B5 THE ASTORIAN • SATuRdAy, July 17, 2021 FIELD TEST Candidates Wanted URGENT NOTICE: You may be qualified to participate in a special Field Test of new hearing instrument technology being held at a local test site. An industry leader in digital hearing devices is sponsoring a product field test in your area next week and they have asked us to select up to 15 qualified candidates to participate. They are interested in determining the benefits of GENIUS™ 4.0 Technology in eliminating the difficulty hearing aid users experience in difficult environments, such as those with background noise or multiple talkers. Candidates in other test areas have reported very positive feedback so far. We are looking for additional candidates in Warrenton and the surrounding areas. Dates: July 17th-July 23rd, 2021 Miracle-Ear Center A bag created by Amy Magnussen. Oso Made: ‘There is really inner joy at seeing people enjoy my bags’ Continued from Page B1 When health regulations required everyone to wear face coverings, Magnussen broke out her sewing machine and learned to make masks. She started making them for her colleagues at Clatsop Community College and friends. After she made 80 or so, she was ready to try something new. She was loving sewing and had more time than normal, so she took on a project of recreating a threadbare purse she had. “In those first couple … I learned a lot,” she said with a laugh. As she kept practicing, she got better at making the bags and her friends showed interest in having them. As she continued to improve, she decided to start selling them. “After a couple months of mak- ing them, I started to think that peo- ple may enjoy having these,” she said. She opened her Etsy shop and did an art walk at Forsythea, which still sells her bags. Magnussen’s shop name is inspired by her life. Oso means bear in Spanish. Bears are a symbol that has come up several times in her life, from her first toy of Winnie the Pooh to her hometown sports team the Chicago Bears. She has also worked to learn Spanish over the years, so when it came to picking a name for the business, Oso just fit, she said. Magnussen’s grandmother sewed a lot when she was grow- ing up. Magnussen would observe her, but never really learned her- self, she said. Other than a cur- sory home economics class in mid- dle school, she never really thought about learning more about it. She made a few items through the years, like curtains for a trailer or minor repairs, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that she started to sew seriously. Though she wasn’t always a big sewer, Magnussen said the ideas of color, design and texture have always fascinated her. As she started the project and started sewing her bags, Magnus- sen also started designing them. She develops them using paper bags first to build a mockup, held together with lots of clips. Then, she uses fabric and perfects the design before making the final ver- sions and adding them to the shop. Along with that creativity is the creativity she uses to choose her fabrics. She uses an online forum called Spoonflower that allows her to choose designs and communi- cate directly with artists. Magnussen said she is particu- larly drawn into designs that reflect the Pacific Northwest environ- ment, plus those that have geomet- ric patterns and lots of color. She also tries to work sustainability in as much as she can, including with fabrics and how she packages her orders. Magnussen also works with cus- tomers on custom orders. Getting to interact with people in a cus- tomer setting and settling into com- munity support is still something that Magnussen is getting used to. She said working with people has been a great thing. “There is really inner joy at see- ing people enjoy my bags,” Mag- nussen said. She still remembers the first time that she saw someone she didn’t know walking around town with one of her purses. “I was so excited, and she was very nice to me,” Magnussen said. Youngs Bay Plaza 173 S. Hwy 101 Warrenton, OR 97146 (503) 836-7921 Miracle-Ear Center 2505 Main Ave N, Suite C Tillamook, OR 97141 (503) 836-7926 In an effort to accurately demonstrate the incredible performance of these devices, specially trained representatives will be conducting testing and demonstrations during this special event. In addition to an audiometric hearing evaluation, candidates will receive a fiber-optic otoscope exam, a painless procedure that could reveal common hearing problems such as excessive wax or damage to the eardrum, as well as other common cause of hearing deficiencies. Qualified Field Test Candidates: • Live in Warrenton or the surrounding area • Are at least 55 years of age or older • Have experienced some level of hearing difficulty, or currently wear hearing aids • Don’t currently work for a market research company FIELD TEST PARTICIPANTS Will be tested and selected same-day. We have a limited supply of the GENIUS™ 4.0 test product currently on hand and ready for testing. We have also been authorized to offer significant discounts if you decide to take the hearing instruments home. If you choose not to keep them, there’s no risk or obligation of any kind.† TO PARTICIPATE: 1. You must be one of the first 15 people to call our office Mention Code: 21JulField. 2. You will be required to have your hearing tested in our office, FREE OF CHARGE, to determine candidacy. 3. Report your results with the hearing instruments to the Hearing Care Specialist over a three week test period. Qualified candidates will be selected on a first- come, first-served basis so please call us TODAY to secure your spot in the Product Field Test. Participants who qualify and complete the product test will receive a FREE $100 Restaurant.com Gift Card* as a token of our thanks. AVOID WAITING – CALL AND MENTION CODE: 21JulField A pillow Magnussen created. *One per household. Must be 55 or older and bring loved one for familiar voice test. Must complete a hearing test. Not valid with prior test/purchase in last 6 months. While supplies last. Free gift card may be used toward the purchase of food at participating restaurants where a minimum purchase may also be required. See restaurant.com for details. Not redeemable for cash. Promotional offer available during special event dates only. †If you are not completely satisfied, the aids may be returned for a full refund within 30 days of the completion of fitting, in satisfactory condition. See store for details.