Creating

Over the past few years I've seen a year long course offered online at Willowing.org called Lifebook. Although I had wanted to,  I hadn't signed up because of time constraints.  However, this year, even though there won't be more time in my life, I'm determined to make time for creativity.

One of our first lessons was to take our word for the year and create a Guardian Angel to guide us through the year.  My word this year is "Move" and I'm pretty happy with how my angel turned out.

Before Christmas, I had taken Christy Tomlinson's Artsy Ornaments class.  Tam Laporte, the founder of Willowing.org taught a class on making a paper clay doll using a jar as the base.  A few months prior to the class, I had a few flood lights that had burned out but I thought that I could use as a base for a doll.  I had already covered the bulbs with masking tape paperclay, then I set them aside in my craft room for months!  In December, after watching Tam's tutorial, I finally took the time to collage and paint this little doll and I think she came out pretty good.

As January was in full swing, I was feeling kind of sad that I wasn't participating in any Valentine swaps this year.  Shortly after that, Jennifer Babcock announced that she was hosting a Valentine heart swap and I think I was one of the first to sign up.  :)  For the swap, we were to make 10 hearts the size of our hand made from any medium we chose.  I made mine from fabric, lace, organza, and embellishments, and my hearts are pictured below.  Jennifer is mailing our swapped hearts back to us this week - it will be fun to see all the creativity!  

Then, to my surprise, shortly after Jennifer's swap, my friend Laurie Jackson announced that she was hosting a 3 inchey swap.  Mine are almost complete to send off but I won't post pictures until the 3 inchies are actually returned.  (Some of the swap participants read my blog).

 Lastly, Danita was offering an online class called "A Doll Story".  I believe I've mentioned it on my blog just a few posts back, plus I have a button on my side bar.  I'm a tad behind, but here is my doll so far:

I'm hoping to catch up on Sunday while Doug is busy watching the Superbowl.  Tomorrow, I'm going over to the Paper Crown to attend Bobbie's Valentine Soiree which I know will be fabulous, as always!

I can't believe that today is the last day of January.  It's been quite a month.  We're looking forward to moving into February.  

Thanks for stopping by!

A Doll Story

I'm getting excited to start this class on January 20, 2014.  If you'd like to join us, click on this link to register.  It's going to be so much fun!

Oh! and one lucky person will get to take this class for free.  :)

Goodbye, old friend.

Earlier this week, we said goodbye to Niles.  It's a heartbreak as you all can imagine, even though we knew for a while that this day was coming, it's not easy to lose a member of our family. 

Although this guy was tiny, he was a fighter and that's probably what kept him here with us as long as he was.  At his biggest, he was 4.5 pounds, and for the last six months or so, he was a teeny weenie 2.75 pounds. So physically fragile but so mentally tough. Our proud little man.

When I got Niles almost fourteen years ago, he was so spoiled from the beginning.  Here's a picture of him in his little bed, surrounded by all his toys.  He had a little smirky face and such a little attitude! If you picked him up to love on him, when you put him down, he's wipe your "stink" off him.  He did a little moon walk and it was so funny to watch him. He just wanted to play all the time and chase the tennis ball until he would practically fall over with exhaustion.  He'd sleep and get up and do it all over again.

He had a little fur coat with leopard cuffs, (a whole wardrobe actually - jammies included!):

He loved to curl up anywhere warm: 

Or anywhere there was a ray of sunshine:

Back in the day, he could run and jump higher than you would ever think, but over time, he just couldn't jump anymore, and running made his little bones ache. 

We almost lost him three years ago when he got attacked by another dog.  He had severe injuries and was in shock. We set up a doggie ICU to watch him constantly and to keep the other three dogs away from accidentally hurting him more.  We were so afraid when he wouldn't eat anything - not peanut butter, not even a hunk of cheese.  Usually, he would sell his soul for cheese, but he wouldn't even look at it. By some miracle, Doug got him to eat "special chicken dinner" and we nursed him back to health.  

Though, after that incident, he started to slow down.  His bones really began to ache and we had to start pain medication for arthritis. We teased that he was a little "junkie" because when he would need his pain medication, he would come to the cabinet where I kept his pills.  He would take it without even hiding it in cheese and he would go on his way.   His eyesight and hearing began to fail, and over time he lost a few teeth. But he was a proud little man and he *loved* his Douglas.  When Doug would come home from work, Niles would come out from wherever he was sleeping to greet him with an ear to ear toothless grin and wagging of his little flag tail.

Doug loved him too.  He took such wonderful care of Niles - every night tucking him in and wrapping him in a warmy blanket.  Making him special warm roast beef dinner trying to keep him from losing any more weight.  We're all going to miss him so much.  We gave him the very best life we possibly could and got so much more from him in return.  I have a million stories and memories and for the time we had together, I am so grateful.  He is so terribly missed.

 I hope he's having fun in Heaven chasing bunnies and getting lots of snuggles from my Mom.  I'm sure she's feeding him cream cheese on bagels just like the old days.  Goodbye, old friend.  I'll see you again. xoxo