Date: July 20, 2010

Subject: Creations SewClever Weekly Update

This is the week of our Shop Hop event!

When you visit Creations it’s FUN time well-spent!

We’ll have ongoing demo’s and specials and deals

And our fun, friendly staff will be clicking their heels

As they bend over backwards to make you feel glad

That you took time to visit our charming quilt pad.

July 20, 2010

Hi Friends!!

  Are you ready to hop on the bus, or jump in your cars and begin the fun, fabulous, friendly Central Ohio Quilt Spree Shop-Hop??!  Woo-hoo!!  We kick off this great event Wednesday night from 6-8pm at Creations with a live on-going game of Clue-For-Quilters!  (Was it really Miss Scarlett in the library with the candlestick??)  Stop in and see for yourself who was done-in, by whom, with what and where!  You can win fun prizes and be entered in a great drawing JUST FOR SHOP-HOPPERS ATTENDING OUR PARTY!!  We’ve snacks and demo’s and sales and sew much fun planned I can’t write it all here.  You’ll just have to stop in and join our party!  We’re busy-busy-busy cleaning and sprucing up the joint for our company!  Come celebrate quilting and quilters with us for the next 2 weeks!

 Creations SewClever hours during this event are:

  * 6-8pm Wednesday, July 21

  *  9-7 Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 22-24

  *  10-5  Sunday, July 25

  *  10-5 Monday through Saturday, July 26-31

Passports for this exciting event are $15 and if you go to the e-mail archive on our website and click on the June 7 issue you can read all the details.  There are still a few seats left on the bus for Friday and for Saturday, and you can still get the Shop Spree special room rates at the Holiday Inn in Worthington.  Get together with your friends and treat yourselves to a day of fun and goodies!!

  Linda and I just returned from the terrific AQS Quilt Show in Knoxville,TN.  Oh my!  We had such a ball!  That Linda sure can make me laugh! We know sew many of the vendors that we eagerly anticipate our dinners and get-togethers every evening.  Fun memories!  We enjoyed our customers, too ~ lots of busses and lots of familiar faces.  Some of the customers came back to our booth over and over again to watch the on-going demo’s of the new Creative Grids rulers (count ‘em…..14!!) and continued to purchase.  I guess 5 or 6 medium purchases are less daunting that one huge one !  I felt like a magician as I demo’d the nearly magical results of each of the rulers.  Many customers in Tennessee are still fairly new to the Creative Grids wonderfulness, sew as they would stop by the booth with requests for help on a quilt-problem it became our mantra to pipe-up, “There’s a ruler for that!” And then…..let the demo’s continue!  I just love the customer interaction.  As the show began to wind down on Saturday, our neighbor across the aisle came over to the booth and said to me, “I simply cannot believe how many products you demo and sell from that little table of yours!”  I just smiled!

  While I was in Knoxville I met with my editor from AQS and put together the proposal for my 3^rd book.  I’m very excited about it, although it was rather impromptu and not planned until about 3 weeks ago.  The second book is “in the hopper” and going through the editing process as I write this. I forgot to ask the release date, but as soon as I know I’ll pass the info on.  The manuscript for the 3^rd book was requested for November. After I stopped laughing and explained that I’m not even home until November, we agreed on May 2011.  Whew!  No pressure!!

  We’ve lots of fun specials in our shop during the Shop Hop weeks.  Our July Special is ~ In-Stock Patterns 20% OFF! And this week’s Hot Stuff is 30% Off In-Stock Clover 18”x 24” cutting mats!  Plus, we’ve loads of great deals if you’re holding a Shop Hop passport in your little hands!!  You’ll have to stop in and check ‘em out!

  Our Ross County Quilt Guild has ramped up its annual show this year!  Come visit us and enjoy the display of lovely quilts at the original First Capital Craft Mall site (now Church of Latter Day Saints), on the hill across from Adena Hospital on St. Rt 159/bus. 23/North Bridge St near the overpass at US 23 in Chillicothe.  Dates are Sept 24 & 25 ~ 1-7 on Friday, 10-4 on Saturday. Admission is free!

  I have a couple medical reports to share about some dear Creations SewClever friends.  Our machine repairman friend, Alex, is resting comfortably at home now after serious, but successful surgery. If you’d like to join us in a surprise “card shower”, you can mail cards and well-wishes to him at: Alex Sandler, 2512 Hixson St, Powell, OH 43065.  He is a dear, dear man and will be touched by any cards and notes he receives. Let’s surprise-the-heck out of him!

  One of our long-time groupies (my very first “groupie” customer from over 18 years ago!) and super-dear friend, Minnie Cousins, is battling for her life fighting AML leukemia at the Arthur James Cancer Center near the campus of OSU.  Many of you will know Minnie as one of our Mystery Wenches. In recent years she’s loved to stop in during our various classes and see what everyone is making and what fabrics they’re using.  Minnie is a super-giving soul who worked 3 jobs at-a-time as a single mom raising 3 kids, and now is active with her church, her grandkids, and folks dealing with life’s tough issues with very few resources. Minnie is simply a gracious, loving giver, never thinking of herself. Please, let’s not just shower her with cards….let’s bombard her with an avalanche!  Her birthday is August 5 and she’ll be 63.  She’s worried because she’ll be late renewing her driver’s license. God Bless You, Minnie. FIGHT!!!

Minnie Cousins, 250 Fairway Ave, Apt 314, Chillicothe, OH  45601.

  We rarely stop to think how much a kind word or small gesture means to the recipient. As much as it means to them, it means to us, as it reflects back into our lives.  It really doesn’t take much to send a card or note. Please take a minute every week to send a hug inside a card. While you’re doing that, you might alsew want to include a prayer.  Our own Susie is living proof that prayer and love create miracles.  Alex can use prayers for strength and gratitude. Minnie can use a miracle.

  How about a couple fun recipes to wind up this e-mail!  I don’t know about you, but we have veggies (can you say ZOO-KEE-NEE?!!) comin’ out our ears! There are only 2 of us at home now, and only sew much we can eat (although we’re always game to try harder!)  I find I can get real creative in using surplus!  The following recipes are simply ideas to launch your own veg-out!

RITA’S CHICKEN STUFF

  I got home after having been gone over a week, and opened the ‘fridge. Hmmmm. A very ripe peach. A lemon. 2 small sweet onions.

I thawed a couple chicken breasts and seared them on high heat in olive oil for several minutes on each side.  They got nice and brown!  Meanwhile, in my food processor I grated the lemon zest and then squeezed all the juice, threw in the pitted peach and chopped the 2 onions. I pureed this into a chunky sauce, poured it over the chicken and covered it to simmer for about 20-30 minutes. YUM!!

  In a desperate attempt to reduce my zucchini population:

ZUCCHINI RISOTTO

7 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups Arborio rice, uncooked

1-2 medium zucchinis, julienne with veg. peeler or chopped small

1 red or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped

¼ cup crumb cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves, or to taste

   Bring vegetable or chicken stock to a boil in a medium stock pot, then reduce heat to a low simmer.  Melt butter in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook for 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted. Gradually ladle in simmering vegetable stock, stirring continuously. Risotto will become "creamy" and slightly sticky, yet still firm in the center, or al dente. When almost finished, stir in the zucchini and red peppers, adding stock as needed and stirring continuously. Stir in basil and cheese just before serving. 

Note: while I was making this recipe 15 more zucchini just ripened!!

  “The power of love to change bodies is legendary, built into folklore, common sense, and everyday experience.  Love moves the flesh, it pushes matter around.... Throughout history, "tender loving care" has uniformly been recognized as a valuable element in healing.”  ~Larry Dossey

Live in rooms full of light
Avoid heavy food
Be moderate in the drinking of wine
Take massage, baths, exercise, and gymnastics
Fight insomnia with gentle rocking or the sound of running water
Change surroundings and take long journeys
Strictly avoid frightening ideas
Indulge in cheerful conversation and amusements
Listen to music.
~A. C. Celsus

   ….and quilt for others. (~R. Fishel)

“The greatest wealth is health.”  ~Virgil

  Have a wonderful, healthy week!  Come join us during the Shop Hop!  Your friend In Stitches, Rita