Saturday, November 12, 2005

a long (mundane?) story

My print table is covered with a layer of pink insulation board, a layer of 1/2" foam, plastic sheeting, and a bedsheet or two to absorb the dye. This all worked just great till I started doing batik. The hot wax is making a mess of the plastic sheeting below so I thought I would try using thick carpet felt to cover my table instead. So today, after the dentist, I drove up Route 10 and stopped at a carpet mill 'outlet.' They told me they don't carry carpet felt and said I should go to Home Depot. So I went. When I finally found the carpet department, there was one salesman trying to sell some carpet to a gaggle of women. Ok - that's legitimate. So I stood there while he gave his spiel. Did he acknowledge me and tell me he'd be with me in a few minutes? Ha. Then he took the group over to look at the roll of carpet padding. I followed. Did he even look in my direction, as I stood there lurking? Ha Ha. Well, their padding was kind of cheesy and thin anyway, so after 20 minutes of standing around, I left. Why did I wait for 20 min? Because I was trying to be patient...something that is a big effort for me. On the way back down Route 10, I passed a place called Carpet Depot. It was next to, but not related to, Office Depot. (That makes 3 depots within a half-mile of each other. Nobody has any originality). Nevertheless,I stopped. They were all out of carpet felt because they are having a sale on carpeting and the installers have taken it all. BUT -the young woman showed me several samples of carpet padding and said she'd order it for me. I told her Ididn't need it for the floor, that I am an artist, etc. (the usual speech). Turns out she is artist who braids rugs with recycled materials, is a former printmaker AND was so excited to find another person who uses recycled materials that she asked me if I could use some small pieces of thinner felt she had sitting in the back room and was going to throw out anyway.
I came home with 8 pieces of 18"x22" felt that I can use for portable print surfaces. I was so excited that I printed a piece of material on my cutting table in the upstairs studio. She also gave me an 18"x24" piece of real linoleum which she says makes a great cutting board. I whipped it out and threw it on top of the felt and - yep -- makes a great cutting surface. So, if you need any portable surfaces, high tail it over to a carpet store and make friends.
I ordered 40 lb. felt for my table, took her card and e-mail address, and will send her a note. It's always good to find another artist - and I came home with treasures. Funny how it's the little things that can make the difference in your day!

7 comments:

Val said...

That sounds like a wonderful day to have indeed! A reward for being patient for twenty minutes! I'm not a patient person either so I can identify with that and commend the twenty minutes!

Rayna said...

Ohhh - we don't have any good flea markets like that around here.
And the 20 min. of patience was an aberation, believe me.

Sonji Hunt said...

What a rewarding day. Patience is a virtue that I work on DAILY. But all of that led you to a wonderful end!

PaMdora said...

That was a nice story - I love it when stuff like that happens. There are a lot of people out there in the world, and it's nice to connect to a jewel now and then.

Terry Grant said...

OK, now this is two days in a row that you have called your blog entries "mundane". This was a great story and also contained two great ideas (about using carpet felt on your print table, AND using pieces for portable print surfaces). This is so NOT mundane! And yesterday's made everyone go (use Homer Simpson voice) "Mmmmmm-black walnut ice cream." Again, not mundane.

I don't want to see that word used here again!

Rayna said...

Mundane. Just kidding. Ok, I promise. I can't wait to post about the exciting day I had today!!!!!

Alison Schwabe said...

What is mundane? (Rayna and Terry) I think we all find something interesting in how other people do stuff, handle crises, etc, and, in the case of this blog ring, see the world through quilter and textile artist eyes. Biography remains one of the most enduringly literary categories, for this reason IMHO. Perhaps some of our blogging is contemporary biography in online form...

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