Deer Mountain Wood Art

After much thought on how exactly you do such a thing, we HAVE A WINNER!! Tammy of "Tammy's Treasure Chest" has won this beautiful ornament and I'm very excited to make it just for you, Tammy!
Tammy had 12 comments for the time period, which I believe helped to give her the winning edge =D
Thank you all so much for all of the comments, well wishes, and friendship - the internet is such an amazing place!

{{{hugs}}} and

Thanks for "stopping by the shop!"
Freida

Results - Research Randomizer

Finally! Things are beginning to feel normal tonight :) I have had a weekend from - well, can't say "Hell" 'cuz it's been below zero up here the last few days! lol - but I'm going to be positive, right?!? So, here are the positives;

• Saturday was the craft show; hummm - I met other artisans, which is wonderful, but it was very tiring - constructive, but tiring...
• Came home and Austin had crashed my laptop - the one with all of my life on it!!! :( Yikes! I learned so much from that experience though - the part where my computer-genius son couldn't fix the poor thing - and it turned out I wasn't as computer illiterate as I had previously thought, was an invaluable lesson!lol
• I learned that using your virus scan software is useless unless you go through their steps to fix the problem; after going around the long way to download the new definitions, everything just reappeared like magic! It was incredible!! Needless to say, I have restore points and backups now!lol
• I was almost done with the face mask for Kay's Bronco Helmet when I found out that my pattern had printed out too large - so much for hours of sanding! lol But I learned to use my rulers and my analytical mind =D oh, and take notes when I create a pattern!!!
  
• I found out my scale isn't working anymore and learned how to weigh packages against jars of jelly, bags of sugar, and tins of raviollis! :)
  
• I learned that 'house-trained' puppies still pee and poop on floors when you least expect it and that socks don't absorb liquid very well :(?
• I found out that I'm a creature of habit and when someone messes with my habitat my mind ceases to function!?! (see next bullet) lol
  
• We put the woodstove back so I could get my office space back together - Wow! you can't even imagine the mess that created for me in my mind! I was actually being forced to watch t.v. because of having my laptop in the front room! ugh! That was tough! Especially when Roger had to watch hunting - which is 24/7 pretty much :(
• oh, and I found out that I'm attractive to the same sex!?! teehee Now, that was a weird experience!!!!! lol
• and lastly, I found out if I read too long I fall asleep :( I'm an avid reader, so that's a problem!!

See I told ya, it was a very educational weekend! =D
I also sold a couple of things online as well as at the craft show, so we were able to stock up on a couple of items - yay! =D

Now, as you may or may not know, the last day for posting a comment to be entered into the special ornament drawing is today - until midnite my time(mountain time) you can still post comments and get a chance to win this gorgeous ornament! So get to it! lol
Looking forward to seeing who gets it =D
Until then,
Thanks for "stopping by the shop!" Freida

I guess I'm pretty bored with the theme I'm using for the blog - it's just black and feels cluttered. I would sure love some feedback on this - your opinion matters greatly to me!

I was looking at changing to a Word Press run blog, or use one of the themes at the least, but after doing some research on what makes a blog look like something you'd want to read, I've come to the conclusion that black, brown, white, or red, they just don't seem to matter. Could it be that readers truly are content hungry instead of looking for an aesthetically pleasing layout or color??
Maybe it's my content that needs some plastic surgery, and not my site!?! btw, so many thank you's! to all of my readers and followers - you are very important to me!!

Okay, so in the meantime, I'm still bored with the site and want to make it better and easier to read and find interesting subjects. Stay tuned for the new and hopefully, improved, DMWAShopNotes! ;0)

I've had a difficult time trying to work the last couple of days - if Roger doesn't get some work going and get out from under my feet, I'm going to go nuts!!lol He can think of more things he needs me to do or help with when he sees I'm busy working, and after one of his 'projects' I have a hard time getting going again :*< style="font-style: italic;">naturally, where all of my inside work is done and wood, sanding tools, and papers are splayed out everywhere! That's going to take some work!! Sure, it will improve the house, but my gosh, man, I'm trying to work!!!! Why am I the only one here that can do anything? Why are my things the only stuff in the way?? It's just craziness! acch!

Yesterday I sold the little Intarsia Penguin Ornament =D I am giving out bonus ornaments to everyone who buys something from me until Dec15th and was trying to figure out which one to make for her. I always do a little investigating on my customers to figure out what they like and don't like and I think I've found the perfect ornament for her! Yay! Love that :-)

I'm cutting today, no matter what else happens around here, and I'm just giddy with excitement! I have so many gorgeous ornaments to cut and I'm just digging givin' them away!
You have no idea how badly I wish I could give everything I make away! One of the things that make me feel so warm and fuzzy is making things for my family! I love what I do =D Did I already say that recently?? Well, I do...

Finished up the one puzzle last night - it's always weird taking them apart and putting them into the boxes! I work so hard to keep them together for so long during the creation process that this step makes me as nervous as a cat on a hot-tin roof! lol Pretty silly, I know. But, all of the pieces laying so neatly in the box just made me so happy! I hope she'll love it =0> I have to do a little 'research' on her too to see which ornament to send with the puzzle - oh joy! I'm really getting into the Christmas Spirit!! =0)

Oh, and one more thing! I found out something really cool the day-before-yesterday; I usually write down everything I need to do that day and end up with more than two pages sometimes! Needless to say, the list never gets completed and I end up not even wanting to check it during the day :*( I decided to try the reverse of this and it's actually working! and feels a lot better too!!!
So, instead of making a 'to-do' list, make an 'I've done...' list! You feel better, are actually more organized, and you don't end up rolling the list over into the next day because you didn't even get close to completing the tasks on it!
Try it for yourself and let me know what you think! okay? :0)

Time to brave the utter cold and get some work done before the boys come in...
Have an awesome day and don't forget to enter the contest from yesterday's post!! =D
Thanks for "stopping by the shop!" Freida

Like I said last night, I get stir-crazy when I don't get to just cut something - locked into prepping or finishing I just get nuts! lol

So here's an example of things I make and don't know what to do with during one of these episodes.... these are hearts and apples(I know, you can see that!) that I cut out the other day because I had some itty bitty scraps of Cabreuva from the local cabinet shop, and finished a couple of them last night so I could see the pretty red wood better... Now what??!!?

I'd love to hear some ideas - I know I started out thinking that they would make great pendants, earrings etc... you want to try? lol I put a chain on something and it looks like crap - I'm just not talented in that area!!

oh and of course, ornaments - there's one in the upper picture - do I just throw a pretty string on it and call it a day? idk, but I'm sure open to suggestions! :0)

Whoever comes up with a selling piece, gets one for themselves, so think hard!! They really are very pretty and very red - pics never do the trick...

So, post your idea in the comments section and I'll see which one sells - if it does within 4 days, you win one! Can't get easier than that can it?

Thanks for "stopping by the shop!"
Freida