Catch-up post of Random Things
Mar. 4th, 2009 08:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
acanthusleafI know, it's been a while, and I still feel guilty posting when I should be working, but I have the space heater turned on in the garage now, and soon it will be warm enough to work in there.
Estrella was a mixed bag of good and freezing. I may not be let back in next year because I left on Sunday morning, which was against The Contract. A whole bunch of other merchants left early too, and we were informed that Notes were Being Taken. I may apply again because I need the money, but frankly if I don't get in I won't cry about it. I cant' afford an RV or a motel room, and camping and vending in the literally freezing cold is a giant pain in the butt. I have to set up on Tuesday and nobody buys stuff until Saturday.
You cannot grow an event by force, not even force of will. They scheduled things on Wednesday when nobody was there yet and then wondered why nobody showed up. They also scheduled things on Sunday when everyone was leaving. I was highly annoyed that the arts display was on Sunday, when the gate book said Friday, and I managed to get out of the booth for a change to go and see it. On Friday. When it wasn't happening. There is more to say but I'm tired of complaints, both mine and others'.
I am bailing out on Caid Crown, partly because of the probable weather and also because Sam offered to pay me to help out at his booth at a gem and mineral show in Hayward this weekend. It's at Centennial Hall, for you Bay Area folks, and the details and a discount admission coupon are at http://www.mgscv.org. Ooh, florescent rocks!
Things I've learned recently:
1. The rush of adrenaline you get from a panic attack is nothing compared to the heart-pounding that goes on in your first attempt to vacuum-cast after the previous attempt nearly broke the very expensive equipment. Wish I'd had a heart-rate monitor.
2. 1200 degrees F is really damn hot. Even with long tongs.
3. A warm puppy can help you through the worst of times. I knew that before, but I am grateful for her now.
I had intended to put in a bid to do new West Kingdom Crowns, but ran out of time. I wanted to submit a proposal that was more historically-based than the current crowns. I did not anticipate my bid being accepted, mind you, but I wanted there to be something more historical to choose from. I haven't seen any other bids except the sketches for Sam's, which are Amazing. I need to focus on my own backlog of stuff before bidding on any new projects anyway.
I am creating a Plan to get myself out from the backlog, have stock made of my existing stuff, and be able to get back to new product development. That's the fun part. Much like software developers liking to write code, however, there are all these other tasks that make the new stuff possible and profitable, and it's easy to either get caught up in that stuff and have no fun, or conversely to lose myself in making nifty new prototypes and neglect the other stuff that actually brings them to the vendor table. Balance. I needz it. Along with that inner peace business that people keep telling me about.
So once that glorious and currently very nebulous plan comes to fruition, I want to expand outward into doing clockwork mechanism sculptures and more modern fine jewelry. Yeah. I'm so focussed. I'm thinking about taking all of the steampunk pieces and some of the medieval pieces to SF cons. The big ones that might make the effort worthwhile. This means making more stock, which is not new product development and is thus less fun, but it still beats being in a cubicle in a Dilbert-like company.
Ok, more tea now.
Estrella was a mixed bag of good and freezing. I may not be let back in next year because I left on Sunday morning, which was against The Contract. A whole bunch of other merchants left early too, and we were informed that Notes were Being Taken. I may apply again because I need the money, but frankly if I don't get in I won't cry about it. I cant' afford an RV or a motel room, and camping and vending in the literally freezing cold is a giant pain in the butt. I have to set up on Tuesday and nobody buys stuff until Saturday.
You cannot grow an event by force, not even force of will. They scheduled things on Wednesday when nobody was there yet and then wondered why nobody showed up. They also scheduled things on Sunday when everyone was leaving. I was highly annoyed that the arts display was on Sunday, when the gate book said Friday, and I managed to get out of the booth for a change to go and see it. On Friday. When it wasn't happening. There is more to say but I'm tired of complaints, both mine and others'.
I am bailing out on Caid Crown, partly because of the probable weather and also because Sam offered to pay me to help out at his booth at a gem and mineral show in Hayward this weekend. It's at Centennial Hall, for you Bay Area folks, and the details and a discount admission coupon are at http://www.mgscv.org. Ooh, florescent rocks!
Things I've learned recently:
1. The rush of adrenaline you get from a panic attack is nothing compared to the heart-pounding that goes on in your first attempt to vacuum-cast after the previous attempt nearly broke the very expensive equipment. Wish I'd had a heart-rate monitor.
2. 1200 degrees F is really damn hot. Even with long tongs.
3. A warm puppy can help you through the worst of times. I knew that before, but I am grateful for her now.
I had intended to put in a bid to do new West Kingdom Crowns, but ran out of time. I wanted to submit a proposal that was more historically-based than the current crowns. I did not anticipate my bid being accepted, mind you, but I wanted there to be something more historical to choose from. I haven't seen any other bids except the sketches for Sam's, which are Amazing. I need to focus on my own backlog of stuff before bidding on any new projects anyway.
I am creating a Plan to get myself out from the backlog, have stock made of my existing stuff, and be able to get back to new product development. That's the fun part. Much like software developers liking to write code, however, there are all these other tasks that make the new stuff possible and profitable, and it's easy to either get caught up in that stuff and have no fun, or conversely to lose myself in making nifty new prototypes and neglect the other stuff that actually brings them to the vendor table. Balance. I needz it. Along with that inner peace business that people keep telling me about.
So once that glorious and currently very nebulous plan comes to fruition, I want to expand outward into doing clockwork mechanism sculptures and more modern fine jewelry. Yeah. I'm so focussed. I'm thinking about taking all of the steampunk pieces and some of the medieval pieces to SF cons. The big ones that might make the effort worthwhile. This means making more stock, which is not new product development and is thus less fun, but it still beats being in a cubicle in a Dilbert-like company.
Ok, more tea now.
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no subject
Date: 2009-03-04 05:48 pm (UTC)Speaking of glowing rocks: If you ever get a chance to visit the rock and mineral exhibits at the Natural History Museum in Denver, you will LOVE it! Colorado has some amazing minerals and minerl collectors!!!
Your creations are amazing and beautiful. I love your art!
no subject
Date: 2009-03-04 06:03 pm (UTC)Re: Estrella
Date: 2009-03-04 09:58 pm (UTC)this has been an issue with this officer before.
They are also taking suggestions etc on the event. I would have you send comments and suggestions to HL Richard at saile_weep@hotmail.com. He was on staff this year and is one of the mains for next year.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-04 10:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-05 02:32 am (UTC)I hope your plan includes write-ups. Yes? If you have some time, I can upload my current changes to your medieval site and you can look at what's been done. Work has indeed been done. I'd like, at the very least before uploading, something on the Attack Laurel stuff. And your new schedule.
Sam's put in designs! Cool! Is he getting active again? I'd love to see old Scumbag. Why is it that our dearest friends always get such nasty nicknames?
Is it okay if I hang out with you at Crown? (If not, that's okay. I promise that I'll have bathed that very morning and, if the right hints are given, I could bring treats.)
I'm looking at returning to Cubeville. This is a massive assumption that the hospital will even call me in for an interview, but hell, I've actually worked on the ancient software they've got installed as a report generator -- back in '81. (Insert howls of laughter here)
no subject
Date: 2009-03-05 04:09 am (UTC)Please come hang out with me at Crown. It looks like Sam will actually be setting up some stuff in my booth. With him actually there! I don't think he's serious about getting active, but he's wanting to get out of the house and be more useful. He may show up to more than one event every two years. Yes, he submitted a bid for the crowns. They would be worthy to go with Colin and Foxworthy's thrones. I can't come close to that level of awesomeness. He is bidding them at a fair price for his labor, however, so that may be pretty expensive for the regalia folks. No, I don't know what the price tag is, but I assume he has figured out how to charge accurately for his time. It's something I need to improve on.
Are you talking about Kaiser? They really haven't ditched that old software? Hell, any hospital hasn't ditched that old software? I guess that's what Obama is talking about. Good luck with it.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-05 04:55 pm (UTC)I'm jazzed that Sam might be around more often. He's great, as you already know. I wonder if Mark and Dianne are putting in bids, too. Their early period cloisonne work is truly awesome.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-05 07:35 pm (UTC)I don't know what The autocrat staff was thinking. Lots of folks have to leave on Sunday.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-08 10:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-12 03:45 pm (UTC)I did receive your reply to my reply, but I procrastinated and only sent my ring to you last week. I did not get your LJ message containing your Snell address (because I didn't look at my messages - duh), so I sent it to the (Felder) address on your web site.
UPS says they delivered the package to the porch. ARGH! EDIT: They say they delivered it on March 6.
I emailed you, and I replied to your LJ message (finally), but I haven't heard back from you and I'm going crazy!!!
Please let me know you received my ring. If you can get it back to me by Tuesday I will adore you forever, but really, I just want to know it's safe.