It’s Freshly Made Sketches challenge day!  This week the talented Jen Mitchell has a fabulous sketch for us.  Since I was itching to use some of my new catalog products, I reached for the World Treasures stamp set and a pattern from the International Bazaar Designer Series Paper Collection.  Be prepared to use your paper snips for this card! 

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips
This finished card is 4-1/4″ tall by 5-1/2″ long.

• Giving credit where credit is due! I realized after the card was completed and uploaded on the Design Team page that this peacock is almost exactly like the one in the Stampin’ Up! catalog.  I had looked at the catalog for color inspiration, and must have subconsciously filed this sequence away in my memory.  So thank you, Stampin’ Up! artists, for designing this beautiful peacock!   

• Framelit Fun! Don’t you love how this sentiment fits into one of the Apothecary Accents Framelits! And it is so easy to custom ink any sentiment with Stampin’ Write Markers.  In this case Chocolate Chip and Lucky Limeade do the trick!  Coordinating the colors of the sentiment with the International Bazaar Designer Series Paper banner and with the card base, pulls the card together.

• Repeat the Motif! Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, especially when found on the new Argyle Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  We see the diamond motif  repeated  on the peacock,  in the Designer Series Paper, and even in the tail of the banner…adding a cohesive and unifying element!

Brody’s second bump was removed Monday.  I am happy to report that it was a cyst.  He was extremely groggy afterwards, but Dr. Rita felt he would be better with his family.  So he spent the evening soundly sleeping within the safety of his crate.

Who could resist this precious face?  But don’t let looks fool you…she can be quite sassy! Tuesday was her birthday, and she turned 8 weeks old!


I hope you enjoyed today’s card.  Won’t you let me know in today’s comment? And if you ever have a question about the cards I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away.  Until next time…

It’s Sunday and time to play with The Paper Players.  This week the lovely Lesley is treating us to a trio of delightful colors:  Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeade, Basic Gray.  I felt this challenge would be perfect for the new Quint-Essential stamp! At only $8.95, this is one stamp which should be in everyone’s collection!  Today’s card is easy and versatile! Just change out the Sweet Essentials sentiment, and you are ready to send this card out for a variety of occasions. 

The finished card measure 5-1/2″ wide by 4-1/4″ long.

• Fabulous in Five! The Quint-Essential Flower stamp is custom made for layering! I used the following inks and punches for the five layers:  Basic Gray (2-3/8″ Scalloped Circle Punch), Melon Mambo (1-3/4″ Scalloped Circle Punch), Lucky Limeade (1″ Circle Punch), Basic Gray (3/4″ Circle Punch),  Melon Mambo (1/2″ Circle Punch).

• Accent on the Sentiment!  A small Lucky Limeade butterfly, from Papillon Potpourri, sits atop a Melon Mambo butterfly, punched with the new Elegant Butterfly Punch.  The “Thinking of You” sentiment is from the fabulous Sweet Essentials sentiment set.

• A Touch of Texture!  A single snippet of 1/4″ Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon looks classy racing across a strip of Twitterpated Designer Series Paper.  The Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder imparts even more texture, and complements the Basic Pearls.

I hope you enjoyed today’s card. Quintessential Flower is one of my favorite stamps from the new catalog.  How about you…do you have a favorite set from the new catalog?  Won’t you let me know in today’s comment?  Your comments are important to me, and I do read each and every one!  And speaking of comments…thank you for all of wonderful comments about Lexi and all of the supportive comments about Brody.  I will let all of you know the results of tomorrow’s surgery.  Of course, if you have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away.  Until next time…

Lexi is all wiggly-squiggly with delight.

Stamp Set:  Quint-Essential Flower (126790), Papillon Potpourri (W 123757, C 123759), Sweet Essentials (W 126455, C 126457);  Inks:  Basic Gray (126981), Melon Mambo (126948), Lucky Limeade (126984); Designer Series Paper:  Twitterpated (124506), Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stack (117157);  Card Stock: Basic Gray (121044), Melon Mambo (115320), Whisper White (100730); Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (117335);  Punches:  2-3/8″ Scalloped Circle (118874), 1-3/4″ Scalloped Circle (119854), 1″ Circle (119868), 3/4″ Circle (119873),  1/2″ Circle (119869), Elegant Butterfly (127526); Glitz and Glam:  Basic Pearls (119247), Basic Gray 1/4″ Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (126879)

Burlwood’s Unlike Any Other  (“Lexi Lou”)

Sometimes when one door closes, another one opens…and so it is with little Lexi.  Last August, I asked a Boxer breeder acquaintance if she would help me select my next show dog when the time came, knowing that it would be several years down the road.  Although I did not know her well at the time, I summoned up my courage to ask for her help.  She gladly agreed. You can imagine my surprise when she contacted me a few weeks later to see if I would like to have a puppy from an upcoming litter she was going to have in April 2012. She was going to entrust me with a baby girl sired by her multiple best in show winning international champion.  

Int. Ch. Burlwood’s Drive ‘Em Wild Dreamweaver

When asked why she would select us for such a little treasure, she said she was impressed with the Twins…that they were in beautiful condition and so very loving.  She said she could tell that we were the type of family she wanted for her puppies’ forever homes.

Lexi napping in her crate

Kim and I discussed it, and we knew that we could not let this opportunity pass us by, even though we would have three dogs on the show circuit.  And then it happened…Brody’s cancer.  Despite the fact that the vets removed it all, we have made the extremely difficult decision to retire him from the show ring.  Brody will never be an AKC champion, but that will not lessen the fact that he is a beautiful, beautiful boy and that we love him dearly.

Lexi with her favorite big sister, Muffy Lin

Sleeping with her big brother, Brody

And so the fun begins…again! Welcome to our world, Lexi Lou!   Until next time…