A few things to share.....

I'm absolutely the worst about posting pics of my creations...even when I'm proud of them...so I thought I'd post a few of my recent cards and favorite layouts from the last few crops I attended.

I've been expanding my stamping knowledge on Lisa's Stampin Angels site by joining her monthly card swap - each month a different requirement and/or technique. Here are my August (wax paper resist using paper I bought at Michael's; TAC stamps & SU Ink) & September (kissing using CBX paper, SU inks & stamps and CTMH Solo and alpha stamps) swap cards:



These pictures were so hard to work on. I at least started scrapping my photos of Mason before we had to put her down but that really didn't make it any easier. Dixon on the other hand got sick and was gone in a flash...right after we bought our house and I was distraught for a long time. I suppose I'm finally done grieving over the both of them and now I just love looking at their sweet faces remembering their wild personalities.

Cute photos of both Mason & Dixon:




Random pictures of Dixon:



These are pictures shortly after I got them...maybe 9 or 10 weeks old. You can barely see Dixon on the right - she's hiding in the plants.



I have a bunch more but it's a lot of work uploading these LO's so you can see more here.

Blog Tag

I've never played before but I saw this one on a blog to which I subscribe and thought I'd play. Granted I don't know many that blog so I may not end up with 5!!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) - Jodi Toyota

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Rocky Geneva

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) -D-Wal

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) - Periwinkle Hippo - oh come on!!

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) - Nicole Dallas...it should really be Skye Dallas - if my mom had her way!!

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) - Walda

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put “The”) The Brown Banana....so not right!!

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)- Jack Jack....that's lovely

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy) Shi Chocolate...what is that???

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Diane Keith

Okay well that was enlightening...I'm tagging Lisa G & Lisa S....I'm waiting!!!

So I had a bummer moment this morning....

I had to meet a subcontractor this morning so I took a different route to the bank. I stopped to get a drink on the way and as I pulled out of the drive through there were some donation containers and just to the side someone had left a couch. I noticed it b/c it really bothers me that people put furniture outside in the rain to ruin. I know - maybe it wasn't all that to begin with but for someone who has no couch it's something. A sheet and some throw pillows from the $1 store is better than nothing. Bust out the staple gun, nails - whatever. So if you didn't get it already...drives me bonkers that furniture in decent shape gets left out in the elements to become even more damaged. Getting to the point..there was a man sleeping on the couch. I assume he was sleeping. I felt like I was in a movie. My heart ached to drive on past and even more so that I didn't know what I should do. I know what I could have done...there are tons of things I could have done. His left shoe was off and his foot was bandaged. Not assuming anything about that person I still have my safety to consider. I don't want to put myself in harms way however - when do you make the decision to put aside your own safety on the off chance you could help someone as small as that help might be? I didn't have any cash, I suppose I should have gone through the drive through and bought a meal but what if I startled him. I was in such a daze...I literally felt like I was in a movie scene - you know the kind of scene that is shot as if you are in the car with the actors and you "feel" the movement of the terrain, music was playing in the background. So I'm irritated at myself...for not knowing what to do. I've always felt that the Lord leads you in all situations and there are times when I feel led to help, others I don't....I'm okay with that. The times when I'm unsure are what bother me most. It's raining now and I think about the man and the couch...

The other two...

shelves ended up being used for more supplies after all....I took down the two tension rods in the closet that held all my spools of ribbon and sorted them by color into the extra baskets I bought. Now I just need to label all of them b/c I have no idea where anything is....



I did manage to get a few frames up there, my little wooden man, some candles - like they'll ever get lit up there. It still looks such a mess! Granted I had just finished creating 16 of these so it's not my fault....really. The scary thing - I'm not completely sure I'm done with them yet...




Let's see what else do I have to share...oh I put my rolodex together and started tying ribbons but that got old real fast so I stopped after the front and back were complete. I need some different types of ribbon too - the repeats were getting too frequent:



I used CTMH cardstock & a circle punch to create the dividers; assorted rub-on letters for the alphas front and back; scraps to alter the rolodex cards. At some point I need to re-size the template I made to handwrite everyone's information in case of emergency - you know, cell phone dies, power outtage LOL but I haven't gotten that far yet.


And finally here's Chorniy - wondering why I was taking photos instead of playing with her :)

Finally - My new crafting space!

I know - it's been weeks but you know how once you start moving things into a new space you don't want to just throw it together - you want to do it right. So it took me longer than I thought - going through this, putting that in it's proper place....and I just realized I forgot to take pics of below the desk...oh well -this is all I have to offer for now. I wasn't even sure the camera would work since I haven't charged the battery in forever.

This is the table runner turned window covering. Duncan is going to build me a cornice to finish it off but I haven't been able to stop by Home Depot to pick out the moulding.

Here is the new workspace with my nifty IKEA shelves - all but two of them anyhow...I decided I needed two more for decorative items & photos. These pictures really don't do it justice...I need to take some from better angles & zone in on specific areas. Will do that and update this post but this is the jist.

And finally - here is the nook where I moved (really shoved) the couch into and put my photo collage above...obviously I need two more nails and I am actually thinking I might do another row of frames up top near the ceiling but really I'm doing good to have all this done - I know my frames are crooked but ever time I hammer something moves so I need to get that teacher supply poster goo to hold them in place. :) Thanks to mom for being a good sport and smiling for the camera despite the fact that she objected to the photo.

Here's hoping my creativity gets a boost when I can actually sit down in my new space!!