Happy Birthday, Twins! Muffy and Brody

Happy birthday twinsIt always amazes me how quickly time flies.  It’s seems like just yesterday, my family was welcoming not one, but two little bundles of joy into the house.  After the death of Missy the Boxer, we had decided our house was just too quiet without the pitter-patter of puppy paws, so the search began for another Boxer to share our love.

I will never forget when Muffy was delivered to our house.  Once her breeder sat her down, she ran straight to me, and never looked back.  That is the way it is today.  She never leaves my side.  She shared my bed and my pillow from her first night here – and she still does.

Brody arrived the very next day.  He was the last of the litter to find a home, and their breeder, seeing how Muffy immediately bonded with me, offered to sell him at a reduced price.  Soft-hearted me could not bear the thought of the two being separated, so like I fool I agreed to buying him.  I will never forget my husband’s horrified response when I told him at supper that evening that another puppy would be arriving the next day.  “What were you thinking?” he asked.  Well, clearly I wasn’t.  But what a great name!  And Cimarron’s What Were You Thinking came to his forever home the next day.

Happy birthday twins

Yes, time does have a way of flying over us, leaving within our hearts memories of days which have past, and leaving us with a yearning for more.  We’ll spend the day letting the Twins do all of those things they love.  There will be baths, and they will tussle over who gets in the tub first.  There will be a walk around the block, and while Brody will be a goofball, Muffy will be all business.   There will be a trip to the pet store to pick out a special toy and a treat.  And all the while, I will be wondering if this will be the last time the Twins will celebrate their birthday together.

We have switched Brody to a raw diet, and I have added herbal supplements to his regimen. He is tolerating his medicines well, and other than having blood in his urine, is feeling fine.  He plays.  He eats.  He drinks. He snuggles. He is my clock, letting me know when it’s time to get up and when it is time to feed the pack.  In fact, he is doing so much better than me.

But for now, we will celebrate.  Happy birthday, Twins! August 9, 2010. 8 – 9 -10.  Until next time…

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The Stamp Review Crew: This Little Piggy Edition

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It’s time for another round of inspiration from The Stamp Review Crew. If this is your very first visit to one of our hops, we are a group of international Stampin’ Up! demonstrators whose mission is to do a blog hop on the first and third Mondays of each month. Our hops are unique because each of us features the same stamp set used in a variety of ways. This week we are featuring the This Little Piggy stamp set. I am Stop #2 on the hop. You may have just left Stop #1, the talented Rochelle Block! After visiting me, you will continue to Stop #3, the amazing Natalie Lapakko. Enjoy today’s hop!

This Little Piggy

This Little Piggy

Colors of the Day

Using this set in a new and unique way was a challenge for me.  I put on my creative thinking cap, and came up with a way to use all three pig images – and a story behind the card.

Once upon a time, there was an adorable little Blushing Bride piggy named Lucy,  who carried a beautiful Sweet Sugarplum Glitter Acrylic flower in her well-manicured piggy hoof.  The day was warm, with only a few Embossing Paste clouds floating in the Soft SkyWink of Stella glistened on her little pork bottom as she traveled down the dusty Crumb Cake road on her way to the abbey.  “If only I could fly, I could get there quickly”,  thought Lucy.  “But sadly, I have no wings.”

This Little Piggy

At that point, her Fairy Pigmother appeared.  “Lucy, why are you so sad?” she asked.

“Fairy Pigmother, the road is dusty and the way is long.  If only I could fly…”

“Lucy, you have the power within you to achieve great things.  All you need to do is believe in yourself.  Have faith, Lucy.”

At that point, two little wing buds sprouted from Lucy’s pork shoulders, and she began to take flight.

This Little Piggy

She floated effortlessly above the Pear Pizzazz meadow into the Soft Sky.  By the time she reached the Embossing Paste clouds, she was sporting two full glorious Wink of Stella wings, and a beautiful diamond on her pork butt.

This Little Piggy

The moral of the story:  She believed she could, so she did.

This Little Piggy

But wait, there’s another twist to the tale of our porcine friend. As fate would have it – on the day our little piggy took flight, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were walking down that same dusty Abbey Road.  Yep – you guessed right. She was the inspiration behind the song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”.  And there you have the rest of the story…

This Little Piggy

I hope you enjoyed today’s card made with the This Little Piggy set.  Won’t you let me know in your  comment today?  Of course, if you ever have a question about the cards I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away.  Now hop along to Stop #3, Natalie Lapakko, to see what she has in store for you!  If you get lost along the way, you can find a list of all the hoppers at The Stamp Review Crew Until next time…

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On the CASE: The CASE of the Beautiful Bouquet

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Welcome back to On the CASE with Ann & Nicole, an endeavor undertaken with my friend and stamping buddy, Nicole Watt of Pixel Maven’s Retreat.  In “case” you missed our maiden post, here is the scoop: Twice a month, on the first and third Wednesdays, we will be CASE-ing a card from one of Stampin’ Up!’s current catalogs. CASE means to Copy and Share with Everyone, and that is exactly what we will be doing. We hope you enjoy the cards we CASE and the free step-by-step tutorials! Let’s get on to today’s CASE!

Beautiful Bouquet
Page 93 – Annual Catalog 2017 – 2018

OTC Beautiful Bouquet

With its bright and cheerful colors, as well as an abundance of white, this card created with the Beautiful Bouquet bundle immediately caught my eye. I loved the flirty, feminine touches, such as the delicate doily, the linen thread bow, and the sparkly enamel dots.

OTC Beautiful Bouquet

I stayed stay true to the catalog version.  With all of the wonderful details, there was no need to step it up.  I hope enjoy today’s card!

Colors of the Day
Stamps and Paper and Inks … Oh, My!

Stamps:  Beautiful Bouquet
Paper: Whisper White Thick Cardstock (4-1/4″ x 11″),  Whisper White Cardstock (2-3/8″ x  2-3/8″, scraps),  Pear Pizzazz Cardstock (4-1/2″ x 2-1/2″), Pool Party Cardstock (3-1/4″ x 3-1/4″)
Inks:  Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight, Soft Sky
Other: Big Shot, Bouquet Bunch Framelits, Layering Squares Framelits, Polka Dots Basic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Magnetic Platform, Precision Base Plate, Big Shot Die Brush, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Glitter Enamel Dots, Delicate White Doilies

On the CASE Notes
Your Step-by-Step Guide

1. Score the Whisper White Thick cardstock at 5-1/2″ to form the card base.

2.  Run the front of it through the Big Shot with the Polka Dot Basics Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

3.  Use the 3″ (outer dimension) Scalloped Layering Square framelit to create the Pool Party panel. Layer a 2-3/8″ x  2-3/8″ piece of Whisper White cardstock on top of the Pool Party. This can be created with the 2-5/8″ (outer dimension) Layering Square framelit. Cut a pie-shaped wedge from the Delicate Doily, and adhere to the back.

4.  Ink the small flower image in Daffodil Delight, and stamp onto the white panel.  Ink the sentiment in Crumb Cake and stamp into the lower left corner.  Adhere to the card base with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

OTC Beautiful Bouquet

5.  Create the stems from Pear Pizzazz cardstock and the stems framelit.  Here’s a Tip: Use the Precision Plate and the Die Brush, and this greenery will “pop” right out of the die.

OTC Beautiful Bouquet

6.  Stamp the Wrapper in Crumb Cake and cut out using the framelit.

OTC Beautiful Bouquet

7.  Ink the various flower images in the colors indicated and cut out using the appropriate framelits.

OTC Beautiful Bouquet

Soft Sky and Daffodil Delight

OTC Beautiful Bouquet

Daffodil Delight Blossom with Calypso Coral center

OTC Beautiful Bouquet

Soft Sky/Bermuda Bay center; Bermuda Bay

OTC Beautiful Bouquet

Calypso Coral

OTC Beautiful Bouquet

Daffodil Delight

7.  Die cute the Whisper White fronds.

OTC Beautiful Bouquet

Whisper White

7.  Arrange the flowers as shown, using Glue Dots and Stampin’ Dimensionals. Tie a Linen Thread bow around the wrapper and adhere to the bouquet.  Adhere the centers to the Bermuda Bay flowers.  Embellish with Glitter Enamel Dots.

OTC Beautiful Bouquet

8.  Enjoy!

 

How Hard Was It to Crack this CASE?

The techniques involved in making today’s card are not difficult at all. I would definitely recommend using the Magnetic Platform in order to hold the framelits in position over the stamped images when you cut them.  Difficulty Level:  3 out of  5, simply because it does take time die cutting all of the flowers.

#SUontheCASE

Nicole and I hope our projects today inspire you to try CASE-ing the catalog too! We’ll be “on the case”, looking for the hashtag #SUontheCASE on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ & Pinterest).  If we find one of your projects, we’ll share it, like it, repost it – we’ll do it all!

Now head on over to Nicole, the Pixel Maven, to see the CASE file she has been working on. You will love it! And remember, if you have any questions about the cards I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away. Until next time – CASE away!

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Would you like to check out the most recent Cold CASE File?  Click HERE

Ready to get On this CASE?  If you would like to try your hand at creating today’s card,  the supply list is located below.  Clicking on a product takes you right to my store.

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  • Add the above monthly Host Code to your  online product orders of $50 or more (before tax and shipping) and receive a card tutorial.
  • Add the above monthly Host Code to your online orders of $75 or more, before tax and shipping, and earn the tutorial and a special gift from me.  This month’s gift will be a special surprise from the Holiday Catalog…to be announced later.

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Price: $110.00