WHEW! What an exciting and BUSY week! Yesterday we shipped new L*K designs to shops around the US and outside the US. We needed to get those shipments out the door to make space and rev up the "production line" for our big Mystery Sampler shipment this Friday.
This Friday is our ship date to send the first part of the Very Scary Mystery Sampler to our distributor, Norden Crafts. After they receive our printed materials, the real work begins. They'll be shipping all the pre-orders to shops! I know the elves at Norden are already busy cutting fabric and preparing to assemble LOTS of thread packs. They promised to send me photos of their production process, so I'll post those when I get them.
Back to L*K headquarters...above is camera-shy Carmen's little production line on her desk. Carmen helps us several mornings a week. There are 3 insert pages with part 1 of the Mystery Sampler and we are totally paranoid about not getting them mixed up. Note the big 1,2,3 labels on the boxes. After we collate the three pages, we add the color cover, embellishment packs (on right and bottom of pic) and slide them into a zip bag.
While Carmen is busy in the office, I set up a second production line in my family room.The temporary white folding tables are such a lovely, practical addition! At the table in the foreground I'm doing the same collating process. Then I move to the table on the right for the sacking part. Yes, it's a brainless job, but I have my faithful aristocrat friends from Downton Abbey to keep me company - check out the TV screen! I just finished watching the last disc from season 2, so I am finally caught up and eagerly awaiting the start of season 3.
For you eagle-eyed readers, check out the flower canvas on the left side of my fireplace mantel. I love this painting from my friend Frank Bielec, of Trading Spaces fame. Remember Frank as the fabulously popular and funny decorator on the trendy TLC show? Frank also designs cross stitch, so I know him from the needlework biz. I pull out this canvas every summer and enjoy it!
But all work and no play makes a sad girl, so this morning I headed out for an early morning bike ride. Here's a shot of the sun rising over the lake at nearby Sedgwick County Zoo Park, where we like to ride the trails.
As I was headed home to shower and get to work, I paused to take a quick pic of the beautiful smiling sunflowers...our Kansas state flower and a sunny way to start the day!
You all are champs! And love that beautiful sunrise!! :)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how excited I am about this mystery sampler! :O I just got Halloween Rules back from the framer, so I am definitely ready for this one!
ReplyDeleteO my gosh... I remember Frank! I loved his spaces. They were always so homey, yet creative and eclectic. That is so cool that you know him personally. Thanks for mentioning him, it's like getting an update on an old friend.
ReplyDeleteSo excited for this mystery chart! But I'm not entirely sure where I'll be able to get it from
ReplyDeletewow wow WOW!
ReplyDeleteyou're so busy but well organized! and we'll be BOMBARDING you with compliments once we start this piece, you know that.. :D
have fun with DA, I also make good use of brainless activities to catch up with dvd series.. they're just perfect!
sorry I missed you in TSV the other day.. I was so busy cooking for a friend of mine (10 recipes in 48 hours) the previous days I collapsed on the laptop about 10 minutes before it started.. shame on me!!
Looks like you have a pretty good system in place. Oh how I miss the Sedgwick County Zoo, the BEST zoo around. Our Daughter was in Wichita & Derby for a week before heading to Norfolk, VA and she sent me tons of pictures from the zoo. :-) perfect picture of the sunflowers.
ReplyDeleteHave a terrific day.
My customers and I are really getting excited about the Mystery project! That will be so much fun! I had to laugh about the last snippit about men listening to their wives! I already have that in process to put in my shop! I know it will be a best seller!
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