I believe that Spring really might be here. We're having rains and high winds - no snow. I know from listening to the news that we are lucky in this respect. Some of you got the worst snows this month than have ever been seen before for the month of March. Some of you have had tornados and hail. Down in Arkansas where my Mom (Hot Springs) and Jean (Little Rock) and many customers and instructors all over that state have already had some mean weather. I feel for all of you that have had bad weather. Our weather has been really strange but not terrible so far.
We are just starting to build a storage building. This is the start of enlarging the Company. We have a large pole barn - but it's full of all kinds of stuff that we brought here twelve years ago when we moved into the country from the city of Ann Arbor. I told John - "I'll build you a pole barn so you can get everything out of the one that we already have." That way the big building can be taken over by Ginger's Cameo. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm trying to get the time line in order. First build the new building - then empty the old building - then totally re-do the old building into a warehouse facility, meeting facility and bigger place to work. I'll try to keep you up-to-date on how it's going. Here's the start.
 Old facility |
 Future storage spot |
Next thing I have to do is a correction. The Spring Workshop is on May 6th, 2006. I had it right everywhere but on the registration sheet. So I will ask you to correct the date on the one that you received last month and then get your registration in. I do really need to know how many people are going to be here so I can get supplies (Goody Bags) set up and seating for enough people. I hope you get the registration in right away, please. Thank you.
I've really been amazed at how well the T4673-Paint Dots has gone over. Most of you have either ordered it for yourself or you've ordered multiples so your students and customers can get it right away. It's much easier to figure out what you need if you have a colored design of what you already have. I know that my sales go up when people have a list of not only what they have - but they can see just what they need to buy to have it all.
I just had all the numbers put on in order. I figured you could put the design on scrap material, an old pillow case, a couple of blank quilt blocks, anything that you could keep with your paints. Some of you have taken off with the idea and made it into something that is very artistic and that you will have with you at all of your Cameo classes or anywhere else that you go.
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Here is one lady in Colorado's idea. She put it on a tote bag. She set up her colors in Families. All the Blues together, the Reds together, etc. |
The Animal Quilt blocks are set up for outline and fill-in. These would be good for beginners. Children would love doing these colorful blocks. I have a couple schools that teach quilting classes to their students (elementary schools). These would be perfect to start a class at your school either during the daytime class times or in the after school latch-key times.
The Flower Face Quilt blocks give you a chance to teach shading and highlighting, how to use the Fiber Blenders to smooth the paints into the material and how to use them to smear the paint together in blending. These have you blending up to 4 or 5 different colors at a time. They, also, let you teach feather stroking as a technique to paint in hair and the fact that using lots of colors in hair actually make it look more real. This is an interesting class for everyone. 4-H groups could use this to make an entry-style project. You could get together with the leaders and teach them to teach, or you could run the classes yourself at their regular monthly meetings.
For those of you that are doing the Flower Face designs, I have a hint on their faces and make-up. Paint the entire face with the base color (105) and then do the lips. When you get done blending the colors of the lips together - use that same blending tool to blush a little of those colors on the cheeks. You don't want too much color and if you use your blending tool while the paint is still damp on it, it has just about the right amount of color to look like her blush. If you get too much on - just go back over it with the 105 to dull it down a little bit.
This is, also, when you put in the shadow color around her chin and on her nose.
The Unicorn Quilt blocks take in even more techniques than the other two. The first thing that you teach is how to do a dry wash. You can use a brush or a small piece of rag. Almost everything in these pictures needs to be shadowed and highlighted. You have to use your Fiber Blenders all the time.
Wait for the base paint to dry before you use your Dual Point pen. These are used on the Flower Faces and the Unicorns. Do the base painting - then make sure the paint is dry before you use your Dual Point Pens. This keeps the Dual Point Pens from bleeding out on the perma press and keeps you from ruining your pen nib by getting wet paint on it.
It has been really interesting to see how these are going over. Every month more and more people are doing them. As they decide on doing another Set - they order all the previous Sets That they need to do the whole quilt. So every month I have people buying #1, #2, #3 and now they will be getting #4. It's very gratifying to see these go out in such large quantities.
I spend a lot of time just being amazed as I am packing orders to go out the door at how wonderful you all are.
I have gotten comments on the little hints that I put in each month. I'll keep trying to come up with new things to teach and things to teach about.
I have to say, again, how happy I am with the Fiber Blenders. As I sit down to paint up the newest transfers each month, I love using them because they are just the right size and shape to smooth and blend the paintings that I am doing.
When you smooth the first layer of paint into the material, you are giving yourself a nice even layer to put on your shading and highlights. Don't forget to do that - it makes everything much simpler.
Animal Quilt Blocks |
Flower Face Quilt Blocks |
Unicorn Quilt Blocks |
AQ01 Animal Quilt Block Pak |
FFQ01 Flower Face Quilt Block Pak |
UQ01 Unicorn Quilt Block Pak |
AQ02 Animal Quilt Block Pak |
FFQ02 Flower Face Quilt Block Pak |
UQ02 Unicorn Quilt Block Pak |
AQ03 Animal Quilt Block Pak |
FFQ03 Flower Face Quilt Block Pak |
UQ03 Unicorn Quilt Block Pak |
AQ04 Animal Quilt Block Pak |
FFQ04 Flower Face Quilt Block Pak |
UQ04 Unicorn Quilt Block Pak |
The Carriers now hold 60 paints. Terri re-did them a little. They look great! You can still use some of the loops for your accessories, but you can now use them for paints, too. You can get 10 paints per row.
As I was getting things ready for this month the Raccoon transfer-T4676, just reminded me of one of my Mom's foster daughters in Hot Springs. She apparently had a pet raccoon and so collects all kinds of things that have to do with them. I think she will like this design. Because it's a pre-shaded design, you need to iron it on nice and dark so the lines in the log come through - or use your C388-Brown Dual Point Pen AFTER the paint is dried to accent the age lines in the log.
Then I got a call from Rene in Florida who said her ladies would really like some more 'big hat' ladies. So I pulled out this design, T4677-Red Fashion, that Halleen had gotten to me last year and I had never put out. I hope this works for them. Of course, it can be done in any colors that you want. It would make a great gift shirt or tote bag for a friends or relative.
My problem is that I immediately decided to put the T4676-Raccoons out with tote bag for April's monthly special. Then I got the T4677-Red Fashion painted on the other side of that same tote bag and thought, "Wow! This would make a good special -especially for folks that are just getting started.
I couldn't make up my mind. I could hold one of them for a May special, but I already have that one ready, using some of the new paints. Oh, well - guess you're just going to be stuck with two (2) specials in April. Here we go.
As you will notice - the amount of transfers being put out each month has slowed down some. I have been using the time to get the Quilt Block Club pieces done first - then working on new and old transfers - to get them out in the newsletter so you will eventually have everything in color. Soon I hope.
Because it's a pre-shaded design, you need to iron it on nice and dark so the lines in the log come through - or use your C388-Brown Dual Point Pen AFTER the paint is dried to accent the age lines in the log.
I pulled out this design, T4677-Red Fashion, that Halleen had gotten to me last year and I had never put out. I hope this works for them. Of course, it can be done in any colors that you want. It would make a great gift shirt or tote bag for a friends or relative.
T4676 Racoons |
T4677 Red Fashion |
T4555 Birds |
T4551 Springtime |
T4533 Bookmarks |
T4022 Nature's Garden |
T1005 Freckles & Pal |
T1003 Sugar & Spice |
T1000 Birds |
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Let me know if you will be coming to any of these so that I WILL HAVE ENOUGH SUPPLIES to teach and to fill your orders.
I will be teaching from whichever one of the April Specials that you would like to learn on. I can teach both of them in the same class - no problem.
If you would rather do either one of them on a sweatshirt or t-shirt, I would be glad to exchange the tote bag for what you want in your special at the class. You need to let me know ahead of time so we can see if I have what you want or you can take the Special 'as is' and use the tote bag later for something else.
There will be old supplies for sale here for the people that come. Some of them I already have packaged and ready for you.
There will be Gem Stones, all the sizes that we carried out of Orlando. I don't really have enough to put in the newsletter - but those that participate in the Workshop will have a chance to pick them up. The best thing to put them on with is 200-Glitter Base, and of course that will be here, too.
There will be t-shirts and sweatshirts in all sizes (except Large) and in different colors.
There will be old transfers and old linens.
In other words - be sure to bring extra money.
I suggest a shirt for class #3, either a sweatshirt or a t-shirt.
Be sure to bring a full set of paints, scissors, a dish to pass, ideas to share and things to show.
I will have a Continental Breakfast starting at 8:00 AM. This time it will be homemade cinnamon rolls, coffee or tea and orange juice.
Door prize drawings will start at 9:00 AM and there will be one every hour after that for the full length of the Workshop.
We are going to work your tails off and teach you as much as we can about as many different things as we can in a one-day workshop.
You can stay as long as you would like and we can nibble on leftovers for the evening.
We had food, fun and lots of learning from each other and the teacher of the moment.
Halleen was one of the teachers. She taught the Seven Santas Christmas Tree Skirt class. And of course everyone learned lots from her by asking questions and seeing what she was doing with other people.
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We would love to show our readers what you've done with Cameo Paints. Send us [email protected] or [email protected] some of your pictures and be sure to tell us about them and yourself.
See some of our past reader submissions in the Gallery
Just a couple more things to go over and I'll let your eyes rest up a little. The Spring Workshop is here on May 6, 2006.
We will be coming out with six (6) paints at that time. I figure if I put out six (6) in May and six (6) in November that will give you twelve new paints in the Line for the year. That way you won't miss the monthly paints. We can chart with these paints because they will actually be in the Line. Good thinking, huh? Registration will be $25.00 just like regular and bring a dish to pass. Be sure to bring things to show and share.
For those of you that are French speaking, I have ordered some translation software. I don't know how well it will work, but let me know if you would like the newsletters in French and I will attempt it after I get the software in.
Okay, that's all for now.
I hope you all like what we're doing. Keep those suggestions and complaints coming. They are what make the Company what you want it to be. Rest your eyes for now, I'll write more next month.
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Copyright Gingers Cameo 2003 © |
Page Updated 4-2-2006 |
