Website Redesign

Since the website was first designed back in 2006, it has remained the same. I have been studying digital media at university for the last few years, and I felt that I could now confidently design a new website for Violet Fusion. For the last two days this has been my only project and in that time many design decisions have been made. My husband will be the lucky person implementing my design (love my code monkey) and I am confident that between the two of us we can make a fantastic new site.

TwinPeaksOpoly

Just before we moved house last year, a work colleague/friend sold me an unwanted board game. It was a make your own Opoly game, and had not been made.

Once bought, and brought home, I gladly took on the task of brainstorming various themes for this board game. Hubby and I eventually whittled it down to a shortlist, and one idea stood out. TwinPeaksOpoly.

Once we had a theme, we had to come up with properties for sale and chance and consequence cards, linked into the Twin Peaks theme. This took forever. Again we favoured the shortlist method.

Next pictures had to be found for each property and for the game money. This was both fun and frustruating. Images that could be found of property in Twin Peaks, determined what we could use in our game. Some changes were made and then we began assembling it all.



We had a grand idea during production stage, to produce a mysterious BOB deck of cards. This idea is still being considered, but as yet, we have not done it. If we do get round to it, I will update and let you know.

So we played a few games with the finished product. It came with a few generic, plastic peg men as playing pieces. After all the hard work of making the game, the cheapy, peg men seemed half assed. Being the perfectionist that I am, this would not do.

Firstly I looked into buying dollhouse miniatures for playing pieces. It was proving costly. I couldn't find everything I wanted in one place. Also each piece seemed very pricy. So that option was out. When I was looking into little coffee mugs and pie slices, I noticed how simply made they looked.

New plan of action.

Make them myself. I started with looking up a tutorial on how to make a little mini coffee mug. Looked reasonably easy.

I remember that my air dry clay has dried out so a few wks later, when money allows, I buy some more. Happy dance home to find *nooooooooooooo!* I have lost all my clay tools in the move last year.

New tools. I decide to do research and find metal tools are preferred by many, for most clays. I had a great plastic set, but have seen many cheap ones. I decide to try the local art shops 1st. Eventually settled on metal double ended tools (set of 3) and a set of plastic fimo brand tools. Also found a sturdy, long sewing needle for fine detail.

Now the crafting bit begins.

I used Das brand air dry clay in white. I find this generally does not affect my eczema on my hands, just as a by note. Another shortlist, but this time with sketches. We decided that 6 playing pieces should be sufficient. We also decided that they should be be no bigger than a 2p piece.



I started by making Laura Palmer's Secret Diary. I figured the shape was the easiest to construct. It was fairly straight forward. I even managed to put in little page groves on the sides. When painting this I used ceramic paint and citadel. The citadel was to make the pages of the diary have a gold leaf look to them. I then varnished with ceramic varnish.



Next I made a broken One Eyed Jack's Poker Chip. I used a still from the series, found online, to get the detail just right. This is painted with citadel paint and ceramic varnish.



Log Lady's Log came next. This was a bit of a pain to get the shape right. Again I used another screenshot found on the internet. Painted with ceramic paints and ceramic varnish.





The Cherry Pie was a new challenge for me. I've not successfully managed, to join seperate clay parts together, to make one finished piece before. I knew I had to do this with the next few pieces so looked up online tutorials. Seemed too easy, but worked exactly as described. Again finished with ceramic paints and ceramic varnish.





Damn Fine Cuppa Coffee! Using my new found skills I made this coffee mug with coffee still inside. Half drunk with little ring mark on the inside edge of the mug.



The Owls Are Not What They Seem. The most challenging was left til last. Another screenshot provided inspiration for this. I painted the owls eyes with glow in the dark paint. The other multiple layers are ceramic paint. And ceramic varnish.

Now to play our first big game with our new playing pieces.



I'll get back to you on the BOB deck.

Xmas Crafting Fun

I officially have pretty much no excuse for updating this blog has beeen  now that I've an android phone.  In theory I should be able to update this now from almost anywhere. 

So the last month or so has been about the build up to that dreaded time of year - Xmas, or Yule as I prefer to call it. 

I have found some great beads recently that mean I can try out a few new things.  I found some rounded drop beads which helped me make a few Nepal Flower Bud bracelets.  Then I found some really small triangle shaped beads.  Had no ideas for them when I bought them. When I got home I remembered a tutorial for two drop dutch spiral, that called for an interesting highlight bead.  Perfect!  Now I am recycling watch parts to make steampunk inspired necklaces.

Unfortunately I can't share any pics of my new pieces witg you for now.  I don't want any of my friends and family to read this blog and guess which gift is theirs!  Therefore I will share pics with you once Yule is over.

I have to go now and drink coffee.  Lots of crafting to do today and not much time to do it in.  *crosses fingers* hopefully I will finish this little lot in time for Yule.

I forgot about you bloggy - sorry.

Yeah it's been a while. I'm rubbish at keeping any form of diary for any great length of time. Been ill for a while. I got a head injury at my regular day job, last year, and have been out of crafting action for a while now. I plan to try and blog about all those crafty things I have been and am currently doing. It has been a loong day today so I shall leave this blog writing shenanigans until tomorrow, when I should, in theory be refreshed. In theory :P

Amulet Bag Necklace - Black with Purple Stars

This is my first attempt at making an amulet bag (or purse to those in the US!).  I am very happy with the finished necklace.

Amulet bags are used to carry important, small, personal treasures, charms and such.  The necklace design means the amulet bag can be worn as jewellery, and your treasures kept securely on your person.

This is another piece which uses tubular peyote stitch.  I used a design that I had previously used in peyote stitch bracelets.  The fringe of this necklace is laden with semi precious gemstones of many different shapes, colours and sizes.

I will be making more amulet bags shortly, and plan to add them, along with this one, to my website for sale very soon.  

Secret Scroll Necklace - Cream & Lilac Daisies

This necklace will soon be for sale via my website.

Another one of my secret scroll necklaces.  This has a runic spell for protection on the scroll.  As I stated in my last blog, I was a putz and and forgot to photograph the scroll before sealing it in the necklace.  As soon as I get around to making another secret scroll, I will post the photo here.

I love the colours used in the necklace.  They are very traditional, and kinda bridal.  I have echoed the daisy motif used on the necklace pendant in the chain of the necklace.

I hope to have this for sale on my website as soon as possible.

Secret Scroll Necklace - Protection Present

I have a few secret scroll necklaces for sale via my website, this one was made as a gift for my hubby.  

All of the secret scroll necklaces have a scroll of paper, with a runic spell painted on it, sealed inside a peyote stitched hollow tube.  This spell can be customised to a customer's specific needs, or replaced with a personal message.  The tube is sealed up so as to keep the message safe and secret.

The few, pre-made, secret scroll necklaces that I have on my website currently, have all got love spells sealed inside them.  Last year my other half had to do a lot of travelling abroad.  I always get nervous and worried when he has to travel without me.  I decided I would feel better if he had a little protection on him. So I made this necklace for him.  He has worn it religiously whenever he is travelling or away from home.  Which makes both of us feel better :)

Now I took this photo just after the necklace was made last year (about October), and I could have SWORN that I took a few photos of the protection spell scroll inside.  I didn't.  The real annoyance is that I went ahead and made another protection necklace (to sell) and didn't photograph that scroll as I thought I already had a picture.  Grrrr!

Now I have to make another one.  This time I had better remember to photograph it before I seal up the necklace.