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My Journey As A Creative Designer - Woodworking and Beyond

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7M views 13K replies 477 participants last post by  teaklight12 
#1 ·
Beginning this Blog

I recently was referred to this site by Steve Good, who has a wonderful, comprehensive scroll saw forum and blog page. Although I have been doing woodworking for almost fifteen years, I have finally reached a point in my life where I am able to make it the main focus of my activities. Since my life revolves around my woodworking and business, I believe that this blog will reflect that very clearly, although it will also be somewhat personal. But I think that woodworking is very personal anyway.

It has been a long journey to get to this point. There have been many good times and some not-so-good ones, but I appreciate every single step because I think that if even one thing was different, I would not be where I am today or who I am inside. It isn't only the positive events in our lives that make us what we are. Many times it is the negative things that mold and shape us and teach us to look at things in a certain way. I try to remember that when things are tough and move ahead.

I have learned that there is only one thing we can be certain of in life: change. Whether things are good or bad, we need to hold on and appreciate the moment, as we can be certain that things will be different before long. This helps us to not only appreciate the good days and things we have now, but also hang on when things are not so good, as we know that they will be different soon. I like this philosophy.

I liked reading about the new contest offered by this site in the newsletter. Fluidity. It is a perfect theme for projects because our existence itself is fluid. I am anxious to see what interpretations are going to be, as I am sure everyone else is. It will be an adventure for all of us for sure.

So why am I starting this blog? The other day I received a call from a customer who had a question for me. He kept saying how surprised he was that I answered my own phone. I have worked as a Contributing Editor for Creative Woodworks and Crafts Magazine for the past 13+ years and I guess in the scroll saw community, many people have heard of me. It seemed so odd to me that he would think I would have a secretary or staff. We kind of laughed about it, but it really got me thinking about his interpretation of my life. We all tend to form opinions of others from very limited information. We see the outside of a person as they are presented to us and many times are very quick to categorize that person in our minds. I do it myself.

But in my years of talking with and dealing with many people from many different places, I have come to realize that people are like icebergs. We only see the tip of them and below the surface is a vast, complex side of them that is the basis of their actions and thinking.

Everyone has a story. Everyone has traveled a journey. No two people have traveled identical paths. Thus, we are all unique in our thoughts, actions and creative processes. I enjoy hearing others stories. I think that listening to others and hearing their experiences helps us to understand each other. With that understanding, we learn.

I have used the phrase "Knowledge Is Power" in my signature since I have been on the web. Once someone told me that they thought it was quite arrogant of me to say that. He thought that I was implying that I knew more than anyone else and he found that offensive. I told him he couldn't be more wrong. My interpretation of the phrase is that our QUEST for knowledge EMPOWERS us to make better decisions about things in our lives. We are never finished learning. I learn every single day from my friends, colleagues, fellow woodworkers and students. We never know when we will learn something new. Sometimes you can learn from even a seemingly insignificant event. I feel the key is that we need to be open to learning.

Everyone has a story.

So I will close today with those thoughts. I don't know how often I will post here, but I hope to make it a habit. I don't know if anyone will even read this, but somehow it doesn't matter. Writing is a key in self-awareness. By writing things down we categorize our actions and it helps (me anyway) to keep my life organized. Organization leads to peace as far as I am concerned.

I am quite overwhelmed with the scope of the site here. I am still getting my footings and lurking around. I think for the first several days or maybe even weeks I will be more of a passive observer while I find my comfortable position among the others here. I want to upload the new things I am working on here. Like everyone else, I am anxious to see the response they get. I love seeing others projects and could spend my days just looking.

Although it is quite intimidating, the forum looks like it is full of friendly, knowledgeable and wonderfully creative people.

I think I am going to like it here.
 
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#7,000 ·
I Had an Idea . . .

I made good progress yesterday working on the new ornament sets, and in the process, something came to mind. An epiphany if you will. Although I am sure that the idea has probably been addressed before, it had not occurred to me until yesterday. I felt as if the fog had been lifted and I had one of those "ah-ha!" moments we see played out in the movies. In any case, I think I may be on to something.

In my never-ending quest to eliminate spray adhesive as much from my life as possible, I though of something that may work and take its place for the most part. In recent days, I have been successfully using the double sided masking tape as a means to attach the pattern to the wood. While the tape costs a bit more than the spray adhesive (at approximately $10 per 1.47" x 27 yd. roll) the application for using it to apply patterns worked flawlessly. I simply applied the tape in strips over my clean and dust-free wood surface, peeled off the backing, and pressed on the pattern that I printed from my printer over the top of the tape. Even in the most intricate cutting (as on the sled ornaments which included many curves and curls) the tape held the pattern in place. This type of cutting was one of the areas that was giving me the most problems, as when shaving small pieces, the glue decided to let go and the pattern began to flap. You can imagine how it not only made cutting more difficult, but also increased the chance for error as my concentration shifted from what I was doing with the blade to trying to hold the pattern in place with my finger nail as I cut. Most scrollers who have experienced this know exactly what I mean, and it is not fun.

Not only did the tape hold well, but it was very easy to remove from the wood once cutting was completed and left no residue. I was thrilled I no longer had to deal with the unreliability and also the mess of spraying the pattern with temporary spray adhesive and hoping it would hold and work properly. Nor did I need to put the extra layer of blue painter's tape underneath the pattern to help removal of the pattern and to prevent the wood from burning during cutting. I was in essence accomplishing two tasks with one product. And that was a great thing.

But people were having difficulty finding the product at a reasonable cost, so I wanted to think of another reasonable alternative that would work just as well.

While I was painting yesterday and working on my ornaments, I had a thought. I remembered that I had some full sheet sticker paper that I had used to make large labels some time ago. I wondered if that would work as a way to adhere the pattern to the wood for cutting. The full sheet labels can be used with my printer and that meant that I could print the pattern directly on it. I could then cut it to shape and apply it to the wood, as I normally did with the pattern and peel it up when I was finished.

Why hadn't I thought of that before?

I had a couple of sheets left, and I printed the pattern on to it. I then applied a piece to the wood to see how it would stick, and so far it worked perfectly.

Mammal Font Gesture Art Pattern


I am going to give it a go today and cut these pieces out and I will let you know how it does tomorrow. But by the way it was sticking, I think it is going to work fine.

I went to Amazon.com and found these Full Sheet Labels in a pack of 100 for only $19.96. Even with the shipping added, it only cost just under $30.00. That's a pretty good price for no-hassle and no mess application of the pattern. Since I have to print the pattern from my computer anyway, it just makes sense to print directly on the label and then adhere it to the wood. That will completely eliminate the fussing of spraying and wondering if I am going to get clumps or slime out of the can, or if anything will come out at all. With the Super 77 (which is the most reliable brand that I have used) costing nearly $20 per can after taxes, I can't help but think that using the labels wouldn't cost much less in the long run, as it will also eliminate the need for using the blue painter's tape underneath the pattern to help prevent burning of the wood, which is something I do every time I cut.

At $30 per 100 sheets, it seems like a pretty good idea and well worth a try. I cant' wait to see how it works later on today and I will certainly report back tomorrow.

My ornaments are nearly done now, and I should be able to take some nice pictures today too. I finished up the little 'charms' yesterday and they came out wonderful!

Christmas ornament Holiday ornament Tree Christmas decoration Red


They are super simple to paint (Yes - even a child can do it!) and on one version I used beautiful sparkles:

Gold Gesture Creative arts Finger Ornament


Of course I did a conservative version of the ornaments so that those who don't want to paint wood won't have to, and they look nice too. Today I am finishing up the extra bonus that I am adding with the patterns and hopefully buttoning everything up. Hopefully we will have everything ready for a site update on Monday or Tuesday.

So it looks like it is going to be quite a busy day here. I suppose you will have to wait until tomorrow to see everything finished. I love these days when everything falls together into place. Seeing things come together like this is fun and exciting.

I hope you all enjoy your Sunday. It is cool and a bit overcast here today, with wispy snow on the ground. Perfect weather for working on Christmas things!

Have a great one!
 

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#7,001 ·
I Had an Idea . . .

I made good progress yesterday working on the new ornament sets, and in the process, something came to mind. An epiphany if you will. Although I am sure that the idea has probably been addressed before, it had not occurred to me until yesterday. I felt as if the fog had been lifted and I had one of those "ah-ha!" moments we see played out in the movies. In any case, I think I may be on to something.

In my never-ending quest to eliminate spray adhesive as much from my life as possible, I though of something that may work and take its place for the most part. In recent days, I have been successfully using the double sided masking tape as a means to attach the pattern to the wood. While the tape costs a bit more than the spray adhesive (at approximately $10 per 1.47" x 27 yd. roll) the application for using it to apply patterns worked flawlessly. I simply applied the tape in strips over my clean and dust-free wood surface, peeled off the backing, and pressed on the pattern that I printed from my printer over the top of the tape. Even in the most intricate cutting (as on the sled ornaments which included many curves and curls) the tape held the pattern in place. This type of cutting was one of the areas that was giving me the most problems, as when shaving small pieces, the glue decided to let go and the pattern began to flap. You can imagine how it not only made cutting more difficult, but also increased the chance for error as my concentration shifted from what I was doing with the blade to trying to hold the pattern in place with my finger nail as I cut. Most scrollers who have experienced this know exactly what I mean, and it is not fun.

Not only did the tape hold well, but it was very easy to remove from the wood once cutting was completed and left no residue. I was thrilled I no longer had to deal with the unreliability and also the mess of spraying the pattern with temporary spray adhesive and hoping it would hold and work properly. Nor did I need to put the extra layer of blue painter's tape underneath the pattern to help removal of the pattern and to prevent the wood from burning during cutting. I was in essence accomplishing two tasks with one product. And that was a great thing.

But people were having difficulty finding the product at a reasonable cost, so I wanted to think of another reasonable alternative that would work just as well.

While I was painting yesterday and working on my ornaments, I had a thought. I remembered that I had some full sheet sticker paper that I had used to make large labels some time ago. I wondered if that would work as a way to adhere the pattern to the wood for cutting. The full sheet labels can be used with my printer and that meant that I could print the pattern directly on it. I could then cut it to shape and apply it to the wood, as I normally did with the pattern and peel it up when I was finished.

Why hadn't I thought of that before?

I had a couple of sheets left, and I printed the pattern on to it. I then applied a piece to the wood to see how it would stick, and so far it worked perfectly.

Mammal Font Gesture Art Pattern


I am going to give it a go today and cut these pieces out and I will let you know how it does tomorrow. But by the way it was sticking, I think it is going to work fine.

I went to Amazon.com and found these Full Sheet Labels in a pack of 100 for only $19.96. Even with the shipping added, it only cost just under $30.00. That's a pretty good price for no-hassle and no mess application of the pattern. Since I have to print the pattern from my computer anyway, it just makes sense to print directly on the label and then adhere it to the wood. That will completely eliminate the fussing of spraying and wondering if I am going to get clumps or slime out of the can, or if anything will come out at all. With the Super 77 (which is the most reliable brand that I have used) costing nearly $20 per can after taxes, I can't help but think that using the labels wouldn't cost much less in the long run, as it will also eliminate the need for using the blue painter's tape underneath the pattern to help prevent burning of the wood, which is something I do every time I cut.

At $30 per 100 sheets, it seems like a pretty good idea and well worth a try. I cant' wait to see how it works later on today and I will certainly report back tomorrow.

My ornaments are nearly done now, and I should be able to take some nice pictures today too. I finished up the little 'charms' yesterday and they came out wonderful!

Christmas ornament Holiday ornament Tree Christmas decoration Red


They are super simple to paint (Yes - even a child can do it!) and on one version I used beautiful sparkles:

Gold Gesture Creative arts Finger Ornament


Of course I did a conservative version of the ornaments so that those who don't want to paint wood won't have to, and they look nice too. Today I am finishing up the extra bonus that I am adding with the patterns and hopefully buttoning everything up. Hopefully we will have everything ready for a site update on Monday or Tuesday.

So it looks like it is going to be quite a busy day here. I suppose you will have to wait until tomorrow to see everything finished. I love these days when everything falls together into place. Seeing things come together like this is fun and exciting.

I hope you all enjoy your Sunday. It is cool and a bit overcast here today, with wispy snow on the ground. Perfect weather for working on Christmas things!

Have a great one!
the ornaments are beautiful.

Staples has the lables at about the same price as the "with shipping" that you quoted (Canadian Price). There are no shipping fees if… your order is over $50? LINk
 

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#7,013 ·
Simple Variations

After quite a busy day yesterday, I am happy to say that I almost accomplished everything that I set out to do. For me, that is as good as anything. While I didn't get my little tree changed over to Christmas yet, I did finish painting the new ornaments and charms for the pattern packet.

I had to wait to take the final pictures for the packets, and I will be doing that today. I found that the DecoArt Craft Twinkle paint (the sparkle paint) that I used on these takes a bit of time to dry and since I wanted the little charms to be really, really sparkly, I just had to be patient.

But everything is dry this morning and I was able to take some quick snapshots to at least show you all the final results of the past couple of days.

The key word to these ornaments is 'versatility' as there are many ways in which you can use these fun pieces.

I think the best way to do this is to just show you the pictures and you can take it from there . . .

First of all, here is the completed set in maple. There are twelve holiday words in all. The little charms on these are cut from 1/8" birch plywood, and I did paint them with a gold metallic wash so they shimmer. (I HAD to put a little shimmer in them - after all, they ARE Christmas ornaments!) The woodworking 'purists' could easily substitute another beautiful contrasting wood if they desire, but I liked the understated shimmer of the gold metallic paint. The beauty of the maple still looks warm and rich:

Brown Font Art Plant Handwriting


Now the really fun part . . .

For the second set, I used some opalescent metallic colors for the lettering, and the charms, as you saw yesterday, were loaded with glitter paint so the SPARKLE!

Font Rectangle Handwriting Pattern Event


I know the pictures here don't do them justice, but they really look bright and cool.

Hand Sleeve Gesture Font Finger


I was going to stop there, but I liked the 'charms' so much, I decided to add some bonus larger patterns of the charms in the pattern packet, along with some instructions on how to paint them simply. By simply I mean NO shading - just blocking in the color. (Oh - and then adding a couple of layers of - you got it - SPARKLES!)

White Textile Creative arts Art Christmas tree


They really look so amazing in person! They are shiny and solid glitter and almost look like candy! I thought that they would make wonderful ornaments for a smaller tree or even to use as tags on gifts. They will make a wonderful little keepsake that the recipient will be able to keep for years to come!

Gesture Finger Thumb Nail Jigsaw puzzle


Even though I made the tag for Pancakes, he seems quite bored with the idea:

Cat Carnivore Comfort Felidae Whiskers


He decided he wasn't done sleeping yet:

Cat Eye Carnivore Felidae Comfort


Oh well, you can't impress everyone . . .

They are even nice if you have kids and want to let the 'play' and decorate their own! Wouldn't that be a nice keepsake for Grammy or a teacher? I stack cut these pieces out of 1/8" birch and it took all of about 15 minutes to cut the 12 pieces - yielding 4 dozen ornaments!!

(By the way - the labels worked pretty good. I was using some 'light duty' labels though, as my order for the 'permanent' ones didn't arrive yet. I found that sometimes the edges would pull up a little bit when I was cutting close to the edge. However, I didn't want to make a judgment on this because mine were about 10 years old and they may well be the 'repositionable' type (is that a word??) But overall, they worked very well and I am happy with the prospect of not having to use spray anymore. I will conduct another more comprehensive experiment as soon as I receive mine - probably by next week!)

Since I put three decent coats of Craft Twinkles on the pieces, I didn't want to handle them until this morning, as I said. Today I will take better presentation photographs and build the pattern packet. Then we will be ready for a site update either tonight or tomorrow.

I really liked doing this simple pattern. I still have more ideas as to what I can do with the shapes, but that is for another day and another time. I will just have to surprise you later on with that one.

It is nearly 9am here and I am amazed at how dark it still is outside. Granted it is an overcast day, but it is nearly dark inside here too. Winter is definitely nearing.

I hope you have a good day this Monday. It is the beginning of a new week and I wonder what adventure will come my way!

Have a great day!
 

Attachments

#7,014 ·
Simple Variations

After quite a busy day yesterday, I am happy to say that I almost accomplished everything that I set out to do. For me, that is as good as anything. While I didn't get my little tree changed over to Christmas yet, I did finish painting the new ornaments and charms for the pattern packet.

I had to wait to take the final pictures for the packets, and I will be doing that today. I found that the DecoArt Craft Twinkle paint (the sparkle paint) that I used on these takes a bit of time to dry and since I wanted the little charms to be really, really sparkly, I just had to be patient.

But everything is dry this morning and I was able to take some quick snapshots to at least show you all the final results of the past couple of days.

The key word to these ornaments is 'versatility' as there are many ways in which you can use these fun pieces.

I think the best way to do this is to just show you the pictures and you can take it from there . . .

First of all, here is the completed set in maple. There are twelve holiday words in all. The little charms on these are cut from 1/8" birch plywood, and I did paint them with a gold metallic wash so they shimmer. (I HAD to put a little shimmer in them - after all, they ARE Christmas ornaments!) The woodworking 'purists' could easily substitute another beautiful contrasting wood if they desire, but I liked the understated shimmer of the gold metallic paint. The beauty of the maple still looks warm and rich:

Brown Font Art Plant Handwriting


Now the really fun part . . .

For the second set, I used some opalescent metallic colors for the lettering, and the charms, as you saw yesterday, were loaded with glitter paint so the SPARKLE!

Font Rectangle Handwriting Pattern Event


I know the pictures here don't do them justice, but they really look bright and cool.

Hand Sleeve Gesture Font Finger


I was going to stop there, but I liked the 'charms' so much, I decided to add some bonus larger patterns of the charms in the pattern packet, along with some instructions on how to paint them simply. By simply I mean NO shading - just blocking in the color. (Oh - and then adding a couple of layers of - you got it - SPARKLES!)

White Textile Creative arts Art Christmas tree


They really look so amazing in person! They are shiny and solid glitter and almost look like candy! I thought that they would make wonderful ornaments for a smaller tree or even to use as tags on gifts. They will make a wonderful little keepsake that the recipient will be able to keep for years to come!

Gesture Finger Thumb Nail Jigsaw puzzle


Even though I made the tag for Pancakes, he seems quite bored with the idea:

Cat Carnivore Comfort Felidae Whiskers


He decided he wasn't done sleeping yet:

Cat Eye Carnivore Felidae Comfort


Oh well, you can't impress everyone . . .

They are even nice if you have kids and want to let the 'play' and decorate their own! Wouldn't that be a nice keepsake for Grammy or a teacher? I stack cut these pieces out of 1/8" birch and it took all of about 15 minutes to cut the 12 pieces - yielding 4 dozen ornaments!!

(By the way - the labels worked pretty good. I was using some 'light duty' labels though, as my order for the 'permanent' ones didn't arrive yet. I found that sometimes the edges would pull up a little bit when I was cutting close to the edge. However, I didn't want to make a judgment on this because mine were about 10 years old and they may well be the 'repositionable' type (is that a word??) But overall, they worked very well and I am happy with the prospect of not having to use spray anymore. I will conduct another more comprehensive experiment as soon as I receive mine - probably by next week!)

Since I put three decent coats of Craft Twinkles on the pieces, I didn't want to handle them until this morning, as I said. Today I will take better presentation photographs and build the pattern packet. Then we will be ready for a site update either tonight or tomorrow.

I really liked doing this simple pattern. I still have more ideas as to what I can do with the shapes, but that is for another day and another time. I will just have to surprise you later on with that one.

It is nearly 9am here and I am amazed at how dark it still is outside. Granted it is an overcast day, but it is nearly dark inside here too. Winter is definitely nearing.

I hope you have a good day this Monday. It is the beginning of a new week and I wonder what adventure will come my way!

Have a great day!
both versions of the ornaments are lovely! I bet they really shine with all that glitter, I know I find myself adding glitter to lots of my painted projects "just because". I guess all girls really do love shiny nad glittery things.
I feel a lot like pancakes today, I could use a nap.
I look forward to more updates on the label idea. although I like my current gluestick method, I always like knowing what other people do.
 

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#7,021 ·
Picture This

Well, I didn't get as far as I wanted to yesterday. It was one of those days where I blinked and before I knew it, it was over. I am hoping by the end of today I will feel as if I was a little bit more productive.

I spent the bulk of the day trying to get proper photographs of the recent pattern set. While that sounds like an easy task, it turned out to be more challenging than I had anticipated.

Since the word ornaments were not in a bulky font, I found that they were getting 'lost' in the backgrounds that I was choosing. I spent a great deal of time taking individual pictures, only to find that the ornaments looked very small on the white background and to me anyway looked quite 'unimpressive.'

As a result, I picked around for most of the day, trying different things to make them look nice for the patterns and also for the website, as these were the places that needed to attract attention to them and make them look like something that others would want. I don't know why, but I was not entirely happy with the results. I finally settled on what I deemed as 'acceptable', but by that time it was after 7:30 and I was tired. As I look at the pictures this morning, they are good, but I don't know if they really show how nice these ornaments look in person. But I have to move on, as people are waiting for the packets to be posted on the site.

Plant Flower Nature Leaf Rectangle


White Christmas ornament Red Art Christmas decoration


Am I being obsessive? Or just thorough? Sometimes there is a fine line between the two.

But time is ticking and I need to move on and write today. I know people are waiting and there comes a time when I have to know I did my best and continue ahead.

So I will keep things short today, and get on with my task. I want to do some writing before the rest of the world is awake and while it is quiet here.

For those of you who are waiting, the site should be updated by today and the new items posted. Thanks so much for your patience.

I wish you all a wonderful day!
 

Attachments

#7,022 ·
Picture This

Well, I didn't get as far as I wanted to yesterday. It was one of those days where I blinked and before I knew it, it was over. I am hoping by the end of today I will feel as if I was a little bit more productive.

I spent the bulk of the day trying to get proper photographs of the recent pattern set. While that sounds like an easy task, it turned out to be more challenging than I had anticipated.

Since the word ornaments were not in a bulky font, I found that they were getting 'lost' in the backgrounds that I was choosing. I spent a great deal of time taking individual pictures, only to find that the ornaments looked very small on the white background and to me anyway looked quite 'unimpressive.'

As a result, I picked around for most of the day, trying different things to make them look nice for the patterns and also for the website, as these were the places that needed to attract attention to them and make them look like something that others would want. I don't know why, but I was not entirely happy with the results. I finally settled on what I deemed as 'acceptable', but by that time it was after 7:30 and I was tired. As I look at the pictures this morning, they are good, but I don't know if they really show how nice these ornaments look in person. But I have to move on, as people are waiting for the packets to be posted on the site.

Plant Flower Nature Leaf Rectangle


White Christmas ornament Red Art Christmas decoration


Am I being obsessive? Or just thorough? Sometimes there is a fine line between the two.

But time is ticking and I need to move on and write today. I know people are waiting and there comes a time when I have to know I did my best and continue ahead.

So I will keep things short today, and get on with my task. I want to do some writing before the rest of the world is awake and while it is quiet here.

For those of you who are waiting, the site should be updated by today and the new items posted. Thanks so much for your patience.

I wish you all a wonderful day!
if it doesn't feel right then you will always be disappointed in it.
did you try a bright yellow background? Something "hopeful" "cheery" and "jolly"??

and wouldn't these look lovely as brooches?
 

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#7,034 ·
'Tis the Season

After several weeks of what feels like being under the gun to meet deadlines, it is time for me to take a breath. Not a long one mind you, but there are things to do and see and experience and if I don't take some time for myself, I think that I will go crazy - or at least feel a bit burned out.

Now for most people, taking some time off means relaxing and doing little. That is OK for them, as everyone is different and has different views of what 'relaxing' actually is. For me, it means doing the things that I 'want' to do rather than the things that I 'need' to do. Since I love crafting and creating in many shapes and forms, sometimes it is difficult for others who are looking in to see the difference between the two. Actually, sometimes I produce more when I am in 'relaxing mode' than I am when I am in 'working mode.' It just turns out that way.

I have so many things that I have been waiting to do! Many of them have been in the back of my mind for weeks (or even months) now, and I would tell myself that I would get to them 'when I got caught up' with things. But it just so happens that more things take the place of the tasks that I finish, sometimes faster than I can tick the other things off and I am finding that I haven't spent any time at all on these things that I wanted to do for myself. And that is frustrating.

I used to brand my Sunday's as days when I could do what I wanted. Usually I spent it doing some decorative painting and making ornaments for my friends or decorations for the house here. Many times I would work on patterns created by my favorite designers, as it was a breath of fresh air for ME to follow THEIR instructions rather than having to figure things out all by myself. Some people couldn't understand this, but I know my painting friends really do. It seems that no matter how much we design our own pieces, it is still fun and refreshing to use techniques that others have developed and as a result, we also learn from them and create some outstanding work. It allows that "figuring things out" part of my brain take a little vacation, which is much needed at times, yet it still allows us to be creative and productive and is very satisfying.

But it seems that it has been a long time since my Sundays have been dedicated to my own 'playing' and I am starting to feel the result. My designs have been coming, but they are a bit more labored and I find myself not quite my usual cheery self these past couple of weeks, as the cycle of "work" and sleep seem never ending.

Today was trash day and as I took the garbage to the road this morning, it was just getting light outside. I could hear the sound of the river rushing by, as the trash bin is on the opposite side of the road which is on the river bank. The leaves are all gone from the trees and I realized that not once this autumn did I take a walk in the woods to see the beautiful fall colors. With woods behind me and all around me, there was simply no excuse. Who knows what tomorrow will bring and if I will even be here next autumn? (Nothing tragic is planned, but hey - life happens)

It was as if this realization just punctuated these growing feeling that I have been experiencing over the past couple of weeks, and it made me think that it was time to do some things for my own pleasure.

I am at the rare point in my work cycle where everything is as 'caught up' as it gets. The patterns are completed. The site is updated. The deadlines for now are met. Of course there are more deadlines and things to do, but I refuse to be a robot that keeps spitting out designs without taking any time in between to enjoy the people and things around me. Business-wise that may not be the best decision, but I never claimed to be the best businesswoman in the world anyway. I have often quoted the phrase "It isn't about the destination, it is about the journey" and I truly want to live by those words. For what good is reaching a destination, no matter how successful you may seem, if you were so driven by your goal that you neglected to enjoy the journey along the way? To me, it would be quite an empty life, and one that I do not wish to lead.

So I am going to take a breather today. And I am going to take down the few autumn decorations I have around the house. And fix my little 'all season tree' up for Christmas. And perhaps I will bake some cinnamon rolls, which I wanted to do this past weekend and never found the time. And work on some of the 'surprise projects' that I wanted to do just for myself - not to sell or make patterns for. And I think I will take that walk in the woods. Because I find the woods to be a place that I find comforting and serene and beautiful, no matter what time of year it is.

The holiday season is upon us. To many, that means that our fast-moving lives kick into an even higher speed. While many look forward to this time of years, it is also exhausting and stressful. But we need to remember that we are in charge of our own lives. We need to live them in a way that makes us happy. If we don't take time to do the things that are a comfort to ourselves and our families, then we lose the entire meaning. More so than not, it is the simple things that make this time special. Not the most presents or the biggest tree. It is those moments in between where we take note of the wonderful things in our lives and appreciate them. No matter how simple they may be.

I wish you all a wonderful day!

Plant People in nature Natural landscape Wood Twig


"Listen to the trees as they sway in the wind. Their leaves are telling secrets. Their bark sings songs of olden days as it grows around the trunks. And their roots give names to all things. Their language has been lost. But not the gestures."
― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration
 

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#7,035 ·
'Tis the Season

After several weeks of what feels like being under the gun to meet deadlines, it is time for me to take a breath. Not a long one mind you, but there are things to do and see and experience and if I don't take some time for myself, I think that I will go crazy - or at least feel a bit burned out.

Now for most people, taking some time off means relaxing and doing little. That is OK for them, as everyone is different and has different views of what 'relaxing' actually is. For me, it means doing the things that I 'want' to do rather than the things that I 'need' to do. Since I love crafting and creating in many shapes and forms, sometimes it is difficult for others who are looking in to see the difference between the two. Actually, sometimes I produce more when I am in 'relaxing mode' than I am when I am in 'working mode.' It just turns out that way.

I have so many things that I have been waiting to do! Many of them have been in the back of my mind for weeks (or even months) now, and I would tell myself that I would get to them 'when I got caught up' with things. But it just so happens that more things take the place of the tasks that I finish, sometimes faster than I can tick the other things off and I am finding that I haven't spent any time at all on these things that I wanted to do for myself. And that is frustrating.

I used to brand my Sunday's as days when I could do what I wanted. Usually I spent it doing some decorative painting and making ornaments for my friends or decorations for the house here. Many times I would work on patterns created by my favorite designers, as it was a breath of fresh air for ME to follow THEIR instructions rather than having to figure things out all by myself. Some people couldn't understand this, but I know my painting friends really do. It seems that no matter how much we design our own pieces, it is still fun and refreshing to use techniques that others have developed and as a result, we also learn from them and create some outstanding work. It allows that "figuring things out" part of my brain take a little vacation, which is much needed at times, yet it still allows us to be creative and productive and is very satisfying.

But it seems that it has been a long time since my Sundays have been dedicated to my own 'playing' and I am starting to feel the result. My designs have been coming, but they are a bit more labored and I find myself not quite my usual cheery self these past couple of weeks, as the cycle of "work" and sleep seem never ending.

Today was trash day and as I took the garbage to the road this morning, it was just getting light outside. I could hear the sound of the river rushing by, as the trash bin is on the opposite side of the road which is on the river bank. The leaves are all gone from the trees and I realized that not once this autumn did I take a walk in the woods to see the beautiful fall colors. With woods behind me and all around me, there was simply no excuse. Who knows what tomorrow will bring and if I will even be here next autumn? (Nothing tragic is planned, but hey - life happens)

It was as if this realization just punctuated these growing feeling that I have been experiencing over the past couple of weeks, and it made me think that it was time to do some things for my own pleasure.

I am at the rare point in my work cycle where everything is as 'caught up' as it gets. The patterns are completed. The site is updated. The deadlines for now are met. Of course there are more deadlines and things to do, but I refuse to be a robot that keeps spitting out designs without taking any time in between to enjoy the people and things around me. Business-wise that may not be the best decision, but I never claimed to be the best businesswoman in the world anyway. I have often quoted the phrase "It isn't about the destination, it is about the journey" and I truly want to live by those words. For what good is reaching a destination, no matter how successful you may seem, if you were so driven by your goal that you neglected to enjoy the journey along the way? To me, it would be quite an empty life, and one that I do not wish to lead.

So I am going to take a breather today. And I am going to take down the few autumn decorations I have around the house. And fix my little 'all season tree' up for Christmas. And perhaps I will bake some cinnamon rolls, which I wanted to do this past weekend and never found the time. And work on some of the 'surprise projects' that I wanted to do just for myself - not to sell or make patterns for. And I think I will take that walk in the woods. Because I find the woods to be a place that I find comforting and serene and beautiful, no matter what time of year it is.

The holiday season is upon us. To many, that means that our fast-moving lives kick into an even higher speed. While many look forward to this time of years, it is also exhausting and stressful. But we need to remember that we are in charge of our own lives. We need to live them in a way that makes us happy. If we don't take time to do the things that are a comfort to ourselves and our families, then we lose the entire meaning. More so than not, it is the simple things that make this time special. Not the most presents or the biggest tree. It is those moments in between where we take note of the wonderful things in our lives and appreciate them. No matter how simple they may be.

I wish you all a wonderful day!

Plant People in nature Natural landscape Wood Twig


"Listen to the trees as they sway in the wind. Their leaves are telling secrets. Their bark sings songs of olden days as it grows around the trunks. And their roots give names to all things. Their language has been lost. But not the gestures."
― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration
I feel like I just walked thru the woods. Thnx Sheila
 

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#7,039 ·
Newsletter Issues

I spent the day yesterday trying to catch up on things here around the house. I did weave a bit of work into that mix, as we had just sent out a newsletter and there were several orders to attend to. Once again we are having trouble with our mailing list however. There is a problem with all of our MSN customers because the IP address from the site generated information is looked upon by MSN accounts (hotmail, live, etc) as SPAM and won't allow the emails through. This means that not only are those customers who subscribed to our newsletters not getting them, but also when they do order, the receipts that are automatically generated by the site are also bounced back and they don't get them either. In fact, that is what initially made me aware of the problem.

Fortunately, I don't have the site set up to automatically send orders out. I have mentioned before that while it does take a bit of time, I still like to manually send each order, adding in a short greeting and note of thanks to my customers. Since the orders are sent from my Gmail account, there is not problem on that end and at least the customers do get what they ordered as they always did.

However, it is not good that the MSN customers (and I am finding random other customers also) do not receive their newsletters. There are times when I give special discounts and coupon codes to my mailing list recipients and it doesn't seem fair to those who subscribe not to be able to enjoy them.

So we spent part of the day manually isolating those customers and sending them the newsletter from my gmail account. Keith spent a great deal of time picking the emails from the many on our list and I spent some time sorting through emails that got bounced back due to either error or closed account, etc. We realize that we need to look into another way of doing our bulk mailing that will be a bit more efficient and reliable. (If you signed up for the newsletter using a MSN account, you may wish to do so again with another email address if you haven't been receive it.)

I also began the task of redecorating my little tree for Christmas. That was also another time-consuming task, as the lights that I had on last year weren't working and I wound up having to go out to get more. I did other errands in the process and before I knew it, it was nearly dinner time before I returned. The day was nearly done.

I am going to take one more day to get on top of things. I did think of a new idea though yesterday, so stepping back a bit was worth it. I am going to see how the day progresses, but I am going to do some drawing on the new idea and get moving on it. Things will once again progress.

Sometimes taking the pressure off just a little bit does wonders. Telling myself that I didn't 'have' to do some things today seemed to make a difference in how I felt. As it turned out, I spent probably a healthy portion of the day 'working' and I didn't even realize it. It is funny how these mind games can play a part in our success. Just by calling something a different name helps to accept it a little easier sometimes.

I wish you all a good day today.

Cat Christmas tree Christmas ornament Felidae Carnivore
 

Attachments

#7,040 ·
Newsletter Issues

I spent the day yesterday trying to catch up on things here around the house. I did weave a bit of work into that mix, as we had just sent out a newsletter and there were several orders to attend to. Once again we are having trouble with our mailing list however. There is a problem with all of our MSN customers because the IP address from the site generated information is looked upon by MSN accounts (hotmail, live, etc) as SPAM and won't allow the emails through. This means that not only are those customers who subscribed to our newsletters not getting them, but also when they do order, the receipts that are automatically generated by the site are also bounced back and they don't get them either. In fact, that is what initially made me aware of the problem.

Fortunately, I don't have the site set up to automatically send orders out. I have mentioned before that while it does take a bit of time, I still like to manually send each order, adding in a short greeting and note of thanks to my customers. Since the orders are sent from my Gmail account, there is not problem on that end and at least the customers do get what they ordered as they always did.

However, it is not good that the MSN customers (and I am finding random other customers also) do not receive their newsletters. There are times when I give special discounts and coupon codes to my mailing list recipients and it doesn't seem fair to those who subscribe not to be able to enjoy them.

So we spent part of the day manually isolating those customers and sending them the newsletter from my gmail account. Keith spent a great deal of time picking the emails from the many on our list and I spent some time sorting through emails that got bounced back due to either error or closed account, etc. We realize that we need to look into another way of doing our bulk mailing that will be a bit more efficient and reliable. (If you signed up for the newsletter using a MSN account, you may wish to do so again with another email address if you haven't been receive it.)

I also began the task of redecorating my little tree for Christmas. That was also another time-consuming task, as the lights that I had on last year weren't working and I wound up having to go out to get more. I did other errands in the process and before I knew it, it was nearly dinner time before I returned. The day was nearly done.

I am going to take one more day to get on top of things. I did think of a new idea though yesterday, so stepping back a bit was worth it. I am going to see how the day progresses, but I am going to do some drawing on the new idea and get moving on it. Things will once again progress.

Sometimes taking the pressure off just a little bit does wonders. Telling myself that I didn't 'have' to do some things today seemed to make a difference in how I felt. As it turned out, I spent probably a healthy portion of the day 'working' and I didn't even realize it. It is funny how these mind games can play a part in our success. Just by calling something a different name helps to accept it a little easier sometimes.

I wish you all a good day today.

Cat Christmas tree Christmas ornament Felidae Carnivore
that kitty is so cute!
I love when I have a productive day around the house and don't even realize how much I get done until bed time. It doesn't happen nearly enough, but sometimes the work is just more fun.
 

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#7,046 ·
Forgotten Treasures

It began with a shelf.

On that shelf, I discovered a small box that contained some ornaments that I had cut and finished several months ago. I had forgotten that I even made them.

I continued to open small, unmarked boxes. And as I dug deeper into the cabinet, more 'treasures' were revealed. Forgotten projects that after being photographed were sentenced to being tucked away in cabinets, on the backs of shelves and even in drawers. Their boxes not unlike nondescript tombs where they were banished after their usefulness was exhausted.

The number of these said boxes were alarming, and as I continued to forge through things, more and more came to light. Was there no end to this travesty? After all, how many could there be? . . .

Such was the start of my 'deep cleaning' cycle. After spending a great deal of the day cleaning and organizing my email list and computer, the urge to once again put things in order consumed me.

There is something about organization that gives me a feeling of peace and control. If things get too out of place, I find myself quite a bit more fretful and unsure of myself. Is this some sort of disease that I have acquired? Or has it always been a part of me and I have just been unaware of its existence? But the realization came to me yesterday, as I forged through every cabinet, closet and storage place we had. I could not stop myself, or the increasing urge to sort and clean. As I uncovered one forgotten artifact after another, each one became an aphrodisiac, urging me to continue to the next place, until I exhausted each and every place in our apartment.

Surprisingly, the trash pile was quite small. For many of the items that I came across were still of value, but just in the wrong place.

The ornament and project samples were placed on the kitchen table, and soon spilled over to the kitchen chairs and even into boxes on the floor beneath, where they sit there today. I would take a picture, but there is part of me that is ashamed of where all the beautiful things that Keith and I have made over the past year or so have wound up. It appears that we just keep making things and tuck them away. Our intentions are good, as we plan to either get them to a shop to sell or give them as gifts, but that would involve time that we just don't have, and they get packed away and forgotten and pushed to the backs of closets, cabinets and shelves.

My cause quickly shifted into giving these items a new life. Getting them to a place where they would be loved and appreciated. After all, they were beautiful and nice and at the time of their conception, created with love and excitement and our best efforts. It is a shame that once their photos are taken, they are filed to a place where they would no longer be appreciated for their beauty. There had to be a better way.

So I came up with an idea . . .

Today I am going to go through all of these treasures and sort and repackage them into sets. I am then going to donate them to a cause I feel worthy. There is an organization nearby that my neighbor Lee is involved in which helps take care of the many cats that are dumped on the wharf here in Clare. I spoke of it before, and I have donated to the cause at times, but I always wished I could do more.

Lee goes to the wharf every single day to feed, play with and care for the cats there. Adele rescues the cats and takes them to the vet and adopts them out to forever homes. They build shelters for them and take them to be spayed and neutered in an effort to control the population in the colony. However, there are always a never ending number of new arrivals, that people dump there like garbage. Many of them sick and injured and scared.

Not only do they care for the animals, but they also hold online auctions and other fundraisers to help defray the huge vet bills and care costs. By donating these pieces for auction, I know that the money that they bring in will be used to help these unfortunate critters and the pieces will be appreciated as they should be. It is a win/win.

So today, I will finish my task of sorting. I will then continue with my original intention of decorating my own tree here, as it sits with only lights on at this moment.

This change of pace is something that I needed. Even if it is just for a few days, it feels wonderful. And seeing the empty cabinet and shelf space, and knowing once again where everything is gives me a good feeling that my life is once again in order. I am getting back in control - something that I felt I was losing a couple of days ago.

In the mean time, I am thinking ahead of what my next project will be. I have a good idea already, and look forward to seeing it come to be. But first I will finish this. (And maybe make some cookies!)

Because of the chaos of our kitchen, Keith offered to take me to dinner last night. We decided to go to the Goodwin Hotel in Weymouth, as I wanted to get a gift certificate for my dear friends Bernie and Ellen as part of their Christmas gift. The hotel is beautiful and the dining there is all home cooked goodness. It is small and lovely and has been there for years and years under the same owners. I haven't been there in probably five years, and was thrilled to see the beautiful Victorian style hotel beautifully decorated in every room for the holidays. It was like going into another world. I had the best meal that I had in a long time - surf and turf with a small tenderloin steak cooked to perfection and fresh Digby scallops. It was the perfect ending to a great day and as I sat here last night sipping some peppermint tea (with my kitchen table still covered with things!) I couldn't help but think how good life can be.

Sometimes it is the simple things that make us the happiest.

A couple of pictures of the hotel:

Christmas tree Christmas ornament Plant Holiday ornament Branch


Christmas ornament Shelf Christmas tree Interior design Toy


Brown Christmas tree Property Christmas ornament Holiday ornament


Have a wonderful day!
 

Attachments

#7,047 ·
Forgotten Treasures

It began with a shelf.

On that shelf, I discovered a small box that contained some ornaments that I had cut and finished several months ago. I had forgotten that I even made them.

I continued to open small, unmarked boxes. And as I dug deeper into the cabinet, more 'treasures' were revealed. Forgotten projects that after being photographed were sentenced to being tucked away in cabinets, on the backs of shelves and even in drawers. Their boxes not unlike nondescript tombs where they were banished after their usefulness was exhausted.

The number of these said boxes were alarming, and as I continued to forge through things, more and more came to light. Was there no end to this travesty? After all, how many could there be? . . .

Such was the start of my 'deep cleaning' cycle. After spending a great deal of the day cleaning and organizing my email list and computer, the urge to once again put things in order consumed me.

There is something about organization that gives me a feeling of peace and control. If things get too out of place, I find myself quite a bit more fretful and unsure of myself. Is this some sort of disease that I have acquired? Or has it always been a part of me and I have just been unaware of its existence? But the realization came to me yesterday, as I forged through every cabinet, closet and storage place we had. I could not stop myself, or the increasing urge to sort and clean. As I uncovered one forgotten artifact after another, each one became an aphrodisiac, urging me to continue to the next place, until I exhausted each and every place in our apartment.

Surprisingly, the trash pile was quite small. For many of the items that I came across were still of value, but just in the wrong place.

The ornament and project samples were placed on the kitchen table, and soon spilled over to the kitchen chairs and even into boxes on the floor beneath, where they sit there today. I would take a picture, but there is part of me that is ashamed of where all the beautiful things that Keith and I have made over the past year or so have wound up. It appears that we just keep making things and tuck them away. Our intentions are good, as we plan to either get them to a shop to sell or give them as gifts, but that would involve time that we just don't have, and they get packed away and forgotten and pushed to the backs of closets, cabinets and shelves.

My cause quickly shifted into giving these items a new life. Getting them to a place where they would be loved and appreciated. After all, they were beautiful and nice and at the time of their conception, created with love and excitement and our best efforts. It is a shame that once their photos are taken, they are filed to a place where they would no longer be appreciated for their beauty. There had to be a better way.

So I came up with an idea . . .

Today I am going to go through all of these treasures and sort and repackage them into sets. I am then going to donate them to a cause I feel worthy. There is an organization nearby that my neighbor Lee is involved in which helps take care of the many cats that are dumped on the wharf here in Clare. I spoke of it before, and I have donated to the cause at times, but I always wished I could do more.

Lee goes to the wharf every single day to feed, play with and care for the cats there. Adele rescues the cats and takes them to the vet and adopts them out to forever homes. They build shelters for them and take them to be spayed and neutered in an effort to control the population in the colony. However, there are always a never ending number of new arrivals, that people dump there like garbage. Many of them sick and injured and scared.

Not only do they care for the animals, but they also hold online auctions and other fundraisers to help defray the huge vet bills and care costs. By donating these pieces for auction, I know that the money that they bring in will be used to help these unfortunate critters and the pieces will be appreciated as they should be. It is a win/win.

So today, I will finish my task of sorting. I will then continue with my original intention of decorating my own tree here, as it sits with only lights on at this moment.

This change of pace is something that I needed. Even if it is just for a few days, it feels wonderful. And seeing the empty cabinet and shelf space, and knowing once again where everything is gives me a good feeling that my life is once again in order. I am getting back in control - something that I felt I was losing a couple of days ago.

In the mean time, I am thinking ahead of what my next project will be. I have a good idea already, and look forward to seeing it come to be. But first I will finish this. (And maybe make some cookies!)

Because of the chaos of our kitchen, Keith offered to take me to dinner last night. We decided to go to the Goodwin Hotel in Weymouth, as I wanted to get a gift certificate for my dear friends Bernie and Ellen as part of their Christmas gift. The hotel is beautiful and the dining there is all home cooked goodness. It is small and lovely and has been there for years and years under the same owners. I haven't been there in probably five years, and was thrilled to see the beautiful Victorian style hotel beautifully decorated in every room for the holidays. It was like going into another world. I had the best meal that I had in a long time - surf and turf with a small tenderloin steak cooked to perfection and fresh Digby scallops. It was the perfect ending to a great day and as I sat here last night sipping some peppermint tea (with my kitchen table still covered with things!) I couldn't help but think how good life can be.

Sometimes it is the simple things that make us the happiest.

A couple of pictures of the hotel:

Christmas tree Christmas ornament Plant Holiday ornament Branch


Christmas ornament Shelf Christmas tree Interior design Toy


Brown Christmas tree Property Christmas ornament Holiday ornament


Have a wonderful day!
"Victorian style hotel beautifully decorated" = sounds like a perfect backdrop for some of your projects.
Create a little vignette and donate it to the restaurant. Of course you add a business card so it will promote your business at the same time.
Lots of possibilities there!
 

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#7,056 ·
Mission Accomplished

Once again, I can see the top of my kitchen table. The counters are clean and the floor is also clear. It seems that everything worth while has found a place and I can put my finger on most anything that I have.

I spent the day sorting and cleaning. I was surprised how much cheering I received from friends who stated that they also need to do what I was doing. It appears that everyone accumulates 'stuff' and few find the time to really sort through it all and keep it organized.

I actually enjoyed the process. It was a quiet time for me and gave me a chance to think and reflect about many things.

Some of the items I decided not to part with. For reasons that were even sometimes unknown to me, I had the need to hold on to them 'just in case' I wanted to display them one day. They may have had a story behind them, or some emotional tie that I just wasn't ready to let go of yet. So I decided to keep them. I tried to keep those to a minimum however, as before long the 'keep' pile was beginning to grow larger than the 'give' pile and I realized that I would once again find myself in the position in which I began - with an over abundance of things and no place to put them. I needed to keep reminding myself "if I want or need it, I can always make it again."

What is it about the need to have 'stuff'?

We hear about those who have grown up in the depression and have been through difficult times, and now they tend to hoard things, as if there would come a time again when they would be in need. Is that part of human nature?

A couple of years ago, I needed Worcestershire sauce for some cooking that I was doing. Much to my dismay, I only had a drop and was unable to complete the recipe properly. As a result of that, within the next couple of weeks, I replaced the empty bottle not once, but twice. I did not do this on purpose, but 'not having' something must have triggered something in my brain to get it the next time I was at the store - even though it is an ingredient that I seldom use, and a bottle seems to last me for years. My disappointment of not having it when I needed it must have affected me to such an extent that I purchased some not only the next time that I was at the grocery store, but also clouded my mind so much that I purchased another bottle a second time in the visit after that.

It may seem silly, but I believe that 'fear of not having things' is powerful stuff. I also think it is a driving force behind why many people are so afraid to let go of things in the first place. The "What if I need it's" are hard to ignore - especially in difficult times when so many are struggling.

But in this moment in my life, I do feel very comfortable with what I have. Even though I have been through some difficult times myself - as recently as a few years ago - I have learned that much of the 'things' that I had were not necessary in the first place. As I get older, I find that I want very little and that I find comfort in the simplicity that I live my life right now. I need certain things to keep designing and doing my job, and of course, I need my art supplies in order to create, but 'not having' is no longer a curse to me, and can even be viewed on as a blessing in many cases.

When shopping for Christmas gifts a couple of weeks ago when Keith and I went to the city, we went through store after store which had wonderfully magical Christmas displays and decorations. Seeing these displays was a delight for our senses, as was the hotel the other night. It would have been easy to indulge and purchase many items to make our little place here our own personal Winter Wonderland. But for what reason? What purpose would buying thing after thing be when we didn't have room for what we already have? It was then when I noticed that I am beginning to look differently at things and much prefer to keep things simple.

When looking closer at what was available, I realize that much of it is mass-produced and cheap. If it lasted more than a season or two it would be a miracle in itself. Why then, would I want to accumulate more things only to have them wind up in a landfill in the next year or two?

So I decided to give gifts which had a bit more meaning and usefulness this year. Things that were made with care and would be (hopefully) appreciated for that reason. The gift certificate for Bernie and Ellen, who have everything they could ever really need. A heated blanket for my daughter, who lives in a place where the heat is costly and appreciates a warm bed (yes - I already had it sent to her, as she needed it now and I thought it would be foolish to wait) and some fine, pure hand-made soaps from my friend in Pennsylvania (we know her on Lumberjocks as Rivergirl). These are gifts that will be used and appreciated. And most of them will help local artisans and establishments such as the hotel and Kelly by keeping them working. And of course, the hand made woodworking and painted items.

I apologize for getting off on a tangent, but my point was that what allowed me to part with so many of my wood and painted creations was not only knowing that they would go to a place where it would be appreciated, but also that the money it will bring is much needed and will help the community. As I said yesterday, it is a win/win.

So I decorated my little tree for the holiday season yesterday. Most of the ornaments I put on it were my own. There were some that were received from others in exchanges from this year and past, and I cherish them for the time and care in which they were made.

While we may not have our place adorned end to end with holiday decorations, there are enough things around to remind us of the season.

Many times I am asked why I keep my tree up all year, and why go to the trouble to decorate it for the different seasons. I suppose the reason is that for me is that it celebrates not only one season or holiday or religion, but our lives in general. No matter which religion we choose, or even if we choose none at all, it is a reminder to me that each day should be appreciated. And each day we should practice kindness, tolerance, compassion and understanding towards each other.

We don't need a holiday for that.

Christmas tree Christmas ornament Holiday ornament Larch Purple


Have a wonderful weekend.
 

Attachments

#7,057 ·
Mission Accomplished

Once again, I can see the top of my kitchen table. The counters are clean and the floor is also clear. It seems that everything worth while has found a place and I can put my finger on most anything that I have.

I spent the day sorting and cleaning. I was surprised how much cheering I received from friends who stated that they also need to do what I was doing. It appears that everyone accumulates 'stuff' and few find the time to really sort through it all and keep it organized.

I actually enjoyed the process. It was a quiet time for me and gave me a chance to think and reflect about many things.

Some of the items I decided not to part with. For reasons that were even sometimes unknown to me, I had the need to hold on to them 'just in case' I wanted to display them one day. They may have had a story behind them, or some emotional tie that I just wasn't ready to let go of yet. So I decided to keep them. I tried to keep those to a minimum however, as before long the 'keep' pile was beginning to grow larger than the 'give' pile and I realized that I would once again find myself in the position in which I began - with an over abundance of things and no place to put them. I needed to keep reminding myself "if I want or need it, I can always make it again."

What is it about the need to have 'stuff'?

We hear about those who have grown up in the depression and have been through difficult times, and now they tend to hoard things, as if there would come a time again when they would be in need. Is that part of human nature?

A couple of years ago, I needed Worcestershire sauce for some cooking that I was doing. Much to my dismay, I only had a drop and was unable to complete the recipe properly. As a result of that, within the next couple of weeks, I replaced the empty bottle not once, but twice. I did not do this on purpose, but 'not having' something must have triggered something in my brain to get it the next time I was at the store - even though it is an ingredient that I seldom use, and a bottle seems to last me for years. My disappointment of not having it when I needed it must have affected me to such an extent that I purchased some not only the next time that I was at the grocery store, but also clouded my mind so much that I purchased another bottle a second time in the visit after that.

It may seem silly, but I believe that 'fear of not having things' is powerful stuff. I also think it is a driving force behind why many people are so afraid to let go of things in the first place. The "What if I need it's" are hard to ignore - especially in difficult times when so many are struggling.

But in this moment in my life, I do feel very comfortable with what I have. Even though I have been through some difficult times myself - as recently as a few years ago - I have learned that much of the 'things' that I had were not necessary in the first place. As I get older, I find that I want very little and that I find comfort in the simplicity that I live my life right now. I need certain things to keep designing and doing my job, and of course, I need my art supplies in order to create, but 'not having' is no longer a curse to me, and can even be viewed on as a blessing in many cases.

When shopping for Christmas gifts a couple of weeks ago when Keith and I went to the city, we went through store after store which had wonderfully magical Christmas displays and decorations. Seeing these displays was a delight for our senses, as was the hotel the other night. It would have been easy to indulge and purchase many items to make our little place here our own personal Winter Wonderland. But for what reason? What purpose would buying thing after thing be when we didn't have room for what we already have? It was then when I noticed that I am beginning to look differently at things and much prefer to keep things simple.

When looking closer at what was available, I realize that much of it is mass-produced and cheap. If it lasted more than a season or two it would be a miracle in itself. Why then, would I want to accumulate more things only to have them wind up in a landfill in the next year or two?

So I decided to give gifts which had a bit more meaning and usefulness this year. Things that were made with care and would be (hopefully) appreciated for that reason. The gift certificate for Bernie and Ellen, who have everything they could ever really need. A heated blanket for my daughter, who lives in a place where the heat is costly and appreciates a warm bed (yes - I already had it sent to her, as she needed it now and I thought it would be foolish to wait) and some fine, pure hand-made soaps from my friend in Pennsylvania (we know her on Lumberjocks as Rivergirl). These are gifts that will be used and appreciated. And most of them will help local artisans and establishments such as the hotel and Kelly by keeping them working. And of course, the hand made woodworking and painted items.

I apologize for getting off on a tangent, but my point was that what allowed me to part with so many of my wood and painted creations was not only knowing that they would go to a place where it would be appreciated, but also that the money it will bring is much needed and will help the community. As I said yesterday, it is a win/win.

So I decorated my little tree for the holiday season yesterday. Most of the ornaments I put on it were my own. There were some that were received from others in exchanges from this year and past, and I cherish them for the time and care in which they were made.

While we may not have our place adorned end to end with holiday decorations, there are enough things around to remind us of the season.

Many times I am asked why I keep my tree up all year, and why go to the trouble to decorate it for the different seasons. I suppose the reason is that for me is that it celebrates not only one season or holiday or religion, but our lives in general. No matter which religion we choose, or even if we choose none at all, it is a reminder to me that each day should be appreciated. And each day we should practice kindness, tolerance, compassion and understanding towards each other.

We don't need a holiday for that.

Christmas tree Christmas ornament Holiday ornament Larch Purple


Have a wonderful weekend.
A very good read this morning! Stay warm and happy!
 

Attachments

#7,067 ·
Recharged and Ready

It felt rather odd not writing yesterday, but this was quite an unusual weekend for me. Those of you who read regularly know how uncharacteristic it is of me to miss a day of writing, as I usually am doing things that pertain to my work here and I like to share the many ways I find to be creative.

However, for the first time in a long time, I spent the entire weekend doing things just for myself. After the whirlwind of work and organizational activity, I needed some time to just relax and enjoy the day (or two!) I did fill orders and tried to stay on top of my emails, but I kept them all to a minimum and had a rare day of leisure, where nothing I did had any purpose except to entertain myself. I think it was just what I needed.

I spent most of the time poking around on the computer. I found some fun puzzle games and enjoyed them while watching one of my favorite Christmas movies (Little Women - with Susan Serandon) to get me in the holiday spirit. With the house clean and the tree all decorated, it was the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. There was seldom a moment when I didn't have any one of the three cats on my lap, as they seemed to take shifts at trying to keep me in my place. Even Keith cheered me on when I expressed my (slight) guilt of whiling away the day not doing anything 'productive' and he encouraged me to continue. So who was I to argue?

The odd thing about it is how 'productive' being unproductive was for me. While I was enjoying my leisure time, in a small corner in the back of my mind I was planning some new things to design and create. It was as if I needed to consciously rest so that subconsciously I could plan and organize the different directions that I want to head with my work. I think it was very healthy for me and I am looking forward to seeing these ideas materialize.

I know I have taken occasional days off before, but they always seemed to be packed with doing other things that had been piling up while I was working. The time away from what would be thought of as 'work' only shifted to either being gone from the house here or doing other tasks like paperwork and organization. I can't honestly remember the last time I sat here guilt-free and did 'nothing.'

While it is not a habit I intend to develop, I think once in a while it can be a very good thing. Being busy all the time is good for us in general, but overdoing any part of our lives isn't always the best way to go. I believe that is how many self-employed people find themselves being burned out and frustrated.

Taking time off shouldn't be thought of as a negative. I found myself thinking that any time that I spent away from work-related skills would indicate that I was not fully dedicated to my business and if things weren't going so well, it would be my own fault for not trying hard enough. Funny how we can convince ourselves of things such as that, as I know in my heart that couldn't be further from the truth.

If I have learned anything these past couple of days, I learned that we need to balance things in our lives to be completely happy. There is no one thing that we do that can make us whole. We are complex and multi-faceted beings that require fulfillment on many different levels. Focusing on only one thing, while seemingly satisfying at first, will eventually wear us out and we will find ourselves searching to fill the unexplained emptiness in our souls.

I learned a lot these past two days by doing seemingly 'nothing.'

I woke up this morning, feeling good and ready to take on a busy week. My heart is happy and I am rested and eager to see what wonderful things this week will bring. and what new adventures await.

I plan to try (once again) to dedicate at least one day a week to my own leisure. Whether it means doing puzzles or watching a favorite movie, or even doing something creative that has nothing to do with 'work', I will look forward to some time where I can do as I wish - guilt free. I think it will do wonders for me in the long run.

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


Have a wonderful Monday!

"A balanced and skillful approach to life, taking care to avoid extremes, becomes a very important factor in conducting one's everyday existence. It is important in all aspects of life. For instance, in planting a sapling of a plant or a tree, at its very early stage you have to be very skillful and gentle. Too much moisture will destroy it, too much sunlight will destroy it. Too little will also destroy it. So what you need is a very balanced environment where the sapling can have a healthy growth. Or, for a person's physical health, too much or too little of any one thing can have destructive effects. This gentle and skillful approach, taking care to avoid extremes, applies to healthy mental and emotional growth as well." - Dalai Lama
 

Attachments

#7,068 ·
Recharged and Ready

It felt rather odd not writing yesterday, but this was quite an unusual weekend for me. Those of you who read regularly know how uncharacteristic it is of me to miss a day of writing, as I usually am doing things that pertain to my work here and I like to share the many ways I find to be creative.

However, for the first time in a long time, I spent the entire weekend doing things just for myself. After the whirlwind of work and organizational activity, I needed some time to just relax and enjoy the day (or two!) I did fill orders and tried to stay on top of my emails, but I kept them all to a minimum and had a rare day of leisure, where nothing I did had any purpose except to entertain myself. I think it was just what I needed.

I spent most of the time poking around on the computer. I found some fun puzzle games and enjoyed them while watching one of my favorite Christmas movies (Little Women - with Susan Serandon) to get me in the holiday spirit. With the house clean and the tree all decorated, it was the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. There was seldom a moment when I didn't have any one of the three cats on my lap, as they seemed to take shifts at trying to keep me in my place. Even Keith cheered me on when I expressed my (slight) guilt of whiling away the day not doing anything 'productive' and he encouraged me to continue. So who was I to argue?

The odd thing about it is how 'productive' being unproductive was for me. While I was enjoying my leisure time, in a small corner in the back of my mind I was planning some new things to design and create. It was as if I needed to consciously rest so that subconsciously I could plan and organize the different directions that I want to head with my work. I think it was very healthy for me and I am looking forward to seeing these ideas materialize.

I know I have taken occasional days off before, but they always seemed to be packed with doing other things that had been piling up while I was working. The time away from what would be thought of as 'work' only shifted to either being gone from the house here or doing other tasks like paperwork and organization. I can't honestly remember the last time I sat here guilt-free and did 'nothing.'

While it is not a habit I intend to develop, I think once in a while it can be a very good thing. Being busy all the time is good for us in general, but overdoing any part of our lives isn't always the best way to go. I believe that is how many self-employed people find themselves being burned out and frustrated.

Taking time off shouldn't be thought of as a negative. I found myself thinking that any time that I spent away from work-related skills would indicate that I was not fully dedicated to my business and if things weren't going so well, it would be my own fault for not trying hard enough. Funny how we can convince ourselves of things such as that, as I know in my heart that couldn't be further from the truth.

If I have learned anything these past couple of days, I learned that we need to balance things in our lives to be completely happy. There is no one thing that we do that can make us whole. We are complex and multi-faceted beings that require fulfillment on many different levels. Focusing on only one thing, while seemingly satisfying at first, will eventually wear us out and we will find ourselves searching to fill the unexplained emptiness in our souls.

I learned a lot these past two days by doing seemingly 'nothing.'

I woke up this morning, feeling good and ready to take on a busy week. My heart is happy and I am rested and eager to see what wonderful things this week will bring. and what new adventures await.

I plan to try (once again) to dedicate at least one day a week to my own leisure. Whether it means doing puzzles or watching a favorite movie, or even doing something creative that has nothing to do with 'work', I will look forward to some time where I can do as I wish - guilt free. I think it will do wonders for me in the long run.

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


Have a wonderful Monday!

"A balanced and skillful approach to life, taking care to avoid extremes, becomes a very important factor in conducting one's everyday existence. It is important in all aspects of life. For instance, in planting a sapling of a plant or a tree, at its very early stage you have to be very skillful and gentle. Too much moisture will destroy it, too much sunlight will destroy it. Too little will also destroy it. So what you need is a very balanced environment where the sapling can have a healthy growth. Or, for a person's physical health, too much or too little of any one thing can have destructive effects. This gentle and skillful approach, taking care to avoid extremes, applies to healthy mental and emotional growth as well." - Dalai Lama
Hi Sheila,
The aftermath of a bountiful rest will be a very productive mind to work out on something from really deep within. I am looking forward for this in you.. Hope the best.
Continue the new adventures.
Have a nice day.
 

Attachments

#7,077 ·
Spray Glue and Labels and Tape, Oh MY!

I am running a bit late today, as I got lost in answering emails and doing some other things. I did have some things that I wanted to share here though that may be of interest.

I received my full sheet labels the other day from a Canadian supplier on Amazon . They arrived quickly and I am eager to use them on my next project today or tomorrow. The cost for 100 full sheets of labels was a total of about $30 with the shipping. While that may seem a little expensive, you have to remember that by using this method to stick on the pattern, you eliminate the need for the blue painter's tape, which is about $10 for a 47 meter roll. Also you save because you don't have to purchase the temporary spray adhesive, and deal with that.

I had a customer write me this morning who also tried the label method and was very happy with it. He is from the United States and sent me a link to purchase the full sheet labels here:

Labelsonline.com

They were only $10.95 there for a box of 100 full sheets, but I was unable to calculate the shipping because even though on the site they say they ship to Canada, there was no means to do so. I expect though that since their only method of shipping appears to be UPS, it would be a bit more expensive. If you are in Canada though and want to try them, you may want to contact them and see what is up, as my labels were delivered via Purolator and the delivery charge was about $8.00. If they work out, I will probably buy more than one box at a time to save on shipping, although I think 100 will last me quite a while.

Another thing I found in the past couple of days was that the Painter's Mate Green Dropcloth Double-Sided Masking Tape could be ordered from my Home Hardware store here in Canada. If you click on the "Where to Buy" link at the bottom of the page, you will see it is available in the United States also. The cost for a roll is (I think!) going to be about $10 with taxes in. I am waiting to see what it will cost when it comes in. The clerk there had never heard about it, and I had to have him look it up on the computer. He said he learned something new that day and I suggest if you go in looking for it, take a picture so that you can convince them that they ARE able to get it, as when I first asked him, he looked at me as if I had two heads. I was relieved he found it in the computer, because I am sure he thought I was making it up.

I have decided to write a comprehensive article on all this tape/spray glue/label information. I am going to offer it to the magazine because I think it will be helpful to offer different alternatives to applying patterns to the wood. In scroll sawing it is especially important that the lines we are cutting be accurate and I am looking for the most stress-free and reliable methods that I can to not only give choices to people, but offer methods that are a clean alternative to using spray, which can be a bit messy. I will keep you all updated on my findings in the next couple of days.

I am finishing up drawing my pattern today, and will show you a little teaser of it:

Flower Plant Organism Gesture Happy


While this one is for the magazine, I am developing several patterns at once. I hope to have several new designs done shortly, as I can't wait to be back at the saw again and try my new labels.

Well, that will be it for today. Time to get busy working and playing with my labels.

Cat Carnivore Flooring Wood Floor


Have a great Tuesday!
 

Attachments

#7,078 ·
Spray Glue and Labels and Tape, Oh MY!

I am running a bit late today, as I got lost in answering emails and doing some other things. I did have some things that I wanted to share here though that may be of interest.

I received my full sheet labels the other day from a Canadian supplier on Amazon . They arrived quickly and I am eager to use them on my next project today or tomorrow. The cost for 100 full sheets of labels was a total of about $30 with the shipping. While that may seem a little expensive, you have to remember that by using this method to stick on the pattern, you eliminate the need for the blue painter's tape, which is about $10 for a 47 meter roll. Also you save because you don't have to purchase the temporary spray adhesive, and deal with that.

I had a customer write me this morning who also tried the label method and was very happy with it. He is from the United States and sent me a link to purchase the full sheet labels here:

Labelsonline.com

They were only $10.95 there for a box of 100 full sheets, but I was unable to calculate the shipping because even though on the site they say they ship to Canada, there was no means to do so. I expect though that since their only method of shipping appears to be UPS, it would be a bit more expensive. If you are in Canada though and want to try them, you may want to contact them and see what is up, as my labels were delivered via Purolator and the delivery charge was about $8.00. If they work out, I will probably buy more than one box at a time to save on shipping, although I think 100 will last me quite a while.

Another thing I found in the past couple of days was that the Painter's Mate Green Dropcloth Double-Sided Masking Tape could be ordered from my Home Hardware store here in Canada. If you click on the "Where to Buy" link at the bottom of the page, you will see it is available in the United States also. The cost for a roll is (I think!) going to be about $10 with taxes in. I am waiting to see what it will cost when it comes in. The clerk there had never heard about it, and I had to have him look it up on the computer. He said he learned something new that day and I suggest if you go in looking for it, take a picture so that you can convince them that they ARE able to get it, as when I first asked him, he looked at me as if I had two heads. I was relieved he found it in the computer, because I am sure he thought I was making it up.

I have decided to write a comprehensive article on all this tape/spray glue/label information. I am going to offer it to the magazine because I think it will be helpful to offer different alternatives to applying patterns to the wood. In scroll sawing it is especially important that the lines we are cutting be accurate and I am looking for the most stress-free and reliable methods that I can to not only give choices to people, but offer methods that are a clean alternative to using spray, which can be a bit messy. I will keep you all updated on my findings in the next couple of days.

I am finishing up drawing my pattern today, and will show you a little teaser of it:

Flower Plant Organism Gesture Happy


While this one is for the magazine, I am developing several patterns at once. I hope to have several new designs done shortly, as I can't wait to be back at the saw again and try my new labels.

Well, that will be it for today. Time to get busy working and playing with my labels.

Cat Carnivore Flooring Wood Floor


Have a great Tuesday!
I guess I have a couple of thoughts. I like this idea and have followed other thoughts like this. I did a search of one of the US office supply stores and found 8 1/2Ă—11 lables for $14.00 but the had a but 2 get one free offer. My other thought is that many times I print less than a full sheet. I would need to think that over before going this direction. Great idea and worth thinking about.
 

Attachments

#7,092 ·
Review on Using Full Sheet Labels for Applying Scroll Saw Patterns

In my recent posts, I have been discussing different ways to apply patterns to wood for scroll sawing. Since last year, I have noticed that the quality of the spray adhesive that I was accustomed to using had been on the decline. The brand I have used for the past several years has been Elmer's, and while I first thought it just may have been an isolated incident (perhaps a bad batch) I have since purchased it from several different locations with the same results, and heard similar stories from others who have used it that live a great distance from me, so my only logical conclusion is that they have changed the formula.

I wrote to the company to inquire about this, and have yet to receive a response. This leaves me to assume that the formula did indeed change.

There are alternatives available as far as spray glue which work in applying the patterns, but the ones that seem to work the best are expensive (Supper 77 at about $20 per can) or don't hold well (Krylon's Easy Tack @ $8 per can.) I know there are other brands available, but they aren't always available to everyone in different areas. This started me looking for completely alternative methods to apply the pattern that would be both reliable and cost effective.

One way was to use double sided masking tape. This is NOT the same as carpet tape, and turned out to be a bit of a task to hunt down. However, I have had a reasonable amount of success in tracking some down, and I will discuss that process in a later blog.

A third method, which I am going to discuss here in detail, is using full sheet labels, which are widely available everywhere. I posted a link to where I purchased mine in yesterday's blog. I am in Canada, for those who aren't aware, and I was able to purchase them HERE on Amazon. With taxes and additional shipping, the order came to about $30, which meant that each full sheet (8.5" x 11") came to cost me 30 cents.

Here is the brand I purchased:

Gesture Font Material property Technology Electric blue


In the description, the labels were called "permanent." While I don't want them to be completely permanent, I do want them to stick for the time I am scroll sawing, so I felt that these would be desirable over the type of labels that can be repositioned.

I began by printing out my pattern on a full sheet.

White Organ Human body Gesture Font


I chose a pattern that had many curls and small details, as I find that is the type of cutting that causes the pattern to loosen up the most. When cutting thin slivers of wood, if the edges of the labels are even slightly loose, it causes the pattern to flap and lift and you spend more time trying to hold it down with your nail while cutting than actually paying attention to what you are doing. Any scroller that has experienced this knows what a pain it is and how distracting it can be. I have made many mistakes because of this happening and it makes cutting much more stressful and tedious.

You can see the fine detail in the pattern:

Wood Gesture Finger Font Art


I also want to note that it is probably best to use this method on patterns that fill or nearly fill up the entire sheet. You wouldn't want to cut one ornament from the center of the page, as you would be wasting most of the label. While you could probably go half and half and rerun the label through your printer twice, it isn't always the easiest thing to do.

(NOTE: This is only ONE METHOD of applying the pattern. No one method is optimal for every situation. That is one of the reasons I am exploring several different ways that you can successfully and economically apply the pattern. You may use this for one cutting session and find that an alternative method makes more sense for another. I will explore other methods in subsequent posts.)

The first step was drilling. No problem at all here. Again, we have all experienced being half way through drilling the holes and having the pattern lift. It is very frustrating and difficult to replace the pattern in the exact same place to line up the already drilled holes. This stuck great!

Guitar accessory Wood Drinkware Font Circle


In rough cutting the ornament from the board, I noticed something right away. You can see that the wood began burning exactly where the label ended. In all of my instructions, I recommend taping a full layer of either clear packaging tape over the entire pattern or blue painter's tape under the pattern. This is the reason I do so. The adhesive in the tape helps the blade run cooler and pretty much eliminates any burning. It really WORKS and is much worth the extra effort to do so. The adhesive in the labels works the same way and when using them, it saves the cost and time and effort of applying a layer of tape over your designs. That is a big PLUS!

Gesture Wood Handwriting Font Rectangle


You can see in the picture that the burning started EXACTLY where the label ended. I was using 1/4" bird's eye maple and a brand new Olson 2/0 regular reverse tooth scroll saw blade. I continued to use the blade for the rest of the ornament without any adverse consequences.

I cut the tiny lettering with no lifting whatsoever:

Hand Facial expression Handwriting Finger Art


I then moved on to the curly border. If lifting was to occur, I would think it would happen here. But everything held nicely and I was able to really concentrate on my cutting without worrying or having to hold down pieces. The cutting continued perfectly.

Finger Font Wood Art Food


I completed the entire ornament and the label still held. Now came the moment of truth - would I be able to remove it easily?

Art Finger Font Material property Thumb


I began on the inside piece and used a small knife to lift the edge. It began to lift in one piece cleanly:

Wood Guitar accessory Finger Thumb Font


However, it did tear and I needed to use the knife a bit to assist me in removing it:

Font Art Jewellery Handwriting Guitar accessory


It did let go however, and it wasn't at all like when I used too much spray adhesive and had the pattern cemented to the piece. With a little effort, it was fairly easy to remove.

The next part was the delicate fretwork border. Once again, the label didn't come off in one piece, however with the help of the knife the label came off fairly easily:

Wood Natural material Body jewelry Jewellery Font


Yes, it took a few minutes to remove it all, but in weighing the small amount of effort against the alternative of having the pattern lift as I was cutting, it was a clear decision. I would far prefer to have to work a bit after cutting rather than have a flapping pattern during the cutting process. To me it was a no-brainer.

Most important - when the label was removed, there was not a bit of tackiness or residue left behind to interfere with any finishing process that I would choose. In using the spray adhesive, I found that many times in order to keep the pattern sticking, enough was needed so that there was a residue left on the piece. This was compounded with the now bad mixes of the Elmer's that I have been using.

Hand Font Art Ornament Jewellery


Overall, I give this process a 7.5 on a scale from one to ten. On the upside, I was able to cut a very intricate pattern and not have to worry about the pattern lifting. Seeing that I was able to print six ornaments on one 30 cent sheet, this label cost me a mere 5 cents to use. Add to that I didn't have to use an additional layer of blue painter's tape to prevent the wood from burning and the cost went down even more.

On the down side, it did take a little time to remove from the piece. I suppose I could 'blot' it with something before applying it to the wood to 'de-tack' it a bit if I felt it was necessary, but I don't see it as being that much of an effort in order to do so.

The bottom line was that I was able to really concentrate on what I was cutting and following my line, and it felt great to be able to not worry about the pattern coming off. It was well-worth the trade off.

With all the time and money we spend in supplies, I believe this is a very small cost to pay for a decent outcome. Had these pieces been stack cut, which is certainly possible, the cost of the label would naturally be a fraction of the nickel that it cost me.

Again - this probably isn't the most efficient way to do everything. If you are unable to consolidate small pieces onto one sheet for printing, you may be better off using another method. But for things like full sheets of ornaments and plaques that take up the full page, I think this is a great way to do it. I know that is what I am going to be using from now on.

I hope you enjoyed this review. I will be reviewing other methods in the near future so that you can choose the right way for yourself to apply the pattern that is both cost effective and reliable and will make your cutting stress-free and pleasurable.

Have a wonderful day! :)
 

Attachments

#7,093 ·
Review on Using Full Sheet Labels for Applying Scroll Saw Patterns

In my recent posts, I have been discussing different ways to apply patterns to wood for scroll sawing. Since last year, I have noticed that the quality of the spray adhesive that I was accustomed to using had been on the decline. The brand I have used for the past several years has been Elmer's, and while I first thought it just may have been an isolated incident (perhaps a bad batch) I have since purchased it from several different locations with the same results, and heard similar stories from others who have used it that live a great distance from me, so my only logical conclusion is that they have changed the formula.

I wrote to the company to inquire about this, and have yet to receive a response. This leaves me to assume that the formula did indeed change.

There are alternatives available as far as spray glue which work in applying the patterns, but the ones that seem to work the best are expensive (Supper 77 at about $20 per can) or don't hold well (Krylon's Easy Tack @ $8 per can.) I know there are other brands available, but they aren't always available to everyone in different areas. This started me looking for completely alternative methods to apply the pattern that would be both reliable and cost effective.

One way was to use double sided masking tape. This is NOT the same as carpet tape, and turned out to be a bit of a task to hunt down. However, I have had a reasonable amount of success in tracking some down, and I will discuss that process in a later blog.

A third method, which I am going to discuss here in detail, is using full sheet labels, which are widely available everywhere. I posted a link to where I purchased mine in yesterday's blog. I am in Canada, for those who aren't aware, and I was able to purchase them HERE on Amazon. With taxes and additional shipping, the order came to about $30, which meant that each full sheet (8.5" x 11") came to cost me 30 cents.

Here is the brand I purchased:

Gesture Font Material property Technology Electric blue


In the description, the labels were called "permanent." While I don't want them to be completely permanent, I do want them to stick for the time I am scroll sawing, so I felt that these would be desirable over the type of labels that can be repositioned.

I began by printing out my pattern on a full sheet.

White Organ Human body Gesture Font


I chose a pattern that had many curls and small details, as I find that is the type of cutting that causes the pattern to loosen up the most. When cutting thin slivers of wood, if the edges of the labels are even slightly loose, it causes the pattern to flap and lift and you spend more time trying to hold it down with your nail while cutting than actually paying attention to what you are doing. Any scroller that has experienced this knows what a pain it is and how distracting it can be. I have made many mistakes because of this happening and it makes cutting much more stressful and tedious.

You can see the fine detail in the pattern:

Wood Gesture Finger Font Art


I also want to note that it is probably best to use this method on patterns that fill or nearly fill up the entire sheet. You wouldn't want to cut one ornament from the center of the page, as you would be wasting most of the label. While you could probably go half and half and rerun the label through your printer twice, it isn't always the easiest thing to do.

(NOTE: This is only ONE METHOD of applying the pattern. No one method is optimal for every situation. That is one of the reasons I am exploring several different ways that you can successfully and economically apply the pattern. You may use this for one cutting session and find that an alternative method makes more sense for another. I will explore other methods in subsequent posts.)

The first step was drilling. No problem at all here. Again, we have all experienced being half way through drilling the holes and having the pattern lift. It is very frustrating and difficult to replace the pattern in the exact same place to line up the already drilled holes. This stuck great!

Guitar accessory Wood Drinkware Font Circle


In rough cutting the ornament from the board, I noticed something right away. You can see that the wood began burning exactly where the label ended. In all of my instructions, I recommend taping a full layer of either clear packaging tape over the entire pattern or blue painter's tape under the pattern. This is the reason I do so. The adhesive in the tape helps the blade run cooler and pretty much eliminates any burning. It really WORKS and is much worth the extra effort to do so. The adhesive in the labels works the same way and when using them, it saves the cost and time and effort of applying a layer of tape over your designs. That is a big PLUS!

Gesture Wood Handwriting Font Rectangle


You can see in the picture that the burning started EXACTLY where the label ended. I was using 1/4" bird's eye maple and a brand new Olson 2/0 regular reverse tooth scroll saw blade. I continued to use the blade for the rest of the ornament without any adverse consequences.

I cut the tiny lettering with no lifting whatsoever:

Hand Facial expression Handwriting Finger Art


I then moved on to the curly border. If lifting was to occur, I would think it would happen here. But everything held nicely and I was able to really concentrate on my cutting without worrying or having to hold down pieces. The cutting continued perfectly.

Finger Font Wood Art Food


I completed the entire ornament and the label still held. Now came the moment of truth - would I be able to remove it easily?

Art Finger Font Material property Thumb


I began on the inside piece and used a small knife to lift the edge. It began to lift in one piece cleanly:

Wood Guitar accessory Finger Thumb Font


However, it did tear and I needed to use the knife a bit to assist me in removing it:

Font Art Jewellery Handwriting Guitar accessory


It did let go however, and it wasn't at all like when I used too much spray adhesive and had the pattern cemented to the piece. With a little effort, it was fairly easy to remove.

The next part was the delicate fretwork border. Once again, the label didn't come off in one piece, however with the help of the knife the label came off fairly easily:

Wood Natural material Body jewelry Jewellery Font


Yes, it took a few minutes to remove it all, but in weighing the small amount of effort against the alternative of having the pattern lift as I was cutting, it was a clear decision. I would far prefer to have to work a bit after cutting rather than have a flapping pattern during the cutting process. To me it was a no-brainer.

Most important - when the label was removed, there was not a bit of tackiness or residue left behind to interfere with any finishing process that I would choose. In using the spray adhesive, I found that many times in order to keep the pattern sticking, enough was needed so that there was a residue left on the piece. This was compounded with the now bad mixes of the Elmer's that I have been using.

Hand Font Art Ornament Jewellery


Overall, I give this process a 7.5 on a scale from one to ten. On the upside, I was able to cut a very intricate pattern and not have to worry about the pattern lifting. Seeing that I was able to print six ornaments on one 30 cent sheet, this label cost me a mere 5 cents to use. Add to that I didn't have to use an additional layer of blue painter's tape to prevent the wood from burning and the cost went down even more.

On the down side, it did take a little time to remove from the piece. I suppose I could 'blot' it with something before applying it to the wood to 'de-tack' it a bit if I felt it was necessary, but I don't see it as being that much of an effort in order to do so.

The bottom line was that I was able to really concentrate on what I was cutting and following my line, and it felt great to be able to not worry about the pattern coming off. It was well-worth the trade off.

With all the time and money we spend in supplies, I believe this is a very small cost to pay for a decent outcome. Had these pieces been stack cut, which is certainly possible, the cost of the label would naturally be a fraction of the nickel that it cost me.

Again - this probably isn't the most efficient way to do everything. If you are unable to consolidate small pieces onto one sheet for printing, you may be better off using another method. But for things like full sheets of ornaments and plaques that take up the full page, I think this is a great way to do it. I know that is what I am going to be using from now on.

I hope you enjoyed this review. I will be reviewing other methods in the near future so that you can choose the right way for yourself to apply the pattern that is both cost effective and reliable and will make your cutting stress-free and pleasurable.

Have a wonderful day! :)
Hi Sheila,
Nice pattern cutting you have done there. Scroll sawing is a lot of fun and rewarding. As for the way you have been applying your patterns I have an alternate way you might like to try.

In the past I have used the spray adheiseve also. Besides being expensive and terrible to use (toxic spray residue) I found a much cleaner and cheaper way of mounting. I now use the glue sticks that kids use in school. They are inexpensive (I buy a pack of four off ebay). I also use it for mounting wet/dry sandpaper to granite tiles for sharpening chisels and plane irons. The glue is non toxic and is easily removed from the wood with a bit of water sprayed from a mister bottle.
Automotive tire Fluid Liquid Drink Cylinder
 

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#7,108 ·
I Am In Awe of You All

I just don't know where to begin today. Yesterday was such a great day, and the best part of it all was that lately it seems to me to be what my 'typical' days are turning out to be like. So many good things happened that I don't even know where to begin, and I know I am not going to be able to mention them all.

I know sometimes I get . . . well . . . shall we say 'sappy' about things and I feel that kind of post coming on. It just never ceases to amaze me the capacity of sharing, friendship and kindness that lives within people. It was a day when I felt surrounded by wonderful family, friends and people here in my life and once again realized how grateful for each and every one of them.

Everywhere I turned, there was someone who made me smile.

Even as I looked beside me to my partner Keith, who was busy working on his next pattern, I felt so fortunate to have such a great and talented person in my life to share with. After doing this on my own for so long, it is incredibly easier and much more fun to have someone by my side every day as a partner. Not only does it make the good days better, but it also helps soften the blow of the not so good days to have someone who understands and supports me. Words are not sufficient to describe it. And seeing his own talents developing and the great success he has achieved on his own is another reward in itself, as his success only adds to my happiness.

I have made so many friends through my blog here and my job, that it is naturally a wonderful extension of my life. Yesterday I got to chat with my friend Kelly (Rivergirl here on Lumberjocks) and hearing her voice and talking and laughing about things made me feel like I have known her all my life. She is now making some awesome hand-made soap, body butter, and powder products that use wonderfully pure ingredients and are not only beautiful, but smell divine. I made her my official 'Christmas Elf' this year and ordered up some of her wonderful products to keep and also to give. She has a great Facebook page and she will happily ship your order anywhere you wish (which is great because many of my recipients are in the States) Her page is here if you want to check it out - Riverhouse Bath and Body

I also received a wonderful surprise in the mail from a designer who I have followed and admired for many years. Last year, I did some wood cutting for one of her projects and since then we have developed a nice friendship. Monika Brint has wonderful painting designs, but also sells darling puzzles and other finished items. Her unique whimsical style is so fun and cute, and I can't help but smile when I see her pieces. Yesterday, I received a surprise Christmas card from Monika that contained three hand-painted ornaments of her own designs. I just about fell over! Here I have admired her talents for so many years, and I am so thrilled to own these pieces not only designed by her, but painted by her too.

Art Font Rectangle Creative arts Ornament


Aren't they awesome?! Monika's finished designs and painting patterns are available from her Etsy Store called Cranberry Licorice Designs. She also is now making some of her patterns into large yard art which are available at Jim Barry's Woodworker's Workshop . Can't you just picture these fun designs 5ft tall on your lawn?? How cute they would be!

Keith and I also received a beautifully creative card from Anna (Celticscroller here on Lumberjocks) Anna has also become a friend and has made some wonderful contributions to my blog here with her thoughts and insights. Anna sent a beautiful card where she shrunk down one of Keith's Filigree Angel ornaments and cut it out of very thin veneer. She then glued it to the card and the result is incredible:

Handwriting Rectangle Font Paper Paper product


Both Keith and I were so very touched and impressed by this. Not only was it kind of her to send it, but it was a wonderfully clever way to use the pattern. Thanks so much, Anna! :)

I could go on and on about the many, many wonderful people that I have in my life. I think it is funny too because so many of them I have not even met in person. There are times when we long for the simplicity of the past and the 'good old days', but there are also days such as yesterday when I realized just how much the technology of the internet has enriched my life. From forums and sites such as this where people share information (such as in my post yesterday - look at all the wonderful thoughts that were posted there!) to places such as Facebook which does have its ups and downs, but allows us to 'visit' with not only distant family, but friends that we would otherwise not be able to keep in touch with and also people with like interests such as painting and woodworking, and get to know our customers and become friends with them too. And even the way that we do business. It is wonderful to me that I can receive an order from even as far as Australia or Europe and be able to have the order in their hands in minutes. The same goes with questions and helping customers overcome any difficulties they may be having.

I suppose the point of this post is to thank the many, many people in my life that make my life so good. People say that I brighten their day with my cheerful attitude, but I need to say that the reason that I am cheerful is because of the people that I come in contact with each day. I am a firm believe that how we look at things can greatly affect our attitude. Once again, my favorite phrase "We focus where we follow" comes to mind. If we live our lives focusing and looking for misery, we will naturally be unhappy and miserable. If we choose to look for the good in situations (and in most of them you can find some good if you look hard enough!) it is hard not to be happy and have a positive outlook. You would be amazed at just how much you are able to control how happy you are in your own life. The choice is yours.

With that said, I will close for the day. I want to wish you all a wonderful day of good things and positive thinking. And I want to thank all my friends for making my life so good. I appreciate you all so much!
 

Attachments

#7,109 ·
I Am In Awe of You All

I just don't know where to begin today. Yesterday was such a great day, and the best part of it all was that lately it seems to me to be what my 'typical' days are turning out to be like. So many good things happened that I don't even know where to begin, and I know I am not going to be able to mention them all.

I know sometimes I get . . . well . . . shall we say 'sappy' about things and I feel that kind of post coming on. It just never ceases to amaze me the capacity of sharing, friendship and kindness that lives within people. It was a day when I felt surrounded by wonderful family, friends and people here in my life and once again realized how grateful for each and every one of them.

Everywhere I turned, there was someone who made me smile.

Even as I looked beside me to my partner Keith, who was busy working on his next pattern, I felt so fortunate to have such a great and talented person in my life to share with. After doing this on my own for so long, it is incredibly easier and much more fun to have someone by my side every day as a partner. Not only does it make the good days better, but it also helps soften the blow of the not so good days to have someone who understands and supports me. Words are not sufficient to describe it. And seeing his own talents developing and the great success he has achieved on his own is another reward in itself, as his success only adds to my happiness.

I have made so many friends through my blog here and my job, that it is naturally a wonderful extension of my life. Yesterday I got to chat with my friend Kelly (Rivergirl here on Lumberjocks) and hearing her voice and talking and laughing about things made me feel like I have known her all my life. She is now making some awesome hand-made soap, body butter, and powder products that use wonderfully pure ingredients and are not only beautiful, but smell divine. I made her my official 'Christmas Elf' this year and ordered up some of her wonderful products to keep and also to give. She has a great Facebook page and she will happily ship your order anywhere you wish (which is great because many of my recipients are in the States) Her page is here if you want to check it out - Riverhouse Bath and Body

I also received a wonderful surprise in the mail from a designer who I have followed and admired for many years. Last year, I did some wood cutting for one of her projects and since then we have developed a nice friendship. Monika Brint has wonderful painting designs, but also sells darling puzzles and other finished items. Her unique whimsical style is so fun and cute, and I can't help but smile when I see her pieces. Yesterday, I received a surprise Christmas card from Monika that contained three hand-painted ornaments of her own designs. I just about fell over! Here I have admired her talents for so many years, and I am so thrilled to own these pieces not only designed by her, but painted by her too.

Art Font Rectangle Creative arts Ornament


Aren't they awesome?! Monika's finished designs and painting patterns are available from her Etsy Store called Cranberry Licorice Designs. She also is now making some of her patterns into large yard art which are available at Jim Barry's Woodworker's Workshop . Can't you just picture these fun designs 5ft tall on your lawn?? How cute they would be!

Keith and I also received a beautifully creative card from Anna (Celticscroller here on Lumberjocks) Anna has also become a friend and has made some wonderful contributions to my blog here with her thoughts and insights. Anna sent a beautiful card where she shrunk down one of Keith's Filigree Angel ornaments and cut it out of very thin veneer. She then glued it to the card and the result is incredible:

Handwriting Rectangle Font Paper Paper product


Both Keith and I were so very touched and impressed by this. Not only was it kind of her to send it, but it was a wonderfully clever way to use the pattern. Thanks so much, Anna! :)

I could go on and on about the many, many wonderful people that I have in my life. I think it is funny too because so many of them I have not even met in person. There are times when we long for the simplicity of the past and the 'good old days', but there are also days such as yesterday when I realized just how much the technology of the internet has enriched my life. From forums and sites such as this where people share information (such as in my post yesterday - look at all the wonderful thoughts that were posted there!) to places such as Facebook which does have its ups and downs, but allows us to 'visit' with not only distant family, but friends that we would otherwise not be able to keep in touch with and also people with like interests such as painting and woodworking, and get to know our customers and become friends with them too. And even the way that we do business. It is wonderful to me that I can receive an order from even as far as Australia or Europe and be able to have the order in their hands in minutes. The same goes with questions and helping customers overcome any difficulties they may be having.

I suppose the point of this post is to thank the many, many people in my life that make my life so good. People say that I brighten their day with my cheerful attitude, but I need to say that the reason that I am cheerful is because of the people that I come in contact with each day. I am a firm believe that how we look at things can greatly affect our attitude. Once again, my favorite phrase "We focus where we follow" comes to mind. If we live our lives focusing and looking for misery, we will naturally be unhappy and miserable. If we choose to look for the good in situations (and in most of them you can find some good if you look hard enough!) it is hard not to be happy and have a positive outlook. You would be amazed at just how much you are able to control how happy you are in your own life. The choice is yours.

With that said, I will close for the day. I want to wish you all a wonderful day of good things and positive thinking. And I want to thank all my friends for making my life so good. I appreciate you all so much!
I have to agree with all you've said. You are not only a gr8 scroller, but, a gr8 spokesperson as well.
 

Attachments

#7,116 ·
Elf Things

This is quite a busy time of year for all of us. I find myself pulled in several directions at once, even more so than usual. Yesterday I spent a great deal of my day answering emails and questions and hunting down information.

Needless to say, this hasn't helped me move ahead in the drawing department very much. With no immediate deadlines placed in front of me, other than what I impose upon myself, the sense of urgency is not there and it seems that other things just win out. It really isn't a bad thing, as I enjoy helping others and it is a good part of my day. I just slows the progress of the new stuff a little bit.

But there will be time for that. . .

I also have been somewhat distracted thinking about the last few things that I have on my list to make others. There are some gifts that I still have to think about, but I don't want to present them here. I don't mind showing the gifts or talking about them for people like Ellen and Bernie who don't have a computer, but some of those on my list are here every day or stop in occasionally and I don't want to show it all just yet. So it leaves me to try to think of other interesting topics to discuss with you all here in the morning.

Like others, I have been wracking my brain on what to get one or two people that are on my list. These are what I feel are the most difficult gifts to decide on, as they aren't really excited by some of the stuff I do. While in previous years I could fill in with some painting stuff, I am sorry to say that my brushes have been idle and I haven't had the chance to really have a go at painting (and that is something that I vow to change in the near future!)

I subscribe to a blog every day that I really love. I had found it on Pinterest and while I don't like signing up for lots of things (I have so much email to begin with!) I find that many, many of the ideas in it are useful and fun. It is called One Good Thing and is written by Jill Nystul. It is a daily dose of recipes, crafts and nifty ideas on a variety of subjects. While it may not be for everybody, I feel like it is worth looking into for those who are interested. This girl must be really busy finding cool stuff every day to blog about!

On one of her recent blogs, Jill had many ideas for 'giving back' that were wonderful if you were stuck with finding something meaningful to do this holiday season. You can read that entry HERE. You will also find the links to her other blogs on that page and a place to sign up if you choose to do so. I think it is something many of you will enjoy.

As for me, today I really need to get on my 'elf hat' and finish up some things.

Cat Hat Green Carnivore Felidae


I had a brainstorm during the night as to what I want to make someone who I was having a particularly difficult time deciding what to give. I want to run with the idea and get it out of the way today. It is one of those things that I can't really share here though, so I need to apologize about being so secretive.

I looked up as I was writing this, and saw a beautiful pinkish-orange glow. The sun was just peeking over the trees and the sunrise was breath taking:

Cloud Sky Natural landscape Plant Afterglow


I am afraid that the picture just doesn't do it justice, but it was beautiful nonetheless and I wanted to share it with you. What a wonderful way to start the day. I know it will be a great one!

Have a great Friday!
 

Attachments

#7,117 ·
Elf Things

This is quite a busy time of year for all of us. I find myself pulled in several directions at once, even more so than usual. Yesterday I spent a great deal of my day answering emails and questions and hunting down information.

Needless to say, this hasn't helped me move ahead in the drawing department very much. With no immediate deadlines placed in front of me, other than what I impose upon myself, the sense of urgency is not there and it seems that other things just win out. It really isn't a bad thing, as I enjoy helping others and it is a good part of my day. I just slows the progress of the new stuff a little bit.

But there will be time for that. . .

I also have been somewhat distracted thinking about the last few things that I have on my list to make others. There are some gifts that I still have to think about, but I don't want to present them here. I don't mind showing the gifts or talking about them for people like Ellen and Bernie who don't have a computer, but some of those on my list are here every day or stop in occasionally and I don't want to show it all just yet. So it leaves me to try to think of other interesting topics to discuss with you all here in the morning.

Like others, I have been wracking my brain on what to get one or two people that are on my list. These are what I feel are the most difficult gifts to decide on, as they aren't really excited by some of the stuff I do. While in previous years I could fill in with some painting stuff, I am sorry to say that my brushes have been idle and I haven't had the chance to really have a go at painting (and that is something that I vow to change in the near future!)

I subscribe to a blog every day that I really love. I had found it on Pinterest and while I don't like signing up for lots of things (I have so much email to begin with!) I find that many, many of the ideas in it are useful and fun. It is called One Good Thing and is written by Jill Nystul. It is a daily dose of recipes, crafts and nifty ideas on a variety of subjects. While it may not be for everybody, I feel like it is worth looking into for those who are interested. This girl must be really busy finding cool stuff every day to blog about!

On one of her recent blogs, Jill had many ideas for 'giving back' that were wonderful if you were stuck with finding something meaningful to do this holiday season. You can read that entry HERE. You will also find the links to her other blogs on that page and a place to sign up if you choose to do so. I think it is something many of you will enjoy.

As for me, today I really need to get on my 'elf hat' and finish up some things.

Cat Hat Green Carnivore Felidae


I had a brainstorm during the night as to what I want to make someone who I was having a particularly difficult time deciding what to give. I want to run with the idea and get it out of the way today. It is one of those things that I can't really share here though, so I need to apologize about being so secretive.

I looked up as I was writing this, and saw a beautiful pinkish-orange glow. The sun was just peeking over the trees and the sunrise was breath taking:

Cloud Sky Natural landscape Plant Afterglow


I am afraid that the picture just doesn't do it justice, but it was beautiful nonetheless and I wanted to share it with you. What a wonderful way to start the day. I know it will be a great one!

Have a great Friday!
Don't let the distractions win.. :) Take that stroll down that path through the woods. Take it all in. Your decision/s will come.
 

Attachments

#7,122 ·
A Good Day Awaits Me

I was a pretty good "Elf" yesterday and I accomplished a great deal. I not only drew up my 'secret gift' but I also got it cut out. Today I will be doing the sanding and finishing and then I can chalk another one up as finished! It came out nice too and I really WISH I could show it here. But I know that the recipient stops in and looks at the blog from time to time and I don't want to risk the chance of it being seen before Christmas. I just have to say it is 'nice!'

I was really excited yesterday because my box of soaps came from Kelly (Rivergirl here on LJ's) . It was a wonderful assortment of her awesome hand-made soap, body butter and lip balms. These are going to make great gifts for our mail carrier and other assorted people on my list where I would love to give a small token of thanks for the great service that they give all year. The soaps are beautiful as well as made from pure and natural ingredients and when I opened the box it smelled DEVINE! Not too strong, but incredibly yummy! Each bar was beautifully placed in a pretty organza pouch which made it lovely for giving.

Those of you who read may remember that I have somewhat of a box fetish. Well, Kelly sent the package in this incredibly awesome box that had little penguins making snow-angels on it. It looked like they were dancing! I took a picture of it along with the soap for you to see:

Wood Flower Hardwood Electric blue Plastic


I feel like my Christmas came early! I also get to keep a couple of the products for myself! ;)

Speaking of boxes . . .

One of the STUPIDEST things occurred yesterday. To me, it is an extreme waste and I just don't understand it.

For years I have been a fan of Clinque skin care products. I like their stuff a lot and order from them regularly. I have used them since I was a teenager and I was thrilled when I moved to Canada to find that they have a good presence here too. I also found that they frequently offer specials for free shipping, which means that I can order online and have my stuff sent here since the nearest store is in Halifax nearly three hours away. It is very convenient and cool.

Well, for Christmas they had a special offer where not only do you get FREE SHIPPING, but they also let you pick a really cool gift box for FREE with any order. The boxes came in three sizes and looked really nice. Great for storage of craft supplies or anything, even for giving. So I placed a couple of orders to get one of each of the three sizes. I would use the products anyway, and it would be a great time to stock up.

Well . . . yesterday I received a box from them. The box was sizable so I thought that they consolidated the orders and sent them all at once. Great! It comes from Purolator which is a courier here similar to UPS. Here is a picture of it:

Wood Publication Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


I put my hand in the picture so that you could see how big it was. The weight on it was .45 lbs. I opened it up, expecting to see my products and I saw this:

Packing materials Rectangle Shipping box Wood Packaging and labeling


Lots and lots of "fluff" along with appeared to be one of my free boxes folded flat. Since it was pink, I knew it was the smallest of the three and I thought how smart of them it was to make it fold flat so nicely.

Triangle Creative arts Art Material property Construction paper


But my admiration soon faded as I continued to look through the box for my products. I pulled the invoice and all it contained listed on it was the free box. I was puzzled.

I thought there was a mistake, so I phoned the number provided on the invoice. I spoke to the representative and I learned that I indeed was going to receive my three products that I ordered, along with the two other free boxes ALL IN SEPARATE SHIPMENTS!!!

I thought I heard wrong! Yes - there are a total of FIVE more boxes that are at least this size on their way to be delivered on Monday. Via Purolator no less, which I use all the time to ship my packages and I know from this costs at least around $25 as a base fee for the smallest box possible.

Now you can imagine how I felt. What a HUGE and UNNECESSARY WASTE this was! All the items are being shipped from their warehouse in Ontario, and yes - the shipping costs ME nothing, but how can a company be so inefficient (and stupid) to split up this shipment this way??

I have ordered computer parts before where one component ships from one place and another from another warehouse and I certainly understand why things are sent separate. But this truly boggles my mind!

I quickly folded the box together, which was awesome. It was great quality and thick and sturdy and will serve me very nicely:

Font Publication Material property Wood Magenta


But when you see how SMALL it is compared to the large box they sent it in, you can't help but think of the waste!

Packing materials Shipping box Package delivery Wood Rectangle


I ordered the three sizes because they will 'nest' in each other and be great for storage. The size of the products I ordered was tiny little things that can be kept in my purse. Why did they feel it necessary to send this order in SIX separate boxes??

And we wonder why things are so expensive. After all, SOMEONE has to pay for this waste. They should be working for the Pentagon!

So I can't wait until Monday when I get the rest of the shipment. I promise to show you all a pic. I think they are going to get a letter just to tell them that I would rather have them charge a little less for their products than waste so much money shipping them. Just a thought.

On one last thing, I purchased another incredible item from one of our Lumberjocks here on the site. I was wracking my brain for a gift for someone very special on my list and I didn't have a clue as to what to get him. Then I saw this posted and I knew it would be PERFECT for him!!! Within minutes I bought it and the wonderful Lumberjockette is going to ship it directly to the recipient. Again I need to be secret, but I promise after Christmas I will tell!

I LOVE supporting my fellow creative people! When I think about it, through all of my networking I have so many wonderfully talented and creative friends and not only am I giving gifts that are beautiful and unique, but I feel like I am helping these artisans keep creating too. I highly recommend that you consider doing the same - no matter what time of year it is and what the occasion. You will get personal service, wonderful gifts and help a talented friend keep creating. It is a Win/Win/Win all around!

Well that is it for today. Back to being an elf for me! Have fun this weekend and enjoy the time and preparation for the upcoming celebrations - no matter what you are celebrating! I know I am going to have fun no matter what!

Happy Saturday!
 

Attachments

#7,123 ·
A Good Day Awaits Me

I was a pretty good "Elf" yesterday and I accomplished a great deal. I not only drew up my 'secret gift' but I also got it cut out. Today I will be doing the sanding and finishing and then I can chalk another one up as finished! It came out nice too and I really WISH I could show it here. But I know that the recipient stops in and looks at the blog from time to time and I don't want to risk the chance of it being seen before Christmas. I just have to say it is 'nice!'

I was really excited yesterday because my box of soaps came from Kelly (Rivergirl here on LJ's) . It was a wonderful assortment of her awesome hand-made soap, body butter and lip balms. These are going to make great gifts for our mail carrier and other assorted people on my list where I would love to give a small token of thanks for the great service that they give all year. The soaps are beautiful as well as made from pure and natural ingredients and when I opened the box it smelled DEVINE! Not too strong, but incredibly yummy! Each bar was beautifully placed in a pretty organza pouch which made it lovely for giving.

Those of you who read may remember that I have somewhat of a box fetish. Well, Kelly sent the package in this incredibly awesome box that had little penguins making snow-angels on it. It looked like they were dancing! I took a picture of it along with the soap for you to see:

Wood Flower Hardwood Electric blue Plastic


I feel like my Christmas came early! I also get to keep a couple of the products for myself! ;)

Speaking of boxes . . .

One of the STUPIDEST things occurred yesterday. To me, it is an extreme waste and I just don't understand it.

For years I have been a fan of Clinque skin care products. I like their stuff a lot and order from them regularly. I have used them since I was a teenager and I was thrilled when I moved to Canada to find that they have a good presence here too. I also found that they frequently offer specials for free shipping, which means that I can order online and have my stuff sent here since the nearest store is in Halifax nearly three hours away. It is very convenient and cool.

Well, for Christmas they had a special offer where not only do you get FREE SHIPPING, but they also let you pick a really cool gift box for FREE with any order. The boxes came in three sizes and looked really nice. Great for storage of craft supplies or anything, even for giving. So I placed a couple of orders to get one of each of the three sizes. I would use the products anyway, and it would be a great time to stock up.

Well . . . yesterday I received a box from them. The box was sizable so I thought that they consolidated the orders and sent them all at once. Great! It comes from Purolator which is a courier here similar to UPS. Here is a picture of it:

Wood Publication Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


I put my hand in the picture so that you could see how big it was. The weight on it was .45 lbs. I opened it up, expecting to see my products and I saw this:

Packing materials Rectangle Shipping box Wood Packaging and labeling


Lots and lots of "fluff" along with appeared to be one of my free boxes folded flat. Since it was pink, I knew it was the smallest of the three and I thought how smart of them it was to make it fold flat so nicely.

Triangle Creative arts Art Material property Construction paper


But my admiration soon faded as I continued to look through the box for my products. I pulled the invoice and all it contained listed on it was the free box. I was puzzled.

I thought there was a mistake, so I phoned the number provided on the invoice. I spoke to the representative and I learned that I indeed was going to receive my three products that I ordered, along with the two other free boxes ALL IN SEPARATE SHIPMENTS!!!

I thought I heard wrong! Yes - there are a total of FIVE more boxes that are at least this size on their way to be delivered on Monday. Via Purolator no less, which I use all the time to ship my packages and I know from this costs at least around $25 as a base fee for the smallest box possible.

Now you can imagine how I felt. What a HUGE and UNNECESSARY WASTE this was! All the items are being shipped from their warehouse in Ontario, and yes - the shipping costs ME nothing, but how can a company be so inefficient (and stupid) to split up this shipment this way??

I have ordered computer parts before where one component ships from one place and another from another warehouse and I certainly understand why things are sent separate. But this truly boggles my mind!

I quickly folded the box together, which was awesome. It was great quality and thick and sturdy and will serve me very nicely:

Font Publication Material property Wood Magenta


But when you see how SMALL it is compared to the large box they sent it in, you can't help but think of the waste!

Packing materials Shipping box Package delivery Wood Rectangle


I ordered the three sizes because they will 'nest' in each other and be great for storage. The size of the products I ordered was tiny little things that can be kept in my purse. Why did they feel it necessary to send this order in SIX separate boxes??

And we wonder why things are so expensive. After all, SOMEONE has to pay for this waste. They should be working for the Pentagon!

So I can't wait until Monday when I get the rest of the shipment. I promise to show you all a pic. I think they are going to get a letter just to tell them that I would rather have them charge a little less for their products than waste so much money shipping them. Just a thought.

On one last thing, I purchased another incredible item from one of our Lumberjocks here on the site. I was wracking my brain for a gift for someone very special on my list and I didn't have a clue as to what to get him. Then I saw this posted and I knew it would be PERFECT for him!!! Within minutes I bought it and the wonderful Lumberjockette is going to ship it directly to the recipient. Again I need to be secret, but I promise after Christmas I will tell!

I LOVE supporting my fellow creative people! When I think about it, through all of my networking I have so many wonderfully talented and creative friends and not only am I giving gifts that are beautiful and unique, but I feel like I am helping these artisans keep creating too. I highly recommend that you consider doing the same - no matter what time of year it is and what the occasion. You will get personal service, wonderful gifts and help a talented friend keep creating. It is a Win/Win/Win all around!

Well that is it for today. Back to being an elf for me! Have fun this weekend and enjoy the time and preparation for the upcoming celebrations - no matter what you are celebrating! I know I am going to have fun no matter what!

Happy Saturday!
Your story of waste intrigued me. From what I understand though, you've seriously overestimated the efficiency of our Pentagon. This would be incredibly efficient by their standards!
Merry Christmas!
DanK
 

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#7,130 ·
Making Memories

Another weekend is behind us and those of us who celebrate Christmas are more likely than not scuttling around trying to get things ready in time for the day. I have memories of those days when the children were small and the family was large and I sometimes find myself looking back and wishing that I had slowed down a bit and taken the time to enjoy it a bit more.

But we know we aren't like that. When we are in the moment, with our hands full with young ones and keeping up the house and for myself doing as much work as we can on the side to earn a little extra, it is hard for us to think that it will be any different.

However, our lives change as time passes. Children grow up and have their own families. For whatever reason, life scatters us across the globe. And we begin to realize just how special those times were.

As I wrapped the things that I am sending to my daughter, I felt sense of longing for those days when we were all together. The memories of those holidays long ago spent not only with Danielle, but also with Phil and my dear friend Cari and her family burned bright in my mind.

Those thoughts mostly brought feelings of happiness, as they were filled with love and joy and a sense of family and togetherness that would fit well into any Christmas story. I still remember the decorations and the wonderful food and seeing the kids' faces when they opened their gifts. One year we got Phil a Nintendo game and I don't remember ever seeing him so happy over a gift. He played that game the entire day, and all through the Christmas holiday. It was just as much fun for us watching him and we wondered if he would ever stop.

I like reliving those memories. They still stir many of the good feelings that they did at the time they occurred. They are stored in the back of my mind and I can pull on them whenever I need them to fill my heart.

I can tell I am getting old, because young people don't think like this. Perhaps they are too busy with day to day life to realize that children grow and lives change and that one day they too will find themselves reminiscing.

But I am not sad about this. I feel very fortunate to have these memories to look back upon. I think of my children now - both grown adults with busy and productive lives - and I know that they also have these memories that they look back on with fondness. And I think it makes them appreciate the things around them just a bit more.

Last weekend, my son's participated in "Shop With a Cop" program. Thanks to donations to "Santa's Cops", the Joliet police department was able to treat over 108 kids to a Christmas shopping spree at WalMart. Here is a picture of my son and the two kids he took shopping:

Selling Textile Customer Shopping cart Shopping


He said the look on their faces when shopping was incredible. I am thinking it is similar to the same look on his own face many years ago when he opened that Nintendo we got him.

I am glad he knows the feeling of joy you get from giving and helping others. To me, there is nothing that compares. I am so proud of him not only for this one event, but that he gives to others ever day of his life. As a mom, nothing is more rewarding than seeing that your children are happy and successful.

I miss both my children a great deal. But I know that part of being a parent is letting go. It does my heart good to see both of my children flourish and become responsible, giving and happy adults. And I know that whether we can be together or not, each of us lives in the others' heart.

I look at my families that I have here in Canada. Bernie and Ellen and their family as well as Keith's family who has brought me into their own with open arms, and I realize just how fortunate I am.

If I have learned anything over the years, I have learned to appreciate each day as it comes. Treat each person in your life with care. Savor every moment as if it were your last.

We never know when our days here will end. Or those of the people we love. These past few weeks I have rather slowed down a bit with my work in order to take some time to enjoy the things around me. I have still been getting things done, but at a pace that has allowed me to enjoy not only the people around me, but my life in general.

I am fortunate in that my work allows me to do this. And I know in my heart that I will once again be more diligent in working on new projects. But for now, I will enjoy taking the time for the important things in life like my family and friends. And making some new memories to add to my old ones.

Remember to take time to enjoy your day.

Christmas tree Organ Human body Lighting Lap


This is a picture of Ellen and Bernie with their great-grandson Tucker. Tucker is visiting all the way from Alberta to spend this Christmas with his family here in Nova Scotia. What a beautiful picture and a wonderful memory being made!

Happy Monday!
 

Attachments

#7,131 ·
Making Memories

Another weekend is behind us and those of us who celebrate Christmas are more likely than not scuttling around trying to get things ready in time for the day. I have memories of those days when the children were small and the family was large and I sometimes find myself looking back and wishing that I had slowed down a bit and taken the time to enjoy it a bit more.

But we know we aren't like that. When we are in the moment, with our hands full with young ones and keeping up the house and for myself doing as much work as we can on the side to earn a little extra, it is hard for us to think that it will be any different.

However, our lives change as time passes. Children grow up and have their own families. For whatever reason, life scatters us across the globe. And we begin to realize just how special those times were.

As I wrapped the things that I am sending to my daughter, I felt sense of longing for those days when we were all together. The memories of those holidays long ago spent not only with Danielle, but also with Phil and my dear friend Cari and her family burned bright in my mind.

Those thoughts mostly brought feelings of happiness, as they were filled with love and joy and a sense of family and togetherness that would fit well into any Christmas story. I still remember the decorations and the wonderful food and seeing the kids' faces when they opened their gifts. One year we got Phil a Nintendo game and I don't remember ever seeing him so happy over a gift. He played that game the entire day, and all through the Christmas holiday. It was just as much fun for us watching him and we wondered if he would ever stop.

I like reliving those memories. They still stir many of the good feelings that they did at the time they occurred. They are stored in the back of my mind and I can pull on them whenever I need them to fill my heart.

I can tell I am getting old, because young people don't think like this. Perhaps they are too busy with day to day life to realize that children grow and lives change and that one day they too will find themselves reminiscing.

But I am not sad about this. I feel very fortunate to have these memories to look back upon. I think of my children now - both grown adults with busy and productive lives - and I know that they also have these memories that they look back on with fondness. And I think it makes them appreciate the things around them just a bit more.

Last weekend, my son's participated in "Shop With a Cop" program. Thanks to donations to "Santa's Cops", the Joliet police department was able to treat over 108 kids to a Christmas shopping spree at WalMart. Here is a picture of my son and the two kids he took shopping:

Selling Textile Customer Shopping cart Shopping


He said the look on their faces when shopping was incredible. I am thinking it is similar to the same look on his own face many years ago when he opened that Nintendo we got him.

I am glad he knows the feeling of joy you get from giving and helping others. To me, there is nothing that compares. I am so proud of him not only for this one event, but that he gives to others ever day of his life. As a mom, nothing is more rewarding than seeing that your children are happy and successful.

I miss both my children a great deal. But I know that part of being a parent is letting go. It does my heart good to see both of my children flourish and become responsible, giving and happy adults. And I know that whether we can be together or not, each of us lives in the others' heart.

I look at my families that I have here in Canada. Bernie and Ellen and their family as well as Keith's family who has brought me into their own with open arms, and I realize just how fortunate I am.

If I have learned anything over the years, I have learned to appreciate each day as it comes. Treat each person in your life with care. Savor every moment as if it were your last.

We never know when our days here will end. Or those of the people we love. These past few weeks I have rather slowed down a bit with my work in order to take some time to enjoy the things around me. I have still been getting things done, but at a pace that has allowed me to enjoy not only the people around me, but my life in general.

I am fortunate in that my work allows me to do this. And I know in my heart that I will once again be more diligent in working on new projects. But for now, I will enjoy taking the time for the important things in life like my family and friends. And making some new memories to add to my old ones.

Remember to take time to enjoy your day.

Christmas tree Organ Human body Lighting Lap


This is a picture of Ellen and Bernie with their great-grandson Tucker. Tucker is visiting all the way from Alberta to spend this Christmas with his family here in Nova Scotia. What a beautiful picture and a wonderful memory being made!

Happy Monday!
that's what Christmas is for me … the connections, family, sharing stories, laughing, celebrating all the precious moments and the relationships that we have. It is about the "we" and the possibilities to come, whatever they might be.
 

Attachments

#7,137 ·
Stealth Mode

I am finding out that having a blog that is somewhat popular makes it very difficult to write sometimes during the holidays. While I like to talk about the current projects that I am doing and things that I am working on, there are many things that I want to be a surprise to the recipients, and I know that most of them stop in from time to time to read here, so I can't even mention them.

So today, I still have some preparations to make. I need to remain here in 'stealth mode' for the next week, and the posts will probably be quite short.

Cat Vertebrate Plant Christmas ornament Christmas tree


It may not make the best reading material, but it is still fun to share stories and hear from you each day.

These past days have been busier than ever, but like everyone else, I am still doing holiday things. Besides the baking and wrapping and creating the gifts themselves, I am also organizing things and getting ready to begin the new year on a good note. In my travels, I found a wonderful new notebook that is beautifully decorated with (of course) a very contemplative cat. Since my old notebook is nearly finished and down to its last few sheets of paper, I thought it would be appropriate to begin the year with this new one.

I use this book to jot down any design ideas that I may think of in the course of the day. Most of what is in there is scribble, that would be of no use to anyone but myself. But I look at it as a valuable window to a creative world of designing that awaits me in the future. On the days when I feel "stuck" and want to move forward on a new design, it helps jog my memory of things that I have seen or thought of or dreamed of and had the presence of mind to write down.

While some of these designs never materialize, many of them appear in some form or another and become some of my most exciting works. I believe having a notebook such as this is imperative for someone like me, as it allows me to keep my ideas safe while not having to remember them at the moment. Often I will open the book and look back and say to myself "gee - I forgot about that" and it will be a nice springboard for working on something new.

I have many, many new things that I want to accomplish in the upcoming year, and doing this exercise of once again reorganizing things will certainly help me reach my goals.

I worked on two gifts yesterday, as well as shipped some things out. We had a nice dinner at Keith's parents' house last night for his dad's birthday and relaxed and enjoyed the evening. While there, I went through some of my things and found the little nativity scene that I designed a couple years ago. I have some ideas about making it into large yard art sized pieces for next year.

It had been packed away for the past two years and I had forgotten how nice it was.

Sky Travel Biome Leisure Landscape


SLD316 Scrolled and Painted Nativity

In the storage box, I had both the painted and natural maple versions of this set. I like the painted ones so much though that I think I will paint the maple set too. I have an idea of someone who will like it next year. ;)

I have one more box to go out today, and then I am through with my shipping for the year. I started giving out the wonderful soap that Kelly (Rivergirl) made and those who opened the little treat really seemed to love it. It felt good to see the looks on their faces when presenting them with the small, unexpected gifts. I find that to be the best part of the season.

My beloved cat Coco has been up to her old tricks. While for the most part she is good as gold, she does have the nasty habit of eating the ribbons off of the wrapped packages. As you can imagine, this doesn't sit well in her tummy, and actually is downright dangerous. I have had a heck of a time keeping the wrapped things away from her and yesterday went into my room where the wrapped things were being stored to find her happily munching on the ribbons of the packages on my dresser. I would have thought her too 'stout' to get up there, but where there is a will, there is a way I suppose. Of course it made her sick, and I then had to deal with that mess in addition to worrying about her insides and what the ribbon would do to them. I didn't see much missing though and I believe that I caught her before too much went down the hatch.

It is a reminder to me that our pets are like small children that never grow up. I know it is my own responsibility to keep these things that can harm them away from them, as they don't have the capacity to look after themselves or to know any better. Fortunately this turned out OK, but it was a good reminder to me to take better care in keeping things that can harm them out of reach. It is something that I think a lot of people can relate to and worth mentioning.

Cat Plant Felidae Carnivore Wood


I have many things planned for today, but again, most of them I can't talk about. It does feel good to shift my focus from 'work' work to doing things for my friends and family. I think that taking this mini-sabbatical is something that I needed to do. Things will get back to normal soon enough.

Try to enjoy yourselves in your busy days and have fun in what you are doing. I love hearing stories of your holiday plans and baking and what you are up to. It is the best part of the season.

Happy Tuesday!
 

Attachments

#7,138 ·
Stealth Mode

I am finding out that having a blog that is somewhat popular makes it very difficult to write sometimes during the holidays. While I like to talk about the current projects that I am doing and things that I am working on, there are many things that I want to be a surprise to the recipients, and I know that most of them stop in from time to time to read here, so I can't even mention them.

So today, I still have some preparations to make. I need to remain here in 'stealth mode' for the next week, and the posts will probably be quite short.

Cat Vertebrate Plant Christmas ornament Christmas tree


It may not make the best reading material, but it is still fun to share stories and hear from you each day.

These past days have been busier than ever, but like everyone else, I am still doing holiday things. Besides the baking and wrapping and creating the gifts themselves, I am also organizing things and getting ready to begin the new year on a good note. In my travels, I found a wonderful new notebook that is beautifully decorated with (of course) a very contemplative cat. Since my old notebook is nearly finished and down to its last few sheets of paper, I thought it would be appropriate to begin the year with this new one.

I use this book to jot down any design ideas that I may think of in the course of the day. Most of what is in there is scribble, that would be of no use to anyone but myself. But I look at it as a valuable window to a creative world of designing that awaits me in the future. On the days when I feel "stuck" and want to move forward on a new design, it helps jog my memory of things that I have seen or thought of or dreamed of and had the presence of mind to write down.

While some of these designs never materialize, many of them appear in some form or another and become some of my most exciting works. I believe having a notebook such as this is imperative for someone like me, as it allows me to keep my ideas safe while not having to remember them at the moment. Often I will open the book and look back and say to myself "gee - I forgot about that" and it will be a nice springboard for working on something new.

I have many, many new things that I want to accomplish in the upcoming year, and doing this exercise of once again reorganizing things will certainly help me reach my goals.

I worked on two gifts yesterday, as well as shipped some things out. We had a nice dinner at Keith's parents' house last night for his dad's birthday and relaxed and enjoyed the evening. While there, I went through some of my things and found the little nativity scene that I designed a couple years ago. I have some ideas about making it into large yard art sized pieces for next year.

It had been packed away for the past two years and I had forgotten how nice it was.

Sky Travel Biome Leisure Landscape


SLD316 Scrolled and Painted Nativity

In the storage box, I had both the painted and natural maple versions of this set. I like the painted ones so much though that I think I will paint the maple set too. I have an idea of someone who will like it next year. ;)

I have one more box to go out today, and then I am through with my shipping for the year. I started giving out the wonderful soap that Kelly (Rivergirl) made and those who opened the little treat really seemed to love it. It felt good to see the looks on their faces when presenting them with the small, unexpected gifts. I find that to be the best part of the season.

My beloved cat Coco has been up to her old tricks. While for the most part she is good as gold, she does have the nasty habit of eating the ribbons off of the wrapped packages. As you can imagine, this doesn't sit well in her tummy, and actually is downright dangerous. I have had a heck of a time keeping the wrapped things away from her and yesterday went into my room where the wrapped things were being stored to find her happily munching on the ribbons of the packages on my dresser. I would have thought her too 'stout' to get up there, but where there is a will, there is a way I suppose. Of course it made her sick, and I then had to deal with that mess in addition to worrying about her insides and what the ribbon would do to them. I didn't see much missing though and I believe that I caught her before too much went down the hatch.

It is a reminder to me that our pets are like small children that never grow up. I know it is my own responsibility to keep these things that can harm them away from them, as they don't have the capacity to look after themselves or to know any better. Fortunately this turned out OK, but it was a good reminder to me to take better care in keeping things that can harm them out of reach. It is something that I think a lot of people can relate to and worth mentioning.

Cat Plant Felidae Carnivore Wood


I have many things planned for today, but again, most of them I can't talk about. It does feel good to shift my focus from 'work' work to doing things for my friends and family. I think that taking this mini-sabbatical is something that I needed to do. Things will get back to normal soon enough.

Try to enjoy yourselves in your busy days and have fun in what you are doing. I love hearing stories of your holiday plans and baking and what you are up to. It is the best part of the season.

Happy Tuesday!
I know what you mean. Luv the Nativity set. The pic of the cat with the tree in its mouth is so true. All 3 of ours has their moments with our tree as well. I have been quite the procrastinator, and I gotta go finish up some things. Wow, time is tick tick tickin away
 

Attachments

#7,143 ·
Rainy Days in December

It's still raining here as it is around most of north America it seems. It rained all day yesterday and through the night and I am beginning to wonder if we are going to have a white Christmas after all. I suppose that makes most people happy, but I would much prefer the white stuff to cold, wet rain.

So what else is new?

Cat Plant Vertebrate Carnivore Felidae


I received the other five boxes of my shipment yesterday and once again marveled at the waste. The combination of both boxes and packaging materials that were used for just a handful of small items once again astonished me. Whether it was to save costs in the long run, or whatever other possible reason, it was still a huge waste of resources. I suppose that my only consolation was that I intend to reuse the boxes as well as the packaging for future shipments.

I used to be teased when saving not only the boxes but also the packaging materials from shipments I received, but I honestly can't remember when the last time was that I needed to purchase packaging supplies. Those huge wads of thick paper fold completely flat and if you take the time to flatten them and re-roll them, they actually take up only a very small amount of space. I also fold the boxes themselves flat and they store very neatly behind the dressers in the bedroom. I always feel good to have a nice variety on hand because I am always shipping out something. It comes in handy.

I spent the rest of the day working on my gifts and then doing some much needed catching up on book work. With the end of the year quickly approaching, I want to be prepared with all of my figures that I will need to have to calculate my taxes. While I haven't been perfect about keeping up with things, I have done far better this year than in previous years, and for the most part I have kept up pretty well with posting my receipts. It is however time once again to spend a couple of hours and catch up with the past few weeks of expenses, and I will be right back on top of it again. As the business grows, I am happy that I have been getting somewhat into the habit of regularly posting things and keeping records up to date. It wasn't always like that, as I would frequently wait until the end of the year to do so. But as the business gets larger, doing things at the end of the year only is quite a daunting task and I find it far preferable to keep up throughout the year. A little work now and then makes a huge difference in the end.

Furniture Cat Table Chair Wood


I also needed to submit my projects to DecoArt for my endorsements. DecoArt has a wonderful program called the Helping Artist Program which not only provides a great deal of information on the wide variety of products that they carry, but also compensates designers for using their products in their publications. I have been in the program for over fifteen years now and as most of you who read realize, I truly love their products and use them frequently in my designing. They are reasonably priced, easy to obtain and most importantly high quality. I love the variety of paints and mediums that they carry too, as they have such a wide array of specialty products and paints that are very versatile with all types of painting.

Today I am going to work on my email. There is much in my mail box that needs attending. As was noted yesterday, it is nearly impossible for me to keep up with things as they arrive. Of course the orders and questions from customers are attended to immediately, but there are lots of other things that aren't urgent and simply need to wait. Otherwise I would do nothing but that for the day. Sometimes that is exactly what it turns out to be.

I hope to get back to actually drawing and designing soon. I feel as if my time away has been productive, and the absence from drawing causes me to miss it even more. I am getting there though, and soon I will be heading in some new directions that will bring excitement to my day. This short time away is needed, and with Christmas in just a few days, I still have several things that I have to complete for my own friends and family. Being able to take my time and enjoy the day makes a big difference and I am glad that I am doing things this way.

I wish you all a good day today. Hopefully at some point this rain will change to snow. Until then, we will take it as it comes. Rainy days always seem to bet great days to stay in and accomplish something.

Water Liquid Black People in nature Window


Happy Wednesday.
 

Attachments

#7,144 ·
Rainy Days in December

It's still raining here as it is around most of north America it seems. It rained all day yesterday and through the night and I am beginning to wonder if we are going to have a white Christmas after all. I suppose that makes most people happy, but I would much prefer the white stuff to cold, wet rain.

So what else is new?

Cat Plant Vertebrate Carnivore Felidae


I received the other five boxes of my shipment yesterday and once again marveled at the waste. The combination of both boxes and packaging materials that were used for just a handful of small items once again astonished me. Whether it was to save costs in the long run, or whatever other possible reason, it was still a huge waste of resources. I suppose that my only consolation was that I intend to reuse the boxes as well as the packaging for future shipments.

I used to be teased when saving not only the boxes but also the packaging materials from shipments I received, but I honestly can't remember when the last time was that I needed to purchase packaging supplies. Those huge wads of thick paper fold completely flat and if you take the time to flatten them and re-roll them, they actually take up only a very small amount of space. I also fold the boxes themselves flat and they store very neatly behind the dressers in the bedroom. I always feel good to have a nice variety on hand because I am always shipping out something. It comes in handy.

I spent the rest of the day working on my gifts and then doing some much needed catching up on book work. With the end of the year quickly approaching, I want to be prepared with all of my figures that I will need to have to calculate my taxes. While I haven't been perfect about keeping up with things, I have done far better this year than in previous years, and for the most part I have kept up pretty well with posting my receipts. It is however time once again to spend a couple of hours and catch up with the past few weeks of expenses, and I will be right back on top of it again. As the business grows, I am happy that I have been getting somewhat into the habit of regularly posting things and keeping records up to date. It wasn't always like that, as I would frequently wait until the end of the year to do so. But as the business gets larger, doing things at the end of the year only is quite a daunting task and I find it far preferable to keep up throughout the year. A little work now and then makes a huge difference in the end.

Furniture Cat Table Chair Wood


I also needed to submit my projects to DecoArt for my endorsements. DecoArt has a wonderful program called the Helping Artist Program which not only provides a great deal of information on the wide variety of products that they carry, but also compensates designers for using their products in their publications. I have been in the program for over fifteen years now and as most of you who read realize, I truly love their products and use them frequently in my designing. They are reasonably priced, easy to obtain and most importantly high quality. I love the variety of paints and mediums that they carry too, as they have such a wide array of specialty products and paints that are very versatile with all types of painting.

Today I am going to work on my email. There is much in my mail box that needs attending. As was noted yesterday, it is nearly impossible for me to keep up with things as they arrive. Of course the orders and questions from customers are attended to immediately, but there are lots of other things that aren't urgent and simply need to wait. Otherwise I would do nothing but that for the day. Sometimes that is exactly what it turns out to be.

I hope to get back to actually drawing and designing soon. I feel as if my time away has been productive, and the absence from drawing causes me to miss it even more. I am getting there though, and soon I will be heading in some new directions that will bring excitement to my day. This short time away is needed, and with Christmas in just a few days, I still have several things that I have to complete for my own friends and family. Being able to take my time and enjoy the day makes a big difference and I am glad that I am doing things this way.

I wish you all a good day today. Hopefully at some point this rain will change to snow. Until then, we will take it as it comes. Rainy days always seem to bet great days to stay in and accomplish something.

Water Liquid Black People in nature Window


Happy Wednesday.
Good morning Sheila. You'd love it here. I'm looking out on a white world. We have about 2 inches on snow on the ground but it's turning to rain so will probably be gone by this afternoon.

Enjoy your day.
 

Attachments

#7,153 ·
A New Scrollsaw Board on Lumberjocks Website Forum!

I think that Christmas came early for us scroll sawyers! Apparently there was enough interest in scroll sawing here on the Lumberjocks.com website that the administration thought that it warranted having a new board in the Forum dedicated to scroll sawing!

I know I am not the only one that is really excited about this, as many of my scroll sawing friends have already posted and began to enjoy the convenience of having our own little corner here on Lumberjocks.

While having our own board may not seem like a big deal, I think it is a great thing. Not only will it be a great place to post specific questions and announcements that pertain to scrolling, but it will also be a good place for people that are curious or just learning to meet and discuss specific problems and questions. With a forum the size of Lumberjocks, it will make it quick and easy to find the information they need.

As for myself, I am happy because it will better keep me in touch with all the scrollers here and perhaps make some new friends of scrollers that are on this site. I really like to see what other scrollers are up to, but besides being here in the mornings when I write the blog, I don't have a lot of time to 'visit' through the boards and go through everything. If I don't receive notification that one of my buddies posted a topic, I usually don't hear about it. This way I can stop by the Forum every morning and see what I may have missed. YAY!

I also hope that it encourages other Lumberjocks that may not have tried scroll sawing to give it a go. Many of you have scroll saws buried in the corner of your shop, waiting to be used. I think that there are many uses for the scroll sawing in making other larger projects too. Lots of times I see people building projects and they are using band saws to cut certain details. While this is great in many instances, there are many times when the scroll saw will do a much more accurate and precise job. Hopefully you will give it a try and see how much FUN you can have with scroll sawing.

I want to thank the Lumberjock administrators so much for allowing us this little corner of our own on your wonderful site. For those of you who are reading my blog from other places, be sure to check out the Scrollsawing Forum on the Lumberjocks site.

Who knows? You may find the most "unexpected" scroll sawyers are among us! ;)

Cat Wood Flooring Carnivore Whiskers


Boy! Are we going to have FUN! :D

Have a great day!
 

Attachments

#7,154 ·
A New Scrollsaw Board on Lumberjocks Website Forum!

I think that Christmas came early for us scroll sawyers! Apparently there was enough interest in scroll sawing here on the Lumberjocks.com website that the administration thought that it warranted having a new board in the Forum dedicated to scroll sawing!

I know I am not the only one that is really excited about this, as many of my scroll sawing friends have already posted and began to enjoy the convenience of having our own little corner here on Lumberjocks.

While having our own board may not seem like a big deal, I think it is a great thing. Not only will it be a great place to post specific questions and announcements that pertain to scrolling, but it will also be a good place for people that are curious or just learning to meet and discuss specific problems and questions. With a forum the size of Lumberjocks, it will make it quick and easy to find the information they need.

As for myself, I am happy because it will better keep me in touch with all the scrollers here and perhaps make some new friends of scrollers that are on this site. I really like to see what other scrollers are up to, but besides being here in the mornings when I write the blog, I don't have a lot of time to 'visit' through the boards and go through everything. If I don't receive notification that one of my buddies posted a topic, I usually don't hear about it. This way I can stop by the Forum every morning and see what I may have missed. YAY!

I also hope that it encourages other Lumberjocks that may not have tried scroll sawing to give it a go. Many of you have scroll saws buried in the corner of your shop, waiting to be used. I think that there are many uses for the scroll sawing in making other larger projects too. Lots of times I see people building projects and they are using band saws to cut certain details. While this is great in many instances, there are many times when the scroll saw will do a much more accurate and precise job. Hopefully you will give it a try and see how much FUN you can have with scroll sawing.

I want to thank the Lumberjock administrators so much for allowing us this little corner of our own on your wonderful site. For those of you who are reading my blog from other places, be sure to check out the Scrollsawing Forum on the Lumberjocks site.

Who knows? You may find the most "unexpected" scroll sawyers are among us! ;)

Cat Wood Flooring Carnivore Whiskers


Boy! Are we going to have FUN! :D

Have a great day!
exciting times!!

I'm glad that the idea has gone over so well.
 

Attachments

#7,160 ·
A New Scrollsaw Board on Lumberjocks Website Forum!

I think that Christmas came early for us scroll sawyers! Apparently there was enough interest in scroll sawing here on the Lumberjocks.com website that the administration thought that it warranted having a new board in the Forum dedicated to scroll sawing!

I know I am not the only one that is really excited about this, as many of my scroll sawing friends have already posted and began to enjoy the convenience of having our own little corner here on Lumberjocks.

While having our own board may not seem like a big deal, I think it is a great thing. Not only will it be a great place to post specific questions and announcements that pertain to scrolling, but it will also be a good place for people that are curious or just learning to meet and discuss specific problems and questions. With a forum the size of Lumberjocks, it will make it quick and easy to find the information they need.

As for myself, I am happy because it will better keep me in touch with all the scrollers here and perhaps make some new friends of scrollers that are on this site. I really like to see what other scrollers are up to, but besides being here in the mornings when I write the blog, I don't have a lot of time to 'visit' through the boards and go through everything. If I don't receive notification that one of my buddies posted a topic, I usually don't hear about it. This way I can stop by the Forum every morning and see what I may have missed. YAY!

I also hope that it encourages other Lumberjocks that may not have tried scroll sawing to give it a go. Many of you have scroll saws buried in the corner of your shop, waiting to be used. I think that there are many uses for the scroll sawing in making other larger projects too. Lots of times I see people building projects and they are using band saws to cut certain details. While this is great in many instances, there are many times when the scroll saw will do a much more accurate and precise job. Hopefully you will give it a try and see how much FUN you can have with scroll sawing.

I want to thank the Lumberjock administrators so much for allowing us this little corner of our own on your wonderful site. For those of you who are reading my blog from other places, be sure to check out the Scrollsawing Forum on the Lumberjocks site.

Who knows? You may find the most "unexpected" scroll sawyers are among us! ;)

Cat Wood Flooring Carnivore Whiskers


Boy! Are we going to have FUN! :D

Have a great day!
I will definately be there.
Actually, I've been posting lately in a new blog.
With this new development though, I will surely post everything from there in the new forum as well.
 

Attachments

#7,169 ·
On Challenging Ourselves

It's funny how we have ourselves conditioned to do certain things. As we do the same tasks day after day, we tend to fall into certain routines and lifestyles. This doesn't happen over night. For most of us it creeps into our life and then before we realize it, things become a habit.

The past couple of weeks have been odd for me. Not really in a bad way, just different. Sometime at the beginning of the month, I had 'caught up' with most of the projects I was working on and decided to take some time to not only reorganize things and sort, but also to concentrate on doing some things in preparation for the holiday. This threw me out of my usual routine and while I am happy with what I have accomplished in some areas, I feel like I rather miss the work routine that I have come to know these past few years of my life. I am sure it sounds silly, but it feels rather strange.

Last night, I even had a dream about some things regarding work that was a bit unsettling. As with most dreams, I don't really remember it all, but I do know it had something to do with me feeling as if I wasn't putting my entire self into my work and my business was suffering because of it. I woke up feeling a bit anxious and uneasy.

I don't think that my dream has much merit in many respects, as our business is doing quite well. We have been growing and more people have been following us and buying our patterns directly from our site, which is good. We also have many new things planned for the upcoming year in designing which will help expand our business further and broaden our customer base and (hopefully) appeal to even more people. These are all works in progress in which we are carefully laying down the foundation for the future.

Still, as with any new venture, there are still the insecurities and doubts that come with practical thinking. Things will be changing for our business in some ways in the upcoming year and while the prospects of change are exciting, there is still the unknown that looms before us and while that can be very exciting, it can also be quite intimidating.

But no one ever got ahead by staying in their comfort zone. When I used to take many art classes when I lived in the Chicago area and had access to them through the painting club that I was part of (The Society of Decorative Painters), a common theme that the teachers conveyed was to do things out of your comfort zone.

At first I didn't really like that idea. Like most, I associated discomfort with negative things. But as I progressed and tried to stretch my abilities a bit and experience new and unfamiliar things, I discovered something very exciting - I was LEARNING! I realized that even if I wasn't completely successful in my new venture, I usually picked up at least something new and grew and developed as an artist. I quickly realized that those who played it safe didn't advance at anywhere near the rate as those who were a bit more daring and tried new techniques, and not being willing to take some risks resulted in them being somewhat stagnant in their painting.

Now that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as everyone in the group had different objectives and goals. Some were there to de-stress and fill their time, and they painted well enough and were happy with what they had achieved. They had no desire to push themselves, as the action of doing that would just replace the stress that they were trying to escape in the first place. And that was fine.

Others however, were taking classes as part of a journey toward a different goal. They enjoyed the most challenging techniques, and when they achieved them, they found themselves searching to push themselves even higher. These were the people that I migrated to, and I discovered something within myself that I didn't even realize existed. And the challenges became goals in which to better myself as a painter, with no other reward than knowing in my heart that I had accomplished them. And this became a way of life for me, as it is for many who read here.

Later on, as a teacher, I became even more aware of these differences in people. Sometimes I would have classes of 20 or more students with each one having a different objective of what they wish to get out of the class. Since the classes I taught were 'casual' and we were doing them for our own personal satisfaction and not a university degree, it was very important to learn to respect the goals of each individual that participated. I learned to set different standards according to what each person wished to accomplish. I adjusted my critiques accordingly. For instance, I would be much more easy going with someone who took the class just to get away from the busy days with her young children than someone who was perhaps learning to paint or scroll saw to sell their items and maybe start their own small business. To me, it was important to not only to be in tune with these different objectives, but encourage each one at their own pace so that everyone who attended would get the most out of what I was teaching. It was something that I saw applied to many other aspects of my life.

So how does this all pertain to my own business?

These experiences help me to be aware of my own goals and accomplishments, and help me create a business plan that will not only sustain my business, but advance it and help it grow in the future. While the rate of advancement varies all the time, it is important to me that even if I allow it to settle when I reach a plateau, soon I need to reassess things and set my goals a bit higher. In other words, I don't want to be 'comfortable' for too long.

I believe that we have reached one of these plateaus recently, as the business has had a good year despite the sad state of the economy. While any small business that is able to survive at all in this economic climate, I feel very fortunate that we have done as well as we have. I think in the past few weeks I have taken a breath to absorb these accomplishments we have made and to appreciate them and enjoy them.

But as my dream indicates, my sub-conscious may be telling me that it is time to continue. I am no longer comfortable living in the comfort of the success we have achieved at this point. It is time to start moving once again and advancing the business and getting out of this lull that I feel I have been in and really get to work. And that is exciting.

With Christmas just a few days away, I still have some wrapping, baking and finishing up of some things. I think it is important to take this time to enjoy my family and friends and focus on them. But I find myself antsy to get back to the routine and schedule that I have come to know and enjoy.

Many people say that I push and work 'too much.' While I understand the need to get away from things once in a while, I don't think that I agree with them. I have said many times that my 'work' that I do is enjoyable to me, and because of that, most of the time I don't feel like I am working at all. That isn't just a line I am giving you. It is truly how I feel about what I do. And while this personal time has been pleasant, I do miss the challenges that I feel when I am in the true working mode. And that is a great thing.

So whether it is painting, drawing, scrolling or even working with clay, I look forward to once again getting back to 'work' and creating something new. I am not quite crystal clear on the direction yet, but I have some pretty good ideas of where I will be heading. And I will appreciate and enjoy each new challenge that comes my way.

Cat Carnivore Felidae Whiskers Small to medium-sized cats


Enjoy your Friday. Remember to challenge yourself.
 

Attachments

#7,170 ·
On Challenging Ourselves

It's funny how we have ourselves conditioned to do certain things. As we do the same tasks day after day, we tend to fall into certain routines and lifestyles. This doesn't happen over night. For most of us it creeps into our life and then before we realize it, things become a habit.

The past couple of weeks have been odd for me. Not really in a bad way, just different. Sometime at the beginning of the month, I had 'caught up' with most of the projects I was working on and decided to take some time to not only reorganize things and sort, but also to concentrate on doing some things in preparation for the holiday. This threw me out of my usual routine and while I am happy with what I have accomplished in some areas, I feel like I rather miss the work routine that I have come to know these past few years of my life. I am sure it sounds silly, but it feels rather strange.

Last night, I even had a dream about some things regarding work that was a bit unsettling. As with most dreams, I don't really remember it all, but I do know it had something to do with me feeling as if I wasn't putting my entire self into my work and my business was suffering because of it. I woke up feeling a bit anxious and uneasy.

I don't think that my dream has much merit in many respects, as our business is doing quite well. We have been growing and more people have been following us and buying our patterns directly from our site, which is good. We also have many new things planned for the upcoming year in designing which will help expand our business further and broaden our customer base and (hopefully) appeal to even more people. These are all works in progress in which we are carefully laying down the foundation for the future.

Still, as with any new venture, there are still the insecurities and doubts that come with practical thinking. Things will be changing for our business in some ways in the upcoming year and while the prospects of change are exciting, there is still the unknown that looms before us and while that can be very exciting, it can also be quite intimidating.

But no one ever got ahead by staying in their comfort zone. When I used to take many art classes when I lived in the Chicago area and had access to them through the painting club that I was part of (The Society of Decorative Painters), a common theme that the teachers conveyed was to do things out of your comfort zone.

At first I didn't really like that idea. Like most, I associated discomfort with negative things. But as I progressed and tried to stretch my abilities a bit and experience new and unfamiliar things, I discovered something very exciting - I was LEARNING! I realized that even if I wasn't completely successful in my new venture, I usually picked up at least something new and grew and developed as an artist. I quickly realized that those who played it safe didn't advance at anywhere near the rate as those who were a bit more daring and tried new techniques, and not being willing to take some risks resulted in them being somewhat stagnant in their painting.

Now that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as everyone in the group had different objectives and goals. Some were there to de-stress and fill their time, and they painted well enough and were happy with what they had achieved. They had no desire to push themselves, as the action of doing that would just replace the stress that they were trying to escape in the first place. And that was fine.

Others however, were taking classes as part of a journey toward a different goal. They enjoyed the most challenging techniques, and when they achieved them, they found themselves searching to push themselves even higher. These were the people that I migrated to, and I discovered something within myself that I didn't even realize existed. And the challenges became goals in which to better myself as a painter, with no other reward than knowing in my heart that I had accomplished them. And this became a way of life for me, as it is for many who read here.

Later on, as a teacher, I became even more aware of these differences in people. Sometimes I would have classes of 20 or more students with each one having a different objective of what they wish to get out of the class. Since the classes I taught were 'casual' and we were doing them for our own personal satisfaction and not a university degree, it was very important to learn to respect the goals of each individual that participated. I learned to set different standards according to what each person wished to accomplish. I adjusted my critiques accordingly. For instance, I would be much more easy going with someone who took the class just to get away from the busy days with her young children than someone who was perhaps learning to paint or scroll saw to sell their items and maybe start their own small business. To me, it was important to not only to be in tune with these different objectives, but encourage each one at their own pace so that everyone who attended would get the most out of what I was teaching. It was something that I saw applied to many other aspects of my life.

So how does this all pertain to my own business?

These experiences help me to be aware of my own goals and accomplishments, and help me create a business plan that will not only sustain my business, but advance it and help it grow in the future. While the rate of advancement varies all the time, it is important to me that even if I allow it to settle when I reach a plateau, soon I need to reassess things and set my goals a bit higher. In other words, I don't want to be 'comfortable' for too long.

I believe that we have reached one of these plateaus recently, as the business has had a good year despite the sad state of the economy. While any small business that is able to survive at all in this economic climate, I feel very fortunate that we have done as well as we have. I think in the past few weeks I have taken a breath to absorb these accomplishments we have made and to appreciate them and enjoy them.

But as my dream indicates, my sub-conscious may be telling me that it is time to continue. I am no longer comfortable living in the comfort of the success we have achieved at this point. It is time to start moving once again and advancing the business and getting out of this lull that I feel I have been in and really get to work. And that is exciting.

With Christmas just a few days away, I still have some wrapping, baking and finishing up of some things. I think it is important to take this time to enjoy my family and friends and focus on them. But I find myself antsy to get back to the routine and schedule that I have come to know and enjoy.

Many people say that I push and work 'too much.' While I understand the need to get away from things once in a while, I don't think that I agree with them. I have said many times that my 'work' that I do is enjoyable to me, and because of that, most of the time I don't feel like I am working at all. That isn't just a line I am giving you. It is truly how I feel about what I do. And while this personal time has been pleasant, I do miss the challenges that I feel when I am in the true working mode. And that is a great thing.

So whether it is painting, drawing, scrolling or even working with clay, I look forward to once again getting back to 'work' and creating something new. I am not quite crystal clear on the direction yet, but I have some pretty good ideas of where I will be heading. And I will appreciate and enjoy each new challenge that comes my way.

Cat Carnivore Felidae Whiskers Small to medium-sized cats


Enjoy your Friday. Remember to challenge yourself.
Sheila, sweet dreams.

I've just finished an amazing book on dreams

A total eye opener.

Jamie in pre grand kid invasion mode

Trying desperately to make the house childproof :)
 

Attachments

#7,176 ·
Last Minute Things

As the big holiday approaches us, I am finding that there are a lot of last minute things I need to do. I will certainly be busy.

Yesterday, Keith and I decided to do a quick site update. I was debating on whether to do this right now or not, but Keith had finished three new wildlife plaques and we thought it would be nice to offer them as soon as possible. On top of that, we had several new customers on our mailing list and we wanted to get a newsletter to them as quickly as possible.

It seems that the mail issues that our hosts were having were somewhat resolved. When we tested a mailing with Keith's hotmail address, everything went through fine. When the actual mailing went out, the rate of bounce back was only a fraction of what it was a couple of weeks ago, so we think things are on the right track there.

I think I need to put a note as people are signing up which will advise them to add us to their address book. This will help prevent the newsletters from being bounced. I sometimes feel as if I am 'bothering' people when I get these back, but I need to remember that they were the ones who signed up because they wanted to receive updates. I need to learn to stop thinking in that manner and not take it personally.

I decided to put another pattern on the Free Stuff page of our site. I wanted to do something for our customers for Christmas and I thought that this would be nice. After seeing how nice my friend Leldon's office Christmas tree looked using the little charms from one of my projects as ornaments, both Keith and I thought it would be nice to make a stand alone pattern of the charms as simple ornaments and offer them free.

Plant Houseplant Christmas ornament Christmas tree Wood


The ornaments are cute and simple and we also thought that even the people that were newer to cutting on the scroll saw would be able to accomplish them. Leldon left his natural wood color and they look good. But I also included the simple instructions to make them sparkle a bit. Either way I think that people will find many uses for them and I hope they enjoy them.

Black Christmas decoration Red Woody plant Ornament


If you didn't already, I invite you to go over to the site Free Stuff page and download the free pattern.

We also decided to give our mailing list customers an extra coupon code which will be valid for the next several weeks. These customers will get 15% off their entire order at the checkout. This includes Gift Cards too, so they can get the cards at a discounted price and use them at face value later on and make their own sale. I will send the newsletter to any new people that sign up too, so they can take advantage of the coupon, so if you are interested, you can go to the site here and sign up for the Mailing List.

I like giving special sales like this. Especially in these difficult economic times, we realize that everyone is very careful as to how they are spending. We always try to create great patterns and spend a lot of time on detail and the instructions so that scrollers of any level can use the successfully. With all the free stuff available on the internet, we want to make it worth their money to purchase patterns from us. I enjoy offering sales and discounts to our regular customers, as it is our way of showing them that we appreciate the support we get from them. It may sound corny, but it is truly how we feel.

Today I will be busy wrapping and baking. We are heading to Digby tomorrow to spend the day with Bernie and Ellen. Their family will be there too, as well as their new great-grandson! It will be a great day of food and nice to relax and visit with everyone and enjoy the day.

I am bringing my favorite stuffing (by request) which I will put together today. It is made with sausage, cranberries and apple juice and is really yummy. I have two different favorite stuffing recipes that I make. The other one is simply butter, eggs and onions and is much like a souffle. Since I can't decide which one I enjoy most, I like to make them both and bring them for the holidays. That way we get to sample everything without having it too much.

I also have a couple of recipes of shortbread cookies that I will be making today. One is with anise and the other has a touch of cinnamon added. Both are again my favorites and I will enjoy sharing them.

It is a tad too warm here for me these days. It has been raining pretty much all week, on the brink of snow. Hopefully it will get just cool enough to give us some snow for Christmas. If not, I suppose we will live with it.

I wish you all a great day this busy Saturday. I hope you are all caught up with your things you need to do and take some time to enjoy the day.

Christmas tree Cat Christmas ornament Green Holiday ornament


Have a great one!
 

Attachments

#7,177 ·
Last Minute Things

As the big holiday approaches us, I am finding that there are a lot of last minute things I need to do. I will certainly be busy.

Yesterday, Keith and I decided to do a quick site update. I was debating on whether to do this right now or not, but Keith had finished three new wildlife plaques and we thought it would be nice to offer them as soon as possible. On top of that, we had several new customers on our mailing list and we wanted to get a newsletter to them as quickly as possible.

It seems that the mail issues that our hosts were having were somewhat resolved. When we tested a mailing with Keith's hotmail address, everything went through fine. When the actual mailing went out, the rate of bounce back was only a fraction of what it was a couple of weeks ago, so we think things are on the right track there.

I think I need to put a note as people are signing up which will advise them to add us to their address book. This will help prevent the newsletters from being bounced. I sometimes feel as if I am 'bothering' people when I get these back, but I need to remember that they were the ones who signed up because they wanted to receive updates. I need to learn to stop thinking in that manner and not take it personally.

I decided to put another pattern on the Free Stuff page of our site. I wanted to do something for our customers for Christmas and I thought that this would be nice. After seeing how nice my friend Leldon's office Christmas tree looked using the little charms from one of my projects as ornaments, both Keith and I thought it would be nice to make a stand alone pattern of the charms as simple ornaments and offer them free.

Plant Houseplant Christmas ornament Christmas tree Wood


The ornaments are cute and simple and we also thought that even the people that were newer to cutting on the scroll saw would be able to accomplish them. Leldon left his natural wood color and they look good. But I also included the simple instructions to make them sparkle a bit. Either way I think that people will find many uses for them and I hope they enjoy them.

Black Christmas decoration Red Woody plant Ornament


If you didn't already, I invite you to go over to the site Free Stuff page and download the free pattern.

We also decided to give our mailing list customers an extra coupon code which will be valid for the next several weeks. These customers will get 15% off their entire order at the checkout. This includes Gift Cards too, so they can get the cards at a discounted price and use them at face value later on and make their own sale. I will send the newsletter to any new people that sign up too, so they can take advantage of the coupon, so if you are interested, you can go to the site here and sign up for the Mailing List.

I like giving special sales like this. Especially in these difficult economic times, we realize that everyone is very careful as to how they are spending. We always try to create great patterns and spend a lot of time on detail and the instructions so that scrollers of any level can use the successfully. With all the free stuff available on the internet, we want to make it worth their money to purchase patterns from us. I enjoy offering sales and discounts to our regular customers, as it is our way of showing them that we appreciate the support we get from them. It may sound corny, but it is truly how we feel.

Today I will be busy wrapping and baking. We are heading to Digby tomorrow to spend the day with Bernie and Ellen. Their family will be there too, as well as their new great-grandson! It will be a great day of food and nice to relax and visit with everyone and enjoy the day.

I am bringing my favorite stuffing (by request) which I will put together today. It is made with sausage, cranberries and apple juice and is really yummy. I have two different favorite stuffing recipes that I make. The other one is simply butter, eggs and onions and is much like a souffle. Since I can't decide which one I enjoy most, I like to make them both and bring them for the holidays. That way we get to sample everything without having it too much.

I also have a couple of recipes of shortbread cookies that I will be making today. One is with anise and the other has a touch of cinnamon added. Both are again my favorites and I will enjoy sharing them.

It is a tad too warm here for me these days. It has been raining pretty much all week, on the brink of snow. Hopefully it will get just cool enough to give us some snow for Christmas. If not, I suppose we will live with it.

I wish you all a great day this busy Saturday. I hope you are all caught up with your things you need to do and take some time to enjoy the day.

Christmas tree Cat Christmas ornament Green Holiday ornament


Have a great one!
Hi Sheila,
Last minute to do… Why there has to be a target date? an expiration? a seasonal? These are always associated with cramming… just because we are doing it on the last minute. I should say, I have same situation. The Christmas gift I had in my mind will no longer be Christmas but just as token gift when some of my friends visit… I have 3 or more candle holder to do and some narra boxes 2×6 x 6. Well, hope you will beat the clock.
Have a nice weekend.
 

Attachments

#7,185 ·
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Beautiful (slightly SNOWY!) Nova Scotia!

Well everyone, the holiday is finally here! I am going to make this brief today (YES, Really!) because this little elf is still wrapping and cooking and knee deep in a mess! (Isn't is FUN though!) The cats are wild because of all the additional activity and the frige and pantry is full of yummy goodies and I got my wish - there is SNOW on the ground and trees which make our little place look simply magical!!!

In reality, our holiday began yesterday. We spent the afternoon and evening in Digby with my 'Canadian family' of Bernie and Ellen. Their daughter Cindy was there as well as her two grown children and her granddaughter who lives all the way in Alberta with her new baby, Tucker! It was four generations together for the first time!

The food was wonderful and Tucker was darling and not at all daunted by all the new people and excitement and we had a simply incredible day!

I even saw a very dear friend of mine that I hadn't seen in several years! We literally bumped into each other when we were making a quick stop at the store and we wound up catching up right there for quite a bit. I love small towns where things like that happen!

Today and tomorrow, we are heading to Keith's parents house. His brother and his new wife are in town for Christmas and we will have another two days of wonderful company and food! (Rappie pie, Turkey and all sorts of goodies in between!) Too bad the gym is closed! (As IF!) ;)

But I wanted to take a couple of minutes to wish all of my friends from around the world who read here every day a very Merry Christmas! For those of you who aren't Christian, I wish you all a wonderful Happy Holidays filled with good cheer and friends and family and food and happiness!

Whichever faith you choose to follow - or even if you don't follow any at all, I wish you all the best that this world has to offer! Be safe. Be happy. And have FUN!

Thank you all for filling each of my days with JOY! :D

Arthropod Ingredient Crab Decapoda Seafood


Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it'd be easy, they just promised it would be worth it. - Unknown
 

Attachments

#7,186 ·
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Beautiful (slightly SNOWY!) Nova Scotia!

Well everyone, the holiday is finally here! I am going to make this brief today (YES, Really!) because this little elf is still wrapping and cooking and knee deep in a mess! (Isn't is FUN though!) The cats are wild because of all the additional activity and the frige and pantry is full of yummy goodies and I got my wish - there is SNOW on the ground and trees which make our little place look simply magical!!!

In reality, our holiday began yesterday. We spent the afternoon and evening in Digby with my 'Canadian family' of Bernie and Ellen. Their daughter Cindy was there as well as her two grown children and her granddaughter who lives all the way in Alberta with her new baby, Tucker! It was four generations together for the first time!

The food was wonderful and Tucker was darling and not at all daunted by all the new people and excitement and we had a simply incredible day!

I even saw a very dear friend of mine that I hadn't seen in several years! We literally bumped into each other when we were making a quick stop at the store and we wound up catching up right there for quite a bit. I love small towns where things like that happen!

Today and tomorrow, we are heading to Keith's parents house. His brother and his new wife are in town for Christmas and we will have another two days of wonderful company and food! (Rappie pie, Turkey and all sorts of goodies in between!) Too bad the gym is closed! (As IF!) ;)

But I wanted to take a couple of minutes to wish all of my friends from around the world who read here every day a very Merry Christmas! For those of you who aren't Christian, I wish you all a wonderful Happy Holidays filled with good cheer and friends and family and food and happiness!

Whichever faith you choose to follow - or even if you don't follow any at all, I wish you all the best that this world has to offer! Be safe. Be happy. And have FUN!

Thank you all for filling each of my days with JOY! :D

Arthropod Ingredient Crab Decapoda Seafood


Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it'd be easy, they just promised it would be worth it. - Unknown
MERRY CHRISTMAS
 

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#7,203 ·
We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

As I sit here this morning and watch the sun peeking over the horizon, I can here the distant voices of excited children next door as they discovered their Christmas gifts.

It is highly unusual that I hear anyone else up and about at this time of day, as our landlord is a widow who lives by herself and works as a paramedic. She keeps odd hours and is sometimes gone for weeks at a time, as she takes frequent trips to Toronto to visit her children and grandchildren.

But this Christmas, it was her turn to have the family stay. And her large house has been filled with people and children and excitement for the past several days. The faint squeals of delight remind me of those many mornings when my own children were small and brought back those delightful times. It makes me smile.

All is quiet here. The three cats are slumbering nearby with the soft glow of our own little tree the only light. The sun is beginning to illuminate the sky now and there was yet another light dusting of snow on the ground, making it a perfect morning.

We had a wonderful day yesterday. I spent my time wrapping and doing some last minute preparation of what turned out to be unneeded snacks, as there was more than enough good food to feed an army. My dear childhood friend called and it was a wonderful gift to hear her voice and catch up with her busy life. Sometimes the best gifts are the simplest. Our neighbor Lee (our friend who lives next door with the cats) stopped by seeking some last minute help wrapping a gift he had for his dad, and I was happy to do it for him, as I was just putting things away after finishing my own.

We headed out to Kieth's parents near supper time. It was already dark and the countless lights and displays were beautiful against the light blanket of fresh snow. When driving along the river, it reminded me of a post card from Currier and Ives. Quiet. Peaceful. Beautiful.

We arrived and unloaded our things, and Keith's mom checked in the oven to see how the Rappie Pie was doing. It was a magnificent monster, and took up the entire oven:

Hood Kitchen appliance Ingredient Home appliance Cooking


I was happy that Keith's mom allowed me to take a couple of pictures. I wanted to show you all how incredible this meal was. I never have many pictures when we go to Ellen and Bernie's because Ellen runs from the camera, so for the most part, they are blurry streaks. But yesterday Keith's mom posed with her masterpiece. I was happy because you can get an idea of the size of it. It was as big as she is! :)

Glasses Food Smile Countertop Plant


One of my goals this year is to have her teach me how to make this wonderful dish. It consists of grated potato, salted onion and chicken. This time she added a bit of pork for flavor and I thought it was the best one I ever tasted.

We all lined up and got our serving. It is such a treat!

Food Smile Window Chair Tableware


I even agreed to a picture of myself with Keith's sister in law, Jacqueline. She and Keith's brother Mark just got married this past August and they were in town from Halifax for the holidays:

Smile Tableware Food Picture frame Plate


We had a beautiful dinner. Everything was perfect from the table:

Tableware Table Furniture Dishware Chair


to the tree:

Christmas tree Christmas ornament Lighting Holiday ornament Wood


We spent the evening exchanging gifts and visiting and enjoying each others' company. We didn't get home until nearly 1am, and we are going back today for turkey dinner!

It is such a great time to be thankful for so many things. Today I will talk to my son and daughter and visit with them. I miss them both and hopefully one day soon we can be together again. Until then we have skype and the phone and computer.

It is a good time in my life. There are so many good people that I have as family and friends to share with. I have enjoyed all the notes and letters and beautiful thoughts from all my customers and friends, too. There is so much to be grateful for.

And I truly appreciate my partner Keith. I say it all the time but a day doesn't go by when I am not grateful that he is part of my life. I could have never asked for a better sweetheart and friend.

Smile Picture frame Sleeve Fun T-shirt


Merry Christmas to you all!
 

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#7,204 ·
We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

As I sit here this morning and watch the sun peeking over the horizon, I can here the distant voices of excited children next door as they discovered their Christmas gifts.

It is highly unusual that I hear anyone else up and about at this time of day, as our landlord is a widow who lives by herself and works as a paramedic. She keeps odd hours and is sometimes gone for weeks at a time, as she takes frequent trips to Toronto to visit her children and grandchildren.

But this Christmas, it was her turn to have the family stay. And her large house has been filled with people and children and excitement for the past several days. The faint squeals of delight remind me of those many mornings when my own children were small and brought back those delightful times. It makes me smile.

All is quiet here. The three cats are slumbering nearby with the soft glow of our own little tree the only light. The sun is beginning to illuminate the sky now and there was yet another light dusting of snow on the ground, making it a perfect morning.

We had a wonderful day yesterday. I spent my time wrapping and doing some last minute preparation of what turned out to be unneeded snacks, as there was more than enough good food to feed an army. My dear childhood friend called and it was a wonderful gift to hear her voice and catch up with her busy life. Sometimes the best gifts are the simplest. Our neighbor Lee (our friend who lives next door with the cats) stopped by seeking some last minute help wrapping a gift he had for his dad, and I was happy to do it for him, as I was just putting things away after finishing my own.

We headed out to Kieth's parents near supper time. It was already dark and the countless lights and displays were beautiful against the light blanket of fresh snow. When driving along the river, it reminded me of a post card from Currier and Ives. Quiet. Peaceful. Beautiful.

We arrived and unloaded our things, and Keith's mom checked in the oven to see how the Rappie Pie was doing. It was a magnificent monster, and took up the entire oven:

Hood Kitchen appliance Ingredient Home appliance Cooking


I was happy that Keith's mom allowed me to take a couple of pictures. I wanted to show you all how incredible this meal was. I never have many pictures when we go to Ellen and Bernie's because Ellen runs from the camera, so for the most part, they are blurry streaks. But yesterday Keith's mom posed with her masterpiece. I was happy because you can get an idea of the size of it. It was as big as she is! :)

Glasses Food Smile Countertop Plant


One of my goals this year is to have her teach me how to make this wonderful dish. It consists of grated potato, salted onion and chicken. This time she added a bit of pork for flavor and I thought it was the best one I ever tasted.

We all lined up and got our serving. It is such a treat!

Food Smile Window Chair Tableware


I even agreed to a picture of myself with Keith's sister in law, Jacqueline. She and Keith's brother Mark just got married this past August and they were in town from Halifax for the holidays:

Smile Tableware Food Picture frame Plate


We had a beautiful dinner. Everything was perfect from the table:

Tableware Table Furniture Dishware Chair


to the tree:

Christmas tree Christmas ornament Lighting Holiday ornament Wood


We spent the evening exchanging gifts and visiting and enjoying each others' company. We didn't get home until nearly 1am, and we are going back today for turkey dinner!

It is such a great time to be thankful for so many things. Today I will talk to my son and daughter and visit with them. I miss them both and hopefully one day soon we can be together again. Until then we have skype and the phone and computer.

It is a good time in my life. There are so many good people that I have as family and friends to share with. I have enjoyed all the notes and letters and beautiful thoughts from all my customers and friends, too. There is so much to be grateful for.

And I truly appreciate my partner Keith. I say it all the time but a day doesn't go by when I am not grateful that he is part of my life. I could have never asked for a better sweetheart and friend.

Smile Picture frame Sleeve Fun T-shirt


Merry Christmas to you all!
Merry Christmas to you Sheila Keith & all your family

Jamie, Shirley and ours
 

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#7,222 ·
Last year I was working in Australia and as Boxing Day arrived I asked the locals what it was, they were not sure, to my surprise. I did some internet seaching and found that it the majority of Boxing Day's roots came from when the family of the house gave gifts, in boxes, to the servants.
With this in mind, there should be a stack of boxes at my door step right now! I will go look…
Stay warm and happy
 
#7,228 ·
Back At It

While I did enjoy these last couple of weeks and taking some time for myself, the realization has hit that it isn't really something that I want to make a habit. It seems that it has been way too long since I really had a good productive drawing day and a day at the saw and I miss it a great deal.

I am finding though that taking a step back from time to time and refocusing on something else is really good for us in general. No matter how much we love doing something, continually doing the same thing day after day after day can be a bit draining. These breaks from time to time give time to take a breath and refuel and actually miss things. And I think that keeps me fresh and excited about my work.

My dear friend Cari used to assimilate it to eating cherries jubilee. You can only have so much and then you need to try something else, even if you love it.

So while Keith and I kept things going pretty much here throughout the past couple of weeks, we definitely had it turned down a bit and focused on other things. But now I feel ready to take on some wonderful new projects and can't wait to do so. And there is no better time to begin than now.

I spent yesterday getting my computer files in order. Cleaning and organizing my computer is one thing that always makes me feel wonderful. Just as when I clean and organize our place here, cleaning my virtual 'computer house' is a great source of inspiration.

My computer has many levels of storage on it. There are folders that I have created where I put stuff temporarily until I can really sort and organize them into the deeper levels of storage. These folders fill up very quickly - especially when I am browsing around for some quick inspiration and it is not uncommon for them to have nearly 1000 files in them. It turns into quite a task for me to rename each file with specific keywords so that they turn up in relevant searches when needed. But it is time well-spent for me and each time that I take the time to tag and file everything from those storage files, I feel as if I accomplished a great deal. It is then when I like doing my backups, as everything new is in its proper place and orderly.

The process of backing things up is really quite simple and doesn't take long at all. It is this pre-organization that takes the time. But as of yesterday, all the temporary folders are completely empty and everything is in its proper place and safely backed up on an external hard drive. It is as if I have a new computer. A clean slate to work with. And it is awesome.

Another good thing about tidying up my digital files is that I revisit all the photos and things that were inspirational and I thought warranted saving. There were many 'oh yes!' moments and my head is once again filled with ideas for new projects. It is just a matter of sitting down and doing them now, and that is a really fun part of things I think. It really makes me look forward to the future.

For Christmas, I received several journal type notebooks. I think this is really cool because I use these small notebooks to jot down ideas and inspirations and thoughts that I have on new projects. I always keep these small books by my side and whenever I see something that triggers an idea for a project, I do write it down. You would be amazed at how much it help you keep on top of things and keeps those ideas flowing. Often people ask me where I come up with the ideas that I have for patterns, and I think that since I began writing things down, finding something new to focus on is quite an easy task. Between the woodworking and scroll saw designs, the painting designs, and the customer requests there is always more that I want to accomplish. You would be amazed at how helpful having all these ideas in one place can be. When I get 'stuck' I simply read through them and before long I find myself heading in a positive direction. I highly recommend it.

Before the holiday lull, I was working on my next design for Creative Woodworks magazine. It was mostly done, with probably only a day of drawing left before I can cut it. I also have an article that I am working on for the same issue and I want to finish these all up by the weekend. Then I will be able to work on some of the new that I am thinking about and start heading in some new directions. It will be a good way to start off the new year.

I think it is good to slack off from time to time. Pushing too hard for too long only causes one to feel fatigued and resentment to build. I don't mind working every day if I can shift things around and do some other things in between. I think finding the balance between work and play is an important part of living a happy and healthy life. We need both accomplishment and also some play time to make our lives full and enjoyable. At least I do.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Mine was incredible and while I thoroughly enjoyed the time I had "off" I am ready to jump in with both feet and get back to work. I think it will be better than ever!

"Let us rather run the risk of wearing out than rusting out." ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Happy Thursday to you all!

Cat Organism Carnivore Felidae Pet supply


(Random cat picture to make you smile today! :D)
 

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#7,229 ·
Back At It

While I did enjoy these last couple of weeks and taking some time for myself, the realization has hit that it isn't really something that I want to make a habit. It seems that it has been way too long since I really had a good productive drawing day and a day at the saw and I miss it a great deal.

I am finding though that taking a step back from time to time and refocusing on something else is really good for us in general. No matter how much we love doing something, continually doing the same thing day after day after day can be a bit draining. These breaks from time to time give time to take a breath and refuel and actually miss things. And I think that keeps me fresh and excited about my work.

My dear friend Cari used to assimilate it to eating cherries jubilee. You can only have so much and then you need to try something else, even if you love it.

So while Keith and I kept things going pretty much here throughout the past couple of weeks, we definitely had it turned down a bit and focused on other things. But now I feel ready to take on some wonderful new projects and can't wait to do so. And there is no better time to begin than now.

I spent yesterday getting my computer files in order. Cleaning and organizing my computer is one thing that always makes me feel wonderful. Just as when I clean and organize our place here, cleaning my virtual 'computer house' is a great source of inspiration.

My computer has many levels of storage on it. There are folders that I have created where I put stuff temporarily until I can really sort and organize them into the deeper levels of storage. These folders fill up very quickly - especially when I am browsing around for some quick inspiration and it is not uncommon for them to have nearly 1000 files in them. It turns into quite a task for me to rename each file with specific keywords so that they turn up in relevant searches when needed. But it is time well-spent for me and each time that I take the time to tag and file everything from those storage files, I feel as if I accomplished a great deal. It is then when I like doing my backups, as everything new is in its proper place and orderly.

The process of backing things up is really quite simple and doesn't take long at all. It is this pre-organization that takes the time. But as of yesterday, all the temporary folders are completely empty and everything is in its proper place and safely backed up on an external hard drive. It is as if I have a new computer. A clean slate to work with. And it is awesome.

Another good thing about tidying up my digital files is that I revisit all the photos and things that were inspirational and I thought warranted saving. There were many 'oh yes!' moments and my head is once again filled with ideas for new projects. It is just a matter of sitting down and doing them now, and that is a really fun part of things I think. It really makes me look forward to the future.

For Christmas, I received several journal type notebooks. I think this is really cool because I use these small notebooks to jot down ideas and inspirations and thoughts that I have on new projects. I always keep these small books by my side and whenever I see something that triggers an idea for a project, I do write it down. You would be amazed at how much it help you keep on top of things and keeps those ideas flowing. Often people ask me where I come up with the ideas that I have for patterns, and I think that since I began writing things down, finding something new to focus on is quite an easy task. Between the woodworking and scroll saw designs, the painting designs, and the customer requests there is always more that I want to accomplish. You would be amazed at how helpful having all these ideas in one place can be. When I get 'stuck' I simply read through them and before long I find myself heading in a positive direction. I highly recommend it.

Before the holiday lull, I was working on my next design for Creative Woodworks magazine. It was mostly done, with probably only a day of drawing left before I can cut it. I also have an article that I am working on for the same issue and I want to finish these all up by the weekend. Then I will be able to work on some of the new that I am thinking about and start heading in some new directions. It will be a good way to start off the new year.

I think it is good to slack off from time to time. Pushing too hard for too long only causes one to feel fatigued and resentment to build. I don't mind working every day if I can shift things around and do some other things in between. I think finding the balance between work and play is an important part of living a happy and healthy life. We need both accomplishment and also some play time to make our lives full and enjoyable. At least I do.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Mine was incredible and while I thoroughly enjoyed the time I had "off" I am ready to jump in with both feet and get back to work. I think it will be better than ever!

"Let us rather run the risk of wearing out than rusting out." ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Happy Thursday to you all!

Cat Organism Carnivore Felidae Pet supply


(Random cat picture to make you smile today! :D)
thanks for the reminder of making a major cleaning on the PC
something that has been needed the last year … :-(
I know when its done it will be a hole lot easyer to make new blogs
it takes some time when the only hint on the folders gives a date
and the pictures only have numbers ….if I only could get to gether and
give the files a name like recycling Chrismastree it deffently be easy ….. lol
also becourse the pictures of restoring isn´t snaped the same day
but as it is now …. splattered out on 2-6 folders :)
with 3-8 different items /ideas/themes etc. ..... so basicly my life is a mess when I start to
tinkering around in the picturefolders
note is made in the kalender to start cleaning first in the new year

one of the best notebook use I have seen is how Mads is cable of doing
both with writting and watercolour schetshes side by side
I gess its abbout geting used to use it all the time … right when the idea strike you
and not later on the same day just becourse you forexcample sitting in the chair
at the dentist while he is drilling …. :)

take care
Dennis
 

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#7,232 ·
Time to Scroll Saw!

It's hard to believe that it is the end to another week. I suppose holidays do that to us all. I suppose that any time our routines are changed so much that it is difficult to get our bearings. And next week will be somewhat the same.

It felt good to be back at drawing yesterday, and I hope that today I will be doing some cutting. I am working for the next project for the magazine and also an accompanying article. Both the project and the article are for the May issue, and it seems even to me like it is so far away. But the materials are due in a couple of weeks, so I plan to get that all buttoned up by the weekend so I can send it off on Wednesday when everything is open again.

I am still somewhat organizing my lists of what to do next. There are several directions that we are heading in and sometimes it is difficult to decide which to do first. I know that is a good problem to have, but sometimes it can be unsettling, as we never really know which one (or if any) will pan out. I suppose that is part of the process though.

The important thing is that the opportunities are there and we need to take advantage of them in the best way that we can. In an economy such as ours is now, it is good to have positive things on our plate and not be struggling for ideas and direction. We are both very grateful of that.

As always, it will be good to spend some time at the saw. It always seems like far too much time passes between sessions, but that is again part of the process. All of these inner workings of the business seem to take over sometimes, and I am afraid they aren't very glamorous.

I am going to keep things short today, as I want to get right to finishing up my drawings. Hopefully by tomorrow, I will have at least a small preview of what I am working on for you all to see. I sometimes wonder if it is good or not to share pictures of upcoming projects for the magazine here in the blog. When speaking to my editor about this, she felt that there was no issue with it at all. After all, they themselves provide previews for upcoming projects in subsequent issues. If anything, it keeps others interested.

I hope you all have a good day today. Unfortunately, the lovely snow that fell yesterday lasted only a short time. By late afternoon, it had turned into a treacherous rainy mess that was both ugly and dangerous. it rained all night and there is little evidence of snow apparent on the ground as we speak. I suppose that is for the best. We only have a couple of short errands to do today and they are close to home. Hopefully, after that I will be able to spend the weekend here and accomplish some work.

That leaves only one more important question . . .

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Pet supply


Enjoy your Friday! :)
 

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#7,233 ·
Time to Scroll Saw!

It's hard to believe that it is the end to another week. I suppose holidays do that to us all. I suppose that any time our routines are changed so much that it is difficult to get our bearings. And next week will be somewhat the same.

It felt good to be back at drawing yesterday, and I hope that today I will be doing some cutting. I am working for the next project for the magazine and also an accompanying article. Both the project and the article are for the May issue, and it seems even to me like it is so far away. But the materials are due in a couple of weeks, so I plan to get that all buttoned up by the weekend so I can send it off on Wednesday when everything is open again.

I am still somewhat organizing my lists of what to do next. There are several directions that we are heading in and sometimes it is difficult to decide which to do first. I know that is a good problem to have, but sometimes it can be unsettling, as we never really know which one (or if any) will pan out. I suppose that is part of the process though.

The important thing is that the opportunities are there and we need to take advantage of them in the best way that we can. In an economy such as ours is now, it is good to have positive things on our plate and not be struggling for ideas and direction. We are both very grateful of that.

As always, it will be good to spend some time at the saw. It always seems like far too much time passes between sessions, but that is again part of the process. All of these inner workings of the business seem to take over sometimes, and I am afraid they aren't very glamorous.

I am going to keep things short today, as I want to get right to finishing up my drawings. Hopefully by tomorrow, I will have at least a small preview of what I am working on for you all to see. I sometimes wonder if it is good or not to share pictures of upcoming projects for the magazine here in the blog. When speaking to my editor about this, she felt that there was no issue with it at all. After all, they themselves provide previews for upcoming projects in subsequent issues. If anything, it keeps others interested.

I hope you all have a good day today. Unfortunately, the lovely snow that fell yesterday lasted only a short time. By late afternoon, it had turned into a treacherous rainy mess that was both ugly and dangerous. it rained all night and there is little evidence of snow apparent on the ground as we speak. I suppose that is for the best. We only have a couple of short errands to do today and they are close to home. Hopefully, after that I will be able to spend the weekend here and accomplish some work.

That leaves only one more important question . . .

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Pet supply


Enjoy your Friday! :)
ha! :)
 

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#7,238 ·
A New Dimension in Designing

I can't even begin to tell you all what a good day yesterday was! It felt so good to get back at the saw and actually see some of my new ideas become real. I was beginning to worry, because after being away from things for a couple of weeks, I just didn't feel like things were going to work out well.

It is funny how we do that to ourselves. It seems we have these demons inside of us that whisper doubts in the back of our minds and cause us to doubt ourselves. Many times we listen to these negative thoughts and we are defeated before we even begin. Sometimes they creep in when I am in the middle of a project. I may not like something that I am drawing as much as I thought I would or I just can't get things to look "just right." Or perhaps it looks OK on paper, but isn't as impressive as it was in my mind and it slows me down tremendously because I start doubting myself and thinking that I have been wasting my time.

These are all things that affect most designers, I expect. And I am no different. I can't tell you how many times Keith is sitting next to me and shows me his computer screen with a new project he is drawing on it and says "it doesn't look good, does it?"

Usually when I look at the screen, I see a great drawing and when I picture it in wood, I see the potential for another winning design. But I also see the look of concern on his face and the doubt and realize that these demons affect him too. I usually try to be encouraging and assure him that it will look great, as he does with me and just about every time this happens, after the pieces are actually cut and finished we are quite happy with them.

You would think we would learn.

While time and experience do help us gain confidence and help curb these doubts, I don't think that they ever go away altogether. For part of being a designer is chartering new territory, and with that task comes the fear of the unknown. The more we design different things, the more apprehensive we are in regards to how they will be received by our peers and our customers.

With innovation comes risk. And in thinking about it, I think that the reason that some people are more successful than others are because those who are willing to take risks in their work are the ones that seem to advance the most. Many times I speak of 'comfort zones' and while I do believe it is a nice place to be from time to time, without venturing out and trying new things, it is very easy to become stagnant.

I believe what I have been feeling these past couple of weeks has been the anxiety of moving out of my comfort zone. I had thought of this idea several months ago, and only began implementing it a couple of weeks ago. It is an idea for a variation on some new designs, based on a series of designs that has been very successful for me in the past. While I have some more ideas for the older version, I have become rather "unchallenged" with things the way they were. I probably could have cranked out fifty of more of the series the way it was, but my heart just wasn't in it. If I were a better business person I would have, but those of you who know me, know it isn't all about money for me. I do this first and foremost because I love it, and while I try to be practical financially (and I think I am getting better at that end of things) I still need to keep my own standards of what I do in order to be happy with myself and call myself a 'success.'

So it was time for me to move to another level and see what will happen here.

Sorry for all the rambling, but these thoughts have plagued me the past few weeks and while the holidays were quite a nice distraction, I know that it is time to get back at it and progress. As they say - "The first step is always the hardest."

So I took that step yesterday. I finally ran out of distractions and sat down and finished drawing. I must admit, that I didn't really impress myself. I am sure that is why I wasn't running into this project at full speed.

A couple of weeks ago I drew up the base of a tray. Many of you have seen the many candle trays that I have designed over the past two years. They have been enormously successful for me and have done well for my customers too.

After doing so many of them, I did begin to have a problem with them. By their nature, they only have a small area for creating. If you are putting characters into them, you have just a small band around the base in which to work, which could be very restricting design wise.

I didn't want them to be too difficult to accomplish, and I wanted the designs to be visible. Keeping things 'connected' within the tray sometimes posed a problem. One was unable to do so without making things look goofy.

So I had an idea . . .

"What if" I added some dimension to the designs?

"What if" I made the characters as separate pieces, and attached them to the base?

"What if" I made little scenes that went around the trays, making them a bit more interesting and fun and the patterns themselves even more versatile for my customers?

And I thought to myself - That's it!

And I began to draw.

I had shown you a section of the base of the tray a couple of weeks ago:

Flower Plant Organism Gesture Happy


It was a nice and simple design. Pretty. Yet not too difficult. One thing that I have to keep in mind is that there are so many people that are new to scroll sawing, and I want to design things that are not only easy to accomplish for the newer sawyer, but also beautiful and complex-looking. I think this tray fits that description well.

The next thing I wanted to design were some dragonflies for the dimensional pieces. Again, they need to look difficult, but be simple to cut.

On paper they were not really impressive. I picked them apart many times and redrew them more times than I care to mention. Finally, I figured that I just needed to stop and cut and see. And when I did I was thrilled.

Below is the result of my cutting:

Wood Font Marine invertebrates Art Pattern


After the first one was finished, it was as if rockets went off and music played. They looked SO DARN CUTE!!!

I continued on to cut the rest and set them into place on top of the uncut tray:

Wood Dishware Insect Serveware Pollinator


Dishware Serveware Wood Tableware Creative arts


My heart soared and my mind raced at all the wonderful possibilities that this opened up for me. I had figured out how to SIMPLY prepare and attach them to the tray without fail, and I thought how awesome these will be.

You could use the tray with or without the add-on pieces, and use the add-on pieces as stand alone ornaments, sun-catchers, garlands, charms or anything you can think of. The versatility of this pattern is wonderful and making these little pieces stand up around the tray gives a wonderful blank canvas to do so many cute scenes.

I was thrilled!

By the time I finished cutting the dragonflies, it was after 8pm and I needed to stop for the evening. Today I will be cutting the tray and finishing things up.

This pattern will be featured in the May issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts Magazine and I won't be able to sell it until then. But that doesn't worry me, because I have a long list of trays in my head that will be coming to be in the very near future.

The fun is just beginning!

What a day it was yesterday! It seems that I have broken through my lull and it simply felt incredible to be sitting at the saw cutting. I always say that I enjoy the actual cutting part and I truly do. I was truly in my happy place for the time I was there, and look forward to revisiting that happy place again today!

I hope like the new design. It may seem like a small thing to some, but for me, I know it will open a floodgate of new options for me as a designer. And that is the best that could happen!

Wood Creative arts Art Font Pattern


Have a wonderful Saturday! Enjoy your day and do something FUN! :D
 

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#7,239 ·
A New Dimension in Designing

I can't even begin to tell you all what a good day yesterday was! It felt so good to get back at the saw and actually see some of my new ideas become real. I was beginning to worry, because after being away from things for a couple of weeks, I just didn't feel like things were going to work out well.

It is funny how we do that to ourselves. It seems we have these demons inside of us that whisper doubts in the back of our minds and cause us to doubt ourselves. Many times we listen to these negative thoughts and we are defeated before we even begin. Sometimes they creep in when I am in the middle of a project. I may not like something that I am drawing as much as I thought I would or I just can't get things to look "just right." Or perhaps it looks OK on paper, but isn't as impressive as it was in my mind and it slows me down tremendously because I start doubting myself and thinking that I have been wasting my time.

These are all things that affect most designers, I expect. And I am no different. I can't tell you how many times Keith is sitting next to me and shows me his computer screen with a new project he is drawing on it and says "it doesn't look good, does it?"

Usually when I look at the screen, I see a great drawing and when I picture it in wood, I see the potential for another winning design. But I also see the look of concern on his face and the doubt and realize that these demons affect him too. I usually try to be encouraging and assure him that it will look great, as he does with me and just about every time this happens, after the pieces are actually cut and finished we are quite happy with them.

You would think we would learn.

While time and experience do help us gain confidence and help curb these doubts, I don't think that they ever go away altogether. For part of being a designer is chartering new territory, and with that task comes the fear of the unknown. The more we design different things, the more apprehensive we are in regards to how they will be received by our peers and our customers.

With innovation comes risk. And in thinking about it, I think that the reason that some people are more successful than others are because those who are willing to take risks in their work are the ones that seem to advance the most. Many times I speak of 'comfort zones' and while I do believe it is a nice place to be from time to time, without venturing out and trying new things, it is very easy to become stagnant.

I believe what I have been feeling these past couple of weeks has been the anxiety of moving out of my comfort zone. I had thought of this idea several months ago, and only began implementing it a couple of weeks ago. It is an idea for a variation on some new designs, based on a series of designs that has been very successful for me in the past. While I have some more ideas for the older version, I have become rather "unchallenged" with things the way they were. I probably could have cranked out fifty of more of the series the way it was, but my heart just wasn't in it. If I were a better business person I would have, but those of you who know me, know it isn't all about money for me. I do this first and foremost because I love it, and while I try to be practical financially (and I think I am getting better at that end of things) I still need to keep my own standards of what I do in order to be happy with myself and call myself a 'success.'

So it was time for me to move to another level and see what will happen here.

Sorry for all the rambling, but these thoughts have plagued me the past few weeks and while the holidays were quite a nice distraction, I know that it is time to get back at it and progress. As they say - "The first step is always the hardest."

So I took that step yesterday. I finally ran out of distractions and sat down and finished drawing. I must admit, that I didn't really impress myself. I am sure that is why I wasn't running into this project at full speed.

A couple of weeks ago I drew up the base of a tray. Many of you have seen the many candle trays that I have designed over the past two years. They have been enormously successful for me and have done well for my customers too.

After doing so many of them, I did begin to have a problem with them. By their nature, they only have a small area for creating. If you are putting characters into them, you have just a small band around the base in which to work, which could be very restricting design wise.

I didn't want them to be too difficult to accomplish, and I wanted the designs to be visible. Keeping things 'connected' within the tray sometimes posed a problem. One was unable to do so without making things look goofy.

So I had an idea . . .

"What if" I added some dimension to the designs?

"What if" I made the characters as separate pieces, and attached them to the base?

"What if" I made little scenes that went around the trays, making them a bit more interesting and fun and the patterns themselves even more versatile for my customers?

And I thought to myself - That's it!

And I began to draw.

I had shown you a section of the base of the tray a couple of weeks ago:

Flower Plant Organism Gesture Happy


It was a nice and simple design. Pretty. Yet not too difficult. One thing that I have to keep in mind is that there are so many people that are new to scroll sawing, and I want to design things that are not only easy to accomplish for the newer sawyer, but also beautiful and complex-looking. I think this tray fits that description well.

The next thing I wanted to design were some dragonflies for the dimensional pieces. Again, they need to look difficult, but be simple to cut.

On paper they were not really impressive. I picked them apart many times and redrew them more times than I care to mention. Finally, I figured that I just needed to stop and cut and see. And when I did I was thrilled.

Below is the result of my cutting:

Wood Font Marine invertebrates Art Pattern


After the first one was finished, it was as if rockets went off and music played. They looked SO DARN CUTE!!!

I continued on to cut the rest and set them into place on top of the uncut tray:

Wood Dishware Insect Serveware Pollinator


Dishware Serveware Wood Tableware Creative arts


My heart soared and my mind raced at all the wonderful possibilities that this opened up for me. I had figured out how to SIMPLY prepare and attach them to the tray without fail, and I thought how awesome these will be.

You could use the tray with or without the add-on pieces, and use the add-on pieces as stand alone ornaments, sun-catchers, garlands, charms or anything you can think of. The versatility of this pattern is wonderful and making these little pieces stand up around the tray gives a wonderful blank canvas to do so many cute scenes.

I was thrilled!

By the time I finished cutting the dragonflies, it was after 8pm and I needed to stop for the evening. Today I will be cutting the tray and finishing things up.

This pattern will be featured in the May issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts Magazine and I won't be able to sell it until then. But that doesn't worry me, because I have a long list of trays in my head that will be coming to be in the very near future.

The fun is just beginning!

What a day it was yesterday! It seems that I have broken through my lull and it simply felt incredible to be sitting at the saw cutting. I always say that I enjoy the actual cutting part and I truly do. I was truly in my happy place for the time I was there, and look forward to revisiting that happy place again today!

I hope like the new design. It may seem like a small thing to some, but for me, I know it will open a floodgate of new options for me as a designer. And that is the best that could happen!

Wood Creative arts Art Font Pattern


Have a wonderful Saturday! Enjoy your day and do something FUN! :D
I do like what I see so far - this could be fun
 

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