Decisions, New Fiber Work and More Decisions

I really should be doing this blog daily, as I always have a heck of a time deciding where to focus my attention if I have a few days in a row without putting fingers to keys.

Side note before I get into it: It felt SO delicious to dive into my box 'o' fiber today! I have working with glass and paper a lot lately, and the wool I bought from Speckled Ram (look on etsy!) has been calling. I opened the box and that woolly wool smell hit me ahhh and it was so soft and I started going going going.... Oops! Sorry for channeling e.e.cummings there for a minute, but I had a Nirvana experience today. Bliss city. Yum!

Decision 1: After much debate, kettle corn, and peppermint tea, I have decided to put off getting my Day Lab Copy Pro for photo emulsion. The cost is a part of it. I can't find a used one anywhere. I Googled, eBayed, Craig listed...nada.

The FILM cost was the clincher, though. The process I have been interested in requires the use of Polaroid 669 film, which used to be dirt cheap and everywhere. I went to Tuttle Camera in Long Beach, the BEST BEST camera store in Long Beach (a shout-out to the Mom and Pop stores in the world), and they had 6 packs. Three of the six were already reserved. The other three were $50. EACH. Now, I am all for a hobby that requires special equipment, but when the daily use is going to be an arm and a leg as well, that is another thing. Fuji is supposedly making a comparable film. If people I know who use the Day Lab try it and find it to be a quality product, I will revisit the whole idea. It just seems prudent to let those who are already invested do the testing for me.

On another note, I have been working on a few new characters. One of them, the largest right now, is a wood sprite. (Take "largest" with a grain of salt. His is probably about six inches tall, if that. I love working small.) He has the usual hair that I tend to do on my wee folk, but his face is a little less pretty...short of sinister, but not sweet either. He has hand sewn boots, fitted pants, and a wooden staff. I KNEW that tangerine wood would come in handy someday! His teeth are what give him the creepy edge. Unfortunately, I can't post a picture until tomorrow. I would rather wait and take a good picture than to post something that is hard to see.

I also made a 1 1/2 inch brown dinosaur for my younger son. It is modeled after the orange one I have posted on Flickr. See? Picture this, only brown and a bit smaller.

Decision 2: I am working out whether or not to try eBay. Etsy has been slow for me lately. I don't know if it is the economy or if my stuff is just too quirky, but I would like to see things move along a bit more quickly. A WONDERFUL felt artist named Barby Anderson sells her things there and does really well. A lot of other people, however don't. (On that note, if you are interested in learning how to felt, Barby sells online courses and I have heard some really good things about them. In fact, she just came out with a new one. You should definitely give it a try. Google Barby Anderson to see her work. Too cute!) Anyone out there with advice? I would truly appreciate any insights!

Decision 3: A dear friend and I are trying a new experiment this week with our kids. You are all welcome to join us, if it sounds like your cup 'o' tea. We have vowed that for the next week, we will not raise our voices or become visibly frustrated with our children. We will calmly ask them to do their chores/homework/whatever without the merry-go-round of lectures and tension. Life is supposed to be fun! Time for fun!

I always remember that I can't control the behavior of others who are adults, but often forget that my children fall into that category. Do I expect them to do what they are asked? Absolutely. Will there be consequences if they fail to do so? Yep. Then why do I get all frothed up over it? They will do what needs to be done and I don't need to bust a gut. (They are lovely kids, by the way. I am the grumpy one right now. I never used to be frowny. Time to get over it, no?) I can't wait to see what kind of change might occur...

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. I will photograph my sprite tomorrow!

Oh yeah! Speaking of photographing...instead of buying the Day Lab, I decided to get the items needed to make a light box. That should help with my pix!

Thanks for popping by and happy crafting!

Theresa