Reading N Writing N Stitches N Things

Christmas Memories

2011-12-24T11:47:00.000-05:00

Wow .. I'm sorry I've not been posting for such an incredibly long time! I guess with Facebook and Newsletters I forget to come here to write too. I think my real problem is that I seem to be incapable of 'short' here's what I want to say postings! The holidays brought me back here.
Christmas Memories!

I guess this Christmas really has me a bit down .. longing for the holiday times of being able to be with family and .. those days, unfortunately as I've grown older, are gone.

ONLY gifts that came in the mail went under the Christmas tree. Or gifts that were for my sister and brother in law and 2 nieces that would be coming over on Christmas Day to celebrate with us. Mom and Dad would wait until after I was asleep to put their (and Santa's) gifts under the tree. I'd wake up on Christmas morning and go running down the hall and ... there was the tree with what seemed like thousands of festively wrapped presents spreading out from beneath the boughs and across the floor!
I used to hunt and hunt the days preceding Christmas to try to find my potential gifts .. in closets, in the basement, in the garage, under beds, and .. when I got older .. up in the attic. Never found a one!! Mom says they were there in the house, but to this day will NOT tell me exactly 'where' they might have been. I still don't believe they were there!
I was in my early 40's and it was Christmas morning at my parent's home. We (Dave and I) both woke up early and came walking down the hall to get a cup of coffee . I glanced into the living room .. and there was the Christmas Tree with TONS of presents under it (Mom and Dad had once again waited until I went to bed to put out their presents)! My first thought ... my very first instant thought was ...... SANTA!!!! And I shivered with excitement.

We'd have to wait until my sister had their Christmas before they'd get to our house when I was young. That meant that I'd have already been into my stocking by 6am (candy, oranges, small simple toy type gifts), had breakfast (juice and Christmas Stollen bread), and now was pacing excitedly waiting till nearly 10am for the rest of the family to gather so we could all begin to open gifts! My mother, to get me out of her hair for 4 hours or so, would allow me to open ONE gift! I'd stand staring at the gifts under the tree and mom would point to one and say "there's one from Santa, I'll bet that's a good one to open first". I'd tear into the paper and ... it would be a BOOK! I loved books! I'd read quietly for hours curled up in my favorite chair. That ruse always worked and Santa always picked out the best books!

Going up to my parents house several years ago for Christmas with a sick cat ... we couldn't leave him alone and my mother was extremely upset that we would sacrifice the holiday because of a cat. (she can really lay on the guilt, believe you me!) So Dave and I packed up the cat crate and hit the highway on Christmas Eve Day. We all went to early evening church services (that's another favorite memory .. candlelight church services on Christmas Eve! Not like they are today where, due to fire codes and insurance regulations, you can only have the lit candle for one song at the end .. those days we'd be holding lit candles for the last part of the ministry and several songs .. always ending with "Away In A Manger"). When we got home, found that our cat was now incredibly sick! Called my sister for the numbers of any 'local' vet clinics .. the closest one that was actually open was over an hour away. That night it was snowing heavily so meant it took nearly 2 hours to get there. Good thing we had .. poor kitty was at death's door and the vet wasn't sure he would last the night ... so we had to leave Abbie there hooked up to IV's and such. Driving back, the snow storm had stopped and there was a full moon out ..... "The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below". Dave and I both looked up at the same time and laughed as we both searched the skies - since it was just after midnight now - perhaps we'd see Santa in his sleigh flying across the face of that moon. We didn't. And Abbie? We had to stay up north a bit longer than we'd planned and were able to pick him up 2 days later .. that vet saved his life .. our little "Christmas Miracle"!

Christmas memories .. what wonderful things to take you back to those special times in your life!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas with warm memories to last a lifetime!

SQUIRREL!!!!

2011-08-23T09:50:00.001-04:00

When I saw the movie "UP", I got the largest chuckle out of the dogs and their "SQUIRREL" and immediate inattention.
Now, once again, I am reminded that SQUIRREL and SPARKLY ('my' inattention word) have nothing whatsoever in common.

Going back slightly in time ... to when the ground squirrel was trapped in our garage and had to 'eat' his way through our garage door to freedom. And then, once outside, decided that back inside the garage was the bestest place for hiding nuts, hanging with his friends, and getting out of the elements .. so he moved back in! Many many nights of listening to him and what seemed like 37 of his closest friends paying 'roll the acorn' and 'hide and seek' within my bedroom wall, it was time to get a trap.
After several live trap attempts (said squirrel would go into the trap AND remove the ear of corn with him without setting off the trap and on another try, went into the trap, couldn't get the corn out with him (we had tied it to the inside wiring), stayed and ate all the corn off the cob and then, again without setting off the trap, took his bounty and went back into our 'walls'!).
Now it was time for the exterminator who came and set up several traps as well as attaching a 'can get out but cannot get back in' trap to the hole in the garage door. He caught several large mice in his trap, but the squirrel remained free to cavort within the walls ... I'm sure the fuzzy little guy had painted his face 'blue' and was yelling 'freedom freedom' while he scampered about in relative safety!
Finally it would seem the squirrel left for the day, we sealed the hole back up with a metal plate, and silence once again (after MONTHS!!!) within the Koch household walls. The cleanup mess in the attic would take weeks and involve throwing out just about anything that had been stored up there, including most of my Christmas decorations.

Fast forward to summer and the advent of warmer weather (what am I saying? Hot hot hot weather) and the need to use my car's air conditioning system ... which just was not putting out any cool, much less cold, air into my car. Getting ready to drive to the Columbus Market in early June meant that I would need my AC and vents working properly, so drove into the car dealer (after finding one who still worked on Saturns .. deep sign .. how could they stop production of such a wonderful brand???).
After waiting at the dealers for a bit, the mechanics called me into the garage to show me what they had found ... a huge squirrel nest had been blocking my vents! Fuzzy little #&%(* had gotten into my car's blower system and decided, since I wouldn't let them in my walls any more, that my VUE was the second best home!   Got that all cleaned out to the tune of I've not forgotten how much money, and drove merrily on my way to Columbus in a 'cool' vehicle!

NOW ... I am getting ready to fly to the Fall Baltimore Market and on the day before I leave, had errands to run. Once again the weather is hot, but rather than try my AC, I just turned my air vent blower up to 'high' ...... CLUNK THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP ..,,,, quickly turned off the blower! What the hell was that? Turned it on to *1* .. no problem ... turned it up to *2* .. no problem ... turned it up to *3* .. THUMPITY THUMP THUMP. Oh shit what in the world is going on this time? Another nest??   Don't turn on the fan motor again .. just opened the windows. Flew off the next day - a Thursday.
Drove back to the shop on Tuesday, cool morning, didn't think about the fan. Drove back home and back to the shop on Wednesday. Wednesday night driving home it was quite warm, turned on the fan ... nothing happened. Thursday, started smelling a smell. Didn't think too much about it as the car had been parked on the other side of the house that night where we came across a dead animal (of some sort - phew) and disposed of it bu burying it. Friday, smell is there. Saturday smell is stronger
.
Yesterday, Monday took car into dealer. Kind of thought I knew what had happened. Remember that THUMP THUMP THUMP?   Yeah, my mind went there too.
Service department called me that afternoon ... I was right. There WAS a dead animal (they didn't know what it was) IN my blower motor!! It had EATEN its way through the plastic housing that covers the fan area! Was completely blocking the motor, it wouldn't turn at all!
Need a new fan motor, need to have the fan area sanitized .. so far the cost is $400.00 - they don't know what all else has to be replaced until they can remove said SQUIRREL (I know it is, was!), and get everything cleaned out. I am SO NOT a happy camper. Saturn Vue = Sqirrelmobile
Some kill squirrels with their cars by driving over them, I kill them by trying to get cool!
I am now joining Nick on his mad dash squirrel attacks out our back door and across our deck and into the yard. Him with his ferocious bark/growl (ok, so it's really a loud yelp/squeak - out of an 85# Golden, it is a ridiculous sound!!), me brandishing a pick axe (if I had one, I think we have one, just don't know where it is, if we have one!)! And, don't think I'll swerve out of their way anymore when they stand in my lane and try to stare me down.

I got Crabs while in Baltimore!

2011-08-19T12:36:00.001-04:00

Yep .. crabs! And I'm proud of it too!
1st indication that I was getting Crabs was while in the "Meet The Designers Class" on Friday afternoon. Cecille of Just Another Button Company had made and assembled the cutest little crab pincushion for each of the class attendees. AND .. enabled those 30 some shops (ONLY!!) to be able to get more CRABS too!
Sydney The Crab Pincushion (on the right .. his gal friend is shown on the left) is very limited! Like I said, only 30 some shops are able to get him to you! We were making all kinds of crab jokes ... I mean, obviously Sydney is a SOFT shelled crab. If you stitch a black squiggly line on his back, you'll have a CRACKED crab. You can stitch a couple of these up and give crabs to your best friend. If you changed the color of his 'felt' to blue, you'd have steamed crab. I'm so glad I got crabs from JABCo!!!

My second indication I was getting crabs came on Friday night. We went in search of crab dinner and found G&M Restaurant - they are known for their Crab Cakes! There were 6 of us and everyone was ordering the single crab cake platter. Now I know crab cakes .. I love crab cakes .. I know how 'big' crab cakes are .. so I, being the little piggy that I am, ordered the TWO crab cake platter. These babies are 8 OZ EACH!!!!! All lump crab, no filler! Needless to say, we did NOT have dessert, and I had an entire crab cake for my lunch the next day. They ship fresh nationwide ... I sure wish Dave liked seafood. Oh well, he'll have to have mac and cheese when I order and receive my crab cake in the mail!!!
Had crab every chance I could while in Baltimore ... yum yum!

Thursday night I went on a "Night Tour of Washington DC" ... took the Marc Amtrack train from Baltimore to DC and got to see (and eat in) Union Station ... what an incredible place that is! I thought we'd be just looking at the sights from the bus window, but the trolly we were on stopped and gave us 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there at the Jefferson Memorial, at the Lincoln Memorial. I got to see the Vietnam Wall, and the Korean Memorial up close and personal too. Very very moving!!! Lots of info gained about our capital city and it was so much fun!

Saturday night I was invited to attend a baseball game at Camden Field (Orioles vs my Tigers ... and my Tigers won!!!). Sullivan's Floss company reserved a sky box suite for us, and we had dinner up there, watched the game, had pictures taken with 'the Bird', and partook of the most incredible dessert cart service ever! Again, yum yum

Oh .. how was the actual Market?? Sorry ... got carried away.
MARKET WAS FANTASTIC!!! Absolutely Fantastic! I bought lots and lots, had time to smooze with my designer and shop friends, and bought more and yet more! I only wish that the designers who chose NOT to attend (too far, etc, etc, ) had been there! Everyone I spoke with was having an incredible show! A note to those designers who didn't attend: If distance IS a problem, the show does NOT have to be a 'cash and carry' only show for you. SHIP YOUR MODELS - that's what we want to see .. your new stuffs stitched up - and Take Orders!! Let's all work together to make this industry, and it's shows, the best it can be!!

My best part .. coming home with one suitcase weighing 43# (still under the prohibitive weight limit for Delta) and the other weighting 57#. That suitcase should have cost me an additional $90 to get on the plane, but .. the wonderfully harried desk clerk refused my credit card and yelled ... next!
YIPPEE I was able to get ALL my goodies home with me this time! Love it!!

Leaving On A Jet Plane ...

2011-08-10T18:08:00.001-04:00

... at around 4:00am tomorrow morning! Actually, I'll be riding in the car TO the airport at 4am, my actual flight is at 6:00am! A couple hours layover in Atlanta, then I'll be landing in Baltimore.
May be doing a 'Night Tour of Washington DC" Thursday evening .. I think I am, but not actually sure how that's all going to work. I'm rooming with Penny from Ewe Count - always so much fun!

Friday (for me) is a Retailers Round Table (where we share ideas and such) and a "class session" entitled "An Afternoon With Your Favorite Designers" with Blackbird Designs, Cherrywood Design Studios, Dames Of The Needle, and Just Another Button Company. We'll have chat time with them as well as get a special kit from each one!
As for the evening, I MUST find 'crab for dinner'!!!!! And then, there may be some "early bird shopping".
The actual shopping is on Saturday from 9am till 6pm.
Saturday night I am in for a TREAT .. I've been invited to join (Free Ticket) a select group in a private suite for a baseball game at Camden Yards with the Baltimore Orioles AND... wait for it ... how cool is this?? ... the Detroit TIGERS!!!! I've been told there will be food in the suite too! This will be my first ever major league ball game, and of course .. my first time in one of those 'game boxes'!
Shopping resumes on Sunday from 9am till 4pm, then it'll be time to figure out HOW I'm going to get my purchases back to Michigan with me! I'm going with a suitcase IN a suitcase - I've already weighed it and I'm within the limits so there will ONLY be a $25.00 baggage fee. I also have several broken down shipping boxes in the suitcase, in case I go with UPS for some of it. I will be charged $90 for a suitcase weighing over 50#, so .... we'll see how creative I can get! Flying back on Monday morning. and I know that you'll want me to have everything with me upon my return to the shop on Tuesday. Shipping UPS means it will be closer to the end of the week before those boxes will rejoin me. Wonder if the hotel has a scale for weighing my 2 suitcases??
Always look forward to going to Market .. seeing old friends, both designers and other shops, as well as seeing the new stuffs up close and in person! You know the stitched model is always so much cooler to see than just the cover picture on the chart.
Not sure why most of my 'favorites' will not be attending the Baltimore Market .. could be the timing, as this year Market is the early part of August as opposed to the middle or end of September as in the two years past. The timing of market had been changed following surveys sent to not only the shops, but also the designers. The September timing wasn't good for the designers, as they wanted to get their Halloween and Holiday designs out to the shops earlier. The shops also wanted to have more time for the Halloween designs to be stitched up and promoted in their shops. So .. we have an earlier date. The other problem is the change in location. Again, according to the survey responses, there was an overwhelming demand to have the Market shows 'rotate' around the country, instead of always having them in the same location. Of course, the best location that everyone wanted was ..... "close to me"!! So, we're in a new location this year and I'm excited .. I've never been to the east coast (other than a stay in The Big Apple many many many years ago) and going to a location known for their 'soft shell crab' is perfect as far as I'm concerned!!!!
I hope to be 'tweeing' and 'facebooking' (Stitches N Things) over the next few days from Market ... stay tuned!!

The Final in my Halloween Needlin'

2011-07-11T10:26:00.000-04:00

This is my graveyard scene ... thanks to those who gave me inspirational ideas!

Standing 7 1/2" high, I've signed the back of a purple bat button from Just Another Button Company and attached it to the gravestone. Not the best photo, but hey ... you get the idea!
I've emailed the gal who wanted these 6 creations to let her know I was done well ahead of schedule (she was to have given a deposit before I started, but I got enthused!!). Gave her pictures, dimensions and prices and asked her to let me know IF she wanted them still, IF she wanted something else. IF she changed her mind and didn't want them ... any response was fine with me! (I'm such a marshmallow!) If she doesn't want them, or wants some of them and something else done, the 'rejects' will sell at the upcoming Art Fair the end of August.

Now .. to begin work on an Elephant (for someone else) and then I can start on my felting for the show!

a bit of Halloween felting ...

2011-07-08T17:38:00.000-04:00

   I've been commissioned to create 6 Halloween characters for a customer. Problem is, she didn't specify what kind of felted creations she wanted. I gave a variety of suggestions and only received an "all sound good as long as they're in the $40 to $50 range" response. I'd emailed her a picture of my first creation (Jack the Headless Pumpkin Man) and asked if this was something she liked and told her that since I was custom creating for her, I really would like some idea of what she wanted ... and haven't heard a thing since.
   So, even IF she should not come through with our agreement, I'll have the Halloween items for sale in my Etsy shop and also for an upcoming Art Fair at the end of August. It's a win-win situation no matter what happens.
      Each is felted over a wire armature so they'll free stand or pose if you wish, and each is embellished with a button from Just Another Button Company that I've signed on the back of with my name and year date.
I've been asked to show what I've done so far, and here you go:

This is Jack the Headless Pumpkin Man .. and is by far my favorite! I'll have to do another of him, or maybe two! His button is a pumpkin 'belt buckle' at his waist. He was too skinny to free stand, so he's been attached to a wooden base for display. Jack stands 15" tall.

Little Trick or Treating Ghostie is taking his pet bat Henry for a walk with him. Standing 9 1/2" from his boots to the top of Henry's wings, Ghostie boy also wears glasses! His button is a smiling Pumpkin that I've attached to cording so it looks like it's his 'treat bag'.

This witch is a REAL "Broom Hilda" and stands 13" tall. The bristles of her broom are natural undyed sheep curls to which a black cat button with pumpkin has been attached. Every witch needs her cat nearby, don't ya know?! My witches tend to be a bit 'more fashionably attired" than what the books would have you believe .. I think it's to offset their, um ... looks!

This little guy hasn't told me his name ... yet! Black Cat on Jack stands 8 1/2" high. His button is attached to the side of his yellow cone hat .. it's a purple spider!

And what would Halloween be with out Frankie? Since he's walking towards you, he's also been mounted onto a block so he'll stand upright at 9 1/2" high. He proudly wears as a lapel pin his JABCo button which is a tombstone with bat and RIP on it.

Dave has a real problem with this creation as Frankie wears a gold hoop earring in one ear ... and Dave says "that's just so wrong Deb".

I have #6 to create yet, and after getting some imput from my Facebook friends have decided that it will be EITHER a tombstone, with a ghost peeking around one corner of it and with an owl or raven perched ontop of the stone
OR
a frog wearing a witches hat and holding a magic wand.

decisions decisions!

Little Trick or Treating Ghostie is taking his pet bat Henry for a walk with him.

Standing 9 1/2" from his boots to the top of Henry's wings, Ghostie boy also wears glasses! His button is a smiling Pumpkin that I've attached to cording so it looks like it's his 'treat bag'.

This witch is a REAL "Broom Hilda" and stands 13" tall. The bristles of her broom are natural undyed sheep curls to which a black cat button with pumpkin has been attached. Every witch needs her cat nearby, don't ya know?! My witches tend to be a bit 'more fashionably attired" than what the books would have you believe .. I think it's to offset their, um ... looks!

This little guy hasn't told me his name ... yet! Black Cat on Jack stands 8 1/2" high. His button is attached to the side of his yellow cone hat .. it's a purple spider!''

And what would Halloween be with out Frankie? Since he's walking towards you, he's also been mounted onto a block so he'll stand upright at 9 1/2" high. He proudly wears as a lapel pin his JABCo button which is a tombstone with bat and RIP on it.

Dave has a real problem with this creation as Frankie wears a gold hoop earring in one ear. Dave looked at him for the longest time and then said "that's just so wrong Deb".

I have #6 to create yet, and after getting some input on Facebook, have decided that it will either be a tombstone with a ghost peeking around one side and have an owl or raven perched on top of the stone

OR

a frog wearing a witches hat and holding a wand.

hummmmm decisions decisions

Felting the days away!

2011-06-17T19:39:00.001-04:00

The weather was good for the Flint Institute Of Art Summer Art Fair ... a bit cool, a smidge windy (felted fairies and witches try to 'fly' about when it's windy), but sunny and best of all .. no rain!

Got the booth assembled and put up on Friday night .. then Dave and I headed off about 7:30 the next morning to finish positioning tables and arranging my items for best exposure. Wait? Did I say DAVE and I? Dave was there .. I was the one moving things around! Dave was wandering around and getting a good look at everything, and then wandering back into the booth to tell me the neat stuff he'd seen.

When the traffic in the booth slowed down and I suggested that I be the one to do some wandering around, this look of total terror would come over his face! But finally, I did get to leave - just for a few minutes though - and when I got back, Dave would tell me, in this long suffering sort of way, that "I had to make change and everything" and that "as soon as you left, I had to sell 4 of the angel ornaments and one of the bowls AND I had to wrap them in tissue and everything"! And then he'd wander off again. LOL

    My friends Cathy and Laurie came to see me and brought a gift too! They'd found one of those metal garden/lawn stakes that had a squirrel on it holding a nut (think nuts and bolts type of nut here .. it was really really cute) and, in honor of our squirrel experiences, presented it to both of us! It's next to the 'cat pen' at home now!
    Sunday again had quite a bit of traffic in and out of the booth and a lot of giggles going on between me and Kathy. We got there two hours before the show opened as they had an Artists Breakfast and Awards Presentation - 4 honorable mentions and 3 place winners. They had one more honorable mention to name and they said   Debra   and my heart jolted   and then they said the last name and it wasn't mine. Oh well, with that many artisans there, I really didn't expect to receive anything. But then, last summer I didn't expect to win 2nd place in my first ever show either! So after the Breakfast, we had time to wander and look at the other booths as they were being opened .
5pm .. the show is over. Kathy and I were tissue wrapping everything and boxing them up, waiting for Dave to arrive to take the tent down. Finally everything is loaded in the van, so Kathy goes her merry way and Dave and I start in on un-assembling the tent. Phase One: got it lowered down. Phase Two: I remembered we had to get at opposite sides and move in toward each other. Dave didn't remember that part. So I zigged and he zagged (with a lot of muttering going on under his breath). Then ... he kept pushing and ... one of the struts in the roof snapped apart - right in half! More muttering - this was apparently my fault, but I was calm cool and collected and ignored him. We zigged and zagged a bit more ... SNAP another strut snaps in half! Ok .. Dave's mad but I'm still calm, laughing actually .. what IS the matter with me? This is so not Deb the Impatient!

The tent is now wrecked .. it cannot be used again. So .. let's just push and pull and push some more to COMPACT it so we can at least get it into the van and get the heck outta there! So push and pull and push some more we did!

Now mind you, the other people that were taking their booths down were studiously avoiding eye contact with us. FINALLY, as we're picking up what was once a really nice tent and carrying it to the van, a few came over ... cautiously, mind you. By then Dave was laughing too (I think he was really concerned about why I was laughing and decided to go with the flow). One lady was concerned .. I told her it was OK as we were "Patrons Of Modern Art" and now had our own sculpture! Another suggested that we just leave 'it' on the grounds of the Institute ... it may take them a month or two before they realize that this piece of 'art' wasn't really owned by the FIA!

So .. now it sits in my spot in the driveway. And I need to buy a new tent before the August show in Swartz Creek. And Dave ...well but the time we got home Dave realized that the entire problem was that he'd NOT put the tent poles in their final position down before we started our zigging and zagging (so it wasn't my fault after all!!!)!

I'm still here, honest I am .. really!

2011-06-06T12:34:00.000-04:00

And I so apologize .. it's been 3 months since I've blogged here! I've been on Facebook, I've been on Twitter and I guess that much social media took me away from thoughts posted here. I'm sorry .. honest I am!

So .. what's going on in my world.

I'm fighting the 'itchies'! Have hives right now from stress (I internalize too much and then I suffer!) - this coming week: working Monday and Tuesday and getting ordering done and a weeks worth of invoices paid; driving to Columbus Wednesday for TNNA Retail Council meetings on Thursday and staying till noon on Friday for class sessions assisting the TNNA Member Meeting; then hightailing it home to start getting my booth /displays set up before 6:30pm for the Art Fair beginning on Saturday is taking a bit of a toll on me.
So .. I was out in the 'cat pen' last weekend. We have this long wire enclosed dog run with dog house in it that the dogs never went in, but the cats love it out there where they can be outside AND safe. The grass was about 2' high due to all the rain and too much for a mower to tackle, so I was out there with hedge trimmer shears getting the grass cut.
Dave wanders out and says .. 'you do know there's poison ivy in there, don't you'? HUH? I'm in tee shirt, shorts and sandals and not wearing gloves! "Why haven't you been spraying it with killer stuffs?" "I didn't want the kitties to get in the poison". "What about them getting into the poison ivy and bringing it into the house with them?" "Oh they won't do that .. it's all around the doghouse and right where you're clipping and they don't go there". "WHAT!!!!!!!! We get second-hand poison ivy every year from the dog when he's in it .. we will from the cats too!" "But Deb, it looks so pretty around the doghouse .. like a little ivy covered cottage!"
Needless to say .. I have hives on my arms and a bit on my legs from nerves .. and poison ivy (not as terribly bad as it could be, but itchy icky bumps all the same) all over the backs of my hands and spreading up onto my arms. Between Eucerin lotion and Benedryl cream, I'm fully supporting the local Rite-Aid pharmacy! But I feel that a steroid shot is also in my very near future (like before I leave for Columbus!).

I've been needle felting like a crazed being getting new stuffs created for the upcoming Art Fair at the Flint Institute Of Art this coming Saturday and Sunday (June 11 and 12th). If you're in the Flint area http://www.flintarts.org/visit/directions.html , come by and say HI - I'd like to just see you and have the opportunity to chat. Dave will be assisting me in my booth on Saturday from 10am - 6pm (he was my only choice as helper!) and that should be interesting. This is so not his thing, and being 'forced' to talk to people he hasn't known since birth is going to be rough going for him .. but .. he IS agreeably helping me with that one day! Kathy will be working with me on Sunday from 11am till 5pm.
I've also applied for acceptance in another juried art show for the end of August .. wish me luck on getting into that one. So, if my fiber art is approved, I'll be needle felting more stuffs after June is over so that I'll have new items for that show too!

Still stitching away in my, um, spare time on Lizzie Kate's Halloween Rules, using buttons from Just Another Button Company in place of some of the 'stitched' designs. It will become a bell pull instead of a framed model for the shop. I'm about 1/2 way through now and it's looking great! Of course, that doesn't stop me from collecting other designs to put in my "hey I gotta stitch these" stash pile!

And I'm adding books all the time for reading on my Kindle AND adding books on tape (also for my Kindle) from Audible.com. I've been listening to quite a few while I needle felt. I can watch TV (for the most part) while I'm stitching, but watch while felting .. it puts my fingers at too great a risk! I've got "Water For Elephants" waiting for me to listen to while I drive to and from Columbus. Right now I'm re-reading "Changes" from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and hoping that the next edition in this series comes soon! Someone told me to check out books by Michael Baron .. anyone familiar with his stuff??
Kathy had given this link to me http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/ but I must confess I'd not checked it out yet. Think I just may do so a bit later today!! I'm trying to force myself to just kick back and take it easy today ... instead of trying to see what else I can felt in the few remaining moments before everything has to be packed up (today) for taking to the Flint Art Fair. overachiever? insane? that would be me!

A Tragic Loss

2011-03-01T12:27:00.000-05:00

Early yesterday morning, while driving to work, Lisa Roswell from The Primitive Needle died as her car was was swept away in flood waters. Her body was found early this morning.

The needleart industry has lost a shining star and those of us who knew Lisa will deeply mourn this loss.

My prayers, my thoughts, my tears, my heart, go out to Lisa's family. May the Lord grant you the comfort you need.

And, Continuing On ...

2011-01-26T18:25:00.000-05:00

Great discussion on the copyright/copywrong issue I was concerned with.
The result? I'll continue on, in addition to those felting ideas that spring out of my wee little brain, getting inspiration from where I will.
I've just 'torn out pictures' from a gift type catalog .. and will see if my felting needles can duplicate them in wool. What kind of pictures you ask .. in case you're wondering IF I'm trying to 'copywrong' .. well, lets see:
(1) from a picture of an pewter/enamelled gift box featuring a white bunny sitting atop a huge huge carrot
(2) from a picture of some wooden painted folk art 'fish' - I'm picturing a long funky fish atop a tall wire post.

(3) from a picture of a pair of tin sculpture wildly painted roosters.
(4) from a picture of stone sculptured frogs .. in different yoga poses.
(5) from a picture of glass blown rooster/chicken (pictured here) - I'm thinking of embedding funky fashion yarns in the wool for the 'striped' effect and also for hopefully a very cool texture effect.

I've also got the cross stitch charts "Hip Hop Cat" and "Hip Hop Cow" from Samsarah Design Studio that I've been wanting to stitch AND make the designs into felted sculptures. I've already told Patti (the designer) about my plans and promised that when I DO needle felt them, she has to see them/I have to bring them to Market with me!

I feel that the above gift catalog pictures I've told you about are 'inspiration' .. not blatant copying. You get inspiration from everywhere .. and I am taking a flat non-dimensional picture design are recreating it into a 3-D felted sculpture .. it won't be the same, it won't look the same, and cannot be conceived as the same.

Do I have 'original' designs? Of course I do .. as long as you realize that I also do 'people' and breed specific dogs and birds. And I also have 'how to felt' books that show you step by step how to do this needle art form .. those images become my own. You start with an idea, whether imagined or pictured, and make it your own.

What about cross stitch? I'm stitching too .. currently working on Lizzie Kate's "Christmas Rules", but instead of doing it on the Summer Khaki linen Linda chose .. I'm using "Golden Wattle" from Stitches & Spice. It's a yellowish mottled opalescent and I'm really liking the colors on it!

Tonight I'll stitch some more ... tomorrow, I'm going to felt something!

Copyright or Copywrong?

2011-01-23T16:13:00.008-05:00

What constitutes copyright infractions?
Is it being inspired by seeing something, and without taking pictures or etchings, reworking it from memory? Is it seeing a design in one medium and attempting to recreate it in another medium?

On my Etsy shop for Needle Felting (DebFeltIt) I have the following stated: I needle felt with patterns, I needle felt without patterns, I needle felt from pictures seen, I needle felt what comes into my brain and out of my fingers. I wet felt scarves, bowls and vessels. I nuno felt. Basically .. I felt!

I have found myself in the position of seeing a sculpture at a trade show and becoming so enamored of it, tried to recreate it from memory by needle felting it when I returned home. I did not try to pass this felted sculpture off as my own (see statement above) but I did put it for sale on my Etsy store.

The original creator contacted me by phone and told me it was a copyrighted design (which had never occurred to me that it would be - I thought it was a 'display' item and again, copyright never entered my wee little mind) and asked me to remove the item. Of course, I did so immediately!

Later on that year, I did another couple of designs based on "Shaun The Sheep" from the Wallace and Gromit series. Surprisingly enough, these were also similar - or so it would seem - to the 'so called copyrighted' sheep design of earlier. I sold one at the First Frost Art Show and then placed the 2nd sheep on my Etsy shop. Once again, I was contacted by the

same individual yelling copyright issues.

I told her that this sheep was based on Shaun The Sheep but was told that since 'her sheep' had knobby knees and Shaun did not have knobby knees, I was again duplicating her design. And since my sheep had 'blue' eyes like hers, it was obvious that I was in the wrong. I responded by saying that since I have a stuffed Counting Sheep residing on the back of my sofa that also has 'buggy blue eyes', and since my "Number 44" has the same face style as my creation, he was also an obvious inspiration to my felted sheep. Once again, I was told to remove him immediately or face consequences.

So at what point am I guilty of copyright wrongs?

When I saw her design and from memory recreated it?

When I looked up Shaun The Sheep, or looked at my Counting Sheep,

and recreated it?

When I put 'my' sheep up for sale, even though I did not claim personal

credit for it?

And what happens when I see any other image in print, or in person, and

needle felt it? If I felt from a kit and put it up for sale? What if I do a dog

with spots and someone else has done a dog with spots? What about my

long-legged birds?

Again, going back to my Etsy shop description ... I needle felt with patterns, I needle felt without patterns, I needle felt from pictures seen, I needle felt what comes into my brain and out of my fingers.

Opinions, comments, criticism .. all are welcomed!!!

2011 .. a new year ... and so it begins!

2011-01-01T18:54:00.000-05:00

    Had a relaxing New Year's Eve stitching and watching chick flicks (Dave was buried in a book), Mocha at my knee, Padme off doing whatever Padme does when no one can see here, and with Nick happily destroying another new stuffed animal. I managed to make it to midnight to see the ball drop and finish off my glass of wine .. then happily went to bed with a book and hopeful thoughts .. it was now a new year!
    Kathy and I had been emailing back and forth about going to a movie on Sunday ... "Black Swan" at 11:20am; she'd already gotten us tickets. Dave and I were going to go to see "True Grit" the next day.   This WAS a new year ... 2 movies to kick it off, and at this point more movies in one year than I usually take in!

   Got up, had breakfast, puttered around, and then drove to the movie theater to meet Kathy. New Year's Day and late morning = probably around 100 cars total in the parking lot! This WAS a great time to take in a movie .. everyone was still at home hung over. I was early, probably a half hour early actually, so when I first got there, went up and ordered 2 tickets to "True Grit" for the next day for Dave and myself, then played around with my Blackberry on-line while waiting for Kathy to arrive. I got all engrossed on a needle felting site and suddenly thought ... hey, Kathy's not here yet .. how much time has gone by? Looked at my screen and OMG it's 11:54am! The movie was to have started at 11:20! Where is Kathy??? Maybe she came in a different door??? Asked which theater "Black Swan" was in and walked down there ... no Kathy, no other door for her to have walked in through. Did she go in without me?? Emailed her, knowing that if she was IN the theater, her cell would be off, but .. worth a shot. Then, went up to one of the attendants and told her that I didn't have a ticket, my friend had tickets for us both, but I think I missed her and perhaps she was already in the theater. Kind lady that she was, she told me to go in and take a look. Wandered down the aisle ... there are only perhaps 7 people in the entire room! And .. no Kathy!   WTH????? Walked back through the complex, looked at my cell - no email from Kathy - and then .............. OH NO!!!
E-mailed Dave .... when he answered, asked "What day is it"? "It's 1-1- .. ". "NO ... what DAY is it?" "It's Saturday". "Nooooo" I cried .. "Kathy and I are going to the movie on SUNDAY not today"!!!

     Asked him if he wanted to go to the 2:05 show with me today INSTEAD of tomorrow, IF I could get the tickets changed. So went back up to the ticket counter, was able to get the tickets for "True Grit" switched from tomorrow to today and left the complex. Called Kathy and told her what I'd done .. gave her her first real laugh of the New Year I'm sure! I know I'd given Dave his first laugh!
    Drove home and an hour and half later was back in the car going back to the theater. We saw "True Grit" today .. it was FABULOUS .. and TOMORROW, I'll be in the theater again, this time on the correct day with Kathy to see "Black Swan".
    And here I though 2011 was going to be different. sigh   let the merriment continue for another year!

Stitching Trials & Tribulations

2010-12-18T15:52:00.000-05:00

Well, I got hold of Marj at Hinzeit and found out what the 'error/miss-print' was in the Charmed Shuttle-Believe pattern I'd stitched. I did mine on 28ct over two. You think I would have also gone to her website and looked under corrections, but no .. that would have made sense and I'm just not that kind of stitcher. If you have not yet stitched any of the Charmed Shuttle designs, please note: FABRIC IS 18 CT AIDA: SUMMER KHAKI !!
I WILL stitch this one again, but am thinking of stitching it differently thanks to Petra Dennis from NM. Petra had sent me an email with the photo attached of the "Believe" she'd stitched. Yep .. she did hers on 28ct too, only to find like I did, that it wouldn't fit the Shuttle frame.

She says: "I found a piece of an overdyed blue--about DMC 926--just the right size in my stash and set to stitching. Got it finished and started to put it in the shuttle, and it was too big. So, another discussion with LNS owner and I decided to unstitch the end sections and make the snowflake sections curved, and that fit. No stars but you can't have everything! I love it."

Petra .. I love it too! I've now got a couple of colors of 36ct Linen coming, one from Lakeside Linens and the other from Picture This Plus to play around with. I showed your pic to another stitcher, and she wants to see my colors of 36ct linen when it comes in so she can do her's like you did .. but WITH the end sections stitched.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.. singing .. "I'll NEVER Stitch Again" .....

2010-12-11T15:32:00.000-05:00

well, probably I'll stitch again, probably tonight, but .... the way I'm feeling right now I could happily throw out my Q-Snaps into tonight's coming snowstorm!
I have no one to blame but for me (drat it all anyway). There were some typos on the chart directions, but rather than triple and quadruple check, I only calculated and calculated yet again .. and instead of driving the whole 5 minutes from my house to the shop to really make sure, I picked up needle, threaded it and happily began!

Starting Hinzeit's "Charmed Shuttles" and the "Believe" design (which I've been absolutely in love with ever since seeing it stitched up in person at St.Charles Market - LOVE LOVE that shuttle frame!).

Got the fabric .. 28ct Summer Khaki Cashel .. got the DMC flosses .. put fabric in lap Q-Stand after measuring down 3" and in 3" so I'd have adequate margins. Then, picked up chart to begin.
Wait a minute! The design says "stitched on 28ct Aida: Summer Khaki over 1 thread using 2 ply thread." Ok .. sitting back, 2 ply on 28ct over 1 thread is going to be waaay too thick to my way of thinking. The pattern says 28ct Aida. I'll bet that it was copied from another word program and instead of saying 14ct Aida, 2 ply over 1 ...it really means 28ct Linen, 2 ply over 2.
Maybe I should calculate this out .. so I took the stitch count of 18h x 153w and divided it by 14 (if stitching over 2) and also divided it by 28 (if stitching over 1). Man, the 28ct over 1 dimensions look way too short for that frame. I think the 28ct over 2 looks more like it ... trying to picture the frame (which is in stock in the shop!) in my mind. Pondered, pondered, pondered .. wasting stitching time trying to figure this out.
So .. rather than get in the car and drive to the shop and measure the dratted shuttle frame opening, I begin stitching. And this is looking really cool! Finished it up last night and brought it into the shop today to frame.

Got the Shuttle Frame. My stitchery is TOO big for the opening in the frame!

But still, when you calculate the 28ct over 1 size, it comes out measuring smaller than what the cover picture looks like!!
The frame opening is 9 1/4"l ... over one on 28 works out to be just slightly under 5 1/2"l. That would leave 1.875" margin on either side of the design. Looking at the cover model, I just don't see it that wide. IF it was stitched on 25ct instead, there would be 1.565" on either side. I don't know!!!
I'm going to have to call Hinzeit on Monday just to double check what I should be doing and what she did.
Then to decide IF I will stitch this one again. I mean, I really really fell in love when I saw it, and really want it as a model for the shop and eventually in my home ... BUT ... I absolutely detest the idea of stitching anything more than once!
deep sigh

Finally, a Christmas movie ...

2010-12-10T15:52:00.001-05:00

... and another completed project out of the way!
I'd been griping about not being able to see ANY of my Christmas movies because we no longer have a VCR player (it died quite dramatically) and those tape thingies just will NOT fit into a DVD slot. So, went over to mom's for her grocery shopping (it was another very confused day for her, sigh) and stopped at Blockbuster to 're-add' to my movie stash.
Nada .. nothing .. only cartoon Christmas movies for 'sale' ... and "Home Alone" ... not the classics I need to see every year.
But Sunday night, "Scrooged" with Bill Murray was on, so I did get to 'stitch' while watching that one. (I just love Carol Kane .. she's such a riot as The Ghost Of Christmas Present! Of course, I loved her as Simka on Taxi too!) I was able to go to sleep happily afterwards!

Did finish my two poodles I was needle felting. The customer had provided me with the actual 'hair' from both dogs (Mojo and Licky) .. but .. it was the clipped curls, not the brushed out coat I was expecting. Once animal fiber has been cut, it just will NOT felt! So, wrapped the base armature with black wool, then started 'laying the clipped curls' on the body and then, again having to pull black wool whisper thin, I had to place the whisper thin wool over the curls and needle into place. Then when done, had to pull a bit here and there with the needle to get the curls to start standing up a bit again, but not hard enough to make them 'loose'. That was a PAIN .. but Dave really thought they turned out pretty cool!

Black is SO darned hard to photograph. One of the poodles has a 'smooth' muzzle, the other is 'curly' per my customer's pictures and requests. I wrote their name on a JABCo little dog bone button and attached it to a red ribbon and a blue ribbon around each neck .. also as per the photo. :) Now I have just the smooth coated Dachshund to do and I believe my felting that 'must be done' will be complete!

Christmas cards, wrapping gifts and shipping some out are the next items on my agenda.

Another Day .. another try ...

2010-12-09T09:35:00.000-05:00

.. for the kind of day I expect it to turn into!
Yesterday morning I'd posted on Facebook:
Ok .. up, had breakfast & MUGS of coffee .. updated 12 Days Specials .. caught up on Facebook .. read/answered e-mails .. now to exercise for MONDO amounts of time (had pizza last night!) .. then finish felting poodle dog .. then continue stitching for rest of day! Cold outside, warm inside, life is good!

    Well, I did have breakfast and my much needed/mandatory mugs of coffee. I did update my 12 Days of Christmas specials. I did get caught up on Facebook and my emails. THEN .. I went into the bedroom to exercise.
Turned on my WiiFit Plus program and once again, it was WRONG!! On Sunday, the little person who lives inside the Wii told me that I'd lost 7 1/2 pounds (since Thursday)!! I knew that was wrong .. obviously wrong, but how do you convince a little talking computer scale that it doesn't know what it's talking about! So here I am on Wednesday .. being told that I've GAINED 8 pounds since Sunday, and being questioned by same little talking computer scale as to IF I knew what had caused that weight gain! Yeah I know .. you're wrong! So, shut it down, started it up and did weigh in again. This time I've only gained 7 pounds since Sunday. Took the Wii platform OFF the height extension (that I use for step aerobics), and repeated the weigh in .. same result. Now I KNOW the batteries are good ... I just replaced them and they were part of the 8 pack of batteries I purchased (and used 4 of in the Wii already a couple of months ago) .. so ignored the whole thing. Did my exercising but now I was in a bad mood about exercising .. and that didn't go away.
   Did finish the 2nd of the poodle dogs I was felting for a commissioned job and while dog #2 turned out a bit larger than dog #1, it did turn out well!
   Now .. to stitch! And what better than to stitch to a good Christmas movie or two?!   Nothing on tv .. any other day of the week they are showing Christmas movies already. NOT on Wednesday! So, into my DVD drawer to find something to watch. NOTHING on DVDs ... everything Christmas I own is on VCR tapes. And, our VCR no longer works!!!!! Threw a couple of hissy fits, threw (gently) the remote controller back to Dave and told him to watch whatever he wanted, and mumble, mumble, mumble, went back to stitching. Poor Dave! I did get quite a bit completed on Hinzeit's "Charmed (Believe) Shuttle" and then it was time for dinner. We watched a DVD then that I'd rented ... Nicholas Cage in "The Sorcerers' Apprentice" ... and it was good! So good I didn't stitch while that was on .. wanted to enjoy it without missing anything in it.

   Now, need to exercise again this morning, then go over to mom's (don't want to leave the house, but ... !), then back home to stitch some more and/or/and do online banking/bill paying for the shop. Ohhhh epiphany ... maybe I'll stop off at Blockbuster before I come back home and see if they have any 'cheap' Christmas movies I can buy!!! Now there's an idea!!

Another Day, Another Felting Job

2010-12-05T16:13:00.004-05:00

The woman that had commissioned me to needle felt her Wire Haired Doxie "Bean" came into the shop Saturday to pick 'Baby Bean' up. And ... She LOVED It!!! I had really stressed over this .. it's different if you're doing something from a picture for sale than it is from your imagination for sale. You can only do so much with wool, and especially the color wool you need. I had a base coat of darkest brown, then a tan/reddish that was perfect color, but since is was 'top' and not 'batt', there were all kinds of flyaways everywhere .. and you can only clip so much. Found another brown and laid wisper thin layers over the dog, and that calmed the flyaways down quite a bit. You can see how fuzzy it was when you look at the muzzle .. it was perfect for his whiskers!

Then she told me that she'd been telling a friend about my doing "Bean in wool" and her friend wondered if I would do her doxen for her ... it's a smooth coated standard black with tan ... and she presented me with a picture of that dog. So, after I get done with the *2* black poodles I have to do next, I'll be doing another dauschund! The poodles will be covered with 'their own real hair' ... which should be much easier to work with than golden retriever hair (too soft to needle felt - shows all the needle jabs in it).

Here's the picture of my Christmas tree for 2010 ... antique tin icicles, vintage ornaments and all the rest of the ornaments are stitched .. those I've stitched, those that were previously gifts to my mom and dad for their tree, those that were gifts I've received.

My favorite of this assortment is from one of the past Just Cross Stitch Ornament issues ... from Sandi at The Sweetheart Tree ... stitched for the Millennium

Kitties have not destroyed anything ... yet.
But there's time before the Big Day actually gets here!

Holiday Decorating ..

2010-12-02T11:14:00.000-05:00

.. well, my tree is up and decorated!
    It's my tall skinny artificial alpine tree of years past, but I decorated it a bit differently this year. Used Dave's mother's Teal Green glass ornaments, my vintage metal icicles and a few of Dave's grandmother's glass blown ornaments, and ... all of the hand-made ornaments I've either made or received over the years.
   Some are made of felt applique, one is knitted over a glass bulb, a couple are wood and painted to commemorate our first Christmas together, or first Christmas in our home, two are Hardanger, and the rest are all cross stitched (all of the ones I'd made for my mom & dad are part of this collection too)! My camera, of course, is at the shop .. so IF I remember to bring it home with me tomorrow, I'll take and post pictures here so you can see my Antique & Needlework Tree.
    And, when you see my pics and IF you don't happen to see an ornament you may have stitched for me ... well, it's probably because it was one that our renegade squirrel (squirrels) made off with and/or destroyed! deep sigh
   I also put my ceramic nativity up and a couple of accent pieces here and there, but think I'm going to 'stop' decorating with those. I hate to decorate entirely and then have to put everything away again in just over a month. So, I guess my stitched Christmas framed pieces are going to stay in storage, as well as a bunch of other stuffs for this holiday season.   Besides, as Dave says, I have the house covered with my Santa collection on shelves and completely in one huge curio cabinet and it already kind of looks like Christmas year round here. LOL
     Killer headache today ... love weather changes, not! So, am going to call mom and see if I can 'skip out of' doing her grocery shopping today ... if she has enough to get her through till Sunday, that is. Then will do some felting in the comfort of my cozy chair parked right here by the comfy wood stove heat! (with this headache, I don't even want to think about trying to 'focus' on linen and a chart for stitching today!)

And so the year goes ...

2010-11-30T13:51:00.000-05:00

... November 30th. Tomorrow is the first day of December and it seems like it was just a week ago (at the most!) that it was the first day of November. Everything is speeding by.

I have finished my stitching mini project and it's off to be framed now.

"Home In The Winter" from Erica Michaels designs on 40ct silk gauze. The only thing I don't like about it is the 'numbers' beneath the alphabet ... I used the same colors as the designer, but obviously a different dye lot, as hers could be seen and mine look like 'dark clouds'. LOL
When her "Home In The Autumn" came out, I really liked it, but didn't pick it up. Now that I've done this one, I'll have to do that one .. and probably this one again (since this is a Christmas gift) and the rest of the seasons too.
deep sigh
Never ending stash pile grows and grows!

Thinking of putting up the Christmas tree tomorrow on my day off. I'd love a 'real' tree but money is tight and I just can't see spending for something that would only be up for just over a month. I like my little 'stick it in the corner' tall skinny artificial tree, but .. there's just something so soothing with a real tree decorated with lights and vintage ornaments.
   I will admit .. I did give a day or two worth of thinking about *IF* I was going to put a tree up this year. It seems such a bother (in a way) to decorate the house for just Dave and I .. as no one, family or friends, comes to our home. BUT I didn't decorate at all one year .. and it really made the season hard for me mentally. I'll do my tree, with Jingle Bells on all the lowest branches as kind of an "early warning cat is up to something" deterrent. And I'll put my antique nativity scene atop the entertainment unit where I can see it every night .. that set must be at least 70 years old now .. my aunt made it in ceramics for my grandmother a long long long time ago! And there will be a bit of Christmas in my house .. as well as in my heart.
   Trying to get out of Dave what he'd like for a gift. He's not been forthcoming with ideas. We need to do so much work around the house, and now our oven has died so we'll need a new one ... drat it all, it's a built-in oven too! I even suggested that we don't give presents to each other this year, but rather get a 'new oven' or 'new porch' for us instead. We'll see. It's always something going on!

     Still losing weight ... lost 2 1/4 pounds in the last two weeks. And, have been trying on a pair of pants every other week, and today ... ta da! ... they fit perfectly!!!
    My WiiFit and I are becoming fast friends! I'm actually liking 'running/jogging' in place ... last Sunday morning I made it to 2 miles in 10 minutes!!   Nick has been bumming since I've not been taking him out for his runs. I'm trying to teach him how to 'run in place' with me (on the carpet in the bedroom), but he just doesn't seem to 'get it'!!

I'm still here .. really I am ..!

2010-11-08T17:06:00.001-05:00

Wow .. sorry for my absence! I didn't realize that time had gotten that far away from me!
My debut as a felting artist at the Flint Institute Of Arts First Frost show was a success! I had a LOT of traffic to my booth, some came back the second day with friends that were not with them the first day! And I am very pleased with the sales .. went in with no real expectations so I couldn't be disappointed, but .. sales were great (best on Saturday, low on Sunday)! I also had many of the participating artists tell me that I needed to submit to other shows and gave me ideas of those where my items should be very well received. That was cool too! CLICK ON THE PICS TO SEE THE FULL PICTURE

My booth space location was super .. I was the second space in the second room as people would come in. And, the lighting was fantastic .. I didn't need any additional lighting as did some of the other areas.

   The 'hits' of my show seemed to be my 'bug-eyed animals (they're new and not on my Etsy shop site yet .. giraffe, purple pony and owl sold right away!) and my little trolls. The backyard bird ornaments went over well, as did several of my vessels, and of course, my long-legged sheepsies (was told they resembled Shaun the Sheep!) and dogs!
   Had a GREAT interest in my teaching classes .. so I have a list of names to contact as soon as I can get a location and a date. Also had 3 different people ask me if I would do custom animals for them .. they'll be sending me/bringing in photos for me to work from.
   I'll be working, after the holidays of course, on making wet-felted bags and totes, and scarves for the next years' show.
   FUN!!!!

Shopping At Market!!

2010-09-29T12:14:00.000-04:00

     What a fantastic time I had at the St. Charles Market!! Not just because I had the best roommates a gal could wish for (Penny Franz from Ewe Count in Wyoming and my BFF since 9th grade Sharon from Missouri), but just the Market itself.
   I think it was one of the best Markets I've attended in a long, long while and wish that those shops who didn't attend could have experienced the same 'shopping/friendship joy' that I did! Apparently there were some shops who did not attend as Shepherds Bush, Blackbird Designs, Jeannette Douglas Designs and R&R were not going to be at St. Charles this year. There was a time scheduling conflict and these designers were involved in SB's annual stitcher's retreat. Since St. Charles is a relatively 'new' show and since we (The National Needlework Association) do not have enought 'senority points' with the hotel site, we are still be shuffled around date-wise. It takes minimum 5 years of booking the same hotel space at basically the same time of year each time before you can begin to get the dating scheduled just to where you want it to be. SB DID try to change their retreat date when the Market date was announced, but they were locked into it at their end, and Just Nan also was not there because of scheduling differences, so .. there we were! As one of the designers said in the member meeting re shops not attending because the 'big guns' weren't going to be there - "what are we? chopped liver?". I think I personally made up for those who didn't attend with my own shopping purchases!
     Arrived on Thursday early afternoon and got settled in the room. Penny arrived later in the day. Did dinner, and chatted at 'happy hour' with some of the other 'early birds' already in attendance. EARLY Friday morning Penny dragged me, somewhat kicking and screaming, down to the exercise room and planted me on a treadmill while she enthustically worked on a stair climber or whatever they're called. Now I have a treadmill at home, at least that's what I think it is .. there are boxes on it and a jacket or two .. but it's no where as techie as this one was. Took a few minutes to figure out HOW to start it, and then minutes longer to make it go a bit faster and faster and faster until I felt I was at the level of walking speed I'm doing when Nick the Golden takes ME for a walk. I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing until I noticed there was a place where it showed how many calories you were burning, and I found out that after 15 minutes I could now safely eat 2 blueberries without gaining weight! Linda and Alan from Lizzie Kate came down and were working out too .. they could converse with Penny, I was able to speak, but only in gasps.
Then went to breakfast .. did the official registration and got our show guide that let us know what designer was in what room and what new stuff they 'might' have with them. We then figured out our plan of attack for when shopping began the next day.
     From noon till 3pm, Penny and I took tickets for one of the classes we were both in - A Visit With The Designers - with Patti from SamSarah, Judy from JBW Designs, Sharon from Crescent Colours, Linda from Lizzie Kate, and Linda from Erica Michaels. They each had about 20 minutes where they introduced themselves and talked about their companies or whatever, and present a special kit to each class participant. A fun get-to-know the person behind the design name and how to either do the stitching or present the kit and stuff like that - and the class received rave reviews from all who attended with demands for more classes like this at other markets!   Then Sharon arrived and I got to greet her before it was time to get to the next class. From 3 till 5pm, I was part of a panel (with Sharon from Crescent Colours, and Matt and Katy from Norden Crafts - major needlework distributor) on "Using Technology In Today's Business World" - think social networking. This class also went over very well according to the participants reviews turned in, and also with requests for another class like this in the future. (when I got back to the shop and told Debbie - computer/e-mail Debbie - that it was successful, she said ... "that's great .. wait a minute .. YOU were on the panel?" .. I guess she was referring to my own techie skills and that the only way I know how to get a photo off my phone and ON my computer is to throw the phone AT the computer! That evening we went out to dinner and then ... THEN there was 'early bird' shopping from some of the designers who opened up early!
      Hit La D Da first .. LOVE Lori's designs and she always has some neat limited edition specials - picked up three of one, then changed my mind, thought no .. I'll just get one for me (it was a wool scissor sheath kit and no picture and decided it would be my treat to myself! (Someone called yesterday to see IF I had any of the scissor sheath kits coming in, and like I almost always do, gave a DEEP SIGH and told her I only had one coming, it was to be for me, but I'd sell it to her. I've Got To Stop Doing That!!!) Then hustled over to Val's Stuff .. also LOVE Val's designs and of course she had limited edition frames packaged with some of her new designs that I had to have! Trying to remember now just where else I went that night ... the whole trip quickly becomes a blurr ... and I know there were other designers we shopped from, heck .. we walked all 4 floors to see 'who' was open! Got back to the room around 9pm and the three of us chatted until we couldn't stay awake any longer. Penny and I had a Counted Thread Group Meeting at 8am the next morning before the 'official Market' opened for business.
    Saturday morning early, grabbed breakfast, off to the meeting, then out of the meeting to stand in line at the elevators to get to the show floors. Sent Sharon off to The Primitive Needle (what a madhouse was going on there with Lori's specials and all!) and I was off to Shakespeare's Peddler with my list of gotta haves!  Of course to Amy Brueken's room because even though I'm on her auto, I had to see her stuff 1st in person. Check out ONE of Amy's new designs here -- the cover photos for her new 'stack of' series doesn't show that it was framed in a Olde Colonial Designs Mirror where you could pop a design out with each season -- so I had her position herself so her reflection in the mirror would show! As far as my shopping plan there was 'some order' to the places I had to get to first, depending on the amount of requests I had for a designer or if they had something special I didn't really know about and had to check out; other than that, we'd do a few places on one floor, then up or down to another floor to shop at one or two, then down or up to another floor, and on and on and on. Sharon dragged me back to the room around 2 to eat something (she needed to, I didn't want to)  Many of the places I'd place my orders and then, rather than wait with all the selling confusion going on around us all, would make arrangements to come back 'later' to pick up my purchases and pay at that time. Sharon would pack as much as she could carry into her big Stitches N Things teal/lime tote bag, and then with other bags in hand, would leave me to take those purchases back to our room.  That night, the ONLY way I could get to my laptop on the table in the corner, was to crawl OVER the table .. underneath and around the table were nothing but bags and bags and bags, and more bags!   That night, feet aching like you wouldn't believe, we ordered pizza in, drank Sharon's bottle of wine, and started going over stuff. I took some pictures to put on my website, but lighting in the room is so terrible most of them just didn't come out .. so that would have to wait till I got back home and to the shop where I'd have my scanners going non-stop. Penny started pricing her purchases; Sharon had brought cardboard boxes to me and we started packing product so it could be shipped home. Then bed .. Penny and I had another early morning meeting that next morning.
    Early breakfast and then off to the TNNA Members' Meeting .. then back in line at the elevators for the final hours of shopping (9am till 4pm). Today's plan was to get to every designer I hadn't been able to get to on Saturday and go back and pick up purchases from the day before that I'd not gotten back to yet. Rather than wait for elevators, Sharon and I took the stairway to each floor - but on the return trips to the room to stash the goods DID take the elevators .. somehow going from floor 4 to floor 9 on stairs just didn't cut it for me! Sharon had to leave to go back home around 1:30pm and I was so sad to see her go .. we have such few chances to get together. She did go back home much poorer, as she'd purchased some of the new stuffs from me in our room. Her biggest regret over the shopping was that Homespun Elegance was not in attendance at this show and she's a huge fan .. actually, that was also her biggest joy too as she MUST have the "Year Of Halloween" that Sandra is doing and would have found her wallet in serious trouble if she had been able to get into that room!!
     You can see some of the pictures from Market here .. courtesy of The Needlework Retailer
     After Sharon left, I walked the floors, into each room again. This time to check out needlepoint places that were there to see if I could find any little gidgies or gadgets that I had to have for my shop, and also for more extended visit time with designer friends old and new. Of course, that got me into PERSONAL trouble at one room ... in the show book a company called The Cooperage (who does the most wonderful little punch needle designs) was to be showing some of their designs converted into cross stitch! Got in there and found that the cross stitch part just didn't happen the way they'd planned and they still only had punch needle to sell. So .. there I was .. looking at punch needle and found 3 or 4 new designs that I just HAD to have for my own punching pleasure, and as long as I was going to punch them, would have to have extras for the shop as I'd be displaying the finished pieces there! My Last Check was written there - you can see their blog and a picture or two here http://www.flew-the-coop.blogspot.com/.

Market & Dieting & Stitching, oh my!

2010-09-21T17:58:00.000-04:00

How did it get to be the last day of summer? How did it get to be time to leave for another Market? Sitting here at the shop, wrapping up some stuffs; will be back here sometime tomorrow to get my 'shopping lists' all together for taking to St. Charles with me so I'll know what I absolutely MUST buy for the shop or else never ever come back here again!! And I have to get my hair cut tomorrow and I have to go over to mom's to do her shopping for her (she's not left her apartment to go outside in over 2 1/2 months!). Then make sure I have my suitcases down from the attic; make sure there are no left over squirrel nut stashes in them; get my clothes together and pack one suitcase inside another one! That way I'll be able to bring some stuff home with me on the plane on Monday, even though paying for another piece of luggage, without having to wait for it ALL to arrive via UPS sometime the middle/end of next week.
My BFF Sharon will be driving up to help me out over the weekend, and she'll be bringing empty boxes so I can pack stuff up. I wonder if I can talk her into bringing a 'bathroom scale' with her? That way I can make sure my suitcase is under the overcharge limit (not like last year!!!). I can weigh me on it too! LOL

So far have lost 3 1/2 pounds and have to admit I'm not at all hungry on this Medical Weight Loss diet ... er, excuse me ... beginning to my new lifestyle! The thing I have the most problems with is exercise .. my body was not made for exercise. "They" say that exercise energizes you ... no even remotely true ... I can work out for an hour and drop right off to sleep! Exercise puts me into a little panting puddle of limp bones. Nick has been working out with me twice a day this past week (for the most part, some days only once a day). We're going for 'fast brisk' walks .. he's loving it! I give him his head, let him be Alpha and take the lead .. he drags me in his wake tripping and stumbling and gasping for breath. Funny thing though .. we go about 23 - 40 minutes a walk, and by the time we're a third of the way back home, Nick is ready to heel perfectly! He's sleeping really well too!   I'll be packing my 4 time a day 'shakes' and 1 time a day 'protein bars' in my suitcase too .. and trying to ignore dessert and eating out and ... oh gwad help me ... wine in the evenings!!!!!!!

   Then the stitching pressures begin. It's not like I don't have enough to stitch at home, much less here at the shop in my 'box of stash' in the back room. And there are things I wanted to stitch from Nashville that I don't even remember what they were now! So I'll be in and out of rooms, seeing charts I must do now or die, and finding fabrics for them, and planning which one I'll do first. Then I'll get back to the shop, start adding everything to the website and totally, in my panic to get everything done, most likely forget which ones I wanted to do! Maybe I should make a plan for this year: actually STICK THE CHARTS ASIDE so I won't forget them!!!!!

Downloading a couple of books from Audible.com to my Kindle so I can listen to books while traveling on the plane and sitting in airports. Like stitching where I bring 3 projects for a weekend trip, I've got 3 books downloading right now. Can you say 'over achiever'?? I won't have time while in St. Charles for stitching, reading OR listening to books on tape. Shopping will take all of my time .. and then some. That's why I'm so thankful that Sharon is going to meet me there. I'll give her a credit card and a list or two and send her on her way to places I have to get to first ... while I'm getting to the others I have to get to first (and still, fingers will be crossing that we get there in time for limited edition stuffs that must be purchased!). She'll get into trouble there too .. she's a huge Primitive Needle fan, and wait till she sees Prairie Moon's crypt club stuffs .. she'll be cussing me out, but with a smile on her face!

   Downloads are nearly done .. then I'll have just enough time to get home, harness up my personal trainer to his leash, and get a bit of a walk in before it's too dark.
Tomorrow is another day!

Do You Remember?

2010-09-11T14:04:00.001-04:00

September 11, 2001 - my generations' Pearl Harbor

    That morning I had reported for my first day of jury selection and after being excused from one case, was accepted to be on the jury for a another trial.
    We had been sent into a little room awaiting the beginning of the trial, and one woman from the jury knocked her purse off a tall cabinet where she had placed it. Checking inside to make sure her cell phone was ok, she told us of a 'scrolling report' going across the screen that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Assuming it was a small plane, like a 4 seater or something, we were all trying to figure out how a pilot could fail to MISS the tower and decided that it must have been a student, but then .. why would a student be flying in that area, so maybe the pilot had a heart attack at the controls.
    The room we were in was off a hallway in the courthouse ... and we started hearing people getting louder and louder, and .. since no one told us we had to 'stay' in that room, walked out and into the next office where workers were gathering, they had a tv. That's when we found out about the 1st tower. The bailiff came in, found us in our 'new room', and told us we were going to begin in about an hour. So we were allowed to go down to the cafeteria if we wished. That's when I went running for a phone .. called Dave to find out what the hell was going on and heard about the 2nd tower at that time. So I'm letting everyone in the immediate area know what was occurring -- we're all in shock but cannot get to anywhere we could hear or see the news and know anything more.
    The trial began .. so our attention HAD to be turned elsewhere (and that was not an easy thing!). Broke for lunch .. but we were not sequestered .. so I went running for a phone again and called Dave. While we were on the phone, the first tower began it's collapse. That I 'yelled' out to anyone and everyone that was in the court corridor. Had to repeat it, and then everyone started running for the doors. There was a 'shopping mall' across the street .. and they would have banks of tv sets on in one of the electronic stores!   I didn't leave the courthouse.
    Then, we're excused early due to what was happening (we hadn't heard about the other incidents yet), and I'm in the car going home with radio on .. no music playing anywhere, just news reports and reporters trying to make sense of what had happened/was happening. That's when I heard about the Pentagon .. and burst into tears behind the wheel as Dave's granddaughter was interning with the FBI in Washington DC and had been going back and forth to the Pentagon.   (she was fine)
    Got home, ran into the house, and sat glued to the tv in shock for the rest of the evening. I don't remember eating, but I do remember calling Betsy Stinner as her daughter worked in that area of New York city. (she heard from her the next day - no way to get calls through on day 1.)
    The next day trying to get INTO the courthouse was quite the event ... everything was on high alert. The trial went on an extra 2 days as the main witness was coming from California and of course .. no flights .. he had to drive.  And from the second day on, we were sequestered and not allowed to talk on cell phones while on breaks there OR leave the building.
    All in all, I was in this trial for a full week .. 2 days of it was spent totally in deliberation as we could not come to a verdict easily (at one point we jurors were yelling at each other so loudly they could hear us up and down the hall and the bailiff had to come in to see if everything was ok .. we were stressed to the max!).

   It was so surreal. I think it was because we were 'outside' of our normal lives during the whole tragedy. Nothing seemed real - I was home glued to the tv by night. I was in a courthouse in close proximity with 11 other strangers during the day, no one we knew and outside of our work/home surroundings. We actually grew quite close to each other, yelling aside, and even had hugs and tears when jury duty was finally through.

   The things I've really noticed since 9/11 ...   we don't fly flags and show patriotism like we did for those days; we don't look out for each other (strangers) like we did for those days (at airports, etc); we don't pay attention to details like we did for those days; we no longer 'come together' as a nation like we did.

Apparently this will never happen again.     ???????
Do you remember .... OR .... did you forget

Summer Vacations and Lost Minds!

2010-09-02T19:28:00.000-04:00

    Had the best time going with Debbie to the Michigan Fiber Festival over in Allegan the weekend of August 20-22. First time I've been camping there .. we took Debbie's pop-up camper and were able to park across the 'drive' from our friend Ree. Our feet were beat by the end of the weekend, but we really had a blast. Of course, I spent more than I planned on spending .. even after I did an inventory before I went of all the wool I found I still had in stock (who knew?) .. but did spend my monies on wool I got a really great deal on and some hand-dyed silk blanks for doing nuno felting scarves on.
    Got back home and asked Dave if he wanted to see my 'finds', and being the great guy he is, of course he said sure (not very enthusiastically of course, but it was a positive response!). So I'm putting all the wool out in front of him, and telling him all about each batt and why I had to get it (two balls of wool were totally Debbie's fault .. she MADE me make 'eye contact' with them!), or why it was such a bargain,for me not to pass up, and showing him this and that, and, and, . Of course he's paying total attention to every word coming out of my mouth, not. When I get done with my little 'show', I ask him ... "so what do you think?". He looks at me and with a huge smile says .... "OMG!".   After I finished laughing and choking, I went upstairs and put it all away.

   Got back for one day at the shop and then left for Cheboygan and the wonder of Northern Michigan .. to be spent primarily in one of the huge stock barns at the County fair grounds 'sorting used clothing' from 40 gallon trash bags and huge cardboard boxes with my sister. Here I am .. the one who (will not go alone and who) cannot go into a Salvation Army store without holding my arms tight against my sides so I won't 'touch' anything .. willingly driving 340 miles one-way to put my hands into these bags and boxes without knowing exactly 'what' I may pull out along with clothing! It's for the animals .. I keep repeating .. it's for the animals ... and besides, I get a NEW tee shirt from the Humane Society for doing this! And I'm such a tee-shirt whore .. I'll do just about anything if I'm going to get a tee shirt out of it!
   Up at 7 each morning to be at the fairgrounds by 9, then out to dinner with family or friends and then, back in bed by 10 back at my sisters house so that we can start the day all over again the next morning. Feet aching, hand sanitizer, hot showers, but lots of laughter and actually 'some' fun!
   I reached into this one trash bag of clothes, and under some jeans and shirts and socks, grabbed hold of ...... satin?????! Pulled a bit and looked at it ... yep, satin, white satin with lots of jewelled sparkly stuffs embroidered on it. Carefully pulled the rest of it up. It was a wedding gown. You probably already figured that out, right? But did you think that it would be a brand new wedding gown that still had the price tags attached to it? And did you think that it started out priced at $895.00 and was sold marked down to $703.00? And that it was in impeccable condition, other than somewhat wrinkled. The storage bag was crumpled into a much smaller bundle beneath the gown ... can you say this was "probably one really ticked off bride not to be"???!!!
   Everything that is sorted and put out for 'purchase' is sold by 'donation only' .. whatever you feel it's worth, and hopefully knowing that the monies go directly back to the animals at the Humane Society, you'll donate generously. There is one barn that is a 'priced' barn .. where the better items are assigned a small price instead. We put the bridal gown in there rather than in the clothing barn with a $30.00 price tag on it. I don't think it ever sold! Long train, was 2 years old - so not that out of style. If I could have fit into it, talked Dave into getting married again, and could convince people I was ABLE to wear white once again, I would have had it in a heartbeat!! It was so lovely!
Ok, so I was saying .. donation only. One lady came through with two older daughters ... bagged up 3 40 gallon bags full of clothing (you couldn't close the bags) AND 2 huge boxes of clothing.   Gave us $5.00 for the lot. There's people with a lot of gall out there!

I decided to stay one day longer since they were short handed and really needed the help, and apparently that was my one day longer than I should have stayed. That morning my throat started hurting. That night I couldn't get to sleep it, and my left ear, hurt so badly. I took a sleeping pill hoping to be able to sleep ... and around 2:40 am wanted to get in my car and quietly, without awaking my sister and Ken, drive myself in to the hospital. Only problem .. I was sick. I'd taken that damn pill and was woozy from the effects of it. My cell phone didn't work out where I was staying, so I had no way of calling the state police to tell them I was on the highway somewhere heading 20 miles towards the hospital (or so I hoped!) and to come find me before I crashed. So .. stayed in bed tossing and turning and moaning softly to myself.
Managed to make it the 3 1/2 hour drive home where I collapsed into bed as soon as got there. Went into the DR on Monday, severe ear/throat infection calling for antibiotics and tons of water and lots of rest.

    Tuesday I suddenly realized that I'd never made arrangements for my Camp Stitchalot 2011! What WASN'T I thinking? I guess that Ken Stinner's health crisis was weighing on my mind more than I realized .. and as soon as Camp was held and over, I lost my mind and didn't realize I'd not scheduled anything for next year! I LOVE Mary at The Comfort Inn ... called her and asked if I'd blocked off rooms for next year and she laughed, said no, but that she had made the block arrangements for me anyway! LOL
    Now to find a designer/instructor who doesn't have anything already scheduled on her busy calendar for that weekend in March 2011. Got a feeler out to one, and Debbie just gave me a good idea for a possible backup. This is almost like the first year or so I was in business and doing retreats and didn't realize that you really needed to do the scheduling a year or so in advance instead of in 3-4 weeks.   sigh

   Going back into the shop tomorrow .. first time in what .. nearly 2 weeks? Feeling better but still wipe out easily .. will take it slow anyway. And will finally get my delinquent newsletter out on time .. with the end of summer holiday upon us all!

I JUST WANNA STITCH damn it!!

2010-08-17T18:08:00.000-04:00

So there I was in the shop on Saturday close to closing and this wave of "I gotta stitch something tonight or I'm going to die .. I must stitch .. I must cross stitch" swept over me. OK .. this is good. I've been felting for way too long - it's time to get back to my 'true love' and what better time than when you really really WANT to stitch something! So .. this is good .. there are designs I've wanted to do!

Opened up the book drawers and pulled out Lizzie Kate's "Eek Boo Hiss". We'd just gotten in the prefinished banners for these designs from Stitch A Gift and I have been in love with that crazy cat ever since the chart came in! That's it .. I'm going to stitch "Hiss"! Pulled the fibers .. cool! Went to get fabric ... what? I'm out of 30ct Chestnut?? Dug through all the fabric .. no chestnut to be found. Put the fibers back. Put the chart back.

That's OK .. the one I've really wanted to do is The Trilogy's "Sneak Peek Halloween" series .. and part 2 has already been released. Oh no .. we're out of the 32ct Lime Belfast linen that Debbie chose to do hers on .. and it's a really cool color and I just have to do this design on that Lime green. Looked up at the shelves in the back .. there's Debbie's "Stash Box" .. and well well lookie here ... there's a piece of Lime Belfast cut just for this design peeking out at me! Being the kind benevolent shop owner/boss that I am, rather than just take the fabric, I called Debbie at home and whined about wanting to use her fabric until she gave in and granted me permission to 'steal it' from her box . as long as I'd reorder it for her. Yes, I will .. cross my heart and hope to die . I'll reorder it!! So happy once again ... pulled the fibers and the embellishment pack for the design and then went to the book drawers .. GONE! No Chart!! Oh shoot .. that's right .. I'd just reordered it on Friday! This is not going well. I have to stitch tonight and it has to be something I really really want to stitch or else I won't finish it (I may not finish it anyway .. I have 'ending' problems), but ... it has to sing out to me!

OK .. last night just saw for the first time The Stitcherhood's "My Cauldron" design. I was going to order it on Monday morning ... but now .. I want to stitch it NOW!! What to do, what to do. Thinking that maybe I can get an idea, if I can find a picture big enough, of where to start stitching ... and yes, I know .. that's like SO illegal! But I am going to buy the chart .. I just want to start stitching it tonight! And feeling guilty as hell, went to The Stitcherhood's website ... where ... what to my wondering eyes does appear ... but a button to click on to purchase a down loadable pdf chart of "My Cauldron"!!!! Saints be praised .. now I don't have to sin in a stitcher-y way (which I really would never ever do, honest, but I just wanted to stitch in the worst way and ... sigh!). Pay Pal is my friend .. purchased the chart, printed it off, and ta da .. I'm happy!!!

Only two colors of DMC floss. DMC floss? I don't want to stitch with regular old floss, so I pulled the two colors and matched them up to GAST Gold Leaf and WDW Onyx. Now, onto fabric. WHITE? What is it with designers stuck in a box with boring old fabrics .. I want color, I want some splash, I want to have stitching fun! So, went to the 30ct hand-dyes to select my shade. Nothing to be had! Honest .. Diana was standing there laughing at me, but also offering suggestions. Nothing worked ... oh, some went with the Onyx with no problem, but the 'gold' was going to be my problem child. And others that would have worked, I didn't have a piece the size I needed!

OK .. lets look at the 28ct hand-dyed fabrics. Are the forces of the universe working against me? Will I have to turn to felting forever after all and give up stitching ... at least for tonight and tomorrow??? Nothing to be found. Diana said that she couldn't believe we didn't have a purple of some kind, and a light went off in my head! Jobelan! I have hand-dyed Jobelan and I wonder if Lavender Sunset would work?! ICK But then ... there it was .. it was like a little fabric epiphany ... Stormy Grey! I've been wanting to do something on that fabric but hadn't found the design for it yet ... and laid the two colors out ... and THIS WOULD WORK!

Happily left the shop for the night and went home.

Had to start the design in the center as the fabric wasn't 'quite' the size it should be to give me 3" all the way around, and I didn't want to be off center so .. counted up and over and inserted the needle. I'm having to stitch words. Did the OVER then counted up to RUNNETH and stitched those letters. Now, starting at the very end of the world CAULDRON (since it had the least counting to do that way), stitched that word.
Then .. gave myself a break from black and started to stitch one of the swirls in gold. THIS IS FUN!!!

Looked at the design Monday night ..... and apparently Christmas was on my mind, even though it's way too early for Christmas thoughts ... but NO L! The word said CAUDRON. See .. no L!
I'm sure someone would notice that, so started pulling out the CAU. I'll start remedial spelling again tonight and maybe this time actually LOOK at the chart ... and the fabric .. as I'm stitching.

Felting At The Art Fair

2010-08-13T14:58:00.000-04:00

.. of course I WAS felting while AT the Art At The Center ... figured that most would not have any idea of what my 'art' was all about otherwise. And it was a good thing too .. heard so many comments on the order of ... "you knit and then throw it in the washer and dryer" (um, no washing machine or dryer or knitting involved here) ... "you make these out of felt" (thinking you'd buy sheets of felt and sew them somehow) ... and best of all ... "hey look, she's making something right now" and in they'd come to check it all out! Did several mini lessons and garnered a lot of interest in not only the technique, but in the shop here in town too! Quite a few took my card .. we'll see if they follow through. Got some inquiries as to if I would do 'custom orders' too, and told them .. call me and we'll talk!

Friday after work Dave and I went out to get the tent set up .. it was pretty breezy so we drove home and then drove back a bit later to make sure the tent hadn't flown off somewhere. You could tell those who follow shows like this from place to place .. they had tubes of cement to attach to the tent poles to keep it where it was! We figured that if we drove back again to check on the tent and found it was blowing around we'd just tie it down to that tent next to us!

Saturday morning, got to the Community Center around 8:30am to start the display set up. That's when I realized for sure that I WOULD need the two additional card tables Debbie would be bringing with her .. and came to a screaming halt. I didn't really think I had that much to bring, but in checking it over the night before found that with pincushions and all, I had 111 felted things!!!

Luckily Debbie got there an hour or so later and I had time to do my thing. People would be walking around while we were doing set up and coming in to look. A bit of a pain, but also a lot of fun. :)

I will say that my 'sign' got a lot of attention!

It was breezy but HOT ... so the sides were not attached to the tent, just the overhead for shade. Every time the breeze kicked up, fairies would go flying, Santa tried to fly without his reindeer, bowls would roll .. kept Debbie and I busy (and well exercised) sitting down then leaping up to pick up felted peoples and put them back and then sit down only to jump up again as "Baaaabs" and "Frankie" tried to run away. That's how we spent the day .. from noon till 8pm.

Early afternoon, two women came into the tent to AWARD me a 2nd Place ribbon and check for $75.00! I'd been voted as 2nd best at the art fair .. and they told me that their artist judges 'overwhelemly' voted for me! What a thrill .. how cool is that?! I'm still up in the air over it!

Sunday, got to the Center around 9am. It was pretty windy that day .. and Hotter! I tried to get things set up leaving the sides of then tent and part of the back wall 'down'. Things were a shakin'! Finally got boxes that had some weight to them, and set them over the sides of the tent as well as tried to get the sides underneath the table legs (that was 'almost' a disaster .. but finally worked!). While my creations didn't 'fly' away like the day before, they did try to run around the tent a bit. LouAnn got into the catch and release game of it pretty quickly. The sales on Sunday were with people who had been in on Saturday and kept hearing a felted scupture call out their name to them all that night .. so they had to come back to get it!

Also had two people come in who had been called by friends to come see what I was exhibiting .. they wanted to give me information on applying to show at two different art fairs that were coming up. One at the Renaissance Fair, the other at the Flint Institute of Art! wowsers

Although there were more in attendance on Saturday than there were on Sunday, it would appear that when the 'sides were not up', more would actually come into the tent to look around. Something else that was interesting .. on Saturday, just about every man who came in, picked up one of these two bowls.

On Sunday, forget about the bowls .. it didn't matter whether a guy came in or was just walking by .. "Ivan and His Bunny" got all the male attention that day! Go figure!

All in all .. it was a fun experience (with the exception of an hour or so where Debbie and I looked at each other and said ... "so this is what boredom feels like!" :) I didn't sell out but I did do $230 in sales, so I paid for the tent AND the space rental plus had a bit left over. I did get 2nd Place! I had interest in felting classes and showing what felting was all about; Had people find out I had a needlework shop here in town; and was asked to submit entries for other shows. I even got some sun!!

Now I have the task of taking pictures of everything left from different angles so I can add them to my etsy store!

The Kindle Incident Experience

2010-07-10T15:50:00.000-04:00

Ok .. so I fried my Kindle. Apparently one should never have their Kindle turned on AND plugged into the hard drive and hit reboot on their computer.
Live and Learn ... Dave doubt's I'll ever learn! BUT I HAVE with this experience. So had to get a new Kindle .. what to do, what to do ... order a brand new one at the super sale price of $189 OR order a factory refurbished one at $90.00. Decisions, decisions .. wait, I have no money ... ok, factory refurbished it is!
What was so INCREDIBLE about the "Kindle Incident" was Amazon support!
Went into their website to see what I could do, and after attempting their often requested solutions to problems such as mine, found where you could e-mail for live tech support help. A small form to fill out and a place to CLICK that says: e-mail me or call me.
Clicked on CALL ME ... and the phone immediately rang! I mean immediately .. my hand hadn't even left the mouse yet! And there was Amazon Kindle Tech Support on the line for me!! The nicest woman to talk to ... I told her "hottest day of the year and I do this to my Kindle and now I was going to go home and kick my dog". She says .. "no no no don't kick your dog. If it's that hot out, get one of those water guns and shoot at him .. you'll feel better and he'll cool down getting wet!" .. and she had a sense of humor too!
Of course, the outcome was I needed the new Kindle. She double checked my payment info and put the order in. That was on Wednesday .. the Kindle arrived on Friday. And they shipped it BEFORE I even put the 'toasted' one off in the mail to them .. with their prepaid return postage, I might add!
I hate that I did what I did .. but I am more than astounded with the quality of Amazon's tech support!
Almost Surreal!

No - no - say it ain't so!

2010-06-29T12:46:00.000-04:00

Downloaded Jim Butcher's latest Harry Dresden "Changes" to my Kindle and started reading. Went through it like a little whirlwind ... and then I got to the ending. Went forward ... no, that was the end. Went back a couple of pages ... still the same ending. Dave had been impatiently waiting for me to get through it .. I deliberately didn't tell him I had it downloaded until I'd started reading .. he would have laid claim to the book device before I got to it! So when I announced I'd finished it, he pounced!
He was nearly through it this morning and couldn't stop reading! I took a look-see and saw he'd be through in a little while, so stayed home waiting for him to finish. I wanted to see his face when he got to the ending. Needless to say, Debbie beat me to the shop this morning! Dave felt the same way I did ... ".. Butcher had better come out with another book within the next week or so - we can't wait! This had better NOT be the end of the series!" I'm sure we'll be discussing this further when I get home tonight.
Ok .. now I have a phew and a not-so-phew.
Not So Phew: Just found out Changes is NOT The end of the series!
Phew: Next edition isn't due out till March 2011.

New Stuffs!

2010-06-21T17:25:00.001-04:00

   New Stuffs just poured through the door of the shop today ... Pine Mountain Designs, Samsarah Designs, Just Another Button Company, Rosewood Manor, and .. Lizzie Kate!
   Now I'm in trouble .. I HAVE to stitch her new Christmas Rules series .. I must stitch it! And, upon looking at her Giggle Boxer - All You Need Is Love And Chocolate - have decided that I must stitch that one too. I'm going to turn it into a 'wedding/anniversary' design by putting (or trying to put) mine and Dave's name where the squiggles are at the very bottom. We're both such huge chocoholics ... we hide chocolate on each other. He puts his stash on the top shelf in the pantry .. I'd have to haul a chair over and stand on tippy-toes to get to that shelf. Don't tell him .. I hide mine in the bathroom linen closet.   hee hee hee
And I got a good look at "Eek Boo Hiss" and that CAT is just too too funny! Dare I say it .. another addition to the stash pile?

And got a brochure catalog today from Shepherd's Bush of all their new kits .. will have to scan those tomorrow and add them to the website so you can see too! I love SB - always have since even before they were 'SB' and were designing for Vanessa Ann!
    And .. I want to FELT Samsarah's Hip Hop Moo ... with the cow jumping over the moon! That would be a stitch (so to speak) in wool!
   That's what I did today .. brought in a huge box of felted sculptures to the shop where the light is good and there's a flat table with no cats strolling around to get in the way. I took pictures of each one .. from 4 different angles. Have decided to put them up on my Etsy shop FIRST to see if they sell there .. and if they don't, they're going to the Art Show anyway .. and if they do sell, I'll just have to make more! Now to find the time to reduce the images, check the brightness/contrast of each, get the text written and put in all the keywords and then upload them to DebFeltIt on Etsy. After I figure out pricing of course.

You should see the lump/bruise/slight break in skin by my knee where that dratted pony kicked me!!!
Have no idea IF they were found or are still running free .. hope they're fine though wherever they are!

Wild Reading Too!

2010-06-19T12:48:00.000-04:00

A friend (Thanks Cathy!!) turned me on to an author's (J. A. Konrath) series (Jack Daniels mysteries). I LOVE them! A bit too 'gorey' for late night in bed reading, but so far I've not had any nightmares where the story continues in my brain. (read them in order to have them make the most sense!) The problem with a series is ... when you get to the last one, you have to WAIT for the next to come out! Someone should do something about that!!

I DO have a book to start tonight .. a real live paper turn the page book, not on my Kindle. When I was in Columbus for the Trade Show Market, Theresa and I took an afternoon cab ride to this really cool book store - The Book Loft In German Village - that is located in a former 'house' and is nearly a block long! 32 ROOMS of books .. each room a different section; each room having different music playing in it. You'd think there would be a cacophony of sound, but you only heard "BOTH" musics as you were leaving one room and entering another. I guess the 'books' absorbed the sound ... pretty cool!
Anyway ... the book I had to buy for myself is "Three Bags Full" .. A Sheep Detective Story! I read the first paragraph and broke out laughing .. all alone in a room full of books and laughing till I nearly cried! I'd try to read a piece of the book to Theresa and don't think she could understand me through my giggling!
Here's the 'review': In this refreshingly original detective story from debut German author Swann, a flock of sheep investigates the murder of their beloved shepherd, George Glenn. Leading the effort is Miss Maple, considered the cleverest sheep in the Irish seaside village of Glennkill. She slyly "pretends" to graze while eavesdropping on suspects who come to search George's caravan for something he may have died for. When a long-lost ram recounts an incident that occurred upon his departure years earlier, Miss Maple uncovers the catalyst for George's death. The wooly troupe reveals the crime's solution in a near-Shakespearean mime at the annual "Smartest Sheep in Glennkill" contest. The author's sheep's-eye view and the animals' literal translation of the strange words and deeds of the human species not only create laugh-out-loud humor but also allow the animals occasional flashes of accidental brilliance.
I LOVE BOOKS!

Welcome to my WILD Life!

2010-06-19T10:25:00.001-04:00

First off, you'll be amazed to know that last night, after I wrote my Friday update Newsletter and after 5 days of hysterically searching for that lost tote of 'stuff' .. I found it! In a large SEE-THRU tote bag I'd brought back from Market with me, under several skeins of wool yarn and some felting batt. Dave just covered his face with one hand and didn't make eye contact with me (without giggling) for about 20 minutes.
sigh

This morning started off with my being forced off my country dirt road by three wayward ponies. Called 911 and got Genesee County- they forwarded me to Oakland county's 911 because that was the cross road. After 20 minutes of holding the only one who had a halter on, and being kicked (slightly), turned him loose to rejoin his 2 other buddies (it was a glorious reunion!!). Since we're out in the 'boonies', the State Police are the ones who will be coming .. and it 'could' take them the better part of a day to come out on that call.
Last I saw, they were gleefully trotting across a 30 acre tree/field area ... going who knows where.
Did call local police when I got to the shop .. was told it wasn't their jurisdiction. sigh They forwarded me back to 911 again! We had quite the windstorm last night and I'll bet you that's when they must have gotten loose.
I told 'everyone' that I just wanted to notify them the threesome were heading out of one county into another in case someone called looking for them.
At least the ponies didn't head for my garage to bunk with the squirrels!!

Then, once I turned onto the main pavement which is 45 mph but everyone tries to go 55 mph, I put the brakes on as there was a HUGE snapping turtle right in the middle of my lane heading toward the lake. The cars coming up behind me did not appreciate my caring about nature and it's critters (I was NOT getting out of the car and picking up a snapper that had a shell wider than a basketball who was intent on getting to where he was going!). After oncoming traffic cleared, I was able to cross over the center lane to avoid Mr. Yurtle The Turtle .. and as the car behind me swung out and passed me AT THAT TIME and gave me a 'salute' of one kind .. I waved and gave him a HUGE smile!
Now .. at the shop. No sign of wildlife here today!

Designers are people too!

2010-05-10T15:26:00.000-04:00

    Had a customer the other day quite outraged that it was taking 3+ weeks to receive the items she had ordered. She wanted two hand-painted frames to go with specific much older designs, and several charts that needed to be ordered directly from the designer and not through a distributor. Even though the frames were quite a bit older, she just couldn't figure out why the designer (1) didn't already have them made, and (2) what was taking the charts so long. It should only take a couple of days she'd figured.
    In our needle art Industry, we are really the 'mom and pop' businesses of 'yore. The designers do not have warehouses in which to store thousands of charts and frames. They have a spare room in their home, or part of the basement. When they run out of stock, they do not automatically 'make more' ... it's a supply and demand business. If a chart hasn't sold in 8 years lets say, and the chart needs to be re-printed, it probably won't be. At least, not immediately. Why pay that kind of money in the hopes that someone, rather many hundreds of someone, will now want multiple charts of that design? The same for 'custom hand-painted frames' .. when out of stock, another will be made when there is that call for it.
     Plus, in this mom and pop industry we know and love so well, designers do not have 'people' sitting around manning phones waiting for orders to be called in, people packing up orders. They have 'themselves'. They do not have a design studio they 'go' to .. they design in their homes. And, just like you and me, the designers have a life. Sometimes a family illness or tragedy befalls. There is no one in their 'office' to take over in crisis times like that. (I remember one customer who was calling us daily about her order .. and the designer had had a major heart attack. The customer was informed this, but that didn't seem to make a difference .. she wanted her order!) Sometimes a designer is planning for their childs' wedding or college .. and the design part of the business has to be put on a back burner until they can get back to it. Sometimes a designer goes on a vacation. There is no one left at home to run their business for them. It all waits until their return. In this customer's case ... the designer was on a business trip in Europe. We didn't know she was. And said designer didn't have to tell us that she was going on a business trip and since I'd e-mailed the order in, there was no answering machine message advising me of this.
    Illness, death, divorce, weddings, college, babies, vacations .. just like us, the designers have these happening in their daily lives too. And since they are a 'designer', it's up to them to balance their business with their life events, just like we are forced to do.
    Just thought I'd put in a good word for the men and women that keep our fingers so stitchingly entertained! Designers - I appreciate you!

    And just a side line that has nothing to do with this blog ... at the top right hand side of this page is the LINK to my Etsy store - Deb Felt It ... the little 'black sheep with the big Etsy heart'!

I'm Gonna Go To A Concert!!!

2010-05-04T16:50:00.000-04:00

Carole King and James Taylor are coming to the Palace Of Auburn Hills for their one-night only "Troubadour Reunion" concert ... Thursday May 27.

I have been pondering this for the past week (ish) ever since I heard the announcment. Now I don't know WHY I had to ponder it as (1) Carole King is my all time most favorite ever in the whole entire world singer; (2) I've seen her in concert 3 times; (3) I own ever single album, cassette, or cd she's ever released; (4) I know just about all of her songs word for word and tune for tune (I'm not yet quite a stalker); (5) James Taylor is my most favorite male singer even though I've never had the opportunity to see him 'live' (Simon & Garfunkle rate as best duo, and of course, the Beatles reign supreme as my most favorite group!).

So Saturday, once I got the computers back up and running here at the shop, I went into Ticketmaster to see about tickets. Of course, all the 'really great' ones were gone, but .. tickets WERE still available! I thought about calling home to ask Dave if he was interested, but then thought no .. he'll have to ponder that question and if he wants to or not for the next several weeks .. at the shortest. Grabbed my trusty, unfortunately not so dusty, MasterCard and hit PURCHASE TICKETS! ta da .... two tickets purchased ... done!
    Then I left for home ... told Dave what I'd done and asked if he'd go with me, and stood there with my arm around his waist ... for the longest time ... while he pondered. (told ya so!) Then he asked me, how long would the concert be from when we got there till when we left. I should have known! Dave won't go any place where he'll be forced to go 2 hours (and one minute) without smoking a cigarette. deep sigh

So there I was with two tickets for the concert ... and no one to go with.
   :(

WAIT! I'll check with some friends first to see if one of them would like to attend the concert with me ... I'll 'gift' that extra ticket out! Then I realized, that if someone was going to go with me, even if it was for free, certain requirements would have to be met first .. as that person would be sitting right NEXT to me:
(1) They would be attending AND realizing that I am now like a small child counting the days down till Christmas morning and am absolutely beside myself awaiting this event.
(2) I will probably spontaniously break out into song (although softly) even though I've never been asked to record anything using my own voice.
(3) I will be excited. See #1
(4) And if riding together, they would have to listen to me talk all about the concert we'd just seen all the way home .. in all that concert traffic.

    Kathy, with a very LOUD e-mailed YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! agreed to all conditions and even said she has a 'lighter app' on her phone so we can show JT and Carole just how much we love them at the end of the show!
    I saw where Amazon has the Toubador cd available for purchase of today and .... decided to wait. I want to be surprised first at the concert, then I'll purchase it so I can hear it over and over and over again!
Whooo Hooooooo

Felting and Banging Head Against Computer Screen

2010-05-01T17:38:00.000-04:00

Computer down .. main computer of course - the one all our emails are accessed from - and we can't get on line. This has been all day and still the problem continues. Wish I was a better computer geek, but so far .. have done everything I can think of. Oh well. There's always Monday!

Did some felting this past week ... waiting for Dave to cut down this huge dead tree limb so he can then cut 'disks' about 1 1/2" thick for me to 'mount my birdies' on. Been asking him for 3 days now ... did you cut my wood for me yet? sigh I'd do it myself, but somehow the idea of 'me' with a chain saw in hand ... well, we'll just say the visual of that would involve probably self-dismemberment. Maybe tonight they'll be waiting for me when I get home for glue and acorn embellishing?

Not sure how long leggedy they'll be when they're mounted, but the legs will still be long!

I've added the rest to my Etsy store ... bunny, frog, and goose girl.
The man - Ivan - needs a bit more work still needs a bit more work.
His legs were too skinny so I gave him baggy pants. Now his feet look too dainty, so he needs to go 'shoe shopping' for bigger boots. And of course, the armature I used wasn't the kind I normally use for 'free standing' sculptures, so he's a bit wobbley. Perhaps a fence support or something? His jacket is absolutely marvelous ... thick and soft .. alpaca wool ... so it looks LIKE a fur coat!
More later!

Felted Bowls and Forgotten Design

2010-04-19T18:20:00.000-04:00

Thought you might want to see how the "Saturday In The Shop" wet felted vessel came out! Took it home to dry in front of the woodstove Saturday night, and on Sunday afternoon, picked and played a bit with the mohair & wool yarn (from Ozark Handspun) I'd used in the construction. Got it a bit fuzzy and ... well, I'm quite proud of it. Calling it "Fuzzy Plums"!

And .. I remembered in time to actually order one for me .. the chart I'd seen on the Needlework Show ... from Ladybug Designs and entitled "Want Some Milk" .. it's the stitch version of one of my framed art posters by Steinlin. (mine, mine .. it'll be all mine!)

Added a couple more items to my etsy store this late afternoon too. We'll see what happens there.

Dead day at the shop today, customer wise .. but that was ok! Shorthanded today AND had to stay chained to the computer in the back (dungeon) most of the day while I sorted, compiled, and placed orders with The Needlework Show. Tomorrow will be quite a bit busier .. shipments to get out!

Hey .. does anyone know how to spell check on blogger now? The text box has changed and I can't find a way to do it at all! (as you may have noticed)

Saturday in the shop ...

2010-04-17T18:04:00.000-04:00

... doesn't feel like the 4th of July!

Sloooooow day today. Hope it's because everyone is shopping The Online Needlework Show and making their selections to send to us before the show ends at midnight Sunday/tomorrow night. I know I've found several new designs that the shop CANNOT live without having .. and one that I must do .. now (yeah, like that's going to happen). I collect the poster art prints of Theophile-Alexandre-Steinlen and found one of my larger framed posters converted into cross stitch! Now if I could ONLY remember WHO it's by!! I'll have to cruise the entire show designer listing again to find it (note to self .. should have written it down. where's the paper? what happened to my pen? what was I doing??)

Did get creative though. I had some wool batting here and .. showed LouAnn how to create a wet felted vessel - bowl - container - whatever. It's drying in the bathroom right now. Didn't have my steamer with me but managed to 'create' some defination to the sides without it.

it's quite plumy-purple and is shown here "upside down" while drying out.

I also decided to open an Etsy store (today) with some of my felted sculptures, pincushions and vessels. Just a few things in there right now, but more will be added as they're created.
I have such second thoughts about an Etsy store ... it makes ME think that by doing so, I "think" I'm really good, and I don't feel that way about me at all. Don't know .. maybe this will bring some extra monies into the shop, maybe not. We'll see. My store name is Deb Felt It and the address is http://www.etsy.com/shop/DebFeltIt

Felting Fla-looza Weekend ...

2010-04-13T10:11:00.001-04:00

... is over .. so I'm back to the real world of cross stitch.

Finished up Blackbird Designs' Cardinal from their "Joyeux Noel" booklet and measured it yesterday for framing. Going to order a double frame from Eastside Mouldings ... Valentine Red for the outer frame and Chalk White for the inner frame .. will really make the 'writing' and snowflakes pop!
Saturday night started All Through The Night's "Blackbirds" using the fabric and fiber they did. My first time stitching with Valdani floss and I'm not sure I like it .. seems to knot/tangle quite a bit along the 2-ply 18" lengtht I'm using. I like the color effect .. just not sure 'yet' about the actual fiber. So far, the verse is complete and about 1/8th of the border .. so further stitching time will tell.

Had the time of my life at my felting weekend with Sharon Costello at Raven Oaks Farm in Howel. I'd like to take this moment to Introduce You To ..... Gunter! Day One we did the head and face, built the body and started dressing him. Day Two we did the hands and feet, finished dressing and put on the hat and hair/eyebrows. I absolutely LOVE him .. he looks like he's in the best mood after going to Market and either selling OR buying Wool!

Day 3 our class was entitled "Go Felt A Fish". And that's what we did .. we made fantasy fish. But what the class ACTUALLY taught was 'how' to make a 3-dimensional figure or bag that has NO SEAMS! We also learned how to work with other fabrics and fibers and glass beads to 'decorate' our 'fish' without sewing, all during the Wet Felting process. I now understand 'how' to make purses or bags or whatever else, and embellish with traditional and totally non-traditional materials.

MY "go-felt-a-fish" was embellished with 'locks' of wool, so I'm thinking of Felting a Bagel for him to 'swim' on ... that way I'll have a ... get ready .... a ... gofeltafish with lox on a bagel!

I Had The BEST Day!!

2010-03-31T20:19:00.000-04:00

Went antiquing .. all by myself .. and had the absolutely best time!
I started out at Yesterday's Treasures right here in Fenton (I had some extra time before I had to be at Mom's to take her grocery shopping). I'd not been in there in 'ages' and ... it was such a treat. I'll tell ya, if you're looking for vintage jewelry for wearing or for making into other items, THIS is the place!! Drawers and cabinets full! I was paying more attention to ceramics but there was this antique beaded and stitched bag that was calling my name .. I forced myself to ignore it! (fingers in ears lalalalala I can't hear you)

Then over to mom's ... did a quick run through with her at the Goodwill store, she wanted to see what that was all about .. then groceries .. then back to her apartment. Chatted for awhile and I was on my way.

Decided it was such an beautiful sunny day that I didn't want to go home yet. So pointed my VUE-hicle towards Holly and the Holly Water Tower Antiques Mall. That place is a gem! You can get lost in there .. and I spent several hours browsing through the ceramics again. The owner eventually stated 'following me around' as she began to see that everytime she saw me, I had my hands full of tiny toothpick holders, salt cellars, and egg cups. She rescued them from me (or rather, potentially rescued me from myself) and took them up front to wrap up while I wandered some more. I'd not been in there in ages either. (The last time I purchased a McCoy Dog Cookie Jar for my BFF Sharon as a Christmas present. The exact same McCoy Dog Cookie Jar I'd already given her TWO other times!! I am now forbidden to buy cookie jars for her collection ... it was REALLY Cute .. HONEST!!!)
I figured eventually that I'd done enough damage to my bank account and decided to get a pizza and go home. There are other antique stores in Holly, but .. I'd had MY day!

I've been happily felting pincushions since late this afternoon and only managed to drive a needle through my finger once. Well, not exactly THROUGH, but really gave it a jab. Funny thing .. this was the first time I've ever had a finger go 'numb' from a felting incident. After about 15 minutes, I had feeling back AND the beginnings of an incredible bruise!
I must be taking after Padme!

State Of The Needlearts

2010-03-30T16:31:00.001-04:00

TO: Needleartists Everywhere!!

SUBJECT: Needlearts expertise, survey, GIFT CERTIFICATES

PLEASE complete the 2010 NeedleArts survey at www.NeedleArts2010.net . The needlearts community needs YOUR advice and opinions, whether you are a beginner or an expert! This survey is only conducted every few years. Your input is VERY important and will be included in a published national report.

Your answers are anonymous. No one will use your survey responses to market to you.

In return for your participation, you will receive valuable benefits:
· Gain a chance to win one of five $100 needlearts GIFT CERTIFICATES.
· Ensure stores and suppliers provide what you want.
· Explore your needlearts interests.

Your valuable input will help the needlearts community, too:
· Advocate for more programs to support the needlearts, such as Helping Hands Needlearts Mentoring, Stitch N’ Pitch, and Stitching for Literacy.
· Help independent retailers and family-owned suppliers succeed by giving them the customer feedback they need.

As a thank-you for completing the survey, The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA) is offering the chance to win one of five $100 needlearts store gift certificates. To enter the sweepstakes simply fill out the survey at www.NeedleArts2010.net and then click on “Sweepstakes Entry” on the page you see after submitting the survey.

The 10-minute survey asks about your experiences with the needlearts you enjoy: crocheting, cross-stitch, embroidery, knitting, or needlepoint. Let us know which types of projects you prefer, the kinds of new products you want, and what you’d like to see needlearts shops do better.

The survey is sponsored by The National NeedleArts Association, a business organization dedicated to supporting the needlearts community. Hart Business Research is conducting this survey for TNNA and compiling the results into a major national report, The State of Specialty Needlearts 2010. Please complete the survey right away at www.NeedleArts2010.net .
Survey closes April 19, 2010.

Sunday!!!!

2010-03-13T16:48:00.002-05:00

I've got a full load at home tomorrow!
(1) Do online banking against my checkbook and then write bills -- that should take care of an easy 2-3 hours.
(2) Do the finishing needed on Just Nan's "Needle Tweet" .. stitching is done, but the rest is cutting out and ironing on and stuff that's basically like 'Latin' to me! Maybe 2 hours?????
(3) Re-Do a felted scarf. I did one on Thursday and I knew when I was doing it that it was way too thin and needed more wool, but did I stop and take care of that? Noooooooooooo! So, when it was felted and finished, it was like gauze and has holes. So .. maybe 3 hours total with layout patching and then the felting.
(4) Finish the stuffing of the Camp goodie bags .. have 3 more items to put in and all is now here, so that can be done and crossed off my list. Probably an easy half hour.

Been laughing about the $100-million lawsuit Lindsay Lohan filed against E-Trade for their 'milkaholic Lindsay' baby commercial. She says it's based on her; that you can look at the baby and see the marked resemblance to her; that HER NAME is the same as Oprah or Madonna ... all you need to do is say "Lindsay" and the world knows who you're speaking about.
I don't know about you, but when I hear "Lindsay", I immediately think of my niece Lindsay Koch. Actually, unless you put Lindsay together with Lohan I would have no idea who you were talking about, nor could I pick her out of a lineup! Me thinks she needs to go back into rehab so the press can have something to say about her .. some people! And then she says, if the commercial wasn't meant to be 'all about her', why didn't they use the name "Susan"? sheesh, then someone Susan would have to sue???
My people are going to follow Lindsay around for awhile ... she had better not use the name "Deb" or "Stitches N Things" or there will be a lawsuit to put her $100 mill to shame!! LOL

I almost did have a lawsuit once...quite a while ago. Another cross stitch shop used "my shop name" in print instead of using their own. The ad read ..... in smaller print we have new and then in very LARGE print Stitches N Things and again in smaller print in the stock. The Stitches N Things was the only large print and their shop name was no where in the ad, just their address and phone number.
I had a call from a customer who had just seen their ad (in a newspaper that is state-wide) and called to congratulate me on 'branching out' and opening a new store site!
I went up about 13 feet in the air and came down dialing my atty's number. She was served with a cease & desist, the paper she was advertising in refused to run any more print jobs for her, and I spent the next 3 days hitting the court offices of every county surrounding my county and the state of Michigan offices filing DBA's so this couldn't happen again in the future.
What got to me the most about that? Not her advertising that she was 'me' but that she had come to me for advice and information on starting her own business and I gave her all the help I could. What a pay back! Oh .. she's no longer in business.

Blather .. Blather ... Blather ...

2010-03-06T09:59:00.002-05:00

Attempted assault by squirrel in garage foiled! News at 11~!

Traffic on quiet country road disrupted by herd of 9 deer standing & staring at approaching car!

Life taken in own hands by woman driving home with gas tank registering empty .. and driving back into town to find fuel!

Dog refuses to go outside unless toy drying out in front of wood stove is given to him!

Cat throws itself against window in attempt to catch squirrel on window ledge outside!

Unusually large possum tries to get into house through kitchen deck door; stares down dog and 1 cat nose to nose through glass; refuses to run or even scurry away when woman approaches it through snow on foot. Video at noon.

it's a zoo .. I live in a zoo

On The Road Again ....

2010-02-22T11:26:00.002-05:00

... and heading back home from Nashville! Still a bit tired, but this was a FANTASTIC Market! Kudos to those vendors and shops who attended ... and a BIG "Boy Did You Ever Miss Out" to those who didn't attend! I think this was one of my better markets .... fun wise, shopping wise, networking wise .. it was just great!

If you've not been following Ellen Chesters' blog (With My Needle), check it out ... great photos of her booth/room AND lots of pictures of shop owners ... its so neat to be able to put a face to a name or a voice! I got to meet Tracy of Ink Circles in person and some others too. Karen Kubla of Rosewood Manor took my 'silk gauze' class. She had an idea of something she wanted to do, but wasn't sure how she was going to be able to pull it off. After seeing how I stitch on gauze as though I were just doing cross stitch and NOT the needlepoint manner of filling in the background (I find different materials to mount behind the gauze so only the design is stitched .. and the tin foil, or fabric, or colored mat board is the 'background') ... Karen said she can go ahead with her plan for a new design and feels really confident about it! I was just 'honored' to have a designer in my class room!!!

Bringing back 3, count em ... 3 TRUNK SHOWS with me! All of Hinzeit's NEW designs, some of Amy Bruecken's newest (she'll bring the rest to Camp when she comes to teach), as well as some of Elizabeth's Designs stitched models! I'll find room in the shop for display as quickly as I can and then will be boxing them all up again to take to the "Stitches N Things On The Road Boutique" for Camp at the Comfort Inn in Davison. If you're going to be in the area of my shop between this coming weekend and March 17th, stop in and check them out!! If you're going to be in the Davison MI area March 19 - 21, you will want to stop by the Comfort Inn and see them on display there! I've also found LOTS of incredibly really neat stuff to 'stock' the Camp Boutique with - I'm excited!!

Now to continue adding to the website. I seem to have brought everything I needed for this task EXCEPT for my camera charger .. so as long as I can take pics and put them on from here in the van, I will. The rest will have to wait ... some of the limited edition stuffs ... until I can get back to the shop. A portable scanner is now on my Christmas List!!
With that, I'd better get back to work! See you soon!

Waving HI Frantically from the 5th floor ...

2010-02-19T16:31:00.002-05:00

... at the Nashville Market! Dave and I are 'living' this weekend right in the 'middle' of the action ... floors 2, 3 & 4 and then floors 6 & 7 are the 'show' floors with each designer company in a room of their own ... totally remodeled into a little private store just for us to come shop in! Show officially opens tomorrow at 9am for shopping, but I had to meet with Claudia from Dutch Treat Designs this afternoon, so I got to go into her room early! What fun - how cool - all these new stitched pieces on display! Can't wait till I can spend money in there with her. Since there is such a problem getting the Anne cloth into this country right now, most of Claudia's new pieces are her stitched Victorian paper designs ... and you just gotta see these in person! You really do! In other words .. purchase them, stitch them up on perforated paper and TOTALLY WOW your friends and family members!!!

Last night got to spend time with friends, old and new, for several hours: Ellen from With My Needle, Miranda from The Stitching Post, Penny from Ewe Stitch, Carol and Jennie from Cross My Heart, Louise from Cherished Stitches, Karen from Rosewood Manor, and Donna from Satin Stitches. (Ellen did said I was NOT to say anything about 3 of us having 'sex on the beach' in my blog, but apparently .. I must have forgot that when I typed this! LOL)
Taught my gauze class this morning, then had lunch. Did some meeting and greeting with friends and then up to the room to drop off my class models and left over kits. Then decided to sit down and 'chat' with you all a bit. Tonight at 7pm is the "meet and greet" with a preview of what some of the market exhibitors will be showing us tomorrow when shopping begins. That's always so much fun .. a madhouse to be sure, but F U N !!
Have a Counted Thread Group Meeting at 8am tomorrow morning .. .then shopping begins! I keep getting all stressed out thinking how will I do all this and how will I get it all done and what if I miss something .... and then .... "deb - get a grip! This isn't exactly the first year you've been to a cash & carry market and you always get it done! And, unfortunately, there are some designers that are not here this year due to scheduling or family conflicts, so it won't be quite as crazed as it usually is! You'll be fine!! Go take a pill!" So I have my order cards ready and in order by room/floor number .. I know which ones I'm 'hitting' first, and know which ones I'm giving to Dave so he can go purchase for me (have to be very specific with Dave .. he has to have everything all written down so he can just smile and hand the card to someone, take the bag they give him, hand them the check, and leave .. all without having to say or explain anything! (Hey .. he's getting free room service foods here and all the TV he can watch .. he has to do some shopping things for me, right?!)

Anyway .. I'm excited .. I'll need to take a pill to sleep tonight .. this is like Christmas eve to a little one .. knowing that all the presents will be under the tree in the morning ready to dig into and then .. gift overload! Can't wait!

The Good, The Bad, and the INCREDIBLE

2010-02-15T08:17:00.003-05:00

The GOOD: Just got the new images from Blue Ribbon Designs of her Nashville releases. Since this old computer at home 'lost' it's photo sizing capabilities in the BIG Crash Of '09, I'll have to wait until I get into the shop to add them to the What's New Page!

The BAD: Signed onto AOL weather to find out what the forcast would be for Nashville this week ...
THU Mostly Sunny 41 25 -- FRI Partly Cloudy 46 35 -- SAT Showers 44 30 -- SUN
Partly Cloudy 42 31
Dare I tell Dave? He so looks forward to this Market trip because in Tennessee we get a 'glimpse' of grass getting green and a bit more 'balmy' temperatures. (sign)

The INCREDIBLE: Just saw the picture of the COMPLETED and FRAMED "Autumn At Hawk Run Hollow" being introduced at Market from The Carriage House! As absolutely incredible as her previous "Hawk Run" series .. but absolutely different in layout! Another must-have for ME!!!

Writing N Getting Ready For Nashville

2010-02-14T16:25:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentines Day!
What a weekend it's been! I started off this past week needing at least one more week (even 3 more days would have been heavenly!) before I would have to leave for the Nashville Market .. just way too much to do to get the shop and myself ready. And then, as the week wound down with things still so hectic, Friday arrived with a phone call from Betsy.
To hear of her husband Ken's diagnosis of cancer really floored me. Ken is so strong and this can't be happening, this can't be true. But it is. Betsy is a dear, dear friend, and over the years of her coming to teach at Camp, and seeing her at Markets, I've become so 'enamored' of Ken. We'd joke that he and I were running off together. She'd always give us her blessings .. Dave would just smile ... they know us too well it would seem. 5 days till leaving for Nashville .. less than 6 weeks till Camp. If you read my latest newsletter, you'll probably know how much her news affected me .. I couldn't think of anything to write about!
Then, I go into the shop Saturday morning and the very first email I open is from Sharon Crescent, sent the night before upon 'her' reading my newsletter. She checked her schedule and asked if I would like her to come to Camp in Betsy's absence to teach a class! And just like that .. I had another designer coming to teach!

Finished up the day Saturday getting my class kits together for the silk gauze class I'll be teaching in Nashville; spent a few hours today cutting and sorting floss for the kits. Also spent a few hours making notes of what requests I have from stitchers for buying at Market. I'll be adding to THAT list Monday and Tuesday, and then the shop will have to email me nightly with any additions of what I am to purchase. Brought my file cases home from the shop and have to figure out where in the garage my roller cart is stashed; as well as the pull cart for Dave to get all the boxes and bags out of the hotel and into the van when shopping is done. Got laundry done too ... so that's another step closer to leaving. Shoot ... I JUST realized I'd not yet called the Kennel to make arrangements for Nick while we're gone; LouAnn will be coming in daily to check on Mocha and Padme so they don't have to be caged.
Tomorrow have to remember to pull together all the stitched silk gauze models in the shop that I'm going to take with me as 'examples', and pack them up too. THEN I think I may be ready!
I'm sure something else will occur to me .. it always does!

Freezing N Stitching N Writing N Things

2010-01-30T09:45:00.005-05:00

It's Cold ... like 2 degrees cold! No ice though, so I can't really complain. Did I mention it's cold?

Damn heddle loom .. still giggling at me and my frustrated attempts to make it work so I can become all zen-like. I will NOT fail at this ... I'm a tenacious impatient perfectionist ... and I WILL prevail! Besides, I KNOW it's something that I've done in threading the loom ... I just have no idea yet what it could be!!

I did felt two more wool scarves on Wednesday though. One, while really cool and out of merino wool mixed with silk (aka incredibly soft and silky looking), is not quite what I was looking for .. it needs to be a bit more glam/flashy. So will try another in the same or similar colors but with more glitz added to it. When I have time, that is. I so LOVE working with the Artfelt paper technique of felting ... just do your layout and wet it completely down and ... throw it in the dryer for a couple of short periods. Pour boiling water over it .. stomp it dry in a towel and then hang to finish drying. Makes life so much simpler and saves on those back/arm muscles. Though, in summer weather, doing wet felting the 'old fashioned way' is very ZEN and nice being outside with the singing birdies!

I realized the other day that I'd not shown you the 'doll' I'd made for mom for her Christmas/Birthday present. Please remember these dolls ARE meant to be characterizations rather than actually lifelike ... no matter how I tried, her face refused to be changed! LOL Mom just loves her .. she sits on the ledge that separates her kitchen from her living room. I think what mom loves the most is that they BOTH have the same shawl!!

Tonight more stitching on my agenda .. and tomorrow as well, after I take mom grocery shopping (IF she remembers that we're going grocery shopping, that is!). Then I expect a package from Maureen Appleton of The Heart's Content. I'm going to stitch a silk gauze model for her for the Nashville Market. Maureen wrote me that ... "Two of my model stitchers recently passed (cancer), and another just took ill earlier this week, and I am left hanging. I am terribly sad about this horrible disease, as it affects all of us. Too sad to lose two great friends."
While I'm stitching that for her, everything else in my life will have to come to a complete standstill .. Maureen's project will take center stage!

Ok .. LouAnn brought me a hot beverage on her trip back from the bank this morning .. time to go drink that, get a bit warmer, and start the work day properly!
:)

Printing N Printing N ...

2010-01-24T14:07:00.002-05:00

Printing off page after page of Camp Stitchalot agendas, class brochures, coupon tickets, fee reminder tickets so I can get all of the Camp Packets off in tomorrow's mail. I've only been at this since 10:45am and it's now after 2pm (without a break AND with a screaming sinus headache) and .. I 'think' the end is in sight! Or rather, the 'printer sound' is nearly through!! I need access to a high speed printer that is free. (sigh)

Yesterday had the day off work and spent the whole time with Dave, his daughter in law Sally, and two of his grand kids (Sierra, the attorney and Sam the automotive engineer), and one of Sam's friends. We went to the Detroit Auto Show first. I'd never been to one of those events before. It was fun, not really something I'd die if I couldn't ever do again, but guess it would be something I could cross off my 'bucket list', if I had one. Did find about 4 cars I'd really like to have .. two of the concept cars and at $221,000, a bit out of my price range. LOL What am I saying? I own my own business and Dave is retired from self-employment ... I do NOT have a price range! I have no money! My trusty VUE-hical had better run for the rest of my life!

Then we went to the Plymouth Ice Festival .. where they do all the ice carvings and stuffs. COLD. I was cold, but the sculptures were melting .. it was around 35 degrees out. People! Mass amounts of people! Perhaps more that the amount that were at the Auto Show, and there was enough people there to populate a small country!! I did get lost at the Auto show a couple of times and it was too noisy for Dave to hear his cell phone ringing .. so eventually after standing in one spot slowly rotating (like I was a car on display) in circles, I was found. I kept a death-grip on Dave's coat tail at the Ice Festival.

Then we all went out for pizza afterwards and to warm up, and then it was time to head home. A terrifically fun day was had by all! And I had no problem falling to sleep AND staying asleep last night!

My sister had given Dave a HUGE bag of paperback novels for Christmas .. so I've begun reading some of those INSTEAD of using my Kindle. I had to report all finances to my accountant for tax purposes and in going over my MasterCard statements, was astounded at just HOW much I'd spent on Kindle download books!! Still ahead of the game with my Kindle costs vs new books at a news counter, but still! (don't even let Dave know!!!)

Just finished reading "Plague Ship" by Clive Custler .. one of his Dirk Pitt novels. I like them .. but wonder, since in every novel Dirk Pitt briefly actually meets a guy named Clive Custler, why doesn't he remember meeting CC each time he does? Dirk IS a very intelligent character after all!
And am nearly through with a book by an author my sister introduced me to ... Harlan Coben. It's one of his Myron Bolitar novels. Amusing and not hard to get into but I will have to read a couple more of these, or perhaps even a few from a different series to see if I really like his style or not. Right now it's like the author doesn't have to say anything thoughtful or substantial as long as he has his main character wise-cracking nonstop. In a way, this one reminds me of Paul Levine's Solomon vs. Lord Novels - like "Kill All The Lawyers" ... but THAT one (and the rest in the series) was FANTASTIC!

Printer is through! ta da ... and so am I!

Finally Awake ....

2010-01-15T14:55:00.002-05:00

... now that my California market trip has faded into the background of my mind, that is.

I arrived back at Flint Bishop airport at 11:59PM Tuesday night and thankfully, Dave was awake and waiting for me. By the time we got home and what little adrenalin I had left had faded away, it was after 2:00AM on Wednesday morning. Slept until 9:30am .. went back to bed at 11.30am. Woke up at 3pm .. drifted off to sleep in my chair on and off between 5 and 7pm. Stayed awake long enough to watch "Mercy" and then back to sleep I went. Got back into the shop on Thursday ... shop was still standing, shop still looked the same, and I still have the same work waiting for me. sigh
The only 'shock to my system', other than jet lag, was when I met my flight in Milwaukee WI and had to WALK out to the tarmac and into the plane .. with no coat!! I had a lightweight wool poncho on and my winter coat was in my suitcase in the belly of a plane somewhere .. knew I wouldn't need it for Long Beach!

I had the BEST time! Not sure what all made it all go so wonderfully .. perhaps the weather, the classes I took, the people I was spending time with .. I don't know .. it was just so MUCH FUN! Even in the 'postage stamp' we stayed in (the people at that hotel were so nice!!). Penny flew out on Monday afternoon so I had LOTS more room that night. Karen Aho and I spent Monday afternoon at the Aquarium Of The Pacific as she wasn't flying out until Tuesday like me. THAT was fun .. love "Nemo and Dorie", and saw fishies I'd never ever seen before up close and in person. I refused to "pet" a shark or "sting ray" however ... not me, no how! We then had a nice pizza dinner and talk.

Mom had given me money for Christmas so I spent that on my Loom and all kinds of felting wool and yarns and my personal travel expenses, so that worked out well. Still, I DID give my shop checkbook and CC a bit of a workout. Not like Nashville, but !

I did have to spend some time in airports showing off my Kindle. Karen got to play with it before her plane took off; she'd just seen one before but not operated one. And while in the Phoenix airport while drinking my Chai Tea Latte with ESPRESSO, one of the guy staff wanted to know what it was all about .. so I didn't get much reading done while at Starbucks waiting for my flight out. Had no problems with it on the plane though .. and spent all my flight time there and back listening to an audio book "The Lace Reader" by Brunonia Barry ... which I totally enjoyed!!! I didn't really want to stop and wait for the return flight to continue it. A great read, er .. listen!

And then Nashville will be coming up ... Feb 19 - 21 ... and Dave will be going to that Market with me as my trusty pack mule. Luckily for me, NASCAR Speed Week and Daytona will be the week before we go instead of actually during the Trade Show. It's so hard to drag him away from the TV then to come and get packages to haul back to the room for me.
As soon as Nashville is over, Camp Stitchalot will be 3 weeks later. I think I get to breathe again in late April!!

LONG BEACH .... I'm Here!!!

2010-01-07T19:28:00.003-05:00

OMG - there's NO snow here! It's sunny and in the low 70's; evenings low 50's perhaps. Sat outside for lunch in the sun in tee-shirt and pants .. no socks! I'm in LOVE!!!

The hotel is about 4 blocks from the Convention Center, 1 block away from a Starbucks in the morning, and past all these great places to eat! Busy populated area = quite safe for walking back and forth.

Now .. the hotel! What can I tell you about our hotel room??????

Your stay at the Varden Hotel will be an architectural and design experience.
It's white. It has art deco type lighting. It's clean. The bed is very comfy.

They call this a European Boutique-style hotel. Doesn't boutique bring to mind a small little shop or sort? If so, then they've hit the nail right on the head with calling it 'boutique-style'. No problem really ... we're only here to sleep!

Our room is about 6 feet x 6 feet TOTAL in size!! I do not lie - I do not exaggerate ... when the hotel guy brought my bag up to the room for me upon check in and showed me where the light switches and stuff were, we only stood in one spot and kind of swiveled from the hip to see each area. It's TINY! I've seen rent-a-night rustic cabins that were bigger than this room .. and there's two of us in here! It's really hysterical!

This room picture was taken from just outside the doorway, standing at the entrance. See that blue chair? That's the side wall .. which is exactly 7 of my footsteps from edge of bed regular sized double bed) to that wall (I wear a 7 1/2 shoe). See the mirror behind that blue chair? That's the sliding wall that closes off the bathroom from the bedroom. There are exactly 2 1/4 Deb-footsteps from the end of the bed to that wall. See at far right back? That's a glimpse of the bathroom .. in which the sink is attached SIDEWAYS to the wall (apparently so it won't stick out any further). The shower is about 4 Deb-steps square with wraparound shower curtain. When you wash your face or brush your teeth and go to lean over the sink, you'll crack your forehead on the glass shelf that is 'just' above the faucet. The cool lighted deco mirror is neat ... however, I have to stand on tip toe to see 'me' in it .. thank goodness for that sliding mirrored wall.

There is a drawer beneath the bed for use, as well as a metal rod sticking out of the wall at the doorway that has 8 holes for hangers on it. Small glass shelf where the blue chair is for putting your laptop on. TA DA ... it's a 'postage stamp'! Penny and I laughed for the longest time ... we're still laughing! Why are we staying here? Most of the hotels reserved for the Market Trade Show were booked AND those that weren't were really pricey. Our LITTLE corner of the world is only $120 a night (and split that two ways and you have a bargain!)

First day of meetings went really well ... we all felt that we accomplished quite a bit. I'm looking forward to the beginning of classes tomorrow. This particular Market isn't that geared toward my shops' needleart needs, but I get so much from attending the TNNA Markets!! That's probably ONE of the reasons I'm still in business after all these years, and still going strong despite Michigan's economy. You're with others in your industry - even though they're in a different needleart venue; you gain so much inspiration and gather ideas from others-they're in the same economic pinch as me; and business tips and such ideas abound. The class tomorrow, the weaving class, is being taken 'just for me' and not for my shop .. I'm not bringing weaving in, never fear. It was offered, we had an incentive of take two classes and get one class free...and that's the reason! I learned drop spinning last year, now weaving .. it's all needlearts!!! Where else could I learn something new for relatively 'few bucks' AND in California in the winter to boot?!!

There are so many shops who sit back and won't attend trade shows and whine about how bad business is and some even close their shops. Those shops who attend trade shows are proven statistically to have higher sales year after year and those are the shops that have 'stay-ability'. (is that a word??) You can wait for someone to supply you with the 'magic elixir' that will bring in customers and increase your business .. OR .. you can make that magic potion yourself by actively working to do the same. That's the reason for Trade Shows .. it isn't about just what you can order/purchase for your shop .. it's about the ideas you gain, relationships you build, classes you take, confidence/inspiration/energy you receive that will see you through these times!!

Am I saying that a shop should go to every trade show? Of course not, but I am saying that those who do attend one or better yet, two a year are the ones that will succeed(and no, you can't get THAT experience/inspiration/energy on a computer!)

Penny had another meeting after our all day one and that's why I'm back here in the 'postage stamp' updating you on my day. I'll walk back down to the C.Center in another hour or so and then we'll go off in search of food with some other friends. Super day - See ya later!

Market Bound!!!

2010-01-06T14:59:00.003-05:00

Greetings from Sunny Phoenix!! At least, it LOOKS sunny from the airport windows. Two flights down, one more to go and then I have to find transportation to my hotel in Long Beach CA.

Such a small town girl I am! Flew in on Continental and had to change airlines to US Air. That means I flew into one terminal and then had to take a bus to terminal 4. I was falling asleep between Cleveland and Phoenix, so found a Starbucks as soon as I got to terminal 4 and made them add a shot of espresso to my Chai Tea Latte ... love the taste of Chai, needed the kick of the espresso. THEN ... I find out that I have to go through security again .. and of course, can't take my beverage through!! Aaaargh! There went $5.00 down the drain ... almost! A very kind TSA employee told me that since I had quite a wait now between flights, why didn't I just go sit over there in the corner (there WAS a chair there) and drink my 'fix'. THEN I could go through security with no problems.....so I did it! Now that I'm at my gate with time galore to spare, guess what kiosk is RIGHT NEXT DOOR ... yep .. Starbucks! I don't dare get another! Deb and 2 shots of espresso + boarding a plane = Deb getting thrown off the plane for excess energy!!!!

Being the single minded person I am ... only one thing can be concentrated on at a time ... I did NOT realize until Dec 30th that I would be flying to Market DURING Inventory! I honestly thought I had a couple more weeks to go. Needless to say, Jan 1 - 4 were rather nerve racking for all in close proximity to me! It's not actually the 'counting of items' for Inventory that gets me crazed ... it's the final SEEING on paper just HOW MUCH MONEY is wrapped up in the shop (and knowing that I'll be taxed on it all over again too)! Let's just say that on Wednesday I called my tax people and had them "raise" my coverage amounts! deep sigh

So, in a couple of hours I'll be in Long Beach at The Varden-A Boutique Hotel...about 4 blocks away from the convention center, so nice walking distance. I'm rooming with Penny from Ewe Count in Wyoming. Tomorrow, Thursday, I'll be in a TNNA Retail Council Board meeting all day long.

Friday starts classes ... I'm taking a "Learning To Weave on a Rigid Heddle Loom" (keep in mind that I will most likely once again be the ONLY Cross Stitch ONLY shop owner at this trade show .. it's mostly needlepoint & knitting .. and I was the only XS only shop there last year!). Then we'll have the Retailers’ Meeting/Luncheon/
Special Speaker; that evening will be the Sample It ! (where we can purchase a sampling of what will be shown),the Teacher Meet & Greet; Needlepoint Group Event and Fashion Show.

Saturday begins SHOPPING! I also have a class that morning, before the floor opens, another Needle Felting Class ... but I couldn't resist: "punch away on our newest needle felting stress reliever, "My Ex-Husband." Now HOW could I not take a class with that description??!!! Saturday night we have some free time where we can go over to the Queen Mary for dinner .. fun!

Sunday .. another class in the morning before shopping begins, this time "Ewe Don't Need No Stinkin' Dye Pots" when you learn to take yarn from bare to beautiful the Ewe Dye-It way. Chris will teach you the tricks to her ultra low water method using professional acid dyes. Her no mess techniques are safe and use commonly available supplies for gorgeous results on wool, silk or other animal fiber yarns and threads." This technique should cross over to wool roving, and I brought some white merino with me ... just in case! That evening, before dinner is the Counted Thread and Embroidery Group Meeting.

Monday morning is another board meeting and then the final day of shopping .. Market closes at 2pm. I don't fly back out until around noon on Tuesday, so I'll have some 'me' time maybe. Of course, each night is also meeting with friends as well as for networking and dinner and fun!

Since I don't have my power cord with me, I'll cut this short before my battery dies. I DO .. I WILL have to get a much smaller/lighter computer for my next trip! When I got this one, it was the lightest out there - that was probably back 'in the day' and now it's one of the heaviest. Dragging it on my shoulder from flight to flight is a bit more than I ever want to do again! Hope to be in touch a bit later!!!!

With APOLOGIES to Clement C. Moore

2009-12-20T10:21:00.007-05:00

'Twas 5 days before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The fur-babies were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-frosted squirrels danced in their heads;

And dad in his sweatpants, and I without a cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When inside the bedroom wall there arose such a clatter,
We knew immediately just what was the matter.

To that wall I wanted to fly like a flash,

With sledgehammer in hand and a loud evil laugh.

They were playing chase the acorn and then roll the walnut began,
That squirrel and 37 of his closest friends .. at 2:30am.

But I couldn't destroy walls my husband reminded me in time,

So I turned on the lamp and read a good book (even though that doesn't rhyme).

And I heard that squirrel exclaim, before his party was through,

"Happy Christmas to all .. Deb lives in a zoo."

it's the weekend and I'll blog if I wanna ....

2009-12-12T14:31:00.012-05:00

Thought I'd share what I've been working on the past couple of weeks on my days off .. more scarf felting .. what can I say? It's fun!

I had made this first one (at right) this past September .. Dave called it the 'swiss cheese effect'. Then I decided it had to be a 'more' warm weather scarf and 'added' to it. I like the way it came out this way too (it's below)! Definitely looks more like Michigan weather ware than the first time around!

A bit of glitz and some funky chunky yarns woven through the wool created the brown on brown with touches of turquoise scarf above.

Then I went with another double sided scarf ... argyle pattern on one side and overlaid shades of greens, blues and blacks on the other side. It's quite thin and would make an great indoor 'fashion type' scarf .. but since it IS 100% Merino Wool, it will work under a coat outside too!
The scarf at right is predominately browns, greys, mauves and pale blues. Again, has some chunky yarns laid through it. It's another very lightweight scarf and very soft!

Then we come to my 'inspiration masterpiece'! I had the idea just spring into my wee little brain for this one while making a previous scarf and just started to play. I really had no intention of making any more, but ... ! It's a mixture of Merino wool, bits of acrylic glitz and some Angelina, and a fiber mixture (a secret mohair/merino/nylon/silk and "Bling" bits) from Pagewood Farms called 'tinkerbell fluff'. I've got a picture of the 'fluff' at far left, but my assortment - of course - was all Whites and Creams with bits of gold, silver and bits and pieces of color mixed in with it.

It took nearly 4 times as long to felt, but the result is incredible!! I've never felt anything as soft as this one - I brought some in to the shop today for Show And Tell and everyone was going crazy over this one too .. so it's not just me!! And it looks like you can see right through it to other layers too ... c'est magnifique!!!

Now I did say "I was done" ... but decided that tomorrow I'll do just one more! It's an addiction ... help me ... make it stop ... I'm supposed to be cross stitching!!!

One more .. just one more I promise!!

Corrected Tech Info and Stitching

2009-12-07T16:22:00.002-05:00

Ok ok ok ... Debbie has pointed out to me that my little freebie toy is NOT an iPod ... it's an MP3 player. A cheap one at that, but NOT an iPod. toMAYtoes/toMAHtoes

Got a bit of felting done yesterday ... but didn't turn out well. Going to have to see what I can do to rescue this scarf on Wednesday as I really don't want to start all over again. Spent the evening last night stitching on Raise The Roof's "Christmasland". Still on chartpack #1, but it's coming along.

Put the tree up .. it's a little fake one, a tall thin (can you say THIN) Alpine tree .. but it's up and decorated. Stuck off in a corner by the wood stove where I can see it from my stitching/tv chair. Why have a tree up if you can't see it whenever you look up? And that my dear, is WHY it's a fake .. it's very very hot in that corner by the stove!
Thinking about the ornaments I put on it "this" year. Decided to bring down a box of my old favorites (aka extremely breakable) as Padme has experienced Christmas trees, and really doesn't give them a thought .. as long as she can lay under it. Mocha, the very well behaved princess, could care less .. as long as the tree isn't where she 'usually sleeps', she's fine with it.
Anyway .. thinking about the ornaments and realized that .. with the exception of 4 unbreakable ornies on the lowest branches just in case the temptation becomes too great .. there isn't an ornament on it that is LESS than 20 years old. Actually, I think most of mine are in the 30-year old range, and then those from my grandmother are in the 70 to 90-year old range. And I have a vintage 1930's star at the very top! Each one has a lot of meaning to me, and to see them on my tree again, brings a smile to my mind!

Music N Felting N Stitching N Things

2009-12-05T09:51:00.002-05:00

The "Sting" CD is gone .. sold .. thank you to my bud Theresa at Homestead Needlearts, I've been able to afford a hot Cappuccino for the past two days!! And most interesting of all ... "she" REALLY likes that CD. Takes all kinds I guess (ducking)

Now I've got a new bit of technology ... my very first iPod!!! Not state of the art by any means .. it was a 'free with $100 purchase' at one of the office supply stores .. so that kind of gives you an idea of just how 'fantastic an iPod' this really is! LOL With the remainder of my gift certificate from Amazon, I purchased Rod Stewart's newest "Soulbook". I couldn't get it to 'load' on the device ... I had a customer's husband spent time trying to download it (while his wife shopped - got him out of her hair for awhile!) and he couldn't get it working. So Tuesday I had Debbie do it for me .. she's my chief techie here .. and she had problems too. But would not be daunted, and 'finally' got it on the iPod for me!! whoo hooo
She did report, however, that one of the ear buds did NOT work.
So I got to listen to a bit of it in 'mono' and not stereo on the way home ... and it wasn't loud at all! In fact, could hardly hear it over the sound of my car tires!

Pulled out the ear buds I bought for my Kindle, and listened a bit more on the drive into work the next morning. Still couldn't get that volume to go up. Obviously this device was developed by some one's MOM ... 'don't want to ruin your hearing with that loud music'!!
Disgusted ... oh well, at least this thingy didn't cost me 'anything' other than the office supplies I would have been ordering anyway!

Then .. on the way home last night .. tried to give it 'one last try'. Hey .. you really CAN get the music out of an iPod IF you have the earplug device pushed ALL THE WAY IN!
And .. even better .. I discovered on the way back to the shop this morning that ... my Kindle ear bud things even have a 'volume turnerupper/downer' built right onto the cord!!!! And to think I flew all the way home using the Kindles' volume up and down instead!
I'm so incredibly observant!!!
This means I'm now rather pleased with my little iPod freebie, AND 'most' of the songs on my new Rod Stewart. His scratchy voice was perfect for ALL of the "Great American Songbook" CD's he'd done but I think he's rather reaching on "Soulbook" .. but it's not a loss .. think I'll keep it!!! LOL

Hopefully I'll be able to stay home all day tomorrow! Worked my day off here at the shop for Debbie and that screwed up my carefully planned out schedule of (1) taking mom out to shop (2) felting another scarf (3) getting my hair cut and (4) putting up the tree. Now I have two scarves to make tomorrow as well as put up the tree. Don't think there's enough hours tomorrow for all of that though...deep sigh!!! Under a deadline here to get Christmas gifts out in time and .. once again I'm in crunch time - just when I thought I had it all together. Will have to wait till Weds. to do 'some' of it ... maybe I can put mom off tomorrow too!

Also waiting for my next installment of Bent Creek's Christmas Branch - the owl - to arrive. If it doesn't' come today, I'll be on the 'email' with BC to find out why! They 'rarely, if ever' have their newest to Hoffman and Norden even within 2 weeks of a shop getting their auto. And I've not gotten my auto yet .. HDC and NC have the new ones though! And Kathy just informed me that so do some 'other shops' ... as of early last week!!!! aarrgghhh Not like I don't have anything to stitch .. I've just started Raise The Roof's "Christmasland". I can't do scarf making in the evening at home ... not enough light to see exactly what I'm doing. Except for my two stitching areas and Dave's chair (Ott-Light Heaven), our living room is very dark.

oops .. store is open .. time to get to work!

Writing and Hurrying and .. and .. and ..

2009-11-30T17:27:00.002-05:00

Still in somewhat of a 'turkey coma' ... don't know WHY I eat so much! Maybe it's because the ONLY time I have turkey and all the good stuffs is on Thanksgiving. Or else because it's getting colder out and my primal brain is telling me to eat eat eat so I can last through hibernation. sigh
Turkey .. it's good for you, right? Hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving!!

Well, I'm right on schedule. Here I have almost all of my Christmas gifts made and now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, I'm thinking of all the other stuff I can still stitch, felt, knot or punch. Like I have all the time in the world left. another sigh
I've really got 3 more scarves to do, 2 to kind of 're-do', as I've had some other ideas as to how they 'could' look. Hopefully my re-dos work so I don't have to re-create all over again. That's what I'll be doing tonight when I get home ... re-do #1.

Saw Sting on the Today show the other morning, doing a song from his newest album (does that one word date me or what?) "If On A Winter's Night". Walked around most of the day with the song in my head. Saw I had a gift certificate for Amazon so I ordered the CD. So excited .. got it .. put it in .. HATE IT! The only song I like 'at all' is the one I'd heard on the Today show promoting the album. The rest .. ickty ick ick! I should have read some reviews. I knew it was dating back to 'olde England' but really! Every other song is slow, drawn out, and ... did I mention I absolutely HATE this CD??!! If anyone would like to purchase it from me for $4.00 (which would include shipping), just let me know!!!!

Reading? Started reading the latest from Diana Gabaldon "An Echo In The Bone" but it hasn't grabbed me. I decided that maybe it was not a 'book to read to fall asleep', but 'a book to be read only when you're going to read the day away'. So I picked up the first in the Dresden File series by Jim Butcher again ... and now I'm just about through the entire series again (and the next doesn't come out until September!! aarrgghhhh) I'll get back to Gabaldon, but ... the last few have been nothing like Outlander and the several afterwards unfortunately.

Yikes .. I should be going home ... just look at the time! Later!!!

November Stitch N ...

2009-11-17T10:04:00.009-05:00

I've been recording my starts, finishes and want to stitch nexts in my newsletter updates, but decided that I really 'should' show you what they all look like .. just in case you may think I've been tryin' ta fool ya!

At left is Homespun Elegance's "Holiday Samplings II", stitched using the Palomino linen and fibers the designer used. I've got it 'thumb tacked' to the wall in the shop right now while waiting for the frame to arrive so it can get finished up properly. I absolutely LOVED stitching this one .. something about the colors really really appealed to me! The only thing I DISLIKE is the "A" of the ABC at lower right. I suppose I could have tried to alter it, and I thought about finding another alphabet and changing it from ABC to DRK (my initials) ... but since it will be a shop model for awhile before it goes home to live with me, decided to just leave it as designed.

When at Market and seeing Hinzeit's "Crystal Rudolph and Crystal Ho Ho Ho Sleigh" stitched up and framed as one, I HAD to do it too!

Of course, I didn't have the cream lugana in stock the designer used, but I did have Opalescent White .. and with the Swarvoski Crystals embellishing both, and with the sparkly white snowflakes painted on the frame, thought the Opal would really work! Of course I didn't really "look" at the chart, or I would have seen that there was a 'B5200 white' snowflake stitched on the design (in my defense, the chart photo didn't pick it up either!). When I got to that point, I played around with Splendor silks, Trebizond silks, etc to see if I could get it to stand out from the fabric .. but in the end went with the floss (the hell with it!). Still, I'm very pleased with this one .. it's all glittery!!!

Liked Poppy Kreations "Tree Trimmings III" when I saw it at market too! The little cardinal frame has a front (with opening for the design) and back (to cover up the fabric completely) and called for being put together with wood glue (and under a heavy object till set). I had wood glue, but did I use it? Noooooooooo! I used "Gorilla Glue" which would hold two trucks together and once it's 'glued' will be glued forever! Needless to say, my cardinal frame front and back do not exactly 'match' .. but what the heck .. gives an illusion of 'fluttering wings' that way!

And when Pine Mountain Designs' automatic arrived last week, I grabbed their December Frame-Up and took it home to stitch right away! MINE! It's in the shop right now too ... complete kit and comes with Aida. Since it would be a model most of the year, I stitched it as it came. I really have a terrible time stitching on Aida after using linen/evenweaves all these years! That needle goes anywhere except in that hole!!! So I guess I can say, this little Frame-Up was my most difficult of my stitching projects!

And here is my 'nearly completed' first part (O Christmas Squirrel) of Bent Creek's newest series .. The Christmas Branch. They did theirs on normal old everyday 'browns' ... I knew I was going to stitch it on something else ... but hadn't decided until Kathy stated she wanted an Opalescent Blue so it would look more like a snowy Christmas sky. I pulled the colors and decided, with help from Picture This Plus, on 32ct Crystal Dwarf. All I have left to stitch, right now, is the 'tree' word at the top and the verse at the bottom. It was a bit hard to pic fabric NOT knowing what the finished design would look like (colors used that is), but ... so far I'm a'lovin it!!!!

Still Blogging .. Still Here!

2009-11-13T09:25:00.003-05:00

I think I know what had pushed me so far 'over the edge' with the recent theft in my shop.

It has been medically proven that women who keep their hands busy, particularly in challenging time in order to relieve the stress of their daily lives, actually DO reduce their stress level. Actually lower their blood pressure! We are so busy now that just sitting down for an hour makes a big difference on the stress impact to our bodies. And so does being able to walk into a cross stitch store .. where you can look at other stitchery, plan another project, talk to other stitchers about your craft, your current project and forget about all those problems outside that shops' door that exist in your 'real world'. We all need that bit of stress relief (fondling new fabrics and fibers helps big time!) and that's what a 'store front shop' offers you.

For the past several months, I have had so many NEW stitchers wander in ... who saw my sign and wondered what we were all about. And once through the door, they were having So Much Fun being in a cross stitch shop again! I was answering questions, sharing their laughter, offering tips, feeding off their enthusiasm .. that when I'd go home at night, I was going home on a HIGH! That is what having an actual 'walk in store front' needlework shop is all about .. that is what makes everything worthwhile! And of course, my 'regular' in-shop customers as well as my 'regular' Internet customers .. some who we have come to know so well .. all add to that feeling!
The Internet is here to stay of course .. and I (unfortunately for Dave) fully realize that "shopping in the comfort of your chair" is here to stay. But when making the decision to leave my 'big' shop in Davison and move to this smaller location, I so wanted to be able to have a 'store front' instead of an Internet shop out of my house or warehouse somewhere. I wanted THAT interaction with others .. with other stitchers. The smile of delight, that shared interaction, when someone comes through the door is what MY business is all about for me!

There are those in the world that so easily bring a 'high' crashing down. I try to avoid those who just exude negativity and ill will, and then, one of 'them' wanders into my shop, or walks in deliberately. I've come to terms with it. I can't dwell on a wrong-doing that has been done to me. You need to 'find the good things to hang onto' each day.
Someone sent me the following .. and I'm so glad they did:
Do not be discouraged or dismayed by the besetting concerns of this day
For upon the threshold of this day stands the Lord who made it.
This is the day that the Lord has made
Rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalms.....118:24

Debby, Squirrels and Thieves ...

2009-11-10T17:25:00.006-05:00

. .. kind of like a song isn't it? But even if "Cher" were to sing my new lyrics, I doubt I'd want to sing along.

What has happened to personal integrity? Honesty? Common sense? Is it OK to steal from a business but not from a friend? What would that difference be? Perhaps we steal from where we work but would never think of going into our spouse's pockets. I don't know. Is it because 'if you own a business, that person must be wealthy and if no one is the wiser, then it doesn't matter? Or if no one sees you, you must not be stealing? So many things in the world ... you can't afford it, but you want it so you just take it.

There are hundreds of ways to steal, and dozens of excuses for stealing, but only one way and one reason and one law of integrity: That way is honor; the reason is a clear conscience; and that law is God's. He says, "You shall not steal." That means Never. Not in any way. Not from any one. That goes for those of you who come into my shop and leave as thieves. I don't want to be around you. And today, I nearly wasn't going to be ever again. Had Debbie not been here in the shop with me, I would have left ... and I wasn't going to come back. I don't understand those with no morals or scruples. Those who feel exempt from the rest of the world. And those who 'call themselves stitchers' and then do what they do in needlework shops! You are not the people I wish to be around.

IF I could catch you, I'd drag you halfway through the squirrel-gnawed-out-hole-in-my-garage-door and leave you there!

Calmer now, I thought I'd show you two more scarves .. from Sundays felting:

And this picture is of the 'cat tent' I had to make out of one of my two working tables .. so Mocha and Padme would be otherwise occupied and stay away from my bits of wool and yarn:

It's still 'up' in the living room .. the felines are having way too much fun with the battles on either side of the sheet. And besides, I'll be doing some more felting tomorrow so will need 'it's help'!

Back To NORMAL ... huh???

2009-11-07T08:59:00.004-05:00

As you will have seen by now .. my shop newsletter updates are 'back to normal' with stuff about Deb's life that shouldn't be considered 'normal'. sigh .. I live in a zoo!

I actually didn't completely realize I'd slipped away from my 'chatty format' until I received that email from another stitcher. I knew I wasn't happy with my newsletters but ... the obvious reason was totally overlooked! I think part of the problem came from having to write them here at the shop 'after hours'. At home, my wireless no longer works (Verizon says it does though as they show me within their 'area' .. yeah right!!!) and regular dial-up connection is so slow. And with hubby, cats and dog seeking my attention, I'd be at the computer for up to 4 hours (or more!) trying to get the newsletter completed. Then here at the shop, while the connection is SO fast, I'd be here till 8pm with no dinner, blood sugar dropping which meant I'd be wandering around looking at stuff instead of typing (and not really realizing it!) and getting grumpy because I was still at the shop. LOL ... Guess I just got to the 'gist' of the product info and ignored 'me'. But .. back to 'normal'.

I've been stitching like a mad woman, and also felting scarves like crazy! I did two on Wednesday .. and here they are:

I used dyed wool and some really clunky funky yarn that had bits and pieces of curly locks and metallics and other neat stuff woven into it. Found the skeins at the St. Charles cash & carry Market .. that's the only way I could have afforded to get 'that' yarn' .. expensive even at wholesale, phew, but worth it!

I'm felting the 'easy way' now that the weather has turned and I cannot 'wet felt' outside (or in the garage ... the squirrel throws nuts at me!!!). I'm using the ArtFelt method! It's not as 'zen' as rolling, rolling, rolling by hand, but you still have the 'artistic layout' bit going for you. Here's the FIRST one I did with an ArtFelt KIT:

All materials and easy step by step instructions come in one easy kit! Really! Check it out here!

That's how I was able to do two in one day. And with some 'inventive thinking' on my part.

I have two 5' long tables that I had put end to end
so I could do the layout. You start with a piece of the ArtFelt paper 72" long, so it seemed easier to try it that way, rather than just have the 'ends' of the paper hanging down on either end of the table.

Problem! As soon as I put the tables up and turned my back ... two, count em! TWO CATS immediately took up residence on the tables and would NOT leave. Ever tried to lay out loose wool and yarn strips with cats right next to you. I don't think I need to say more on that! EPIPHANY!!! Went into the linen closet and got an old fitted sheet. Put two of the fitted ends over the end sides of one of the tables with the sheet hanging down .. instant TENT! Cat city! FUN!!!!!!!!!! Mocha and Padme spent most of the afternoon attacking each other from either side of the 'tent' and I was left to my own creativity in peace (somewhat). The Tent Cat City was such a hit, it's still up and in the living room. Told you .. I live in a zoo!!

"Why Did You Change?"

2009-11-01T15:04:00.002-05:00

I received the following e-mail yesterday morning ...
"What has happened to your friendly and homespun newsletter? Where is news about your mother? I always enjoyed your refreshing description of your week and all you did and your latest projects. Now this epistle is so cold, just like all the other impersonal newsletters whose only aim is to sell their ware. I always looked forward to Fridays and "words" from you.
How about returning to your old way at least once in a while?
A sad subscriber "

What was so interesting about that e-mail was this ... I woke up 'wide awake' Saturday at 3:00am (gwad I hate that!!!) and while trying to convince my brain to shut up and go back to sleep, that very thing was what was running through my head. I'd just written such a cut and dried newsletter that it was bothering me! The last few newsletters had the same impersonal feel (or lack of feeling) to them too! I totally agreed with her!!!

Newsletters are a funny thing. If I make personal comments or talk about (well - ramble, as I tend to do) what's going on in my life, I'll get e-mails from those who remind me that I am a 'shop' and should only talk shop stuffs. If I only talk shop stuffs, then I get emails asking me about my mom's health or if I've been 'hit with a mattress lately' .. well, you get the idea!
That was one of the reasons I started this Blog .. to keep the newsletters about the shop and this more about me and what I'm doing. Then I don't post here as often as I would like to because I want to stitch instead of sitting at a computer. And at the shop, I rarely have time to just sit and yammer about stuffs.

I will still post here .. this is different than my shop newsletters and I will make every effort to keep that difference going. My newsletters WILL return to the 'old way I used to write'. I'm a 'stitcher', I'm a 'shop', I'm an 'individual as well as a shop owner' .. and I should never have tried to SEPARATE the two. My shop newsletters will hopefully bring 'me' to your computers, with chatter about my life, my stitching, shop information, what the gals are doing in the shop, what's happening with market, my dog and my cats. My shop newsletters will return with that personal touch that so many of you have complimented me on; where stitchers have told me that reading them makes them think they 'know' me as a real live stitcher and not just a 'brick and mortar' building that holds needlework within its' walls.
Criticisms ... bring them on. Kudos .. those are welcome too! The worst that can happen? I'll lose some subscribers. The best that can happen? You'll enjoy your newsletters again and I'll possibly gain some new subscribers.

Stitches N Things IS me ... the shop reflects my personality .... and I'm sorry for forgetting that!

Stitching N Updating

2009-10-06T10:25:00.003-04:00

I wanted to share with you my latest, back from the framer, silk gauze 'masterpiece' ... from Blue Ribbon Designs, this is "Americana Panorama" on 40ct.
I chose a 'backing' mat board that was as similar in color as the Woodsmoke fabric Belinda chose for her model, but the ivory gauze lightens it up a bit. The frame is from Eastside Mouldings and is a deep country/brick red.

HAD I KNOWN she was going to be doing a "Winter White Wonderland" panorama (not released yet), I would have waited! I'm such a winter/Christmas junkie when it comes to stitching, and have never owned a single patriotic stitchery ... oh well, I do now .. and I really like it!!

It's on display in the shop now where you can easily 'see' it!

And I just updated my SPECIALS page of my web site with ALL the SPECIALS AND SALES that will be going on during the month of OCTOBER .. in order by date .. go take a look-see! (if you do not see October with the flying witch at the top ... hold down your CTRL key at the same time as you click on the refresh symbol!

Stitchin N Stuffs

2009-10-05T17:17:00.006-04:00

What an exhausting week last week was! LouAnn, Debbie and I were all walking attempting to talk zombies by end of the day on Saturday .. but all Market goodies had been sorted through and put out on display, boxes thrown out, and invoices stuck where invoices go. It's a good thing! Another good thing is being able to sleep for 13 hours STRAIGHT on Saturday night/Sunday morning!! Not Dave, not the dog, not the cats .. no one woke me up! That felt good .. and then I just kicked back and read/stitched the day away. And that was a good thing too!

I was thinking about the upcoming A Stitchalot Weekend Oct. 16, 17 & 18 .. and have decided NOT to teach the witch felting class I was thinking of doing.

INSTEAD ... you will have the opportunity to purchase a kit or kits ... and learn the technique right there so that you will have a completed project to take with you when you leave the weekend. You'll get me to answer questions and assist or teach the technique to you as you do it ... kind of a one on one, but FOR FREE (yep - I'm free that weekend - LOL), and when you want to learn it.

I'll have a variety for you:

Needle Felting (1) with the new Mitten Kits, either go free style and artistic yourself, or follow a paint stencil for your design.

Needle Felting (2) with the kits from Lorna where you start with a pre-felted body egg shape and go from there.

Artfelt Felting .. where you'll be creating a small purse pouch/pocket with your choice of fibers and embellishments. aka = wet felting the EASY way using your creativity in laying out the wools AND using a dryer!

Needle Punch .. from a new designer I found at Market are the most adorable little Angel Face PINS to make and wear. There will also be a little "Snow Girl With Holly" available as well!

All you need to do is purchase your kit or the supplies needed (and I'll have everything in the SNT Boutique there at the hotel, and then I'll take it from there for you! All 4 types of projects are very quick, incredibly easy, and you can take one or two or all whenever the mood suits you - not at a scheduled time!

We're gonna have FUN!!!

Buying N Flying N Things

2009-10-01T08:33:00.003-04:00

Phew! Sorry for the so late blog about Market, but this morning is the first chance I've had to catch my breath (and also the first chance to get to the shop hours before anyone else so that I CAN catch my breath)!

MARKET WAS PHENOMENAL!! What more can I say? I honestly think that this Market was perhaps the best one in a very long time .. less rushed, quality designs wherever I looked, and more fun! There were not as many shops attending that there should have been (IMHO) and four of the scheduled vendors/designers were not able to attend due to health issues or duplicate booking issues, but .. we had 5 FLOORS to peruse! And besides the counted threads and needlepoint, there were some knitting, some punch needle, some accessory bags or embellishments or gadgets or lighting supplies, and a couple that carried felting supplies. I managed to get into every room there I believe .. of course I hit my cross stitch rooms first, and then on Sunday, after my 'scheduled shopping rounds' were completed, I got to do some "deb shopping" just for me!

I taught my Silk Gauze Class Friday morning and I do believe it was a success! That's what I was hearing that is, from not only the participants later on the shopping floors, but also from some other shops AND from Kreinik ! That afternoon I took a felting class from Judy Bielec .. just for fun .. where we created a 'witch head' .. that was another FUN fun FUN class!!

My BFF Sharon (who lives in Jackson MO, just above Cape G) arrived on Friday afternoon. So after a bit of dinner, we were able to do some of the 'early bird' shopping with those designers who decided to open early for us.

I also had some of my gauze models with me, so offered them for display to La D Da ("Friends Forever", "Leaping Cat", and "Girl In Red Dress)), Carriage House Samplings (look at her blog link from here you can see her room; the 3rd picture down shows my "Happy Hallo'ween" laying down flat, with hers' standing up at the left), Erica Michaels (her "Random Threads" in an Olde Colonial Treasure Box), and Michelle Ink's "Outside The Lines" (she had her stitched piece there and hung mine above it .. how cool to see them together like that!)

Saturday we shopped together like fiends, and ordered pizza in that night so we could sit in the room and I could start adding to my web catalog while she started packing boxes she'd brought for me. Sunday Sharon had to leave before noon. Hugs all around - it was SO GOOD to be able to spend time with her!!

I borrowed a 'flat cart' from Matt at Norden Crafts about 3:35pm with promises that I'd have it back in their room by 4 minutes to 4:00 (when Market officially closed), and hauled butt up to my room, loaded up *5* (count em .. FIVE) Boxes of merchandise, and off I went to the in-hotel UPS room .. where I was leaving them to be shipped home to the shop. No way could I bring them back with me, not flying like I was! I did have some items 'in one suitcase' (I'd brought an extra inside my first suitcase just for that purpose). Some shop owner in the elevator when I was heading to the UPS room made a comment about my 'breaking my room down early' (which is a no-no IF you are a vendor) .. I told her I was a 'shop' but apparently she didn't believe me as she reported to the Show Staff that there had been a vendor all packed up before 4pm ... sigh).

Baggage costs on flights now is crazy .. Delta/Northwest charged $20 for the 1st bag, $30 for the second, and IF a bag was 50# or over, it would have been an ADDITIONAL $90 fee! So .. it cost me around $83.00 to ship product via UPS back to Michigan, and $70 just to get my suitcases back and forth!!! Dave suggested that next year, so I could still spend time with Sharon, I should fly only ONE-way, and then he'd drive to MO and pick me up along with all my purchases and bring me back home. That sounds like a winner .. and a major money saver too!!

Flying back .. got on the plane to head back to Michigan and the first thing that's announced is that there is some 'problem' with the plane and as soon as they get that fixed, we'd be on our way. Comforting! Then got on the connecting flight from Detroit to Flint where I got to 'argue (nicely) with the flight attendant about my Kindle .. I had a book on tape and also a book to read downloaded to it. They had announced all wireless electronical devices be turned off. She walked by and saw me reading .. I told her it WAS off. I even pointed to the icon that SAID off. She said I had to turn it off anyway. I told her since it was off, I would be unable to make it any more 'off'. She said it was on. (sigh) I told her that even though she could see words on the

page (screen), the device was off, it was a memory battery operated, there was no wireless .. that I could put the screen saver on, but it would still be the 'same off' that it was right now.

I won.

Then we were told by the pilot that dye to weather conditions, it would be a bumpy trip, and that we would be flying 'low', under 4000 feet, to try to avoid most of it. Then he told us there would be about a 25 minute delay on the runway due to the amount of planes taking off. After sitting on the runway in position for about 20 minutes, he came back on the speaker and said there was a problem with the passenger door not closing properly and we were ordered back to the gate to have that fixed/checked out. (I kind of figured since we were going to be under 4000 feet anyway, there wouldn't be any worries IF the door blew off .. it was a 20 minute flight anyway so we'd just be a bit chilly, but .. I'm not the pilot so back to the gate we headed.)

A little vehicle pulled up to the plane (I had a window seat near the front) and this guy gets out .. comes on board, and after about 2 minutes I heard him tell the pilot he couldn't see where the problem could be so he was 'signing off' on the flight and we could resume. THEN .. this guy walked back to his little vehicle, got in and closed his door .. which immediately popped back open! He jerked it closed .. and it popped back open again! He pulled it closed again and reached for his cell phone, and the door flew back open! It took him 6 attempts to close his OWN door .. and he said 'our door' was OK?? I was laughing out loud.

Dave picked me up, I got back to the shop Tuesday morning and started on the stuff I'd flew back with me. Yesterday (weds) UPS delivered my 5 boxes full (123# off needlework stuffs) and the unpacking began in earnest with me unpacking, LouAnn entering into our register system, and Debbie beginning stuffing your order bags. Today LouAnn will be ringing through some orders, I'm still unpacking (1 and 3/4 boxes are sorted), and Debbie will still be sorting the items into the appropriate order bags. We were all totally exhausted last night .. tonight will be more of the same I'm sure!

But .. this was FUN .. and it really still is! I had such a great time at St. Charles .. visiting with shop owner friends, with designer friends, chatting with new friends .. I love going to Market and this one was not one to miss!! You can see what Carriage House and Blackbird Designs' rooms looked like at Market if you follow the links to their blogs from this page. You can see what is all new on my "What's New" page - you'll have to look at every page (as it will show by date added there, not alphabetical). I have to go unpack more now!

It's MARKET Time!

2009-09-23T16:50:00.002-04:00

... singing ... All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go ....... I'm leaving on a jet plane , don't know when I'll be back again ....
Well, not really .. I AM leaving on a jet plane tomorrow morning and my bags ARE all packed, but I DO know when I'm coming back. I'll be in the shop on Tuesday with all the new stuffs I've purchased from market and was able to put in a suitcase (I've packed a suitcase within a suitcase!). The rest will be shipped UPS and .. hopefully will not trail too far behind me!
I teach a class on silk gauze on Friday am, take a felting class on Friday afternoon .. and then get to start shopping where I can (depending on who is open for early hours) on Friday night!
My BFF Sharon (who lives just south of St. Louis MO) will be joining me either Friday late afternoon or early Saturday morning. I'm hoping for Friday .. we just don't get many chances to share time with each other anymore. I'll put her to work on Saturday shopping with me!

I hope everyone has emailed the shop to let them know what preorders they want placed! I'll be in touch with the shop by phone on Saturday .. then I'm on my own!
See ya all upon my return!!! Stitch Happy!!

Felting IS Over - for this next week anyway

2009-09-20T11:50:00.005-04:00

I had meant to post here yesterday, but Saturday at the shop was an incredibly busy day! Not complaining .. no no, not me .. just lots of customers in the shop all day long (fun people too!), lots of orders coming in all day long too. LouAnn and I were able to help everyone AND process all the orders, but didn't get to ring too many through. I guess that's what a Monday is for! To give you another idea of how busy it was, LouAnn brought me a Med. Fr. Van. Cappuccino before 10am and at 5:30pm, I'd still not had the chance to 'finish' it! Fun day .. tiring day .. Love Days Like This Though!

Anyway, this past week I had finished my felting sculptures and managed to 're-do' one scarf/shawl and make two more! PHEW
The Dogs were created with a Wool core, but 'covered' with felted dog hair the dog owner had combed and given to me so that each dog would be made with the real dog's hair! The really fluffy one IS Golden Retriever hair .. fuzzy! Mixed with a bit of beige Harrisburg wool AND 100% Camel wool! (yep real Camel - it's really too fine for needle felting as it shows every single needle poke. I bet it would be fabulous for spinning though!

Of course, it's really really hard to get any good Dragon 'hair' these days, so I had to turn to hand-dyed Buffalo (very expensive!) to cover the wool core base here. The horns and claws are 100% dyed Merino.

I'd created the pale blue scarf last week but it turned out really crappy looking. So, I decided to lay it out and re-felt over most of it - Dave has named this one "the scarf the mouse nibbled on" (as opposed to the others I had made which he called 'swiss cheese scarves")! Oh Well ...!

The green scarf was made with two different shades of wool, one that was dyed green and then over dyed, and one that was natural and then dyed .. the wool color is called "Leopard Frog" and has bits of yellows and some splattering of deep purple and bright turquoise in it. I'd purchased some wool yarn at the local
Knit shop that was also in shades of yellow-greens and greens, and laid that out on one side in rows with the two greens, and then in an argyle pattern across the stripes on the other side. The one side doesn't show well here, but it really reminds one of those old argyle sweaters you used to see. It's somewhat reversible as far as pattern goes

This last is my first attempt at a completely reversible scarf ... I used a Merino Silk blend so it's quite shiny ... black on one side, deep purple on the other. The black side was cross-hatched with a 100% acrylic yarn .. all different colors and glimmery. The purple side has some other yarns, some with sparkles in it, just patterned out ... and a few brighter purple 'curls' too. I'm quite proud of this one!

Well that's that .. I fly out Thursday am for Market and have to make out my LISTS so I won't forget anything. I can't even pack 'underwear' without having it on my list .. and listed for each day that I'll be gone. Can you say ... a bit too Detail Orientated???? sigh

Another Day, More Market Hints Posted!

2009-09-15T15:00:00.004-04:00

I wish I could come to terms with my adding all these advance Market notices .. it goes against 16 + years of my going to Markets. I'd be surprised when I got there, and couldn't wait to share my surprises with my customers upon my return!
But these days .. with designer blogs and websites .. there's too much being put out there in advance .. so why not add to my site? Plus, this way I'll know just what amounts of certain items to make sure I come back with. And I guess I shouldn't feel too bad .. there's always surprises the designers have for us that they don't tell us about in advance. So that, and the social/business interactions with the designers and other shop owners, is what makes a Market perfect!! So .. I'm still a adding!

THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY MORNING TODAY????!!!!!

Waking up, drinking enough coffee to actually know where I was when I fully woke up, and turning on my Kindle to find that the NEWEST book from DAN BROWN had been downloaded to my Kindle overnight while I was tossing and turning and trying to sleep!
Whoooo hooooo .. I can't WAIT to read it! But .. if I start it tonight, I'll never get my felting pieces finished and I'm on the final animal right now. And I have to do more outside scarf felting while this warm weather holds. And .. if I read it now, what will I read on the plane trip to Market??? I guess I'll be trying to 'learn patience' over this next week (and that will be a hard one for me .. miss no patience whatsoever!).

I don't get much time to read blogs, but when I do, I turn to 'my blog list' first. That's where I found the incredible Halloween designs that The Primitive Needle will have at Market! (They're already posted to my what's new page)

And, have you seen the designs that Donna from By The Bay has been doing? They're not released yet, but ... !

I absolutely love this stocking ornament! How cute is this? And, if you go to her current postings on my blog listing .. you can see her Poinsettia design .. It's stunning!!

And in reading Ladybug Lane's blog, I found that there is a free Halloween design you can download courtesy of Just Cross Stitch - http://www.just-crossstitch.com/

And .. if you've not seen the free Halloween design you can download yet from The Cross Eyed Cricket Collection, go here: http://www.cecricket.com/gift_design.html

(I'll have their newest Christmas freebie as one of my 'complimentary charts of the month' for October next month!!)

oh oh .. nearly got caught fooling around on shop time .. gotta go back to work before that evil boss I have finds out!

Too May Lows and Not Enough Highs!

2009-09-14T17:02:00.002-04:00

Sunday, I so looked forward to Sunday .. I was going to get my banking stuffs in order and get bills paid, go to the orchard to see if the Honey Crisp apples were in, and was going to create another felted scarf.
I guess the 2 highs of the day were getting my banking stuffs in order and bills paid AND going to the orchard and actually getting a huge bag of Honey Crisp Apples!! And .. they now have a Winery on site -making their own wines and you can sample taste each before you purchase. I HAD to get a Cranberry Wine .. you can't really taste cranberry, but you can smell it .. and there is a warm after-taste left in your mouth - DELICIOUS!! I'm going to take my mom there on Thursday to see if she likes it too .. she's liking wine these days .. and I will try a tasting of their semi-sweet Riesling (maybe their Cherry too!).

As for the scarf ... yuck! It didn't turn out .. it didn't turn out right at all .. I hate it .. it's disgusting .. did I mention it didn't turn out? So .. perhaps on Wednesday or Thursday I will FELT OVER it and see if I can rescue it that way. Can't hurt I guess ... I started the fulling process and just didn't have the energy to work on it when I hated how it looked. So it's only been felted and dried .. I'll let you know IF it does or does not turn out later!

And that evening, I tried to download purchased photo shop software (mine was lost in the great crash of '09), and while I did pay for it, the site would not recognize me to allow the download. So .. I decided to work on my laptop and do some adding to the catalog .. on DIAL UP! My Verizon Wireless does not EVEN work any longer .. we're not in the area for reception, even though THEIR RECORDS show that we are in a good area. Perhaps they should come to my house with their little devices and see for themselves? Dial up and downloading images are not two terms that can be used in the same sentence. So ... !

When I went to bed AND when I got up this morning, I just KNEW it was going to be a great day! It just felt that way (and besides, it had to be better than Sunday was!).

Got into the shop where I find emails and calls that my website is not working .. I had no idea (but that's fixed now .. thanks to Patrick, webmaster extraordinaire). Then got some more 'sneak peeks' of stuff that will be showing at Market to put on my catalog , only to find that my computer here at the shop was not actually on the same thought page with me either ... kept locking up. Didn't matter if I was on AOL or Internet Explorer, and no matter that I'm on broadband here .. Debbie's computer worked fine .. mine, not that well! Let's put it this way, I added about 6 items in just over 5 hours!!

Tomorrow is another day! And since I just found some more stuff I can add as sneak peeks, I will look forward to tomorrow!

This 'advance notice' of items to appear at Market is something 'new' for me. I've never been fond of the idea of being able to see what is going to be introduced until I actually GET TO Market .. kind of spoils the excitement for me. BUT .. with this economy and my finances .. I don't have the available cash just spilling out of my pockets to go shopping with. So, where I can, I'm putting the new stuffs up on my site for ALL to see .. and am gladly taking pre-orders! This way, I know I'm at least making 'most' of the right purchases. And besides, there will always be stuff to see at Market that aren't being 'leaked' to us now .. there's something to look forward to as well!

Nick and the Squirrel Dispenser

2009-09-08T17:43:00.006-04:00

Do you remember several blogs ago where Nick was 'telling you' all about the current squirrel epidemic and about his 'squirrel dispenser'?

Well, the Squirrel Fairy must have visited over the weekend and filled his dispenser up with squirrel again .. when Nick went outside, he went right to the dispenser at a dead run! He was overjoyed! Put in his quarter, pushed the button, and ...... wait a minute .... my squirrel didn't drop out! So ... let the game begin.

One hard push with his nose .. another push .. then push upwards so that it makes this huge clanking noise .. race to the other side and push again .. back to the first side, no squirrel yet, push it up and down a couple more times, then run around it barking!
(the pics were taken one after another .. these were the best, some he was just moving too fast for the focus to come out)

Then ... when all else fails ... run around like a fool as fast as you can with a stuffed toy carcass in your mouth! That'll let that darn squirrel know ... this is what could have happened to you!

More Felting N Stuffs

2009-09-08T17:39:00.006-04:00

A two day holiday - what joy! Sleep in (I must have needed it on Sunday as I slept nearly 11 1/2 hours straight) .. laze around .. stay in sleep pants and tee shirt all day long with no cares! And the weather was wonderful .. double joy! Nick and I decided to do some more wet felting.

So we (um, make that ... I) put two long conference tables together, half in the garage and half out, and gathered up wool and bits and pieces of sparkly stuffs and yarns, and went to it. Nick's participation was just in being outside while I was outside .. with occasional forays after bugs, birds, chipmunks .. anything that moved (even falling pears from the pear tree!).

Sunday I pulled some glorious earth toned golds and browns and rusty orange wool roving and started laying it out to make a 'lattice' scarf. I then pulled bits and pieces of other wool and acrylic yarns, some with metallic and tiny pailettes in it, and laid that out along with the thin strips, filling in most of the openings. Wet it down, rolled it up and started working it.
This is what turned out .. one side has more glitz and sparkle to it than the other. Instead of Lattice work, it came out - as Dave refers to it - as "Swiss Cheese". I really like the effect!!

With all the different yarns that were used, and with the sparkly accents, there is a lot of detail to catch the eye!

Sunday I pulled violet pencil roving (deep purples to violets to grey blues) along with some really bumpy purple designer yarn, and started out once again. This again was a Lattice scarf, but a bit 'thicker' in places because of the yarn. Since the yarn was mostly acrylic, I had to put some wool underneath it to give it something to 'grab' onto and felt.

Like the gold/brown scarf, there is a bit more texture on one side due to the bumpy yarn used than on the other side.

Since that had gone well, and it was only about 12:30pm, I decided to do one more.

This is really 'zen-like' ... I had the radio on so I could time the rolling (5 minutes at a time = two songs) .. the music fades into the background, the birds were singing, the bees were really buzzing around the pear tree .. mosquitoes were biting .... oops, not zen like!! (On with the Deet) You can think with no distractions. And I found that I actually was planning this second scarf while I was working on the first.

I wanted it to be mostly black but the Pencil Roving I had was more pale grey to whitish to deep grey and just wasn't giving me the dark elegance I was looking for. Luckily, I had extra black merino so I started laying that out in thin strips intermixed with the greys. I also had some cool yarn that was made up of bits and pieces of bright shiny color on 'string', so I intermixed that as well. Then I decided to bring some of the color from the yarn out to give some drama to it. Red merino wool and red wool 'curls' were the ticket! Along with some other black yarns that had a bit of funky twisting to them.

As with the other two, one side has a more glitz and color to it than the other side. And, another 'swiss cheese' effect!

The down side? I HAVE to find a much higher surface to work on. My two tables are too low for all the bending and rolling that has to be done. My back was killing me all night long! I also would like to have a spot where I could work on these in the house .. not sure how they'd turn out in the garage in the winter. I just get too much water all over the place, so inside as our house is now is NOT an option. But .. I do like the scarves!!!

Felting N Writing

2009-09-04T17:32:00.005-04:00

Had Wednesday and Thursday off this week (my regular days off) and decided, since the weather was so cooperative, to do some wet felting and nuno felting outside where I wouldn't make a mess that anyone (David!) would yell at me about!

When I was helping at the Humane Society sale in Cheboygan, I got a bunch of curtain material. Called Dave from there and had him grab my Noveau Nuno book .. told him to look in the table of contents under synthetics .. and had him tell me what kind of synthetics it said I could use. 100% Polyester! Yippee .. that's what these curtains were! Now .. I SHOULD have had him read the article to me, but that would have been asking too much. BUT had I had him read it, I would have found out that while polyester can be used in Nuno, it's not the best choice. It will, eventually, felt, but the results would not be the best. It was good for experimenting with however. And to give Dave some credit .. I didn't go back and READ that either .. until AFTER I was through with my Nuno project.

Nick has graciously allowed me to take pictures of him modeling my creations.

It looks 'ok', but .. not that absolutely wonderful (the shawl/scarf I mean). I'm going to felt it further and see if I can get it to work out the way I want it to a bit more that way. Either way, it's nice and warm!

My next creation, that same day, was a Lattice Work shawl. I used Pencil Roving for the layout and while the holes are not exactly all the same size .. I'm a rather impatient person it would appear (no .. not you Deb!) .. I like the way it turned out! It's in smokey greys and blues with a touch of green here and there. Very Highland-ly looking!

I have plans to do another of the Lattice Shawls over this Holiday weekend. I have some deep earth tones and bright brick reds in roving as well as some ribbon yarn, sparkly stuffs and funky twisted yarn .. I'm going to see how 'sparkly and glam' I can get it!

Wish me luck!

Used Clothing N Writing

2009-09-04T16:56:00.008-04:00

Back from my 'vacation' .. a vacation where I spent from Monday afternoon till Saturday at noon with my hands in boxes and 'garbage bags' filled with donated clothing, used clothing, mouldy dirty clothing, clothing where mice and who knows what other little denizens of the dark lived in while in 'storage' in barns and garages and attics. I really know how to live it up on my vacation time, don't I?

Every year the Humane Society of Cheboygan County holds a huge rummage (white elephant) sale at the County Fairgrounds. You know those huge metal buildings where the livestock are kept? Well, that's where we are! It's a HUGE sale over 2 1/2 days ... with 6 of those 'barns' filled - one with 'guy' stuff, one with furniture and holiday items, one with kids clothing, toys and household linens, one with books, records, crafts and kitchen items, one with 'priced items' (the newer nicer stuffs), and one with all adult clothing. That's the one where I go to help out in.
The best part is I get to hang with my sister for that entire week, staying with her, working there with her, running the streets with her, and eating ice cream for dinner with her!

And I do not jest about the condition of the clothing. What do people think? They should be so ashamed of themselves for what they donate. Ripped out seams, badly stained, stuff that they would never consider wearing ever again where anyone could, might, see them. But I guess that they figure someone who can't afford much, who may be on a budget, who may be looking for a deal, who may be homeless, .. they would be GLAD to have clothing like this! Good thing we all have hand sanitizers with us! You really wouldn't believe it! But .. it IS a fun time!

This year I decided to bring my camera with me .. to record what it all looks like before the doors open that first sale day. So nice .. so pristine .. like a 'store' with carefully sorted piles.
Then .. the doors opened at 9am .. and after only 20 minutes ...............................

.All those carefully sorted, sized sections became heaping mounds of mixed mens, womens, pants, dresses, etc!

And then .. while we would attempt at different times to 'straighten' out the tables .. people would be standing right next to us, throwing everything around all over again. sigh

I did get some neat fabrics to experiment with my scarf felting with .. and Nick got some super stuffed toys to destroy! oh joy!

It's an Illness I tell you ...

2009-08-22T15:31:00.006-04:00

.. An Illness!!

I'm going on vacation for a week. At the most I'm only going to have an hour to maybe two hours in the evening before going to bed. And I'm packing projects to take with me.

Yes, Projects! With an "s" ... as in the plural!
What am I thinking? But then .. if I don't take extras with me, what if I change my mind and want to start something other than what I brought with me? That surely would be a stress-reducer, right? Then why am I so stressed trying to make sure I pull all of the fabrics and fibers I need before I leave the shop tonight? It's not like I can't run over to the shop from my house only 5 minutes away! (sigh)

I've pulled "Night Song" from Blackbird Design's "Tis Halloween" stocking collection leaflet ... you can see this one at upper right. Fabric ... check! Fibers ... check!

Then, yesterday on my way home, I had to pull everything for an oldie that I've just discovered from Ewe & Eye & Friends .. "Christmas Sock". Don't know how I ever missed this cutie .. I'm going to do him over two on 18ct Olive Green Cork linen with Weeks, Crescent & DMC Perle #5 and some Whisper thread. It'll make up that way to a 'full sized' Christmas stocking to hang from my mantle next to the wood stove! (E&E&F did theirs on 32ct linen). Love that sheep!!! And .. I now have all the materials with me at home to do him with!

We had just received the newest charts from Hinzeit yesterday afternoon and had to place a reorder today for more! In looking to see what all had to be ordered, I looked again at "Vintage Halloween Crow" .. and HAD to grab this one to stitch up too! (I must have a blackbird thing going .. but actually think it's the 'candy corn wing' that sucked me in!)

I'll frame him in the frame shown from Kay's Frames, but can't decide if I'll use the 28ct Natural Light Jobelan the designer used ... or if I'm going with 28ct Heritage from Picture This Plus instead. The hand-dyed is calling my name, but it's a bit smaller cut than what I should be using. Decisions, decisions .. I'm getting stressed again!

Good thing there's the Bristol (NASCAR) race tonight .. I can at least get a start on one of them!

Wonder if I'll actually finish all 3 or just start .. and go on to something else that attracts my eye.

ohhhh .. sparkly!

Debby Is My Name and Felting Is My Game!

2009-08-21T17:13:00.007-04:00

Actually, now I'm "DEB" since I already have a "Debbie" working for me doing the computer emails and order stuffs .. try to cut down on any confusion, don't ya know?! Everyone still thinks I'm her and she's me and .. oh well.

When I was on my rushed trip last weekend running around the state, I picked up a couple of well-used scarves (2 for a buck, can't beat that!). I wanted to try some Nuno Felting on my own, since the last scarf (which was also my 1st ever scarf!) was made in April while I had an instructor present. Now I'm on my own.

Of course, it was a rainy part of my day off yesterday and I needed a place where I could 'stretch out' and not worry about getting everything around me wet. I decided upon the garage - put up a long table, gathered my wools and silk cap and fancy dancy ribbons and yarns, along with big sponge, pan for water, towel for me (thinking ahead for once!), and all that good stuff needed to nuno felt.

Got really hot in the garage really fast .. so opened the door up to try to get a bit of a breeze going so I could at least breathe. Nick was outside with me, running out of the garage into the rain, running into the garage out of the rain, running out of the garage .. well, you get the idea. I

finally decided to just ignore him (until he came back, not only soaked but full of burrs). Then I let him inside .. let Dave have some quality time with his dog.

This was my first project completed. The scarf started out as a white silkish LONG scarf, so I ended up 'coffee dying' it when I was through with the felting. You can't really see well here, but there are metallics running through it in some yarn as well. The image on the right shows you what the back of the scarf looks like ... all puckery and with a really neat texture look!

Then I decided that I might as well try one more. This scarf (at right) started out as one of those 1960 styles with printed leaves and flowers all over it. Much longer than the 'brown' one (which shrunk up about 30% when completed). I felted the edges (instead of allowing them to ruffle as above), and then left long pieces of wool to end up as edging trim at either side.

I covered the entire fabric with fine splotches (technical term!) of green and pale green/white wool, bits of yellow silk and some dyed green Border Leicester wooly locks. When the felting and fulling was complete, I didn't really like the way it turned out .. the locks didn't felt in as well as I wanted and were really fuzzy, popping up from the surface. So, I thought about it over night while it dried, and this morning added some glass beads to a couple of the trim ends and then started to apply some other beads ... round, square, big, small, beveled ... atop the locks that were misbehaving the most. Attached them with green hi-luster blending filament at the start .. and then when I decided I'd been swearing long enough, switched over to just regular floss. I'm not a 'glitz gal', but this little bit of glam was what saved the scarf from the trash heap.

While on vacation this next week, digging through donated used and mostly crappy stained clothing for the Humane Society's White Elephant Sale .. I'll be on the lookout for silk scarves, icky flowered silk blouses (that I can cut up!), and curtain sheers .. maybe a bit of lace too. All to be used on future projects!

Writing N Felting N Vacation Time!

2009-08-19T16:33:00.003-04:00

Back from my rushed weekend of trips up and down state. My 40th High School Reunion was held on Saturday in the backyard of one of my former classmates homes. Beautiful weather .. couldn't ask for better! Great food .. good drinks .. fantastic time seeing many I'd gone through school with and trying to sort through who's who without looking first at name tags! Pretty good .. didn't recognize some until I saw their name and then I wondered WHY I didn't recognize them - of course that's who they were! Others, as soon as I heard their voice, I knew immediately! Some recognized me .. some not right away .. only one guy didn't remember me. (HUH!!!) I'm home for the week and leave again on Monday for another trip up to Cheboygan, this one will be a week long and is considered an actual vacation for me!

Wanted to share my latest creation with you ... his name is Raleigh! He's not quite a full grown dragon yet and still has that baby cute face going for him! He stands aprox. 7 1/2" tall and is covered with hand-dyed Buffalo fleece! There are a few sparkly threads here and there that give him a more magic look. Have to admit .. I'm rather proud of him! (he wasn't a kit .. just an idea)

Bought a book on Nuno Felting for me as a gift at the Fiber Fest last Friday (as well as another Needle felting book AND a cool basic instructional book on Drop Spindle Spinning). When I was away this past weekend with all my running around, I found a couple of long silk(ish) scarves at a rummage sale, and plan on seeing what I can create with these doing the Nuno Felting. Maybe tomorrow - I'm taking one day off this week. It's supposed to rain, but I can work in the garage floor with them and still be 'outside but dry'. Otherwise, I always see what Sunday brings.

... N Things

2009-08-10T10:15:00.006-04:00

Went to the Fenton Art At The Park on Sunday .. in 85 degree actual heat, 77% humidity, bright blue skies .. but we went. And it was sooooooo sad! The event ran Saturday and Sunday, but due to torrential down pouring ALL day on Saturday, they obviously cancelled. And there were only about 7 artisans who came back on Sunday to show. Of that, 1 had pillows, 1 had ceramic tile work, 1 glass blower .. the rest had jewelry. So .. Dave and I walked around for all of about 15 minutes, looked at some antique cars and then went home. There's always next year!

Found a new series of books to read! Semi-fantasy, The Weather Warden series by Rachel Caine. Downloaded the first book on a 'whim' to my Kindle and read it cover to cover yesterday! So last night, before I went to bed, downloaded book 2 & book 3, so I could continue the series. Had to read myself to sleep .. too HOT to just try to go to sleep!

Kitties didn't really enjoy the heat yesterday either. They were insistent on going out into their 'pen' (aka the outside safe world), and while the pics of Padame look like she was content, she didn't stay out that long. Came in just long enough to get cool and catch her breath, then wanted back out again for another 3-7 minutes.

As bad as the dog .. in and out, in and out .. but at least Nick had the sense to lay quietly on the cooler ceramic tile in the front entryway .. with the exception of the couple of times he played in his 'swimming pool'. wet dog!! (we don't have AC in our house, but with the windows closed up tight for two days and nights, and with a couple of fans going, it wasn't bad inside at all ... until you tried to go to bed, that is!)

Strange .. I HAD a picture of Mocha ... but it seems to have disappeared! As soon as I figure out what happened to it, I'll post it. (she's such a pretty girl!!)

Gals are giving me 'the look' ... guess I'd better stop blogging and get back to work. It IS Monday after all!

Stitching N Things

2009-08-07T14:54:00.005-04:00

I'm done! I finished Blue Ribbon Designs' "Americana Panorama" on 40ct Silk Gauze! That was more of an undertaking than I thought it would be .. due to my not reading the chart as carefully as I should have before starting. The leaves on the trees and the flowers (in the bird square) were a bit much! oh well .. it's done and it looks pretty durn cool!

In the second (bottom) photo, I placed the color fabric it was stitched on .. and am choosing a similarly colored matt board to use as the mounting board.

Now to start some needle felting again! I have something in mind to put in each attendee of my October A Stitchalot Weekend's goodie bag .. we'll see if that idea comes to fruition!

Sunday, Dave and I will go downtown to Fenton's Art In The Park (if it doesn't pour like the weatherman thinks it may)..that's always a fun couple of hours browsing the different artisans. Sometimes I buy, sometimes just walk around. Then next week will be my crazy drive all over Michigan weekend. Michigan Fiberfest, Cheboygan High School reunion, wedding shower in Pinconning.

Stitching N Changing Colors 101

2009-08-01T12:11:00.013-04:00

I keep forgetting to put this in my shop newsletter, so I guess this will be the place to talk about colors and designs and stuff.

Kathy wanted to stitch up Homespun Elegance's "Witches Stitch Too", but she decided to change the fabric color ... the designer did hers' on 30ct Straw Linen. So Kathy pulled all the fibers that were to be used in the design (fiber colors that would actually be 'next' to the fabric; not colors that might be 'inside the stitched design' and would not affect how they would look on the fabric all by themselves).

She chose 30ct Glen Ellyn Blend linen instead .. it had more of a Halloween-oogy-green look to it.

The only color that wasn't going to quite work was the green DMC at far left. This was the color for the Witch's face and tended to blend into the Glen Ellyn too much. So she pulled, in the same color family, a green that was 2 shades darker .. and that one will work perfectly!

If you're wanting to change colors on a design .. maybe it's a wedding design that you want to personalize the wedding colors to; or a Mirabilia fairy you want to stitch for yourself, but the colors would never go in your 'room decor' .. it's relatively easy to do.

If changing the background (the fabric color), do what Kathy did and place all the fiber colors that are going to be next to the fabric (without backstitching) to see how they look. Trust me .. your eye will let you know if they work or not!

If changing the colors in a design like the ones mentioned above, you want to either get yourself into your LNS, or grab your DMC color chart (a valuable tool!).

Now, look at the shades that are being used in the design and compare them to the same shading range on your DMC color card. This way you can see just how the color varies within the shading of that color family.

For example .. look at far right: I've marked 4 colors - 3 that are light to medium light blue and 1 that is the darkest blue in that color family. I don't want to do blue .. I want something else!

If you wanted to change to lavenders or pinks or roses, you would follow the same shading ranges within the color family you are choosing to change to.

The lightest blue in the color range you are changing from would be the equal to the lightest lavender or pink or rose in the color range you have chosen. The next two colors in the light blue family would be the very next two colors in the family you are changing to. Then, since the darkest blue is the 3rd color BELOW the other blues being used, you would choose, in your lavender, rose or pink family, the color that is the 3rd color below there as well. You now have the exact shading you were going for! Does that make sense?

You probably will find, if you're doing flowers for instance, that the greens in the leaves and stem now do not go well with your new color family. You will need to look at the colors in green you were to use and match, with your Color Chart, to the same shadings within the different color families of greens. And then, put those greens against your 'new' design colors to see how they relate to each other. Again, your eye will tell you good from bad. The chart here at right shows two greens in the medium range, so when I found how the colors in other greens ran, where they fell within that color family, I was able to find substitutions with the same degree of shading within other color families.

Hope that makes you feel more confident about changing the look of a project you've been considering!

Just Call Me Jasper ...

2009-07-30T09:44:00.003-04:00

Debbie's back from her lengthy vacation .. and she brought me a gift hand made from an Indian woman in Arizona! An absolutely lovely beaded silver necklace and matching earrings with polished chunks of Jasper! She said she HAD to get it for me as there were an assortment of jewelry all with notifications of 'healing stones' attached to them .. and this one says" is believed to improve focus without over analyzing things". It would appear she may be trying to 'tell me something'.!
Did a google this morning on Jasper and found the following:
"This stone is a methodical and meticulous worker of practical, down to earth solutions. It has the ability to foster and nurture and its energy is used for grounding and protection. Considered more effective if it is used for long periods of time because it works slowly.
Jasper works well in conjunction with Opals. Recommended for executives as an assist in quick thinking. Also helps them endure stress. Jasper can benefit most with direct contact to the skin. Helps one find stability and balance. Benefits ailments that result from environmental pollution. Boosts the immune system and assist in extracting pollutants and toxins from the body. Helps one become more ecologically aware."

Hummmm .. apparently this is all correct then for me! I have 3 Opal rings I wear daily - so this is good - double powers! I'm under stress (most of it of my own making) and usually have 'fanciful' solutions to my problems. I WOULD like all to be able to see how pretty this necklace is, but if it works best with direct skin contact, I'll have to wear it UNDER a turtleneck.

Best of all, the Jasper has already begun to work .. I didn't throw any trash out my car window this morning, so I MUST be more ecologically aware! Now .. if I could only rememer what it was that I going to do next ??????
focus .. focus .. focus

Writing N Vacations

2009-07-24T11:16:00.002-04:00

Vacations! I remember WHEN I could go on vacations .. and it was a very VERY very long time ago! (deep sigh) That's what happens when Dave and I are both self-employed .. utilities and food and gas come before fun. I 'almost but not quite' fondly remember when I was on mandatory overtime (6 days a week, 8am till 7pm daily) at the phone company for 3 incredibly long months after we came back from a strike. Those were the days I actually had money left over after a paycheck! But that was all before I had the bright idea to become 'self employed' and didn't realize that meant the days of having extra money on hand were over!!

I 'had' a vacation planned for 'just me' this coming August. On the 14th I was heading over to the west side of the state to Allegan for the Michigan Fiber Fest (312 miles round trip). The 15th I was heading up to Cheboygan for my 40th high school Reunion (226 miles one way). Then the 16th, my sister and I were driving from Cheboygan to Pinconning for my great-nieces' wedding shower(376 miles round trip) and then drive back up to Cheboygan, where I would stay for another 3-5 day helping out at the County Humane Society's White Elephant Sale (I get to sort through used clothing bags and hope I don't touch anyones' used underware in the process!). Then back home (312 miles) and back to work.

The dates have changed. My sister goofed when she gave me the dates for the 'used underware sorting' .. it will be the following weekend!
So now I have this dilemma! Do I do the Fiber Fest, Reunion, Wedding Shower and then drive back home for 6-7 days and then drive BACK to Cheboygan to help at the sale? Or do I skip the Reunion and offer to meet my sister AT the shower? (I will still go to the Fiber Fest!!!!)
And, can I afford to spend that much money on gas and stuff without upsetting my hubby .. who doesn't get to go on any kind of vacation? Not that this is a 'vacation vacation' but it IS getting 'away' for a bit. And I already, in his eyes, get away for a bit *4* times a year what with going to trade shows and that. (and yes, that's work not sight-seeing, but .. !).

Major decisions to make here!
hummmmmmm .. try to find out how I COULD afford this?

Moonin N Writing

2009-07-21T08:54:00.002-04:00

40 years ago last night! Can it be possible? How is it that I cannot remember what the weather was like a month ago, much less a year ago and yet I can remember so clearly other events from so very long ago?
The moon was full that night. My BFF Sharon and I had graduated the month before and were out cruisin' the town in my dad's 1961 Dodge Pioneer and had just done the turn through Proffitt's Drive Inn. We were just looking up to our right at the moon and they announced the landing on the radio! Drove Sharon quickly home, pulled into the driveway and ran into the house .. there was my dad, standing in front of the tv (that's how you could tell something incredibly important was on .. he stood in front of the tv .. I find myself doing that today!) .. and was just in time to see that foot hit the surface of the moon! Amazing that I can see that so clearly and feel that incredible wave of awe after so many years.
To this day, when I go outside at night .. any night .. I immediately look to the stars and just stare. Would I go to the moon if offered a space trip? In a heart beat!

And then the death of Walter Cronkite .. and all the other memories are as clear as day too. Where I was when Kennedy was shot (in phys. ed) . .. where I was when his death was announced (they actually brought tv's into each of the classrooms .. I was in 8th grade Math II). And then I was home sick with the tv on when Ruby shot Oswald and I saw it live and remember yelling & yelling for my mother to get in the living room (we didn't see shootings on tv then, much less see 'death with blood' in tv shows. From then through Vietnam, Watergate, race riots here at home, Chicago Democratic Convention, the Iran Hostage Crisis, watching the news of Cronkite's passing, I've relived a great deal of America's most turbulent years all over again .. and find each memory that I'd had of each event still so incredibly clear.
"... And that's the way it is, Tuesday July 21, 2009" when I don't remember what was on tv last night.

Writing N ..

2009-07-09T17:23:00.004-04:00

I think I swallowed an earring! I've done a count and so far have found pairs for all that are scattered around on the counter next to the sink, except for one dangley, and I'm sure I would have remembered it 'feeling funky' if I'd swallowed one that size!

The night I didn't sleep (and it was over 40 hours awake before I finally did .. and slept 10 hours straight), I was going to take a pill. I thought it so strange the next day when I'd not slept at all that the pill didn't work, even a little bit! THEN .. I found the pill .. laying on the counter next to the sink in the bathroom, along with all my earrings and things! I remember taking the pill in there. I remember getting some water in a dixie cup and swallowing it. I do - I really do! Drinking the water that is .. not sure what I swallowed .. if I swallowed. (I'm not going to 'obsess' about it though!!! HONEST)

I did take a pill last night and slept pretty well ... better living through pharmaceuticals!!

Went over to mom's yesterday and she'd done another 180 on me! She was totally back to her normal self, clear, able to remember and talk about stuff, organized and .. just like she was long ago. I wish she'd stop doing this to me! Either be mentally sound or go into dementia ... make up your mind mom .. stop playing with me! Now I have hives again .. and this time there's no real reason for it! So back to anti-itch stuff and more anti anxiety pills. It's really pretty silly ... child of the 60's that I am, I never did pills then! Smoked a bit, true but never did chemicals. Now that I'm well into adulthood .. here come the pills!!!

I'd promised to show you the latest silk gauze 40ct project I'd finished .. this is "Outside The Lines" from Ruby Slipper Designs. This has to be one of the MOST FUN bits of stitching I've ever done! Now to figure out 'how' I'm going to frame it!

And now need another project to work on at home. I've got one I want to do on gauze, but cannot find where I put the chart. I want to do Blue Ribbon Designs' "Americana Panorama"but can't decide if I want to do it on 28ct or 32ct and haven't pulled the fabric yet (I did think about doing this one on 40ct but thought I'd want to hang it high .. and didn't want people to have to get a step ladder to really see it.) I have some little needle felting projects I want to do but haven't felt like needle felting lately! decisions, decisions, decisions. Off to look at fabric so I can go home! Once home, I can do an earring check again!

Deb

Writing N Not Sleeping

2009-07-07T08:37:00.002-04:00

26 hours awake .. not my idea, just couldn't fall asleep last night. Had to take 1/2 a pill the night before to doze off, but was wide awake by 2:30am. Not Fun! Stress? Who knows? I just know I would like to be able to sleep like I did when I was 'young' .. when I went to sleep and died for 9 - 10 hours!
Nearly finished Ruby Slipper Designs' "Outside The Lines" on 40ct silk gauze ... the colors are absolutely wild (maybe that's what is keeping me awake??) and this one has been so much fun to work on! I can't wait until it's through so I can see how I want to frame it up.
Having 2 days off for the 4th Holiday was phenomenal!! Dave cut down trees (they're dying all over the place!!!) and I declared war on the two HUGE cedar bushes in the very front of the house. It was very Zen-like work actually; feeling the sun on my shoulders, slight breeze in the air rustling through the trees , the sounds of the birds. But I think I destroyed whatever zen karma I may have been creating by Hacking Madly With My Shears While Muttering Softly To Myself. Took me 2 days to get them cut down, cut in, shaped (not so well) and what-have-you, using small clippers, a pole saw, hedge shears and arm power. You can tell they've been 'hacked', but they actually look oh so much better! I so rarely ever have 2 days in a row with nothing to do so that I CAN accomplish something (and yes, I ignored mom over the holiday weekend .. I'll see her tomorrow)!

Stitching N ...

2009-06-22T21:02:00.004-04:00

I'd just finished this one up last evening. From By The Bay Needlework, this is Donna's "Autumn Cove" stitched on 40ct Silk Gauze using the same fibers she called for. I've not mounted it yet - obviously - but did include a quarter so you could see the size of the finished needlework. There is a mat board that is a blue-marble .. that's what I'm going to use directly behind the stitchery as the mounting board. Will look like a blue cloudy day that way!
I've not yet had time to lay frames and/or mounting boards on it yet ... so I'm not sure if it will have several autumnal shaded mats with the frame, or just a large striking frame to set it off! I'm really pleased with this one .. the colors are incredible and it is easily the most lovely gauze piece I've done. (as of today, that is )

In order to do the 'rigging' on the sailboat, I had to get some fine sewing machine thread .... floss was just 'too thick' for the size of the design on the gauze!!!

Now .. what shall I stitch next??? Or felt?? Or, maybe needle punch? There's a new designer that was featured at the TNNA Market at Norden Crafts' booth that I just fell in love with and would love to punch up just for the FUN of it all! The designer is called Piccalilli Too and below you will see "Strutting Out" and "The Sheriff".

... Stitchin N ...

2009-06-22T20:42:00.005-04:00

I know I'd shown these pics to you prior, but here they are back from the framer so you can see how I had them finished off. I added a quarter to each design so you could get a better idea of the actual size of the finished piece.

Carriage House Sampling's "Happy Hallow'een"

was stitched on 32ct Black Silk Gauze (which Kreinik is currently having problems getting back into stock). I stitched it with DMC floss and had it mounted on a black Suede Mat board as the backing ... to absorb the look of the gauze and make it look more like fabric. I love the frame .. all crackly, deep browns and golds.

This one is "Picasso's Rooster" from Ladybug Designs. I don't know why this one appealed to me so, but I'd seen it offered as a kit over a few years in catalogs like The Stitchery and have always loved it. But .. I do not care at all for kits (other than those the designers have put together) .. and during the Online Needlework Show saw this designer 'showing' and found you could get the chart only and jumped on it .. for the shop AND for ME! It's on 40ct Silk Gauze, but I had my framer put Spacers between the gauze AND the white mounting board. This way you actually get a bit of 'shadow' from the stitched lines when you look at it from different angels. It was a 'hey let's try it and see what happens' and ... I LOVE the effect!!!

When I wanted to stitch Handblessing's "Hooked On Reading", I didn't have the color fabric in stock that the designer called for, so I pulled the colors used and started laying them out on what I did have in the shop. I decided on hand-dyed Jobelan Blueberry ... loved the look of purples and blues mottled together!

One of the June Freebie Charts Of The Month that we were offering was In A Gentle Spirit's little Norwegian proverb. Since that past month or three have been 'hell', I figured this one HAD to be stitched up by me FOR me! I used "Earthen" from Picture This Plus and since there are only two shades of floss used, chose a coppery-red for the flowers and a deep green for the lettering and vine. Hopefully I'll glance at this one often .. put it where I can see it from my stitching chair .. and remind myself ... as long as I can laugh about it ... I'll survive!!

... N Dying

2009-06-22T20:17:00.007-04:00

I'll start with the 'dying'. At the Summer TNNA Market, I took a class 'just for me' ... nothing for the shop, just for me! What a treat! It was 'How To Dye Yarn'. Now, I don't knit nor do I have any plans to, but I contacted the instructor prior to signing up for the class to see if this technique would also relate to wool batt .. for felting. When I was told it was the same principal,

I had to take it!

We started with the undyed yarn as shown above, and then this is how 'mine' turned out!

There's something 'weird' that knitters do ... they purchase a completely knitted 'blank' ... looks like a hand-dyed scarf ... and then they pull it apart into yarn again and knit something else out of it! The first two pictures are of a 'blank' blank in the process of being dyed to the 'student's own' design.

I had already decided that MINE would stay a scarf .. so Diana is going to finish off the long edges so that they will not come apart! The colors look really 'blue' here ... it's a pumpkin yellow, teal blue and a deep teal green.

It was a really fun class! We were warned to bring an apron or smock of some type so that we would not get dye on our clothing. I realized the night before the class that I had the tee-shirt I was going to wear over my clothing at home! Luckily, the hotel 'loaned' me a 30-gallon trash bag! (they didn't want it back though .. so perhaps they really gave it to me!)

Since I was wearing a black skirt that day for the trade show, I think I looked quite fashionable! So fashionable that the gal behind me who also forgot a smock really thought I had a great idea. So we shared it .... just tore it down the center and made two halves ... add a neck hole and arm holes .. and ta da! Two Dyers = Dye Proof!!!

Writing N Reading N Stuffs

2009-05-30T08:44:00.004-04:00

Hives! I woke up with hives all over my neck! (thanks mom .. this too shall pass!) Came to work armed with Extra Strength Benadryl AND calming Chamomile Tea!

Had some 'twitter' problems on the drive in this morning too.
About a half mile out of my driveway, out comes a wild turkey. Slowed way down .. they don't always travel alone you know .. then had to come to a complete halt. Turkey standing in middle of road .. staring me down! Then, it slowly started leading me, broke out into a gentle Turkey Trot while I idled slowly along. Finally after about 2 minutes decided it had toyed with me enough, crossed to the road side and down into a ditch, into the weeds, and ... freedom!
Got moving along again only to turn a curve and see a bird sitting in the middle of the road. I got closer .. it still sat. I got closer yet .. slammed on the brakes .. backed up, and yeah .. it was still sitting there. Upon close up examination through the windshield, I realized it was a very young bird that just didn't have flying down pat yet. Put emergency blinkers on .. got out of car .. walked up to bird, who is ruffling his feathers but still sitting there. Pushed him gently back to the shoulder of the road into some weed coverage. Apparently mom had gone to get breakfast and baby was waiting for her return. Back into car .. back on my way to work.

A bit further down the road .. right where I come into civilization (meaning where the road turns from dirt to actual pavement ... aka where Oakland county outbacks end and where Genesee county begins) .. there is momma and daddy swan swimming along at the side of the road ... and they had their three baby swanlings with them! (I know, they're called cygnets, but that's a stupid word .. I like mine better!) I had seen them earlier in the month from quite a distance and I was so glad to see babies .. we've had this pair in that small lake for several years now and this was a first!!
So .. stop the car, turn on the 4-ways, just happened to have my camera with me (for once) and got these pics before daddy swan got his family well away from the dangerous formidable 'me'.

Nice start to my morning ... still itchy though!
And .. not to help my mental matters any .. I just finished another book. Read about this one on Gloria's (Milady's Needle) blog, went to Amazon and downloaded a 'preview' of it to my Kindle, read that chapter, and bought the book to be downloaded fully. Called "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova .. it's a portrayal of the Alzheimer's journey from one suffering from early onset Alzheimers at age 50. From Publishers Weekly: Neuroscientist and debut novelist Genova mines years of experience in her field to craft a realistic portrait of early onset Alzheimer's disease. Alice Howland has a career not unlike Genova's—she's an esteemed psychology professor at Harvard, living a comfortable life in Cambridge with her husband, John, arguing about the usual (making quality time together, their daughter's move to L.A.) when the first symptoms of Alzheimer's begin to emerge. First, Alice can't find her Blackberry, then she becomes hopelessly disoriented in her own town. Alice is shocked to be diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's (she had suspected a brain tumor or menopause), after which her life begins steadily to unravel. She loses track of rooms in her home, resigns from Harvard and eventually cannot recognize her own children. The brutal facts of Alzheimer's are heartbreaking, and it's impossible not to feel for Alice and her loved ones, but Genova's prose style is clumsy and her dialogue heavy-handed. This novel will appeal to those dealing with the disease and may prove helpful, but beyond the heartbreaking record of illness there's little here to remember.

Powerful .. disturbing .. I have symptoms (Dave told me to 'knock it off' LOL) .. and I'm so glad I read it (finished it last evening) Did that cause the hives this morning? (if so, thanks Gloria!!!) Or was it my mother calling my husband last evening to tell him her phone didn't work and she couldn't call anyone? (yeah, you read right .. and then when he called back, she didn't pick up)

Deep sigh .. off to immerse myself in WORK!

Stitching N Celebrating

2009-05-22T17:43:00.003-04:00

I'm done! I finished Carriage House Samplings "Happy Hallowe'en" on the 32ct Black Gauze!

You'd think that with being used to 40ct gauze, that 32ct - even though it was black - would be easier! And you'd be wrong. At least .. it was a minor pain for me even with my Ott light over my shoulder and something 'white' on my lap. Not sure if I'll do black gauze again and Doug at Kreinik just told me he's having trouble getting it back into stock, so that may not be a problem to consider in the future. I can see where my stitches are not uniform in tension, but oh well .. I'm done, I'm happy with it and I'm on to new stitching - think I'll start "Hooked On Reading" tonight!

I'll have this one framed with a wide rustic frame and will have a black suede matt board under the gauze as a mounting board. The design really POPS!! (To take this picture, I put the suede matt board corner under the stitched design - the grey you see at the upper right is 'the chair' I had it placed everything on .. and of course, the quarter was placed simply to enable you to estimate the stitched size!)

I did some more 'painting with wool' pictures on Thursday. One is a branch of cherry blossoms against a blue sky but it's too pale/pastel/light/whatever to really show up. I've got to play around with that one a bit more to see if it can be rescued before I can show it to you here. The other is still drying .. vivid colors .. three doves against a sunset, one with an olive branch in his beak. I want to give that one to my mother's roommate at Crestwood .. I think Doris will be very pleased with it. She's been admiring the other two I did for my mother, and the strong colors and religious overtones (undertones?) in this one are right up her alley! I'll take a pic of that one over this weekend and share it with you here.

I am so looking forward to a weekend off .. Sunday and Monday .. to do whatever I want to do! What JOY!!