It has been a very Topsy-Turvy May and June for me. I meant to get out this blog at each month. However; when I meant to start a new blog post, I see that I let time slip by and did not get to it. It does not help that I am still in the midst of dealing with work for Thrifty Prints, even if both Printing and the inner circle Mail Order industries are down in the dumps.
It is very bittersweet for me that Thrifty Prints is on a down turn. It is hard to give up something you have done all your adulthood (43 years in my case), even thou you are burnt out.
I was just 19 when we started Thrifty Prints, Inc. I met Ray at Madison Area Technical College (which now is Madison College) in the Graphic Arts program. We sat by each other from the first day and nobody was surprised when we came back from Winter break and were engaged.
When I went in to the Printing Program at MATC, I had just spent the previous year at an Alternative High School program. It was at Woolman Hill a Quaker Educational Retreat just up the road from historical Deerfield, Massachusetts.
I came to Woolman Hill to work on to be ready to take the GED. Which I did and got high scores on each test. Since I had enough High School credits from my Freshman and Junior years of going to Malcolm Shabazz High School, that I was granted a Wisconsin High School Diploma. Shabazz was at the time was one of the two public alternative schools in Madison, Wisconsin.
Between Woolman Hill and Shabazz, I lived with my sister Connie in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. While their I did my Junior year at Carolina Friends School. I believe my dream as a Toy Maker got it blossomed when I was at CFS.
I remember when I was going to Shabazz I made washcloth puppets and cat toys and tried to sell them at a flea market. Only had a little success at it.
While I was on the Hill, I wrote to several toy companies seeing if they had a Toy Maker apprentice program, No such luck. So, when I got accepted to MATC for the fall of 1978, I had to decide between Woodworking and Printing programs. After talking it over with my Father, I decided that I would go for printing. Since, I had experience with all kinds of woodworking through doing things with my father, class at CFS and being on the carpentry gang at the Hill.
I was thinking that I would use my experiences in Graphic Arts to make Printed Paper Toys. Which I giving great thought of doing again under Cloakroom Creations. Along with more crocheted toys.
I started Cloakroom Creations about 10 years ago as an "Egg Basket" Hobby Business. That is I started it to help support my crochet expenses.
My interest in Crochet and crafts started when I was ten. Arts and crafts is way for me to help deal with the hard and good times of life. Crochet is my main craft and stress reliever.
May's WIPP is Plant Hangers. I had a commission for them from the owner of Eclectic Treasures for some for her office place. I started with Rosa Plant Hangers by Kristi Simpson from Happily Hooked Issue #64 July 2019. Then I went to Hanging Herb Holder a Design by Salena Baca from Happily Hooked Issue #17 - August 2015.
June's WIPP is Give Yourself A Hand Oven Mitt a Cara Louise Reitbauer from Pattern Pack Pro Issue November 2019. I really love doing these in the past and have given them as gifts.
This month's (July) WIPP is rugs or mats. Starting with Sunny Garden Area Rug a Tracee Fromm design from HH VIP Exclusive June 2022.
Wishing those who sees this before 4th of July… Have A Safe and Pleasant Holiday Weekend.
