Be Brave - Be Bold - Be Kind

Good afternoon my beauties. It is breathtaking here in sunny Alberta. The snow is deep and a shade of white that isn't found in your colour box, it hurts your eyes to look. Everything appears like a picture card. This is what they came for - the people who came west - the endless grey sky and land that seems to go on forever. Then they got out of their covered wagon and froze their pioneer asses off. Cold, cold, cold - thirty below zero.

Sunday I went to the Christmas Farmer's Market. Despite the wintery conditions I stuck my lily-white face out the door and prepared to meet the people. I had a grand time. Of course, I had to compete with the knitted barbie toilet paper holders and all the precious grey haired ladies. What will become of all those groovey items that are created from non-natural fiber. I don't want to buy them but I don't want them to disappear. People who can knit a handy tote from plastic grocery bags are probably good to have around.

Anyway I could talk about my passion for senior crafters forever but the show must go on. I had a great sale. My table was back to back with the enthusiastic lady selling knives. I was afeared most of the afternoon. Her carrot demonstrations were practically animated. She sold me a completely unless $19 item on the promise it would sharpen my scissors. I thought she was telling the truth. She was wearing an apron and looked as sharp as her knives. Well the moral of this wee tale - opportunities for disappointment are everywhere and they cost $19.

Much later......

Well, it is almost Christmas. I'm almost ready. I have almost all of the gifts bought and wrapped. I'm almost relaxed. I'll wrap up this post and take a wee break over the holiday. During which - I have to figure out how to be a more consistent blogger. I think about writing and the blog all the time. Fear keeps me from posting projects, I must work on that too. I also have to be brave enough to put things in my etsy store. I must be a better businesswoman and strive to be a bit more organized. I don't think I can express how much this little school project means to me and how many ideas I have but first things first. So come on, gather up your fears and put them in airtight container, we'll head somewhere where you can leave that bundle. Everyone hold my hand and let's make our way through the turney bits.

Here are some tags I made. My lovely, practically famous friend Karen photoed them.








Cheers,
Bev

How Happy Feels

Hello my pretties. Miss me?? Come on, you know you did. Well, I know I missed me. I'm better! That's right, better, better than ever, better than before and best of all, a better person. And this on top of being a pretty grand girl to start with.

Sorry for that public display of self-love. I'll try to keep that kind of thing to myself. The store has been so busy this past week. When I look out and see a car at the shop I have this instant rush of panic. I will be a disappointment to them, I'm sure of that. Then that passes and I adjust my underpinnings and prepare to start the show. Such sweet, sweet women come... At first everyone is overwhelmed, too much to see - sensory overload. I want to say. "It's OK. Take small bites and breathe through your eyelids. Sometimes I do say that and I scare them. Its a risk, you know, to let your thoughts out. And when they find that thing that makes them have a happy breath, its pure joy for both of us. They pick up a little piece of possibility and then they imagine something that wasn't there before.... it's creation at its finest. And that, is how happy feels.

That's it for now. I'll be back soon

cheers, Bev

Room with a View

Great book and great descriptive of my presents circumstances. I, along with the rest of my unit, remain confined to the homestead. THE FLU, that's what we've got. I'm not even going to talk about it. People who want to talk about their sore-throats and about being down with the flu haven't really had THE FLU they've had some lower-case version. People who have had THE FLU do not want to talk about it - they just want to praise Allah and vow to be a better person.

This will be a short and insignificant post. The shop has been busy and I feel like I have main-lined Martha. I have the most incredible urge to create and not just with paper. I want to make checker-board cookies and a wreath and god forbid..... I even want a little tinsel. I swear as soon as I'm feeling better I'm donning an apron and cranking up The Judd's Christmas CD.
Gosh Darn - I'm sick.

And that is what I originally wanted to speak to you about - What's a girl like me to do in our new "hand-sanitizing -mask wearing" reality. I can't keep my hands out of mouth for 2 minutes let alone an entire trip to town. My whole thought process revolves around me chewing on my fingernail. I am doomed. I am the horrible example people speak of. I am going to have to become Mary-Louise Alcott - confined to my room, lowering gingerbread down to the neighbourhood children.

that's all I've got. Don't worry, I'll be fine.

cheer, Bev

Fear of Clowns

I had this thought that if I'm ever going to stop my arse from growing I may have to implement clown fear. Run, Beverly, run a clown is chasing you. I have a paralysing fear of clowns but no inspirational motive to lose weight. No internal need to strong and fit. I don't have to exercise to feel better, the research team at Pfizer have taken care of that. And let's be realistic - how stunning can my results be? I'm not the bow flex Grannie, I'm the National Geographic Grannie.



Well perhaps I should spend SOME time not talking about myself. The store is lovely, all ready for Christmas. The papers are all nestled into their racks and the ribbons and embellishments are dancing on their heads. I'm in my lounge wear and ready to serve. Lately, there have been some random customers. You know, strangers. They catch me off guard and it takes some doing on my part to stop my heart from pounding and start the show. What are they thinking? What makes them happy? Are they put off by a lounge wear wearing, DP drinking saleslady? Who knows? You just have to do your best and hide the stuff you don't want to sell.



The Christmas papers are lovely.

and that was it....for then she got the flu. when I say she, I mean me

this is 2 weeks later and I still have the flu but I'm going to post this incomplete stream of conscious thought.

cheers, Bev

let's not dwell in the past......

I hardly know where to begin... so let's just start her up. I took the little shop on the road to Edmonton. We attended the Creative Stitching Alive and Scrapbook Carnival. Well something like that. Whoever came up with that catchy title should be flogged with a pack of brads. Honestly, who thinks up these things, especially the alive bit. Anyway I'll move on, the little shop and all its ribbon and bits piled into the Kia and away we went. It was the best weekend in my shopkeeping career thus far. If you see Kim, Krissy and Lizzy go on up and kiss them full on the mouth because they were the reason I was able to do it.

Let's start a new paragraph and I'll tell you about the show. It was big and I was woefully unprepared to roll with the pro's. Arriving there I said to myself "self, this is going to require focus and my self said "we're not noted for our focus". God knows what people thought of me, I was a like a Walmart greeter on Red Bull and sweet tarts. I didn't just meet the people, I went after them. I was compelled to press the flesh and to give lean-in hugs. But I LOVED it! I loved, loved all the people. It's an incredible feeling to be surrounded by hundreds of people who love this art form. I hope I was able to impart my passion for the products I sell and my genuine interest in people's project's and ideas. This all sounds a bit dodgy and revival like but I tell you it was very groovy. And in the end, I made some money, met some really nice people and I'm sure scared the shit out of a fair number of folks.

You know what? I've got to go and so soon too - sorry but I'll be back - soon. Miss Regularity is my new middle name or my only pageant title. Pick your favorite and think of me often. Before I go....classes start Oct 22nd and the Oct card challenge is out. Email me for all the exciting details. Please keep in mind that unfortunately classes will not be televised and challenge prizes are small (in comparison to say Wheel of Fortune prizes) but if your still interested mail me at
bevy@telusplanet.net

cheers
Bev

There's nothing like bringing in the herd.......

Yesterday was a busy day at the shop. I had customers. I was going to say how many but I don't want to startle potential sponsors. I sold some of my favorite paper and embellishments. God, you have no idea how much I wanted to rip it out of their hands and say, "This is a GALLERY - items are not permitted to leave the premises. It's a little problem I'm working on..... and let's leave that be.

On occasion (daily) random things come out of mouth. For the most part I don't even know they're coming. They are not necessarily untrue.....just unknown to me until that moment. Sometimes, like yesterday, they come out as paragraphs. I spilled out an astounding amount of information on up coming classes. Suddenly out it came, a self-contained verbal unit, I'm always as surprised as the recipient and try to make my facial expressions to match the out coming announcement. So.... apparently I'm having drop in classes this fall. I'm a bit fuzzy on the 15 minutes of detail my brain gave out but what I remember sounds grand. Stay tuned for details.

Other news...... We moved cattle last night to their fall pasture. The kids on the quad, me in the Kia and my husband on horseback. He wore his spurs. Pitiful really, like wearing a condom to a family reunion....completely unnecessary. Sorry that was just dirty talk, I'll try to keep that kind of thing in check. I forgot my camera so just close your eyes and imagine it.

Cheers,
Bev

I Sense An Excuse Coming On......

I could say I'm sorry but that would be redundant so let's just begin again. But where do you begin, not at the beginning that's too early. Let's just join the story already in progress. I'm telling you it's a wonder I can walk and talk at all. Yesterday I went to perhaps the 3rd happiness place on earth. ANTROPOLOGIE. When you enter the store you are enveloped in this womanly goodness - you feel all sexy - it's very cool. Everything is quite dear but when you're there it all seems rather reasonable. Before I knew it I had purchased a huge carpet bag and a pair of pants and I walked out a changed girl.

But I digress, this tale is about Black Ink. Anyway you get almost the same feeling when you enter my store - Antropologie Lite - potent but not as expensive. I have been putting out lots of new papers. October Afternoon and their lovely "Ducks in a Row," "Cherry Hill" and "Detours." All these lines have yummy embellishments and accessories. I love October Afternoon paper, it's very clean just like your Aunt Blanche's kitchen. As my husband does not do computers, I'll reveal that I've ordered the brand new OA. It's just lickable. The fall line-up also includes some Basic Grey, MME, Pink Pasiliee, Making Memories and Cosmo Cricket. It's almost more than I can take.

I'm going to post this now as something odd is happening and my autosave has failed. But I'll be back soon......

cheers
Bev

Let Me Explain......

This paragraph is for my 1 dear follower. Loyal little soul, do you wonder where have I been? This blog thing is quite hard. I must say, I now have great respect for the daily blogger- pounding out posts, taking and loading pictures, giving tutorials - perhaps I'm on the wrong medications. I kid you. I just have to find blog time and I'm certain I will. I pledge to you my 1 dear follower I'll be with you more often.


Now for the rest of you chicks......when I last left you I was headed to the Farmer's Market. Well I went and it was a grand day. My gorgeous city friend and her husband showed up. We visited, laughed and partook in (as my mother would say) quite a bit of foolishness. I think our behavior must have been quite contagious because the other vendors loosened up and the whole market took on a tail-gate party kind of feel. I had an OK day, sales wise, I did have a few mercy buys - people coming and buying something just so they could see what the hell was going on down at my table. After the FM, my friends came to our farm and we spent the rest of the day and evening crafting, reading mags, napping and eating. It was one of those lovely days that stay crystal clear in your memory for a long time.


The shop has been perking along. I now (if you don't mind) am going to be seen advertising in 2 magazines. Mind you it will be in the mags directories, not a quarter page spread or anything. But still, a big deal for my ego. Also, I have finally ordered my signs. I know what you saying, how can one possibly have a shop and have it in no way identified. Well you can but it probably won't prove to be a brilliant sales booster. That's all in the past now kids -I'm going to have 4 signs - I imagine it will look like an election campaign, my signs in your face everywhere you go.


I must go and feed the farm. I will post this later this evening. here are a couple of pics from the store.









cheers,


Bev

And just like that the tale began........

How to begin? Introductions and explanations - Hello. Black Ink Paperie is my tiny paper shop located on our cattle farm in rural Alberta. I am Beverly - owner and your hostess. I have overcame my crippling fear of the comma to be with you today. It's hot here today over 30 - everything is shimmering in the heat. The cows are bawling for water and shade. I hope they will decide, as a group, to head there soon. Here's the view from the veranda of the store. Dirt roads and cattle.

The shop - think paper goodness on a bun. The smells and sights in this place can be quite intoxicating. Paper, ink, rubber, buttons, ribbon are all combined to set you on your arse and make you realize how great life can be. It's brilliant, I kid you not. Here's a wee peek...

You can procure items through my etsy shop- soon. I hope to post things over the weekend. Bear with me - at this moment I have no idea how to post anything. This is indeed, as they say, my first rodeo. I'm sure I can figure it out-given enough diet pepsi.

Tomorrow is Farmer's Market day. I love Farmer's Market day. I adore all the people- especially the odd ones. Old farmers talk to me about the weather and the grasshoppers. Old ladies talk about their crafting speciality. The summer visitors with their curious tans and their big rings . The hum of all the voices, the oppressive heat in the curling arena, the smell of fresh produce and dust. It all makes for a great day. And in the summer it's my busiest day of the week !

That's all for now chicks. Time to make supper - BBQ burgers, salad, beans and chips (I knew you would want to know). Join me tomorrow for all the happenings and gossip from the Farmer's market.......

Cheers Bev