Crafting doing well, cat not so well

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Woke up determined to make the most of this work day. Stayed home from yoga with the intention of letting my body get some rest (still sore from Yin class on Wednesday!) and getting through as much of my to-do lists as possible. The morning went well, but after lunch, we had to take Tisha back to the vet because his wound started to open up again after a couple of weeks. I’m still very nervous and worried. They did a biopsy, and we won’t hear the results until the middle of next week. I’m doing my best to fight panic unless it’s really called for.

Before the vet, I did manage to get a good bit of work done on my craft projects. I made another zip pouch, and this time it went even more smoothly than the koi pouch I made a couple of days ago. I think I’ve figured out how to maneuver my weirdly low zipper foot, so thank goodness for that; I was afraid zippers were always going to be a major pain on my machine.

I’m also very proud of myself for figuring out how to put on those ribbon loops; given my near-total lack of ability to visualize in 3D, it’s a big deal!

I was going to add an inner pocket, but I forgot.

The pouch is a gift for my former grad school advisor, so I hope she likes it! I’m very happy with how it came out. And it took me about an hour and a half from start to finish, including prepping the fabrics and some hand finishing around the zipper ends. Not bad at all.

Now I’m out of short zippers. One of these days if I’ve got some time, I’ll head out to the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse to pick up some more — they’re 3 for $1 there! I’d really like to do more zipper practice, so I think I’ll make up some pouches in different sizes for Craft Happy. Two of the other vendors make really cute pouches, so I don’t think I’ll be able to compete with them, but I figure while I’m practicing I might as well build up my inventory some more.

Speaking of inventory, I’ve decided not to worry so much about my booth display until I’ve made more headway into the actual inventory. What’s the point of dwelling on how to set up when I don’t even have anything to sell yet? I’ll still go thrifting when I can, and keep my eyes and brain peeled for ideas and props, but with only a little more than a month remaining until the event, I’ve got to focus where it counts.

I am almost, but not quite, done with the decoupaged box I’ve been working on all week, so I’ll share a couple of preview pics. The box is a vintage wooden cigar box, and I’ve covered it with scraps of paper painstakingly cut from magazines. The exterior, which I did in dark, textured blacks, is pretty much finished; I’ll let it cure for at least a couple of weeks, and then I’ll sand it down for a smoother feel. I also need to do the bottom of the box. I’ve decided against decoupaging it the same way as I do the rest of the box; that makes it more likely to stick to whatever it’s placed on, plus the bottom is so rarely seen. I haven’t quite decided what to do yet, but I’ll think of something.

The interior of the box, which I’m covering in rich, vibrant purples, isn’t yet complete. I’ve laid down the first layer of scraps, but their edges are still plainly discernible. My first layer is usually just to cover the box completely, and that takes long enough because I have to be careful with all the joins where the sides, top, and bottom of the box meet, and especially the hinge. But for subsequent layers I try to do more interesting things with the cut scraps, making sure all the pieces are unusual shapes, or layering on unique “objects” like the ancient colosseum-icon coin I put on the top of the box.

I really like making these boxes because each one comes out so completely individual. Of course, I couldn’t make two identical boxes even if I tried, but my aim is for each one to have a distinctive character. I call this one my Goth box because of the black and purple combination. This morning I sat down and planned out a few other boxes: a spring theme (pale green with flowers), a bright color scheme of tropical-ocean azure plus magenta, rainbow colors and prints paired with sober antique maps. I can’t wait to get to these, but in the meantime I’ve still got to finish this box. I don’t know if these boxes will sell well — they take so much time, I can’t price them low — but they bring me much joy!

My Valentine’s Day card is now all set up and ready to go for Sunday. If I’ve got your email address, chances are you’ll be receiving the card in your inbox, but if not — never fear. I will post it here after I’ve sent out all the emails!

Send good thoughts Tisha’s way!