I'm spring cleaning!

I was looking through everything in the chainmail store the other day and noticed it all looked a bit dusty.  My photos were old and didn't always have the best light.  After some research on light settings and looking up how to do a few fancy things in GIMP...voila!  Most of the store looks bright and fresh now.  I still have a few pics to redo and new items to add, but I'm very happy with how it's all coming together. If you've not visited the shop in a while, check it out.  Not all the new items are up yet but there are several, including these unique earrings made from salvaged VCR parts.

I'm also glad my supply order arrived on time.  I was running low on dice bag rings and MACE:West is happening this weekend (3/25).  If you're in or near Asheville, stop by and say hi.  I'll have a bunch of new stuff to show you.  

I've gone soft...

I've been on a break from shows as of late.  Things always slow down after Christmas, and with the freezing cold weather and my new niece that came in January, I'm just starting to get back into traveling to events.  This weekend was my first in a while, and I made the unfortunate discovery that I've gone completely off my game.  I got a heck of a lot of mailing done but my shoulders are wrecked.  Note to self, keep in better shape for work!  Or don't work so much.  I prefer the latter, but will keep on working as I'd like to keep the heat on through the rest of the winter. :D Thankfully I have a week to recharge and restock before heading out to Morgantown Con in NC.  It'll be my first time there, and I'm looking forward to a fun and hopefully busy weekend.   After seeing all the cosplay running around at these events, I want to have another go at making a steampunk hat.  I made one for Halloween last year and it turned out okay, but it's not a perfect fit and I want to give it another go.  I love doing con cosplay, but it's tricky to do a full on outfit if you're running a booth solo too. Do you cosplay?  What's your costume of choice?

I. Love. Conventions.

I'm a geek at heart, and love going to conventions.  It's great to meet new people, play games, sometimes wear a costume, and just hang out and have fun.  It's been a while since I've been to done, so I'm excited to be back at ETSU-Con this year!  If you'll be in the Tri-Cities area for the last weekend in February come out and see me.  I have links to their site and all the details on my Facebook page.

Until the convention I'm finding plenty of ways to keep myself busy.  I had a wonderful opportunity to spend some time with my other half at the first of the year.  I don't get to see him nearly enough, and it was wonderful.  I can't wait to see him again.  Today I'm wading through a giant pile of paperwork in an attempt to get started on taxes...bleh...and looking at possibly doing a winter event in Kingsport, TN next month.  

If you're not following me on Facebook (you should Like and follow my page for special offers) and haven't seen the latest updates, check out the new keychains in the shop!  The double ended ones have been very popular this year, and I've been wanting to do something with little critters, so now there are dragonfly and snake keychains! 

Dragonfly Keychain at Marci's Chain Designs

Snake Keychain at Marci's Chain Designs

Seasonal felicitations!

Years ago a friend emailed me around this time of year, saying "Seasonal felicitations!".  Doesn't that sound more fun than Happy Holidays?  I'm a Merry Christmas person myself, but I hope that whatever holidays you're celebrating are filled with love, good times, and warmth.  Especially warmth.  Winter is no longer coming. Winter is here.

With the New Year it looks like there are going to be a lot of changes happening in my life.  One of those things is adding a new item to the store that I'm genuinely thrilled about.  Bernard (my larger dragon sculpture) always makes me smile and I've wanted do to more dragon sculpture pieces.  They tend to be time consuming, which means they end up being expensive, and I want to have a dragon piece that anyone can add to their collection without breaking the bank.  My workspace is currently a chaotic mess of piles of rings and dragon heads, bodies, wings and other bits.  But soon it shall all come together into a beautiful draconic masterpiece! 

That's my new project.  Are you looking forward to trying any new things in the upcoming year?

Is this your towel, or has my dryer started knitting?

I think the most common complaint people make about their dryers has to do with their sock eating tendencies.  Whenever that odd sock comes out it's always the hungry dryer munching on the other one.  I used to believe this, but after a particular set of events I believe that dryers may have something else in mind...

I have several friends who live out of town and sometimes we have a weekend get together at my house.  After the last big party everybody went home, I went back to my usual business of chainmail and several days later I got around to doing laundry.  While unloading the dryer I saw an unfamiliar towel with pretty, colorful turtles on it.

It wasn't mine, so I started asking people who'd been over about it so I could find the owner. Strangely, no one would claim it.  Not a single person said it was theirs, or that they'd seen it while visiting.  At which point I realized that I also didn't see it until it was coming out of the dryer...  Maybe, just maybe, the dryer has been collecting odd socks for a greater purpose.

If only I could convince my printer to repurpose singles into hundreds!  Until then, I'll still be making cool stuff out of chainmail.  Today (11-30-16) is the last day for the 20% off sale!  If you need an awesome and unique gift for someone on your list stop by my site for links to the store.  And Like my page on Facebook for fun photos and special Facebook only discounts.

It's hard to make chainmail when your hands are frozen

The East TN Celtic Festival was moved to October, and on the 21st I happily packed up my totes of chainmail and tree art for the show on the 22nd.  Little did I know that the previously warm weather would choose this day to go on vacation.  After weeks of high temps at 70/75, day one of the outdoor festival had a high of 55.  I froze my fingers off all day!  And as soon as the weekend was over it was back in the 70's.  Even with the crazy cold snap the show was a lot of fun, I'm just denying the warm weather's vacation request for that weekend next year.

Christmas is coming up soon.  I usually don't get into it until after Thanksgiving but I've spent the last couple of weeks getting a jump start on making ornaments.  I have new Spiky Ornaments this year, Celtic Star Ornaments, Tree of Life ornaments, and several different styles of long keychains.  If you've not been to the shop lately, visit and check out the new pieces.

If you're hosting or know of an event between now and Christmas that could use a dose of chainmail, be sure and let me know.  I'm always looking for fun new events to be part of!

I'm not dead yet!

The last few months of non chainmail "day job" work have kept me covered up, but I'm here again and ready to get back to the links!

Marci's Chain Designs next event is Big Stone Celtic in Big Stone Gap VA on Sept 24, 2016.  I'll be there with chainmail and tree art, and am really looking forward to it.  This is always a good show with lots of things to do, and is in a beautiful area.  Check out their website and see what's going on, come out to see me, and get some great and unique stuff.

I'm looking for more fun Celtic, Medieval, Gaming and Anime events to take chainmail to this year, or any event that could use a vendor with a giant dose of colorful and awesome handmade chainmail items.  If you are part of or know of something happening in East TN/SW VA/Western NC I'd love to hear about it.  Let me know!