Saying Goodbye to My LuLu

It breaks my heart to share this news.  On June 15th we had to let our LuLu go.  I loved her to sleep with kisses and hugs and sweet talk as she lay on the quilt in the back of our SUV with a cool breeze coming through the open hatch.  It was very peaceful.  I saved the tears for after.

I never expected to say goodbye so soon.  She was 11 years old.  A cancer diagnosis in May, gone in June.  I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write this post, but each stage of letting LuLu go just reopens the wound in my heart.

The picture above was taken May 28 this year.  She spent a lot of time with that azalea bush over the years.

I brought her home in November 2012.  The picture below looks like a studio portrait, but it's not.  She was always the prettiest little girl.

Just over a year old, a beauty:

On the river in 2015, living the good life in Golden Retriever terms:

LuLu suffered an embolism in 2021 and was left with a weak leg, but she didn't let it get her down.  She borrowed my grippy socks until hers arrived from Chewy.

It wasn't long before she was running on the bay again with her buddy, Wally.

Christmas 2022.  That's LuLu with her nose sniffing for presents.

Always the helper -- January 2023:

Still playing with sticks just last month.  How quickly things change:

I made a thank you card for LuLu's vet.  Very clean and simple.  It was the most difficult card I have ever made.

I'll miss LuLu forever.

Wally is 14 years old and still with us.  He has good days and bad days.  Sometimes it appears he might be looking for LuLu, but I'm not sure.  He's still happy.  We'll love him while we can.

Thank you for being here.

Double D Challenge: Color Challenge

 

Hi all!  A new Double D Challenge is up and ready for you to play along.  It's a color challenge this time and I absolutely LOVE the board Darlene has provided for inspiration.  These fruity drinks look refreshing, delicious, and beautiful:

I went with the red and white so I could use my new-to-me Strawberries die set by Elizabeth Craft.  I went on a search for this die set after seeing Darlene's card here.  I guess I was in a shopping frame of mind and Darlene's pretty CAS card pushed all the right buttons.  The die set appears to be retired, but I found it on Amazon.  It can't matter whether I'm using old or new if I love it.

Dies are cut from watercolor paper and colored with Tombow markers.  Where applicable I used just the side of the marker so the debossed areas would stay white.  Then I added a touch of yellow to the berry seeds.

Basketweave embossing in the background, puffy ladybug stickers, Cottage Cutz sentiment dies.  Each word is a separate die set with shadow.  As you can see, I used one with and one without the shadow.  I made the frame by nesting and layering Spellbinders square dies -- one red frame edges the 5" card, the white frame is layered over that.  The whole card was way fun to make!

Here's the prize for a lucky random winner:

The team votes on creative winners.

Come see us at Double D.  The team cards are amazing and now I'm looking forward to seeing yours.

I will also share my card at Darnell's NBUS Challenge #51 because the strawberries and sentiment dies are a first time use.

Thank you for visiting!

Paper:  Arches 140 lb hot press watercolor, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar white 80 lb & 110 lb, SU Poppy Parade  Coloring:  Tombow markers  Dies:  Elizabeth Craft Strawberries, Cottage Cutz, Sweet w/Shadow and Wishes w/Shadow, Spellbinders square dies  Other:  Darice Basketweave embossing folder, puffy ladybug stickers (older from Joanne's)

Happy Finches

Hello again!  Back with a little garden scene made from a mix of products -- some used for the first time, some old favorites.  My friend asked me to make a card for her grandson's outdoor wedding.  I know this is not the typical wedding card, but she specifically asked that it be nature themed and somewhat rustic.  She loved it.

I should probably wear my strongest glasses and look through a super magnifying glass before I call anything done because the poor little birds appear to have been wallowing in the dirt.  I didn't notice that at all until I saw the photo, tsk tsk.  My friend apparently didn't notice either.  They are Penny Black Finches, sitting on a fence made from wood grain cardstock cut with the outline of the PB Happy Edger die, then scored every half inch and inked up to make it look more like a fence.  The big "happy" comes with the Happy Edger die.

Got to have some grass and overhanging branches in the garden, set against a sky of 49 & Market designer paper.  I used limited colors to avoid busyness.  The rhinestones in the same color add a bit of blingy shine without going over the top.

Coloring is a mix of inks and Tombow markers.  I added a stamped sentiment from the Penny Black Happy Builder set, then framed the works on a 5 1/4" card base.

I will play along in two challenges today:

The Four Seasons Challenge:  June, anything goes summer
NBUS Challenge #51.  My Penny Black dies and stamped sentiment are used for the first time.

 

Thank you!

Stamps:  Penny Black Happy Builder  Paper:  Arches 140 lb hot press watercolor, 111 lb wood grain cardstock, tan Bazzill, 49 & Market Sky mini collection designer paper  Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa and Toffee Crunch, SU Blue Bayou & Wild Wasabi, Tombow markers  Dies:  Penny Black Happy Edger, Penny Black Finches, Poppystamps Leaf Sprig Border, Impression Obsession Grass, Spellbinders squares and rectangle  Other:  Kaiser Rhinestones

Cardinal

Hi everyone!  Life has been a little heavy handed lately, but I've enjoyed making cards when time allows.  Today I have a Christmas card which was inspired by the previous Peace on Earth challenge.  It was made in plenty of time but I just couldn't get it photographed and up on the blog.  I'm here now, though, and will share in the current POE challenge.  There is no resemblance to the inspiration board, but it's not required, thank goodness.  I'm grateful for any encouragement to get my Christmas cards done!

I do think the cardinal with leafy flourish is the prettiest thing!  It's one of my recently acquired Cottage Cutz dies -- retired and a bargain basement price.  I cannot resist the occasional shopping spree at The Scrapping Cottage.  It was cut from watercolor paper and colored with Tombow markers.  The Wispy Pine Needle Corner is an older Poppystamps die which I use a lot.  Cut from green cardstock and stippled with full strength white acrylic paint.  I use the bottled acrylic paint, the kind you can pour.

There's a wood grain theme throughout.  The ovals are some of my oldest Spellbinders dies, from back when they did mostly basic shapes.  Typical old meets new or in this case new-ish.  My nature and bird loving heart was happy when this card was finished.

I'll link to the Peace on Earth Challenge and Darnell's NBUS Challenge #51.  My Cardinal w/Flourish is a first time use.

 

Wishing you a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Lawn Fawn Winter Wavy Sayings  Paper:  Arches 140 lb hot press watercolor, 111 lb white woodgrain cardstock, black Bazzill, SU Garden Green for pine corners, Craft Consortium Wood Textures designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Coloring:  Tombow markers  Dies:  Cottage Cutz Cardinal w/Flourish, Spellbinders Classic and Big Scalloped Ovals, Poppystamps Wispy Pine Needle Corner, Lawn Cuts Fancy Wavy Banners  Other:  2 mm red pearls, white acrylic paint, Scotch brand foam mounting tape to pop up sentiment banner

Double D Challenge: Lemonade

 

It's Double D time again, friends, and that means there's a mood board to inspire you to make something amazing!  Today Diane is asking for lemons or yellow as focus.  She has created a board that speaks to my yellow-loving heart.

I was feeling fruity so I went with the lemons.  I pulled out my Pinkfresh Lemons and Blueberries stamp set, thinking I was going to leave the dies alone this time and simply color.  As it happens there was one lone piece already colored and die cut.  I also had a long skinny white panel already embossed and set aside.  So I made a midi-slimline.

The tree came to mind as a whimsical way to frame this die cut lemon cluster.  It doesn't have to actually look like a lemon tree.  After all, this 2013 Memory Box die is called Tree of Wonder.  While we're talking oldies I'll mention the SU Word Window Punch which I've recently decided is useful and wonderful again.  I nested it on its companion punch, the name of which I cannot recall.

Something newer to me is the Spellbinders Seamless Floral embossing folder.  It's a pretty thing, but this piece was almost a throw away as it took a minute for me and the folder to get acquainted.

As always we'll have creative winners and a random prize winner.  The prize is so darn cute:

If you haven't already been there I highly recommend a visit to the Double D blog to see the team's samples.  They're pretty fabulous.

Take care and maybe I'll see you in the gallery!

Stamps:  Pinkfresh Lemons and Blueberries with matching dies  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb & 110 lb, Memory Box Parsley cardstock, CTMH Sunkiss Yellow, Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb watercolor  Ink:  Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Tombow markers  Other:  Memory Box Tree of Wonder die (2013), Spellbinders Seamless Floral Background embossing folder, SU punches for sentiment, gold pearls, Ranger Princess Gold embossing powder

Balloons and Candles

Hello friends!  One more card this week as I play along in the AAA Birthday Challenge #49 which is asking for balloons.  I thought AAA was only CAS.  I didn't realize they have a sister challenge just for birthdays, and any style card is welcome.  Not only that, but it's a month-long challenge.  My favorite kind, slow stamper that I am.  Apparently I was under my rock again, tsk tsk.

Now is the time to bring out my most recently received embossing folder from the Spellbinders 2D embossing folder club.  I'm a little behind on all my embossing folders from various makers, but catching up as I have more cards with other folders waiting in the wings.  I like this folder more than I thought I would.  I mean, it's kind of just right for a birthday celebration.  Some cake would be nice, I suppose, but today it's just balloons.

The balloons are my one and only set of balloon dies.  They're cut from low sparkle glitter paper.  Strings are colored with a light gray Copic to make them more noticeable against the white.  I left space at the top of my midi-slimline card (6 3/4" x 3 3/4") so I could blend inks to somewhat suggest the glow of the candles.  The card base is white shimmer paper, the other white is Neenah 80#.  The black sentiment is shimmered with Wink of Stella.  Stickles glitter glue on the candles.

The balloons are layered once.  The sentiment is three layers to make it pleasantly chunky.  Star sequins enhance the party atmosphere.

It seems like a lot of talk to explain a relatively simple card.

AAA Birthday:  Game #49 -- Balloons
Also NBUS Challenge #50 -- First time use of the candles embossing folder.

 

Thank you!  Till next week... wishing you a wonderful life!

Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, white shimmer cardstock, black, assorted glitter cardstock  Ink:  SU Summer Sun and Tangerine Tango  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Paper Smooches Happy Birthday, Impression Obsession Balloons  Other:  Spellbinders Candles for Every Birthday embossing folder, Queen & Co sequins, Wink of Stella, Stickles Stardust glitter glue

Magnolia Branch with Bird

Hello, friends!  The Triple B Challenge -- birds, blooms, or butterflies (or all three) -- inspired me to stop sitting on my Memory Box Curved Magnolia Branch and put it on a card.   It's another mix of old and new.  I do have some new bird dies, but today I used an older well-loved bird which I thought fit nicely with the branch.  I backed it up with some die cut wood grain and added a new-to-me Cottage Cutz sentiment.

I lightly stamped the retired SU French Script background on the card base, and SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds splatter stamp on the bird and sentiment.  All dies were cut from watercolor paper, loosely colored with Tombow markers, and then spritzed with water from a spray bottle.  It's a quick process and I rather like the way it blends the inks.  The dies are all layered to give dimension without being too bulky to mail in an envelope.  This is a one-postage-stamp card.

Finished with white acrylic paint splatters just because I like the way it looks.

I think that covers it.  I'm sticking to one challenge at a time, plus the NBUS challenge if applicable.  My head is too full of Life Things these days to try to keep track of more.

Triple B Challenge -- Birds, Blooms, and Butterflies
NBUS Challenge #50.  Never before used schtuff  -- Memory Box Curved Magnolia Branch, and Cottage Cutz Hello w/Shadow

I love spending mornings in my happy place and it's even better when my friends (you!) come to visit.  Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  SU French Script Background on card base, SU Itty Bitty Background splatter stamp on bird and sentiment  Paper:  Arches 140 lb hot press watercolor, grocer's kraft, SU Old Olive  Ink:  Memento Toffee Crunch and Rich Cocoa, SU Rose Red for splatter stamp on sentiment  Coloring:  Tombow markers spritzed with water after coloring, white acrylic paint for splatters  Dies:  Memory Box Curved Magnolia Branch, Memory Box Finnegan Fronds bird, Memory Box Wood Grain Planks, Cottage Cutz Hello w/Shadow

Playing Cards with Michele

Oh, what fun, my bloggie friend, Michele (I Card Everyone), invited me to play cards with her today!  That means she gives us a to-do list and we each make a card following those specifics.  Then share on the assigned day.  It's the next best thing to being there!

Today is World Bee Day and here's our to-do list:

1. Make a card that includes a honeybee.
2. Flowers are welcome, but not necessary.
3. Add a honeycomb, the color yellow, or black and yellow stripes.

I had just the thing:  A never-been-used Stampendous Bumblebee Happy stamp set.  Yes, they're bumblebees, but I did my best to make them appear as simply very plump honeybees.

They're well fed and a fully stocked honeycomb is evidence of that.  Surely they're not getting all their sustenance from those little white flowers?

All coloring was done with Copics.  I added Wink of Stella to their wings, and Stickles Stardust glitter glue to the flower centers.  Maybe you can see how their eyes are glossy little bubbles.  That's from an approximately 20 year old bottle of JudiKins Diamond Glaze.  The dies are oldies -- a flower border plus flowers from another die set which is super cute in its own right.

You probably know Michele -- sweet, funny, kind, and a talented card maker with a lean toward CAS.  I've been waiting quite a while to see her card.  I'm sure it's a sweet make, a honey of a card, a bee-u-tiful design...  Let's go look HERE.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by.  I hope you had fun, too!

Stamps:  Stampendous Bumblebee Happy  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, black, Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Stickles Stardust Glitter Glue, Wink of Stella, JudiKins Diamond Glaze, Joy Crafts Happy Border die, Spellbinders Homespun (flower & leaves)