The good and the bad.

I'm going to start with the bad.  About a week ago I posted about some fun kimono fabric pendants I was working on.  I got some awesome copper plated bezels and I added some really pretty showa era kimono fabric to them.  Right away I liked the colors and how the copper high lighted the vintage fabric so well.  

It normally takes a day or two for these pendants to completely dry and set up but this time it was taking much longer because of the dampness in the air from all the rain we've been having.  As each day was passing I was noticing a distinct darkness beginning to appear around the edges of the fabric.  At first it wasn't too bad and actually was adding a pretty antiqued feel to the pendants.  I should have known right away that this was a bad sign.

Here we are now about a week later and the pendants are a wash.  They have discolored so much that I can't sell them.  I don't know how much more the discoloring would have continued.  This photo was taken about one day after the discoloration started.  Two more days later and the pendant in the middle was dark all the way across and you could no longer tell it was flowers.  Huge lesson learned.  I think the delay in the glue drying caused the copper to begin to patina and stain the fabric.  Copper is a fickle metal to work with.  I think in the future I will use chiyogami paper in copper.

the weird blue tint shouldn't be there, middle one is the worst.

The good, well good but scary.  I got approval today for disk replacement in my neck.  I was so worried that insurance was not going to approve surgery without an appeal.  Surprise,  I guess after almost two years of pain, failed physical therapy and spinal epidurals they decided it was time.  I am so glad because I have gained about 30 pounds from the steroid treatments.  I don't think I could handle doing any more of those.

Facing this surgery is terrifying but at the same time I am relieved and looking forward to the surgery day so I can get back to being me.  I don't normally post about things this personal but it feels a little great to get it off my chest.  My surgeon and my regular physician both think I am an ideal candidate and that I will recover quickly.  I can't believe the expected down time is only a week.  Fingers crossed that I will actually recover that quickly.

19 comments:

Cait said...

Don't you just hate it when pendants don't turn out the way you want them to? So frustrating.

I hope that your surgery goes well and I wish you a very speedy recovery!!

Judy K. said...

Oh wow, that's ashame about your pendants, I feel for you. Good luck with your surgery. I'm sure you'll feel tons better as time goes by.
Thanks for following and commenting! I am now a follower of yours. Great blog!
Judy K.

kireinacards said...

The pendants are beautiful, it's too bad they became discolored.

Hope your surgery goes well and you have a quick recovery!

Maggie Flatley said...

The pendants still look good to me?? good luck with the surgery decision, and the recovery.

NettlePlace said...

Glues can be a real..real pain. I can't count the number of times when I was working on a costume commission ( my past job) only to find that the glue that was meant to stay out of site..was bleeding through or tacky and gross. It is a big blargh! I think the paper idea you have will solve the problem wonderfully though.

I am sorry to hear that you are having to have surgery, but I am glad that your doctors feel that you will recover well and quickly. My mother is facing cervical neck surgery, and I took care of a friend of mine when he had what you are going to have done. In the end it really helped him a lot. He was on TONS of steriods and pain killers which made him feel awful all the time so..as you said the surgery was scary but more of a relief than anything else.

2justByou said...

Sorry to hear about the pendants. =( It's always a bummer when they don't turn out right!
But...glad to hear about the approval. I know what it's like to live with pain - my husband does every day. So this is great news to have that approval - scary, but good!

Wishing the best,
Kim
http://2justByou.blogspot.com
justByou.etsy.com

Re-Purpose History said...

Thanks everyone, your posts mean a lot. I'm trying hard not to dwell but boy is it hard. I have a little over two weeks to wait, eeek

Pepi said...

Hey there, thanks for the follow on my blog :)
I'm returning the favor.
Too bad your pendants didn't turn out the way you envisioned them but it's great to learn from previous mistakes. Also, great news on your surgery approval!

Looking forward to reading more!

Pepi~
pepidesigns.etsy.com
htp://pepidesigns.blogspot.com

Jenny said...

i hate when a project goes bad! sometimes you just have to learn a lesson and move on.

i'm glad you got good news about your surgery. i hope you have a speedy recovery!

SleightGirl said...

They look beautiful on my phone, but since that's your specialty, you know good quality best.

Good luck on your surgery!

Danelle (Indie Game Lover) said...

I hope your surgery goes well! :) And that you recover even faster!

That is such a shame because the pendants were so pretty :(

Tau said...

Woohoo - they look like PERFECT giveaway necklaces!!! :D

Congrats on your surgery, I hope it does everything that you want it to.

Re-Purpose History said...

The picture I posted was at the very beginning of the discoloration. It continued until you could no longer see the patterns and was downright ugly. I hope to recycle the pendants with chiyogami paper instead of the fabric. A good soaking removed all the glue. Time to start over.

Anna said...

Hi!

I'm your newest follower from the Weekend blog hop.

Feel free to check out my blog here: inadaze13.blogspot.com

Monica said...

Love the concept of your blog!! I'm participating in the “Week-End Blog Hop” and I’m now the newest GFC follower of your great site. Hope you have a chance to check out my blog, have a look around and maybe follow me back!!
Monica
http://oldermommystillyummy.blogspot.com/

Laura-A Goddess of Frugality said...

Thanks for the follow. Following you back. Nice pendants:)

Laura
www.agoddessoffrugality.com

LisasPaintbrush said...

I hope you make a speedy recovery! And the pendants are beautiful, maybe that's the way they're meant to be? Blues a great color!

A Cup of Sparkle said...

I wish you all the best with your surgery. I hope it will work out and you will not need to use medicines any longer.

Sorry for the pendants, but; ohh well. Lessons learned. I don't use glue on my designs. I am sure some of the other crafters appreciated you sharing this post.

Playing with Shells said...

I'm sure you will feel so much better after the surgery is over, and you have recuperated. Being in pain all the time is a big pain!

Can't wait to see your pendant re-do!