Super-Sexy Sewing Machine

Wow, I want this!

I've been toying with the idea of getting a smaller, portable, made-in-at-least-the-second-half-of-the 20th-century sewing machine (unlike my old one which is "probably one of the first electric ones" and seems to be made out of solid lead). Not so much that I've actually checked models or prices, just considering.

I think my search is over. I don't care what it costs, this just looks cool, which is not something you can usually say about sewing machines. (Ok, never.) The only problem? It's not actually in production yet. : (

Yikes.

I'm freaking out a little right now. I signed up for the freshly blended and cake and pie Holiday Ornament Swap and I'm having serious self-doubts. I expected it, of course. It's what I do. I am actually excited about it at the same time.

My anxiety has two parts:

1. When the other people in my swap group open my ornaments, they'll say WTF is this? and throw it straight in the trash and


2. This doesn't matter because I can't figure out the last part of the ornament I'm designing.

I basically know what I'm making. I considered and discarded several ideas as being too ordinary, before settling on one of my polymer clay + other things creatures. At first I thought it would be too weird, but then I realized it was really the only thing I could do. It won't be too strange, but still me. I just haven't hit on just the right thing to finish it off. Well, I have a month before I have to send them out.

I also am absolutely forbidding myself from looking at any of the blogs or websites or Etsy shops of the other people in my group, because that would definitely precipitate a grand mal freakout. Plenty of time for that after I've sent out my ornaments and can't do anything about it.

Lovely and Amazing

Via Polymerclaydaily.com, unbelievable polymer clay and stone jewelry by Kotomi Yamamura:

So gorgeous and inspirational. I need to go get to work on some stuff of my own. I wonder where she gets her stones? Her things can also been found at Syoko Mode. Most of the site is in Japanese, but there are lots of pretty pictures.

Ok, Just a Few More

Really, I'll stop after this. (That's such a lie, I'm always liable to post good Halloween costumes or ideas for them at any time.) But I just ran across the Etsy Halloween Costume Contest Winners and some of them are really great.

I'm not sure animals care for dressing up, but this gnome costume made me laugh: That cat is furious. I don't blame it.

Some kid in this family is totally going as a Wild Thing next year. Austen, you know who you are. Actually, that's Max, isn't it? Ooh, Max and the Wild Things, that would be a great group costume.
The baby shrimp is cute too. I love the eyes and antennae.

Excellent Edward Scissorhands, but so was my friend Clay's several years ago. He had actual scissors on each finger and rigged them so they all really worked. He could even eat pretzels with them.

And finally, not a winner though I think it should have been. If I had a kid I would definitely make it dress up as Frida Kahlo:

Walking On Broken Glass

Finally here are the glass pendants I've finished. I particularly like the large aqua-colored one at the top. The long narrow pendant with the text on the right is the first of these I made, about 2 years ago or so. I've gotten a lot of compliments on it, including one from the mad hot boy librarian at the branch library, which was nice.

This photo isn't as good, but you can see the colors and detail better on the brown pendant.

I've got several others in various states of completion, which I'm hoping to finish now that I'm back home.

Halloween Ain't Over Till It's Over

I've been spending a few days in beautiful Bowling Green, famed in song and story. I attended a Nine Inch Nails cover band show on Halloween night dressed as a hooker, complete with black eye and split lip. (Just makeup, of course, which I learned from this and this video on YouTube, courtesy of the Costumer's Manifesto, as usual. It was a fabulous time, I must say.

Me and Frosty, the World's Whitest Pimp:

Lookin' good:

Then I made Day Of The Dead cookies the next day:

It's been a good trip.