Tangible Tidbits 2011 #19: Happy Mother's Day!

Hey, everyone! I hope all of the mothers out there were properly feted today. Mom and I went to see Curtains at the Paper Mill Playhouse, then to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. Walking back to the parking lot, we saw the star of the show walking down the street and enter a local eatery. Very kewl! The show was enjoyable, but Mom and I agreed not many of the songs were memorable. :\

I just finished putting the top pieces on my aluminum Chinese take-out box. Unfortunately, there were some flaws in my execution...the box is shaped more like a trapezoid than a rectangle. Either I scored the template incorrectly or, more likely, the aluminum didn't bend in exactly the correct place on both sides when I went to put it together. I got the top pieces all affixed with wire coils like a spiral notebook, but the tab doesn't close properly and one top piece is too long because the side measurement was affected by the bending error. So, I now have to cut the tab so it will hopefully insert into the slot on the opposite side, then cut the protruding edge of the longer piece off. This will be tricky because the box is already assembled, and I have no intention of disassembling it to make these alterations. I hope I don't completely wreck the piece in making these adjustments! I also still have to make the wire handle. Regardless, this project will either be complete or completely ruined by the final critique Tuesday night. Let's hope for the former! ;)

Earlier in the week, I received an email from an internet marketing guru with a tip to register my blog for downloading on the Kindle eReader. I don't expect it to be very popular, since I do not really post an instructional blog on any particular topic. You never know, though, so I registered it anyway. :)

It occurred to me this morning I have some tools that I purchased early on, which I have since upgraded or rarely use. I think I'm going to try to sell them on eBay. I may not make back what I spent for them, but any funds recouped are better than none. Plus, someone else may get some real use out of them and it will reduce the amount of stuff in my studio! ;) Along similar lines, I'm thinking about creating some handcrafted beads and jewelry-making kits (step-by-step instructions with materials) to also sell on eBay. I may try a few samples of each, just to see if they sell. If I'm not mistaken, you only pay for the listing if your item sells, so I can't lose too much by giving it a try. If eBay turns out to be lucrative for me, I may try to sell select pieces there. One step at a time, though...I will start with the unused tools. :)

This week coming up is a busy one for me. I have the final crit on Tuesday for school, a Bead Society Board meeting on Wednesday, and a thesis show in Brooklyn, NY to attend on Friday. One of my fellow classmates is being displayed in the show, so another classmate and I are going to go check it out. ;)

This past Friday, Mom and I went to see my younger niece pitch in a softball game -- her father coaches teams for both her and her sister. We're going to see the older one pitch on Saturday. Hope the weather holds out! :o

Gotta run...I was at a Cinco de Mayo party with high school friends last night and I got home at around 3:00 a.m. I am beat! :p

Have a great week! :D