shinies!

[ravnsdaughter]

I am way overdue for a proper update around here.

First off, some showing off. Here's pics of the jewelry I donated to be door prizes at Antioch Invitational last weekend:











A pro, I am definitely not, but I'm still pretty happy with how they turned out. I'll be getting lots of practicing making more jewelry very soon, though. Also, I need a macro lens for my camera.



So yesterday I made a fairly significant decision. I'm not going home for Christmas. I had expected flak from my mother over this, but I talked to her yesterday and surprisingly, she was fine with it. Last year, my parents freaked out when we found the bedbugs, and insisted we not come over that weekend just in case we brought them with us. They were dealt with and long gone by then, but we didn't go, to make my mom happy. And then we went for a visit in January, and we actually enjoyed it way more. Sure, we didn't get to see the Christmas tree, but oh well.

The idea of going home was just stressing me out like crazy. It would have cost me about $150 to travel there and back. The ferries are packed with people, including tons of screaming children. I spend 3 days cooped up in a house with my whole family, because my parents never get out and do anything, breathing in the second hand smoke of TWO 2-pack-a-day smokers, so I come home feeling like total crap. I spend time and/or money coming up with gifts that I think are thoughtful and nice, and my mom generally loves hers but my siblings are ungrateful brats. My mom doesn't even bake anymore, and now that my parents are hardcore South Beachers, Christmas dinner won't even be what it used to be. The only reason to go anymore is to SEE my family, and I can do that any old weekend.

So instead, I am going to stay home and enjoy my 4 1/2 days off from work, and spend my long weekend snuggling with my kitties, crafting and gaming. And maybe I can even fit in a visit with some friends in there, if there are any who aren't crazy busy with their own festivities. Certain of my friends feel far more like family to me than my bio family does, anyways.

This decision has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders and I am so relieved to have made it.

Comments

[alicia-stardust.livejournal.com]

I love the colors in that first bead/necklace!

I have grown to really dislike the stress of going home for the holidays. It's always cramped, chaotic, loud, someone is contagious, and costs a lot. Your quiet time at home sounds lovely.

[ravnsdaughter.livejournal.com]

I was really just playing with that bead, and I really like the way it turned out. I hope whoever ended up with it will actually wear it.

I totally want to get into playing with wire wrapping with my lampworked beads. What gauges of wire do you use with your wire wrapping? Can you recommend any books that would help me get started?

[alicia-stardust.livejournal.com]

I totally change up the gauges of wire depending upon the type of wrapping. The tiny strands are always 26g or 28g; the thicker armatures range from 12g to 18g.

There are a number of different styles of wire wrapping; some are more flowy and organic while others are more symmetrical and calculated. I'm not sure where you fall on that spectrum but I browsed the jewelry books on Amazon when I got started in it, and chose a few of the top sellers that appealed most to me.

[ravnsdaughter.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure where I'd fall... probably a mix of both. I'd just like to start playing around. I want to be able to do more with my beads than just make strands of beads to go with SCA garb, etc. but I know myself well enough that if I tried to get into it as a side business, I would have a hard time coming up with original stuff. I always have that problem with no matter what craft I do - I enjoy the process of making things, but my stuff always looks like a knock-off of someone else's stuff, and the next thing you know my stuff would start looking like yours or Christina's or Kythryne's, and I really don't want to go there. LOL.

But at least I can get some wire and start playing, even if it just becomes jewelry for me or gifts for my friends and family.

[alicia-stardust.livejournal.com]

I think you'd have fun playing around with wire, especially since you can make your own beads to go with it. I'd definitely suggest looking on Amazon to find a bestseller that features projects in a style that appeals to you. The rest will fall into place once you've tried it and can figure out what styles you do or don't like to work with.