DO YOU BELIEVE!

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Do You Believe?

GO CANADA GO!

Congrats to all our Medal Winners!

All photos from CTV Olympics http://www.ctvolympics.ca/index.html

A Mish~Mash Post and Many Thanks!

I am going to share parcel #2 with you from the Art Journal Caravan ride. The verb of the week was Accept and the quoteable was Once you accept the fact that you're not perfect, then you develop some confidence. Rosalynn Carter. How true, can one really be perfect? I decided to go against my problem of having quotes in my art and put it right in there. I like the quote..lol..So here is my Accept Me!

Next up I have received more OWOH treasures. I find it so amazing to be getting all these pressies in the mail from complete strangers and I am enjoying opening every package. So fun to see what everyone else is doing.

Checkout this awesome journal book that Melissa from http://amagickalmeliss.blogspot.com/
sent me. You should see it in real, so beautiful. I simply adore it. Thank you Melissa!

And look at the pretty hair bobbies from Cat over at http://gypsynurse1.blogspot.com/ they are so pretty, we are talking really pretty. Thank you so much Cat!

Then I got this really kewl chunky atc and art supplies from Sandi and you can find her at http://sharingmydaze.typepad.com/
The atc she sent me even has Canada in the background on one side, very cool. And she sent me beautiful glimmer mist and so many other goodies. She is a great gal also. Thank you very much Sandi.

Also received a pretty notecard in the mail from June. I am not sure if she has a blog as her card was on this blog here http://brainzapart.blogspot.com/  Thank you June the card is beautiful.

And last but not least this just arrived in my mail and it is absolutely gorgeous. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful art with me Diane. I love this piece, she is stunning! http://dianesmixedart.blogspot.com/

Okay one last pic to share today. As I was sitting here yesterday feeling so badly about the plant closure and all the lives it is going to affect my hubby emailed me this pic with the simple caption Our Work Here is Done! Tom of course being the oh so proud Canadian in the picture.  Amazing to see so few people left  to be able to share in this picture, but it is over and time to move on. I want to thank all of you for your kind words and prayers for everyone in our community it meant the world to me, well I really can't express what it meant to me to have people from all over the world share in our time of sadness and try to lift us up. You always give me a huge smile and isn't that what our blog world is all about. So thank you for that and I am grateful and feel blessed to have each and every one of you in my life. Tom also would like to thank you as he finds it very amazing that we can share our thoughts and dreams with strangers and feel that special bond through our blogs. It really is a small world.

Goodbye Canada!! Hello Mexico...

Today is a sad day for me and many others in my community!

True to their word as announced on September 2, 2008 John Deere has closed it manufacturing facility in Welland better know as John Deere Welland Works putting 800 employees out of work. Today will be the final day for the plant, sad but true.

John Deere has manufactured products at it's Welland Works site since 1911. They have been the backbone of many small town communities near the facility. I know as my husband has been a proud Deere employee for his entire working years.

I have watched the huge smile on his face while catching a glimpse of a Deere product getting free advertising on the news when the news media cover unrelated stories to the Deere. I have heard the same line over and over again. WOW!!! That was great free advertising for the Deere. Today I watch a man that has always stood proud when asked where he worked and quick to answer "The Deere." I have stood by and watched the same man fight to try and save 800 people from losing their jobs and hit the umemployment lines. Today, I see a man that has lost his huge smile and is not so proud to wear a shirt that says "nothing runs like a deere."

I do not understand how big corporations work? Deere is very profitable, our plant was always receiving awards for production. I know this is not new, it is happening everywhere.

I am saddened to see so many families put in such hardship! Some that will be able to put the pieces together, some that will never be the same again! Here is just a short trailer from Brock University Students that are following the closure.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Dear-John/73805736884
Scroll down a ways to see the video!


Although this is bittersweet for my husband and I we will carry on! Our son worked at the plant for 12 years and was laid off last April. My husband will be done today. He was just a baby when he started there, he is one of the lucky ones as he has enough time in to retire with full pension and benefits. So we are very blessed in that respect.

On that note Happy Retirement Sweetie! I love you and I know you are dreaming BIG. I am looking forward to what the future may hold for you.

Art Journal Caravan... what a ride this is going to be!

What is the matter with me? I ask myself that on a regular basis. Honestly, can I not stop clicking those buttons. As you know I have been getting hooked on digital art, well not getting hooked, who am I kidding? I AM HOOKED!!! Bingo!!! Look what I found over at Scrapbookgraphics, the Art Jouranl Caravan! WOW!! This looks so exciting, read the itinerary Debby! Oh, looks even better, should I? Nah, better not. Well maybe I better read this one more time, sounds so interesting. Yes!! Now is sounds totally right for me..LOL...CLICK!!! Oh boy, I am now a Caravan Girl! What fun...Okay, lets get serious here, this is an amazing project, really. A 52 week ride on the Caravan with our tour guide Tangie Baxter, love her stuff. I am jumping on the caravan 7 weeks behind, but that is okay, we can play when we have the time. The Caravan girls get a new challenge, quote, prompts and special kits every Friday, so much fun and so amazing! I am not good at journalling, I do not like using lots of words in my work, this is going to be a challenge and maybe, just maybe by week 52 I may like to get those words and quotes in there, we will see. It really doesn't matter as it will be my very own journal, beautiful and unique when I am done riding anyway, it is for me. 

I have decided to go with a 5x7 journal, no covers yet, that may be my last project as I have no clue what I want my cover to be. I will probably mix things up for the ride as that is what they would like us to do, digital and mixed media.

 So with that being said here is my Week #1 Itinerary, the theme this week was "One Word" to focus on for the whole year. I chose Dreams.

I have used elements from The Steamer Trunk/ Week #1 Itinerary & Junque Journal all by Tangie Baxter and Steampunk by Maya!

Stop over and checkout the Art Journal Caravan as there is lots of time to join in the fun!

http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/search.php?mode=search&page=2

Altered spoons

I messed around this weekend making a couple of altered spoons following Nancy Maxwell James instructions from the Artist Classes. They were lots of fun to make and actually are really pretty! I finished mine off a bit different then instructed and used a glaze over the image.
You can find lots of beautiful things here on Nancy's blog :   http://sugarlumpstudios.blogspot.com/
and the artist classes here: http://greenpaper.typepad.com/artist_class/

Also a big huge thanks to Sharon over at Wildflower House for the sunshine award!

http://wildflowerhouse.blogspot.com/ be sure to check her blog out, lots of inspiration there.

Art Creations Friday #62

I decided on a nature piece for this weeks theme. I am so looking forward to spring! We are having a beautiful day here today, bright and sunny, but very cold. 

This is the backgroud ACF supplied for this weeks project.

Thanks for looking!

100th Post Giveaway Winner!!!

Yeah, we have a winner! I just used random.org to chose a winner for my 100th post giveaway and the winner is Carrie from Lil Ol Me! I believe Carrie is a new follower and you can visit Carrie here:
http://carrieleewendt.blogspot.com/
Her blog is wonderful. I have emailed Carrie to let her know she is the winner, just waiting for her address to send her package off. Here is the message Carrie left
Well know.. how silly would it be for me to come visit and not enter your generous giveaway. Okay so... Here I am! Thanks Debby.. hugs.
Carrie

Congrats Carrie!

Okay now I have to get working on my 200th follower giveaway as I have previously posted. I am well over that, so running a bit behind here. Stay tuned.

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway, this has been so much fun and I love reading your comments.

Look what I got in the mail!

I was so excited to learn that I won a sweet little doll from Art Dolls Only during the OWOH event. My new little friend arrived today via Canada Post. Oh my gosh, you have to meet Nessa, she is just the sweetest. She was all packaged up so carefully and travelling in her own little case when she arrived. I am not sure what I expected from the picture on the giveaway, I knew I thought she was very special but when I held her in my hands I couldn't believe how beautiful she was. Really, words can't describe her, she is tiny and oh so dear. She has the sweetest hands ever and you should see her gorgeous teeny, tiny, antique buttons near her shoulders. Her creator, Jacqui from  http://odddollz.blogspot.com/ sent along a lovely heart trinket box for her to sit on, and a beautiful note. It is wonderful to get such beautiful gifts, but the gift of new friendships is also very exciting and I am hoping I will have a long friendship with Jacqui. Thank you so much Jacqui and I am so happy we have met.

Here is my Nessa!

Somewhere along the way I said I was drawing for my 100th post winner today, that is not true, the original post says the 20th so I will draw first thing tomorrow morning. Guess I should read my own posts a little closer than I have been..LOL...

Cone Fun!!

I took the Valentine Victorian Cone class with Nancy Malay , http://nancymalay.blogspot.com/ over at

http://joggles.com/

Nancy is an awesome teacher and gave us so many great tips. Here is my finished (not Valentine) cone. I am not sure why the gathering around the top looks red in the picture, it is actually burgandy. I am very happy with the way my cone turned out and looking forward to making many more. My husband loves it and that makes me really happy!

Nothing much to do today!

Well there is lots to do, but I need to get figured out where to start! I had so much fun on the carpet ride and won beautiful gifts. I will post as they arrive. So much fun to get goodies in the mail and meet new people. I found so many awesome blogs and wonderful people.

I was trying to get a few pics of our puppies but it isn't easy, they just aren't the sit still type. Anyways I thought I would share them with you.

This is my bestest buddie ever! I call him my big ole black dog, but his name is Colby. We found him wandering in a parking lot. After trying to find his owner, no one stepped forward so we have had him for a little over ten years. I tell you what, understandable when we first got him, he was as bad as they get. Two doggie classes and a couple of years later he is the best. I love him dearly and so glad we brought him home.

Next up, the golden girl! She is just so darned sweet, daddy's girl. Spoiled, oh yeah! Her name is Zoie. After having so much fun with Colby we thought he should have a playmate and decided to go from nutso border collie to relaxed golden. LOL....She also was rescued, long story but glad she is with us. She is gorgeous, hates to get brushed, but we try our best, loves chasing rabbits and really likes to be QUEEN! From the day we got her, Colby played roundup with her and it is just the funniest thing to see her trying to act like she can actually round things up, but hey, she tries. She is always a bright spot in our day.

And then there is this! The really bad boy, better known as Max! Oh, he is just so sweet? We need our heads read..lol...We rescued this guy a couple of weeks before Christmas and he is truly a monster! He is a tiny, little piece of  BAD! For some reason he seems to think he is everyone's boss and actually gets away with being the boss when it comes to Colby & Zoie, but we do put him in his place. He also seems to think that Zoie is his Mommy!!! We have a long way to go with this little guy, but he is so darned sweet and bad at the same time. We totally adore him, just needs a little more work.

Hope you have enjoyed meeting my babies, off to play and see if I can get creative today.

Don't forget to add your name for my 100th post giveaway. I will be drawing a name Friday morning.

OWOH Winner!

WOW!!!! What a fun ride we had this year. I have met so many wonderful people and discovered gorgeous new blogs. Thanks to everyone that made this event so wonderful and a huge thanks to my new followers. Thanks for all the great comments and stopping by for a visit.

I used the random # generator and the lucky winner is Joanna Rowan Mullane from Little Faerie Tales! Congrats Joanna! I left Joanna a message on her blog, hoping to hear from her soon.