Handmade Monday 174

Welcome to Handmade Monday!

This week the latest Craftseller magazine arrived.  Inside are a couple of my cards, using Craftseller's free papers

and my music paper cones with heart shaped confetti - this is a quick make for their 30-minute make section

The vintage sheet music is a free download from The Graphics Fairy.

Quentin News

Guide Dog puppy Quentin is growing at an alarming rate - I realised how big he was when we went to puppy classes this week.  At five months, he is already bigger than a six-month-old pup (another labrador) who was there too.  And his paws were twice the size of the other puppy's.

Big paws and cute puppy dog eyes!

I mentioned a few weeks ago how he sat down at the start of any walk that started at our front door (as opposed to going out in the car).  I remedied that by adding in some exciting detours - the woods and a field where he can free run.  Now he doesn't sit down at the beginning of walks...but he does sit down now if we don't take the turning to the field or cross the road at the right place for the woods!!

Quentin's paw in my hand!

I'm now varying the routes as much as possible, so he realises there are different routes to the same place - but also that he realises I'm in charge and not him!  There are many more learning curves for him than I had imagined!  I'm told that pups who show initiative make better guide dogs than those who are more placid, so perhaps it's not such a bad sign, although I can't help imagining a blind person hoping to go to the corner shop for a pint of milk and Quentin taking him or her to the park for a run!

He is still jumping up when he's very excited but that is lessening and now he doesn't jump up every time there's a visitor or when he gets petted when he's out - which is a great improvement and a bit of a relief!

It's time for handing over to you for Handmade Monday now.  Enjoy meandering through the links!

An InLinkz Link-up

Handmade Monday 165

Welcome to another Handmade Monday!  I don't know about you, but time seems to be speeding by at an alarming rate - these weeks come by far too quickly!  Magazine projects and deadlines seem to make time go even more quickly, as I'm always looking ahead.  I think we need a pause button sometimes - anyone else feel that?

But (maybe at least getting a sense of slowing down slightly) I'm loving the vintage feel on my latest card making project for Craftseller magazine..

These cards utilise the free papers that Craftseller will be giving away with issue 38, but I also got to use a free download from The Graphics Fairy in the form of a French postcard back - which I just love.

And as I was speaking of magazine projects, vintage and looking ahead...this is part of the latest projects, too:

Quentin news
Guide dog puppy Quentin is still doing well.  He's pretty good now at sitting on my left hand side, responds really well to come, sit, wait and (to a lesser degree) down and is starting to learn the command stand (from a sitting position).

I have my eye on that treat in your hand...

 I think he's getting better on the lead, although there are times he doesn't seem to quite understand that walks are for walking, not for sitting, lying down or chewing his lead (or my legs, which clearly seem tempting at times!).

Yes, I'm gorgeous!

He likes people very much.  Too much, probably, because he pulls to go towards people whenever he's out - he does have to learn that he can't get attention from everyone he meets!  It's hard, because most people want to stroke him and he just wants to be stroked.

Lying down for a treat - I like that idea!

Over to you now...how has your week been? What have you been making?

An InLinkz Link-up