Kathy - That is great news! Nothing ventured nothing gained. Sounds like a wonderful vacation but welcome back.

Carolyn

"Thank you". I've always found that sharing ideas is a great gift when it comes to us quilters and I have gained alot from you everyone through inspiration in many forms,what little bits that I do contribute I whole heartly hope you everyone can enjoy some parts of this journey thats shared.

Thank you, Kathy

Kathy, GOOD for you!! GO girl. !! We will never know unless we try. Hope you have great luck and success with your project.
Sounds like you had a wonderful vacation. Thank you for being such a sharing person. Carolyn

Thanks to you everyone that supported my idea on my
"Washable Cloth Coloring Mat's" .
I now have a "Provisional Patent" in place and a web site going up for marketers, (( I took the risk after all ))! Yeah....
It's all in the confidence of taking such a big risk, ya never know unless you try! Well it's in the works and documented, and this will be a very long year!!!
I really wanted to try to get this idea out for everyone to enjoy that would enjoy it. You can see one of my ( WCCMs) on my profile picture of the USA map.
A special Thank You to Eileen for all her ongoing support which helped me to know nothings gain from sitting idle, it takes great confidence to know your worth in all you do through out your lives and knowing either way it's a win win situation because you lived out your dreams happily,so thank you Eileen.

Told ya all I couldn't keep secrets! LOL
It is all "dated & documented" = my (WCCMs).
I'll Let ya all see the web page once it's up running nicely,we're working on my detailed photos/writting and voice clip still.

PS, Vacation in Mexico was great. Though we went ATV-ing in the jungle and I got eaten alive by the mosquitos,it was pouring the rain in the jungle. No bug spray helped,jungle was infested with them. "Though at home the Listerine works great". I fed the monkies and deer by hand they came right up to you they were very gentle,it was like a park setting in the jungle.
We went to a huge cave under ground 150 ft. that had a beautiful cenote-an under ground river.
Then we went to Xel-hal a beautiful lagoon that we snorkled at with big fish,the water is so clear.
Went deep sea fishing and we got to fish only 2 hours out of 8 hours all day because they mainly are trolling for big fish all day. I caught a fish that feeds off of sharks don't know the name but it was about 3ft. long. The captain caught a 20 pound red snapper,very pretty fish. I stayed sleepy & nauseated all day on the boat,nothing like a pontoon on the lake! Rocked all night! I wouldn't go again for all day trip to get to fish 2 hours. The resort & beach was beautiful as always. We didn't put our sun screen on early enough and got alittle sun burnt once again. We're looking forward to Mexico vacation next year already!
I see I have alot to catch up on here and it's going to take awhile because of everything I'm working on right now. I'll keep you all updated the best that I can.
Blessings to you everyone
Hugzzz, Kathy

Wren

Thank You, "You are very welcome". My idea for this project was to share this (WCCM) idea as much as I could with everyone so those who would enjoy it could, If I could make everyone a mat to enjoy I would but thats just not possiable! LOL! This is the best I could do, share my idea on how to make your very own (WCCM).
"Make it your very own" Enjoy!
http://360.yahoo.com/ssomebeach

Kathy,
Those are adorable as are all of the happy kids! You can just see how much fun they are having. Great idea and great mats! You are very generous to share your well developed idea with us. Thanks a bunch!

Carolyn

Hi. Thank you, they are alot of fun to make and our Granddaughters and Friends enjoy them alot and I do too! I'm not any good at writting so the book idea is completely out of the question for me.
"I have afew more coloring mats up if you would like to take a look" Dragon Tails, A Princess Carriage & Frog. I have several pages with different coloring mats on my 360 page.
For me this has been a "very addictive project" there are so many different designs to choose from and each one leads to another.
http://360.yahoo.com/ssomebeach

Enjoy,Kathy

Katz - I love your idea!! I'm over 48 and I still love to color and paint. Have you thought about writing a book on how to do this with a few pattrerns in it?? Contact CT Publishing or some other book publishers. I think it would go over well. These could be used for placemats, wall hangings, gifts, toys, learning tools, etc. Have fun with it!
Carolyn

Jenny & Sandy

Thank you, I'm 48 and I still love to color and paint!

How to make these mats:

I use walmart 1oo% cotton white/cream colored imbossed fabric,here I get it for $2.00 yard.

I find a pattern that I like then enlarge the drawing or I draw out a pattern onto freezer paper. Take one piece of fabric what ever size you want your mat to be then lay your drawing template under the fabric then trace out the complete design in led pencil.
Your bottom fabric should be cut 2-3 inches bigger.

After you have drawn out your pattern you would layer your bottom fabric good side faced down, a piece of high loft polly batting cut same size layed ontop of the bottom fabric ,then lay you drawed out pattern ontop of this batting good side faced up.
Pin the three layers together starting from center working out.
Then you would pick out your favorite embroidery stitch and stitch the complete out line drawing starting from center working out. After you have stitched the complete out line,undo the pins and trim all three layers the same size.

Then stitch the four sides closed how ever you like,I use a embroidery stitch to decorate the edges of the mats. There are endless ideas for designs,You can make educational mats too. I Like making the USA maps,learn while having fun! I always iron my mats when finished nice and flat. Both sides of the matt are identical and both sides can be colored in.The out line stitching should be at least 1/8 wide or wider, this will keep the markers from bleeding outside of the stitching.

These mats can be colored in with washable markers or washable glitter paints by Crayola or Rose Art washable markers.

To wash your mats "works like magic"
Soak in hot water and Oxi clean detergent _2 scoops in half load for 2 hours or over night. Air dry or throw into the dryer, Ironing mats is ones own preference,though I like to iron mine nice and flat.

"A Fast/Fun/Easy project"

What a great idea and I wish you luck with it. My kids would have loved it when they were little. Gee, they might even like it now. Who knew how complicated it was to get an idea to market but sounds like you have done a lot of research. Thanks for sharing you creative ideas. Sandy

good luck with your mats Kathy
Jenny in Oz

I have been making the "Washable Cloth Coloring Matts" for about a year now. I have gotten great reviews, I did have it evaluated with several inventors for search of other ideas on the market,there happens to be a place for the market but getting it there "cost lots of money" with great risk involved. We have spent close to 1,000 on just the evaluations process. My idea has passed all the evaluations and now it was time to get a provisional patent $3,000 which secures my written ideas and drawlings for a year then they put your idea out to marketers to hopefully get it licenced with a company. You get a nice web site showing marketers and explaining your idea with 3-d photos and a professional voice cd on the web for just the marketers. Then you sit to see if you get a licenced marketer for a year if you don't then you get to decide if you want to completely get it patent for 20 years which could cost between 3,000-10,000.
If you find a marketer to licence the deal they may pay for your patent or half.

Question is why would I come this far then decide not to persue,I believe in my invention idea for the market but I'm not going to risk all my money getting it there. Even if it got licenced it would take alot of money to pay for what I've spent and that all takes time. You're not going to get rich off of the royalties,some may "many don't" ,I wasn't planning on getting rich just wanted idea out for many to enjoy,don't get me wrong money is nice but not every thing. I don't want to become poor in the process of it all thats for sure! Now I can tell you "beware" of many invention companies, I checked out several companies. I did find a pretty good invention company that I was happy with.

"I'm sure that the idea will land on the market some day", and I would be happy with that. Though this wouldn't stop me from making my washable cloth coloring mats or sale-ing them if I wanted to because I didn't steal the idea and I have my own pattern/templates,some patterns were borrowed from copy rights from coloring pages but of coarse those wouldn't have been used if I had of patent my idea I would have use my own art, I have all my papers signed by a notary when I started my invention project of the Washable Cloth Coloring Mats and I know I'm not the only person that makes these but they have no patents either. My idea came from other projects out on the market, to me it is an improved idea to add to the market. All the process takes time so getting a notary is an important part because many others could be on the same project idea and the dates do matter.

It is a idea with great market ability and
I look forward to seeing this idea on the market in the future.
The mini quilt (WCCM).

This has been agreat learning experience and quite exciting too,to me in the end the reviews/evaluation was worth the distance that I took. Now I can share my secret with everyone to enjoy which this really wasn't to big of a secret though The secret of sharing this was killing me!!! LOL!

please feel free to use this idea in any way you wish "make it your own" from my granddaughters,friends,family,enjoy!
you can check out my (WCCM) at this link below: http://360.yahoo.com/ssomebeach
Blessings to you everyone,Kathy