Candy, nothing but sweetness for AMM

Hi Everyone,

It had occurred to me today that I hadn't told you anything about a huge part of the behind the scenes here at AMM before now and I really should have. My sincerest apologies.

Here's to my sister Candy or Candace Marie, as she was called when in trouble back in the good ol' days of our youth. And there were plenty of those days. I digress, I'm sorry.

Candy is my talented, younger sister, just ask her she will be glad to tell you there are tons of years between us, NOT, but that isn't what she'll start the story with.

We were raised in a very active, talented home by our Mom who made sure we were involved with cooking, sewing, needlework and arts. We crafted a ton, sewed almost all of our clothes, made projects, helped with canning, gardening, always something with her. Our first involvement with selling crafts was my Mom and her dolls, Fran's Bebes, handmade rag dolls. They were truly beautiful works of art and we would show them at different venues. Candy and I wanted to get in on it so we started making cross stitch pieces. Hundreds of them. We have never stopped, just kept changing and growing. We have been creating things ever since. We sew, crochet, knit, paper crafts, you name it, we have tried it or are still doing it. 

As we got older, each one of us started narrowing down our passions. I stuck with sewing early on and Candy stuck with crocheting. Mom was all about sewing and knitting so among the three of us, we could always whip up something when needed.

While dealing with Mom's health issues of late have left both of us stressed out, Candy has been crocheting at night to help her 'relax'. I look at what she does and can't find any link between relaxing and crocheting, but she does. For years, so many of us have been the recipient of one of her afghans or throws, beautiful and oh so warm on our cold Chicago nights. I have no idea how many babies have received a  blanket she crocheted for a group called the Linus project, too many to count. Literally hundreds of them over the years.

When I first showed her my new line of slip covered journals last year, I mentioned I was having trouble finding old doilies to work with. In the next couple of days, she started sending me text pictures of what she was sitting and crocheting, asking if they would be of any help. I jumped for joy, they were absolutely perfect.

Now I get bags, full of these wonderful little pieces of art like these

Different patterns she makes up as she goes along. I have been putting them on journals and just today came up with a new idea.


                                                                            Pins!

There is a larger one for the base and a small one for the center along with a bit of lace and gauze. I had cooked lunch for her and her co-workers today and when I delivered lunch, I took this pin with me to show her. I think she was surprised to see how they worked up so beautifully from being little pieces to a layered flower. And leave it to Mom to ask if I thanked her. Of course, and I will say it again. Thank you, thank you, thank you,  they are just perfect. 

But then she turned back to being my ornery little sister again and left this for me at home, thinking it was just perfect for the DH to do for me for V Day.

Seriously? The place that can not get a special order straight at the drive up or the any customer service at the counter is going to offer a romantic tableside experience? ? ? I started laughing so hard and told her I was taking her and we would leave the menfolk at home. And that's when it hit me. It's the laughter we share that makes everything else work. She can be a whole lot of laughs and fun and I really do appreciative that, all of her talents and her. 

She also was working on a brochure today for the Indie Wed show coming up in a couple of weeks. Anything that has ever been printed for any of my businesses or projects over thirty some years, she has had a hand in. I can sketch anything, explain anything or suggest something and she can make it come alive through type and paper. Just brilliant and so very patient with me as I tweak and tweak and then tweak some more. All my logos over the years, business cards, invoices, brochures, calenders, you name it, she's made it. Just another one of her incredible talents. 

So if you have one of our 'burlap' business cards, you can thank Candy.

Thanks Can, they are perfect just like you . . . sometimes!

Your sister