a typical week, so far
It is/was a new week. I have all the Erhman Kits listed and all the replacement used/rare books re-listed. I was choosing colors for the few new, new canvases I had and editing the pictures so I could begin listing canvases & kits when several things happened.
1) my washing machine (bought new last July) spewed water all over the laundry room in the basement. I called LG for service and they first asked me 20 minutes of questions including what detergent did I use. Clearly they were trying their hardest to make this “my fault”. They failed and I am scheduled for warranty service on Wednesday.
2) The laundry room downstairs is where we keep Jack’s cat box but the floor was very wet and after I wiped it up, damp. Jack was not pleased. He kept running upstairs to yell at me, then back downstairs, then up again, meow meow very loud until I moved the box into the hall.
3) Jack The Cat got sick (as in kitty puke) all over my desk including on the canvas I was listing. It was a very nice hand painted Mary Engelbreit Tea Pot canvas which is now in the trash. He also puked on the floor (as usual).
Did I mention K is away all week at a Thermography class in N.C.? I don’t drive much anymore, I get dizzy often, A side effect from my former brain tumor which I have not written about here since it is , by now, a tedious oft told story but anyway I do not drive.
I had some orders Sunday & Monday that needed to go to the Post Office so I asked my next door teenage (18) neighbor and sometimes helper, Danielle, to drive my car to the PO.
Off she goes. Meanwhile I realized I had forgotten to give her the money for the PO. It was sitting right there on the table and I forgot.
Needless to say, 18 YOs do not have any money.
She came back and I gave her the money and then she went again.
And it is only Tuesday.
A very popular book on NewNeedlepoint.com is The Complete Illustrated Stitch Encyclopedia. It is (or was) a new book and I sell a lot of them at $17.95.
Well, I went to re-order and found that they are no longer carried by any of my book wholesalers. Maybe out-of-print? So, I goggled it and scooped up all the new copies I could find (in the dark secret places I go for such things).
I have 10 copies on order from 7 different sources, all in new condition but after that I might not be able to find any more new copies.
I have an interesting new canvas from Patt & Lee Designs, it is called The Bride
It is a Victorian Era bride in full regalia. At first I thought it was too much background in too dismal a color and did not order it.
Then I thought again. The background color can be changed (as long as it is another color of similar hue, so It covers the gray) and all that background gives me a place to add the wedding date, custom drawn, and even the names if you like. There is plenty of room. I will be listing this canvas or kit this week (I hope or early next week).
I have some other wonderful canvases (and kits) to add.
This is a large 14 mesh design by Laurel Burch called Dog Tribe
A Susan Treglown design I call Cosmic Sphere.
A Melinda McAra Hand Painted Celtics medallion or ornament
I have similar designs for The Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots ( she is a Boston girl, as am I).
I have a gift quality copy of A Gardener’s Book of Needlepoint.
This is the first copy of this book which has it’s dust jacket.
It is in terrific condition and just the gift for the stitching gardener you know (we all know one).
So, other than my string of piddly disasters I am doing Ok this week. I am reading, for the first time, Dickens Great Expectations. It is wonderful. The language and descriptions are perfect and quite entertaining.
I had seen this movie in it’s older version (directed by David Lean with John Mills and a young Jean Simmons as young Estella, great movie) and a newer re-make (Ethan Hawke & Gwyneth Paltrow UGH) but they do not come close to the book. I wish I had found Dickens work years ago but it is not too late, is it?
Sandy & me
This time of year I talk to my account often, he tells me accountant jokes, in general accountant humor is not as funny as they think it is.
Still, he & I sit on the phone and laugh. I have been with him for years now, he lives in MA but does taxes all over the place. A good accountant is worth keeping.
OK, on to the title of this blog. I was out of the very popular new book by Sandra Arthur *The Shapes of Needlepoint Part 1*
I was taking backorders, which is unusual for me and sweating out waiting until my distributor had more copies.
I had been emailing back & forth with the author, Sandy Arthur. She wrote to thank me after my first mention of her book here on my blog.
I had been discussing the run I am having on her books when she suggested I could buy some from her.
Well, she is my current hero. She sold me 6 copies and Priority Mailed them so I had them in 2 days.
I was able to fill any backorders I had and I now have 6 copies in stock (4 from Sandy & 2 from my distributor) with 8 more expected in the middle of March.
Disaster (on a small scale) averted.
Sandy told me that her new book, The Shapes of Needlepoint Part 2, is at the printers right now and should be released soon. I hope to have copies as soon as it is available.
What else. NewNeedlepoint.com is “short” of needlepoint canvases & kits right now. I have a bunch waiting to be listed. When I take sanity breaks (sanity? me?) from the tax stuff I work on kitting them, working with the colors is soothing after numbers.
I have few Laurel Burch designs listed but I have a few to list and more on order (which are taking more then the usual 6 weeks)
And very few Patt & Lee regular designs right now. I sent a number of them to Patt to include in her trunk shows
What I do have is almost all the Patt & Lee Scrap Thread Canvases in stock
With more on the way.
Reading? I just finished an amazing book called A Discovery of Witches. It is very different from the current crop of witch/vampire/daemon books out there. It was written by a historian, Deborah Harkness, her first non-history book and it is an engrossing read.
A book for adults by an adult. Rare these days.
I like to alternate these “smart people” books with light & fluffy romance reading. My current author of choice in that category is Victoria Alexander. I am new to her books but they are a welcome and witty change from Jude Deveraux and Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krantz.
They both get fairly turgid after awhile. I read Ms. Alexander’s The Perfect Mistress and recommend it (within the confines of it’s genre). I enjoyed it. Now I am reading The Marriage Lesson. I like it too and the Heroine is named “marianne”
There you go!
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?
interesting
my sale is hopping along. I am selling some not-for-sale canvases as well as a number of books (also not marked down).
This amazing, I listed this printed canvas last night (Monday)
and it sold today.
I did not remove the “color placement guide included text” from all the sale listings. The first buyer from the sale emailed me that there was no guide included. I have apologized for not correcting the text before she bought.
However, I can’t correct this, once a one-of-a-kind kit is gone, I have no way to create a color placement guide.
All the sale listings text are now fixed and correct.
I went searching for more book using Jane’s email as a guide. I had some success and some not,
Tanja Berlin books are all in German, I can’t even read the titles.
I did find the absolutely perfect book:
1. How to Shade Embroidered Flowers and Leaves So as to Produce Natural and Artistic Effects; Also, Studies in Conventional Designs as Adapted to Needle-Work. Illustrated With Coloured Plates and Engraved Patterns, Hardcover (1888.)
by Smith, Ellen Galusha
It turns out Mrs. Smith was a notable person and known as “the poet of Peoria”.
The down side is the price. The lowest I found was $89. for a miserable condition copy. The highest is $325 from a reputable antique bookseller.
I can get you a copy of this, as a prepaid order, or just do a name search and you will find sellers of this book.
I am still messing with these wool threads. The way I began to sort them is wrong, a real mess. I am starting over however this time I am going to do it not at my desk. I am spread out all over my bed and am watching season 6 of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Yes, the clothes are dated and sometimes her hair is just awful but the show is a good as I remembered.
Sadly, I did not find the re-runs of Rhoda’s show to be as pleasing.
Not a bad thing to do on a snowy night.
I have placed a new order for Laurel Burch Handpainted needlepoint designs. The only one of these I have had before is this one, these fine dogs decorated with butterflies.
You may not remember it, it sold a while ago.
The only non-LB canvas(es) I bought were 2 more of this fine Snowman” Christmas Tree Ornament from Gail Lang. I sold 2 of these, so far, and I think they will be good for next holiday season, as well. So I went overboard and bought 2.
I never (almost) buy more then 1 of each design except with Patt & Lee’s stuff. There I buy multiples of the designs that sell well
Like Geisha Cat, this is a wonderful design and has been very successful. This is a special custom version of the design that Patt made for NewNeedlepoint.com. The Kanji actually does say Geisha. In the other version, it does not say anything, just a nice shape.
Or Pirate Cats, which was recently and very creatively stitched by Jane on her Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure Blog
Or, of course, Patt & Lee’s Scrap Thread Design canvases, I keep mulitiples of them on hand, they sell & sell & sell. I think it is a terrific idea.
Ok, as promised here are Jane’s Suggestions for area of Needlework I might want to carry books for. This is wonderful research, Jane always amazes me.
Let me explain stumpwork. It is a traditional type of stitching, very popular in the Queen Elizabeth 1 era. It is raised and padded stitching, very 3-D. Jane Nichols is the master of it, with a lot of great books on how to do it. Needlepointers do this a little bit but it is of more interest to the counted thread stitchers.
http://www.prettyimpressivestuff.com/stumpwork.htm
Whitework is very specialty handwork. I’d not get any books on it yet. SharonG has a new book coming out. You’ll want to get copies of it, I think.
http://sharongneedlepointdesigner.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-gave-birth.html
The new trend in Needlepoint is to add beads, Swarkowski crystals, and ribbons to needlepoint canvases. Look for Sundance’s little book on beads (it’s a pamphlet really)
http://www.sundancedesignsonline.com/index.php
the River Silks ribbon book (not a great book but useful and it comes with a needle, piece of canvas and some ribbons to practice stitches with),
http://www.riversilks.com/oooooh.html
and the hotfix tool that is a little hot iron wand that activates the glue on the flat back of the crystals
http://chillyhollowneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2009/03/hot-fix-swarovski-crystals.html
I own the Joelle brand one which is very nice.
http://www.firemountaingems.com/details.asp?PN=H203429TL
I have ordered more new books since yesterday. I am trying to find books Jane has recommended, with mixed results.
Oh well, back to my mountain of wool and MTM.
more sale
It is easier to write a blog post when you actually have something tangible to discuss. This explains why I have done so many of them recently.
I added another canvas today to my clearance sale, it was hidden way, way back in my closet and I had forgotten about it.
It is an interesting printed design I call Colorful Cabbages.
The printing is not the best but I think the amazing colors and design somewhat makes up for this.
The design will needs lots of Shading Stitches. I am not all that good at this. There are so few books on this subject alone out there.
Shading and Thread Blending Techniques by June McKnight
The best, and more or less the only. But I search on.
I am amazed, now that I look for them, how few needlepoint books address the subject of shading & blending.
I looked at some of my best rare/used general needlepoint guide books, like Fanny Highsmith’s wonderfully named “The Ups & Down of Needlepoint” and she does not mention shading.
I looked at some of the books by my favorite authors, again general books, not stitch or specific design books.
Margaret Boyles has 2 books on just needlepoint (not Bargello) and she does not mention shading.
Margaret River’s Batsford Published “Working on Canvas” while it mentions “superimposed stitches” does not mention blending or shading.
My last resort is Mary Rhodes (as always). First I tried “Needlepoint”.
Then I tried her book “Ideas for Canvas Work”. It has been a very popular book here on NewNeedlepoint.com. Yes, the book mentioned *shading* but one index reference to the work was in the introduction, there were 2 pictures where some shading was used and the last reference was the word “shading” in the index (not kidding, the index referred me to itself).
Hope Hanley’s “The Craft of Needlepoint” was a big zero on shading. I also discovered I never did list it (ooops).
My last try is “Needlepoint and Beyond” by Edith Anderson Feisner. This book has a whole 4 page chapter on Shading. Good for Ms Feisner.
I think my next obsessive search will be for more books on Shading & Blending Threads but enough of that for now.
I have 2 more canvases to list for my sale. Both are large, one is 13 mesh, a whole field of Iris, handpainted by Danji Design.
The other is 12 mesh, it is a wreath of handsome deep pink flowers with a large center of blooms. The greens are in shades of Olive green which makes it very striking and somewhat unusual. I have had this canvas forever, another resident of the back of my closet. I know it is handpainted (clearly) I have no idea by whom.
and a closeup of the center
Both of these, being larger mesh, need kitting with wool or DMC #3. Since I do not stock DMC #3, wool it is.
I kitted the Iris canvas with Paternayan Needlepoint Wool. Since I am in the process of selling off my stock of wool, I used enormous amounts of it for this kit, so the buyer would not, could not, run out (and I would have no more wool). There is probably more than double the amount needed in this kit.
I have done the same thing for the Pink Wreath design. I just have to photograph the wools and then list them (tomorrow?).
So, I am still reading Frances Burney’s Evelina. This pitiful young lady, with good manners and tender sensibilities, has suffered through more rudeness and inappropriate and “coming” behavior than you would have thought possible.
Of course, being very beautiful does not help. I am 3/4 of the way through the book and have hope her hero will “step-up” and rescue her.
A very different world. We are expecting a biggish snow storm so I braved the manic crowds at Costco, intrepid soul that I am. It was not easy.
yadda..
..yadda, yadda. I have nothing much to say today but that doesn’t stop me.
I can blabb with the best. My NewNeedlepoint.com web store “makeover” has begun. I expect/hope to have all the markdowns done by Thursday night. (wait, what day is it?)
I have decided which canvases & kits I will hold back, the ones I intend to continue to carry but I am sure I will add or subtract endlessly. I bet I am even changing my mind after I do the markdowns.
The books are not on sale, neither are the tools. I am currently out of the Mighty Bright LED Floor Lamps. I am ordering 3 more (maybe 4, I sell a lot of these, even with the shipping surcharge).
Oddly enough (well, maybe not odd for me, I am always out of step somehow) I am buying a few more canvases. I am going to add to my small (and shrinking) Laurel Burch designs category (which will be it’s own category after the sale).
I also added the New England based (Red Sox, Patriots & Celtics) needlepoint canvases. They too will have their own category, eventually.
My sale items are still *free* shipping but since I am selling these at my cost, I have added a modest shipping re-umbursment* to the bottom line.
What else, I am loving this winter weather. I was too hot all year round in Florida, this is what I like. Crisp cold days and really chilly nights under my comforter with the window open.
Jack The Cat does not leave his Heated Cat Bed much, the reason has to be really compelling for him to stir. (food, treats, play, petting, being brushed and driving us crazy are all biggies).
I placed the cat bed just to the right of the window (note: just 1 window in each bedroom) not thinking about how cold it might be just there when I open the window (singular) nights.
I tried moving it one night. He would not stay in the Heated Cat Bed in it’s new place. He went and crouched (cat style) in the place where the bed had been.
No matter how many times I tried to move him, it was no go. In the end I put his bed back where it was.
of course I am reading but now that we are deeply into winter, I am also watching pay-per-view movies with K and stitching some. I have lost interest in the Elaine Best Canvas I started
I love this design and I love these colors. My problem is the 18 mesh canvas. It seems to take forever to stitch and I find it tedious. Sadly, there is no intricate center design to do which would make the best use of the detailed stitching you can do on 18 mesh.
I am sure than when this is (someday) finished it will look spectacular but I am not sure I will live that long.
I have done a few mores inches in each direction since I took the next picture. Then again, I have been working on this for 4 months now and I am usually a speedy stitcher (another reason I like Plain or Plainish Stitch Needlepoint).
So tonight I began my own Mae West Quote design canvas
It is nice friendly 14 mesh canvas and while there is quite a bit of background, I can do any kind of filler stitch I want to.
I am, of course, also reading. I have a confession to make. I could not read Samuel Richardson’s *Pamela*. It is considered one of the Big Classic Books.
I tried, It took me 24 hours to get to page 84. Yes, she is a good girl and her master is wicked and she is very clever escaping his bawdy attentions (see, I have been reading it).
The book’s subtitle is “Virtue Rewarded”. Want to know what her reward is for keeping her “innocence” for 450 pages, he marries her, all legal and everything.
I would not want to be married to him, I would have taken the estate, income and jobs for my poor parents plus a great deal of gold coins and been his mistress.
As his wife, she will be forced to sit and watch the next time he has an uncontrolled passion for some young wench. I suppose wife was better then than mistress back then, it was a hell of a good retirement plan once you gave him the heir and a spare or two.
It is written using a series of letters mostly from Pamela to her parents. I just could not read any further…and I tried to.
So, look for my big deal sale in a day or so. Stuff is going to be priced real cheap (relatively so, anyway). That is a good sale.
updates to updates
Wednesday December 15th 2010, 11:47 am
Filed under:
miscellaneous My son sent me a much better picture of his gingerbread Old Ironsides
The sails are made from cheesecloth.
Jack The Cat adores his new heated cat bed. I have lost my constant companion to it. When he is not demanding food, to be petted or played with or investigating what his silly people are doing, he is in the cat bed.
Next blog will include a picture of his majesty sleeping in the heated cat bed (no matter if you want to see it or not)
stress-free me
All the stress is gone. My house is sold, done & finished.
Thank you everyone who wished me well and sent comments to that effect.
To keep the house on the market I was paying:
caretakers
cleaners ( once a month, to keep it up for showings)
Electricity
Water & Sewer
Pool Guy
Landscaper
HOA dues and constant “special assessments”
Property Taxes
Insurance (high on an empty house) plus the constant worry, what would I do if it never sold? Took years to sell?
All gone now. Life is good (how long will this last before the next disaster hits, wonders pessimist me). I think I will get one of those silly but cute “Life is Good” tee shirts but then again I look just awful in tee shirts, maybe a tote bag?
Of course, I am way behind with my NewNeedlepoint.com chores. (go figure). I have tons of new used/rare books and had an even bigger pile of replacement books for the ones I have sold.
I think I have all of the replacement books listed, they are easier to do. It takes me a long time to create a listing from scratch. For a replacement all I have to do is replace the 2 pictures, update the condition description and adjust the price (if necessary).
I have a few new books and 2 more copies of Ann Strite-Kurz’s book A Potpourri of Pattern. It sold almost immediately after I listed it.
Plus I have the very new follow-up to that book, A Potpourri of Pattern Encore. I just received it and have not yet photographed it or listed it.
I have 2 books on doing needlepoint and embroidery on paper. The idea being that you can easily (and quickly) make custom stitched Holiday Cards. I only ordered 2, I have no idea if anyone will be interested.
I have a previously unknown (to me) book that was shipped from the UK. It is a very good condition used copy of Noah’s Ark by Hugh Erhman & Elizabeth Benn. Obviously an animal based Needlepoint design book. I have not looked at it much yet but it appears to be a handsome hardcover book published in 1989.
I have Needlework Plaids by Marion Broome Pakula. I am not sure why but that names seems familiar to me.
The Glorafilia books have all arrived. They are from the private collection of a well-known needlepoint expert (no names, I am nothing if not discreet). They are all hardcovers in terrific condition. I have:
The Glorafilia Needlepoint Collection with complete projects and stitch cards published in the UK, no publication date.
Glorafilia: The Ultimate Needlepoint Collection published in the USA in 1996
Glorafilia: The Impressionists in Needlepoint USA 1993
Glorifilia: The Venice Collection USA 1991
Yes, I will photograph them and list them. I have a HUGE pile of books sitting here glaring at me.
There may be a large number of people insisting I am not discreet and never have or will be out there protesting my claim. As I have said before, it is my blog and I will say what I want.
Remember when I was agonizing over buying more of the Mighty Bright LED Floor Lamps? I ended up buying three and have sold them all. I need to order more, again.
I have some accessories for Holiday Gift Giving. Small (and charming) needle cases and a tiny Briefcase tool holder. I have 2 Laurel Burch colorful tote bags. A medium size and a large.
Again, I am just trying them out. One excellent feature is both totes have full zipped closings at the top. That way when your bag tumbles over everything you have (and an amazing collection it can be) does not tumble out and go everywhere.
That happens to me a lot.
What else? Not much. Remember that old, old TV commercial about milk from contented cows. That is me, a contented cow. I know I should not but I rather like the image of me serenely chewing my cud.
I have been reading Georgette Heyer’s Sprig Muslin. It is an unexpected and wonderful book. To me, it is about how love can sneak up on you. It can and sometimes does.
I was waiting for my order of (used) Amanda Quick/Jayne A. Krentz’s Arcane Series books to arrive. This works well for me. NewNeedlepoint.com pays the shipping since I order them along with my Needlepoint books.
Clever of me but also foolish since it all comes from the same place, in the end but I do like the feeling that I am “getting away with something”.
OK, that’s it for tonight. I really, really have to get going listing these books and accessories. Really!
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.
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.
