Flutter And Flowers

Bears and painting!  Website update soon!

Hugs, K.

Updated!

You may have noticed I deleted my previous post.  I wanted to show you the new photos of the new pieces.  We had to photograph them on a plain background for the show and I think they always look nicer with a little something extra. 

I have updated the website with all of them, you can have a peek at www.blondheart.com

Happy Tuesday!  Hugs, K. <3

Website Update And Follow Up

When I got up this afternoon I came down with my usual death grip on my coffee and plopped down at my computer.  I about fell out of my chair when I saw how many e-mails I had gotten.  I have been answering them for hours.  But I love that!  It tells me that you do really read what I write and that you cared enough to take time from your busy days to respond and help me out.

Every single person was very kind in their critiques and comments.  But what you said was also very illuminating in several ways.  For one thing I learned that a LOT of people are having trouble posting comments on blogger and aren't really as shy as I thought you were.  There are two things that are causing problems, one is how you have your settings and the other is an incompatibility issue with Internet Explorer 9.  This is also what was causing the problem with the blurry header images a couple weeks ago.

I use AOL (yeah yeah I know, but I have been using it for so long that I don't want to change my e-mail address) and Firefox.  While I don't technically use IE on it's own because I am not fond of it, AOL does use it in the background.  When I use Firefox, I have no problems.  The other thing is how you have users set to comment.  I have mine set to registered users as opposed to followers only and that seems to be working for a lot of people.  I also have the captcha thing turned off.  I really get very few bots posting, so it's not a problem to delete those rare advertising comments when they show up.

Now as for the bears and how I was feeling last post...I really learned some things through your comments.  But first I want to tell you that I usually make these posts right before I go to bed early in the morning, and I have been up alone all night with my thoughts and sewing, so sometimes I think my posts read like I am a crazy and/or neurotic person.  But that's what happens after you have been up for hours in the quiet all night.  I tend to over think things, and I can't quite always see the big picture.

I did figure out what was really bothering me.  It's not a desire to go back to what I used to make style wise.  But the thing is Joe (shown in the previous post) was an 18 inch bear.  I made a lot of big bears back then.  More than I did the smaller ones.  I love the smaller ones I am doing now,  (thank you Heather, that was such a great thing you did by wanting me to make those smaller bears!)  but I think I was going into big bear withdrawal.  I think that's what was at the root of my desire to get that old pattern out.  It's not that I want to go back, it's that I haven't made a big bear in 15 months!!!  You made me see this by asking if there would be more sizes of the new style and so many of you asking for larger ones.

In answer to that, I have pretty much got the new pattern that was like Cupcake, and Cupid shown above, to the place I want that pattern to be.  The next step is to draw it into larger bear patterns, which I will be working on soon!  So hopefully you will see some larger bears in that style in the coming months.  It takes a bit of time because you can't make a bigger pattern properly by just slapping it on a copy machine and enlarging it.  You really have to draw them individually.

Through reading all of your feedback I came to another interesting realization.  I no longer have an end point in mind.  Back in those old days I was working toward that "perfect" pattern.  But I have realized at this stage in life I like the bears being in a state of flux.  While I want to make each pattern I do at any given time as good  as it can possibly be, I also know that I will never have another pattern that I use hundreds and hundreds of times.  I like being able to change things a bit here and there as I go along.  I don't actually want to have that perfect pattern/end goal anymore.  I think that's a good thing, it keeps it interesting.

I don't need to go back.  I need to keep going forward.  That doesn't mean that I won't ever circle back to a style I did before, but it does mean that if I do it will be in a new and fresher way.  I am feeling content again, and I am truly happy that you liked Joe so much!  I am also happy that overall, you like the new bears better!  This year I have decided to embrace the unique and sometimes strange ideas I have and color outside the traditional lines a little more.  This is something I have wanted to do for three years, but it can be hard to allow yourself to do that when you have done things a certain way for so long.  So this year you will be seeing some interesting ideas come to life that I haven't done before, but that have been lurking in the shadows of my brain for a while! 

In the mean time I would like to let you know that there will be a Valentines-ish update coming January 18th at 5 PM EST.  Also I am still going to strive to get a new piece added every week or two along with those bigger updates!

Again I can't thank you all enough for your comments, they really did help me see the bigger picture of what was bothering me.

25 Hours And Counting, Changes For Next Year And Sneak Peek #4

Here is your last sneak peek...now last night when I photographed him for the little peek, he wasn't dressed yet.  He has a very cute hat and string of bells on now.  But you will get to see it tomorrow.

There are still two pieces in the works that won't quite be ready for tomorrow.  I have a snowman and another bear cut out.  I also thought I would redo my website, but I underestimated how busy this time of year can really be...and how much I can physically get done in a 24 hour day.  Hand sewing and distressing is a lengthy process.  I have been working from the moment I get up until I fall into bed on the five pieces I do have ready.  I am really proud of them though, they are a nice little group, and I hope you love them too!

I have been giving the coming year a lot of thought and what I want to do for that.  All year I have been going back and forth on whether I want to do group updates every so often, or put up each piece as it's made.  I have come to the conclusion I can do both, and that should make everyone happy!  So for now I am going to have group updates every 4-6 weeks and a new piece will pop up about once a week or so in between.  We will see how that goes, and I am certainly open to your thoughts and suggestions.

Another change I have coming is that a little later this month I am going to change my newsletter service.  I never could quite get the old one to work the way I wanted it to.  But with the coming change you should get a monthly newsletter.  I will let you know when I have it ready and you can sign up for that.

I also have a new website design I have been working on, and I really like it.  But it won't be quite ready for tomorrow so that will come along a little later in the month with the newsletter change.

Also I haven't forgotten about the Q & A, and I will do that in a couple days after I get the update done tomorrow.

As of yet I haven't heard the results of my MRI.  They said it would only be a day or two, but it has been more.  I don't believe I will need surgery since it seems to be healing finally, but I have to wait for the official word. 

I have company coming and I need to decorate my tree which has been up since Sunday.  So it's going to be a very busy month!

I hope you all have a lovely day and I will see you in 25 hours...and counting!

Hugs, K. <3

Website Update And Other Stuff

I apologize for not posting since I returned from my trip.  It's been a flurry of activity around here!  I am nearly overwhelmed.  But let me back up a bit first...

I will start with Thursday before last.  R was out of town, and it was bitterly cold and snowy.  As I have told you before I am the clumsiest person ever.  It was evening, and I was walking across the floor.  That's it, just walking across the floor and I lost my balance and fell down.  I felt a searing pain in my knee.  But I shrugged it off thinking it was a momentary thing.  By 2 AM I was tempted to go to the ER the pain was so great.  But it was cold...snowy...2 AM...and I was home alone so I chose not to go.  I decided it would probably be better by the next day.  I was wrong.  It's still bothering me.  I never did go to the doctor.  I suppose I should have.  But it will heal eventually.  It's slowing me down in all the things I want to get done though.

I left the following Monday for Montana.  I had a lovely visit with my parents.  We didn't get to do quite all the things my Mom wanted to do because of my knee, but that was ok with me.  I went to visit them, not run around and do stuff.

While I was gone R was painting the living room and foyer.  I always have to go away when he does house repairs or renovations.  I have some sort of odd defect that I cannot stand to watch people do things that involve tearing things up and making a mess.  I can tear things up and make a mess and it doesn't bother me a bit.  I am just an odd little ball of contradictions...what can I say!  *grins* 

When I got home it was completely shocking. You can stare at paint chips all you want, and it never gives you a real indication what it's going to look like. It's much brighter than I had imagined. Of course I have been staring at white walls for 12 years. I like it, but it's really bright.  Of course everything had been removed from the walls and furniture so I had nothing to break it up when I first saw it.  I have been slowly but surely putting everything back.

I have also been slowly but surely working in between putting everything back.  I wish I could focus on one thing and then the other, but my knee won't allow it so I keep switching between putting things back, cleaning and working.  I have a bear in progress, a lamb cut out and several ideas for new things.  This means hopefully a whole new animal or two!  Also there should be a new snowman or two, for those of you who like to collect them from me.  So I am going to have a small website update on the 2nd of December with some holiday pieces for you!  I used Marzipan in the pic above (she has been adopted already) since I don't have anything new ready just yet, but I will be giving you sneak peeks as I go along.  Stay tuned for those!

In the mean time have a lovely day, and I am off to work some more!

Hugs, K.

PS...

 

Not to take you away from all the fun of the previous post I made this morning, but I also wanted to tell you that the five new pieces-three halloween and two regular bears are finally on my website at Blondheart.com 

Hugs, K. <3

Edit:  Seedric the pumpkin has been adopted so he is no longer on the site.  More will be coming!

Independence Day And Other Things

First of all, Mozzie and I would like to wish you a cracker jack 4th Of July if you live in the US!  We hope your fireworks are the sparkliest!

Speaking of Mozzie...I told you several months ago that he was named after the enigmatic and mysterious character of Mozzie on White Collar.  In last Tuesday's new episode we learned that Mozzie was an orphan and is so named after his teddy bear "Mozart" but he couldn't pronounce it so he called the bear "Mozzie."  How cool is that!  I guess I picked a bear name for my Mozzie afterall!

Now I have a little bit of bad news.  It's been 90 degrees and over here quite a bit lately.  If I turn on the air conditioning I get sick.  If I don't, it's too hot to work.  So unfortunately the website update I had scheduled for Wednesday isn't going to happen.  I will however post the one bear I do have made.  I want to apologize to those of you who were patiently waiting.  I have several bears in the works, but until this crazy heat spell we are having breaks I don't foresee a whole lot of work getting done.  In Colorado we just aren't used to extended periods of extreme heat.

I will keep you updated!  Enjoy your holiday, or if you're across the ocean...enjoy your day!  I am off to eat BBQ chicken, corn on the cob and strawberries...yum!

Website Update ~ July 6th, 5 PM MST

~ 30th Anniversary Bears Update ~

It's very rare that I make an "edition" bear, but thirty years is a very rare thing too.  So I have one bear for each decade.  They area slightly different, but the same.

I am very pleased with them, so without further ado...let me introduce you to the very first bears of 2011; Tivoli, Apollo, and Savoy.  They are named after theaters.  I don't know why, it just seemed like the thing.

There was actually going to be a new little animal in this update, but he didn't quite get finished since I redid the website layout too.  I will offer him on my blog in a few days.

In the mean time.  You can visit my website to adopt on of these cuties!  (Click the link at the right!)

Hugs, K.  <3

Website Update

I have decided to make a few changes for 2011.  The first of which is instead of putting each piece up as I make it, I am going to try group updates every 4-6 weeks.  I may do an occasional blog and facebook offering as well.

This one is only going to be a very small update, but I will have the 30th anniversary bears ready...and possibly something brand new to show you!  We will see how the week goes since I am working on a new layout as well.

I am also going to be doing a show in Philadelphia in May...I will give more details on that later. I haven't done a show in a few years and I miss it.

Also the next group of bears and animals will be going out on Wednesday instead of tomorrow.  I was going to go to the post office tomorrow, but it's supposed to be coooooold.  We are expected to have a high of 0, and with the wind chill between 15 and 18 below.  Winter has finally hit Colorado.  I had a feeling we had been getting off too easy this year.

It's snowing today, so it's a good day to stay snug and cozy at home and work.  I am very excited about the anniversary bears.  I hope you will be too!

Also don't forget you still have until Midnight MST to take advantage of the website sale!  I want to thank everyone who made a purchase already, you eased my work load by about half when it comes to photographing the pieces.

Hugs, K. <3