Behind the scenes and Kitsuke

So this AMAZING piece was a custom order, but she rejected the order so I'm putting it in the shop! I feel very confident that more pieces in this style will come.  That customer, however, will not. (Long story).


Kanzashi is going well, I've been taking some time off to do things like make the obijime for my furisode kimono! The obiage and juban have arrived, which means I can fit/alter the piece as needed.  The juban may need some sleeve length altering, and the date eri is stained beyond repair.  I have 2 on order, thankfully.  Along with new eri-shin and tabi and my obi (which will come in eventually).  I also got orange/gold formal shoes in a 24cm fit.  Hopefully it will fit better than the last pair I had.


Projects on the table are:

1) I have set the pine needle kanzashi aside for a moment.  Still at 65 needles, just needed a break.

2) Still waiting on the rest of my kitsuke setup to come in the mail.  YAY!

3) I have the pieces pictured here needing formal photos, don't know when I will get to that.

4) Still using kumihimo to make my obijime.  It's a violet-purple 2mm stain rattail, with gold perle thread.  I have about 1.5 feet completed, out of 5 feet total.  And yes, there is so much thread on the bobbins they are slipping and not closing completely.  Too much rattail I think.  And the gold threads is so thin compared to rattail, the bobbin just slips off due to lack of resistance. Will have pics of that later.

5) I got a dress form for my birthday! I am really going to get into making those obi belts with the japanese obi fabric I have.  I might even get to re-purpose some kimono at this point, which would be fantastic.  But that will probably wait till fall, when my kids go back to school and I can have a full day free to work.

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.

Big Blue Beauty and TZARTISAN Store

Wondering about this piece? It will be available in the TZARTISAN store soon!  Keep an eye out becasue there is ONLY ONE and it will be gone quickly!

Things have busy with kanzashi, making the promised donations for the team store.  Its turned into quite a bit of work, but the first phase is almost complete.  Instead of one color, we are going with a variety of white/ice blue, black/red, pumpkin/coral, baby pink/coral, goldenrod/pumpkin and midnight purple/tea green. 

Most of these I had already finished, until a drink spilled on them and I lost 2 pieces.  *sigh*  :(

Hopefully will  have pictures soon!!!!

Custom order DONE! And TZARTISAN shop now open!

I've been a busy bee, as usual! To the right you can see the final display of the custom order I have been working for a month and a half!  The stems are 6 inches, to be tucked behind an obi fold around the knot or in front as a display piece.  Each bouquet has 7 blossoms, 2 leaf pieces and an alternating length bira bira. 

I never did find pins big enough  or strong enough to hold up this much weight properly, but these 4 inch'ers did the trick, I just had to add some lenght to the stem and give it a front facing bend in the stem.  All in all, they are still slightly adjustable, but look darn good.And are quite sturdy.

The hair clip was a side order to put in her wig for her cosplay. 

On top of that, I have finally gotten to work on the kanzashi I promised to donate to the TZARTISAN SHOP which is now up and running!!!!  All proceeds go to publishing the tutorial book.

Store Updates and Upcoming Projects

The photos are complete!  Listings are up, and that means I did about 18 in a day.  10 for the bookmarks alone and another 8 for kanzashi pieces! 

Bookmarks came out awesome! I really hope they sell.  And I have already sold off one of the kanzashi, the denim blue kiku. 

I also just finished checking inventory for a very special project. 

Since our kickstarter has officially failed, we are moving on to the website to open our own store front where people can donate money to receive kanzashi made by the artisans in the group.  Truthfully we had many people donate and we still wish people to be able to recieve the rewards promised in the kickstarter.  There will also be a strictly donation feature, so that if you do not wish to recieve anything for donating, you don't have to.  All funding will go directly to the publication of the book.

I am making several pieces, including single flower hair sticks in a range of color choices, as well as large pieces like the Big Blue Beauty and the tutorial rose.  Bobby pins will also be available, but only because they have already been made. I have a TON of little orange and pink blossoms to put on bobby pins. I might make some in the other color selections, but no more of the pumpkin orange and coral. 

So far the different color hair stick selection will be white/ice blue, baby pink/coral, pumpkin orange/coral, pumpkin orange/goldenrod, black/china red, and midnight purple/tea green.  I want to incorporate as many color variations as i can, but without over-investing myself.  As it is i have to make five of those each.  YAY *sarcasm*, but it will be easier than making 30 of the same color combo. 

I am also trying to get that custom order out of the door as quickly as possible.  I have the first one thread wrapped, but not the second.  With my wrist acting up it has been difficult.  The first one was very difficult to finish.  But I have been resting the past few days focusing on updating things like listings, deviantART, and coordinating with Ariel, the team leader for TZARTISAN. 

Also on the docket, I get my insulin pump on Monday, March 7.  I am beyond elated.  As a diabetic, I have worried so much about food, weight management, injections 4-5x a day. Yeah  you read that right.  Sometimes it's 5 injections a day.  And I cant have all those needles and stuff around my autistic son, and it limits my activites. As it is I have signed up for a camping trip with my daughter for girl scouts, and I wouldn't be able to go if a) they didn't let me bring my own food and b) i was injecting insulin.  Its too unpredictable.  Too many things go wrong.

Ok, off the diabetes rant.  

But the point of that was, I will have an easier life overall, and hopefully I can get all these projects out the door in time. Ugh.