What you want to know about me, you can essentially pick up through the journal that follows. For the reference stuff, this is a good place to start.

Elsewhere on the internet:

I'm also on Twitter, Facebook, and Model Mayhem, and my website will be up and running at some point.

Jewelry:
The jewelry I make falls under the "creativity" tag, so you can look there for all of my pieces.
For the ones that are still for sale (sold removed), here's a list:
Green Dragons (earrings)
Grace Lace (necklace)

This'll also be a good spot to keep track of other list-type things.

Two more collars all finished. =) Well, mostly finished. I still haven't decided what I want on the outside of mine yet.

( Gears and wings! )

I'll keep making more when people get back to me with their final details. The sooner I get them, the sooner I can make them.

Hint.

Hint hint. =)

People have been telling me that they've got no idea as to charms/themes for their collar. To give you a better idea...

Themes already chosen:
Gears [hazliya]
Lock/key [annabelle and bleemoo]
Wings [hntrpyanfar]
Hearts [Sarah]

Examples of charm themes I have ready:
Butterflies
Leaves/flowers
Dragons
Clock hands
Pearls (I have these Elizabethan gold drops with big pearls in them!)
Crystal pendants
Locket
Spirals
Art Nouveau
Celtic knotwork
Lothlorien
Seashells
Scarabs (different colors)
Pirate skulls
Various color themes

I'll be finalizing orders and actually making them this week, so I'm excited. Also, I have a few left, if you want to reference the list. There are six left, in various colors and sizes.

H: Why is there a chicken in a gimp suit sticker on the back of that pickup?
E: A what?"
H: A chicken. In a gimp suit. Right there.
E: Oh. Oh, wow.
H: It's -
E: That's actually a turkey, I think.
H: Right, but why is it in a gimp suit?
E: I'm not sure I want to know.
[a few minutes of driving later]
E: You know, I think that the turkey decal was because of the VA mascot. You know, the hokies?
H: A "hokie" is a gimp? Their mascot is -
E: No, it's a turkey, I'm pretty sure. But it's kind of become this -
H: GIMP. SUIT.
E: - icon in virginia yeah, I got nothin'.

So, elenuial and I are headed off to be rather incommunicado for a week as we vacation with his folks (we're leaving at 7am tomorrow).

This means that I won't be able to play Fable 2 for a week (tragic!), but seeing as you can still collect from your real estate when the console is off, I've bought everything it's possible to buy so that each payment cycle, I get roughly $12k. And seeing as the limit is 100 payments, I plan to use this break to make a million dollars by doing absolutely nothing.

We'll still check email occasionally (in theory), so that's the best way to shoot us a line.

Real estate moguldom, here I come!

Butterfly garden was amazing. And full of butterflies. And warm. And pretty. And full of MORE BUTTERFLIES.

They had my favorites around. I love swallowtails and admirals.

( Lots of pictures. Again. Though not as many this time. )

I should fine-tune some of these photos for prints. Later, when I need something to do. But for now, sleep.

Which would make good prints?

Yesterday, jingsaw, buddhagrrl, and I headed off to RI for Roger Williams Zoo! My home zoo. The butterfly exhibit was at its peak, and there was a baby giraffe. Also, it was slightly overcast, which meant that it wouldn't be packed with throngs of screaming children, and the animals would be more likely to come socialize.

So yes, oodles of animals! And after the zoo, Thayer st for dinner and me picking up a cute blue dress with a GIANT hoodie pocket.

jingsaw got to see monkeys. That in itself would have made his day.

Warning: there are like, four separate photos of a red panda sleeping and ten of the baby giraffe. You have been cautioned.

( Lots of images under the cut. )

Pictures from the butterfly garden to come.

Here's an updated list of available collars. If you want one and your name's not on there, you'll have to let me know ASAP before things are claimed.

So, according to stock, there are 4 14" black, 3 16" black, and 1 16" mahogany left. In ALL OF PETSMART. There seriously aren't any left.

So I ordered them, too.

They are now up for grabs.

As a reminder, these won't arrive until I've already left for vacation, so I won't be able to finish them until I get back.

I can special order black collars through work, but it'll cost a little extra for shipping. There are only a few of them left, too, so in order to get what I can, I'll be putting in my order tomorrow. There are also a few 16" mahogany ones left too, no 14" and no pink.

Comment here with size and color, and I'll put the order in at 2pm tomorrow.

Reminder: there's an unspoken-for 14" mahogany and 16" pink left that I currently have.

I made a few example collars to show what I mean. Neither are stamped with letters yet, and if someone likes the charm theme, I can swap them onto an as-yet-unclaimed collar. =)

Also, color swatches are provided for reference.

( Pictures below cut! )

And those're just plain silver. You can use colors, beads, ribbons, chain, etc. for whatever you want. Or just give me a theme to go with, like "scotland" or "hearts" or "vintage" or "knotwork" or what have you. These are simple little pretty numbers, and if it's possible, I'll go as complex as you want.

Also, being able to actually wear them is important, so no scratchy bits AND the chains are attached with clasps so that they can swing undone for putting on/taking off ease.

So now you have a better idea.

So, a bunch of plain leather dog collars were discontinued at work. I also am in possession of a leather stamping kit, and an awesome idea came to me.

I'm going to make myself a custom collar!

Basically, they're super-soft, super-comfy collars with silver buckles. And real leather, too - finding real leather is a bitch, never mind at a reasonable price and comfort level. Especially for a human.

It occurred to me as I planned to make one for myself that other people on my f-list would probably be interested in them, too, so I snagged a bunch in a few different colors.

So the collars would be stamped with whatever you want (up to about 25 characters), and if you want extra stuff, like collar charms, I can make those too. Cost would be dependent on how custom you want it, like if you wanted crystals or chains hanging from it or whatnot. And the charms can be whatever - one of mine's going to be feathers and charm bracelet bits, probably. =)

Besides, as far as these go, if you like the way I design my jewelry, I can get just as creative with collar accessories. I'll also monogram the inside for you as part of the package if you want one.

Also, I'm only making a limited number of these (eight, specifically), so reserve one ASAP if you want one.

EDIT: Just added the ones I ordered to the list. It's bigger, but since people requested some already, the list already started shrinking.

( Available colors and sizes under the cut. )

Women tend to have necks ~13", and men tend to be up near ~14". And you order a little big. Almost all of my collars have been 14". I had one 12" that was a little on the big side.

So, if you see the size/color you want, first come, first served. Comment with the collar you want and the email you want me to talk details with.

This is going to be so much fun.

I have this urge to do photoshoots of people after having given them a ridiculously drastic overhaul.

Basically, I want to take my models and bring them to an extreme. Like turn a grunge friend into Audrey Hepburn. That kind of thing.

Anyone willing to let me completely make them over? Hair, makeup, wardrobe, everything I tell you to? xD

So, as Bowie has been missing for almost two weeks, I told elenuial that I'd only be able to torture myself for a few months at most before giving up utterly. At that point, I might be able to get another snake.

Prior to getting Bowie, I'd fallen in love with Vietnamese Blue Beauty ratsnakes (orthriophis taeniurus ssp) but couldn't find a breeder who'd send me pictures of the parents.

Today, in the store, I was helping a customer in the reptile department who was decorating his reptile room. He was a breeder, he said. What did he breed, I asked him. Ball pythons, he said. Morphs of those, and morphs of cornsnakes.

And Blue Beauties.

Not only that, but his female is gravid and expecting a clutch in a few weeks. Which means, should everything go according to plan, the hatchlings will be able to leave around September.

I think that this is a sign from the universe. I don't know what kind of a sign it is, but it's a big one.

I have come into possession of several associate 15% off coupons (courtesy of working at Millbury/Blackstone plaza) and need bathing suit type things, plus new summer clothes and stylish-yet-waterproof outerwear.

Anyone want to come shopping with me tomorrow? I can guarantee you a coupon, plus they're having a bunch of sales on top of that.

1

I was itching to shoot, so I headed out to Cambridge where annabelle wanted pictures of herself wearing this adorable cherry-print apron. Here are the edits.

( Pictures below the cut. )

As always, your particular favorites are appreciated.

Apparently, Obama is due to talk about Iran at 5pm today.

I really wish I had cable.

H: You look like a baby flailing for attention.
A: (wrapped up in blanket) I'm a lovebug!
H: You're a hornbug.
A: *pout*
H: It's okay. Lovebugs chrysalis into hornbugs.
A: So what do hornbugs chrysalis into?
H: ...Charizard?

~*END*~

Yesterday, I came across an antique gold key pendant and decided that it needed to have a home. Thus, I made this kind of rosary-style dual-layered necklace that can be worn any number of ways. The photos don't do the color justice - the richness of the red is almost bloody.

Also, the details in this are amazing. The key's top is filigree, the spacer beads have patterns, and the beads are shattered in the middle.

Glass beads, chain, antique gold spacers, and key pendant.

( More images under the cut. )

Ways to wear it:
-Pendant centered
-Pendant close to the shoulder with the two chains draping
-Twist the two chains before clasping it shut to make it one big necklace
-Don't clasp it, but wear it as one big single chain with pendant
-Put the clasp/pendant in back on a strapless/backless number so that only the chains show in front

And those are just off the top of my head.

If anyone's interested, I'm selling this one. Plus, I still have a little extra by way of components, so if you'd buy it and would like me to make matching earrings, I could do so fairly cheaply.

Jewelry post 1 of 2!

I picked up some jewelry bits yesterday after work - the Michael's next door had a bunch in the clearance section - and got inspired to improve upon an old design that was one of my favorites, but broke beyond repair a few months ago.

Green glass beads, silver leaves, silver filligree findings, and these big glass green beads with black, white, and pink scattered paint.

( More pictures below cut. )

These are so neat.