It's been some time since my last journal entry and I'll be the first to admit it's strange not submitting a journal more often to DA for you viewers to read. With a new studio, conventions to plan for, a new home to outfit and a new consignment contract under my belt, things have been a little crazy...

The consignment contract is with The Hive: Gallery and Boutique located in Medicine Hat, AB Canada. I'm pretty excited for my works to be sold among some pretty talented artists and artisans there, most notably an artisan named Kim, owner and operator of "Arte Viviente", who first contacted me asking if I'd be interested in joining the Hive. Needless to say, I said yes and it took me down a rabbit hole of spectacular handmade work from paintings to jewelry, pottery and more jewelry. I'm pretty excited to be the first Steampunk artisan they've brought in and even more flattered that someone took the time to ask me. The tricky part is to not bring in more jewelry…or so goes my impression. Here's to making more goggles instead!

Kim's website is here -> [link]

While prepping for the consignment contract I've been slowly outfitting my new studio with all the nooks and crannies and more shelving that I can reasonably fit into the room. With 7ft tall windows and a skylight above those windows, my new studio has a lofty airship feel to it I couldn't resist capturing somehow in the room layout and design. Sketches and sketches of potential decoration ideas and room layouts are filling up my sketchbooks and finally, after countless hours of planning, I think I have the one idea that fits the best. It utilizes the space the best, still retains the feeling of being high up and encloses the spirit of innovation, a mad scientists clean work space we'll call it.

[Side note: I'm thinking of called my studio some epic name and was playing around with some titles: "Airship Studio", Sky High Studio", "The HighWind" (<-FF7 reference!), "Wonder Room" and "Dr. Colossus Chamber of Invention"…Any suggestions, ideas or comments on this? ]

Plans to have a wall designated to tape design recipes to and stick sketches on is in the works and a custom closet/shelving unit is also being made by moi. I discovered on a  random trip to a hardware store this awesome new magnetic paint and I plan on having a strip painted beside/behind my door for me to leave reminders and all my to do lists when I close up shop.

Meantime, it is with many thanks to my customers that because of you I am now full with custom orders until June this year, a first for me and I totally blew last year's number of orders already just a wee 3 months into this Year. Thank you, thank you, mercies everyone for your continued support of my work.

The convention list was posted in my Etsy shop AtticRaiders [link] announcements on March 1st; see my announcements for the full list of conventions I will be at selling my works. More goggles are scheduled to be brought in as well as more eyewear designs and some new eyewear options to make things a little more interesting.

To view my Etsy shop AtticRaiders, you can follow this link [link] to see my wonderworks collection of items I shall have with me at conventions this year and some surprises too.
Contact me via email: masqueray@hotmail.com for custom work and questions about my design work too.

Cheers n Gears:
~Mel :3