Inspired Stitches - Ramblings of a Blackworker

Well, my web host is in the process of upgrading the server my website resides in, so gremlins are at work. They say the upgrade should be complete some time today, so things will probably continue to be a little strange until then. Yesterday neither the Blog or the Stitchin’board were working, and today they are, but my e-mail is downloading the 4th copy of all my vacation e-mails - yippee!!

I thank you for your patience through all of this.

AARRGGHHHHH….. Don’t you just love technology. It seems to somehow always catch me at odd times.

I just realized that when my web host changed the server that hosts me, my main contact e-mail address all of a sudden became unusable for my contact forms. The web pages have now been corrected, and messages will now reach me.

If anyone has submitted any contact requests through my website from 5/8 until 5/22, I unfortunately did not receive the e-mail. Please resubmit your contact information to me, so that I can respond to your request.

• General Contact Form
• Shop Owner Information Request Form

I really do apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused.

I hope everyone’s had another great Saturday! It’s been gorgeous here today, and I was able to spend a good amount of time outside while I designed. Yup, the designing bug has hit again, and luckily, a creative mind has followed as well. I love it when I get into this mood, and am able to get pen (or mouse) to paper, and actually have some good results come from it. My great motivation this time - stress!

Yes, I’ve finally made the decision to take part in my first “live” wholesale trade show. Next August, Stitchin’spiration will be exhibiting for the first time at the Summer needlework show held for needlework shops. I’ve taken part in the online shows, but this is quite different. It’s definitely time for me to make this move, and I’m very excited about meeting all these wonderful shop owners in person. I feel as if I know many of them already via e-mail, so look forward to putting a name with a face. The task list is quickly growing as I begin to get some planning for it done. But, in the meanwhile, it’s been a good shove to my creativity.

Well, I hear Jim in the kitchen beginning dinner. Better run along…

Happy Saturday everyone!

Well, a common topic here seems to be “not enough time or brain cells”. Think I’ve covered that enough, so I’ll stop at that. It’s not a New Year, but I’m hoping to get a New Year’s resolution going to keep up more with this blog, with the Stitchin’board, and with other things which just seem to keep slipping away from me.

Boy, when this little hobby started getting it’s own life, I never envisioned I’d be here today. I also never envisioned what work it would take as well. I constantly seem to be in a time management development stage. With my real career also busy, it makes for some very interesting juggling. I’m probably preaching to the choir here, as everyone seems to juggle more than they can. It just seems to unfortunately be the norm here in the States. Just today, I even saw an article about a study that was done which proves that children need to have plain old “play time” for themselves. In this world where every second seems to be orchestrated into organized calendars, events, etc. - isn’t it amazing we have to prove through studies that we just need to “schedule” in some unscheduled time…

Have you seen the new designs and notecards? I’m really excited to introduce the other 2 members of the Windowpanes in Knotwork series. I’ve had this series on my design board from my Ebay days, but had never quite finalized them to my liking - until earlier this year. It’s exciting to work at getting designs just to my liking, and getting them out to you stitchers. It’s really what makes all my “juggling” worth it. I’ve been doing quite a bit of planning lately as to what’s coming down the pike - and I KNOW that you’ll be excited about them.

Tomorrow night, I’m going to sit down and give some more attention to my Needlework Building Blocks. I have some many sketches and ideas, and I just need to finalize them - getting them ready for release to you. I’m getting ready to begin working at finalizing some of the retired ones - readying them for sale in shops. Tomorrow though, I’ll be designing and playing - the fun part of it all!!!!! MMMMMMM - what types of freebie blocks would you like to find throughout the Needlework Show????

Speaking of the show - the online Needlework Show opens it’s “doors” on Wednesday night (October 11), and is open until Monday night (October 16).

How great is it to shop in your jammies! Here in Richmond, they will be flannel jammies since the weather’s cooling down quite a bit. We’ll then be heading down to South Carolina for a long weekend at my childhood home with my mom. Have no fear - the computer will never be far away.

Well, I’d better head along. I’ve got a large black lab staring at me with that “it’s time for bed” stare. Imagine that - a dog who keeps a strict bedtime schedule - but cannot do so unless one of his humans is on the same one. Who runs this household you ask?????

Truly, I promise to try to get on here more…

Happy Stitchin’!

Sally

Well, the Needlework Show begins tomorrow evening at 6PM, and I’m in the final stages of getting ready for it. Are you!!??!!!!
For the stitcher, it’s a great opportunity to find lots of new designs to tempt you, and if you don’t have a local needlework shop nearby - a great opportunity to purchase through one of the many shops who offer special orders for these shows. You’ll definitely want to stop by our showroom each day, as I’ve hidden Needlework Building Blocks away, which will be changed daily!

Outside of the excitement for me about the Needlework Show, it’s been a crazy week / weekend (and it’s only Tuesday!!! Ugh) We’ve really had a nice visit with my mother, who got here last week. Since she’s retired, she enjoys coming early, and staying late. We weren’t able to take Thursday or this week off from work, but she’s had a long list of things to do. Funny, sometimes I think she knows Richmond even better than I do. Every visit she has certain places she wants to stop by to shop and play, and always has her city map ready to go. There’s no stopping her! She has gotten an eye-opening experience watching me prepare for this show. It was under her guidance that I learned to stitch, so I love having her see all that it takes behind the scenes to pull things together.

Well, I must jump away to finish pulling together everything for the show. Don’t forget to stop in, and if you find something you just can’t live without, please do contact one of the many shops who will special order. Also, don’t forget about our daily freebies!!!! Now, off to finish getting those babies ready to release.

PS - Wren Birdnest update - No eggs laid yet, but they’re still working on the nest. Jack the lab has picked up on their proximity, and seems to check them out himself whenever he comes into the office!

Ever have a time when your head’s filled with ideas, lists, and things to do, but you just can’t get moving? Well, I’ve been in that mode for a while now, and am finally getting moving along. Things with Stitchin’spiration really moved much faster than originally planned, so I felt the tug of many-many-many ideas pulling me different ways.

Well, finally I’ve pulled together the list, and am starting to work through it in good order.

Today, you’ll notice that I’ve cleaned up the website design some. Hopefully, with these changes, pages will pull up easier for you surfers. Next step, to get the Needlework Building Blocks pages updated and cleaned up. Designs are currently in the wings, waiting to come to life. Updates will hopefully be made during the week of April 3, with the Stitchin’sight and Stitchin’board also being updated.

Big plans are in the works for April for other reason as well. From April 19 to April 24, we’ll be taking place again in The Needlework Show. How’d you like to shop for needlework in your jammies? Well, here’s your chance. Don’t have a needlework shop nearby to purchase for you? Well, there will be many shops available who’ll take special orders for any designs you find as you search through the many-many vendors.

Be sure to stop in at the Stitchin’spiration booth often, as we have plans in works for offering a freebie (or more) to stitchers and shops during the show. Also, we’ll be introducing you to more exciting designs from Stitchin’spiration. Come and see what the class of April, 2006 looks like!!!!!

Even with all the work happening on the computer all day, I somehow managed to make it out into a gorgeous Virginia spring day. Pollen hasn’t hit full throttle yet, so we could still enjoy the great weather and gentle breezes without seeing the yellow clouds. The wrens building the nest near our office window seemed to be trying to finish things up. Maybe someday soon we’ll have some babies to watch through the spring.

Well, since time’s changing tonight, and we’re losing an hour, I’d better run along. Happy evening!!!