Out of the Bag.....

It wasn't easy, getting Tessie to come out. I had forgotten that I lined that particular bag with puce silk.....We all know what puce does to Tessie......

Zar plied her with something pink and fizzy in a martini glass. That didn't do it. Here we thought that we were torturing her.....She thought that we were being really nice.

Today is Wednesday and I have a mini meeting to get ready for, so as usual, I am going to ramble on about a number of things and get nothing accomplished.

First I wanted to show you a find from Walmart. These mini clothespins were in the office supplies section. Not only are they cute, but they work as mini clamps where the larger, real ones won't fit. Twelve in a package for less than two dollars.

Unfortunately, they are easy enough for Tessie to open, so somebody's gonna get pinched!

Next is a book that I ordered from Amazon last week.

This is a must for anyone doing a Victorian house. I can't begin to tell you all of the information in it. I gives one many, many ideas for accessorizing a Victorian house. Love it.

Zar and Tessie got a hold of it and now they both want lots of new things that they found inside. I have an out. It's neither Steampunk or 60s. I am safe for now.

The last thing for today is a website that you are going to love.....Hang onto your pocketbooks!


http://www.wholelottawhimsy.com/wo/content/shopping/catalog
This website is for jewelry making, but it has a whole lotta stuff that can be used in mini making.

Under the tool section, you will find the embossing stamps that I used to make the pitcher and box the other day and lots of other neat embossing tools. Also under the tool section, there is a selection of mini punches. Lots of leaves that are just the right size for our work. After you finish wandering around in those, there are so many other things that would work for us. Have fun.

I am off to do some more cleaning in the workroom and then to minis.

See you tomorrow.

Hey! It's a Start!

OK. So I didn't get the workroom mucked out yet. I did tackle the tool bag. I took everything out and laid it on the table.....My husband took a look at the pile and didn't believe that it had,with the exception of the cat and the cactus, all been in the black bag. Why were there 9 bottles of glue in there? I have a tendency to stick anything loose on the table into the bag to carry it away. I have no idea when I put in a travel bottle of scope mouthwash or 4 yards of fringe trimming.

My other cat, Widget even came out to watch from a safe distance. He is smarter than Mookie. I think that he figured that anything on the table was fair game for stuffing back into the bag. He sat on one of the breakfast bar chairs about 5 feet away. No way was he going to get involved.

When I finished sorting this is what I had.It looks pretty good now. I am taking bets as to how long it will stay that way. Now there are only 4 bottles of glue. Hey! That's more than half of them gone. I can now shove my hand down into the compartments without fear of taking a finger off at the second joint with an errant Exacto knife.

I do have a great tip for you today. I found several paintbrushes in the bag that had hardened paint in them I don't mean semi stiff like they sometimes get when you don't rinse them good. I mean like a brick. Years ago, Nutshell News had a tip on how to NOT have brick like paintbrushes. I have used it a lot and it works. I may have said something about it before, but I think that it is worth repeating.

If you have paintbrushes in any state of disrepair from leaving them in the paint, pour out a cup of 70% rubbing alcohol. Stand the brushes in it for about 15 or 20 minutes. It will soften the bristles. Rinse and wash with hot soapy water. Then rinse again. Shape the points and stand them, bristles upwards in another cup to dry. They will be like new.

I have, a few times, had to leave them in alcohol longer. It depends on how thick the paint is on the bristles. I have never had a failure though.

The other day I found that I had 11 followers. This morning I have 20. I went to some of my favorite sites and joined their followers lists too. Thank you to all of you that are joining my list. It is nice to think that you are actually reading what I write each day.

Doreen suggested yesterday that I get Tessie to help me clean up my workroom........Bad idea. She's the one that made the mess in the first place. I had nothing to do with it! I swear! Honest!! She is still asleep. I don't think it would be wise to wake her. I am going to tip toe into the work room and see what I can do now.

It's coming up on the first anniversary of my blog. I will soon have 365 days worth of entries. I can't believe that I have had the discipline to do this every day for almost a year. I am going to have to do something to celebrate. Maybe we will have a drawing a la Debbie's Birthday. Let me think on it a bit.

Now I am rambling....I think I am trying to put off the inevitable......Somebody shove me into the workroom and slam the door.

See you tomorrow.