What I've Been Working on... for the Last Year!

I am (finally) back (for real this time), honest!  Baby is a little more independent, move is over and the important unpacking done.  (The rest of the unpacking/organizing/decluttering will continue for years...)  My studio is set up and I'm ready to start the new year.  I hope to blog here at least a couple of times a week - lots of new tutorials planned, new Artfire creations to share, and plenty of photos from works in progress!

I've accomplished a lot over the past year, even though little of it has had to do with polymer clay.  My baby was only 3 weeks old this time last year.  I hate how fast they grow!  But he's so funny and adorable that I can't really hold it against him.

Here are some of the projects I did manage to do over the last year:

I found the pattern on Ravelry. Click HERE

I started this afghan a year ago in November, while I was still pregnant with William.  Yeah, it's not done yet.  I've got it about 2/3 done.  I keep running out of yarn and then not being able to find the color again (stupid Walmart!) because I didn't plan ahead and buy all of the yarn I needed at once.  I mostly only crochet while I'm watching TV with Rock and I can only handle an hour or so at a time before my wrist starts to cramp up on me.  Anyway, hopefully by this time next year it will be finished.

Right after we moved I got a custom order for a second Fairy Fire Tree.  I had to hustle to get my studio set up and the tree done before my deadline.  The customer gave it to his girlfriend for her birthday.  He said she really loved it.  This isn't that one - I've got a photo of the second one somewhere but I can't seem to find it in all of my files.

At about the same time that I was working on the Fairy Tree, the Polymer Clay Central contest was underway with a fall theme.  I tried to get this done in time, but, unlike the tree, missed the deadline.  I thought it turned out really pretty for my first box.

And last, but not least, this is the Christmas present I made for my in-laws.  (Sorry for the lousy photo.)  I took a canvas and sponge-painted squares on it in crossword-puzzle form and then painted the names of the grandkids on the squares with the word "grandchildren" outlined in black.  MIL loves crosswords and she really liked my "painting."

Actually, there was one other project that I did this year - William's stocking.  When there were only four of us I decided to make coordinating stockings but I knew our family was going to grow so I wanted to make something that I could repeat.  They are all made of black felt with brightly dressed snowpeople on them.  I don't usually make the new stocking for baby's first Christmas because, honestly, there isn't much you can put in a young baby's stocking (especially a 3-week-old), so Will got his this year.  I'm not sure how I managed to make his shirt so crooked but I don't think he'll ever care.

So, there you go!  Hopefully next week I'll have some new clay stuff to share.  Until then...

Enjoy!

Korrina

Excuses and Changes

So I'm poking around the admin side of my blog, feeling guilty because I haven't posted in about 6 months and I realize that I promised 4 sets of flower pendant photos and only got to two of them.  I really do have a good excuse (well, several really).  Do you want to hear them?  Probably not, but since I'm the queen of excuses (a title bestowed on me by my mother in my teenage years), I'll share anyway.

(Yes, I was 8 1/2 months pregnant when I did this...)

1.  I had a huge craft fair in November that I was super nervous about and wanted to make sure I had enough inventory to sell.  I was claying like crazy for several months.  The bad news: I didn't sell enough to make it worth going crazy.  The good news:  I have plenty of inventory for the next craft fair.

2.  Homeschool started up again in September in a house way too small for all of us.  That doesn't sound like a very good excuse but it's been really hard to focus on schoolwork in such a cramped space - not to mention all of my other responsibilities.

Oldest and youngest - she's still trying to convince
me that she doesn't love having a baby brother.

3.  The baby that I may or may not have mentioned months ago (I can't remember) decided to be due at the end of November instead of the end of December.  That's the second baby this has happened with.  Then, of course, he was nearly 2 weeks late.  I feel too old to be having babies and I was so miserable by the end of my pregnancy, it was a miracle when I got myself dressed in the morning.

Anyway, the craft fair is over, I've adjusted to the lack of space for homeschooling, and baby William is here and we have both recovered nicely.  So, I have lots of energy for all of the things I need to do and I will hopefully be back on here blogging away on a regular basis again soon - I'm not making any promises.

Oh, and a few changes have been made around here.  I decided that I want to separate my personal blog posts from my "professional" ones so I created another blog here.  That's where you'll find my recipes, homeschool articles, etc from now on.  (The old ones will stay put so you can still find them.)  You'll still be able to get to my tutorials, photos of my work and my favorite stuff from Etsy and Artfire on this blog.

So, be patient with me while I get my ducklings back in their neat, orderly row and I'll try to get those other flower pendant photos (along with photos of all of my new work for the craft fair) up soon.

Enjoy!
Korrina