2 in a row
A blog 2 days in a row. I must be dreaming. The blog utility is working (with hiccups of trouble) and I am taking advantage to blabb.
I forgot to mention in my last blog that I found a cache of perfect condition, un-opened Erhman Tapestry Needlepoint Kits. I bought them and will list them when I can (as soon as I can, I promise).
These are *vintage* kits from who knows how many years ago I am told. I don’t know if there are any current ones in the pile. I have not seen them yet.
I have stitched a few Erhman Kits myself. I am told the kits are improved since I stitched one. The wools used to be just bunched together in 1 or 2 big hanks, Now, I am told, they are separated by colors. That is better. Un-mixing the colors was a tedious task.
Below are pictures of the Erhman Designs I have stitched. I doubt either of these designs are among the 10 kits I bought but you never know.
This mornings task is to re-pack the left side of the basement, making some order from it’s current chaos (even worse since K stormed through it looking for the confirmation notebooks for me).
It is a good day for that, a dark rainy day, very stormy feeling. Perfect. Then I think I will do more taxes and then the ironing.
Fun, fun, fun till Daddy takes the T-Bird away (remember the old Beach Boys song?)
Me, again. I am adding to the blog post. I took a picture of all the rare/used books I got this week. I spent the afternoon cleaning, taping and inspecting them.
This is the pile of New (mostly) Knitting books I have to photograph & list
see? I was not kidding.
here I am
I am shocked. I am on the blog utility and it seems to be working (so far).
I am 1/3 of the way through the tax stuff. It is hard. Since I lost all the financial data that I had been entering in quicken for the last 11 years, I have to go through notebook after notebook of old trade confirmations for some of the buys to match with the sells.
I think what quicken did to me was just awful. I can only suppose it happened to others as well.
At any rate, I have been having a tough week. I could not find all the trade confirmation notebooks. We have so much stuff still in boxes in the basement. I opened and repacked every box on the left side of the basement.
I thought the right side had just basement & garage stuff (it is unheated). So when I did not find them I called my Dad in Florida. I stored some old financial records there when we started moving so much.
My Dad, at 87, went up to the attic and opened all those boxes. The confirmation notebooks were not there.
I was beside myself. How much “fudging” could I get away with to the IRS?
Keith finally found the notebooks, they were in 2 boxes way back in the mountain of boxes and junk in the right side of the basement. My hero.
I am in the midst of receiving a large pile of rare/used books that I have to clean, process & list. They come 1 or 2 at a time over a period of weeks.
I have canvases & kits to list and more on the way, I have a handpainted Laurel Burch order in that is taking 6 weeks to be produced. I have sold so much of the Laurel Burch I had already.
I have an order coming from Patt & Lee. It includes the Scrap Thread Designs that I have sold out of like ST Circles #2
I have all the knitting books to list and another huge order or rare/used books coming. Many of them are replacements for books I have sold (some of them again & again).
So, my list is
taxes
list canvases
knitting books
rare books
new, new books
canvases
complete breakdown including hiding in bed, sobbing and ice cream.
I am reading The Hangsman’s Daughter. It is a “current” book, not one of my oldies. Written by Oliver Potzsch and translated by Lee Chadeayne.
It is a compelling book. The subject is not one I would normally turn to (not being a horror & gore reader, myself) but this is a good book, a very good book.
I remain amazed. The blog utility let me write this whole blog and even put some pictures in.
Let’s see it if it posts, shall we?
blog or bog?
I know, I use this excuse a lot but it is true. My blog utility has been down (mostly) since I wrote my last blog post. What was it? A week ago? This is frustrating to me (doh).
I am sure the Blog Master is frustrated too but it seems to me they should have planned/forseen that these many blogs would cause these problems (at least that is what they tell me, too many).
If I could take my blog (with it’s 2, maybe 3 readers) over to blogspot intact, I would do so in a minute. Isn’t it funny that a huge, free blog site operates just fine while my visible.net blog (no matter if I pay for it through my monthly fees or pay extra to take it private and they are not allowed to post their choice of links & ads all over it. I just loved the colostomy bag link).
So, that said (virtual punch in the arm to visible.net) I am doing well. NewNeedlepoint.com continues to make sales. Slowish but steady and I am thrilled. I have become so busy that I have asked the teenage girl next door (the wonderful Danielle who takes such good care of Jack The Cat when we go away overnight) to help me with packing orders and hemming canvases.
Remember, way back when I said the first thing I would do, if I ever made any sales, was get someone to hem the canvases for me?
Danielle is a great girl. She & her bother & their friends have a hard rock band and are doing OK, they have a recording session next Saturday. Her brother, who is the drummer, is also the wonderful guy who shovels my driveway & stairs when it snows. I overpay him obscenely so he will be happy & eager to do it.
K says he must be out there doing a snow dance, since we had some snow last night.
Teenagers next door are the next best thing to teenagers in the house, in terms of this stuff. Teenagers who drive are even better. My son used to keep any extra money left over from when we sent him to do errands for us (pick up the chinese food, dry cleaning, milk & bread etc). He said it was *The Cost of Doing Business* and since we paid for his gas anyway, he made out OK. Smart kid.
Hmmm, I seem to have gotten off track, as usual.
I had an amazing order over the weekend.
I was very wary when I ordered, in my last order (before the current one), some fairly expensive books Like Canvas Embellishment and Canvas Embellishment the Sequel
This lady bought both of them, she also ordered Sandra Arthur’s new book, The Shapes of Needlepoint. I have had another inquiry about this book, asking if I have more ordered. Yes, I upped my order from 2 more to 4 more.
Lucinda Ganderton’s classic book, The Stitch Sampler.
*The picture server just went down, again*
marianne goes to the frigid basement and does some laundry
The Complete Illustrated Stitch Encyclopedia and
The TNNA’s How to Needlepoint
I still have the last 2 in stocks, the others I have re-ordered (more then 1 copy each)
The books that sell and the books that don’t always amaze me. The Complete Illustrated Stitch Encyclopedia is a steady seller, it has been since the moment I listed it.
I thought the TNNA book, How to Needlepoint would fly out of here but this is the first copy I have sold, so far.
My customer also bought The Needlework Doctor by Mary Kay Davis. She got my last copy of that too but I (being the compulsive I am) have more on order.
Getting back to a previous subject, how books go in & out of style. I have noticed that my sales of the excellent Elizabeth Bradley needlepoint books and the (previously) popular Beth Russell books are slowed to almost zero. There was a time you could ask almost any price for some of these out-of-print books.
I can surmise that it is becasue the new mania/trend in Needlepoint is decorative stitches and unusual fibers. Bother the Elizabeth Bradley book & the Beth Russell books are “plain stitch” and traditional design.
I noticed in a recent Needlepointers Magazine the many (most) of the winners for 2010 did very modern looking or graphic designs.
I also noticed in the past issue of Needlepoint Now they reviews one of the new books I list. A Perfect World in Ribbon Embroidery & Stumpwork. The reviewer liked the book very much, as I did, and did not make fun of the name (A Perfect World etc) like I did.
I am currently reading some contemporary romantic drivel by Jude Deveraux. She obviously like huge, dark and muscular men. That is *the man* in all her books, no matter if the setting is now or then.
I still think her best book, by far, is 2002′s A Knight In Shining Armor. Oh well. Sometimes these books can be very relaxing to read. I get into bed in a dark room and read by the light of my backlit iPad and fall peacefully asleep reading this pap.
I want to show you what Jack The Cat is doing on this snowy cold morning
He is fast asleep in his heated cat bed with his catnip mouse next to him.
I can see, from my picture that I need to de-cat-hair his bed, but not until he wakes up (and wants his lunch).
I think he is smarter than I am. I am up being busy, he is curled in his heated bed sleeping, so which species is superior?
let’s see
Thursday February 17th 2011, 2:43 pm
Filed under:
Mostly Books The Blog Guyz (yes, the z is deliberate) say it is all working now. Let’s see.
Yes indeed, it posted a picture to my blog. Good dog.
I thought Pat’s comment was funny, in the midst of all her packing etc. I, who have moved 4 times in 2 years knows exactly what she is going through. Shall I send her my trusty Tape Gun?
Or will I need it? It is my hope that K’s job moves us closer to my son or lets him go Regional so we can live where we want.
My son is only worried I will move in next door. When he first went off to college in Vermont I briefly considered buying a house for sale right across the street. I did not but I could have.
The book shown above is a moving story. it is a new book but the dust jacket is not so good. It is bent at the top & bottom and has a rip in the back (which I taped up).
This is because I moved this book 3 times. When I bought it the new book categories were not even thought of yet. I was going to post it with the Needlepoint books but never got around to it.
So the poor book moved with me over & over.
Now I have a Color Theory Book category but this book is the worse for wear. What should I do, post it as (pitiful) new or as used?
This picture is from an extraordinary and very rare book from Hayat Palumbo. It is called Tapisserie: The Art of Needlepoint. Ms Palumbo is also the author of the gorgeous book, A Passion for Needlepoint.
Like that book, this one is not a project & graph book, it is pictures of some of the most beautiful needlepoint in absolutely wonderful settings.
There are a few other books I talked about 2 blogs ago (ancient history) but I was not able to show you the pictures of.
Below is A Perfect World in Ribbon Embroidery & Stumpwork. I have already gone off on the book’s name in the earlier blog so I will spare you but the picture is great.
Next is A Beginner’s Guide to Silk Shading by Claire Hanham. Just cross out the work Silk and this is an essential book for every needlepointer or embroiderer.
And the picture of the cover of Color Choices: Making Sense Out of Color Theory by Stephan Quiller. The author is a painter and the book is aimed that way but the color theory and color use in this book is universal. It is also a gorgeous book.
I am reading a Regency Romance by a new(ish) author, The Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen. So far there has been little romance, it is mostly about feminist politics in that age and the castigation & rejection of women who *stray* (have a baby while unwed).
It is amazing to me that so very many of these girls seems to get knocked up the first and only time they do anything. This one in particular, did not even go all the way but got pregnant anyway.
Way too much of the book is set in a maternity hospital for unwed mothers, this is all important but not what I pick up and read a Regency for. Hardly.
I downloaded all 3 of her novels to my iPad. I hope the others are more cheerful.
I should have known something was up when the heroine was named *Miss Lamb*. Could anyone be more innocent and clueless than *Miss Lamb*? (as in lambs as a symbol for innocence etc.)
I m up to my eyebrows in taxes. There will not be many more books or canvases listed until I am done. I have listed all but 2 of the used/rare book in my pile so I will probably sneak those in but the canvases, the knitting books and all the new used books I have ordered will have to wait.
I wish they would do flat tax, or VAT tax and lets us off the IRS yearly hook. This is a nightmare every year and I have to assemble and do the profit/loss figures for 5 returns (AWWWWKKKKK)
You knew there was an “AWK” in there somewhere.
Oppps, almost forgot. NewNeedlepoint.com
more or less, again
Tuesday February 15th 2011, 12:50 pm
Filed under:
Mostly Books My blog utility has more or less (more) been down since I wrote my last blog.
I want to thank Josh & everyone in support at visible.net for enduring my many emails, most of which said *ARGGGGGH* or maybe *AWWWWKK*
( it went down again briefly while I was writing this)
I have a lot to say today, bear with me.
I got a nice email from Sandra Arthur thanking me for mentioning her new book The Shapes of Needlepoint Series 1. You are more then welcome Sandy.
Also a nice one from Pat Miller for mentioning her Stitiching Destashing blog/store. This is where I will be selling the things that did not sell in my Clearance Sale.
As you (might) know, the sale is closed until next January. I am coming along with my change over, making NewNeedlepoint.com a mostly (again, more or less) needlework book store.
The web store has become more successful and combining that with my other responsibilities (portfolio manager & trustee for the us and the “next generation of my extended family) I have become very busy.
I am currently, as I write this, downloading & printing1099 forms (tax forms) from all the brokerage houses I use. I guess the old rule of “mailed by the end of January” is a dead duck. I have received 1 so far out of an expected 12.
I am just finishing up listing the rare/used books I have had for a while now. First I did the replacements for ones that had sold. Each book is different (unless they are new) and cost a different amount. I have to re-do the pictures and condition statement each time I sell one (and maybe find more of them).
(I was going to show you some of the books but the blog picture server is still down.)
Below is a list
Dorothy Kaestner’s Needlepoint Bargello & Bargello Antics
Margaret Boyles Bargello: An Explosion in Color & The Bargello Workbook
The Needlework Doctor by Mary Kay Davis
The Ultimate Glorafilia Collection by Carole lazarus & Jennifer Berman
A Passion for Needlepoint by Hayat Palumbo
and a few more whose names escape me right now.
Which brings me to a BIG topic.
As I sell multiple copies of some of these rare books, they become harder to find and more costly.
I also try to find better condition copies, if they are going to cost more I want them to be “nicer”. I try to find the balance between a reasonable price and a decent condition.
This is not as easy as you think. I recently ordered 2 copies of a book I have sold several copies of. I ordered them both from the same seller. They both came in “crusted” with dirt and icky “pieces” all over the hard covers. What was really weird was one of them had this under a very good dust jacket.
As I sell these books and you buy them, we are causing the rarity and the prices to rise.
When I first began I could buy the Margaret Boyles book Bargello: an Explosion in Color for just a dollar or 2 plus shipping. Now they are $35+ wholesale. We did that, you & I.
I do my best. I assume the risk. I think I am the only used/rare book seller out here who actually shows you the book, inside & out. This takes time & work. It is much harder then just writing “very good condition” no matter what (yes, that was sarcastic).
Ok, that said, I want to blabb about how much I like being an older woman. When I was younger I was always concerned with how I looked, my “presentation”, what I said, etc.
Was this one attracted to me? was he interested in me? was she jealous? did she like me? Even during my marriages, this was on my mind….always. It mattered in how I saw myself, how I stood in the world and in relation to others, man or woman.
Now it does not matter anymore. I am 60 and men are polite, especially young men. They can’t do enough for me. They open doors, help me carry things, the whole enchilada.
Women either like me or not, few are jealous. I can say what I want, no one listens to me anyway.
I am having a ball being 60. It is way more fun then being attractive.
I finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest late last night. It picked up in the end and had a satisfying conclusion. Beware, I loved the nail gun. I am truly sad that Steig Larsson died so young. There could have been many more wonderful books from him. Such is life.
I have not started a new book yet. I am so deep in taxes. Then come canvases & kits, then more new books, then more used/rare books (on their way) and then……more.
I am so busy I hired every other week cleaning help. They are terrific, worth every penny and more. They scoured my crummy rental into a state a real cleanosity yesterday while I got a lot of work done. It is good.
part 1 done
Friday February 11th 2011, 10:24 pm
Filed under:
Mostly Books I have been wanting to do this blog for a day or so now but…go figure…..the blog was down again. The blog master tells me that the blog is under attack from spammers etc, the ones who want to post their ad/comments on blogs.
In the end I suppose it worked out since I finished listing all the older new books today.
All the books in the first load of new books are done. They are on a variety of Needlework subjects.
I now have a shipment of rare/used books to list, then another pile of newest new books (mostly on Knitting) and then a final pile of rare/used book.
Then I have a number of new canvases & kits, then I have taxes, then, then, then.
I am closing the NewNeedlepoint.com Clearance Sale Category on Sunday February 13th (this next Sunday).
The sale will be back next January 1, 2012.
On second thought maybe I will list the new canvases & kits before I list loads 3 & 4.
Some of them have been waiting for quite a while.
It is funny, I am either a complete laggard slug person and do the minimum or I am this crazed “accomplish it” person and work hard ( I am that now, it will not last)>
I am thinking of keeping some of the sale items for next years sale, the rest I am sending to a wonderful “needlepoint re-seller” web site run by Pat Miller. It is Stitching DeStashing.
It is set up like a blog. The way it works is that you pick the item(s) you want to buy and email Pat with the item number(s). You specify how you want it shipped. She will get back to you with a total, including shipping.
You then send Patt a check and she sends you the item(s) you want.
I have snagged some excellent rare books from Pat’s site. Most of the items are submitted by private needlepointers. I do not know if Pat has done a store clearance before.
You can trust Pat to be honest, she is very friendly. I like her a lot.
I know there are “more professional” second market sellers out there but I am going to sell through Patt.
The Prices will be very low. Lower than I want to go in my web store
Below is a sampling of the new books I just listed. Ok, maybe it is all of them. I can’t help it.
Shapes of Needlepoint Series 1 by Sandra Arthur is the first book in a series of Needlepoint stitches suitable for particular shapes and spaces.
Shay Pendray’s Inventive Needlework This is not a beginners book, it concerns Shading, Gold Work & painted Canvas (needlepoint).
Contemporary Whitework by Tracy Franklin & Nicola Jarvis. This is a fascinating and gorgeous book. Amazing stuff.
Redoute’s Finest Flowers in Embroidery by Trish Burr. Besides being a beautiful book, this has application in both Embroidery & Needlepoint.
Ok, the Picture Utility on my Blog Software just went down. I can’t post any more pictures.
The Beginner’s Guide to Silk Shading by Claire Hanham. This is one book I am keeping a copy of for myself. I can’t shade to save my life. I am pitiful.
There is Terrific Tassels & Fabulous Fringe by Cari Clement. I love this title, alliteration always amuses me (I know, weak minded).
The last is Ribbon Embroidery & Stumpwork by Di van Niekerk This book was a huge surprise to me, these ideas and designs are just fabulous. Gorgeous stuff, very 3 dimensional.
Ok, my son came to visit, it was short but nice. We had one of our amazing Late Night Talks. My son is a sensible man, he amazes me. I can’t fathom how a flake like me got/raised him.
I am reading The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest. This is the last of this series. I am finding this book slower going than the other 2. It just seems to plod on (and on) getting nowhere much.
I have just reached the section where they meet with the Prime Minister. I hope it picks up from here.
Oh well, I wonder if the Picture Utility is still down? Sure is.
carefully
Tuesday February 08th 2011, 12:42 am
Filed under:
Mostly Books My blog utility has been down since last Friday. It is still quite slow and creaky. I am being very careful not to too anything that might upset it.
Of course, it went down just as I (finally) began to list new books (go figure).
The way my web site works is what ever I list the latest is highest on the page when you open it so first I had to do all the cross reference books, the books you have already seen, so they would be at the bottom.
I created the new category divisions and moved stuff around. Check out my new category structure at NewNeedlepoint.com
There is still a category missing, it is Knitting & Crochet Books. They just arrived and have not even been photographed yet.
Many of the books are in more then one category, I wanted to give them as much exposure as I could (while not plastering every book in every category).
The new listed book include The New Cross Stitcher’s Bible by Jane Greenoff. It is a revised and updated edition. It is complete, it might be the most comprehensive book on a subject I have ever seen (maybe not but close). it includes Counted Thread as well.
Whew, that picture had me nervous, would it load or not?
There are two small Cross Stitch books, perfect for one’s tote bag. One is about Cross Stitch projects to do “on the go” The Portable Crafter Series Cross Stitch by Liz Turner Diehl.
The other is The Pocket Library Cross Stitch which contains more then you might imagine according to the author, Hilary More.
There is a new Left Handed Stitcher book aimed at Cross Stitch and Counted Thread Stitcher’s. Left Handed Stitchery by Sally Cowan
There is a gorgeous book on using beads in needlework. Bead Embroidery: The Complete Guide by Jane Davis
In the NEW Other Category is this book, Punch Needle: The Complete Guide by Marlinda Stewart.
I was starting to get “leery” of all the “complete guides” but after looking through this book, it is indeed complete and the designs are just wonderful.
According to the author, Punchneedle is easy. I like easy
There are a lot more to come (A LOT).
The really “big tuna” here, however, is these 2 NEW Needlepoint Books. They have been out of print for a long time. I am grateful to author chose to re-publish them. These are extraordinary books.
The first is Canvas Embellishment by Linda Corirossi subtitled Exquisite Needlepoint Stitches Made Simple.
I know, it is expensive but the approach & the stitches are worth it. The book is nothing special to look at, it is clearly self-published.
The idea and approach here are complex and fascinating. Do me a fivor, don’t make me write it all again, go look at the listings.
The other is Canvas Embellishment The Sequel.
Need I gush more?
I finished The Girl Who Played With Fire and was amazed, open mouth amazed at the ending.
I then read a Jude Deveraux “quickie” sort of like eating sorbet between the courses of a heavy meal to clear the palate. I just DLed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest and will start it tonight.
As you all (my 2 readers) know by now, my son is a chef in Boston. The restaurant he works at, part of the Legal Sea Foods group, was flooded when a pipe burst in the luxury apartment building above it.
They are all off for 3 weeks (with pay, generous and considerate owners). He is coming to see us tomorrow until Friday.
I miss him, always. I want our next move for K’s job to take us within an easy drive (1-3 hours) of him. I need to be on-the-spot when there are grandchildren to spoil them and dress them in Red Sox clothes His GF and maybe wife to be is a Yankees fan (boooo)
Speaking of, I still have those Boston Sports theme canvases to list when I finish the books.
I am stitching the Fenway Park one for Keith. I consulted with Jane, The estimable and all knowing Needlepointer who writes the Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure Blog about the crowd, She suggested beads anbd sent me some from her stash. That is so nice of her.
Last bit of blather. I am closing down the Clearance Sale on NewNeedlepoint.com in a week or so. I will not have another until next January.
It has been a complete success and I thank everyone who bought stuff from my Web Store.
check it out
Wednesday February 02nd 2011, 10:52 am
Filed under:
Uncategorized I have changed the home page for NewNeedlepoint.com. Not the design of it (that would cost a lot) but the category structure and texts.
The new categories are set up for the direction NewNeedlepoint is heading.
I have not listed any of the new books yet but the pictures are edited and the categories are ready to receive them. I am good to go. (I love that phrase).
I have not reviewed the new books yet, I do that as I list them but I can tell you some of them look very interesting.
I have a number of cross-stitch books plus many of the NP books I already list contain cross-stitch as well. I will cross reference those.
Cross Stitch by Jan Eaton. Look at the stitching on the cover.
Silk Shading by Clare Hanhan. This book looks excellent. I might keep a copy of it myself, I am not so good at shading
I just remembered I did not ad a category for the Color Books I got. I have a few good color and color theory books. Being “color mad” myself I think they are important.
Look at the work on the cover of this book, Long and Short Stitch Embroidery by Trish Burr.
Of course, Long & Short stitch is a basic needlepoint stitch, as well.
I have Shay Pendray’s Inventive Needlework
A Ribbon & Stump Work book
This unusual book, Embroidery Techniques Using Space Dyed Threads by Via Laurie.
I have the newest JuneMcKnight book on order, Spooky Stitches and 2 very rare books (or pamphlets, as it turns out). Diamonds in The Round: 8 Way Bargello & Round the Clock Bargello both by Kenneth J. Goelzer.
They are an interesting variation on 4 Way Bargello or Mitred Bargello.
I do not have pictures of these yet. I just got them and finished cleaning them up.
I suppose most of you know, by now, that I damp wash and generally clean all the used books I list. I know I am nuts.
Anyway, I will begin listing them tonight (she says, how long have I been saying that?).
What else? We had a huge Ice Storm here yesterday & last night. From inside my warm cozy house (here in marianneland) it is just lovely with the snow and all the tress with a sparkling glaze.
Not so nice in K’s world, he has to go outside.
I have just begun reading the 2nd book in Stieg Larsson’s series, The Girl Who Played With Fire. I still am not sure what is going on but I can report that Lisbeth Salander (his hero/ine) had breast implants. TMI?
Jack The Cat is not thrilled with this weather. His route revolves around his heated cat bed, inside my bed or making a cave of my duvet and crawling inside with frequent excursions to the kitchen to eat.
I am a very bad influence. When I am reading in bed, late at night, I share my snacks with Jack. I am told this is very bad.
He loves ice cream, yogurt, butter or leftover cereal milk. He likes bread and he loves muffins. A cat after my own heart.
