Crafty Bits

(the green smears are my left over sketch marks for symmetry)

I did some mehndi on a mutual friend last night. It took me about 1 1/2 hour from set up, work, to clean up. Not bad for a novice. The design is a mix of free patterns from the internet with some of my own doodles to bring it all together.

I use Henna Caravan products. I used their pre-mixed paste for this. Two month old mix actually. This henna was bought right before the 4th of July, used, and then the leftover was stored in my freezer until last night. I have used their powdered henna and mixed it myself. It is also excellent quality. The henna stains usually last around 3 weeks on us pale white mid-western gals.

The Henna Page - Everything you ever need to know about henna and mehndi.
Henna Caravan - My favorite henna vendor.



I found 4yds of this, the most awesomest pink metallic lame fabric last weekend. This was not the droid I was looking for but I bought it anyway with my mom's discount. It must sit on a shelf for a bit until other projects are finished.



I've also been playing with polymer clay. I made the above skull beads from this pattern. Mine aren't as cute. Nor do they have the eyeballs.



This was an experiment with how small and detailed I could be. Not too bad for a first try but I've managed to break some of the detail off the outer edge. It's ok though. I meant to beat on it and see how hard it would be to break once I was done.

~N

Now playing: Incredibad
mood: 3-day weekend!

Sa'dia's Zill Muffs

I made Sa'dia a pair of crochet 3"zill muffs. They seem huge in my hands and turned out way cuter than my pair of muffs did. They look like flowers.

Sa'dia has also started blogging here. You should check it out and encourage her to post more.

I'm still getting used to my labret piercing. In the morning when I look in the mirror, I briefly wonder at what point in the night I rolled over into a tool box and got stuff stuck to my face. Then I remember I paid good money for it and proceed to the kitchen for coffee.

~N

Now playing: Farscape season 2
mood: Bart Simpson (it is a spicy chicken noodle dish...don't ask)

Bellydance @ Visioncon next Saturday

Jan 23-25th, 2009 is Visioncon, the comic/sci-fi/gaming convention at the Clarion Hotel in Springfield, MO.

Scheduled Bellydance events are:
Saturday, 4pm performance (not sure of the line-up)
Saturday, 5pm Panel Room 2 (class/discussion with Karen C.)

Check out Visioncon.net for prices, events, etc. I will be there as volunteer staff at registration from 5pm-close (tentatively) on Fri and Sat.

On a personal note, I ripped my labret out last night brushing my teeth. I pulled the stud straight through my lip into my mouth (the gem is really small). Kinda gross, I know. It bled a little but I got it back in ok and it seems fine. Going to see my piercer Sat. to make sure it's all good. Sort of ruined my evening =(

Poke

Now playing: Evanescence – The Open Door

Mood: chocolate shake with hot fudge

So you remember this big long post last April when I got my navel pierced and I was talking about how I find piercings and tattoos distracting on BD'ers? Well, I am a little addicted to piercings now. Looking at all of the cool jewelry is addictive, like shoe shopping. I got my lip and ear (industrial) pierced with my Christmas money over New Year's weekend. Surprisingly, my ear hurt way more than my lip and is currently scabby and unattractive. My lip, however, is making eating a big ordeal. Not because it hurts but because of the placement and long length of post I have for any swelling issues. I have to wait a few weeks before down sizing it. In the meantime, it clicks the ledge of my gums where they meet my front teeth. I have to hold my lip in precarious potions away from my teeth so I can chew without catching it. Picture me holding my lip out, mouth hanging open, chomping, spitting, and slurping while trying to chew. Makes the husband person laugh. Then I laugh. Which hurts. And then we laugh more. Endless cycle ensues.

So anyway, I don't know why I was quite so opinionated and distracted by piercing/tattoos and body mod before (especially on Bdancers). The more of it I see the more I appreciate it. Like art. The more museums, paintings, architecture you see the more you understand and appreciate the art. (The same with how I view BD. I feel silly just realizing this now.) I thought of this National Geographic pic of a skeleton unearthed in Herculaneum wearing gold rings and that got me thinking about past cultures, wondering what kind of body mod they did. Unless they drew a picture of it on a wall or something you wouldn't really know. Once in a while they find a mummy with tattoos on the skin but otherwise all of the skin decomposes so you never know what ancient people really did. Kind of like we don't really know what color dinosaurs where. These are my random thoughts of the day.

~N

Mighty Need

Now playing: serial experiments Lain
mood: nuggets

First of all, I made the mistake of finding this Hand of Fatima belly button ring (second pic on page). Then I surfed for more belly button jewelry, OMG! My brain has been stuck back in the days of high school with girls taking earring studs and home piercing their navels. So, within a matter of a day or so had a mighty need to have my belly button pierced. (Ok, so there was more to it than that but this pretty much sums it up).

Aside from my ears being pierced in 2nd grade, I have no other body art/modification. I have always been of the mindset of blood, guts, gore, dead things - no problem; Sharp pointy objects that make blood, guts, gore come out of body - not so much.

On Saturday, I called up Z. so he could put me into contact with his friend Ash (whom he is always singing praises about), who is a body piercer at Hearts of Fire Tattoo here in Springfield. He called her up and found out prices and such but also that she could do the piercing that day or not for a week or so because she was leaving for a piercing convention the next day. I got an appointment right then...mighty need and all.

I got to the studio (by myself) a bit early and the slightly sterile smell started to make me nervous, like going to have blood drawn at the doctors office. Ashley was super nice, super laid back, and super knowledgeable. Once she "looked at my anatomy" she helped me pick out a barbell for the jewelry. I initially wanted a garnet stone but she suggested that with my "anatomy" a 1/2" length would be better and she didn't have any that size. I went with her suggestion of 1/2" and picked the aurora borealis stone in my size instead.

I told her I was a body piercing virgin so she took extra time to explain everything top to bottom. She had me stand while she cleaned my navel and marked the spot she was going to pierce. She also explained that she pierces free-hand without a clamp to lessen the trauma to the area. By the time she had me laying horizontal on the mechanical chair I had almost forgotten about the whole piercing my flesh with sharpened metal.

"Deep breath in," ...poke
"Breath out," ...slide
"Deep breath again," ...poke
"And out," ...

That was it. Didn't hurt. Felt odd, for sure but I've hurt myself worse popping a zit. She fiddled around with it for a few seconds getting the barbell in place. I assume because I didn't watch. Then I was upright and looking at it in the mirror. She gave me a sheet with all the important info on it. Don't touch it, how to clean it, what size barbell, etc. $50 got my piercing, jewelry, and aftercare H2Ocean spray. My bar is internally threaded which means the bar is threaded on the inside and the ball inserts into it, like the pic above. That is so there is a smooth surface going through the piercing and not a threaded one. (Here is also a super un-sexy pic of my pierced belly. Not bad for free hand, huh?)

It was strangely such a pleasant experience I would almost do it again for giggles. But, I am not allowed to have it changed for a month (by her only,) and I can't touch it for 6 months. All I can do is stare at it, no touching, no turning, no breathing on it. I've been flashing it at my friends a lot. "BELLY!" It has only been 3 days and still doesn't hurt. I guess if it hurt I wouldn't want to touch it so bad, but since it doesn't it almost feels like it isn't really even there. A mirage. AHHH! want! to! touch!!! I bumped it once, but that kinda sucked. I get a little joy when it is time to use the cleaning spray but I am way to paranoid to mess with it. I want it to heal well.



When I started bellydancing I found tattoos and navel piercings distracting. The first time I saw Bahia dance I could only look at her tattoo every time she turned it toward me, even though I think she is a most beautiful and talented "classical" Raks Sharqi dancer.

I found the same problem with navel piercings (and too much body glitter for that matter.) I would focus on the body art and not the dancing. Not to say that body art (and glitter) is any different than ear piercings and costuming. And, with the popularity of Rachel Brice and American Tribal Fusion styles, it is hard to find a "tribal" dancer without the Brice inspired tattoo on her torso. It's like seeing the trendy Tramp Stamps all through the 90's. Tattos seem to have become an accepted form of body art for American tribal style dance. And really, with henna and facial piercings being a common part of many near and far East cultures it is perfectly appropriate. So I guess seeing the body art, particularly on tribal style dancers more and more often has helped me become less distracted by it.

Even though I find some tattoo art beautiful, creative, and even funny, I prefer the versatility of a piercing in case I get a wild hair up my ass. (HAHAHAHAHA I know it's just a saying, but I had a visual of a wild hair up ass...giggle...think of it, right now, in your ass, can't help it now can you...HAHAHAHA). And to be honest, once it is healed I will probably take my piercing out or put a clear retainer in it when I dance, classical BD anyway. I still don't feel like it compliments the classical BD style. Maybe I'll change my mind. I may not be able to afford that 18k gold HoF but I can get a barbell that I can add my own charm to. So either way I win.

~N