The FLATS are back in town

Why or why do I NOT read my e-mail?????  

I have been contemplating upgrading my Photoshop Elements and Photoshop Premiere for a long time, but just didn't do it. Well I want to edit a video and I cannot load it into Photoshop Premier. I thought perhaps the new version would make a difference.

Yesterday I went to Staples to get the software. I arrive only to find that the day BEFORE, the bundled software had been ON SALE. How could this be????   How come I did NOT get notification????

Well -----------------when I got home - look what I found..................OK - can't do a screen shot and bring it into blogspot - however, the deal ONE DAY ONLY - $79 for BOTH. Normal price - $189.  CRAP CRAP CRAP. ONE DAY  - I missed the great deal by one day!!!!!   And this was the title of the e-mail.......

Extreme Deal Alert (do not miss out)!  


Guess I will be paying more attention to my e-mail in the future!!!!!!




Oh - and of course they were COMPLETELY sold out so I couldn't even buy it if I wanted to. Wait a minute - there are other stores around here that sell that software. So yes - I went to Best Buy (did an internet check on my phone - Future Shop had the same price) and both stores was $10 MORE than Staples.

Then home to install the software. Did I think to shut down all the other software on my laptop. NOPE - so of course the installation hung and finally by 8:30 PM - I had all the software installed and ready to play. Still couldn't load the video - appears to be another issue than the software (more of an operator error - I think).

But after watching a webinar the previous night on Photoshop and digital scrapbooking - I created this............

Yes I know in the scheme of digital scrapbooking this is MICKEY MOUSE stuff, but I got the canvas size figured out, how to colour the background, import the pictures and resize them and add the title. Oh let's not forget the LOVELY and creative composition. And how about those PHOTOS - impressive!!!!!!

Anyway, I was very pleased with my efforts. These pictures were taken off Salt Spring Island (while geocaching) just before my bike trip to the Arctic.

Now we need to go with more sophistication, journaling, better titles - OH YES - ANOTHER hobby. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH ME??????

And while I was searching through that folder of pictures, I came across these pictures which I do not think have ever been posted.

Let me give you a bit of background. When I went on my first long distance bike trip in 2010, I asked my friends to make a FABRIC FLAT of themselves. There was a pattern on the internet and they made their flat. The idea was that I would carry the flats with me on my bike, so they could "experience" the trip and my friends would be with me every pedal of the way.

Here is the first group - they are still at my house here
From left to right - Judy, Gayle, Daphne and Margo (cool shades!!!!)

Flo (with shorts AND long pants and a dress for the evening!), Nolan and Gabrielle (Karen's grandkids - Judy was going to babysit!!!!!)

Carol with a complete wardrobe AND a quilt and pillow. The white rectangle is her thermarest!!!!    She goes for comfort!!!!!

I mean they really went all out.

There are TWO more - Ronda and me. Since I was doing both of those - it took a while for them to join the rest of the group.

When I arrived in Vancouver a few days before the trip, I took my bike to Salt Spring Island to visit my aunt and uncle. Hi Aunt Yvonne!!!!!!!    We visited a few shops and of course the girls were PRETTY excited. The first stop was in Victoria to Satin Moon Quilt Shop. This is one of my favourite shops in BC.

Satin Moon Quilt shop  (notice Ronda and I are STILL not there)

Oh look - there is the card from the store - good idea for remembering where the picture was taken

See - there is the card

And this is what I bought - a package of blue/green fibres assembled by a LOCAL artist. My goal was to buy something at each store I stopped at and buy one thing that was "local" or pertinent to that area.  

Then we drove up the island to catch the ferry from Nanaimo. Of course this meant that we had to drive through Duncan which also had a quilt shop.

The store is called Creative Quilting and I bought a batik FQ with an owl on it

That was all the shopping for that day. Back to Salt Spring where I finally finished Ronda and my flat.

That is Ronda in the back row in the middle and I'm right beside her in ORANGE. HEY - do you recognize that flat??????

Here they are sitting on the front step in Salt Spring

 Now there is a quilt shop in Ganges on Salt Spring Island and of course, the flats HAD to go there as well.

The flats in STITCHES on Salt Spring Island

Ah me with the flats. Don't look at that tan on my arm!!!!!    Just look at the muscles!!!!!!

I bought a pack of Transfer Artist Paper here. While that is NOT local, it very much represents the artsy nature of this store. It used to be VERY traditional, but Salt Spring is a VERY artsy community and home of Treenway Silks as well. 

Then back on the bike and the ferry and back to Vancouver.

Here are the flats crowding my bed in the dorm at University of BC

Before leaving Vancouver, there was a shop close by and I took the girls (and Nolan) for an outing

And my BIG purchase here was another batik FQ with mountains, trees and elk  The Cloth Shop

And here they are trying to crowd me OUT of my tent. And Carol is tucked safely under her quilt

 The next shop I got to stop at was Sew n Sew Fabrics in Campbell River. There was NO TIME to get the flats out. I was riding with someone else and was NOT going to search out the store. However we rode right past it and I ran in - said to the SHOCKED store staff - GIVE ME SOMETHING that is from your area. Well - I did pay for it, but that was the fastest I had ever been in a quilt store - probably FIVE minutes tops.

Another batik FQ  - this time with west coast Indian images - fish

There were several other quilt stores along the way, but I did not get a chance to visit any of them. We arrived in town too late. I have to get faster on my bike to avoid that in future!!!!!


We arrived in Port Hardy early enough to visit the local craft/hobby shop.

I bought TWO packs of beads - green and blue

Then we were on the ferry and arrived in Skagway, Alaska. Fortunately we arrived in the morning and the quilt store used to accommodating the traffic from the ferries and cruise ships was OPEN.

Here is my bike in front of the store

And the girls behaving themselves

 Now in case you are wondering why there are NOT more pictures of the flats - have a look at the next picture

The flats were bundled in a plastic bag at the bottom of that red bag and all that stuff on the ground was on top of the flats. It took a bit to get them out and then get them back in. Too bad because I could have had a LOT of fun with them. Next time - I need something smaller. 

They did NOT have FQs at this store. Had to buy a half meter of batik with bears 

The next place of interest was in the quilt store in Whitehorse.

The well behaved flats

Of course - I was getting restless of NOT buying much and there was so MUCH good stuff at this store.

Bought a pattern and a panel with FIREWEED screen printed on it. The fabric in the back (also a batik) - not sure if that was purchased here. But I also got a small square of batik with the store info on it. 

Close up of the pattern - northern lights (which we did not see), but I have seen them many times as a kid

That was it for quilt stores. I did manage to pick up a few other things as we searched out creative places during the rest of the trip.

The Inukshuk charm was bought in Inuvik, the dream catcher key chain - hmmm - I don't remember

There is a pin from Inuvik, the diamond buttons were purchased at the knitting store in Dawson City or  was that Whitehorse, a pin from the Yukon and a wolf key chain from Dawson City

Green fuzzy yarn (might have been Prince Rupert), stickers with  First Nations images (some craft store in the north) and the feather - found that on the side of the road. 

I don't think I took a picture of the girls in Inuvik, but they basically stayed in the bag for the trip.


Hope you enjoyed that trip down memory lane and NOW you know the story of the FLAT on my design wall.



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!