Shop Is Up To Date and New Bookmarks!

So apparently I am behind on the blog. 
I managed to get the new listings up, with 4 new kanzashi and two new headbands.  Overall the photos came out great, and I am especially proud of the momiji piece! 

I have also begun to thread wrap and mount piece in the traditional style.  Instead of a fold over, tape, and wrap,  the stem goes on the fork and down a bit, thread wrapping it in place down the side of the hair fork.  I never thought this would hold well, but it seems to be working. 

After I finished updating the shop, I worked on several flowers for bobby pin sets and hair forks for selling at tables. Lots of pink, ice blue, china red, and lemon yellow. 

In the middle of that I managed to sell several bookmarks.  Like 15 of them.  The black set has been particularly popular.  So I pulled out my paper packs and dug in again, making 15 sheets and with 7 or  8 more to go. I still have to purchase more laminate but I should have those back in the shop as of January.  There is more black in there, it's just hidden at the bottom. :)

Kickstarter Fail? And Store Notes

Well, it's been a little over a week now and the kickstarter has pretty much failed.  Unless we can make 1,000 a day until the campaign is over, there is no way the numbers work out.  So unless I can get an internet miracle, I don't think it's going to happen. 

Glad I haven;t gotten to all those rewards yet.

The team is discussing what to do next, to get the book out there and published.  There has been a lot of valid debate.  There has been some drama.  I don't know what the future holds, but I feel I gained a lot of experience out of this venture, not to mention the contacts of several of the women that make kanzashi around the world.  I have already won.  I don't care if the book gets published.  It would be great if it did, but I never expected the kickstarter to take off and actually make 20k. 

too many bookmarks

So I am back to focusing on work and custom orders.  The pink double bouquet has had a small piece added to the set, a hair clip with 2 blossoms, a leaf, and small shidare.  So I have been working on that.  AND the bookmarks are finally going to make an appearance.  I ended up giving away ALL the ones I made at Christmas.  And they were all well received.  I have some legitimate bookmark tassels for accent, and just finished backing and trimming more than 40 bookmarks. Not a small task, as you can see by the photo.


******* Mini Tutorial on Bookmarks!*********

To make the bookmarks, I take a 6inch, 15cm square chiyrogami paper, and cut it into three.  Then I layer them on top of each other to make a sheet 6 inches wide and about 8.5 inches tall.  Then I cut THAT into another 3 pieces, 2 inches wide each.  Then I back them with a strip of colored cardstock and trim the edges with a knife.  Next up I will take a gold gel pen and mark the back corner of each with the store initials.  Then each gets laminated in a 5mm thick lamination pocket.  Make sure to leave a small space at the top so that you can punch a hole for your tassel or decoration.  Satin cording doesn't stay on very well, but ribbon or tassels work great.

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I still have kumihimo waiting in the wings when this project is finished and photographed.  But I have been collecting washi paper for a while now, and I needed to clear out my storage.  Plus i think they might do well in the store.  if not, well, they were cheap to make, though time consuming. 
I still have more to go through as well.  But the colors aren't nearly as nice as these are.