Shutocon Aftermath

So Shutocon was pretty awesome over the weekend (and yes, I know, it's been forever since I've posted anything...again) and I was able to make some decent money. I made about the same as I did at Almacon, so I think I did pretty well. I made the table cost back and then some (and I didn't count gas or food in costs, since I use a lot of gas anyway and paid for food with my personal spending money), so I'd say things came out okay. I sold two pairs of cyberlox and a bunch of stickers, which didn't surprise me. Then I sold the dog/fox amigurumi, the egg amigurumi, and the onigiri plushie. I think I would've sold more onigiri if I'd had more, but then again I might not have, cuz the food plushie people were at the table next door. lol

We were kinda situated in a bad spot for the table tho, which I think slowed down sales. It was a bummer, but I still made a profit, so it wasn't that big of a deal. The biggest bummer was that all of the ATMs were dead on Sunday. Two were out of cash and one was frozen, and the closest one after those was two blocks away, which no one wanted to walk for. That meant everyone who wanted to spend more but didn't have cash couldn't. There were a couple people that came by who were bummed about the situation cuz they wanted stuff but didn't have cash. I think we would've sold a lot more on Sunday if the ATMs hadn't died, and I think it was the same for most Artists there. A couple had card readers for non-cash customers, but I only think I saw 3 or 4 who had them. I want to invest in one, but they don't come cheap and they require some kind of service plan to go with them...and we're really not making enough right now to be able to afford one. I think they came out with an app of some kind for the iphone tho, so I'll have to check that out and see if it migh tbe more plausible. Cuz I could steal my bf's iPod touch and use it as long as there was internet access (or I could just steal his phone if he was at the con with me lol).

Now for a car update!! I got a new one finally! Well, okay, I got it about a month ago, but I'm a little bit slow with updating. And I was doing so well for a while!! lol But anyways, here it is:

I really like it. It gets GREAT gas mileage and my payment on it isn't that high, so I think I'm doing pretty good. The stereo is really nice too, which is a bonus. But I don't wanna ramble about my new car too much...this post is pretty long already! So I'll shut my mouth for the moment and let everyone enjoy their weekend!

Crocheted Onigiri

So I'm sure everyone knows that I have already made an onigiri plushie....but that one was sewn. And since I've been doing a bunch of crocheting lately, it only made sense to try out one that was crocheted!! I had a few people say they'd like to see one, but I had NO IDEA how to make a triangle (okay, I had an idea but didn't know if it would work), so I searched on youtube and found a really awesome person who had a triangle tutorial. That meant all that was left was to actually make the thing! And make it, I did. It was as easy as making two triangles and a big strip to go between them. I really wanted to do it as one piece instead of multiple pieces (except for the seaweed part, of course), but I don't know how to go about doing that either, so three pieces was good enough for me! I made them and stitched them together then stitched on the seaweed wrap and it was all set! I didn't put eyes on it though. I kinda forgot and I wasn't sure if I was liking how it was turning out. But it turns out I do like it! So here it is:

Whatcha think? Good? Bad? Would be TONS cuter if it actually had the eyes on it? Let me know what you think!!

In other news though, my car died on the way to work this morning. I'd just hopped on the highway and was doing about 65 when the transmission gave out. It dropped all the way down to first gear and that was that. I managed to get off the highway safely (there was an exit REALLY close), and I was able to drive it across town so I could borrow my mom's truck. The thing will still drive, but since it won't shift anymore, you have to drive 25 mph all the time. That's REALLY slow. Trust me. So I'm pretty sure my car's getting replaced as soon as I manage to get my taxes back, which I'll be filing tonight because I finally have all of my paperwork for it. I'm also skipping class because it's an extra 15 minutes away from work (so half an hour back home) and my mom's truck is getting pretty bad mileage right now cuz of winter and all. So I have the truck until further notice and my mom and I will be figuring stuff out later as to how to get me to work and whatnot on the days she has a doctor's appointment or something. So yeah...my car has really bad timing. It just couldn't wait till I actually had the money to replace it, could it?

Packaging Prepared

So I have my packaging now! It looks REALLY good in person and I'm so happy with it. As soon as I got home with it, I had to start putting stuff together. I already had a bunch of stuff bagged up, so I just needed to grab my trusty pen and stapler and get to work! There's a spot for the item "name" and a spot for the price, so I filled those in and folded and stapled and TADA! Package made!

So what do you think with it being put together? I did a test before with just a printout of it and it looked fine, and the real thing looks even better! I think they'll go over very well at cons because people won't have to ask for prices on stuff all the time.

Of Tea and Cookies

So I got some new yarn because I found out I only own two REALLY SMALL balls of brown yarn. Since there are a lot of patterns that call for a really light brown, I opted for that so I could make a few new things. I started with a cupcake, but so far I only have the bottom part of it done, so I can't post anything on that yet. I did, however, work on the pattern for a cup of tea and cookies! The tea cup uses the really light brown (I think it looks more like cappucino than tea, but that's just me), so I thought it would be a great thing to work on! The top was really easy and I was able to get it done while I was waiting for my boyfriend's parents to show up to have dinner with us. The rest took a little bit longer because I had to deal with the fact that the new semester started...which means the beginning of classes and getting back into the swing of things with a new class load. I guess the good thing is that I'm only taking three classes this semester (cuz they won't let me take the others that I need...grr), so I'll be able to focus on other crafty things a bit more. So, without further ado, the teacup!

Unfortunately I don't have the cookies done yet, so that'll have to wait for another day.

In other news, I'm busy getting ready for Almacon and Shutocon that are both happening in the next couple of months. I still need to buy the racks I want off Amazon, but I need to get a good paycheck in first. I got way to many holidays on my last paycheck (and I'm not full time, so they're not paid), so I don't really have the extra money for them at the moment. I'll get them soon enough though.

It Came with Eggs

Well after finishing the cupcake and donuts I still had a little bit of yarn left, but not enough to make any more cupcakes or donuts, so I decided to skim through the book that came with the kit and see what else I might be able to make with the little bit of yarn I had left. So I made an egg! There was a pattern for a cracked egg, but I lack yellow yarn, so I had to opt for the hard-boiled egg. Except for the top being a little bit pointier than I'd like (yay for having to close a circle!), I think it came out pretty well. I don't know if you'd be able to tell that it's supposed to be an egg without a bunch of other food plushies though. But I think the cracked egg would be more obvious.

So tada! That's what it looks like! It's pretty simple...I started working on another cupcake too cuz I went out and got some light brown yarn the other night. My next project will be the tea and cookies that are in the book (and prolly a light brown donut of some kind), so that'll be fun. I needed the light brown for the tea color...but if you ask me, it looks more like cappucino! But that works. It'll be cute either way.

Well, that's about all I have to share for now, so TTFN--tata for now! ^-^

It's Donut Time!!

Well I was having so much fun with cupcake making that I had to make a donut as well, since the kit came with the stuff for that too. I was able to get the base for it done pretty quickly and I've gotten a bit better at working with the super small hook. The pattern has you make a base donut (like, the whole thing...just like a real one) then you make the icing top and stitch it together. The one that it came with the materials for was a chocolate donut with white icing and pink sprinkles. Once I was done with it, I loved how it turned out so much that I had to make another one!! I didn't have enough material for a second one though, so I decided to adjust the pattern a little bit and I made a smaller one. It's soooo cute! I love how it turned out. Side-by-side they're even more adorable because it's like a mama and a baby donut! I really enjoyed making them though, where I got a bit annoyed by the cupcake because of the base. But it was probably more annoying because I'm not used to working with such a small crochet hook either. Oh well, such is life, right? lol

So now the part you really want to see....DONUT PIC!!!!

I guess that's really about all I have to share for now. Try not to freeze in the cold!

Playing with konad and cupcakes

So it's that time again...blog post time! I mentioned a while ago that I bought a Konad Nail Stamping Kit from Amazon, but I haven't posted any pics of stuff yet. A couple days after I got it I painted my nails light pink then tested all three of the colors that came in my kit. I put on a red firework, white flowers (there were 3 with little branches), and a black flower. It smeared a little bit when I put the topcoat on, but it wasn't bad for my first try (and considering I used a dollar store topcoat). My right hand was worse off than my left though, since I'm a righty and all. So here's a pic of the result:

Tada! Pretty, huh? I know, it was really random, but I just had to test everything!

A few weeks ago my boyfriend's little brother got married, so it was time to pull out the konad again! I didn't have time to do my nails before we left, so I took everything with me up to his parents' place. I used a shimmery blue base (which turned out to kinda suck because it's made to be more of a glitter overcoat than anything and it started peeling when I took a shower that night) and a pretty white flower-vine thingy for the design. Here's the pic (but it was taken a few days later, so please ignore the tips of my nail that had peeled off):

And his sister and mom thought it was so cool that they had me do their nails too! His sister painted hers gold and I put red flowers on them (the same as the white ones that I did on my pink nails), and his mom painted her nails purple and had me put some white flowers on them. I don't have pics of their nails though, so I can't post them to show. And if you're wondering, here's what I wore to the wedding:

It got glitter EVERYWHERE!! That's why I had to take a shower when I got home right away. My boyfriend doesn't like glitter and I was literally coated in it from head to toe! It was pretty bad. lol

And now for what you've really been waiting for: the cupcake amigurumi!

Isn't it adorable? I strayed from the instructions a little bit because I didn't want to make the extra top piece that it suggested. It was supposed to be pink bottom, brown top, white icing with a brown swirl, and a pink berry on top. I just opted to make a whipped cream top and the berry instead though, as you can see. And I like how it came out. ^-^ So what do you think? Should I make some more of these little guys? I'm going to be working on the donut pattern in the book next, so stay on the lookout for that and let me know what you think about this one in the meantime! I'll take color suggestions too!

Well I don't want to make this thing too insanely long, so bye bye for now! Hope everyone is enjoying the new year so far!

Candy Cane Wig

Hello again! Isn't it amazing to see another post in less than a month? lol I wanted to share a pic of my newest wig real quick:

It's very festive and I actually got to wear it to work on our "Casual Friday" (which was actually Thursday, since we were given Friday off), since it was just in time for Christmas! I wore it with my white santa hat and everyone at work loved it! I had to give it a nice brushing when I got it because it got a little frizzy in transit (and everyone knows the post office is notorious for not being gentle with packages when they need it), but it didn't take very long and I really love how it came out afterward. I really want to get a bunch of the others in the same style because it's so cute! So what do you think? I'm hoping to be able to put together a photoshoot with it one day soon, but I don't really have much that goes well with it... ^_^;; That's what happens when you don't have much red in your wardrobe!

I don't remember if I mentioned it in my last post, but I bought a yummy crochet kit with one of my Christmas giftcards. I've been busy working on the cupcake pattern that's in it (since it comes with the right materials for the cupcake and a donut) and I almost have it finished! I managed to get the top piece done and put together, so all I have left to do is stuff it and stitch the top and bottom together! Be on the lookout for some pics when I finally get it done.

And since my last post was SUPER long, I think I'll leave things there. Happy new year everyone!

After-Christmas Post

Hello everyone! I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season so far! Christmas is finally over and it was wonderful, despite some of the really sad things that have been happening. For those who haven't yet heard, a friend of mine died on the 23rd, so I've been pretty sad. I'm just really happy to have my boyfriend beside me to give me hugs when I start crying. It makes things a little bit easier. Then I found out recently that one of my friends had a house fire and lost her dog in it...and one of my aunts had a house fire and they're really lucky that my aunt that was staying over woke up or they all would have died. I'm just glad to hear that everyone is okay though.

So on to the happier news, Christmas was awesome! My boyfriend and I did two weekend of Christmas in a row because his brother had to leave for Korea the week before Christmas. We went up to his parents on Friday night and did dinner and Christmas with everyone. I got the new Zelda game for Wii, DDR for Wii, and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind from his mom along with TONS of giftcards (I still think she spent WAAY too much on me), and he got a bunch of blu-rays, a couple games, and the keurig coffee maker (which I suggested to his mom since it wasn't on his list). His sister also got his brother (the one leaving for Korea) some salt and vinegar crickets, so there was a lot of amusement going around. Although it was weird to think about, they really didn't taste bad. YES, I tried one. It actually wasn't gross at all. It just made my tongue kinda dry. Oh, and they were dead and dried....so no live bug eating! We went home afterwards even though it was late since no one else was staying, and he set up his coffee maker as soon as he got home. It came with 12 different cups to try too, so he's been testing out different flavors. We have 6 boxes of them now tho... O.o I got hot chocolate for us to share and a box of butter toffee flavor for myself, and he bought a box of hazelnut flavor from dunkin donuts for me, since I like the flavored ones best. There's still a few left of the trial box and his mom got him a box of donut shop stuff to go with it, and I bought him some chai latte ones when we did our grocery shopping the other day. Saturday we played with our new toys and Sunday we headed down to the airport in Lansing (a 2-hour drive) so he could say goodbye to his brother before he got on the plane. And then we drove straight back. It was a long drive with a short break, but I know it was worth it for my boyfriend to be able to give his little brother one last goodbye before he heads off to Korea for the next 2 or 3 years.

And now on to Christmas weekend! I had Friday off, so I slept in till late while my boyfriend went to work. I got up when he called me to meet him for lunch then came home, took a shower, and relaxed some more till it was time to head over to my mom's to meet up with a friend of mine who was visiting from Alaska. She ended up being busy till later then planned, so we just met up at my mom's and hung out for a while then the three of us went for Chinese and did a lot of chatting. After dinner my friend came over to my place for a while and got to meet my babies and play with them for a bit (she had a light that made a target shape on the floor that they loved chasing), and then she headed home when we were too tired.

Saturday (Christmas eve) my boyfriend and I did a little shopping in the morning because he needed to get a replacement headset for his computer. It was a really nice, expensive one and it broke when he turned his head to look at something. Luckily they have a manufacturer's warranty on them and we didn't have to deal with too much hassle. That night we drove up north to his parents place to get ready for the BIG family get together (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.). It wasn't until 7, so we hung out with his parents and siblings for a bit before heading over to his grandparents' place. I started crocheting a cupcake while we were waiting ^-^ because I bought a "Yummy crochet" kit from Barnes and Noble with one of my giftcards. So we headed over to his grandparents and had a nice dinner then everyone opened presents. I got a pretty box for storing my crafty stuff in and a bunch of home goodies (washcloths, hand towels, a pretty potholder, some jingle bells and christmas ornaments, and a candle) and a McDonald's giftcard, since it's just down the road from where I work and I can connect the card to my Upromise account and save up a little money to help pay off my student loans! And here's a pic from that night:

His Aunt was taking a bunch of couples pictures, so of course, we got our picture taken. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate having my picture taken with the flash on? lol So Sunday morning we got up and had some breakfast with his mom then headed back home to get ready for lunch with my mom. We got everything unpacked from one outing then packed everything up for another one and headed out. Then we had to grab my mom some salt on the way because she ran out. Luckily the party store around the corner from her place was open for business! So we began with presents...I had my mom open hers first because I got her one of the E-cigarettes. I know she really wants to quit and since the habit is the hardest part, I'm sure this will help her. They even come in nicotine-free, so she'll be able to quit with the worst part of it as soon as she's ready. I also had my boyfriend open what I got him first, which was a new stereo and pair of speakers for his car, since the back speakers in his car were bad when he got it and he really wanted the stereo. Then I got to open what he got for me (and I forgot to say it, but he had me open one of the boxes he had for me after his family Christmas the weekend before...it was three wig heads, 2 bottles of colored hair dye, and a pair of really nice hair cutting scissors). He got me a dressform! So I can start making clothes that fit me right! ^-^ I can't wait to figure out what to do as my first project on it. There's so many possibilities! Aside from that, we got a bunch of nice, little things from my mom. I still have one more on the way, but I guess they won't even be shipping it out till the beginning of the year, and my mom was really bummed that it didn't show up in time for Christmas. I don't mind though.

After that, it was just relaxing. I finally tested out my DDR Christmas afternoon (and was ready to die after playing a step below my usual level and for a shorter duration...proof I'm WAY out of shape), and my boyfriend got his stereo installed at Best Buy on Monday night. The guy was really nice too and only charged $90 for the install when it should have been more because the whole backseat had to be taken out to replace the back speakers. He'll also need to order a special part to be able to make his steering wheel controls work again (but it needs to be ordered directly from the company that made the stereo), but it sounds really nice.

And I'm almost done with the cupcake I started on Christmas Eve. I have the cup finished and I'm just putting the edging on the frosting top. Then if I want to do the extra icing part, I'll need to make that, otherwise it'll just be a little assembly! So I'll get some pics of that up when I'm done.

And I guess that's pretty much it. I need to go buy a new red nail polish (the one I had finally died on me after...my whole life pretty much lol) and some fabric to make something on my dressform, but that's all I've got going for now. I have next week off before classes start (ugh), and my boyfriend and I are looking to move into a new apartment cuz he finally got himself a new job. ^-^

Okay...I'll quit rambling now. If I don't post again before, happy new year everyone!

Website almost ready!

So once again I'm really bad at keeping up with a blog on a regular basis, but I've been working on the design for the Dex Studios website and I think it is coming along very nicely. I have changed it around a lot since I started designing it, but I am really happy with how it's looking right now. Here's what it looks like for those who haven't seen the design yet:

Well, okay, so it's still a LITTLE bit different than that now, but that's basically it. The only real difference right now is that I made the pink box look less boring. It has a bit of a pattern in the background so it's not so plain, but it's not too much to be distracting. I'm not sure when the site will be going live, but hopefully it will be soon. I need to take some new pics of all of the items that are currently available so they all look nice and then I'll be putting them on etsy for sale. I think once I have that all set I'll be putting the site up officially. I also need the pics for the products page. So does anyone have any other suggestions for the website design? I'm still up for new ideas! I'm also aiming to have the site all ready in time for Almacon.

And speaking of Almacon, it will be February 10-12! I'm not sure about the official opening times and stuff, but that's the weekend for it. You can always check out their website or facebook page for more info as well. As of right now, my friend Ashley is planning on selling with me there. She'll be selling amigurumi plushies and possibly some hats. My friend Alyssa may be joining us as well selling some prints and fused glass pendants.

After that is Shutocon! Ashley is planning on joining me there as well, so we'll have lots of fun stuff to sell! Unfortunately I didn't win the t-shirt design contest though, so I didn't get the table for free. Oh well. It was still fun to enter. ^-^ Shutocon is in March...but I can't remember the specific dates right now.

I can't think of anything else to talk about right now, so I guess I'll end it there. In case I don't post again before, merry Christmas everyone!