How I Spent My National Dog Day

You knew I couldn't stop at one, didn't you?  What better way to celebrate National Dog Day (Aug. 26) than to give Sophie a little brother?  Say hello to Ridley!

Rich came up with the name, by the way.  This is the guy who said a second dog was all my thing and he really had no input, yet it turns out he laid awake at night thinking of names.

Ridley is already 16 weeks old, one of the last two left behind from a litter of nine.  The others must have been really something because to my eyes Ridley is perfect.  He has the sweetest, most gentle way about him.  His color will darken as he matures, and he'll fluff out a bit, but never as much as Sophie.  He's what Rich and I call the Field and Stream model.

Frankly, I never expected Sophie to be as big and fluffy as she is.  She's a whole lot of lady and can be quite boisterous and sometimes oddly grumpy, but she seems to have taken quite happily to her role of big sister.  I think they'll be good for each other.

Ridley was raised to this point outside in a pen, not in a mean, heartless way, but in the way that some would raise a working class dog.  Earlier siblings have gone on to be avalanche rescue heroes or fine hunters.  He had never been walked on a leash, or house trained, or socialized outside the family.  His home was rural, and there were no kids or grandkids.

Well, never mind all that because we've found him to be affectionate and at ease with every human and dog he meets, and he's met quite a few in the four days he's been with us.  He's okay with the leash, but nervous about the street.  Best of all -- he had one pee accident in the house and that was the end of it.  He practically house trained himself!

I tried and tried to find a suitable rescue dog.  It didn't have to be a Golden Retriever, but it needed to be a friendly, intelligent dog, preferably not a puppy, but young enough to handle Sophie's exuberance.  I'd hoped for a medium-size mixed breed, but a daily search was fruitless.  Then I saw Ridley and his brother in a local shopper ad... the rest is history in the making.

What a pair they're going to be, and what a good life they'll have together!

It's Labor Day weekend and our son is coming to visit.  He's crazy about Sophie and couldn't wait to meet Ridley.

I'll be back with cards very soon as I have some scheduled posts.  You know how I am with the camera, so I'll be back with more pics of the kids soon, too.

Have a good day!

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Sweet Thoughts

Hello!  I made a card just because I had an urge to color something and I have a few not-yet-used Pinkfresh stamps that need attention.  I was able to finish this in a mere week.  I know!  It's been crazy busy here lately.

One stamp and one die does the whole works at once.   This is just part of it.  I colored with Copics and added Diamond Stickles to the flower centers.  Some of the flower parts are popped up, some glued flat.  The heart was punched from gingham cardstock and coated with JudiKins Diamond Glaze.

If I'm slow to visit your blog, please bear with me.  Maybe I'll have a chance to visit and share again soon.  There are reasons, and some of them are good.

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Today I'm sending my card along to Darnell's NBUS Challenge -- My never before used schtuff is the Pinkfresh Berries and Blossoms stamp and die. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps:  Pinkfresh Berries & Blossoms, Power Poppy sentiment (retired)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, PTI Aqua Mist, Echo Park Agenda designer paper (older)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Spellbinders Essential Arches, Scored and Pierced Rectangles  Other:  Heart punch, JudiKins Diamond Glaze. Stickles Diamond glitter glue, Memory Box Fairy Jewels, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Double D Challenge: Butterflies

Is there a soul among us who doesn't love the sight of a beautiful butterfly?  That's our challenge at Double D this time around.  Have a look at our gorgeous inspiration board:

So many colors to delight the eye!

The DDs offer a prize for a random winner, and the team votes on creative favorites.

I played off the blue and pink in the upper left corner of the board.  My butterfly is an oldie by Impression Obsession.  The die cuts the open scroll, but I managed to keep the inner parts together long enough to secure a solid background.  It's cut from shimmery paper and brushed with inks.

What better place to alight than a rose garden?  It's Tim Holtz Sizzix Roses 3D embossing folder, a gift from a dear local friend who knew I would love it.  I'm using it for the first time here, brushed with inks and a butterfly-appropriate sentiment stamped in the corner.

Do stop by the Double D blog to enjoy all the team's butterflies, and then show us yours!

Take care, and have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Lilac Time sentiment  Paper:  White shimmer CS for butterfly, Neenah 110 lb white for embossed panel and card base  Ink:  Stampin' Up Brilliant Blue, Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Mauve Mist, Memento Tuxedo Black  Other:  Impression Obsession Open Scroll Butterfly, Tim Holtz Sizzix Roses embossing folder, black gem

Guesting with Color Hues Challenge: Blue and Red

Hello crafty friends!  I'm having some fun today -- guesting with the Color Hues Challenge!  I was so pleased with the invitation and couldn't wait to get started.

As you can see, our colors for this challenge are blue and red, with neutrals welcome as well.  I can't help but think "nautical" when I see these colors, and I had the perfect guy for the theme.  I'm so glad to bring him out for his first play!

I joined the Spellbinders Small Die of the Month Club just so I could have the Shipmates set.  I definitely do not have a Walrus in my collection and I think he's so cute!  There's a seagull in the set, too.  Quite a deal I thought, and bigger than I expected.  He fills up the card quite nicely!  The anchor and sentiment are separate.  I fell back on my trusty (older) Mintay Marina paper for the background.

Check out the amazing samples by the Color Hues team, and then show us your blue and red.  It'll be fun!  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Stampendous Ocean Sayings  Paper:  Stampin' Up Brilliant Blue and Real Red, neutral color scraps, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb, Mintay Marina designer paper  Ink:  Real Red for sentiment, other matching for sponging  Dies:  Spellbinders Shipmates, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, KaiserCraft Anchors  Other:  Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Orange Sunshine

Hello friends!  I'd better get this last (for now) citrus card on the blog before I forget.  It's a single orange this time with a mix of dies from my stash.  Again with those improbably bright leaves courtesy of some very old Stampin' Up colors.

I pulled together a leafy background, scalloped border, and a very fun sentiment by Impression Obsession with sunrays from a Cottage Cutz set.  Lots of ink blending and some sparkle on the foreground dies splash against a very white background.

That's all for today.  I've got a lot of different things grabbing my time and attention right now, but you know I'll be back here again soon.  Can't stop those crafty hands!  I hope you all keep on crafting, too.

Group hug!

Stamps:  Impression Obsession Sending You Sunshine stamp & die combo for sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb  Ink:  Stampin' Up Gable Green, Green Galore, Summer Sun, Tangerine Tango  Coloring:  Ink blending with brushes  Dies:  Elizabeth Craft Fresh Fruit, Creative Expressions Leafy Frame, Impression Obsession Heart Scroll Valance, Cottage Cutz Hello Sunshine (sunrays only)  Other:  Diamond Stickles, Memory Box Fairy Jewels

Double D Challenge: Bee Happy

Hello and welcome to another Double D Challenge!  This one is all about the bees and bee-ing happy.  Have a look at our inspiration board:

And a prize for a random winner.  So cute!  Creative favorites are by team vote.

The idea is to use bees and/or the word "happy" on your card or project.  The concept automatically evokes happy thoughts of summertime, flowers, honey, warm colors -- so today I'm celebrating all of it with my card.

It's another opportunity to sit back and let the designer paper do most of the work.  Kinda sorta.  I started with a background of beautiful paper, added a decorative panel, and cut a trio of pieces from another page to place across the front.  It's a formula that always works and I could make a bunch and love them all.  Hmmm... maybe I will.  Heaven knows I've got plenty of designer paper!

Aren't those little die cut bees cute?  They're Memory Box Buzzing Bumblebees.  I was certain they'd be great for flower cards so I added them to my collection last summer and it only took me a year to get around to actually using them, sheesh.  Now I love them!  I made up a double batch so I'd be sure to use them again soonish.

The Double D team has all kinds of inspiration for you and I hope you'll play along.  I would love a gallery full of bee and/or happy cards!

Have a super day!

Stamps:  None except inside sentiment  Paper:  Cougar Natural for card base and bees, Memory Box Parsley, Paper Rose Bees & Butterflies designer paper  Coloring:  Copics for die cut bees  Other:  Impression Obsession Fancy Cut Out Border, Memory Box Buzzing Bumblebees, 49 and Market epoxy heart

Bird with Pansies

Hi, and welcome to a new month!  One more card for this week.  This is the Penny Black Perch set again and definitely the stamp that sold me the set.  I just love the sweet bird.  It looks like it's smiling.

It's colored with Tombow markers and blender on hot press watercolor paper.  Sometimes I just stamp a set's images, then color and cut out and think about the cards later.  That's the case here.  It seems there are more options (and more fun) with the card design when I'm working with a collection of homemade ephemera.  The same goes for dies.  Gee, I think I'll get started on a bagful today!

I used some of that JarThenaAMCS paper again, an Amazon find.  I especially love this piece.  You'd think they could make the name more appealing.  It's actually quite nice paper.

I'm moving over to the other side of the room now, where I have a few things on my table waiting for playtime.  I hope we can visit again real soon!

Stamps:  Penny Black Perch and Enchantingly (sentiment)  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb, designer paper from Amazon  Ink:  Ranger Archival Shadow Grey, Stampin' Up Mellow Moss  Coloring:  Tombow markers and homemade blender  Other:  Spellbinders Scallop Labels and Tag, Memory Box Fairy Jewels