Barbara Smith + Blog

Today, I’ve been working on how I’m going to pack this piece for shipment. I’ve got it all packed away, so now I need to type up some instructions (so I can resubmit my form to SCAD…whoops) and do some appropriately placed labeling on my boxes. The way I thought I was going to pack it and display it completely changed, so I’m still working right up to the last second.

I had Meyer Plastics make a clear plexi insert for the collar for display. I picked it up yesterday and I’m not sure it is going to work the way I thought it might. I’m actually not sure that I need it…the collar has some iron-on interfacing inside which adds some stiffness. It pretty much stands on its own. The only problem is that because of the way I did the pin stem on the cameo, it tips forward slightly. If the person installing my piece is careful, they can nudge it in the right direction and get it to stand up perfectly…so, we’ll see. On the next piece I make, I’m definitely doing a different pin stem!

I’m planning a short (hopefully) photo shoot for this coming Sunday where I will shoot this piece on a model. This is my first time doing something like this with my metals work…I’m excited about how it will look on her, but also really freaked out every time I say the word “model”.

Oh, and my package from Australia arrived yesterday…gold plated acupuncture needles! I’m a bit worried about the label on the box though…

I would also like to point out the state of our bathroom right now….

This weekend, with much help from my mother, I finished putting together my long awaited collar! My sewing machine, which is great, doesn’t really deal with the velvet well….nor does it really do buttonholes in any sort of consistent manner. My mom’s sewing machine on the other hand…it does it all.

I’m happy with the way it turned out though. Fits like a glove and looks great on (no pictures of that yet).

Now, I just have a few more things to do before I ship it off to Savannah for the show. First of all, I have to find a model, preferably one with a long neck, to shoot my piece on. And of course, this means I’ll have to find my way into the photo lab and happen upon some equipment…all by this weekend. Then I have to figure out how to pack this thing to it makes it to GA in one piece!

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like I’ll be going to the SNAG conference, so Savannah will have to wait until another time. I’m bummed that I won’t get to attend the Lineage and Legacy show, but maybe I can visit GA some other time.

On the grad school front, this past Friday I mailed my LAST 2 applications (to Kent State and SUNY-New Paltz). I think the whole process was starting to get to me, but I’m happy to be done compiling my packets. I still need to make visits to the aforementioned schools though…Bill and I will be venturing out to New Paltz, New York at the end of the month so I can meet with Myra and Jamie. We are going to make a weekend out of it…and are staying at an honest to god b-n-b. I promise to take pictures