I'm not great with the blogging, but I thought a status update might be in order.

As you can see from my little Etsy doodad on the right, I've got stuff up on the site now.

The idea here is to have a core of made-to-order stuff while supplementing it with one of a kind or special items that don't get listed until they're made. The whole removable clasp thing is supposed to work in that direction. I've got the chains up there mainly because my focal pendant pieces will be clasps with removable bails. So they can work as focal clasps for my basic chains, or you can put the bail on and use it with any other chain that has a clasp already attached. That's the idea, anyway.

I'm working on Christmas presents at the moment. Can't say what they are, though. Once those are done, I'm going to get back to the big plan.

I need to finish some 20 and 18 gauge chain segments for all the size comparison pictures, as well as the brass segments for the color comparison pictures. After that I'll be adding in more metal colors one at a time. I've also got two more basic chains on my list to learn. And once I get a contrasting metal color (silver is next up, although I'm not sure if it'll be silver-plated or niobium) I've got another neat specialty made-to-order chain to put up. The rosary chain will also be available in all sorts of bead colors. I'll be adding glass beads to the mix and rotating things out as my inventory is used.

I'm also figuring out how to use social media like Facebook and Google Plus pages. So far they seem to be marginally effective, but I'm sure they'll become a valuable networking/marketing tool. Likewise, I want to try out some advertising. Etsy has a program that I might use in conjunction with Project Wonderful.

I haven't seriously thought about craft/vendor shows yet, but once I get the shop in order I think that's a direction I need to explore, if only to give exposure to the Etsy shop.

And then there's the lampworking... I really should get some pictures to put up here. Lampworking is fun.

Sneak Peek

The removable clasp system seems to work pretty well.

I have two copper chains done for pictures, three more to go. I'm going to put up made-to-order listings that will offer a choice of metal for the chains. When ordered, simply tell me which metal you'd like. It'll save me money on listing fees, and I think it's just an easier way of doing it. Of course, if a miracle happens and I get a whole bunch of sales, I may have to reevaluate it, but somehow I think my customer base will be small enough to keep up that way.

My wife took the elfweave chain out for a stroll yesterday to see how it worked practically, and she loves it. The clasp makes its way down to the front because it's heavier than the chain, but I think a pendant would balance that out. She also says that the basic clasp looks nice enough that it works well as a simple focal piece, which is the point. I'm not fond of the S-shape down in front, but she likes it. I'm going to try an M/W shape so it hangs a bit more evenly. But the experiment seems to be a success, so I'm going to go in this direction.

And now, a sneaky peek of the clasp in question:

Coming Back to Etsy

There will be pictures eventually. I still need to set up a photo station, which will probably be outside. I've got a nice little area with lots of indirect sunlight for staging.

I've been refocusing my design work and trying to find an identity for the shop. I can't in good conscience sell anything made of polymer clay, at least not the dragons and magnets I like to make. The clay is too fragile to last. I may attempt to do beads again, but not for a while. I'm experimenting with plastic to make durable magnets and figurines.

In the meantime I'm developing my lamp working skills. I really enjoy messing about with molten glass. I took a beginners' workshop and enjoyed the heck out of it so I bought a hot head torch set. Man it's amazing what difference better tools make! The safety glasses that came with the set supposedly filters out UV light, but it washes out color and actually makes the flare more yellow so I can't see what I'm working with. The torch itself is also much different, but not necessarily inferior. I just have to get used to it. So my few beads so far are a little sloppy, but I'm just working on bead shape at the moment. I'm working on getting a handle on the basics: heat control, flame awareness, basic gestures and motions, bead shape, dotting (adding dots to beads). I'm not getting too complicated with things yet, and I'm keeping my color choices to only a couple of colors. Right now, just black and white.

I do have a couple of beads from the workshop that I really like, though, that I'll be making into focal pieces.

Speaking of focal pieces....

The new focus of the shop is chainmaille and glass. I'd like to be able to make my own focal beads and play around with artistic wire for color and excitement. And because silver is expensive. ;) The focal pieces themselves can also act as clasps for what I hope will be a signature design for Crifmer Creations. It's simple, just some rings at either end and a removable clasp system, but hopefully it'll be nice and distinct enough to identify me.

I've got a checklist of things I want to keep in stock, and I'm working full steam ahead. Hopefully I'll get the store up sooner rather than later. And there will be pictures soon.

Made a new dragon last night. I may or may not put up a sneak preview - depends on how soon I do the scales. I'm trying a new method putting these guys together. I'm doing everything but the scales and then baking the dragon so the body cures, and then I'll put the scales on with a bit of adhesive help from some liquid clay. The theory is it should be easier since I'll have a firm body to work with, and I won't accedentally squish the body out of shape while I'm applying the scales. Also, this way I can experiment more without fear of messing things up too much by mixing the clay if the scales don't come off clean. I can also fix cracks and "moonies" during the scaling step.

That said, I baked the dragon itself last night (it's so cute!). And lo and behold there's a thin crack running along its side. So I'll fix that with some clay and then do scales. I know what color they're going to be, just not what shape.

I've been thinking about ways to do the dragons in stages to better control their construction, and this method may work out.

Meanwhile, I've finished a matching chain for the Marble Ice pendant. I was adjusting the bail this morning, and it broke. But that's okay because the bail sucked anyway. The weave on it was horrible, and now I have a chance to make an all-new bail with a much better weave. I've improved by leaps and bounds since I did this pendant, and I'm glad I get to repair it. The problem is, I'm not entirely sure how yet, but I'm working on an idea which will incorporate a bit of chainmaille into the bail. Preview pictures of that will be forthcoming. Hopefully I can get it finished and on etsy this weekend. I really want more jewelry stuff on there.

Also going to organize the basement a little to get my supplies in order. With all the house stuff we had going on, the basement just sort of became a dumping ground. I've started making it usable again, but it's got a ways to go. At least I can move my stuff off the kitchen table now.

Sedona Pendant Preview

I finished the Sedona pendant last night, more or less. Not quite sure how to finish the bail, but the pendant itself is done.

I'm not as happy with it as I wanted to be. You can't really see the outside wrap around the frame, but I'm not thrilled about it. And I still might scrap the cactus bead on top (it's real cactus). It makes the piece look kind of like a Christmas ornament and it doesn't sit as well as I wanted it to. I used my dremel to put an indentation across the middle so it will sit on top of the frame and cover it, but it's a bit loose.

But overall, I'm not disappointed. This was my first wholly original design, as in it was not an attempt at, or inspired by, a tutorial. And I am very happy with the weave on the right. I think it came out very well.

Not sure if this is going into the shop yet. My fiancee says to list it and see what happens, and if it's sold she'll keep the other one I haven't made yet.

The rock itself is red sandstone from the red rocks are in Sedona. Unfortunately, most of the real red color came off when I cleaned it, but I really didn't want that dust getting everywhere and potentially staining the clothes of whoever wore this piece. I've got other nice rocks from the area, too, and I'll be doing a few more of these.

The burgundy and yellow are inspired by the agave plant. They spend about 40 years growing, flower once to reproduce, and then die. And they're really pretty when they flower.

So that's the first one. I'll post another picture when it's finished.

I think I figured out how to stage the dragons for pictures. Board games!!! My only concern is the pictures are now a little too busy in the thumbnails. That will either turn people off or get them to actually click on the item to see a better view. Not sure which.

That Sedona pendant I started the other night is coming along very nicely. Once I figured out how to do the frame it got easier. Unfortunately, I dropped it and broke one of the glass seed beads so I have to reweave an entire section. Good thing the artistic wire I'm using isn't expensive. It's probably not being listed on Etsy (my fiancee wants it), so I'll put up a picture here when it's done.

Still not sure the showcase was worth the money. Once I get a few more things listed I'm going to try a Project Wonderful ad campaign. But I need a little more variety first in terms of jewelry.

Next up, a dreamcatcher.

Things I have learned...

• You need to have nails for wirework, but you need to NOT have nails for polymer clay.
• Design work involves lots of yelling and cursing.
• I need to do more tutorials to put more "tools in the creative toolbox."
• I am a harsher critic of my work than my fiancee is.
• There are people out there who will actually buy my dragons. I just have to find them.
• I can make some really pretty jewelry.

I sort of let the crafting fall by the wayside a bit while I pursued my full-time-job passion - opening and running a game store (and eventually designing games). I have most of the business plan done, and I made a whole boatload of wonderful contacts, and everything's in place but the money. Ah, money. I've worked hard to repair my credit, and now the only thing that can help me is time. And since I'm in a holding pattern, I can devote some of that time to the crafting hobby.

During the lull, I figured out that I'm pretty good at making little dragons, and have since found the theme for the shop, and my own creative style: whimsy. The non-chainmail jewelry pieces I have done and have planned are all fun and, you guessed it, whimsical. The clay stuff, especially: dragons, face magnets... flowers and plants, eventually, once I get better at canes.

I was trying to design a piece based on my vacation in Sedona, AZ. I brought back a few rocks from the area and I'm trying to turn them into pendants. Apparently the one I'm trying to do now is a little too advanced for me to figure out how to do it. I wasted quite a bit of copper this evening. And as I write this, I think I figured out what I did wrong and how to do it right. Maybe I should blog more often.

In other news, I purchased a Showcase spot in the Dolls & Miniatures section on Etsy. Not sure it was worth the money, but it did drive some traffic to my shop.

Back to work.