Essentially, people do counted cross stitch for reasons galore, but it has several overlooked benefits that should be understood. Like other crafts, people take up cross stitch to create personalized gifts and enjoy a hobby at the same time.

If the gift without the giver is bare, then most store-purchased gifts come up short of well-crafted art from the heart. But that is just scratching the surface, because the element of time and heirloom value is also at play here. Needlework has the power to span hundreds of years, making them a prime media choice for heirloom and family treasures. Baby birth and christening details, baptisms, weddings and value statements can be cherished from one generation to the next. When created by a family member for another family member, the intrinsic value over time is increased.

Cross stitch needle art does take time, so thinking of it as a project here and project there is only going to buy frustration when you can't find time to finish that one project. But a big-picture concept takes all that project frustration and turns it into a success strategy.

You are going to be another year older in a year, but what will you have to leave to others now and future generations after that year? You've seen the "fill the bottle" presentation starting with rocks, then beans, to illustrate prioritizing and time management. If you start with beans the rocks won't fit in. The rocks are stuff you gotta do like making a living. Beans, of course, represent fun stuff. But the bottle isn't really full yet until you pour water into it -- your choice of easy double-task activities.

Cross stitch "water" is a highly portable pastime while visiting with others, taking breaks, watching TV/DVD movies, riding on a commuter bus or train, etc. Just port and do it wherever you go. You will find small-motor muscle power adding to your thinking capabilities and growing inner peace. You'll stop looking at unfinished "projects" as nagging problems. Instead, projects become a worthy value-loaded challenge for new-found available time to devote to your skill.

You only have one life. Leave a legacy of value and choose cross stitch projects that carry a distinct gift with the giver punch. You'll be better for it, too. 

Just put up the love trio cross stitch. Three different perspectives for Valentine's Day and a voice from Russian, Spanish, and Italian past to school us on the real virtues of love today. Most people didn't understand what the Italian saying meant. But "He saith little that loveth much" has a lot of meaning for our family. My dad has always been the kind one to listen, with well-practiced restraint. Everyone loves him for it. If you know someone like that, you understand the saying. Must have been the dash of Italian in his lineage? Hard to say. But to my dad today: Happy Birthday! 78 years never looked so good.

The Russian "Riches in the heart can never be stolen" and Spanish "If love be timid it be not true" rounded out the words of love trio. Of course, the Spanish saying carries my feelings about romantic love and it's good enough for the holiday. The Russian proverb may have less to do with romance and more to do with what one ultimately might value in life. This one is for my darlings -- so they can have the best in life. It's all about what you understand, not what thing you have or don't have. 

http://www.maurer-stroh.com/ is a good place to look at one of the currently recognized cross stitch artists of our day, Ellen Maurer-Stroh (EMS). She has created a number of botannical illustrations in circle wreaths and makes them look like a simple thing. However, the essential shape of cross stitch is a square, and the minimal palette of available colors wants to be posterized, or appear flat. She has the talent to bring out three-dimensional illusions in brilliant colors and depth.

EMS has also created a haven perspective to combat a world torn with grief and an art world plagued by etherial nonsense and high-stake bidding for garbage. Cross stitch art slips by the view of the art world and essentially exists in a home, as an accessory or focal point of a room, to influence the lives of a select few. 

One can choose to download a number of quality, free cross stitch charts by EMS here http://www.maurer-stroh.com/ems_complimentary.htm. She even has a charity project, with proceeds to go to sick children. http://www.maurer-stroh.com/complimentary/ems_charity.htm.

If you want to do something good for yourself, for your home environment, and for others, I suggest cross stitch by Ellen Maurer-Stroh as a starting point. There are hundreds of local needlwork shops (LNS) that can supply you with the relatively inexpensive needles, floss, scissors and fabric. That's pretty much all you need to get started, even with a free download chart by EMS. There are few things that bring as much pleasure in the making as in the finished piece, but this is one of them.

Interesting that most blogs are open journals of personal diary details. Wider niche to mass newsworthy blogs focus appear to focus less on self-awareness and more on events and circumstances for business and larger political entities. My blog pretty much is about avocation-vocation stuff that few are aware of -- cross stitch. Ho hum, maybe.

Looking at blogs as a marketing vehicle (gathering info or dispersing it for $$), it appears that the mindsay concept approached a next-move moment with the cumulative data report on blog member entertainment preferences for games, movies, bands. Not surprising, based on mindsay constituency, but interesting because data fuels the information engine, and that engine delivers commerce.

To you and me, that "top whatever" information is a delightful little stroll through "compare me with thee" land. But to the makers and marketers of games, movies, bands etc., that create the products that make the top whatever list, the information must be an open invitation to do business in the mindsay arena. After all, the niche market of potential buyers is clearly identified and those niche buyers all hit the home page to log in, right? (Was that just a popup ad took over my screen?) After that, look for marketers also aware of constituency preferences for games, movies, bands and similar compatibles with their product line.

Not that this is a problem in and of itself, but more a phenom to watch as mindsay moves through the newness of blog with the rest of the blog-hosting world. It must also pay for the blog rack space. Established industry leaders are already taking distinct positions on blogging, and data, and marketing. Even little guys like me are exporling blog benefits.

Fizzle, fluff, fad, personal journals and small business twadle aside, transitions throughout the blog phenom will happen and bloggers and their hosts must come to grips with ethics and values for content, and for use of that content. In the mean time, you can voyer on over to personal blogs, frequent blogs that peek at business releases, or whatever. Do keep blogging. Do keep an eye out as you play on any freeway. Do look at ways to build positive outcomes. It's all about choices and consequences or results from those choices.

Just released the Words of Love collection. I had put the Italian saying up for a one-week free download about 3 weeks ago, and it went well. I'll probably do it again sometime.

The Christmas ornament freebee (free to download all year, first in the series) gets far more downloads than I had expected (still!), so I thought I'd try a preview download for a new release. After a week, the Italian "He saith little that loveth much" was off and now only available for purchase with the rest of the set. I got the Froogle feed going on it, too, and have sent it off to a distributor for review.

My favorite of the three is the Russian, "Riches of the Heart can Never be Stolen." Think of it as a rebellious response to bumper stickers shouting "the one with the most toys wins." It includes more than just memories of romantic bliss and addresses the core meaning for "riches" or what is valued. Like white sugar, high fructose corn syrup and similar ubiquitous ingredients of our day (with equally slick packaging designed for one quick commerce blast and then off to landfill for decades of rot), we have a tendancy to feed our young on high-flash, but rotting perspectives of wealth and riches instead of life-empowering virtues, memories and goals. But we can make a difference, one stitch at a time...

One week before it becomes a pay-for, a chart goes up for grabs on my site. This week, February 18 to 25, 2005, you can download the first Calico Bear (Sunshine) .pdf  freebee at here if you do cross stitch and are looking for something different in teddy bears. It will print like any other .pdf on any color printer. I suggest higher resolutions and deselecting the auto page resize so you can read the white symbol.

The model took me about a week to stitch due to a lot of editing (so others don't have to). Mucho unpicking and reworking colors to get the calico and gingham to play nicely together, as well as shading and texture variations including a cardigan with cable.

Designing for 5"x7" frame sizes gives the stitcher one less thing to worry about, and a cross stitch gift is easier to control into a frame at that size. This pattern also lends itself to quilt blocks, but I'd recommend watching the site for the next few releases in the series so you can have the full picture story.

True, the topic really isn't going to be a favorite with a lot of grown-up guys, but for a little baby to toddler guy, this works and the colors do too.

If you are a cross stitcher, I'd like to hear your response to the pattern. Good, bad or otherwise, it will help me know what you think.  

Check out this page and see what you can do to make the world a better place. http://www.aidfororphans.org/index.htm . Sewing, diapers, blankets, helping.

Check out this page and see what you can do to make the world a better place. http://www.aidfororphans.org/index.htm . Sewing, diapers, blankets, helping.

Surfing several cross stitch supplier sites with polls reveals some interesting tidbits. (First a note about online polls -- varied sample group sizes, data may be skewed, questions may be problematic, etc.) Taken as a group, however, the polls may be of interest to those who buy, sell, or have some involvement with cross stitch charts/patterns. As a sub-niche in the larger hobby and craft marketplace, it accounts for a sizeable percentage of sales in the US. Cross stitch has established markets in Europe, Asia and just about any place where needles, fabric and floss can be obtained.

According to the polls, cross stitch appears to be more popular than needlepoint, knitting or crewel (remember, this was a poll at a US needlework site). Cross stitchers work on Christmas gifts all year long, but some wait until fall to begin their holiday projects. Most complete 2-5 projects a year.

Medium-sized projects with embelishments and special stitches are favored. Purist tapestry cross stitch (large, full coverage, predominantly stitched with floss on linen) has mutated to a more modern form with favorite embelishments noted as beads (36.47%), metal thread (27.44%) and specialty thread (19%) more popular than adding buttons (8.27%) or charms (8.2%). Several non-poll posters on one site had indicated it was difficult to find exact buttons and charms specified in some patterns, which could account for the lower numbers on these embellishments. A sales associate at my favorite LNS (local needlework shop) had reported a particular chart/pattern product line featuring a small card with a small chart and charm embelishments were selling like hotcakes (sort of a mini-kit, but without the floss!).

The most common way to finish a cross stitch appears to be framing (83.99%). Pillows (8.27%), ornaments (6.72%), bell pulls (.78%), and belts (.26%) were also compared to framing, but the poll failed to include quilt blocks, decorative tin/boxes, table linens, apparel or other finishing options often associated with cross stitch projects.

One of the most interesting polls asked how long one had been cross stitching. Longevity was indicated with the largest majority of stitchers involved with needlework for over 20 years (67.33%). The next available time increment was 5 or more years (27.89%). Over 1 year (4.29%) and 6mo-1 year (.5%) were minimal, with 0% stitching for less than 6 months. Accuracy may be a flaw on the polls, even still, this is clearly not a flash in the pan hobby. A companion response from a different poll (total 1085 responses) focusing on age range and showed 46-55 (34.01%), 36-45 (28.02%), 55+ (24.33%), 21-35 (13.36%), with minimal responsed from under 20 (.28%). The online poll found on this specialty-niche website may skew the age results for younger and older stitchers, but there is a definite constituency trend seen.

Favorite topics were the most surprising, but the question lumped landscapes (non architectural?), cottage (lighthouses? Thomas K? New England?), and garden (florals?) topics into one group to get the dominant percentage choice (41.77%). Angels (21.71%), animals & wildlife (16.02%), fantasy (12.57%), and Southwest Indian (7.93%) were the only other options to choose from. Samplers, which are predominantly text and specialty stitch abstractions, and cartoon images + sayings are frequently introduced by major cross stitch publishers and distributors (Hoffman), but these topics were not even mentioned in the poll question. Also not mentioned were personalized photographs, family history topics that include weddings, christening & birth details, as well as family trees, crests and mottos.

Fabric favorites were almost split between linen and aida, an interesting detail if you know that the largest US distributor doesn't prefer kits or aida. (Aida is heavily starched with precise pre-opened needle holes.) Again, the poll failed to include 32ct* linen - a favorite with one popular angel designer (see topics paragraph, angels show 21.71% popularity). The poll also didn't explore fabric ground color. However, 28ct* linen (43.13%) was favored as the largest single choice group, with 14ct* aida (33.84%), 18ct* aida (11.83%), 16ct* aida (9.41%), and 11ct* aida (1.78%).

Taken only as a general or thumbnail sketch of the cross stitch community, these poll results could be used as a starting point for formal research or thesis studies. Certainly, business entities will have their own idea of what they sell B2B (Business to Business) into LNS, and chart/pattern popularity variations by region.

There was no poll showing male/female gender. Given that both men and women are represented in fabric arts and crafts industries, the numbers from an online poll could be fun. Again, a formal study would be a useful next step.

________________________
*ct: Abbreviation for "count" or thread count, usually indicating the number of stitches per inch or the number of woven strands per inch.

Not that all babies come in Spring, but the new life surge seems to start then. Every baby should have the details of their beginning heralded with cross stitch (imho). I suggest a friend or grandmother do the cross stitch, since mom will have her hands busy with more important tasks (smile).

For little girl babies, the jumper carousel horse with tole cornflower-style embelishment is a jewel. Silver sparkles really make it pop and the colors are yummy. There is plenty of room for a very long full name and all the critical birth weight and height details. There will be free alphabets to choose from on the site when the freebee goes online.

I made the model for a friend but even I'll have to make time for more. They are that fantastic. True, I designed it, but sometimes the results are even more impressive than I had hoped. It is definitely a wow.

This is a great jewel piece to mount in a standard frame or use as a cover for a baby scrapbook. The jumper does use fractional stitches to really look like a horse, but the effect is worth it and very easy to do on 28ct Jobelan linen.

Of course, like every other design by Carousel Charts, there is a free-bee promo week when anyone can download the ink-jet friendly .pdf version without paying a penny for the chart. Hard to believe anyone would give a new chart out for free and then sell it, but this is my choice for gorilla marketing to introduce a new cross stitch designer in 2005. After a week the chart becomes a premium item, but still at reasonable prices and still just as easy to download after purchase.

The Spring babies carousel jewel for baby girl has a jumper pony and rose motif with silver thread accents. Look for it on http://www.carouselcharts.com on March 4 through March 11, 2005. The baby boy carousel jewel will come out later in March with a carousel lion and sun/moon/starts motif with gold thread accents and I'll blog about it when it is ready. If they are a hit, I'll put out some tigers, giraffes, zebra and other carousel theme animals. Even I can hardly wait.

These jewels are way cool, way unique, and way fast to finish at a reasonable 5x7 frame size or with a fabric border on scrapbook binders.

Cross stitch takes time, lots of it. Since my son is a fencer, I have a lot of time that can be used for better than contemplating my zone in the universe -- between bouts, that is. Some fencing competitions can take the whole day long, with only an hour on-task with my son doing his thing. That means the rest of the day is quite compatible with cross stitch during the sit and wait time.

I've seen a couple of moms bring along knitting (thanks, Julia for making it popular again), but not so many think to bring along their cross stitch. Most moms in my state are so into quilts. We have long cold winters and a lot of camping in the mountains. Both are big motivators for warm quilts. But quilting isn't really a portable sport, even though there are some odd-ball kinds that can go along for a ride somewhere other than the quilting room in the basement. Cross stitch is portable, and can even be used with quilt blocks if quilters want to blend the two sports.

A couple of moms have looked over my shoulder while I was stitching and mentioned they did cross-stitching, but didn't bring it with them. Must be taking a break from the addiction, I guess. It does make one feel rather ... floaty good. Stimming, I think.

In the mean time, I've completed another design that is available as a 1 week freebee (March 4-11) online at http://www.carouselcharts.com. After that, it will be available for instant download after purchase.

The baby girl birth announcement has nothing to do with fencing, and it is a totally roses and silver little girl thing that stitches up in rational time frames for gifts. Way Victorian with a little splash of country tole, way cool with all the silver sparkle. 9 colors and lots of fun to stitch.

Well, maybe it does have something to do with fencing after all. Both of our fantastic coaches have beautiful baby girls. Right now, the youngest baby just got a birth announcement in cross stitch, and the model helped me figure what works on linen for everyone else. Enjoy!

Busy week, lots of surfing trying to find any mention of Sarcoidosis on Oprah since the Sarc is doing it's thing again. Turned out, my sister had thought she heard it would be an Oprah topic, instead it was just a guest had mentioned it wasn't slowing down his life, so no Oprah transcript on any recent events emerged from search.

However, MSN has an active group with recent info, and weariness,aches and pains fueled my interest. Having been diagnosed with the darling disease 5 years ago, I did 9 months of prednisone (ugh!) and then weaned my life away when it looked like it was just making matters worse  (most family and doctor weren't thrilled about this, but I did it anyway). That was 2000.

Skip through a few years and I'm still drag'n tail tired all the time, ankles still swell, funny lumps grow where there shouldn't be lumps, and a few other Sarc goodies have left me wondering if sheer will could keep the disease at bay. Since info on the net and from Doc in 2000 showed it probably wouldn't kill me and there wasn't much known to do anything about.

Good news, it appears that the cause of the disease has been narrowed down to (1) a genetic predisposition to the Sarcoidosis response to the (2) right kind of tick bite bacteria (rocky mountain spotted fever variety?) that seem to thrive on what the immune system sends out to kill the bacteria. In the mean time, vitamin D (milk, OTC vitamins, food suppliments, sun exposure, etc.) stir trouble and get toxic for Sarcoid folks at lower levels than normal folks can handle, and that can lead to a host of uglies.

Now, most wouldn't be excited to read this kind of news, but it appears that knowing the etiology (cause, background details) was enough to help the dear souls that persist in trodding the bridge to ending Sarc. The news is encouraging.

I've made an appointment with doc. I'll let him sort out the details and get back with me on the recommended action sequence. In the mean time, I'm removing vitamin-D-laced foods, D-enriched multi-vitamins, etc. from my diet and thinking long and hard about a life without too much sunshine.

No matter what, it is a life and I choose to capture every second that I can. Pain or no pain, it's a great adventure with something to learn at every turn on the path.

In a blast of strategic marketing genius (please, no snoring) born from a total dirth in startup funds, the decision to make http://www.carouselcharts.com a noticeable blip on cross stitch radar by offering free counted cross stitch charts (patterns) and other info all through 2005 is starting to work. 

Note the >350% download increase March 4-11, 2005 for the Silver Jewel, Baby Girl Birth Announcement .pdf pattern than the previous goodie offered. At first when I looked at the stats, I thought something was wrong. Instead, something was right. The carousel horse limited freebee proudly earned its "buy now" button today and is still available for later guests.

Fair warning, Silver Girl won't be the last. It would be a good idea for stitchers to beep in from time to time all year. Something new is planned for every week or every other week if I can't stitch the model up quick enough. Oh, it isn't like a lot of freebee stuff that is nothing more than a motif or a couple of fancy new stitches to try. These are the real deal.

If you liked the Silver Baby Girl Jewel and you need a similar chart for all the baby boys in your life, the Dentzel-inspired carousel lion is being introduced for half price this week only (March 12-19). After that, it pops up to the same price the Silver Girl now sells for.

As always, Carousel Charts are hard to get anywhere else but just a quick .pdf download away.

To all those who visited my site this week, thank you! I'm glad you came by and I hope you enjoy many happy returns.

You scored as Intrapersonal. You prefer your own inner world, you like to be alone, and you are aware of your own strengths, weaknesses, and feelings. You learn best by engaging in independent study projects rather than working on group projects. People like you include entrepreneurs, philosophers and psychologists. Intrapersonal 100% Verbal/Linguistic 96% Visual/Spatial 86% Musical/Rhythmic 82% Bodily/Kinesthetic 79% Interpersonal 46% Logical/Mathematical 43% The Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences created with QuizFarm.com

My comments on this: My spatial results are usually higher, but I think the question about location dropped it. I live in mountain country and associate NSEW with ranges. When in flat territory, I get lost until I know landmarks. Other than that, I am usually off the charts for building 3-d stuff in my head, even considering this is typically a male dominated sport (I thought everyone thought that way until I got older, and then was surprised about it being a less-dominant way of thinking, and usually more male).

I understand the entrepreneur and philospher association and guessed it before the quiz, but it is kind of sad for folks they are supposed to help if psychologists prefer being as solitary!

Never mind current blogging popularity. But just how long can scattered jumping journal reading remain intriguing? Now that we've graduated to tags, when will be able to search by topic?

Compare DMC gold with Kreinik gold metallic floss. Both have a place, depending on what you want to achieve. Here's some thoughts:

Kreinik blending filament works sparkly wonders with other floss colors, and makes great gossamer wing effects all by itself.

Kreinik gold metallic floss doesn't have as much metallic per inch as DMC gold metallic, making DMC the choice for bold coverage and Kreinik the choice for a softer effect.

Kreinik silver metallic is a darker grey than DMC silver metallic, which leans to a brighter white effect.

Kreinik silver and Krenik gold differ in floss construction. Silver has greater metallic coverage, similar to DMC flosses for both gold and silver. DMC has a greater similarity between construction of floss for both gold and silver.

Look at metallic flosses under a low power loop or magnifying glass (10x is plenty) to see the differences. The type of needle, fabric and floss thread option you choose makes a difference on the final effect.

Meet my best buddies, now in the header. Yoda is my purebred blue exotic shorthair with brown eyes. Way cool cat. He's my darling. His gentle soft voice doesn't match his size. He's nearly 15 lbs of big cat, not overweight, either, just a big cat. His favorite game is for me to follow him upstairs to the window counter where he is combed and fed.

Angel belongs to my son. She's pure white with yellow-green eyes. No one sees her unless she wants you to. No one holds her but my son. She chose him and that is that. She tolerates me, even though I have to brush her teeth (not fun for either of us!).  For the header picture, Yoda wanted to sleep in the same place Angel was and I wanted to capture that story. Yoda isn't too bothered by anything when he is asleep, but Angel woke right when I took the pic. Her eyes follow you no matter where you are in relation to the picture, so I chose her image for my ID. 

Lucy the Pug is my constant companion. My daughter rescued her from a home where she was beaten. My daughter has a lot more courage than I do. After hearing the dog cry in pain in the apartment next door, she walked into the home and said "I think you don't want that dog anymore, right?" they agreed and she took the dog. This once-depressed and despondent little soul is now happy and pretty much in charge of our household. I had no idea what a pug was or what it meant to have a pug, but she was so different I just fell in love with her. My biggest grief is knowing she was 7 years old, or about 1/2 lifespan for a dog her size when we got her. I only have a short time to enjoy her. 

Anyway, they are my blog mascots. Welcome all.

Love living in a cave living for a year or so? It never appealed to me before, either. But Sarcoidosis (sarc) kills. The ultimate box makes cave life look like Spring Break. So here I come darkness, light-blocking shades, sporty cover-all, dark, thick clothes and a cap-hat to smush any 'do I do. 5-10 minute dashes on darkened days to the outer world.

I'm expecting my new counted cross stitch design business to succeed so staying indoors year round won't be so tedious. I can do the night, so I guess this is the year to brush up on galaxy and moon study. Here's to shooting stars in August and fantasy during the day.

I've never lacked for imagination, but I'm going to depend on it now. That and fairly accurate 3-d memory of figure, drapery, animals and botannical preparation of the past. Music and watching my son fence will smooth it all out. It's only a year or two and then I can have my life back.

Operating a needle needn't be troublesome. That said, one should notice beading needles are a lot longer than typical counted cross stitch needles (embroidery), and the eye is a lot smaller. When stitching a block of color that will carry a bead in the color field, just use the embroidery needle if the bead opening is large enough to slide over the embroidery needle eye.

Most Mill Hill standard beads will fit over a smaller embroidery needle, so applying beads is a breeze.

If the bead is petite, however, switching needles is required to attach the bead. Here are some helpful tips:

• Large blocks of beads can be applied separately after the main color sections are laid in, thus avoiding rethreading the needle.
• Switch needles by rethreading existing floss strand into beading needle for single beads, or well-spaced beads in a color block. After bead is stitched into place with the beading needle, rethread floss back into the embroidery needle.
• Use needle threading tool and/or clip floss flying tail end that is frayed by previous embroidery needle stitches in the color block.

Beads require a little extra care to attach, especially petite beads, but the effect is striking.

Of interest: A UK cross stitch site referred to beading as more typical or popular in US cross stitching. It would be interesting to see if that is because the US buyers prefer the effect, or if distributors prefer designs studded with beads, or if designers prefer the effect.

Historical influences from Asian and Native American Indian needlework embellishment were not noted, nor current fashion trends (some retro 60's/70's and embroidery beadwork popular at that time). Is it also possible that the US melting pot heritage continues to bring a wealth of distinct artistic ideas forward?

In any case, the current model I'm stitching includes a lot of Mill Hill petite beading for a very embellished effect. Do check http://www.carouselcharts.com about Friday, April 1 (no foolin!) for the 2-day promotional freebee download, or information on the exact dates for the free download. After the 2-day promo, it becomes a purchase only item.

This fantasy pattern from Carousel Charts, Rose Dew Fairy features 2 different Mill Hill petite beads, silver floss, ample backstitching and rich, brilliant colors to draw your heart to this worthy challenge. More than previous designs I've offered, this one is not for the faint of heart or inexperienced stitchers. Several needle changes are required within some color blocks for beading as well as "over 2" stitches using one strand of floss to achieve the typical 2 strands over 2 or fractional stitch effects. Instructions for atypical stitches and how to work with beads and metallics are always included with the pattern, though, if you want to give it a try. 

As always, there are lots of always-free tools, information and patterns at http://www.CarouselCharts.com, so drop in anytime and take a look.

Your comments here are appreciated.

Good morning all you cross stitchers... Ahem, hello? Are you there?

I've noticed a dirth in cross stitch enthusiasts in the high school to early adult age groups here at Mindsay. This is likely because the hobby (as well as most arts) is time-intensive and younger age folks are beset with mounds of other daily tasks, not to mention time to get their blog written daily! (smile.)

I'm convinced it isn't just because they haven't been handed the whole day-planner productivity drivel, either. As if youth was spent thinking of ways not to do ... anything. Hah! It's all I could do to keep up with children in those busy age groups. 

But just in case there are a few seeking a centuries-old art form that brings a lot of personal discipline and satisfaction, strategic pathing, small-motor clarity, and something to show for time spent, I'll suggest counted cross stitching. You'll see pretty quick why this needlework craft is enjoying a huge revival and why it is ideal to balance out modern woes and worries.

Be forewarned, though. It isn't about one project, it is about a daily discipline that pays you for your time. Besides, the bi-product or result is the work of your hands, with the potential to last for centuries.

If you are just starting out, I suggest a small kit. You can get them at any craft store and there are dozens of topics to choose from. When I say small, I mean a teeny-tiny project no larger than 3 inches in any one direction. You can usually get them for under $5 (often less). They come with everything you need but a good pair of small sharp scissors. Sometimes, these kits even come with a little plastic frame you can pop finished projects into right after you are done stitching. If you are really new to the craft, then expect it to take about a week to finish.

When will you have time to do it? While you are watching TV, of course. My bet is you won't be sitting down long enough for anything else, except for computer time, but your fingers are already at work on that project. Still, you may find that an extra long download or save time affords enough moments to throw a line of stitches into a piece of work.

In time, you will find that you have plenty of time for this hobby. You may even look back and wonder why you didn't try it earlier, because the satisfaction-o-meter in your head hits a happy high, without artificial chemical improvements. And when you give a gift of cross stitch to others, you give yourself, too.  

Take a spontaneous break from left-brain dominance with online art creation. Artpad.com came up with a brilliantly creative use of online resourses and deserves traffic for it. Flash playback, of course.

http://artpad.art.com/?ieha7b1i2fu4

Thanks to others at Mindsay for "drawing" my attention to this one (smile).

Side note: the Rose Faerie at http://www.carouselcharts.com will remain until about noon today. Remember to right-click and "save file as" or Mac CTL+Click and save to desktop, then open the file from your hard drive. This PDF was meant to download first for file ownership, not to open immediately in a web browser with a double click.

Spent the last few days in San Jose and Santa Clara. My son fenced foil and epee, and so did a grundle of other white nickers in helmets.

My son roared and scored.

I'm so proud of him.

He's tall, blonde, good looking, and full of life.

His challenges are always himself. Still, he's learning to recognize that so he can perfect his fencing, and so he can learn to master himself, control his emotions, and navigate his life through the stars.

I don't envy what he has to go through, or how hard it is for him to catch up in school this week. I never had a head injury that took away my short term memory and left me with less than I had once before. But he is my hero, becuase he keeps trying. His above-average intelligence allows him to know he isn't going to "get it" (whatever "it" is) as fast as the other 98% of the population without a head injury and that he has to try harder and deal with disappointments galore.

He didn't win first place (this time), but he is a champion. He is a winner.--Mom

Stats for http://www.carouselcharts.com most popular pages reveal (no surprise here) freebees as the most popular item. Some freebees are always free. Others, like the popular tole pony at http://carouselcharts.com/carousel_patterns07.html were only free for 2-7 days and now are premium downloads.

Occasionally, a pattern or chart will not be free, ever, like the Dentzel lion birth record that was released only as a premium offer. Take heart, though, you freebee lovers, most charts will be a limited freebee before they turn premium.

For those of you in the know about this blog, you get the scoop on what is most popular with other cross stitchers. The below list shows the most popular to date, in the order of popularity.

Remember that some downloads have only been available for a short period of time even though they will always be free. Some were only released for 2 days. For that reason this list may change throughout the year and I'll publish changes on this blog when they occur.

CarouselCharts Mid-April 2005 popularity list:

1. Now premium Baby Girl Tole Jumper Carousel Birth Record pattern
2. Always free 2004 Christmas Ornament, Baby Jesus Creche pattern
3. Always free Is Cross Stitching for Me? info sheet
4. Always free Light & Dark info sheet
5. Always free Timely Gifts info sheet
6. Always free Grid Paper tool sheet
7. Always free Baby Birth Record Alphabets tool sheet
8. Always free Jumper Hints (click chart sample and tips)
9. Now premium (new in April 2005) Rose Faerie (or Rose Fairy) pattern
10. Always free (new in April 2005) Skin Tones info sheet 
11. Now premium Calico Bears pattern
12. Now premium Italian Proverb (of Words of Love set)

The thumbnail of the next limited freebee --Carousel Menagerie Tiger Baby Birth Announcement-- is seen on my homepage at http://www.carouselcharts.com, and a little larger image is seen at my other blog at http://carouselcharts.blogspot.com for today's blog (April 16, 2005).

Enjoy!--JRF

The golden tiger carousel menagerie pattern (see canopy header example, above) is one of those cross stitch patterns that make you wonder what is going on until you do the final back stitching. But at that instance, it blooms into full glory and everything works.

The high contrast tiger and gold accents leap from the fabric and you fall in love with the power and the beauty. Just like all the other fantasy carousel birth records, this counted cross stitch pattern sparkles like a jewel. The yin/yang far-east influence speak symbols of the earth and universe that welcomes this new child. You must see it in real life to appreciate it, as photos fail to describe the full tactile impact of the gold against deep blues. 

The pattern is a free download for 2 days only from Monday April 25 to Tuesday April 26, 2005. After that, it will be a premium offering available through the CarouselCharts.com online catalog. All CarouselCharts.com counted cross stitch patterns download via .pdf right-click/save-as (Mac Command+click/save to desktop) for printing at better resolution from any color printer.

“Sleep not, dream not; this bright day
Will not, cannot last for aye;
Bliss like thine is bought by years
Dark with torment and with tears.”

Emily Brontë
(1818-1848)

I ran across this quote some time ago, but it appealed to my Sarcoid soul.--JRF

Free download is now (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or April 25-26-27, 2005) at http://www.carouselcharts.com. Golden Tiger Jewel for framed baby birth record or scrapbook cover. Chart uses French knots, fractional stitches, metallic gold and specialty straight stitches.  

Tell your cross stitch buddies to click and catch it while it is free. Bookmark or Favorites for 2x a month freebee charts with real cross stitch value.

After that, the chart will still be a great find. Just like all other CarouselChart.com premium charts that are easy to purchase with clickbank secure server accepting both card or check and many international currencies. Look for Carousel Charts on Froogle, too.

Today (April 27, 2005) is the final freebee day for the Gold Tiger Jewel baby birth record. Site stats this morning show today is already ahead of yesterday's stats, with the Tiger baby boy birth record or birth announcment popularity likely to approach second place to the baby girl jewel, and outstripping all the other freebees so far this year.

One exciting traffic detail for http://www.carouselcharts.com is how long guests stay, and how many pages the average guest downloads during their stay. Sure, I've worked on longer-running corporate sites that have more B2B visitors daily, but this niche market B2C site consistently holds guests for an average of 9 pages per guest. This is a good sign for a little site that has just hit the 6 month mark.

Of course, I'm working to add content with meaning for cross stitch lovers. Yes, I am offering cross stitch charts (patterns, graphs) for an income. But twice a month, charts are offered as limited freebees. Not just mini coloring-book icons, but premium designs that have undergone model stitching to work out any bugs.

I'm also doing my homework so information is added that may be lacking on other cross stitch sites. To date, I have yet to find another site that has the depth of information about skin tones, for example. 

All information and helps are always free to annonymous site guests, and that includes not having to sign up for a newsletter (or permission spam) to get a "free download". There are no cookies, no pop-up ads, no leaching code. When my site says free, it means free with no strings attached.  

A - Age you got your first kiss: Irrelevant. It's the most recent kiss that weakens my knees and holds my sigh today.

B - Band listening to right now: Whatever is in my head.

C - Crush: Guys are always interesting, but only one matters forever.

D - Dad's Name: Laine

E - Easiest person to talk to: Adrian

F - Favorite bands at the moment: Chieftans, Queen, or whatever my teenage son wants to listen to.

G - Gummy worms or gummy bears?: Ugh! Too sweet. I like unsalted Almonds.

H - Hometown: Orem

I - Instruments: piano, organ, guitar, singing (always badly, but I like it)

J- Junior High: Lincoln, now long gone

K - Kids: 4, and 7 or so glorious grandkids!

L - Longest car ride ever: When 17, I drove across most of US in 3 days.

M - Mom's name: Clavell

N - Nicknames: JRF

O - One wish: Sarcoid gone and life in sunshine again.

P - Phobia[s]: Heights, but I love airplane flights.

Q - Quote: "Instant gratification takes too long." --Carrie Fisher (Thanks Bill!)

R - Reason to smile: Jordan

S- Last song you heard: Another One Bites the Dust (Queen)

T - Time you woke up [today]: 6:44am GMT -0700

U - Unknown fact about me: Don't have an unknown to those that know me well. I'm pretty transparent.

V - Vegetable you hate: Asparagus

W - Worst habit(s): I don't hold back well. But all worsts have a flip side in a positive natural tendancy. Finding and using those gifts for good instead of allowing "worst" outbreaks & damage is the trick.

X - X-rays you've had: foot, lungs (many lung shots... sigh)

Y - Yummy food: Dannon Natural Plain Yogurt. Also, just-picked string beans.

Z - Zodiac sign: I am me. I don't appreciate flawed systems like Zodiac hoohaa, or the blanket assessment that Zodiac or it's advocates have any kind of influence on my agency, choices, or ultimate destiny.

Hmmm. Cross stitch baby birth records, or birth announcements seem to be the most popular of the http://www.carouselcharts.com limited free downloads. Freebee download days for the Silver Baby Girl Jumper Jewel and Gold Baby Boy Tiger Jewel were a frenzy of stat activity compared to all other days.

Given that all charts released to date are small, quick-stitch gift ideas, subject matter does seem to matter more than how long the freebee is available. Compare the Silver Girl (limited time) to Christmas Creche (always free) and it is evident the Silver Girl still ranks well above the always free chart.  

Plan on more baby charts!

Last night, my son found a quote that made us all laugh (probably because we are the kind that choose to live this one way too often). Goes something like this:

"There are three kinds of people. Those who learn by reading, a few who learn by observation, and the rest have to test the electric fence for themselves."

The topic is fun.

The chart is free: http://www.carouselcharts.com (in "Free PDF" section, or "Wee Faerie").

Aida fabric, floss, needles, and beads at any local needlework shop (LNS) will run you about a Micky-D meal and will last a lot longer. 

Stitch while you are watching a movie or TV. It's small so you can take it with you and do it while you are standing in line, taking a break, waiting for an appointment or any of those other wasted minutes in a day.

Pop it in one of those little oval frames for yourself or give it to a friend.

Looks good, feels good. Is good.

You're welcome. Come again.

Wanna try cross stitching? Download the always free "How to X" PDF at http://www.carouselcharts.com. Small quick chart (pattern) with all the instructions on one page. Buy stash at your Local Needlework Shop (LNS).

Wanna get all the Li'l Faeries for free? Download the limited freebee May 9-11, 2005. You get enough to make a wee-hours toadstool party rock. Just remember, you pay for it if you are late.

You can create your own unique results, too. For example, here is one possible text-only option taking one of the borders and putting it with the "Fairy Tales Told Here" faery fraese:

I suggest you don't give this one to your boss. Maybe not for a customer service desk, either (lol). (It's probably better for a reading room or library story time arena.)

But I digress. Just download the freebee next week and tell your cross stitch pals so they won't miss out. 

Enjoy--JRF 

Fun free alter ego fantasy faery (or fairy) chart.

3 days only.

Click here to get it, and look on the right side of page under "new artist promo." 

If your are late it will cost you. But never fear, a percentage of designer profits will be donated to Sarcoidosis research building on the Marshall Protocol. Either way, it is still a great lot of fun for a very little investment.

Enjoy!--JRF

Mindsay has a distinctly different community than the Blogspot community, or so it seems from my rambling wanderings through both.

That said, it is interesting that my Blogspot blog has already captured Yahoo directory attention, while my longer-running Mindsay blog has yet to register on that radar.

My home site stats (http://www.carouselcharts.com) show different connection patterns from both blogs, too.

Mindsay's daily "most popular" tags tend to show some distinct segment preferences. I've started keeping a daily log for spreadsheet comparison later on, although Mindsay marketing folks likely already have that data on their "advertise with us" collateral... or they should.

Li'l Faeries freebee download ends today (May 11), but not before the site welcomed guests from France, Canada, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, Mexico, and Japan, as well as predominantly US .com, .net and .edu domains.

So far, Monday the 9th shows the most downloads. Not surprising since it was day 1 of the freebee promo.

New site stats are helpful for business strategy and a tad more informative, even while allowing guests to remain anonymous.

To those who cross stitch non-stop, this is no news. They already do it because it feels good and they have noted the daily puzzle benefits as well as results for time well spent that they can proudly display.

So when do they find the time? Likley they make time for the task on purpose by now, but what about all those new to the treat?

Tips and ideas

• Take it with you. This is one hobby that is small enough to port anywhere (baggy easily holds small project chart, small scissors, needles, floss and fabric).
• Stitch while you are waiting in line. You'll be surprised how many lines you cue up for in a week, and how much you can do while you are waiting.
• Keep your fingers working while you watch TV or movies. You can probably finish off a small project or two a month with standard watching times. You'll be surprised with how many hours are wasted otherwise unless you don't have a TV or DVD player in your home.
• Waits for doctors, dentists, business calls, etc. feel shorter and actually are productive instead of wasted moments.
• Going for a long drive in a car? If you are not driving the whole way, you might find it amazing how much you can get done. Get some starter projects for the younger folks to help them skip the "are we there yet" boredom statements. I knew a mom that purposely had her boys stitch projects so they would develop small motor skills that are so critical for reading. There --are-- cross stitch subjects that appeal to the male soul, too. Never mind how many men cross stitch for the same reason they like puzzles, or that it was once considered a male-dominated career path.
• Taking a long flight? Surprise. Check your LNS out for recently approved scissors for airlines.
• Breaks and lunch hours provide group stitching time while you chat with friends at work.

A dear friend of mine reports a co-worker double tasks all day with phone support while she stitches large projects. She claims it actually cuts through the job stress!

In any event, you may want to consider moving this hobby a notch or two up the scale of things to do in your lifetime. This is definitely something that helps your brain, small motor skills, and definitely something that is pleasurable.

Your home or office environment takes on your personality with your choice of colors and display subjects. Cross stitch gifts you make with your own hands become heirlooms, cherished beyond your mortal years and something you can be proud of. 

Start up costs? Minimal. This is a low-pain low-cost hobby that gives back more than you will ever invest in materials.

Today was another human barometer day at our house. We must have strong genetic leanings to bears and hybernation, because if the winter weather is out, we are in and sleeping (if we can work jobs around it).

Having Sarcoid doesn't help, because it makes you tired all the time, no matter what the weather. But I managed to keep awake long enough to get the next carousel chart designed for stitching this week. The thumbnail preview is at http://www.carouselcharts.com but, as all thumbnails go, it is very hard to see all the details. I'll show more on this blog as it is stitched.

The most noticeable detail should be it is not an upright or standing bear, but a jumper. Designed for turn of the century carousels, this bear is definitely inspired by antique carousel carvers.

Being an old hybernation expert, I guess I just felt this was a dandy subject for outdoorsmen that like fishing (my father is an avid fisherman, when mom will let him out on the lake with his brother). There should be a few little fishermen sidekicks born this year that need a baby birth record or scrapbook cover inset that will be suitable for them to enjoy all during their life (instead of all the fussy pink and blue stuff that isn't really suited for young males much past the early point in their life).

In any case, it is getting late and the storm is coming in. I've got to spend some deep sleep time in the cave.

http://members.tripod.com/~mcgrawlover/HISTORY.html

"Gustav Dentzel pioneered the modern carousel in America. Of German descent, Dentzel opened his carving shop in Philadelphia in 1876. ...

Few of the old carousels of Europe could match the product of these immigrant American craftsmen. Ingenious men, their carousels became bigger and more elaborately housed. Animals were more beautifully carved and styled. There were war horses, Indian ponies, and horses straight out of a child's dream. Animals of the jungle chased those of the plains and farms and forests. Dogs, cats, ...bears and mythical beasts graced the American carousel."

Blog technology... What problem(s)?
After Mindsay log in, I select blog, then ....

ERROR [create Select]: Can’t find the requested dropdown definition

Click OK and second error message pops up...

FIXME:  Unknown toolbar item: msuser

Frequently, the page freezes with the next choice being (ctrl-alt-del) stop the browser and then reboot.

This only happens with mindsay blog. I have another non-problem blog, and I research all over the Net for work daily.

Has anyone else seen these error messages on a similar path at Mindsay?

Tag for batcave appears on mindsay top tag list far more often than batman could ever hope for. Seeking true meaning in the universe, I clicked into a hand full of batcave tag links. The truth reveals a popular tag without supporting blog content. Interesting.

Unfortunately, I can't help you either. My batcave today just has a link to a silly salary discussion at http://www.carouselcharts.com/salary/index.html.

You do the math.

May the farm be with you.

Click to this video clip and relive those exciting ad-ventures of Cuke Skywalker, Yogurt and of course, Darth Tater.

http://www.storewars.org/tater_tot.html .

Mindsay blog writers always present a variety of youth-centric content (blogs are largely populated by the young and the restless with time to spare, followed by a few business-centric blog sites), but on Mindsay, there seems to be a trend to choose a tag to identify a gaggle of friends and their posts as opposed to identifying content within a blog. The agenda expectation of tag purpose to identify matching content is secondary. Tags often crop up as coded entry to group "say-for-the-day".

Similar to the over-run vegitation in website metatag keywords that has caused a devaluation of metatags in the search engines, this code-word phenom does pose a slightly different version of confusion for some until they begin to look around. Those who capitalize on capturing audience based on face-value or traditional meanings for tags (keywords) may need to look deeper, as not all tags mean what they say.

Still, Mindsay top tags are interesting, even if tags clearly say what they mean or interpret to code. Take a look at about 7 random days worth of top-tags:

batcave	blah	blog	bored	day dreams	family	friends	fun	god	guys
art	batcave	bitch	bored	college	depression	drugs	family	finals	friends
batcave	birthday	bitch	blog	bored	college	death	dreams	friends	f$^#
blogging	bored	college	death	depressed	depression	drugs	family	food	friends
art	band	batcave	blog	blogging	bored	college	comments	day	death
batcave	bible	blog	book	bored	day	death	dont look@ my pants	dreams	episode iii
batcave	books	death	dont look@ my pants	dreams	family	friends	fun	god	graduation

Adorned with glitzy gold metallic threads and bright primary color pizazz, This Dentzel-inspired jumper makes a great scrapbook cover inset, quilt block, or framed gift for a new baby.

Like other 2005 carousel birth announcements, the Bear is a freebee PDF download for 2 days, then it is added to the online catalog. Anyone can get it anytime after the May 26 rollout, but the 2-day no-strings-attached freebee time frame is a stash hunter's favorite 'Net choice.

If you haven't tried cross stitch before, download the beginner Faerie chart on the always-free PDF page instead.

The Bear has elaborate fractional stitches and requires evenweave to avoid frustration (not Aida). This one is for intermediate to advanced x-stitchers who love bears and fishing and are looking for the right chart for a new member of their bear-loving, fishing-happy family.

__________

I found the threads you left behind

In a closed tin within a box of your thoughts.

My thoughts

Wanted to return again

To the time when you were new

And I was new because of you.

Taking the tangled threads

Gently

In my aging fingers

I stroked the colors around my heart

And tucked them neatly away.

Copyright 2005 JR Foutin. All rights reserved worldwide.

The new http://www.carouselcharts.com stats program disallows current day view. However, the first day of the Gold Bear Baby Birth Record shows more visitors from France than Canada and a new referral engine, Excite. Not to mention the expected spike of page loads for the freebee download.

Thankyou for coming, and you are welcome!

This may be the last of the little boy carousels topics for this year. With Lion, Tiger, and Bear Carousel Birth Record themes now, you can give little boys a suitable record that can hold their interest far beyond the "cute" early months and into later years of enjoyment. I think you will agree these can work well on scrapbook cover or as a framed gift.

As a designer, I ask others to spend hours on the next puzzle, or counted cross stitch. They choose a pattern or chart because the topic moves them.

Remove all the colors, symbols, or pictures, and it is the act of stitching. Up, down, feel the floss move through the woven fabric, twirl the smooth needle between fingers and thumb. Feels good, enter the zone. The mind seeks the second task and is capable of it. All charts are the same at this level.

More stitches and more time stitching is not a problem. The next level invites variation. Fractional stitches include half, quarter and three-quarter. Beads, mmm beads. French knots. Satin stitches. Crosses. Fans. Charms, buttons, trinkets, bangles. Small and large fields of color and texture in organic shapes, geometric patterns. Even confetti. Backstitching sounds like talking back, but instead, it completes the thought.

But the knotty problem is the topic. Floating around in alpha zones I capture a snippit of movement, a fleeting image, a cultural icon. Draw, sleep, draw, compose, edit, re-edit, chart, stitch. Days for some, weeks for most. 

Advisory board suggestions on my desk include weddings, faeries, fantasy. Finished cross stitch art can last for centuries. Handed down from maker to relative, connecting lives beyond death. Topics are a knobby time problem to solve.

I've embraced a smaller view, a shorter time to get started, but the big pictures calls to me. What do you think?  

Many images ready to pour onto paper, but blocked by work that is bringing home the bacon. Not exactly writer's block. More like life blocked. Still have my dreams though.

Spent time working out the bugs (um, not those butterfly bugs, though) on more elaborate compositions for a larger counted cross stitch chart today. The actual final chart will not have the same elements, but this preliminary work will be the road map for a larger faerie cross stitch chart. Fantasy and Fairy counted cross stitchers, enjoy.

The wedding chart will be a free download on Monday and Tuesday, June 6-7 (2005). This is a text chart, but there are some fun beading, metallic and graphic elements to complement the text.

Have taken on more webmaster and graphic design work, so my blogs might be a tad more random for a while. I've got family coming in for a fun and busy June ahead!

EDS put out an outstanding video that all should see. Doesn't matter if you like cats or not, this one works for everyone.

Take this MPG link, it is worth the download:

http://allowe.cillix.nl/Humor/video/EDS,CatHerding.MPG

Viral marketing is our internet future right now. People read and play stuff because it is good, not because it goes with any one TV program they like.

June 6 and the freebee is up and ready for today and tomorrow only at http://www.carouselcharts.com. Just click the blue cornerstone thumbnail about middle right and it will take you to the download page.

This 80x80stitch chart doesn't take long to stitch. There are no fractional stitches so it is suitable for Aida and Evenweave alike. I recommend specialty dyed fabric or hand painted background fabrics that have medium to dark colors for the best contrast to the white, gold, and silver floss. Mill Hill gold beads add depth and texture to really make this cross stitch come to life.

Finish easily into a custom frame, quilt block or pillow.

Looking for a job? Maybe not right now, but in your future? Exit the batcave and enter the business world.

If you have a blog, it may be used to research your offering by a potential employer. That means kvetch-masters and troubled lovers may want to consider a shift in purpose for blogging vs keeping a highly personal journal for the world to view.

Young bloggers considering a career path in their future should plan their blog in an informed manner. Arm yourself with the knowledge that hiring entities worth working for will research potential employees and if you are on the web, you can be researched in or out of a job. (See Tuesday, June 07, 2005 article by Jason Miller from WebProNews "Using Your Blog as Your Job Agent" and the CareerXroads statement, who report 61% of all external hires come through two channels-employee referrals and the Internet.)

Just a heads-up if you don't already know providing for yourself is a pretty competitive rat race. You don't want to shoot  yourself or your potential future in the foot with suicide chat, obscenities/profanity, party/drug play-by-plays, world-class whining, or other socially unacceptable red flags.

Time for counted cross stitch is limited with a full house, but the place feels like a home again. Family and fun unlimited, except of course, for work.

Still, the recent http://www.carouselcharts.com freebee turned out better than expected and site guests hailing from all over the globe brought a new breath of hope for the fledgling business venture. It is always a good thing when guests discover there are more freebees than just the 2 a month new artist promotion items, too.

Expect the next freebee the last week of June. In the mean time, we'll be setting up the Paypal buy buttons for those who only trust that source for online purchases. Look for the 'Lil Faeries, Carousel Bear and Wedding Chart product offerings with the Paypal option at the end of June.

Remember, counted cross stitch is one of the few hobby arts & crafts that travels well and offers a flexible time frame. Many projects are small enough to carry in a purse or briefcase. You will be surprised how much spare time or wasted time can be turned into a thing of beauty and it does tend to clear the cobwebs from your mind.

Sad but true, our household was found by the rating folks and they were interested in hearing what old geasers watch on TV. 

My husband is up and practicing channel flipping right now so he can take full control of the switcher during those momentous moments ahead. Everyone else is watching 24. Duh.

Me and the dog are holding down the mouse, but I have to admit that when it gets to be evening, the dog expects some critical Animal Planet time. She especially enjoys dog and horse scenes, even if it is a commercial. Gets the ridge right up on the back of her little fat neck and she looks like a little stiff wind-up toy popping along the top of the king-size mattress barking at the TV. I mostly go watch TV with her so I can see her go off on those wicked animals invading our bedroom.

I guess that goes in the comments section, right? 

One person, several jobs, one weird wholistic disease that could be cured but I have to find a willing doctor. Family, relatives and trying to juggle work worthy of 30 hours a day in about 12, because the disease cuts into my waking hours big time.

So why counted cross stitch?

1. I've always thought in pictures and then translated to the second language, English. Picture thinking is freedom from small detail words, coding, and tasks for others. Picture thinking is jumping the hyper-speed freeway to the big picture, gestalt, where I thrive.

2. Extended Zone time. Cross stitching is 2 and 3 dimensional puzzle solving that feeds the zone, that timeless span of energy. Dream while awake. Add the repeated physical small motor stimming effect and one quickly finds that cross stitching does wonders.

Counted cross stitch wears a false facade of rocking-chair mundanity and is not a popular thing with some age and gender groups. But it is one of those hidden low-cost, high-value experiences in life that leaves heirloom treasures for future generations.

Well, it finally happened. The Mindsay home page now looks like a community chat for young single adults. I always watch the commercials to see what the story of constituency really is.

Mindsay has carved out a distinctly different agenda for blogging than political,  information and industry bloggers. Largely social, personal, and often barely out of prep school, Mindsay feels a lot, sometimes groping in the dark. It occasionally thinks, but it won't be known for its business users.

Maybe that is a savvy choice for the developers, since bloggers are typically young. Pop culture and the little niche groups that swirl around it and spin off in spits and spats of neon color. Where are we going? What are we devoting time to? What bigger purpose is achieved? Do we ever blog outside of the narrow definition we are weaving each day for this group (other than the latest free online IQ test and popularity contest)?

It will be interesting to watch. 

http://www.maddogblog.com/ for next-level blogging. Personality without getting personal. Note interesting Michael Jackson entry. Short, but opinion loaded.

My daughters both liked the whimsical sketch. A lot. I nearly threw it out because it was decidedly cute and trendy. But I'm going to trust their judgement on this one and there will be 12 distinct miserable errors or wild successes, I guess.

Look for the new impish faeries starting next week at http://www.carouselcharts.com . Colors, floral, stone themes, and details relate to every month. Finish in quilt blocks, pillows, framed art, scrapbook covers. These are largely illustrations with the pop and pizzazz of opalescents, metallics, beading and rich coloration.

Maybe there will be a book deal in it. If anything, it should appeal to the younger stitcher or those who are young at heart. Aunts, sisters, and grandmothers may easily be persuaded to stitch one to enjoy a little heirloom fantasy with a special child in their life.

A percentage of designer profits will be donated to shelters for women and children.

I kept info for this post from one reply for a day like today. Some days, I think this way about blogging, but I will keep at it anyway:

I just visited http://www.weblogs.com/ and there were 3612 recently updated blogs on the web. Way too personal journals, kvetching, marketing, poetry, artwork, political ramblings, hidden messaging, suicide notes. They certainly take time to write and read.

Sometimes I get the feeling blogging is like a bunch of chickens pecking at the ground for some small scrap of benefit while the farmer sharpens the blade for his dinner. You can even anticipate the startled chosen chicken say "Axe me later about it (in my blog), please."

But it is summer. We should be out playing, right?

Preliminary sketches and color selections for the next freebee counted cross stitch were ready for charting a month ago. Charting and models are underway. Expect a notice on this blog for the counted cross stitch freebee on the 27th and 28th. This one had a unanimous vote from the advisory board to get it and its sibs charted, they feel it will be a solid line to market.  

Serving two masters ... actually, about 4 different masters, is a tad bit of juggle-trick even without a weird ailment that makes you feel like you are packing a 50 lb load uphill in the rain all the time. But it pays the bills. Right now I'm doing webmaster tasks for two companies, graphic design tasks for two others, and of course getting my cross stitch business out of the starting gate. That keeps me busy enough.

Sure glad the 3 week family reunion has come to a close. Cooking, cleaning and entertaining is not my idea of fun, but it was a blast to have my darlings with me after a long separation. It made the work light. 

I think I'll finish up two catalog sites and a cross stitch freebee offering about Wednesday if all goes well.

So much for my 15 minute break! Gotta get back to work.

First in the birthstone series, and ready to download today and tomorrow at http://www.carouselcharts.com. The freebee download is only June 27 and 28, 2005. After that, you can see it in the online catalog about the second week in July with new paypal secure payment process. After we roll out the new online catalog, we'll offer this and future charts from this series as downloads as well as glossy print kits with shipping.

Initially, I had shelved the sketch because I thought it was a different direction than what I had initially wanted the business to go, but three of my advisory board members were sure this series would be quite popular. So here it is!

I checked the online sketch against different fabrics and liked the French Blue by Jobelan best, but It looks fetching on black, hunter, navy or other mid-range to dark backgrounds that set off the silver and gold stitches.

Though small, you likely will have to know how to stitch with metallics and attach beads with metallics. There are plenty of fractional stitches, too, but the effect is worth it.

To guests from US (.com and .net), Italy, Canada, and Australia, thank you for visiting http://www.carouselcharts.com and downloading the January Birthstone Faerie. There will be more to come, if January isn't your month! In the mean time, it was fun to notice stats even during the "off" season for cross stitching.

www.sanmanoriginals.com/forum sent guests again, as well as http://jrfoutin.mindsay.com and http://carouselcharts.blogspot.com , which tells me the human-to-human referral network on the web is making a difference in site traffic.

As always, Google, Yahoo and MSN search engines have been long-time referrers.

It's always gratifying to see the average length of visit is over 5 minutes, especially since stats I review for other business sites often show shorter session lengths. Content with value for those who like to cross stitch has been a consistent goal, so maybe I'm making some progress here.

The short running January Faerie promotional freebee was still not as popular as the Silver Girl Carousel Horse promotional freebee, but I was pleased with the results. It was fun to see stats indicating guests from Russia and the Netherlands this week, too. The internet is still amazing to me, even after working many years on the net. I have benefited greatly from knowledge freely available from other sites on the net this week, too.

Illustrating additional carousel and faerie topics will merge into holiday themes soon. This weekend is overflowing with potential, as I have more time than previously available. It is fun to see this avocation grow into a vocation and I'm learning every day from the experience. Cross stitch is not for everyone, and "pet rock," "pikachu" or "flower patch doll" popularity is likely not going to happen, either. But the experience is helping across multiple fields of endeavor and gives me hope while I battle Sarc and its minions.

Fencing in California Nationals was a bust, as far as medals were concerned. But then, maybe there is more to this sport than medals, too. We learned a lot about a sport that has entertained us for three years, even after we thought we knew enough. We made cuts that others from our state didn't. We knew the injury that kept practice sessions at minimum to none for the last 2 months would impact our competitive edge and we were right. We had a blast anyway.

Getting back to work after coming back has not been simple. Remembering the blog daily has been next to impossible. Dealing with home challenges has been overwhelming. Taking the final battle in hand to rid my life of the disease is frightening and the cost of medication is weighing on my mind.

Insurance will not cover more than a week per month. Three cheers for Medco. That means another round of convincing an already hesitant doctor to prescribe according to the protocol, and oober out of pocket wallet challenges ahead.

Once started, the medication must be maintained for the duration. There is no turning back. The alternative treatment option does not include or even hint at a cure, only horrid side effects. That route only mediates symptoms while crippling pain and eventual death takes over.

Hmmm. I'd rather watch my son fence, do counted cross stitch, draw pictures and have a pampered existence. I guess I'll have to push through the next three years. 

This sent from my daughter. LOL.

[April 1, 2005 - OREGON Science News, Online Edition]

A major research institution has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest chemical element yet known to science. The new element has been tentatively named "Governmentium."

Governmentium has 1 neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons, and 11 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is completely inert.

However, it can be detected, as it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. In fact, a minute amount of Governmentium can cause one reaction to take over 4 days to complete when it would normally take
less than a second.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 3 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a strange reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. Scientists were
astonished to learn that Governmentium's mass actually increases over time, since each reorganization causes some morons to become neutrons, thereby forming isodopes.

This characteristic of ever-increasing moron production has led some scientists to speculate that Governmentium may be formed whenever enough morons cluster together and reach a certain theoretical quantity. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as "critical morass." You will know it when you see it.

I'm pretty sure there are few mindsay cross stitch fans, but for those who know about counted cross stitch, there is a free download July 14-18 at http://www.carouselcharts.com . The Gold Baby birth record was designed in March of 2005, but never offered as a limited free download until now.

This one is great for a framed baby birth gift or cloth-covered scrapbook cover inset. Not recommended for quilt blocks or pillows because the metallic floss needs special washing care.

It is hard to decide which cross stitch chart I like the best, but this is definitely one of my favorites. The sun, moon and stars motif in the canopy header is a lot of fun, and the final result has a jewelry effect with gold metallic threads accenting the canopy, lion and base.

Do download it or tell your relatives and buddies that cross stitch.

Made me laugh till it hurt. Thanks to brother Bill!

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's winners:

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

5. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

6. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

7. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

8. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

9. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's = like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido: All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

.........................

My own:

daffynotions: any of the above.... lol!

I noticed "Love" fell from the top topics in Mindsay recently, to focus on Harry Potter today. Interesting.

I read an article in Baseline this weekend that really impressed me. The writing and documentation were excellent and the subject was about marketing statistics, early customer retention management and tracking, and how a primitive computer system carried the marketing for Reader's Digest for three decades.

I highly recommend it to anyone planning or involved in a career in journalism, marketing, computer science or business.

Well done, Baseline, for choosing to run the article written by Tom Steinert-Threlkeld.

I'm living in a state where my ailment is not well known, and the most recent research and curative program hasn't got any press, let alone positive reviews. I was sure I would be a gonner or have to live in a cave while watching as the worst case scenario evolves.

Finding a doctor was a tad stressful, since the dx doc works with a large clinic and didn't want to get any heat for trying something new and different. There are serious ramifications for a MDs career path and a whole lot of time spent in medical school that is on the line, so most in this situation are not eager to rock the boat with a new protocol. I understand and respect that, even though I really understand and respect my bid for health a lot more. But it meant as a patient I had to be patient and keep trying -- and patience is a real weakness for me.

But I have a ray of hope now. The doc has agreed to step up to the learning curve plate if I do my part, and I am highly motivated (a slow painful march to death is the alternative). His experience with similar disease processes is valued and will greatly improve my hope for recovery. Wahoooo!

Glad to see love is still at the top for Mindsay tags.

Do read http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4753976 article "Mysterious Connections that Link Us Together" by by Azar Nafisi, an elegant Iranian masterpiece of humanity.

Her article reminded me of the herioc Iranian woman I worked with when we taught at another university on the other side of the globe. While we traveled with a group of students to learn more about a topic of interest we were studying at the time, she sang us Iranian songs in a fabulously trained voice and told us of the challenges she and her family endured at the same time that Azar Nafisi may have been dealing with similar difficulties.

My friend also lost her employment at the University of Tehran when women were expelled. She is a lesson in goodness, displaying warmth and love for those of different cultures, even citing a time in Canada when she met with Iraq citizens (Iran and Iraq had heated disputes at that time, with some problems with peace between states). They were so happy to see another of similar interests, yet separated from their homeland region of the world. My friend awarded us all a degree in humanity that evening.

As Azar Nafisi quoted Huck Finn when he "imagines Jim ...as a human being and he decides that, 'alright, then, I'll go to hell.'" Certainly, the definition of Hell changed that day for Jim and for Huck.

It seems a lot like the story of the man who saw a vision of Hell, with people of all races, religions, political stripes and cultures sitting in a gloriously decorated banquet hall, in large circle about a table brimming with culinary delights, yet these people were starving! They were taunted constantly by the rich aroma of nourishment always ready for the taking, but could only look upon their feast as they were forced to use a spoon with a handle too long to reach their plate or their mouth.

The same man then saw Heaven, with a similar large banquet hall with people of all races, religions, political stripes and cultures sitting around a large circular table. Not surprisingly, they were all well fed and enjoying a fine meal even at that time. These people ate, laughed, and ate again as they enjoyed enlightening conversation. But upon closer observation, these people had the exact same spoon of those relegated to Hell. It was too long to reach their plate or their mouth, but these souls blessed their neighbor as they found it easy to feed the one sitting next to them.

I have seen the same vision of heaven by packing an extra sandwich for the lost one living on the street or taking a meal to a sick neighbor. I have noticed one woman quietly work for a decade to organize others, then prepare and deliver meals to a homeless shelter in our area. You can know heaven, too, simply by finding the long handled spoon that is within your reach. 

Thank you NPR and Azar Nafisi for reminding us that heaven is close. It is just a concept away.

Checking out the most popular terms on Mindsay as I pass the home screen login, it's easy to see a constituency shift from other blogging communities. You may be amused to view topics of blogs on the net  http://www.blogpulse.com/05_07_21/keyPhrases.html and http://www.blogpulse.com/05_07_21/topWeblogGroup.html to compare to Mindsay's list. There's a fair amount of Harry Potter comparable content. There is more, too.

Do take a walk outside and look around.

July 28-31 http://www.carouselcharts.com freebee is a revision of the Russian Proverb from the Words of Love series. The freebee comes at a time when Love seems pretty popular at Mindsay. So for you daily blog topic lovers, this one is for Mindsay cross stitchers... or friends and family stitchers you know.

If you don't stitch but a stitch enthusiast you love will have a birthday, anniversary, Mother's day or Christmas event in the next year, then this is cool gift you can give without a lot of wallet pain:

• The chart part is easy and free for about 3 days. Just download and print on better paper at highest settings. It's mostly B&W so it won't eat up your color ink cartridges.
• Floss will run you about 50 cents a skein, depending on where you buy it, for about $3. Michael's, Roberts, JoAnn's, or local needlework shop has the floss.
• Fabric costs vary, but a good piece of Evenweave 28 count will do more than one chart (Don't buy Aida... the chart has fractional stitches that make stitching through starch a problem).

Put it all in a nice box or even a zip bag, wrap and waalaa! You have an easy but worthy gift idea for your favorite crafter.

Cross stitch charts are a good sized industry in US and world markets. Charts usually run from $3 (small, simple) to $60 (large, elaborate), depending on the size of the chart and the artist, so your stitcher will appreciate the gift.

Remember, the kit idea is only for a gift! (Making a bunch of kits to sell breaks copyright laws, so avoid that one, OK?).

Sure, I was expecting the spike this week with the Russian Proverb, so I didn't even look at last week. Silly me. I was so busy with work I didn't even look. The second major spike in site statistics came right after I put the Wee Faerie -- always free -- cross stitch chart up. 

Sad thing was I thought it had been on the site already but didn't realize it until I was telling a Mindsay friend where to find it on my site. Good thing I finally got it there.

It had been created for first entry cross stitchers, as part of the site's mandate for lots of free things. I hate sites that don't offer free things anymore. I liked the Web attitude of the 90's, and I figured there would be enough "pay for" items in time, so why not have a lot of fun free stuff too?

In any case, the Wee Faerie is always free at http://www.carouselcharts.com . You don't have to be a new cross stitcher to enjoy it.

The Christmas Creche "Baby Jesus" chart was also downloaded -- lots, so I suspect most of the site stat spike were new site guests, since that first chart has been free on the site since 2004. I guess this is a good time to tell you to look for the next in the series, "Mary" about the first of October.

Oh, don't forget to download the Russian Proverb this weekend. It is only available until the 31st of July. I'll be watching the stats.

For fun, I loaded the stat view of traffic for the entire year to date. The graph clearly shows an upward trend in traffic, and not just the fun "freebee" spike days. Wahoo!

....................

It wasn't easy signing off my current doctor in favor of a stranger. I would have rather kept on board the brilliant mind that found and diagnosed the deadly disease when others failed to see it. I gave him full information sets and discussed my motivation to try a newer treatment that presented better scientific evidence for ridding myself of the disease. I described the challenges with work, immediate family, aging parents, a sibling with a terminal illness, children, and grandchildren who were depending on me at this time.

He was not able to accept the preferred treatment, so I have to move on. Ultimately, if the new treatment fails to cure, I can always go on the old-school standby of a prednisone-enriched diet that will kill kidneys, leach calcium from my bones, plump up an already plump figure, and invite diabetes.

But the hope I have right now is based on voices of those who have undergone the new treatment and are living, not just merely surviving. I am not a trail blazer on this one, by any means. This treatment is not an easy "feel good" solution, either. There is work involved and knowing that every other day for quite some time will be rocky.

So my good doctor will be replaced by another good doctor that I must trust my life to for several years. Medications may have to be paid for out of pocket if insurance providers will not honor the prescriptions. I'll watch and be careful to avoid a serious heart problem, and it will be a long time before I can bask in the light of day.

I'll never get rid of the genetic coding that puts me at risk to develop the ailment again, but if the treatment does its job, I will have a way to keep myself clear and live a normal life.

To all good doctors who keep abreast of new scientific evidence, thank you. 

Summer boredom gives way to happy fun, I guess. Stats for http://www.carouselcharts.com show the freebee downloads are getting the expected action, and counting by thousands is a lot more fun than I expected.

Chart popularity to date, by number of downloads:

• Christmas Creche Baby Jesus, always free
• Wee Faerie (recent addition, but a big favorite already), always free
• Pink and Silver baby girl carousel birth record, March '05 limited freebee
• Alphabets (intended for the carousel birth records), always free
• Light N Dark (changing colors), always free
• Timely Gifts, always free
• Is Cross Stitch for Me?, always free

Of course there are more, but these are helping create happy CarouselCharts branding. Consistent weekly downloads say the viral marketing efforts are working.

Those friends at Mindsay that have helped get the word out, thank you!

Do read Jason L. Miller's article (staff writer for WebProNews) at http://www.webpronews.com/news/ebusinessnews/wpn-45-20050809EMarketingNewsAlertBlogReadersYoungRichandMale.html . Seems Young, affluent males spend time reading blogs more than other constituencies.

Jason points to comScore Network's  http://www.nickdenton.org/images/comScore%20Blog%20Report.pdf article for full details.

I was particularly interested in noting only about 30% of the online population had visited blogs, and of that, the demographic composition is younger, wealthier males with high-speed connections and are much more likely to shop online.

Jason almost makes me wonder (but not too long) what the women blogs were about that were so interesting, see bullet item "Of the 400 largest blogs observed, the most popular blogs were (in order) political blogs, 'hipster' lifestyle blogs, tech blogs, and blogs authored by women (women's blogs, if I were to guess, are probably often visited by young men)." Likely not counted cross stitch (smile). Oh well.

Mindsay didn't make the top five and my blog didn't make the top 4 blogs. Oh well again (smile).

He didn't mention anything about link strategies, keywords and search engine value for blogs, which helps niche markets considerably even if young affluent males are not being marketed to, but that is likely another article at another time.

For those few non-young affluent or non-male who travel blogs looking for counted cross stitch charts today on http://www.carouselcharts.com, it will be a tad slower this morning. I'm catching up from a couple of sick days so it will be later this afternon before the freebee goes live. Do look for it then.

More details later.

On my way to wellness, I've taken a break from blogging. But now is a good time for anyone with Sarcoidosis (or anyone with family or loved ones suffering from Sarcoidosis) to read this very, very carefully.

You do not have to suffer needlessly. You do not have to die prematurely.

Current medical consensus may give you a different perspective. In fact, attendees at a recent Sarcoidosis conference in Cleveland reported the medical professional's sessions spent quality time chewing loose ends, but basically came up with this list of sorry excuses:

1. There is no cure
2. There is no tool to predict prognosis
3. Imaging (X-ray, CT) doesn't correlate with disease activity or severity
4. Conventional treatments seem effective at first, but they do not stop the patient's "deterioration" and demise
5. The main goal is to keep the patient at status quo for as long as possible with drugs and treatments that are known to do additional harm

Their good news, though, is that the NIH has open avenues to access research dollars for a continuation along these same lines of thought.

Unfortunately, this gets a consumer rating of MINUS 10 on a scale of 1 to 5.

For those with Sarcoidosis, might I heartily recommend the Marshall Protocol instead. A diagnosis of Sarcoidosis no longer needs to be a death sentence. The early website http://www.sarcinfo.com has information for patients and doctors, with Q&A's and posts of those who are recovering. The sister site http://www.marshallprotocol.com is a newer message board, but also contains the essential keys to wellness.

Again, if you know someone who has Sarcoidosis, or you have been diagnosed with Sarcoidosis, there is an alternative that is based on science, years of research by professionals, and loaded with evidence of people who have been relieved of disease or are on their way. Now read this list very carefully: 

1. There is a cure
2. There is a method to predict prognosis
3. Imaging is optional
4. It will stop the patient's "deterioration" and demise
5. Drugs and treatments are reasonable

I have begun my journey to wellness on the Marshall Protocol. I can feel the difference already.

........................ 

Ouch! Comedian Chris Rock took the perspective of the looter. Why?... if there was no food or water, he knew what he would be doing.

I've thought about how awful the conditions are, but just can't see it that way.

I sure hope he meant that would be the absolute last resort after negotiation, sharing, group problem solving and certainly, just finding any other possible alternative than looting or threatening lives that are already just as stressed as your own. Especially in light of those who are in exactly the same condition but are selflessly helping others instead.

It just seems a sad statement about our society that looting and preying on others who are just as bad off --or worse-- seems to be acceptable under adverse conditions, enough that a popular comedian felt it was OK to say something like that. 

Certainly the looting and lawless conditions are making matters worse for the majority of victims who are not getting help because of predators who believe they can act badly if the condition seems to warrant it in their minds.

Katrina was horrid. People are suffering. Compassion is needed, but please, don't make excuses for looters.

A dirth of news from my blog, as Katrina and Sarcoidosis have occupied my mind and available time.

Still, I felt it was important to say I learned a thing or two in the last little while. At this point in time, I do believe I might have been a "save lives" looter if I had been placed in similar circumstances as those in Katrina's aftermath. I would have tried logic and group reason first. That didn't change. But it appears that many did try that, but it was not enough. So I was wrong. 

Chris Rock was probably a lot better informed than I was.

As for my own situation, my health has greatly improved even though there have been several days when I could barely do much more than sit and hope the day would pass. But for those with chronic diseases of Lyme, RA, CFS and Sarcoidosis, do not stop, do not pass go, do not do anything but the Marshall Protocol. It does take time. It will take effort. You won't always feel great, but you will get better. Do it.

My daughter sent me this link:

http://teamhouse.tni.net/Freedom/UntilThen/UntilThen.htm

It is worthy of your time, but don't click unless you feel you can handle the impact. No horrid gripping gore or PG-13 rated violence (or worse). Just stark realities of the daily work and those that heft that load.

Still fighting Sarcoidosis, but finding time for the NeedleworkShow tradeshow. Runs only 2x a year for a few days.

This is the only time I'm offering high resolutin printed patterns for 2005, all signed by the artist as a collectible.

Did I mention that these are first editions? After previewing the full show and other vendors, we are sure the CarouselCharts.com offerings will be quite popular. It has taken a year to develop the designs, test market to see which are the most popular, test stitch and then incorporate final editing, and now we are ready to release 4 high resolution printed works. All come with "bundled" value, so print versions actually are a better price for both wholesale and retail than purchasing the individual patterns  online.

Wholesale and retail pricing has been carefully considered, as well as volume price breaks for larger wholesale distributors. My daughters and I have prepared carefully and we are excited to see how it will go.

You can view the NeedleworkShow.com trade show on October 12-17, 2005 at http://www.needleworkshow.com . Registered buyers get to see wholesale price lists, but retail guests can peruse the show and buy CarouselCharts.com printed products at reduced prices during the NeedleworkShow promotion.

All CarouselCharts patterns are designed for both DMC and Anchor floss options. These CarouselCharts favorites will be featured at the show:

• The Raspberry Rose Jumper, 1917 Parker Carousel Horse
• Rose Faerie with Little Faeries extended set
• Sunshine Calico Bear (comes with Blue and Pink color variants)
• Carousel Birth Record set (Rose Jumper and Dentzel-inspired Lion and Tiger)

Of course, we will be giving away hundreds of door prizes for buyers and retail show guests, and anyone can surf on over to http://www.carouselcharts.com for many free tips and patterns that are always available there.

(Shhhh.... only my two blogs have the info that the next free Christmas ornament in the Christmas Creche series will be released on November 1, 2005).

1. life
2. love
3. work
4. school
5. sex

Checking these top 5 tags at mindsay today against, say,  June 28, 2005 mindsay tags of 

1. love 
2. life 
3. bored 
4. sex 
5. friends

It appears we as a group haven't progressed too much from 4 months ago. But I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

I could be wrong, but it looks like politics, national and international concerns, critical business revelations, or even inspired insider discussions are not going to push Mindsay minds to the top blog status on the Web today, and if trends continue along the same paths, small talk will remain.... small talk.

Commenting on a comment about your comments may be more than you want to comment about. But feel free.

1. life
2. love
3. school
4. friends
5. mindsay

Top blogs today, and pretty much everyday. I've been out of public or graduate school for years, but for the most part, I guess this is what we all talk about all the time. Maybe life, love, friends and where we congregate are what matters in the long run, eh?

I've been learning a lot about those things lately.

It's that time of year when I give away an annual Christmas cross stitch chart that stays up all year long. If you cross stitch or know someone who loves to cross stitch, just direct them to http://www.carouselcharts.com, then click the picture of Mary with red and green bows.

The Baby Jesus Christmas creche ornament was a huge success the first year, but the Mary chart shows the popularity for both is just beginning. A quick glance at two days of stats show the chart is already a popular download. That's always a good thing, right? This is a beautiful little chart that doesn't take much time to stitch. Do download your copy right now. It is free, always will be, too.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Last year at this time I released the baby Jesus free annual Christmas creche ornament. My site was new. Few downloaded it right away, but during the year the download became one of the most popular free charts offered. It will always be a free download. But it took time to get the word out.

Three days ago I released the 2nd in the series, the mother Mary free annual Christmas creche ornament. Wow! what a difference a year can make. In three days either one of the 2004 and 2005 charts have far passed any 3 day offering for this year, and together, their downloads number in the thousands. That's right, thousands!

Of course, it is free. But I like to think the chart has some intrinsic value other than that. I like the idea of a gift to cross stitch enthusiasts each year, and followed the lead of others like Told in a Garden, who released angels each year until last, when we both did a baby Jesus! What a surprise to me! I guess great minds think alike. Her's is more traditional, mine is more stylized. But either one is a good idea. Maybe it is time to remember where Christmas really started and what it is all about.

In any case, do enjoy these simple charts, they are free for the taking! http://www.carouselcharts.com.

This week the annual 50% off sale on all counted cross stitch patterns continues at http://www.carouselcharts.com. Kinda fun, this is my first annual 1/2 off sale. 

A new figure "January Birthstone Faerie," with garnet birthstone and snowdrop flower, has been added to the faerie illustrations at the blanket reduced price for the whole site, making it well worth the click trip here. Expect another Faerie chart and the Carousel Bear Birth Record chart later this week if all goes well. All will be introduced at the half off sale price.

The new downloads also come with both the standard size chart and a large-print chart that can both be downloaded from the same page after purchase. Both standard and large versions are easy open .PDF format and print from any color printer. (High quality smooth paper or photo paper and better print settings recommended.)

For a gift your favorite cross stitcher will enjoy, roll charts up with the print on the inside, put the floss and fabric into your loosely rolled "tube" (3 or 4" diameter), wrap with semi-transparent or printed celophane plastic wrap, and tie ends for easy opening on a holiday and waa-laa, you have a great gift. Add in several of the "always free" freebie charts for a bonus.

Each sale of the Faerie chart will result in a charitable donation to the Autoimmunity Research Foundation for continued research on Th1 diseases (Sarcoidosis, RA, SLE, CFS, Lyme, Crones and others fall under this category of chronic disease processes). The Marshall Protocol has definitely been a great help in getting my Sarcoidosis under control and I'm confident that I am on my way to wellness.

That said, it hasn't been easy to start a business between bouts of Jarisch-Herxheimer Reactions (JHR or "Herx"). The day job often got the most attention when I had more energy. That's why the release of the "for sale" version of this chart is pretty exciting for me. I hope you will take a look.

Introducing a second pattern this week at http://www.carouselcharts.com was fun. This one is also introduced at the 50% off sale price, making it a much better deal than charts introduced earlier.

The Flighty Faerie is OK for Aida, Linen, and Evenweave fabrics, and simple enough for beginners even though advanced stitchers can enjoy this speedy project with compelling details. The finished piece makes a great gift for friends, co-workers, sisters, mothers, daughters or others that enjoy faeries, fairies, and fairy frazes. 9 DMC colors, and Anchor equivalents are listed.

The sale price is great, too.

Just thought I'd wish you all a happy holiday season! Life is finally taking a turn for the better, and my health is improving each day. Work is fun again and thinking is back on line. Most of all, I'm having a great time with my counted cross stitch design and Website. Do visit. The half off sale lasts until December 25th, but there are always free charts and info sheets for everyone.

Best wishes!--JRF

Look for a couple of new fun little quick-stitch charts by end of day today. These are introduced during the half-price sale, so they are automatically added at the lower rate. (Nice, huh?)

Also... Whoohoo!  My site has been up for a year. Last year at this time the site activity was just starting, and with little download activity even with the free chart by comparison to this year. Nobody knew about the CarouselCharts.com brand name, as it was just new, too. 

Fast forward to November and December 2005 and downloads show beautiful big spikes when an item is popular. Very nice!

I've also learned that search engine traffic is minimal and ineffective by comparison to cross stitch Web boards and Yahoo group recommendations. This makes sense for craft marketplace decision-making. After all, I'd rather take the advise of a friend rather than just search on some engine that doesn't really care about my personal tastes or preferences. Besides, I can share the outcome with my friend and I will never be able to do that with a search engine.

To all, from all the countries that frequent my site: Thank you, and I'm glad you came to visit!

 ... 

 ... 

Ho Ho Ho,

Hairy Christmas!... er

Merry Christmas!

Actually, this is just Angel again for friends, family, work buddies, pet lovers and those who like to have a little fun on the holidays. Of course, the picture is unretouched (smile) .

Blogging on Mindsay hasn't occupied my time recently as much as it did earlier this year. I've been working on work, family, healing from a life-threatening disease, trying to start a business, and generally just hanging out in between.

But I do enjoy reading your posts from time to time. So for 2005, thank you all at Mindsay and have a Happy New Year!

The holiday season has been wonderful with my daughter and her children. We had several beautiful months together with children's birthdays, holidays and the 2006 new year.

I can honestly say her friendship and love has been the glue that held me together during a most difficult period of healing. I will miss my dear grandchildren and their frequent hugs and kisses.

To them I wish Godspeed and goodwill as they open a new chapter in their life in a distant state. I have much to do before I can see them again, but they will have my heart no matter where they are.

Stats for the year are revealing, but nothing is new about people liking online free downloads. Of course, these are served best without cookies or grabbing java coding, no popups or gimmicks. I don't do that, so this makes the freebee even better. I don't even require folks to sign up for a newsletter or give me their email address. It is simply a free item. 

Some may consider this bad marketing. My philosphy is it is good long-term relationship marketing, not a quick ROI event. Just a little business philosophy and I could be wrong. Since there are so many testing out the other types, I thought I would test this one. 

The most popular 2005 free item was the Baby Jesus Christmas Creche ornament. It is small, works well on Aida or Evenweave because there are no significant fractional stitches. It works up quick. This chart showed a steady download all year long but showed a dramatic increase during the Christmas season, especially when the next most popular download was released, the Mary Christmas Creche ornament #2.

The Mary ornament was only available for part of the 4th quarter of 2005, but saw more downloads in that short period of time than any other free download. Wow. Also designed for full cross stitches on Aida or Evenweave. I actually stitched two of them in December. Both have fun clear beads that catch the lights of Christmas Trees.

The third most popular chart was introduced about mid way through the year and is designed for full cross stitches on Aida or Evenweave. Fun with only a few colors that are easy to change to meet one's individual preferances if you are an advanced stitcher, but designed with the younger new cross stitcher in mind. Loads of fun and something any shop owner can use for a beginner's workshop.

Alphabets for the baby carousel birth announcements came in 4th place. Since most of the birth announcements were introduced for a short "free days" period of time, the alphabets were a fun additional download for all. It has a fun and different set of alphabets for any heirloom chart that includes important dates and names.

I'm deciding what to add next to the site for 2006. There are many free cross stitch sites. Many that sell charts too. I guess I'll keep doing what I like to do at http://www.carouselcharts.com. Hope you come and visit.

It's been a while since I posted last, so where have I been? Pretty much all over the place. I've posted on Dr Phil's site, I've posted on marshallprotocol.com, I've posted on SarcConnection MSN group and I've been getting well.

The brain fog, walking into walls, lost sentences when speaking and many other troubles have past.

I'm still not svelte and young, but hey, I can't have everything right? The important thing is I am alive and feeling like it is good to be alive again.

I've done some new counted cross stitch designs and even had more success with sales on theneedleworkshow.com April show than I did earlier. I switched to selling to wholesale only and that improved sales a lot. Eventually, I should be able to do live trade shows, but as I am finishing up the cave life for wellness, I can only look forward to that.

Have had some other fun projects too. Interesting to see the advertising on mindsay. Wishing you all well!--JRF