Check It Out!

Oh let me tell you a story. It is a story of a young woman, enamored with reading. Compulsive reading. Reading everything she could get her hands on, even bus timetable schedules when she didn't' have anything else to read. A woman whose Amazon wishlists extend to 30+ pages of books and movies, on both the .ca and .com sites. A woman who actually budgets money every month for books, even if she desperately needs clothes and can't afford them.
Enter this woman's birthday the past September (ok, ok, I know it took me a while, but at least I'm getting there now!). And enter one of the greatest creations known to human-kind.
The Kindle.
I have to say, I wasn't sure I wanted a Kindle. I like the feel of paper beneath my hands. I like to crack the spine that first time the book is opened and smell the paper. I even like the smell of certain library books. You know the smell, kind of musty and dusty, the smell that tells you it's an oldie but goodie. Makes you want to sneeze and read more.
But, I have to say, I have now filled more than 4 extra large bookshelves, even doubling, and in some cases, tripling books on shelves to get them all to fit.
And my VISA was threatening to disown me. Or give me a crown in honour of the interest I give them each month before paying off in full (jerks).
Brennan got me a Kindle for my birthday. Nothing crazy, just the entry level model with keyboard and 4" (or something) screen and a case, but I have to say it is amazing. I took it right outside (This was when temperatures were consistently in t-shirt level and the sun shone brightly, lulling us into a false sense of eternal summer) and the thing worked beautifully. No reflections, no having to shield my eyes from blinding white paper, and it is LIGHT. The case does add a bit of weight, but when reading outside, or in bed, when your hands start to get a little heavy and you just want to rest a read, the case comes off easily and the Kindle is so light you can read so much longer. Not to mention that, with no backlight, you won't interrupt your body's natural sleep hormones and you'll sleep better than if you'd read a backlit e-book. It is simply amazing.
Oh, and did I mention you can get literally thousands of free e-books? Classics like Bronte, Shakespeare, Austen and more. FREE. *insert evil giggle here* My VISA is going to get awfully lonely. I've been reading for at least an hour every day since I got my Kindle, and I haven't spent a PENNY! I've been reading Anne of Green Gables series (don't laugh, they're good), Jane Austen, Catharine Parr Trail, and so many more... FREE.
I looked at my wishlists, and realized that by downloading the e-versions of some of these books for free I've actually paid for the Kindle already. Most of the print versions cost anywhere from 2-20$ each and I've got them for free.
Highly recommended if you're looking for an e-reader of high quality.
And I've got one, nah nah nah boo boo! :P

Arwendnesdays With Arwen the Wonder Dog!

Hello! It's me, Arwen the Wonder Dog, here for your weekly fix of ME on Wednesdays, newly rechristened Arwendnesdays With Arwen the Wonder Dog :)

Mommy hasn't been bringing her camera on our walks lately (something about me catching she scent of all the deers in the area and trying to run after all of them at once with her attached to my leash...she says she doesn't want her camera filled with gravel if I accidentally pull her onto her belly, rah-rooh!), but she DID find a really cool program for free collages at Shape Collage and tried this one of ME (of course!). I think it turned out really well, but then again, I might be biased, rah-rooh rooh!

It is a very easy program to use - you just select the photos you want to import into the program, select the shape you want your collage to be (rectangle, heart, etc.), then click "create" and you're good to go! I am thinking of asking mommy to print this one so that I can sign it...I just need to figure out a way of holding the pen with my paws, ha-rah-rooh.

I think I am going to try and get mommy to do a heart collage of me next - then she can print it and paste one over her desk, one in her bedroom, one in the kitchen....you get the idea ;-)

Until next time, thanks for tuning in, mommy says she'll have some more new things for you soon!

and Arwen

Fabulous Friday - Contest Winners!

I am sorry for the absence yesterday - Brennan decided to rent a cottage for us and I've been trying to get everything organized to go there. It is only 15 minutes away, so thankfully I'll be able to come back home every day (or almost every day) to check emails and blog and tell you all about it. Don't worry, I'm not into those weird half-focused shots of hairy guys in teeny swim shorts (I think I'd divorce him if he wore those), but you'll probably get more shots ofArwen at her first cottage than you could ever think possible!

Now! Down to business! Way back in July I asked you for ideas on how to make this blog and my stores more appealing and I have had some really great comments. Thank you so much for putting some serious thought into your answers! I am trying to put as many of your ideas into practice as I can, and I hope you like the new additions.

To determine the prize winner, I used a random number generator and came up with Theresa from Theresa's Treasures, Congratulations!!! Please go to myEtsy store, pick out your favorite ring and then contact me with the convo feature to give me your mailing address and the name of your favorite ring.

Also, I've decided that when you sign up for my newsletter, you'll be entered in again for another prize for subscribers-only! Each month the winner will be chosen at random and will receive a gift certificate to use in myEtsy store. This month's winner is.......Sharla from BeadedTail! You win a $10 gift certificate to my Etsy store, congratulations! I have to say, I was so incredibly pleased when the number generator picked her, she always has the nicest things to say and is on my comments almost every day. Congratulations on this well-deserved gift :)

That is all for now...oh wait...here is Arwen, as almost everyone has requested! This is one of my favorite photos - she loves this poor little green pepper toy so much that, even though she has repeatedly ripped all of the stuffing out of it, she still carries it almost everywhere (unless she has the deflated seal or deflated crab!). On this particular occasion, she brought it with her to sit on my bed, looking out the window. Seriously, I didn't pose the green pepper - she got up on the bed and spent a few seconds arranging the pepper to sit next to her on the pillow, looking out at the backyard to watch the birds and squirrels....I love my dog!

Keep checking back for the next contest, and if you want an extra chance at winning a prize, why not sign up for my newsletter if you haven't already done so??
and Arwen

Creative Blocks: How to Cope

Much has been said on this subject before, and much will, I am sure, be said of it in the future, but I thought I would share a small selection of what I do when I get some form or another of creative block.

As an artist running your own business, it is important that you have some sort of new product on a regular basis to show your clients and this can be one cause of creative block: pressure. Never has one word had so many meanings and been so reviled! Pressure and other stresses can be a major cause of creative blocks and should at all times be put in perspective.

If you find you are suffering form a creative block, try and look at how you are feeling and why. Are you stressed due to finances? Are you stressed trying to plan a wedding? Are you scared that no one will like your work? Try and figure out what is bothering you...really bothering you. Look deep down and find that source of uneasiness. Sometimes your heart may be telling you that it just isn't into what you are doing. Perhaps you are bored with what you are doing or need a shake-up with your materials or methods.

Once you have found your particular type of stress, get rid of it! Are you strapped financially (who isn't)? Worrying about it won't help! Figure out a financial plan and then think positively about it. Then forget it! Whatever your stress, figure out a tentative positive solution or helper, and then put it away.

Now we need to get into the creative thinking mode and make some art! To get into your creative head space, find something you really love to do. Is it walking in a forest? Baking some really good cookies? Singing as loud as you can to your favorite song? Playing with your materials? Do it! Get relaxed and let the creativity come! Sometimes I find that looking at jewelry magazines helps. Other times I need to put it all away and watch a favorite movie or read a good book. Anything to get me relaxed. Once I know I am relaxed, I know the creativity will come.

So here is my advice: take a relaxing bath, listen to music, play with the dog, heck, even take a short nap to recharge your 'batteries'... sometimes you need to be away from your element to feel closer to it - as the expression goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and as long as you are doing something you love, your heart will lead the way. You just need to be patient and not pressure yourself!

Good luck and have fun getting back to creating.

Remember to enter the newest contest! Only a week left to enter. See HERE for details.

300 Posts! And, A Giveaway!

300 Posts, Holy COW! I can't believe it's been over a year and 300 posts since we started this blog. I am listening to every comment and suggestion I am getting from you to make my business and this blog bigger and better, so please keep the suggestions coming! I am still asking for suggestions to make my blog and business better for you - you could even win a ring from my Etsy store, so please see THIS post for details on how to win - INTERNATIONAL BLOGGERS WELCOME!!

To thank you all for being here on this incredible journey and making every step so enjoyable, Arwen has put on her party hat and we have decided to do ANOTHER giveaway in addition to the contest that started yesterday (see Tuesday's post for details on that one)!

Here's what you have to do: Go to my Etsy store and pick out your favorite item for $30 or less. The winner will be chosen at random and will win their favorite item! INTERNATIONAL BLOGGERS WELCOME! This is for ONE DAY ONLY so make sure you comment today to get into this giveaway.

Good luck everyone, have a great day, I know we sure will :)

and Arwen

Tuesday's Treasures: It's a Contest!!

I promised a contest and you're going to get a contest, but beware: you'll have to work to get this fabulous prize! What is it, you ask? Well, it will be a ring! Any one of the gorgeous rings in my Etsy shop will be yours for the taking! These (above) are just a few examples of the rings I have available.

Now, what will be your job, you're asking? Tell me how I can serve you better! What can I do to make your shopping experience better? Would you like to see more gold? Lower prices? More or Less items in any of my 3 shops? More dog blog posts? More jewelry blog posts? Let me know!

I will draw one winner at the end of this month to win a beautiful ring of their very own.

Thank you for your input, and good luck to everyone!!

Fabulous Friday Feature: Memories for Life Scrapbooks!

Welcome to the next installment of the Fabulous Friday Features, where I feature a different Etsy artist each week! If you know of a great Etsy artist who should be featured (or if you want to be featured yourself!) please leave a comment with a way to contact you (Etsy store, email address, blog site, etc.).

This week's artist is Edi, from Memories for Life Scrapbooks, a very talented and creative woman with lots to share. Read on to find out more :)

1. What kind of art do you do? Where do you sell?
I am a paper crafter and make all different kinds of scrapbooks, greeting cards, wedding invitations, etc. My most popular items are my Custom Name and Word Albums and they can be found in my online stores onEtsy: http://memoriesforlifesb.etsy.com
and on Artfire: http://www.artfire.com/users/MemoriesForLifeScrapbooks
and at local craft shows throughout the year.

~Edi and Her Boyfriend of 9-1/2 Years~

2. How did you get started doing your art?

I owe my craftiness to my aunt and 4-H. My aunt was my leader and each month we had a different project scheduled. The first time I started creating with paper...I was hooked! I started making handmade greeting cards with stamps and then moved intoscrapbooking! I love everything about paper crafting :)

~Her Adorable Kitties, Blue and Chevy~

3. What are your inspirations?
I get color combo inspirations from all around me. I get design ideas from scrapbook magazines as well as advertisements. Even junk mail gives me ideas for folding techniques! Inspirations is all around us...you just have to look!

~Edi's Handsome Dog, Harley~

4. What are your current favorite pieces?
My Custom Name and Word Albums are by far my most popular item in my shop. And my Flip Flop Albums are my most creative - I have over 50 pairs of flip flops waiting to be made into albums!

~One of the Many Custom Name Albums Available~

5. Are you involved with any animal or other charitable organizations? How did that come about?
All of our kitties have been saved from farms that have too many cats and our next dog will come from a shelter or a family looking to give their pet to a good home :)
I also participate in the local Red Cross Craft Fair each year and donate items for their door prizes and auction.

~One of the Many Flip Flop Albums Available~

6. Are you having any specials/sales or anything else you'd like to mention?
I am involved in a Christmas in July Sale with my fellow EtsyBloggers Team. I am offering an early bird special: 10% off all custom albums ordered for Christmas gifts. These are ONLY for custom albums that will be shipped in December: it's a way to give people a discount and give me a head start on getting Christmas albums done :)
This sale is only supposed to run until July 31, but for Little Studio Photography and Jewellery Blog readers (and Fibro Diaries blog readers) I will extend the sale until August 8th...just put "LittleStudioSale" in the Notes to Seller during checkout and wait for a revised invoice :)

~On of the Mini Albums Available~

Wow, how fantastic! Thank You Edi! What a great artist and what a great special sale!! Please visit her shop to see more delightful items and get one of your very own :)

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER MY CONTEST!! Sign up for my newsletter to try and win a pair of magnificent earrings from my NeoAmour Marie Antoinette collection (You have to sign up for the newsletter first to be eligible to win!!), see the full contest details here.

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday: New Rings!

~NeoAmour Elizabeth Nest Ring~

~Custom Sterling Silver Nest Ring with Rainbow Fluorite~

I'm taking back my blog for a day - it's been raining so the roads are still wet so I can't walk Arwen until I find her some boots or the roads dry out.

Here are some new rings I made - one is for a client and made with rainbow fluorite, the other uses a Swarovski crystal in Emerald shade. I am making it a part of my NeoAmour collection for Queen Elizabeth1 and it will be for sale on my Etsy store at some point today. Both are made with sterling silver wire and Czech glass silver lined beads. Please check it out!

ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT TO ENTER THE CONTEST!! Sign up for my newsletter to try and win a pair of magnificent earrings from my NeoAmour Marie Antoinette collection (You have to sign up for the newsletter first to be eligible to win!!), see the full contest details here.

Soulful Sunday: A Run is as Good as a Vacation!

Hi! It's me, Arwen, reporting from GrandMonna's and GrandDaddoo's backyard in Ottawa! I thought I'd take you around a very fast tour of their yard...it'll have to be fast though, I have hours of running to do and need to get started right now,rooh rooh! First I had a quick pee, but mommy was nice and didn't photograph that :)
Then I ran to the left (my left, your right) and decided the birdbath would make an excellent pylon for running around, here I am, pretending to take off like a rocket...
WOAH! What are THOSE??? Red thingys, they smell good, and mommy kept picking them right off the bush and smiling and making happy noises.....okay, let's keep going!
Here I am showing my superb acceleration around the previously mentioned birdbath..I wish there were birds in there that I could chase, but they all flew away for some reason when I came outside ;-)
Wait a second.....something smells GOOD!
WOAH! It is master griller GrandDaddoo on the BBQ! Hey, I want a taste...no? Maybe later, when mommy isn't looking!
Now, here is another smell....GrandDadoo is petting Sheeeba, their senior citizen in residence...
She is getting quite old and has absolutely NO patience for me. She is always hissing, growling and spitting at me, but that is okay, I understand (cats get grumpy when they are old, rahrooh!)
Well that is it for now, I'm going to usher you out, I have quite a bit of running to do, and mommy says that tomorrow we have to go get boots for me, so I'll try to getGrandMonna to take photos of my fashion fitting :)

Have a great Sunday!

Mommy says to remind you that time is running out!! Sign up for my newsletter to try and win a pair of magnificent earrings from my NeoAmour Marie Antoinette collection (You have to sign up for the newsletter first to be eligible to win!!), see the full contest details here.
and Arwen

Sweet Saturday: Arwen's Taking Over!

Rah-roooh! It's me, Arwen the wonder-dog extraordinaire and I'm taking over this blog for the weekend!! Mommy is going over to her Monna's (that is what she calls her mom) and Daddoo's (that is what she calls her dad) house and she is bringing me with her for the weekend. I love going to their house because GrandMonna and GrandDadoo always spoil me with lots of treats and table scraps, but shhhhhh! don't tell my mommy, she doesn't like it when I get table scraps, rah rooh! They also have a big, fenced-in yard for me to run around in and I LOVE IT!
~After-bath Energy: I Make My Stuffed Crab Fly Back and Forth~

But, I am getting ahead of myself....before I can go to GrandMonna's and GrandDadoo's, I have to get pretty! I get baths very regularly (about once a month), but right now mommy says I am shedding like crazy, so last night I got my second bath in 4 weeks! Mommy says she can't believe how much I shed - she keeps saying she should save it all and make an Arwen fur sweater...but why would she do that when I already have one, rah-rooh-rooh!

~My Impression of the "Cheshire Cat" - It is MUCH Better in Dog Form!~

So anyway, last night after mom scrubbed the whole house she got very sneaky and started piling clean towels in the bathroom and giving me the look like she was going to take a shower, which means that I have to come and lie down in the bathroom and guard it while she showers. But then, before I knew it, I was in the shower too! Rah-roh! Mommy has to come in the shower with me as I am very wriggly and it is almost impossible to get me clean any other way, so I got a shower, and covered mom with my fur. She looked good, but I think I look the best in black fur :)

~Getting Sleepy After Bath...And Getting Fuzzy Too!~

Mommy said I was very well behaved this time and stood quite still and listened very well. I was happy she got some of the falling out fur off of me - it was getting rather warm in the sun! Mommy said that she wanted to take pictures of me in the bath, or at least with the towels on me (that is my favorite part - I turn around and around to get under the towel so she can brusquely rub me down with them), but she was afraid of getting her good camera wet - sorry! Once I am free of the towels and the bathroom, I like to run around and play for quite a while to get my energy out - standing in the tub is very restrictive to my normally playful self! I toss my Crab around (in the first photo it is flying through the air during a particularly good death-shake), then I run up over the couches (mommy says I can't use the couches as a jungle gym, but I ignore her after a bath as I have soooo much energy - mommy covers the couches with blankets to keep them fairly furless as a result, rah rooh), then I sit on the top of my couch and mommy says I look the the Cheshire Cat..NO! I'm the Merrickville Dog, can't she see that?

~I KNEW She Forgot Something! I Finally Get My Treat~

After all of this I'm starting to get fairly tired, and REALLY fuzzy; it looks like I stuck my paw in an outlet - my fur sticks up everywhere! I was almost ready for my nap when I got called to the kitchen...Of course, how could I have forgotten! Ii got my favorite treat aside from peanut butter, my "Grilled Bison and Blueberry" cookies from Northern Biscuit - the best doggy cookies ever! Now I can nap and dream of chasing squirrels in GrandMonna's yard...until tomorrow, when I get to actually do it!
Sniff you tomorrow!

Mommy says to remind you that time is running out!! Sign up for my newsletter to try and win a pair of magnificent earrings from my NeoAmour Marie Antoinette collection (You have to sign up for the newsletter first to be eligible to win!!), see the full contest details here.
and Arwen

Soulful Sunday: A Whole Bunch of Blessings

~My Own Personal Rainbow, Shared with You!~

I was thinking about blessings yesterday. About how blessed I am to be able to do the things I do, enjoy the things I enjoy, and meet the people I meet. It then started to rain. Hard. Very hard. Each drop sounded like a rock hitting the ground, windows, chimney and I had to rush to close the windows to avoid getting rain in my house. I closed the window and as I turned to sit back down, I was blinded by sunlight. Bright, beautiful sunlight in the middle of a very heavy rainstorm.

I turned to look out my back door and there it was: a rainbow about 30 feet wide and 20 feet tall in my backyard! Talk about blessings! I took about 10 photos, but trying not to get my camera wet in the rain is very difficult and this was the only one that turned out.
No, I did not look for gold - the rainbow ended on a big rock, and I did not fancy straining my back trying to pull bedrock out of the ground :-)

All this was to say how blessed I am, how blessed you are. Sometimes it is the smallest thing - a rainbow, a smile, a positive word, a wagging tail. We are all so blessed, and very few places is this more obvious than in theBlogosphere.

**I must take a moment here to apologize for being so behind on my blog-visiting. I have been busy and ill and sometimes that cuts into my blog visiting time. Rest assured, I love you all and will get back into my routine as soon as possible :-)**

I am so blessed to have all of you visiting and commenting. Even if I don't always respond, I read every comment and cherish it. I must say Thank You! to everyone who does. I really appreciate it, you make me feel so blessed to have so many blogging friends!

Take a moment today and think about how blessed you are. Do you have a spouse/partner/child who loves you? A dog/cat/hamster who loves you? Friends who say positive things? A roof over your head? A hobby to keep you entertained on rainy days?

You are very blessed indeed and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for blessing me today!

Time is Running out!! Sign up for my newsletter to try and win a pair of magnificent earrings from my NeoAmour Marie Antoinette collection (You have to sign up for the newsletter first to be eligible to win!!), see the full contest details here.

Thankful Thursday: I'm Featured!

Audrey, over at Audrey's Country Crafts Blog, has done a feature on me! I can't thank her enough, please go on over to her blog and visit and see the great work she did :)

Also, I'm sorry I didn't post Arwen's Walking Wednesday yesterday, I haven't been feeling well, and when I have been feeling moderately better, it rains and I can't take photos in the rain! We will (hopefully) be back next week. Until then,Arwen says hello and reminds you to sign up for my newsletter to try and win a pair of magnificent earrings from my NeoAmour Marie Antoinette collection (You have to sign up for the newsletter first to be eligible to win!!), see the full contest details here. I've changed the links so that you can see this contest, even if you can't see my Little Studio Photography and Jewellery Blog!