The Rediscovery (Pt2)

Your Not Safe with Me

A year ago I walked away from this blog. I have changed so much I feel as though the person who used to blog was a complete stranger.

Allow me then to introduce my 2012 incarnation, I am Roxanna. I am a knitter. I used to make short films. Life has become a bit of a strange transition from student filmmaker to unemployed knitter.
But this is not a pity party. I am going to start a new path, I am planning on turning this blog into a place for my voice, quite literally. In two words, a podcast. Rather a video podcast.

It’s a strange new world but I figure my path back to filmmaking will be paved with far bigger hurdles than being camera shy.

The podcast will start in a few days. Crafty escapades yet to be told.

Best wishes,
Rx

*my dog is all nerves

Strange Days

I am not certain how it happens but one day you look up and you realize that you have lost track of the days.

Much has changed since I last posted to the blog. I gathered up my rabble of knit toys and purses for a December craft show. I was not really certain what would sell.
The last craft show was a harrowing experience. I do not wish that on any crafter.

So I was prepared to keep my guard up. I was not going to let this new crowd get to me. HA! All those worries for nothing. The show was amazing. The vendors were great. We spent a lot of time at the beginning of each day and the end of each day visiting each other’s booths and I am not ashamed to admit I spent a little bit of my hard earned money at their booths.

I had a great response to my toys/dolls. My purses had three different pulls, those interested in the large handbags (the price was a bit of an issue), there was interest in the medium sized bags and all of my tiny bags with zipper pulls sold out!
I was really thrilled. I think the big thing about this show was how sincerely awed the people were over the booth.
I was sharing the booth with a friend and people would crowd around and stop by our booth not once but twice.

It was an empowering experience. I learned a lot at this show.

Since that time I have been working on new techniques, acquiring new yarn, and starting new projects.

I have a lot to show for the time that has passed. I will add some photos of my current works in progress and show some of my finished objects.
I haven’t had the time to update the store but it is hard to rely on the weather for a clear day. Even in AZ.

Snapshots

As promised I have few snapshots of my work space.

The photos don’t really capture the craft anarchy.

I didn’t want to broadcast my mess.

I have been having fun the last three weeks discovering new techniques and playing with new yarn. This week I complete a few dolls to post online and start sewing linings and totes (more on that later).

Truth Be Told

There is a story behind every item that I create. The story however is not what you may think.

Knitting is a solitary pursuit. In order to complete items of large size or complexity you must submit to a lot of work. That work however is horribly monotonous.
My hands do all the hard work. Sure I have a vivid imagination but I’ve caught myself dozing while I knit. My hands just keep on knitting…I’ve woken up to realize that I ruined a pattern I have even pulled stitches off the needle.

In my effort to combat mid-day sleepiness as well as to make these hours bearable I watch a lot of movies, listen to the radio, watch football, and more than anything else I watch reality shows.

If you have purchased something from me you should know that whatever it is it is a product of pure pop culture.

With Tyra Banks and Tim Gunn as a mentor how could I not be inspired?

Life is not, what not

At one time I had a very active blog. I have made a big change and have become more productive with my knitting and sewing.

Sure I blog less but that loss of time has resulted in some very good things, take for instance these works in progress:

These are just sneak peeks. There are several new items going up in my shop this Friday.
New photo shoot tonight…endless hours editing for Thursday.

I am very excited about October. I have a few new goals for the blog.

I figure instead of saying I am busy I should show what I am currently working on, like above, and I also miss talking about movies on this blog.

I love October.
Every year I spend the whole month watching horror films. Some people like roller coaster rides or skydiving me I just need a quick jolt of fear and I feel right as rain.

The blog isn’t named crafty horror for nothing.

I will be going through cheesy cult horror films, foreign frights, and gory flicks through out the month.

My first film will be my favorite Coen brother’s movie, Blood Simple.

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FACT: Most of my blog titles are lines from movies. This one is from Sixteen Candles.

Hello! How are you today?

The craft show was an interesting venture.

I am by nature a shy person. Why then did I participate in a craft show? I had not interacted with a customer before this point. I wanted to know my strengths and weaknesses. Here is what I have learned.

First and foremost my strength was display and quality. Other than a few knitters who could not bear the idea of buying any knitted item I had several people come by to look at my table.

As far as weakness goes I had several slip ups:
-could not close the sale, which is to say I found myself saying the wrong thing or saying too much and scaring off a customer by trying too damn hard.

-humility, I was very quick to move away from my own price point. Even when a customer was about to purchase an item I would be quick to lower the price. Ugh.

-unbearably awkward, it got to the point where I was not sure if I was smiling or grimacing. I was not breezy or inviting but tired and desperate to pack up my table. Which was a shame because more people came by in the afternoon than earlier in the day.

I am not prepared to slink away. I am a stubborn cancer (astrology sign) which means that I am only going to keep on working.

First thing I need to get down pat is my pitch. Not necessarily some scary tactic to get people buy things…I mean quite simply I have to know my products better than I know my own name. I need to be able to describe the process of making every item.
I also need to stand up and get out from behind the table. It was as though the table was there to keep people at bay. Well that worked a little too well.

I also need to be myself. I am prone to talking too much, quick to smile and likely to chew your head off about some new tv show or a great sale at Target.

Good experience all around. Next time I will get some sleep and drink more coffee.

Its the small things

So happy right now. I am busy sewing, knitting and designing.
This startling productivity brings to mind an important question, why now?

The answer is quite simply, sleep.

I started getting up early. Which in turn means I have started going to bed early. Which results in a happy more productive self.

The goal for this week is to keep up the pace and maybe if I am good I will watch a movie that has been in my netflix queue for years:

My Neighbor Totoro

I will post some progress pictures later this week.

Enjoy the week, its full of potential!

Knee Deep

I have been knitting and sewing in a frenzy.
If I were to put down my pair of knitting needles I would be just as likely to pick up a needle and thread.

Even watching tv or eating breakfast has become a multi-tasking wonder. On Thursday I made pancakes and fried eggs for breakfast while also knitting and making a new doll pattern.

Its an endless cycle.

The goal is too keep up this momentum for the next two weeks. More on that later.

For now I have a tiny pile of blue fabric just waiting to be sewn up.

You wouldn’t know it to look at it but all of that fabric represent the limbs and torso of two new plushies.

Sounds gory. I promise that no plushies are being harmed.

I will have more sneak peeks tomorrow.
Have a great weekend!

Spoon Full of Sugar

I miss breakfast. I have, without motive, become a night owl.

source

I sleep in and wake at midday. I have stopped drinking coffee, a great sacrifice, to no avail.
Saturday night I stayed up to 4:30 in the morning. I was up scratching out an idea onto a paper bag.

When I woke Sunday afternoon I had four dolls patterns piled up on my desk. I even wrote little notations on the pattern pieces as to how the dolls would be accessorized.

You can’t fight inspiration.