Productive Sunday

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At 8:15 this morning we lost power for 7 hours. It was a neighborhood thing, don't know why it happened but Rochester Gas & Electric fixed something on a pole this afternoon. The dairy farm across the street and the tree farm next door have generators. Since we lost power for 5 days a couple of years back, I've been meaning to ask Steve if he thinks we should get one.

Today wasn't a big deal but I think I'm feeling grumpy because I was gypped out of part of my day. That's silly because I did the same things I would have done if we had had power. I crafted a bunch of new pieces and because it was so warm out today, I was able to spray paint some frames in the garage. My studio was filled with sunshine so I had plenty of light to work by. But as I said to Steve - I enjoy working in silence. I enjoy being with my own thoughts. I like my company. But after a couple of hours, we'd had a nice visit and I was ready to hang with my Tivoed friends. I felt so bored, even though I was having fun crafting.

One of new things I'm going to offer is cards suitable for framing. It's the #2 comment I get from customers, "I'm not going to give this away, I'm going to frame it." (The #1 comment is, "You must have a lot of patience!") So my plan is to make cards with designs that do not go all the way to the edges, so someone could frame this if they want.

I always wonder what percentage of my customers actually do frame the cards. So, in an effort to give the customer what they want, I'm pretty sure I'm also going to offer frames. I'll make these cards all 5-1/2" square (because that's what fits the 6" envelopes I bought recently on eBay, meant to buy 5-1/2" envelopes). And I'll offer black metal frames, already assembled, for my cost plus a little. They will come with acid-free foam core backing, Plexiglas and wire ready for hanging. Maybe I'll include a note with the frame about spray painting them to coordinate with the card. Or I'll offer to do that? Not sure about this part. But the card can be used as a card or slipped into the frame.

Any thoughts on this?

This one will be sold as a card because the design comes too close to the edges, unless one frames it in a float frame, which is another option I'm considering. But I don't want to offer very many options - I don't want to be in the framing business, I just want to offer another service to my customers. I buy the metal frames at a good price. I haven't looked into square float frames, but I will, just to see.

See? Frame-able!

This design will go into a 7" frame. The threadwork is so intricate, I thought it deserved to be framed, rather than a card.

I also finished 4 framed pieces for an order. I'll be assembling those later tonight and will post pictures of those tomorrow. And I'm working on another custom piece for an order, sans frame. I started a new batch of bookmarks but ran out of Xyron adhesive before I got very far. I'll buy a new cartridge on my lunch hour tomorrow. The bookmarks are for an order too.

Today Steve went to his brother's to listen to football on the radio. Simon went to lunch with his girlfriend and her family. Other than Reggi defending our hearth & home against all the Christmas tree buyers wandering the tree farm that surrounds us, I had a very productive, yet quiet day. You know the quiet I mean, no refrigerator humming, no nothing!

So it was actually a very good day. I've got nothing to be grumpy about.

Oh! I did get my studio cleaned up spotlessly yesterday. I did take a Before picture but haven't taken any After pictures yet. Funny, I was thinking about how much I love before and after photos - unless it's of my stuff! I'll post some in a couple of days.

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