From bad to great in one day…

I went into my studio today expecting great things.  While I’d taken some projects home last week and had gotten some new supplies in the mail, I hadn’t had time to work on anything.  So I anticipated getting in early today, sorting out my new order, and settling in with a couple of new projects.

What I hadn’t anticipated was that I’d find that thieves had struck during the week. 🙁

I had hung my cool frame earring display in the hallway outside my studio with some inexpensive aluminum earrings on it.  It made a nice display, and filled in some blank wall space.  I trusted that anyone wanting my cute earrings would stop in the studio and pay for them, or drop a little cash under the door.

Unfortunately, when I got to the third floor, I discovered there were 4 sets of earrings missing from the display, and nothing under the door.  My studio-mate confirmed that no one had paid her for any earrings.

Double 🙁 .  I moved the display into the studio, considered putting large posters in it’s place (THIS IS WHY YOU CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS, or JERKS WHO STOLE MY EARRINGS I HOPE YOU ENJOY THEM) but finally decided I had to move on, and the posters would likely not reach the guilty parties.  Instead I posted on Facebook, lambasting the a-holes who’d violated my space.  I fumed and fumed, but wanted to get away from the negativity.  Nothing I could do about it, after all.

So I moved on to the projects I had wanted to tackle.  First up, a bracelet for someone special.  (No details…this is a surprise. 🙂 ).  That was fairly quick, and since it was made from sterling silver, I popped it in the tumbler to shine it up a little.

Second project…I’d purchased some rings from MetalDesignz.com a couple of weeks ago for a specific project.  I’ve joined a ChainMaille Facebook group, and have seen some INCREDIBLE work posted.  One of the weaves, Vipera Berus, really intrigued me.  I’d seen a “Kinged” version (double the rings) in rainbow niobium rings, and I knew I wanted to give this one a try.

I’ve seen this weave described as Intermediate/Advanced, and figured I could do it.  I had instructions, and had done the first steps (create a 2 in 2 chain, double the length you wanted).  But…I knew a Kinged version would be more difficult, and figuring out the pattern would be even more difficult with the Rainbox Mix rings I’d chosen.  I practiced with three colors of aluminum rings until I felt confident in the pattern.

Then I started back in with the niobium rings.  Ooh, so pretty…it’s hard to be “random” with the colors (I always seem to pick up seven purples in a row!).  I worked through the pattern for about 2″ and discovered I’d messed up consistently, so I had to go back and figure out the in-and-out pattern again. I ended up ripping out about an inch of what I’d done.  It’s like frogging in knitting, but a little more painful.

kvb begin
So here’s the start of it……

Continue on for a few hours, with some breaks.  I got to points where I literally felt like I was going cross-eyed, or couldn’t see what I was doing.  BUT I WANTED TO FINISH.

And I did.  And I was so happy, because it made me feel better about the whole stinky day.  About losing several pairs of earrings that weren’t all that expensive, but took me time to do.  It made me feel better about myself in learning something new, and feeling like I had not only figured it out, but mastered it.  And the finished bracelet was shiny and colorful and interesting and intricate and beautiful.  It was something that made me feel better about the whole day.

kvb endEven though, in the long run, this weave is based on the scales of a snake (shudder), it’s something I love, and something I’ll wear a lot. Plus, I can’t wait to hear back from the person who gets that first project…I hope it makes their day.

And ultimately, despite the crappy start to the day, all of it makes me happy. Isn’t that what it’s all about?