baskets update #2

I'm at it again. I like using a single strand of yarn and tying together as you weave (the yarn is easier to work with than the plastic bag strips). This is the same basket I did yesterday with the three strands and glad I didn't glue them down or anything - took it apart and weaved as far as I could with the red, tied the white and wove around; tied the blue and wove around - I think it turned out pretty cool and just think how creative you can get with the different colors of foam and the different colors of yarns out there - If anyone is interested in the patterns for the baskets (small and large), I've placed them on my website under the craft tab page. You are welcome to print off and use for any crafting time you would like. Let me know which you like better - working with multiple colors as one in a kind of layered fashion or with single strands and weaving until you need to tie another piece to continue. I'd love to hear from my readers who have tried the craft and with different colored foam and yarn - drop me a line at my email addy (in my profile) - Mrs. E :)


While uploading this picture, I came up with another idea - which I think is going to look pretty cool, so as soon as I do that, I'll definitely post.

Ann Eisenstein author of Hiding Carly

Last weekend upon leaving Geofest, I stopped at a school on the way out and met a new author, Ann Eisenstein, author of Hiding Carly. We are both members of the SCBWI and she had posted on the forum that she would be doing her Book Launch Party. So I decided to go meet a fellow author. It was a pretty cool event. I wish I had taken my camera in because one lady brought her Kindle in and the author actually "signed" the book on the Kindle. I know what you must be thinking - you can't really sign a book on Kindle, can you? Well, technically no. You can make "notes" in books like in the margins or whatever, so the Kindle owner put the book in note mode and had it to a page where she wanted the author to sign, and the author typed a message and signed it that way.

So, signing ebooks on Kindle, and probably Nook as well, is possible (there has been some discussion on the topic of not being able to sign ebooks on many different forums I belong to). My question is to all my readers - would you like to see my books as ebooks, on Kindle or Nook? Let me know since I'm thinking of it as a possibility but not sure how well my books will do as ebooks. I've got a trial here with State of Successes but that is kind of a "library" which is pc, Google TV and Samsung Galaxy TAB compatible - not really as an ereader like the Kindle or Nook. Let me know what your thoughts on ebooks are and if you'd like to see the JGDS series in ebook format.

See you all in the postings - Mrs. E :)

Geofest update

Here are some pictures of my table and Benjamin - lol.

I think my table turned out pretty good, and yes I'm remembering to take my camera with me to every event.


My table as seen coming around the corner from the classes, stairs and elevators.




























My basic display from book 1 to book 5 and everything in between -










My sign I ordered from vistaprint back in the early fall - I'm thinking the next signage I do will be an up and down one which will be on a stand - Meet the Author of the Junior Geography Detective Squad or something to that affect.




Benjamin - not very spontaneous but he had been reading for most of the day - I just snapped this near the end of the day when he actually was inside - I think he spent a good bit of his time sitting under a tree reading one of his books.

Basket weaving update

Way back in the fall of 2010, I showed my basket weaving crafts which goes with State of Successes. Last week before heading to Geofest, I had an idea about the baskets, What about using yarn for the weaving instead of plastic bag strips or the raffia as suggested on the original pattern. I bought some yarn Monday while out - red, white and blue of course. This is done on a yellow circle but I think on a white, red or blue background this will look awesome - what do you think? I did think of getting some yellow/green varigated yarn to work on the yellow and green circles (yellow and green basket from A Tisket A Tasket or even for the spring colors - some pastels worked on some pastel colored foam for Easter).

As you can see from this view - I'm not sure what to do with the tails - starting and ending (I've not snipped the yarn for an ending tail yet), but am thinking of somehow weaving over the starting tail but that still leaves what to do with the ending tails of the yarn. Any suggestions? Leave a comment with what you would do with the tails.




This is the bottom or outside of the basket.

On this particular one, I used all three colors keeping them in a layered fashion, so I got three times around completely - with three layers on the inside and outside from my starting point to ending point. If you want to just a single colored yarn, you should get more layers on the weaving. Maybe I'll do a couple of samples with one color and two colors so everyone can see what they will look like. Just remember to pull taut so as to form the basket but not too tight that your weaving material slips off the tops. You probably can use some tacky glue as you go along to keep the yarn in place if you feel the need. I may try some with the tacky glue or may just leave them alone. I'll let you all know what I do as I play around with the different ways to do these baskets.

They will make a great mother's day gift for mom's rings or whatever she would like to put in them. They will make cute mini Easter baskets in the pastels. I think even around the holidays to do them in the fall colors would be a cute idea. I'll do some each season with the different colors and go from there. Hope you enjoy. If you do them in a color of your choice, how about letting me know and showing me what you came up with. You can email me an image of your basket and give me permission to post your picture, First name Last initial and where you are from - thanks everyone.

Leave a comment - maybe I'll get brave and do an actual video of me weaving the circles; just have to think about that since you wouldn't actually see my face - lol. I think this will be a fun craft for anyone.

State of Successes live on Magicblox

So a few weeks ago I posted about Magicblox and how it is basically an ereader library for kids. Computer based but just recently they have setup with google TV and Samsung Galaxy TAB. Don't forget that magicblox does offer a free month trial, so come on over and check out the books available now (over 70 is what I heard last). State of Successes is now live on magicblox - so come on over and see what they have to offer. Sign up, get your first month free and if you like it enough, I encourage you to get a year's worth of usage from the site because in a year, there will probably be at least 70 or more books added. Seems there are about 3 or 4 a week being added as is now. While there, check out State of Successes and let me know what you think of the "ebook" format. Enjoy, happy reading - see you all there - Mrs. E & the JGDS :)

VBT Writers on the Move tour

I forgot to post this yesterday but I was featured on Jennifer Gladen's blog as part of the VBT Writers on the Move monthly tour. Please stop by and see what I have to say about making a name for oneself. - E :)

Geofest time

We are back in Columbia this weekend for the SC Geographic Alliance's Geofest. I hope this turns out to be a good one. I'm ready for a turn in the books but then again with few books on hand. Will report when we get home - Mrs. E :) & the JGDS

Writing challenge (MOGO7000) weekly update #2

January
01/18/2011: Finished State of Nature adding another 1267 words. I feel good about getting 7000 words in a month. Thanks Vonda for posting this challenge on your blog.

01/29/2011: I particpated in a small writing challenge -only 100 words. So I fell short of my total of 7000 this month, but February should be better for me.

01/31/2011: Here it is the end of January and I didn't meet the goal this month but I did more writing this month than I had in the previous six months.


Total words written in January 2011: 4200 words (hopefully my math is correct - 1563, 1270, and 1267 on State of Nature with 100 words on a new story (that one will be brewing for a bit longer and is not state related) - I still feel proud that I have #6 finished, off to edit it now - see you all in the postings - Mrs. E :)