Shipping Supplies

What's in my car?, originally uploaded by passitonplates.

What's in my car?
I just hopped out to the store to buy some shipping supplies...
...a roll of bubble wrap, some shipping boxes, and a bag of peanuts...

That's a lot of peanuts, originally uploaded by passitonplates.

That's a lot of peanuts.
The bag is about as big as I am. Whew!

NOW I am ready to ship out all my plate orders.

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Can't waste the display...

Can't waste the display..., originally uploaded by passitonplates.

The cookies are a little dried out, but for some reason they're only being removed from this display plate one by one. In the morning. When I sit in the studio with my cup of coffee and do paperwork or work on this-n-that.

Hey, the cookies have oatmeal and eggs in them. Aren't oatmeal and eggs good breakfast foods?

I thought so.

(Behind the red plate, on the wooden shelf, is one of those chocolate dipped pretzels. Mmmm. That's lunch.)

(Just kidding!)

Don't forget to enter our Last Minute Gift Giveaway!

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Local Inspiration, From Home

I want to take a minute and tell you about Wordless Wednesday. A couple weeks ago I mentioned that I craft when I'm trying to figure something out. (Like the stamp picture frames.) When I'm looking for inspiration and new ideas, I hop in the car and go for a drive, usually ending up off the map somewhere in a place I've never been. The newness of it all inspires me and gives me great ideas to take home and try out.

When gas prices were so darned high, plus buying a new home and Christmas on the way, I've had to find an inexpensive alternative to aimlessly driving around... Enter flickr and photobucket and picasa. I've also started taking my camera everywhere with me and shoot pictures of things that capture my attention.

Travel agency Originally uploaded by passitonplates

Between other people's photography and my own, I see so many amazing places that eventually I had to start sharing some of these photos. Wordless Wednesday is a way to share these places that have inspired me. All these photos are taken in the month I share them, either in the current year, or in the same month from years past. (You folks in the upper Midwest and NE who have lots of snow in the winter might be amazed at how green western Oregon gets in the winter.) They're all from my immediate surroundings, too, so you can get an idea what places I used to drive to, and/or nearby places that I love.

In a way, Wordless Wednesday helps me share my muse.
I hope these pictures inspire you, too.

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Computer Paper Organization

Computer paper organization, originally uploaded by passitonplates.

I am a little anal retentive when it comes to being organized. Of course, you'd never know it if you walked through my living room at this moment. Keep in mind, I live with the Tornado Twins.

That's kind of why I took over the one car finished garage with my PIOP Studio. It's my "Girl Cave" and I don't have to deal with anyone else's messes in there but my own. Which I promptly clean up.
{{happy happy}}

Ok, so here's what I do with all my various computer papers. I organize them by type, then put them in a labeled magazine holder.

Stationery is obvious, but Biz Cards & Project Papers are biz cards, of course, and CD Labeling papers, Post Cards, Half Fold Greeting Cards, etc.

Labels are pretty much anything adhesive.

Even Mr. Pass It On Plates (the elder Tornado Twin) grudgingly appreciates the organization and can find what he's looking for within seconds. Success!

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Yes, I am one of the crazy ones

At the marketing seminar I attended last month, there was a lot of inspirational talk about making a difference and changing the world.

We were instructed to network during meal breaks and to sit with someone new when we returned to the seminar room after meal breaks.

I met a lot of very bright, amazing people, including Simon from the Bay Area who has a new product to make cars operate more efficiently and eco-friendly, David and Bruce from Spokane and Phoenix (respectively) who among other things educate people on the importance of investing in precious metals, Louis from Montreal who teaches presentation skills to professionals, as well as Julie and Tracy from the Victoria, British Columbia area who publish books (that's Julie) and manage vacation rentals (Tracy's business) - these two women have developed a Joint Venture to offer a writer's retreat at Tracy's rental property in Peru.

I showed samples of Pass It On Plates to everyone I met and worked on my elevator speech - the 30 second description of what the plates are and what they do. Nearly everyone told me the same thing, suggesting that I take a very particular approach with them - an approach I had first started with as I was developing the plates.

The problem back then was that I was not thinking big enough.

On the last day, all 500 seminar attendees wrote out their marketing plans, then we broke into groups to go over each others' plans and offer "consulting services" to each other to fine-tune those plans. My "Marketing Partners" and I came up with a plan that takes my simple idea and turns it out on a massive scale. I can't reveal what that is today, because some of the legal and tax details are still being worked out, but it's big.

Really big.

While I was there, Laurie B posted a video on her blog.

It gave me goosebumps. My dearest friends use the same adjectives to describe me.

Are you one of the Crazy ones?

The big idea from this crazy one may just change the world.

Watch and see.

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1. We're Moving!2. Get to know me3. Mpls food

Pass It On Plates has grown and will soon have its own dedicated studio space! We bought a condo and I'll be busy over the next couple of weeks with moving, cleaning up the apartment, getting rid of misc via Craig's List, and getting settled in the new place. While I'm gone, I'll publish a few personal posts about myself and my family so you can get to know me better.

I usually have so many things to talk about that I don't take the time to invite you in to my home to meet the family. Now's your chance.

Brace yourself.

For starters, we have lived in Oregon for only a few years. Before that, we lived in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St Paul) for over a dozen years. Our lives out here in the Pacific Northwest are flavored by a Midwestern perspective. We're still impressed by the snow-covered mountains visible from our neighborhood... in the middle of July. We can't get enough of the ocean. Every winter day that we can wear sandals and shorts with our fleece jacket (most any winter day) is deeply appreciated. The absence of mosquitos ... well I don't have to explain how happy we are about that.

On the other hand, being foodies, we miss Minneapolis food. Until just this year we couldn't define Mpls food, and it's still surprising when we realize that the signature dishes of that Scandinavian town are Italian and BBQ. Go figure. (I'll explain Al Capone's Italian influence on the city later.)

Here's a picture of a restaurant we miss: Famous Dave's BBQ.

This particular one is located at Calhoun Square in Uptown Mpls, a hip and upscale shopping mall. This restaurant has a "train" that passes overhead. Ok, it's just sound and theatrical effects, but it makes the atmosphere as good as the food.

Here is Rachel and the rack of ribs that we shared last time we were at Dave's. This was taken in 2006.

Yeah, it's been that long.

... now if only Dave's would open a location here in Oregon...

A "good day at the office"

A "good day at the office" in Riverfront Park, originally uploaded by passitonplates.

Guess what I did today! I packed up a tote bag full of good stuff, grabbed the camera, and went to the park. It was a beautiful day with plenty of sun and I didn't want to be cooped up inside while I worked.

One of each of EVERYTHING, originally uploaded by passitonplates.

So guess what was in my tote bag?
(That's the big light blue bag on the left end of the table.)

I put one of each of all my PlateWraps in it, a box containing one of every kind of Pretty Little Doo Dad, a big white sheet, and an empty plate. On my way to the park I stopped at a grocery store and asked them to load the plate with their huge cookies.

Makeshift photo studio, originally uploaded by passitonplates.

Here's where I took today's pictures.

The butterfly PlateWrap is on the plate full of cookies with the turquoise paint pen. That Pretty Little Doo Dad on top is the pink organza bow.

Piled on the table to the left are aaaallllllllll the PlateWraps. In the plastic shoe box are every style of Pretty Little Doo Dad available so far.

It was a perfect day to take pictures, and I shot as many as I could until the camera battery died. (About 158, I think?) There are still several PlateWraps left to shoot, so if next Wednesday is nice, I'll head back to the park and take the rest of the pictures. I'm so glad I did this and will definitely plan to return to the park when the next batch of PlateWraps are ready.

Meanwhile, be sure to check back here often as I share some pictures of the new Pass It On Plates. There are some really fun PlateWraps coming up as well as a totally cool gift idea for Grandma or Auntie from the kiddos. Also - attention animal lovers! We have two new cat and two new dog PlateWraps coming up and boy oh boy are they cute! I'll be posting these in our Etsy shop over the next several weeks so be sure to check it out.

Speaking of Etsy, there are some good changes coming up for you over there as well. Some totally new items are in the testing stage and we can't wait to unveil them as soon they're ready!

Until then... come back tomorrow when we have some more exciting things going on!

Getting to know Pam

I grew up in a small town way at the tippy top of Wisconsin, near Lake Superior. My town has a Catholic Church (big surprise) a cheese factory (again, big surprise) and a bar. (What? A bar??) No, actually two bars.
Our big town motto was Eat, Drink and Be Saved.

"Blink and you'll miss it" didn't apply due to the 90 degree curve in the road. Driving eastbound, you couldn't blink or you'd run directly into the Plywood Palace (when you click this link you'll see my comment; scroll up to see the picture). If you were coming from Ashland and heading west, you didn't dare blink to miss the town or you'd drive smack into the wall of the cheese factory and knock over the Virgin Mary's blue bathtub.

If you grew up in the upper midwest, you know exactly why Mary needs a bathtub and what shade of blue it is.

Of course I was an outcast there because we went to the Lutheran Church.
We were rebels, I tell ya.
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