Public Service Announcement

Tomorrow is the first day of November!

...And that means that tomorrow is the beginning of National Novel Writing Month!

Yes, yes, I will be joining aspiring novelists all over the world as they all attempt to write 50,000 words in a month.

I've done this every November for about eight years now... We'll see what this November brings. One thing is for certain, though: Say hello to writing shenanigans! Bwahahahaha!

And be sure to tune in here to see my writing progress! :)

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For those who are also doing it, feel free to poke at my NaNo profile... My username is (not surprisingly) anafiassa.

This Weekend's Random Craft

...Seedbeadery!

Hairstick Dangle Prototype
It's not perfect by any means, but woohoo! :)

Yes, indeed, once more, I tackled seed beads--with more success than last time. 

I started learning the ladder stitch and the brick stitch, playing around with beads that I have in my stash (not the best for actual seedbeadery due to their varying sizes, but it's a place to start!)... And I found that I got it.

Not only that, but I want to do it again.

...I call that a success! :)

Bead Ruckus - Reveal for Kit 6!

Guess what! 

That's right, it's that time again--time for the Bead Ruckus reveal! Hurray!

To jog your memory, this was the kit:

Bead Ruckus Kit No. 6

And, using those components, this is what I made! 

Ta-da! A fancy necklace!

When I first saw the kit, I was rather fascinated at how the colors actually went together--greys and purples and shades of gold. So, instead of adding other components to tie everything together, I just let the kit do the talking.

And, I have to say that while the vintage lucite crystal was quite large compared to the rest of the components, I think it turned out to be quite a fun focal piece. 

That was the only piece that I made that used all of the components--but I did make a few companion pieces.

First up, earrings:

...And, of course, a hairstick:

After that, I still had additional components left, so I decided to make another necklace (it's even shorter than the other necklace, so the two can be worn together if so desired):

...Then, I decided to make an entirely new set--because bottlecaps are wonderful, and the vintage lucite crystals were an exact fit!

...And, last but not least, a giant chunky ring:

Ta-da!

So, to wrap up, I made one piece using all of the components, and then six companion pieces. And, like last time, these are definitely not things I would have thought to put together--but what fun to play around with them! 

Thank you so much for looking--and be sure to check out the Bead Ruckus Blog to see what the other lovely designers made with this kit!

I Am Grateful...

I absolutely love Autumn... But, more and more, I have the sneaking suspicion that Autumn does not love me back. 

In addition to my normal Autumnal allergies, I've been running the sick-gamut these last two weeks--first, with a stomach bug, and now with a cold or the flu or some such nonsense. I guess it's due to the fluctuation of temperatures? Gah!

So, to keep me from wallowing in self-pitying grumpiness, it's time for another list of happy things! Hurray!

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I Am Grateful...

...For finished projects.

My second attempt at making paper beads.

Hurray! A necklace/earring set that I made with said paper beads.

...For Autumn leaves!

Seen on a morning walk.

...For a girl's night out with my Mother-in-Law.

We went out to dinner, and then to a presentation on self-publishing.

...For silly games to play with my friends.

Heh... this board is going to look fantastic when this game is done.

...For the cozy textures of Fall--sweaters and scarves.

...Here's a sweater...

...and here's a scarf!

...For knitting--even though I can't do it as quickly as I used to, I still find it relaxing and soothing and wonderful.

My rectangle... it grows...

...And for being a part of a wonderful online beading community.

Bead Ruckus reveal tomorrow! How exciting! :)

...Yeah, I really am blessed.

Thanks so much for taking the time to go through my little list... I hope you have a lovely day!

Treasury Tuesday

Except, this time, I'm actually sharing treasuries that I didn't make, but that feature my items. (Imagine!)

See if you can find the anafiassa items, nestled in these lovely collections...

And, here are the treasury links!

Etsy Blues
Fog
Hoarding Acorns
Old Autumns Tales

Many, many thanks to the curators of these lists... it's always encouraging when people take something that I've made and create something beautiful.

And thank you for looking... I hope you have a lovely day!

Coming on Friday!

...Remember this?

That's right... It's almost time for the Bead Ruckus reveal! 

Be sure to check back on Friday to see what I made!

Recent Custom Orders...

It would seem that I am in the middle of peak custom order* season.

That is a wonderful thing! 

...However, it would also seem that I have been working on said custom orders more than, say, blogging. 

So! To make up for that, I figured I would share here some things that I've been working on:

Pylons!

Yep, more 3D printed pylons. 

Pylon 1

Pylon 2

Pylon 3

Pylon 4

The biggest one is almost two inches; the littlest one is less than an inch. It took me quite some time to do these... I had to tweak the existing pylon model (moving the "bail" from the outer ring to the central crystal)... then I had to get them printed (was touch-and-go for a little bit)... then I had to paint them (definitely need a smaller paint brush if I'm going to do any more of those littlelittle ones!). I also tried to get one printed in silver, but to no avail (ah well!).

Overall, though, I am extremely happy with how they turned out. 

Sabriel Hairsticks!

These were made to match the Sabriel earrings that I had in my shop. (Oh, and Sabriel is a main character in the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix, for those interested.)

I really, really like how these turned out... I had actually made a Sabriel Hairstick design years ago, so it was fun both revisiting the idea and making something that the customer envisioned. It's always fun when a collaboration turns into something so pretty! :)

Willim Earrings! 

Two pairs of them, actually, for two different customers!

Both of these pairs are from the Songbird Tribute Collection... Willim is so popular, you would think that he was a main character or something. ;)

(Or that people just really really like the combination of purple and silver... Not going to lie, I'm definitely a fan!)

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So, there you go! That is just a glimpse into some of the things that I've been working on. I actually have at least another five custom orders that I'm working on--all rather complicated pieces, but are turning out to be quite fun. I hope to post about those when they're done. :)

Hurrah!

...And now, to go be productive. I hope everyone is having a lovely day!

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* - I am using "custom order" simply to mean making something special for a customer--whether it be remaking an existing design, or coming up with something completely new. I've done--and am open to doing--both. :)

Mini Writing Retreat

I have just returned home after an over-night mini writing retreat.

Last night's dinner: home-grown veggie soup and home-baked bread.

It was full of good food and comfy pillows and copious amounts of chocolate.

...And more writing than I've done in months.

It was wonderful.

For Harry Potter Fans...

The Golden Snitch

...Last week, I posted the Deathly Hallows sets. This week, the Golden Snitch. 

I seem to be on a roll! :)

I did not actually set out to make this particular hairstick... it was just a series of happy serendipitous tinkerings, and I am incredibly pleased with the result. It's always fun when something just comes together! :)