Making Headway!

Christmas has been good to my family.  We received and gave a lot of cool stuff this year.
My christmas salvation came a bit early in the form of a Nikon L840.  In RED.

So not only have I finished the photography for my rose kanashi, but I am mostly finished with the bira bira tutorial as well.  Amazing things happen when you have the right tools.  I already owned a camera stand from when I used an old Canon AE-1 35mm.  But shooting on film is just not practical or as efficient as a new digital camera I could move on a stand and focus on macro shots.

I did a lot of other things, too.  I must have made a bajillion bookmarks out of washi chyirogami.  Plust the custom ornaments for my sister and sister in law.  I've been very busy behind the scenes.

Bookmarks are going to become part of the store.  I have discovered that Michaels has the best selection of origami and washi paper.  So I wil be couponing there for a while.  I also want to start to look up some different patterns for those, since the bookmarks are generally 7.5 inches and paper is only 6 inches at most usually.

I also want to pick up some kumihimo.  I have had the interest for a while, maybe making it from pieces of thin habotai silk ribbons, or something like that.  I have the supplies to be sure, since it will take anything from embroidery thread to perle thread to satin cording.  It's just something to try besides ornaments that I might be able to take with me in a carline.

I have another bout of severe medical problems up ahead of me. Just a warning.  I will probably shut off custom orders from February to June.   There is too much going on with the kickstarter book campaign and the tutorials for it and having time for family and personal things.  I am shooting for a major medical procedure that would really help, but because of my age it is not generally performed.  Still I am hoping I can work out something soon, and hopefully sometime before the summer.

I have started the kickstarter rewards and they are going well.  The book compiler/Author Ariel really likes them!  Hopefully this thing will get me though some pretty tough times ahead.

Project Updates

I've hit more than a few snags with this tutorial project. First, my camera sucks, cause I am using my phone. Second, my hands shake terribly. It's a side effect of one of my medications called "tremors". 

So between my hands shaking from holding the camera and hands shaking holding petals or whatnot, I couldn't get a clear shot of anything. Let's not even go into what a pain in the ass macro shots are. So i may end up re-doing the rose.  

My hormones have been terribly bad as well. Anxiety is a common enemy, but my arch nemesis at the moment.  But my doctors have news for me which I find out Wednesday.  Honestly I know I have endometriosis again,  despite the surgery in September.  That's really holding me back. But at least it is no longer procrastination, and just plain being sick.

I have opted to supply a large number of small kanzashi to the kickstarter for the tutorial book. That's my main goal for next year.  In the summer I will be moving so keep an eye out for a special sale in the spring!  

But that is honestly the worst of it.  I have had my friend Elizabeth Comer driving me on, and a new camera in my hands, an extension on my deadline, and a holiday bonus from my husband's job. I have just a few christmas things to wrap up and I'll have that off my plate, too.

And I just went through my inventory again and reorganized every thing to boxes. I needed the space since I have had so much new inventory.  But in January I have plans for a big fabric order to cover the pieces i have to make for the kickstarter.  I'm hoping for a few new fabrics in there.  I would love some different pinks and greens and yellows.