Jenny Ray's BLOG
August 11, 2008
Yes, it's been 6 months since I blogged last, but the new baby has had a lot to do with that! Now that she is taking rice cereal in her bottle, she is a little less demanding on my time. I've been doing custom orders and I thank everyone who has patiently waited for me to overhaul the site and bring everything up to date. You'll notice a few changes to the ornaments page in particular. We've discontinued the Ohio Star and Union Squares quilt block designs and are now offering only the 6 designs you see in the quilt blocks section. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness design, Hope For A Cure, is currently being offered in only the blazing star design since this was the most popular and most requested pattern last year. It also has a faster completion time than some of the other designs. There are 2 new ornaments, the swan and the lobster, and there will be more designs coming as we get closer to the holidays and as I get time to create and photograph them. As always, we welcome custom ornament design requests.
There have been changes regarding the E newsletter as well. Due to the way that events and schedules are falling into place, we're sending out the newsletter quarterly now, rather than monthly. Don't worry- there will still be sales and cupons galore in the newsletter! If you haven't signed up to receive it, just visit our page labeled "Subscribe" on the top toolbar. Our new embellished candles are a huge hit and I look forward to keeping those available to you. We're seeing a lot of good changes and some growth, even in this uncertain economy. Thank you to everyone who believes in us and our abilities and supports us with your orders and suggestions. I'm going to get to work on some more large art pieces that I hope will be featured on this site very soon. Until I write again, the Lord bless you and keep you. ~Jen
February 24, 2008
I wanted so much to blog at least once a month, but January came and went before I even had time to think about it! I've been busy getting things ready for the fairs and events coming up later in the year. I can't be ready when they come around if I don't start now! I'm T-minus 4 weeks until the baby is due and that along with our other 3 children occupies my mind and time quite a lot, though that is as it should be. My husband, kids and friends are all enormously supportive of my quilling and I have been working like mad on new orders and gifts. These next few months will see the introduction of several new products, including embellished photo albums, bookmarks, and Name Art- names that have been printed in a pretty font and then embellished with quilled flowers or themes. Check back often for more updates. That's all for now- I'm back to work to try and get a bunch done. Cheers! ~Jen
Monday, December 10, 2007
Another month and things are going great! Christmas is right around the corner and it has been hectic here, decorating for parties and making everything perfect for the season. I'm working on my chair for the Atlanta Furniture Bank's auction event coming up in March. The Nash Farm event went really well last month and I have plans for some great things there next year, with the help of my friend Terri Zeckman. I'm also working on a few large scale pieces to put in a show in the new year. I think 2008 is really going to see The Artful Quiller making leaps and bounds as a small business. This month I sent my first international order! All the way to England! So many exciting things are happening all at once. I've got to run now; have some Hope For A Cure ornaments to finish and then I have to get on to a carousel piece that's in the works. Oh, and I should probably take some time this afternoon to clean up the studio and get it more organized. A new monthly E-Newsletter will be going out to subscribers starting in January, so I'm working on that too. Take care and I'll blog again after Christmas! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! ~Jen
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Another couple of months have passed without a blog, but I've been working hard in the studio. The huge reenactment at Nash Farm is this weekend and things aren't quite like I'd planned them, as far as my wares and the number of ornaments I wanted to have on hand, but I have a new large scale piece with a holiday theme that I'm proud of and I did finish several embellished mirrors to give as door prizes at the tea. I've rececntly met some other quillers online and they have been a blessing to help me find just the right historical information I'm looking for, or ideas for how to convey a certain idea in quilling to someone who has never heard of it. I'll be taking about 40 packaged ornaments to sell, and I will have the large scale pieces available for purchase too. One of the biggest accomplishments that I have made in preparing for this event is getting this new website up and functioning so that whatever business cards and brochures I give, people can log on when they get home and place their order. I was close to panic last week when I was T-minus 4 days to the event with all of my advertisements printed and ready and there still wasn't a .com to match! Thank the Lord there is now and I can breathe a little easier...well, when I don't have a tiny foot poking me in the ribs, anyway. :) I'm a little nervous about speaking to all of those ladies, but I'm looking forward to it. My apprentice Claire will be there to help with demonstrations and the Q & A session. Well, that's all the time I have today- got to finish getting packed for tomorrow! Come out and visit us if you can! The Lord bless you and keep you! Cheers!~ Jen
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Yes, I know I've been away [from this blog] for a full 6 months and I apologize, but I've been spending that time getting ready for the 2007 holiday season. Christmas is our busiest time of year and I've been having a blast designing new ornaments and working up a better display for the events coming up in September, November and December. Nash Farm, always so dear to my heart, is hosting the HUGE Battle of Atlanta event in November and I am so excited to be going! I'll really be starting to show in my pregnancy by then, but I don't have to modify my costume much to accomodate it- the skirt waistband will just need to be extended a little. The rest of the dress should be fine. I'm really happy about being able to work throughout my pregnancy and fill orders until my due date. I will take 6 weeks off to adjust to the new baby and I should be taking orders again starting May 1st. Well, I'll get back to quilling now and please come out to the events and stop by to say hello! The Lord Bless you and keep you! ~Jen
Monday, February 5th, 2007
Wow, I can't believe it's already February! I've been so busy getting stock done that I haven't taken the time to update this blog. Let me bring you up to speed:
The NCAL Christmas Shoppe was great and I can't wait to be in it next year! I met some amazing people and I'm really excited about belonging to this organization. in the next few days you can find a link to the NCAL website on my links page. January was kind of slow, but that's normal in this industry. I did get to go to Nash Farm to demo quilling and be a part of the winter encampment. I'm really looking forward to the actual reenactment there in April. It will be on my calendar, along with a few other things I'll be going to. The folks at Nash Farm have worked really hard to preserve that piece of land. It was the last battle before Atlanta fell to Sherman during his march to the sea. I'm really grateful to my friend Julie Rogers who is making me something of a permenant fixture at Nash Farm by promoting me and supporting my visits. Love you much, Julie! To show my appreciation to all of the folks there who work so tirelessly to see that we reenactors and vendors have a good time, I've agreed to donate 2 full ornament sets of 24 pieces each to the battlefield for a period auction, happening at the April event. The sets will be done in Union and Confederate colors; there will be 8 designs that are based on historic patch work quilt patterns. Each design will be done in 3 graduating sizes. These sets together will be made up of over 2,000 individual coiled pieces. I should have them ready in about 3 weeks if I get to work right away. I will have to order more crimson paper, though. I only have one package left after all of the Christmas designs I did. Please come out to Nash Farm if you are able. It's such a good time and a really good cause! There will be others donating various things to the auction. There is sure to be something to interest everyone. That's about all here, really. I'm just working away at what I love the best. Don't forget to check out my calendar for dates and places where I'll be out and about. There are some local events coming up in the Spring. I hope everyone is having a great 2007 so far. Thanks everyone, for your love and support. See you soon. ~Jen
Friday, December 8th, 2006
Once again, more time than I realize has flown past as I sit to write an update. Christmas is just 2 weeks away and I struggle to tie up a hundred loose ends. The stock for NCAL is set up and beautiful. I was origionally only going to have 15 pieces strung up along one mantle, but after those were up, I was encouraged to fill the other one on the opposite side of the room as well and have something like a mirror effect. I upped my stock to 32 pieces, being sure to include the large peacock piece and the Welsh game hen since they have not sold as yet. I hope to do well here, but even if I don't sell out, it has been a great experience to join NCAL and meet other artists. I probably won't get another chance to write until after Christmas has passed. Happy Christmas, all, and God bless! ~ Jen
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
I am amazed at how the time flies! The Artful Quiller has seen some great growth here in the last few weeks. I want to thank the staff of Sweetwater Creek State Park for their hospitality this past weekend as we did the New Manchester Days festival. I had a great time and I am already putting some of my designs aside for next year. My display setup is improving. I was able to set up inside the visitor's center (which was good, because it rained!) and put my stock up on a trifold display board. I had a lot of people stop by as they toured the exhibits inside the center and gave away all of the brochures that I had printed up for the occasion. It was really encouraging. This weekend I have also designed a new product- small quillings are available on mirrors. These make wonderful gifts and I'm excited about putting these up in the shop in the next few weeks. Take a look at the sample on the design sample page if you haven't seen it yet. I've bumped up my work hours to get ready for the holiday season demand. In another 4 weeks the square will really be putting the focus on Christmas gifts and decorations and I plan to be prepared to meet the season head on! So until next time, God Bless! ~Jen 
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Well, here it is a full 3 months since I posted a blog on quilling, but really, to be honest, I haven't had time. I have tried to get orders ond shop stock done and it has taken up much of my time. Also, the children being at home for the summer has contributed greatly to my lack of computer time! I also had some technical problems last month where I couldn't get online at all! Thankfully all of these setbacks have been resolved and I am able to catch up on this site a bit. Please tell your friends to stop by and visit! I haven't been getting many hits on the counter recently. My design catalog is being pushed to the front of my line of things to do for the business. I'm really excited about sharing these designs. Be sure to check beck often for the many changes that are taking place as the Artful Quiller takes it's place in the custom art field. Until next time, may the Lord shower you with His blessings and Love! ~ Jen
Wednesday, May 24, 2006, 11:30 p.m.
Well, hello there. This is the artful quiller herself, catching a few moments of quiet time to set down my very first blog. Today was my youngest son's first birthday and we had a great time playing. The official birthday party isn't for a few days. I finished and delivered an order to the shop this afternoon-one of my well loved tuxedo cats. Those cat designs are really popular. We had our own bit of cat excitement this morning when my daughter left the garage door open and one of our cat's outside "friends" walked right in. I was upstairs in my room and suddenly in the hall I heard the biggest ruckus you can imagine! Growls, hisses, yowls, bumps as they tumbled around-it was mayhem! Finally our cat Ashley chased the intruder out and then came back to my room to sulk and be comforted. Unfortunately, he was disappointed because I didn't coddle him at all right away. The fight had scared my 5 and 1 year olds and they were both in the 1 year olds room crying their eyes out. The baby was standing up in his crib and my daughter had climbed up on the eldest child's desk chair. I comforted them and then I comforted the cat and then they comforted the cat and we all went downstairs to the kitchen and had some lunch. Somewhere in there I got the rest of a design in my head for the eldest child's teacher's gifts for the end of the year. (since this is on the web, I'm not using my children's names.) He's finishing up the first grade and I will be giving his 3 teachers a little framed keepsake with a quote about teaching and some quilled apples embellishing it. It will be nice. I'll do those up tomorrow morning and take them in when I pick him up. Well, that's about it here. I'm busy getting shop stock done and I'll be working hard on the design catalog during the summer. One of the first pieces to be included will be my wildly popular tea pot pouring into a cup of tea. I'm not sure if it is just because I used to sell this design at the shop when the shop had an actual tea room in it, or if that has nothing to do with it, but the teacup design is really in demand. I'll post some pics as soon as I can. Until next week, the Lord bless you and keep you. ~ Jen