We finally got our son to sleep after a day of Easter festivities and I was ready to try a new idea for a bookmark design. Sketched image by my side, I spent the next hour or so putting the piece together. Everything went together as planned but in the end it just didn’t seem right. What was supposed to be a convenience factor in my design (a lobster clasp) actually became a hindrance. I took a break.

At this point I was frustrated because I had just “wasted” an hour of precious time and I was now eating more leftovers than was necessary. I looked down at my husband’s book which had been used to try the new design. A snake is on the cover…not straight or curled up, but crooked. (Hence the title, Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis.) Anyway, that’s when it hit me and down went the fork. I had no choice. Another hour passed and I’m so pleased with the results. It was definitely worth the trial and error of tonight.

The lessons I learned tonight:
1. It’s okay if my design doesn’t work as great as it did in my mind. Maybe it means something better awaits…
2. I really like adding texture to wire…either with curves or a file.
3. Not everything has to be uniform or symmetrical or even linear.
4. I should borrow more of my husband’s books for inspiration.
5. Inspiration can be a great calorie fighter.