Happy New Year...

I hope everyone has a happy, HEALTHY and blessed 2010... beginning with me! Lol! Selfish, huh?! Whatever this "bug" is--it simply won't go away. Today...I woke up dizzy as a loon. That means everything is spinning and my dear husband is holding on to me as I move the short distances from bed, bath, couch, computer, repeat. Sigh. Guess there's no way to avoid a drs. visit for me this next week. He is very good, very nice...and cute, too--so why do I fuss so much about going? I just don't like being sick! And of course the RECORD LOW TEMPS we've had hasn't helped any! Hence the igloo picture-that's what it feels like! Baby, it's COLD outside!

All that said--if you have any favorite blog sites-PLEASE, I beg you, send them on to me (and I will share them here)! Not only have I looked at all the ones I love--and those connected to them, but I am reading more and more...that the "authors" of those I love...are tired, burned out...stopping their blogs! GASP! Many...are on "design teams" for companies, many also sell for companies in addition to being on design teams, are mom's, wives AND work outside the home. Too much to do. Too much stress. Blogging, therefore, takes a back seat. While I can understand (it can easily take Theresa (aka "T" for now...) and I at least an hour minimum to do one post between signing on, doing the photos, fighting with Blogger...) I love-and am addicted to-the outlet the blogs offer for creative energy. The stores (around us, anyway--) are-no, not are-HAVE-disappeared. You can no longer go and peruse shelves of stamps, stacks of paper...strings of samples...for ideas, pleasure, relaxation. I "discovered" Stamp Works (in Wilm., NC) on December 26, 2000-it is no longer. Scrapbook Nook and Scrapbook Addict---bit the dust in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Sigh. Even the magazines--who among us besides T. remembers when Rubber Stamper magazine was "IT" in the stamping world? It wasn't that long ago my friends---and "IT" is gone.) And, if you look at Papercrafts closely, its really the same ideas over and over with different colors and papers.

I don't...post every day. Not possible. I don't get to stamp every day. Something I want to change even if its 15 minutes worth (http://www.flylady.com/). And I don't have that many new ideas. Funny, though, it seems to balance out between T. and I even though we don't plan it that way. And she has an excellant one today---go look at the card she made for her sister's birthday---www.artful-whimsies.blogspot.com--and the card she made for her husband for Christmas! If I don't have one-she does, and vice versa! But what I think I will do...is share some things from other blog-companies you might like to check out, an artist-a particularly good project. We'll still share our projects--and our ideas for our classes. And I am going to challenge the gals in our group to bring something they have worked on each month--and we'll take pics and share them on our posts as well. (Haven't run that by T. yet but can't imagine she'd disagree...we don't usually!) I AM going to do a year album this year. I am. I really, really am. And I have the Christma pics on the flash drive to take and print and scrap-if I ever get better!

Just to put SOMETHING out there today-this was a card I made in the winter of 2008 for two little girls (9ish?) that wrote an EXCELLANT story called SNOWBALL'S FIRST CHRISTMAS about...you guessed it---penguins. (One of) their dad's happens to work with my husband, and he shared the story with Brook...who brought it home to share with me. I wanted to thank them for sharing it and let them know they did a great job. So--here's the outside of the "igloo" -and then Snowball and his (her?--opps, can't remember now!) friend on the inside. T. came to the rescue with the wiggle eyes...no clue...what stamps I used-I know that's a Cuttlebug embossing folder that made the swirls-clip art I think for the penguins...the hat and scarf--stamps...the snowflakes...a punch with glitter...

Well, time to go lay back down. My head is spinning-so it the room and computer! Take care all-share some good stuff with me--! Hopefully I will have something more worthwhile by the end of the week! Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping! Blessings, Sharon