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People often ask how we got started in needlework and how we began Too Sisters Designs... We really had to think about it, since it all happened so fast. If you're curious, please pour yourself a cup of tea and settle into a comfy chair...we'll do our best to share our tale. We promise not to giggle if you fall asleep during our story, but no snoring allowed. :-) Once upon a time in a lovely kingdom far, far, away... Oooops. Wrong story. Just a sec... Ah, here we go: Carolyn has always enjoyed needlework of one kind or another, having been an avid embroiderer and crewel stitcher in her early teens. Her job as a Registered Nurse working nights was very demanding and she had to leave her needles to rust for many years. In late 1993, she met and fell in love with a wonderful man (one of those online romances you always hear about…they met in a "virtual" pub!), and they were married in 1995. In the same year, she took the opportunity afforded her to retire from nursing in order to become a full-time (and not always very good!) housewife. While going through some boxes, she discovered some "UFO's" (UnFinished Objects)…projects she had started and never completed, for one reason or another. About the same time, she discovered counted cross-stitch, a form which had not been widespread in her younger days. She took to it like the proverbial duck to orange sauce, and quickly moved from simple to more complex designs. Her first attempt at designing came after the matriarch of our family, our dear Grandmere, passed away in 1997. She wanted to stitch a memorial of some sort but couldn't find just the right combination of words and motifs. She was encouraged by Internet friends to create her own memorial, a work still in progress. Gradually, the desire to design for herself grew into a desire to share those designs with others, and with the help of her very talented sister, Tisha, is happy to be one of Too Sisters. Tisha caught the stitching bug early, too, becoming a fan of Roger Reinardy's long-stitch designs, not too long after that learning embroidery and cross-stitch. Her needles grew dull as well, while she worked in the banking industry and gradually made her way into computer consulting. After three and a half years consulting for Apple Computer, it was time for a much-needed break and a return to something even more creative. ("Even more" because, as an Online Games Consultant, Writer-On-Call and Internet Marketing Consultant, creativity was key.) Because both sisters spend too much time on the computer, it was only a matter of time before they discovered The Caron Collection Design Contest. Tempted to the point of actually entering, they submitted two small designs in early 1998 -- precursors to "Czarina's Treasure" and one of the "Symphony of Spring" combo. Although they didn't win that particular contest, they thought about giving it one more try. That second attempt, "North by Loch Ness," won The Caron Collection contest for July. Upon news of the contest win, they both finally decided to give this career change a go, wholeheartedly pouring time and energy into learning more about needlework. With more time than money on their hands, Tisha and Carolyn got into mischief not long after that… Carolyn's husband installed Easy Cross on the PC, and suddenly the seeds of their new career were firmly planted. Tisha found she could "stitch" on the computer almost as fast as design ideas came to mind (is there a "land-speed record" for new ideas?). Fortunately, Carolyn is an exceptionally gifted and fast stitcher, who magically turns charts into models quicker than you could say, "Tisha, slow down!" Almost immediately, design ideas came to fruition; with the help of family, many friends and the needlearts community, Too Sisters Designs emerged from the cocoon it had been quietly nestled in – and it stands before you now, taking flight on its colorful wings. We wouldn't be here without you. It is for you that we design, in hopes our work will give you pleasure and inspire you to smile as you stitch. We also wouldn't be here without the love of family and friends, who have given so generously of their time and encouragement. Needlework and love – those are two of the many things that make our world go 'round. The rest of this tale is something each of you will help us write, as we continue on our design journey. Let the adventure begin! Yours in Needlework, Carolyn and Tisha
All contents (text and images) ©Too Sisters
Designs 1998-1999. All Rights Reserved E-mail: TooSisters@aol.com
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