Luna's Baublebilities

O.K.  So the Watermelon Tourmaline color scheme is gourgeous, if incredibly subtle on ribbon but pretty horrible on velvet.  I have a lot to learn still about trying to get pale colors on velvet.  (Ribbon photos coming soon.)   I've dumped the velvet into a vat of teal blue dye hoping to save this length of silk somehow.



However - My stitched shibori alchemy scarf turned out O.K.  I was hoping for greater definition where the stitching was but it was quite subtle.  The directions indicated that the fabric should be washed and dried BEFORE the stitching was removed, which I was skeptical about.  Next time I will take out the stitching after rinsing but before washing which is what I do with rubber bands.  The browns are is pretty earthy and hippie-ish, which is O.K.  I guess.  Maybe I will try some silk screening on it??  But what will that do with the hand of the fabric?  Hmmm...

Well, kindergarten has begun.  Maxx has been surprisingly happy about it the last two mornings and has hopped onto the bus without complaint.  (Whew!)

Now I have to get to work in the studio - or rather, in the kitchen, as the stuff in my studio has finally and irrevocably reached critical mass.  No one can do anything in there anymore except maybe package orders for shipping and that is only after much rearrangement of boxes, bins and bags.  I'm so ready to move.  My new studio will be so huge.  There will be a separate area for every type of activity - probably even room for a little table or easel for Maxx to paint at. 

We have started a blog about the house and lifestyle renovations that will be taking place over at the Beorningstead.  We are all excited and impatient to get moved over there.  Soon, we hope.

In the meantime I have to dye and paint a whole bunch of scarves and experiment with the blank tee-shirts I ordered a couple of weeks ago.  I also bought a Yudu machine - they are still on sale at Dharma.  I hope it turns out to be worth the $$$! 

I also hope I have enough Ivory dye to complete an experiment that has been naging my mind for several days.  One of my Etsy customers requested a special order containing seeral different colors of ribbon and cord and mentioned that she would really like to see some cord in a Watermelon Tourmaline color palette.  So what have I been seeing in my sleep for the past 4 days?  You got it - scarves and ribbon and even lengths of velvet dyed up in purple, citrine and gemmy green. I think I've got the formula figured out in my head already But I'm about to find out for sure today.  Wish me luck!

Well, it's officially over. Bry pulled out of the driveway almost 20 minutes ago to head to work, Maxx goes to Kindergarten Thursday and Molly will be starting in on her homeschool schedule Friday.

It is very strange having everyone start back to school before Labor Day. We all feel cheated - especially since Christmas break this year will be a scant week and a half and there is no indication that Spring break will be longer or that regents week will be sooner in June. Somehow the state or the local districts have managed to squeeze another full week into the school year here but there has been no information about a corresponding bump in teacher salaries. Maybe they think that they throw in a bunch of half week extras, the teachers won't be able to do the math and figure out that they are overworking their contracts?

Last night I spent some time contemplating my schedule and how I'm going to get everything done. I'm just not very prodctive on the best of days but I have really got to learn how to be. I hit 40 this winter and I've got to learn how to care for my body a little better. I need it to last at least another 40 or 50 years! Molly's homschool curriculuum this year is her most rigorous yet and while half of it will be done online, I will still have a serious time comitment reviewing History and ELA work. With Maxx in full day kindergarten, I will have more time for exercise, homeschool and studio work and I intend to bring in some serious cash this year to supplement Bryan's income. I'm just not sure how much I can really get done. What I really like to do is slack off most days, exploring nifty things online like this Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef project. I mean - how cool is that!? I want to make one.

Plus we have to get the new house ready to move into. We got our commitment leter from the bank three weeks ago (still no estimated closing date) and we have begun work on the Beorningstead, hoping and praying that we can move in before truly cold weather arives. We've already discovered some small unexpected and unbudgeted surprises over there so my studio will have to take up that slack. We are still very excited about it, though - my studio is going to be SO BIG! Expect a new blog about reniovating the Beorningstead soon, moderated by Molly, Bry and me.

Now - I'm off to see about dyeing some new tee shirts & scarves, creating a silk screen design for my new Yudu machine, photographing and uploading new filigree and beads to my Etsy and Art Fire stores, packaging orders from last week, cleaning the house, ordering MB's AP Bio Class, playing with Maxx, getting some exercise . . . O.K. on second thought, just wake me up around dinner time.