Prototypes

      Everyone knows I have been working on mentally designing new things recently. I try to have one or two new items for every live sale. People have been asking for cat sets and it is a good idea to make what people want. So I have been working on the design for the cat bed. But only in my head. At least until Tuesday. 

      I have worked on the mental design for the cat bed over and over for maybe a week. I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do, as well as a pretty good idea of how it would all need to go together. It took me a bit to work up the pattern pieces but I already had such a thorough plan it wasn't overly long. I did tweak the pieces a bit after I started work on the first cat bed, but it came together really well. 

     And in not too much time I had a finish cat bed! I know kitties love cuddle beds, and I wanted one that fits my cool laying down cat, and this is the result. I do really like the design. This bed would also work for small dogs, though this is officially my cat bed design. 

      No experiment is complete until you can repeat your results, so I made a second cat bed, and I timed it. So now I have a pretty good idea of how long they take me, I have a workable pattern, and I am quite pleased with the results. Onto the next NEW item!

      I can't remember exactly when, it was sometime after the August live sale, I was thinking about miniatures and what I could make and it finally popped into my head that I could make some doll sized lunch bags. I had the idea that it would be super fun to make not only a cute lunch bag that opens (of course!) but to have cool little lunch items inside. I struggled over this design. There are TONS of different designs for lunch bags but I needed something that would work in miniature, that didn't take a ridiculously long time to make. And I wanted it to be easy to use and not have little fiddly bits that would make people crazy. I finally came up with this idea, which is similar in some ways to Barbie purses I used to make, though has stiffened sides on all the sides. I think the design works pretty well, is cute, and there is plenty of room inside for tiny lunch. 

       All closed up the lunch bag is very realistic looking, though again, there are SO many designs for lunch bags, and I think this will be fun for the dolls to have. I have not yet made a second one to figure out how long they take, and to make sure that I can repeat the design, but I have one. I love how it came out and I am very excited to make some more. I also have food plans in my head. It might be time to get out the polymer clay again soon. 

        I didn't work a super long day on my new designs, but I got two new items worked up, with easy to use patterns, and one extra cat bed. It feels like good progress. Now I need to work out the rest of the things in the cat sets and get to work on more beds and more things for cats. And more lunch bags and tiny lunch... and then all the other things. 

      I have 11 weeks until my next live sale and have only just barely started making things for it. I do have the dog vests sets finished that I made last week (was it last week?) and I will soon have at least parts of cat sets and lunch sets. After that I might move into the matchy-matchy sets. So I can do the full sets of saddle bags (with the pommel bags) and a matching saddle pad, backpack and... I have blanked on anything else that should have gone into a matching set. So here is a question, would people want the cute printed fabric on saddlebags? Or should I just stick to pretty much solid colors for those. I have a feeling I know the answer, but I want to ask anyway. Oh, and hoodies are supposed to go with those matchy-matchy sets. So yeah, maybe after cat sets and lunch sets I will make matchy-matchy sets. And then... who knows. Eventually I will likely make some dolls too.