Been having bad migraines for the last two days… actually stayed home from work yesterday it was so bad [which sucked because I’m actually super busy at work!] 

Went for a 60 minute massage which initially helped alot, but as usual with deep-tissue work, the rebound effect of the massage is kicking in and I’m all achy and sore =(

Anways, just a quick post today as nothing really exciting has been happening [I’ve been comatose on the couch since Thursday night].

How exciting is this? Ali Edwards, celebrity scrapbooker and amazing mixed media artist used our new Poppet(R) Scrapbook and Rubberstamp productline in her lastest article for Creating Keepsakes magazine, July 2006 issue.

The article talks about the recent cross-over of many products that exude both a ‘cute’ and ‘cool’ look, and how these products can be combined in innovative and exciting ways. Ali’s artwork using the Poppet(R) products exemplifies this emerging trend and I just wanted to say a public "THANK YOU" to Ali for demonstrating the CUTE:COOL aspect of our productline.

To quote another favorite scrap-celebrity Donna Downey… Ali, "you rock!"

Also featured in the magazine starting on page 128 are illustrations by Claudine Hellmuth [artist/designer of the Poppet(R) Scrapbook and Rubberstamp Collection]. It’s a great example of how our cool productline can be used to create fun, narrative layouts that show how you can scrapbook in a non-traditional way… telling stories through characters, thoughts and illustrations that are both engaging and entertaining. GREAT WORK Claudine… as usual ;^)

Whoo Hoo! I’m moving up Carmi’s blogging ladder… Check this out:

Blogs of Friends Who Are Trying To Get On My Read Everyday List: Christina

Carmi has created a category just from me! Do you think it was my sad whining from yesterday? I think so =) [Note to self: whining does work on occasion, particularily when your friends are convinced that you are insane!] Thank you for creating this special place just for me. I still aspire to make it to the upper tier of:
Blogs I Read Everyday. Maybe one day I’ll get there.

So far this ladder climbing has been the best part of my day, and look - it’s 11:45pm PST… That’s a long time to wait for something good to happen over a  24 hour period. Suffice it to say, I had a HORRIBLE day at work; frustrating, maddeningly frustrating… so much so, at one point I was visibly shaking in my p’oedness. The lovely discovery of my elevated blogging status on Carmi’s site has slapped a silly smile on my face and made the day [eventhough it’s evening] a little brighter. Thanks for perking me up from 1000’s of km away.

Carmi… get your plane ticket and get your butt over here!There is lovely room waiting just for you.

PS: notice I posted today, it’s technically still today because it’s just 11:48pm… not yet tomorrow. So yes, I’ve officially posted three days in a row!

But it’s a much smaller cat!

After much thought and deliberation, we are pleased to announce that we will be holding a SMALL 3-day workshop event in March 2007 featuring 3 amazing instructors from the USA!

Those of you familiar with our ARTwerx events, please note that this is NOT a typical ARTwerx event; however, it will have a similar full-day format with changes to the type of workshops offered.

Details to be released once the schedule and dates are finalized. Watch for news of the event to be posted here in the next few weeks.
We’ll see you in March 2007!

I’m getting bullied and harassed about my lackadaisical blogging, long distance, by my friend.

Recently, my dear friend Carmi became an avid blogger and began posting daily to her blog, sometimes TWICE a day [I do believe it was I who suggested she start blogging last
November 2005, because her web-guy always took forever to update her
site]. Well, I aspire to that level of blogging, and have begun in earnest to post more regularly than I ever have before.

A couple of weeks ago, Carmi had been reading about my blog intentions of posting more on a daily basis and emailed to say that if I kept it up, she’d move me up from her list of "occasional bloggers" to the coveted DAILY blogger spot. I got so excited that the idea of moving up the ranks inspired me to write entertaining [well at least I think so!] posts about the craziness in my life, work and home. I have posted very regularly for the last couple of weeks… bear in mind that regularly is relative because when you look at my archives, the last significant gaps in posts was at least 5+weeks… I digress…

So, I started thinking, hmm… I should be moving up that old blogging ladder any day now. I kept going to her site, checking the list and no movement. Just as I’m making progress in my posting routine and hope that my efforts to climb the bloggin ladder are being noticed, what happens? I get major busy, sustain garden related injuries [see yesterday] and neglect posting for a few days. I have now been informed [via carmimail] that my efforts thus far are lacking <sniff> and I’m really going to have to make a bigger effort if I want my status elevated.

CARMI! Come on, I’m trying! really! Isn’t there a middle category you could create just for me? How about "Posts semi-regularly and when feeling guilty". I think that is an excellent category and strongly recommend that you take this suggestion under advisement.

One last note… I miss you my friend - blogging banter is fun, but leaves something to be desired doesn’t it? When are you going to come out to Vancouver and visit me and Terry?

Yup, to quote my favorite Canadian - INDO-CANADIAN comedian Russell Peters in fact [say indo-canadian comedian 5 time fast - I dare you!] - "someone is gonna get a hurt real bad!"  It’s gonna be me, from Carmi, because after I made my solemn oath to ‘try’ and post bloggin good fun daily, I haven’t posted a thing since… hmm.. well, 4 days ago. I have an excuse, really I do! and it’s a good one in my humble opinion…

I have gardening injuries… YES I did actually garden this weekend and YES as usual, I forgot to stretch. Those of you who know me well, know my huge perennial garden and how much I just LOVE working in it - NOT! So when weeding time comes, I usually just plunge right in to get it over with and that’s when the trouble begins… As of Saturday evening at 6pm, my lower back is in a massive state of spasm, Sunday morning my quads began burning from the inevitable squats that ensue while weeding, and damn it, I sunburned my nose - again. Add to this monumental pain, the fact that I went on a lovely riverside bike ride with hubby [45-60 minutes long] and my sadly outta shape butt is now a little achy too. <SIGH> I think this is a damn fine excuse for not bloggin.

On a lighter, happier note… My office no longer feels like Africa on the hottest day of the year! YAY!
On Friday afternoon, shortly after the fumes from the recent painting of a sky blue wall in my office dissipated [can’t have a real sky view, then damn it we’ll paint one!], the temperature in my cell block /cubicle began rising exponentially…
First I got warm… ok, I am wearing a sweatshirt, so what is a little sweat? Then I started feeling a little lightheaded… ok, maybe the baro-pressure is fluctuating and I’m going to get a migraine - not fun, but no unusual… Next, I do get a headache and it hits hard and fast. Then, I go to the bathroom, and quickly realize that every other square inch of the office is cool, EXCEPT for the room I laughingly call my office. That room is about 120F and rising.

I complain to the facility operations people at about 2pm [thermostat guy Frank - who by the way, as of 4pm Friday I am in love with!]. Everyone scoffs… ‘ your office can’t be that hot!’ I make every singly disbeliever enter my personal hell, and each beats a speedy retreat to the substantially cooler 65F hallway. OK, they all now agree - it is like Africa on the hottest day of the year in there.

Thermostat Frank brings in the coolest [excuse the pun] temperature gauge I have ever seen. A laser shoots from the gun, into the venting from where my hell-fire heat is emanating and tells me yep, it’s 120F! He leaves ‘Africa’, tinkers with a few things in another room… and lo and behold, a mere 90 minutes later [yep that’s how long is take to cool off a 120F room!] the room reached a comfy 70+F.
I love you Frank!

Today… helpful, handy thermostat Frank came in to check on the heating. Wanted to make sure I hadn’t passed out from heat stroke, and I was happy to report that everything was A-OK. I actually got a TON of work done today, what’s up with that?

Not much to post today other than construction fumes are getting to me and I’m seeing little stars and birdies flying around in my office. Minor renovations are going on all around me at my ‘daytime’ office and smells of construction adhesive, paint and silicone are permeating every office space in the building/portable I work in…

Me thinks it’s time for a visit to Terra Nova Rural Park for some fresh air, some picture taking and to enjoy some much needed vitamin D sunshine!

Saturday June 3 was the social event of the summer - or so it says on my desk calendar…  It was Joyce’s daughter’s birthday. Joyce is my longtime friend of over 30 years and is was Lauryn’s 7th birthday party on Saturday. It was a great day. See the photo album "Lauryn’s 7th" for digital photo highlights.

As an ‘auntie’, it’s interesting comparing last year’s extravaganza compared to this year…

• Last year, Lauryn’s ENTIRE class was invited <GASP!> plus age appropriate siblings, parental-units for "supervision" [I use the term loosely] and family [we fall into the family segment]. All tolled, the number of partiers was in the neighbourhood of about 50-60+ people. Now that is a BIG birthday party for a young girl.
• Last year the weather was great… sunny with light clouds and WARM 20+C
• Kids were generally well behaved and were easily corralled by adults/parents
• Pinata x2, HUGE cake, Dodge-ball and presents

This year there were noticeable differences [and it’s amazing what a difference a year can make!]…

• Same number of kids, seemed like fewer parents. That meant less control over some of the unruly boys [and some girls]… and there was a decided difference in the TEMPERAMENT of some kids.
• The boys are definitely testing each others alpha-male boundaries which included posturing, pushing/shoving, asserting control over who kicks which rubber ball, asserting control over who gets the ‘pool noodle’. It’s an interesting testosterone dance these 7 year-olds are taking part in - very tribal in many ways.
• Girls were less aggressive but there are definitely ‘bully-like’ girls rising to the surface, asserting themselves as the dominant females. Saw more than one girl shed a tear at being pushed around… but it was always over quickly.
• Weather was fantastic again… 22C and sunny (it rained on Sunday, the day after - whew!)
• Pinata x2, Cake and Dodge-ball

From a purely observational stand point, watching kids interact in that large a group is fascinating. It’s like a Discovery channel safari into the school-yard, unfolding right in front of your eyes. Uncensored, raw and honest. Sometimes it’s a pure joy to watch the kids interact; sometimes not so fun. At times you see glimpses of what kind of adult the child could turn into, and its not always the happy go-lucky, laid back kind…

But overall… the day was fun. Definitely entertaining and full of kids [generally] having a grand time, a chance to visit with friends and to hang out in the sun.

So a special message to Joyce and Percy… Thanks for holding the big event, yet again [even after you said last year was the last BIG party]. I look forward to a yard-full again next year…
yeah yeah, you’re not doing a big party like this again - I’ll believe it when I’m not invited. =)

While grocery shopping last night at our local Save-On-Foods, I stopped in the magazine aisle [as usual] and what did I see… OUR paperWERX Big Kahuna paper on the COVER of the last issue of Paper Creations! Too cool!

Amber Crosby, a member of my incredibly talented Design Team, submitted the artwork on the cover to Paper Creations and is featured not only on the cover, but also in a detailed step-out in the center of the magazine too. So cool…  She has also had artwork published in a special Weddings edition of Paper Arts magazine, using our Vintage Collection of papers in an project featuring a mini-album, invitation and decorative table art.

Amber you are brilliant at getting work published [thanks chickie, we LOVE you for that].

Also… imagine my surprise as I flip through the rest of the magazine, now eagerly searching for more treasures, only to find this ad from Fire Mountain Gems featuring a piece using  Vintage Rustica - Distressed Pattern paperWERX paper!! Now really, how cool is that? Love it…

The ad truly demonstrates that our paperWERX papers are fantastic used in all kinds of altered, mixed media, card making AND scrapbooking projects. Thank you Fire Mountain Gems!

Just picked up my new issue of CK June 2006… and woo hoo! we’ve got on a FULL PAGE in the Doodling feature article between pages 125 and 136 (our page is 136).

Doodling is a HUGE trend in scrapbooking and boy am I excited about it! Not only does it give artists license to be more footloose and fancy-free in their artwork [whether that is scrapping, card making, altering, etc…] it also means our new product line, PoppetsTM by Claudine Hellmuth which features Claudine’s illustrative collages and characters, fits in perfectly with the mix of doodling related products in the market today. WOW, who knew we could be that ahead of the game trend wise?!? Claudine and I discussed this product line idea over a  year ago and it seems that our timing was ‘bang on‘ to quote a friend [you know who you are;^) ].

I’m a big time trend-spotter when it comes to color, utilizing specific color palettes in the paperWERX lines I’ve designed thus far. So it’s great to see, that yet again, we’re on the mark with the debut and future expansion of the PoppetsTM Collection.