Anthology

button sale (!!!)

I've been trying to work on a letter to the editor for a couple weeks now - mostly trying to corral my thoughts into 200 words or less.  It's a challenge!  In doing so, I've been thinking a lot about what it is that I have to say or do which is unique.  There are plenty of things a person can do in this time leading up to the June 5th election.  People can (and are) making phone calls, sending emails, writing letters to editors, blogging, knocking on doors...  The first letter that I started writing sounds pretty similar to the letters I've been reading.  And anyway, is there *really* anyone left who hasn't made up their mind who will decide based on my letter to the editor?  Well, I am not discounting that possibility so, yes, I will slowly work away at my word count.

In the meantime, one thing occurred to me that I can contribute which is unique.  Not everyone has a button machine!

So, here's the deal: we're having a sale on buttons. Buy one Barrett or Vote button and get a second button (protest, election, Barrett, recall) of your choosing (equal or lesser value).  We're hoping this will spur a buy one, give one kind of movement, and perhaps give you an opportunity to have a conversation while you give a Barrett button to a friend. 

We had a customer from Oregon who was trying to decide upon a button.  She said, "I like this one, but I'm not a hipster and no one in Oregon will know what I'm talking about."  Her friend said, "well, that's perfect.  That's like the ultimate hipster thing!"

And yes, if there are any Republicans or undecideds who are actually still reading my blog, you will note that we didn't exclude you.  You don't have to buy a Barrett button - there are many general election buttons to choose from.

The last time we had a sale on buttons was Labor Day weekend, in honor of the workers of the world.  It seems appropriate to kick off this sale on Memorial Day weekend.  In truth, if there is one overarching change that has come to my life over the past year, it is a stronger sense of patriotism, love and committment for my country and my state, or at least the ideals that we promise to uphold (you know, liberty and justice for all?).  My committment to buying locally and from independent businesses traces back to this - as a way to support my fellow Americans as they pursue their American Dreams; my committment to recalling Walker traces back to this - as a way to overturn what I see as a complete denial of those ideals of democracy.

And so, here we are at Memorial Day weekend.  The sale flyers abound, but what does that really have to do with the holiday itself?  I feel even more keenly aware of all the sacrifices that the men and women of our armed forces have made.  And what were all those sacrifices for if not to uphold the ideals of our nation? 

Ok, you can have your cynical beliefs about why generals and politicans get us into wars, but I believe the dedication and heart of these sacrifices was not about money or political gain, but some abiding belief in this country, in the idea of freedom to speak, freedom to prosper, freedom to elect people who will stand for, by, and with the people who elected them.  When I stand in line to vote, I feel the weight of this responsibility - elsewhere, people would KILL to have the opportunity that I have; elsewhere, people have DIED to bring this opportunity to others. 

I DID tell you that I was getting more patriotic, didn't I?

So, after thanking our military veterans, and the families whose sons and daughters gave their lives, how about we all go out and do OUR duties to protect, and serve, and uphold our pledge that we make - standing united, with liberty and justice for all.  AND VOTE.

 

*Sale runs from now (we'll start Memorial Day weekend early like some of you lucky ducks get to) (Friday May 25th) through election day (June 5th).  Buy one $1.50 Barrett/Vote button, get a second of equal or lesser value for FREE!

reunion (!) buttons

Well, this might be the classic case of 'if you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail,' but we do tend to think in terms of what buttons we can create.  Upset with the Governor, what button will we make?  Excited about Barrett, what button will we make?  So perhaps it was only natural that when talk came around to reunion nametags, Sachi thought of buttons.

To be fair, a customer came in a while ago and gave us the idea.  She was attending a family reunion and made buttons for all the attendees.  Her idea was really quite clever -- I think there were 6 founding siblings and all of their children got a button with their parent on it.  If money were no object, how fun would that be at a reunion to attach a button to all the cousins and grandchildren, too - so you could easily see which side of the family they came from.

I also made buttons last year for my birthday party - I think that would be a fun party favor, especially the older one gets - like having an 80 year birthday party where everyone gets childhood photos?

Anyway, Sachi's 20th reunion is coming up soon (and yes, that makes her the age you think it makes her, and no, I'm not the younger sibling) and she offered to make buttons using pictures from the yearbook.  To be honest, I'm not entirely sure I would want my high school self on a button, but it's still a pretty fun project.  For some reason, I have a feeling that there will be some button-trading going on by the end of the night.

awww... don't they all just look so young?!

 

clever button girls

Can I just say how blown away I am by the creativity of our customers?  I love to see what people think of! 

I got a message a few days ago from someone interested in button-making.  She was asking on behalf of her Waunakee daughter who wanted to make buttons for her team, and planning to come in Friday afternoon.  Now, I get the button question a lot, there are some specs as far as size/paper that are important to know in advance, plus I appreciate the heads' up on incoming buttonmakers. 

But I had NO idea what they were planning!  The girls came in on Friday with little ziploc baggies, one for each team member, with tiny little words and letters cut out from magazines.  Now, I don't know if you've ever tried to cut things out of magazines - the final look is cool, but it always seems like when you are looking for a particular word or letter, you can never find it.  I was told they spent 7 hours gathering these tiny little pieces and I'm not at all surprised.  Of course, if it were me, it would have taken a week because I would have gotten distracted with other collage thoughts.

Anyway, they spent Friday afternoon at the shop, gluing their little pieces down on our background papers, and then making them up into buttons.  I love that each person gets their own customized button!  I don't know how it was when you were in high school, but we had our little group of friends and each person had a nickname.... and how fun would that have been if we each had our own button?!  I'm jealous.

Labor Day weekend special

 

Announcing Anthology's first Labor Day weekend special ever:  All protest buttons are 50% off!  (I use the word "protest" loosely - this applies to all the buttons on our back table, though not elsewhere in the shop).  Saturday through Monday, readymade buttons only.  And, yes, we have plenty of non-partisan buttons related to people of any political stripe.  "Librarians are Sexy" - surely we can all agree on that?!

Sometimes it seems like Labor Day sales are rather contrived, but we thought what better way to honor Labor than to show your favorite state worker that you think he/she is sexy. or let your teachers know you know they can do it!

 

When I look back a year ago, I can hardly believe how much has changed.  I can't even remember what I did on Labor Day.  And in my little retail world, Labor Day has rarely meant a day off of labor (though perhaps a day of abbreviated hours), and certainly not a long weekend.  Not so this year.

After all the events in Wisconsin and around the country, I have never felt that Labor is as little-valued as it is right now. And, no I am not just talking about the attacks on state employee collective bargaining.  I'm also talking about this general sense that I have of businesses and government using the excuse of the economy and consumer demands to get the most work they can get, for the least amount of money.  The sharp inequality between the richest and the poorest, the denigration of the work that people do, the erosion of the safety net that more and more people are in need of...  and we're supposed to be celebrating Labor on Monday?  It seems a half-hearted and token gesture at best.

And I know, I can be a starry-eyed optimist.  But as I was enjoying my birthday present massage, thinking about the wonderful talents of Candice, the small businessperson with the talented hands (if you are in town, I recommend you check her out: In Balance Massage Therapy), I was thinking how lucky she and I were to be able to pursue our passions and our talents.  And yet how nice it would be if our Labor was rewarded just as someone's labor of collecting capital gains is rewarded.  Feeling a little sad about all the ways that we make compromises about what it is we enjoy doing and what it is that pays the bills; feeling indignant about the valuation that is made of which work is "better" or at least more deserving of higher wages....   Though, to be clear, I wasn't actually thinking about this during the massage, I was too relaxed to think.

So, I had to go to the source:  the U.S. Department of Labor website, which says the following:

"Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership: the American worker."

And I know, not all of our protest buttons are Labor related but we still feel that the protests here in Wisconsin and the state of Labor in general are very much connected.  A sale on buttons is a small gesture from a small business, but it seemed like a fitting way of sharing our appreciation.

Like most holidays, it never really seems like one day is enough.  But then, I'm the girl who takes a month to celebrate her birth.  Still, over this long Labor Day weekend, we do hope you take a moment to think about all the ways that Labor has contributed to the prosperity of the nation.

protest pins updated catalog, of sorts

Let's see, perhaps I will actually get to catch up this week... ha ha.  Of course, Sachi is already thinking of some new buttons - I found some trashy romance novels at the thrift store and we're trying to come up with captions for those (maybe something like, "he whispered sweet nothings but all she could think about was collective bargaining," except shorter).

In any event, I thought it would be helpful to provide a summary of the protest pins we have available.  I apologize from the beginning for the glare, maybe someday I'll get a fancier set-up for button photography.

There's a 1" button for $1 and a 1.5" button for $1.50.  We also have some 3" buttons for $3, using photographs of the protests, and 3" buttons for $4.75 based on screenprints from some Milwaukee artists.

Our basic series is black text on white background.  Most of these come in both the 1" and 1.5" size, however those with a lot of text are only in the 1.5" size.

Possibilities include:

crafty women RECALL shifty men
If the ewoks can do it..Let’s stop Imperial WALKER!
with Liberty & Justice for ALL
BUCKY doesn’t bust unions
Yeah, I bussed in. on MADISON METRO!
Oh no! I wanted WALKER, Texas Ranger
Librarians Recall WALKER like an overdue book
RECALL WALKER
second star to the left and straight on to ROCKFORD
whose house? OUR HOUSE
Walker is a KOCH-head
Cheeseheads Not Koch-heads
unbelievable unprecedented unAmerican
even Batman doesn’t support WALKER
KEEP CALM AND PROTEST ON
WORKER rights Not Walker WRONGS
clean ENERGY not dirty politics
RECYCLE WALKER
RUNNERS not Walker
This is what DEMOCRACY looks like
Don’t Walker all over my rights
Never mind the magnificent 7, we have the FABULOUS 14!
Therapists are running out of patience
SoliDAIRY!
Wisconsin, FORWARD!
Where are MY THUGS?! (Teachers & Humans United for Government Sanity)
if I wanted a dictatorship, I would have picked a place with shorter winters
"Naked Power Grab" only sounds like fun
Crafty women UNITE!
RUN to Rockford
Cops for Labor
No sleep ‘til ROCKFORD
railroaded by WALKER
can we disagree without being disagreeable?
I {heart} the FAB 14
we {heart} COPS for Labor
crafty women {heart} firefighters for Labor
Yeah, I bussed in. on MADISON METRO!
Walker is a KOCH-head
Teachers are our building blocks. Don’t knock ‘em down!
was there something about a more perfect union?
the U.S. is a union
Maryland stands with Wisconsin (can be customized to another place)
RECALL SCOTT whatshisname
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES: working for a stronger Wisconsin
another SCONNIE against Scottie
Recall Scooter & Cheesehead Barbie
Manure is for farm fields not the Capitol
Oh Deere! WALKER is full of fertilizer!
We need wind power, not hot air
Thank yoUNIONS!
Don't break our he{arts},Scottie
I'm too young for a Walker
at least my grandma's walker works
Worker rights? You're darn right!
This Mama Grizzly supports those who teach her cubs
Real Americans for Real Wages
I just found 14,000 votes in my cat's litter box (also pocket of my skinny jeans/on the porch by the pop/junk mail pile/hamster's habitrail
Never doubt that a large group of thoughtful committed ticked-off Cheeseheads can change the world

Additionally, we have:

the chicken series:

 
 the food series:

the popular recycle button:
 

the bicycle and motorcycle series:

 

Sachi's retro ladies & men:  The 1" buttons are 1950s women.  Options include: State workers are sexy, Cute girls love collective bargaining, City workers are sexy, Collective bargaining is sexy, Gorgeous women love union men, I love a union man, Cute gals love union men, County workers are sexy, Smart women for union contracts.

 

The 1.5" buttons are 1960s Penneys catalog models, women and men. Options include: State workers are sexy, I love a union gal, City workers are sexy, Walker you messed with the wrong woman, I'm going to give that governor what-for.

Laura's "Union, Yes!" with photographs of Memorial Union terrace chairs.  Available in both sizes. Please specify chair color: green, orange, yellow or mixed.

 


Rosie. In both sizes. Options include: Nurses can do it!, Teachers can do it!, Unions can do it!, Librarians can do it!

"Keep Calm and Protest On."  Available in both sizes.

Miss Forward and/or the Capitol.  1" button with "Wisconsin, Forward!" or just "Forward!"
 

Laura's mini 1970s people.  1" button.  Options include:  Not cool Walker not cool, Wisconsin Forward, crafty gals unite, we {heart} the fab 14, crafty women recall Walker.

In the 3" buttons we have used photographs from our walks up to the Capitol as well as some from local photographers.  These are $3.

 

We also have 3" buttons based on original silkscreens from two Milwaukee artists.  These are $4.75 each.

All right, that's the collection.  We have some buttons in our Etsy shop and we can also set up a custom listing for you.  You can reach us by email (Anthology@tds.net) with a list of the buttons that you'd like (and then pay by PayPal or credit card over the phone) or call us to pay by credit card: 608-204-2644.  Thank you!

 

more protest buttons, and the work/fight goes on

No, it's not over.  It has been a cold and dreary past couple of weeks here in Madison.  Downtown, people stop in the store and wonder where all the protesters have gone (though I can't tell if it is a genuine dismay or just an ambulance-chaser kind of disappointment).  There is some inclination to feel defensive, to believe Walker when he says that the lack of continuing protests means that the issue has "gone away."  To give in to the tiredness and disappointment in a world that hasn't suddenly, magically, gotten better.  To tiptoe carefully around people who might be tired of all my anger and frustration.  To get overwhelmed by all the work there is to be done (politically as well as in everyday and work lives). To miss the flash of excitement and the adreneline of standing amongst thousands.  To take a break because, quite honestly, I am SO exhausted and these months of supposed rest before the busy summer tourist season have been anything but restful.

And yet, this is what it is all about, isn't it?  The daily effort through tiredness and rain, through the promise of spring that sits just beyond reach, through fleeting glimpses of sunshine, through little changes in the way one thinks or buys or gets from point A to point B. 

My objections to Walker's actions have not diminished at all.  My anger and sorrow at hypocrisy and injustice has not diminished. I think Scott Walker is creating a Wisconsin where power and wealth continue to concentrate in the very few, where those who don't have wealth and power are marginalized and ignored, where "small government" means a micromanaging governor and where business is allowed to run unchecked with only short-term profit as a motive.  I believe that government and church have important roles to play in modifying and tempering the individual and business, in calling for justice and morality and greater good.  And I believe that we cannot be "open for business" and neglect our workers, our lakes, our children.

So, no, the work is not done.  I won't be quiet.

Oh, and there are buttons to be made.  Who would have imagined that buttons would be such a consolation?  When I hear reports about the President's low approval ratings, I have only to turn to our Obama button sales to be reminded that he has paid a few months of our rent and that some people clearly still love him (ok, maybe the infatuation is fading, but I'd still much rather have him for a President than McCain.  Or Trump).  When I change channels to avoid a news conference, I come in to find that Sachi has come up with more clever buttons.  And when I feel tired or overwhelmed, there is always the simple action of pressing buttons to fall back on - there is certainly something therapeutic in doing things with one's hands.

There are earlier posts about protest pins are here and here, but some of the new buttons include:

the chicken series:

 
 the food series:

the popular recycle button:
 

the bicycle series:

and the new motorcycle series just in time for "Thunda around the Rotunda" this Saturday:

And perhaps the form of protesting and working has changed, but it is certainly still there.  There have been fewer people walking around the Capitol Square but button sales haven't really slowed that much.  We hit 11,000 buttons sold earlier this week (that's since mid Feb - almost as many in 10 weeks as we've sold in the three years since we opened).  I remember someone commenting that coming down to the Captiol was all well and good, but that doesn't really change things.  (Naturally some national writer complained that Wisconsin needs another huge protest so that politicians know we haven't given up.  Classic proof that you can't please everyone).  I'm impressed with the many people who have worked to collect recall signatures and the new connections that have been made between people working to a common cause, by the people making positive changes in how they shop, whether they vote (record turn-outs this spring!), etc.  Plus, spring must really be just around the corner.  Any day now.

new protest buttons

Ah, I have a little taste of what the writers of SNL must feel like when there is plenty of political fodder for their jokes....

Sachi has been busy coming up with new buttons.  The 14,000 series has been very popular.  One customer walked out with about four on her jacket ... they are pretty entertaining in a cluster.

And she came in this morning with a whole new list of possibilities:

As for myself, we had an order from a Badger now living in Oregon.  He ordered several buttons for a convention, most of which were selected from our existing options, but also ordered "Oregon stands with Wisconsin" which made me a little teary.  It reminded me of the first week of the protests, the first time I walked through the Capitol.  It was feeling like "just a hippie Madison" thing, but then in the rotunda, I was greeted with a huge sign that said, "Maryland is here with you," and another that said, "Michigan is here with you."  Again with the tears.  In any event, it goes along with my "United we stand" button, and I had to expand the collection.  I know this is asking for trouble on a busy day - someone is bound to ask for a state that I haven't printed out yet - but we have had many out of town visitors and I thought it would be nice to spread the solidarity.

protest pins

 



Oh my goodness, what a blur it has been.  Today we are approaching the 6000-button mark.  (that's 6000 buttons sold since February 18th of 2011).

It's so strange how things just evolve.  My old boss used to always say: Listen to what your customers are asking for and take your lead from them.  And as early as February 15th, we had customers stopping in to see what buttons we had.  Just to be clear, we've had buttons for sale and for people to make since we first opened - this isn't something that we just started because of the protests.  That same week, a Facebook friend said, "oh, you must be doing great business right now.  Protesters LOVE buttons!"  When she said that, the protests had only just begun and business was slow because everyone was just going straight up to the Capitol. 

Not that I expected them to be shopping, and I was fine with that.  But the other thing my boss used to say was, "Don't go hunting when the ducks aren't flying," which is to say, don't put a lot of energy into sales and marketing when you don't have a lot of potential customers around.  But the people were definitely out.  

It's interesting to look back on that first week.  All of the shenanigans (and by that I mean the actions of the politicians) going on at the Wisconsin State Capitol happened so quickly that we spent the time just trying to wrap our minds around the situation, let alone come up with buttons. Personally, I think this is evidence of the unseemly haste at which our politicians are moving - when capitalism cannot keep up with politicians, something is a little off.  But you already know where I stand on those matters.

Still, after four days of customers stopping in and asking for buttons, we finally had some buttons ready for sale on Friday the 18th of February.  I was using our 1.5" button-maker (which we purchased a while ago but which hadn't yet paid for itself).  Meanwhile, Sachi was adapting her Obama buttons with things like, "State workers are sexy," and "Smart women for union contracts," and "Cute gals love collective bargaining."  I think we sold 200 buttons that first Saturday; yesterday we sold over 1000.  We have enjoyed and been inspired by the humor of the many signs marching by our shop and have tried to pass some of that humor along in our buttons.  (update: as of the end of April, we've sold over 11,000 buttons.  A percentage of our button sales has always been donated to local youth arts organizations.  The result is that we've made more donations in the last 3 months than we did in all of last year).

We are barely keeping up with button sales in the store and every spare moment has been spent making buttons.  I'm falling behind on a variety of tasks but have received several requests for protest buttons from afar.  Here, then, is about as close as you are going to get to a catalog.  We are always making more buttons and you can always send us an email at Anthology@tds.net and we can send you pictures of what we have (though, be warned, taking pictures of buttons is difficult since there's always the reflection of the platic cover to deal with).

We have two basic styles: a 1" button for $1 and a 1.5" button for $1.50.  Not all the designs come in both sizes but there is some overlap.

First, the simple black text on white background, available in both sizes.

Possibilities include:

crafty women RECALL shifty men
If the ewoks can do it..Let’s stop Imperial WALKER!
with Liberty & Justice for ALL
BUCKY doesn’t bust unions
Yeah, I bussed in. on MADISON METRO!
Oh no! I wanted WALKER, Texas Ranger
Librarians Recall WALKER like an overdue book
RECALL WALKER
second star to the left and straight on to ROCKFORD
whose house? OUR HOUSE
Walker is a KOCH-head
Cheeseheads Not Koch-heads
unbelievable unprecedented unAmerican
even Batman doesn’t support WALKER
KEEP CALM AND PROTEST ON
WORKER rights Not Walker WRONGS
clean ENERGY not dirty politics
BUCKY doesn’t bust unions
RUNNERS not Walker
This is what DEMOCRACY looks like
Don’t Walker all over my rights
Never mind the magnificent 7, we have the FABULOUS 14!
Therapists are running out of patience
SoliDAIRY!
Wisconsin, FORWARD!
Where are MY THUGS?! (Teachers & Humans United for Government Sanity)
if I wanted a dictatorship, I would have picked a place with shorter winters
"Naked Power Grab" only sounds like fun
Crafty women UNITE!
RUN to Rockford
Cops for Labor
No sleep ‘til ROCKFORD
railroaded by WALKER
can we disagree without being disagreeable?
I {heart} the FAB 14
we {heart} COPS for Labor
crafty women {heart} firefighters for Labor
Yeah, I bussed in. on MADISON METRO!
Walker is a KOCH-head
Teachers are our building blocks. Don’t knock ‘em down!

Never doubt that a large group of thoughtful committed ticked-off Cheeseheads can change the world



 

Second, Sachi's retro ladies & men.  The 1" buttons are 1950s women.  Options include: State workers are sexy, Cute girls love collective bargaining, City workers are sexy, Collective bargaining is sexy, Gorgeous women love union men, I love a union man, Cute gals love union men, County workers are sexy, Smart women for union contracts.

 

The 1.5" buttons are 1960s Penneys catalog models, women and men. Options include: State workers are sexy, I love a union gal, City workers are sexy, Walker you messed with the wrong woman, I'm going to give that governor what-for.

Third, Laura's "Union, Yes!" with photographs of Memorial Union terrace chairs.  Available in both sizes. Please specify chair color: green, orange, yellow or mixed.

 


Fourth, Rosie. In both sizes. Options include: Nurses can do it!, Teachers can do it!, Unions can do it!

Fifth, "Keep Calm and Protest On."  Available in both sizes.

Sixth, Miss Forward and/or the Capitol.  1" button with "Wisconsin, Forward!" or just "Forward!"
 


Seventh, Laura's mini 1970s people.  1" button.  Options include:  Not cool Walker not cool, Wisconsin Forward, crafty gals unite, we {heart} the fab 14, crafty women recall Walker.

 
 
All right, that's the collection.  If you have any other questions, you can send us an email at Anthology@tds.net

Thank you!

more button bracelets

I can't help it -- I'm having fun.  Finally branched out from the two text bracelets.  Though I know a certain person who will not enjoy the fact that I am still working with text, it's what I love.  I was thinking about the scientist who studies ice crystals and found that pleasing shapes are made when water is frozen near positive words -- I like the idea of having verbs to aspire to around one's wrist, to be reminded of good things, maybe even make some changes on a small molecular level... or some such thing.

I debated for a long time about what phrase to work on but I've hit upon a solution that works well for me.  I just typed up a list of verbs -- the reference book I use, not complete, is 501 Italian Verbs, augmented by a browse through the thesaurus index (slightly shorter than going to the dictionary).  I'll need to look over the list and see what I missed, but for now, it was enough verbs to make an assortment of bracelets.  I made a batch in each of four different color groupings (rich, pastel, bright, cool), and then arranged the words as seemed right at the moment of gluing.  It was kind of mini free-form poetry.  Each bracelet is a different set of verbs which appeals to my need for variety at the same time it allows me to do a little assembly-line production.

What remains:
seek enjoy twinkle swoon collect fly
transcend know embark tend breathe grow
cherish trust leap love kiss enjoy
celebrate adore create relish dare become
cherish ask begin shine look be
invite wish thank sing remember celebrate
seize discover be change relish play
believe go play laugh shine unfold
begin reach persist renew grow dream

Since four have already sold, this gives me permission to make more -- I just made 12 for the test run.  I like the idea that no two bracelets will ever be alike  -- I'm no statistician but I think it's almost impossible given all the different verbs and all the different background papers to choose from.  I'll have to order more button supplies and  bracelets.  Though what I really need to do is drill holes and finish the batch of magnet frames I started.

Now it is June.  I used twinkling watercolors to paint the words so they are a little more than just cut out from computer paper.  It's one more color to coordinate so that fun just keeps growing.  I made more of the bracelets and now have enough that we can restock when they sell.  You can stop reading, because the rest is a list of all the ones that I've made.  I don't know, I just wanted a record:  (and yes, I know a couple other words slipped in there -- before I decided to stick to verbs, I typed some otehrs in the list -- like peace and strength -- and they were accidentally included)

begin know live seek learn renew
start delight fly skip think shine
expect seek encourage dance want be
ponder light live kiss promise learn
unfold fly reach smile breathe ask
leap find renew swoon reflect make
create hope relish trust begin move
nurture dream grow imagine wake lead
welcome surprise continue dance look give
reach dare jump create swoon begin
jump accept blossom look saunter find
celebrate smile create exist enjoy share
shine play follow thank tend live
discover encourage ask
twinkle sing invite nap adore help
believe teach smile sing expect whisper
sparkle transcend dream unfold move open
discover nap dance dream color do
skip give embrace play thank achieve
whisper love embark make wonder breathe
dare follow hope collect rise journey
reflect teach wish befriend thank learn
endure unfold send prosper look thank
wish enliven ponder manifest read remember
begin reach feel unfold laugh grow
embark invite gather flow sparkle follow
pick blossom flow jump endure cherish
travel give shine intend trust hear
swoon dance begin listen endure create
trust blossom thank discover cherish hold
risk celebrate play hope dream unfold
give wonder love praise embrace dare
remember persist celebrate become create laugh
begin persist awaken promise prosper cherish
blossom embrace lead relish praise kiss
give create encourage learn build transcend
manifest know pause stay reach kiss
know harmony follow listen embark smile
enliven surprise befriend swoon play seize
begin listen reflect intend celebrate persist
expect believe whisper create start ponder
dare surprise gather wonder smile find
seek cherish swoon grow breath unfold
bloom twinkle discover create collect wish
hold expect travel change sparkle nap
build renew journey believe see promise

find know give look seek celebrate
discover sing exist build read accept
cherish unfold bloom praise shine continue
make believe remember learn jump delight
bloom dance relish feel trust give
endure flow bless enjoy make touch
swoon bless include live look listen
welcome give love play hold look
become teach give discover intend dance
adore reflect exist learn risk be
embrace persist laugh grow begin wish
unfold saunter discover begin think breathe
sing embrace hold speak begin prosper
begin make share wake color want
speak live ask imagine adore learn
embrace blossom ask feel become swoon
teach change kiss look dance invite
discover find adore believe unfold breathe
pick love know sparkle dare persist
awaken enjoy ponder hope want journey
expect grow enjoy become follow leap

move change seek tend enliven celebrate
welcome sparkle think teach relish change
accept charm surprise gaze twinkle move
expect love collect paint listen exist
begin discover skip continue wake smile

send blossom discover make paint skip
send create draw dance risk learn
teach live fly stay feel welcome
lead follow ask pick leap dare
find light give endure live exist
rest fly make adore give create

awaken form help try make hear
embrace look trust include encourage view


invite sew leap travel wish discover

Friday night at the store

Well, it's a thrilling life, what can I say?  Instead of the usual Friday night activities -- visiting book stores, eating Chinese (for one), Fridays are now my nights to work.  We're open until 7 so it isn't that late.  The sun is still shining and the street is pretty lively.  There is graduation this weekend and a performance across the street.  It's a little quiet at the moment, but after a week of projects: making more button bracelets, making magnet picture frames, making magnets, sewing a quilt sleeve, taking Capitol pictures, making photo snippets (I call them Capitol Squares... ha ha), making Capitol photo blocks... well, I think that's about all I have in me.  After I get home tonight (around 8 with the bus schedule), I HAVE to pack and clean, put away clothes.  I mean it.  Don't let me procrastinate. 

The button bracelets have been selling fabulously -- Sachi, Naomi and I all have different styles but we have a fun assortment.  Sachi's are pictured here. Other good sellers: Naomi's tile coasters and button picture frames, sweet Story Pictures, Sachi's Madison snippets and drawings, luminarte twinkling H20s, and buttons, buttons, buttons.  People have really enjoyed making their own buttons -- it has been a really fun activity that we didn't even plan on initially.  This week we got in some more Japanese papers including some packs of smaller pieces that remind me so much of shopping in Japan, the cute Japanese folders, also some more Story Pictures.  We keep selling out, not a bad problem.  And I think we've fixed the problems with epoxy necklaces so we can make custom photo necklaces now, which I think will be very popular.

Saturday we meet with the accountant in the morning and then it's the usual Saturday crowd; hopefully the weather will cooperate.  Sunday I have laundry, church, then on to the store at noon, with a stop at Bagels Forever for my breakfast, and then maybe a little more packing and cleaning after work.  Then Monday morning bright and early we are off to NY!  I'm so excited!  Plus, nervous, because I don't know what it will be like traveling with Lily.  But the show is smaller than the gift show so I think we will be able to get all our work done and take breaks for napping/screaming.  I'm especially nervous about the plane.  Eek.  Ah well, I'm willing to pay the price.  It has been so long since I first wished that Sachi and I could go to the Stationery Show.  And now here we are.  We always talked about going when we had our own store.  I know it is a little decadent to go on a buying trip so soon into this new business, but we are so lucky that Pamela can run the store for the three days we are gone.  Oh my! I can hardly wait.  Someone at my Bone Folders' Guild meeting told me we should start on the right where all the international vendors are -- international?!  Maybe we can finally find the Italian paper we want, and maybe some more Japanese papers.  And who knows what else? Yippee!