos

I've been to three conventions so far this year - one more to go for sure, and one possible. I've been approved for LosCon again, over Thanksgiving weekend and may perhaps apply for Conjecture in San Diego, held in the beginning of October. Doing Baycon at the end of May and Westercon at the end of June was a bit stressful, so I'm giving it a lot of thought. I've been busy with family stuff, too - you'll want to see the special pictures at the end of the post to know exactly what I mean...

These first pictures are from BayCon - my dear husband came by around lunch time to give me a chance to stretch and grab a bite to eat, but otherwise I couldn't have done it without my wonderful neighbors, especially Tammie from Handee Books (who took the picture of me). Baycon was great this year - I got into the dealer's room and I made a lot of sales - it was very worthwhile.

These next ones are from Westercon - the last three are customers posing with their new jewelry. I finally got a banner so people know who I am and what I'm selling! I bought two, but forgot them, so my fabulous husband shipped one of the overnight to the hotel. Next convention I hope I don't forget them! This was my first Westercon - I didn't do as well there but I had a great time - my dad came and helped me set up and sat with me all 4 days, too! I really enjoyed it. Next year's is in San Jose so I hope I get accepted again - it will be great to be close to home (and save on gas money!):

And now for the big announcement - congratulations to Matthew (my son) and Amanda who got married on June 29th!

Daughter, Husband and Son before the ceremony. I'm behind the camera, of course!

Amanda, the beautiful bride to be

At the Altar



It's official!

Thanks for dropping by!

Dawno

Dawno's Tuesday Tidbits - Post BayCon Wrap Up

I got quite busy today and didn't find time to take a picture of my tiny, cramped display (really, no great loss). I'll take a bunch of good ones at LosCon, and if I get into World Fantasy, there too. Those are "real" dealer's booths, so I hope they'll be very nice. I have 5 months to plan and obsess over them.

I put out an assortment of my quick and easy glass lanyards and a sign:

These lanyards turned out to be a great idea. People stopped, looked and I sold quite a few of them. But I also sold more of my higher priced ones today when people took the time to hear about the purpose and the convertible qualities and decided they wanted something that was more like "real jewelry" to wear when they weren't wearing a badge.

Overall, I did about 70% of what I made last year this time. Today's sales in the 4 hrs I was there actually selling were equal to or better than any one of the three prior 8 or 9 hr days.

So, I learned something important today - when I promote something that will get people talking about my product to me, my chances of selling something are much better. I also had a couple people bring friends by who saw their lanyards and wanted one. I'm thrilled at how many immediately put their convention badges on the lanyard and wore them over the weekend. The ribbon may have helped, too. I'm definitely ordering more!

Speaking of ribbons, here's my collection. I'm missing Archon from 2007 and Potlatch 2006 or '07 (can't remember) but these are the ones I hung from some lanyards to try and show how they look. I ran out of "I Know Dawno!" ribbons, and most of my "Do You Know Dawno?" ribbons are gone, too.

When I speak about ribbons, you can see from the current '09 BayCon badge that people at BayCon are really into them. My collection is tiny compared to some - there were people who could wrap their ribbons into a sash that wound around them like the ones that Scouts put their merit badges on, and still have a length going down from that! (sorry about the reflection - I didn't realize the flash was on).

(click to enlarge and read the ribbon messages)

Last tidbit - made some hair clip/hair charms while I was there. Didn't sell any this weekend. Daughter insists I need to make bookmarks, I agree. Will be working on those in days ahead. Took this picture outside and the sun was pretty low, so the shadows are annoying, but my worktable is a total wreck and I couldn't photograph them inside.

Thanks for visiting and patiently listening to my convention blather. See you tomorrow. (or, if you're on Twitter, see you on and off thru the day!)

Editing to add:

I got a Google Alert that there was a post up out there in the Blogosphere with the exact same title as this one. I went to the site and saw the following, which I think is a weird and keyword laden translation of my post into Quebecois French and then back to English (try doing this sometime using Babelfish - it's hysterical) of today's blog post :

I got unquestionably affected today and didn’t chance frequently to sign off a discernment of my pint-sized, incommodious evidence (really, no sterling loss). I’ll sign off a bouquet of robust ones at LosCon, and if I seep at liberty into World Fantasy, there too. Those are real dealer’s booths, so I rely on they’ll be selfsame amiable. I deceive someone at liberty an corps of my instantaneous and acquiescent specs lanyards and a exceptional:These lanyards turned at liberty to be a sterling intention. I sire 5 months to design and hold closed them. People stopped, looked and I sold unquestionably a faulty of them.

Overall, I did in all directions from 70% of what I made most late year this frequently. But I also sold more of my higher priced ones today when people took the frequently to give someone a bribe attention to in all directions from the determination and the convertible qualities and stooping they wanted something that was more like real jewelry to have on when they weren’t wearing a badge. Today’s sales in the 4 hrs I was there in Aristotelianism entelechy selling were colleague to or best than any unified of the three until 8 or 9 hr days. I also had a join people advance a respectability friends alongside who dictum their lanyards and wanted unified. So, I well-trained something emotion-charged today - when I side with something that on gets people talking in all directions from my produce to me, my chances of selling something are much best.

I’m thrilled at how tons not to be sneezed at neaten up away deceive someone their congress badges on the lanyard and wore them closed the weekend. I’m unquestionably ordering more!Speaking of ribbons, here’s my accumulation. The ribbon may sire helped, too. I’m missing Archon from 2007 and Potlatch 2006 or ‘07 (can’t remember) but these are the ones I hung from some lanyards to adjudicate and brag how they look.

When I admonish in all directions from ribbons, you can be Argus-eyed from the rip current ‘09 BayCon badge that people at BayCon are quite into them. I ran at liberty of I Know Dawno! ribbons, and most of my Do You Know Dawno? ribbons are gone, too. My accumulation is pint-sized compared to some - there were people who could wrap their ribbons into a sash that swaddle in all directions from them like the ones that Scouts deceive someone their respectability badges on, and silence sire a completely flourishing down from that! (sorry in all directions from the proof - I didn’t bring about the frown was on).

Didn’t vend any this weekend. (click to amplify and assume from the ribbon messages)Last tidbit - made some suggestion clip/hair charms while I was there. Daughter insists I paucity to impel bookmarks, I allocate. Took this discernment farthest and the bake was graceful improper, so the shadows are annoying, but my worktable is a unalloyed annihilate and I couldn’t photograph them Achates. Will be working on those in days ahead. Thanks owing visiting and patiently listening to my congress blather.

See you tomorrow.

Monday Miscellany - Last Day of BayCon

Last day of BayCon. Will post more later today, but didn't want to miss a "regular" post - keeping good habits is important. One of the wonderful people I get to see at the convention is Gayle. She does lovely polymer clay work and shared some pieces with me today. She gave me a beautiful pendant a few years back and now I have matching pieces to make into earrings! I'll show you the whole set when I have a chance to photograph them.

She has also shared some great tips about polyclay and I plan to pick her brain for more - and maybe even ask if we might get together and try some stuff. I learn really well by doing things with people, plus it's just more fun! I have this idea for some canes I want to make and she's already given me a couple hints I'm looking forward to trying.

Also, the two pictures I tried to take of my table the day I forgot to put my memory card in the camera? They came out very blurry, so no joy there. I'll see if I can get a better picture tomorrow before I pack up.

I'll be back later - hope you will too!

Day 3 Bay Con

I'm enjoying all the wonderful conversations and getting to know new people, reacquainting myself with others who I've met before here or at other cons. My "I Know Dawno" and "Do You Know Dawno" ribbons are almost all gone now, too. There is some mild enthusiasm when people meet me and can finally say they do know Dawno...how they got the ribbons without meeting me is still a bit of a mystery, could be someone picked up a few and handed them around.

I stayed busy today and didn't have a chance to blog. Got a couple pictures to share now - some are stuck on my camera, which I finally very delicately fiddled with to get charging, so I can't download them until later.

Here are my table partners, Sally and Carlos.

(click pics to embiggen)

Here's the crew at the next table down, we have a shy fellow and a very happy Tribble dealer...



And here are two costume pictures I managed to take - there were so many lovely ones I missed! This couple's matching outfits were inspired by their son who was in Cirque du Soleil.



And this gentleman is the one with the antique goggles I mentioned before. His outfit is really lovely, I wish the picture was better.

I've only made about half of what I did by this time last year. Either it's the economy, my prices + the economy, or my work just isn't a good fit for the con this year. That said, some of the pieces I liked a lot when I made them and wondered if they were any good, were also liked enough to find buyers, so that makes me very happy.

My daughter is in town for the week. I may try to enlist her as a minion tomorrow...it's a short day, too, so I'll get to spend some time with her once the con is over.

Day 2 at Bay Con!

Remembered the memory card, but camera is almost out of charge. *sigh*

My table-mate Carlos made me a nice sign "Please Take One" for my ribbons. I hope nobody thinks its for my lanyards :-)

Also, this laptop doesn't have my picture editor loaded on it, so I can't crop and save the few photos I've taken to show you. You'll have to wait for tonight.

Lots of people are very interested in the display at end of the table it's a totally steampunk collection of jewelry and it's a big hit, no surprise. It's beautiful, she has a great eye for design with the tiny gears and doo-dads.

Battery running out - can't post more. Will catch up later!

Bay Con Day 1 Wrap-up

It got a bit busy around 5pm and I had the opportunity to visit with two wonderful ladies I originally met through mutual friends at the WorldCon in Denver last summer. One of whom was also at Potlatch and, as I finally and rather embarrassingly realized, I've been chatting with about coming to BayCon on Twitter. I didn't put the name I knew her by at the cons together with her Twitter user name right away and did one of those smack yourself on the forehead things when I realized. I don't mind laughter at my expense!

Not many sales, but I wasn't expecting much today. The weekend, hopefully will be better. That said, I did make back the cost of the table. Tomorrow I hope to make back the cost of the internet connection ($13.00 a day!) and valet parking ($9.00 a day). I have my display figured out at least! got everything tagged but earrings. I really have to figure out earring display and tagging one of these days. Right now they just hang on a wire stand. Yeah, kinda ugly but it's what I had handy.

Also got to know my other table-mate, the fun and lovely Sally Norton. She makes the most beautiful vintage-style jewelry.

My badge ribbons (just the top two, the other one is the one I wear) are moving quite well at this con - had to re-stock the pile a couple times. I got some good ones too - will snap a pic and show you tomorrow. Yes, there *will* be pictures tomorrow, I put my memory card in my purse!

Hope to find the lovely gentleman in the fabulous clothes tomorrow (and hope he's still in fabulous clothes) for a picture. He had some arctic goggles from the 19th century he showed me, too - fur around the dark green lenses, a cool carrying case. Saw many other great Victorian style costumes too.

Will post tomorrow from con, with pictures!

It's Vewwy Vewwy Quiet

Well, I'm set up and I'd share pictures but I forgot to put my memory card in the camera. I also seem to have left several bracelets at home that I'd intended to bring. Hope I didn't lose them in transit instead.

My neighbor from last year, Carlos, is back and he's already watched my table for me while I "used the facilities". We had a great time last year - he's got a very dry sense of humor.

Well, not much to say yet - just wanted to let you know I'm here and set up and gonna get to work.

And Off I Go to Bay Con 2009!

Here are two pieces I'm taking to BayCon today. Yes, I'll be there all weekend and I hope to live blog a bit from my table as I did last year, but I'm also taking some time to write up the weekend posts and schedule them.

This is a necklace I started ages ago (it seems) and bit by bit over time finally got to finishing up. Garnets, garnet Czech glass and a gunmetal chain with visually interesting links.

This next one is on the 18" gold plated serpentine chain and also uses the Dark Indigo Swarovski crystals from my last goodie package from Rings & Things (also got a silver plated one that I haven't used yet).

The gold plating is a bit bright for the design and I was worried that the kinks I found in it when I took it from the bag wouldn't smooth out, although with a little work they did did. Since the link to the component at the end that the clasp connects to (have no idea what it's called - it's a flat scale shaped thing with two holes, one for the jumpring to the chain and one for the clasp to go through) was attached with an open jumpring, I was able to take it off to attach the pendant. It's vintage looking without being entirely steampunk-ish, and I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

Well, I have a lot to do to get ready, so this one is short and sweet. I'm going to try to update again today from Bay Con, hope you'll check back!

Tuesday Tidbits - Tiny Sculptures Using Crayons by Diem Chou

I was minding my own business, reading blog posts and other news items on my Google Reader and in Dinosaurs and Robots, I read about an artist, Diem Chou, whose crayon carvings were being featured in a US Cellular commercial. I clicked over to her gallery - the beautiful silk work in the main gallery is simply jaw-dropping-ly lovely. Her crayon carvings are featured in her Past Work section. she has an Etsy shop, too.

I thought today would be a good day to pass along the Inspiration Award that Tish of JustATish created and honored me as its first recipient. I'd like to pass it along to Lisa at A Bead A Day.

Lisa puts up a lovely feature post on Fridays, where she gives us a chance to see other people's beautiful work and shares an interview with the featured artist. And daily she posts about beautiful beads she's found, sometimes with pictures of what she's created from them. Each post is a little nugget of inspiration. Her blog is a bright and happy place to visit every day. Thank you, Lisa for being an inspiration!

You can go to Tish's blog to get the original sized picture for passing along. You don't have to win it to use it, just make someone's day by sharing how they inspire you.

My tid-bits for the day, beaded hair clips (from Rings & Things, btw). I'm going to take the blanks and miscellaneous beads and wire and make them at the con - they're easy and fast to make and I can sell them inexpensively. They also look pretty cute when they're clipped in:

Mid-Week Mutterings - Big News About Tomorrow's Post

Why is that sketch of a dog in a sailor suit up there?
Why are his hands oddly shaped flippers?
He's an odd mutt!
Wednesday's theme is going to be Dawno's odd mutterings.

Wednesday's I will mutter about things to come and things I have done and things I may be imagining.

This is primarily because I'd yet to come up with a theme for Wednesday's posts and here it is, Tuesday night, when I need to write my post.

It may still come to me to do something different, and it may stay this way - I'm feeling quite flexible about it.

In light of the decision I've made to try and organize my posting around themes for each weekday, I have decided that on Thursdays I'll be doing a review of either a jewelry, crafts, or beading book/article, or a jewelry/crafts/beading blog or shop *or* an interview of someone whom I hope will be of interest to readers.

You may recall my interview of Tish from Just A Tish, and I would love to do more interviews of bloggers who comment here, or who I know from Twitter. I'm looking forward to featuring you - and I'm hoping you won't be shy when I ask.

So, for tomorrow's interview: Big News! Tomorrow I will post my interview of John A. Jacobs, CEO of Art Fire. I'm really thrilled he agreed to be interviewed for my tiny blog way out here at the end of the long tail of the Beadosphere. And it all started with Twitter, by the way - more on that tomorrow. I hope you'll visit (and tell a friend or two to drop by).

Back to the muttering -

Time is getting short for me to prepare for Bay Con, so I really need to get the whole thing organized in my head. I talked about making a project plan, never did it, though, and am quite regretting it. I may still try to get these final 9 days charted out. I want to bring a good selection of steampunk style things, but I also did pretty well last year with my basic lanyard fare - which was all I was doing at the time. I'm a bit stalled by the indecision of it all.

Even so - I got back to work last night on my steampunk-ish mini-charms. Added one new one (in the center), added a touch to another - there are some nearly microscopic-ruby jewelelled bits in two of them now.

(click to enlarge for detail)

I also started on this mixed metal medallion. The two larger pieces in back aren't glued in yet, and the brass wedge at the bottom of the centerpiece, which has two tiny ruby jewels in it, isn't glued in yet, either. I think I'm going to try and clean that piece up a bit before gluing. I'm considering putting a pin/bail back on it so it can be worn either way.

While I was rummaging for a part, I came across this found object I picked up in a parking lot. It was very scratched and dirty, but I cleaned and buffed it with an emery board and then again with a 3-part nail buffer board. Someday I may actually get real sandpaper and polishing stuff... I have no idea what it's made of, could be full of lead for all I know, but I think I'll work it into something and make sure I put a tag on it with all the requisite warnings about unknown material, etc.

Ok, enough mutterings. Please come back tomorrow for the interview - post goes up at 6 a.m.!

Monday Miscellany

I think Monday posts are the hardest to do. I guess I'll just take a page from Modern Literature class and do "stream of consciousness" - although I think this is more organized than most of the stream of consciousness writing I read way back when.

Although I have a new goodie bag to work with from Rings & Things, I did just use the Indian Pink Swarovski's I got in the last pack in this necklace - aren't they the perfect color to go with the rhodochrosite heishis I got recently from Lima Beads? This is very petite - just 16", the heishis and eight of the Swarovski's are 4mm, so it's quite delicate looking when on.

Below is a piece I worked on last Saturday night, still have some finishing fiddly work to do on it, but (I think) the design is done. Necklace is around 16", the center detail is around 2" long. Swarovski pearls, Swarovski crystals from Global Beads, gold fill wire, gold vermeil daisy spacers from Artbeads. Took about 4 hours to complete. *whew*

Of course the center bit was the first thing I added to the basic strung necklace, then I decided it needed even more bits, and just like Topsy, it growed. I finally resisted all temptation to do anything else to it Saturday night, which is when I took the picture above.

I have Thursday and Friday off this week (yay!). Thursday I go to the Rings & Things Bead Tour (that psychodelic-y banner has me flashing back to my youth and I never even touched LSD...really!) and get to visit with a new friend of mine while I'm there, since it's about midway between where I live and where she lives.

I met her at the SF convention, Potlatch. She's also someone I know online at Live Journal. She asked me if I still had a pair of earrings I'd shown but she didn't buy there -she called them "those orrery looking earings" and you know, the way they move, it is kind of like an orrery. Anyway, I told her they were still available and we're going to conduct that transaction, see the bead show and have a lovely time. I'm really looking forward to seeing her, as well as the beads.

Friday I'm going to have lunch downtown with another friend who I met through work and lives in the same town I do. She's not at my company any more, so I don't get to see her in person as much although we found each other on Facebook, so we try to keep up there. I am so glad for places like Live Journal, Facebook and Twitter helping me stay in touch. I'm terrible at writing chatty letters/emails or making phone calls so those sites are great for letting folk know I'm thinking of them or for sharing little bits of news.

Then it's work work work on my pieces for Bay Con. Tags, display, new stuff - next weekend will be very busy.

And the Shiny Stuff Keeps Coming or, How I Exhausted the Mail Carrier

I want to plug a few things I've read lately that I can't wait 'til Sunday's Wanderings Around the Beadosphere post to share.

First, Wendy Gibson of Winged Heart Studio has a column up at the ArtFire sponsored Handmade News. Wendy is one of their regular columnists for the Craft Trends section! Congratulations on the great gig, Wendy!

I understand there may still some spots open at Handmade for anyone who'd like to also become a paid editor, columnist or volunteer contributor, but I bet time is running short.

Tish is still collecting donations to help Chance run, she's only asking for 50 cents - and needs just over 900 more donations to reach her goal - which was 2000, so she's beyond the half-way mark in just a few days. Tell a friend, add your 50 cents, tell another friend.

Where do you go for inspiration that's not another beading crafter? I like Autonomous Artisans, Nikon Sniper, The Smitten Image and sometimes just doing a search on Google Images.

Now some notes about my day - Yay for my May's Bead Club beads from The Beadin' Path. Yummy summer-y sherbet colored heishis, bright silver-plated shell charms, large chrysocolla pendant bead were in this month's pack. Ideas for these are bouncing all over my brain.

Then there was more yay for Vintaj brass bits and caps and disks, and beautiful Lunch Specials beads from Lima Beads (sign up for their emails - you'll be glad you did). I don't know what is in today's special (today meaning the day you see this and click) but I got some beautiful rhodochrosite heishis and lemon ice and violet elongated faceted cubic zirconia teardrops at super prices. These CZs, with their own pre-attached bails, are definitely on my wish list.

Last but not least, this gorgeous borosilicate lampwork glass nautilus shell pendant from LaffingGull Lampwork

I'm going to be a designing dervish this weekend - only 2 weekends to go before Bay Con and I want to have a nice stock of Victorian and Steampunk style pieces.

Steampunk - What Does That Mean?

Steampunk Theme Pendant

As I've probably mentioned way too often, in three weeks I'm going to be at Bay Con 2009, Santa Clara, California. The theme of this year's con is "The Lost Sky City of Pyrocumulon" and as the official newsletter of the con said: "- steampunk is key". This text from a link on my Google search into steampunk is apt, "Steampunk is the intersection of technology and romance." I would elaborate that it's the intersection of pre-electronic, pre-silicon based technology, i.e., late 19th Century.

While steampunk can be realized by adopting a Victorian look and style, with the right kind of accessories, one can also imagine it as how one would look if they had descended from an alternate timeline which has led to a present day where steam engines and mechanical devices are still the backbone of industry and electronics are a curiosity, a side show. Per this, snipped from Wikipedia, "Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles, analog computers, or digital mechanical computers (such as Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine); these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or with a presumption of functionality."

Those of us old enough to remember the TV show The Wild, Wild, West should easily be able to envision the look and feel of steampunk - Artemis Gordon was definitely a steampunk scientist. My first introduction to steampunk (although I'm pretty sure I didn't know that term, nor associate this with it) was the book, The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling published in 1990. I frequently re-read it just for the fascinating imaginings of a world where steam is king.

If steampunk still puzzles you, some visuals might help and I've done the Googling for you:

In General (gadgets, home decor, costuming):
The Steampunk Workshop
Brass Goggles

In Jewelry:
Earthenwood Studios - Melanie is going to Penguincon and shares one of her pieces.
Rivka's Mom - the absolute master of the look
Nouveaumotley's Etsy store - lovely pieces
poetsummer's Etsy store - vintage look, romantic and steampunk styles

Steampunk themed comic (one of my favorites)
Girl Genius

Tomorrow I'll be posting my Wanderings Around the Beadosphere again. I haven't seen anyone take me up on last week's offer to share these links around on their blogs, but I'll still post links, and the offer remains open!

"Excuse me, have you seen my mind? I seem to have lost it somewhere along the way."

Before I go into anecdote-mode, thought I'd share my latest attempt at making something with the technique Katie Hacker teaches at the Beadalon site, using loops of beading wire to space the beads instead of crimps, and then attaching dangly things on the loops. I made the end-caps out of some large hole beads and crimp-beads glued into the holes to secure the strands - I'm kind of proud at how those turned out. I'd started out thinking I'd just use the red beads with some pewter butterfly and flower charms added as dangles, but then decided to add one more strand with more pewter butterflies and red bead dangles. Maybe I went overboard just a bit, but I like it.

I had "one of those days" today - lots of things just seemed harder to do than usual because I just couldn't focus. For example, have you ever truly believed you've made something, know you haven't sold it, and yet can't find it anywhere? I would have sworn I made a bracelet to match a tiger eye and turquoise nugget necklace. There's the necklace, there's the earrings...where's the bracelet?

Now I'm not so sure that I didn't just imagine having made it - after all, it was way back in October (imagine me rolling my eyes here). I know my memory isn't as sharp as it used to be, but typically it's forgetting where I left something real, not a false memory of having it in the first place. Oh well, guess I'll just have to make one. Once I'm finished, I'm sure the one I thought I'd made will turn up someplace obvious.

Then, as I was changing my calendar to May, I realized that Memorial Day weekend was a week earlier than I'd thought...oops! Yep, the mind is definitely going soft on me. I have a lot to do to get ready for Bay Con, and one less week to do it in.

I'm still playing around with the brown lava stones I got from Rings & Things - here's the latest (unfinished) piece with red coral, red ceramic beads in the necklace, and a lava stone, branch coral, red India glass bead, and brass wire pendant. A few more round stones at the top and a clasp and I'm done :

(Please click picture to enlarge if you'd like to see more detail)

Right at the top of the square where the hole had been drilled there was a very large pit. I wasn't really happy with how that looked and was wondering how to fill it in or cover it up. I eventually took a stone that I had put aside because it was lopsided from the way some of the cuts were along the axis of the holes in the stone (they looked like trenches instead of craters), and took a file to it and gathered the filings. I put a blob of Aleen's glue in the hole and covered it with the filings. Covered it right up - and darn near invisibly, if you ask me.

There have been a couple more posts about lava stone designs around the beadosphere - I really like what Melanie at Earthenwork Studios did with the lava stones and a beautiful "Openwork Escutcheons" piece.

Two others I've seen and not mentioned here before, are:

Margot Potter's wire wrapped earrings

Cindy Gimbrone "The Lampwork Diva" provides some product details and asks "Hmmm what sort of designs would you use these light weight beads for? Do they inspire you to create something "hot?"

I'll leave you to ponder that question (and if you have an answer - please visit Cindy's blog and leave her a comment).

Getting Ready for a Crafty Weekend!

Because it's one of those "you had to be there" kind of things, I won't explain why, but I'm going to be making something for my daughter and me featuring these:

Whatever gets made won't be identical because, while I found two packs of charms with the lobsters, I wasn't able to find more than one pack that had the starfish and scallop - so other charms will have to go on the second creation. I was thinking bracelet for me, but daughter doesn't wear them, so she'll get either earrings or a pendant. Or some kind of dangly thing she can use on a purse or hook to her keychain or a zipper...still working all this out in my head.

Tidied up my workspace a bit and did some minimal sorting, in order to be more focused about what I'm going to work on tonight and this weekend. I had a vague idea of the things I wanted to work on, while I was doing this, but I've decided to do something new to help increase my odds of actually ending up on Sunday with a sense of accomplishment.

As in real progress rather than sitting surrounded by piles of beads and findings, more piles of partly finished things, and the occasional running-out-to-the-store-for-something-new-because-I-got-a-wild-idea progress. Not that there's anything wrong with that sometimes.

Anyway, I got to thinking about how haphazardly I go about this whole jewelry obsession I have. I'm moving from "hobby" to "part time business" and maybe, in the not too distant future, full time business. At the conclusion of this ponderment, I decided that in order to be successful, I have to apply some of the project management skills (btw, that's a big part of what I do in my day job in the techie world) I've picked up along the way. Especially right now, if only to put some structured goals around what I need to do to prepare for Bay Con at the end of May.

For example, I will have a pretty small space so that sets one parameter - how much room I'll have to display, which limits what I can bring for sale pre-made. I am going to be sitting out in Artist's Alley again, so I need to be working on something all the time. That sets another parameter - what supplies to bring. The type of con, theme of con, typical con-goers, etc., help set the parameters for what kind of things might sell best. The easy parameter is "days left until show".

From all those parameters, I'll create a task list, maybe using Google Spreadsheets - if this is a successful trial-run, maybe someone will want me to share what I did, and it's very easy to share with Google. The task spreadsheet will include how many, and what kinds, of prepared bags of things to make at the table and put due dates for completion of those. Other tasks would be things like "what new items do I want to display" "complete pricing and tagging" "create inventory list".

Once the task list is created, dates assigned and priorities established, I can focus on getting the things I need to do for Bay Con done. If I get the tasks done before their due dates, then I can do whatever I want for the rest of the time, or move on to other tasks and move ahead of schedule. I'm actually liking this idea a lot, the more I write about it.

I first started using some of these techniques back in college, when I over-scheduled myself one quarter in my 2nd year. I found a book (title long forgotten) that saved me from dropping out in abject failure - and I'm not kidding, it was a really grim time. The key was breaking my days into 15 minute increments, setting achievable goals for those increments and rewarding myself periodically for success. Also dropping one class.

The organizational tips it gave were very much like a project management how-to, but written for students. Also like the time management stuff Franklin-Covey, Day-Timer, etc., have made their fortunes by providing seminars and supplies for. Me, I used Mead 4-subject 5x8 sized notebooks with graph paper pages and colored pens.

By organizing, setting goals and managing my time better, using the techniques in the book, I got thru that quarter, and subsequent quarters, graduated in 3 years and did it cum laude as well. I apply many of those same tools to my day-job. So why not my jewelry work, too? As I begin to approach this more as a part-time business than a hobby, it's essential!

If You Live in Maine, You Can Visit in Person! (I'm Jealous)

The wonderful Heather from The Beadin' Path (@beadinpath on Twitter) ran a little contest on Twitter a bit ago, and I won a gift certificate! (I hardly ever, ever win anything and I was so excited).

I ordered some beautiful beads (Keith O'Connor Ceramic shells, and carved & stamped raku seascape mix beads) and some tiny round gunmetal beads (not shown)

as well as joined their monthly subscription to the Monthly Bead Club and got these beauties for this month:

And a darling pair of gift beads that I bet Tish or Lisa would have very clever ideas on how to use - me, I'm just thinking earrings...

My order came yesterday but I've been a bit distracted by RL stuff, and didn't post. But I really wanted to share more than just the beads - I wanted to also tell you a little story about making my order with The Beadin' Path.

During the ordering process I ran into some trouble - turned out to be user error, not their site, but before I figured that out, I clicked their live chat help. It was fabulous! I got a help person right away who was very helpful and once I figured out the problem was my own "doh" moment, stayed a bit to chat with me, because it turned out to be the wonderful Heather, who recognized me from Twitter, on the chat.

I am a customer for life. Anyone who is using the web tools as cleverly and helpfully and just plain happily as The Beadin' Path does deserves tons of kudos. Plus they have really great beads and beading stuff. I don't wish I lived in Maine, I'm not a winter person - lived in California all my life and the first half of it in Southern California and that mainly in the desert. I am not fond of snow or long stretches of cold. But I would love to be able to visit Freeport, Maine and visit The Beadin' Path. I'm going to have to figure out how to work that into some future vacation plans.

Ok, so what have I accomplished in the past few days I've been neglecting my blog? Bits and pieces of stuff - added some length to the lava rock bead and shell necklace I posted about the other day, plus a little Romeo and Juliet type ring I hand wrapped with 20 gauge gunmetal colored Artistic Wire I found at Global Beads:

I'm going to make more of those rings in different colors of wire with pairs of Czech druk beads, and put them out at my Bay Con table this year - I think they'll be popular - as well as offer to make more 'on the spot' for anyone who wants customized ones. The rules of Artist's Alley are that I have to be working on my art and interacting with people, not focusing mainly on selling. That worked out just fine for me last year and I think I had a successful weekend.

I also finished everything but the clasp on this necklace...

...with some beads from my trip to Michael's with my daughter over the weekend, before she headed back south. For the clasp, I'd love for you to suggest some links, if you know of anything different - especially if it's unique and hand crafted - out there that you've seen.

Back in the Groove?

Productive day for me - even with a bit of sleeping in, and a long drive to get hubby's favorite lunch from the only place that serves it a 30 minute drive away, so it takes over an hour to get home with it, and then eating lunch with him while catching up on some TiVoed shows from last week - I still finished 4 lanyards so far today. I'll probably do a couple more tonight and then get them up on Etsy and eBay tomorrow.

I've been on a bit of a hematite kick, but in the last one with hematite (and copper, second from the right), I used a 3mm garnet colored Jablonex faceted Czech glass bead. That led me to grab my boxes of red beads and my garnet colored Czech glass hexagonal beads from Artbeads caught my eye. I have a lot of these hex bead lanyards and really love making my necklace lanyards with them because of the way their shape catches the eye and their subtle facets play with color and shadow on the bead in interesting ways.

These are all between 28" and 30" long.

I think these are great winter colors - and garnet is the January birthstone, too.

My last comment tonight is that I really wish that I would hear something back from the dealer's room committee members I've written to. I discovered two SF/Fantasy conventions that were going to be held locally, one in March and one in the summer, I think June. I reached out to the dealer's room committee members via the email address listed on the convention websites several days ago, but haven't heard anything yet - and after the LosCon disappointment, I figured I'd better get an earlier start. I really hope my email didn't go into their junk folder...