Hoping that is by end of summer at the latest. Pumped the first book of trilogy up to 171 pages. Going kind of slow.
But the one reason for that is the knitting!!! I've been busy working on some new projects and am thinking of things that may sell really well. And my designs will also go in the knitting book which I plan to publish.
The recipe book Soups, Pasta and (I'm changing the last part and it won't be crackers.) Figured this as there's going to be an ice cream recipe in it too. I've got about 16-17 recipes in it so far. That one is fun as I am doing different color fonts with it.
The knitting ideas are shrugs for women and girls. I finished one that is my size and have it listed on Ebay. But, I am now also leaning towards Etsy for the knitting. I might do much better with the knitting than the paper dolls there. Paper dolls are a specialized thing whereas knitting is functional and wearable. And I am looking at possibly making some $$ sooner while the novels take a lot longer to finish and you don't see any $$ until after you publish.
My sister n law said that I could probably make some good money with knitting. I have a friend who does really well at the craft shows with her felted hats, purses, mittens and other items. So, I'm foreseeing at least a few craft shows to start at the fall time season.
I started a shrug earlier this week. Finished it yesterday and started it the day before, for my daughter, Julia. It came out really sweet and is partly Fair Isle. Now I am working on a different one for my other daughter, Mollyanne. I started it this morning and it will probably be done by tomorrow. Then on to ones to sell for other little girls and women and of course a few to make for me.
Fast knitter.
I also had some fun yesterday taking pictures of my cats with some tape measures and trying to take some pictures of different things for possible inclusion into the novels and the other books. I'm thinking I'm going to have fun with collage for the covers of the knitting book and the recipe book.
And at some point I will need to make some illustrations too.
I recently discovered the Play Store for cool apps for my tablet and installed a bunch of free photo apps which I'm having fun with.
I got one of my daughters emails and have been having some fun sending some of the cat pictures. She misses my Luna and Ella. My HTC tablet got some really cool cat photos.
I'm thinking I'm going to have to have some cat photosessions with my yarn. I'm thinking some pictures of them will look nice in my knitting book. Cats and yarn go well together.
Well, not too much more for today. Just getting excited to put some shrugs on ebay and etsy. And I'm thinking I will promote a few of the really pretty ones on Etsy to get the ball rolling on that. Maybe the Fair Isle ones.
Okay, really ready to go. I want to finish Mollyanne's shrug and get another chapter on the trilogy. And I was thinking of some funny things for a novel I have just barely started.
I got thinking of italian mafia names and the other day I really got laughing on one I came up with. Scarpacanoli! Let's just say the worst canoli cake ever!!!!! Ha ha ha ha.
Bye for now.
Jennifer Jo Fay
Copyrighted March 22, 2013
the etsy shop:
http://jfaypaperdolls.etsy.com/ I think this is it. There's a few of my paperdolls and knitting markers right now and hopefully in a few weeks I can get in some new knitting shrugs and scarfs and headbands in there and start seeing what might happen with the knitting items.
This is the one I made for me. I started from a pattern and made it my own adding extra designs. I think any knitter needs to constantly look at different designs from resources as you need to know what the needles and the size something should start as in order to fit right. Like you know no shrug is ever going to be 200 stitches or a very small amount.
By reading and understanding patterns by others is how we learn to construct something. You don't want to end up with something that's going to be drastically wrong.
The first shrug I tried to make would fit this category. The sleeves were just fine but the back of the shrug was way too wide and the thing kind of collapsed in the back like one of those tops that droop and show your backline! I'm keeping it, but it will not make any appearance in ebay, etsy or a craft show that's for sure.
Ella and Luna. This would probably be a good time to throw some balls of yarn in for pictures of them. The tape measures was tricky as they were on the go and it was hard to get them to look at the camera. But it was what it was.
This is an old heart I got at a yard sale. I'm trying to get some beginning ideas for one of the illustrations or photos in The Glorious Money Tree trilogy. There's a rhinestone heart that is in the novel in the beginning and I'm thinking an illustration of it would be nice. Not sure if it would make it in the cover yet. Was kind of thinking I may at some point draw on this, or make some illustrations. Or I may have to find a pretty rhinestone heart at some point to use for it. And make it pink.
Who knows.
A few new mannequins. The longer one I am going to keep as is I think, but I want to paint the smaller one.
A doll sweater I made a few years ago. Neck is sort of big, but I was trying to make it fit my Blythe dolls. Am going to make some new doll outfits soon too and follow some patterns to begin with and then go off on my own designs.
The guideline for the trilogy and notes. I'm trying a new kind of fun thing with the guideline book. Post it notes. Anybody ever use post it notes, index cards? I met a fellow writer last month and he was talking about mapping is how he goes for his science fiction book. No romantic inclinations there, but it was a nice chat with another writer.
It's really neat when we meet people who are into the same kind of thing and we can go on and on on the topics.
My cornflake chicken that went into a soup recipe. It came out neat. Had to be careful not to fry it too long as the cornflakes got a little dark. Let's just say I was picking out the black pieces long before any pictures got taken.
My lovely red necklace that I don't wear a lot now. Should but don't. This one loves to make the neck green. Must be the type of metal. My mom's old Oil of Olay jar. I love to just open it up sometimes and it has her smell. Comforting.
my knitting needles. May try some other photos with knitting supplies for the knitting book or the cover. Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts.
A close up of my bobble design on the shrug.