Howdy!  I trust all is well is scrapland.  I could complain, but, WTF!?!  It doesn’t do any good.  LOL  (My mother used to say that, well, something like that.)  It dawned on me that whatever ‘mood’ I am in, it seems to spread to the grandchildren and my daughter, who live here, too.  I get taken back, often, by the bad moods of the children, especially, after a long day.  If I keep a smile on my face, though, and try to only speak of good things, it does help.  My little grandson, who will be 8 on Saturday, has an attitude – a lot!  I can change it, usually, though, with a little bit of laughter and smiles.  What they say about smiles being infectious is true!  He can have a pout going on, with his bottom lip protruding out so far he could trip over it.  He’ll be whiny or grumpy.  I can just look at him with a smile and, before he can resist, he is all smiles.  I always tell him, “this will pass, it always does.”  And, it does.  Believe it, or not, after years in psychotherapy, I came to the conclusion that most every situation will pass.  I can get in a major funk, as that is my on-going problem, and, eventually, it passes.   Having learned this, I can get through things better than before, as it feels like there is hope.  Experience has taught me, if I don’t like the mood I’m in, hold on a little while – it will pass/change.  It is my small comfort, but, one that keeps me sane.  Really!

Okay.  In my news, I decided to join in with the other designers at Gothic Inspirations, for their infamous monthly Blog Trains.  My friend, Miss Edna, from Miss Edna’s Place blog, has been involved in it for a while and told me about it.  I thought I would try.  So, starting in September, I will be a part of this monthly treat.  We’ll see.  I hope I can live up to the wonderful standard the designer have set for this event.  It will be an huge learning experience for me.  That will be fun!  I’ve placed one of Jessica’s banners at the top of my page.  Have a look-see at all of the GI blogs.  Jessica is an amazing designer.  So are the others who have participated in these blog trains, bringing the fame and notoriety the name has so well deserved.

Next, I’ve mentioned the Magickal Scraps site that was hacked and closed a few months back.  Snowy, the owner/designer, has decided to let that site go.  She is going through a marvelous time in her life, of late, and has other interests and obligations.  Though she is growing in so many fantastic ways, time for designing is at a minimum. for her.  She’s already shown the world, and herself, that she is a top-notch designer.  It was Snowy and her designs that drew me to her site in the first place.  I love the Gothic look and the ‘nature-based’ spirituality of certain beliefs.  She gave me my first gig as a designer, letting me join in on a few events with my own contributions.  She, and the others at that place, were wonderful!  They’ve been so supportive.  More than that, though, they’ve been friends.

So, with the future of that site not looking very good, we all put our heads together and came up with the decision to start a new place, a website of our own, so to speak.  Snowy will still be a part of the team, but, she needs some personal time.  She’ll be an occasional contributor still.  The rest of the team, and I, have started with a new forum, which is still in the organization stage.  Much of the same content will be switched over from the old site to the new.  The “Daily Downloads” that we do each month will be switched over on September 1, 2010.  We’re getting the word out, now.

As a special event, a ‘grand opening’ if you will, the ladies are planning a treat for everyone!  Still in the planning stages, we are going to offer a very nice surprise to all of our followers and, hopefully, some new members.  You are more than welcome to pay the site a visit, now, if you like.  For the time being, we’re still using the Magickal Scraps name.  Later, if we so desire, we can make any changes.  Names, places and all are not what is important.  What is is the designs and the challenges and all the loverly things that make a community.  Our little community has remained strong as ever throughout all of the store-hacking and such.  We’re still creating away!