fingerprints

   
Last week I had to go to be fingerprinted.  No, I am not being arrested; I am getting cleared to teach fabric art to cognitively impaired adults where a friend of mine is the art program director.  To work with disabled people, you need to be cleared in the criminal database -- so, fingerprints.

I must admit I was picturing the old ink-on-the fingers routine you see in old movies -- and the sign in the hallway did nothing to disabuse me of this vision.

Of course, I should have known it would be more high tech than that -- and it was.  I asked the guy if I could take pictures for my blog and he was very accommodating.  This is how they do it now.

 It took a few tries to get these fingerprints electronically because my fingerprints were kind of mushy. I attributed that to the shrinkled fingertips that had spent the previous few days in dye and soda ash.

 Ultimately, they got sort of readable results and I was dismissed.  While it took me only 15 minutes to get there, it took twice as long to go home because there was a detour.  I had to stop the car and take a picture of the "only in New Jersey" signs.  Confusing?? You bet.  Typical of NJ? Absolutely!  The sign on the left is not easy to read, but it says Detour 80 East.  The arrow points in he same direction as the sign to 80 West and 287 South. ARGH. I have lived here all my life and didn't have the vaguest idea of where they were sending me.

However, I ultimately found my way back to the dye studio where I continued to frantically print scarves for Saturday's holiday craft market.  I am happy to say the day was wildly successful!

  People had trouble deciding, so many of them bought two  -- one, a gift for somebody else and one as a gift for themselves. About half of these were gone by the end of the day.

Other than my open studios, I have not done a craft show before. This was a good experience and I hope to do it again next year.  While I was happy to take cash or checks, I mostly used my trusty little Square to take credit cards.  It's a little picky with the swiping but ultimately works great with my iPhone (and in the future, with my new iPad). It made a huge difference - nobody gave me cash; one person wrote a check, and all the others used plastic. On my website or blog, I use Paypal or take a check, but in person, my little Square is the thing.


Tomorrow, meeting with my crit group and I have nothing to bring that is finished. Then, I am taking a week of vacation. Yay.