closure
Finally, the sale of my Florida house closed today. It was pure torture up to the last second. In fact, I did not turn off the utilities (electric & water) until after the closing, I was not sure it would “go”.
In fact, it almost didn’t. My buyers nit-picked to the last moment and then surprised me when they did not fuss over something they should have.
What do I mean? During the walk through today 45 minutes before the closing, one of the 2 thermostats did not work. Most likely just a low battery but the buyers did not fuss over it. I am amazed and grateful.
Of course, I did not know this until hours later, had I know I would have gone ballistic. There has been so much pressure on me with this sale. Not only the condition of the house but every i had to be dotted correctly and what if the Notary signed on the wrong line? Oh my.
Then, of course, because why should this go smoothly? The buyer’s lender bank could not manage to wire the money for the purchase. Everybody waited for 2+ hours for it. Finally, it came.
So, it is done. No more worries about owning this house, no more “remote” bills to pay. Utilities, Home Owners Assoc fees and surcharges, insurance, property taxes, pool service, landscape, caretakers. None of it.
I suspect it will be a long time before I buy another house.
On the other hand, there are so many houses for sale in Florida, I am lucky to have gotten a buyer at all.
What else? Mighty Hunter is back from Deer Camp. He “harvested” 3 does and 1 buck. The new freezer is full of nicely packaged venison (I must say the processors did a fine job).
He also brought home the Buck’s head wrapped in plastic garbage bags.
Yes, the whole head. He wanted the antlers. It was sitting there in the new freezer on top of the meat. Very creepy. He promised me it would be gone with yesterday’s garbage pick up and it was.
I must say, this trip to S. Carolina and the week at deer came has settled him and lightened the frantic “hunting fever” he gets every year at this time.
I have taken delivery of all the accessories I have ordered for the holiday season for New Needlepoint.com (remember that?)
I have added to my stock of new books and replaced (almost) all the ones that had sold including Amy Bunger’s Closet Full of Stitches DVD
Ann Stite-Kurz’s book A Potpourri of Patterns sold almost immediately after I listed it. I have 2 more on order.
I think I have all the June McKNight Needlepoint & Bargello Needlepoint books, all of them.
I have some interesting Gingher Scissors, 2 new styles and some small *stocking stuffer* accessories like needle holders, tiny boxes and laying tools.
They are not all listed yet
I have 2 Laurel Burch tote bags. One is large and one is medium size. They are both decorated with Laurel Burch’s wonderful cats & dogs.
I only bought 2. I am leery of getting into tote bags again after my Claire Sanchez bag failure (and clearance sale, 3 bags left priced way way under my cost) $20 each with Free Shipping.
I have replaced most of the sold rare/used books in my inventory, I even have some back-up extra copies of the most popular ones.
I have a good stock of *Gift Quality* condition rare/used books.
I am just beginning to stock some Glorafilia books. I have recently come across a few of them and think the Glorafilia method is too interesting and special to let it fade away.
I am currently reading one of them so I will have some idea what I am talking about here (usually I don’t but I blather on anyway)
I think, so far, that it is (at it’s most basic) and combination of Long & Short Stitch (made famous by Kaffe Fassett in his book Glorious Needlepoint) and Tent or Continental Stitch. Maybe some Basketweave too but that can be difficult in the small areas.
A Glorafilia canvas is no different than a regular needlepoint canvas. No special mesh or design elements or anything. The only difference is your decision to stitch it the “Glorafilia Way”.
Interesting stuff. I will list the one book I have this next week. I expect the other Glorafilia books any day now.
What else. I have had my Netflix copy of Young Victoria for weeks now. it always takes me forever to get to them. If you are waiting for that movie from Netflix, it is my fault it is late.
I am reading Amanda Quick/Jayne A Krentz. They are good stories, they move right along and I have made my peace with the whole which pseudonym wrote which book thing.
I am reading (and re-reading) a few of my older Victoria Holt books. I may be about done with Victoria Holt however, I have figured out her “romantic formula”
The heroine is always in some danger or a difficult situation or something, often in an exotic setting. She is always newly married and there is always money involved somehow. Her husband seems to be the logical villain but in the end, no matter how it looks and it often looks very bad, the husband is true blue, faithful & loving and the bad guy is someone close to them, someone unexpected.
This is what killed the Barbara Michaels books for me, once I figure out the formula I lose interest. Same thing for Jude Deveraux books (her hero is always dark haired and swarthy with powerful thighs……. you go sis)
I wonder how much my attraction to the hero of a romance novel has to do with my enjoyment of the book? Interesting question.
blog down/blog up
Saturday October 23rd 2010, 11:29 am
Filed under:
Mostly Books I know there has not been a blog entry since last Monday (was it Monday?). Plus you have not been able to read my blog, assuming anyone wants to.
My blog has been *down*. Of course, my blog “hosts” did not notify me of this until I emailed them after 4 days and asked what was up. I was not sure if it was them or me. It was them.
It is funny, I felt like I was without my *voice* without my blog. I know I do not write in it every day but I do compose it, in my head. Then I sit down to write it throwing away most of what I have composed (except for the occasional extraordinary snippet) and just write. I believe it is called “stream of consciousness”. In my case they should call it “stream of unconsciousness”.
As I mentioned last blog, Keith is away at Deer Hunting Camp in South Carolina. He will be home tomorrow. He has been having a terrific time. He has “bagged” 3 does and one very respectable (in terms of antler size) buck.
I had to rush out yesterday and buy a chest freezer for all this venison. He brings it home all processed and frozen, we have to have somewhere to put it.
I did OK, bought at 7 cu ft freezer at HHGregg and they delivered it today. Of course the delivery cost 1/2 what the freezer cost but there you go, at least I have it and they installed it and made sure it was running (no sidewalk drop off, how does one handle that?)
My house sale finalizes next week. I have a mountain of paperwork to read, sign, have notarized and overnight back to them. I am not going to the closing, so I have to sign a limited power of attorney.
I have a pile of new used/rare books to list. Many of them replacements for books sold. Even though I can use the listing again, I have to up-date the pictures. Each used book is unique.
I have half of my accessories order. It is mostly Gingher Scissors (the best, IMO) The 4 inch embroidery scissors have a new style handle. I think the handle will be more comfortable to use. It is not as padded as the OXO Tools type of handle is but it is easier on the hand.
I added 3 inch double curved scissors. They will be fabulous for those times you have to un-stitch something
These handsome scissors have an Oriental Mum Design on a red background on Gingher 4 inch embroidery scissors.
I am still holding my breath waiting for more of Patt & Lee’s Pirate Cat canvases (shown as stitched by Jane, the master stitcher of the Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure Blog
It appears that 2 of these canvases have disappeared. Patt swears she (herself, no less) put them in my last shipment of canvases.
I unpacked that (small) shipment (myself, no less) and would swear they were not there.
It is indeed a mystery which we have given up trying to solve.
So, I need more since I have none.
For new/old books I have added a few titles.
Needlepoint 1/12 Scale: Design Collection for The Doll’s House by Felicity Price
The Glorafillia Needlepoint Collection with Stitch Cards by Jennifer Berman & Carole Lazarus.
I also have a Glorafilla kit on order and plans to order more of these books. I had not seen much of this up till now and I am fascinated.
Bible Stitchery by Judith Schoener Kalina. 40 complete needepoint projects from the Bible. Living here in Amish/Mennonite Country here in PA, I am more aware of this. There are many (many) unusually named churches and Bible Schools & Colleges around here.
New Adventures in Needlepoint by Natalie Hays Hammond. This book was a complete surprise to me. Instead of the usual collection of needlepoint designs, this is letters & symbols (the author calls them “key symbols”) from many cultures & languages. A unique book.
Mira Silverstein’s Needlepoint On A Shoestring. I though that was an good subject given our difficult economic times (understatement alert).
I have enjoyed my week alone but it has been with the knowledge that the Mighty Hunter will be home eventually. Poor me, I now have to listen to his “mighty hunter, fine figure of a man” ( quote from the movie Jeremiah Johnson with Robert Redford, a great movie) stories.
I wonder if the make an ipod with invisible headphones?
I have one new book, Charted Monograms for Needlepoint and Cross-Stitch edited by Rita Weiss from the Dover Needlework Series. It is more like a large pamphlet really. It has different size charts so you can easily transfer them to whatever you are stitching without messing with size.
I have read up a storm this week. I have been doing Amanda Quick/Jayne A. Krantz’s Arcane Society Series of books. There is something odd about how the authors name is used on these books.
If the book is set in the past the author is Amanda Quick. If the book (same series, remember) has a contemporary setting the author is Jayne A Krentz. Same person, different names and very confusing to buy.
I am re-reading some Fiona Hill (real name Ellen Pall). I do wish she was still writing, her books are witty and fun.
I also hemmed 2 (count em) trumpet skirts. They take forever to do.
Oh yes, I ordered Jack the Cat a real sheepskin to sleep on and keep him warm this winter. He has grown a lovely thick winter coat but still…..
Yes, I spoil him. I also spoil my son and my husband (and myself) and why not?
The dishwasher in this rental is leaking and my (clearly) nice and good landlord sent a plumber to fix it. Good news, I am getting a new dishwasher. Now If I could talk him out of a new stove, cabinets and granite counters (as if).
Ok, it is good to have my blog back.
I forgot to do my web site plug. Be sure to visit my extraordinary Needlepoint Web Store NewNeedlepoint.com where the best is always good enough.
talented people
Monday October 18th 2010, 10:57 pm
Filed under:
Mostly Books I am not talking about me here or about NewNeedlepoint.com in this blog (yet anyway, maybe later). I want to show you the fine work of some artists.
Very early in my blog “years” I got to know Margaret. She is the nice lady who stitched my variation of Elsa Williams Aurora Borealis Bargello design for me. She did a terrific job.
Margaret writes the Crane Cottage Blog “Stitch With Me, this ain’t your Grandma’s needlework” and markets the fine original design hand painted needlepoint canvases by Gail Hendrix of Squigges Design.
Gail Hendrix did this custom design for a Kneeler. Margaret is going to stitch it for her local church in Oklahoma City, St Francis of Assissi. You can go to Margaret’s Flickr web site to see pictures of the many wonderful stained glass windows in the church.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mandco/sets/72157622288878129/?page=2
Anyway, a long time ago Margaret asked if I would assemble the threads for this piece. We both thought Paternayan Needlepoint Wool was the best choice for this canvas, it will hold up the best and the kneeler will get a lot of use.
After a long delay (it took the designer some time to complete it) Margaret sent it to me.
)
I think it is beautiful. I had almost all the colors exactly as painted except for the blue. I did not have 2 mid-range blues and then the light blue. I had to do the blues as cobalt, medium true blue and light blue.
The cobalt is darker then what is painted but I think it will be good. Margaret specifically did not want an metallic threads. The silver area in the center would be great in metallic silver but she (rightly) worried that it would be uncomfortable to kneel on for long periods of time.
I did send her some Krenink Gold Metallic for the lettering. It is on one side and not where one kneels. It was painted in gold and I thought it needed it.
Anyway. I taped the edges for Margaret and sent it back with the threads. From the email I received from her, I think she likes what I did.
Then there are my pitiful Amethyst earrings. Remember that sorry story? I had them made, custom, for me at the a Lancaster County Gem & Jewelry show. I picked out these gorgeous Amethysts for their color, a deep purple and the nice oval shape.
The vendor had a shop set up there, he said he would mount them in 14K gold for me, with earwires (which I love).
I paid for them and then K & I went to lunch. When we came back, this is what they gave me.
They used a necklace mounting and stuck an earwire on it. I was very upset. I should have made a fuss, there and then but I was (I am ashamed to say) cowed by the crowds and the vendor kept insisting “that was what I asked for”. I took them and slunk home.
Yes, I did ask for them to be as simply mounted as possible, never imagining he would do what he did.
I figured the money was wasted and the earrings were unwearable. They did look awful on me. They looked stupid and I felt stupid (which I rarely do anymore).
I was messing around the earring pages on Neiman Marcus & Saks, just looking and admiring when I saw these. That was the mounting I had in my mind all along. (the stones and the earrings in this picture are much smaller then my stones but the design & idea is right).
I started searching on the net. I emailed people who came up in my *wire wrapped jewelry* search.
One said no. One said yes but in gold filled only. Then I found Bev Ludlow.
I sent along with the emails a picture of what I had and a picture of what I (more or less) wanted. Bev responded with a positive and sent me to her web site to look around.
http://www.wirewrapjeweler.com/
Even the name is perfect. wirewrapper.com. I looked at her work, I sent her some pictures of what I liked. We both did not know, going in, how these would look or what they would cost.
For some unknown reason I trusted her (and I am not a generally trusting person, as you have probably guessed. (understatement alert).
Bev sent me these pictures when she finished the first one, for my approval.
She named a very reasonable price too considering we were working with 14K gold wire.
I received them today. I am amazed, delighted and jazzed.
She is indeed a talented jeweler.
Anyway, back to reality. I finally got a copy of the backordered forever book Diaper Patterns by Ann Strite-Kurz. I was unsure what it would be before I saw it.
As a mother, I have a different take on the phrase “diaper patterns” (ick) but these are very fine multi colored geometric patterns for backgrounds or filler or whatever. The book comes with a CD, a very good way to learn this.
But I only got 1 copy and I am a little bit worried. I got just 1 copy of Ms, Strite-Kurz other new book, A Potpourri of Pattern and it sold within 2 weeks of being listed.
Now I have to order more.
I solved my Holiday Accessories dilemma (to order or not to order) by hacking down the size of the list, another successful compromise between me & me.
I am, however, fully stocked with Father B’s excellent book, 21st Century Book of Stitches. This is a very fine collection, all in one place, of the ANG’s Stitch of the Month stitches since they began.
The Rev. Robert E. Blackburn Jr. had been involved with the stitch of the month from the beginning. This is the 6th and last edition from 2000.
I have 8 copies (eight, a fabulous stash) of Father B’s book. All ready for gifting. I have 5 copies of Iona L. Dettelbach’s very hard to find book, Creating Contemporary Bargello
2 copies of Anna Crutchley’s Tassel Making (this book flies off my shelves)
and 5 copies of Ruth Diltz’s great book, Needlepoint 101: Guide to Painted Canvas.
There are lots more New Books including the entire list of June McKnight’s Needlepoint & Bargello books plus some amazing used books, a few of them gift quality.
I am very choosy about gift quality. I guarantee the used books marked “Gift Quality” you receive from me will be in great shape and appropriate for giving as a gift.
Me, what is up with me…..well, Keith leaves tomorrow for a 5 day guided hunting trip in South Carolina. He has always wanted to do something like this and is very excited. We spent much of last weekend getting him the “stuff” he needs. It was a lot like sending my son off the overnight camp except Keith is taking a rifle, a shotgun and bullets. (they never let the boys have real bullets at camp).
I am good, the fall foliage here is gorgeous, Jack the Cat is growing a lovely thick winter coat and I ordered him a sheepskin to sleep on, to keep him warm and cozy (yes, I love this cat).
I am re-reading In The Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant. This book, published in 2006, is very different from Ms Dunant’s Hannah Wolfe mysteries or her other books. It is somewhat similar to her book: The Birth of Venus, which did not “capture” me as this one does.
I have a few books to list and a few canvases and a big order of replacement used/rare books on the way with some new titles (not new books, that was hard to word correctly).
I love sleeping with my windows open on these cool nights, I really missed this in Florida.
men & missing books
Wednesday October 13th 2010, 9:37 pm
Filed under:
Mostly Books Men are very strange with money, they do not see it the way we do, for the most part.
Keith is my 3rd husband (I know, a triumph of hope over experience) So I have some experience of men with money.
Keith is well behaved, mostly. He consults me where the money for most things (except piddy daily stuff) needs to come from. He is a smart man but not careful. He leaves money in his pockets, I could if I wanted to make a nice profit doing his laundry.
I sometimes think it might be better if men carried a purse too then I start to wonder what scary things they might carry in there, (no telling).
Keith does not like to spend cash if it is not a $20 bill. He will use smaller bills, on tips etc, but it is not nearly as satisfying to him as a $20.
He puts multiple small charges on the debit card, even when he has money in his pocket. I mean really small dollar stuff ($1.79?). It is a Quicken nightmare for “bookkeeper me”.
Oh well, Men, can’t live with them, can’t shoot them. Remember this pillow, it is my first ever needlepoint design.
Anyway, I suppose most men could do a rebuttal blog to this one but it is my blog and I will say what I want to.
I keep finding books I did not know I had. I think I maybe put them in their nice alphabetical order and then forget about them.
I found a beautiful Gift Quality copy of Hugh Ehrman’s 1995 The Erhman Needlepoint Book. This is the UK edition and I must have had it for awhile since I do not remember buying it (then again I have the memory of a goldfish, as I have mentioned before).
The book features designs by Kaffe Fassett, Candace Bahouth & Elian McReady.
Since I seem to be repeating myself here (go with the flow) Kaffe Fassett’s book Glorious Needlepoint was one of the major factors why I became interested in Needlepoint.
The first canvas I tired to stitch (and failed on) was one of his Magnolia series (the red one). It was probably a mistake to start out with that. The kit had a piece of unhemmed or taped canvas and a hank of colors, all mixed together. No a scrap of direction anywhere to be seen.
Since then I have stitched a number of Erhman canvases.
I still have these, the others I gave away long before I ever thought I would do a needlepoint web store and might need pictures of them.
As you can see, I did eventually stitched another of the Magnolia canvases and did fine with it.
Back to my main stream here. I also found a copy of Jo Ippolito Christensen’s Needlepoint: The Third Dimension.
As you can guess it is basically a plastic canvas book, that is the only way to get a stand alone needlepoint structure (unless, of course, you build something and then apply the canvases to it).
I was conflicted when I bought this book, I already have a Plastic Needlepoint book, The Third Dimension by Gale Litvak. There has been no interest shown in this book since I listed it.
Still…I thought Jo Ippolito Christensen’s very famous name might help so I bought the book but I have not listed it yet and in fact forgot I had it.
There are some particularly fine and rare Gift Quality used books for the holidays on NewNeedlepoint.com
Martin Leman’s Needlepoint Cats is a wonderful book. His famous Cat paintings have been made into needlepoint patterns by his daughter Jill Leman.
This is a most unusual needlepoint book, all the designs feature hands. It has been my experience that hands are difficult to stitch but A Show of Hands by Janet McCaffery seems to manage it very well, with graphs & directions
Another unusual book, in wonderful Gift Quality condition is Needlepoint Samplers by Felicity Lewis. Stitched samplers are usually associated with embroidery or cross-stitch but the designs and ideas in this book show how fine these are done in needlepoint.
I have not listed this next book as Gift Quality but it comes awfully close. This is a very popular book, I have sold many copies of this book. They are getting harder to find and I was very surprised to see the condition this one is in.
It is Your House in Needlepoint by Susan Higgenson who is also the author of the well known book Needlepoint Stitches. This is clearly a book by an experienced needlepoint stitcher and teacher.
Of course, there is my sizable and growing New Needlepoint Book category and it’s sadly smaller companion category New Bargello Needlepoint books.
There are so few Bargello books out there, either new or used. (sigh)
I have not ordered the extra accessories for Holiday Sales yet. I know time is running short (as usual for me). I pick up the phone, I put it down, I do this several times a day and anytime I sit at my desk.
I am not sure what my problem is. (or it would takes way to long to list them all).
If I do not do it by the end of next week, I will let it go.
I am still reading Jayne M. Krentz’s Amanda Quick books, I have blundered into her “Arcane Society Series” with my purchase of the first book in the series (I had no idea, just dumb luck).
So far, I am enjoying it
There is a significant difference in the Amanda Quick romance novels. They stand out from most of the other contemporary romance novel authors because they do not (how to I say this delicately?) focus on foreplay. They get right to the main event. This might be unique among contemporary romance authors.
Of course, I pine for the world of Georgette Heyer, where a kiss was a big deal and all you got (and it was enough).
As always, enough is enough.
blog-o-matic
I haven’t written in my beloved blog for a few days. I have been slightly sick. I had a cold which morphed into a sinus thingie. That one is hanging around.
My perfect cure for it is to re-arrange the living room/family room. Since we have decided to spend the winter in our dingy icky rental, I am trying to make it more comfortable.
We only have the one sitting room, all my living room stuff (except my books and bookcases) is in storage. When we first moved in Keith wanted to arrange the stuff in the LR a certain way. I protested There are 3 tall narrowish windows in the room topped with one of those half moon windows.
There are pleated shades on the 3 windows. All good except the center one is 6 inches too short. The other 2 fall to the window sill, that one does not even come close.
This bothered me in my deepest compulsive levels so we arranged the (too big) furniture to cover it.
But now the room sets up badly. So we are changing it to how K wanted it to begin with ( I do hate it when he is right).
Since we are staying here for awhile I will replace the 3 pleated shades. That, of course, means I have replaced every fixed window covering in the whole place which is not a whole lot. Each of the 3 bedrooms has just 1 window. I have to say, I wish the bedrooms had more windows (even 1 more each would be nice). Oh well.
Cheat rent is cheap rent.
BTW, we did not get to my nephews wedding in St Augustine. I was sick and did not want to make everybody there sick. My son tells me it was a lovely wedding.
Sales continue steady, slow but steady on NewNeedlepoint.com . I am currently selling more canvases & kits than books, that does surprise me but I like it.
Still doing a big business in Patt & Lee’s Scrap Threads canvases.
I have made a list of accessories to order for holiday sales. I am hoping (like Goldilock’s porridge it is not too hot and not too cold) the orders are not too many and not too few.
We have XM radio on the car, it came with it and K listens to the Red Sox lose on it (they have broken his heart this year). The only radio station we can agree on is the 60′s station. It really is pretty good as long as they do not play too many Supreme’s songs.
We were in the car Saturday and they played the old Mamas & the Papas song “Creeque Alley”. I don’t know if any of you remember it. It is the song about their history as a group and their beginnings as The Mugwumps (horrible name).
The repeated refrain bothers me.
“Mc Guinn & McGuire couldn’t get no higher
In LA you know where it’s at
And no one’s getting fat except Mama Cass”
Ouch. This is somewhat lightened by the last repeat of the tag line, after they become successful, replacing the last line with
‘and everyones getting fat except Mama Cass.
Now, I grew up in a very nice affluent suburb if Boston. In my family and to my classmates I was an outsider, a “miracle of fatness”. Indeed I was not really fat, I was quite “sturdy” however and no dear little Alice in Wonderland or a Sweet Fairy Spite. At one point I had the “Pixie Haircut” (anyone remember it?) It was awful one me.
I read a lot (I still do). I did not have many heros or heroines. I once met the current Miss America, Marianne Mobley. at a car show and told her my name was also Marianne, spelled like hers. She did not seem moved by this but she was polite.
Mama Cass was one of my heroines, big time. Here was this fat girl with a great voice. She got up on stage and sang, she danced and pranced and I thought she was terrific.
We will pass on my other major heroine, too controversial for this nice little blog.
I was very upset when the reports of Cass’s death in London reported she had chocked on a ham sandwich. It was not until many years later I learned that was not true, she had a heart attack (which is bad enough).
Anyway, getting back to my point (assuming I had one). In the song Creeque Alley there are these lines:
“John & Mitchie were getting kind of bitchy
and Mitchie wanted to go to the sea
Cass can’t make it
She says we have to fake it
We knew she’d come eventually”
Think about it. Why on earth would Cass want to go ” the sea” (which was one of the Caribbean Islands, I think) and watch Michelle swan around in a bikini and flirt with Cass’s love (Denny Doherty, who Michelle later had an affair with while they were all still in the group).
In Cass’ place would any of us have gone to sit there and watch Michelle cavort and display her lovely body, not me.
Those lines have been reverberating in my head since Saturday, I know you now know why I am moving furniture. Anything to distract me.
I am reading Amanda Quick, the Regency alter ego of Jayne A Krentz. I like her stuff. Although she has her heroines behaving and thinking too modern, they are still pleasing and wonderful escapist books.
I am not too clear what I am escaping from at this point, things are pretty good (except for my rotten sinus thingie)
making decisions
I do not find making decisions to be difficult. However, making right decisions is very hard, almost impossible
I am trying to decide if I want to add to my stock of Needlepoint Tools and Accessories for the holidays.
I have invested heavily in Holiday related needlepoint canvases and kits including many By Patt & Lee Designs. The Halloween ones have not sold but I will put them away until next summer and re-list them then. No great loss there. It is possible I did not have them listed early enough in the season.
it seems to me the Needlepoint Magazines (both of them that I know of anyway) began to show Halloween related stuff in the beginning of the summer but I am not sure. I do not keep back issues. This is a space issue, NewNeedlepoint.com is cramped enough already in our smallish rental 1/2 house.
I already list some pretty good tools but I do not have much back stock.
These might make nice presents for a stitcher you know
After selling quite a few of these Mighty Bright LED Floor Lights w/ Magnifiers, and ordering them 1 at a time, I broke down and ordered 3.
I have these wonderful Gingher Scissors. Below are the Traditional Embroidery Scissors.
and the Spring Loaded Embroidery Scissors. These are perfect for anyone with hand strength issues.
Gingher are as good as it gets in scissors in my opinion. I tired some others here and for my own use but nothing is a good as Gingher.
I only have 1 of each of these. I might need more.
Another great gift is the DMC Travel Roll. If your threads get in the kind of tangle mine do in my tote bag, this is the answer to that. I know they call it a Travel Bag but I think of it as a Thread Sanity Bag. I have 3 of these.
Then there is the Stocking Stuffer or Group Giving kind of smaller cost item.
I have 3 of these handsome RoseWood Laying tools
I have 3 of the Gold Plated Laying Needle.
But the most stock I have of anything is this cute DMC Needle Organizer. I have 26 of these.
I don’t know if anyone remembers, this was the first item I sold on NewNeedlepoint.com, way back when. A gentleman from California ordered 10 of these to give as “favors” to his Stitching Group.
I only had 6. I sent him those and rush ordered more. Giving these as a gift to a group of stitchers is perfect. This might be the best $2.75 you ever spent.
Plus there are my new Needlepoint Books and Bargello Needlepoint books. Except for the most popular of these (the ones that sell the most here) I only have 1 of each of these.
A Potpourri of Patterns by Ann Strite-Kurz
Tassel Making by Anna Crutchley
And all the June McKnight Needlepoint and Bargello Needlepoint books including Shading and Blending Techniques for Needlepoint
In the New Bargello Books Category these is this very hard to find book. Creating Contemporary Bargello by Iona L. Dettelbach.
Same with my Rare/Used Needlepoint Design Book, Reference Book and Bargello Needlepoint Books. I have quite a few gift quality, mostly in the Needlepoint Design Category but again, just one of each.
The Beatrix Potter Needlepoint Book. I have 2 copies of this, it was a big seller last holiday season.
I went through my Rare/Used book tonight looking for editions that are in Gift Quality condition, one I had overlooked or judged too harshly when I listed them.
I found several, a few of them I am surprised that I did not list them as Gift Quality from the start. One of them, Celtic Needlepoint I listed before a *Gift Quality* designation existed.
And Decorative Needlepoint by Julia Hickman about incorporating beadwork and needlepoint.
I also up-graded 2 Bargello Books to Gift Quality. Florentine Embroidery by Barbara Muller. I have 2 Gift Quality copies of this.
Also Dorothy Phelan’s Florentine Canvaswork. This is the UK edition of this book which is called Traditional Bargello in the US Edition
There is not much I can (or should) do about stocking more Rare/Used books but I wonder if I should add stock to the new books and tools I already have (ok, not the Needle Organizers) and add some new tools and accessories.
My instinct is to decide “Yes” but I always do find it easier to decide to buy something rather then to not buy it (or them).
Of course, that alone describes quite a bit about my life. (and my mistakes)
My house sale appears to be on track to close 10/28.2010. I have finally satisfied my nit-picky buyers. They must figure they have squeezed as much out of me as they can. They managed to separate the small a/c repair from the $1000 I am giving them at closing for repairs (teeny tiny nit-picky repairs) so the a/c repair is another $300.
I am reading, of course. Any communication with my agent about more demands from my buyers sends me right to bed with a book. Right now I am re-reading (for the 3rd time) The Fortune Hunter by Diane Farr. This is very good book, with romance and humor. I wonder why Diane Farr stopped writing, her books are among my favorites.
The last current decision is the one about living here in our dingy, still somewhat dirty & small 1/2 house with the ski slope driveway.
After looking at other rentals for twice the money & more we have decided we do not have it That Bad here. Keith & I have scrubbed this place to within an inch of it’s life. We replaced all the 1/2 inch thick with dist & dirt plastic mini-blinds ($4.50 each) and all the handles on the kitchen cabintets (greasy grimy ick) for a total of $30. New toilet seats, cleaned all the light fixtures and put in brighter bulbs etc.
Keith moved the refrigerator and cleaned underneath and behind it (for the first time ever he believes).
With my things in it, and my nice rugs over the basic apt. wall to wall carpet the place does not look that bad. The rent is cheap and for the money we have lots of space even if it is not enough space for all my stuff.
My nicest things are in mover storage in Lancaster for $60 a month (well worth it) and we have a 4-wheel drive for the driveway. If the weather is that bad, I would not go out anyway.
Plus, I can’t face packing it all again, changing all the address/misc stuff again. All of it. I do not want to do it right now and once winter begins, we are here for the duration.
I do have an update for you. North American Van Lines has denied my claim for my Stickley Buffet which was destroyed by the movers and then left wrapped in a mover’s blanket so I would not see the damage.
It is their position that since the Buffet is in storage at another movers, the damage could have been done by them.
This is despite my assurances that it was not and the movers who took it to storage (and first found the damage with me) agreeing that it was that way when we unwrapped it.
I find it disgraceful that they assigned these horrible movers to me. They must have many, many complaints against Greater Syracuse Movers but they sent them to me, anyway.
They covered up or hid the damage they did and they are getting away with it.
Shame on North American Van Lines.
more nitpicking
Did you know I am a con-artist who is trying to cheat the buyers of my home out of a $50-$75 repair to the insulation on one of the air-conditioner lines in the house I am selling.
These ultimate nit-pickers, who are already buying my house for 40% less then I paid for it 5 years ago and who demanded I (currently living in Pennsylvania) have 3 minor (very) repairs done to the house before they buy it.
Ok, they accepted a $1000 settlement on that but now, they are making a huge fuss over this piddly a/c repair.
Since I am not there and there is no one to let the repair man in, I suggested it be done after the buy the house and are living in it.
But these nit-picking suspicious people, afeared I will cheat them out of this, are insisting it be done before the closing.
AWK indeed. So…my agent will meet the repair people there and stay while it is done.
You should understand, my house is beautiful and very well maintained. It has a lovely pool (which just had the pool motor replaced, it failed since I have gone) and ultra custom closets and a fabulous kitchen with all top-notch stuff (cabinets, granite, appliances) but no.
They pick, pick, pick, pick.
Anyway, there are some pleasures to being All Caught Up with my NewNeedlepoint.com work.
The relentless pressure of *I must get this done* is gone, replaced by the same kind of insanity in the other parts of my life where I have neglected to get things done (no joke but still LOL).
Oddly enough my sleeping patterns have gone haywire. I don’t sleep for 2-3 days, then I sleep all night & day. Then they cycle begins again.
Yesterday I slept from 4am to 3 pm, I have not been to sleep yet tonight, I doubt I will (it is 7:17am).
Needlepoint Now caught me with my “pants down” with their book review of Father B’s 21st Century Book of Stitches. It is an interesting book.
It began in 1982 as a collection of stitches used in the “Stitch of the Month” by the ANG. It had 100 stitches.
There were more editions until the last in 2000, which has 350 stitches. Sadly, there will be no more, Father Blackburn died in October 2000.
There are some truly unique stitches here as well as the expected catalog of stitches.
Back to my main point, they reviewed the book and I only had 2 copies in stock. They sold in one weekend. Not many places stock this wonderful book and suddenly it was in demand.
I sped a rush order for 5 more to the publisher and did something new on NewNeedlepoint. I accepted orders for the book, saying in the listing that I am out but have a rush order in for more.
I sold 2 more that way. So now I am down to 3 and Needlepoint Now only publishes every other month. I think I should buy some more.
Or maybe the sales rush is a flash-in-the-pan at the time of publication of the issue and the demand will fade. But maybe not.
(yes, it is difficult to be me and see both sides of everything all the time).
I have a very nice, large needlepoint canvas from Danji Design. It is all butterflies, each one slightly different from the other butterflies (with one exception). They all use the same group of colors.
Not only that but the colors are not what I imagine when I think about butterflies. Black, gray, brown, rust, red, light orange, yellow & blue (ok, I can see the last few).
Still, the overall effect is somber and not at all pleasing. Then there is the almost all black butterfly with teal and turquoise at the bottom of it’s lower wings or the one purple, black & brown butterfly which sticks out like a sore thumb (an unattractive sore thumb).
Danji Designs usually uses wonderful colors. I can only hope that with this canvas they were trying to use up some unpopular colors of paint or maybe the designer was in a bad mood.
These, to me, are bad mood colors.
Then there is the canvas of the Abyssinian Cat. When I ordered it I thought it looked much the Jack The Cat (my lord & master)
It does and it doesn’t.
The face is very wrong, to me anyway.
I think this should be kitted with Paternayan Wool to reflect his soft fur. Or maybe I should just *lose* this one.
I am reading, of course. Currently I am re-reading Other Worlds by Barbara Michaels. Now Ms Michaels was a very well known writer of slightly supernatural romantic novels, both contemporary and historical.
She was/is very popular. But in the last years she changed her *nom de plume* (Barbara Micheals is not her real name either, it is Barbara Mertz).
She has become wildly popular writing as Elizabeth Peters, author of the Amelia Peabody Egyptian series. I read them for a long time but then I stopped, I could not read one more Egyptian anything nor did I care a bit about her son Ramses and his perfect blond former goddess wife.
It is a shame, the first few Amelias were terrific. Oh well but again I am digressing.
Other Worlds is a departure for this writer, it is 2 true stories of actual hauntings given a writerly polish. One of them is the famous Bell Witch story. There are other books about this event, each has it’s own take on what happened and there was a movie not too long ago, American Haunting with Donald Sutherland & Sissy Spacek.
It is an absorbing story that I re-read frequently. I interrupted reading a series of Amanda Quick novels to read it, it is a nice change.
I have an extensive section in my “library” (Ha! 2 big bookcases with glass doors) of ghost stories, modern and the famous Victorian ones. There is even a book of Ghost Stories by Joyce Carol Oates, odd huh?
I think the best in the genre is Shirley Jackson (the Lottery, the Haunting of Hill House and more). I also like Richard Maetheson quite a bit but his novels & short stories are more “horror” than “ghost”. His writing is not for the faint of heart.
I finally got my much overdue Krenik Metallics order. They mistakenly sent it to Apollo Beach outside Tampa, where I lived 2 moves ago.
Yes, I did write my new address on the order, yes I did mention that this was something they should notice but they did not.
I pointed out the email showing the order and my new address to them but have received no acknowledgement of their error and or apology for a rush order that was delayed 1 month (it had all the metallic whites I needed for all that snow on the Christmas Tree ornaments I listed.
Speaking of books, I have selling a lot of these wonderful books on Tassel Making by Anna Crutchley, This is the only book of it’s kind I have found, it was published in the UK and it is a good one.
