Evie is Alive and Well

George told me last night that it looks like the next time we will see the sun will be Thursday.  Man, it is rained a lot.  I do love a rainy day and I'm grateful that the temperatures are cooler with the rain, but that's a lot of water.  We certainly are not suffering from a drought here.  Thinking on the bright side, the garden looks lush.  The cherry tomato plants has little tomatoes on it and I am hoping they ripen.

This past weekend my dog, Evie, was sick as a dog.  It started on Friday when she up-chucked until there was nothing left in her little body, and then she kept vomiting up bile.  By Saturday she was exhausted.  I was mainly concerned about keeping her hydrated.  When she would get to the water bowl, she would down the whole thing. By Saturday afternoon, she stopped throwing up the water.  Then she slept.  Her nose and paw pads were very warm.  I tried feeding her boiled rice and chicken without salt or spices, but she would refuse all food.  George and I took shifts sleeping this weekend so that one of us would be with her at all times.  Yesterday, her tail perked up a few times at first.  Then she began eating a bit -- not the rice, though.  Then a bit more.  By dinner, she was begging at the table and she was almost back to normal.  She's fine this morning.  Still isn't eating a lot, but she is coming around.  The weekend before she got sick, too; but not to this extent.  All I can think of is that she got into the mushrooms that have grown all over the yard since the rains began.

There is humor in everything, if you look for it.  I'm always teasing about how I can't/don't cook well.  Even when Evie started eating again, she still refused the rice and chicken that I made for her.  George and I were laughing that even the dog won't eat my food.

A beautiful new scarf was listed on Etsy last night.  In my endeavor to use all of my fabric and notions, I found a pack of pink sequin and pearl butterfly patches.  The ends of the long scarf are embroidered in a design that resembles a ribbon.  Above the ribbon, on each end, are 3 of the butterflies.  It really turned out pretty and blingy.  I listed it late, around 10 p.m., but still had several visitors by this morning.  That's a good sign.  Maybe I'll actually sell one of the scarves.

I've been working hard on those new cell phone pouches, kind of working like an assembly line.  There are 20+ pouches.  I did the handwork while I was sitting with Evie this weekend.  Last night I did the embroidery.  Hopefully, today I'll do the assembly.  It was cute because I brought up a box of scraps from the embroidery room, downstairs.  I put the box on the floor and when I turned around, voila, we had kitty in the box.  The little black manx, Polly, loves to get in that box and even as I'm going through the scraps, she will remain sleeping.  At one point, I covered her up in scraps.  She didn't mind.  So, I took a picture.  Too cute.  When Polly gets out of the box, the yellow and white cat, Tigger, jumps in.  He's much bigger but manages to curl himself up on the scrap fabric.  Now I need to use all of those scraps in projects.  Hmmmm.

I need to get back to work on the pouches.  Have a great day.

C'est tout, mes amis.

Cajun Corner Vol. 2, No. 33

Cajun Corner – Vol. 2, No. 33 – August 27, 2010


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

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit our catalog at www.companycasuals.com/cajunstitchery and www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.

Splash Party was a huge success!! Did it rain? Oh, yes, it rained. The place was packed and we all had a wonderful time. Grown men and women were acting like children. Can you even imagine what it would have been like if the sun was shining and there was no rain? We still have some caps available for sale. We sold out of the pink visors. If the sun had been shining, I’m sure we would have sold out of all the caps and visors.

I just cannot get over how fast this week has flown by. I totally missed posting on the blog for Wednesday.

The next big event for Cajun Stitchery is the Pensacola Beach Arts & Wine Festival the first weekend in October. Yes, we have registered and will be in the Paddy O’Leary’s parking lot next to the SOB’s booth. Just like last year. I’ve been spending a lot of time upstairs in my Crafting Department this week. If a messy desk is a sign of genius, I’m there. What a mess! I’m sitting at the big computer, the desktop with my trusty Doris the Singer. An L is formed with my regular sewing machine and serger. Then a U is formed with the portable cutting table that George made me. Then an O is formed with my bookcase. Yep, I sure did seal myself up in this thing.

The Crafting Department, which used to be known as our study, has a great view of the park across the street through our sliding glass doors. I love to open the blinds and just watch the people walking and kids playing. Someday I would love to see a craft festival in that park. Every one of our neighbors seems to have such special gifts to offer. This is a quaint neighborhood, very eclectic with wonderful neighbors. We have gardeners, chefs, hairdressers, teachers, caregivers, military and civilian, and a whole array of gifted people. We have young people, as well as older people.

On the ceiling above Doris is a sign that my dear friend, Courtney, gave me a few years ago. The sign simply says “Create.” This is the creation part of Cajun Stitchery. I cut out paper and play with patterns and designs. There have been some truly weird things created up here, as well as a lot of beautiful things.

While I’m in the Crafting Department, George decided to clean the embroidery room downstairs. Uh oh. Don’t throw out my stuff, dear. He brought up a box of fabric scraps to the Crafting Department. Not having much room left in here, I had him put the box on the floor. Before long, I looked in the box and what do you know, little Polly, the Manx is curled up inside the box, fast asleep. What a precious sight that was! After awhile, I looked over and Tigger, the orange and white Tom cat, had squeezed himself into the box.

While looking at some templates for the bottle apron, I got the idea of, what would that look like if I sewed the sides and bottom? We now have a new style cell phone pouch. In fact, I listed one last night on Etsy. These are simple pouches. They are not as detailed or ornate as the mermaid pouches, but I like them. These will definitely be an item at the Art & Wine Festival.

My goal, and I suppose the goal of all crafters and seamstresses, is to use all the stuff that I have, down to the mere scraps. Then, envisioning that this could ever happen, I would be out of everything and have to go shopping to replenish with new stuff. That’s what I’m trying to do. This is probably not possible. I’ve been trying to do this all of my life. I just get more and more and more stuff.

One day I was contemplating the birthday of one of my Nereid sisters and an idea popped in my head for a design. This year my Nereids all get pillowcases for their birthdays. Anyway, I digitized the design and earlier this week stitched it out. It is the most beautiful design. Alas, I cannot post pictures on the internet because it’s a surprise and we have not yet celebrated her birthday this year. When we do, I will post these pictures everywhere. It’s just gorgeous.

The Nereids have several birthdays coming up and I need to get busy with designs and ideas. George told me the other day that my Nereids all have beautiful embroidered pillowcases. Customers order and we embroider beautiful embroidered pillowcases. But our pillowcases are threadbare. We need to come up with a Henshall design and embroider something for ourselves. You know the old saying that a mechanic’s car never works and a carpenter’s home is always in disrepair. This embroiderer needs to do something for us.

I found a sign language font. Seriously, I did. We were embroidering some pillowcases for a friend of my Aunt Philo’s and I sent a hand towel with the signs for L and U as the lagniappe. OMG! She was surprised. Now I think she is coming up with a million ideas for sign language embroidery. It’s amazing the things you can find on the internet. I put the photograph of her towel on the Cajun Stitchery Facebook page. I need to post it on the blog.

Last night George and I were outside in the garden, harvesting and tending to the garden. It was just turning dusk and we realized how comfortable it was outside. I think it was the first day this summer that we weren’t seriously attacked by mosquitoes and heat. We sat outside for awhile and realized that fall is approaching and we will be able to sit outside more and more. We love doing that; sitting on the deck with a glass of wine as the sun goes down and just loving the environment. As the temperature cools, we will even light the chiminea. Another of life’s simple pleasures.

Speaking of the garden, we are still harvesting bell peppers, carrots and beans but haven’t even begun our fall planting. I’m thinking onions, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, garlic, and celery. Our tomato plants are still lush and beautiful. As the temperatures cool, maybe we can get some tomatoes. Last year we picked the cherry tomatoes well into December. Sassy still has some fruit and I sure hope it ripens this fall. I’d plant brussel sprouts but they don’t seem to do well for us. Maybe we’ll throw in some cabbage, too. Squash doesn’t seem to work well for us, either, but we did get some cucumbers this year and maybe we should just keep trying.

Until last night, I’ve been a slacker this week with the Etsy store. I need to get back into the swing of at least listing one item a day.

I need to find some ice blue thread. The embroidery room has 5 shades of blue and one of the shades if very close but I’m trying to match at bedspread. So, I ordered a couple of shades of ice blue thread from my usual wholesale thread company. Then I ordered some rose, burgundy, navy, and by the time I was finished I spent more than $100 on embroidery thread. I don’t expect the order to arrive until probably last next week but we are going to have thread coming out of our ying yang.

Speaking of ordering, George has embroidered some beautiful caps for the Arts & Wine Festival and ordered 2 dozen more caps which came in the other day. He will be working on his caps downstairs after he finishes his clean up project in the embroidery room. Then he is going to start working on a Cajun Stitchery banner for our booth at the festival. I cannot wait to see the finished banner.

I embroidered monograms for every letter of the alphabet this week on 2 ½ inch, red ribbon. I was going to make luggage tags with the monograms but, in the end, I didn’t like the luggage tags. I love the monograms on the ribbon but it just looked too big for a luggage tag. Now what am I going to do with the rest of the alphabet?

My son, Hank, wants me to make him a cell phone pouch with the Gators insignia. I explained that I cannot because the insignia is licensed, but I can make him a cell phone pouch with a gator on it, but not the official insignia. That licensing thing seems to be difficult for people to understand. There is a fine line between what I can and cannot embroider.

It is football season and I need to make more fleur de lis and gator items. What is your favorite football team? Let me know and you may just find a variance of the mascot on some of our items.

Christmas is coming and customers are starting to do their Christmas shopping at Cajun Stitchery. Get this out of the way as soon as you can. For all who have businesses out there, remember that we also sell gift baskets.

Always remember that we are just a call or email away at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com or 850-261-2462 and place your order.

ΘΘΘΘΘ

A long time ago, Boudreaux and Thibodeaux decided to go out west. They were in a covered wagon but somehow got separated from the wagon train. Boudreaux was in the front driving while Thibodeaux was relaxing in the back. All of a sudden, Boudreaux heard a yell from Thibodeaux in the back: "Hey, Boudreaux, there's Indians on horses back here chasing us." Boudreaux said, "Thibodeaux, how big are they?" Holding his finger and thumb about 2 inches apart, Thibodeaux said, "Mais, Boudreaux, they only about this big." "That's okay, Thibodeaux," Boudreaux said. "Tell me when dey get bigger." About ten minutes later, Boudreaux yelled out, "Hey, Thibodeaux, how big are those Indians?" "Mais, Boudreaux, dey are about tree feet tall." Boudreaux yelled back, "That's still okay, Thibodeaux, but tell me when dey get bigger." Ten minutes after that, Boudreaux cried out again, "Thibodeaux, how big are those Indians now." "Mais, Boudreaux, dey as big as you and me!!" "Well, shoot 'em!" screamed Boudreaux, "shoot 'em!" "Mais, Boudreaux, I can't," said Thibodeaux, holding his finger and thumb about 2 inches apart. "I've known 'em since they was dis big!"

ΘΘΘΘΘ

French phrase of the week: pain de maïs cornbread. pain perdu French toast.

ΘΘΘΘΘ

From: http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/Asthma.html

Wow! There are tons of home remedies for asthma:

Asthma treatment using Honey

Honey is one of the most common home remedies for asthma. It is said that if a jug of honey is held under the nose of an asthma patient and he inhales the air that comes into contact with it, he starts breathing easier and deeper.

Asthma treatment using Figs

Among fruits, figs have proved very valuable in asthma. They give comfort to the patient by draining off the phlegm. Three or four dry figs should be cleaned thoroughly with warm water and soaked overnight.

Asthma treatment using Lemon

Lemon is another fruit found beneficial in the treatment of asthma. The juice of one lemon, diluted in a glass of water and taken with meals, will bring good results

Asthma treatment using Indian Gooseberry

Indian gooseberry has also proved valuable in asthma. Five grams of gooseberry mixed with one tablespoon of honey forms an effective medicinal tonic for the treatment of this disease. It should be taken every morning

Asthma treatment using Bitter Gourd Roots

The roots of the bitter gourd plant have been used in folk medicine for asthma since ancient times. A teaspoon of the root paste, mixed with an equal amount of honey or juice of the holy basil leaves, given once every night for a month, acts as an excellent medicine for this disease.

Asthma treatment using Drumstick Leaves

A soup prepared from drumstick leaves, and taken once daily, has been found beneficial in the treatment of asthma. This soup is prepared by adding a handful of leaves to 180ml of water and boiling it for five minutes. After being allowed to cool, a little salt, pepper, and lime juice may be added to this soup.

Asthma treatment using Ginger

A teaspoon of fresh ginger juice, mixed with a cup of fenugreek decoction and honey to taste, acts as an excellent expectorant in cases of asthma. The decoction of fenugreek can be made by mixing one tablespoon of fenugreek seeds in a cupful of water. This remedy should be taken once in the morning and once in the evening.

Asthma treatment using Garlic

Garlic is another effective home remedy for asthma. Ten garlic cloves, boiled in 30 ml of milk, make an excellent medicine for the early stages of asthma. This mixture should he taken once daily by the patient. Steaming ginger tea with two minced garlic cloves in it, can also help to keep the problem under control, and should be taken in the morning and evening.

Asthma treatment using Bishop's Weed

The herb bishop's weed has been found valuable in asthma. Half a teaspoon of bishop's weed should be mixed in a glass of buttermilk and taken twice daily. It is an effective remedy for relieving difficult expectoration caused by dried-up phlegm. A hot poultice of the seeds should be used for dry fomentation to the chest twice daily. The patient can also inhale steam twice a day from boiling water mixed with carom seeds. It will dilate the bronchial passages.

Asthma treatment using Safflower

Safflower seeds are beneficial in the treatment of bronchial asthma. Half a teaspoon of powder of the dry seeds, mixed with a tablespoon of honey, can be taken once or twice a day in treating this disease. This acts as an expectorant and reduces the spasms by liquefying the tenacious sputum. An infusion of five grams of flowers mixed with one tablespoon of honey, taken once daily, is also useful in this disease.

Please let me know if there is something that you would like to see in the weekly email. You may always call me at (850) 261-2462 or email me at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com.

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.

C’est tout, mes amis

Peggy Henshall

Cajun Stitchery

(850) 261-2462

cajunstitchery@yahoo.com

P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

SALE OF THE WEEK (Good through Thursday, September 2, 2010)

SALE: Short Sleeve Denim Shirt sizes S-XL with first name or initials embroidered for $25.00

Sierra Pacific - #0211

Short Sleeve Denim

Catalog page: 17

6.5 oz. 100% cotton. Button down collar. Double needle stitching with 2-ply back yoke. Wood-style buttons with spare. Left chest pocket and locker loop. No back pleat.

Splash is over; Arts & Wine is next

Despite the rain, the Splash Party was a huge success. Not a lot of kids joined us, though.  I'm sure that's because of the rain.  But the place was packed.  Have you ever seen grown men acting like children?  They all did at the Splash Party.  It was hilarious.  I had the best seat at the party.  I sat in the tiki bar selling hats and tickets.  It was amazing to see all of the different types of super soakers.  Since I was near the water sources, those guys kept coming by to reload their soakers.  When the dunking booth opened, I could hardly keep up with those tickets. This was definitely a successful party with such delightful, fun loving people.  We still have a few caps and visors left if anyone would like one.  Just call or email me and you too can have your own Splash Party cap/visor.  Sorry but the pink visors sold out early.  We have some great black visors, though.

The next big event on our calendar is the Arts & Wine Festival the first weekend in October.  We have a little over a month to get ready.  There is so much to do.  Remember last year our booth looked like it was simply an extention of the SOB booth?  This year, I want to have embroidered banners saying Cajun Stitchery. 

One of the items we are going to sell this year is going to be luggage tags.  I love making them.  Yesterday I began embroidery on ribbon.  I'm putting a monogram of each letter of the alphabet on ribbon and then plan to make each monogram into a luggage tag for the Festival. 

I think we will also have wine bottle aprons.  If you have read this blog for awhile, you might know my fascination with wine bottle aprons.  They are adorable and everyone seems to want one -- excect me.  Maybe one day I'll make one that thrills me.  But everyone likes them and I love to embroider.

The poor Etsy store.  I think the last thing I listed on Etsy was the cool, aqua ballcap on Friday.  I've decided that I need to start limiting the different items that I list to about 5 different categories, rather than one of this and one of that.  I know that there will be handkerchiefs, scarves, cell phone holders, and I have to decide on a couple of other items. 

So much to do; so much to say; but the phone is ringing and the emails are coming in, and this little Cajun girl needs to get to work.

C'est tout, mes amis.

Cajun Corner Vol. 2, No. 32

Cajun Corner – Vol. 2, No. 32 – august 20, 2010


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

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit our catalog at www.companycasuals.com/cajunstitchery and www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.

REMINDER: SPLASH PARTY, tomorrow, August 21, 2010, beginning at 3 p.m. at Paradise Bar & Grill on Pensacola Beach. I will be selling caps, visors, and tickets to games. Come join us and Love It Local. A portion of the proceeds will go to fight breast cancer. Bring your super soaker. There is a trophy for the best mermaid and merman costume.

Cajun Stitchery’s Etsy store has been buzzing this week. Something new has been listed everyday. Some pretty pink embroidered handkerchiefs were listed at the beginning of the week and a pair of coral colored ladies gloves were listed yesterday. You should stop by and take a look at the gloves. They are fun to make but do take a lot of time because of the teeny tiny pattern pieces, especially the gussets. But they are 100% handmade.

Earlier this week I made some luggage tags. They are cute and easy. I posted pictures of them on Facebook and, frankly, was surprised to receive favorable comments. If people like them, I need to make sure we have a price. Five dollars is my usual response for simple, little items. So, I listed them at $5, or $10 personalized. George was appalled. He said that was way too much for luggage tags. I tended to agree with him, but anything less than $5 is hardly worth the effort of turning on the embroidery machine. We decided to do some research on the internet. OMG! We were so surprised to find that not only was our price reasonable, but almost on the low end for embroidered luggage tags. As a consequence of our research, we have a lot more ideas on embroidery for luggage tags. Heck, I saw some that were simply a strip of webbing with an embroidered name, sewn onto a D ring and selling for $12-$15 each. There were several fashioned after the pattern that I used going for $10 or more each with simply a letter of the alphabet embroidered. I altered the pattern though. The pattern requires a piece of fabric with the embroidery, then, sew the vinyl pocket for the slip in piece of paper with your name, etc. I felt that was too flimsy and instead, wrap the whole thing in vinyl, making it sturdier and completely water proof. Pictures are posted on earlier blogs this week. Take a look.

It’s not easy trying to list at least one item a day on Etsy. Not only does it take the time to create the item, but, at least for me, the decision of what I am going to make and what fabric, design, etc., takes the most time.

Last night was a rough one at our house. It started yesterday afternoon when my dog, Evie, kept coming over to me and smacking her mouth. I didn’t think anything of it because I was engrossed in making the ladies gloves. Then it happened. She vomited all over the floor. It was disgusting. I put her outside and proceeded to clean up the mess. Afterwards everything seemed to be fine. I continued with my day, sewing, meetings, dinner, etc. Then there she was, smacking her mouth and for the second time in the day, it did not click what she wanted. She wanted me to let her outside NOW! So, she puked all over the kitchen floor. Thank God all of our floors are ceramic tile, upstairs and down. Nevertheless, it was disgusting. I went to get the paper towels and we were out of paper towels. Yuk! She stayed outside for awhile and I let her back in. By this time the vomiting caused a bit of dehydration, so she went to her water bowl and drank and drank, turned around, smacking her mouth, and there she went yet again. This time I was on the telephone. You’ve heard the saying “sick as a dog.” Well, that is very sick, and very sad. We made her stay outside for quite awhile and put her water bowl outside with her. Around 1 a.m. she was finally able to hold the water down and stopped regurgitating. That poor dog was pitiful. We sat up with her until about 3 a.m. when we felt that her problem subsided enough to go to bed. There is nothing worse than waking in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and walking through dog puke. She has been fine since then. All we can figure is that she must have eaten something in the yard that was either poisonous or simply did not agree with her system. It could have been mushrooms or anything. She seems fine this morning; however, we are a bit tired.

We are still getting a few cucumbers from the garden. The bell peppers are still growing but we aren’t harvesting as many. The green beans are still actively producing beans.

We stayed close to home last weekend for our anniversary. We did go to the Naval Museum’s IMAX theatre and saw the movie “Hubble.” That was simply awesome. Makes you feel so small in this giant universe. We also went out to eat and had drinks with friends. But mostly we just stayed at home.

This weekend is the big SPLASH party. Our Krewe was busy this week gathering give away's from local businesses and preparing for the party. If you are local, you do not want to miss this event. There will be a best mermaid and best merman costume trophies, so wear your best costume. Don’t forget to bring your super soaker!

George has been working on caps this week for the Arts & Wine Festival in October. In fact, if I don’t have anything else today, I may list one of these caps on Etsy.

Christmas is coming and customers are starting to do their Christmas shopping at Cajun Stitchery. Get this out of the way as soon as you can. For all who have businesses out there, remember that we also sell gift baskets.

Always remember that we are just a call or email away at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com or 850-261-2462 and place your order.

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Boudreaux and Thibodeaux were sitting on Boudreaux's porch. Boudreaux was holding his new puppy. It had the face of a chow, the body of a weenie dog, and the hair of a poodle. Thibodeaux couldn't resist any longer. He asked Boudreaux, "Mais, Boudreaux, what kind of thing is that?" Boudreaux said, "It's a somma dog." Thibodeaux said, "A somma dog?" Boudreaux says, "Mais yeah, somma this and somma dat."

ΘΘΘΘΘ

French phrase of the week: Je voulais pas m'obstiner avec ma mère. (I didn't want to argue with my mother.)

ΘΘΘΘΘ

From: http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/Alzheimer.html

Alzheimer is an age related disease

Exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not yet known. Many factors contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Age is considered to be the major factor. Scientists are not clear whether this disease is hereditary or not. People with high blood pressure, smoking habit and high cholesterol levels are at high risk of this disease. A head injury long back or Down’s syndrome also increases the chances of Alzheimer’s disease.

Herbal Remedies for Alzheimer

Ginkgo biloba is the mainly prescribed medicine for most neurological disorders. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which protects brain cells from damage. Phosphatidylserine, Huperzine A and Vinpocetine are some other herbal remedies for Alzheimer’s disease.

Foods with antioxidants are beneficial

Alzheimer’s patient should avoid high fat and high calorie diets. They must also abstain from salt, alcohol, cigarette smoking, processed foods, refined carbohydrates and environmental toxins. Inflammatory agents like anti-oxidants are also beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients. Therefore patients with Alzheimer’s disease must eat a diet which contains antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C, green tea and so on.

Good to keep the brain occupied

Perform some brain exercise like solving puzzles.

Please let me know if there is something that you would like to see in the weekly email. You may always call me at (850) 261-2462 or email me at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com.

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.

C’est tout, mes amis

Peggy Henshall

Cajun Stitchery

(850) 261-2462

cajunstitchery@yahoo.com

P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

SALE OF THE WEEK (Good through Thursday, August 26, 2010)

SALE: Tank top with first name or initials embroidered for $25.00

Bella - #B8407

Helena Vintage Racerback Tank

Colors: Aqua, Black

3.8 oz. 55% cotton/45% polyester. 36 single combed ring-spun jersey. Low scoop neckline with wide self neckband. Blousy, feminine fit with wide banded bottom.

Geaux Saints

We picked up a few $5 DVDs from Wal-Mart the other day and had movie night.  One of the movies was Miss Congeniality.  I had not seen that movie before but heard great reviews.  My review of the movie is that we were rolling on the floor in laughter.  Sandra Bullock is a real hotty, for sure. 

I've been working on the Etsy store this week.  The three pink handkerchiefs have been listed.  I need to list something tomorrow but not sure what it will be at this time.  Going through a bunch of project ideas, I came across the luggage tags.  I made a couple.  They were cute and easy to make.  I posted pictures on Facebook and people actually commented that they like them.  Well, what kind of price tag should I put on them?  I initially put $5, personalized $10.  George said that was way too high.  So, we did some research.  OMG, luggage tags are expensive, especially embroidered ones.  I sticking with the $5, personalized $10.  They really are a good idea because so many people travel, especially by plane, and luggage gets lost.  That's not the only use, though.  You could wear them on a lanyard if you needed your name shown, or on your purse, or at school on your backpack, or brief case.  Ever think about putting a name tag on your bicycle, baby stroller, or dog crate?  We could even make smaller ones for your dog's collar.  I may put some on Etsy. 

We had an order for a set of pillowcases with LU in script in the middle and a large fleur de lis on either side.  These turned out beautifully.  When I posted the photos on Facebook, I was asked how much they are.  They are $35 for a set.  I cannot do NFL team logos or any other licensed logo.  Fleur de lis are not a logo.  I was asked to do a set with the Denver Broncos -- I cannot do that.  What I can do is embroider horse designs.  Get the picture:>)

I was going through some of my patterns and came across my pattern for ladies gloves.  I used to love to make gloves.  So, I've started making a pair.  Glove making takes awhile and has a lot of hand stitching involed and little, teeny tiny pieces.  When I'm finished, I post a photograph -- if they look good.

Saturday is the big Splash party and we have been gearing up all week.  Meeting tomorrow.

C'est tout, mes amis.

Hankies and Luggage Tags

We had a fabulous anniversary weekend.  On Saturday we visited the NAS museum and saw the IMAX movie "Hubble".  Awesome!  Just Awesome!  We enjoyed drinks and music with friends Saturday evening.  George got some gorgeous picture frames and framed our picture from the Krewe of Wrecks Ball this year.  Then he framed the lyrics to one of our songs, "Through The Years."  Oh yes, he also got me 2 dozen red roses.  He's a real keeper for sure.

We are gearing up to the Splash Party this coming Saturday, August 21st, beginning at 3 p.m. at Paradise Bar & Grill on Pensacola Beach.  I will be selling the caps and visors and tickets for all of the games.  Bring the kids.  This is a family affair.  Come on out and enjoy the fun, but don't forget to bring your water gun.  We will all have our super soakers locked and loaded.  Remember:  Love It Local.

Now back to embroidery.  We haven't just been twiddling our thumbs over here.  I plan on spending a lot of this week getting the Etsy store stocked with some new, creative items.  You aren't going to want to miss it.  I've decided that the handkerchiefs should have a little bit of beading on them.  Not a lot.  I don't want anyone to scratch their face when drying the tears or wiping the nose, but just enough to give it some bling.  I've made 3 new handkerchiefs so far with the beading.  Hope everyone likes it.

I was looking at some projects online at Joann's and came across luggage tags.  They are simple as pie.  Mama used to love to travel.  Since my daddy retired from the airlines, she had a lifetime pass with the airlines and used it often.  She always put a colorful ribbon tied around the handle to her luggage.   That way when her luggage was moving around the conveyor belt, she knew immediately which item was her's.  I think Mama started this and now I notice many people do it.  With everyone having various luggage tags, it is important that your's is unique and contains your name.  The one's I've made have slight variations from the one at Joann's projects.  For instance, the project had a cloth back and plastic front.  I wanted something sturdier and so we have the vinyl wrapped 1 1/2 times  This way the embroidery is 100% enclosed and there is a place to slip your business card or name card.  The ribbons are a means of tying the tag to the luggage.

Several ideas come to mind when I think of these luggage tags, especially for kids at school.  Hang one around your backpack or notebook.  We certainly do patches that can be placed in books or adhered to most any item.

If you are like me, you don't like to give a lot of cards.  I would prefer sending birthday or holiday wishes and greeting via the internet.  The problem with that is when people go to open their present, it doesn't say who it's from.  By using the luggage tag, you can slip a piece of paper with to and from on it, plus you are giving an extra gift.  It would make a very unique gift tag that can be used repeatedly.

If you would like one of these luggage tags, I'll be glad to embroider your first name or initials in the color of your choice, tag and embroidery for $10.00.  The luggage tag alone sells for $5.00.  I like these so much that we will probably be selling them at the Arts & Wine Festival on the Beach in October.

Gotta get back to work now.  Have a wonderful day and don't forget to smile.

C'est tout, mes amis.

Cajun Corner - Vol. 2, No. 31

Cajun Corner – Vol. 2, No. 31 – august 13, 2010


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

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Don’t forget to visit our catalog at www.companycasuals.com/cajunstitchery and www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.

REMINDER: SPLASH PARTY, August 21, 2010, beginning at 3 p.m. at Paradise Bar & Grill on Pensacola Beach. I will be selling caps, visors, and tickets to games. Come join us and Love It Local. A portion of the proceeds will go to fight breast cancer.

The Etsy store finally has a new item. It is the cutest little beachy cell phone pouch ever. The next several working days should find me taking care of the Etsy Store which has been neglected this summer due to caps and visors. This morning the Etsy Store had a convo that one of our red lips hankies is in another treasury.

We are still getting cucumbers from the garden. Not a lot but 3 or 4 which is much better than ever before. George read an article that you need to plant them with hot pepper plants, which is what we did and voila, we have some cucumbers. I love hot peppers and plan to have them everywhere now.

We are still harvesting beans and bell peppers. The tomato plants are covered in flowers but it’s still too hot for fruit. The marigolds and sunflowers in the vegetable garden are doing great. We actually have flowers on the sunflowers but, alas, few marigolds. But the marigold plants are huge and lush. Marigolds are good for your garden anyway.

August is a busy month. Last weekend was our Mystic Lagoon, this weekend is my anniversary, and next weekend is the Splash Party. My social calendar has been so full that I hardly have time for work. Oh, and remember the photo shoot? We made it to the front page of the Island Times with a huge article on page 2 featuring Cajun Stitchery’s caps. The Island Times is online at www.myislandtimes.com, then go to the news, then open the latest issue. There we are.

The Nereids wanted to wear a very special shirt to the Splash Party. Unfortunately, the shirts are no longer on the market. In collaboration with one of the Nereids, we came up with an idea for a similar type shirt that would be cost effective. However, it required me learning to digitize appliqué. I did, indeed, learn some about digitizing appliqué and given enough time, I believe the shirt could become reality. However, there just isn’t enough time between now and the Splash Party. We’ll have to do this for another event.

George has created a new cap design and plans on selling caps at our booth for the Arts & Wine Festival in October. After the Splash party we will be geared towards the festival. So watch out, we should be introducing some new items soon.

Gift baskets have come to our attention. I know. I have played with this idea for awhile. The most recent birthday presents that we did with the fingertip towels in the wine glasses was my first attempt at something along the gift basket line. (Pictures are on earlier blog posts.) If you would like to give gift baskets, call or email me and let’s talk about it. I’ve seen some of those baskets online and they can get real expensive. I think I can do better than that. The basket will contain more than just embroidery. It will depend on your theme. We should be able to put together something very specific or something more generic. Give us an address, pay the postage, and we will have it shipped for you, as well. One idea that keeps popping in my mind lately is football baskets for the football lover. Just remember that I cannot sell things with licensed team logos. However, I can sell items with fleur de lis, “Who Dat”, etc. Maybe someday we’ll deal with the licensing issue.

Christmas is coming and customers are starting to do their Christmas shopping at Cajun Stitchery. Get this out of the way as soon as you can. For all who have businesses out there, refer back to the gift basket paragraph, above.

Always remember that we are just a call or email away at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com or 850-261-2462 and place your order.

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Thibodeaux was fishing one day when he had a heart attack and died. The next day Thibodeaux's wife, Marie, placed the obituary in the Crowley, Louisiana newpaper that read, "Thibodeaux done died!" The newspaper called Marie and explained that she could add some details since the obituary could be 10 lines long. She corrected the ad and the next day it ran stating, "Thibodeaux done died! Boat for sale!"

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French phrase of the week: Nonc Octave veut aller en Ville avec nous-autres. (Uncle Octave wants to go to New Orleans with us.)

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From: http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/Athletes-foot.html

REMEDIES FOR ATHLETES FOOT

Prepare a solution of water and white vinegar – one part of white vinegar to four part of water; soak your feet for 20 to 30 minutes twice day. Sprinkle some baking soda between your toe fingers and rinse your feet after fifteen minutes. It is as effective as an expensive antifungal powder. Rub tea tree oil between your toe fingers, it has antifungal properties. For immediate relief from itching or burning, soak your feet in an antiseptic mouthwash like Listerine. Corn starch is effective in soaking moisture, so keep your toe fingers dry by sprinkling some corn starch on them

Please let me know if there is something that you would like to see in the weekly email. You may always call me at (850) 261-2462 or email me at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com.

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.

C’est tout, mes amis

Peggy Henshall

Cajun Stitchery

(850) 261-2462

cajunstitchery@yahoo.com

P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

SALE OF THE WEEK (Good through Thursday, August 19, 2010)

SALE: Tee shirt with name or initials in left chest area = $20.00

Anvil - #1441

Ladies 1x1 Rib Scoop Neck Tee

Colors: Black, carolina blue, chocolate, heather gray, frost pink, hot pink, navy, red, white

6 oz. 100% ring-spun cotton (heather grey is 90% cotton/10% polyester). Bound-on self trim neck & sleeve hem. Double-needle bottom hem. Cap sleeves, fitted silhouette & side seamed.