From early this month, a storm on the way. Thought I had posted it. Thought I had posted period. It’s been turbulent indoors as well. Computer issues. Photoshop. Ughh!

“Could not transform because the scratch disks are full.”

“Low Disk Space. You are running on very low disk space…”

Turns out, I had almost NO disk space. Took a full week to figure things out. Save files, and regain the use of Photoshop. That sent me down the rabbit hole, cleaning files and deleting. I still need to buy a portable hard drive and I am researching those. Suggestions are welcome! I am planning to replace my system in October. Fingers crossed. Now if I can just get through September. Fingers and toes crossed, and prayers said!

 

Still enjoying the monsoon season. Which I think is nearing the end. Rain is forecast the next five days. That could mean a downpour, or a few minutes of sprinkles.

Goodbye Zazzle?

I am thinking of closing my Zazzle shop. I am very disappointed in the quality of their fabric printing. I have seen different products, purchased by friends and family. And the quality on those items is great. So maybe, I just won’t offer fabrics for sale on that site.

A few months ago I ordered fabric samples from Zazzle. I compared those with swatches from Spoonflower. There is no contest. Both sets are on the basic fabric offered. For Spoonflower that is “Basic Cotton Ultra” and for Zazzle, “Custom Combed Cotton”.

Swatches on Spoonflower are 8 x 8 inches for $5.00. Zazzle 9 x 9 inches for $5.60. It might be hard to see on-screen, but there is a huge difference in the quality and feel of the fabrics.

 

It’s been a few months, but I am certain that I ironed the samples. They have sat on my desk, folded. You can see the wrinkled Zazzle swatches. That fabric is stiff, and makes a crinkly sound when you move it. I wouldn’t want to wear it. Makes me think of the crinoline skirts my Mom remembers.

The Spoonflower swatches are soft and pliable. You can also see the difference in printed details. On the sailboats, a large-scale print, the quality is nearly the same. But on the feathers, you can see that the fine detail is lost. The Zazzle feathers is even printed in a larger scale, and still, the fine detail is blurred.

Unfinished Projects

I have missed painting. And the shadows on Mingus make me want to paint even more. Hard to believe we are already at the end of the month, and I have yet to put brush to paper. There are a few more projects that need attention, so that in September I can be free to paint daily.

I have dealt with a Lupus flare this month as well. Just bone tired. I had an Esophageal manometry on the first, and it seems I have been in recovery mode ever since. It was a very quick and simple procedure. It required fasting, and it was an afternoon appointment in Phoenix. So I think the mix of not eating, not taking my meds and a long drive (3 hours there and back) just zapped my energy.

Luckily, I was able to do the test quickly. My cough did not interfere. It seemed I was in and out in less than 20 minutes. I even arrived early, and within five minutes I was taken back to start the test. WOW!

Pushing through. Napping when I can. Crossing tasks off my list. Just at a slower pace than I would like. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!