This blog has not had as much attention as it should recently. As usual, I have been juggling many task on  my ever-lengthening to-do list, but one main tasks has been the update of my last jewelry making book The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making (which by the way has a call for entries out). This is an “update” as apposed to an entirely new book, but it is a pretty substantial one. I’m adding fifteen new projects. Three of the fifteen I have contracted out, but even those require my time when it comes to writing up the how-to steps and organizing and labeling all the art work.

This post is not meant to be a complaint. As usual, I enjoy this type of process, but I just has reminded me how much work there is to putting together a book like this. I have to design the projects. This means maybe making multiple versions until I get the “one” that is just right for the book. Then I have to take photographs of how to make each project, and then write copy to go with the photos. After that, I have to label and log each photo, which includes labels added in the manuscript plus a separate art log plus a visual photo list of images that include number, pixel size, and MB size. Plus sending these all away. Oh, and of course, making the finished jewelry pieces that needs to also be logged and then mailed to the publisher for beauty shots.

There are just so many little steps involved. And the, of course, I have to stress a little about what my editors think of the finished pieces. Do they like them? Are they going to come back and tell me something like “we don’t like this color” or “this technique seems dated.” Argh!

So if you wonder where I’m at and why Crafty Princess Diaries is not seeing a lot of love lately, I’m working, working, working on the book!