Welcome to my blog! If you enjoy arts and crafts, dolls, needle work...relax and stay awhile!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Off My Rocker!
Well, here's proof that I am indeed off my rocker, but in a good way, lol:
You can actually see my rocker/recliner right behind me. I had to push it back to make room to play with my Kinect (which is what I'm doing in the picture, by the way, lol). Kinect snaps random embarrassing photos and gives them captions, and this one just fit perfectly, lol.
I guess I should wear something other than pajama bottoms and a t shirt to play with my Kinect from now on, but since I already embarrassed myself, here's another shot that caught me leaping up the air, something I haven't done since I was a teenager, lol.
You can actually see my rocker/recliner right behind me. I had to push it back to make room to play with my Kinect (which is what I'm doing in the picture, by the way, lol). Kinect snaps random embarrassing photos and gives them captions, and this one just fit perfectly, lol.
I guess I should wear something other than pajama bottoms and a t shirt to play with my Kinect from now on, but since I already embarrassed myself, here's another shot that caught me leaping up the air, something I haven't done since I was a teenager, lol.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
XBOX Kinect
I finally made a decision and bought a Kinect, after over a week of debating whether to get a Sony Move, a Kinect, or a Wii.
I was really attracted to the Move, but I don't have a PS3 console and $399.00 for the whole package was out of my price range.
The Wii had the best price, only $209.00 for either the red Wii with Wii Sports an a Mario title, or a Black Wii with Wii Sports and Wii Sports resort. It also had the best selection of titles, but only if I stayed with the basic Wii. I only wanted a motion sensing game in the first place so I can lose weight, so I would have had to add the Wii balance board andWii fit. That brought the price up to over 300 dollars, and for that price, I figured I may as well get the newer product.
The Xbox and Kinect, bundled with Adventures, was $299.00; and I also paid an extra 50 for the Your Shape Fitness Evolved game. The Xbox only has 4 GB of storage, though, which sucks, but then again, I plan to only use Kinect games with Xbox...I have so many PC games that it would be silly to switch to a console for my regular gaming. Not that I'm a hardcore gamer...I like the Sims 2 and the Sims 3, Adventure Games, and Oblivion.
Now, before buying Kinect, I was worried that I may not like playing without a controller. I mean, I like my mouse; it's very handy, lol. So I downloaded some webcam games that seemed similar to Kinect (although without the technology). Webcam Mania is a set of cam games that can be downloaded at this site: http://mika.tanninen.net/Ohjelmat_Webcam_10_en.shtml
To be honest, I didn't think I'd enjoy them, but they were a lot of fun. I decide that I would like the fancier version of these games so that cemented my decision to go with Kinect.
I had a workout getting my room ready for the Kinect, before even playing it. I have a small house, and my livingroom is long and narrow. It's also very cluttered, and in my research I read somewhere that Kinect doesn't like clutter. So I had to move a lot of stuff to another room (and can now barely move in my office, but that is another story, lol).
Once the livingroom was ready, I set up the game. It was soooo simple to do; Xbox explained ever step.
Soon the Xbox was telling me to put the controller down. I did. It told me where to stand. I did. It ran a series of calibrations (audio, visual), had me wave, showed me how to pause, and then we were ready to play.
Adventures was first, and I, a confirmed couch potato, was soon leaping, laughing, and leaning my way around corners, over ramps, frantically trying to collect rewards and avoid obstacles as I went.
My standard poodle Mac decided to join in the fun, and Kinect "saw" him as a child and gave him a child avatar and named him player two, lol. Player two, the dog, is more energetic than I am and his antics made the raft jump waaay up, lol. I laughed so hard that I had to pause the game and take my asthma meds.
The next game was a soccer bop sort of game, where you stand in front of a net and hit balls at a target, which then hurls balls back at you. You have to keep these balls out of the net...I think.
I was doing well at this game, surprisingly, when Mac came back and again the Kinect saw him as player two. I stopped moving to laugh, but Mac didn't and Kinect said "Player two now has control of the game". Tooooo funny! The Kinect snapped some pictures...I hope it got pics of the dog, lol.
I won a trophy...or maybe Mac did...a fat hamster statue, which I animated with a silly song.
I was hot and sweaty and sore and shocked to find that it was way after midnight...1:30 AM. I'd been moving for over an hour, and hadn't realized.
I am so glad that I bought this game. I'm looking forward to trying the fitness game tomorrow. I can't wait to play this with my friend and my goddaughter.
I was really attracted to the Move, but I don't have a PS3 console and $399.00 for the whole package was out of my price range.
The Wii had the best price, only $209.00 for either the red Wii with Wii Sports an a Mario title, or a Black Wii with Wii Sports and Wii Sports resort. It also had the best selection of titles, but only if I stayed with the basic Wii. I only wanted a motion sensing game in the first place so I can lose weight, so I would have had to add the Wii balance board andWii fit. That brought the price up to over 300 dollars, and for that price, I figured I may as well get the newer product.
The Xbox and Kinect, bundled with Adventures, was $299.00; and I also paid an extra 50 for the Your Shape Fitness Evolved game. The Xbox only has 4 GB of storage, though, which sucks, but then again, I plan to only use Kinect games with Xbox...I have so many PC games that it would be silly to switch to a console for my regular gaming. Not that I'm a hardcore gamer...I like the Sims 2 and the Sims 3, Adventure Games, and Oblivion.
Now, before buying Kinect, I was worried that I may not like playing without a controller. I mean, I like my mouse; it's very handy, lol. So I downloaded some webcam games that seemed similar to Kinect (although without the technology). Webcam Mania is a set of cam games that can be downloaded at this site: http://mika.tanninen.net/Ohjelmat_Webcam_10_en.shtml
To be honest, I didn't think I'd enjoy them, but they were a lot of fun. I decide that I would like the fancier version of these games so that cemented my decision to go with Kinect.
I had a workout getting my room ready for the Kinect, before even playing it. I have a small house, and my livingroom is long and narrow. It's also very cluttered, and in my research I read somewhere that Kinect doesn't like clutter. So I had to move a lot of stuff to another room (and can now barely move in my office, but that is another story, lol).
Once the livingroom was ready, I set up the game. It was soooo simple to do; Xbox explained ever step.
Soon the Xbox was telling me to put the controller down. I did. It told me where to stand. I did. It ran a series of calibrations (audio, visual), had me wave, showed me how to pause, and then we were ready to play.
Adventures was first, and I, a confirmed couch potato, was soon leaping, laughing, and leaning my way around corners, over ramps, frantically trying to collect rewards and avoid obstacles as I went.
My standard poodle Mac decided to join in the fun, and Kinect "saw" him as a child and gave him a child avatar and named him player two, lol. Player two, the dog, is more energetic than I am and his antics made the raft jump waaay up, lol. I laughed so hard that I had to pause the game and take my asthma meds.
The next game was a soccer bop sort of game, where you stand in front of a net and hit balls at a target, which then hurls balls back at you. You have to keep these balls out of the net...I think.
I was doing well at this game, surprisingly, when Mac came back and again the Kinect saw him as player two. I stopped moving to laugh, but Mac didn't and Kinect said "Player two now has control of the game". Tooooo funny! The Kinect snapped some pictures...I hope it got pics of the dog, lol.
I won a trophy...or maybe Mac did...a fat hamster statue, which I animated with a silly song.
I was hot and sweaty and sore and shocked to find that it was way after midnight...1:30 AM. I'd been moving for over an hour, and hadn't realized.
I am so glad that I bought this game. I'm looking forward to trying the fitness game tomorrow. I can't wait to play this with my friend and my goddaughter.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Crocheted Annie dog
I've been missing my darling girl, Annie, who went to doggy heaven at the age of 19 and a half this past September.
I decided to crochet a little Annie type dog, and I'm really happy with the results.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The Power of Positive Thinking
I've read a lot about the power of positive thinking, the power of prayer, the power of attraction, etc. They all seem to boil down to something similar; ask, and it shall be given. Have faith that you will receive what you ask for.
I thought it would be fun to play with pictures, to sort of send out these images to God and the universe as a way to ask that my book sells.
If you want to make your own images like this; it's easy. Just google "fun picture effects" and tons of free websites will come up.
Have fun!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Free Crochet: Baby Hedgehog Pattern
I made up this cute little pattern because I've been obsessed with baby hedgehogs lately.
It will be free for awhile, so if you want to try it, feel free!
Let me know if you run into any problems. I did my best, but it's the first pattern that I've written out to share with others, so there may be mistakes.
I'd love to see your baby hedgehog if you make one. I named mine " Baby Spike".
--
A Handful of Baby Hedgehog(s)
Pattern by Katharine Schopp
Head
1) With MC (pink) and size F hook, chain 2. Work 4 sc in second chain from hook. (4)
Do not join; insert yarn marker (I use a strand of yarn to hold my place).
2) Work two sc in next sc; sc in next sc, around. (6)
3)Work two sc in next sc; sc in next sc, around. (9)
4)Work two sc in next sc; sc in next sc around. (14)
Stuff lightly.
5)Sc in next 2 sc, sl st in next 2 sc, sc in next 4 sc, sl st next 2 sc, sc remaining 4 sc. (14)
6) Working in front loops only for this round, sc next 2 sc together (decrease made), around. (7) Fasten off; sew closed.
You should now have a little flat bottomed cone shape. This will form the snout and face.
It will be free for awhile, so if you want to try it, feel free!
Let me know if you run into any problems. I did my best, but it's the first pattern that I've written out to share with others, so there may be mistakes.
I'd love to see your baby hedgehog if you make one. I named mine " Baby Spike".
--
A Handful of Baby Hedgehog(s)
Pattern by Katharine Schopp
Materials:
Size F and G crochet hook
Worsted weight yarn, pink (Main Colour/MC) You may use smaller hooks and thinner yarn to get a smaller hedgie.
Eyelash yarn, silver (or colour of your choice)
Black embroidery thread
Coated elastic band (ponytail holder)
Embroidery needle
Small amount of stuffing, and Scissors
This is an Intermediate pattern. It may be tricky for beginners.
Stitches used:
Ch/ch - Chain stitch DC/dc - double crochet HDC/hdc - half double crochet
SC/sc - single crochet Sl st - slip stitch
Sk st - skip stitch
Here is a link to videos that explain various crochet stitches:
Head
1) With MC (pink) and size F hook, chain 2. Work 4 sc in second chain from hook. (4)
Do not join; insert yarn marker (I use a strand of yarn to hold my place).
2) Work two sc in next sc; sc in next sc, around. (6)
3)Work two sc in next sc; sc in next sc, around. (9)
4)Work two sc in next sc; sc in next sc around. (14)
Stuff lightly.
5)Sc in next 2 sc, sl st in next 2 sc, sc in next 4 sc, sl st next 2 sc, sc remaining 4 sc. (14)
6) Working in front loops only for this round, sc next 2 sc together (decrease made), around. (7) Fasten off; sew closed.
You should now have a little flat bottomed cone shape. This will form the snout and face.
Body
1) Turn cone so flat bottom is facing you.
Insert F hook into any of the 14 unused back loops from round 5, with hook pointing away from you, and flat part of snout facing you. Attach pink with slip stitch.
Sc in same space as sl st, sc in next sc. Turn. (2)
2) Ch 4. Work sc, HDC, sc in second ch from hook. Sc in each of next 2 sc of chain (first arm made) Sc in next 2 sc, turn.
3) Ch 4. Work sc, HDC, sc in second ch from hook. Sc in each of next sc of chain (second arm made), turn.
4) Ch 1, 2 sc in first sc, 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, turn (5).
5) Ch 1, sc next two sc together (decrease made), sc next sc, decrease over next 2 sc, turn (3).
6) Ch 4, work 2 HDC in second ch from hook, 2 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in final chain. Sc in eas of next 3 sc. Turn. (Leg made).
7) Ch 4, work 2 hdc in second ch from hook, 2 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in final ch, join with sl st to sc of body (second leg made).
You will now have a cone shaped snout/face attached to a small flat body with arms and legs. Your hook will be at the juncture between the leg and the side of the body.
Elastic Band Round
You are now ready to attach elastic.
1) Hold elastic behind hedgehog body, and work 1 sc in same st as last st (juncture between leg and side of body).
You will now have the elastic attached.
2) Work 1 sc evenly in each st along side of body, making sure to attach elastic as you go.
3) Skip behind arm, and sc in next body stitch. Pull tight so there is no gap. The arm will now be at the front of the body.
4) Sc along side of neck until you get to the back ring of the cone/face. There should only be one or two stitches at the side of neck.
5) 1 sc in each of the back loops around head. The elastic will get taut, and the Hedgehog body will start to curl. This is what you want.
6) Continue to sc along other side as you did for first side, being careful to only do 1 sc per stitch, and skipping behind arms and leg. You may need to pull the elastic to ensure that you are catching it as you crochet.
7) Work one sc in each of the sc between the legs, sk last leg, and join with slip stitch at side of body, where we first began to attach the elastic. Fasten off.
You will now have a little Hedgie front side of body that will want to curl up into the elastic.
Prickles/Needles/outer body
Using silver eyelash yarn and size G crochet hook, hold hedgie body so the legs/tummy/arms are facing you, and attach yarn in any sc of last round. My camera batteries died at this point, but the following rows are very straightforward so you shouldn't have any trouble. (Let me know if you do and I'll photograph this part of the pattern the next time I make one of these cuties.)
1) Work 2 sc in each sc around. Do not join rounds; mark joining spot as before. Depending on how many sc you added around the body in the last round, you should now have approx 38 sc.
2 and 3) Sc around. (approx 38 sc).
4 to end) Sc 2 sc together (decrease made), around.
It’s OK to stop counting stitches, as you will continue to repeat this row (decrease around) until there is only a finger tip sized hole in the center. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Stuff unsewn lengths of yarn (except for last tail) inside, and very lightly stuff with a tiny ball of fibre fill. You want to leave enough room for the hedgehog to curl up in a ball, and you won’t be able to do this if you put in too much stuffing.
Sew the hole closed.
Embroider eyes, nose, and mouth onto face. I made simple sleepy eyes, but you can do awake eyes, or sew on beads for eyes (if this is not a gift for a baby).
Sew in any remaining edges, and admire your baby hedgehog.
That's it! I hope you enjoyed this pattern.

Friday, October 29, 2010
Free craft: Make a bird bookmark
These bird bookmarks are cute, and easy to make:
Here's a link to a tutorial that shows how to make these bookmarks:
http://magicandmakebelievepress.com/bonus-features/bird-bookmark-craft/
Have fun, and if you decide to make them, please share pics. I'd love to see them.
Thanks,
Kathy
Here's a link to a tutorial that shows how to make these bookmarks:
http://magicandmakebelievepress.com/bonus-features/bird-bookmark-craft/
Have fun, and if you decide to make them, please share pics. I'd love to see them.
Thanks,
Kathy
Monday, October 18, 2010
Crocheted Amigurumi Doll
I found this cute pattern for for "Pink Little Lady" on this blog:
http://kandjdolls.blogspot.com/2010/02/pink-little-lady.html
I adapted it a tiny bit; made the arms longer and gave her a neck. I left off the ears and gave her a full head of hair.
I'd like to try the actual pattern without adapting it when I have some thinner yarn; I didn't have the right yarn this time.
I'm happy with her; I think she's really cute, even though she's not as sweet as the original pattern by Sayjai.
I didn't have any round beads for eyes, so I used diamond shaped beads from a broken necklace, lol.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
My First Book Signing
I had my first book signing at Coles in the Cambrian Mall, yesterday, and it was a lot of fun.
Here are some pictures:
These are the crocheted dolls that I made for the contest. Everyone who bought the book was given a chance to enter a draw to win the dolls.
There was a separate draw for customers who didn't buy the book...anyone who came to Coles could enter a draw to win a free signed copy of my book, plus a 10 dollar gift card.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Stumpkin Babies Dress UP review
Soft Sculpture Stumpkin Babies Dress Up: Instructions For 25 Stumpkin Characters.
OK, so I found this pattern book at a Friends of the Library book sale, and paid a grand total of 10 cents for it . The soft sculpture dolls are adorable, and I haven't made one since I was a kid (I was about 12 when I made a life size panty hose man and dressed him up in my Dad's clothes...I did it for Hallowe'en, to use as a decoration, lol.
Anyway, I decided to try to make a few of these for part of my give away.
I liked the little guy in the front, sitting on the sled, since my book takes place in Canada, in Winter, and the kids do go tobogganing.
Well, I ran through two pairs of pantyhose before I finally managed to make a doll without getting a run in the nylon. The instructions were good; nice and clear, with pictures, so that even a beginner like me could follow. That's the good news.
The clothing instructions are the bad news. The little guy I'm making is called "Christopher", and the instructions for Chris start on page 14. I made it through step one (tracing the pattern pieces and cutting out the fabric) with some frustration. Then came step two. The first part of step 2 says, "sew shoes to body suit as described in Candy Striper, Step 2. "
The instructions don't give a page number showing where the Candy Striper is, so I had to flip through the book to find it. I found it on page 10. OK, not too bad, I thought.
Then part 2 of step 2. "Assemble Christopher in his body suit as described for Nurse Nightingale, but use Tommy's sleeve variation..."
Great...so now i had to look for Nurse Nightingale, who I found on page 10. Step 6 of Nurse Nightingale told me to fasten the hands as described for Elizabeth. I found Elizabeth on page 9. I read about Elizabeth and wished I'd started with her as a practice doll...her outfit only requires 4 pattern pieces instead of 6, plus hat, for Christopher. I forgot which page Chris was on and had to go back. When I did I discovered I'd forgotten to look for Tommy's sleeve variation. Tommy was on page 11. These instructions referred my back to Nurse Nightingale.
By now I was thoroughly frustrated and couldn't remember what I was doing. I had to start over with step 2. I decided I'd better read all of the steps before sewing.
Step 3 told me to "stitch and fasten pants as for Jessica." I found Jessica on page 12. Then back to page 14 for Christopher.
Step 4 told me to stitch and fasten body as described for Melissa. I found her on page 13.
Step 5 seemed like it would let me stay on page 14, until the very end, where it referred me to Melissa.
I think it would have been easier if they would have just printed the instructions...ALL of the instructions, for each doll without referring to the other dolls.
I am stuck, now, because the pattern piece for the sweater doesn't say to cut on a fold, but it is only a quarter of a sweater, and it says to cut 2 pieces. Which would give me half a sweater. In the picture that shows how to attach the sleeves to the sweater, it looks like the sleeve pattern should be the sweater pattern...it says to cut two, and they look exactly like the front and a back of a sweater. I don't know if there was a mistake on the pattern, or whether I'm just too confused right now to figure it out.
I think I may have to crochet the clothing, instead of sewing. Or maybe I'll just crochet the entire doll, clothing and all. The Stumpkin doll that I made is really cute, but very fragile, and would be meant to put on a shelf; it definitely wouldn't withstand play.
OK, so I found this pattern book at a Friends of the Library book sale, and paid a grand total of 10 cents for it . The soft sculpture dolls are adorable, and I haven't made one since I was a kid (I was about 12 when I made a life size panty hose man and dressed him up in my Dad's clothes...I did it for Hallowe'en, to use as a decoration, lol.
Anyway, I decided to try to make a few of these for part of my give away.
I liked the little guy in the front, sitting on the sled, since my book takes place in Canada, in Winter, and the kids do go tobogganing.
Well, I ran through two pairs of pantyhose before I finally managed to make a doll without getting a run in the nylon. The instructions were good; nice and clear, with pictures, so that even a beginner like me could follow. That's the good news.
The clothing instructions are the bad news. The little guy I'm making is called "Christopher", and the instructions for Chris start on page 14. I made it through step one (tracing the pattern pieces and cutting out the fabric) with some frustration. Then came step two. The first part of step 2 says, "sew shoes to body suit as described in Candy Striper, Step 2. "
The instructions don't give a page number showing where the Candy Striper is, so I had to flip through the book to find it. I found it on page 10. OK, not too bad, I thought.
Then part 2 of step 2. "Assemble Christopher in his body suit as described for Nurse Nightingale, but use Tommy's sleeve variation..."
Great...so now i had to look for Nurse Nightingale, who I found on page 10. Step 6 of Nurse Nightingale told me to fasten the hands as described for Elizabeth. I found Elizabeth on page 9. I read about Elizabeth and wished I'd started with her as a practice doll...her outfit only requires 4 pattern pieces instead of 6, plus hat, for Christopher. I forgot which page Chris was on and had to go back. When I did I discovered I'd forgotten to look for Tommy's sleeve variation. Tommy was on page 11. These instructions referred my back to Nurse Nightingale.
By now I was thoroughly frustrated and couldn't remember what I was doing. I had to start over with step 2. I decided I'd better read all of the steps before sewing.
Step 3 told me to "stitch and fasten pants as for Jessica." I found Jessica on page 12. Then back to page 14 for Christopher.
Step 4 told me to stitch and fasten body as described for Melissa. I found her on page 13.
Step 5 seemed like it would let me stay on page 14, until the very end, where it referred me to Melissa.
I think it would have been easier if they would have just printed the instructions...ALL of the instructions, for each doll without referring to the other dolls.
I am stuck, now, because the pattern piece for the sweater doesn't say to cut on a fold, but it is only a quarter of a sweater, and it says to cut 2 pieces. Which would give me half a sweater. In the picture that shows how to attach the sleeves to the sweater, it looks like the sleeve pattern should be the sweater pattern...it says to cut two, and they look exactly like the front and a back of a sweater. I don't know if there was a mistake on the pattern, or whether I'm just too confused right now to figure it out.
I think I may have to crochet the clothing, instead of sewing. Or maybe I'll just crochet the entire doll, clothing and all. The Stumpkin doll that I made is really cute, but very fragile, and would be meant to put on a shelf; it definitely wouldn't withstand play.
Stumpkin Babies Dress UP review
Soft Sculpture Stumpkin Babies Dress Up: Instructions For 25 Stumpkin Characters.
OK, so I found this pattern book at a Friends of the Library book sale, and paid a grand total of 10 cents for it . The soft sculpture dolls are adorable, and I haven't made one since I was a kid (I was about 12 when I made a life size panty hose man and dressed him up in my Dad's clothes...I did it for Hallowe'en, to use as a decoration, lol.
Anyway, I decided to try to make a few of these for part of my give away.
I liked the little guy in the front, sitting on the sled, since my book takes place in Canada, in Winter, and the kids do go tobogganing.
Well, I ran through two pairs of pantyhose before I finally managed to make a doll without getting a run in the nylon. The instructions were good; nice and clear, with pictures, so that even a beginner like me could follow. That's the good news.
The clothing instructions are the bad news. The little guy I'm making is called "Christopher", and the instructions for Chris start on page 14. I made it through step one (tracing the pattern pieces and cutting out the fabric) with some frustration. Then came step two. The first part of step 2 says, "sew shoes to body suit as described in Candy Striper, Step 2. "
The instructions don't give a page number showing where the Candy Striper is, so I had to flip through the book to find it. I found it on page 10. OK, not too bad, I thought.
Then part 2 of step 2. "Assemble Christopher in his body suit as described for Nurse Nightingale, but use Tommy's sleeve variation..."
Great...so now i had to look for Nurse Nightingale, who I found on page 10. Step 6 of Nurse Nightingale told me to fasten the hands as described for Elizabeth. I found Elizabeth on page 9. I read about Elizabeth and which I'd started with her as a practice doll...her outfit only requires 4 pattern pieces instead of 6, plus hat, for Christopher. I forgot which page Chris was on and had to go back. When I did I discovered I'd forgotten to look for Tommy's sleeve variation. Tommy was on page 11. These instructions referred my back to Nurse Nightingale.
By now I was thoroughly frustrated and couldn't remember what I was doing. I had to start over with step 2. I decided I'd better read all of the steps before sewing.
Step 3 told me to "stitch and fasten pants as for Jessica." I found Jessica on page 12. Then back to page 14 for Christopher.
Step 4 told me to stitch and fasten body as described for Melissa. I found her on page 13.
Step 5 seemed like it would let me stay on page 14, until the very end, where it referred me to Melissa.
I think it would have been easier if they would have just printed the instructions...ALL of the instructions, for each doll without referring to the other dolls.
I am stuck, now, because the pattern piece for the sweater doesn't say to cut on a fold, but it is only a quarter of a sweater, and it says to cut 2 pieces. Which would give me half a sweater. In the picture that shows how to attach the sleeves to the sweater, it looks like the sleeve pattern should be the sweater pattern...it says to cut two, and they look exactly like the front and a back of a sweater. I don't know if there was a mistake on the pattern, or whether I'm just too confused right now to figure it out.
I think I may have to crochet the clothing, instead of sewing. Or maybe I'll just crochet the entire doll, clothing and all. The Stumpkin doll that I made is really cute, but very fragile, and would be meant to put on a shelf; it definitely wouldn't withstand play.
OK, so I found this pattern book at a Friends of the Library book sale, and paid a grand total of 10 cents for it . The soft sculpture dolls are adorable, and I haven't made one since I was a kid (I was about 12 when I made a life size panty hose man and dressed him up in my Dad's clothes...I did it for Hallowe'en, to use as a decoration, lol.
Anyway, I decided to try to make a few of these for part of my give away.
I liked the little guy in the front, sitting on the sled, since my book takes place in Canada, in Winter, and the kids do go tobogganing.
Well, I ran through two pairs of pantyhose before I finally managed to make a doll without getting a run in the nylon. The instructions were good; nice and clear, with pictures, so that even a beginner like me could follow. That's the good news.
The clothing instructions are the bad news. The little guy I'm making is called "Christopher", and the instructions for Chris start on page 14. I made it through step one (tracing the pattern pieces and cutting out the fabric) with some frustration. Then came step two. The first part of step 2 says, "sew shoes to body suit as described in Candy Striper, Step 2. "
The instructions don't give a page number showing where the Candy Striper is, so I had to flip through the book to find it. I found it on page 10. OK, not too bad, I thought.
Then part 2 of step 2. "Assemble Christopher in his body suit as described for Nurse Nightingale, but use Tommy's sleeve variation..."
Great...so now i had to look for Nurse Nightingale, who I found on page 10. Step 6 of Nurse Nightingale told me to fasten the hands as described for Elizabeth. I found Elizabeth on page 9. I read about Elizabeth and which I'd started with her as a practice doll...her outfit only requires 4 pattern pieces instead of 6, plus hat, for Christopher. I forgot which page Chris was on and had to go back. When I did I discovered I'd forgotten to look for Tommy's sleeve variation. Tommy was on page 11. These instructions referred my back to Nurse Nightingale.
By now I was thoroughly frustrated and couldn't remember what I was doing. I had to start over with step 2. I decided I'd better read all of the steps before sewing.
Step 3 told me to "stitch and fasten pants as for Jessica." I found Jessica on page 12. Then back to page 14 for Christopher.
Step 4 told me to stitch and fasten body as described for Melissa. I found her on page 13.
Step 5 seemed like it would let me stay on page 14, until the very end, where it referred me to Melissa.
I think it would have been easier if they would have just printed the instructions...ALL of the instructions, for each doll without referring to the other dolls.
I am stuck, now, because the pattern piece for the sweater doesn't say to cut on a fold, but it is only a quarter of a sweater, and it says to cut 2 pieces. Which would give me half a sweater. In the picture that shows how to attach the sleeves to the sweater, it looks like the sleeve pattern should be the sweater pattern...it says to cut two, and they look exactly like the front and a back of a sweater. I don't know if there was a mistake on the pattern, or whether I'm just too confused right now to figure it out.
I think I may have to crochet the clothing, instead of sewing. Or maybe I'll just crochet the entire doll, clothing and all. The Stumpkin doll that I made is really cute, but very fragile, and would be meant to put on a shelf; it definitely wouldn't withstand play.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A Day Late and a Dollar Short...
Donny and Marie Osmond used to sing a song called "A Day Late and a Dollar Short".
I've always empathized with the songwriter.
I've been trying to keep my mind occupied because I took Annie's death hard.
I know some people will say "She was just a dog; get over it!", but she was my baby girl for 20 years, and I miss her. I've been feeling guilty for putting her down even though the vet told me it was the kind thing to do. I didn't want her to suffer, but I didn't want to make that decision either. I was hoping she would go peacefully in her sleep, but that didn't happen.
Anyway, I have a lot to keep me busy. I have my little independent publishing company, and the website Magic & Make-Believe press to keep up.
I have the big job of learning how to market, and the bigger job (to me) of trying to promote myself and my book.. I'm very shy and while I'm good with words...usually...I do better in writing than I do in person because I don't feel anxious while writing. I'm alone in my house, sitting on my couch with my laptop propped on my knees, with music from the 70's and 80's playing in the background, courtesy of Jango .
My big fluffy baby boy, Mac (a 6 year old black standard poodle), is sitting on the couch next to me, looking out the window, hoping that someone will walk by so he can bark. My other little guy, Ben (a white toy poodle) is bringing mouthfuls of dog kibble into the living room so he can eat in front of the TV.
I'm drinking hot chocolate, and I'm wrapped in a comforter. I'm...comforted. Comfortable.
I've been working on a story for the local paper, too, and while the writing portion is easy, the extracting of information from government types is painful.
Despite all of this, I decided to look into writing contests, and discovered I've missed the deadline (by days) of all of the ones I would have liked to take part in.
I also noticed...again, that many writing contests are expensive. One contest that I haven't missed the deadline for sounds good, but they want $75.00 to enter, plus $50.00 extra for each category that you choose to list your book in. My gosh, that's a lot of money for a contest. I can't afford that.
So, I'm a day late (or more) for some contests, and a dollar short (or more) for others.
I should go dig out my old album and listen to that song, lol.
I've always empathized with the songwriter.
I've been trying to keep my mind occupied because I took Annie's death hard.
I know some people will say "She was just a dog; get over it!", but she was my baby girl for 20 years, and I miss her. I've been feeling guilty for putting her down even though the vet told me it was the kind thing to do. I didn't want her to suffer, but I didn't want to make that decision either. I was hoping she would go peacefully in her sleep, but that didn't happen.
Anyway, I have a lot to keep me busy. I have my little independent publishing company, and the website Magic & Make-Believe press to keep up.
I have the big job of learning how to market, and the bigger job (to me) of trying to promote myself and my book.. I'm very shy and while I'm good with words...usually...I do better in writing than I do in person because I don't feel anxious while writing. I'm alone in my house, sitting on my couch with my laptop propped on my knees, with music from the 70's and 80's playing in the background, courtesy of Jango .
My big fluffy baby boy, Mac (a 6 year old black standard poodle), is sitting on the couch next to me, looking out the window, hoping that someone will walk by so he can bark. My other little guy, Ben (a white toy poodle) is bringing mouthfuls of dog kibble into the living room so he can eat in front of the TV.
I'm drinking hot chocolate, and I'm wrapped in a comforter. I'm...comforted. Comfortable.
I've been working on a story for the local paper, too, and while the writing portion is easy, the extracting of information from government types is painful.
Despite all of this, I decided to look into writing contests, and discovered I've missed the deadline (by days) of all of the ones I would have liked to take part in.
I also noticed...again, that many writing contests are expensive. One contest that I haven't missed the deadline for sounds good, but they want $75.00 to enter, plus $50.00 extra for each category that you choose to list your book in. My gosh, that's a lot of money for a contest. I can't afford that.
So, I'm a day late (or more) for some contests, and a dollar short (or more) for others.
I should go dig out my old album and listen to that song, lol.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
A Tribute to My Best Furry Friend
Yesterday was one of the worst days of my life. I had to put my little Annie down, after over 20 years together.
Annie is...was, a miniature poodle; a lovable, friendly, bouncy girl while in her youth.
She was the best walker; we walked for hours and hours at a time, and covered so many miles along the various ravines and waterfronts in the Toronto area.
She saw me through my first teaching job, and she was there when my teaching career ended due to being beaten up by a student.
She saw me through birthdays where she was the only party goer...just me and Annie together, with my family and friends 800 km away.
She lived in apartments, townhouses, highrises, and basement apartments with me. I always promised her that "one day" we'd have a house with a big back yard, and thankfully, I was able to keep that promise.
Annie saw me through happiness and heartache. She was there for me when I ended my engagement. Annie was the first furperson I saw when I woke up and the last furperson I saw when I went to sleep, for over 20 years.
I was 26 years old when I first saw the then 6 week old Annie. She was alone in a cage in a petstore, being left to die because she had been weaned too early and wasn't eating solid foods. They had sold her mother and they weren't bothering to bottle feed her. She fit into the palm of my hand; a little ball of white fluff with alert brown eyes and a tiny black nose.
I brought her home with me, even though they told me she'd never live. I brought her to the vet who proclaimed her malnourished and told me she wouldn't live to see her 7th week.
She wouldn't take a bottle so I fed her human baby pablum off the tip of my finger. It was a slow process, one fingertip at a time, but she ate and grew strong enough for me to mix the pablum with wet dog food.
She beat the odds and died 4 months before her 21st birthday, which would have been January 13th.
Pretty good for a dog who wasn't expected to see her 7th week.
I was 26 when I first brought Annie into my life, and I am 46 years old now, saying goodbye to her.
She was just the best dog a girl could have.
She was obsessive compulsive about retrieving and would bark at me (or anyone) until we'd throw the ball/stick/squeaky toy. Over and over and over again.
That little dog had the heart of a lion and she would snarl at any other dog that tried to steal her stick...once she even growled at a doberman. I don't think she knew her own size.
She loved apples and grapes. I learned waaay later that grapes aren't good for dogs, but she ate a lot of grapes over her life, and she lived a long, healthy life.
She loved spaghetti and meatballs, macaroni and cheese, and hotdogs.
And she loved Christmas. Oh, how she loved Christmas. I bought her a stocking that very first year, and filled it with dog treats and goodies and toys, and for each and every one of the years that followed, Annie became excited as soon as we started decorating the house for Christmas. She absolutely loved her stocking.
She used to wake me up throughout the night on Christmas Eve, eager to go downstairs to open her stocking.
We always used to spend the night at my Mom and Dad's, and Annie would try to get us all up at 6 AM on Christmas morning. I think it was pure torture for her to have to wait until 8 AM, when we'd finally give in and get up so she could open her stocking. She'd race down the stairs to the basement and leap at the fireplace mantle, trying to reach her stocking. We'd let her open her stocking first, lol. We all watched as she dive head first into her stocking, pulling out her Christmas gifts. Christmas is going to feel strange without her this year. My dogs Mac and Ben love getting gifts, but they don't go nuts over the stocking the way Annie did, every year for 20 years.
She was the smartest dog I've ever met. One time we went for a walk in the woods, and there were so many intersecting trails that I couldn't find my way out again. We walked for 4 hours without seeing another soul, and I could not remember which trail led back to my car. I said, "Annie, do you want to go for a car ride? Go see Gramma and Grampa in the car?" She jumped up and down and barked, which was her way of saying "Alright! Let's go!" I said "Where's car? Let's go find the car and go for a car ride!" And I followed her and she led me back to the car...in half an hour. I had been going in circles and kept missing the trail that led back to the park. She knew exactly where to go.
She was a good little girl, but a stubborn one, and she loved to bark when people came to the door.
She was the bounciest dog I've ever met; I swear, there were springs in her legs. She just bounced everywhere.
One time she dug up an ant hill, and that was a real mess. She was covered with ants. I had to bring her for an emergency grooming session.
Another time, we went for a long walk, and she found a dead salmon and rolled in it...boy, did she stink!
One time she got into my makeup while I was out, and I came home to find a pink poodle, covered with blush and lipstick.
When she was a puppy she chewed everything in sight. She once chewed each and every strip of leather off my friend's sandals, leaving only the sole of the shoe. I hadn't realized that my friend had slipped her shoes off under the table.
When my Auntie Shirley came to stay with me while Annie was still a pup, I warned her about the chewing. She assured me that she would make sure to keep her belongings "above dog level".
I went off to work, and when I came back, my aunt greeted me at the door, looking very unhappy. She also looked strange. Her cheeks seemed sunken in. There was a good reason for that. Annie had found and chewed up my aunts false teeth! I laughed so hard! When I calmed down, I apologized, offered to pay to replace the teeth, and asked if my aunt had reprimanded Annie. She said "I didn't say anything."
I said "I can't say anything now; she won't understand why I'm reprimanding her."
We left it at that and went out for a few hours.
When we came home, I opened the door and was greeted by the sight of my new shoes, chewed to bits.
"Annie!" I yelled.
"Stupid F&*&g DOG!" My parrot, Smokey, yelled, mimicking my aunt's voice perfectly.
I looked at my aunt.
Red faced, she said, "Maybe I did say a few things."
I told my aunt I wouldn't tell anyone about it, but the story was just too good so I submitted it to a funny pet story contest held by the Toronto star. I won first place.
My aunt loved that story, when she was alive. She passed away a few years ago, and I miss her a lot.
There were many times, back when I was teaching in the greater Toronto area, where I'd send Annie home to my parents in the Sault a week or two before I went myself. Things were always so hectic at school ar those times, and I always had to stay late for meeting after meeting, and it just wasn't fair to Annie. So I'd put her on the plane and she'd fly home, and I'd follow later.
While we were at the vet, saying our goodbye's, I asked Annie if she remembered those times where I'd put her on the plane and send her home, and I'd follow later. She was looking into my eyes, and I like to think she understood what I was saying. I told her, "I'm sending you on another trip, now. You're going home to God. I can't come now, but I'll follow later, just like before."
I gazed into those once alert eyes, now clouded with glaucoma, until the light went out of them and i knew she was gone.
"She's gone now," The vet said.
I knew.
The vet said that I did the right thing; the kind thing. Annie had doggy dementia and the night before I put her down she had been running in tight circles, frantically. Then she'd fall, struggle to get up, and keep running.
I tried hugging her, holding her, rocking her, talking to her, petting her, and nothing seemed to calm her down. She wanted to run in circles. She did relax for about half an hour when I lay down with her on my chest, but then she was up again, wanting to run in tight little circles. Whenever she fell, she had a harder and harder time getting up, until she couldn't get up, without my help. She looked at me as if to tell me, "It's time."
I told her I love her, and that God loves her, and that he wants her to come home to Him. I told her that soon she'd be like a young dog again, able to see clearly, hear clearly, run, jump, and play. I told her that her sisters, Sandie and Popsicle, would be waiting for her, and that Auntie Shirley would be there too. I told her that I'd ask Auntie Shirley to throw the ball for her, in heaven.
I hope that's true; I hope that she's there now, young again, with clear eyes and ears, driving everyone in heaven crazy by barking at them until they throw the stick or ball or squeaky toy.
I put her little yellow duck in her coffin...a plastic container...with her. I put a comforter on the bottom of the container, and I wrapped Annie in a blanket, and put the little yellow duck toy beside her, and it looked like she was sleeping. She looked peaceful.
I found a pet cemetery and she was to be buried either last night or today.
I am going to either make or buy a memorial to mark her grave, and I am going to plant tulip bulbs so she'll have flowers in the spring.
I know she's not really there; that her soul is free of her body, but it is nice to have a place to go, to place flowers, to honour her memory.
I loved that little dog with all of my heart, and I still love her.
Goodbye for now, Annie. I'll see you again, one day.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Links to my writing
I've written a lot of articles, and I keep stumbling across them online. I thought it would be neat to put links to my articles here, in one place.
I'll add them as I find them. The weird thing is, I've written dozens of articles on air quality and I can't find any of them online. I'm just finding some of the general interest articles.
--
http://www.saultthisweek.com/ArticleDisplayGenContent.aspx?e=6753
http://www.saultthisweek.com/ArticleDisplayGenContent.aspx?e=6750
http://www.saultthisweek.com/ArticleDisplayGenContent.aspx?e=6742
I'll add them as I find them. The weird thing is, I've written dozens of articles on air quality and I can't find any of them online. I'm just finding some of the general interest articles.
--
http://www.saultthisweek.com/ArticleDisplayGenContent.aspx?e=6753
http://www.saultthisweek.com/ArticleDisplayGenContent.aspx?e=6750
http://www.saultthisweek.com/ArticleDisplayGenContent.aspx?e=6742
Friday, September 17, 2010
Book signing set for Coles Book Store in October
This is so exciting.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Sewing swap pics
I added eyelids, hair, slippers, and a coat or housecoat. I named her "Sleepy Sally" because the eyelids make her look sleepy.
She seemed lonely, so I crocheted her a kitty cat. I named the cat "Bitty Buddy", after my swap partner's cat, Buddy. I hope she'll like the doll and cat.
The hairstyle is cool because it can be worn up or down or in ponytails.Here she is, with her hair up in a ponytail.
(I didn't like the braided legs...they seemed too small, so I stuffed some baby slippers and attached them with bracelet elastic. That way, my swap partner can remove them if she doesn't care for them. I think they're cute.)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Kindle for PC
I downloaded the free Kindle for PC, and it's really cool. I've been reading free books that are in the public domain.
I really enjoyed The Ghost Pirates, by William Hope Hodgson. I love reading thoughts from a man who lived in the 1800's. It was very cool. The book was suspenseful...an old time horror story. I loved reading about life onboard a haunted sailing ship.
I really enjoyed The Ghost Pirates, by William Hope Hodgson. I love reading thoughts from a man who lived in the 1800's. It was very cool. The book was suspenseful...an old time horror story. I loved reading about life onboard a haunted sailing ship.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Media coverage for my book!
My book is getting media coverage in Sault Ste. Marie, ON.
Check it out!
http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/full_story.asp?StoryNumber=47837
Check it out!
http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/full_story.asp?StoryNumber=47837
Free business cards
Check out the cool business cards I got for free. 250 of them, plus a digital version for email.
Monday, August 9, 2010
The REAL puzzle...free word search based on The REAL Poop book
Click on the link to get your free copy of The REAL Puzzle...a free word search puzzle to go with my book, The REAL Poop, A Cassandra Matthews Adventure, by Katharine Schopp.
After you've finished the puzzle, try your hand at making one of your own; it's fun!
http://www.armoredpenguin.com/wordsearch/Data/2010.08/0612/06123037.143.html
After you've finished the puzzle, try your hand at making one of your own; it's fun!
http://www.armoredpenguin.com/wordsearch/Data/2010.08/0612/06123037.143.html
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Booksneeze
I just requested my second free book from Booksneeze (see sidebar for link to Booksneeze).
Booksneeze is a very cool site...bloggers request a free book (with free shipping!), then review it after they get it (and read it, of course). When the book has been reviewed (and the links to the review have been posted to Booksneeze), you can request a new book.
I requested this book, "Let's Do Lunch", by Troy Wilson, for my second book.
My options were between this book, and a bunch of Christian books. I have nothing against Christian books...I own a whole bookcase full...but I need to lose weight so I figured I'd give this book a try.
I'm looking forward to reading it...I wonder how long it will take to come in? I'm in Canada, and the first book I requested took awhile too get here...by the time it got here, I had forgotten that I had requested it, lol. Hopefully this one won't get caught up in customs.
Booksneeze is a very cool site...bloggers request a free book (with free shipping!), then review it after they get it (and read it, of course). When the book has been reviewed (and the links to the review have been posted to Booksneeze), you can request a new book.
I requested this book, "Let's Do Lunch", by Troy Wilson, for my second book.
My options were between this book, and a bunch of Christian books. I have nothing against Christian books...I own a whole bookcase full...but I need to lose weight so I figured I'd give this book a try.
I'm looking forward to reading it...I wonder how long it will take to come in? I'm in Canada, and the first book I requested took awhile too get here...by the time it got here, I had forgotten that I had requested it, lol. Hopefully this one won't get caught up in customs.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Book Review of Venom and Song
If you like fantasy, buy this book, and buy it now.
They say you can't judge a book by it's cover, but in this case, you can. Venom and Song, Book 2 of the Berinfell Prophesies, by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper, has a gorgeous cover with beautiful graphics: a spooky tower, people flying on the backs of either giant dragonflies or giant birds, a dark and mystical sky.
The back of the book blurb promises adventure in the lyrical sounding land of Allyra, a land with Elf Lords, Spider Kings, and a secret.
Who could resist picking up a book like this?
The interior of the book is as beautiful as the outside, with thick, off-white pages that feel rich. This is not a cheaply made book by any means...it is luxurious.
Once I started reading, I forgot all about things like font size and graphics....the authors immediately draw readers into their world with prose that sounds like poetry. The book is beautifully written.
The action and adventure start immediately. The Elf Lords... 7 regular kids from Earth who found out that they aren't exactly "regular kids", are travelling through Allyra, and it is a dangerous journey. There is a traitor among them...which adds to the suspense. There is a battle almost immediately.
I don't want to give away the plot, but I will say that readers are in for a treat. Besides the action, adventure, and suspense, of which there is plenty, there is character development as we watch the 7 young teenage Elf Lords learn about themselves and each other. Each teen has special powers, and they must learn how to hone these powers, use them, not only alone, but cooperatively. They must act as a cohesive group, and they must trust one another...a task they first learn while in a deep, dark cave.
The setting...I should say settings...are spectacular. There are caves and caverns, underground rivers and waterfalls, treetop hideaways, a "Thousand-League Forest", hills and valleys, fortresses and towers.
The characters are amazing...Elves, Gnomes, Drefids, and spiders...lots of spiders, to name a few.
There is spirituality in this book too, but there is no sermonizing. Readers won't feel like they're being preached at, but will rather see how the characters learn to to have faith in something or someone greater than themselves.
This is a fun read, and I am looking forward to reading the first book in the series.
Buy this book; you won't be disappointed.
They say you can't judge a book by it's cover, but in this case, you can. Venom and Song, Book 2 of the Berinfell Prophesies, by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper, has a gorgeous cover with beautiful graphics: a spooky tower, people flying on the backs of either giant dragonflies or giant birds, a dark and mystical sky.
The back of the book blurb promises adventure in the lyrical sounding land of Allyra, a land with Elf Lords, Spider Kings, and a secret.
Who could resist picking up a book like this?
The interior of the book is as beautiful as the outside, with thick, off-white pages that feel rich. This is not a cheaply made book by any means...it is luxurious.
Once I started reading, I forgot all about things like font size and graphics....the authors immediately draw readers into their world with prose that sounds like poetry. The book is beautifully written.
The action and adventure start immediately. The Elf Lords... 7 regular kids from Earth who found out that they aren't exactly "regular kids", are travelling through Allyra, and it is a dangerous journey. There is a traitor among them...which adds to the suspense. There is a battle almost immediately.
I don't want to give away the plot, but I will say that readers are in for a treat. Besides the action, adventure, and suspense, of which there is plenty, there is character development as we watch the 7 young teenage Elf Lords learn about themselves and each other. Each teen has special powers, and they must learn how to hone these powers, use them, not only alone, but cooperatively. They must act as a cohesive group, and they must trust one another...a task they first learn while in a deep, dark cave.
The setting...I should say settings...are spectacular. There are caves and caverns, underground rivers and waterfalls, treetop hideaways, a "Thousand-League Forest", hills and valleys, fortresses and towers.
The characters are amazing...Elves, Gnomes, Drefids, and spiders...lots of spiders, to name a few.
There is spirituality in this book too, but there is no sermonizing. Readers won't feel like they're being preached at, but will rather see how the characters learn to to have faith in something or someone greater than themselves.
This is a fun read, and I am looking forward to reading the first book in the series.
Buy this book; you won't be disappointed.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Humility and Ants
"The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah..."
Hurrah? I think not.
Just in case I was feeling too good about starting a publishing company and self publishing my book, the ants came marching...straight through my side door, up my stairs, and into my kitchen...to feast on the little drop of creamer that I spilled this morning while pouring my coffee.
It seems I'm not the only one partial to French Vanilla.
So, OK, I guess I should have cleaned that drop up BEFORE having my morning coffee, but I was half asleep and I tend to make matters worse when I try to clean while half awake (trust me on this).
So I had my coffee, and the ants had their cream...and i guess those first few ants were scouts, and by the time I had finished my coffee they had gone back to their colony and told all of their friends.
If I could somehow generate as much interest in my book as that drop of French Vanilla creamer generated interest in a colony of ants...I'd be rich. That ant scout must be one hell of a marketer ;-).
Now, the problem is that I hate to kill anything. I think ants are neat...the way they have scouts and workers and a queen...the way they dig tunnels and are so organized...very cool. I don't want to kill them, but I do want them out of my house.
So I googled "humane ant removal"...and read that the best way to remove ants is to not let them enter the home in the first place. Well, geez...I wouldn't be looking up "ant removal" if I had managed to bar them entry in the first place, now would I?
Note to self: if I'm ever asked to do an article on ant removal...do NOT...I repeat, do NOT tell the readers that they should have barred their entry in the first place. That has nothing to do with removal, and it's annoying.
OK, so onward. I read that ants HATE the smell of black pepper, and that if I pour a line of black pepper along their route, and if I follow them to see where they're coming in (the door!), I can just pour a line there too and they won't come in.
Nope...not my ants. True, they don't seem to care for the pepper, but they soldiered on through it, dedicated to find food for their queen.
Back to google. I read that they ABSOLUTELY HATE the smell of cinnamon and that if I pour a line of cinnamon....well, you see where I'm going with this.
I poured the cinnamon, which was of great interest to my dogs because they associate that smell with baked goods...and watched the ants.
Nope...they could care less about the cinnamon...they did seem annoyed, but they marched on.
I was annoyed too.
Back to google. I read that ants ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY HATE baby powder. You know what happened next, right?
So now the ants are marching one by one on a trail of black pepper, cinnamon, and baby powder.
My kitchen and entrance are a mess.
I'm annoyed.
My dogs are annoyed because the smell of cinnamon didn't lead to treats.
So now what?
I read that a line of chalk might work, but first I'd have to sweep up the pepper/cinnamon/powder trail...and in doing so, I'd kill the ants who are determined to keep going.
I did clean up the spill so there's no longer a French Vanilla drop...aka pool, to the ants.
I even sacrificed a brand new jar of honey...I opened it and put it outside, hoping to distract the ants.
If all else fails, I guess I could get a jar of earth and drop some French Vanilla in there to lure them in, and hope to trap them that way.
What to do, what to do?
---
A few days later:
It worked! They swarmed the honey!
I accidentally killed a few ants by feeding them honey...they went right in the jar instead of feeding from the surface, and they drowned. I put a thin branch inside the jar and they started using that as a bridge, so there haven't been any more ant fatalities, thank goodness. Every day I moved the jar a few inches away from my door, and the ants followed, until they were not near my door anymore.
My house is ant free!
They're still swarming the honey jar outside, and the honey level doesn't seem to have gone down at all, so I'm guessing the honey jar will last until winter.
I'll just have to sacrifice a honey jar to the ants every year to keep them out...maybe they're more an ant mafia than an ant army...I have to pay them to stay away, lol.
Hurrah? I think not.
Just in case I was feeling too good about starting a publishing company and self publishing my book, the ants came marching...straight through my side door, up my stairs, and into my kitchen...to feast on the little drop of creamer that I spilled this morning while pouring my coffee.
It seems I'm not the only one partial to French Vanilla.
So, OK, I guess I should have cleaned that drop up BEFORE having my morning coffee, but I was half asleep and I tend to make matters worse when I try to clean while half awake (trust me on this).
So I had my coffee, and the ants had their cream...and i guess those first few ants were scouts, and by the time I had finished my coffee they had gone back to their colony and told all of their friends.
If I could somehow generate as much interest in my book as that drop of French Vanilla creamer generated interest in a colony of ants...I'd be rich. That ant scout must be one hell of a marketer ;-).
Now, the problem is that I hate to kill anything. I think ants are neat...the way they have scouts and workers and a queen...the way they dig tunnels and are so organized...very cool. I don't want to kill them, but I do want them out of my house.
So I googled "humane ant removal"...and read that the best way to remove ants is to not let them enter the home in the first place. Well, geez...I wouldn't be looking up "ant removal" if I had managed to bar them entry in the first place, now would I?
Note to self: if I'm ever asked to do an article on ant removal...do NOT...I repeat, do NOT tell the readers that they should have barred their entry in the first place. That has nothing to do with removal, and it's annoying.
OK, so onward. I read that ants HATE the smell of black pepper, and that if I pour a line of black pepper along their route, and if I follow them to see where they're coming in (the door!), I can just pour a line there too and they won't come in.
Nope...not my ants. True, they don't seem to care for the pepper, but they soldiered on through it, dedicated to find food for their queen.
Back to google. I read that they ABSOLUTELY HATE the smell of cinnamon and that if I pour a line of cinnamon....well, you see where I'm going with this.
I poured the cinnamon, which was of great interest to my dogs because they associate that smell with baked goods...and watched the ants.
Nope...they could care less about the cinnamon...they did seem annoyed, but they marched on.
I was annoyed too.
Back to google. I read that ants ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY HATE baby powder. You know what happened next, right?
So now the ants are marching one by one on a trail of black pepper, cinnamon, and baby powder.
My kitchen and entrance are a mess.
I'm annoyed.
My dogs are annoyed because the smell of cinnamon didn't lead to treats.
So now what?
I read that a line of chalk might work, but first I'd have to sweep up the pepper/cinnamon/powder trail...and in doing so, I'd kill the ants who are determined to keep going.
I did clean up the spill so there's no longer a French Vanilla drop...aka pool, to the ants.
I even sacrificed a brand new jar of honey...I opened it and put it outside, hoping to distract the ants.
If all else fails, I guess I could get a jar of earth and drop some French Vanilla in there to lure them in, and hope to trap them that way.
What to do, what to do?
---
A few days later:
It worked! They swarmed the honey!
I accidentally killed a few ants by feeding them honey...they went right in the jar instead of feeding from the surface, and they drowned. I put a thin branch inside the jar and they started using that as a bridge, so there haven't been any more ant fatalities, thank goodness. Every day I moved the jar a few inches away from my door, and the ants followed, until they were not near my door anymore.
My house is ant free!
They're still swarming the honey jar outside, and the honey level doesn't seem to have gone down at all, so I'm guessing the honey jar will last until winter.
I'll just have to sacrifice a honey jar to the ants every year to keep them out...maybe they're more an ant mafia than an ant army...I have to pay them to stay away, lol.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Signed copies of my book now available for order
If you would like a signed copy of my book, The REAL Poop, you can get it here:
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Book now for sale
The REAL Poop! A Cassandra Matthews Adventure, by Katharine Schopp is now available at the following website:
https://www.createspace.com/3461058
It will also be available on Amazon.com by mid August, perhaps sooner (I was told it takes up to 15 days for Amazon to build my page).
The book will also be available for order at bookstores and online bookstores, soon.
I will also be making the book available on Kindle.
Enjoy!
https://www.createspace.com/3461058
It will also be available on Amazon.com by mid August, perhaps sooner (I was told it takes up to 15 days for Amazon to build my page).
The book will also be available for order at bookstores and online bookstores, soon.
I will also be making the book available on Kindle.
Enjoy!
New Proofs are in!
Well, my new proofs are in, and my Dad went across the river to pick them up (I have them shipped to the US side of the border because it's half the price).
My Dad is going to bring the books here after he has his lunch. He's also going to put my new air conditioner in for me, and I can't wait to have it up and running; this heat wave has been hell on my asthma. My poor house looks like a tornado hit it, as I can't even sweep the floor without having trouble breathing, and when I have to choose between a neat house and oxygen, well, breathing wins every time.
I hate asthma, but I guess I should be thankful for it because it's the reason I became such an avid reader. I've always loved books, and reading was the one thing I could still do, even when I was sick. Maybe I should dedicate my next book to my poor lungs, lol.
I sure hope my book sells. I know it won't be easy because I'm still learning about publishing and marketing, but I really felt like self publishing was the way to go. I love having control over every aspect of the book. I'm using createspace for now, but eventually I would like to use lightning source as a printer. They charge too much for proofs though; createspace is a lot more forgiving, which is great, as I completely changed the cover design.
I originally wanted something that looked hand drawn by a child, but then I decided I wanted something more professional looking. I can't wait to see how it turned out., If all goes well, I can start selling on Amazon right away.
I'll also have to sell via my website because all of my online friends want autographed copies.
After this book is up and running, I'm going to rewrite my time travel novel and publish it. It was originally entitled "The Mystery of the Magic Maple", bu then I changed it to "The Owl Pearl: Through the Roots of Time".
I like the first title better, but my main character is named Marty MacPherson and when I wrote query letters it seemed like their were too many M's, lol.
I should probably put the book up on authonomy first, to get feedback there. It's a great way to get reviews too.
Well, I'd better clear a path through the clutter in my office so that my Dad won't trip while carrying the air conditioner. The dogs took every one of their toys out of their toybox; sigh, so I'll have to go pick them up first. I wonder why they always empty their toybox?
PS: Anyone reading this may wonder how on earth I can write, considering the way I'm rambling in this blog, lol...you should know that I'm writing with a migraine and therefore not thinking coherently.
My Dad is going to bring the books here after he has his lunch. He's also going to put my new air conditioner in for me, and I can't wait to have it up and running; this heat wave has been hell on my asthma. My poor house looks like a tornado hit it, as I can't even sweep the floor without having trouble breathing, and when I have to choose between a neat house and oxygen, well, breathing wins every time.
I hate asthma, but I guess I should be thankful for it because it's the reason I became such an avid reader. I've always loved books, and reading was the one thing I could still do, even when I was sick. Maybe I should dedicate my next book to my poor lungs, lol.
I sure hope my book sells. I know it won't be easy because I'm still learning about publishing and marketing, but I really felt like self publishing was the way to go. I love having control over every aspect of the book. I'm using createspace for now, but eventually I would like to use lightning source as a printer. They charge too much for proofs though; createspace is a lot more forgiving, which is great, as I completely changed the cover design.
I originally wanted something that looked hand drawn by a child, but then I decided I wanted something more professional looking. I can't wait to see how it turned out., If all goes well, I can start selling on Amazon right away.
I'll also have to sell via my website because all of my online friends want autographed copies.
After this book is up and running, I'm going to rewrite my time travel novel and publish it. It was originally entitled "The Mystery of the Magic Maple", bu then I changed it to "The Owl Pearl: Through the Roots of Time".
I like the first title better, but my main character is named Marty MacPherson and when I wrote query letters it seemed like their were too many M's, lol.
I should probably put the book up on authonomy first, to get feedback there. It's a great way to get reviews too.
Well, I'd better clear a path through the clutter in my office so that my Dad won't trip while carrying the air conditioner. The dogs took every one of their toys out of their toybox; sigh, so I'll have to go pick them up first. I wonder why they always empty their toybox?
PS: Anyone reading this may wonder how on earth I can write, considering the way I'm rambling in this blog, lol...you should know that I'm writing with a migraine and therefore not thinking coherently.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Book cover design
I really enjoyed reading the proof copy of my book. I decided that, while the cover was cute, I wanted something more professional looking, so back to the drawing board for me.
I spent several days on this, working from morning to night, but I think I've got it where I want it.
Here's my new cover image (I used the first one, but am wondering if I should have used the second one.
I spent several days on this, working from morning to night, but I think I've got it where I want it.
Here's my new cover image (I used the first one, but am wondering if I should have used the second one.
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