Sunday, December 30, 2012

Cajun Corner - Vol. 4, No. 50


Cajun Corner – Vol. 4, No. 50 – December 30, 2012

 

Bon Jour!  Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

 

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit us at www.cajunstitchery.com, www.flickr.com/photos/cajunstitchery, and, www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.   We are also on Twitter and Facebook. 

Visit our on-line catalogs at:



It is almost 2013.  Have you made any resolutions for the upcoming year?

2013 should see Cajun Stitchery’s workshop move into the house next door.  Finally, we will be able to spread out and have room for all of these machines, fabric, thread, etc.  Oh, that will be so nice. 

Hopefully the Etsy Store will take off in 2013.  Although the Etsy Store has been in existence since 2009, it has never really taken off.  It has more and more sales each year, but still not the quantity that it should.  There is potential in that store.  The owners just need to learn how to work it.

The first in-the-hoop purse that we made and listed on Etsy has been purchased.  Let’s see how long it takes for the next one to sell.  You never know if it was the purse or the embroidery that sold.

Also on March 5, 2013, Cajun Stitchery will celebrate its 4th anniversary. 

George will begin working, hopefully, full time at Cajun Stitchery in 2013.  He will be doing the embroidery for logos, tee shirts, ball caps, etc.  We have to keep George busy, so place your orders for your teams, organizations, groups, etc.

On a sad note, George’s mother passed away last night.  She was 88 years old.   It wasn’t really unexpected, but you never are ready, either.  She and dad had been married for 68 years.  She was a wonderful woman and loved crafting.  She embroidered, made jewelry, and just about any craft you can conceive, she did it.  She was a navy veteran of WWII.  Her occupation was a medical claims adjuster for CNA Insurance Company.   She raised three wonderful children.  She will be missed.

J

Happy New Year

J

If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me know to put you on our email list. 
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Found the following at http://www.interestingfacts.org/fact/cliche-facts
Cliché is something that has been repeatedly used to the point of losing original meaning. The word "cliché" comes from the days of moveable type, where each letter had to be set by hand into a framework before printing. Commonly-used phrases were kept, pre-set in clamps so they could be regularly used without having to reset all the letters individually each time. The clamp that keeps letters together to form these oft-used sentences or phrases is called a cliché. Some of the popular cliché’s include:

Good things come to those who wait.

Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl back. The End.

A penny saved is a penny earned.

There's plenty more fish in the sea.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
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C’est tout, mes amis
Peggy Henshall
Cajun Stitchery
(850) 261-2462
P.S.  You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Cajun Corner - Vol. 4, No. 49

 

Cajun Corner – Vol. 4, No. 49 – December 23, 2012

 

Bon Jour!  Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

 

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit us at www.cajunstitchery.com, www.flickr.com/photos/cajunstitchery, and, www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.   We are also on Twitter and Facebook. 

Visit our on-line catalogs at:



The other night the dogs began barking.  They were barking the distinctive bark that means, “Someone is here.”  George was outside, so I let him deal with whatever it was.  I went outside at the tail end.  Two little girls from down the street had stopped by to give us a bag of lemons from their tree, and wish us a Merry Christmas.  Their daddy was letting them do this alone but was just a few yards behind them in the driveway.  I must say that it would take a lot to out do the sweetness from that little bag of lemons in the brown paper bag that says “Merry Christmas” written with crayons from a child’s hand.

Another neighbor dropped by this week delivering Christmas goodies and a card.  We are so blessed to have such good neighbors.

Last Wednesday night was our Wednesday night girls Christmas party.  I would love to share some of the pictures from that night but don’t really want to humiliate my friends.  Needless to day, we had a wonderful time.

Cajun Stitchery made it.  We got all of our Christmas orders done and delivered.  Cajun Stitchery is closed until after Christmas.

I’m still playing with the snap and grommet presses.  My red hoodie that I’ve had longer than I really should, has a broken zipper.  George gave me the idea to replace the zipper with snaps.  I simply cut the zipper off, rather than ripping seams and re-sewing.  The snaps were then placed appropriately.  The very top snap is on backwards, but the rest are perfect and functional. 

I made another little in-the-hoop purse that I plan to list on Etsy.  The black webbing strap is embroidered with a tiny floral motif.  The only thing that I don’t like is the grommets are both next to the side seams toward the front of the purse.  The seam was too thick for the grommets to connect.  Otherwise, the purse is adorable.  It is also fully lined. 

We have received some sad news this week.  George’s mama has pneumonia.  We are praying for her health.

***MERRY CHRISTMAS***

If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me know to put you on our email list.
 
No time to read Cajun Corner?  Visit our blog at www.cajunstitchery.blogspot.com and click the Odiogo button to hear the computer read the blog.
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Found the following at http://www.christmasfacts.net/funny-christmas-facts

Funny Christmas Facts


Christmas is a great period mostly because of the revelry, the feasts, good company and best of all the time off from work. There are many things that most people will know about Christmas; these are the more conventional Christmas associations including Santa, the Nativity story, the star of Bethlehem et al. However, there are other things that only those who go in search of the bizarre may know off hand. With this in mind, here is a list of funny, yet interesting Christmas facts.

  • Pig head, it's what's for dinner. The traditional Christmas dinner in England used to be a pig head prepared with a mustard sauce. Most English folk are possibly quite delighted that this isn't the case anymore.

 

  • Witches and Evil spirits are the greatest broom thieves. The Norwegians once believed that witches and devious spirits were likely to steal their brooms on Christmas Eve. Who knows maybe a mischievous prankster stole a few brooms during that period and the legend stuck.

 

  • “Bah Christmas”. Perhaps not the best line created by Dickens, mainly because “Bah Humbug” just has that extra something special about it. Most people would probably agree that Dickens' decision to work on the famous catchphrase was a good move indeed.

 

  • There is a special act in Britain that actually makes it mandatory to go to church on Christmas day. The act that is deemed the Holy Days and Fasting Act still exists, however, not so much enforced. Additionally no vehicle of any kind is to be used to get to the Christmas service.

 

  • Forego throwing out your Christmas tree and make it lunch. The Evergreen is actually edible, well most parts of it anyway. In addition, it is nutrient enriched, so if you take the advice stated previously you'd be getting a good source of Vitamin C and roughage. Don't mind that you will be eating a tree; it's just one step away from any other vegetable.

 

  • Bake your bread on Christmas Eve and it will remain fresh forever. If only. There is an old wives' tale that actually suggests that bread baked on Christmas Eve is mould resistant. While it cannot be known now how many people believed this, it's pretty obvious that any believers would be converted after the appearance of mould on their bread beyond 5 days or so.

 

  • Kris Kringle really lives in the North Pole. But guess what he foregoes the reindeer and drives a 1984 Ford Tempo, additionally; he delivers Pizza instead of working in a magical toy shop.

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C’est tout, mes amis
Peggy Henshall
Cajun Stitchery
(850) 261-2462
P.S.  You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Cajun Corner - Vol. 4, No. 48


Cajun Corner – Vol. 4, No. 48 – December 16, 2012

 

Bon Jour!  Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

 

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit us at www.cajunstitchery.com, www.flickr.com/photos/cajunstitchery, and, www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.   We are also on Twitter and Facebook. 

Visit our on-line catalogs at:



The other day a lady sent me an email telling me she thought my orange mermaid towel for sale in our Etsy Store is beautiful.  One thing led to another and we are now friends.  She lives in Fairbanks, Alaska and does embroidery out of her home.  She sells her embroidery on EBay and Etsy.   It has been nice this weekend sharing embroidery stories with someone else in the profession.   She says the temperature up there was -47 degrees.  I told her that our temperature at the time was +47 degrees.   I really don’t think I could survive that kind of cold.  Burrrr!

We have been busy, busy, busy over here at Santa’s Little Workshop.  George is such a trooper and is helping me out with lots of the embroidery on tee shirts, towels and such.  I guess I should give him a Christmas bonus or, at least, a Christmas party.  Instead, we’ve been watching Christmas movies every night.

After Christmas there are more orders coming into the shop.  One is a fairly large ball cap order that we’ve been working with the gentleman on designing and quotes for about three months.  He is trying to get his fraternity brothers coordinated to purchase the ball caps.  This is not an easy job for him or anyone. 



Last night I went to a friend’s home for a little Christmas party with several girl friends.  While there, I discovered that there are more towel and tee shirt orders headed our way around the first of next year and into Mardi Gras.  I also discovered last night that I have been working so hard that I did not realize how much I needed to get out of the house.  It was a delightful break.  All work and no play, you know?  Several of the girls recently returned home from a trip to New York City where they had a wonderful time.  They even had dinner with Al Pacino.  Oooooo!

Things have been selling on Etsy.  Last week we sold our last Union Thug can wrap.  The other day I received an email from my friend in Abbeville telling me that there is a Facebook page for Union Thug items.  She went to our Etsy store but could not find the can wrap.  I looked on Facebook and there seem to be several Union Thug pages.  I put a picture of the can wrap on one of the pages. 

Remember the little purse that I made in-the-hoop a couple of weeks ago.  It sold tonight.

Talk about ADD!  I went into the studio tonight fully intending to make more Union Thug can wraps and little purses.  I ended up going through a box full of can wraps – none were Union Thug – and talked on the phone for awhile.  When I got off the phone, I took pictures of several of the can wraps and put those in the Etsy store and left the studio.   Uh oh, guess what I forgot to do. lol

Mardi Gras is just around the corner.  Our beach parade is Sunday, February 10th.  Here we go again, the most wonderful, crazy time of the year.   Speaking of Mardi Gras, please visit www.pensacolabeachmardigras.com often.  Learn about our beach krewes.  Look at photographs.  And don’t miss Cajun Stitchery’s ad.

The shooting at the elementary school in Connecticut this past week took the breath right out of me, as I know it did so many others.  Having lost a child ourselves, George and I are praying for the living victims.  May God send his angels to hold these people together when they feel as though their insides are crumbling into dust?

Have a Wonderful Week.

If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me know to put you on our email list. 
 
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Found the following at http://www.funfunnyfacts.com/
 
23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts.
 
A lot of lovemaking can unblock a stuffy nose. Sex is a natural antihistamine. It can help combat asthma and hay fever.
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C’est tout, mes amis
Peggy Henshall
Cajun Stitchery
(850) 261-2462
P.S.  You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

Pin Striped Embroidered Baby Bib by cajunstitchery on Etsy

Pin Striped Embroidered Baby Bib by cajunstitchery on Etsy  This item can be monogrammed.

Christmas Palm Tree Tea Towel by cajunstitchery on Etsy

Christmas Palm Tree Tea Towel by cajunstitchery on Etsy

Monday, December 10, 2012

Cajun Corner - Vol. 4, No. 47

 


Cajun Corner – Vol. 4, No. 47 – December 10, 2012

 

Bon Jour!  Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

 

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit us at www.cajunstitchery.com, www.flickr.com/photos/cajunstitchery, and, www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.   We are also on Twitter and Facebook. 

Visit our on-line catalogs at:



Once again, Cajun Corner is late.  Sorry. 

We have been very busy here at Santa’s Little Workshop.  George and I worked all weekend completing orders.  Heck, we even missed the beach parade.  It certainly was not a depressing weekend.  We had the Christmas music going and it really felt like Santa’s Little Workshop with Clothilde and Boudreaux stitching away.

George now has an embroidery program on his computer and is learning how to download designs.

Last week George decorated the house with a few Christmas things such as a small tree on a table.  We decided that we would go with a small tree this year because Boudreaux now resides in the living room.  Also, because we weren’t sure how Sam would handle a tree.  As it was, George put up our 5 foot Santa with the movement sensor.  Each time something moves in front of the Santa he animates and sings a song, moving back and forth, his head turning and arms swinging.  Sam was startled by Santa and wouldn’t stop barking at him.  We laughed so hard at him.  We turned Santa off.  A few days later, I noticed Sam approaching Santa and nudging his hands, as if to see if they would move.   That dog has kept a smile on our faces all year.

I did get a few minutes this weekend to tend the garden.  One of the tomato plants that we don’t recall planting is producing the largest tomatoes that we have had so far.  Sure wish they would turn red so we could eat them, but they are still green and growing.  We have a lot of cherry tomatoes.  The big beefsteak tomato plants have a few tomatoes on them.  They are still green and bigger than cherry tomatoes but not much. 

We are still harvesting bell peppers.

I know this week’s issue is short but we have to get to work.  Santa’s Workshop is never finished.

Have a Wonderful Week.

If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me know to put you on our email list. 
No time to read Cajun Corner?  Visit our blog at www.cajunstitchery.blogspot.com and click the Odiogo button to hear the computer read the blog.
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Tip of the Day:

Found at http://roundisfunny.com/?cat=14

Next time you’re in an elevator alone, hit the button for your floor and the “Close Door” button at the same time. This varies by manufacturer, but the elevator may go straight to your floor (as opposed to stopping to pick others up on the way.)
 
C’est tout, mes amis
Peggy Henshall
Cajun Stitchery
(850) 261-2462
P.S.  You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Cajun Corner - Vol. 4, No. 46


 
Cajun Corner – Vol. 4, No. 46 – December 2, 2012

 

Bon Jour!  Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit us at www.cajunstitchery.com, www.flickr.com/photos/cajunstitchery, and, www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.   We are also on Twitter and Facebook. 

Visit our on-line catalogs at:



Lots of embroidery was happening over here this past week.  Both George and I were on our respective embroidery machines.  Boudreaux and Clothilde were humming with activity.  George worked on a job of putting names on 70 dance shoe bags.  I was working on some beautiful monograms and jackets, as well as working on several ideas and turning them into real embroidery.  Most of my days were filled with digitizing little, tiny pieces of designs.

The new snap machine/press came in and we were putting snaps on everything.

One idea that came to fruition this week was an in-the-hoop purse.  To make the purse in-the-hoop, the largest hoop (16”) was required.  The idea was to trace the front of the purse, lay folded fabric over the trace/basting stitches, tack it down and sew the front design.  Then the second piece (2 layers of fabric), with the flap was traced over that.  The strap was pinned in the proper places, and the fabric was placed on top.  The machine seamed the edges and appliquéd the flap.  The purse was then torn away from the stabilizer, turned inside out, and after pressing the snap for the flap and a couple of grommets to hold the strap, voila, we had a nice little purse.  As usual the first one had flaws.  The first one was so cute that I just couldn’t bear to toss it.  Instead, it was given to a friend.  The second one turned out great and is now for sale in our Etsy Store.

One of the first things made after receiving the snap press was a baby bib with a snap, of course.  That, too, is now listed in our Etsy Store.

Friday night was steak night at beach Elk’s Lodge.  Friends of ours invited us and we had a fabulous time.  That may have been the best prime rib that I’ve ever tasted.

Today was the annual SOB (Sisters Of the Beach) Brunch.  These women are truly wonderful people.  There is no way to describe in a newsletter the depth of the SOBs.  Some of these women have been friends for 30 plus years.  They drink.  They party.  They are loud.  They dance.  They sing. They are wild women.  They are also some of the most intelligent, creative, caring and nurturing women that I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.   To say that the brunch today was delightful is definitely an understatement.

The Etsy Store always seems to need attention.  The key is to be everywhere on the internet.  The more people who see the name Cajun Stitchery, the more the name is branded.  Branding is what a company wants.  Branding is why you know the names McDonald or Burger King mean hamburger.  This actually takes a lot of time because there is so much to learn and always seems to be another search engine or site out there that needs Cajun Stitchery to register with it.

Cajun Stitchery is also going to have an ad on www.PensacolaBeachMardiGras.com that will run until March 1st.

If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me know to put you on our email list. 
 
No time to read Cajun Corner?  Visit our blog at www.cajunstitchery.blogspot.com and click the Odiogo button to hear the computer read the blog.
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Tip of the Day:

I was browsing on the internet, looking for a Tip of the Day and ran across the following Tips of the Day that I thought were, hmmm, interesting.  Found at http://forum.volition.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=26099:
 
1.  When going down the road, make sure you're not daydreaming. Often during my travels I go off into lala land, only to be snapped into reality 45 miles later, and wonder where I am, and hope to heck I didn't hit anyone or anything in the last half an hour since I can't remember a thing.

Once a couple weeks ago I remember getting on the highway. Next thing I knew, I was 20 miles away, on a different highway, almost to my destination. To this day, I can't remember changing highways, or any part of that trip
 
2.  When at a party walking with a glass of wine, concentrate on what is right in front of you. Do not look out thru the sliding glass door at what is outside, forgetting there is a sliding glass door...and walk right into said sliding glass door!
 
3.  When buying laundry soap because you are planning on going to the laundry mat (for the first time ever), be sure you take the soap inside the house if you don't go that night if you live in the north. Otherwise, it freezes solid. Thank goodness they had really hot water to run over my bottle so I could wash my clothes.

2nd lesson learned of the day: Put clothes in front load washing machine BEFORE putting money and soap in. Otherwise, you'll be paying for the laundry mat to clean its own washing machine. They don't open again until it’s done.
 
4.  Never wear a dress and high heels when working in the infant nursery at church.
 
5.  Always make sure that your dress is on the outside of your panty hose!!!
 
6.  When teasing the cats with laser pointers..don't have them chase it, and cause them to fly into the couch, knocking themselves silly.. They have ways of getting revenge.
 
7.  When exiting a running car to get the mail, make sure it's in park.
 
8.  After rinsing off a electric razor, and using it...Make sure the razor is OFF before using a wash cloth to wipe the water off.

9.  When in the car and tossing undrunk soda out the window, be sure the window is open first.

10.  When standing up to get a drink, before you take that first step, always make sure both feet are on the ground, or close to the ground. Otherwise, you'll get a first hand experience whether or not your carpet is dirty or not. Not to mention your face will hurt.
 
C’est tout, mes amis
Peggy Henshall
Cajun Stitchery
(850) 261-2462
P.S.  You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

Embroidery and Rhinestone Lightning Bolt on by cajunstitchery

Embroidery and Rhinestone Lightning Bolt on by cajunstitchery

Embroidered Deer and Candy Cane Elf Stocking by cajunstitchery

Embroidered Deer and Candy Cane Elf Stocking by cajunstitchery

Rhinestones and Embroidery Dragon on Plaid Scarf by cajunstitchery

Rhinestones and Embroidery Dragon on Plaid Scarf by cajunstitchery

Black Tea Towel with Gold Embroidered Fleur de by cajunstitchery

Black Tea Towel with Gold Embroidered Fleur de by cajunstitchery

Seahorse Christmas Tea Towel by cajunstitchery on Etsy

Seahorse Christmas Tea Towel by cajunstitchery on Etsy

Musical Embroidered Mermaid Towel by cajunstitchery on Etsy

Musical Embroidered Mermaid Towel by cajunstitchery on Etsy

Christmas Killer Whale Tea Towel by cajunstitchery on Etsy

Christmas Killer Whale Tea Towel by cajunstitchery on Etsy