tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64826658184995603522024-03-12T21:18:41.468-07:00Dizzy Miss Lizzy's Crafts PageCrafts Discussions, Techniques, Instruction, and sometimes some humor.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-16641337856922449242010-04-14T21:13:00.000-07:002010-04-14T23:44:13.820-07:00At Long Last!<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Success, at last! I have been trying to get a video series done about my ceramics, and met with one frustration after another.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">First it was not having any blank tapes, and lacking any spare cash to buy some, then, it was finding time to create the video and get it edited.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From there, enter one maddening frustration after another with You Tube. I finally gave up on them, and went to Vimeo.com, and here is the result: </span><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/10942362"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">(click here).</span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It uploaded smoothly, and was a frustration-free process. I recommend their service! (Oooops..was that a <em>plug</em>?!) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You can select for the video to open in a new window by right-clicking the link. If it you cannot for some reason, simply click the 'back' button on your browser to return here when you've finished watching.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">I hope you enjoy the video. Thanks for visiting.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-56190273191304408662010-04-02T19:54:00.000-07:002010-04-02T19:54:48.515-07:00On Getting a Treasury<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Greetings!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Well, I finally managed to snag a treasury! you can check it out </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=123402"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">HERE</span></a><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> . Landing one of these coveted spots is tricky, and time-consuming. Unless you have absolutely nothing to do but sit in front of your computer waiting on the last hour or so of the countdown to the next opening, you're pretty much out of luck.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> You have to have all your ducks in a row, and be spot-on with the timing. You cannot answer the phone, run for a potty break, go get a snack or anything else. If you take your eyes very far from the computer screen, you will miss the opening! Guaranteed!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Advice on how-to? Calculations? Nope, not from me. There are entire forum threads and Storque articles devoted to the matter. the best resource I have found, at least the one most helpful for me, is the Treasury countdown clock on </span><a href="http://www.craftopolis.com/index.php?com=tc"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Craftopolis</span></a><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> . All the other assorted directions are about counting pages, adding or subtracting mintues, trying to allow for folks ending their treasury early... blah, blah, blah. Phooey! Too much calculating and math for my brain! I let the Craftopolis clock do that for me. And it worked!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Have your items picked out a day or so in advance, and waiting in Poster Sketch (there are how-to's within Etsy), and I even went so far as to pre-compose my title in a Word document, and had it copied to my clipboard, so when the slot opened up, all I had to do was paste it in, and not worry about trying to type in a big rush and making a mistake, and ending up loosing out.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's it for today--short and sweet. And now it's time for my show...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cheers!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-324783766361836212010-03-20T12:46:00.000-07:002010-03-20T12:46:33.643-07:00Curses, Foiled Again!<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Humpf! Not only did I not get to the dojo with my video camera, it turns out my timing was way off. Seems it is "spring break" week for a lot of the schools (2 weeks for some schools!), and the dojo is having "spring break karate camp" running. So, the place is going to be full of kids making all kinds of racket, and not conducive in the least to capturing quality video with clear audio to record the forms.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The good news, however, is this: I have learned that I am within pretty easy reach of my next belt level. All I have to do is solidify my most recently learned 'pinan,' learn 3 more combinations, and I will be ready to test! Woo-Hoo! Gotta get that video done as soon as spring break is over!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, I do believe I will practice on the cats. LOL They always make interestisng subjects. Although, being cats, they may not be in the mood to cooperate. Just when I want to tape them playing, they will most likely decide it is nap time. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I say "practice," I don't mean how to make a video--I already have lots of experience with that. What I need to learn and practice is the "today" method of burning one's finished movie to a DVD, or uploading it to You Tube. I have a You Tube account activated and waiting, but at this point, it is sans content.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's it for today, folks....I have to work today to make up for the fact that I'm playing hooky on Monday. ;-)</span><br />
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</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-27574641874671010482010-03-15T15:03:00.000-07:002010-03-15T18:00:19.405-07:00A New Thing to Try...<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today is the day I dust off the video camera, install a new tape and freshly charged battery (ok, maybe not--mayble I'll just run it off the AC adapter)...and take some video.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My first project will be to take the camera to the dojo and capture all the forms with which my brain is struggling. At my age, I'm finding that learning a new form is hard, because there are so many different moves in certain sequences, that practicing is next to impossible. Why? Because when I'm just learning a new one, it is like information overload, and I tend to forget most of it by the time I get home. Serious bummer! How can I practice what I do not remember! UGH! Getting old sucks!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I'm going to capture all the forms on tape, upload them to the computer, burn them to a DVD that I can play on the TV, and have something to practice with! So there, brain!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My next project will most likely be to tape the cats' antics, and learn how to upload a video to You Tube. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And what does any of this have to do with my crafts: Just this: once I've mastered that, you can probably look forward to seeing the occasional video here in my crafts blog. Something to look at, as well as read! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm off and running! Catch you all on the flip side!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cheers!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">P.S. ummm...welll..... time got away from me, daughter stopped by, had to go grocery shopping, so I suppose this 'adventure' is put off until... ummm...tomorrow?? That's karate class day, anyway..don't want to get in the way of class...Wed?? hmm.... appointments...Thurs....visiting other daughter, & will miss karate class...Fri.. no transportaion! RATS!!! Hate to wait a whole week! </span><br />
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</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-85264082227784327282010-03-14T16:56:00.000-07:002010-03-14T16:56:22.589-07:00Today, not crafty--just helping out a friend.<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hello!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Thanks for stopping by. Today, rather than write about crafts, I am trying to help out one of my Etsy buddies. Her daughter is facing very serious surgery, and I'm sending you to her blog, ( </span><a href="http://postcardsforsatori.blogspot.com/2010/03/hello-for-those-of-you-who-dont-know-me.html"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">click HERE</span></a><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> ) for the full details.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> In a nutshell, she'd like to arrange for her daughter to receive a flood of postcards from all over the world while she is in the hospital following the surgery.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> She is not asking for any money or anything else..just the postcards. </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I normally do not get involved in passing around 'sad stories' that I get via e-mail or see posted on FaceBook or anywhere, as 99% of the time, they are scams. This time, however, the individual is known to me, the facts can be verified, and I am comfortable in assisting her with this request.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Feel free to re-post this, and please, reference your original source, so it does not get tossed aside and discounted as 'another one of these fake sick kid stories.' Thank you!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-42806475257340066082010-02-27T13:23:00.000-08:002010-03-12T13:36:09.910-08:00Work to do today...<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ah, work...LOL</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have several photos that need to be re-done, because they were taken with my old camera, and the resolution was not as good as it should be.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As someone who writes blog articles on how to take better photos, I'm sure it would behoove me to make sure mine are 'up to snuff.' ;-) Some need new backgrounds, and some need a better presentation, as many of them were taken in a hurry, just to get the listing up and running.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That said, let me digress for a moment to state that I feel 'artful presentation' can be a double-edged sword. It is not always desireable to have an 'artsy' set with other items in the photo. It can create a good deal of confusion in a potential buyer's mind as to what is actually being sold.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is one thing to show items on a pile of small rocks, or with a plant, or on a model. It is quite another to picutre shoes, for example, along with a necklace or other jewelry or apparel. It muddies the product. What are you selling? Shoes? Jewelry? Scarves? Keep it clear and simple.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It also pays to be creative. I have lost count of how many pairs of earrings I've seen photographed hanging from the side of a coffee mug. While there is probably not much 'product confusion' here, as it is usually a fairly tight shot on the earrings, it is still obviously a mug. It's an over-used and trite device. Likewise hung from a glass. This is usually a very poor technique, especially if a clear glass, or even one with a delicate pattern. The background shows through, and the product is not clearly visible. That is to say, it does not "pop."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are many other poses earrings can take: laid flat on the backdrop is one, but also a very common theme. Try hanging from a piece of driftwood, or artificial foliage, but keep the scale in proportion. Hang them from the edge of a small jewelry box; show them held in the palm of a hand...yours, or a model's or a jeweler's form hand. Be creative! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know re-doing photos can be a real pain-in-the-drain. Especially for products such as mine, which are fragile, and must be stored with at least minimal protective wrapping. It makes for a very time-consuming project... which I why I have not gotten around to it yet. But, I promised myself I would work on it today, so off I go.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cheers!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-42483178134059060342010-02-21T14:30:00.000-08:002010-02-21T15:01:46.017-08:00Almost the Same Name... Still Awesome!<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is yet another fantastic Etsy shop, this one belonging to a dear friend of mine. Please visit the shop,</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/octobermoondesign">octobermoondesign</a></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and check out her positively gorgeous Celtic-inspired work.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She has a beautiful assortment of jewelry, pocket mirrors and assorted artwork. Her art pieces are fanciful and modern, very colorful. No matter what your color scheme, there will be a match in here somewhere to pick up that perfect accent color and tie it all together. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I think this one is particularly nice, very feminine and evocative of nature. Indeed, that's her title: "Soul of Nature." These are all original artworks, and created with mixed media, including such varied things as colored pencils and photoshop.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/S4Gc-AXgKOI/AAAAAAAAAbY/5YX4Mipwmb0/s1600-h/il_430xN_124954432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/S4Gc-AXgKOI/AAAAAAAAAbY/5YX4Mipwmb0/s320/il_430xN_124954432.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Here is one of her jewelry items:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/S4GgFd3Sz8I/AAAAAAAAAbg/6Vl1ee6n0Nk/s1600-h/il_fullxfull_84302063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/S4GgFd3Sz8I/AAAAAAAAAbg/6Vl1ee6n0Nk/s320/il_fullxfull_84302063.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is a hand-done small artwork framed into a darling casual necklace. I rate it as a 'must-have' for any animal or bird lover. The little owl has such personality!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Below is one of her Celtic inspired items---</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/S4Gh84TONUI/AAAAAAAAAcA/SMuJT5K0uOo/s1600-h/il_430xN_98130910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/S4Gh84TONUI/AAAAAAAAAcA/SMuJT5K0uOo/s320/il_430xN_98130910.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Isn't this a lovey mirror? Just imagine how special you will feel checking your makeup in a "Dancing Goddess" mirror! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is another artist/crafter with an extremely reasonable price point for her works. They are original, beautiful, unique, and yet still very affordable. If you're looking for that perfect, yet different gift, look no further!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I, personally, have a large problem with the viewpoint that says, "If it is inexpensive, it must be of poor quality." That, I feel, is only true of the mass-market import wares found at large chains such as Wal-Mart or Target. When it comes to original artwork, who among us, in today's economy, would not appreciate the chance to own or give a beautiful, hand-crafted and unique piece at an affordable price? I know I would! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I realize there are two posts today, featuring crafters with very similar shop names. It can get confusing, as there are innumerable variations possible, some a subtle as the insertion or omission of a single space or other character, making it "unique" in the eyes of a computer program...not so much to us poor humans. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Now--time to go shopping! :-)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Note:</u></span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All of the images used in this post are with the crafter's permission, and are copyrighted by her. Please do not copy or use them in any way. Feel free, however, to post links to this blog.</span></em></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-64017174960815766472010-02-21T10:59:00.000-08:002010-02-21T11:47:18.736-08:00Awesome Artist!<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Folks, you simply must visit this Etsy shop: </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35525013"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OctoberMoon</span></a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">. She is a fabulous artist, and does beautiful ACEO artwork. Her price points are extremely reasonable for this calilber of artistry--you can easily afford more than one!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even though Christmas is now well past, you can still view some of her custom artwork glass ornaments. They are absolutely stunning! She will custom-paint an ornament with a portrait of your special animal friend. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since this kind of custom work takes a fair amount of time, I'd say it is not too early to plan ahead for this coming December, and order your special animal friend ornament now! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">They would make excellent and much appreciated gifts for friends or family you know who are really 'into' their pets--and no law says they must be Christmas gifts--birthdays or 'just because' occasions would be just as appropriate.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love her work. The portraits are at once realistic and true to life, while still having a bit of a whimsical quality about them. These would also make wonderful memorials to animal buddies no longer with us.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">In addition to her ornaments, she also offers fanciful beasts of clay, original art cards (that's the "ACEO" part), and a few vintage items of a fanciful nature. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Simply click on her name in the first sentence to visit her shop--you'll be glad you did.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks for stopping by today!</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cheers, Lizzy</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-6993128555686533582010-02-06T18:57:00.000-08:002010-02-09T22:32:55.695-08:00Blogging, Anyone??<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Good evening.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> At least it is evening here. It usually is when I'm writing, posting or creating; I'm a bona-fide night owl. Nothing of much importance gets done before noon. ;-)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was recently asked to host a presentation on how to create a blog presence. </span><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since this was originally done within a private chat, the information was not widely available, so I thought I'd put it up in my crafts blog for others to see. Here is the original transcript of that chat: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many people think blogging is difficult, or that it takes a very long time. Neither is <em>necessarily</em> true. For me, personally, <em>it is somewhat time consuming</em>, but that is only because I do so much of it: writing 4 different blogs, and because I have a bit of a problem with brevity. I tend to over-explain. :-(</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Hence, <u>for me, <em>Twitter</em> is difficult</u>. <em>I only get 140 characters??? <strong>OMG!!!</strong> ;-) (I'm not used 2 having 2 make stuff so short & use cryptic abbrvs.; it cramps my style. -- </em>ok, that "sentence" is only 55 characters..that would work. But, for me, it took a lot more time and thought than just writing normally. LOL<em>)</em></u> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When you open up a blog, the very first thing to remember is this: it is YOUR blog! Do with it what you will, and make it your own. There is no need to copy anyone else’s style or subject matter. Think of it as a conversation with your readers. A one-sided conversation, to some extent, yes; much like a telephone chat with bad reception on your end. You can talk, and be heard, but somehow, the other party’s replies aren’t clear. LOL That's what the 'comments' box is for...and you don't have to put up with being interrupted while you are making your points, as often happens in person.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are many sites on which to get started, but for my money, (figurative money, that is, because it is free), the easiest on which to begin is Google’s Blogger a.k.a. Blogspot.com. (exactly where you are reading this very post.) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The actual opening of an account is easy, and in fact, if you already have Google e-mail, all you have to do is log in and select to start a blog. But, <em>you <u>do not have to have Google mail</u></em>...signing up for a Google account is free, and easy... and you can then use it for all sorts of different Google applications.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In fact, any of you currently using Google Analytics for your Etsy (or other) shops, already have a Google account, and when you go to <a href="http://www.blogspot.com/">http://www.blogspot.com/</a> , you will be given the option to sign in using your existing Google account. Keeps things simple--less to remember!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once you are at the blogging main menu, you’ll be presented with several design templates from which to choose. Select the one that fits your personality, or even your mood. Select the layout that fits best with your plans. Do you plan to me more photo-oriented, or more text-oriented? A mix of both? There are templates to fit any of those options. With that done, you’re all set.. Ready, set, BLOG! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the world of mules, there are no rules.. Oh, no, wait…that’s Ogden Nash in Camille Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals.” I mean, in the world of blogs, there are no rules. </span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">;-) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Every Blogger has her own style. Some are like lectures, some are funny, and some are preachy. Some are long, some are just a paragraph or two. Some write daily, some weekly, some monthly. It is entirely up to what fits with your style, and your schedule. The way to avoid frustration with your readers, (and with yourself!) however, is to<strong> make no promises or statements </strong>regarding the frequency with which you will write. Just do it when the mood takes you.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The important thing is to simply decide on something, and try to be consistent. I say ‘try,’ because we all know how life has a habit of getting in the way of the best intentions. Start small. Don’t set impossible goals of being the most prolific Blogger on the Internet. I certainly did not begin my first blog with the intention of ending up writing 4 of them! ;-) But here I am…it snuck up on me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But then again, I am a writer, and I love writing. It is what I do best: painfully shy as a child, I learned to express myself on paper. If writing does not come as easily to you, don’t sweat it. There is no requirement for a set number of words. A blog is not a school essay assignment or book report. Make it what you will. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you have trouble with spelling or grammar, write your post first in a word processor program, and take advantage of the spell-check and grammar-check utilities usually included. (Be warned—those are <em>not foolproof</em>—they <em>will not catch context errors</em> in the presence of a correct spelling, and they also occasionally want to INCORRECTLY “correct” grammar.) You can then copy/paste your masterpiece right into blogger.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Begin it as an experiment. Post jokes, or silly trivia. As you learn to do that, your own writing style will develop. Don’t even promote and advertise it to start with. Get comfortable with the concept first. The time for ‘getting serious’ will come along. You’ll know when that is, and I cannot tell you, as it will be different for each of you.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When that time arrives, you always have the option to completely delete any and all earlier posts, if for some reason you feel you’d not be comfortable having your trial run on display. ;-) As you become more comfortable with developing your own style of writing, I’ll bet you discover a ‘secret.’ It is this: your writing style will very likely take on the tone of you, speaking, in a casual conversation. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that’s all a blog is—YOU, speaking to your readers through a new medium. In fact, if you have a small tape recorder or digital recorder, you can even SPEAK your blog posts, as the ideas come to you, and write them down later. Then, you will automatically gain that conversational tone you want to have. Write ‘pretend’ blogs in your word processor, if you don’t want anyone to read your first efforts. Keeping a journal is a good way to begin this process.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">And now, some of the questions I was asked are as follows: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Q.</span> Will having a blog help my Etsy sales?</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">A.</span> Maybe. Possibly. But, in my opinion, that should not be the be-all and end-all goal of a blog. Promoting your blog and shop; cross-promoting both, will certainly help your online visibility and presence, but beyond that, there are no guarantees. There is a saying, "The only guarantees are death and taxes." ;-) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Q.</span> What do I write about?</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">A.</span> Write about whatever fires you. Your crafts and their process; your other hobbies; fantasy; jokes; the sky is the limit.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Q.</span> What if writing is hard for me, or I don't like to write?</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">A.</span> No matter. You can make a photo blog, using simple, brief captions. OR select a random photo, and use it as a basis for a flight of fancy: invent a story or scenario around the picture. I.e., what just happend, or is about to?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now, get going, and have fun! THAT is your assignment! Have fun and play with it.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-30690321717288996682010-01-20T12:56:00.000-08:002010-02-09T22:35:09.564-08:00Introduction to Woodworking<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>WOODWORKING FOR BEGINNERS</strong></span></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, you want to learn to craft things from wood, do you? Wonderful! Woods are among the most basic and rewarding media with which to work. It is malleable, and many types have a delightful fragrance, and it is available in virtually any size and shape.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me begin with an introduction to types of wood. At the most basic level, there are hardwoods and softwoods. Within each grade, there are variations and degrees of hardness and softness as well. For example, oak is considered a hard wood, but there is a wood called ‘blood wood’ that is many times harder. Oak is relatively easy on your equipment, while blood wood will very quickly dull your woodworking tools! Hardwoods in general, though will dull your tools faster than soft woods. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pine is a soft wood; balsa wood is even softer—yet, surprisingly, <em>balsa is actually classified as one of the hardwood group! </em></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pine can be dented with a fingernail, while the balsa can almost be carved without tools: you can dent balsa with a knuckle-strike! (Yes, it is still wood, and doing that would probably hurt some, but not as much as smacking a hunk of oak, which would not dent, and probably bloody your knuckle in the bargain!) The classification is determined by the type of tree, botanically speaking. If you care to pursue this puzzlement further, see these articles for more in-depth information on the differences and variations:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardwood">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardwood</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softwood">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softwood</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, on to the actual working with the wood. First and foremost are your tools. Treat them well, and they will serve you well for many, many years. I have some antique planes and chisels that belonged to my grandfather in the late 1800’s: they are still as sharp as ever, and can still be used. <u><em>Keeping your tools sharp is the most important safety tip I can offer</em>, besides the obvious one of using safety glasses (and hearing protection when using power tools). </u></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lot of people hear that piece of advice, and say, “Huh?” They think that a sharper tool will be more likely to cut them. Well, used incorrectly, yes, you can cut yourself. Handled carelessly when getting the tool out or putting it away can result in injuries as well. However, the real danger from a dull tool comes from the fact that it will not cut as cleanly through the wood; it is more likely to catch on the grain, bind, and slip…and that "Ooopss--it slipped.." is what sets you up for getting hurt. So, keep your tools sharp, and know how to use them to stay safe.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">One of the most obvious safety rules is also one of the most ignored, whether in the work shop or in the kitchen: <em>don’t cut toward yourself</em>!! This may seem like elementary advice, but trust me, it is the single most violated rule, and the one most responsible for injuries outside of just plain stupidity, like the fellow I saw <em>reaching across a running table saw</em> to turn it off!! <em>(Hello, dummy!! You got a death-wish, there??)</em></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, with the basic types of wood, and the safety lecture out of the way, let’s move on to some of the tools you’ll need for basic woodworking. If you have never worked with wood at all before, go to your local lumber outlet, and ask if they have a scraps/sample bin. You can usually purchase an assortment of small pieces of various types of wood for minimal cost. Have them tell you what each kind is, and write it on the wood with a pen. Just use these as study or reference pieces. Learn what they look like; study the grain; get familiar with their scents. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your first tool: <u><strong>sandpaper</strong>.</u> It comes in umpteen grades and types. For woodworking purposes, the coarsest you would need is usually about an 80 grit. This will remove a lot of material in short order, if it is shaping you are trying to do. It will also leave visible scratches in the wood. As you progress with your item toward a finished product, it must be re-sanded several times with ever-decreasing coarseness of paper. Usually, a 180 grit, and sometimes 200 will be used for the finishing touch. If you have stained a piece, and find that after it dried, there is a slight roughness that was not there before, that means the grain was raised some by the application of the liquid stain. In this case, you will want a light touch with about a 320 grit to just knock down the grain without leaving marks or removing any color. After this, your finish sealer coat can be applied. For the full skinny on sandpaper, (possibly more than you want to know!) ;-) check out: </span><a href="http://www.sizes.com/tools/sandpaper.htm"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.sizes.com/tools/sandpaper.htm</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>Your next tools are:</u></strong> saws of a few types; hammer; chisels, a square, glue, clamps, and lots of sharp pencils. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For small work, a basic <u><strong>coping saw</strong> is handy, as it will cut through most woods, and will turn tight corners when doing a pattern. It is the hand-tool equivalent of a jigsaw (sometimes called a saber saw), or scroll saw. It is best to learn with hand tools before trying to master power tools. It forces you to go slowly, and learn what the wood is telling you.</u></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A <u><strong>crosscut saw</strong> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosscut">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosscut</a> ) is the old fashioned-looking saw many of us think of, with a blade length of up to about 2 feet, and a teeth-to-top height of about 8 inches. These saws are tapered, being ‘shorter’ at the front and ‘taller’ at the rear where the handle attaches. Crosscut saws are for larger work, and come in a variety of tooth styles. The differences are in pitch (angle of the teeth) and in fineness (how many teeth per inch of blade). Each type has its own purpose. For smaller hand-crafted items, the crosscut saw would be your first-use saw, to simply cut the proper size piece from a larger board.</u></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>Hammers</u></strong> come in many types, but the most common is the claw hammer, and is what most folks see in their mind’s eye when the word ‘hammer’ is spoken. This is fine for most woodworking, but for small work you may want a much smaller hammer, such as a tack hammer, for use with very small nails. Especially in soft woods, a big hammer is heavy, and difficult to control, and can leave ugly dents and gouges in your item when (yes, 'when,' not 'if') you miss the nail head (and yes, it even happens to the pros!) </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>Chisels</u></strong> come in a wide variety of widths and shapes. There are flat blade chisels for making square-edged cuts, and there are gouges, which are u-shaped and v-shaped for making either decorative lines and carvings, or useful channels for sliding parts or hidden seams. Yes, of course, there are power tool equivalents, such as dado head cutters and routers to do these tasks…but again…learn first with hand tools! It will make you a better crafter in the long run.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>A square</u></strong> is very important in making sure you have all your corners lined up and your 90-degree surfaces exactly at right angles to one another. Use a good combination square, which incorporates a steel ruler, a sliding component used to line up various dimensions of work, and a small built-in level.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your choice of <u><strong>glue</strong>is very important. Be sure and use glue specifically made for wood. It dries clear, but nonetheless, it is very, very important to clean up any that seeps out of any seam while it is still wet. Once it has dried, it is much harder to remove, and any residue left will make a spot that is sealed, and your stains will not ‘take.’ Hint: apply stain (and let dry) before assembly, just in case you don’t get all the glue wiped back. </u></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>Clamps:</u></strong> When gluing, you must square up your work, and clamp it tightly until the glue sets. Nails notwithstanding, they do not ‘suck’ the wood together as tightly as a clamping device, and are really only supplemental ‘clamps.’ It is really the glue that actually holds everything together, so be generous…which is why you will have seepage that needs to be wiped off ! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>Carpenter’s pencils</u></strong> are typically flat, so they don’t roll off the work surface, and are normally sharpened with a pocketknife or utility knife.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There you go! Your elementary introduction to woodworking! Go exploring, have fun, and take a field trip to the hardware store, and explore the lumberyard, deeply inhaling the marvelous fragrance of fresh-cut wood! </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-10476235899603632272010-01-02T15:32:00.000-08:002010-01-02T18:15:08.203-08:00Clocks<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello, again!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Today, I'll go into a small discourse on our clock production. We have a wide variety of styles and sizes, ranging from very modern to classical, and from small desk-top mini clocks and executive pen sets, all the way up to grandmother curio-cabinet clocks.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We manufacture all of the wood components ourselves, starting with the raw wood, as described in yesterday's post. The only purchased parts are the clock motors, faces and bezels themselves, glass, mirrors and pen accessories.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We have (or rather, my husband's family, years back) designed all of the styles ourselves. Hubby and I do come up with our own new ideas, as well. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When available, we like to incorporate as much recycled material as possible. This is usually with glass or mirror components found on our classical-styled wall clocks and our curio cabinet clocks. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Sometimes we are lucky enough to find used wood. 99% of the time, we prefer to use hardwoods, but now and then, an opportunity comes up that is too good to pass up. This happened recently, when someone was replacing a fence, and we were able to salvage the old redwood fence boards. Redwood is very soft--you can gouge it with your fingernail, but it does come up a very beautiful color, all on its own with no stain needed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> All we have to do is go over each board VERY carefully and throughly with both a visual inspection and a magnet, to find and remove any stray nails, screws or staples that could damage the tools (or us!). Once that is done, we proceed to run it through the planer to smooth out the boards, and restore them to 'like new' appearance....just as if we were starting with raw, new wood, as per yesterday's post.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial;"> In the back of my mind, I am designing some new ideas that will combine our clocks with our ceramics, for a whole new approach and product. I already have one of these in production; you may have seen it on my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19092406">Etsy store site.</a> (I've provided this link to the listing, because I cannot find the original photo. I'll have to re-take it. Curses!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial;"> More designs are still "cooking." Keep your eyes peeled!</span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-43693013115128556342010-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:002010-01-02T15:34:06.234-08:00Happy New Year<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy New Year to one and all. For those of us who celebrate the Winter Solstice as the turning of the year, it has already been the new year for a week and 4 days. ;-) Nonetheless, since I closed out for 2009 in my last post, I'll start this next one on the "traditional" New Year's Day. It is my wish that everyone is safe and well, and not suffering overly much from too much partying last night! ;-)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now, on with the blog:</span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>THE WOODWORKING SIDE OF THINGS:</u></span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My wonderful and uber-talented husband is a master woodworker, and loves working with wood and making things with his hands. Together, we make hand-crafted hardwood clocks. I am hubby's apprentice, and I am learning how to make the clocks, but I am so far behind that I don't think I'll ever catch up: he's got too many years head-start because this was a family business of his late step-dad. We bought the business when <em>his</em> health went south, and he could no longer do the work. <em>That is why hubby has so many years up on me...</em>he worked in the family business since he was in his 20's!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My lack of experience notwithstanding, I do enjoy woodworking, and I love the smell of the wood as its being worked; splinters, not so much, but it happens...'occupational hazard.' [ I remember years back, before I met my current hubby, a friend of the family worked for a cabinet maker. He got a nasty sliver at work, and was picking it out. The (mean, nasty) boss came by and said, "Got a sliver? Put a circle around it, and take it out on your own time!" <em>How very rude!</em> <em><strong>I</strong></em> would have said, "<em>Why?</em> <u><strong><em>I got it on company time</em>!</strong></u>" ]</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We will use oak, maple, walnut or cherry woods, but oak is our favorite. It has a pleasing grain and accepts stains nicely. If you look at a piece of oak furniture, and compare it to the raw wood, you might be very, very surprised to learn that the color you think of as 'oak' is actually an applied stain. The wood itself is very much lighter in color. (See photo, below.)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/Szr7HsclUbI/AAAAAAAAAV8/PkWilj6pqjA/s1600-h/Oak-Stained-size+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/Szr7HsclUbI/AAAAAAAAAV8/PkWilj6pqjA/s200/Oak-Stained-size+edited.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/Szr7FVXkY6I/AAAAAAAAAV0/YW6soSe6KQs/s1600-h/Oak-Raw-size+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/Szr7FVXkY6I/AAAAAAAAAV0/YW6soSe6KQs/s200/Oak-Raw-size+edited.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Raw (Red) Oak Stained Oak</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">On the left, above, the actual color of the wood; and on the right, the usual "oak" color most people think of. This is a stain color called "Golden Oak" in the brand we use. I have noted the raw wood as 'red,' because oak comes in both red and white varieties. The white oak is even lighter, almost like maple, but we don't use it much, as it is very difficult to work with, which in turn raises our cost on the finished product.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are certain woods that, while they are beautiful, we don't use much for any number of reasons. First, we try very hard, when possible, to use recycled/salvaged wood to save on resources. We absolutely avoid buying wood from clear-cutting operations, and will use only farmed woods from sustainable operations whenever possible. This eliminates many of the exotic hardwoods like zebra or koa wood from our available stock.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When the exotic woods can be found as farmed wood, they are usually very, very expensive, so that is another 'stopper.' Sometimes, we can find small pieces in the 'scrap' bin at our supplier's, and these we craft into either smaller items, or use as accent laminations.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another of the main reasons for not using much in the way of some exotics such as bloodwood is simply the wear and tear on the tools. Bloodwood is so hard, it is almost like cutting a rock, when it comes to what it does to the saw blade. One or two passes through, and you're done: time to have the blade sharpened! After that, if you persist, you will be burning your way through from the friction of the blade's rotation, more than cutting. Not only is this hard on the saw blade and its motor--it is dangerous. The blade can easily bind and cause the wood to break and/or be thrown, or, worse, catch fire!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We like to buy raw lumber, in inch-thick sections, called '4-quarter stock' in the lumber industry. (Don't ask me why--<em>I've no idea why</em> they would use the 4-quarters of an inch measure instead of just saying 1 inch!) There is also 1-1/4 inch thick wood we can sometimes get.. called, you guessed it.... '5-quarter stock'!! (<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: small;">** Check out this post on another blog for that author's take on silly ways to measure things: <a href="http://straythoughtsonaleash.blogspot.com/2007/08/silly-counting.html">http://straythoughtsonaleash.blogspot.com/2007/08/silly-counting.html</a>**)</span></span> At that, it is 'nominally' those measures--meaning, they got it close, but not exact. This raw lumber is as it came in from the original mill. It has been cut into boards, but is of random lengths and widths, and still rough--not planed or sanded at all. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We select what projects we want, and from there, cut the wood into the lenghts and widths we need, then run it through our planer to pare it down to the exact thickness desired, and do a preliminary smoothing. (Actually reverse that--it goes through the planer first--easier and safer to feed large boards than small pieces!) This is an operation that creates a lot of shavings! By 'a lot,' I mean that if we are running say, 20 boards through, it takes several passes on each board, as you cannot take too large a 'bite' at one pass. One person feeds the lumber in, and another 'catches' or pulls it on the outfeed side. Guess which end I get: Right! Guess on which end the shavings end up? Right, again! More than once, I"ve found myself nearly knee-deep in wood shavings from this proceedure! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tomorrow, I'll go into some of our actual crafting operations, and design inspirations.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Until then, Cheers!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-89290865466954262432009-12-22T22:52:00.000-08:002009-12-29T14:22:21.560-08:00Winter is Upon Us<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Yesterday (Monday the 21st), was the WInter Solstice: the shortest day of the year. From here on out, the days begin to lengthen again, so in a very real sense, Solstice, and not January 1st, marks the 'beginning of the New Year'. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I <em>had </em>planned a nice little Solstice celebration, complete with burning a small Yule log in our portable firepit, but the weather had other ideas: it rained! Fine! So I came inside, and turned on my battery-operated, cat-safe "candle," and drank a glass of egg nog. Gotta be flexible!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> As the year winds down, and we all reflect on where we've been and where we're going, I thought I'd finish my blogging for the year with some stray thoughts to clean up some mental 'loose ends' as it were...enjoy my rambling nonsense:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> It occurs to me that every time I think of some new trend in inventions, someone beats me to it--probably because I don't have the means (or know-how, in many cases) to design and create a prototype, and finagle my way through the legal hurdles of copyrighting said idea. </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">None of these things have anything to do with crafting, so I present them here simply as entertainment.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I do follow auto circles to some extent, and I enjoy watching races. I've also followed the development of solar, and seen the very bulky solar-powered cars that race through the Australian outback. The biggest drawback to solar always seems to have been the inordinate weight imposed by all the battery packs required.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em> My thought</em>, going back several years, has always been, "Why not have the photo-voltaic solar cells just <em>drive the motor directly</em>, and eliminate any need for batteries?!" Lo and behold, on TV yesterday, <em>there it was</em>! <strong>My idea</strong>, come to fruition! Oh, man! <span style="font-size: small;">(Slaps self on forehead.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> One of my previous such frustrations includes, "If we can put men in space, and return them to earth without being 'cooked' on re-entry, then why can't we make a toaster that doesn't get hot on the outside?!" Sure enough, a few years later, there they were: cool-touch toasters!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I'm going to stop voicing my ideas--someone must be stealing them! ;-)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> Next, I'm going to actually invent something for my cats. Purrhaps it will let me reclaim my bed at night! Hee hee hee...oh, I forgot: the cats <em>allow us</em> to share <em>their bed</em>!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> I have the solution to the country's economic mess: just print more money, and pass it around! Hee hee! Our money isn't backed by the silver standard anymore. It really is not worth much more than the paper on which it's printed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> So, just print up a cool million for every citizen over the age of 18, and they will all go out and buy stuff, or pay off bills, and the economy will be all better!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">(Well, I can dream, can't I?--I warned you, today's blog was for entertainment purposes. Please don't take me seriously today!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> Hmm..you know, it's not just the end of a year, but the end of a decade. We're now all <u><em>10 years older</em>!</u> HA! I just <em>had</em> to bring that up, didn't I?! <span style="font-size: small;">(Ducking)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> In one of my modes, I am a stand-up comic: I used to belong to a comdey improvisation troupe. If you have ever watched "Whose Line Is It, Anyway?" on TV's Comedy Channel, you've seen the kind of thing I was into. In fact, I'll tell you a little secret, here. "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" actually began as my stage name! I liked it, and decided to keep it as my online personna.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> Sadly, there is no such group where I now live, and I miss it greatly. It was a lot of fun...and sometimes, I just run in that mode, and my online friends and acquaintances reap the "benefits." Some of them may not realize I'm just being a wiseass...a professional wiseass, at that. ;-)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> And with that, I'll close out this blog for 2009. May you all have a very Happy Holiday, whatever one you celebrate, and a prosperous New Year!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-73523222233721429962009-11-21T12:28:00.000-08:002009-11-22T09:26:57.636-08:00More reasons why about yesterday's post<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yesterday I made a strong case against "Black Friday." Today, I offer these links, the first one is within Etsy.com's "Storque" blog..and yes, you can read it without having an account...I signed myself out to check... and the second is a link to the page explaining the entire project.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is about shopping locally, at small independent stores, instead of at big-box chains, which, in spite of people's arguments about "how many jobs they provide," actually do more harm than good to our economy. This is about bringing production of goods back onto our own shores, and thereby saving <em>and making</em> thousands more jobs than would be lost by loosing the 'big box' stores. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Read on:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/new-rules-support-your-local-economy-6092/">http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/new-rules-support-your-local-economy-6092/</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.newrules.org/">http://www.newrules.org/</a><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cheers!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-87651079551522449782009-11-19T19:30:00.000-08:002009-11-19T20:28:05.663-08:00Black Friday--Please Boycott!!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Today's post is simply intended to plead with <strong>all</strong> holiday shoppers to <em><strong><span style="font-size: large;">not patronize brick-and-mortar stores on so-called 'Black Friday.'</span></strong></em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">It is an unfortunate tradition that is very disruptive to families' holiday celebrations. If really feel you <em>must</em> shop that day,<strong> </strong><em><strong>please shop online only</strong>!</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I <em>was </em>just going to post a link to my Face Book page, so everyone could read what I wrote in detail, but I then realized that not everyone who may read this blog is a Face Book friend, and so would be unable to read it. Thus, I've just copied/pasted that text here:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ok, people. Here it is: it's far past time to <strong><em>kill</em></strong> he over-hyped, over-priced, obsessive consumer shopping monster that has this country in its grip!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here are TWO websites to help in this endeavor: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.adbusters.org/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">http://www.adbusters.org</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394;">. </span></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buy_Nothing_Day"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buy_Nothing_Day</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I have been annoyed in the extreme with corporate 'rushing of the season' for many, many years. This year, however, came the straw that broke the camel's back--<span style="font-size: large;"><em><strong>and I'm GOING TO NAME (corporate) NAMES!!</strong></em></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">KOHL'S</span></strong> is <strong><em>REQUIRING</em></strong> <span style="font-size: large;">ALL</span> of its employees to work on so-called "Black" Friday. That's bad enough, that they (<em>and all other brick-and-mortar retailers</em>) are SO greedy that they cannot even allow thier employees to have the<em> entire</em> Thanksgiving weekend holiday in peace and quiet with THEIR families.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> No, they have to take it a step further, and open the freaking store at <strong>FOUR A.M.!!</strong> I'm sorry, but NO ONE <em><strong>needs</strong></em> to be shopping already at THAT hour! It's the middle of the danged night for pete sakes!! If anyone seriously has to shop (doubtful) on THAT day... they can surely do it just as well during the store's <em><strong>normal </strong></em>operating hours!</span><br />
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</span><span style="color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>This means that every single person who insists on going shopping that day is <em>RUINING SOMEONE ELSE'S HOLIDAY!!</em> There is no more plain and simple way to put it than that.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong>FURTHERMORE</strong>--there is a ripple effect...for many families, this means curtailing or cutting short their own holiday plans to accomodate the outrageous, obscene work schedule of the retail employee in the family. My own plans have been affected, even though my kids are adults with their own families. However, my husband and I are spending the holiday with HIS mother this year--3.5 hours from home. We won't be home till Sunday. Ergo, I need someone to care for my pets, and administer meds ON SCHEDULE to one of them.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Thanks to <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">KOHL's extreme family UN-friendly policies</span>, my daughter will now NOT be available at the appropriate times to do this....forcing us to seriously impinge on and alter our own plans. She is the best (and really only) option for this; she lives near, our animals know her, and she knows their routine. (<em>And no, I <strong>cannot afford</strong> to have them boarded, so don't even go there!</em> )</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You'd better believe I just sent a scathing e-mail letter off to KOHL's corporate! I even told them that I was struggling to maintain civility as in truth, I had NOTHING ladylike to say about the matter.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">WHY NOT just start the shopping season on Monday? Let FAMILIES have thier 4-day Thanksgiving weekend. In my opinion, anyone who thinks it is that necessary to go shopping that early should be taken out to a field and horse-whipped! That is unbridled consumerism at its very worst, and about as necessary as watering the lawn in a rainstorm!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">GET A GRIP, people! STAY HOME!! <u><em><strong>BOYCOTT BLACK FRIDAY!!</strong></em> HAVE SOME RESPECT FOR THE STORE'S EMPLOYEES! LET'S KILL THIS MONSTROUS TRADITION THIS YEAR!</u> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em>PLEASE RE-POST THIS ANYWHERE AND EVERYWEHRE YOU CAN--BLOGS, YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE, TWITTER, CHAT ROOMS YOU ATTEND...WHERE EVER! LET'S PUT A STOP TO THIS CRAZY NONSENSE FOR ONCE AND FOR ALL!!</em></strong></span> <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Thank you!!<br />
</span></strong><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-91284363483989304802009-11-16T15:01:00.000-08:002009-11-16T15:02:50.096-08:00A Not Altogether Wasted Monday...<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I finally finished my kitty cat coasters, and by the skin of my teeth, at that. I ran out of sealer spray just as I finished the backside of the last one! WHEW!</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's how they came out: </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/SwHW1XyAUpI/AAAAAAAAARU/9Z01Bt6zfWs/s1600/Cat+Coaster+Set+of+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/SwHW1XyAUpI/AAAAAAAAARU/9Z01Bt6zfWs/s320/Cat+Coaster+Set+of+4.jpg" yr="true" /></span></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As you can see, I went ahead and did mixed sets. Even though my poll is not expired, it was running 50-50 between all one color and mixed sets. I am on the hunt for more of this thin pine, and when I find some, I'll add some single-color sets to the offerings.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <em><strong> <span style="color: #351c75;"> If anyone of my readers KNOWS of a source for this very thin knotty pine (originally used as packing material), <u>within a20-mile radius of my location</u> in the far eastern side of Contra Costa County, California, please let me know!</span></strong></em></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm fairly pleased, but there were a few minor issues with the paint and the wood grain. It happens. Not a lot can be done about it, but, after all...minor imperfections are all part of 100% hand-made items. It proves no robots or other fancy machinery went into the manufacture!</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Next, I have to spray the new mousie ornaments I've finished...but that will involve going and buying more sealer first. Ahh... interruptions..gotta love 'em! Good excuse to stop by Peet's for a mocha??? (hee hee hee.) Actually, had to go out anyway--stop by P.O. and ship out an order; go to bank; might as well pick up the spray while I'm out and about. And in reality, I guess I don't really get to go to Peet's, as it's 3 miles in the opposite direction from my main errands. Oh, well, was fun thinking about it. LOL</span><br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-44763456705266910222009-11-15T15:49:00.000-08:002009-11-15T15:49:09.522-08:00Finishing up<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Good Morning. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> At least I think it still qualifies as morning...that's an unusual phrase for me to use. LOL Actually, it is 10:30, I just got up about 45 minutes ago from a delightful Sunday sleep-in, and I'm still in 'waking up and becoming functional' mode. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I worked out in the studio until after 10 last night, finishing up several of my mouse ornaments. They will be ready for their photographs today. I also finished 3 sets of the kitty-cat coasters, and they will receive their sealer coats today, then be photographed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> As of this moment, I have made 3 sets of 4 in assorted kitty colors...and am now all out of the recycled wood I was using. So far, I have had no luck in tracking down a new source of this same kind of wood. It seems that things are now packed exclusively in cardboard or wrapped in paper, and not protected by thin wood. The hunt goes on.</span><br />
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</div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Okay--started post this a.m., put it on hold ... it is now 3:30 p.m., and I've finally finished all I can do for today out in the studio. The mice are finished...got the antiquing done.. now they must dry 24 hrs. before I can spray the sealer, and THEN, several hours later, they will finally be ready for photos...so, I was considerably ahead of myself this morning. (Overeager to be done?) See? Told you I'm not a morning person. Brain does not work well before noon. LOL</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <em>While there is much more that I could be working on</em> out there, I've had to quit for the day, as the antiquing process involves some pretty heavy fumes, (from the solvent used to wipe back the antiquing...sort of like a paint thinner kind of smell), and I was getting a headache. So I picked up all my paints, to get ready for tomorrow, when our 'regular' business partners will be here to work, and I can't have my painting stuff in the way.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> In fact, I still smell it, so some must have gotten onto my sweatshirt...I must conclude this blog and go put the shirt outside to air out! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> However, my new mice and coasters should be up sometime this week, so keep watching!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cheers!</span><br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-91008165650904187992009-11-12T16:46:00.000-08:002009-11-12T16:48:19.620-08:00The Year is Flying By...<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holey Smokes! Can you believe it's already November???? Every year about this time, I ask, "WHO put grease on the calendar?!" No one ever 'fesses up, though. Sigh. Must be that "Murphy" guy! LOL </span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.......and here we are, already into the second week of November! Yow! Well, folks, I've finally found my missing stencils, so I can now get back to work making more of my recycled wood coasters. Woo Hoo!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Here are a couple of photos of ones already made:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/SvyfNn0uW_I/AAAAAAAAARE/O22H8Ty6t5I/s1600-h/Black+Loco-Tender+Stencil+Coasters++side-by-side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" sr="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/SvyfNn0uW_I/AAAAAAAAARE/O22H8Ty6t5I/s200/Black+Loco-Tender+Stencil+Coasters++side-by-side.jpg" /></span></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/SvyfLbL4CbI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/2gMo-0O--BA/s1600-h/Black-Red+Loco-Tender-Caboose+Coasters+side-by-side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" sr="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/SvyfLbL4CbI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/2gMo-0O--BA/s200/Black-Red+Loco-Tender-Caboose+Coasters+side-by-side.jpg" /></span></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are square, irregular thickness pieces of knotty pine, salvaged from packing material. Go green! ;-)</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also plan to offer some with kitty-cats. The one pictured below is but a single one that is a prototype. </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Please visit the poll in the sidebar at top right, and help me choose which color kitties would be most popular for the new coasters! ;-) I'm sure I'll do at least a few of each, but having an idea of which color should be the highest quantity would be helpful. Thank you!</span><br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-11275435535692236182009-10-31T12:33:00.000-07:002009-11-06T16:34:22.746-08:00Halloween and Fall Thoughts<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Happy Halloween, or Happy Samhain, whichever it may be for you!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> While I am not so fond of the end of summer and the coming of cold weather, I have always liked Halloween. It is and always has been my favorite holiday, as it sparks my creativity, and I can let my imagination run wild to create whatever quirky ideas may come forth. I'm not into the Hollywood version of guts and gore, but I do enjoy the creation of spooky and mildly to moderately scary scenes. I was for a few years, involved in the production of a Haunted Theater back in the day. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> We members of the </span><a href="http://pacificaspindriftplayers.com/index.html"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pacifica Spindrift Players</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> had decided that "everyone and his brother" does a haunted house theme...but we...well, <em>we are a theater group</em>, and we have a perfectly good theater...so what else to do but created a <em>haunted theater</em>?! I was involved for the first three years of this production, prior to moving from the area. It ranked among the most fun things I've done in my life. (While I've provided a link to that group, sadly, it does not seem that the haunted theater is being done anymore.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Carving pumpkins, painting my Halloween ceramics, helping my daughter decorate her house for Halloween (no kids on <em>our </em>street), all are things that occupy my thoughts at this time of year. Baking? Eh...not so much. I did more than my share back when my kids were young, and cooking is not one of my favorite things to do. That said, I do have a good stock of holiday recipes upon which I can rely when the budget gets too tight to shop for gifts...definitely the case <em>this</em> season!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Holiday cards...I'm going to 'mail' all my holiday greetings via e-mail this year. That will be both budget-friendly <strong><em>and eco-friendly,</em></strong> saving both postage and paper! Only a few people who either do not have internet access, or whose e-mail addresses I do not have, will be sent paper greetings through the Postal Service.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Gift wrapping this year? Use up any leftovers of purchased wrap I already have. When that runs out, I'll go to plain white tissue paper, and/or recycled brown paper bags. Gift tags? Handmade from holiday cards received in prior years. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Although I am a California native, my parents were New Englanders. They also lived through the Great Depression of 1929. Hence, I was raised with the frugal Yankee values of, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." This was instilled in me from childhood, and explains why, when I was home sick from school one day, I shed oceans of tears over the 'terrible waste of food,' when my mom had gone to the store for cough medicine for me, and a few small grocery items. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Mom did not drive, and the little store was only a block away. However, it was pouring rain that day, and by the time she got a few doors from home on her return, the paper sack had become so waterlogged that it broke. All the groceries fell out onto the sidewalk. The bottle of orange juice smashed, as did the bottle of cough syrup. Mom scooped up as much as she could, and ran to put it on our front steps, which were sheltered from the weather. Then she ran back, and got as much of the rest as she could. As it happened, the loaf of bread ended up on the step below the broken bottle of cough syrup. Given that the medicine was inside a box, the broken glass was contained, but the liquid seeped out of the box, and dripped down onto the bread. You must realize this was before bread was packed in plastic bags--the packaging was cellophane--easily torn, and not liquid-tight by any means.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Now, I don't know how many of you are familiar with the cough syrup that was branded as "Pertussin"; that's what she had purchased. If you don't know what it is, the smell is something on the order of turkey stuffing, as it has a good deal of the herb thyme as part of the ingredients. There sat the loaf of bread, soaking up 'eau du thyme,' while my 10-year-old self wailed from the top of the stairs about the waste, the terrible waste. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Mother, needless to say, was annoyed on a number of levels. She salvaged what she could, grabbed a broom to sweep the broken orange juice bottle from in front of the neighbor's house, and prepared to return to the store to replace what had been lost. (I think maybe she waited for a break in the weather...that part of the story is less strong in my memory.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> That was a bit of a long-way-around of stating that I am no stranger to 'green' and 'eco-friendly' habits. It's always been just something I do. Only nowadays, it seems to have evolved into a fad and a buzz-word. That concerns me, as fads are all too often passing fancies that do not stay around. With many fads, that is just as well. But when it comes to responsible husbandry of this rock on which we all live, a 'passing fancy' is <em><strong>not</strong></em> okay.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> Cheers and may you all have a bountiful, wonderful and safe holiday season.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-89654649844388658652009-10-29T15:52:00.000-07:002009-10-29T16:49:23.476-07:00Winter Is A-Cumin' In....<span style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #b45f06;">The first signs of cold weather are here. While we have mostly either evergreen trees, or those that loose their leaves without first turning color, there are other signs that the season is turning. For one thing, we've had our first big rainstorm, and then this week, two days in a row of howling winds, with gusts strong enough to do serious damage to trees, and even to the landmark San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Cooler weather, however, severely impacts the ceramics business. For one thing, the ceramic clay itself is much slower to 'set up' in the molds, and when it has set up and the excess dumped out, it takes much longer for the piece to become solid enough to remove from the molds.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> On the painting end, the paint is much slower to dry, and glaze, especially, takes 'forever' to dry in cool weather. I've had to resort to turning on the space heater in my studio today, and I hate doing that, because they make the electric meter spin like a doggoned helicopter!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> The pumpkins have been out in the stores for a week or two now; Halloween costumes, too. Another sign of Fall is the ripening of the pomegranates on our tree. Now, I am 'sure' there is something useful to do with pomegranates besides eating them. (Funny, don't you think, how things you loved as a kid don't seem so appealing to your adult self?) I used to love pomegranates. Now, not so much. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Perhaps something to do with getting sick on the undiluted juice that was just sicky-sweet? So much for attempting juice-making with them. I think maybe they used to also be used as dye for yarn or fabric, but since I neither spin yarn nor do weaving, that option is out. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> A whole treefull of beautiful red fruits, threatened with the green waste bin. No, no! My Yankee-bred conscience won't allow that! Think! Aha! Solution: pick them, and donate to the after-school program at the karate school. Problem solved! (And they were very grateful!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> My thoughts turn belatedly to crafting Fall decor for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Something inside me just refuses to experience or prepare for a season months ahead of time...doing that finds me burned out by the time the actual holiday arrives. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I get disgusted beyond polite words at seeing Christmas items out on display in the stores already! It is just not right! Let Halloween and Thanksgiving have their fair share of time on the calendar, please. October is for Halloween; November is for Thanksgiving. I do not care to see Christmas displays prior to December 1st. (Okay, okay, the day <i><u>after</u> </i>Thanksgiving <u><em>if you must</em>!</u>) Who's with me?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> And now, I must return to my studio to finish that stubborn slow-drying glaze! Cheerio!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-81734263280930024132009-10-23T16:43:00.000-07:002009-10-23T16:43:50.184-07:00Discoveries<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello, Crafters and other friends!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As I've stated many times, I'm a "Jill of All Trades." I love variety and trying new things. One of my many crafting forays was an attempt at soap-making. Mind you, I did not have a 'scratch' recipe... I purchased soy-based soap 'melts' into which could be put fragrances and colors. I made several one year for my grandsons' Christmas gifts. They were quite amused to get little bars of pink soap, scented like bubble gum and with a tiny plastic pig encased in the middle. AHA! You have to <em>actually wash your hands</em> to get the toy! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That bit of gift-making experimentation over with, I packed up the supplies and put them away. In the meantime, we moved. To say that chaos ensued would be a world-class understatement! Eventually, I got my new art studio up and running, but it very quickly got taken over by our full-scale bisque ceramics operation. All my other crafts languished in various closets and cupboards.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Creating ceramics is an extremely dusty enterprise, and dust is incompatible with <em>all </em>my other crafting ventures, e.g., jewelry, scrapbooking, soap, needlepoint, etc. The dust is very, very fine, and sifts into literally <em>everything.</em> A closed cupboard offers <em>no</em> protection. If you have ever sanded wood with a power sander, it is finer dust than that; if you have ever done sheetrock sanding, it is finer dust even than that!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As this year's budget is on the tight side, I again thought about the soap, and since I now have grand<em>daughters</em> about the age the grandsons were during my first attempt, I thought to unpack the soap stuff, and do a reprise. Well don't you know, I tore apart my craft cupboard in the studio, and no soap making supplies were anywhere to be found.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <em>I did find</em> some candle-making supplies, and instantly learned that candles should not be stored in a room that reaches over 100 degrees F. on a regular basis (when the kiln is running). Ooops! Well, <em><strong>of course,</strong> <strong>I did know</strong> that candles should not be stored in hot places</em>, and we carefully keep all our holiday and emergency candles out of the attic. However, at the time my art studio was finished and things put inside was <em>before I acquired the kiln</em> and began the ceramics business. By the time we installed the kiln, I had completely forgotten the candle-making stuff was in there. Grumble, grumble...I know now!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Among the other things I found, however, were some stenciled coasters I had begun making years ago, and which got packed up with all my other crafts for the move. I had completely forgotten about them as well. However, now that I've re-discovered them, I'll be putting the final finishing touches and listing them in my Etsy shop. As to whether there will ever be any more of these made depends on my being able to find similar material. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Many of my crafts are 'upcycled' from things originally with a very different purpose. Not quite "scrap crafts," though; I don't make reindeer from egg cartons, for example. The wood from which the coasters were made began as packing material to prevent bailing wire from cutting through paper-wrapped bales of wood-chips. (My elder daughter used to have a couple of Guinea Pigs, and we used the wood shavings for their cage litter.) However, since I no longer purchase bales of wood chips, I no longer get these pieces of thin wood. It is not sold in that thickness at retail. The only such thickness is found in balsa wood, strips of thin plywood, or bass wood, intended for hobby model-makers, and the cost is prohibitive. The search goes on.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have also found my stash of sewn-on sequins in assorted shapes, which I use to decorate some very special Christmas stockings. These stockings are very labor-intensive, and I usually just make one pair every now and then for special friends. That said, however, I am now stuck on the problem...once again...of not being able to find the appropriate raw materials. They use old-fashioned nylon stockings (<em>not pantyhose</em>) with a seam up the back of the leg, and also mens' old-fashioned <em>thin </em>silk dress socks. Trying to find either item nowadays is, well, let's just say the proverbial needle in a haystack has a better chance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have a lot of work cut out for me still as I continue to search through my cupboards, looking for my soap-making supplies. Who knows what other forgotten crafts or supplies I will find as I search? It's a regular first-class detective mystery!</span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-73105046437673036922009-10-09T20:28:00.000-07:002009-10-09T20:30:58.591-07:00Not Quite Crafts...<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"> By now you know this blog is mostly about my crafts. Today's post is not. I do have some vintage items I'll be putting in my online shops from time to time, so I thought I'd share a few of the pictures here.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> This first one is an abstract poodle pin, given to me by a school chum when I was in high school.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/Ss_5eyTlSNI/AAAAAAAAAK0/hc_a2LrEMFo/s1600-h/Poodle+Pin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img $r="true" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/Ss_5eyTlSNI/AAAAAAAAAK0/hc_a2LrEMFo/s320/Poodle+Pin.jpg" /></span></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/Ss_7w8ZAIMI/AAAAAAAAALE/Id9QSJLGtGE/s1600-h/Poodle+Pin+Back+Mark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img $r="true" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/Ss_7w8ZAIMI/AAAAAAAAALE/Id9QSJLGtGE/s200/Poodle+Pin+Back+Mark.jpg" /></span></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I don't really know anything about the maker, whose mark is seen in the lower left photo, above.</span><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> The next item is an antique GOP elephant pin. I've no idea whether it was just a "party pride" pin, or related to a specific campaign. I've not been able to find out. All I know is that it was with my great-great aunt's stuff when she passed back in 1963 at the age of 86, so it's definitely very old.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/Ss_9xoqMDZI/AAAAAAAAALU/rJYqJ2C1QrM/s1600-h/Shallow+Vaseline+Glass+Dish+normal+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img $r="true" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2vTbhfR7Y8k/Ss_9xoqMDZI/AAAAAAAAALU/rJYqJ2C1QrM/s320/Shallow+Vaseline+Glass+Dish+normal+light.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> For your enjoyment next on the menu are a couple of vaseline glass bowls/candy/nut dishes. No clue as to vintage, maker or pattern name (no marks on the undersides!) They came to my mother from a great-aunt of mine. They are both intriguing shapes, but I've never really been fond of this yellow-green color glass. I'm more partial to deep, rich tones, like cobalt blue glass and ruby or cranberry glass. At right above, shown in normal lighting, and below left, under a blacklight.</span><br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-85056466463685447372009-10-08T13:53:00.000-07:002009-10-10T10:32:31.137-07:00New shop slowly taking shape--and other miscellaneous stuff happening ;-)<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Check out my shop on ArtFire. It is slowly but surely being populated with items. I have so many different things I do that I don't spend a great deal of time on any one of them at a stretch. I bounce back and forth..."multi-tasking."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Truth is, I thrive on variety, and would end up bored to tears and in a looney bin somewhere if I had to do the same thing over and over and over all day long, day in and day out.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">This week, I got to get back into video editing, which I enjoy, although, I'm not real thrilled with the Windows "Movie Maker" program. It has limitations I do not like, so I'm researching other options. I <i><b>have</b></i> Pinnacle Studio 7, but the hardware card seems to be among the missing. Until that can be located, I cannot install it in my computer. Further, my current computer has 2 built-in firewire ports to which my video cam can be connected, so there may not be space inside for the Pinnacle Studio card. (All of that, however, is hubby's department--he <i>used to make a living</i> as a hardware/software configuration specialist. However, working with such large clients as Wells Fargo and Kaiser Permanente...and having <b><i>their</i></b> hard drives in your possession, <i>complete with all the data on <b>their</b> clients</i>....was an extremely high-stress job, and probably responsible for his several heart attacks! So, I put no pressure on him...if/when it gets done, it does, if not, I'll muddle through.) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today, I'll be getting some more painting done, as I have to clear the painting out before tomorrow, to make way for cleaning green ware. Cleaning green ware is a <i>very, very dusty</i> process, and completely incompatible with painting or glazing. The extremely fine dust will settle into wet paint or glaze and ruin the job. Too bad I can't afford to create separate rooms for dusty/non-dusty operations! That way, everything that is 'in process" could be just left out for the next work session. Ah, well, such is life. ;-)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">That is all for now, folks. Thanks for stopping by!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-55084900712233173122009-10-07T17:22:00.000-07:002009-10-07T17:22:12.752-07:00Wednesday, Wednesday....<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Finished the race video...tried to work on the one for MIL wedding (now 2 years old--shame on me!) and found I HAD finished it, but at the time, had no means to burn it to a CD or DVD. Now I do, but it won't work! Grr... tells me all sorts of error messages, such as "invalid file type" or "no disc in drive" (now </span><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>that's</i></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> an outright lie!)</span></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Well, since the video I was having trouble with is from a saved file 2 years old..that may be the problem. I might have to re-upload the original raw footage from the camera, and start all over again in the editing process. Grrrrrr..... </span></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Not quite sure how to proceed at this point, so I'm going back to paint more mice while I think about it!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Just posted up 2 new ornaments today on my Etsy site. Will do more tomorrow, or later this evening on my Artfire site. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Keeping it brief today, and lately. Just quick updates, no articles in mind just now.</span></span><br />
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</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482665818499560352.post-70694602587013859842009-10-05T23:44:00.000-07:002009-10-05T23:44:44.071-07:00Work in Progress...<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, I found the program in Windows to edit video, found the missing fire wire cable for the video camera (it was plugged into the back of the computer the whole time! I guess that's. sort of like loosing your glasses while wearing them! DUH!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now, all I have to do is finish editing the video I shot of the Radio Control car races, (promised to hubby), then the wedding video (2 yrs old!!) for my mother-in-law... and THEN I can shoot my demo video of my studio and the entire process of ceramic-making! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Woo-Hoo! Onwards and upwards!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy crafting, everyone!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6431808, 'shop','thumbnail',4,2).renderIframe();</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0