The Midnight Carver

Why we Keep Cheryl out of the Kitchen!

2012-01-31T15:10:00.000-08:00

It was a simple task: Bake the yummy pumpkin bread that the store sells. It even came in a prepackaged assembly so all you had to do was add the eggs and mix it up. How could anyone mess that up? Well, Cheryl found a way. At first I thought I smelled something burning, but there was supposedly all this time left on the oven. Well, Upon opening the oven, black smoke bellowed out and instead of fragrant fresh baked pumpkin bread, there was the billowing black clouds of burnt carbon throughout the apartment. Cheryl had filled the bread tins too full with the batter and they bubbled over onto the heating element. Naturally I had to come to the rescue and I got blamed for it for not seeing the "flaw" in her baking technique before the disaster. Ah well! After a good chuckle, we cleaned it up and finished the last batch without incident. Despite the drama, the bread still managed to taste pretty good. So it all worked out in the end...like the season finale of exosquad. ( Sgt Frog Reference) The lesson learned is make sure Cheryl has supervision in the kitchen. ( Like me doing laundry) Anyway, some new Origami. A Whale and a lobster. Enjoy!

My Latest in the Origami World

2012-01-26T14:18:00.000-08:00

Last night Cheryl and I made some more paper and I realized that I have not posted any pics of my latest works. So ...here they are. I have been working on the Robert Lang Tree Frog for a couple of weeks now and I think this is one of the best so far. It is actually fairly easy to do now that I know the theory behind it. One recommendation to new Origami fans: Have good paper and fold the same design several times in a row to gain a sense of familiarity with it. Your skill, knowledge and feeling for the design and art will only get better. The Grackles are such an example. I would like to work on this design a couple more times to fix the head. But first I will have to cut up the paper I made last night. Hope everyone is having a great week so far.

New Color Designs...Continued!....with some Origami.

2012-01-23T15:59:00.001-08:00

We are continuing to flesh out the color palette and the designs before ACT starts up. With a little luck and some determination, we should have the entire lay out ready for pictures before the end of the month. We shall see what our motivation levels are like after a day of Grading. In other news, I have been working on some Origami....I have not taken many pictures of them and I don't really have a place to leave them...as we do not go to Panera everyday as we once did. So...it's more of the same. Make stockings, and prepare for next Christmas. It is a long and rather boring path...but one we are determined to follow. Hope everyone is surviving the winter....Here in Iowa, the weather does not want to make up its mind. Sometimes it is cold, other days, almost warm. What fun!

New Designs! NEW COLORS!

2012-01-21T16:15:00.000-08:00

So we finally received our new colors...and what a show! Slightly brighter than last years, these are sure to make an impression. It is a little bit on the risky side for us, as we are not sure if anyone else will enjoy the colors as we do. But for now, we will be working on creating the prototypes in each color and then going from there. As for the old designs: We are keeping a few unchanged and are working on the production part for them. The goal is to make 20 stockings a day for 200 days. ( For those bad at math, that is 4000 stockings for the year) After doing the calculating for the surface area of the stock, we have determined that the entire collection will fit in our bedroom stacked in these boxes up to the ceiling. Cheryl is very excited! We are a little behind in production mode at the moment, but there should be more time as the year progresses to keep the pace going. As for now...enjoy the colors!

New Stockings...and Iowa Snow....Blowing Snow...Blowing and Drifting snow...

2012-01-12T14:24:00.001-08:00

Cheryl and I have been trying to get into the habit of making 20 stockings every night for our new goal for 2012. The Year of the Dragon....Year of Successful business and all of that. Anyway! We have our designs now and now it is time behind the tool...so to say. That is: Time to make the donuts! We have to develop the habit of making at least 20 of some design every day. The MINIMUM is 4000 stockings by November. Not that bad of a goal since 20 stockings take us about 4 hours everyday to complete. And it is fun! In addition to that....there is now snow. Not the fluffy fun stuff...but the powdery cold stuff that blows and stings your skin. A great time to hole up and hide out in our toasty apartment making those stockings. So far we are almost done with the green Rudolphs. But there are 13 other designs to make and several more colors that are not even seen here. I can hardly wait to place my next button order! Hope everyone else is surviving the winter weather. As for us...It's cold here so we are working on staying warm...

Origami Bugs....with New Paper! And New Stocking Design for 2012.

2012-01-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

It is unfortunate that the camera could not take find the conditions right for the picture taking, but we will pull through. Anyway, with the new found time we have acquired after the season rush..I have made some new paper to fold up. Not to mention Cheryl gave me several new origami books to play with. Some are rather advanced and I regret that my calculus skills are rusty tot he point of incomprehensible. ( that means I have forgotten almost everything about Calc one and two!) So when they put in a logarithm for the folding ratios, I recognize the symbols, but forget what they mean....However! I can still read and look at pictures, And can still follow the design steps, so I can at least figure out some new things without knowing all of the science behind it. So, A few of Robert Lang's designs, along with some of Michael G. LaFosse. As well as a few from my own collection. I really like the way the beetle turned out, unfortunately it is rather blurry ( thanks camera!) In addition, we have been working on the 2012 collection of stocking designs. We set our goal to make 20 stockings a day until November, but so far we are a little behind. But the designs are coming! We have a mouse, skunk, new squirrel, and several new birds! As well as a new stocking design and several new felt colors! I received my button order and can't wait to start production. Getting started is the hardest part. Other than that, they are cutting down the last tree in the back yard today. And there has not been any snow yet this year ( yeah!) I don't really miss the snow much, but it is still pretty windy and cold. Ah well, Perhaps I can survive another year in Iowa. One of the upstairs tenants have left already this year. Hope everyone else is having a great 2012 so far! I'll try to blog more often.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last post and I thought that I should at least post something in the early parts of the new year. Well the resolutions are out and one of them i, of coarse, to lose the holiday weight. It's not as bad as it could have been .. all that late night snacking on all those high energy foods. but it is bad enough for me to take notice..and that is not good. So, Cheryl and I are back on the plan ( hopefully) that allowed us to get back down to pre-Iowa weight. We shall see if we can make it work. In addition, We want to make Allenbrite Even more successful than last year. We have a plan. And now we have to stay focused enough to implement it. Already we are slow off the start, but there is a whole year ( don't lose focus!) to get those stockings made and work on new designs. I was able to place an order for some more buttons today so that should help us get a little motivated. 2012 is the year of the dragon...The Chinese consider the Year of the Dragon to be a good time for people to get married, have children or begin a business venture as the year tends to bring good fortune and happiness. Business should go well and people will make money more easily. Dragons are people who like to spend money and have an all-or-nothing attitude, often putting aside caution. Hopefully we can let up on the all or nothing attitude a bit...bit then again, Playing things safe is a slow, boring death. Hope every one's year goes as well as they would like.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T12:51:00.001-08:00

It is now a day after Christmas and we have opened all of our presents. Not bad! I would have posted pics of the presents , but how boring is that? So instead, I posted me standing in front of our "christmas tree" holding all of our presents. The tree is actually a contemporaty book case from IKEA. We managed to get that and a leather sofa home on top of our car. If the camera pbatteries would not have died, I would have shown pics of those, but ah well....The holidays are almost over, and it is a ZOO here at Panera and the MALL. After Christmas sales I guess. Hope everypone else is still having a happy holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Putting the Sweet in Success!

2011-12-21T12:51:00.000-08:00

So with our new found time, Cheryl and I have been making some treats for the family and postal workers that have made this years Allenbrite experience a stunning success! I wanted to get a box of these to the UPS guy why has also been influential, but I never seem to be able to catch him...And we are unlikely to have any new deliveries this year...so things are looking rather bad at the moment. Who knows? Anyway, we tried our luck with some new chocolate truffles, along with some toffee, fudge, and white chocolate star clusters. My rule when making candy or any treats is to buy enough for at least two attempts....especially when you are in uncharted waters....what way, when you mess up, you can try again with the extra supplies. The truffles were like that. The first batch turned out looking more like lumps of dirt than decadent pearls of chocolate delite. So Cheryl worked on shaping while I worked on a better way to drop them on the paper without messing up the chocolate. In the end, they began to look like they were supposed to. So hope everyone else is having a great Christmas so far and having fun cooking, baking, and candy making. A special thanks to all those folks that made this years sales the best ever! We are truly thankful to everyone. Merry Christmas! ( If I don't get a chance to blog before the 24th....)

The Great Allenbrite Finale...As the Shop Cats Look on.

2011-12-19T12:36:00.000-08:00

Last night was the last act for this Christmas season. We have been informed that it can not be guaranteed to arrive before Christmas after today...and people seem to have figured it out. Sales have finally slowed a bit and given us time to breath. We worked till the wee hours ( again) to get the final orders out on time so they should make it before Christmas. Now everything else is Bonus. It's actually a welcome relief. I'm sad that we did not make our sales goal this year, but we discovered many things about the company and our sales plan that will only help in the future. Plus, there are many things we got right this year, and the increased sales show it. So, like the shop cat, we have to now look out the window and see what the future has to bring us....while also looking behind us to see what might be there ready to pounce. Merry Christmas everyone.....perhaps now I will be able to blog a little more often with my new found time.

Mountains of STOCKINGS! Hundreds! Thousands! Millions and Billions!

2011-12-16T13:42:00.000-08:00

Ok Perhaps a slight exaggeration, but they are still coming. The good news is ( kinda good) that the sales have slowed down a bit and Cheryl and I have been able to catch things up with several all nighters. I say that is good because we are getting a little worn out. But it is not so good when you think that sales are slowing.. At this point I'm trying to harness the GREED gene that will allow me to work even harder to get that goal we set back in October. However, Greed or no greed, there are still only 25 hours in a day.....or was it 24? Honestly I have forgotten what day it even is! I can't even believe I have the time to blog! Ah well, I'll look back at this and sign with a smile on my face as I remember "those crazy days" of 2011. Hope everyone is having a great Christmas. If it is half as good as ours, you must be having a lot of fun! Lots of people are sending us responses that they LOVED their stockings...and that is really what motivates us now. It is fun bringing a little extra Christmas Cheer to peoples homes. ( makes me feel like an Elf!) Merry Christmas everyone!

OMG!!!! THE NAMES! WHEN WILL IT END?!?!?!

2011-12-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

I have created a monster in the last few days of the Christmas Shipping season. The NAMES! They now take about three hours to do! This is a sample of ONE DAYS worth of name requests. I have finally had to limit the number of names we offered, but they continue to come in...it's just that we are not getting paid for them now...AH well....I guess that was My bright Idea..but they have slowed to a controllable level now. I guess I should look at the names as a RUNAWAY success! ( cough cough!) Thanks to me, of coarse! I guess I should not be so hysterical then and just revel in the sales that are literally flooding in. ( we are Drowning!) Be careful what you wish for...you WILL get it if you want it bad enough. Hope everyone else is surviving the Christmas Season. This has been even MORE of a roller coaster ride than last year...( AND THAT IS SAYING A LOT! 2010...Recap: Close business, sell everything, move to Iowa, start business over, succeed wildly!) 2011 recap: buy furniture, money runs out, get a job, quit job, restart business, SUCCEED WILDLY! Makes you wonder why we don't keep the business year round eh? Hopefully we will become a little wiser this year and cut the soul crushing job out of the equation. we shall see..

NAMES! Glorious NAMES! What have I Done to Myself?

2011-12-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

The names are so POPULAR! I'm actually very happy. Yes it is a lot of work, but people seem to be happy with them and that makes me happy. Plus I like the way they look. Check out a ..".typical " (20 Names!) day at the Allenbrite Studio where I have to do all of the names. They now take about 2 hours just ot do the NAMES! Nevermind the stockings....what fun! Ah, there simply are not enough hours in the day to do everything the way I want. But seriously, I'm GRATEFUL for every single name I get to do. Not to mention every stocking is a blessing. Hope everyone is having a great Holiday Season so far.

We Are FAMOUS! (Almost) In IOWA!

2011-12-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

That is right! We are in the NEWSPAPER! Which is almost like being on Google...and in Iowa it's like being on TV! Well it has been a busy....what day is it? I have completely lost track of time. Our days are now running together and we put in 16 hour days back to back. We have been getting felt of fast that now even the factory is in short supply! We have been averaging 60-70 stockings every other day with small batches ( 30-40) on the days in between. Needless to say..things are getting a little crazy. Well I can't make this posting too long because My battery is short and I still have to open the orders....Hope everyone day is going well. As for me....looks like another allnighter. YEAH!

MORE buttons, More Felt, More Sales!

2011-12-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

What day is this? I can't even remember Thursday! Cheryl and I have been working long days to stay on top of this tidal wave. But NOW we have buttons! The Pic is rather dark....but imagine three more boxes of snowflake buttons. And then there is the felt. Cheryl put in another order today..and will probably follow that up with another order on Monday. I'm hoping the orders will be large enough to last through the season. And the sales keep coming. We finally got a little caught up yesterday working till 3 am. ( that is nothing....we worked till 5 the night before!) But the orders keep coming so we are behind again....YEAH! We are hanging on to a tigers tail here and we simply can't let go now. So....Cheryl and I have to dig in and re grip as we ride this train. Hope everyone else is having a fun and event fun Christmas as we are. It's AWESOME! Oh! And it snowed today....and nthing says Fun like an Origami Hummingbird at Panera.

Driveway DONE! A Major Victory for Cheryl and Ethan....

2011-11-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

So our small acts of driveway terrorism actually paid off.....Or the cement finally dried and the time had run out....Either way! We can USE the DRIVEWAY! I was the first to drive on it....cough, cough... Yep! I'm sure the message was sent when we cut the caution tape that last time. We were not messing around. So this means I can finally get that cat litter out of the trunk along with all the other heavy items...and I can finally clean the car out....YEAH! In other news, Cheryl and I worked till 4:30 am last night. ( this morning) And Cheryl might be a little cranky...I don't know why....However we did catch up all the weekend felt orders....OH! I forgot to mention that the felt arrived yesterday and was left at the end of the driveway...again! Only this Time it was about a 40 lbs box! Which I had to lug all the way and ended up frazzled and ticked by the time I arrived at the door to our apartment. Good thing Don was not there at THAT time....Well, It's all good now....and tonight I will have to cut a lot of stockings and we can Begin work on yesterdays orders. So far we are only one day behind...but if we stay home tomorrow...I'm sure we can be back on track....We shall see..

Finally ...BUTTONS! And more Driveway Drama.

2011-11-29T11:02:00.000-08:00

OK, first the good news: The Long Awaited Buttons have arrived! I feel down right diabolical! Like I could now take over the world! It has been a long trial, but I finally achieved victory! We placed another order for the remaining buttons yesterday, but those are not as urgently needed as these ones were. So...Mission objective achieved! YEAH! Now then the bad news.....The driveway. Seriously it is becoming a problem. The UPS guy will not drive on it with all those "warning" Tape strewn about. so he put my box at the END OF THE DRIVEWAY! It is a good thing it was not raining...or that someone else decided they wanted it! I don't really blame him....I don't like walking that long walk either....especially with a box on my shoulder. It has been 12 days now....they told us 10. I believe we have been more than patient....but we have to carry things to our house from the road. And NOW we can't even rely on deliveries that we desperately need to arrive in the appropriate manner. It's becoming annoying now...and Cheryl and I have begun our campaign of rebellion. ( i.e. Cutting the ribbon in the middle of the night.) It is a small act...but if things continue...I may have to escalate things. MMUHHAHAHHHAAAA! OH! And felt should be arriving today....good thing too because we are rather busy. And we need that as much as the buttons. I plan on cutting them up as soon as they arrive. We have already sold most of the bolts! There is just so much left to do that driveways can not be bugging me. We shall see.

Thanksgiving RUSH! Supply SHORTAGE, AND STUPID DRIVEWAY!

2011-11-28T11:17:00.000-08:00

Do I sound a little frazzled? Perhaps. We are selling quite a bit of stockings lately and our supplies are dwindling as we scramble to keep up. IT is all we can do to juggle the supplies, orders and conversations with our customers. WHOOHOO! And to add just a LITTLE more stress ( because that is not enough yet) The DRIVEWAY is still drying! IT has been over 10 days now, and carrying two tubs filled with packages 200 yards to our car on a cold ( COLD) day is not very fun. Not to mention each day we go to Iowa city, we have additional supplies and other things that we have to carry BACK! Ok, I'm focusing on the driveway a little too much because it is just that one extra inconvenience that is really bugging me. As far as Thanksgiving...it was fun. We had turkey, stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie. I probably gained 20 pounds! Ok maybe not 20...but I definitely ate too much. Hopefully our eating habits will get back on track as well as our grip on the Christmas rush/ situation. Every sale is a blessing....but as for that driveway.....GRRRR!

When One Room is Not Enough for the Business...

2011-11-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

You spill out into the living room, bed room and kitchen! Of coarse! Lately we have had to work in every room but the bathroom! The living room is nice because it has a nice large flat surface. Unfortunately, It is only about 15 inches off the floor! Well, the ironing board is still in use, but at least Cheryl no longer has to sew on it. I use it as a staging area for the names. Don't they look great? Well, Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! We plan on taking it easy for the next couple of days as we are stuck waiting for supplies to come in anyway. Hopefully we won't get too far behind. We shall see...

Putting out the Fires at Allenbrite Studio....

2011-11-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days where you sit back, get out of the kitchen, and grab the Arm and Hammer to put out the grease fires that keep plaguing your cooking. So far it seems we are doing ok on fire control. We had four fires flaming out of control but now are down to two as of this posting...Cheryl is working on the last two. First one was the brakes on the car...Got them fixed this morning. Second was the snowflake buttons. It has been a week since we started the process and hopefully, it has been taken care of. ( fingers crossed) I'm still hoping to purchase more as we are blowing through the few buttons we have left at a breakneck speed! I really will get a better night sleep if they arrive tomorrow. And then there is the felt. Two orders of felt have been delayed because the felt company charged the wrong card at the wrong time. ( FUN!) Cheryl is trying to untangle the mess as I write this. It should be ok, they just have to enter the correct card number for the correct order. I'm not even sure how they messed it up as Cheryl makes sure the numbers match the order when she places one. Well...IN the mean time we continue to sell stockings at our maximum capacity. So that leaves very little time to deal with any problems. Hopefully everything will be straightened out soon and we can navigate the next wave with a clear slate. BUSINESS IS FUN! What a ride, EH?

Who Knew Purchasing Buttons could be Such A Challenge?

2011-11-21T10:57:00.000-08:00

Three days after being convinced I solved our button supply problem, we are still without buttons and I have to call the company AGAIN. ( This will be 4 times total) I'm not sure why we are having this hiccup, but I'm very close to mailing them a money order or driving down there in person and purchasing them face to face. I'm actually not angry, just frustrated. We are on the downhill side of a snowball and are running with untied shoes! If we take too long to tie them....well, squish! So I have to call again this afternoon and HOPEFULLY everything will turn out.. Now the felt store is giving us a problem as well....go figure. The Price of Business is far higher than the price tag at the market. To all those folks who wonder why prices are so high....here is one of the many reasons. Well...enough of this rant. Time to roll up the sleeves and get those buttons! OH! And we sold 30 stockings today.....Cheryl is beginning to panic a little. I don't want to overwhelm her too much . She is the sewer after all. And I will soon be laid off if I can't cement my position as Chief Button Sewer in the Allenbrite Business. We shall see.

Crazy work with the New Singer Tradition

2011-11-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

We put in a late night last night finishing the orders, but are now all caught up. We happened to find the right sewing machine yesterday and returned the more advanced "Esteme" back to Target. Lucky for us, JoAnn Fabrics had the Singer Tradition in stock and we bought that. Buttons have never been as fun! Cheryl had to break it in for me, because new machines always have their quirks when you first get them running. As do just bout everything. Well, I didn't take any pics of the names or the pile of stockings and packages, but the willingness to blog after a late night should be enough for me. The driveway is finished now and just needs to cure up. That Walk in the dark and cold is really going to strain the relationship we have with our neighbor. But we will solder through. Hope everyone is having a happy Friday. OH! And I managed to hit a home run in the department of the buttons! I was able to score at least 40 bags at wholesale prices! I'm very excited! The snowflake buttons are always in short supply. I may even be able to get even more! We shall see next week Monday when We will have a little more money available.

New Singer Sewing Machine....and The Continuing Driveway Saga.

2011-11-17T09:37:00.001-08:00

Well they started pouring yesterday, and got only about half way done. this morning they were back at it with the remaining half. My guess is that they will be done with the difficult part by tonight. Then there is that 10 day curing process that I can't wait to be over. I had no idea the inconvenience of walking from the road to the apartment would be. It is a LONG walk. and if you have stuff to carry ( and we always do!) It is even more so. Anyway, to help Cheryl along, we finally purchased a new machine. ( and had to carry it the 400 yards next to the driveway!) Only to realize that it was not what we had hoped it would be. I wanted an automatic threader, but this machine can not do buttons. ( not easily anyway) So I turned it over to Cheryl. Cheryl has a dial set for a certain stitch she likes, but this machine is "MORE advanced" Which means she has to set 3 dials and lengths and widths to match her previous dial. AND the machine did not like going through 4 layers of felt. So She wanted her old machine back. Go figure that the new, expensive, advanced, all the bells and whistles machine was not the one for us. We are trading it back for the simpler version, and I will simply have to struggle with threading the needle manually. Not really a big deal since I can sew the buttons on much faster than with that machine. SO....30 more sales today so Cheryl and I will be working another all-nighter in the shop. YEAH! I love sewing on those buttons. I can't explain it....it's just fun and challenging. Hope everyone is having a great day. I wonder how the garbage man is going to pick up our garbage now that our driveway is under construction. We shall see.

Names, Driveways, and Even MORE sales!

2011-11-16T09:57:00.000-08:00

Are we feeling the Christmas rush yet? I guess so. We have had to put several 8 hour days in the shop just to keep up, but we are keeping up. I'm very happy! Take a look at all of the names I got to put on! So far so good with the cards, tags, snowflake buttons, and stocking names. It took me almost an hour just to put on these 25 names! We are getting low on cards so I might have to make a few more. Anyway, Things are looking UP! The Driveway is being paved today and it will force us to walk all the way around from the road for the next 10 -20 days! BUMMER! Because there are no lights between the road and the apartment so it gets VERY dark. I will be happy when it is over. I never really had a problem with the road/driveway to begin with. But the Neighbor closest to the road seemed to think that the dirt driveway interfered with his beautiful yard. Well, We are back at the Mall and Cheryl is smiling at the sales. Here's to another great week of MONEY! Money makes life happy! Hope everyone is having a great Mittwock.

Flat tires, Crazy sales, And An Iowa Secret revealed!

2011-11-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

The sales were crazy this weekend! But Cheryl and I have caught them up and everything is looking rosy. And then.....We come out in the dark to see that another tire has deflated. This coming on the heels of the misty dawn Subaru dying. It puts a new importance on this year's sales being better than ever! And Adds a car to our wish list. Well, in typical fashion, we got it fixed straight away this morning. But that is not the really fascinating thing. All this time I have thought that the broken leg fashion statement here in Iowa was due to the leg getting caught in a Combine during the harvest. WELL! The truth is revealed yesterday when one of the locals was telling a story about him smashing pumpkins and twisting out his knee as he tried to kick them! So Another Darwin award should be honorably bestowed to these people who kick pumpkins and break their legs! I'm not sure if this is universal here in Iowa, But there are a LOT of leg casts walking around here. More than I have ever seen before anywhere else.

Making Snowflake Buttons!

2011-11-14T10:07:00.000-08:00

That is CORRECT! I'm in charge of the buttons for the stockings now, and that includes MAKING them. You see, the supplier seems to be unable to keep up with our demand, ( isn't it always that way?) So I have been saddled with the task of finding a solution to this problem. After several trials, I found an alternative that even Cheryl approves of. I have to cut the snowflakes out with a punch, punch out two holes, and then shrink them in the oven. It's very much like baking cookies, only they do not smell as nice. And you can't get as fat eating the finished product, ( but you will get as sick) So, there you are! You have to make sure you get a punch large enough because these smaller ones Cheryl believes might be TOO small. I'm very pleased with the results, however, they still take a lot of time to make. Hopefully Cheryl will be able to track down the Wholesale button manufacture so we can get a box of the buttons we need. We seem to be going through the snowflakes fast! And I prob ably will not have the time to make them as I did this weekend. We shall see....

More Apartment Adventures In WELLMAN, IA.

2011-11-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

Flooding, power outages, Heating problems, Poisoned water, And now Crevasses! When the WORLD rends ASUNDER! Could this be a disaster site in some distant third world country? NO It is another adventure in Wellman, Iowa. They decided, now, as winter approaches, that this would be a good time to rip up our driveway/7th ave. This is just the beginning! They plan on repaving it next week so for the 10 days after that, we will have to park on the road. Now, I know many of you are saying, "big deal, drive around the construction." If you don't know Iowa, Their lawn is their CATHEDRAL! Seriously! I have never seen a people so religious about their lawn as these people in Iowa. Lawn work is like Sunday MASS! Raking leaves is like communion! I can not imagine the wrath I will invoke if we were to drive on that immaculate green carpet. So that leaves walking from the road to the apartment with our stuff. It's not too bad as long as it is not dark or you do not have any thing heavy. (It's rather distant, more so than the picture may imply) So that should be fun to look forward too. It's almost a Blessing that the car DIED! At least we didn't have to park that on the road as well. ( that is a joke) With so many things throwing our peaceful routine into chaos, We are doing our best with sales, cats, and estate trustees. I can hardly wait till things REALLY get crazy! ALSO The Spartains beat Iowa 37-21 today. Payback for the humiliation of last year. WAY TO GO SPARTANS!

Farewell Misty Dawn Subie!

2011-11-10T10:22:00.000-08:00

Well, We decided that this was the farewell swan song for the Misty Dawn Subaru. We are currently looking for anyone who will take it off of our hands. I feel almost "bad" like I' m losing a part of the family. It was a good car for 10 years, but cars have a lifespan just like everything else. Instead of looking back with sadness, I should be looking forward with excitement! We shall see what the future has for us. In the mean time, Some Origami Goldfish and Deer for the Panera.

Could this be the end of the Subaru?

2011-11-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

One day from retirement, and she dies.....It's very very sad. It turns over but there seems to be no spark getting to the engine. Add that to a laundry list of other problems and the fact that we were stranded in Iowa City with very few options other than to panic, break out in a cold sweat, and begin having fits of rage and anguish. The Subaru is over 21 years old with over 300,000 miles ( that is WELL over 1/3rd of a million miles!) And things are beginning to fall apart and Andy ( Cheryl's brother, the Subaru mechanic) is still in Michigan. So there is a very good chance he will not come to save the day. Add that to the rust, cracked windshield, old tires, numerous electrical problems and you will see that the decision toe put it out to pasture might seem a little overdue. Well, No final decision has been made as of yet, But the people at the bank might want us to make one soon before it spends another day in their parking lot. On a bright note, one of the bank tellers gave us a ride to Wellman to get our other car ( the winter Subaru!) It runs great as of this moment, And we were going to change over to the blue one after today anyway. ( the climate control actually WORKS in the blue one) Car problems are such a drag , yet loads of entertainment for my readers....so I will keep you all posted on how things turn out. Wish us luck!

Panera Origami, Claymore, And Sales.....

2011-11-08T09:00:00.001-08:00

Just a quick post today because I have to help Cheryl with Website maintenance. That is...I get to answer questions! I have also been promoted to Button Manager and maker. I now get to sew on the snowflake buttons and make them! It's very exciting. Cheryl says if I apply myself, I might someday be running the company! In the mean time, I folded a few of origami sculptures for the Panera. The staff seem to like them. And I forgot to mention that the new Claymore manga chapter is out! Also the latest book ( which I snapped up right away, even though it is 6 months behind.) Check it out here and find out what happens next....that is if you have been following it.

Weekend MADNESS! More Names, Origami, Sales that make Cheryl Smile...

2011-11-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

We were happy to find that sales are picking up now and we worked pretty much all weekend to get caught up. This week's plan was to work on the second gallery order ( about 63 stockings) however, we were wonderfully surprised to see that we also sold A LOT this weekend. Cheryl is VERY happy! (Check out the smile!) I also heard that I will be putting on even MORE names, so that should keep me busy tonight. I guess I won't be able to work on any more origami for a bit. I discovered this great paper that works really well for the older designs. I've known about this paper before, but this was the first time I actually had the motivation to make it. The heron and Pegasus came out great and the Panera people loved them. I can't wait to see what else I can make. Cheryl wanted me to use some Christmas paper for the deer. It looks festive. Well, I'm off to work now. Looks like it is going to be a busy week already. Hope everyone Else's weeks is as promising.

Tags, Names, Origami, And Stockings.....Oh MY! A Christmas Wolf?

2011-11-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

We finally got caught up just before the weekend and we are once again behind! YEAH! Cheryl was wise enough to order felt from the wholesaler, but even that will take some time to get here. At least we have some left over felt from the store that we can use. In the mean time, We worked on the Wholly Craft order this week with key fobs, pencil pouches and perhaps even a stocking or two. Then there were the names....I was quite happy with the way the purple turned out. It's quite striking. And then there is the new origami paper I have been experimenting with has shown some great promise! I can't wait to see how far I can push it. In the mean time, the deer and horse turned out pretty good. Compare with the Tyvek mouse and you might see the differance. At least with the new paper I don't have to burn my fingers with the heat gun to melt it into shape. Oh! And you will be the first to see the finished Wolf stocking! Isn't he cute? We decided that the blue eyes were more fitting since the black or brown ones just looked plain. I can't wait to see the reaction when Cheryl lists him in the shop!

Rhino at the Panera, Stockings, And Black Butler ANIME

2011-11-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

So it started out as a typical day at the Coralville Mall. It's cold today, and rainy. But the coffee was warm and the excitement was just beginning with an Origami Rhino on the table. I was fairly proud of this one, even though it was quite small. Someone snapped it up right away, so it I was not alone in my opinion. Cheryl says I should trade them on Etsy. Speaking of Etsy, The rush has begun and Cheryl has added a couple more colors and designs to the store. She was going for a little more color and style this time, instead of keeping things "real". We also got a request for a skunk today. I have always thought that skunks could be cool, they just are misunderstood. They are cute and pretty actually, when you take a moment to look at them. And Finally, We have been enjoying Black Butler...the Anime. It's great fun the second time around. I forgot some of the cool parts. IF you are an Otoku, this one is worth giving a try. Then again, if you ARE and Otoku, you probably know more than me about the latest anime. Here's the Second ending. Its eerily entertaining. Enjoy!

November...New Month...New Manga! Gantz latest Chapter is OUT!

2011-11-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

I'm a little bummed that Claymore is not up yet, but there is a new Gantz chapter nad it is a good one. One of those chapters where you know something big is going to happen....like the hero fights back...Well it is out and you can find it here: http://www.mangareader.net/gantz/350 So check it out! It's a fun and addicting story.

A (good) Day In The Life Of Allenbrite Studio! ( i.e. Cheryl and Ethan)

2011-10-28T10:02:00.001-07:00

Well what is there to say? I guess I have very little else to blog about and rather than side track on another tangent, I thought I would give the run down of a typical day at Allenbrite. I say "Typical, but it is actually a fairly good day today. We made a major sale that we were planning on for months. I guess "relief" comes to mind as well as excitement. There is nothing really like making a large sale! So to start things, we head out the door with our packages to the post office. We have three to choose from, but your local one has strange hours, so most of the time we head to Kalona or Coralville. Then it is off to the mall for Breakfast/lunch. Panera is there and today is Friday which means...SOUP! Clam Chowder to be exact. Nothing beats starting the day with a warm bowl of creamy goodness. (Except maybe making a HUGE sale!) Then it is back to work. Luckily, we don't have to move from our booth. We just sit back, log in and take note of the sales. Cheryl has to answer questions, while I make Origami. Actually I will be answering questions as soon as Cheryl gets so busy she can't be bothered with them anymore. Until then, I drink my coffee and fold paper....and blog. After this we will grab some Panda garden and head home to assemble the orders we received today. Then chillax with popcorn and an Anime. ( unfortunately we are still watching vampire knight.....but it is getting better now that we are in "guilty" season) Doesn't that sound like a great time? The best part is I get to hang out with Cheryl and the Cats all day long. ( well, we can't bring the cats to the mall) Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm sure we will be busy as well.

Eagles in Iowa

2011-10-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

No, Not the Band! The BIRD! They have returned once again! We made a Possitive ID this morning. I thought I have been seeing them for a couple of weeks now, but I could never get a really good look. Finally we have seen this one between Wellman and Kalona. I'm sure there will be more. LAst year there were over 50 in this field. I heard they eat the pig farm cast offs. Well, they are very cool to see on our trips to Iowa City. I look forward to seeing more.

New Stockings with NAMES! YEAH!

2011-10-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

I have to say...putting these names on the stockings is FUN! And they REALLY look cool! We sold another three today and two of them with names. I'm just happy Cheryl allowed me to put the names on this year. I was the one who had to answer all those requests and sadly tell them "no" on the names. We just didn't know how to put them on in a permanent and stylish way last year. But now....things have changed! It took a while to figure out the process. ( you would think is is simple, but actually, it is a multi step process that requires some fine tuning from time to time. ) I like the results. I know it is not embroidered ( I think that would look cool as well) but until we spring for a $800 machine....and besides, that would require a delay on the stocking because we would have to put the name on first...then sew it up....and hope it is adjusted so it is centered. But, I digress....In addition to names, Cheryl has been working an a few new colors and designs. They might not look that special, but they are just slightly different. The Purple looks GREAT! Hope everyone has a great week this week. Enjoy what is left of the fall colors!

Vampire Knight, One of those "Girly" Animes.

2011-10-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

I usually don't like ranting about Animes that are not "bad" But This one...I just don't understand. Maybe it is a guy thing. It is obviously written for the female mind. ( not that that is bad...but if I live one million years, I will never be able to think like a girl.) Cheryl LOVES ( LOVES!) this show. It's baffling! I seriously do not understand the female obsession with Vampires. They seem like a disgusting creature from mythology. and then "interview with a vampire" had to come along and make vampires "cool". Well Vampire Knight tries to do the same thing. To be fair...it is not all bad. The guys are cool and always itching for a fight. I guess the HUGE problem I have is Yuki, The "PINK POWER RANGER" character that is ALWAYS getting cut ( drip drip "Oh! I'm bleeding in front of the night class") And is the most bossy yet HELPLESS character ever! Seriously! No one could possibly be this badly written and exist in real life. Oh! And did I mention she is CLUELESS! The only living brain donor. She lives with Zero for 4 years and has NO IDEA he was bitten by a vampire and is becoming one. Or why he hates Kaname, who is a pure blood vampire. Forget everything you know about vampires....this show breaks ALL the rules.....( day light, silver bullets, garlic, holy water...etc etc...)except the blood drinking...and even that is bent with "blood tablets". The only flaw the guys have is they have a thing for Yuki. Any REAL man would have dumped that drama queen years ago. The only thing she is GOOD at is getting the boys to fight and then taking the side of the loser. ( i.e. Zero...fitting name if you ask me.) Ok, Sorry about the rant. Cheryl hates it when I add commentary whenever she forces me to watch it...but, like I said before, she LOVES the show.. Anyway.....find out more here is you are interested.

More Names, Stockings, and Pencil Pouches!

2011-10-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend Cheryl has been working on a few designs that have been bugging her ever since she thought of them. I know what it is like having a design in your head and just HAVING to make it. I actually think they turned out pretty good. She wants to add some contemporary designs in the mix, but the animal prints are easy to kick out at the moment. Even the plain one looked pretty good. While she was doing that, I was putting names on the stockings. I have to say, Charlotte really pushed the limits of the area. I had to move it up a Little so it would all fit. However, I think it turned out really cool. IN addition, Cheryl was finally able to get the purple felt that she has been desiring all summer. Our local store had a huge supply...until we needed it. ( it always happens that way!) So we had to wait to order it online. Well, I think it will be a hit. People are already requesting purple stockings so I can't wait to see what else we will be able to show them. Hope everyone has a great week! The weather has been fairly nice this weekend. And Autumn is going by really fast for us. Enjoy it!

Panera New England Clam Chowder

2011-10-21T09:38:00.001-07:00

Seriously! What more needs to be said. It's cold outside and there is nothing better than sipping coffee and eating clam chowder. Panera happens to have a pretty good one! I would not be surprised if it was Campels or Progresso just dressed up in a bread bowl. What ever! The flavor is still AWESOME! It's thick and by far one of the WORST soups for you ( calorie wise) on the menu. It would be only slightly better if you did NOT have it in a bread bowl. ( That is from a diet and exercise perspective. If you don't care about such things.....BREAD BOWL IT UP!) Cheryl and I come here so often that we usually get a free soup every other week or so. And when we do, we splurge on the Friday Clam Chowder. We ARE trying to watch our waist line, so we share it with an extra baguette ( for dipping) And no bread bowl....I think the better value is without the bread bowl because you get more soup. Just my opinion. Anyway, Enjoy the cold weather! Its the BEST for Hot Chocolate, Hot Apple Cider, Coffee, and New England Clam Chowder.....Stay Warm!

Anyone know who Gilbert O'Sullivan was?

2011-10-19T09:37:00.001-07:00

He is the guy who sang this song! I have been looking for it for years, but finally found it while trolling around on You Tube. Anyway, I have always loved this song, and perhaps the '70's songs are bringing back certain nostalgia. ( I'm not even sure when this song was written!) Anyway, Enjoy the song. And remember the past with fondness. http://youtu.be/D_P-v1BVQn8
I can't embed the video, so you will have to follow the link...enjoy

Electric Light Orcestra. I turn to stone....

2011-10-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

A flash from the '70's! I heard this sond at the Local Ben Franklin on an all 70's week and it stuck with me. I found it on You Tube. ( Hooray for Youtube!) I never knew the Electric Light Orcestra sang this song,, but it has a hint of Doo Wop ( at least I think so) Anyway, here is the song....enjoy!

Stamping more tags...with Stickers this time!

2011-10-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I worked on more of the stocking tags. I snapped a few pics because these ones were done with just stickers. No fancy glue, no fancy glitter fonts, no special layering of paper. Just the paper, stamp and some special stickers Cheryl bought. I actually like them and think they look nice and simple! Go figure! Ah well, sometimes my creative mind is its own worst enemy. The lighting was not very good but I decided to post them anyway. I have to keep reminding myself that each tag represents a stocking....and I want to sell a LOT of them. As the resources and ideas run out, we have been simplifying our designs and ideas. But things are going to pick up here very soon. Just wait and see!

Outside Fun with Hiro! And Celebrity Panera

2011-10-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Cat, that is. He likes to talk ...a lot! And harasses me to take him outside all the time. So, Every now and then, I humor him .( Usually everyday) And we hang out outside where he can chase squirrels, rabbits , and the one chipmunk that hangs out by the side. Usually he just hangs out under the shed or climbs a tree. The animals tend to disappear after he has been outside for a while. The neighbor has a Ginko tree that is rather cool to look at. It is one of the only trees that still have a few leaves that have color. Anyways, I have found out where the Hollywood celebrities hang out when they want to disappear from the world. Iowa! Here in Panera, We see Steven Spielburg just about everyday! He's a regular. IN addition to him, We ocasionally see Meridith Baxter, Jason Robards, and John Belushie! It's funny, But everyday we see familiar faces right here in our little corner of Iowa and some of these people end up famous! Ok not really, Just because Cheryl and I identify them as these people, they are not. In fact some of these famous people are dead so it is impossible. But I'm sure some of you reading this have seen people that are dead ringers for a famous person. Perhaps I'll post pics so I can prove it....but it would be creepy asking total strangers to pose for a picture.

Here comes the Rain....

2011-10-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Weather that is! It has been a dry summer here in Iowa...Or so the locals say. I remember it flooding this spring, so water is not that unusual to me. But the locals say that it usually rains at least several times during the summer, and this year it has been very dry...until now. It rained last night. It was nice! A gentle at first, harder as it went on, and cool pretty much all night. Most of the leaves are down now so that is it for the fall color. I had to go outside and take a few pictures of the rain as it fell. I was impressed with the lighting, but could not capture the rain falling until I used a flash. All those little spots are rain drops....showing just a little how hard it was falling at the time. Anyway, Cheryl and I have been trying not to "screw up" as the sales are coming, but they are slow. There is that huge order looming at the end of this month and we are doing our best to make sure we can get the most out of it. Hope everyone else is enjoying cider and donuts this October. It is a Michigan Tradition that goes way back. Enjoy!

Eden Of The East, The Ultimate Example of Kirigami Entertainment

2011-10-10T09:15:00.001-07:00

Eden of the East is a very COOL anime with one of the coolest Ending themes. Cheryl and I purchased this last year and have started watching it again. It is a short series, but has a great hook. Basically a guy wakes up with a gun, a cell phone and 10 billion yen but not clothes and no memories. He has to save Japan with the 10 Billion yen to win a game that he is playing with 11 others. The winner lives, the losers all are "eliminated" Since the series ends on a cliff hanger, there has been two movies that are supposed to wrap things up. We have one but are missing the last instalment. Anyway, the real reason for the post is the ending. If you ever wondered what a career in paper cutting looked like, here is an example of it's final form. The Music is performed by the band "School Food Punishment" ( Cool Name, Eh!?) Enjoy the video!

The Calm before the Storm....with Another Kirigami Dragon.

2011-10-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

So this last week has been a little slow, which was expected, but still unsettling. Cheryl and I know that mid month, things begin to get a little busy and by the end of November, things get crazy! So, to prepare for this year, we have been slowly building a small inventory of stockings that we can just pack up and mail. It's not too bad, but there is still much left to do! I wanted each of those shelves filled! But money is tight and choices have to be made on what is more important. I still have to tell myself that we are WAY ahead of where we were last year. So things are not as bad as they might seem at the moment. In fact, they are looking pretty good. But as with collecting dust in your workshop, you can get some, or even most...but never all. In the mean time, I have been working on another kirigamiu Dragon to keep my other ones company. It's coming along nicely, but I doubt I will make any more. It is not taking the twists I wanted to put in it. There is much to learn in the art of paper engineering. Hope your Fall is going well. Ours is almost over.

Putting the Names on the Allenbrite Christmas Stockings!

2011-10-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

I have not showed this off, but so far I have done about 20 names to various customers. I'm very happy with the results! Not only do they look great! But the process can be done after the stocking has already been made. And it can be done by ME, Instead of Cheryl who is so busy making the darn things anyway. So here are the latest results. Just a snap shot of the latest stockings and how they look. Can't wait to do even more!

The New Roof Makes it Rain Pitchforks! And Fox Stockings...

2011-10-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of days, the Landlords have been putting on a new roof on our building. I'm impressed that they have it almost done after only a couple of days. Then again the roof is rather flat and even. Not any complex fixtures to go around. The entertaining thing about it is that yesterday, they would use shovels and pitchforks to pry up the old shingles. And, after then had the job done, they would drop them off of the roof rather than climb down the ladder with a shovel in one of their hands. ( a wise choice keeping two hands on the ladder) Anyway, I'm looking out the window just in time to see a pitchfork fly down and stick in the ground. ( Hence, the expresion!) I'm sure they were looking before they dropped one off the roof, but we did not want to take any chances and for that rweason, the cats have remained inside until the roof is fully assembled! In other news...Cheryl has been continueiong with her prototypes. Mostly getting her various designs in all the colors she wants to offer. The foxes are a refurbished design while the cats have been greatly simplified. I'm expecting the foxes to be a big hit. We shall see...

Harvest Time In Iowa. All That GOLD!

2011-10-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

It's true that I seem to be a little snarky lately about Iowa. Whether it is the Fashion or the weather or the Fall color. I seem to be a little snippy when blogging about it. However, there are moments here that are actually quite nice. The last several weeks. the weather has been wonderful! I have always been fond of Autumn anyway, but the days are warm and the nights are nice and cool. Nothing extreme either. We have been able to sleep with the windows open and have not had to turn on the heat or air for a while. Also, It's Harvest time! The Fall color is lacking...unless you like yellow. Everything is yellow here! Most of the trees, all of the corn, and even the soybeans. Not to mention the UNIVERSITY OF IOWA Fan Base! It's pretty cool watching the large farm equipment rolling around in the fields. The trucks filled with grains being hauled over to Kalona Seed and Feed. The soybean fields look like well groomed lawns while the corn fields look like bad hair! I imagine that this is the best time to be a farmer. With the setting sun and the harvest moons being so pretty while you cash in your crops. So....if you are thinking about Iowa...now is the best time to be here.....

Kirigami Dragons and Fish that can FLY!

2011-10-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

I picked up a book the other day about Kirigami. ( art of paper cutting) I looked it over and thought," I can do that..." Well, granted, I did not have any patterns to go off of, but I think the dragons turned out pretty cool! Of coarse, white paper against a white background ( i.e. the ceiling) did not make the pictures turn out the best. So I had a little fun with Fixfoto and gave them a nice blue tone as well as helping the shadows show the definition. I may make more! I'm already formulating an idea to make some improvements on the design. I'd like to get the bodies more cylindrical without looking so much like a crumpled paper in spots. We shall see how it goes. As for the Poison water in Wellman.....ALL WEEKEND LONG! NO showers, no dish washing, no drinking.......what the HECK!?! I'm sure the water is not as TOXIC as they would want us to believe ( Americans DEMAND clean water!) so we have been taking showers ( well, YEAH! DUH!) And washing the dishes and the cloths. THe water never tasted very good even when it was CLEAN, so we never really drink it. We even buy bottled water for the cats. Mostly, It's that the Casies can't serve us up fountain drinks that really cuts into our lifestyle. ( Americans DEMAND Fountain Drinks at their local convenience stores!) Hopefully the "city workers" will get off their butts and work for their tax money. Instead of leaving a job half done on Friday and coming back on Monday to finish it! Sorry for the rant.....I WANT MY BEVERAGE!

One of THOSE days....well, Kinda...

2011-09-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was just one of those days where everything seemed a little....off. Oh, It started off fine, then our car overheated. ( don't worry Andy, It's fine.) I thought it sounded a little strange....and before I know it, the arrow is in the red zone! Well, Pull over, Search the back and add coolant. No leaks, but it still freaked me out so we limped it to the gas station and filled it ultra top off and no there is no problems. BUT then....there was the wind. Another VERY windy day in Iowa. I moved the cars away from the large tree for fear that it would fall on them. Sometimes a nice breeze is refreshing, but this was one of those ' kicks up all the dust and throws it in your eyes' kind of wind. Then the little things: The water supply was poisoned, the garbage man did not come, the wind blew the garbage all over the yard! The ONLY convenience store could not make any coffee or operate it's soda fountain because of the water ban. So....Cheryl and I decided to hole up and hide out and wait for the wind to pass. We were bums and tried to take it easy. I feel we made the right decision because it was not a truly TERRIBLE day....just one of THOSE days...

A Coffee Ritualist....Me?

2011-09-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

As I assembled my coffee at Panera at the coffee assembly station, I realized that the woman next to me was doing the same thing she did yesterday. She toasts a small slice of bread and pokes at it with a coffee stirring stick to keep it from getting too brown on one side. Strange....Or so I thought. She looked rather silly poking the toaster with a straw that could melt on her toast. But then I thought, It's a ritual she does everyday ( at least if she is as regular as we are here) where she carefully balances here skill with a straw to make the toaster get her toast to a perfect shade of Brown. Anyway...Am I any different? I never have coffee straight black. Seriously! Who does that? Coffee it meant to be enjoyed, not guzzled! It's like pounding down a beer just to get drunk! My ritual is to first add Ice then add cream. I add the coffee up to the top, then add sweetener. Depending on the size of my cup, I may add up to 6 packets! But usually I add three. I grab all three, shake them back and forth to get all the crystals to one side, Rip off the top then add them to the creamy brown beverage. I do this over and over again. I know it may take longer than most people, but I try to make room for them so I am not in their way. So that is it....any other ritual people out there? It is the small things that bring the most joy in life.

Say Goodbye to the Big Maple!

2011-09-27T09:41:00.001-07:00

You know you are in Iowa when you consider it an "event" when they take a large tree down in your yard. ( That is a fancy way of saying that there is usually nothing going on here!) It is still fascinating whenever a crew of five guys tackle a job like this with all those cool toys! It took them all day yesterday to bring that monster down, with only a little damage to a fence and the roof of the building. Impressive when you consider the placement of the tree. And it's size! Now I know you are looking at that HUGE trunk and thinking," What is the Midnightcarver going to carve out of that?" Sadly, I waved goodbye as they carted it off. I realized that I was not really in that position anymore where I could just dust off the tools and start working on any stray log that drops in my area. Not that I have given up carving, just put it on hold for the moment. Besides I have been busy with Christmas Stockings as of late, and they have proven to be more profitable than the carvings ever where. SO who knows? I may dust off the chisels some day in the future when I have nothing going on and an opportunity presents itself. Don't think of the Midnightcarver as retired, just taking a leave of absents for the moment.

Origami Faces....An experiment.

2011-09-26T09:44:00.001-07:00

So I finally messed around with one of my old books and decided to try these various action origami patterns. One is the gremlin, His mouth opens and his eye squint if you pull and push the mask in various places. Next is the Glancer. This small mask is not very good, but I made another larger one out of tyvek that looks much better....and works better as well. The last ( actually it was the first one) is the squinty eyes. I like it because I was playing around with the expressions. Cheryl laughs when I make a happy, sad, worried or angry expression with just the eyes. By the way, The stockings are beginning to sell, so head on over to the shop on the right to see what we have before it is too late and they are all gone! Just kidding, We will make more. But only before the Holidays!

The Totally Awesome Mole Cricket....In Iowa!

2011-09-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

I have read about them but never sen one personally until yesterday...A Mole Cricket! Perhaps the COOLEST Looking Cricket I have aver seen. It wold be difficult to compare it to other bugs, because they All have their coolness factor, but it definitely ranks up there. We saw him lumbering around on the road on our walk. They do not jump or run like regular crickets, Rather they just lumber along like a tractor pulling a trailer full of grain. The coolest thing was when he tried to dig a hole. He looked just like a mole pushing the little rocks out of the way. At first I thought he would be a little creepy, but he has a rather cute face. ( it's funny, I as a rule, do not like spiders, but the jumping spider is not as creepy to me because of his cute face. go figure.) Anyway, if you ever see one of these things, snap a picture and take a good look. They have really cool front legs that help them dig. Mother nature at work! And count yourself lucky for seeing another dimension to the world in your backyard.

Allenbrite Christmas Tree Skirt....FIN!

2011-09-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

Ok! Finally! After a month of working on it for a few hours at a time to keep her sanity...Cheryl finished the Tree skirt! It looks AWESOME! But , of coarse, Cheryl thinks it is filled with flaws. I have to remind her that it IS hand made and it is WOOL felt with a cotton fabric backing. ( Meaning that one material is bulky and the other is thin). All you have to do is pick it up and FEEL it to see what the difference is compared to the stuff you get in the store. Cheryl is thinking about making another one with only 4 panels so the price can come down a bit and there will be a lot less work. Every time I see it I think it is going to be a big hit. We just have top price it accordingly.

Still Working On Tags.

2011-09-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Remember, I have over 3000 to make if I want to make the kind of sales I desire. So, in addition to all of the other types and colors, I have been adding the grommet to the punch to give it a finished look. I think it adds to the over all look. I know, By fuss with something so trivial? Well, why do they put garnish on your dinner plate at a restaurant? Because people eat with their eyes! We are going for the hand made look and not the "mass produced look" Hopefully it will pay off in the end. I know I'm counting on it and I believe our customers will appreciate it. Cheryl experimented with some epbroitery floss the other day, But it will require a lot of time and effort to put a name on it. I'm not sure if she will want to offer it in the end. But I do think it look good.

The Beginning of Fall Means the End of FlipFlops!

2011-09-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I ranted against flip flops. As a matter of fact, I can't remember if I ever have on this blog. To those who do not know, Flip flops, ( or shower shoes) are my pet peeve when it comes to fashion. I know that people choose their clothes to say something about themselves, But flip flops represent the absolute LACK of caring. What they tell me is," I jumped out of bed and was forced to put SOMETHING on my feet or else they would not let me into the convenience store!" Lets Break it down: Foot Protection, The flip flop offers NONE! Ever walk on a gravel road in flip flops? Or dusty, muddy, puddly? If you want dirty feet, then you will enjoy the flip flop. Second: Style. NO ONE wants to see your big hairy toes! I have cute feet and I do not want to show the public. I swear that most of the men around here are related to BIG FOOT or a HOBBIT! As mentioned before, Dirty feet are not very classy. And unless you get a pedicure, you're yellow toenails are not going to be attractive. Some people wear white socks with flip flops. WHY? IF you are going to be a sloth, don't try to half do it. It's like wearing shorts with a suit! Third, Comfort. Flip flops are NOT comfortable! Sorry people, but you have to be Honest with yourself. My shoes do not require me to hold on to them with my toes or else they will slip off. I can run in my shoes. Ever see someone run with flip flops? It's like watching someone with swimming flippers! There is a reason why ducks don't run, and people do not have wings. I can only imagine that the shoe makers at Nike are scratching their heads wondering where they went wrong. They spend millions of dollars in research and athlete adds to get people to buy their most advanced shoes, Only to find out that if they had taken 10 cents of foam and cut it to shape with a leather strap, that they could have saved themselves billions! I know, The major foot manufacturers are not getting on board and offering "designer" flip flops! Designer is the way they get already ( think of a nice word here) people to spend MORE on a CHEAP shoe. How can you make a flip flop DESIGNER? Fancy foam? Genuine leather straps? ( notice the RACING STRIPE! AND NAME) Anyway, I guess my rant is complete. I wasn't even going to blog today, but these Iowa people motivate me from time to time. Next to flip flops is the leg cast, arm cast, and Full Body Tattoo....but those topics will have to wait for a later date.

The Last of the Prototypes, With the Shop cat's Approval

2011-09-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Well, Cheryl sewed up the last of the prototype stockings ( i.e. NEW designs) And we took their picture yesterday. I like them and I'm hoping that the rest of America ( and the world) like them as well. And who knows? Perhaps some inspiration will hit us later and Cheryl will designs another new one in a different color. In the mean time, Hiro is working hard to replace the old shop cat. I'm not sure he is doing the best he can. Mostly he gets in the way and knocks stuff on the floor. He also Meows way too much! It's almost ( ALMOST) as bad as having a crying kid in the room. Whenever he meows, All I hear is "Look at me! Pay attention to me! I want to go outside!" Rasha has handed over the shop cat title since we moved to Iowa. She used to come over and hang out while I was painting seats. Now she would rather sleep in the cushy bed or stylish couch. Hiro has his moments of cuddliness. But he has a long way to go to become a lap cat full fledged shop cat. There is much more training!

Remember Bluegill Aquaculture?

2011-09-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted anything about farm raising bluegills. It's rather sad for me as a former fisheries Biologist, to put your dream of bringing bluegills to the masses on hold as you pursue another business venture. However, I still can get excited from time to time whenever I hear someone talk about them. It might be true that I may never be in a position to chase down that dream, Or that I may have lost the passion that is required to follow a rainbow to that pot of gold. But I thought I would at least keep it up front to those people who check in from time to time. I tracked down a restaurant that has bluegill in the name but not on the menu. Symbolic of the up hill battle that the bluegill farmers face. However, there is still research being done to find the economic value here: In the mean time, Cheryl and I have been making stockings and more tags. I finally finished the 150 tags that I was working on, and came to the conclusion that they will not work out as a full time option. But that is why I can experiment and make more. I'm sure I'll find something that is good looking AND easier to make. Those last ones took way too long to put into full time production. Hope everyone has a great week!

Cards, Moths, and Horse Chestnuts.

2011-09-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention this in the past blogs, ( probably because it just slipped my mind,) But Cheryl and I found the remains of a Luna Moth! It is the first one we have ever seen in the wild. Unfortunately, the lawnmower at ACT cut it up pretty good. Either way, Cheryl suggested we take ( what was left of it) home so we could at least say we saw one. It is still on our wall. This picture is much nicer, as ours is missing it's long elegant tails. Anyway, inter resting find on our walks around the neighborhood is the Horse Chestnut. It is a pretty cool nut, with this bumpy husk and three buckeyes inside. I was very excited thinking that they might be American Chestnuts, But alas, They are toxic ( slightly) and will make you sick if you eat them. ( Even horses!) Only deer are able to break them down properly. I'm not even sure if the squirrels will eat them. They are used for medicines though, so apparently the pharmaceutical companies are able to get rid of the bad and keep the good. Other than that, we have been working on tags. I may have to rethink my tag design because the glitter does not like staying on the card very well. I do think it look cool though, and Cheryl says that I will have many more designs that I can experiment with. I still have not abandoned this design, I just have to rethink the "A" either with embossing or just red ink. The red ink would be the fastest design for assembly. Cheryl's snowflake tags are all done for the moment. She likes them as well and we have many more of those felt snowflakes to use up. She likes the color combinations. And they DO match the stockings well. Let's see what we come up with next!

Stamping tags for Stockings.

2011-09-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

I know, what was all that stamping for in the previous posts? Well, you see, those where 'thank you's' that go with each order. However, Each stocking that we sell has to get a tag. In the past, I just printed out a bunch and punched them out. Not very much thought went into them. However, this year Cheryl wants to jazz things up a bit. We have over 100 stockings going to a Gallery and we felt there should be a tag that matches the elegance of the shop. So Cheryl and I sat down yesterday and tried to come up with some concepts. I won't post all the "ugly" ones we messed with, But we eventually settled on two designs that are what we have in mind. The first one is Cheryl's design: Simple, Cute, Color Matching, with a felt Snowflake on the back that matches the ones on some of the stockings. I set up a stamp and punched out a few. Cheryl is in charge of the cutting out part, so we each have our roles. And then there is mine. It's true, it might be a little over the top, but Cheryl ultimately likes it and is going to allow me to make a few. My plan is to make as many as we can, Hopefully over 2000! So it will be our biggest year in sales ever! Wish us luck!

New Carpeting for the Workshop...

2011-09-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Well Yesterday was rather unproductive because we had to move all of our stuff out of our shop so the new carpet could be installed. Cheryl is bummed, mostly because she is feeling the pressure of trying to get at least a little stuff done each and every day. You might remember the flood that destroyed the carpet about 4 months ago. Well, FINALLY, The landlords are installing the new one and hopefully they will be done by the end of today. In the mean time, Cheryl took a few pictures of the latest stockings and the empty shop, with all the furniture removed. I also took this opportunity to put up some of my origami that had been wasting away in some drawer. I am surprised how little Origami I actually have In my possession. Ah well, I enjoy giving it away. Hopefully, tomorrow we will have new pics with a new shop that is reward for action!

Full Metal Alchemist Final Set...is Ours!

2011-09-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

That is right, we finally own the entire set of Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. The last 6 episodes are defiantly worth the wait. Much more action than the first series, ( still my favorite though) And it seems to wrap things up a little nicer in the final episode, but that is just my opinion. See the series online for free here: At Funimation.com.

Enjoy!

Latest Claymore Chapter is OUT! Does Phantom Miria AWAKEN?

2011-09-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

That is right friends, The September chapter of Claymore ( the manga) is out and ready for you to satisfy your craving for more. I read the thing so fast, I'll probably have to reread it to I can enjoy it again. Phantom Miria is having a tough time fighting a Former ranked #1 who was recently brought back to life. She Fights with the same skill as the Phantom. Find out what Miria will do to WIN! I recently re read all of the book I have ( 1- 18) And they only take you to the part where Clare fights Precilla, then has to be rescued. But I don't mean to confuse you....instead, read it yourself! And become a fan like me! Read the latest chapter here: At Animefreak.tv

Another 'Door", More Pictures, and Some Origami Squirrels.

2011-09-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

So I folded up another fake door yesterday with a different color. The white wreaths were not showing up very well on the white door. So Cheryl commissioned me to fold and glue up another one. Learning a few things from the previous one, I was able to make a few more improvements on the red door. In addition to that, Cheryl had me fold up a couple of squirrels so she could add a little character to the mantle. I think they turned out pretty good. I am also very excited about the upcoming feature we have been working on for the stockings.....NAMES ! We finally reached a level of confidence where we can now offer them to our customers. Cheryl was willing to offer up a couple of stockings where I could try my skills out and I am quite pleased with the results. Now all we have to do is offer them on the Etsy sight so people will add them on and snap them up. Hope everyone is having a great weekend this week. It's raining here in Iowa and we need it. Hopefully, it won't be too much like last year and flood everything. Hooray for Iowa! The land of Extremes!

And Now....Christmas Wreaths!...or: How to Build a Door for under $5!

2011-09-01T09:31:00.001-07:00

So now Cheryl wanted some background for the Wreaths. Our own door is ...well...how do you say...BAD. It is dated and dirty and every time she takes a picture of the wreaths on it, the light outside messes up the color. The Answer: Build a better door. Now we could have just taped up a clean sheet of white paper on the wall, but that does not look 'door like'. So .. Eth the Origami artist to the rescue! I folded a simple panel door just big enough to give the background shadow to the wreath. It was not complicated, but fairly effective. Cheryl likes it...and that is the main thing. After all she IS the biggest Critic of her pictures. In other news, Cheryl already has a HUGE order for over 160 stockings for some gallery. We sold the stockings to them last year and they were hot! This year they have placed their order well in advance and ordered more than double last years. So Now we are faced with the difficult task to get those orders sewed up and ready by November 1. Hopefully we will be able to limp along and sew as we go...so to say...As for me...I'm still in charge of lighting and blogging. Perhaps I'll be able to talk to a customer....someday. Then the big bucks will come rolling in!

New Pics for the New Stockings! Also, How to Make a Mantle for Under $20!

2011-08-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

So Cheryl has been rather disappointed in her pictures as of late, so she decided that we will fix this problem or go broke doing it! Normally she wants a picture of just the stocking and nothing else. It's rather like a plate of food with no garnish, dinner roll, or fancy China to dress up the meal. However, after combing through numerous Martha Stewart Magazines, she decided that we needed some background. Since we do not have a fireplace in our tiny little apartment, we were forced to either invite ourselves over to our neighbors, or make one ourselves. So Cheryl set out to make one. First she painted a small shelf, then set out setting up a large piece of paper for the background. Hiro Was there to oversee the whole process. I must say, I think it succeeds in jazzing up the stockings. Even though we cut out much of the background, the essential stuff remains and looks good. Also the snow no longer blends into the background like it did previously. As for me, I played an important role in the lighting department. Very, VERY important! I'm a little bummed that Cheryl says I can no longer be the "face" of Allenbrite Studio. At first I thought it was because I needed a haircut or I was wearing my glasses. But she says that I am too "Chatty" with my conversations. Perhaps she is right, I never thought I was a particularly outgoing person, but I do see how I might give out too much information to people asking a simple question. I guess I will have to work on those problems if I want to retain my "assistant to the President of the Company" title. ( It's slightly below vice president....even though there are only two of us I still have not achieved that status yet) Next we will have to work on those Wreaths. Our outside door it rather dirty, so I'm sure she will have to work on that as well.

Summer in Iowa

2011-08-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Cheryl and I took a day off yesterday so I really don't have much to blog about the business. However, Summer is coming to an end, and I wanted to post a few things that I have been holding off on. One is the cicadas are out in full force again. Remember last year with all the husks? Well, the tree is covered again this year. I wanted to capture this one as he emerged, but I got there too late. Also, on one of our walks in the country, Cheryl and I saw a family of four raccoons running across the field. Usually the only wildlife I see are the horses and cows that beg me to feed them the tender grasses on the other side of the fence ( the grass IS really greener on the other side) They now call out to me as I walk or run by. Even Cheryl is impressed! There are also some kittens that like to come out sometimes and let me pet them. It's quite fun. Anyway, We have a new request for the names on the stockings.....I'm very excited and I think I'm winning Cheryl over to my side of the thinking.

Preparing for Battle!

2011-08-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Did the title catch you? I was trying to think of something catchy to describe what we have been up to this week. I believe I have discovered a major breakthrough in the stocking department that has been bugging me for the last couple of years. NAMES! Well, first things first..Chery land I have been relaxing a bit this week, working on our designs and other small details that make our shop what it is. I have been cutting, folding and stamping 'thank you' cards for each order, while Cheryl has been working on some new items and designs. In addition to the tree skirt, she has been creating some wreaths that match her stockings. they look pretty good in my opinion, and it is not really an unknown factor. You see: She made these before and sold them all, but got bored of them and stopped ( similar to the stockings) This year, she has decided to revisit previous successes and work on those instead of creating something from scratch. Additionally, I have been working on the 'thank you's' that Cheryl wants to give out instead of the origami this year. Last year I folded over 400 paper cranes. This year I have over 400 cards with stamped birds on them. I'm hoping they won't last so I can make more. That should mean we have exceeded our sales from last year. And then there are the names. I sample stamped Cheryl's name on some scraps of felt to see how they might look on a stocking. I have been experimenting with placement as well. I personally like them on the toe where they hang level when the stocking is hung on the wall or fireplace. Cheryl wanted me to put the name on a cuff, but it looks TERRIBLE! So I have been put in charge of the names this year. I hope people find them as exciting as I do. At least they are simple enough to do so we won't have to halt production and we have something to offer people who request them. Let me know what you think!

Back to the Business

2011-08-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

I know! It's the middle of the week and I'm able to BLOG! WOOHOO! I must say, I miss the midweek Panera visits where I can check things out online and enjoy a bagel and coffee. I wasn't really planning on posting anything today, but thought I would at least check in to give a heads up on the doings of Allenbritestudio. Stockings! And some other experimental items that have to deal with felt. I have put Origami on hold for the moment and, hopefully, I'll focus more on the things that will make us money. Money makes life happy! As for Cheryl, She has been working on tree skirts, key fobs, and new stocking designs. I have had an advent calendar on my mind as well, but Cheryl thinks it will take too much time to make. I still want to see. Cheryl has also informed me that she might be getting a new sewing machine this year....which means that I might inherit her old one. It's kind of exciting because I wanted to take a crack at sewing on the buttons for the stockings. There are a few other things we want to tackle before Christmas this year. I still have to figure out how to put names on stockings. IF we can solve that hurdle, I think we can gain even more market share! Other than that, I'll have to post the new items when they get posted...or you could look over on the right at the shop. Cheryl is next to me posting new items as I write this. Hope everyone has a great week!

Paper Thank you Cards, Origami Mobiles, and Cats.

2011-08-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

ACT is finally over and now we face the daunting task of working on our business. Actually, we are looking forward to it. And ACT was fun and we would welcome another project if they had one. In the mean time, Cheryl and I will be working on the little things and getting ready for the upcoming season. In the mean time, I have been given the task (by Cheryl!) to cut out and stamp the thank you cards that will accompany each of our orders. I must say, that this is easier than all those Origami Cranes I folded the last two years! And it is FUN! So It's fairly easy, we just cut the card stock, fold and stanp a pretty bird on branch scene on each one. Cheryl will hand write the thank you's later and perhaps add color. I'm very excited about finally getting started on the shop. Cheryl says that I might have to resign as the "FACE of Allenbritestudio" though because I chat too much and basically instill fear and doubt into our clients and customers. Really? I think I'm very personable....But maybe I'm like a slobbery dog that wants to jump on strangers....not everyone likes that. Anyway, I have also been working on the latest tip for the Icecream girls at Coldstone Creamery. They like my Origami and I love the attention...so what can I say. My latest is a Dragonfly. I like the way it turned out. And lastly, My origami Mobiles....Cheryl says they look pretty good, but I'm not really 100% on them. But...I thought I would post the picture anyway.

Continuing the Origami Pond

2011-08-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

Cheryl has finally given me permission to start work on the origami wall pond. That means that I will have to get busy and make more koi! It's a bit of a challenge making all the koi uniform because their folding pattern is a bit "eyeball" meaning that some of the folds are not easily made in the same place. So I will have to feel them out and see how it goes. Last week I worked on the Lilly pads a bit and perhaps I'll add a lotus flower in there as well. These pics make it look pretty good so far. Can't wait to see how it all comes together. Oh! And one last thing...a REAL tree frog outside our window. He was driving the cat crazy!

The Origami Pond....

2011-08-06T10:26:00.001-07:00

I have been messing around with a little origami here and there. I have been fascinated with fish as of late. I'm not sure what captured me, but I thought that a few gold fish and Koi swimming around would look cool. Unfortunately, I have been rather lazy getting them folded and displayed. I believe you can't rush an artist when the river of inspiration and creativity is flowing slowly. However, I do have a few pics to show off. Perhaps I will trigger another spring of inspiration to gush forth. In the mean time, ACT is proving a tranquil experience. There is nothing like getting into the mind of a high school student to make your hair fall out a little faster. I should look at it with nostalgia, when everything was black and white and the whole world was filled with sunshine and rainbows. Now, My adult brain has a set of dark colors and a healthy dose of cynicism. Not that that is all bad! I still see lots of colors out there, they are just made much brighter when they shine through the darkness. Anyway, enough poetry for one blog entry....Enjoy the Origami Fish!

Back Where We Belong.

2011-07-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

A full week at ACT and I finally feel back in my element....somewhat. At least we are among the snobbishly educated ( I say that with a wink and a smile) passing judgement on poor high school students attempting to get into college. I'm just kidding! I don't feel like Lord and Master of these poor kids fate, nor do I feel like a snooty elitist. However, the reading is fun at times, boring at others, and every now and then you find one that is rather entertaining. One thing I find is that reading these papers makes me what to jump back into the classroom and teach ENGLISH! ( I wanted to be a math teacher!) The writing level I must tell myself, is one of students TRYING to get into college. Meaning: they are not at the college level yet. I also know that at that age, my writing was probably no better. It is funny that, from time to time, I'll read a paper that will remind me of something that I once wrote years ago. I would like to think that my writing has improved over the years, through constant repetition and practice. Also, my world view has matured so that I can offer some life experiences to my bag of education. I do believe that a COMMAND of the English language is essential to an education. And if you struggle with writing, no matter how brilliant you are in other fields, you will sound less knowledgeable. Even now I wonder if my skills are up to the task. I guess the worst thing about being educated, is the knowing that you don't know anything, and never will! The world is too vast for your small little brain to grasp in 80-100 years of life. But I will continue to try to learn as much as I can as long as I can....assuming I do not slip into Dementia when I turn 80+.... OH! Before I forget! I hope you notice that the shop is back up and running! We plan on working on stuff during the weekend and perhaps after work. The nice thing about the ACT job is the hours. we can come and go as we please, take breaks when we want, and only have to put in 30 hours instead of 40! We even get paid more than Civco! If you need to check out the shop, Click on the stockings on the right.....Hopefully you will find something you like.

The End of the Great Factory Social Experiment

2011-07-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

As the Dinosaurs found their way into the annuls of extinction, so also has our trip into Blue Collar work. That is correct, Cheryl and I decided that The Civco Experience had to come to an end, and will now be a colorful chapter in the history of our memoirs. My hat goes off to all those people who we were blessed ( and cursed) to meet in our travels at Civco. Those folks work VERY hard and have a devotion to the job that Cheryl and I were incapable of mustering. I really mean it! They were dedicated employees that do their best every day, and will continue to work very hard for years to come. But as for Cheryl and myself, we decided that Civco had very little else to offer us in the way of fulfillment and meaning. And so it is that we are now pursuing a new form of income collection that involves working for ACT. It is Familiar work in a way, it is quite similar to Pearson in it's Labors. The work is more mentally demanding that Civco, but that is OK. I believe our wrists, shoulders and backs will thank us in the long run for our career change. For now, We will have to dust off our thinking caps, ( something we put away in our attic during the factory visit) and fire them up by this Monday. With a little luck, we will have them firing an all 12 cylinders by the time we take the qualifying test. A Special thank you to Civco! For helping us through this desert dry patch in the summer. We were able to stay caught up on things and able to afford food and gas with a little money left over! Hurray! As for the Origami posts, I may have to take a small vacation from that for a while....we shall see.

Missing Shop Cat

2011-07-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Oh where did my wonderful shop cat go? How I miss him so. If you follow this blog, you might notice that I have not posted any cat pics since Red left us for those happy mouse hunting fields in the skies. However, we DO still have two cats at home, Even though they are not 100% awesome cats like Red. There is Rasha, the tortoise shell cat, Who eats, pukes and smells really bad. She does have a lovey dovey side to her which balances it out a little. She also loves to scream at the Hiro way to much. We should have named her Banshee! Then there is Hiro. He is a Handsome Tabby, but under that lush exterior hides a mischievous, misbehaving, loud, and obnoxious cat. He is Cheryl's cat, although he likes me way too much! He ALWAYS wants to play! And he harasses Rasha all the time ( causing her to Scream as mentioned previously) I'm trying to think of any good qualities that he might have, but they all seem to evade me at the moment. He is not even a good lap cat, as he fidgets and ends up jumping off then back on you until either you spill your coffee or he gets you to play with him. However, Secretly, I think they actually do like each other on some small scale. I snapped this pic of them together the other day and felt I should post something of our cats since it has been a while. I still miss Red, HE was one of those cats that is just something.....there are not enough words to describe him. He got along with all of the other cats ( and several dogs in our adventures together) If all dogs go to heaven but cats are reincarnated, I hope to meet him again someday. In other news, My dragon is looking a little messed up at the moment. No pics of it, but it currently looks like it got run over by a truck! Here is a finished pic of what it originally looks like when finished by a professional. I'll see about posting it when it is done...If I dare.

Tyvek Oriental Dragon..

2011-07-16T12:12:00.001-07:00

I started this project this weekend and only got this far last night. It is fairly large but now that it is down to a decent size I can work with it a little more easily. It is an oriental dragon, Joseph Wu's version. I'll probably take a few liberties with the design once I have finished most of the folding. I'm finding that it is becoming much more difficult to follow someone Else's recipe right down to the very end. Anyway. It started with a sheet of Tyvek 81 inches long. I colored both sides and started folding after midnight. What fun! I would like to see if I can make it a wall hanging instead of a standing form. We'll see once it is finished, but it seem to be coming along nicely.

A new Dimension to Tyvek Origami

2011-07-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

I am in experiment phase this weekend with the Tyvek paper/material that I have been folding with. COLOR! I discovered ( rather by accident) that paint DOES, in fact, stick to the material. I thin it out with water ( acrylic paint) and brush it on liberally. And then I brush it off with a towel. The results are this really interesting swirling pattern on one side and a solid soft color on the other ( treated side) My first attempt was with a frog. A new design that is a little challenging in that the folding patters are not exactly mapped out. I think it turned out pretty good for a first attempt. And the color adds that something extra that I may have been looking for. At least it takes a picture better than the plain white. Cheryl still likes the "artistic modern look" of the pure white paper. But there are a lot of colors out there that need to be explored. On a different level, I folded a dollar bill fish. I'm getting pretty good at this one now. It is, perhaps, one of my favorite dollar bill designs. They are great for tip jars.

Origami Weekend, Yoda, Unicorn, and others...

2011-07-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

A quick post to catalog my latest creations from last weekend. Keeping with the star wars theme, I folded a couple of Yoda's and a new X Wing and A wing fighter. There were also a couple of smaller projects that I have been wanting to do for the longest time and finally found the time and inspiration. A pig design that excited me as well as the women in a dress. I guess she could have been little red riding hood, or an Amish woman. The folks at Civco thought she was Amish most likely because of the location where we live. ( Kalona is Amish country) As for the unicorn, It is the same pattern as the last one I folded, with a few changes made my me to give it hooves and a mane. I am rather fond of this one as it looks much more alive. I know there are cooler patterns out there, but until I find them, I'll have to mess with this one a bit more to see how far I can push the paper. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Making Changes

2011-07-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

When we first came to Iowa, it was a big change. We were not certain what we were going to find here, but we had goals that we were striving for. And, after one year, those objectives have been met. But now there are new goals and missions that are on the table, and it would seem that those missions do not take place in Iowa. So, Cheryl and I are now hammering out a new plan that will change our current situation. The details are sketchy at the moment, but one point sticks out: we can not stay here forever! So, it is with eager anticipation that I am excited to post our progress as it goes along. We shall see. Message to self: You are water. Nothing can contain or stop you. You move around barriers. Over them. Under them. Even through them!

The latest in Iowa Fashion Trends

2011-07-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

As I sit here in the Barnes and Nobles coffee shop sipping a coffee, I can't help but notice that there is this trend here, ( I'm sure it is not unique to Iowa) where young girls are writing messages on their butts! Now what is this? Seriously? Is this fashion? Or is it advertising targeted for men of a certain age? ( Am I being Targeted?) No I will have to admit that even I catch myself checking out a girls butt, ( I am a guy after all....) But I usually do not dwell on the object much longer than the pre-programed genetic response requires. That being said, I am human as well. And humans are a curious species. If there is a word tattooed to the rear end of a pair of sweatpants or shorts, I find myself ( unconsciously) reading it! I can't help it! WHY? It was a common theme that we used to laugh about back in the day when I used to watch the door of the Holiday Inn Bar. The guys would always check out the women, and you could see just what they were looking at by looking at their eyes. So, I guess some advertising entrepreneur figured this out at has designed clothing that will put their logos in front of the right demographic. The hard part, I imagine, would be to find women that are brave enough to wear the things! It is often difficult for me to get into the female mind, but I guess there are those women out there who do not mind being ogled! In fact, judging by the way they dress outside of having words taped to their butts, It would appear that they actually enjoy it! So who knows? Is this tasteless fashion, or wise advertising? I'm not sure other than there are people who know humans better than I do and have figured out a way to put it to use. As for me, I will continue to despise flip flops, ripped Daisy Duke jeans, and now....the Butt print advertising. Call me old fashioned! I guess I am.

Origami X-Wing, B-Wing, and Tie Fighter

2011-07-02T08:11:00.001-07:00

I was quite happy with the way the Star Wars Origami Turned out....I didn't have time to complete the Yoda or the A-Wing or Y-Wing fighters, but there is still this weekend. The X-Wing was a big hit and got snagged right away...so I had to make another one for the lady who requested it. I have a few more requests this week and a purchased a couple of new books that I can play around with in the future. I should really blog more so I can get more traffic. It appears that I have been losing followers lately because I do not post everyday like before. Well, with the 4th right around the corner, I'm not sure what Cheryl and I will be doing. The 4th of July will mark the one year anniversary of moving to Iowa. I can't believe it has been a full year already! I'll have to add to that thought when I have more time. Hope everyone has a great weekend grilling dogs and watching the parades!

Origami Dinosaurs! Rarrrg!

2011-06-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

A request from a coworker has led me to fold a few dinosaurs. If you glance down, I folded a t rex and a tri tops before, but they were snapped up by someone before the person who wanted them could even see them. This time I went with a could different designs. I personally like the way the tri tops and the T rex turned out this time. I think their designs are a little better. I also folded a couple of stegosauruses and a ankylosaurus. ( Not sure about the spelling...the "Turtle Looking" one) I think that one could be messed around with a little to give it a little more shape and character.....we'll see. As for last week, I finished up the Rhino and the Unicorn. The Unicorn was a little simple and a bit disappointing. It had no mane or hoof hair to play with. I did like the way the tail and horn came out though. There was not much paper left over to play with so I could create my own version. But I might give it another go later. ( or look for a better design!) I was very proud of the Rhino. IT had a Good three dimensional look and was a solid design. Some of the collapse folds were tricky, but not that difficult if you have a little experience folding. Hope everyone has a great weekend. And next week.....I'll be exploring Star Wars Origami!

Origami Weekwend, Cat, New Eagle, Frog, and Giraffe.

2011-06-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

My latest projects! I have a few requests from some people at work, so tonight I will have to make a few "repeats". I'm kind of liking this latest eagle. He has a better pose than the last one. And the cat I think I can make better. I've been working on a Rhino and he is coming along nicely. He's almost to the point where I can use my "artistic magic" on him to give his a little more expression. I also found the limits to Tyvek as a material. IT is rather durable, which is good! But that means that it is also rather thick. Making extreme designs a challenge, such as this frog and many insects that I have been doing. Regardless, I did do a butterfly that turned out pretty good last week. Bummer I didn't get a picture of it before taking it to work. Hope everyone has a great week!

Walking through Barbed Wire In Iowa!

2011-06-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

Honestly, what is it with Iowa? Everywhere I look whenever we go out to Iowa City, I see people who look like they have walked through barbed wire! Their jeans are all ripped to shreds and no one seems to notice! It's like they are part of some Marine Training Exercise! I guess it is the cost of being a farmer and having to surround yourself and your farm with sharp fencing. Then again, it might be fashionable here in farmer ville to wear your work clothes whenever you go out. ( Nothing like attending a wedding in your BIBS!....AS THE GROOM!) I guess you could say that Iowa is the hub of fashion lately...because all of Cheryl's fashion magazines are following the trend. Take a look at these stars! Another trend here is the broken legs. While walking around the mall I see people with casts on their legs and I think" must have been caught in a combine!" I'm not sure if that is true, but there sure seem to be more leg injuries here than back in Michigan. I also base this guess on the thought that many farmers have lots of children ( in case one gets run over by a tractor) and they also have lots of dangerous equipment that they have to use to harvest the corn. And I have seen children using this equipment out in the field! So...If you want to wear ripped clothes and legs casts with your outfits, Come to Iowa!

The latest Origami....Dragon, Walrus, Owl, And Eagles....Oh My!

2011-06-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

As promised....the origami. Just wanted to post a few quick pics so that they will forever be in the my history. I wanted to try another Eagle because this one went well, right up until the feet. I tried to give him three claws and it did not turn out very well. So, I'll try again. As for the dragon, I'm pretty happy over all with the way it turned out. It was one of those designs I had to walk away from for several weeks and come back to. I'm not sure why it didn't click at the first try, but after a couple of weeks away from it, it went together like clockwork. I'm even impressed with the walrus, which is surprising. Anyway, hope everyone has a great week this week and enjoys the pics.

I'll Give it My All...Tomorrow. Life After 40!

2011-06-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

So what do you do when you think that what you are currently doing is not really what you should be doing? I'm sure this happens to many people ( other than me) when they hit some magic number as they age. ( usually around 35-45) Well, Cheryl bought a manga about just such a character and it is totally AWESOME! If you find yourself in that age group and are searching for answers to questions that you don't even know you may have...then take a look at "I'll give it my all Tomorrow" A story of a man who quits his safe secure job and decides to become a manga artist ( to the un-initiated, that is similar to a comic book artist/writer). The Catch: he has never drawn a picture, written a story, and he is over the age of 40! IT is hilarious at times, sad at others, but you end up rooting for the guy as he climbs every wall that is put up in front of him. ( Sometimes in the least graceful way!) There are moments where I feel he is writing the story and he has taken a page out of my life! Constant rejection of his work, small time job that can't even pay the bills, and friends and family that constantly tell him he is an idiot for following his dream. Well, the third volume just came out and it was truly inspiring and funny....but not the way you might think. There is also a web comic where they post the latest chapters as they come out.. Find it here....
I've been working on some new origami, Hopefully I'll post some pics tomorrow. Enjoy the manga!

The Totally Awesome Origami Koi

2011-06-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out the secret behind the origami koi with scales. I know that seems like it should have been easy, but it was just a matter of the size of paper. I needed a rectangle instead of a square! However you put it, Here is the results: My first attempt was so cool I decided to try it again with a little more care for the head. I'm pleased with both attempts, and I may just try it once again. Cheryl says I have to make an entire school of them to put them on the wall. I'm not sure how ambitious I will be, but the thought does sound appealing. Other than that, Iowa has become rather boring as of late. The factory work keeps us tied up and wore out. Even though we get off rather early, we are so tired from standing and getting up early that we basically eat and sleep then go back to work. I'm not sure how people do this for thirty years....Regardless, it does give us a steady supply of income for the time being, and that is nice. But there are other things that are creeping back into our life....such as our spending and eating habits. Perhaps the glamor less work causes us to overcompensate in other ways. Well, at least the weather is pleasant for the moment and summer is almost here. Hopefully I will blog a little more than this once a week thing. Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

The Computer WORKS! YEAH!

2011-05-29T09:46:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure what Cheryl did, but the computer works! Hooray! At least I'll be able to post the Origami beetle I worked on. You might remember it from before, it's the samurai helmet beetle. The previous attempts did not turn out as well as this one. Also a dragon out of the traditional bird base. I also remember doing this one but not having it turn out as nicely. Anyway, I'm relieved that I got this computer working. And, In the event my Brother or Dad are actually reading this: I now have a computer that can print....so I will send you a letter soon. I hope you get this and feel free to leave a response.

Another computer and the standing Origami Crane

2011-05-29T08:52:00.001-07:00

As the title mentions, I purchased another computer a few days ago because Cheryl and I could not share one at the same time. And since our online time is llimited by the time we spend at Panera, it ends up with one of us being bored while the other surfs. Its not really a problem when Cheryl surfs...I just do some origami and I'm happy. However, when it comes to my turn to blog and check Email, Cheryl sighs and looks uncomfortably bored! ( uncomfortable for ME!) So ...to fix this problem, I suggested getting another computer...but Of course! IT seems to be having problems with connecting to the Internet. Hopefully we will get it all figured out. All the pictures of the new origami are on that computer as of right now...but I did manage to save this standing crane on Cheryls computer. It turned out pretty good and it stands by itself.