Got beads?

It was powwow weekend last weekend, and long-time readers will know that means bead shopping and fry bread (as well as dance-watching and drum-listening, and jewelry shopping, and generalized shopping).  I humbly report that I did well in both.  And I can even report that I was fairly successful at avoiding sunburn -- partially this was due to a liberal use of SPF70, but mostly I can thank the weather which decided to be lightly chilled and periodically misty.

Possibly the silliest bit of the weekend was me and my stitching.  Every year I pack in the tote bag (along with a long-sleeved shirt, a sweat shirt, and a jacket--- when you are there all day you have to be prepared for an entire day's weather) a small stitching project.  This year it was F&S round 29 for Daniela.  EVERY YEAR I do this, and EVERY YEAR I don't stitch at all.  You would think I'd learn!  Well, then again, if you've been hanging around here long enough you know I don't make a good case for learning-by-experience.  (My bouts with Mr. Framer should prove that.)

Over the two days, I took the opportunity to fill in some holes in by box o' beads.

And I also picked up some larger turquoise beads to use for some adornments on cording.

And yes, all meals were fry bread -- all weekend.

And, yes, I am now on a vegetarian week of repentance.

Also for the record, I did not dance, but I sure enjoyed watching the folks with actual talent.

Since I lack pics of real stitching, allow me to take a moment to share some stashing I've done....   I can't believe I've gotten behind on gloating about fresh stash --
From the Scarlet Letter:

I am thinking of doing the above on a vintage overdye linen (white base with "lines" of tan and cream) and probably one of the red Splendor silks for the stitching.  Although I was thinking about doing it in a camel-colored thread on the fabric -- I worry that I will always think it looks wrong though since I have so ingrained this as a red image on my brain.

A "box" from Julia.  It will make up into a round base with a tree on top

I also picked up another shell-insert needlepoint.  This makes three that I have now.  I have not done one yet, but I think the idea is so cool that I cannot resist them.

I have no news on Beatrix, but I should have pieces back from another finisher this weekend.   I hear tell they look nifty.  I promise to share...... but in exchange you have to promise to have a wonderful rest of your day.

P.S.   Thanks again for all the Beatrix/framing support -- my shop owner and I are still fuming/chuckling.

Stuff and framing

Yes, an allusion to "stuff and nonsense."   Although an equally good post title would be "What a Colossal A@@."   I bet you thought the Great Beatrix Framing Fight of 2012 could not get funnier.  You were wrong.

When I went to the shop last weekend I expected to find an unframed Beatrix waiting for me to take her home and get her ready for reframing, but she wasn't there.   I took a call from Mr. Framer early in our day, and he asked who I was, but I couldn't help him with his questions he said so he'd have to wait until Monday.    Ok, fine.  Probably 15 minutes later the shop owner calls.  Seems he got off the phone with me and called her at home.  He had a series of questions for her on misc projects but one of his questions was "was that Ruth that answered the phone at the shop the Ruth with the framing?"  "Yes," replies my owner, "did you talk to her?"   "No," says he, "I don't want to talk to her."  lol  

Thus began a series of about 5 phone calls from the owner to the framer, then the owner to me, then to the framer, then back to me, and so on and so on.  [I warn you at this point that it might be prudent to visit the restroom before reading further -- excessive laughter may cause damage to your chair.]
                  His first claim was that his padding had nothing to do with my beads being crushed because that was my fault for wanting glass.  If I would just not demand glass and/or pay for spacers there wouldn't be a problem at all.   I'll pause so you can get over the laughing fit.   My response was I had matting and that padding the piece was the cause of the problem, thank you very much yo lying sack of --insert at will--.
                 I countered with just give me all the part (save for the padding), refund to the shop owner his charge for the "framing service" as it was entirely his fault and he should not have done anything once he decided he couldn't follow the instructions,  and I'd take the piece elsewhere.
                 He said there was no "framing fee"  [anyone want to see the official paperwork from his business that outlines his "framing fee" as a separate line item from glass, matting, frame, etc?] and therefore he could refund nothing.   He told the shop owner that he'd just leave it in the frame and bring it back and there'd be no charge and I should never darken his door again (anyone want to vote on the likelihood of that anyway?).   I laughed when the owner told me that because he would be out for everything.
                  Sure enough, when she called him back he said I couldn't pull a fast one like that on him and he wasn't going to get stiffed.  He would bring me back my piece and my piece alone and cancel the bill to the shop.   Once again I laughed because he'd be stuck with a pre-cut suede mat, an assembled frame, and pre-cut plexiglass piece with no hope of using the glass and frame unless he cut them down and no hope in hell of using the mat at all.
                 Yup, by the time she called him back he was once again angry at *me* for trying to pull a fast one.  He was not getting stuck with a mat and frame and glass he couldn't use.  So the shop owner asked him what he proposed to do.  He said, what if he took out the padding and reframed the piece without it.  Would that make me (no doubt he referred to me with some choice terms) happy?  The shop owner reports that she replied "since that's exactly what she asked for in the first place, yes."

ROTFLOL

Stay tuned for further developments.

In the meantime, want to see some of what I've been up to when I wasn't swearing or practicing at the shooting range for the next time I see Mr. Framer?
Last night I went to another Paley event.  This time to say good-bye --sniff--sniff-- to In Plain Sight

I can report that in real life Fred and Mary ARE Marshall and Mary.  What a hoot!

Stitching-wise the hoops have been busy.  I recolored (I needed it in peach not pink) and started Green Apple's "Roses II" --

I'm making good progress on Ladies Day --

I've started F&S Round 29 from Daniela T, but all you get to see is the floss toss --- I may look stupid but she's not getting a hint out of me that easily.  Front square:

Signature square:

And as a closer for the day -- here's the framed piece I got back without overly egregious errors from Mr. Framer--

This one he just messed up how he sealed the back so I decided to live with it.  As you can tell by now, the fight is just not worth it.

I thank you all for your kind support, and I can only hope that the laughter this provides somehow brightens your day just a bit  :)

No kidding -- framing NIGHTMARE continues

Really and truly folks, I thought we'd come to an arrangement with the Framer From Hell.  He was going to unframe Beatrix, I was going to fix the beads, and he was going to reframe her without the damn padding.

Today, he contends that there is no way to frame her without the padding.  And that since I "insist" on this "change" I need to sing a waiver saying I will not expect him to reframe her when she slumps in the frame.

How, gentle (laughing --- because I can tell you are) reader, I am NOT a happy stitcher.  First off, Mr. A@@ should have told me this was his belief BEFORE he framed her in the first place.  Second, there is no reason she can't be mounted to the board without the padding.  He says he staples the pieces to the board.  If he can staple her down with padding, he can staple her down without it.

*#@(&@)#*^$#*())@^#*&$#@*)@

Say, anyone know how long the hand gun waiting period is?

framing pics.... the continuing saga

Ok here are the pics... not so great, sorry.... to continue the saga of my idiot framer.  I have to say up front though that the overall look of the piece is nice so I'm pleased with my choices, just not with how big a moron he is.

If you ignore the blur, you should be able to pick up the indention of the beads.

Then for this motif where the beads are stand alones, they just got flattened--

So, this weekend I pick up dear Beatrix from my shop and bring her home for fresh ironing and bead alignment.  I'll take her back the next time I'm in and this time he promises to follow instructions when he does the framing.  Idiot.

I thank you all for your commiseration.   I knew I wasn't alone in suffering indignities when framing, but it is heartening to see the evidence nonetheless.

And, no, my backs aren't that nice looking.  He's just-- say it with me -- an idiot.  The funniest part on The Backwards Duck piece, came when my friend picked it up from the shop for me.  When she collected me from work later, I could see something was wrong through the plastic wrap he seals the pieces in and her car window.  So I say to my dear friend "hey, what do you think of how the duck turned out?"  "Oh," she promptly replies, "it looks great."  I, of course, bust out laughing and call her a liar.    Seems she never even bothered to look at it.  She just assumed it would look good.  The shop owner, when I returned it for reframing, said she thought it was odd, but figured I was being nice and framing a child's stitching.

Happy stitching to all and to all GOOD FRAMING!

*I(@$#&^$*@ Framer

It was a really straight-forward job.  All he had to do was stretch the piece, cut the mat, insert the plexiglass, and stick it in the frame.   But could Mr. Custom Framer do that?   Nooooo.   He padded Beatrix, then matted and framed her.  One of the key reasons for the flipping matting was to protect the hundreds of beads on the piece.  That is completely negated by PADDING THE DANG stitching.

I apologize, there are actually pictures of the debacle, but I was too annoyed to download them this weekend.  Probably tomorrow -- If I'm not out slapping him around for being a moron.

So Beatrix is going back to him with the exact same CLEAR instructions he had the first time -- with the addition that I expect him to unflatten all the beads that are now laying on their sides.

Damn fool ruined my weekend.     I should have learned when he framed one of my pieces with the back of the stitching out instead of the front.   Sigh

So, in the sisterhood of stitcher annoyance -- Hove you ever had a framing boondoggle?

Ooo. Ooo. Ooo.

My framing's back!   My framing's back!!!!!  

Sorry, no.  No pictures.  Hey, cut me some slack I just got the call from the shop.  I know it seems like I'm being a tease, but I'm not.  Really.   It is just that here I am sitting at the office about to start lunch and I'm so excited about my framing being done that I can hardly sit still.    Argh.   Do you get like this?   I wonder if it would be better if my owner didn't call me and just waited for the weekend when I'll probably be in anyway.   Sheesh.  It might be hard for me to sleep tonight.  OH Lord.  I just realized how I'm going to spend every night for the rest of the week --- trying to figure out where I can hang Beatrix.   Oh wailey wailey!

As long as I'm here, wiggly or not, I may as well update you on some stash purchases.  I've been really, really bad at that lately.  Sorry.


I have picked up Drawn Threads Holly and Ivy which comes with a pair of lovely patterns --

I also snapped up DT's The Menagerie

Even the beetles are cute.   I mean, I think it's hard to make a beetle attractive.

I also got a bag that you insert a stitched piece in (in that white area) at my shop's annual Spring sale --

 Mind you, a number of years ago I got a black one of these and I have yet to stitch an insert.  But hey, I like it and it was on sale!

Oh, and wanna see what my sister got me for my bday --  while we were in San Diego we explored balboa Park and found the Artists' Village there.  They have glass studio and I fell in love with these.

and

The funniest bit is that we're passing them over to the girl at the counter to buy and it turns out that she's the artist who makes them.  She calls them glass lifesavers.  Anyway, I love them, and they are fun.  Thanks, Sis!

Ok, I'll go back to wiggling and lunch.  You go back to having a good day!

Thanks for all your kind comments and my award --- I swear I'll be a better blogger.  Honest and true!