I wish I had a Fairy Godmother

And that would be why....
I have more projects then I have years left. At the moment I have to live until I'm 130 to complete just whats on the drawing board.
First my good news: You all know about Alphastamps Give aways...well guess who won?
Yup, little old me. I'm not used to winning...doesn't happen very often and to cover up my disappointment I always say "I'm lucky in life" LOL So yes, I won the Hometown Give away which is perfect for me since I loved all the stuff in it. So YAY! Me.
 My friend Norma sent me the cutest little Santa. So much went wrong over this past year that Christmas wasn't the usual "bright star". Normally I have a table arrangement but this year I had nothing. That Santa found a real fast home.

How cute is that? And then we have this years ornament. I always have an ornament for anyone who stops by over the holidays. Again, because this year was such a mess, all the idea's I had fell by the wayside..Only when Ellie came into my life did things start to  shine again and it was too late to do the things I had planned, so this is what I came up with.

A pretty pink cupcake with sparkling frosting and a cherry on top. The ball is frosty pink glass glued into a cupcake paper, frosted with molding paste, sprinkled with bugle beads and silver beads and the cherry is made of red clay and coated in triple thick. Fun, fast and cute, my kind of project.

As you can see Miss Ellie is really growing. She just LOVED Christmas. We got a kick out of her carefully opening her gifts and then playing with THEM instead of the paper. (something all our other dogs did) She continues to add laughter and joy to each day.
Tomorrow I will show you what I made for my Secret Sister now that I know she received it.
Thanks for stopping by.......

It's a Wonderful Life!!

Oops! That title is already taken huh?

As most of you know, this year hasn't been the best...but considering all that is happening in our country and around the world, my life is a cake walk. I just wanted you all to know that I know that and never, ever lost sight of how truly lucky I am, in spite of my pity parties.

This year was overwhelming. That's a fact and without the wonderful friends and family that I have, it would have been far more difficult. But each time I got kicked in the gut, you all rallied. You were there with your prayers, your love and support and it meant the world to me.

I am recovering from the Flu that hit me like gang busters. WE wouldn't want this year to cut me any slack before it departs into history forever. Even though I had the flu shot, it still got me and laid me out for 3 days...I had to giggle to myself because to be honest if I read this in one of my favorite books, I'd really think the author over played the stress a wee bit. Truthfully, I started to feel like one of those blow up clowns that you punch, it falls back, hits the ground and bounces back up for more.

Mind you, most people only knew the stuff I felt I had to reveal...there was actually more in between.

While I was down with the flu and feeling a wee bit sorry for myself because I basically had called off Christmas....My thoughts ran deep and all I truly wanted was Happiness and good health for all those I care about. A peaceful and Happy New Year would be such a wonderful gift for all...Enter Richard with a small envelope. I didn't recognize the return address. I opened it and found a small jewelry box, inside I found a necklace. This necklace...

I held it in my hand and began to weep, not out of sadness but because of the overwhelming feeling of love and selflessness on the part of the person who sent it.

The large tag reads: Always by my side with 2 little paw prints. The two hearts contain the names of the two dogs I lost recently. There was no card , no hint of who sent this beautiful, thoughtful gift.

I realized at that moment, this holiday had nothing to do with presents and all too do with Love, compassion and understanding.

Beautiful is the heart that would think only of the joy her gift would bring to one she calls friend.

A word that she obviously not only believes in, but acts upon....No thank you expected, no agenda, other then to say "I understand my friend and my heart is with you"...

How very selfish I felt. Who the hell was I to cancel Christmas. What right did I have to be so sad. How many people are blessed with the love that has been shown to me by all of you.Especially one very special lady.

I hope that you all had a Very Merry Christmas. If I could give you all a gift it would be a new year filled with all the blessings just knowing you has brought into my life. A year filled with Love, good health and wonderful friends and family.

If I make any attempt to throw even a small pity party this coming year, I want you to kick me in the keester...and that's an order. We have some great plans for the coming year and we intend to keep our Merry little group very busy and hopefully as happy.

So thank you...Friends...Family  and followers for all the love and support you've shown me this year.

BIG HUGS to all of you!!!!

Christmas ? Already?

But I'm not done yet!!! Sorry for once again disappearing. I felt weird for a few days, earache, headache, sore throat...but it's Christmas and I have things to do. Always the last minute gift to make or gift to wrap ...then BANG!! I was so sick I couldn't lift my head from the pillow. The flu hit me like a freight train (so much for the flu shot). I cannot recall ever being knocked down like that. After two days of staying in bed, mostly sleeping, I thought I felt better. Got up and started my cookies. Suddenly the room began to spin, I felt cold and sweaty at the same time and ended right back in bed for another 2 days. Still not myself, but at least I can sit at my computer without feeling like I'm about to die.

Mandy isn't Mandy any more. She refused to come to that name, pretty much like Punkin named herself, Mandy didn't like anything we picked. I have an old friend that has always been like a God mother to my dogs. Always bringing them treats when she visits. Her name is Ellen, Rich didn't think that was a DOG name, so what about Ella? Nope, but she did like Ellie and responds to Ellie, so that is her name. I swear Punkin is up there whispering in her ear...but she is a good girl. Housebroken in 24 hours and now she sit's, speaks and gives a paw on command. Loves the car. Teething bad but sticks to her toys and chew bones, no furniture. I think we will keep her LOL

Right before the flu shot me down. I did manage to make some little gifts for people I love and just wanted to send a little something to let them know they were special.

I first made this little guy for my Secret Sister. She collects Gnomes so I thought she'd enjoy him...Of course I had to make another for a special friend.

This little Knotty Pine was also made for a special friend. I have little dolls that special people made for me all over my studio. I never feel alone in here because I'm surrounded by the love of friends. It's always my hope that friends who get my little dolls will feel the same way.
I managed to take a pic of Nov. fan blade but totally forgot Dec. <sigh>

I've made some more stuff. But I think that's  all for now. Thanks for stopping by.

The Joy Of PUPPY BREATH

You do not realize just how quiet your world is until the being that brought life into your space is no longer there. For me it was intolerable. There were many underlying reasons  but ya know what? Today is a new day and what happened last month, several months ago is in the past and there is no rewind button to life...only forward or stop.
Since I don't plan to stop anytime soon, I had to move forward. Yes there is still a deep sadness, but there is also joy at a new life in our home.
I'd like to introduce you to Mandy. She is a Pound Puppy rescued from Kentucky where the owners of her Mom and Dad were trying to create a "designer" dog..You've heard of the "Cockerlier" , the "Schnoodle", the "JUG" the "Labordoodle". They used to be called Mutts. Heinz 57. But now apparently if you take two pedigree dogs and mix them, you have a "designer" dog. We don't really care what you call her (she started life as a jewel. All her siblings were named for precious stones, she was Sapphire and that wasn't happening) We call her Mandy.

Now in case you're wondering what her "designer" breed is LOL let me introduce you to her Mom and Dad.

DAD

Dad is a Great Dane

Mom is an Australian Shepard

So what does that make Mandy? An AussieDane ? She's our Pound Puppy <gasp>and we were delighted that both Mom and Dad and all 9 pups were rescued.

You'll probably hear a lot about Mandy as weeks go by because she really is a pretty smart furbaby. (Dads looks, Moms brains) She is 12 weeks old, she was housebroken in 2 days, sits and speaks on command and we have only has her a very short time. We suspect divine intervention because we couldn't ask for a more perfect fit. I think Rosie and Punkin would have loved her.

Meanwhile I continue to inch toward Christmas. Normally I would have gifts bought and wrapped by Oct. There is not one package wrapped except for those that had to get in the mail.

My kids away, so I'm thinking Gift Cards this year and hopefully the PO will deliver them in a hurry.

While Mandy certainly did bring some smiles into the house, Christmas just won't be the same this year.

Since so many of you shared in my sorrow, I'm hoping now you can share in my joy.

Thanks for stopping by.

A Moment of Thanks

I have some of the most wonderful "on line friends". Don't get me wrong, friends have paid me visits to express their sympathy and relatives have been loving and supporting...I wouldn't trade my friends and family for the world.
On line friends are in a league all their own. They have the anonymity that the Internet affords them. They can watch you from a distance, they don't HAVE to "share" and they certainly don't have to CARE...
I can't tell you how many cards, little gifties, e-cards and calls I have received from on line friends.
All I can say to all of you is Thank you. Thank you for sharing in my loss. Thank you for your support and understanding. You've helped me through a very difficult time. You are all such a blessing in my life. Each of you brings a ray of sunshine in your own special way and I am truly a very lucky lady.
There will always be a special place in my heart, for each critter who has enriched my life with their presence. Like all of you, each had their own special "way" of touching my heart. I am thankful for my capacity to love and always find room for another.
I was feeling a bit blue today and went to visit Judy http://judithannsblog.blogspot.com.au/
I do hope she doesn't mind me sharing but this just hit my funny bone and I laughed out loud.

Thanks Judy, it's been a while since I smiled. That picture is hilarious..
Speaking of smiles, stop by and see my friend Deb http://www.paxtonvalleyfolkart.blogspot.com/
she has some surprises there you may enjoy.
I can't show what I made for my Secret Sister but I can show you what mine made for me.

She obviously checked me out. (Don't you just love when someone actually makes an effort to make something JUST for you) She saw I liked Steam punk and Fairies...so she made me a Steam punk Fairy on a tin filled with candy, including a DARK choc. bar (my favorite)

The back is as pretty as the front. She is just delightful to look at and is now on display in the living room for all to see. I just love it and feel special knowing so much time and effort went into a project just for me.
I've gotten a number of lovely things over the past few weeks and I apologize for not sharing. Life just sort of knocked me for a loop and I haven't spent a great deal of time on the computer. Each day is better then the one before and I will be back to sharing...So stay tuned and thanks again for your love and support and for stopping by. (Now go visit Judy and Deb)

GONE TOO SOON

On Dec 1,2014 our beloved Choc. Lab Punkin lost her battle with cancer. I am thankful for her sake that her battle was brief and she did not suffer. I am grateful for the strength it took to love her so very much that I was able to let her go, but not without much sorrow. She left a hole in my heart , but memories that death can not take away. She was an incredible companion .

Each fur baby that has ever touched my life holds a special place in my heart. None have ever been replaced. As long as I remain on this planet, I will always find time to  love another and allow it to touch me in a special way. Punkin will certainly be a hard act to follow.

It is always my desire to bring some happiness to my blog. Either with pictures of newly made items or of things I've received. A video, a tutorial or just a simple saying that may touch someones heart or mind.

But life isn't always party hats and horns. Sometimes there is no sunshine  only rain. It has always been my belief that if not for the rain, we would never know rainbows..IT is with that thought that I thank  my family and friends for their understanding and support during a stormy time in my life.

Rest assured there will be Rainbows in my future and I hope you will all be here to share them.

Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. Thanks for stopping by......

Life Goes On

Although much of my day is taken up with caring for my Choc. Lab...Life moves on. I've made bed covers for her, I've got tons of "doggie" towels that I keep under her in case she "leaks" (the side effect of the tumor) so far she is doing well.Very contented and in no obvious pain. For now we enjoy the time we have.
Meanwhile I am a very, very lucky woman. Not only do I have local friends to lean on, I have a family that loves me and understands my extreme love for my animals and I have on line friends who have showered me with love and support and understanding.
I have a group that I have all but neglected since my worry about Punkin began. But they continue to send words of support and love. I have moderators that stepped in and left no gap in leadership. Questions still get answered and I am told everything is moving forward as planned. What a comfort.

Monday was a Happy Mail Day and could not have come at a better time. There is a great deal more going on in my life other then Punkin. I've been exhausted and feeling a bit depressed...Suddenly here are two boxes that were picked up earlier at the PO.
I opened the first ...Remember that What Do You See pattern that Norma presented to the group? WE all had to make something that we saw. Norma was my partner and this is what she saw...

I named her Rojo. Is she cute or what? All decked out for a party. Check out her Bling in her hair clip. She just made me laugh out loud and certainly brought sunshine into my day. Norma also made me a button ornament. Pic was blurred so I'll post another day.Norma has been an on line friend for a very long time and she is a treasure.
I had signed up for a Pin keep swap on a Blog that I follow Ravenwood Whimsies. The theme was "Winter"...I ended up with the sweetest partner anyone could hope for. She introduced herself immediately and it was obvious we were cut from  similar clothe....WE kidded that we both liked Halloween as well as winter and we were torn about perhaps doing our own theme.
I made a scary skull pin keep as a joke. Thought I was being cute...So when I opened the box from Carolyn, imagine my surprise when I found this:

My skull was made as a joke. This was a work of art. A spider top hat with a ride along friend LOL whats really funny is that both of us made Bat straight pin (Hers are much cuter then mine)
Of course the "REAL" prize is the  "Winter" themed pin keep:

Both of us made snow people. You'll recall my Snow baby..This cutie was made on a bed spring and like mine, also has snowflake straight pins. Hows that for great minds thinking alike?
Carolyn has since become an active member of our group MixedMediaStudio/yahoogroups.com
and I am truly blessed not just to have had a fabulous swap partner that became a member of my group, but who also became someone I regard as a "friend". Carolyn also included two candy bars that have become an addiction...LOL Now I have to look for a Canada candy store on line .
So as you can see I am truly blessed by being surrounded by such wonderful souls.
My poor partner for several swaps, is left waiting in the wings. My Days seem to fly. I wake up caring for Punkin and before I know it, I'm ready for bed...but I have done some things in between...Life does go on and my sadness is no reason to dropout of life completely. I miss my Sunshine girls (what I call my group), but as I work in my studio, I think of them and all the beautiful things they've made and I find comfort. Hopefully soon I will find time in my day to jump on my groups and at least say "Hi" for now, I keep in touch with my moderators, try to post here when I can and work on my swaps.
Thanks for stopping by and please come again soon.... Thank you Norma and Carolyn for bringing a ray of sunshine in my day.

Does it ever stop?

As some of you know I recently lost my Rosie. We were devastated but were comforted by the fact that  we still had our Punkin (choc. Lab) to come home to.
Two days ago Punkin stopped eating and appeared to be constipated. So I gave her mineral oil to try and help her. When she stopped drinking I became very concerned and brought her to the Vet.. The long and short, our beloved Punkin has a tumor that is cancerous and inoperable. Our only hope is to shrink it. She is home now but needs constant care and attention which limits my time on the computer.
I miss my group, but with Punkin, my Aunts surgery, Richards back and trying to get  obligations completed, I have very little free time.
I heard that there was a cute idea on my group that involved a french fry pocket. There was some concern about using a USED fry pocket. So if I do nothing else, perhaps this will help those who want to try the idea.

Just  right click on it, save and when you print it out, print it to the size you want. Hope that helps.

I am hoping against all hope that Punkin will continue to improve. Otherwise there is only one option left and I dread having to play God once again. I ask that you keep her in your thoughts..

I will continue to work in my studio as time permits and hope to have pictures soon. Thanks for stopping by and come again soon.

Finally!!!

My pin keep partner got her package today so I can share it with you. I've been very busy but everything I am doing right now is either a swap or a gift, so I can't post what I'm doing, but I will as I send stuff out.
The Theme for this years pin keep from Ravenwood Whimsies was "Winter". Sounds easy right?
Nope, I went from a Christmas tree that brought Charlie Brown to mind, to a Santa that brought a troll to mind and finally to something I just love...

A little snow baby all snuggled up in her snowsuit , with her muff. I made some snowflake straight pins and brought in a touch of color with some felt holly and bead berries.Her base is a vintage tart pan. Along with her I sent a cigar box full of goodies I think my partner may need in the coming year.
She is a new member of  MixedMediastudio.yahoogroups.com  so she is in for a few surprises LOL
her gifts were wrapped in fabric because she is also a quilter. As an added bonus I sent her a spooky pin keep.

Oh stop laughing, it was a joke and she loved him.
I am working on some Gnomes and Elves but you will have to wait until tomorrow because under this mess, somewhere is a camera.
Stay tuned and thanks for stopping by....

My Gift of the Week

For some reason I have always believed, If I've seen it, everyone has seen it. if I can think of it, everyone can think of it. Slowly, over the years, especially when I see something I developed years ago suddenly be accepted as a "WOW!! New idea", I realize that's not true. I actually do have original idea's and there are actually people out there that may not know about something I take for granted.
This little video  for my gift of the week is not my idea, nor is it original. But, very often, even when we know about something, we forget it. This is one such item. We all have a friend who sews, quilts or maybe even wears a lot of fancy pin's. I love Pin Keeps...and this  is one of my favorites because it is so versatile. You can dress it up and make it fancy (maybe with lace wings) or make it plain and simple and Prim...
I'm sitting in a room full of goodies and can't show you one because they haven't been mailed to my partners yet. But trust me, I've been very busy in between tick bites and doctor  visits LOL
Hope you enjoy my Gift of the week and thanks for stopping by.

Lets Remember them

I am alive because of one of you. I am FREE because of ALL of you...Thank you.

I got lots of happy mail yesterday but haven't had a chance to take a picture yet. Before I start running errands I wanted to remember Veterans Day. To thank the brave men and women all over the world, not just Americans but all brave men and women who fight for freedom. They deserve to be honored and they deserve far more respect then they receive.

Once I get done with my running I will try and post  pictures of my Fan blade, charms and Banners...
It really was a Banner Mail day...You'll see..
For now, thanks for stopping by.

It just keeps getting Better

Ain't that the truth!!!

Okay , so I'm in the shower this morning. Scrubbing myself with a wash clothe and my finger tip hits something on the back of my arm. Since I don't wear glasses in the shower I had to feel...it felt weird and had a bit of a sting to it. I scrubbed and scrubbed but it wouldn't come off....

Rewind to a week ago when Rich said "OH whats that on your arm?"..".Well what does it look like?"

I ask... "a skin tag perhaps, or maybe a scab"...I'm trying to reach it and he tells me "leave it, if it's a scab it will fall off".. Never gave it another thought...until now...

Can you hear the spooky music in the background? Are you starting to feel creepy crawlies?

When I got out of the shower and put my glass on, it became real obvious to me, after spending many years with many dogs, that I was looking at a tick. Not just any tick. The brown dog tick usually feeds, gets so heavy  and big that it falls off you....a deer tick however, is a tiny little thing and hangs in there forever. It is a nasty little sucker (pun intended) and carries disease....like LYMES.

So Rich got a rude awakening and a real fast lesson on how to properly remove a tick..Which he did rather well.

Meet Mr. Tick. he is in one of those tiny little bottles we make charms out of (about 1/2 inch tall)

I'm not showing this to you to give you the creeps, but rather to teach you. This tiny little critter can cause a lot of damage. I have lived here for 13 years and I've never taken a tick off any of my animals , children or grand children...It happens. If you should ever have an encounter with one of these little buggers, use a pointed tweezers, get as close to the head as you can and pull slowly, straight out. If you don't have a tweezers make a noose out of dental floss (would I kid about something like this?)

put the noose around the head of the tick and pull, steady, straight out (don't yank on it)

What ever you do, do NOT coat this tick with oil, nail polish or liquid soap...If you do and it regurgitates into your skin , you will have a serious problem.

I already have a bulls eye rash which is the first sign of Lymes, so off to the doc I go tomorrow to start antibiotic's.

I will be sending out my Pin keep to my partner so I will post a pic soon. For today I thought it would just be fun to share my new little friend...Aren't you happy you stopped by? LOL

Come again real soon.....

The House Saga continues

I truly would love to know where some people get their nerve. They sign contracts and then pay no attention to them. Then you have an attorney telling you your hands are tired. I don't get it? Why make laws if they can't be enforced? Why have contracts if they are meaningless? This house situation has gone back and forth since June. Took almost 2 months to get this guy into contract...one which obviously didn't matter anyway. Here we are in the first week of Nov. and nothing has happened with a deal that was supposed to close by the end of Oct.  and that is my rant for the day LOL

My collections of Quotes, at times, helps me through a day. I love this one.
I wish I could share all I have been doing. Unfortunately I have been working on gifts  and I am not sure who checks this Blog. So until they are mailed out and received. I can't show you.
I can show you a puzzle piece. remember I challenged my group to make something from a puzzle piece. I made that wreath out of several. I made this out of one.

Silly huh? Actually I would put a pin on the back of that and wear it. Guess that makes me silly too.
That's all I have to share today, but I continue to work on things each day, so stay tuned.
Thanks for stopping by.

Gift of the Week

Over at our Mixed Media Studio we are doing a gift of the week, idea thingy. I came up with the idea figuring that if people made samples of quick and easy little gifts, they would also be getting some "thinking of you" gifts out of the way, long before the holiday rush.

While there is nothing new about mug rugs and this pattern has been around for some time. There is always someone who either hasn't seen it or forgotten they saw it. I LOVE mug rugs. I always have a coffee or a glass of ice water where ever I'm sitting and I don't like rings on my furniture. These little darlings are real quick and easy to make, very absorbent and washable. They make wonderful little hostess gifts if you're invited to a dinner party, a cute wishing well gift at a shower or house warming...Lots of reasons to give one or a whole stack of them. Hope you enjoy the video

Think about that quote!
Yesterday was a finish up day. I finished my What Do You See project but can't show you just yet. It didn't turn out as I had hoped. Well, it didn't turn out as I saw it in my mind, but it's an original, that's for sure and it was fun....I think LOL

I also put the final touches on my pin keep and in doing so ruined it. Oh don't cry, I actually think the second one turned out sweeter. I can't show you that just yet either because it is going to  a partner and I'd like her to be surprised. It did, however , take up most of my day and evening so I had no time to work on a video (another story). But in between I did have time to make a flat ornament using a new technique.

Not sure if you have ever used SILKS. It's a paint (Google it) When you heat it, it bubbles and gives a unique texture to a piece. As always the pictures do not do justice to the look. The Austrian crystals really twinkle and there are stars of all sizes . The paint itself has a shimmer. If you are going to purchase SILKS, look for the started kit. That way you get lots of colors to play with and they go a long way. Actually I liked the look of the puzzle pieces as they were and I will probably make more. I had to use Gesso because the pieces were so shiny, then Evergreen because the gesso was to dark and then finally the SILK. More work then I bargained for but if you make several it would be worth it.
I will get to work on that video today...It's one of those quick and easy gifts to make that I thought I would share, so come back soon. Thanks for stopping by.

Busy Days

Isn't thata cool saying? And oh so true.

I managed to finish up my Halloween shoe. Had a malfunction along the way but salvaged it. It actually looks great in person, but glitter makes everything look good. Don't you agree? LOL

I'm just happy I got it done in time for Halloween. I also wanted to make a "Winter Frost" doll out of a gourd. One reason was to show my girls in the group that dolls can be made from anything with little or no sewing. Also the people who supply me with pumpkins for my deer, and squash for my table also sell the gourds I use for decoration and then dry them. I wanted to make "Mr. Jingles" for them to display with their gourds. Some people just use them for display and then throw them out...what a waste.

He's one happy little gourd. I'm sure he thought life was over last year once Fall turned to winter.
We also have a Blade exchange going on as you know. I wanted to do something of a Steam punk style so this is what I made for Oct.

I wonder if I should have used black lace? The lace is ecru, but I'm thinking I should have done it more "Vintage" <sigh>
So that's what I've been doing. Now I'm working on my What Do You See Project and my pin keep for Carolyn. So thanks for stopping by...Tomorrow I hope to have a little fun tutorial so stay tuned and have a Happy Halloween.

Rain, Rain Go away

And I try A LOT!!!! I prefer to see my mistakes as happy accidents. I usually learn something from them. (my quote for the day)
So while I am still working on several different things. I remembered that we are having an ornament exchange in my group (there's a Mixed media Button you can hit if you'd like to join us)
The cost of mailing can be a real burden, especially if you belong to more then one group like most of us do. For that reason  I told the girls to think of Flat, light weight , easy to mail ornaments, that are still "pretty" and well made. Here's a few idea's

There isn't one of these that I wouldn't love to hang on my tree. Of course  I'd have to add some twinkle along the way (beads or sequins or glitter) because that's who I am and what I do. But there are so many flat kind of ornaments. I should hope EVERYONE would join in this swap.
I really look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with.
I will have to see about posting pictures of the Mystery Challenge (which a few actually finished) as well as the  Shoe Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by and if you don't already belong to the MixMedia Studio on Yahoo...hit that button and join us,

Daily Thought

It's funny how things just pop into my head. I was checking mail and a friend mentioned a problem. Immediately I thought "calm seas never made a  skilled sailor". She wrote back that sometimes the simplest statement can speak volumes.
The truth is I am a collector of words. I love words. I love quotes. Over the years I have collected thousands and that's no exaggeration .
Someone once told me I should make up a book of quotes. Oh there's an original idea...NOT!!!
But the truth is, what good are they if they are not shared? What one person may find meaningless, another may find some solace. I find them a way of expressing my moods...
I decided to share  my collection of thoughts, quotes and saying...some are my own while others are the words of famous people, but all have a special , deep meaning. Okay, maybe not all, some may just be funny or down right sarcastic  but for sure someone will get walk away with something.
So regardless of what I may include in my daily BLOG, I will always share a thought for you to ponder. I decided that sharing my quotes is a good way to be sure I show up here each day.
I need some consistency in my life LOL
I still have some things I'm working on and really nothing to show you today. So why don't I just leave you with this until tomorrow.

How Fast time goes by

Seems like yesterday I was here. Life just has a way of flying by and not telling me.
Like all people, I get wrapped up in the drama that seems to be my life lately, but I still manage to get a few things done.
One of the challenges in my group https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mixedmediastudio/info is a doll. I set this challenge up each month so that my doll makers would participate. However, the none "doll makers" seem to pass up this challenge, claiming they are NOT doll makers. IN an effort to change their minds I made a doll that anyone could make. I have a friend who loves coffee creamer and collects snowmen so it's perfect.

Not trying to hide what it's made from. Just trying to show people that you can make a doll from something other than fabric.
It can also fit into the Gift of the week category although I had another idea. A birch branch or any branch is free and readily available, so why not drill a hole, maybe decorate the bottom with holiday twigs and berries, add a candle and there ya go.

We also have a ATC swap. You take a magazine, cut strips and the glue them either in a pattern or up and down...whatever...This is what I did.

Something different huh?
I usually never have my camera ready when swaps come in and I should. I like sharing what I get.
You remember we had a spooky tin swap and also spooky movie ATC swap (I show pic's of what I did) This is what I received. The tin is from Beth (I love it) and the fabulous ATC's are from Norma...she also sent me that sweet Post card.

So that's all for now folks. I'm working on a What do You See challenge...An I Dare You Challenge and a pin keep swap and also another fan blade...Life just keeps happening...Thanks for stopping by.

Busy, Busy

But who isn't these days. I managed to finish the last of the banners. The theme for this last one was Vintage Christmas..I wanted to get back to the "white" theme and LOTS of glitter was mentioned, unfortunately the glitter doesn't show AT ALL so use your imagination.

Everything glitters and the scene is Father Christmas with all white animals, polar bear, wolf, raccoon , owl, fox..love the picture.
My mystery challenge is finished. Well it will never truly be finished because I have many things in my brain to add to it but, it's mostly done.

considering the tree started out as wire and clay and the castle started out as a pringles can and breadcrumbs can...It's come a long way. Look at what that nasty little spider did to my tree.
The I Dare You this month was a Button..one or several , the gals had to make having buttons.
If I could steal the pic's I'd post here...what adorable stuff .
I also challenged the girls to make a "Gift of the Week" figuring it would help with Holiday gift making. So I combined the two to give the gals an example of this weeks "thinking of You " gift.

A pin made of vintage buttons and findings, to wear on a coat , hat or blouse.
Then I made a simple Christmas card. Things don't have to be complicated to let someone know you think of them during the holidays.

So the person gets a card and a small token gift. Hopefully some of them will take me up on the challenge and make a gift card by next Saturday...maybe more then one.
We also had a Spooky tin swap..Oh I had fun with this one...
Long ago , before time, many different kinds of Fairies could be found in forest and caves. The Witch fairies were very scary indeed. They were like the doctors of the Fairy world mixing up their potions to cure the sick and injured, but.....If you crossed them they would mix up a different kind of potion and they were known for their Spells.They kept there most dangerous potions well hidden. They kept them in metal boxes protected by little demon fairies and spiders. To really make others take a step back they used the bones of dead fairies to guard the box. Each skeleton contained a magic jewel , no one would dare to remove the jewel for fear of what would happen to them. So if you are lucky enough to find one of these rare potion boxes, the jewel is usually still there. I found such a box, here on the Misty Magic Mountain....

If you look close you can see the jewel within the rib cage of this poor unfortunate fairy.

Inside one will find Devils fog, bone powder,fairy dust, mermaid scales, moonbeams and magic. The spell book also opens. When the Spell book is removed, you can see the demon fairy that guards the contents...Dabble if you dare mwahahahahaha