The day started out raining.  I think they were afraid of what tomorrow’s weather might hold and today’s forecast was just a smidgeon better.   So off I went.   My car was overloaded this time because of the 2 tarps that I took along with me.   Just enough room for me in the driver’s seat.  I could reach the stick shift but not much else.   There were only a few people there before me setting up.  Christine from the Animal Orphanage pointed me to where my space was located but told me I couldn’t drive off the path.  I finally found my space at the far end of Lion’s Lake, thinking it would be crazy for me to try to carry everything this far.  As I was walking back to my car Christine came rushing towards me.   Hmmm – I wondered how she would like my news that I couldn’t stay.   Instead she told me that ‘yes’ I could drive my car to my space.  I told her that was great cause I wouldn’t be able to stay without that. 

I pulled my tent from underneath the massive amounts of things on top and proceeded to set that up.  I put the biggest of the blue tarps across the back with zip ties.  My tent did not come with walls.   Then I put my pale green curtains in front to disguise the tarp.  Then I proceeded to set things up.   I tried a new layout this time and made an L shape, putting the 2 tables that are 36′ square against the back wall.  Figured this would give me the best protection in the event the rain got worse.

My space was up against this beautiful pine tree.   What a view! 

I am getting much better at setting up my display and giving it height as well.  Think I will keep this new layout for my next event and see if I can perfect it some more.

Here is the other side where my Charming Again necklaces were displayed.  They were a big hit!   Seemed there was something for many different ages, both male and female.   This was not really a ‘shopping type’ crowd.   They were there for the dog vendors and other people giving out treats and toys for their pets.  The dog’s tug on the leash seemed to control where people went.  Many people I just handed my card and encouraged them to visit my website.

Dogs were meeting and greeting each other.  Seemed to be the social event of the year for dogs from all around.  Saw someone wearing a shirt that said “You had me at woof”.  That sort of described the day for me as I chuckled to myself.   The most interesting dog I met was Dahlia, a Silken Windhound.  I had never even heard of that type of dog.  Passersby were trying to guess it’s breed.  The owner seemed content to let them keep guessing for awhile.   She bought Dahlia one of my paw print Charming Again necklaces.   Of course we picked out a lovely multi-colored cord for her.  She promised to send me a picture so I could share it with all of you.

There was a man there who had a tattoo of a wedding band on his finger.  Thought that was the neatest tattoo I had ever seen.  I am really not keen on the idea of putting ink into skin but I had to comment on this one.  He explained that his work prevented him from wearing a ring and this was much safer.   He and his wife stopped back again after looking around.   She invited me to participate in the Woods Street Festival which is kind of a big deal in this area.   I might not be able to do it because of a prior committment on that date but I was very flattered at her compliments on my work and her invitation.

My neighbors were from PetValue which is located near my house.  They gave me 2 bags of cat goodies.  I had stashed them under my table.   After awhile it seemed that many dogs seemed incredibly interested in going under my tables.   Owners looked puzzled.  Then I realized that they could probably smell the cat treats.  Hehehe – it helped a few people stay in my tent just a little bit longer!

My neighbors on the other side were very interesting.   Lucy has a business called Spot Clean located in Clementon.   Her motto is “don’t try this at home” and they encourage you to bring your dog to get washed there.   Lucy greeted many of the dogs that passed.   They all got a treat and some kind words.   Visit her website for more information    www.spotcleanpetwash.com   

Lucy shared a tent with Holly (yes, the same name as me – wow).   Holly has started a mobile pet wash.  She has a fully equipped van that comes to you.   She showed me the inside and it was quite impressive.   I didn’t get her card but think it was called Mobile Wash.   I’ll have to find that info to pass along.   Holly had water on hand.  The heat and humidity caused many dogs to be overly thirsty.   I loaned her one of my plastic containers until a friend delivered some bowls for her to use.  

I was so pleased that Pam from Saved Whiskers Rescue Organization stopped by to visit.   She and Nick were commenting on my space and the many things that I had created from recycled items.  SWRO is where I got all my foster cats – Elmer, Leah, Nitus and Eva (Leah’s sister).   All of them came to my home as adult cats that were in abusive or abandoned situations.   Pam and I used to work together.  She would tell me stories about how challenging it is to find homes for these cats.   I couldn’t help but try to help them.   I enjoyed telling Pam & Nick some of the more recent Elmer stories – his fan club grows all the time.  Along with Magic, my black cat that is about 15 years old now, they are my little family.     www.savedwhiskersrescue.com  

These little blocks were a big hit.  I had gotten a little wooden wagon filled with building blocks at a yard sale.   The wagon is the perfect size for the envelopes I hand out for the Acme receipt program for the Medford Arts Center.  The MAC gets 1% of the receipts that we collect and that has become my little project to help the arts in the community.   So since I had used their home for another purpose I decided to decorate these little blocks of wood.   With some old wrapping paper with world maps I attached them to the blocks and added an alligator clip.   Perfect for holding a photo, business card or other momentos.  Of course I used some of my Stampin’ Up! stamps to add some special words.   Not shown are the 2 that I made with baby feet – they were a hot seller and are all gone now.  

The event ended at 4PM.  There were a few people that started packing up early but I always like to stay until the end.   I hate it when people leave events early.  It sort of disrupts things for the rest of the vendors.   It took me awhile since my artist friends weren’t around today.   Abbie was teaching a jewelry class at the Creativity for a Cause event in Mill Race Village in Mt. Holly.  It was a breast cancer benefit.   Jenn’s 3rd child is due very soon so she is not doing shows right now.   So this was the first time I set up my tent by myself and took it all down too.   I packed up all my things which has to be done well or it won’t fit back into my little car LOL!   Finally I was finished and driving home at 5:15PM.

So it was a good day for the Leafpile.   The sales from the day weren’t so spectacular but sometimes that is not an indicator of how well the show went for my business.   I often get emails after the event of people wanting some special order items.   Since many cards were handed out today I think that this was a good venture for me to do.  

Thanks for reading my doggie tale (or tail as the case may be)!

Title: Woofstock Festival
Location: Lion’s Lake Park
Link out: Click here to the Animal Orphanage Website
Start Time: 11:00
Date: 2009-08-29
End Time: 4:00

Being a foster parent to 5 rescue adult cats, I am so pleased to be supporting this event.  My cats keep me company and are part of the family now.   Each came with their own little issues but have adjusted well and all get along well together.  Of course there is Elmer, my cat with a fan club.  He is the most aggressive of the bunch and I refer to him as the King of this Castle.   These cats came to me through Saved Whiskers which also supports the PetFinders group and has been helping to find homes for the homeless cats in this area.   Visit Saved Whiskers at www.savedwhiskers.com.   So I guess that is why this event strikes home for me.   It takes funds for these organizations to care for the animals until they find a home.

This is the 13th annual Woofstock Festival and it is their major fund raiser for the year.  Even if you cannot attend consider a small donation to help the cause.  http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NJ54.html

Please join me in supporting this GROOVY kind of Pet Fair and help homeless pets too!

There will be pets for adoption, pet vendors and rescue groups, food/refreshments, raffle baskets, music, and best of all crafters (that’s where I will be).

The event is $5 but children under 12 and seniors are FREE. Dutchtown Road & Route 73, Voorhees, NJ (across from the Library II Restaurant) at Lion’s Lake Park.

Special gift if you mention seeing this on my website!!!

Today I visited http://www.smokeybear.com/ and found out that he has recently turned 65.   Does Smokey qualify for Social Security benefits?   He has been putting out fires and spreading the word about fire prevention for 65 years.   He didn’t wait until he was 18 to start working.  He certainly is 100% American and would therefore be more eligible than the many illegal aliens who currently do receive this money. 

Although I really don’t want him to retire.   It’s important to keep reminding people that “only we can prevent forest fires”.   I know that forest fires are something that does happen without human help.  The forest actually thrives after a fire and needs this to happen occasionally for rejuvenation.   It does not need to rejuvenate as often as careless humans leave campfires unattended or discard lit cigarettes out the window. 

So join me in extending birthday congratulations to Smokey the Bear.   We will not be lighting 65 candles on a birthday cake.  I do not think he would want cake anyway and the anxiety of 65 burning sticks of wax could be bad for this old bear.   Not to mention that he strongly reminds us to not play with matches!  

So in place of these standard ways to celebrate I offer this alternative.   Why not become a fan of Smokey’s Facebook page? 

There are many fan pages out there but to get the official one go to www.smokeybear.com and click on the Facebook link at the upper right hand corner. 

Thanks for helping to stop forest fires started by humans!

So my neice and family are going away for a week.  No was was scheduled to take care of the turtles.  I live 25 minutes away so it would be a challenge to drive over there every other day to feed them but I offered to take them to my house and care for them.  My neice had to consider this for awhile.  Later she agreed that it would be OK for me to babysit the turtle but I had to have detailed instructions first.  This sent her to the computer to type them up…

Hehehe – so now I am a certified care-giver for 2 turtles.  I asked their names and she said Larry and Kira but she didn’t know which one was which and assured me that calling them by name would not be helpful.  She asked if I had a lamp.  Of course I have a lamp – several as a matter of fact.  Seems the turtles need to have the light on in the daytime so they can climb up on the noodle to sun themselves.  Thought the deal was off when I asked what is a noodle…..  

I had to have an escort to my car so make sure that I put the turtle’s plastic container in just the right spot.  Then I was reminded to NOT make any sharp turns.

So for your entertainment as well, here are Larry and Kira….

I have been working on my stash management.  Seems I have piles of stamped images that I have made over the years with the intent on coloring them or using them for a greeting card or scrapbook page someday.  Among this stash I found 3 of these images that states “Mama said there’d be days like this…”  Little did I know that it would also sort of become the motto for my work on these cards.   Last week I had done the coloring on the cards with pastel chalk.  It gave them such a nice subtle antiqued look and I was really pleased with how they turned out.  On Sunday night I matted them on the black cardstock and attached them to the smoky blue cardstock.  They were ready to be bagged and listed on Etsy the next night.

However….my cats had a different story.  It seems one of them decided to walk across them and cause dark smudges on the blue cardstock.  I won’t accuse Elmer but I am pretty sure it was him.  He has been terrorizing the house recently.  In case you think I am exaggerating I will give you an example.  His newest trick is to knock over my wooden dish drainer.  Glasses go smashing into the sink.  Why can’t he break the dirty dishes and not the clean ones?  

So instead of finishing the cards and getting them listed on Etsy last night I sat looking at my poor card and wondering how 2 of them had the dark smudge but the other did not.  As with any problems all my fretting didn’t fix anything.   My lady looked like me as I held my head in my hands and sadly wondered what I would do….   It had been one of those days – LOL

But as I often tell those at my stamping workshops, I had to remind myself that this is another opportunity for embellishment!   Off I went to search my rubber stamp stash for some help.  I pulled out my antique cracking stamp, made a template to cover my lady and used Going Grey ink pad .  You can’t even tell that the smudges are there anymore.  Whew – what a relief!   Mama did say there would be days like these and I sure had one on Monday.   Still it all worked out for the best.  The card would not be as dramatic without the additional touches.

The rubber stamp image, Going Grey ink and cardstock are from Stampin’ Up!  Although this set has been discontinued you can check out all the current Stampin’ Up! products on my website there.  The full catalogs are available for you to view.  

I love Stampin’ Up! and this month I celebrate 7 years of being a Senior Demonstrator – yippee!!!

As usual, thanks for reading….

As promised, here are some photos of the graduation cards that I finished this weekend. 

It seems I make great tassels – another quirky talent!  

I did alot with these 3 days off.  It was fun to have time for family and friends.  Went to the theatre with Mom and my neice and saw Midsummer Night’s Dream – the musical – but I would have called it a comedy.  Very entertaining and a job well done by the Ritz Theatre in Oaklyn.  I worked some today out at the Mill getting ready for the quilt show next weekend.  There were lots of people in the area today – fishing, painting, and enjoying the day.  I saw an older couple come with a card table, tablecloth, 2 chairs and a picnic basket.  They set it up along the stream and played cards for a few hours.  It was a special sight.   I really enjoyed the artists.  These ladies were fun to talk to and see them work.  One of them got bitten by a red ant and her thumb was starting to swell.  Of course Bill came out with all the fixings of a first aid kit to help her out.  She was grateful for the relief and continued to work with her charcoals.

I am now a dogsitter (in addition to my many other diverse jobs).  Bebe is fun to play with and have around.  She loves car rides and people so I took her with me to the Mill.  She liked it and the guys were happy to have her there.  Even had George play with her while Don & I moved a set of steps.  I had to keep her on the lease cause this yellow lab is trained to chase geese.  There are a multitude of geese around the Mill.  Of course today we didn’t see too many but they left remnants as proof that it really is their turf most of the time. 

Mostly I created alot and that felt great!  Tomorrow evening I am getting out the sewing machine to put all the pieces together on a few more things - the finishing touches.  Ah!  My favorite part of every project is seeing the vision inside my head become a reality.  I record my ideas in my art journal almost daily.  Not all of those become a project but often they do.  Sometimes the finishing doesn’t happen and a UFO (unfinished object) happens.   This weekend many UFO’s became finished creations. 

A friend from church told me on Sunday that I blog too much.  His complaint didn’t have much validity since upon further questioning I discovered that he has never even come to my website to see what is going on here.  So to McMatt and all the others missing out on what is happening in the bloggin world – TRY IT!

Well this is just too funny not to blog about…..

My neighbors house is for sale.  So in light of this I have been very attentive to my yard and making sure my lawn guy did a spring clean up and mowed it twice.  The last time he mowed was just this past Friday, just in time for the Sunday open house next door.  That part has been going very well since Ryan came late on Friday so that we could walk around my yard and we could go over things.  Mostly the lines of my property cause my lot is not a perfect square – how appropriate for me….

So today I come home and there is a slip in my mailbox from another lawn service saying that they cut my lawn today.  It clearly stated my address.  So this had me wandering around outside to see if it really looked like someone cut my lawn again.  I was scratching my head and talking to myself as I went.  I could see the lines were there – the dandelions were not reaching for the sky anymore.  I am thinking that yes – my lawn was mowed today.  So I call and get this guy Mike on the phone.  After explaining my situation he discovered that they moved the lawn directly across the street and were supposed to go around the block to do a house there – also #17.  Instead they just crossed the street and mowed me – HAHAHAHAHA

The funniest part of this story is that the house across the street #20 was the house they regularly mow.  This is my “peeping” neighbor who watches every move I make and is famous for giving my cat, Elmer, a police record for calling them and accusing this curious feline of “peeping” in HIS windows.   My little peeping tom cat really causes quite a stir – at least that was before he was banished to remaining in his castle  LOL.  So the neighbor in #20 HAD TO KNOW that my lawn was just mowed – Ryan’s truck is clearly marked so he knows I have another guy.  Did he come out and tell these guys?  Nope – what a neighbor!!!

Since you probably don’t want to see my lawn again I will include a pic of Elmer – the King of this Castle…  The first pic is with Margaret and Marilyn – notice the corner punch attached to his forehead – hehehe – another mischeivous time at scrapbooking club.   This pic was taken shortly after he got his head stuck in the gift bag that Margaret brought for him with treats inside.  The second pic is from the same evening.  Elmer sits perched watching McDi working away with the ribbon- he sat like that for a long time as McDi chatted with him.   He gives us all a laugh and keeps me, his humble servant, on her toes. 

Yes, Elmer has a fan club but it most certainly does not include neighbor #20.   Of course Elmer did not tell Mike’s guys that they were mowing the wrong house either.

Having a yellow lab at my house made for an interesting weekend with 5 cats. The king of the house, Elmer, had his issues with the dog and hissed at her for the 1st 2 days. Her kitty tail was all puffed out and every move the dog made was being watched. Meanwhile the dog, Bebe, just looked at Elmer with this look that said “What?” LOL So here are pics of the 2 of them. Elmer is eating the dog food. So the dog food got moved into Bebe’s room. Usually Bebe is the aggressive eater but she couldn’t stop looking for Elmer to make sure it was safe to eat. Wonder what will happen next time we have weekend company………

Never a dull moment at my house – LOL!