I have had a week. To say the least.
Isis was sick for Christmas- the few days before through until the present, and she is still snotty and is coughing some. She was pretty lack-luster during a good part of the gift opening. Yours truly got to wrap all of the presents, again- as Daddy thinks that is my job. I guess I should count myself lucky I don't have to wrap the gifts that are from him for me... he manages to do that... I wish he was more into Christmas as I am a Christmas freak. He played online poker while I stayed up all night Christmas Eve and the night before wrapping gifts and intermittently nursing Zeb back to sleep- and not doing the shipping I needed to get done for the shop. For anyone still waiting- forgive me, anything that needs shipping will go out tomorrow, with an extra in each box. I am not that far behind- but that kind of stuff keeps me up at night.
I really got chewed up and spit out by the whole Christmas thing- but I still love it and will never lose my zeal. I have several years of magic left with my kids and Santa and all of the excitement. It is worth every hardship, stress, argument with the DH, (dear husband or dick head, depending on the hour...) worth getting a little behind in the shop- and I will never stop doing everything in my power to make it as special as my mom and grandmother (especially) always did everything they could to make it amazing for me. I truly thank them for making me appreciate the joy of the Christmas holiday and recognize how magical it can be.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Zebisis Designs Ravelry Group
I am in the process of having graphic design done so I can start the Zebisis Designs Spindle and Fiber Group on Ravelry. One of my favorite things is seeing the fiber I have painted, silk I have dyed and batts I have carded worked up into yarn and eventually knitted or crocheted into finished objects. This will be a place that people can post their works in progress, yarns and finished objects as well as ideas and suggestions, requests and anything else people want to talk about regarding the shop and it's goods.
I am really exited to get it going! pomegranateink on etsy is doing the graphic design for the banner and badge for the group. I asked for it to be done in a short time frame- and she took it on. I can't wait to see what she comes up with. I will post her finished work here when it is finished!
Feel free to post here in the comments if you would like to be invited to the group when it is up and running. I can also be contacted through Etsy and Ravelry.
I am really exited to get it going! pomegranateink on etsy is doing the graphic design for the banner and badge for the group. I asked for it to be done in a short time frame- and she took it on. I can't wait to see what she comes up with. I will post her finished work here when it is finished!
Feel free to post here in the comments if you would like to be invited to the group when it is up and running. I can also be contacted through Etsy and Ravelry.
Monday, December 22, 2008
New Fiber
My new colorways in 50/50 superwash merino and silk, and the buttery 80/20 superwash merino and cashmere were finally dry enough to list...The top one is called Hannah's Story (cashmere blend), then Velvet Dusk, and Pandora's Smile.
Both blends are just TOO luxurious. I have 2 more pounds all soaked and ready to be painted- I can't wait for Zeb to go to bed... maybe it will be an early night!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Four membership levels of my new silk club have been listed in my etsy shop. Use the code "SILKFIVEGIFT" in the message to the seller at checkout, and I will refund 5% of the club's cost through paypal.
Friday, December 19, 2008
New Things for the New Year
I am always trying to find new, exciting, better and exceedingly interesting things to incorporate in my shop. This keeps my customers interested, and keeps me inspired to keep creating. If I get myself into a production rut, I get bored quickly, and that is terrible. I may have a project or two lying around abandoned and unfinished due to unbearable repetition. I have gotten to know myself well enough to avoid sabotaging myself in this way.
So- some new things for the new year will include:
* Rose gold hooks, along with the tried and true silver and yellow gold
* Crazy Isis Art Batts
* Zeb's Island (Well Behaved) Batts
* More Luxury blends Cashmere/Merino, Merino/Silk, Kid Mohair/Nylon...
* Silk Hankies
* A 3 month silk club
* A "zebisisdesigns" Ravelry group
And lots more- but surprises are good!
I am doing a big shop update right now... hopefully Zeb will sleep for a good stretch so I can really get some work done!!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Spindles, Fiber- Batts,Christmas and Cashmere
I recently got in the mail a box of ten pounds of 50/50 silk and superwash merino, and 80/20 superwash merino and CASHMERE. I am just itching to paint some up- but I only have one club shipment left to put together and HAVE to do that first. Soon, soon... The cashmere blend is so soft- when you touch it, you can barely feel it. I want to make a big nest of it, and sleep there like a giant fiber obsessed bird. Crazy? Definitely. I must dye it up for the shop though... maybe when I win the lottery.
Speaking of birds and nests of fiber- I was thinking about putting together little balls of brightly colored tufts of fiber and glitz, like angelina and firestar and maybe some little colorful strips of fabric, aqnd putting them in my shop for folks to offer to their local stylish bird community. In the spring you can put them outside for the birds to sample and use to build their nests- then you can look for bright fancy nests throughout the summer. I USED to dry my fiber outside in the sun (in the summer of course) until I noticed that they were somehow getting damaged- like something was pulling chunks of fibers out of the roving. I had mu suspisions, but knew for sure when I saw a nest in a tree outside my window that was BRIGHT PINK! I thought the bird had great taste- but wasn't so sure I wanted to share hunks of the roving I intended to sell- so decided to put together some offerings for the stylish nest builder. I think I will put some in the shop in late winter.
We got a Christmas tree a couple of weeks ago- and Jeremy, my husband, convinced me to buy LED lights. He said we could leave them on all the time- because they use very little energy. I was distracted at the time, with both kids at Target on Black Friday- what was I thinking?? I said sure- grab them. Yuck, yuck, yuck. They are lifeless, depressing lights. I am into saving the planet- but I just cant do these awful things. Christmas as a child, for me, was always very magical. I loved the little white lights casting their soft light in the dark living room. They were mezmerizing, and filled me with exitement and a feeling of safety. They had a calming effect, and they are in essence, Christmas to me.
I am a christmas freak- I love it to the core of my soul- I have my Mom to thank for that- and her mom as well, as my grandmother instilled the Christmas love in her. When the lights go up on the tree- my Christmas spirit really swells, and it feels like the beginning. But these other "energy saving" lights went up, and I felt nothing. I didn't even want to be in the room. I didn't want to decorate the tree, no exitement. No joy. The tree was there, there were lights, but it was all wrong.
I had enough, and tonight I pulled out the box of regular lights. They are almost all up, and the feeling is coming back. I shouldn't have waited so long, but I feel so much better now.
I guess, for me- Christmas is not Christmas without the sights, smells, memories and traditions of my childhood. I want my daughter to develop the same love and thrill that I have always felt toward Christmas. I want us to make our own memories and traditions, and if I don't have the spirit and sparkle in my eyes- she will not find it. She is almost three, and this is her first Christmas where the magic really starts. I have to do this right.
I am so glad I put up the other lights. We will decorate the tree tomorrow.
Speaking of birds and nests of fiber- I was thinking about putting together little balls of brightly colored tufts of fiber and glitz, like angelina and firestar and maybe some little colorful strips of fabric, aqnd putting them in my shop for folks to offer to their local stylish bird community. In the spring you can put them outside for the birds to sample and use to build their nests- then you can look for bright fancy nests throughout the summer. I USED to dry my fiber outside in the sun (in the summer of course) until I noticed that they were somehow getting damaged- like something was pulling chunks of fibers out of the roving. I had mu suspisions, but knew for sure when I saw a nest in a tree outside my window that was BRIGHT PINK! I thought the bird had great taste- but wasn't so sure I wanted to share hunks of the roving I intended to sell- so decided to put together some offerings for the stylish nest builder. I think I will put some in the shop in late winter.
We got a Christmas tree a couple of weeks ago- and Jeremy, my husband, convinced me to buy LED lights. He said we could leave them on all the time- because they use very little energy. I was distracted at the time, with both kids at Target on Black Friday- what was I thinking?? I said sure- grab them. Yuck, yuck, yuck. They are lifeless, depressing lights. I am into saving the planet- but I just cant do these awful things. Christmas as a child, for me, was always very magical. I loved the little white lights casting their soft light in the dark living room. They were mezmerizing, and filled me with exitement and a feeling of safety. They had a calming effect, and they are in essence, Christmas to me.
I am a christmas freak- I love it to the core of my soul- I have my Mom to thank for that- and her mom as well, as my grandmother instilled the Christmas love in her. When the lights go up on the tree- my Christmas spirit really swells, and it feels like the beginning. But these other "energy saving" lights went up, and I felt nothing. I didn't even want to be in the room. I didn't want to decorate the tree, no exitement. No joy. The tree was there, there were lights, but it was all wrong.
I had enough, and tonight I pulled out the box of regular lights. They are almost all up, and the feeling is coming back. I shouldn't have waited so long, but I feel so much better now.
I guess, for me- Christmas is not Christmas without the sights, smells, memories and traditions of my childhood. I want my daughter to develop the same love and thrill that I have always felt toward Christmas. I want us to make our own memories and traditions, and if I don't have the spirit and sparkle in my eyes- she will not find it. She is almost three, and this is her first Christmas where the magic really starts. I have to do this right.
I am so glad I put up the other lights. We will decorate the tree tomorrow.
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