Gay Ann Rogers, Needlework

My countdown started December 21, 2011:

I have 6 months from this day to construct Queendom Website’s new castle and move into it.

E-Week 2011 is officially over.

You had until Jan to report any mistakes, shortages, omissions or other irregularities in your E-Week 2011 orders.

It is after January 15 2012;  I will make no more corrections to E-Week 2011 orders.

Queendom Website’s Own Jargon

MacSoph

MacSoph is my trusty little Apple computer.

Actually I have two MacSophs now, ‘Little MacSoph’ is my original white laptop and ‘MacPSoph’ is my slightly larger MacBookPro. They both work on Queendom Website, particularly during E-Week.

Back in the late 1980’s DH and I had an SE and an English friend named that computer ‘Sophie Enchilada’ a bit of ridiculousness that stuck and our computers have been ‘Soph’ ever since.

DH

DH is my Dear Husband who helps me by running Mail Jail. Actually he does a lot of my bookkeeping also since I am so bad at it.

The main thing to know about DH in connection with Queendom Website is the concept of ‘First Thing in the Morning’.

First Thing in the Morning means just that to me: it is the first thing you do in the morning.

DH has a different concept: First Thing in the Morning often can mean before 4:00 in the afternoon. DH isn’t a morning person.

This arises in connection with ‘Mailing Packages First Thing in the Morning’.

How Queendom Website Got its Name

Not long after MacSoph and I started our website, a friend said to me, your website is just like your own little private kingdom.

I replied, “yes, but not a kingdom, it’s a Queendom and I am Queen.”

And that’s why I usually have an abundance of crowns and things Royal on Queendom Website.

Kate’s Corner

I couldn’t deal with Kit Hell all on my own, so happily Kate Gaunt joined Queendom Website last year to help me.

Kate handles canvas and kitting supplies for many of the projects I sell at E-Week and my other little sales during the year.

I hope she is happy with her little business because I couldn’t do it without her now.

E-Week

E-Week is my once-a-year extravaganza sale of patterns both new and from my archives.

Last year was amazingly my 5th E-Week.

E-Week begins on the Wednesday closest to October 15 and closes a week later.

Last year E-Week started at the crack of dawn on Wednesday, October 12.

Early Morning Sales

During E-Week, Early Morning Sales happen on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 8:00 sharp California Time.

Early Morning Sales have special items, often limited in number, for a short period of time. If I do say so, they are a special part of E-Week and they are great fun!

Early Morning Sales last year began at 8:00 sharp on Saturday October 15 and Sunday October 16.

Mail Jail

Mail Jail is the shipping division of my little business and it is the main reason I don’t have things for sale on Queendom Website all the time.

Mail Jail is its own form of torture, and during sales it dominates my life.

Somehow I missed the organizational gene and every year I struggle, make mistakes, get chastised by the organized people of the world, make my apologies and continue to struggle.

Eventually though, for those willing to be patient, I do indeed get through it all. It just takes patience on everybody’s part.

Kit Hell

Every needlework teacher knows about Kit Hell. That’s the time before a class when you do nothing but order supplies and then divide them up into kits.

Even though I am retired from travel-teaching, I still have a bit of Kit Hell now and again.

Bead Mania

If you have ever spilled 10,000 seed beads, you will know about Bead Mania.

This is all the Queendom Website Jargon I can think of right now. If I think of more of it, I will post it here.

Saturday February 4

I’ve been working away at my Hearts Sale.

I spent last evening wrapping small bead and pearls packets in bubble wrap. I have patterns back from the print shop and they’re in a ring around the dining room table. I’m out of printer ink so I can’t print photos till Monday morning. MacSoph and I have been pounding keys setting up the sale. All in all, it’s coming along nicely, I must say.

It is the weekend and I am almost caught up. Know what this means? STITCHING TIME!

I plan to stitch today and tonight and tomorrow morning and I am greatly looking forward to it. I am hoping that Shining Needle Society members will join me in a Date with Our Needles tonight. Yippee! I love it when I can look forward to a day of stitching time.

Friday February 3

Heading into the weekend, I haven’t been to Apple University for a week and I am feeling withdrawal. I hope to take MacSoph on Sunday afternoon for a 2 hour session with a favorite tutor of ours, Andy.

I have been practicing my new website skills each day. It is so much like learning to do a Bullion Knot. Practice and more practice. I’ve decided it’s all a matter of repetition till it feels easy.

Now I need my new program to come out of beta and into general release. Soon as it is in general release MacSoph tells me she thinks we are ready to move.

Meanwhile back here in iWeb, MacSoph and I are busy constructing 2012’s Hearts Sale. It’s coming along!

Thursday February 2

MacSoph and I spent most of the day yesterday working on hearts. We corrected instructions masters, laid out photo pages and began work on the actual

sale.

Kate is at work too on the sale because she will provide supplies packets for each of the little hearts: threads and canvas.

And of course there are beads. Today I will start assembling packets of pearls. I have already put together a number of the largest beads packets.

Humming right along!

Wednesday February 1

Welcome to February on Queendom Website!

Almost time for my Hearts Sale, just 7 more days after today! Yes, next Wednesday morning, crack of dawn, all my new hearts, all 8 of them, will arrive!

Whew! MacSoph and I better get busy.

Are you ready to go, MacSoph?

Tuesday January 31

The last day of January and only 7 days till my

hearts sale starts. I just have to correct the masters

for the instructions and work on posting the sale.

It won’t be long now.

Interesting results for the recent crop of sewing tools I found on eBay. I thought the pretty grape thimble from Simons went for a most reasonable $41.00, but I guess I am simply mired in the old days when that would have been such a cheap price.

At the other end of the scale, the nice Palais Royal mother of pearl scissors fetched what I thought was a high price. Mind you, the scissors with the small enamel pansies have always fetched a handsome price, so not unexpected.

Monday January 30

Just today and tomorrow left of January, then we are 1/12 of the way through 2012. It’s scary how fast the time goes.

Yesterday was a wonderful day for MacSoph and me: we had a big breakthrough, and after months of struggling with it, I finally understood my new web program and we are well on our way to building a new castle for Queendom Website.

Also I have stitched a tiny bit each day and you know, just a bit every day really does work. I have a short time to go before I finish my first sampler on the linen I just love. Bit by bit does work!

Be sure today to check out Sewing Tools auctions as some of the pretty tools finish today. It was a long dry spell where I didn’t find many nice tools to post, but then all of a sudden I found a handful and they are very nice. I look forward to seeing the results for them.

Sunday January 29

Early this a.m. I went surfing on eBay and found a very rare thimble. I also checked up on several of the auctions and found great interest in a number of them. I look forward to seeing the results tomorrow as several finish.

I spent a wee bit of time stitching, but mostly I’ve been working on MacSoph. Just 9 days till my hearts sale starts. I love February because of all the girlie girl hearts and Valentines associated with February.

Thursday January 26

I will be offline for 2 days, but will be back online in time for  Saturday Night Date with Our Needles at Shining Needle Society.

To keep you company while I am offline, here’s a rebuilt Kitty that my Apple tutor Julia gave me. Made me laugh. Do you think that kitty plunked himself into the box or do you think it was PhotoShopped?

And also to keep you company, check on sewing tools on the yellow navigation bar. There you will find a pretty thimble and one of my favorite ever thimble cases.

Wednesday January 25

Less than a week left in January. It doesn’t seem possible but I know where the time has gone this year. More of the same today as I head off to class again at Apple University late this afternoon.

Ann, my proofer, reports that she is nearly finished stitching this year’s hearts and I plan to take off a chunk of time during the weekend to correct the instructions. This is the most organized I have ever been for my hearts sale, so hopefully it will go well this year.

Here it is, Wednesday, and I am already looking forward to the weekend. I plan to make a date with my needle and for once and for all finish my little journal cover. Soon as I finish it, I will have finished a series I have been stitching and I will set it aside for a while. Nice to be close to finished.

What’s next? I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I think maybe the big whitework sampler I began last fall, the one on the 25 count linen. I don’t have much left to do on it, in fact the hardest part will be finding the balls of pearl cotton. It is at the busywork stage now, so I will be able to kick back and enjoy it as stress relief from website issues.

Tuesday January 24

More study today, all this morning, and later on at Apple University. Am I making progress? Yes, some, but it is slow going. The name of this game is tenacity, I can see that.

I made some progress on restitching and reassembling my little journal cover, but I am sad to report that I don’t have a lot of stitching time. In this heavy computer schedule of mine, I think it is even more important to carve out a bit of time for my needle, even if only a dozen stitches a day.

Monday January 23

New this morning! My Surprise Heart #4, the winner of our Christmas game, is all in finished form and in place. Check out ‘Surprise Heart’ on yellow navigation bar.

Only a little over 2 weeks till my hearts sale is back, and #4 is only one of 8 (yes, EIGHT) new hearts this year! They are written and finished and set to go and I am excited to see what people think of them.

Don’t forget too, to check out ‘Sewing Tools’ if nothing less than to see the little Palais Royal scissors with the enamel pansies on the handles.

I’ve been looking for thimbles. Now that  I’ve turned into a thimble collector again, I keep hoping for some new treasures, but alas, none yet this year.

I am happy to say that Arlene is coming back now to talk about cameras once again in my Shining Needle Society rooms. I think I will post her information in all my rooms.

In my Elizabeth classroom it is a bit boring as we are dealing with handling a potential overflow of emails, but soon things will be more interesting. Surprises on the horizon, including my favorite surprise I have ever offered my online audience. I am all excited about this surprise. Won’t be long now. No, not long at all.

Beginning of a new week. Let’s go take it on! I have no fewer than 9 trips to Apple University before Feb. 1. Yes, time is here to study. Study hard!

Sunday January 22

After a very long very dry spell looking for sewing tools on eBay, I found some charmers this morning. Do go and see them: a beautiful pr. of Palais Royal scissors and a strange little jug with a surprise inside were my favorites.

Nice to see some good sewing tools again. I will keep my eyes out for others.

I finished my journal cover last night, in fact cut it out and assembled it, only to change my mind, decide to add a piece and take it all apart and have to stitch another small addition. Way it goes. Maybe if all goes well today, I’ll have a chance to finish it tonight.

Saturday January 21

I am looking forward to tonight and A Date with My Needle. I have high hopes of coming close to finishing my little journal cover by tomorrow night, if I stitch both evenings.

I am hoping that members of my general classroom at Shining Needle Society will join me.

Here is an empty heart.

Won’t be long now till it is filled. 8 times filled!

Watch in the next week

too for some

details.