Grandparent Spoilage!

My Mum and John arrived yesterday after a slippery drive from Bangor, Maine where they’d spent the night after leaving Sherbrooke on Tuesday morning. I thought that my girls might squeeze them in two with their hugs as Maggie, their cairn terrier scampered merrily amid all the feel wagging her little tail off!

Since Mum and John were over visiting my sister and brother in Europe for the girls’ birthdays, they brought presents along to have “belated birthday celebrations”, but its working out to a present a day! Thank goodness that doesn’t also mean cake and ice cream every day too!!!

I wrapped up a huge graphics project tonight and sent the bill off in the mail too. I got most of my stuff ready for the Creative Sewing and Needlework Festival next weekend in Toronto and Dani’s incredible stitching arrived by Xpress Post this afternoon. Her needle really is quick and precise!! Now I will get to show off the Overdyed Dragon for one of the classes that I’m teaching this fall.

I also revamped my resume and created a new .pdf file that acts as a brag sheet and reminder of all the services I can offer; illustration, graphic design, copywriting, editing, voice over work, translation, photography, logo design, etc. It doesn’t help to scrounge more work in other areas as my bottom line in cross stitch changes.

What really has to change are people’s attitudes... and one of the only ways that can happen is with education and enforcement. I’ve spent the past week looking into a few things that should prove to be very interesting and hopefully very proactive when it comes to dealing with pattern scanners. As an industry, we have to face the fact that technology will alter the way we do business forever, even in this most tactile of crafts. How we adapt to that and the ways in which we work to alter what is and is not acceptable, either by law or by society, will be the legacy that this generation of designers leaves for those who come after us.

For now, it is just fun to have Mum and John here in the house, even though they have to head