Ideas!

I had my horrible Finance test last night which was probably the hardest test in the history of the world. And I will probably get the worst mark ever since I got a zero for that one science test in forth form when I accidentally dropped the test tube into the bunsen burner flame. Hehe... but this test is way more important so I'm feeling crestfallen.

Anyway... the real reason for my post is that I have a couple of good ideas for crafty goodness. One will be a super AXESOME (yes, axesome) necklace and the other a badge/brooch.  I don't want to give anything away so instead I'll be annoyingly mysterious until I have actually made them (cue shopping trip for more silicone, weeeee!)

I'm so excited, but even more annoying than me posting about an idea and not telling you, is that I have NO time to make it before Kraftbomb! SUUUUUUUUUUUUX.  I'm all excited about making it but I have to study for another test. Grrrr. And the weekend is far too late to be making a mold and then trying to cast the resin and finishing off the product. 

But what can I do? my hands are tied.

Stuff to do

I'm still buzzing a bit about how awesome Craftwerk was,  and also excited about the upcoming Kraftbomb!  I hope I have enough time to prepare - I've spent the past weekend and few days finishing uni assignments and next week I have two mid-semester tests (Monday & Thursday).  And... I haven't done really any of the readings for them! Eek!  

My general plan is to cast lots of resin stuff every day (if I can), put them aside until Friday night and do all the rest of the stuff required - drilling, sanding rough edges, gluing findings, and attaching more findings.  I think I can whip together a whole lot of non-resin stuff on Saturday.  I hope this timetable works. I don't really have much of a choice on that!  

I also have a LARGE order from a shop in Houston, New York to fill.  Fun times!

After Kraftbomb I have a two week break from uni, so I can finally catch up on sleep, reading (for fun), uni reading, crafty stuff and the two assignments I have due first thing after the holidays (it's just mean!).

Last night...

Golly, Craftwerk last night was crazy.  Crazy awesome.  I didn't have my usual faithful companion Charles with me last night and it turned out to be the busiest market day thingy Jellybones has EVER had.  It was so crazy I didn't even have time to eat or leave the table for a break.  The lovely Esther from Toggle offered to take over and let me have a break but I couldn't tear myself away.  Then she brought me a date scone which kept me going til the end when I was finally able to have some of the jaffa cupcake I had bought from the Cupcake Queen.  I shared it with my friend Bron from Ran With Scissors as she had to babysit it all night so I wouldn't sit on it. Thanks Bron!  Mmmmm cupcakes...

Now for the daunting task of starting to remake all the things I sold so I can be ready for Kraftbomb!

Popsicles!

Just a quick post to show these popsicles I've been working on.  They will be made into necklace pendants.  I think they are slightly too big for earrings but maybe I'll try that one time.  You can see that I took one of them out of the mold too soon and it looks like a melted popsicle - which I actually really like and might have to recreate.  They are made out of resin (of course - it is my fav medium) and the popsicle stick I made by sawing up popsicle sticks into tiny ones and sanding the edges to be round.  Then I drill a hole which will be the hole for the pendant finding.  The whole thing takes quite a bit longer to make than you might expect.  It's especially hard to get the stick in the middle of the mold properly.

CRAFTWERK is next Thursday 14th August back at St Kevin's Arcade from 6pm-9pm. Yay!  

I am pretty much dedicating my weekend to making stuff.  I also have 2 assignments due in a week which should be interesting! Weeeee...

Craftwerk

Yay!  There will be a new Craftwerk on August 14th at St Kevin's Arcade. Weeee!

I'm trying to put through my application now but my internet is sooooo slow (Probably due to flatmates downloading too many movies, grrrr!)  I always get a bit nervous about being accepted for it despite never having not been accepted.  This time around I especially need some money for materials and such to keep Jellybones going.

I've been spending my crafty time making a mold and experimenting in making a mini popsicle pendant.  I have made one so far which I now know how to improve upon.  I'd include a photo but my camera isn't liking close up shots for some reason.  I guess it's getting old and electronics are made to fail so we can all go out and buy new ones. Grrr  - forced consumerism.  Anyway, that's by the by.  Main point: new product. 

I actually have lots of ideas at the moment but I have been very very lazy ever since then end of my last semester (which took a lot out of me - namely my hair!).  I need to chill out a bit more about uni.  I'd like to do a beading course soon but of course I'm cash strapped right now.  I'm not so interested in traditional beading jewellery but I think the skills in putting together jewellery will be good and enable me to do some things I currently cant.  Any recommendations for a good place to do it?  I was thinking The Bead Hold in Pt Chev.

Yeah.

Jellybones out there in the world

Seeing as Jellybones will be celebrating it's 2nd birthday this year and I am only now starting a blog, I've made a history of Jellybones, a list of blogs we've been mentioned in, other websites we're on, and a couple of our stockists.

We started out in 2006 when Sam Whetton organised the first Craftwerk in Auckland and asked if Charles and I would like to have a stall.  Sam is a friend of Charles' and they had worked together in a group soft sculpture exhibition back in 2005 in Whisper Whisper gallery. I forget the name of the exhibition though. Anyway, she was probably expecting a lot more soft toys but we ended up making a few felt brooches, some pencil earrings (real pencils) , and a whole lot of pixelated badges. It was a really last minute effort by Charles and I (mostly done the day before and on the day). We were late and we forgot a table cloth or price labels. Despite that, we made $100 and we were super excited. We decided to keep doing them and we got a little more professional along the way (although Charles has been promising business cards for awhile now!). Check out the gallery photos at Craftwerk.  We were at the first one - despite being no photos of us, promise! 

Shortly after starting at Craftwerk, Esther from Toggle got in touch with us and asked if we'd sell a few of our things through them.  Of course we said yes and we are now selling our Gummi Bear Earrings, Gummi Bear Necklaces, our ever popular Scrabble Necklaces, and a Felt Hedgehog Brooch. Check out our stuff on Toggle here.  Toggle have been awesome.  They are great at promoting their website, which of course has a flow on effect of promoting us.  They're really active out there in the craft world and are always coming up with new ways to get their website known.  I hope all their hard work is paying off, they deserve it! And of course the stuff they sell on their site is AMAZING! I'm particularly a fan of their Ask Alice record cushions and JB Bones' war embroideries - I want them all.  They also have a blog here.

We are currently selling some of our products at the shop at Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts in Pakuranga.  I'm haven't been out there for a few months though, so not sure if there is anything left there.  We also had a monthly stall there for their summer market days.  It was a really good chance to get to know some other crafters who we usually don't have the time to talk to at Craftwerk.

Um, what else? We've been mentioned on the Pulp blog (actually a really awesome blog, especially for design objects and such). Also mentioned by Anemone and lilysmakebelieve who are fellow Craftwerkers. 

We have sold a few things to a gallery shop in New Plymouth - Whitecube Artspace. I was quite excited about that one because I spent a large chunk of my childhood in NP and so it has a special place in my heart.

I have a few other things to follow up on as well such as a shop in the states that wants us to sell some stuff to them.  A woman named Allana Owen is setting up a shop soon and is going to be in touch with me about selling there soon (I hope!).  I really need to get working on producing things more often so I can go out and try to find other stockists.  Finding time with the stresses of uni can be hard though.

There are a few other bits and pieces, we were recently mentioned with a small piece about Toggle in the Sunday Star Times recently which resulted in a bit influx of sales for our Scrabble necklaces.  Also on Sunday 14 June our scrabble necklace was on What Now, although the kids watching it probably don't have the means to jump on the internet and buy one.

So that pretty much brings us up to now!

Hello!

I've been meaning to start a blog for Jellybones for a very long time. Here it is! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Spent all of my evening yesterday making big fat coloured pencil earrings.  I wish I could put a photo up but my partner in crime has my camera.  They are for Karin, who owns the shop La Dolce Vita in St Lukes mall (opposite Whitcoulls).

I've been getting all inspired to create some new items lately but it is exam time so I have to just wait til my holidays! I think it's that whole thing where you imagine all the awesome wonderful things you could be doing when you finish studying - like going to the movies, listening to music really really loud and dancing around (or is that just me?), making things, catching up with old friends etc etc