Rensel Studio

Every day is a good day

2012-03-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

After last week's snowstorm, today's warmth was a welcome relief. Any day we have sunshine is a good day for me. I don't care if I have to spend the whole day in the studio as long as I can look out and get my sunshine fix. It's a little difficult convincing Midge and Gidget that they should stay inside with me, however.

We had some fabulously unusual projects this week. It was lots of fun to have such a creative variety. Here are the results.
Jill

Computers still make me sad

2012-02-25T19:04:00.000-08:00

I feel pretty good about what we got accomplished this week. I still haven't had the guts to shut my computer off. I think I'm just delaying the inevitable, but really, is there ever a good time to have your computer break?

In the meantime, I'm much more dedicated to backing up my data files.

I'm still very behind on my custom work. My design table is crazy deep. I wake up with a stomach ache every morning wondering who's mad at me. I'm trying to harness that angst and redouble my efforts but I find that rather than trying to get as much done as possible, I concentrate on making each piece worth the wait. I'm sure that I'll catch up eventually.

Until then...

Here's what I got shipped out this week.

Jill

Computers make me sad

2012-02-19T17:17:00.000-08:00

I got my computer back from the nice computer doctor only to find out it's still locking up. I spent hours today trying to get it to boot up and now I'm afraid to ever turn it off again! I worked for hours getting my data backed up, but now I'm scared to change anything for fear It'll crash again before I get it backed up again! Arrrgh! Anyway, at the moment it's running, so I'm trying to get as much done on it as I can until I can get it back to the doctor.

Here are Midge and Gidget posing for their Valentine photos. I would have done a full spread with a giant box of chocolates, but you know how that would have gone! No, the girls don't even know what chocolate tastes like, but I do! It would have been a photo of Midge and Gidget sitting in a giant empty box of chocolates!

I'm excited about the pieces I finished for the Shepherd's Bush. They're headed to the Nashville market soon. Don't even bother to ask me what they look like, as I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you! Ha ha.

All in all, it was a good week. Here's what I got shipped out.
Until next time,
Jill

It's always something

2012-02-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

Just a note to let you know that the main computer at the studio went down and I'm a little crippled for the next few days until the nice computer doctor takes care of me. I'm calling everyone who's piece arrived this week, but I won't be sending e-mails. Please say a little computer prayer for me that there's no lost data. I plan to make the most of my time and get a whole lot of framing done in the meantime.
Hugs and wet puppy kisses for all of you,
Jill

Too much is never enough

2012-02-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

It seems that no matter how much I get accomplished in a week, there's always some project looming or a piece that I've forgotten. Everywhere I look there's something that needs to be done. Bills to be paid, dogs to be walked, plants to be watered, family to be fed, pictures to be framed. So, all I can do is push through. for now, I'm taking a deep breath and jumping back in. I'll see you when I re-surface!

Giant hugs and wet puppy kisses until then.

Jill

Another first

2012-02-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

All winter Midge has been pushing boundaries. She'll explore the basement when nobody is paying attention. Once in a while I'll hear her barking far in the distance while I'm getting ready for work. I'll find her on the second floor barking at a stuffed animal she's discovered in the girls' room. Well, I knew this was coming, and try as I might, I couldn't stop it. She's been tracking a raccoon that visits our backyard. I'm not really worried about her cornering it as long as she's smart enough to be scared of it. Well, it seems that raccoon has been wandering across the iced-over pond. Every time I let Midge outside I have to yell at her for walking on the pond. Yes, last week it thawed just enough to break through when her tiny little body hit a weak spot. She fell through and had an icy surprise. She's a great swimmer, and pulled herself up onto the ice right away. Thank goodness, otherwise I, too, would have had an icy bath! Wouldn't you know it was the day after she had a bath. She ran through the house distributing pond stink like it was a great new game. Yuck. Wanna bet she didn't
learn her lesson?

I got the books done early this week and started in on the fun stuff by mid-week. Here's what we got accomplished.
Hugs and wet puppy kisses for all of you,
Jill

Simple minds

2012-01-29T13:22:00.000-08:00

There's nothing that makes me happier than a springy new paint brush and plenty of paint. Does that make me simple or materialistic? Bless you Dick Blick. You've brought me out of the winter dulldrums. I have to finish up my quarterly bookkeeping this week. We'll just see how powerful the promise of a new paintbrush is to get me through the yucky book work.

Midge had another first this week. She jumped in the car all by herself. (And probably a last too. So far we've been unable to coax a second attempt) Little Gidget is fairly springy, but I doubt she'll ever be able to jump that high. Every morning Midge, Gidget and I make the 7 block journey to my parents' house for a visit and a cup of coffee. Mom thinks she has her own private therapy dogs. Midge has gotten really brave and has explored Grandma and Grandpa's house from top to bottom, while Gidget is content to lie in front of the heat register in their cozy kitchen.

I had a lot of fun painting this week.
Here are the results of our efforts.

Cut from the same cloth.

2012-01-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

Have you ever met someone that you immediately felt was a kindred spirit? I had that experience last week.
I met the nicest lady. Of course she's an avid cross-stitcher and it turns out she's a talented designer who lives right here in Ogden. Her name is Kathy and she designs by the name of Lisa. Here's her website http://www.xstitchdesignsbylisa.com. After all these years you'd think that I wouldn't be surprised to feel an affinity for a creative needleworker. It makes me wonder, am I naturally drawn to ladies and gentlemen who cross stitch? Or, did I just get lucky to fall into this line of work? Well, I don't care how it happened, I'm just glad it did. I feel blessed every day to be in the presence of such an amazing group of people. Thank you all for making every minute I spend working feel like I'm just spending the day with family.

My progress has been dramatically slowed for the time being. With two of my employees going back to college, I find myself a little short handed and working out the bugs in the schedules. Bear with me while I figure it out and once again become productive.

Now that we have snow, I'm spending lots of time washing snowballs out of yorkie fur. I don't mind the light powdery stuff, but we're having that wet stuff that makes the girls look like tiny little snowballs. I'm once again yearning for spring. Sigh.

Here are some of our latest creations.
Enjoy,
Jill

If you can't beat 'em join 'em

2012-01-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

I'm having a very frustrating week. I normally get a supply delivery every Tuesday and Thursday. I prepared for the holiday thinking that everyone would try to drag it out and take Monday off in order to get one more day out of the holiday season. My delivery driver told me we would have our regular deliveries this week, so I called my order in early on Friday just in case they weren't open on Monday. I was unpleasantly surprised to find out that they were already closed for the holiday. I faxed my order in just in case they decided to work on Monday. So Monday morning rolls around and I call them to see if they've received my order. Surprisingly, they were up and running and my order was accounted for. Yea! I'm thinking I'll have all the supplies I need on Tuesday afternoon and I'll be off and running for a productive week. Then, unbelievably, I get a voice mail telling me that "Oh, by the way, our trucks aren't running and you won't get your supplies until Thursday!" Gaaaaah! Most of the framing industry shuts down for the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. I can't believe I've been framing for so long and I'm still beating my head against a wall!

So...fair warning. Next year, no more swimming against the tide. I'm going to go with the flow and take a breather like the rest of the industry.

I did manage to be somewhat productive the last few weeks. Here it is.
Midge, Gidget, Courtney, Kelly, Lois and I wish you all the happiest and most prosperous of new years!

a long winter's nap

2011-12-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

Before I forget... I got an anonymous e-mail this week asking about the "and the friendly beasts around him stood". It is from a booklet called Christmas Samplers by Prairie Schooler. It is apparently out of print, but may be available on Ebay.

I don't know if you've ever been so tired that you're not sure what's real and what's a dream, but I feel like I'm sleep walking. Or, rather, sleep framing.

I love this time of year when the sun sits low enough to shine directly into my front window. I look up from my painting table and see my precious girls glowing in the sun. It's so yummy that it reminds me just how delicious spring is. (I know! It's not even solstice yet and I'm yearning for spring!)

Speaking of delicious...Miss Kari brought little Oliver by this week - wearing the greatest pair of leggings that she made for him! They keep him warm but make his diaper easily accessible. What will they think of next?

Gidget is sitting next to me watching the television. As if on cue, she starts to bark when the song "Who Let The Dogs Out?" comes on. I swear she does it just to entertain me.

Here's what we accomplished this week. I can't remember what I've showed you and what I haven't, so forgive me if there are duplicates.

I've gotta go get back at it.

Happy Holidays!

Jill

another installment

2011-12-08T17:16:00.000-08:00

And here are more from last week.

The attitude of gratitude part 2

2011-12-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

Well, the events of last week reminded me just how lucky and spoiled I am. We really were very lucky that the power outages were so spotty. We didn't have power at the studio for a few days, but it was restored right away at the house. While driving through a neighborhood you could see that just about half the houses on every block had power. It makes you appreciate friends and family and even kind strangers that are there for you in a pinch. It made me feel really bad that people were struggling to keep warm yet our Christmas Village was fully lit. Ogden lost a lot of trees and roofs, but most of the damage was south of us.

I want to extend a sincere thank you to the men and women of Utah Power and Light for their courageous efforts to restore warmth and safety to the residents of the Wasatch front.

We've been very busy and have lots to show you, so I'm going to post it a little at a time. Here's today's installment. More soon!
Jill

wind update

2011-12-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

We got caught in that crazy windstorm. I found out the hard way that I can't update the blog from my phone.
I've finally got our internet restored at the house, but, I still have no power at the studio. If you've been trying to contact me, please don't worry. I'll return phone calls and e-mails the minute I get up and running. As many homes are still without power and the temperature dropped below freezing, I'm patiently waiting my turn. I promise I'll go full speed once we get back into the studio.
Cheers,
Jill

The gratitude game

2011-11-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

I've always been a fan of Pollyanna, but until I reached 30 I didn't realize the importance of adjusting your own attitude towards the situations life throws your way. I now drive people crazy trying to find "the silver lining" behind every cloud. I'd rather be that person than a grumpy gus. To that end, I started playing the gratitude game every day. Each day I choose something that I'm grateful for and I love asking the people I come in contact with what they're grateful for. I'm often delighted and surprised by their answers. I find that by focusing on what's good in life instead of what's bad, I get into the proper attitude for handling anything.

Today, I'm grateful for teeth. I can't wait to hear what you're grateful for.

Jill

Unfinished business...

I've had a couple of queries that I replied to and THEN I remembered that some of the emails I'm getting are those "noreply" emails. So, if you didn't get your answer, I'm hoping you're reading this.

The white sampler we showed on the "change is good" page, is a Stoney Creek pattern called "To Have And To Hold". The stitcher has used her own combination of colors, fabric, and beads.

The baseball baby sampler was by Country Cottage Needleworks and it's called Little League. Here's the link she recommended.

http://www.countrycottageneedleworks.com/cottagekids.html

And now, last week's work.

Silly season

2011-11-13T08:38:00.000-08:00

Winter took me by surprise this year. I think Mother nature got caught sleeping too. The leaves are still on the trees. Many of them simply refused to change this year. Then the snow started flying. The real disappointment of it is that the snow sticks to the leaves and brings down branches with it's weight. Anyway, with the advent of the first snow storm, I find that I wake up every morning with a little tummy ache from the guilt of not being superhuman. It's a familiar feeling - as I've had it every year since I started framing. I spend extra time at the studio making sure I'm not forgetting someone's treasured Christmas present and have to stomach the guilt of not spending more time with my family. If I spend time with my family, I'm overwhelmed with the guilt of not getting my framing done. I'm sure you all know how it is. I willingly beat myself up for a couple of months knowing that things will be a little calmer in January. Anyone who has worked in retail will understand the craziness that happens right up to the end of December and then the wierd quiet that follows in January. I guess that's why we framers refer to late autumn and early winter as "Silly Season". We're all a little nutty by the time it's over.

This week I'm adding a page. I've had many requests to frame the "Birds of a Feather Mystery Sampler" by With Thy Needle that I thought it would be fun to put them all (so far) on one page to make it easy to compare and contrast. I've been amazed and pleased with the individuality of each piece and we have taken special efforts to make sure each one is finished to not only suit the needlework but the needle artist as well. Be sure to check out the Mystery Sampler page.

Midge and Gidget are well. The snow brings out Midge's puppy antics while Gidget turns into a little Yoda - walking around like a little grumpy old jedi.

And in other framing news...
Most of you are familiar with my amazing packager Kelly. Well, maybe not with her exactly, but certainly with her skill and making sure your treasures make it home safely. This week I want to show you a print she created while taking art courses at the University. She has a natural eye for design to be envied by most. It would do my heart good to see her continue to pursue her artistic endeavors.

And now the other things I managed to finish up this week. Tom Turkey was a collaborative project between me and Mindi B. She brought him in with a clear idea that she wanted me to paint bittersweet on the mat. I was unfamiliar with bittersweet so I did a little research. I'm sure glad I did. It's lovely! It's a kind of shrubby bush that in the autumn has these bright orange-red berries exploding from hot yellow tri-lobed pods. Perfect for an autumn theme. Thank you, Mindi for teaching me something this week.

And the rest of our endeavors...

Until next week. Stay warm and content. Jill

A couple of tricks and a whole lot of treats

2011-11-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

Once again, I'm a week behind on posting our work. I promise I'll get caught up. It may be AFTER silly season, but I'm optimistic it'll eventually happen.

Midge meeting Oliver
This week Midge and Gidget finally got to meet Oliver. While little Oliver is precious, I was completely taken with my little girls' reactions to him. They were quite inquisitive and gentle. Midge gave him a little kiss on the ear.

Gidget meeting Oliver

Yet Again, Gidget has that "kids stink" look on her face, but I assure you she was just as delighted to meet him as Midge.

We had a Halloween photo shoot for the girls. I love the ones where they look like they've gorged themselves on candy and are nursing belly aches.

Midge licked every one of those candy corns, but I assure you she didn't actually eat any.

And now the treats.

This first piece is the most amazing needlework I've had the pleasure of framing. My only regret is that my photograph didn't capture the quality of the work in detail. Kimberly all I can say is, "WOW!"

And Carolyn, this bunka embroidery is a rare treat.

And the rest of our treats...

until next time,

Boo!

Jill

Martha move over.

2011-10-23T22:14:00.000-07:00

Our Courtney got creative this week. She needed a halloween portrait to hang over her fireplace so we dug through the back room for an old "retired" frame. It wasn't nearly old and grimy enough, so she rubbed rottenstone into the liner and dry-brushed black paint on the frame itself. Then she found an old photo of Edgar Allen Poe, tore it into pieces, and put it back together. The thing that put it over the top was spray glue and rottenstone on the inside of the glass to give it that really grungy look. Yea, Courtney. Very spooky.

Midge and Gidget got a MUCH needed bath this weekend. There's nothing yummier than a tiny pooch that smells delicious. I probably won't get any work done for a few days for all the snuggling I'm going to do.

It must be the beginning of silly season (sigh) as people are beginning to e-mail me to tell me that my voice mailbox is full. I promise to get caught up with communications next week. (right after I finish my quarterlies)

Gaah. If I'm not very pleasant on the phone this week, please chalk it up to quarterly stress and I'm sure I'll be nicer next week.

And the rest of our accomplishments this week.

The Story of Midge and Gidget

2011-10-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Midge

Gidget

Just about a year ago, my husband called me at the studio and said, "I want to do something and it could either be really good or really bad." I said, "You're scaring me. Spit it out." He then proceeded to tell me that he wanted to get me a Yorkie for my birthday. (He was worried that I wasn't yet over the death of my precious Sparky.) I said, "Let's go get her." That was the happy day that Midge became a part of our little family.

Then, shortly after Christmas, we took little Midge back to her breeder just for a visit so she could see how her puppies turned out, and I met Gidget. She was tiny and shy and living with at least a dozen other dogs, which made her tough and she could take anything Midge could dish out. The breeder had bought her as a pet for herself but kept saying things like,"I don't know why I bought her. She's too small to breed." In my head I'm thinking, "There's a woman with a price." I obsessed for a few weeks and then convinced my husband that Midge needed a little sister. He secretly went to ask the breeder about the possibility and she wouldn't even let him in the door. When I showed up at her doorstep the very next day, she rolled her eyes and asked, "Do you get everything you want?" Without missing a beat I told her, "No, but it's about time I did!" Well, she didn't even argue with me she just loaded Gidget up and off we went!

So that's the story of Midge and Gidget. It's been a lovely year. How wonderful it is when what you want turns out to be exactly what you need.

Here's what I've been up to in the last couple of weeks. There's plenty more to show you, but I want to
space it out so each piece gets it's proper attention.

2011-10-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

I've long wanted to espalier a pear tree. My studio has a lovely warm west facing wall on which

I've attempted this. It seemed to be going well for the first few years until my miniature pear suddenly shot up over the top of the roof. I guess a taller ladder is in order. I don't have the hang of when to prune, either. Every spring I dream of a harvest and every fall I'm disappointed. This year, however, one hearty soul escaped my pruning shears and made an appearance well out of reach of the neighborhood children. Isn't it the loveliest thing you've ever seen?

We get to welcome little Oliver to the world this week. He's the long awaited first son of my world famous stretcher. We at the studio willl have to make adjustments to mommyhood, (Kari's only been away for a few days and we already miss her!) but it's an adjustment we're all eager to make.

This piece was done years ago and dug up from an archive. I think it's still lovely. Thank you Maggee for
the submission.

The rest of these are our accomplishments for the week.
Enjoy. We sure did.
Jill

A Blast from the Past

2011-09-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

This week I want to say as sincere "Thank you" to Mrs. Barney, my fifth grade teacher.
She came by the studio to say hello last week. Apparently she stumbled upon my blog and just had to come by and say hi in person. It was so much fun to see her. She hasn't aged a day since I last saw her. While visiting with her I was immediately transported back to the drawings, plaster dioramas, and sugar easter eggs she patiently encouraged us to create. Martha Stewart, move over. Her visit really made me think a lot about the people who nurtured my creative side growing up. I am so grateful that I had teachers and caregivers who appreciated the arts and recognized how much my life was driven by them. I guess what I'm trying to say is, "Yes, Mrs. Barney, It is all your fault. Thank you."

The puppies (I can't bring myself to call them dogs) are doing well. Gidget continues to learn how to play, but simply cannot wrap her head around how to play fetch. I throw the ball and she runs and attacks Midge. Midge gets the ball and then wrastles Gidget. Good game.

Until next time,
Jill

I'm sorry that you all can't see "Sabrina" in person. She's quite simply elegant. I tried to get some closeups of the beadwork on the mats, but they just don't have the sparkle that they do in person.

This Noah's Ark was particularly fun for me. It was a collaborative surprise for my stretcher who is having her first baby soon. Mindy, the stitcher, let me get input from the mom-to-be on how to frame it. (I let her think I was having a creative block.) It was so much fun asking her opinion on the colors, design, etc. as the piece progressed and the whole time she didn't have any idea it was for her own nursery! What fun! Better yet, I made her stretch it herself! I can't wait to see it in the nursery.

This one is a fresh take on an older Shepherd's Bush piece. I'm thinking it was quite successful.

What I learned last week

2011-09-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

It always pays off to ignore nonsense and appreciate goodness. (Sincere thanks to all of you who "got my back")
Crows think grasshoppers are yummy.
Migraines suck.
Ants think doggie treats are yummy.
Passive aggressive sometimes pays off but usually gets you a lot more trouble than you started with.
Mature mint looks a lot like a cross between a pipe cleaner and a fuzzy caterpillar.
Good neighbors are hard to come by.
Smelly black smoke coming from your television is a bad sign.
And last but not least, Mindy B is a banana bread baking goddess. Thank you for being the kind of friend that knows exactly what's needed at the minute it's needed. You rock!

Here are last week's pieces.
I think the sleeping beauty must be one of my all time favorites.
Jill

Food for thought

2011-09-04T21:20:00.000-07:00

I saw a sign in an antique store once that said, "I found it, cleaned it, and hauled it here and you want to know
if I'll discount it?" That sign was addressing the behind the scenes effort that goes into running a business. On the surface it may seem that someone is making a killing on junk they found in an attic, but the reality is that they have lots of hidden costs including utility bills and labor.

Most people think that the biggest cost in custom framing is the materials and they have the idea that a large piece will be expensive and a small piece will be inexpensive. Well, for the most part that is correct. The small piece requires less moulding, glass and matboard etc. What they forget to consider is that a large part of the expense of custom framing is the labor involved. It takes just as much time to design, build a frame, cut and clean glass, embellish and assemble a small piece as it does a large piece. I know that I put as much of myself into designing, painting and carving a mat for tiny needlework as I do a large one. I try always to work with the thought in my head that this piece was important enough for a client to send it to me, so it doesn't matter how large or small it is, I have to give it my best effort.

I found a way to get Midge and Gidget to eat their dry dog food again. I put puppy chow into a ziplock bag
and hid it in the pocket of their kennel. They thought it was a treat and waited until I wasn't looking and pulled it out and fight over it. Whatever it takes!

I hope you're all enjoying a lovely long weekend.

Here are last week's treasures.

I'll get by with a little help from my friends

2011-08-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

It seems every week I'm asked for the name and designer of a piece I've framed and showcased on my blog. Here's the problem... when I recieve a piece in the mail it may not have the proper title and designer included with the customer information, so I just make up a name (much to the amusement of the ladies at the Shepherd's Bush and the dismay of my readers) that will evoke an image and help me to remember the piece. This practice is not at all helpful to those of you who would like to stitch something they've seen here. Therefore, I'm asking for your help. When you send me a piece if you'll just include the title and the designer's name, I'll try hard to label all my records with the accurate information and you all can just click on a photo to get the information you need.

On a doggie note, you must be this tall to ride this ride... little Gidget seems to have a low tolerance for anyone shorter than my waist. We spent many hours shopping this weekend without a peep out of either girl, but the minute a small child comes anywhere near her she lets us know about it. She's a weird little thing.

And here are the before and after photos I promised from last weekend's big adventure. I cheated a little on the before photo. It was taken a few years ago. (you'll note the refrigerator is different) I still have a long way to go, but it's a huge improvement and a refreshing change.

Before

After

Change is Good

2011-08-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

I'm late again posting last week's work. I have no excuse. What am I saying? I have a great excuse! I got a giant bug - well, you know where I got a giant bug... Anyway, I decided to change the hinges knobs and drawer pulls in my kitchen this weekend. Of course, you can't change knobs without filling the old holes, and of course that leads to painting all the cabinets and drawers, and while the cabinet faces are off you realize you really need to organize the stuff you keep in the cupboards, and while you're at it you might as well clean out the refrigerator... I guess what I'm saying is: I didn't post to my blog because I decided to make a big darn mess this weekend! It actually is turning out really well. You see I live in a house that is almost a hundred years old and when we moved in, I had big visions of putting it back into the shape it was in when it was built. What was I thinking? It's a labor of love, but with my framing schedule, I don't really have the time to give it what it deserves. The kitchen was probably last worked on in the 40's. It's darn cute and really has a warm homey feel, but some previous owner had stripped the cabinets in hopes of having lovely wood grain and what they ended up with was kitchen that looked like it was built of plywood. Ugh. I promise I'll post some before and after pics next week.

Midge and Gidget are still full of vim and vigor. I realized this week that if I walk at full stride doing my fastest speedwalker walk I STILL cannot go as fast as either of those girls with their teeny little legs! I swear they break all rules of physics! Little Gidget has such narrow little hips and has a really girly stride (one leg swings in front of the other) that when you watch her little backside as she goes really fast she looks like a pogo stick!
I'll write again soon.
Jill
Now for the good stuff...

Credit where credit is due

2011-08-12T22:33:00.000-07:00

My husband and I often talk about how bad customer service has gotten just about everywhere. From not being able to get a real person on the phone to having a salesperson tell you "it's not my department". We usually just turn and give each other a knowing look as a salesman tries to answer our questions by reading the very box we just got finished reading!
Have you ever had an experience like this? Just at the moment when everything seems to be going wrong and you feel so lost and helpless someone steps in and does something amazing to make it all better. My husband and I had just such an experience with this computer nightmare. He had researched motherboards and processors all weekend and was boggled by the changes in just a year or so. He finally figured out which bits and pieces to purchase and did so from an online store. That's when the amazing part happened. You think when you're ordering online that you're going to have one of those anonymous experiences where you're just another credit card number and if things go REALLY well you'll actually get your merchandise and it will be just what you wanted. Well, the day after ordering the bits and pieces we needed, my husband gets this e-mail from a representative of the company saying we'd like you to call us about your order. He did and found out that while putting the order together, a saavy salesman noticed that the processor and motherboard he had ordered weren't compatible and he wanted to save Terry the headache of trying them only to be disappointed. I can't tell you how much pain this amazing salesperson has saved us! It's so refreshing to have a retail experience where the salesman actually knows a little something about his product and will go out of his way to make sure you're happy with your purchase. We were so elated to have such a good experience
that I wanted to put credit where credit is due. If any of you are looking for computer parts, I highly recommend the service at www.excaliberpc.com. They've renewed my faith in the human race.

Midge and Gidget have become the darlings of the neighborhood. On our morning walk I can be certain as we round the corner of the big apartment building that someone will be waiting with a smile and a "there's my girls!" As the heat of summer brings everyone outdoors in the cool morning and evening air, we've become a tight little community. Miss Midge has discovered the plum tree and will scour for a new hard plum to bring in and toss around. (I dread the day when the plums are actually ripe! Could be a sticky mess!)

Just so you know, I am aware that I've become one of those funny dog ladies and I'm embracing the role with both arms! What a joy to find out that many of you are funny dog ladies too! I'm in great company!

It's been so long since I've posted that I can't remember what I've shown you and what I haven't. Here are the pieces I put in the "blog" file before I got lazy. I'll try to figure out what I haven't shown you and get my ducks in a row for next week.
Until then, keep stitching!
Jill

It's always something...

2011-07-31T21:09:00.000-07:00

I've gotta say, I love our technological do-dads, but I find it really painful when they're not working. I've learned more about the inside of my computer than I ever wanted to learn - just out of necessity. This week it's a motherboard. Can't just replace the darned thing, have to make sure it's compatible with the processor. Anyway, that's a long way of explaining that I'm not going to upload photos of this week's work until my husband gets the new motherboard and processor installed on the home computer. I just thought I'd better let you all know that I'm ok and still working feverishly on your pieces.

Midge and Gidget are still delighting me every minute. Gidget is sitting next to me chewing a pine cone she dragged in from the back yard. (Can you just imagine the mess!) Midge is probably under the bed pretending to be a coyote. We all had a bath and comb-out early this morning only to undo it this afternoon when we got caught in a rainstorm on our long walk. The girls loved it.

Well, that's it for now until I get quicker download speed...
Hugs and puppy kisses to each and every one of you.
Jill

Lazy days of summer

2011-07-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

I'm having a hard time pulling myself away from my family long enough to post this. We're having a holiday this weekend, so everyone is out barbecuing and setting off fireworks. It's our State holiday, "pioneer day" so the rest of the world doesn't understand why we aren't up for business as usual. We'll probably all be late to work on Monday morning because our route is blocked by the parade. I'm hoping for a quiet day so I can just dig in and embellish a bunch of mats.

Doggie update: Gidget is quite picky about who she takes a dislike to on the television. She loathes Gollum and the Orks from "The Fellowship of the Ring", and she has something against pro golfers! We just sit and giggle at the people and critters against whom she chooses to defend us. Midge turned one last weekend, but she seems to be having her second childhood. Once again she thinks sandals are toys and will remove them from your feet if you're not paying attention. I'm loathe to discipline her because I know it's just a phase and some day I'll miss those puppy antics.

Here are the notable pieces we finished up this week. Enjoy!
Jill

Welcome friend

2011-07-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

This week we get to welcome a new life into our world. Our Becca and Caleb's baby girl Aidyn Jane made her arrival this week. Bless you baby girl. As I tell all my employees...you're family now whether you like it or not!
You'd have to do something absolutely heinous in order for us to dis-own you.

Today I looked up from putting groceries away to see Midge go prancing by with one of those enormous jerky snacks. You'd have thought she found the holy grail! Gidget wasn't far behind. Just now they've both decided
that filet mignon smells like heaven!

Here are this week's framing delicacies.
I've learned that I don't feel like I've accomplished anything unless I work 14 hour days. Yuck. Midge and Gidget only have about 10 hours in them before they get fussy. Maybe we'll compromise. One more long walk equals 2 hours of quietly napping!

The method to the madness

2011-07-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

I'm frequently asked to talk about my design process. Here goes.

When a piece first comes across my design table I like to get an impression of overall style. I decide whether the piece is primitive, elegant, cute, funky etc. It's at this point that I bring the client's style into the design. If my client leaves it up to me, (which is most often the case) I let the piece make the decisions for me. I assume that my client sent me this piece because he/she loved it enough to spend a great deal of time stitching it, so I embrace the style of the piece and jump right in. This first impression will guide me in choosing whether to use mats, what style molding to use, and it gives me a direction for embellishment of the mats.

I begin by picking mats. I usually assume that my client has gone to the expense of sending a piece to me because they want mats with my signature embellishments. I almost always use mats unless the piece really doesn't need them. (I'm framing more and more reproduction samplers lately that really just require a special frame to set them off.) I will generally use a color that is dominant in the design for the top mat. I will then choose one or more bottom mats that further enhance the design.

Once I'm happy with the color scheme and contrast of the mats, I move on to the frame. I tend to use frames with interesting embellishment or texture in order to pull the whole design together. For example, if a piece has a dominant autumn motif, I may find a frame with an acorn or oak leaf design. It's at this point that I will then adjust one or more of the mats in order to make the overall design have a cohesive look.

By this point in the process, I almost always have a clear idea of what I want to paint or carve in order to bring the design to it's full potential. I tend to be very spontaneous when painting and carving. If I'm "borrowing" a motif from the design of the piece, I may sketch it out to get it right, but I really would rather
let the embellishment happen organically.

This, of course is ideally how the process works. Sometimes, a piece will sit on my design table for a day or so before the light bulb goes on. Sometimes I'll wake up in the morning and the skies have parted and there it is.

This week's pictures are pieces that are shipping out on Monday. Yet again this week I feel blessed to have
the opportunity to work on such extraordinary examples of needlework skill. Karin and Kay, you are both amazing!

Until next time,
Jill

Getting your licks in

2011-07-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

I've decided that the world can be divided into two types of people. Those who love puppy kisses and those who don't. Bet you can guess which kind I am!

I'm adding a recipe this week. As you know I have to spend most of my time at the studio, so when I do cook I want the recipe to be quick and easy. I made red white and blue cobbler for our holiday breakfast.
(Ok, it was more white and blue, but I bet you could add some red if you're so inclined.) I used white peaches and blueberries.Yum.

Today I learned that Gidget likes cobbler. Midge doesn't. Midge likes watermelon. Gidget doesn't. I wonder if they'll like barbeque?

I made much progress on the e-mails this week, but I still have one or two that slipped by that I have to retrieve. Here are the pieces we got shipped off this week.

I hope you're all having a calm and restful Independence Day.
Jill

A day late and a dollar short

2011-06-25T21:17:00.001-07:00

This week finds me behind once again. I've promised myself that I'm going to get caught up before the kids go back to school. I've been concentrating on painting and carving all week. We have so much in progress right now just waiting for embellishment and so many that are within minutes of being completed. Courtney has been a Godsend. She's taking over the fitting and taking pressure of Kari (the best stretcher in the Western World.) I'm behind on answering e-mails again, so if you've written me in the last two weeks and I haven't answered you, I promise I'm going to make it a priority next week.

Midge and Gidget are still just the best thing that ever came into our lives. Midge has this precious way of letting you know what she needs by ever so gently bumping you with her tiny little nose. If she doesn't get what she needs she will then get very aggressive and dig at your leg. If she's thirsty she'll point at my bottle of tea or she'll bang her water dish until someone hears her. When she wants a new bone she'll play Lassie and lead you to the treat box. Gidget has yet to learn to get exactly what she wants. She'll put her front paws on you and look at you lovingly. Her humans are so stupid that we all just think she's asking for a cuddle. It must be frustrating to be so cute. It's a good thing she has a sister that takes care of her. She still watches the television with us and barks at actors she doesn't like the look of. I have to wait until she's sleeping before I can get through an episode of "The Dog Whisperer" in peace! They've both been real troopers as we've been spending 12 hour days at the studio. I'm thinking there's a long weekend at the dog park in their future!

Here are some of the pieces I neglected to show last week as well as this week's accomplishments.

A breath of fresh air.

2011-06-19T00:04:00.000-07:00

I've made an executive decision this week to not show you everything we got finished. I'll post them next weekend. The pieces I am showing are so amazing that they deserve to be admired carefully and slowly. All three are the work of the same needleworker, Arlene Lewis. What fun we had this week! For most of us it would take a lifetime to complete just one of these pieces yet she showed up at my door carrying all three (with plans for more in the future). Arlene, it was a sheer joy to meet you and your charming husband. I think we collaborated well together and I'm very proud of the final result. I'll be delighted to frame your future projects.
And now the grand unveiling...
Jill

Crawling out from under my rock...

2011-06-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have one of those days where one part of your brain just won't kick in? I try to stay productive by just letting that part of my brain rest and use the other parts until I can get it together. If I'm not having any truly creative thoughts, I work on bookkeeping or chopping moulding until I can get my creative side to kick in. Because of this, I have a really bad habit of working on ALL the orders at the same time. If moulding comes in, I chop and build ALL the frames for the upcoming orders. When the mats arrive, I organize them for each order and get them cut to size. The result of working this way is that at the end of the week I'm about three fourths of the way through eveything but I have nothing to show for it. That's where I found myself last week, therefore I didn't post anything. I have a little more to show for my efforts this week, and I can hardly wait to show you what I'm finishing up for next week. They will truly knock your socks off!

Doggy update:
Midge (little miss thing) is finally sleeping through the night just like a grown-up. Gidget (littler miss thing) has
finally learned how to wake me up when she needs something by putting her fuzzy little face in mine. What a pleasant way to be roused from a deep sleep.

Until next time,
Jill

Here's last week's progress:

(I couldn't help myself! Can you even stand it?)

Dog Days

2011-05-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

I saw a great bumper sticker today. "Wag more. Bark less." Oh to enjoy life the way a puppy does! Midge and Gidget seem to have life by the tail. When they see something they want they don't even hesitate to pick it up and bring it into the studio to chew. They see a cute boy and they just pounce right on him. If a stranger walks by they demand a belly rub. I've promised myself this week to be "puppy-like" and enjoy everything and everyone that comes my way. Maybe I won't be licking anybody, but I'll try to wiggle a little more.

This week we're delighted to officially welcome Courtney as a member of our happy little family. It's like we've found a long lost cousin that we didn't know we had. Sometimes good things come your way when you weren't even looking for them!

Here are the delectable pieces we finished this week.

Until next time,

Jill

Rapture before the Rapture

2011-05-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

This week we had dismal spring weather. Every day it was grey and rainy. I picked up one of those stinky spring colds but we still managed to get some great work shipped out. I hope you all have a chance to enjoy these pieces before the world ends.

I'm off to party now.

See you next week. :)

Jill

Better late than never!

2011-05-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

So, some of you noticed that I took a little "computer holiday" this week. Thank you for worrying about me.
I prescribe to the belief that your life is made up of "compartments". Sometimes in order to do one thing well you just have to let one or more of the other "compartments" slide a little. I just had too much on my plate last week so the blog suffered. Next week, maybe I'll ignore the lawn! Anyway, the upshot is that we have some
really wonderful pieces to show you this week. Once again I am astounded by the quality of the needlework.
Be sure to look closely because there's more than one "lifetime achievement" kind of pieces here.
Until next time,
Jill

Life outside the studio

2011-04-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

One of the delights of working with my amazing crew is taking a break to have a snack. It's been so much fun to find and share recipes with them that I thought it would be fun to share with all of you as well. Thus, this week I've added a new page. Recipes. As I spend most of my time working, I find that I prefer to feed my family recipes that take only moments to prepare or that I can make in bulk and freeze for another day. For the first recipe, I've posted Cornbread Casserole. I love cornbread but am sometimes disappointed by a dry crumbly piece. This recipe solves that problem. It's always moist and it's delicious covered in honey.

Midge and Gidget are so grown up that I miss their puppy antics. I'm delighted that Midge will still eat any flower she finds (this week it's tulips) and that all it takes to get Gidget in a playful mood is a little baby talk. Moments ago my precariously hanging coat (It's suddenly winter again) fell on the floor and after a good bark they both took advantage of a soft spot on which to nap.

Now for work...Here are this week's highlights.

Enjoy.

Jill

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

The weather cooperated and we had a lovely Easter romp. Can you stand it? Yet another day I'm

counting my many blessings. Life is beautiful.

I didn't paint very many mats this week, but I've got a bunch in the works.

So, this week's highlights are mostly great stitching with equally great frames. Next week, though, it's all about mats! Until then - warm hugs and wet puppy kisses, Jill.

Gratitude

2011-04-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

I often find myself in a quiet moment at the end of a long day reflecting on the wonderful people I've spoken with or e-mailed or framed for and I'm filled with awe for the special nature of the needleworkers I've had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with. I am grateful for the kindnesses that are heaped on me every day. Even on the hard days I seem to be able to find a moment or a person or a pat on the head to be grateful for.
Here's a fond "thank you" to all of you who have planted the seeds of gratitude in my studio.

I felt like I was swimming through gelatin most of this week, but we managed to do a few great pieces.
I just added a page for those of you wondering how the "mail-order" framing process works. Check out
the page called "the process".

Just when you think you've seen it all, along comes another masterpiece. This week the kudos go to Marlene. You go girl!

And the rest of this week's highlights...

Before I show you more from the archives I want to mention that when I framed most of these pieces, I didn't have any idea what the piece was called or who the designer was - I merely framed it. So, be aware that I may not be able to identify a piece by name or designer, but I'll do what I can.

Thank you

2011-04-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

After a hairy week, my lovely sister was released from the hospital yesterday and continues her recovery at home. Thank you for your prayers and warm wishes.

Mother nature played a cruel trick on us this week and dumped a fluffy layer of snow on our daffodils and hyacinths.

I had the pleasure of working on the MOST amazing piece this week. Just the sheer determination it took

to finish this piece deserves a round of applause! Congratulations, Michelle. You go girl!

And if that wasn't enough, here's another!

and a few more highlights

And here are more from the archives...

World's largest prayer chain

2011-04-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

Some of you were able to meet my sweet sister Julia at the last Shepherd's Bush retreat. This week I'd like to ask all of you to send a little mojo or say a little prayer for her as she's in the hospital having her gall bladder removed. I figured if each of you thinks a happy thought for her she's likely to be back in business in no time.

As I was a little distracted this week, I only got a few pieces finished up. Here are a few of them.

So, as promised, I started weeding the photo archives and I've found some old favorites I'd like to share...

That's all for today. I'll keep loading the oldies but goodies and share more next week.

All my best,

Jill

Looking back

2011-03-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

This week, I got a 32 gig flashdrive with which to back up my data only to realize I'm a data hog. I couldn't fit all my photos on it. I then spent hours deleting redundant photos. As I wade through years worth of photos documenting our work, I can't help but be amazed at the quantity. When I look back at all that work, man am I tired! It's been a productive ride. I plan to eventually get many more of these examples of our
work put in their proper place on this blog, but for now...baby steps.

This week's highlights were really fun to create and really difficult to photograph. I just can't seem to do some
of the frame choices justice. The tall sampler has a particularly lovely frame that really repeats the motifs in the needlework, but I just can't seem to get that kind of detail.

Little Midge is still obsessed with my lone Daffodil. She climbed atop a brick to put her little nose in it today
and brought to mind a circus elephant on a tiny stool. I just can't stand it she's so sweet. My Gidget has developed a stubborn streak and she will suddenly plant all fours like a bullheaded donkey and refuse to budge. What she lacks in size she makes up for in determination.
Until next week - all my best stitching wishes,
Jill

It's a learning curve!

2011-03-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

I had a nice chat with Erik Shipley this week. (For those of you who don't know him, he's a talented local needlework designer I'm recently acquainted with. Check out his website at www.shipsmanor.com.) While we were talking, I realized that I'm still a beginner at blogging. The comments you all have left on the blog are sent to my e-mail box. I've been hitting the reply button and replying to every one of those comments. Erik made me realize that all of those replies are floating around somewhere in cyberspace. So, rather than starting over, I'm going to eat a little crow and just send out a group hug to all of you who have left comments. I'm invigorated and motivated by all of you cheering me on. Thank you.

The crocuses are over. I have a single Daffodil showing it's shiny face and, of course, Midge is obsessed with eating it. I may give in tomorrow and enjoy watching her ravage it. We are all eagerly awaiting the tulips.

And now for the good stuff...
It's beginning to look like Easter at Rensel Studio.

It's Spring!

2011-03-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

Our garden has exploded in color! I've learned that Midge loves to eat flowers of any shape and size. I'm sure before long she'll teach Gidget to eat them too. We spent much of our week enjoying an early spring.

Bird Watching

It occurred to me this week that we are in the unique position of having seen the most amazing needlework in the world. We open every package that gets delivered to our door in eager anticipation of the delights contained therein. I must say that I never cease to be amazed at the skill and patience of my clients. This weeks highlights are a prime example of this.

This week's highlights

2011-03-05T17:47:00.000-08:00

Rounding out a long week

2011-02-25T18:41:00.000-08:00

Here are the last few pieces I finished this week.

Our latest creations

2011-02-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

After a long, arduous, process, we finally got these right and shipped them off today.

As always, Julia, we make a good team.

We also finished this amazing punchneedle piece.

Once again, I can't take credit for the great idea to add snowflakes to this gorgeous burlwood moulding, but I'm proud of the results.

What I've been up to since the last post...

2011-02-18T21:33:00.000-08:00

As most of you would rather see the work than read my blather...Here are some of our recent jobs.

If you don't see a piece that I've done for you recently, please don't feel slighted. It's merely an oversight. Please remind me and I'll search through my pictures and make sure your masterpiece is represented.

Hello

2011-01-17T22:38:00.000-08:00

I'm at the end of another long day. I find myself working late hours as I am behind in my work again. I get so frazzled that I can't remember whether I've logged all the new pieces in and called their patient owners to let them know they're safely in my hands. It occurs to me that this is a good topic on which to launch my blog.

I find that there are not enough hours in my day to complete the many tasks laid before me. I have amazing employees who help ease my burden, but as our framing is heavily dependent on my hand painting and carving, a good amount of the work burden rests on my shoulders. My work brings me so much joy, but I find that I cannot juggle all the plates I've tossed into the air. Often, at the end of the day, I find that I'm sweeping up the shards as they seemingly crash around me. So, I wish to begin this blog by apologizing for my shortcomings and to pledge to do better every day.

I prioritize my days around designing, painting, carving, cutting mats and building frames. Many days I don't even get around to looking at e-mails or returning phone calls. Some days, I cannot force myself to "create" and I have to find ways to be productive until the creative drive returns. With the arrival of Midge and Gidget (my Yorkshire terriers), I find that I am spending an inordinate amount of time walking, feeding, playing with and scolding puppies. I'm sure this time will pay off as they become delightful hostesses of the studio, but for now, they are a guilty pleasure.

As I write this, my tiny Gidget is barking at her own reflection in a piece of glass and Midge is looking for a new scrap of wood she can claim as a toy. My heart is overflowing with tenderness towards them and my loving husband for bringing them into my world. I gather them up into a furry little armful and we head home to rest for tomorrows adventures.