Saturday, October 27, 2007

money + internet=BEADS!!!!

So I just spent about $100 on beads. And jumprings. And crystals. And pearls. and clasps. Trust me, it was all wholesale and hence awesomely priced. It wasn't random either, I knew exactly what I wanted. I just bought enough stuff to make about 5 major pieces or sets of jewellery, most of them based on lead female characters from classic operas and musicals. I've designed jewellery for Tosca, (Madame) Butterfly, Cosette (Les Miserables), Turandot and Christinem (Phantom of the Opera).

For anyone who cares, I'll put a heap of links to Australian bead sites (most of them are wholesalers too!).

Oh yeah, and I don't think I'm gonna go to uni next year. I've been thinking about it since I got a letter from Tafe the other day asking me to contact them for an interview. ok, backstory needed *wavy flashback lines* now we're back in about March this year, ages before I was full-time at work and before i was thinking about going back to uni. I called Tafe about a Jewellery course, but they'd already started for the year. They took my details and said they'd contact me about next years course in October. Fast forward to this week *whiplash* and I receive the letter from Tafe saying that I need to put together a portfolio of work and contact someone about an interview for the course in November.

And that got me thinking about what I really want to do. I want to start an arts-based business of my own, I want to learn new techniques and try to get really good at the things I can already do. I don't want to add another 12-15 thousand bucks onto the 12-15 thousand bucks I already owe on my student debts from the first useless degree. I don't really want to study something I'm not entirely interested in, struggling to pay attention and failing to get the best grades and hence not getting the best oppurtunities afterward. And I don't want to be just another geek on a help desk putting up with dickheads.

So I'm going to try my best for the tafe course. And if I get into the computer degree, I may just say 'nevermind.'

Thursday, October 25, 2007

youtube can be educational? who knew?!

So today was a public holiday in hobart today so people could go to the show. Except that supermarkets are open so i had to work. which is ok cos i get paid overtime to do so, but a pain cos I wanted to get out early to go to the show with my brothers, so I had to work twice as fast as usual and it was stressing me out!

Anyway, i got to leave work almost an hour early and met with my bro's at the show. We petted animals, watched woodcutters, tried not to catch the eye of the carnies, rode a couple of rides and bought a few showbags. Sweet. Tomorrow night is the friday night fireworks at the show and i might go back with my sexy ghenkis cos he got all emo cos i didn't wait for tomorrow to go with him. Poor bunny.

So anyway. youtube. cesspit of human degradation. i usually steer clear of it, even to the detriment of my knowledge of the goings on of blunty. however, recently I have discovered that hidden amongst the dense foliage of mad rednecks carving jack o'lanterns and badly dubbed episodes of naruto, there are actually a few people who embrace the point of the internet(insofar as there is one): The free exchange of information. There's actually educational videos on there for making chainmail, knitting, crocheting, painting and drawing. some of them are commercial and some are just normal people making quick vids to show off their hobby and their own style, but there's some really good stuff on there!
And no, Raedella, condom ads and bad 90's video clips don't count as the good stuff!

Monday, October 22, 2007

beer swilling pigs. literally

so my lovelery ghenkis and I just spent the weekend up at Scamander. the weather was great and the hotel was nice, and it was a pleasant weekend. the end.

Now, back to my crafty stall business idea, erm, thingy. I love sales at Spotlight. I now have a pretty good collection of Jo Sonja paints, and I'm gonna get painting roses as soon as I'm done with this post. I've also got some great beads to make flowers from and pretty crochet thread to start making something lacy out of!

Oh yeah, and back to my shitty job tomorrow. *sigh*

catchya's!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

storm asked for it!

so i'm bloggin' cos i was told to. by someone who i talk to either online or in person almost everyday. weird.

well i suppose i should go through whats going on. I'm still working my crappy meat mole job, except now i'm back to being a checkout chick some of the time too. Joy. I can't wait to get outta there.

On that subject, i've applied to do a bachelor of computing next year at uni. I find out if i made it in November. In the meantime I'm expecting to be contacted by Tafe about a jewellery making course i expressed interest in back in March or something! I can't do it if i get into uni cos its a full-time course which sucks cos I'd really like to get into something like that. It'd help with inventory!

Yesterday on my radio station of choice, Triple J, they were talking about starting a small business. It reminded me of all the times i've thought of doing the same thing. I'd only start with a stall at the markets or something, but I'd sell stuff that I'd make myself as well as related stuff i could get wholesale from ebay or something. i could also go try again at selling stuff on etsy.

Things I'd look at selling (and hence will madly try to make while i still have a full-time income!) include:

Beaded flowers: (which I'm utterly mad about at the moment!) made into wreaths, bouqets, hair clips, and commissions taken for weddings and costumes.
Plush dolls: very simple ones probably from calico, that could be given to a young child
Chainmail jewellery: simple and classy or extravagant with beads, crystals, pearls or whatever! headdresses, chokers, necklaces, earrings, rings, anklets etc etc
other Jewellery: tartan chokers with chains and stuff for a punk look, beaded hand charms, beaded jewellery sets, crocheted chokers with ribbon, beaded cabochons etc, etc.
Rose painting: on ANYTHING!! brown paper bags, noodle boxes, cards, coasters, placemats, books, boxes, fabric, jeans, t shirts, bottles, with parchment craft, etc etc
papercrafts: stickers, little books, tea bag folding, scrapbooking embellishments, cards, etc all handmade. paper roses made with punch craft.
Embroidery: the roses i used on my corset on everything! shirts, jewellery, clutch purses and drawstring purses, ring pillows, cushion covers
Plaster masks: decorated, able to be used or just hung up on a wall, with ribbon or a stick.

And to pad all that stuff out, jewellery and craft supplies i can find for wholesale on etsy or ebay!

I'll still have to learn a few things, like how to sew properly to make the clothes for the plush dolls, parchment craft and maybe go and do lapidary to make cabochons for my work and to sell individually. But other than that i think i can really do this!
It may in fact save my sanity!

I think what really made me think about this was not only the thing on the radio that brought it to mind, but the fact that at the same time i was staring at a guild wars loading screen. For 5 minutes. And I thought: why am i doing this? why just sit here. there's craft books on the chair next to me. there's beading and chainmail stuff on the table right in front of me. I don't even have to get up!

So I got started. I've finalised my plush doll pattern, started on a miniature rose bouqet and made a pair of chainmail earrings in the same time it would take me to laaaaaaag my way across Lion's Arch!

Why the hell did i spend beading cash on Factions?!

back to the flowers!