Moving!

Hey, everyone! The party is moving over to http://betanisbureau.com! Come join the fun!

Kodachrome! Help!

When I visit my parents, I sometimes look through their old photographs for good times and memories. Well, these have been in that old picture drawer for as long as I remember:



It wasn't until the past couple of years that it struck me what they actually were. Now, I need your help. Is there any way to salvage what is on these old Kodachrome cartridges? If it is at all possible, I'd LOVE to be able to get these converted to DVD and give to my parents for their anniversary.

Any information would be extatically appreciated. If you know what I can do with them, or know someone who could answer my questions, or could even point me in the proper direction to search for more information, please please please leave a comment!

Craftiness and Geekiness Collide!

I've been feeling the need to find connections between my obsessions lately for some reason. I guess I feel kinda lonely in my little corner of the Venn Diagram of life. So during a recent breaktime at work, I puttered around with my search engine of choice, Ixquick, and happened upon this picture:



Does this not Rock? June over at PlanetJune.com pays tribute to Terry Pratchett's Discworld with The Great A'Tuin amigurumi!

Even though I can't crochet to save my life, I've fallen in love with her blog, too. Score one more for my feed catcher!

Scattertude

-- The hole in my tooth from where I lost a filling is driving me insane.

-- I'm getting disheartened that I still can't get my podcast up and running.

-- I have enough UFOs to keep me busy for years.

-- I really want to get outside and go Geocaching again soon.

-- I'm trying to fight off an oncoming bout of depression lately.

-- I've got a BAD case of Spring Fever.

Manage Your Manuals

If you do a lot of crafting, chances are you've accumulated a lot of user manuals, instructions, warranty information cards and the like. Important stuff that you really ought to keep, but don't need to use very much. You want to keep them together and in good condition, though. Here is the best way I've found for this:



The two things you'll need are a three-ring binder and a package of top-insert sheet protectors. If your manuals are on the larger or heavier side, you might consider reinforcements for the ring holes.



Then, just slip a manual into a protector, put it in the binder, lather, rinse, and repeat! This is especially useful for equipment that comes with more than one booklet. You can keep everything for one item in the same protector.



Then, when your sewing machine needs some troubleshooting, or you need a new attachment for your Dremel Tool, you just flip through and can easily locate everything you need without digging through your desk, bookshelf, or filing cabinet!

This is also useful for loose patterns you've collected. I have two binders. One for my craft equipment, and one for household appliances. There are lots of other ways to organize, but the beauty of this method is in the simplicity. Now, the hardest part will be hunting down all your manuals in the first place. ;)

Don't Stop Now!

The Storque has a good informative article on the state of the CPSIA.

The CPSC has granted a one year stay on the enforcement of the new lead law. This is an important step to getting the law amended, but keep in mind that it is only a step! Keep in mind that even though handmade children's items don't need to be certified yet, you are still liable if your product exceeds the legal limits.

Though this small victory has been achieved, this is no time to back down. Now is the time to really contact the heck out of the lawmakers and congressmen to make sure the handmade industry doesn't crumble when the year is up. Etsy has also put together this great action kit to help you contact the right people and take a stand for handmade, resale, and small business.