Enough with the stalling!

I have finally (finally!) put two items up on Etsy. It has been quiet some time since I have done so. One is a pendant ...









The other a small abstract painting which I am loathe to part with - but - I have so many crafts dotted around - I *need* to start making some space!

 It took far too long for me to post just two of the many items I have sitting in the house, which deserve to be seen and enjoyed by other people! I intend to post more later this week! *crosses fingers*

A quick update!

Having been exceptionally busy recently - I haven't had much opportunity to update here, but I thought it was time to give a quick pic of something I was working on recently. Below is a pendant made by my own fair hands that I finished on Thursday and photographed today. Its a silver and opalite pendant that looks amazing!  The photograph really doesn't do it justice. 

Hopefully I'll get a chance to post more pictures soon of some of the other things I've been creating recently.*crosses fingers*

On Changing Gear

It's been an odd sort of day - combining with an odd sort of week!

Monday was fab. My nephews came over for a visit. My youngest nephew likes my loom. Big time! So I had him on my lap helping me with my shuttles and the beater. Much fun was had! Still many many rows to go before I finish my scarf - but his help was much appreciated! Unfortunately the Bank Holiday ended and then it was away from the loom and back to work!

Work is reminding me just how much I do not want to be doing this work forever. I will say at the moment it is rather quiet (which is appreciated as I can get settled in before it becomes beyond chaotic!) and consequently is not particularly challenging for the majority of the time.

With career paths on my mind, I've been pondering quite a lot recently and certain letters in the post were not well received this morning. I applied for a new course (potentially career changing) about 2 years ago. Didn't get in. Reapplied last year for this year's intake. Attended a preliminary open day. Was very enthused - back in April.

Then nothing.

I called. Several times. They were unable to answer my query. The letters weren't ready. I needed to speak to someone else who wasn't available. I ended up being perpetually transferred to answer machines. I held up my hands and mentally assumed I hadn't been successful. Again.

Then real life got busy again. My work contract - which had been happily renewed on a number of occasions - was going to end. I had to find another job. Which, fortunately, I did.

I didn't mention in the interview that I had applied for a course which could potentially be in my working hours one afternoon a week. The last time I was rejected I wasn't sent anything and only found out by ringing up the course provider - because I thought I was on the course! So, this time, I assumed that the same thing had happened.

Not so. This morning I get a letter stating when I should pay for the course and where.

The letter doesn't tell me I've been accepted on the course - because it implies that this is something I should already know. I have no clue whether I'm on the evening course or day course. Where it is being held. What day it is held on. Whether I should be reading any texts prior, etc etc.

Added to that - I shall have to see if my new team will be okay with me potentially not working one afternoon a week!

It is all very irritating! Fortunately I am getting my teeth into my next chapter of my coursework to take my mind off everything!

(We won't mention the other letter I received which was far less welcome news. I shall have to get my brain into gear regarding that one - and I'm reluctant to do so in that topic!)

Well!

Unfortunately the weather has been atrocious - so I haven't managed to finish off sanding down my Dryad floor loom as of yet. However, I have managed to warp up my four shaft Harris loom with a new warp - so I'm happy with that. It almost didn't go as well as I hoped as I misjudged the weft per inch in comparison to the wpi - which could have been disastrous! Fortunately I re-threaded the reed so it worked properly. Part of my issue with this is I only have 1 reed for this loom - so everything must fit that reed. I tied off my warp without thinking and then when the weaving started - realised - Oops! But I got there in the end! I'm now having a debate with myself in regards to the weft. I have a perfect weft - but have found another which would work just as well, if not better - so I'm pondering my options....

I also managed to check out some books for the next chapter of my coursework (I think it came to 9 or so books in the end) and had a skim through them to see if they are as useful as I hoped! So I now have one pile of books to be used and another pile of books to take back. Next up is to read all the printed out articles I have. I've done about half and have another 4 or 5 articles to go, ranging from 5 pages to about 45! Once my research is done I can get cracking with my next chapter. I have ideas percolating in my head - but I need to get them down on paper! I've given myself a deadline in September to have it all written up.

Work-wise - I have definitely solidified the idea that I am not cut out to do this type of role forever! Consequently I am researching other options to have a plan to move forward.

Goodness!

Well, my word! It has been a while since I've blogged here. Life has been exceptionally busy!

First off - my job contract was due to end at the end of this month. As I have bills to pay (why hello Masters in Literature course) I needed to find something to ensure I wasn't scraping pennies from wishing wells!

Fortunately as I was able to find something 'in house'; still working for the same overall employer, but a different location and a different role. This has necessitated a rather large change to say the least! For the last 7 years, or thereabouts, I've happily caught the train to work. Now, however, I am to catch the bus with a good 10 minute walk to my workplace. Added to that - the role is considerably different to my last one - so it is learning all the new processes and trying to get to grips with all new faces, whilst the office as a whole goes through some building work - so most are not in their proper offices!

One thing it has emphasised to me is that I am not built to work in administration forever! Whilst I enjoy the overall 'getting things done right' aspect to the job as a whole (because - for anyone who doesn't understand admin - if your admin isn't done properly - nothing is done properly!) it isn't really satisfying my creative side. Plus, with my new working hours and work patterns - I'm having less time for the creative part - which isn't sitting well with me right now!

Administration as a whole is an undervalued part of the world of work. Certainly, all those who think getting rid of back-end staff and it won't affect front-line staff clearly have no clue about how things should be done. Proper administration isn't easy. It can be a boring, long slog of thankless tasks which aren't really appreciated (she says thinking about her whole working career!) and not always understood. Admin staff have horror stories about mis-filed work, incomprehensible storage spaces and colleagues and managers who don't value the work involved.

And I'm tired of it! I love filing, organising and sorting (seriously - no - filing? I LOVE FILING) but I'm pretty much at the top end of what I do now - and I'm tired.

So, my new focus is to do my current job to the best of my ability, finish off my Masters, and get cracking on my selling of crafts.

Hopefully if the weather is fine this weekend I shall wander out my garden to finish off the sanding of my Dryad Rug Loom! *crosses fingers* I've also been challenged by a friend to get a scarf warped and made by the second week of September - so I'm doing some small test pieces prior to putting a warp on my loom.

This job is to cover maternity leave and has a fixed end date. Hopefully by then - my brain will have a more focused path to follow and I will have sold some of my ridiculous amount of stock that is piling up in my house!

Busy Bee.

Aside from the application forms and job searches, I am also surrounded by masses of paper for my Masters - consequently craft time is severely cut down!

I have fulled and finished my most recent scarf (pictures soon) and am hoping to put another warp on my loom tonight in time for tomorrow's workshop - Inkle weaving, Maradai braids and needle felting with Glamorgan guild.

But most of all - I'm looking forward to a few hours away from the endless paper mountains I have in the house!

Cracking on (and cracking up?)

Well, I've been rather busy.

I've gotten my hands on a Dryad Rug Loom courtesy of a fellow member of the Glamorgan Guild of WSD. I nipped down to Cardiff in a van driven by a family friend who had no idea what he was picking up (or indeed - where precisely we were going!) It is slightly bigger than I anticipated - and I was glad I went in a van as it would most certainly not fit in the car!

Most amusing moment  of moving it?As we were trying to get it out of the room - the now-previous owner wondered if they took the door off when they put it in there. I suddenly envisaged spending the night in her house getting the loom out rather than a 10 minute job! Fortunately with a bit of manoeuvring - the door stayed on and the loom was safely placed in the back of the van.

Having got it home (and it almost didn't fit through the front door!) I've had a check over of what the condition of it is. It does need some work and I need to replace a few parts, and it needs a sanding down (hello splinters!) and an oiling. Or two. Or ten. We'll see.

That is, however, put on hold whilst I focus on my Masters - my draft chapter is due in shortly (next week - yikes!) and until that is written, edited and submitted - the loom will sit in the dining room, waiting for its moment. It also has to take a back-burner to me job hunting. Alas, it appears that this time my contract will not be renewed. Fixed term contracts can be very frustrating - but I have enjoyed my time in my job and I do not regret signing on for a fixed term in any way.

In other news I demonstrated at the Model House in Llantrisant for Michelle Griffiths new 'Resist' Gallery space, along with other members of the Glamorgan Guild WSD. It was a lovely weekend being able to demonstrate weaving on my knitters loom to everyone who came in. I also purchased some lovely material from one of the other exhibitors there.

I also bought a book from the book sellers.

What was it?

A book on Rug Weaving printed by Dryad Press - with a picture of my monstrous new loom on the inside cover. Clearly it is my destiny to get my loom up and running asap!

Phew!

Well it's been a while since I posted here - bad bad bad me! Never mind, onwards and upwards.

I visited St Fagans today - or as it is also known the Museum of Welsh Life in Cardiff. I had a chance to speak to the weaver based there - Dewi - who was busy prepping the wool for the dyeing process. He hadn't had much luck this year with the weather for dyeing and intended to take in all the wool he had dyed earlier this week (drying out in the sun on tarpaulin) as the weather is meant to change tonight to more rain!

It was interesting to speak to someone whose sole job is to weave. Well, prep the wool, dye the fleece, card, spin and finally weave! Far more labour intensive than someone like me who goes for the convenience of pre-prepped yarn!

I got to see his absolutely huge warping board propped up against the wall. But then, he warps up for 9 items at a time! He ties on a new warp, rather than rethreading either of the two looms he has warped up.

The building he is based in was just being finished with a new whitewash - 6 coats in total! It lasts around 10 years with a few touch ups. Nice to see the building looking well kempt - although I suspect it wasn't that pretty wherever it originally came from!

I think the most interesting thing for me though, was the difference between 'hobby' weavers (or those who don't rely on weaving as their sole source of income) and those who do it professionally. I've found in speaking to other craftspeople (most notably a jeweller I know) who do what I love for as an actual profession. The difference between the hobbyists and the professionals can be quite a gaping chasm. For Dewi, fancy weaves and re-threading are something he could do with his eyes shut. Only he doesn't. Because his job is to demonstrate the making - and get the making done. The jeweller I know doesn't make some of the textures I was taught. Why? Because it's not getting the work done and it isn't art he's making. He's making things to pay his mortgage and the rent on his storefront. He doesn't make arty pieces (unless commissioned) because his concern is the bottom line. He can make incredibly expensive pieces - worth significantly more than the jewellery you find in craft stores. And he makes them - when he is paid to.

I think, perhaps, this is something we forget as craft makers. We have a habit of underpricing ourselves because we think it isn't worth it. We may not be competing with the likes of professionals when it comes to how we make/design/work. But we are in the same business and we should put a similar value on our work.

I'm still percolating the differences between professional makers and hobby makers. It's all very interesting! I would, however, like to note that in using those terms I do not intend to make any emphasis on the quality of the work produced. You can be a part-time-maker and be superb, and you can be a professional and utterly suck *thinks of some jewellery she has fixed for other people*.The terminology does not determine your skills!

Right - I'd best get off and do some coursework. That would be part of the reason I haven't been on here very often!

Nature inspiration

Love the colours here. Debating if I can utilise them in something.

Again somewhat belatedly....

Here's what I was working on last week! Not quite finished yet - but a bit of cleaning, polishing and general tidying up and they should be complete!

Now I just need to order some more silver to replace my stash. *eyes bank balance*

Slightly belated...

Being as I posted it on Twitter over the weekend - but here's a close up of my new felted scarf.

*phew*

My last piece of coursework is virtually completed, so now I get to look forward to the colour blending workshop with Glamorgan guild which I'm hoping will inspire some new pieces.

Definitely glad the coursework is over so I can get back to doing some crafting!