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Post by zenamidievel on Feb 1, 2024 21:42:48 GMT
We are a group working to declutter our spaces. Please feel free to share your goals, projects, ideas, revelations or challenges facing you as you work toward your own goals. Also feel free to copy and paste this intro, use our "CLUTTERBUSTERS" Title for the day to start the thread if you don't see it started. Good luck Clutterbusting!
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Post by michelle on Feb 2, 2024 1:59:11 GMT
Z, So glad that all turned out positively with your DM. Also that you were able to iradicate the sand in head situation. Today for me: Took Clair to PT. Did one chore in the K and thought I was done then noticed ten more things that also needed to be completed so this was a definite "win" in regard to getting things 100% completed. I am hoping that I am back on the wagon in regard to this since when I am not I make some pretty big piles of undone items. Still in clean up mode regarding the last bout of this pile making. Thank goodness the contractor decided to reschedule for mid Feb since I really needed more time to figure out the path extensions.
Called my Admin Assistant, the one that got her dream job in a totally unrelated field to see if she would come to help this sinking ship---which is exactly what I feel like in regard to the office admin work. She will come this weekend. Hooray for that! It's best for me to not get too backed up as I quit functioning, or have in the past. This is one reason I try so hard to get things done. I need to keep a firm grip on reality. I wonder how that would look like if drawn as a picture. What would reality look like? Would there be a big hand involved? I have made some interesting pics in the past. As for instance a pictorial of "a slight temper tantrum"--no human involved in this pic but the point is definitely made. Also what a bad hair day looks like--just hair folocales acting up. Just chatting. Hope you are having a wonderful evening!!! Onward>>>>
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Post by zenamidievel on Feb 3, 2024 0:18:12 GMT
Lol on the imagery associated with your pictures. Very creative thinking! Glad the assistant is able to come and help you out!
Yesterday: -through 4 head in the sand issues. This was great. Though I did need call again and ask for assistance as I was unable to proceed past certain point with the form online. Every time this happens. I'd made good notes, I added a little picture to those notes and circled it in purple ball point pen! AFter this stuff was done, nothing got done.
TOday: -worked through an instructional e-mail for a fried, which when done with an approach open to distraction, took me half the day.
Needlepoint: -I seem to be at a point where I make choices of design elements and need to push through to finished to a completed thing or 5. Which is possible, but there are a couple little things hanging me up. So I think I'm going to go downstairs now and see I can focus through one or two of these minor mental hurdles and get there. Then the rest should come easier. It's all coming easier with each thing, it's just still, a little things, which add up, then I'm like, "how did this end up like this?" and the work area is very tiny, and I get frustrated and set aside. So I'll go down, use my tools, see what can be done to get to the finish line with something! -I did do errands yesterday, took care of bank thing, got some brushes for the needlepoint paint and canvas prep, I will still need to go one more location and a get a can of something they did not carry where I went yesterday.
Saturday: -I worked on design#1 last night and had a couple small "aha!" moments with it. Firstly, my circle was not a circle, it was too large diameter on the diagonal. HOrizontal/perpendicular were fine, I'd not thought to check the diagonal and it was causing small, but noticeable, difference in margins with the image centering placement. Second, there were still, crazily a couple small errors with the design itself and a couple area I'd overworked so was hard to figure out what was happening because it wasn't "clean" lined. Fixed those. Third, I had already changed a small part for the better then while fixing these other things I realized I could fix the wings so they looked more like my original paintings by curving them upward ever so slightly at the tips and also I made the accent curves within the wing, curvier, and these changes, make the whole thing even better. -Realized... should be making a coloring sheet WITH the grids!!!! Not blank, that takes the guesswork out of where I'm putting stuff, duh! So I will do that today! -I did couple household chores yesterday and actually walked today, so that's victory!
Z>
That's it.
Z.
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Post by michelle on Feb 6, 2024 17:59:28 GMT
Z, Congrats on dealing with the Sand items! My main one is still simmering and will have to be dealt with next week for sure. It seems you are learning so much about the Needlepoint canvas creations!!! Today I forged ahead in completing things 100%, managing to finish up a couple more. It snowed a small amount so I cleared all necessary areas for Clair so she would not slip and then it was a lovely sun shiny winter day for the rest of the day. I will finish up the day with around 14,500 Steps--Clair's PT walks along with my normal reality are yielding high numbers relentlessly. I am doing a great job consistently getting all her PT exercises done 100% every day now. Priorly, I wouldn't always get them completed because she was too tired so I am glad she has taken another upswing in her general health. Did a couple of loads of laundry. Vac'd a little. Sunday - I snowed. We shoveled. DH ran the tractor. That was the excitement for the day. Also I did manage to get through my pile of little pieces of paper with To Dos on them. Got the dogs shot records updated and the lists prepared so that I can hand them over at the Vets since they seem to not understand what shots etc the dogs are supposed to get even though I meticulously go over everything when I make the appointments and they seem to spend a very long time getting it all written down. Strange but true. The snow had a very high water content--glad we got it done before tomorrow morning. Hooray! Monday - Another day of finishing up items that I had left incomplete. Also worked on an Audit, walked the dogs, did the PT exercises with Clair. In the morning I scraped off the snow/ice off the driveway but by the afternoon most of the snow had melted anyway. Those were the highlights.
Tuesday - I have to drive to town for an appointment and hopefully have some time during the rest of the day to get important items completed. I am on it!!!
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Post by zenamidievel on Feb 7, 2024 0:04:20 GMT
Good Afternoon!
Glad you had some nice weather prior to the snow. How many inches did you get? Also good work with the pet record keeping situation! I'm afraid to ask if the snow meant your office help was not able to come?
Very exciting news. I purchased and downloaded the software, went ahead and added couple extras to it for more color choices. It seems pretty user friendly so far, easier than photoshop, knock on wood, but it is probably a good thing I knew exactly what I wanted to do. So this all went extremely well from yesterday, all day and a bit this morning, variations of design one and two are "complete"! (this doesn't mean I can't still do color variations and what not) What it means is for design one, I have enough to work with, 6 each, and for design 2, I have three. Design two has come from behind and overtaken design number one, racing to the top of the cuteness chart! I was not sure how that one was going to go, design one was pretty cute. Design two is kind of over the top, and working with the software made it so easy to get the basic design up with most important lines then go to town with the color and embellishments. I'm BEYOND thrilled. What is more, is I have a printable file to submit for the copywright situation. design two is sooooo good....and there are only three. Design one is I think I'll only need to submit three also. Plus I'm not even sure if it will work. BUt it is HAPPENING! I will be able to show you these things in time, but I'm keeping them under wraps for now. Because, of course, I always think my ideas are the next million dollar idea. Maybe not a million, but truly do think it's something that is a viable possibility for a maker to want the license for to produce. Who knows. I know a bit how it's done and if a maker just gets the license and takes care of themselves and I collect a fee, great!
So many hours were spent devoted to this process to get all thee variations done, saved, printed, etc. ALso the Best news is...there is an option in the software to print the file certain way, which SHOWS WHERE TO PUT THE PAINT ON THE CANVAS AND IT's LARGE! THe physical painting will be minute process still, but looking at a larger key/reference while doing it? WOwza! So I'm a little excited if you cannot tell.
Now, I must go the store, bake a birthday thing for my cousin, take care of few household things, and will see what next steps are tomorrow.
Z.
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Post by michelle on Feb 7, 2024 2:54:03 GMT
Z, Your discoveries sound amazing!!! Also the progress with the needlepoint is fantastic! My day was mostly spent in the car so not much more to chat about. Tomorrow I have to go back to town again so it will be the same. I did get all of Clair's PT done including her walks. We are on Day 81 headed toward finishing up the first 90 days. Hooray for that! 14,117 Steps--a normal day for me now.
Wednesday - Another appointment in town. I ended up having to drive significantly more due to a traffic situation so most of the day was spent getting the items in town completed. Came home and took care of my PT responsibilities and that was about it.
Hope you are having a pleasant evening! Onward>>>>>
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Post by zenamidievel on Feb 8, 2024 22:21:23 GMT
Wow, that's a lot of steps! Great work! Sorry about the car/drive times. Ugh.
Needle Point Update: -Software, there is some learning with getting charts done the right right way so are sized properly for 8.5x11 sheet of paper. I'm editing this, it is not straight forward and you can't simply resize a "done" thing without it dropping parts of design/morphing stuff. At least I have not found out how yet. This is not something that I'll let delay me from moving forward with the copywright submission process as I still have useable files to submit for that purpose, I just don't have a useable chart type file for stitcher to be able to print/use. But I don't "need" that right now, so moving on. This did cause delay though as I was trying to figure out off/on for a full day. -went to the art store and got necessary paint, (I will be able to use some of my existing paint too), a couple more brushes, the 1" artist tape and the matte medium. I will be heading down to apply that next.
Home -got my walk in againa today, yay! -swept the driveway and garage of scattered sand and put back in our sand bucket. Now driveway and walkway look "clean" again and less tracking in of that. -laundry rebooted x1 -Set timer for 30 minutes and will address a couple chores inside before I go down to paint -sold a set of crochet drink cozies! Woohoo! I hope I get a good review on those and someone purchased a Tudor Rose ornament. Hooray!
Hope your day is going well. I will actually be painting today!
Friday: -Went to the art store yesterday to get the last of supplies needed for painting -attempt on first canvas made, mistakes, it's ruined -Edited version, there are two ways to line up your design to the canvas, I did based on the class we took and painted canvas, and that is the wrong way for my design. I've painted over that one too many times already, not a tragedy. I know what to do and another tip I thought I could skip from tutorial, things should go better on try #2 today. -it's warmer today, I think I could cut and prep a couple more canvases in the garage/outside so they are ready, they have to be sprayed first -kiddos valentines boxes, cookies baked, boxes packed, ready to take to post office. -I decided not to wait on a sale for the entry way trucks picture because that's our entry way, and it can look nice now -DH took another giant bag of clothes combo between us, boxes of stuff from garage, I grabbed three things from the kitchen overflow cabinet. -I dug out two small frames I'd gotten on sale to fit my barn print pictures, plunked two pictures in them, no matting, removed stickers, DH will make a hanging wire for both and attach and I will list those a framed thing. THey are not huge, the shipping is expensive, but I do have boxes and they might sell as a framed ready-to-hang thing. But the frames nor the pics will sell sitting in a box in my storage area.
I hope your day is off to a good start. I will walk this afternoon when I get back from errands. Z
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Post by michelle on Feb 9, 2024 22:58:04 GMT
Z, Congrats! on the continued decluttering and getting your walks in.
Just back from PT and the house needs a good cleaning so....
Onward>>>>
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Post by zenamidievel on Feb 10, 2024 20:05:06 GMT
Good AFternoon,
This morning I "had" to meet with a sales person that DH should have been in charge of handling because HE scheduled it. It's over!
Edited all my art print, photographic prints so are same prices and reference free shipping
Added the two framed barn prints, made a FB plug for those.
Designed a Nun in that software,hilariously cute. Needs to be on the larger template though, will do later.
Resaved all the chart templates PROPERLY for each one so I can print for the painting guides, printed out.
Now....I'm going down and will make a simple lined tracing of the design with arms to tape underneath the gridded canvas for a guide ALSO, will center it PROPERLY, and begin again. I'm very curious how long it will take to do a completed thing.
ALso I got worried about canvas sizes and margins, so I made an inquiry to a "finisher" and asked how much margin was actually necessary, so I can feel at ease about that.
Moving on!
Z.
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Post by michelle on Feb 11, 2024 5:33:45 GMT
Z, Great job moving ahead with the needlepoint projects! Another day spent getting Clair's PT done. My Admin Assistant came today and was a great help getting me back on track. We decided she will work next Sunday and Monday which will be fantastic since I had no idea how I would get the records requests organized and all in email form. It has been very chilly here off and on. The wind blows down from the mountaintops and is seriously cold since the elevation is over 7K and there is snow on them. However, the sun was shining! Today is Day 85--I can't believe how perpetually tired this has made me probably because I never get a day off. I am relentless so Clair never misses a walk on and on.... I am overcoming!!!
Sunday - Worked on office items this a.m. since I will miss three days this week. Much has been accomplished. Listening right now to the game and printing forms for the upcoming Audit season.
Monday - I worked most of the day on office items. Unfortunately a couple of them took far longer than expected. Also got Clair's walks etc done. Tomorrow is our appointment with her surgeon. She seems fine and hopefully that is what the xrays will show. Not much else to chat about. Hope you are having a relaxing evening!
Onward>>>>
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Post by zenamidievel on Feb 13, 2024 1:43:50 GMT
Great job getting your helper scheduled for more days! I certainly understand the "longer than expected" situation.
Needlepoint: So I decided to do the larger design first so could send to sister who is the more experienced stitcher. When I went to do the lined painting guide, it was too large, the outer parts of image were falling too close to the recommended margin area sister and I had discussed previously as she advised to what to have for minimum margin. So I had to revisit that situation, and adjust parts of the design to fit the 4" circle. (I though I was working with a 4" circle to begin with, which contributed to this problem as it was larger than that, unbenownst to me) After that was done, then I was able to make the painting guide. I did paint, and this took at least 10 hours to complete. Yes, at least that for a very small painting. But there was learning, curve, I had to open paints as I went (these did not open easily), there were corrections, paint mixing, etc. some parts easier to "see" than others, and I was almost through the A&E Pride and prejudice, and still painting till I went to bed. Then I got up early this morning and more hours were spent to completion! Then after completion, taking photos, I see a few MORE corrections to make, did that. Then again, later, a couple MORE, but it is done now and it's cute! What a saga getting to this point! Success! -Software Useage ERrors: So I was making a silly mistake, not being able to figure out why I could not make a 4" circle on the software. Edited version, finally, realized my mistake, and I have it now and I know what size to make these things, the circle AND the design! But I will have to redo a few possibly, but I need a break. Much was accomplished. -Streamlining Painting PRocess: I do believe as I get better, this can and will go more quickly. My hope is that I can cut that time in half or more for sure! Also I realized if I were to prep two canvases of the same design this would save paint, I could do assembly line, applying the color of paint dispensed to all parts on 2 canvases, next step, repeat. This would help use dispensed paint, reduce waste, and if I've got to mix colors, then I can use it twice, not just once. I have Idea how to do this. Also I would clean up my work area completely before starting again also which would be helpful. I will use foam core board to tape down the painting guides, canvases and they will be smaller, like 12"x12" pieces, then I can easily grab this one, that one, while I work through the process.
Goal for the week is to fix all designs, get new files saved properly, submit bundle for copywright. I'll mail canvas one to sister to stitch. Also I'd like to say this was the more ore complicated to paint as this design has more parts than the other one. So the other one should go more quickly as there is less to do on it....I think. I'm feeling encouraged now, not discouraged.
Now I will take a break from this and crochet, because, It's really been a lot and I need to relax.
I plunked two barn prints and a cardstock rooster print into frames I had here and listed all. That rooster already got a "Like"! Would be great if these sold.
I hope your day is going well.
Z.
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Post by michelle on Feb 13, 2024 21:43:56 GMT
The days are starting to melt together, I thought I posted last night. I can see what you are trying to accomplish now with the needlepoint! I really haven't ever paid too much attention to it so I checked out more today. It really is quite lovely and such an intense hobby since there seems to be a lot of stitching to get a canvas completely covered but the results are stunning! Will have to check it out more since I now have questions about supplies etc. In regard to labor intensive--the coloring book pages can be very complex and take lots of time. I do think having a needlepoint creation would be more worth it since they could be used in the home as decorations etc. More "same old, same old" for me. Working now on Auditing items. Took the dog to the vet for xrays and had to finally fire them so I called another vet and was met with stunning professionalism just for setting appointments. These are the same ones I fired several years ago because they told me it would be three months before the vet could see me about my dog's ear infection. I brought this up today (but not as a complaint) to explain why I left and was told that they had restructured so that these types of things don't happen anymore. My complaint about the xray vet was truly scary as the "Techs" suggested something totally wrong and frightening. That's behind me now, after more than several problems.
Back to work!
Hope your day is great!!!
Onward>>>>
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Post by zenamidievel on Feb 15, 2024 3:06:03 GMT
Wow I'm glad you were able to back to the other vet and I do hope what they say is true and things are better with how they do things now!
Needlepoint: I put the new correct circle around all previous done designs, I have 6 of one type, 3 of another and 1 of another equals ten designs. AFter doing that, and checking them, I attached the PNG files (this is how they save automatically from the program) and set of instructions to STAPLES and I'm editing this, it's simple copy/paste for them and then resave the files anew. I was told by the clerk maybe I could do this myself, this is a clerk I do not like interacting with, he just can't be bothered with anything "beyond". I said, no, I wouldn't do it myself, that why I was sending it to them. I do not have Microsoft publisher and I don't know how to work with the file this way. So hopefully the "normal" clerks can process it tomorrow. Major progress was made, I'm excited to have the files ready to do the copywrite submission process. Plus all the files are correct now, and they are cute!
Yesterday I met for lunch with a girlhood friend and then we went to the art museum to see exhibits of local artist, very cool. They had some Frank Matsura photography exhibit also on display, he took many photos in the Okanogan and of Native Americans and many things. PRetty famous, at least in these parts. THere is a photo in a book that was taken by him, has my great grandmother in a group of women with babies and she's holding my grandma. Pretty cool. She had organized a big party for mother and babies of less than two years old and he took a picture of the group. So that was a fun day.
Now I'm going to go crochet some more.
Z.
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Post by michelle on Feb 15, 2024 4:36:56 GMT
Z, Lovely story about your grandma! You are becoming such an incredible expert about your creative process that I couldn't quite follow the STAPLES order. Of course, I am not tech savvy in the slightest though. Today I continued to work on Declutter Wednesday and finished up cleaning up my files for Audits and tax returns. Lots to be shredded and I am glad I did this since it hadn't been done in a number of years so it was time to get it accomplished. Also started a coloring picture so that was fun. Tomorrow Clair and I are going to the therapy event at the university. So she is back to work! I am definitely looking forward to it since I have been in lockdown with the dog for three months. This event does not require that she walks around so it is going to be fine for her to go. Still racking up the steps doing the three times daily 20 minute walks which are very challenging because according to Clair we should be running and it seems like we almost are sometimes. However, drumroll, this has improved my physical fitness remarkably. 3.5 miles a day X 60 at least = 210 miles we have walked and that's not counting the beginning walking we did the first month. If she starts goofing off sniffing then I make the walk time longer to compensate for this behavior. I bought a stop watch to keep track of the time. Keeping positive about all of this--three more months to go.
Thursday - Clair and I attended the Stay-Paws-i-tive event today and had a wonderful time. Hooray!!!
Hope you are enjoying your evening!!! Onward>>>>
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Post by zenamidievel on Feb 16, 2024 22:49:22 GMT
Good Afternoon,
Wow that's a lot of steps and hooray for getting closer to back to "normal" activities with Clair! I hope you are enjoying the coloring!
Staples: That clerk I was talking about before, is non communicative and not helpful, don't enjoy dealing with him. Example, he just stood at the counter today, not advising of anything, whether he was doing it, doing something else entirely, whether I should leave, wait...etc. Finally I said, "I have to come back and get those original sheets anyway, so I'll wait for the e-mail files to come through, then I'll come down, pay, and pick up the order. Good bye."
Needlepoint Software: Good news! I figured out how to save a "Normal" sized file, not a GIANT one (pages and pages large) as a PDF, title it and all is right with the world! Yay! I was already in process with Staples to get a picture title and specification information onto the files I sent them, So I just continued with that with them, but next time, I think I can do all from home. So, I have my ten file in a format with all necessary information to submit with the copywright information application. But, I think I'm going to have to do that this weekend. -also I worked up my "Snowy Church" in that program, cute, cute cute! -also worked up a Tudor Rose, which will now just be a pretty flower, because TUdor Roses have 5 petals, not 4, but it's okay, cause the four petal flower completed is quite lovely! Fun -mailed the painted canvas to sister -found out what place to order spotter brushes that provide bulk pricing. They are $.75 less up to $1.50 less per each from buying singly at a store. They wear out fast, so are necessity for canvas painting. ordered them. -sent a status update e-mail on canvas painting shenanigans to Sis and my friend.
Now I'm stopping with this activity, doing chores, clean up, and cooking as cousin and his GF are coming to dinner tonight. I will feel better throwing away the excess paper and whatnot from printing these designs and figuring all out. I hope also to get a walk in.
Z.
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