Cat got your eye? - expanding my inventory

Last night I had about an hour to kill so I decided to design some earrings.  I never really have a plan when I sit down to create inventory I just let the beads or yarn speak to me and tell me what to create.  This time it was the cat's eye glass that caught my eye (and the cat's too...hehe).  I haven't used it in a while so I decided to create a short line of cluster earrings using the cat's eye glass chips I have.  I decided to call it 'sharp iridescence' because of the iridescent glow they have in the light and the odd shapes of the chips.  I found one almost perfectly oval bead and a few squashed hour glass shaped ones.  Each bead is unique which is what makes chip beads so awesome.
When adding to my inventory of earrings, I usually look at the earrings I have first and try and choose different types or colors.  I noticed a lacking in reds so I started with those.  By the end of the evening I had 11 new pairs of cluster earrings, in just about every color.  This afternoon I went outside to take pictures of my new creations so you all could see.  Click the link to my online album to the right to see all the items I have.  They will all be listed in my shop soon as well.  You can check out a snapshot of my items for sale in the box at the bottom left of this window.  The link to my shop with all my items for sale is above in the welcome note.

How I made a very inexpensive light box

Ever wondered how professional photographers take pictures with such nice lighting?  They use light boxes or light tents to achieve a soft diffused lighting look.  I decided to make a light box today so I could photograph items for my shop.  I followed the instructions from this link: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent with a few slight modifications.  I used materials I had on hand and bought a poster-board from the local craft store for $0.70.

I started with boxes left over from my Costco trip last weekend and taped them together to look like the cut-out box from the tutorial.

Then I stabilized some of the sections with chopsticks, glued some white paper on the inside, inserted the poster-board, and covered the sides and top with material from old t-shirts.

Here is the first photo I took.  Not bad for a $1 light box!

Creating Space

Today I finally sat down in my living room to do some crafting for my business...it had been a while.  I noticed how important it is to me to create an inviting and inspiring work space.  Below is a picture of my space this afternoon (before I made it a huge mess).  I made a fire in the fireplace and laid out a blanket (the hardwood floors can get uncomfortable after a while and also beads are less likely to run away when they have to fight the friction of the blanket).  I had a lovely afternoon beading and listening to music and got quite a lot done.  The cat didn't even bother me!  I encourage you to create a nice crafting space for yourself whether it is at a desk or the dinning room table or a blanket on the floor; having a space to call your own, even for just a few hours, is important.  Answer the poll to the left about how you create space for your work.

Another important aspect of creating space is creating space in your life for the arts.  This can include a variety of different things from arts and crafts to going to see a musical performance.  The arts are a part of our lives and cultures and it would be hazardous to your health to neglect creating space for some form of artistic expression in your life.  My suggestion is to make a point to include at least one form of art in your life everyday whether it be dancing, poetry, playing an instrument or even just singing in the shower.  The arts nourish our soul...so just as your body needs food, your soul needs art.  Well, I will get off my soap box for today.  Thanks for listening and please comment below about how you incorporate the arts into your daily life.

Welcome

Aloha and Welcome to my blog.  I create beaded earrings and necklaces, knit and crochet creations for people and 18” dolls, while doing my best to be eco-friendly.  I am in graduate school studying energy systems and also working full-time as a data analyst.  This business is my quest for an enjoyable source of extra income.

In this blog I will share stories of my adventures to create new items and those little things in life that inspire those creations.  I'll share new knitting or crocheting patterns that I'm learning or using and exciting new beads that I've found to work with among many other topics.  I look forward to your comments and suggestions of things you'd like me to try or styles you think might be inspiring.  I am always open to new ideas for projects or designs so don't hesitate to chime in.

You can view my shop at Pearl of the Pacific's etsy shop, 'like' me on facebook at Pearl of the Pacific's Facebook page, follow me on twitter @PearlofPacific, and follow this blog by email or RSS feed.  I hope you will join me in this adventure.  Stay posted for special deals :)