what a fiasco!  and a great lesson for me!  don’t do what you don’t know how to do when it involves other people!!  i sent out the first email and i sent it thru the webpage – so, i thought, it would automatically include my information – like the page name, at least.  NOT!

  i also ended up sending it to all 300+ names even tho i thought i was sending a kind of ‘test’ edition.  seems there was an important box i didn’t check.  so the process tied up my computer for hours – and i had no idea how many had been sent when i finally had to shut it down – it had already taken itself off line anyway.

this stupid computer just did it again.  took me offline in the middle of composing this post.  i am not going to try to remember what the heck i wrote before.  i really do understand those videos about people throwing computers out the window!!

now i do remember the important part of what i had written!  what was in the newsletter!  nothing all that exciting – mostly just to let folks i was going to doing one each month.  and to let them know about the big changes in the shipping costs.  also, what the special for the month is – for nov.  it’s 11% off the total order.  plus, if you mention the newsletter, using the comment section, i will include a free ($8) pattern – just let me know which one (in the comment).

it was about here, when i went to get the picture of the latest pin, that i lost connection.  well, it’s when i found out.  so, here is a picture – just to lighten this post a little. ^_^

now, isn’t that better than all the words i was going to write about the travails of sending an email thru my webpage?!! ^_^  and there were a lot – of both (travails and words!)

Let the beauty you love be what you do.  Rumi

love and beauty   www.artfullyapplique.com

well, life is certainly interesting, to say the least.  i got it all together on monday – van packed, product organized and added what i needed.  got the big old trunk in (with help from tom) and the quilts reorganized and neatly folded and in the van.  all is well.

i got up at 4:30 and got out of here within 10 minutes of my target time.  traffic was not too  bad, only stopped once this side of sac.  however, van doing it’s (bad) thing again – couple times the ka-thunk was nearly teeth jarring.  not good.  had to stop for gas and as i pulled away from the stop sign after refueling, there was a truly teeth-jarring/van rattling klunk, followed by another similar, but less jarring one.  and then – it did not want to shift!  at all!  dang!!  managed to get it to shift and managed to get to the senior center in fairfield.  called tom.  who was at home sick! (sounded awful, and my news didn’t improve his condition!)  had pulled into a parking spot that was a handicap spot.  when i tried to back out i found i had no reverse – was just like being in neutral.  called tom again to see if there was any way i could ‘coax’ it into reverse.  not.  i found someone to give me a little push (it was downhill, so not too bad) and pulled into a legal spot.  tom called back – confirmed reverse gear ‘broken’ and i still had to do plan A.  and that was to drive from fairfield directly to his workplace in jackson.  however, best not to take the shorter way – too much stop and go.  ugh.

so, managed to get everything out and into the building and setup with plenty of time to spare.  talk went well – did not even mention the stupid car.  had a nice lunch, sold some stuff and then – time to haul it all back out and pack it in – and start the lovely drive. 

yes, got pushed out again and i was on my way.  plan included – just go as far as you can and then we’ll decide what to do next – as in who calls the wrecker and how we get it towed to where we want and not just the ‘closest possible’.  i figured out how to make it shift when it didn’t want to.  decided to try letting up a little, as if i were going to manually shift (having done that for many many years before this vehicle!!)  it worked.  and i made it all the way to the shop in jackson.  even beat tom there – who had to come pick me up, of course. 

so, today, sick and not happy (i’m sure) – poor tom is at work tearing down my car to see just how many (expensive!) parts i will need.  and all i can say is – thank you God for the money i made yesterday so i can at least pay for the parts!!!

i also just discovered how to do a discount on the webpage!!  yea!!  so, i will be able to offer one as a special, if i choose.  now i just have to figure out what i want to put in the first newsletter – would like for it to be something you find worth reading!!  and it will include some kind of special on the page – just not sure what yet.  stay tuned! ^_^

love and beauty    www.artfullyapplique.com

just wanted to let you know that i will be sending out the first newsletter as early this month as possible.  perhaps by end of the week.  want to give you lots of time to take advantage of whatever the special is – perhaps as a gift.  it is that time of year again. ^_^

today, however, my main goal is to get myself ready to be onstage tomorrow.  must find a way to condense the product stuff, and choose which samples to hang, etc.  and then there’s the big old heavy trunk to haul to the van.  plus, make sure all the quilts are in the right order.  they tend to remain however they ended up after the last one – currently been wrapped and piled on the piano bench in the corner of the living room area in the ‘big house’.  they have been kind enough to ignore.    then, it’s ‘whatever’ (working on another beaded pin) and to bed early so i can arrive in time to get it all hauled in and set up.  why do guilds meet in the mornings??  ^_^

love and beauty   www.artfullyapplique.com

it has been quite a ride, this year!  seems i keep getting to near the end of a year and find myself saying i’ll be glad when it’s over and i can start fresh. hmmm something wrong with this picture!!  so, here i am in the exact place i worked so hard to avoid getting into last year this time.  guess i should have just said ‘uncle’ then and saved myself a lot of stress!!  yes, the rv is gone.  and so it goes.  onward and upward, i say.

i just spent what seemed like ages working to update the webpage – have finally realized that using only priority mail made it really pricey if you only wanted to order one pattern!  so, now you can do that and it’s free shipping.  and one kit will be just $1.20.  The most i’ll charge before going to the priority because of volume, is $2.50.  Priority is now $4.80, and that happens if you order 10 patterns.  what took so long was trying to convert things from ounces to pounds (as in, parts thereof).  and wouldn’t cha know, once i had it all done, while looking for something else – i discovered i could have changed it all to ounces and saved myself a lot of math!  dang!  will probably do that – another day.  i now know why folks who work on computers all day are reluctant to even  check email in the evenings at home!!

i am also planning to create a newsletter of some kind and offer a special of  each month.  no, won’t clutter your email box – will only happen max once each month.  not sure what the specials will look like.  some folks offer recipes – that doesn’t seem to be me,  given i never cook anymore!  mine will probably have to do with numbers or colors that signify what is ‘on sale’.  or new items?  there used to be a ’sale’ column on the home page.  i figured out how to get rid of it, sort of – but have no idea what i did or how to undo it now.  that would require a search for a notebook – or an attempt to get thru to customer support and having them figure out what the heck i was asking for.  ^_^  does anyone else have that problem??

so, let me be at least on of the first to say – happy holidays!  and now the craziness begins! ^_^

oh, if you want to get the newsletter, let me know.  also – if you don’t!! (just in case you are on some list i have)  and, i will be in fairfield on tues – doing my trunk show for that guild.  early morning gig!!! ugh!! ^_^  means i leave here o’dark forty!!  to avoid too much traffic.  keep smilin’!!

love and beauty   www.artfullyapplique.com

the show year is over and the rv is gone.  and it has been an interesting year.  i am ok.  doing what i need to in order to remain positive.  trusting the Universe to take care of me and knowing that life always and only gets better – despite appearances!  will use the ‘extra’ funds to get everything as current as possible and hope i can handle the final payoff arrangement.  otherwise, it’s bankruptcy time for me.  ugh.  oh what the heck – just one of those things i’ve never done and used to consider the ultimate shame.  just another life lesson. it’s all an illusion anyway! ^_^

so, stay tuned for what’s new.  this is creation time – new designs for applique and who knows what in beads.  definitely more pins to be made as i have two places to send them to be sold on consignment.  one in sisters and the other at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles!  yea!

love and beauty    www.artfullyapplique.com

well, that was definitely a better show than all the rest i’ve had recently!  and the hugs!!  wow!  great therapy! ^_^

so, now, it’s time to prepare for the next one- and i really do have some kits to cut!  sold a few mini’s that i must mail this week, besides some others i’d like to replenish before i head over to murphys.   also have some financial matters to which i must attend.  need to prepare and protect myself for when they come and take the rv away.  boo hoo.  have decided i just need to let it go.  money better spent keeping the homestead afloat!!    i’m working  my way thru it – i think i’ve overcome the shame of it (since i’m confessing outloud here!).  now it’s just a lot of details that must get handled – like credit card processors, etc.  may not be able to do cc at the next show.    then again, it may all go as quickly and easily as the last go round!  and truth is – this too shall pass!!  all is and remains well.

so, if you couldn’t get to santa clara to give me a hug – come on out to murphys next weekend – if it doesn’t rain!!

love and beauty    www.artfullyapplique.com

just a short update.  man, am i sick of bad shows!!!  other than that – please come and give me a hug at piqf!!

thanks,

j

hi again!  been gone a while from here.  didn’t want to just keep putting ‘bad’ news out, so did the ‘no news is good news’ approach. ^_^

i’m still here.  that’s the good news.  made it past the big #70 and lived to tell the tale. ^_^  and am now preparing for my first true ‘craft’ show where i’m taking only the jewelry.  it’s an outdoor, big event in sacto (so i sound like a native ^_^) at cal expo.  called  witchapalooza!  200-300 vendors.  it’s planned as a ‘family outing’.  don’t know what to expect – first time for the show.  promoters saying 15-20k visiters.  we shall see.  am doing with my (new) friend, ron, who is also a jeweler.  he does sterling and turquoise.  talked him into coming out of ’show retirement’ to do it.  it’s just sat and sun, but long hours.  goes till 8 pm.  for me, it’s all about cashflow at the moment!  and, if it turns out to be a good show – always good to be in the first year.  even if it isn’t what they are promising – if i can see that it shows promise – i’ll do again next year.  while we must use the EZup, rest of setup won’t be bad.  not taking any quilting stuff.  so, only tables required.  we won’t put the jewelry out till the morning of.  however, we are required to decorate the booth in halloween attire – as well as oursevles.  colette from ’sew many quilts’ in tracey sent me a witch’s hat to wear!  yea!  other than that, i’ll just wear basic black. oh, and let my hair down!  that’s enough in itself!  instant witch!! ^_^

so, here are the silly pins i made just for this show.

and if this doesn’t make you smile, nothing will! no, not the pins, the picture below! forgot to position it, so can’t type anymore after it.  so

love and beauty!    www.artfullyapplique.com

did a long shot and it worked out!  so, i will be in plymouth this weekend and will (i say) make enough to save the old rv! ^_^  life is good!  more than one vendor this past weekend asked me if i was going and kind of indicated there might still be room for me.  as it turns out, i was able to get a half booth – what the heck, i deal with that in houston!!!  no reason i can’t make it work here! ^_^

so, come on down! or up! or over! ^_^  there’s also a big wine festival in the area, so you can really have a good time!  and here are some really silly pins i am going to be selling.  making them for the big witch show in sac mid oct, but will take them this weekend.

now aren’t those just too stupid silly! ^_^

love and beauty   www.artfullyapplique.com

i have traveled many a mile since last we spoke, i think.  given my feeble memory, i think i haven’t posted since before i left  for walla walla – so that means many many miles! 

just returned from the show in danville, which,  i’m sorry to say was not great for me.  did fine yesterday, kind of died today.  not good.  so, the saga continues with regard to the rv and can i manage to hang onto it until i pull myself out of this slump.  stay tuned.

now it’s time to start making jewelry for the big craft show in sac in a few weeks.  and i also must do some prep for piqf as there are a few things i am out of!  sooo, going to have to keep the nose to the grindstone during these next few weeks. 

and on top of all of that – i’m a year older today!  well, it actually happened yesterday.  where did those 70 years go???? ^_^

oh, did have a very lovely visit with a highschool classmate whom i hadn’t really seen for over 50 years!  he and his wife graciously housed and fed me and helped me celebrate last night.  how nice!!

love and beauty   www.artfullyapplique.com   http://jrixman.etsy.com