Too many Pine Needles.....

 I'm actually up to 65, but this is the most recent picture I have.

Its been a lot of work, and still alot more to go.  Still another 25 pine needles until I start the next phase: assembly.

Its been a rough week at home, with the entire family down with a bad stomach flu.  Lasts about 3 days with the worst symptoms lasting 12 hours.  I almost wound up in the hospital......but being as severly diabetic as I am, that's not surprising.

But everyone is better now and hopefully I can get some work done.  Its been changing sheets, feeding crackers, and mopping up vomit for 3 days.

I also want to make a few more chirimen pieces for the store, but I have been deep into this project.

And I made a joke in passing i never should have, I admitted I would never be good enough to make my own obijime.  Well, guess what I am trying to do: make my own obijime (the cord that holds the obi in place.  I am cheapening the materials, which i dont normally do, but I am running low on funds with this new kimono.  So satin rattail in plum purple and gold perle metallic thread.  I know for a 5 ft obijime, I will probably need about 20 yards.  So i have to purchase in bulk. And I will need two skeins of the perle thread. I have a pattern I am practicing now, with the simliar materials in different colors (peacock blue and gold).  Hopefully it will look good and I will have enough length to hide the ends. Or I am going to have to make an obidome (a obi broach) which would not be difficult, just more work I have to accomplish.

All in all things are going smoothly, and hopefully I can have this accomplished soon.

TZArtisan store updates and Project updates

Project updates!!!!!!

The 2 big kanzashi pieces I made for the TZArtisan Store are finally available! Big Blue Beauty and the Tutorial Rose are both up for grabs!!!!  Also the first set of Pumpkin Orange/Coral Pink bobby pins are up.  They will probably move pretty fast, so get them while you can!

I have finished the bobby pin sets for midnight purple/tea green, goldenrod/pumpkin orange, and coral pink/baby pink.  They are boxed up and ready to ship out to our team leader, so look for them soon! I still have the ice blue/white set and the black/china red set to complete, plus the hair sticks.

Birthday Present Furisode Kimono

As if I didn't have enough work on my plate, I have another major project underway.  I have scheduled a photo shoot for the new furisode kimono I just got for my upcoming birthday!  I am still shopping for a juban, zori, han-eri, obi, obijime and obiage. I think I know what color scheme I am going for, but the colors are exactly my style. 

Not only that, this new pine kanzashi I am making will fit it's theme perfectly.

I received some wonderful instructions from my best friend ImlothMelui on how to make the pine needle kanzashi! Its going to be an incredible amount of work.  It consists of 90 pieces of wire, 1.5 inches long each.  Then I have to cover every piece of wire in floral tape, and thread wrap in green thread.  Instead of silk, as would be traditional, I am using a rayon machine embroidery thread at 40w.  Super thin, but easy to fix mistakes and difficult to over-wrap, which adds bulk to the piece.  I am already 19 needles in.  But that means I still have a long way to go before assembly.

My photo shoot deadline is June 18.  Hopefully I can get all my pieces made and the kimono pieces assembled before that time. 

I am definitely keeping the pine needle kanzashi once it is completed.  I still regret letting go of the wisteria piece from my last photoshoot.  So photos, lots of photos, but it is NOT going in the shop, lol.

I am also working on graphics for the Etsy store front.  They have changed their layout again, and I am stuck making new graphics for everything.  I was hoping to wait until the photoshoot was done, but that is too far away. So there will be a new final layout for all the sites to match, as we did with the purple, when the photos come back.  Anything I am making currently is just a placeholder. 

On the health front, I have been diagnosed as having muscle spasms, which they have given me plenty of medication for. It helps some, but not as much as it used to.  And yesterday I completely over exerted myself, and I am paying for it today. 

Living life and Playing Catchup

Life has been interesting lately, and very busy.  But first the Professional News.  Pieces I am making for the TZARTISAN Store are coming along, but slowly.  I have made enough to take example photos of each piece.  This is not a collection of everything I have make, but examples of 2 pieces being offered.  

There are 6 color sets in all, with one hair stick and shidare and the other flat back bobby pins. I have not finished making these, and I may make more than just this.  But there will be plenty up for grabs, as i have committed to make 5 of each.  Each color set.  So lets do the math:

6 colors sets.

5 pieces each.

2 kinds per color set.

90 flowers in all.
I'm going to be doing these a while.

I am working in bursts as I work through colors.  The babypink/coral pink bobby pins are finished, and the midnight purple/tea green are half finished, as are the goldenrod/pumpkin orange.  Truthfully I have lots of each color in stock, but the fabric isn't cut.  And I have aggravated my shoulder to the point of having muscle spasms.  Cutting fabric is hard when you are under a heating pad in bed under the influence of muscle relaxers and pain medications trying to find relief.  So when I run out of a color I just move on to the next. And then I ran out of center parts, so I had to quit for a while.  But hopefully I found enough now to be able to finish the pins.  Then the hair sticks.  So much work.

Not only that, but I am going to be dishing out some new pieces and working on hairstyles for an upcoming photo shoot I am trying to work out.  I have a photographer, I just need a few more kimono pieces and a lot more kanzashi.  I ordered a hairstyle tool kit last night, and since I have so much hair it shouldn't be hard to find versatile options. 

I also hit up my good friend Elizabeth to tell me the secret behind her fabulous pine needle kanzashi she made forever ago.  Ever sicne I saw it, I knew I had to make one.  I am hoping to have that as a centerpiece in my black tomosode.  Maybe with a crane.  :)  Plus I have my semiformal kimono, the cream with print one, and the purple nagoya obi I have.  I was hoping to pick up another kimono or a few obi, but I am not sure if it will happen.  We have had a lot of personal expenses. But hopefully with my upcoming birthday I can get some funding to make it happen.

On personal notes, my heath is finally getting under control.  My son is doing great and moving into a specailzied class for autistic children. My daughter seems to be in contol of her ADHD, and my husband is stable in his job and out enjoying the Star Trek convention in Dallas this weekend.  Things are finally getting better, if i could just get this shoulder to heal.....meh, always something.