It is time for our April Craft Challenge: Keep Creative to Keep Sane!

It is time for our next craft challenge!  It is easy for Crafty Retailers to fall into a creative rut.  Don't let the nuts and bolts of running the store impede your ability to play.  Give yourself the gift of some "outside of the box" creative time! 
april 2010 craft challenge:
we are including a nice little selection of product in this challenge, but the Swarovski hot fix crystal rock is the star of the show!

we are looking for 12 volunteers to participate in the April Craft Challenge. participants will receive the set pictured below:

We give it all to 12 lucky volunteers..for free!

show us what you can do with some spectacular sparkle! 
iron it, bead it, sew it, glue it, alter it....just show us what you got!
deadline for pictures of finished project:  May 1, 2010

Email me if you want to play!

Other news:

OK....I have to vent.  It has been a hell of a week.  Forget the Health Care debate.  Forget the economy.  All very important, but I am focused on a more serious issue.  The stuff that impacts me on a personal level.  No, not my weight gain, bad hair, or kid drama.  I am talking about my dog.  My Rosie.  She is the best dog in the world....except for your dog, of course.  She is a mixed breed three year old shelter rescue who has many talents.  She jet skis...seriously!  We live on a lake and heaven help the errant soul who tries to get on the lake without her.  She is very agile.  My son is teaching her to ride a wake board.  She is friendly and outgoing.  In fact, if you were to visit me you would be gifted with a leaf or a stick picked especially for you, accompanied by a full body wag.  Her friendliness extends beyond the boundaries of my property.  It seems that Rosie has been visiting two different neighbors every morning when I thought she was sleeping.

I have learned that as I am busy getting my daughter off to school, Rosie has an agenda of her own.  It appears that she has been adopted by two different neighbors.   She has a very rigid routine.  Every week day she wades into the lake to get around the fence surrounding our property.  Once free, she barks at the kitchen door of neighbor #1, who LETS HER IN!  Mind you, this happens at 6:45 A.M.  Despite the hour, this kind neighbor opens the door and welcomes Rosie into the house where she enjoys a light repast of tea and biscotti before moving on to neighbors #2.  These folks are retired with no pets.  The husband has  a reputation for being a bit of a curmudgeon.   Nonetheless, he lets Rosie into their kitchen where he reads the morning paper with Rosie at his feet.  He sneaks her toast while drinking his coffee.  She meanders home shortly thereafter and I am none the wiser.  I only learned of her travels because (1) she gained quite a bit of weight in the last year (biscotti and toast are heavy on carbs!) and when I took her for walks I would run into the wife of neighbor #2 and Rosie acted like they were old friends....'cause they were.  Silly, funny little dog.

Rosie was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer 12 days ago.  Rosie is my buddy, my pal, my friend .... and I have been bereft.  Tests revealed that the disease was confined to her leg, so amputation was an option.  I did a lot of research and learned that most dogs function well with three legs.  I read that God gives dogs three legs and a spare.  So...after giving it much thought and prayer, we amputated her back left leg.   Well, not personally.  I didn't do it....too squeamish, for sure.  A well paid vet surgeon did it.

Cutting off a leg hasn't been a picnic for Rosie.  The scar is gruesome.  Really, really gruesome.  I am not sure what exactly I was expecting....a neat little stump covered with clean white gauze, I think.  Not the reality.  To make matters worse, she is clearly in pain.  She went without eating....anything.....for over a week.  To add to the fun, I have a one year old French Mastiff.  A really big, really playful 100 pound dog.  Rosie hasn't felt much like playing.  My neighbor called to inquire as to her whereabouts...the biscotti was getting stale.  I have been second guessing my decision....maybe this wasn't meant to be.

....but I am hopeful.  Today she chased a jogger who had the audacity to walk by our home.  She needed to stop and take a rest on the way back up the driveway, but she did it.  She ate a meatball this afternoon and I walked in on my daughter sneaking her some ice cream.   She jumped off of the couch when I wasn't looking and held her own with the French Mastiff.  Whew.  Maybe it is going to be OK after all.