I've been in a bit of a funk today. There's no real reason why, but I think I had such a nice time this weekend, tidying up my craftspace and then enjoying it, that I just didn't want to go back to work. Also, I took the wrong antihistamine last night -- one that had decongestant (like Sudafed) in as well -- and I spent all night either restless and awake or restless and asleep, having tedious dreams about stamp carving. I know -- it's fun enough in the waking world, but it somehow becomes such a chore in my sleep. And TFL (er, Transport for London) was utterly crap this morning. So maybe that's three good reasons.

But there were two VERY good reasons to be happy today, in package form:

Number One, my order from Sarah at The Small Object, plus some treats. I adore Sarah's style, and I've been wanting her crafty recipe cards for some time. I'm continually ripping corners off pieces of paper or even grabbing scraps out of the trash to write things on (actual recipes, most of the time!), so after the billionth time doing that, I realized I needed these cards in my home. I'm so happy to finally have them, along with a pack of her collector cards and some stickers she packed in as well. And aren't her business cards just too cute? That peep looks like me after a hard day crafting.

Second package, the much anticipated swap with Cally:

Cally had asked about my bird clips a while back, so when Rob found some still on sale (on clearance!), a swap seemed like fate. I had some fun sending her things I haven't shown the rest of the world (like Good Morning note cards), but I had even more fun pouring over the goodies she sent to me! Cally's blog isn't quite yet up and running, but she makes the most lovely collages, and her tastes seem to run along the same tracks as mine -- birds and more birds! She enclosed wonderful swatches of fabric, a little 'Fly' card with mini bookmarks, several amazing mini collages, a postcard, and -- my favourite -- a teeny tiny little pouch that's actually a brooch. It snaps shut, and inside she tucked a shiny piece of shell. And what's more, it matches my new bag perfectly!

I have to say, I really like gathering things together for swaps, and I love seeing people post about the treats I've sent on their blogs. Getting amazing things in return seems like more than a person could ask for! A big thank you to Cally! Once she goes 'public' with her blog, I'll be sure to post a link here.

Speaking of swaps and blogs and, you know, birds, I was thinking about the mini-swap that's currently taking place with the children of bloggers. But some of us don't have children -- we have pets whom we must spoil and treat as though they were our progeny. I wondered how clever a 'companion animal' swap would be; obviously our little cats and dogs and birds and bunnies are less aware of what arrives in the post (I just had a staring contest with Frankie, and I'm not sure much at all goes on in that head), but surely they still appreciate a new toy, etc. And it would be fun for the bloggers involved, naturally.

There could be a small shop-bought half (with a limit of $5-10) and a homemade half. Who wouldn't want to recieve a package with little catnip toys for their cats or a softie for their dog or. . . a bag of fluff for their birds (my birds only like fluff. And seeds. And whatever that is in your hand right there. What is it? Can they have it?)? Anyway, I'd be up for arranging a group swap for a reasonable number of people (10?), if anybody is interested. Just holler. And if there's absolute silence, I'll take that as an 'Eh. Dumb animals. That reminds me, I haven't fed the cat this week.'

My craft room appears in pictures here and there, but I haven't really had a post dedicated to it. It's not a terribly exciting space, but I'm always very voyeristic when it comes to seeing pictures of others' work spaces, and I just finished tidying it up (which was WAY over due), so I feel I should capture the moment.

Click any picture to enlarge. Looking at these photos makes me realize how much stuff I have. I posted a similar picture about six months ago, and it looked much more sparse. Now I've got lovely little things from other people -- like the bird from Alicia and the little birdy painting from Tania -- and also knick knacks I've added myself, like the little horses I've brought over from America. Swinging to the left from that picture:

My inspiration board, which actually ends up being a showcase for a lot of the odds and ends I print. I like everything on there, but I might shuffle it around soon, just for interest's sake. I got that banner at the Frankfurt Book Fair -- imagine the size of THOSE letter blocks. That must be, like, 300pt! The sewing machine is, uh, my sewing machine. It's got a little iZone (?) photo of Jamal on it. I'd like a dedicated sewing table, but as it is, I just swing it around and plug it in when I need it.

On the next wall are my cabinets:

I love this Ikea fabric. I lined the glass doors of the first cabinet with it a while ago, and I made the curtains for the other yesterday. I wasn't quite sure if I liked them at first, but it really is amazing what a difference they make, visually blocking out all the clutter on the shelves. My fabric lives a very cramped life in the glass-doored cabinet, and my trimmings, etc are housed in the other one. You can see where Frankie and Ira do their thing, too. They used to be above the other cabinet, but they seem to like being closer to the window.

I like how it looks like there's a great expanse of floor in this picture, but I had to stand in the hallway to get it. The big black thing on the bottom shelf is a speaker; Rob hooked up an AirPort to my stereo/computer, so I can listen to tunes on the good speakers. My carving supplies are in the green boxes. The type drawer unit used to be on the floor until this morning, when I realized it could sit up high and have books on top. My guitar is to the left, and my letterpress and cabinet are to the left of that (just off the edge of the phoot).

This is one of my favourite little areas in the whole of the flat, especially now that the drawer unit is up there. I like how the two mismatched drawer pulls just happen to match the boxes I keep the carving supplies in. I take a lot of photos here because it's a convenient horizontal surface by a window, but it's always quite cluttered. I bought that cow creamer at an antiques store several years ago now, just because I liked the look of it, and suddenly there were reproductions of it in all the Crate and Barrels, etc. Neat. That Rough Guide to London book was a freebie we got for attending the Get London Reading launch last week. It's really interesting, but something I would have never bought for myself. This is why it pays to be in the book industry -- free things.

And that's it! One very small room and a whole lot of stuff.

[Update: All the prints have been claimed! Thanks, guys!]

Pip, pip. What's that?

Oh, it's Mr. Robin Redbreast and his Lady Robin! I had the idea to make my bird prints with robins a while ago, and I think I'm happy with the results. British robins (picture feathered cotton balls with toothpick legs) are much roly poly-er than American robins, and their red patch is like a bib instead of being on their bellies.

It was tricky to get the red just where I wanted it, and every added layer is another opportunity to mess up. That sounds really negative, but I can't count the number of times I've had a perfect print and gone to add the border (the last layer) and ruined it. So frustrating! So there are fewer prints available this time (only seven!) -- same deal as always, $5, including shipping; e-mail me if you'd like one.

I've been very busy, like a busy bee, today! The weekend is my time for doing things, and I'm usually disappointed with the number of projects I can't finish -- or even start -- in just two days. But this morning I made these:

Even though I sell mostly prints, there's the occasional item that would like a tag if it could have one. I was toying with the idea of having some printed for me, but then I realized I could just do it myself. I carved this little stamp this morning and printed it onto one-inch twill tape. I've got a few packs of this tape, which came in the bumper trims and lace lot my mom gave me for Christmas (an ebay find, I believe). I can also use the stamp for packages and cards!

I also made those felt beads today, which I've strung up since. I love the look of Tania's felt bead necklace, but I just don't think I could pull that off. Instead, I'll just hang mine somewhere I can see them and appreciate them from (slightly) afar.

So, bird prints, felt beads, tags -- and I hung a little curtain in one of my cabinets (the one without doors) to block off the clutter. AND I have peanut butter cupcakes cooling, waiting to be iced. Whew!

So, interesting news. I was contacted by an American publisher regarding the tea cup cozy I made a while back and a crochet book they're doing for next year. It seems like a nice opportunity, so we'll see what happens.

Over lunch yesterday, Pauline and I decided it would be fun to have a cozy for regular drinking glasses. So last night, with a little Noro Silk Garden and ribbon, I made this:

I'm not crazy about the colours (these muddyish colours were on the inside of the skein, whereas the outside was bright and vivid and lovely), but I like the look and love the texture.

I proposed the idea of having alternate patterns for the teacup cozy to the American publisher -- I think the one for my Bodum mug might be too specific, and it's always nice to have options. He said he "[didn't] really care about the glass idea." Hm, okay then. And Rob thinks you can't put hot liquid into glass that isn't either toughened or very thin.

Will nobody love my little cozy? Actually, it's not so pathetic. I'm pleased with it, and Pauline thought it looked good, and I'm going to try breaking a drinking glass with hot water. That's practically science!

Please note: I never wrote up a pattern for this pattern, nor the teacup cozy. I'm very sorry, but I have no plan to do so.

I took this picture yesterday, back when there was still a sun and the days were bright. You know how when you're ascending in an airplane, and you pass through a layer of clouds and you're in clear sky, but there's still a layer of clouds above you? I think there must be somewhere in the range of sixteen to twenty-nine layers of clouds today. Glum, glum, glum. But! I can look at this picture and remember how it used to be, back in the good old yesterdays.

I took the picture just before leaving the flat, whilst in the middle of picking out letters for a new 'business' card. While the picking out of letters is middling-to-low in terms of excitment (and putting them back is at the very bottom of the list of things I'd like to be doing), I do love the trays. These two are drawers from one of my little cabinets; there are twenty-plus others just like them, plus three bigger (and massively heavier) trays for the large fonts. In a way, it's good that I don't have a dedicated space for working with the type; if I did, I know I'd never put it away, and it would quickly become a useless pile of trays and loose bits of lead.

Anyway, I made these:

I made these to replace the business cards I've been tucking in with prints, etc. The old design was an exercise in using as many faces as possible (such a no-no, and something I'd never do in the 'real world'), so these are simple and clean. I printed the text first and then went back with one of my newly carved birdie stamps to finish them off. They're cute, no?

Before I go (figuratively -- I doubt I'll actually get up), I want to say thank you for all the lovely comments yesterday. A lot of thinking and planning and sewing and ripping out and sewing again went into that bag, and people I see on the street probably will never know. This is why I love the internets!

Hooray -- Green Bag is finished! Here it is, in all of it's greeny, baggy glory:

Click the image to enlarge. I feel like I've been planning and making this bag for at least a month now. It started when I was rummaging around my scrap basket and patched together some Liberty odds and ends. I really liked how the little swatch came out (which I then 'ruined' by turning into a pouch I'm not altogether happy with), so that's where the inspiration for the patchwork band came from.

I had originally envisioned the body of the bag being made out of deep red velvet -- once I discovered how much velvet costs, I decided to dye some corduroy red instead. In the end, red wasn't meant to be; I found a great big cusion cover made of velveteen (which, it turned out, was what I had really wanted/imagined all along and is much cheaper than velvet) at Ikea. I used the dyed corduroy to line the bag, and the combo is really nice.

It's a very big bag, because I am a very busy and important person who often needs to haul around entire families of cats a camera and my lunch and an umbrella, etc, etc. I'm not a tiny person (I'm 5' 8" or 9", depending on the day), but it still manages to look more like a small piece of luggage than a purse:

That photo is proof to my theory that I'd look much slimmer if I didn't have a Minnesotan bum attached to me. Bag camouflage will work for now.

Some of my favourite things about the bag: The lovely piping. The randomly gathered velveteen, which gave me an excuse for mistakes further down the line -- it's just the style! The little badges I've pinned on -- the stripey badge looks amazing, considering how simple it is (thanks again, Manda!). And I've just remembered I've got buttons/badges from Tania which I can add!

So. That there's my bag. Hope you like it.

Hello! On Wednesday, the following was waiting for me at home:

I ordered these from Nichola's Etsy shop, and you should too. They're smaller than I expected, and all the cuter for it. I haven't decided what to do with them yet, other than stare at them and put them in order from most favourite to least.

I've been playing with the yarn left over from my tea cozy:

I haven't been sooo into the whole crochet flower thing (more of a lack of interest than negative feelings), but I liked the petals on my cozy, so I used the same technique here. Added some beads to the centre, and they're done -- one for me, and one for a pal.

Lastly, some stampedy action:

I wanted to carve a stamp that looked like lace, and I'm halfway happy with this one. I definitely could have done a better job with both the design and the carving, and I didn't try hard enough to make sure the ends would match up (to repeat the pattern). Still! The stamp plus some very old, very pink cards (they came with my letterpress) and my big 'a' stamp from Frankfurt (I had to speak actual German to buy that!), and I'm pleased with the overall effect. They'll be good for tucking in with packages.

I'm feeling quite sedate right now, but I was actually VERY pleased with the cards and the crochet flowers earlier today. I made up an entire song about how clever I was, but -- unfortunately -- only Rob had the pleasure of hearing it.

What an exciting week it's been, post/mail-wise. Yesterday, I came into the office (where I often have packages sent, as there's always somebody around) to find the quilt batting and fabric I had ordered. I had bought two different Kaffe Fassett prints -- now, somehow Mr. Fassett has escaped my radar until just recently. I knew who he was and had even read articles about him in Country Living, but somehow I never felt the need to investigate further. The site I bought the batting from also stocks all (or at least most) of his fabrics, and I'm really, really enamoured with the large prints. I'll have to think about what to do with the quarter-meter pieces I ordered, but I'd definitely love to make a Kaffe-print quilt someday (duh.).

Oh, but pictures! Here's a picture:

The lovely and gracious Manda recently offered to send out little piles of scrap fabric she didn't need, and I jumped on that -- I practically live on fabric scraps alone! Her package arrived today, and not only did she send a pleasing array of little fabric swatches, she also included buttons and a fabric badge and a variety of zips -- all tucked inside a hand-quilted pouch! The package was sitting on my desk when I got back from Foyles (the one day I go, and where was everybody? It was a very small crowd today.), and I had to sit at my desk, admiring everything and being quietly excited. Thanks, Manda!

Oh, jumping back to Monday, I also received a glass fawn badge from Happy Owl Glassworks. I haven't taken a picture of it, but it's a very treasured item, indeed. I've wanted one of these for what seems like years (and is definitely at least one year), so having one is like a little mini dream come true. Okay, so there's no reason I couldn't have bought one ages ago, but that's not the thing. The thing is it's so sweet and perfect, and I bought it with bird-print-selling money. It's a very good system, this system of mine.

Too many words, not enough pictures! When I came home today, not only was there a package from my mom, filled with magazines, candy, and ribbons for Rob and I (the ribbons aren't really for Rob), but there was also the most beautifully wrapped package from none other than Ms. Alicia. Look who's come to stay:

Eee! It really was the most stunningly wrapped package, all aqua tissue and pink frizzy paper and cellophane wrappers. I tried holding the new lady bird up to Ira (I whistled a little blackbird-esque song for realism), but I'm not sure he was convinced. His look was less 'Hello, Lady Bird, come into my nest, won't you?' and more 'Those millinery flowers -- can I eat them?' Anyway, I love the new little birdy addition to our flat. Thanks, Alicia!

Speaking of Ira (this post is going to go on forever -- I recently had a cup of caffeinated tea): Rob and I were standing in my craft room (where the birds live), chatting about whatever it is we chat about, and the birds were ignoring us. Eventually, I turned (but didn't move any closer) to the birds, and said, 'Hello, birds!' This is how I usually greet them, as it's polite and cheery, and one must treat others the way one would like to be treated. Ira, who was facing away from me, turned around as soon as I addressed them and gave me a look. I thought it was very clever, because I'm certain he responded to my voice and regular greeting, and it wasn't just a coincidence. Nice, clever Ira. Nice, slightly dimwitted Frankie.

So! I think I shall end this post now with a great big thank you to my internet friends. The Mermaid Princess was saying today that she never would have known there were people out there who put so much time and effort into giving gifts to people they don't even really 'know.' Well, it makes me feel good to be one of those people, and I'm certainly glad to know others of the same breed, because it has really made my day!

Just like I said:

Tada! I'm very pleased with this -- it's like a sweater/pullover for my teacup. The mug is by Bodum; it came with a loose leaf filter and is my very favourite mug for hottened beverages. It's made of glass*, though, so it's very hot on the hands, and I hate having to hold a mug by its handle, carefully avoiding the rest of its scalding surface. So! Cozy!

The pattern is my own -- it's crocheted 'in the round' up to the bottom of the handle, and then just back and forth to the top, all in single chain. It's got a little tab that goes through the handle and fastens with buttons, and a nice petal-y thing going on at the top. Couldn't be more pleased with myself my new teacup cozy.

*One of the only things I remember from BF Skinner's Walden Two is that they drink their tea from glass containers. He claims it's good at insulating, which I'm not sure about, but it's a lovely idea.

Whew, I just had a very Monty Python moment. We got back from Bluewater a few minutes ago, and I was thinking, 'Now I can settle down and crochet my teacup cozy. That is all I have to do. Wait! Two things! I have to crochet my teacup cozy and cut pictures out of the old magazines. Those are my two goals. But there are three, three goals for today! I must crochet the cozy, cut out the pictures, and update my website. The goals are three in number.' Luckily, I stopped at three and am now making progress on them.

This was my final project yesterday. I've actually got a much groovier bag in the works, but I need to buy some things before I get any further with it -- and I'm purposefully making myself take a break from it, as I tend to forge ahead on things and sacrifice the initial vision. I figure if I work in stages, I won't rush to finish it, cutting out the nice details.

So, the above is my interim bag. It's a very simple little bag, but it's got a few pockets inside and should be just right for a while. I'm very fickle when it comes to bags, and I've tired of this one. I actually bought a Crumpler bag for my camera, but it's too boxy and fiddly for everyday use. And I needed something smaller I can sling across myself and forget about, so this does the trick.

The photo is pretty crappy (it's very rainy today, so I hauled one of our mirrors into the kitchen for light. . . plus, it looks like I haven't got arms -- I have; they're operating the camera.), but I'm wearing a new skirt and cardigan/fleece/sweater, which are presents from my mom. Except that she hasn't seen them yet and I bought them 4000 miles away from where she is. But the money was from her. Thanks!

Whew, it's been a morning of unsuccessful projects. I've already given up and thrown away two unlucky items, but I think it's just the universe trying to keep things on an even keel after this excellent success:

My new wallet. My last (also homemade) wallet was literally falling apart after a year's use, and I tried to replace it a couple weeks ago, but I just wasn't happy with the result. I wanted something compact and slick, and thought up the above model. It's got two pockets for credit cards and a back pocket for cash money. I'm not sure why I used this print, but it seemed like the thing to do, and I really like how it looks with the solid blue. So, huzzah.

I used some ultra-stiff interfacing meant for shirt collars; I bought several meters the other week before I realized it was just too stiff for making bags. It was perfect for the wallet, though, and it worked well for this fabric box:

Cute, no? And now my bird clips have somewhere to perch.

The jury is still out on this:

It looks really nice, but it's a bit breadier than it ought to be. The fresh plums are very tart, though, and the crumble on top is nice and sweet, so I guess it all balances out. Not a disaster, not amaaazing, but pretty good. I can live with that.

Lastly, I wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading the comments from yesterday's post. When it comes down to it, we're all very passionate about our crafting, which is a very nice way to be, indeed.

It's funny how normal or completely bizarre crafting seems, depending on who you're speaking with. If I show a handcrafted item to, say, my knitting buddies, it's ooh-ed and ahh-ed over and given the respect it deserves (while I say, 'No, no really, it's not even very good. See, here -- I messed that bit up, and this is crooked.'). Show it to a non-crafter, and you suddenly feel like a great big weirdo; who sews their own bags, anyway? Why would you bother doing that? (I feel I should mention that there's going to be an excellent book coming out later this year which addresses that very topic.)

I also find it hard to convey the fact that I think about crafting a lot. All the time, practically. I hope other crafty types know what I mean, because I'm not always sure it makes sense to the 'normal' people. At any given moment, I'm probably thinking about the project I'm in the middle of, or what I could do next, or what supplies I'll need to buy in order to finish one of the two.

I have my slow moments, when I don't feel like starting anything new, but most of the time, I'm mentally tripping over all the possibilities -- I have to make felt! No, a new purse! A doll! Wait, make more prints! And a plum tart! Rob wonders why I don't go to the gym more ever, but who can spare even one hour when there are so many things waiting to be created? Mustn't stop creating, not for a minute!

Well, except for television therapy.

It can be very overwhelming at times, especially when other bits of my life require attention (as they usually do). But then, crafting wouldn't be rewarding if it were done in a vacuum. I need Rob to tell me how pretty the linings are (as he does), and I need work to help me focus my creative energy (a cover isn't perfect and finished just because I feel like it's done), and I need everything else to amaze me and to inspire me to create even more.

It's a nice feeling, this being full of ideas.

I took a walk through the park this morning (I was working from home) to take some photos. I was mainly collecting various textures -- peeling paint, bricks, etc -- for future use on book covers (you never know when you'll need these things), but I also took a few pretty pictures. You can thank the morning light and my macro lens; all I had to do was press the button.

Click any image to enlarge.

Okay, seriously. Nearly everybody has done this meme now -- even my mom. I haven't been tagged, but I was on somebody's daily visits list (hi!), so I must finally give in to the power of the meme.

Four jobs I've had:
- 'Sales Assistant' at Sears.
- Caregiver at a school-age day care (awesome).
- Cashier at a local supermarket.
- and I'm currently a Publisher/Illustrator (also awesome).

Four Movies I can watch over and over:
- Almost Famous.
- Moulin Rouge.
- Monty Python's Life of Brian.
- Contact. Or Jurassic Park.

Four Places I've Lived:
- Savage, Minnesota (not really Minneapolis, like I tell 'foreingers').
- La Crosse, Wisconsin.
- Dalkeith, Scotland (near Edinburgh).
- and currently -- London, England.

Four TV shows I love:
- Grand Designs.
- Scrubs.
- QI and Top Gear.
- And a host of shows-no-more (Friends, X-Files, etc).

Four places I've vacationed:
- Chicago, Illinois.
- Isle of Arran, Scotland.
- Faro, Portugal.
- Windermere, England.

Four of my favorite dishes:
- Sesame tofu. Yum.
- Anything from the recently reopened (HOORAY!) Udupi (in Minnesota).
- My very own fried 'chicken' Quorn fillets.
-Cheesecake -- it's a 'dish' to some people.

Four sites I visit daily:
Too many to list! Two of my newer favourite finds include:
- Tree Fall Design.
- FrenchToastCake.
And then there's always:
- Posie Gets Cozy.
- Yarnstorm.

Four places I would rather be right now:
- By the sea in southern Portugal. Unless it's raining, the weather's gotta be nicer than here!
- At my parents' house in Minnesota, telling Jamal he's a good dog.
- In Edinburgh. Lovely, lovely.
- Watching QI with Rob. That Alan Davies, he makes-a me laugh!

Poor Jamal has had a rough week:

Click the image to get the full picture. Jamal is our family dog, who lives with my parents in Minnesota. He's nearly eleven years old now, which is getting on for old-old, considering what a big dog he is. He still acts the same as he always has, but he's gotten creakier in his advanced age.

He had a limp in his back leg that was getting worse and worse, and it was finally discovered that he had a torn ACL, not just a case of doggy arthritis. He went to the dog hospital yesterday to have knee surgery, and now he can join Rob in the Titanium club (I think having a titanium knee is slightly cooler than titanium teeth, but I'm not telling Rob that).

He's at home recovering now, looking very druggy in this picture. It's sad for me to not be able to give him pets, so I'll just have to send good vibes over the internet.

So, you may be asking, what did I do today, the day which marks another calendar year of dating for Rob and me? Well, let me tell you!

First, I cleaned the craft room. Clean house, clean heart, as they say (as I say, that is).

This is one of my favourite corners (when it's clean). I love the Corners of My Home group on Flickr, but I remain Flickrless (for reasons I won't bore you with), so this is as close as I can get to submitting. I backed the glass doors of my Ikea cabinet with -- what else -- an Ikea print. My printing cabinet (just off to the left of the photo) also has glass doors to be backed, and I may eventually buy another pair for the cabinet to the right of the picture. All my stuff -- hidden behind lovely fabric!

So, after the clean up, Rob and I went to our cafe for celebratory breakfasts. Sadly, they have finished filming in that little bit of town, but we still had mighty good food:

I have to point out that the photo was taken with my camera phone (so handy for inconspicuous photography!), and I'm really rather pleased with the quality. Bonus points to my new(ish) phone, which still hasn't broken!

I went with three-quarters of the ebcb, missing out the bacon, of course. When I make this at home, we have Quorn bacon-style rashers, which do the trick for me. Looking at it with American eyes, it seems a very unbreakfast-y meal -- too savoury, maybe. But it really is lovely, and I'd be hard-pressed to choose between a fry-up and, say, french toast.

Then! Loaded up with calories, we headed into the city. I'm not sure if you remember, but I live here:

Well, not in the bridge, but in this general location on the globe. We went to the Design Museum, which was -- as these things usually are -- not quite as good as one expects. The content was actually very interesting; there was just so little of it. Not worth the £7 to get in, considering that loads of museums are free. But, meh. There were some excellent light fixtures/displays there, including this one, which looked like a glowing cloud from a distance:

I got a little bowl from Tord Boontje's 'Table Stories' dish set, which I shall take a picture of later. I didn't realize he was the same Tord Boontje who does these lights (I know a lot of Tord Boontjes, you know). I do love those lights, though, and the bowl is just as lovely.

So. That's our anniversary-type day so far. I think we'll have pizza soon, and that should be that.

But, wait. What happened to the third edition? I made teal and orange prints last weekend, but it was tough going. I woud up with only one sheet (six prints) that I was happy with, and I somehow sold those before I could even post about them. So that was three, this is four:

Printing was a breeze this time, and I love the colour combo. I had been sticking with shades of blue for the background, because, you know, the sky is blue. But the pink is very pretty, no? A few have already been sold, but I have about ten which haven't been claimed, which a person like you could buy for only $5. E-mail me if you're interested.

And now, to the post office! Some people have had to be very patient lately, and it's all my fault.

A quick, illegal work-time post. Because my mom is funny.

Kris: My eye is still twitching and the eye doctor said I should drink tonic water. So I told your dad last night she said I should drink tonic water, and he said, "Because of the quinine?" How could he know that?

Anna: I wonder what it's for.

Kris: I don't know, I was busy looking at how weird her hair style was.
And wondering how she got it to do that.
And then wondering why you have to wait so long to see doctors.
And I was a little miffed at her, so I didn't listen to her all the way.
And she had a very large wedding diamond on her finger.
And I thought, I wonder how much money she makes?
And maybe I should change doctors.
Because she seems rather young.

Anna: You're such an old lady.

Kris: I am.

Anna: When did that happen?

Kris: Last year.

Anna: Maybe when you joined AARP.

Kris: That was it! Yes, that was it!