(Yikes!  Imagine my surprise this morning when the “Muffy’s Puppy” blurb was missing from my post.  I had written two drafts of my post, and published the wrong one.  So…here is the scoop on “Muffy’s Puppy”!)

Muffy gave birth to a “puppy” Saturday.  She did not eat her breakfast, so I knew something was up.  Muffy always eats her breakfast…and then tries to eat Brody’s, too!  I really knew something was up when she started panting and attempting to build a nest in her crate.  Poor Muffy suffered from a false pregnancy,  giving birth to a Pear Pizzazz colored, squeaky football.

Muffy takes very good care of her “puppy”.  She cleans it, and makes certain it is in position to nurse.  She carries it with her everywhere…inside and out.  The “puppy” even sleeps with her, which means it sleeps with us.  Imagine rolling over onto a squeaky toy at 2:00 AM!

 I called her vet, Dr. Brooke, who said that this is a very emotional time for Muffy, and we should not take her “puppy” away from her. She should be fine in a few weeks as her hormones return to normal.  False pregnancies occur in 60% of all unspayed females.  I have always preached spaying and neutering your pets, and I still wholeheartedly believe in this.  However, to show dogs in American Kennel Cub conformation shows, they cannnot be spayed or neutered.  But trust me…once she receives her AKC Champion title (she already has her United Kennel Club title), there will never be the possibility for any Muffy Puppies…real or imaginary!

And oh…the only trouble with her baby is that this was Brody’s favorite toy!  Leave it to Muffy!


Until next time…

It’s Thursday, and time to play with the Pals at Pals Paper Arts.  This week we are hosting a cheerful “Color Challenge”:  Calypso Coral, Baja Breeze, and So Saffron.  How fun is this! I pulled out one of my favorite stamps, Bordering on Romance, and went to town watercoloring! I hope you enjoy today’s card…and that you do indeed “Live in the sunshine”.

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:  Selecting a Sentiment
The finished card measured 4-1/4″ wide x 5-1/2″ long.

• Go with the faux!  Faux watercoloring is so easy with Blender Pens and inks.  I just touch the tip of the pen to the pad, test the intensity of the color on scratch paper, and “paint” away!  Inks used include Calypso Coral, So Saffron, Baja Breeze, and Pear Pizzazz!  My secret to shading? I simply outline with the coordinating Stampin’ Write Marker, and blend with a Blender Pen!

• “Pair-the-phrase”!  Pair a sweet color combination with a sweet phrase!  With a card that exudes sunniness, what could be a better fit than “Live in the sunshine” from the Pursuit of Happiness stamp set! Of course, everything looks better with a healthy helping of pearls, which coordinate perfectly with the Oval Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder!

Fixing a Boo-Boo

I was pearl dysfunctional (gasp!), and had trouble getting my pearls straight, as you can see in the picture below.  So I added a little distraction in the form of a Baja Breeze 1/8″ Taffeta mini-bow.  Even though I am not a fan of the mini-bow, it definitely improved the look of the sentiment…I think??? 

I am so happy that Bordering on Romance made the carryover list.  This is a set that I just recently discovered, even though I’ve had it since it became available.  Just looking at it in its case, it never calls to me.  BUT, when watercolored, it comes to life!  What do you think of today’s card?   Won’t you let me know in today’s comment?  And of course, if you ever have a question about the cards that I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away!  Until next time…

Stamp Sets: Bordering on Romance (W 125480, C 125482), Pursuit of Happiness (W 121907, C 121970);  Inks:  Jet Black StazOn (101406),  Baja Breeze (111833), Pear Pizzazz (119784), Calypso Coral (122939), So Saffron (105213);  Stampin’ Write Markers: Baja Breeze (120965), Pear Pizzazz (119801), Calypso Coral (123002), So Saffron (105114); Designer Series Paper:  Twitterpated (125406);  Card Stock:  So Saffron (105118), Calypso Coral (122925), Whisper White (100730);  Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Oval Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (123130), Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch (119275), Extra Large Oval Punch (119859), Blender Pens (102845); Glitz and Glam:  Basic Pearls (119247), Baja Breeze 1/8″ Taffeta Ribbon (122964), Calypso Coral 3/8″ Ruffled Ribbon (122976)

It’s time to take a little peek at this week’s Pals Paper Arts inspiration card.  I hope you will join me for the reveal on Thursday!


And speaking of peeks…my Stampin’ Up! new catalog pre-order will be arriving today.  I can’t wait to play and share with all of you!  Until next time…