Close to my Heart

Energy

I'm having an awesome week, for a number of reasons:

1.  I feel extremely happy and well rested. I have more energy than I've had in MONTHS!
2.  Skating was awesome Monday night.  Newly sharpened skates make such a difference and improved my skating considerably.
3.  I've had some of the best sleeps I've had in AGES.  Two nights in a five day period where I didn't have to get up during the night.  I NEVER sleep through the night!
4.  Back to my noon hour workouts.  Feels SO good!
5.  Finished my second pair of socks this month:

They're made of Opal 6 Ply 1711 and they knit up really, really fast.  More socks for Joe, who is so very appreciative of them! And with all the blue white,and gray, these definitely are my February item for Project Spectrum. Just noticed that these colours run for March as well, I guess I didn't need to rush so much!
6.  I feel like I'm getting my knitting mojo back, and know exactly what projects I plan to cast on in the next few days (but am actually going to lengthen the Malabrigo Cardi sleeves first, which in itself I'm thrilled that I really want to do)
7.  I'm having fun Stamping and getting to know that online Community.
8.  I sold something on Etsy this morning within MINUTES of listing.  Made me very very happy.  It's a knitting related item, and I have another set available:

(Click on the picture to go to my Etsy store)
9. The days are getting longer.  Spring is coming, and I even saw a couple fat robins this morning.  Never mind that it has snowed a bit today!
10.  Life is GOOD!   

Early or Late?

EDIT:  I just upgraded my Typepad account in order to host my Stamping blog here.  Wordpress just wasn't doing it for me.  And I just added the next installment of my Christmas Cards 2006, so please come visit me here.  There's a Bloglines button there if you'd like to subscribe and see what I'm up to.  I may or may not let you know about new posts there on this blog.  Thanks!

Thanks for all the get well wishes.  I had a lousy day on Friday, and stayed home from work again.  Feeling much better today though, and even managed to make it to the birthday party for the son of one of my friends.  And tonight I've been spending way too much time on the computer, but having fun with it.

Remember before Christmas, I was busy making my own cards?  Well I really enjoyed making them, and since, have spent a bit of time in the LSS (Local Scrapbooking Store, of course!) gathering supplies to make some birthday cards.  I hope to get some made in the next few days for some fast approaching family birthdays.  Going through my supplies reminded me that I had wanted to upload pictures of the Christmas cards I made.  And to do so, I've started a new blog, at which I'll be chronicling my card making adventures.  There may also be some scrapbooking happening at some point.  So, here's a teaser Flickr Mosaic of some of my Christmas cards, and an invitation to please visit me over at my new Wordpress Blog (I think it's kind of fun trying out different Blogging Platforms, and in so doing, have found that Typepad really is the most user friendly), Island Crafts.  Hope to see you there!

Latest Addiction

Following on the heels of the cardmaking class I took recently, I spent Friday night at the home of a friend who's an avid scrapbooker.  The goal of the evening was to make Christmas cards.  Here's a some of the cards that I came home with:

Clickable images, just in case you are interested in seeing more detail. 

I had so much fun making these cards, I'm completely hooked now.  A good part of yesterday was spent going to three dollar stores and two scrapbooking stores, Spending Far Too Much Money (even dollar stores add up) to buy some stamps and other supplies to craft more cards.  It definitely would have been cheaper to buy a couple boxes of ready made cards, but not nearly as much fun.  I'm contemplating trying to sell some cards just to help pay for supplies, either right here on the ol' blog or opening an Etsy store.

Must go make more cards now.   

Cards and a Prize

I've always been somewhat interested in scrapbooking, and a few years back, purchased a few supplies.  I think I spent one entire afternoon completing one page, and that was the last time I tried anything.  Lately, I've been seeing hand stamped greeting cards, and thought that was something I'd be interested in trying.  Somehow, that seemed more practical to me than actual scrapbooking (since we don't have children and rarely travel these days, what on earth would I scrapbook?).  Last night I attended a class to make some Christmas cards.  We made five each of three different designs:

I really enjoyed this, and am fairly happy (although not enthralled due to my own lack of skill) with the cards.  Definitely still good enough to send though.  The only downside is that we didn't finish until 11 pm, WAY past my bedtime.  I've been dragging myself all day, despite consuming way more caffeine than per usual.  So much so that I'm opting out of skating tonight.  Seems like a good night to knit and watch Grey's Anatomy.  Yawn, if I can stay awake that long!  I feel somewhat wimpy not skating.  But Thursday means no lesson, and I honestly don't think I have the mental capacity to occupy myself on the ice for an hour.

One more thing to show you.  I was very lucky and won a prize in the Socktoberfest drawing.  Look what arrived today:

It's Sockhop, handspun superwash sock yarn from Crown Mountain Farms in the Satisfaction Colourway.  Very nice yarn!  Thanks Lolly for being a great hostess yet again, and to Teyani and Klaus for the great prize!