More Seashells

This is for a framed piece I'm working on. I found some great square frames that hang from a ribbon at Michael's the other day. I also found some great 3" square frames for which I was working on those pieces I posted yesterday.

~ ~ ~

Vaguebooking is an Urban Dictionary word for posting an intentionally vague Facebook status update, that prompts friends to ask what's going on. What I'm about to say is not that. I really just don't want to rehash how horrible yesterday was. It started out being a cluster of bad decisions on my part and ended with becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy because I was hyper aware of other stuff piling on.

Here are two lowlights:

I ran out of gas in Steve's car and had to call AAA to bring me some. Who does that?? I'm 53 years old, not 16! Idiot! (There were extenuating circumstances, but ultimately - I'm an idiot.)

I got teary at the pharmacy counter in Wegmans because I'm so tired of dealing (for weeks now) with my new high deductible health insurance and my expensive Effexor (I could write a volume). I got teary because I was finally waited on by a highly skilled, effective, customer-service oriented, my-new-best-friend employee who fixed everything. I even wrote her name down so I can send her a thank you note and write to her boss about her. That good.

Here are two highlights:

My Prius is back in my life. Simon's been driving it for the past, I don't know, two months, because his car has multiple things wrong with it and he didn't have the money to fix it. This is actually a lowlight within a highlight because he didn't quite have all the money so I did loan him the rest, something I swore I wouldn't do, but I'm sick of the inconvenience of having to carpool with Steve. I need my independence and my Pretty Red Prius.

I received notification that I was accepted to the Riesling Festival in Canandaigua, in August. I participated last year so it wasn't exactly a surprise to be accepted again, but I'm happy and grateful to have received my first confirmation of the year for a multi-day festival.

Thank goodness today is a new day. I got the best night's sleep last night. So did Reggi, or Sneezy McBeagle as we like to call her. She's had a cold which was first a cough then turned into a head cold, poor girl. She's on the mend now though.

Couple of Things I'm Working On

2" Diameter

3" x 3"

Monogram, of Sorts

Brenda suggested a monogram-to-order type of center embellishment when I posted this new design the other day. I like the idea but I think it's the kind of thing that could drive me crazy if I offer it for sale at shows.

My first thought was to make a plethora of Sticky Notes with a variety of letters - single letters, not true monograms. I'd have more "S" notepads than "Qs", for instance. But I know this is the type of thing that people are going to say, I need a "T" but do you have it in this pattern and in blue?

Then, to get back to an idea I've been percolating on for a long time, is to have bowls of embellishments and a good selection of "blank" notepads and I could glue them on the spot, to order. It seems a little crazy but I think it would be do-able. I sometimes have a line in my booth, but not usually. And at these bigger shows, I'll likely have someone working with me - so she could handle other customers. I glue pretty fast. But under pressure? How do I glue under pressure of someone watching and waiting??

I ran the idea past a few customers at a couple of shows last year and it was met with positive response. (I know, what else are they going to say? Though people are surprisingly honest too, I've found. Some people are not shy about offering suggestions!)

The key is, now that I have the Groove in full service - this crazy idea seems even more do-able in terms of preparation.

I think it would be pretty interesting seeing the combinations that people come up with. Especially with the letters - maybe they'd make their own monogram, if there was room.

~ ~ ~

I received an application yesterday for the Mendon Station Festival. The chairwoman approached me at a show last year but I had a conflict that year. I'm considering doing it this year - still thinking about it. It's two days in September - seems to be largely an equestrian event - being in Mendon and all.

And I received my application for the Junior League of Rochester show yesterday. It's the weekend after Letchworth so hopefully I'll be accepted for that and will have to skip the Jr League show this year. Their choice of vendors was a little disappointing to me last year - but like I've said, they bill themselves as a "Holiday Market", not an art show. I'm not too upset about missing it - but I'll hold it in reserve in case I don't get accepted at Letchworth.

Speaking of shows, again I invite any local craft business owners to join our Yahoo Group, Rochester Crafters. We're a growing little group who shares information about area craft shows and resources.

Click to join RochesterCrafters

I Can Do Oval?!

This is part of a new something I was working on a lot this weekend. It's tiny, only 1-1/2" x 2"". More to come!

I never seem to get to the things I intend to do on the weekend. Join the club, I know. I intended to embellish dozens and dozens of Sticky Notes. Instead this new project I wasn't even planning on working on, took up lots of my time (and I learned a new function on the Groove!) That must have used up the major portion of my brain because here's what else I did this weekend:

I drove home from the gas station with the gas cap dangling and the little door wide open. (In my defense, I received a call as I was finishing pumping and I was intent on grabbing my receipt and getting back in the car because it was windy and the music was kind of loud at the pump and I knew that would make it hard for the other person to hear me via my Bluetooth.)

I didn't run the water long enough after putting a bunch of unidentifiable food from the refrigerator down the disposal and now both sides of the kitchen sink are clogged - for about 24 hours now. (It's happened before, we'll keep working on it. But now it's Steve's responsibility because he has today off and I don't. And the dishes are piling up.)

I finally got around to hemming two pairs of jeans for Steve and as I was working on the 2nd pair and I cut on the WRONG side of the ruler. So now his choice is to wear denim (insert here: capris, pedal pushers, clam diggers) or we'll cut them off to be shorts. I feel way worse than he does. Sigh.

To quote Dad: Good or bad, it won't last.

To quote Mom: This too shall pass.

~ ~ ~

In other news, Reggi goes to the vet today for another chest x-ray. I'm pretty worried because she's been coughing a lot lately - that inverted sneeze, the vet calls it. It's usually due to allergies so unless there's something going on in the house with the heat being on so much lately - I'm worried that white blobby thing is back and pushing on her trachea. And she has at least 3 new lumps but two feel benign (unattached and squishy - sorry, were you eating breakfast??)

So this means no food or water after midnight last night so I haven't fed any of the animals this morning and they are meandering around me like I've lost my mind and forgotten the morning routine. Even harder is not doing one of my favorite things with Reggi. Every morning after she eats her breakfast, we play a round of hide and seek with a treat. She sits and stays in my studio while I go hide. Then I call her and she runs around trying to find me. It literally makes me laugh out loud. I'm not sure who has more fun with this game, her or me.

I know they are just animals, not children and Steve will feed the cats in about an hour after he gets home from dropping off Reggi at the vet's. Actually, I do usually feed the cats anyway, even if I can't give Reggi any food. But I guess I couldn't bring myself to do it this morning. Those puppy dog eyes kill me.

So I'll call the vet after 2:00 today and make the appointment to pick her up after work so I can go hear the news from the vet with Steve. I hope I'm over-preparing my mind and it's not bad news.

~ ~ ~

I was so looking forward to the opening ceremonies of the Olympics Friday night. I understand they had to go in a completely different direction than last time because the Chinese set the bar so incredibly high with their precision human movements. But I thought it was dull and slow this year. It's weird, I love computers and graphics and color, and there were some amazing effects - but overall, it bored me. And each act/section went on forever! I liked the music - love barefoot k.d. lang and the fiddlers and tappers with their feet on fire. But could someone please tell the other female singers to lose the ugly contortionist cloddy shoes??

But Apolo won a silver! I admit, I got to know him from Dancing with Stars - but I'm glad I did. Cute as a button he is. During one of the first heats, when he skated at the back for almost the whole time, then pulled ahead by a large margin, at the end - fantastic!

And so . . . I'll leave you with a little beefcake!

New Sunflowers

First, please excuse the blurriness of these scanned images. No time before work this morning to get the lightbox out and take a proper photograph. But notice how in-focus the button is here!

These sunflower images are rubber stamped and the way I used to sell them included no stitching. So I was going to discontinue them because I want everything I sell to have hand stitching on it. But people really like them. So I spent a good bit of time last year trying to figure out how to add stitching the flower. I finally decided don't fix what ain't broke.

This year, almost by accident, it came to me how to add stitching around the sunflower, rather than on the sunflower itself. I'm very happy with these. I'm sure having the Groove in service this year is what helped me - my mind thinks in a whole new way these days.

I had planned to rubber stamp the center of the flower on brown paper and cut it out with deckle scissors as I always have when it came to me to do a little spirelli action in the center. Sweet!

As I was assembling 125 of these yesterday, I remembered I have ladybug buttons too. I have about 7 different shades of sunflowers and a larger variety of stitched background colors and notepad covers too.

And the centers of about half of the sunflowers have points, which was Jen's idea. I didn't like them as well as the rounded centers but I know if I give myself time to get beyond my first reaction and look at it again the next day with fresh eyes, I usually like stuff. Now I think these are my favorite centers!

The amount of stress I feel every single day about not updating my Etsy shop or finish setting up my 1000 Markets shop is really eating at me. Instead of beating myself up over it I've started to think of new ways to accomplish this. Ideally, if Steve or Simon would do it for me, for free, would be my first choice. But they are both busy and have zero interest.To hire anyone outside this house to do it would entail getting product to them to scan or photograph and just not worth the trouble. I want to clone me, that's really what I want to do.

Today though, as I was having trouble scanning the bulkiness of these Sticky Notes, I did consider getting out my light box and taking a photograph. But my craft table, while not the messiest it's ever been, doesn't have enough room at the moment. Then it dawned on me. I need a smaller lightbox! All my pieces are small. If it wasn't such a production to clear a space to set up my big light box I might be more inclined to use it more regularly. Or have a permanent set up for it even.

Ooooh! I think I have a place to put it, as I think out loud here. A kitty-free location. I think. You know how snuggly a box can look to a cat. :-)

New Square Design

Here's a new square design I've been working on, just for something different than my usual round designs. I fiddled about with different things and settled on the old standard layered points - but I like it. I've been working on a new butterfly for the center but I'm not happy with it yet.

Funny my last post was about getting my mojo back, then I promptly lost it. I've been feeling pretty crappy mentally but I couldn't tell if it was PMS or maybe I really did just hate the world. Probably a bit of both, as it turns out.

Yesterday, I was getting pretty worried about me but I couldn't decide if I should see a body doctor or a head doctor. I started figuring out what I would tell someone about how I feel, and I figured out my problem.

I'm annoyed because I'm not getting to do what I want, when I want. Saved myself a co-pay!

Simon's car is on the fritz again (whole list of things, I can't remember what). He's saving money to get it fixed so we're sharing my car in the meantime. You've heard this story before. Steve and I work minutes from each other so we carpool but that means I have to go to work an hour earlier than I want to, which cuts into my Pine Tree Designs time in the morning.

At work, I've been doing work I don't find fun or fulfilling. Plus I'm really mad about a situation that was supposed to change but hasn't yet and probably won't for a few more months. (Sorry to be so cryptic.)

It doesn't sound like much when I type it out, but it kind of snowballs sometimes I guess.

In the good news department, I filed my taxes last weekend, in January! That's a first for me - I always shoot for February, but end up getting to it late March or early April. And I've been applying to craft shows, figuring out that schedule for 2010. This weekend I'm going to make a list of product I want to always have on hand and get super organized. I love lists.

Click to join RochesterCrafters

Speaking of craft shows, just a reminder that our Rochester Crafters Yahoo Group has a pretty comprehensive list of upstate NY craft shows with contact information, fees and due dates available for members. It's easy to join. Email me if you have questions, I'm happy to help.

Let's Get Musical

I was really, really going to start my 2009 resolution to post no product here unless it's for sale online. But it's been a cuckoo week and I haven't gotten this Sticky Notes cover posted in my poor pathetic shop and I'm dying to show you because it's so different from my usual round stitched designs.

I filled out the application for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra biennial Designer Showcase House boutique and I remembered the woman who approached me at the School 46 show about this opportunity mentioned they like music oriented things in particular. I'm SO glad she said that because I'm not sure I would have thought of that. I know, duh.

This oval center lends itself to so many other designs, I think. I can see a stemmed flower there, or a snowman, or . . .

~ ~ ~

So I've been going in to work early this week, trying to cram lots into 4 days because we leave for Vegas at the ass-crack (as Simon would say) of dawn tomorrow. And believe me, he's thrilled about driving us to the airport at that hour. I'm taking my laptop so I'm pretty sure I'll be posting some while I'm gone. And stitching on the plane and in the hotel.

I saw some photos on a friend's Facebook page yesterday of her and a friend in Las Vegas, one of which was enjoying the nightlife. I started thinking that some people might think it's a waste to go to Vegas and not go out at night. We could stay in and watch TV or movies at home. But it's so not us, going out. I can't even imagine it. I mean we're out at night, we're not "clubbing" is what I mean.

Exhibits A & B

I love this variegated thread - I have it in several colors. This is how I designed the pattern the first time, the one I posted yesterday. (I know, I need to clean my scanner.)

Last night I tried moving the inner circle, the bottom of the spikes, in just a bit - only 1/4 of an inch. I also stitched a little extra somethin' between the spikes. I like it! The stitchier the better!

Over time my pieces have evolved into having much more stitching, which I love. Which brings me to this. I'd been noticing I had some Sticky Notes I wasn't thrilled with. I wasn't even neutral, I just didn't like them - I was ashamed to put them out for sale. I used to try to be frugal and stitch on scraps. But then to find paper to go with them proved more and more difficult so some of the pieces ended up looking like I was making do. No wonder they were the ones that were left.

Sitting in my booth in an October show I decided that those have to go. I'll either rework them in some way or throw out the stitched part and reuse the rest. From this moment forth, I shall sell no piece that isn't stunning. I pulled 50 - yes 50, Sticky Notes from inventory.

And my sales at the next show were up 86% over last year's same show. Hmmmm.

Granted there are always other factors at play - general economy, time of year, the specifics of that show - but I can't ignore the fact that all of my Sticky Notes look so much better. As I assemble this next batch, I look at my storage boxes full of them and I can truly say there isn't one I'm unhappy with.

I'm kind of embarrassed to even tell this story, embarrassed that I would ever consider selling something I didn't love. But there you have it. Lesson learned.

39th Annual Holiday Bazaar
Friday November 20, 5:00-9:00

Saturday November 21, 9:30-5:00
Sunday November 22, 11:00-4:00

Rochester Museum & Science Center Holiday Bazaar

657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607

New Stuff

Here's the same new pattern I showed yesterday, stitched in brighter thread. I love the lime green one. Funny, the top one with the bright pink thread - I thought looked better than it does when I see it scanned. I'll mount it on a pink scalloped circle or a pink notepad cover and it will look better.

These next two are both awaiting further embellishment but as I was assembling these Sticky Notes last night, I was reminded of how great this pattern turned out. I liked it well enough at first, but when I started stitching it in multiple colors - sweet!

39th Annual Holiday Bazaar
Friday November 20, 5:00-9:00

Saturday November 21, 9:30-5:00
Sunday November 22, 11:00-4:00

Rochester Museum & Science Center Holiday Bazaar
657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607

Way Cool

This is the test stitching of a new pattern. Not totally new, it's a variation on one I was stitching when I was poking the holes by hand. The pink thread doesn't show up well enough on the purple, but it's just a test anyway.

I don't like to brag . . . okay, yes, I do. My sales for this past weekend's craft show were beyond my high hopes based on what I thought I had sold. My sales were up 86% over last year. And I smashed my show goal by 161%. Take that - bam!

Thus the setting up of a new pattern for my Groove to cut. Must stitch more! Luckily I have many Sticky Notes just in need of embellishment so I'll be in good shape for next weekend's museum show. Plus, like I said, I took Thursday and Friday off this week from the day job.

39th Annual Holiday Bazaar
Friday November 20, 5:00-9:00

Saturday November 21, 9:30-5:00
Sunday November 22, 11:00-4:00

Rochester Museum & Science Center Holiday Bazaar
657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607

Fancy That

A little something I'm working on. Not sure what I'll put in the center but this will probably end up a framed piece. I'm not sure anyone would buy a greeting card priced high enough to justify heavy stitching. Though my sign on the card spinners does suggest, "Suitable for Framing". And repeat customers tell me they do actually frame them, which warms my heart!

Thursday, November 12 - 1:00 PM-7:00 PM

Friday, November 13 - 10:00 AM-7:00 PM

Saturday, November 14 - 10:00 AM-4:00 PM

Not Your Usual Craft Sale

Brighton Town Park, Carmen Clark Lodge

777 Westfall Road, Rochester, NY 14620

(between South Clinton Avenue and East Henrietta Road)

Yulia Brodskaya

See more of Yulia Brodskaya's outstanding work here. Blows my mind!

I found her through a new-to-me-blog, Epheriell Designs.

The always lovely and talented Willa sent me the link to the quilling - thank you so much, Willa!!

On the way home from the craft show Saturday, I stopped at DiBella's to pick up subs for dinner. When I came out of the restaurant, there was a red Prius parked right next to my red Prius. I laughed out loud. If the person who parked their car next to mine did that to make me smile, it worked! I almost put a note on their car, "Thanks for the smile!". Wish I had.

I was thinking the other day that next month, Gretchen and I will have had our Priuses 1 year. That seems weird to me because off the top of my head, it feels like it's been 4 months or so. It's still my 'new car'.

~ ~ ~

I did something shocking this past weekend. I did not buy Springsteen tickets for his November show in Buffalo (an hour away). I decided it was not meant to be because:

1. Tickets went on sale while I was at the craft show.
2. The show is on a Sunday night.
3. The show is on a night where I will have done a 3-day craft show until 5:00 that day.
4. Expensive tickets are not in my budget right now.

Still. Bummer! I've been listening to Magic in my car a lot lately to make up for it. :-(

~ ~ ~

Here's a word you haven't heard me mention in a while: auditor. We start a New York Sales Tax audit this morning. We were audited by the state a few years ago so of course that puts you on their watch list for a while. Last time was fairly painless. The guy came to the office every once in a while to review stuff but so much can be done electronically, it's not the process it once was.

We're still undergoing the Illinois sales tax audit but that guy hasn't been around for a while.

Welcome to one of the least fulfilling parts of my job.

~ ~ ~

Let's end on a happy note, though. This is one of the numerous pieces I stitched at the craft show last Saturday.

Lone Star

The craft show this past Saturday was remarkably unsuccessful. I did it partly as a favor, figuring I'd make more money than I would staying home. That turned out to be true but not by much. It was drizzly most of the day which didn't help. I decided early on the day was not going to be about sales, but instead about opportunity. So I envisioned unknown opportunities coming to me instead. And 3 did! So we'll see how those pan out in the future.

I'll continue to sell my stuff in the museum gift shop but I won't be doing any more "shows" there. Rule 'em in, rule 'em out, right?

And next year I'm going to apply to the Clothesline Art Festival (also this weekend), Rochester's longest running art & craft show (53 years). I'm ready.

One of the nice things to happen to me Saturday was meeting a new vendor friend. We've actually met before, she was one of my first customers, but we got to know each other better Saturday because Lord knows we had time to kill.

She ordered a 5" square framed Lone Star Quilt for her husband to give her for Christmas. She wants one in navy, green and white. I usually make that quilt using the rubber stamp seen above. I stamp it multiple times, cut it apart and reassemble.

But I decided to see if I could design it with my Groove software. I did! It took forever and a day but I learned a bit and got quite proficient at some bits I'd learned previously. Now that I see it scanned up close, I see some slight inaccuracies, possibly in just the way I glued it together. But that's just my test cut, so tweaking is expected.

That block is 3" square so I'll reduce it significantly and add some stitching. (The parts I drew with black pen above, to separate the blocks, will likely be replaced with stitching.) I've envisioned myself making paper quilts of all type for years and now I know I can do it.

Ladybug

This little lady took a ridiculously long time to make it through Research & Development here at Pine Tree Designs. I mean, the ladybug is just a series of circles, for cryin' outloud. But it was my first design experience on the Groove that wasn't a symmetrical circle for stitching. Lots of learning going on here.

I'd forgotten all about making more ladybugs until I ran across an inventory list while cleaning my studio this weekend. All of a sudden a huge lightbulb went off when I remembered Darcy's mantra - cut away rather than glue on. So the black dots are holes allowing the black body to show through, rather than individually glued onto the red paper as I've done in the past.

I thought the stitching was going to be an outline stitch around the perimeter of the red wings but it looked too busy. That's when I realized the black space between the wings was calling out for something.

One of the things I've been most excited about getting my Groove on is the precision with which it cuts the stitching holes. When I punched holes by hand, being off even just a needle's worth could make a line look crooked. The thing is, at craft shows, quite often customers think I stitch my pieces on a machine. I imagine they'll really think that now.

Saturday - September 12, 10:00-4:00

Valentown Museum

Family Heritage Fall Festival

7370 Valentown Square

Victor, NY 14564

Coal Craft

Isn't this a cool necklace Gretchen gave me? It's a piece of coal about 1-3/4" in diameter, hand carved by a young man in Colombia.

The Colombian government established a workshop for boys to learn this craft so hopefully they won't have to work in unsafe mines. You can read more about on the One World Projects website.

You can see why Gretchen thought of me immediately when she saw the design. :-)

~ ~ ~

Steve and I went on a bike ride this morning, our first in a long time. How long? Well besides being a few chins and pounds ago, it was clearly before I wore bifocals. I had to take off my sunglasses (which are prescription but not bifocal) and wear my glasses so I could see the numbers on the gear shifts and cyclocomputer. So yeah, it's been a while.

And the resulting endorphin rush was high enough to get me to put the finishing touches on the garage clean up that Simon started a few days ago. All good stuff.

Otherwise, I've caught up on a bunch of paperwork and even created a few new designs to stitch. Here's a sneak preview:

My designs keep getting stitchier & stitchier. The more stitching, the more fun to make - and less embellishment is needed so they assemble more quickly.

Up to My Knees in Pumpkins

Just when I thought I had my pumpkin strategy all laid out for 2009, my friend Darcy posts this free cutting file on her site! This is a strong contender for replacing my QuicKutz version, which I haven't cut out yet.

And cutting, I have been.

This is Team SLC at this June's Fast & Furriest Dog Walk to raise money for the Verona Street Animal Society. Besides Steve and me, there's Steve's daughter Lizz with Reggi, plus Bonnie, with whom Steve works, her husband and her mom. Their two collies walked and the little cocker spaniel has issues so he/she (can't remember) got to ride in a dog stroller. It was a picture perfect day and lots of fun. We're keeping our ears open for more dog walks, like our nearby Lollypop Farm's Barktober Fest.

Reggi wasn't smiling in the first picture but here, see? She's grinning her face off! She had lots of fun too, hanging with her peeps, human and canine.

Next Up: Pumpkins

This one is from a KNK file I bought from Sam & Hailey Designs. Each designer has their own terms of use. This designer, Jan Bryson, authorizes commercial sales of no more than 200 per design and no Internet sales.

This design is from the QuicKutz dies that I've been making for a few years. The black cat is made from a punch. I reproduced these on my KNK Groove, of course. This year, I added the green base, rather than affixing the pumpkin to a patterned paper circle on a scallop. Though . . . I just saw my own pin in my drawer and I still kind of like those. Have to keep thinking on this. Or I could offer both.

My KNK is good. Life is good.

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Let's Go!

These are two pieces I put together last night. I have to assemble them in the frames this morning. I had hoped to make 10 new ones for this show. I guess 2 is a start! The one on the left is a bit of a departure for me, in that it doesn't have a "fancy" outer border. I like it.

Set-up went well last night but I surely regret not taking water to drink. I have the tent weights thing totally licked. I have a good spot. I saw a couple of vendors friends whose work is top notch. It really looks like a fantastic festival - art, music, food, wine - something for everyone.

Right now I'm waiting for the adrenaline to kick in. Because at the moment, all I feel is tired. Time to kick it into gear . . . and the energy will follow. :-)

Saturday: 10-5, Sunday: 9-5

I know of a number of friends who promised to stop by - I hope to see you there too!

Rays of Sunshine

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Come join us this weekend at the brand new, first time ever, Riesling Festival!

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Wimpy Lever Punches

Yep, that's about how many butterflies I was able to punch before the lever broke off the punch. I hate those wimpy lever punches. They are especially fragile with intricate punches, which of course, are the ones I like. I always press down on the lever and the punch itself, trying to even the pressure, coax it along. Snap!

I need to stick with die cuts. I'm starting to enter the pre-show frantic-ness I've come to know and love :-\ otherwise I'd take a weekend to work with and learn to use my KNK Groove. After the show, then it's time to get serious. I hope I'm over anticipating the learning curve with this. I can't wait.

Riesling Festival

A Most Productive Weekend

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This is the end result - a rainbow of Sticky Notes covers, scored, ready to use. I went through my paper racks Saturday morning and pulled out 3 sheets of every color. There are some colors of which I pulled more than 3 because either I knew I'd use it a lot (white, red) or because I had a lot of it available (yellow). I pull paper in increments of 3 because that's what my paper cutter cuts easily and effortlessly.

I knew this was going to be a lengthy process so I wanted to sit down on the job. I pulled two end tables from the living room to set my Dahle trimmer on. Perfect! Not only could I sit down, I could see the TV. :-) I now use my old Fiskars paper trimmer with a scoring blade, for scoring only.

First I cut the 8-1/2" x 11" sheets down to 7" x 11". Then I score each one twice, 3-1/4" from each side. Then I cut those sheets into 4 strips: 3-1/4", 3-1/4", 3-1/4" + a leftover strip.

I initially tried being neat & organized about it, then decided it was more efficient to just let the cut papers drop into a pile on the floor, to be sorted out later. I was like a carpenter with a table saw!

This is the pile of leftovers. After I was done I sorted them into the appropriate scrap drawer. Some colors have two drawers (light and dark, for instance).

I cannot adequately express how much I love paper and color!

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Did You Hear That?

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That, my friend, is the sound of my scanner purring and playing very nicely with my new laptop. They're friends! They like each other, they really like each other!

Our IT person showed me what she did but naturally I can't find it now. Everything she showed me looked familiar because I felt I've been over the hardware & software with a fine tooth comb for days - so it's all a blur to me now. I think she went into the properties of the printer and there was a message, "Hey, I have an idea - want me to download some new drivers for you?" She said yes and it did and voila! Don't ask me why I never did that or if I did, why I never got that message. I can't think about it anymore, my head hurts.

On an all too familiar note, she showed me a photo of herself taken with my laptop when she was taken by surprise, when she was messing around with the Scanners & Cameras area. I was telling her of my similar experience and as we were laughing and she showed me the photo, my first thought was, "I can blog that!" but I didn't ask her permission so I won't. It wasn't a goofy face like mine was, it was a serious-deep-in-study face.

She definitely has some Stefani Brownies coming in her very near future.

Anyway, I'm so happy about the scanner. I feel whole again.

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A Trio & Food Network Shows

.Check out the one on the right - I love how that turned out. That's the same design, with a stitch added down the center of each point. I've been doing that a lot lately - using an existing hole (the point) and stitching the other end using my needle on the fly, so to speak. I love the ol' what-happens-if-I-do-this thing.

* Edited to add: The two outside ones will have a little something in the center, like the middle one does. It's the only one that's finished.

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My BFF Tivo has been patiently holding a bunch of shows for me, since before vacation even. Last night I caught up on some Food Network shows. One of my new favorites is The Best Thing I Ever Ate, which features of a bunch of Food Network hosts/chefs talking about just that, with a different theme each week.

I also enjoy the Challenge series. I was so happy to see the episode I started watching last night featured one of our friends from Ace of Cakes, Anna, with Ben as her assistant. My first thought was, "Oh Anna, why put your sweet self through that stress??" I could only watch about half before I had to go to bed, but I did skip to the end to see if she won, because that's how I roll. But I will go back & watch the rest of the show tonight. Because that's also how I roll.

One of my all time favorite series is The Next Food Network Star. I am very happy to see last season's 2nd place winner, Adam Gertler, doing so well. (He was robbed last year - should have won!) Check out his armchair reviews of each episode of The Next Food Network Star - they make me laugh out loud sometimes!

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Before, After & Escape

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I show so many works-in-progress, I decided I need to show some finished products. This is a 3" x 3" Sticky Note pad.

This is what it looked like yesterday, you may recall.

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I highly recommend Pam Slim's Escape from Cubicle Nation always, but if you have some time, read this account of a young man following his dream.

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