As I promised

Pictures for you. Here is half the diptych. You see that it need something else, but I don't know quite what yet.

Above is the quilling. I have more done on it by now, but you can get an idea of the process. Yay paperclips.

Half finished or half not finished?

    Yes, yes I'm still trying to get done with the works of art that have come to be my nemesis. "You are still on the same ones?" you shout. Yes. And it's not like they are masterpieces. I am just stuck on the diptych and can not get enough little papers rolled up to finish the quilled piece.
     I had to resort to scrapbooking paper to finish out the quilling one. It does not look the same, though. Instead of pictures and color variations it is just block color. However, it takes waaay too many magazines to get enough single-color pages. I went through 5 magazines just to get maybe 1/4 of the piece done. .
    Do you know how long it takes to roll and glue that many little strips of paper? They just don't cover much. I could probably fit two or three paper tubes per square inch. On a 9x12 canvas that is plenty- 216 to be exact. It takes some time. Give me a break.
    But I will continue. I will get these done. I have put myself on a crafting freeze until I finish at least one of the two. Otherwise I'll end up making the quilt, bookmarks, and woodblock transfers that I want. I already made cards, a few bookmarks and a cardbook (where I put all the cards from one holiday together and make a cover for it).
     Here are a few tips I've learned from these projects:

• If you decide to quill and want to use magazine pages, start saving magazines. Get friends to save magazines. Does your work get magaziens and throw them out at the end of the month? Take those, too.
• Have a best friend? Talk them into coming over and ripping out pages of said magazines that match with your criteria. Watching movies or TV while doing this is acceptable. Eating popcorn or pizza is not.
• If you decide to use scrapbooking paper, you will need a heavier glue. The weight of the paper is heavier and will require a stronger hold than the lightweight magazines pages.
• Paperclips hold the tubes together long enought for the glue to dry.
• If you have a cat, keep the tubes away from the cat. He or she will begin a separate project.
• Patience. Patience. Leave it alone for a while. More patience.
• Something I haven't learned, but hear it works well- focus. Focus and finish one whole thing before you start another. Not my style, but OK.

Did you think I forgot you?

     Ok, I admit. I have been neglecting this blog. You might be tempted to think that I have not been doing anything. Au contraire. Now have I been living life to the fullest? Probably not. But I have been living. And sleeping. And enjoying myself. But now it's time to get down to business. Let me tell you what I have been doing.

     The biggest project that I have taken on is buying a new car. It has taught me so much. It also made me so nervous and anxious that I couldn't sleep for a week. Here are a few things you might want to know if you need to buy a car.

•  It will take several hours over a day, maybe many days.
• You need to do plenty of homework before you go into a dealership. Find out what is and is not optional. Find Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), the invoice cost to the company, and what the average good deal is.
• If you are buying in America, Edmunds.com is helpful in knowing the average sale price for people in your area. I know I sound like that commercial, but it is true. I do not know if Edmunds applies to other countries.
• When looking at the sticker price, don't forget the taxes and fees. It brought my cost up another $900.
• If you are a first time buyer or maybe your credit doesn't qualify you for a good loan from the car dealership, ask your bank. It reduced my interest 8.78%.
• Don't hesitate to ask for what you want, even if the car dealership has to get it in. Most places can get cars free from nearby dealerships. They will try to sell you a car on the lot because it is there and requires no followup by them. Just instant commission. I wanted a turquoise car but they kept trying to sell me a grey one to get it off the lot. They kept saying, "Well, it'll be a lot easier on Jim if you'll just take the grey one." NOPE.
• On that note, if they try to push you because something is easier or more convenient for them, don't fall for it. YOU are spending the thousands of dollars. YOU are the one driving it for years. If they wanted something easier they should have picked another profession.
• Be sure to have it lined up with you insurance provider as well so that you are covered when you drive off the lot.
• Have names, addresses and phone numbers for everyone involved (car people, bank people, insurance people)

     I hope that this helps you the next time that you have to buy a car. All kinds of people will tell you how to buy a car, but they often overlook the important details. I found that out the hard way. But at least I now have my new, turquoise car.