How long has it been since I posted? It feels like a long time, though I’m sure it’s because I’ve been super busy and productive this week. You see, I have a deadline. I need to have most of my TNNA preparations finished by December 9th. The show isn’t until January 9th, but I have other factors forcing me to get ready now. Right now. I’m making good progress, but there is just so much to do! Class preparation has been my primary focus. I’ve been putting together extensive materials lists. I’m doing 10 different projects in the Make-It/Take-It class. There are a ton of materials to round up for that–it’s a bit of a bear.

See? (Grizzly bear, Denali National Park, AK)

Also, this week I wound up the Bookmark Challenge. I had to contact some shops more than once to get their totals. Then I drew shop names for prizes and e-mailed the winners and the donors. I updated the Funk & Weber Web site and this one. I still need to write a newsletter to shop owners letting them know how it went and what we can all look forward to come spring.

And I put together the December 1 issue of The Needlework Nutshell. I’m afraid I’m going to have to change newsletter services. My newsletters just aren’t getting through; they’re being blocked by email providers. For whatever reason, the newsletter service isn’t recognized as safe or legitimate or whatever by too many email providers. I don’t understand why, exactly, but the newsletter service doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it. Also, I have 300 pending subscriptions. That means 300 people have taken the first step to subscribe, but have not clicked the link on the confirmation email. I wonder if the confirmation emails are being blocked, like the newsletter. It’s frustrating. The long and short of it is that I need to decide if I want to continue with the newsletter, and if I do, I need to spring for a better service.

I love writing the newsletter and would gladly spend more time on it, but it’s a volunteer effort at this stage. Maybe I could try to sell advertising in it. Suppose anyone would take me up on that?