Craft race

Once I've set a specific method for making a new item I like to make a big batch all at once. It serves three purposes: 1) it helps boost inventory quickly 2) I need to know how long something takes to make so I can price it 3) racing against the clock is fun.

I'm finally happy with how my recycled christmas card ornaments have been turning out so here is what I did Wednesday:
10:00 - start time!

10:47 - Picked out the cards I would be using from my collection, organized them into piles, and traced the templates onto the card fronts. I decided to make 12 as thats what fit on my table well.
1:12 - Cut out everything and laid out the pieces for gluing
Between 1:12 and 4:30 I took 30 minutes for lunch plus a 15 minute internet break (what can I say I'm not a distance racer)

4:30 - scored all folds, first gluing (attach floss loop and bottom), and second gluing (the cone)
5:30 - All done!
Final score: 405 minutes
Time per ornament: 33.75 minutes

Covered in glue and bits of paper and string

"Covered in glue and bits of paper and string" is how I found myself yesterday around 5:30 pm. I was also hungry as I had only managed to stop crafting long enough to eat a peach and a couple twizzlers. How did it all happen?

Exhibit A:

This work desk was mostly clean when I started. My first task of the day was to work on a bracelet for my Aunt. I lost the prototype but I was able to find the tools I needed and the 'recipe'. However, I realized my recipe book was not up to date so I kept it out and vowed to add my latest tweaks. Additionally, when I was looking for the supplies I found my stash of christmas cards waiting to be recycled into something cool for this year's holiday season. Inspiration struck and I whipped up a few new things. Here is one of my favorites:

After finishing that project, I realized my new resin beads were done curing, so I investigated those and got them popped off their straws (100% release yay!) I'm so happy with how they turned out. I didn't have the things I needed to turn them into finished earrings, but I made a shopping list for the bead store. I also decided that two were too big for earrings but would make a nice necklace.


Towards the end of the day I played around with my new prismacolors (sorry no pictures yet) I'm going through the initial stages of planning a piece for myself, to fill some of the empty space on the dining room wall. I thought I was going to get back around to the recipe book (yeah right) but just then I got an etsy e-mail with a link to a forum thread on blogging. I found some really good insight and inspiration there.

In the end I technically did not accomplish all that much, but I would describe yesterday as a very successful day indeed.

The Craft bug

I'm working on an exciting new trashion collage project and its become a major addiction for me. My fingers just itch to keep working on this one - I've been bitten by the craft bug hardcore. As in I've been up for 3.5 hours and am just now getting around to eating breakfast because I just had to go work on this project first. I plan to put up a big tutorial when I'm done, but for now here's a sneak peek: