Unexpected Inspirations

SueStamp

As a criminal analyst, Sue has to have an eye for patterns. But it’s the unexpected that helps bring her crafting products to life.

“I’m definitely inspired by others and particularly when someone uses an item for something that was not it’s intended use,” said Sue who makes homemade cards for Stampersaurus Studios.

After 12 years of practicing her skills, crafting is a big part of her life. “When I’m not crafting, I’m usually shopping for craft items,” she said. “I’m a craft store junkie.”

Two years ago, her hobby developed  into a business that sells many types of custom holiday cards. “I used to teach rubber stamping several years ago, but I’m too busy now to teach or attend any classes,” Sue said adding that she misses that interaction.

Combined with her day job, it’s a hectic schedule. “My husband thinks that I’m a little obsessed, but he doesn’t complain,” Sue said. “After all, when I’m crafting he can go off and do his own thing, which he enjoys.”

Like most home crafters, Sue struggles to find enough space for her ever growing enterprise. “My workspace is a complete and utter disaster area,” she said. “Too much stuff and not enough space!”

Visit Stampersaurus Studios’ blog at http://www.stampersaurus.typepad.com or to buy her hand crafted items go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/stampersaurus. The image used above is published with permission.

Glee Will Release Christmas Single

The stars of the hit Fox musical TV series Glee will be releasing a Christmas single, a cover of Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” according to Access Hollywood. The song won’t appear in the show, which has become a massive hit among music song downloaders as well as viewers.

Songs from the show have sold over 1.8 million digital downloads, with the Glee version of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” selling more than a half-million downloads and reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its first week of release.

IT Group Tries to Ruin Christmas

The grinches at the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) are trying to ruin one of the traditions of Christmas — doing your shopping online while you’re at work. They’ve issued a press release warning employers to be on the lookout for gift-buying employees who are generous with the company’s time:

Among those polled, the mean amount of time employees planned to spend shopping online was14.4 hours, nearly two full working days. One in 10 plans to spend at least 30 hours shopping online at work. Most planned to do their shopping in early to mid-December.

“The potential danger of shopping online is that it can open the door to viruses, spam and phishing attacks that invade the workplace and cost enterprises thousands per employee in lost productivity and potentially millions in destruction or compromise of corporate data,” ISACA officials said in a statement on the findings.

I don’t know where the ISACA does its online shopping, but I can’t recall a single ecommerce site that required me to install software when making purchases, so the bah humbugging over viruses is hard to believe. As for the rest, most workplaces grind to a halt a couple of weeks before Christmas regardless of whether anyone is shopping online. I hope Santa gives them a lump of coal.

Hot Christmas Toy: Zhu Zhu Hamsters

Electronic toy hamster

One of the hardest toys to find this Christmas may be Zhu Zhu Hamsters, according to an Associated Press story about the season shopping outlook:

… a small manufacturer’s toy hamster that retails for $8 to $10 and could be the first true “must-have” toy since Mattel’s Fisher Price TMX Elmo in 2006. Cepia Inc.’s Zhu Zhu Pet Hamsters squeak and move around, and they’ve been impossible to keep on shelves, Toys R Us and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. say.

A company press release provides more information on the critters:

The best alternatives to real live hamsters, Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters don’t poop, die, or stink, but they are still a riot of motion and sound. They dart around in their hamster tubes and busily scurry from room to room. You never know where they’ll go next! Simply pet the hamster’s back, set him down, and watch him Zhu Zhu Zhu-oom! Zhu Zhu Pets™ like to be picked up and snuggled too! Pet them gently on the nose, and they’ll squeak with contentment. These hamsters have over 40 different sound effects, depending on the unique environment they encounter.

Welcome to the New Site

Sleigh.Com has relaunched this afternoon under new software.