After what seems like forever, I am finally getting caught up. Most of last year was spent with one or all of us bed or house ridden, one passing it on to the other as is the way of things in homes with children. There have been a lot of people disappointed in me, a lot of people who knew me and understood, and still more who have been supportive beyond the call of friendship. I think all of us have dealt with snowballs at least once in our lives and but this one created an avalanche. I’ve not given up though and things are getting better each day. I am moving forward.

LITTLE BITS OF WISDOM
A few of the many things I have picked up along the way, that I try to instill in my daughter, have been active in my life lately…

• You should always be “straight up” with people. Be honest. Whether they will understand or not, your conscience is clear and you’ve done the right thing.
• Pick your battles. Do what you can to the best of your ability and honor others as well as yourself. Help as much as you can but know when to say no.
• If it is worthwhile dream, don’t give up.
• When everything is a priority remember that family comes first. When it is hard to label what is the top priority in a pile of pressing deadlines, always pick the one that will give you the most trouble.
• Breathe. There is always time to take a moment, close your eyes, and just breathe.

COMPLETELY ENTHRALLED

I own an HP laptop and frequently receives updates from HP including their Personal Again campaign that features some incredibly well-done and creatively inspiring videos. Recently I found Paulo Coehlo’s The Experimental Witch competition that led me, breadcrumbs in hand, to his Alchemist site on HP.

The guitar music that plays on the site has me completely in thrall. I am hooked on it, sometimes leaving the browser window up in the background to listen to it while I write or work. I don’t know that he will actually see it, but I sent him an email on his MySpace requesting the name of the piece or the guitarist and thanking him for his contributions to the creative community. Admittedly I do not own personal copies of his books yet but hope to soon. His stories are wonderfully rich and I look forward to reading more.

PUBLISHED RECENTLY

I have been so busy on this end that I’ve not had the chance to tell you all about some wonderful things that happened recently!

100 Days of Monsters. My family and I found Daily Monster, Stefan Bucher’s absolutely addictive video blog, and have been glued to it ever since. We crank the volume up so we can enjoy the sounds of his pens as they glide quickly across the paper. It is fascinating to watch what each seed of ink will become, even he doesn’t know till he does it which makes for a wonderful mystery. Stefan asked people to post little stories about his monsters, what we thought they were doing, who they were, and the madness began. Everyone got involved and the stories rolled in. Incredibly funny stories, emotional stories, off the wall weirdness, and all of them great fun to read. Well, he made a book with a DVD. All of his videos for the first 100 monsters and then some are included. And two of my stories made it into the book. So pick up a copy and read about “Reggie” and “Herman”, monsters 91 and 95. They will be very happy that you did. And if you do, please post a reply here and tell me what you think. I hope you like them both.

Thank you Stefan for your inspiration and your kindness!

Never Forgotten. I am a member of the ZNE network and was able to contribute to a book project for one of its members who recently lost her mother. I encourage everyone to take a look at the book and purchase one for yourself or for a loved one who may need some support or encouragement. I do not received any kind of compensation and am even purchasing my own copy so this is not a sales pitch. My piece is Essence & Longing and is included under the “Healing: The Beauty of the Soul” section in the book. If you do buy a copy, remember to post here and tell me what you think.

BACK IN SCHOOL

Started back to college week before last, totally online, and love it. Wish I could have done it sooner. They have the same accreditation as the local university but without worrying about scheduling, gas prices, or the wear and tear on my vehicle. Val has been in since August, he’s on the Dean’s list, (WOOT You go baby!) and I should be there soon as well. I am working on my BFA in Visual Communications with a specialization in Digital Design which, mostly, is the degree for what I have already been doing for the last 22 years. I have been wanting to finish school though, needed the piece of paper, and wanted to get all of the new software so here I am. I really enjoy the interface, the structure, the whole layout of AIU. And, yes, it takes a lot of discipline. But I will have my degree in 13 months, not four years, and there is something incredibly motivating about that. When I graduate in July of next year, if not sooner, I will be working on my Masters in Education there or finding a school where I can complete my Architectural Design degree. Yup, there is the secret to my handwriting, I was an Architectural Design major previously.

TED TALKS

“Who is this Ted person anyway…” you say? Don’t worry, I said that too. During my Visual Literacy class I was linked to a TED Talk by John Maeda. An incredibly brilliant, very funny man. Maeda spoke of simplicity, applying it to design and everyday life which is something I think we all need to look at. If you get a chance to watch the video, do, it is well worth the time. I have also found the TED Talks to be a fantastic resource. I think one of my favorites so far though has to be J.J.Abrams talking about the “mystery box” and writing.

A NEW SITE FOR ART FOR CURES

Art for Cures has been in need of a site for a while and, though I had started building one, my life and health conspired to keep me from it. After seeing a few site on the Ning network, seeing the resources available and the network’s framework, I decided to build us a home there. Art for Cures is now part of the Ning network and we already have several members there. Looking forward to posting the auctions in the next week and moving forward!

SCRIBBLES, DOODLES, AND SQUIBBLES

We like to hang out in the local bookstores on occasion (read we live there) and I am always on the lookout for new things fir Ysa and I to play with. Not seeing anything I could afford to get this week, or that we didn’t already have, I picked up another Kumon book for Ysa’s homeschool. Ysa and I rummaged around the children’s section a bit and a book accosted me on the way out. Well, it didn’t actually accost me per se, but I am very visual and certain things tend to jump out at me on shelves. In fact when I worked for the bookstores (both BAM and the Noble Barn), I was the one people always came to when they couldn’t remember the name of something. Nine time out of ten I would know it by what the spine or cover looked like and sometimes the “look” of the author’s name.

This time, as soon as I saw it, I knew it was coming home with us.

Scribbles by Taro Gomi is part of a three book series (might be a series, should be) and all three seriously ROCK. The books are almost two inches thick and full of half drawn doodles that you have to finish. It is total creative license, total interpretation, total fun.

…and yes, for those who recognized the name, Taro Gomi also wrote Everyone Poops. hehe

BEING ANACHRONISTIC AGAIN

I’ve rejoined the SCA after a long hiatus and have brought my family with me this time. Val is going Art/Sci, Logan is going heavy weapons, and even my girl is considering it as well since they start youth combat at age seven. She already makes a great shield wall, ran over the last guy. Val has been working on his own medieval chant notation, Logan is making chaine maille again and I have been pouring through patterns and buying fabric in preparation for garb making. It has been way too long since I have been camping so I am really looking forward to it.

Oh, I was also given the honor of being the Shire’s new Web Minister (or Mistress in this case).

My new tagline?

Ana Maria Seaton
ska Ginuivive Alysabaeth Rosewood (Dragonfly or Alysa)
Shire of Amurgorod, Kingdom of Trimaris
“The Dragonfly caught in the Spidered Web.”

Web site for the Shire coming very soon. VIVAT TRIMARIS!

SCRIPTFRENZY

ScriptFrenzy is this month, brought to you by the makers of NaNoWriMo. I toyed with the idea of working on a script I have had in my head for a while now but my time will not allow it. Also, anytime I even consider working on another writing project, my two novels - Moonlight & Shadow and Odonatia - beat me over the head and throw tantrums on the floor begging for attention. My children’s book, Clementine’s Garden, can get away with it though. They don’t beat her up because she is too cute.

WAIT, YOU SAID…ODONATIA!?

Yes I did, you heard me right. Odonatia is fast becoming a novel. For those of you who are not familiar with it, Odonatia is a fiction project I have been working on for about 10 years now. Started as a simple postal issuing authority for artistamps (faux postage), it quickly snowballed (read avalanched) into an epic piece of fiction with real passports, a winery and other goodies coming. Turning very steampunkish. Plans include a daily blog form the island, downloads and other goodies. Looking at a couple of other creative associates that might get involved as well in the future.

ON THE HUSH HUSH

Two major projects going on, one involving my rubber stamp line that is forthcoming, are building up speed and about to take off. Sadly though, and yes I know I am a tease, both are on the “hush hush” right now till I get the okay. I know, stop pouting, I’ll post here as soon as I get the green light. Needless to say both are of incredible proportion and I cannot wait to tell you all.

…well, that is all I can think of for now. (aren’t you glad? hehe) I will be posting scans, photos and a few updates today and over the next couple of days. This week has been a busy one so I have been trying to stay focused and push forward. Hoping this finds you all well and in good creative spirits!

Brightest blessings!

So Logan comes home raving about this new song he heard and that I have to hear it. Logan, thankfully, has a pretty good ear for music having once been a musician himself. He knows that as a bellydancer I love a good bass beat and that I love Latin rhythms. I am just getting back into the swing of things after a long illness and there is nothing I love more than a good beat to shimmy to. I think he is regretting showing me this because I think I have played it about 40 times now. LOL

I love the tributes to Billie Holiday and Frida Kahlo. You gotta love the beat on this one. :::happy shimmy:::

…and the chick with the bald head? I want her clothes, she’s gorgeous. I know a lot of women who proudly wear their heads shaved and I think it is beautiful. The ones I know wear it by choice in honor of their sisters or as their mantle of victory in their fight with cancer. I applaud their courage and the fact they want to make a loud statement to the world.

From the Jzabehl site: “It’s All About Me” is a girl power anthem celebrating confidence, self-indulgence and promoting the beauty of commanding respect for what you believe in. It starts and ends with women putting themselves first.

Oh, and the dancing grandma just rocks! Lyrics below. Turn the volume up! (kid safe)

One bad word, but they don’t say it audibly, so don’t worry mom’s…

* * *

I will never be that pretty little girl
that always gets a round of applause and public approval
once a month I flip out act like a bitch and trip out
fall on the ground and cry like a baby till I feel better
All I want is R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
I’m not your basic, average, typical hottie
edumacated, complicated, and unique
Domesticate me, dominate me, and you’ll see
Machismo isn’t really doin’ it for me
don’t try to aggrevate me, cause I might…..

its all about me hey hey aha!(x 3)

My family and I religiously watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition (EMHE). We don’t have cable, by choice, so we stream it via ABC’s site on my laptop. The design crew, the builders that get involved, the thousands of dollars donated by CVS, Sears, and other companies make the show a definite feel-good experience but the families that they help are the true inspiration. Seeing the communities pour out their hearts and their time each build, seeing the emotions on the designers faces and even the contractors, makes us all want to sign up to help for the next build to pitch in and help. (Researching that, we’d really like to.)

I know, I know, there is a lot of criticism over all the commercial hype, the flashing of logos every 30 seconds from the companies who are involved…you know what, who cares? CVS came in and PAID OFF one families medical bills and gave a full ride college scholarship to the father! If they want three seconds of advertising time or their logo to get flashed around LET THEM. More power to them, I think it is fantastic to see someone care enough to get involved. Knowing how much the companies have donated, seeing the extra mile some of them have gone, the contractors included, they have made it a point to actively be part of the SOLUTIONS instead of part of the problems in this world and have earned our support.

The other thing I hear about EMHE is that “they could help so many other people if they donated all that money to charity”. I think what they are doing is so much better though, short and long term. What they are doing is empowering people to make a difference in their communities and inspiring others, like me and my family, to do more in ours. It’s like a virus of compassion and I think it is so much better than just throwing money at someone and hoping it goes to where it should. I think being inspired to ACT and create CHANGE in your life and the lives of those around you is much more beneficial. People donate money to charity everyday (and bless them all for it) but to actually get out there and make something HAPPEN…that’s even better.

Abled, Not Disabled

One of the episodes this week is the story of Patrick Henry Hughes and his family. Patrick was born with no eyes, cannot walk, has limited mobility with his arms yet can play the piano with a depth and beauty that is seldom mastered by the sighted. I was thrilled to get the chance to hear him and share him with my family. Patrick is a complete person, complete and whole and vibrant and he has touched everyone who has come in contact with him. He is a brilliant musician and now, with the help of ABC and EMHE, has his own recording studio so I am hoping to find that he has released a CD. (So far not found one so let me know if you hear anything.) His outlook was amazing and, though I have never met him and most likely never will, he inspires me.

Another inspiration was a local Lexington, Kentucky artist by the name of Jessie Dunahoo. Jessie is 75 year old, blind, deaf, and completely amazing. He loves sewing textures together and makes incredibly tactile pieces of art. ABC had contacted Latitude, a Lexington-based arts organization that works with people with disabilities, for a local artist to contribute to the family’s home and Jessie spends three days a week there. My ex-husband’s family lives in Kentucky so I am hoping we can make a side-trip to Latitiude next trip up. I would love to meet Jessie and tell him how inspiring he has been to me.

We’re Complaining About What?

We all do it. We complain about really stupid stuff. Stuff that we don’t even remember what we were complaining about the next day. There is so much we take for granted, so much we overlook until it is gone and then, EPIPHANY, we wish we’d recognized it at the time.

I’ve been laid up sick for the last few weeks and have missed being able to create; I’ve not even had the energy or inclination to doodle or journal, that’s pretty bad. The littlest things have been tremendous effort, things that I would normally multi-task by the dozen, and yet I really have no right to complain. None. I have friends who battle cancer for their lives every day, friends who are terminally ill…and me, I have a roof over my head, food in my kitchen, Lymphedema to make me appreciate small comforts, and a bed to sleep on at night.

So why do we complain? We’re spoiled. All of us. We have running water, electricity, indoor bathrooms. Some don’t. A lot don’t. And it isn’t just an overseas problem, a problem in someone else’s backyard. It’s here, in OUR backyard. There are homeless HERE and not just because they don’t want to work or would rather get a handout than make the effort. I hear that so much and it pisses me off. You don’t know them, you don’t know their lives, and while, yes, there are some cases out there like that it doesn’t gives us the right to look away and ignore it. It doesn’t give us the right to sweep it under someone else’s carpet and just avoid it till it goes away. That could be you. That could be me. Life is ever-changing and no one knows what comes next. We are all on the same ride and it is up to EACH ONE OF US to help make the journey a little better.

Just One Person

One person, that’s all it takes. When one person makes the decision to GET INVOLVED, to take action, it inspires another to do it too. Pretty soon you have a lot of one person, people, all singularly making the decision to help. That’s all it takes. Inspiration.

One of the people who inspires me is Chelise Stroud Hery, one of the groups is ZNE. A ZNE member, a stranger to most of us, lost her mother unexpectedly and 68 people, SIXTY-EIGHT, showed up and donated art for a collaborative book (yes I am in it) that Chelise put together in FIVE days…my hat is off and my hands are applauding. If more people made the decision to ACT, just get out there and do SOMETHING, I think this world would be a much better place to live in. And they are, I see inspirations online and locally all the time, and it is about time. Technology has lent it’s hand to it as well. The fact that the world is a smaller place with all of us being able to bridge the distance digitally is amazing in itself. (And bless the ones who keep it all working.) So when you get overwhelmed and you think that one small act on your part can’t possibly make a difference…it does to someone, it does to a lot of people.

Spread compassion like a virus. One ripple affects the sea…

1. Be thankful you have a laptop and hook it up.

2. Blog.

Ysa and I are both down for the count today. I’ve got the brunt of it this time thankfully; I can deal with it if it is me, I don’t like her being sick. She is understandably bored, her mother being the stick in the mud she is currently, so we’ve made beds on the two couches in the living room. I would happily be in bed buried under four blankets but there is no one here to help, both the guys are at work, and I cannot/will not leave her to fend for herself.

Drawing supplies, stuffed animals, and DVDs will keep us company today. Right now she is drawing me pictures to make me feel better and being very sweet. Hopefully she will nap soon so I can too. It is bad enough that I am sick but I cannot even work in the studio; she’s been begging me to do art with her. If I sit up for too long I start coughing and I am exhausted from that already. Laying flat is just as bad though so I am in “slightly elevated but reclining” mode today. Hoping this improves soon, may be going back to the doctors. bleh Will find something we can do together, maybe coloring pages.

Feeling very much like this today.

Growing up this was a normal thing for me. My immune system was fairly weak so I spent weeks, even months, at home while my mother got my school work so I could keep up. I’ve had Mono three times (age 3, age 9, age 15), Scarlet Fever, Chicken Pox, I think Measles, not sure about Mumps, plus various bouts of bronchial goodness. It wasn’t until about 15 years ago, while dating a martial artist, that I was able to get things under control. It was then that I got into Chinese medicine, herbalism notably, and it strengthened my immunities. After being on a consistent regimen for a couple of weeks I noticed a huge difference. From then on I was only sick once a year, usually when the weather changed at the beginning of winter. I’d gotten out of it since moving to Ocala because the shop I bought supplies at was in Orlando. I will be renewing that relationship as soon as possible I think.

3. Catch up on email.

Glanced. Scanned for client and list stuff. Total there are about 1300 there. Posted that I was alive but sick to the lists. I’ll look at it tomorrow when I am coherent.

4. Stream music from Pandora.

Music soothes and inspires. It is one of my most cherished muses and is my bedfellow today. I am very eclectic in all things and my musical tastes show that if you look through my profile.

I have been wanting to take violin again, it has been years since I have even held one, but lately I have been drawn to cello so that is what I am looking into getting. Its sound moves and resonates in me.

5. Sketch in your journal.

Note: This only works if you are feeling well.

Want to sketch, would love to sketch, I should, I have ideas running around in my head, don’t feel like it. bleh

6. Drink your weight in Tropical Orange Fusion.

I love this stuff, can’t get enough of it. That and cheddar Goldfish crackers are my favorite thing right now. Craving sushi, could definitely use the wasabi to clear this out of my head. Need wasabi goodness and sushi care packages.

7. Browse through your Amazon wish list, decide what to read next.

I love books. I adore words. I love playing with them. I’m a writer at heart, see :::points::: right there next to the little label that says “Artsy Fart”. Hoping this time next year that my novel will be up there on that list. Three other books of mine this year will be.

8. Research ArtSci projects for the SCA.

I’ve gotten back into the SCA after an eight year hiatus and I am looking forward to it. There are some fantastic people in the local shire now. My family is coming with me - Logan for heavy weapons, Val for ArtSci, and Ysa wants to be a knight. :) She will be pretty well rounded, helping me in the feast hall, doing ArtSci, singing at Bardic. I might even get fencing gear again and teach her; I fenced for seven years prior to joining the SCA in 1991, never did it in the Society. I have a lot of happy memories from my Scadian days, looking forward to making more.

9. Make a to do list…that is several pages long.

I have a lot to catch up on.

One of my older doodle schedules.

10. Meander aimlessly on Flickr a little and journal ideas in your head, hoping you remember them later.

11. Realize you have gone through almost another box of Puffs since this morning.

Both music and the creativity I see globally online and off are constant sources of inspiration to me. To see everyday life put forth in a creative manner, the simple things, makes me appreciate what I have even more. It is the small moments that we should treasure.

…hopefully that made sense, if not I’ll translate when I am not taking cold medicine.

13. Do a meme you found on a friend’s blog.

You Are a Total Brainiac

You’re amazingly brilliant. Some would even say genius. You’re curious, thoughtful, analytical, and confident. You take on difficult subjects because you want to… not because you have to. No field of knowledge is too complicated or intimidating for you. You’ve got the brains to do anything you want. It’s possible you end up doing everything you want.

And always good to know…

You Are 4% Spoiled

You are definitely not spoiled. You’ve worked hard for what you have. Down to earth and grounded, you don’t need a lot to make you happy.

…the only thing I checked was that I was a picky eater. LOL I am assuming that meant I wouldn’t eat something that looked gross or spoiled. LOL

14. Find nifty quotes to share with friends or add to your own collection.

I collect quotes. I have an inch thick, large spiral-bound notebook full of them.

Quotes inspire me and there are some great places online to collect them from.

15. Blog without obligation.

I ran across Tiffini’s Tartx blog recently, particularily her Blogging Without Obligation post, and felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

Blogging without obligation frees you up to post the content that you love, not the content you think everyone is expecting from you on a set schedule. It lets you allow yourself to be more creatively wordy and not stress out over the fact that life won’t allow you to do it when you want to. Read her post, it’s fun.

(I found her through another blog but cold medicine isn’t conducive to keeping track of breadcrumbs, sorry. If I can backtrack it I will post a profuse thank you.)

16. Pass out as soon as your daughter decides to take a nap.

Enough said…

…I fell off the planet actually. Really, I did.

Family matters and client work took over my life, unfortunately but necessarily, for the last few weeks. I have stacks of things to be mailed out and projects to catch up on. Both of my art lists, Non_Cents and Art for Cures, probably think I’ve died but I cannot help it. Sadly, work has to come before the obligations that don’t support the day-to-day reality of bills. I have been living off fumes as far as sleep goes the last week in order to complete a deadline and I’ve, thankfully, met it so I am reclaiming little bits of my life daily. Tomorrow is my last day at the museum as well, until I am able to get another contract, so I have my weekends back for now.

I have made the decision to back off on web design for a while other than the projects I already have going. I am hopeful that Gumtree Graphic Rubber will be well received when it launches and have been compiling a list of designs in preparation. I am excited, nervous, confident and anxious. Having my own rubber stamp line has been a dream of mine for several years now.

It’s interesting how fast laundry piles up. I have been trying to squeeze in the occasional bout of doodling and make notes on story ideas. I have a million little thumbnails for card designs but will not have any serious illustration time for a little while yet. I have sites that need updating as well. Right now I am trying to get things ready for the first Art for Cures auctions, make sure everything is mailed out and that their packages are well worth the wait. I am thankful for their patience and support in more ways than I could even tell them.

Zombies have been living in my studio, taking the occasional snack break while I am coding. They have finally left though. They threw my brain back, there wasn’t anything left to nibble on…

A fairy woke me this morning, seriously. She had curly light brown almost reddish hair, mussed as though she had been sleeping in a nearby flower. Her wings were lime green with pink iridescent glittery patterns and they flapped, though not very well, from their perch on her back. She wore a long shirt with butterfly filigree on it, whispy designs trailing all over the front, and grey pants with socks. It was cold in the house despite the heater so a fairy has to keep warm somehow.

“Mommy…?”

“Yes baby, come here.”

The fairy climbs up in bed and uses mommy like a giant body pillow. It is customary in my house to tackle me awake I think; they must have all discussed it in a meeting I missed somehow, normally I call the meetings. The fairy scaled my bed, careful not to take my eye out with a stray wing, and climbed up to lay along my side like a cat on a windowsill. Big body hugs are her specialty at this size and I always rock her back and forth, gently loving on her hair and cheek, before dumping her off on the other side to listen to her giggle. That’s 63 pounds of wriggly fairy, not including the wings.

Thus starts my day.

Any thought of lounging in bed for a few more moments is quickly dashed, even the most vivid dreams swept away by daily to do lists, schedules, and the world outside. For now though, I make a fairy breakfast of strawberry waffles with peanut butter and a yogurt, while thoughts of coffee quickly redirected to decaf chai swirl around in my still fogged head. Breakfast made, fairy happily watching Return to Neverland, I sit down at my computer, web coding before me, thoughts of the chai I still haven’t made tapping at my brain…

Guess I’ll get up and go make it.

One of my projects for Christmas was to give my daughter’s room a pink makeover into a more mature room for her. She is six and a half going on 40 and has long since outgrown her makeshift toddler room. I scoured all the local places for a French-style corkboard for months prior to Christmas without any luck. Most people looked at me like I was crazy when I tried to describe it, so I set out to make my own! Sadly, I wasn’t able to carve out any time to make it until this past Wednesday when she spent the night at my mother’s. She’s seen it and we cannot wait to put it up on her wall.

I made this before New Year’s and, up till I had to stop for the buttons, it took me roughly two hours to do. It would have been done in an hour if I’d had a power stapler and the buttons. LOL

You can find all of the photos for this project in order here.

MATERIALS

• corkboard - the size of this will determine the rest
• fabric - single layer, enough to cover the corkboard plus three inches to the width and length, thin cotton works best but you can use any thin, tight weave fabric
• quilt batting - the inexpensive kind if fine, low loft is easiest to work with
• grosgrain ribbon in two sizes - 1/4 inch for across the board, 3/4 inch to cover the sides or you can use a feather boa for a more stylish, girly look; you will need to measure your board
• upholstery tacks OR lots of big buttons if the corkboard is thin - use thick plastic buttons or metal ones if you can find them for contrast
• staple gun - I suggest a battery powered one to spare your hands
• large needle and thread - waxed thread is great, but make sure the needles and the thread will go through your button holes
• Elmer’s glue or PVA and a paint brush
• brown kraft paper or decorative paper for cover the entire back of your corkboard
• fuse-able web (thermal bond) and an iron

THE BATTING

Staple the batting to the corkboard on the sides making sure to pull it tight across the board. Do not worry about the look of the staples all over your board, you will cover the staples later. Corner the batting so that you can wrap the corners only, like you would wrap a package, and staple it around back.

Trim the batting so that it does not wrap to the back except where you have stapled it at the corners.

THE FABRIC

Repeat the process with the fabric. Make sure the quilt batting is flat underneath your edges; smooth the batting as you go. Staple on the sides and the back to keep it tight.

This is where it is important to use a tight weave fabric. If your weave is loose it will pull free form the staples and you will also be able to see the batting underneath.

Again, wrap the corners like you would a package making sure to cover the batting.

THE RIBBONS

Lay one layer of ribbons in one direction then repeat the process in the other direction. Staple on the sides and the back to keep it tight. Staple one end then pull it gently across to the other side. The fabric might buckle a little so loosen up slightly before stapling the other end in place.

UPHOLSTERY TACKS OR HOW-TO GET AROUND A DILEMMA

Ok, the corkboard I found was inexpensive so it had a thin cardboard backing on it. The dilemma was the fact that I couldn’t bend over the upholstery tacks without ripping through it. I picked Logan’s brain for a solution and he came up with a fabulous one: Buttons!

[The following is in theory as I won’t be doing this till this weekend. ]

Large metal or, in this case, pink plastic ones. A large needle, a thimble and some gloves to protect your hands.

Poke a hole through your board with either the upholstery tack (like I did), an awl or your needle. Poke your holes first. Thread your needle and run it through one button on the front, through the corkboard, and through ANOTHER button on the back. Sew the buttons on through each other and pull them down tight enough to poof the fabric and batting on the front. Tie off on the back leaving about four inches of thread. Wrap the loose thread around the button then stitch it through a hole or another thread on the button before trimming to secure it. Repeat the process through all the places where the ribbon crosses itself on the front.

The button ribbon anchors will make more sense once I have posted the visual. I will add the rest of this after I’m able to get the buttons and finish it! More very soon.

COVERING THE BACK

Once the buttons are in place you can work on making it pretty by covering all those staples up!

Using double-sided adhesive for bookbinding, regular double stick tape, or upholstery tape, tack down the fabric edges. You have already trimmed the batting by this point so it won’t be in your way. Make sure to smooth your fabric out as you go so you don’t have ripples under the paper.

Take a paint brush and some Elmer’s glue, or PVA if you have it, and glue the kraft paper down over the back of your board. This hides all your unsightly staples and the fabric edges.

COVERING THE SIDES

Cut a length of fuse-able web (thermal bond) the length of one side; you can do this one side at a time or all in one length of ribbon. If you do this in . Take the wider ribbon and iron it into place on the side of the board using the fuse-able web in between the ribbon and the board. Repeat for each side.