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. :)

Custom Order Update and New Inventory!

So as you can see, while I have been sick in bed with endometriosis for 7 days, literally, I have been quite busy.  I have 5 new double sakuras made, 2 of which obviously not pictured.  On the bottom is the lovely custom order i am still working on.  They are now measued in equal lengths (not an easy task I assure you.), and have been taped with floral tape and are ready for thread wrapping.

Except for one problem.  I hurt my wrist trying to open a stupid jar of olives.

So tonight I am hoping to accomplish that big photo shoot and get all the new inventory listed for bookmarks, the 5 double sakuras, 2 kikus and anything else I have made lately.

But with my wrist out of action, its going to mean no kumihimo, no kanzashi, and a brace for the next week.  FUN. not.

Good thing I can still type in a brace.

So look for more store updates and such over the next few weeks.  Hopefully I can still thread wrap with the brace on, I need to get this custom order out the door.  But definitely more computer udates soon.

We are also still tossing around ideas as to what to do now that the kickstarter has failed.  Looks like we might be opening a store on the TZARTISAN website, for donations and to help those who donated to the kickstarter and did not receive their rewards.  We are still going to publish this book people! Kickstarter or not!

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.