As I sat down with good intentions on catching up on my multitude of emails today, I encountered a comment from Lauri of Paperville Crafts by Lauri Ingram.  Lauri had so graciously left a comment on this card:

 

She talked about how this was one of her favorite sets and that she had just lost her beloved Westie, Chansey. My heart went out to her.  A flood of memories came pouring back from when we lost our dear, sweet Missy the Boxer.  And then, I received an email from another of my friends who is facing difficult decisions with her furbaby. 


I decided to put stamping aside, opting to create in another way.  I hope this poem I wrote will bring solace to all who have lost a loving, faithful companion.  It is a work in progress, but I had to share it with you anyway.  It doesn’t have a title.

Silent footsteps echo,
Down an empty hall.
No wagging tail, no playful yip
To heed a master’s call.


Although we dearly love them
There will always come the day
When another Master summons
And our pets are called away.


But they never really leave us,
They rest safely in our hearts.
And as we think of fonder times,
We are never far apart.


For faithfully they watch us,
Standing over us they guard.
Waiting for the special day
When we meet in Heaven’s yard.


A joyful yip, a playful nip!

It’s Sunday and time to play with The Paper Players! Anne Marie is hostessing a Theme Challenge…Humor!  So dust off those cute images and “punny” sentiments, and join in the fun! As for me, I did not have a lot of stamps to choose from, so I really had to think outside of the box. I hope you enjoy our little Scottie’s “Big Dream”!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips: Improvising

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

• Dreamy clouds! I do not own a Stampin’ Up! “Cloud” stamp, so I simply traced around the chipboard clouds from the On Board Merry Medley chipboard collection.  A Stampin’ Write Journaler did the trick! Tips:  Before tracing around the clouds, use a Sanding Block to remove the little paper nibs.  And make certain to wait until the journaler is completely dry…or your white clouds could become storm clouds!

 

• BIG! Need BIG letters in a snap?  The Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Medium Sizzlets Dies are the perfect solution! And that adorable “Dotted” pattern?  It is from the new Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper collection, available today!

• Scottie and the Giant Hydrant! What little boy dog doesn’t dream of a Giant Fire Hydrant?  A marriage of two stamp sets gives the illusion of a giant hydrant and a small dog.  The scottie is courtesy of  Friends Fur-ever.  And the hydrant???  All I know is that it is from a vintage 1997 Stampin’ Up! set.  This was way before my Stampin’ Up! time…but I know that someone out there knows the name of this set.  It is probably one of those old “doggy” sets that I would LOVE to own!

So there you have it! A little humor on this first day of April…and that’s no foolin’!  As always, your comments are important to me, and I do read each and every one.  (I feel badly that I am so far behind in responding back to them.)  Remember, if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away! Until next time… 

Stamp Sets: Friends Fur-ever (W 117008,  C 120504 ), Loving Thoughts (W 125843 C 125845 ), Dog Set (Circa 1997);  Inks:  Jet Black StazOn (101406), Basic Gray (109120), Cherry Cobbler (119669), Stampin’ Write Journaler (105394); Designer Series Paper:  Letters to Santa (122349), Summer Smooches (125409);  Card Stock:  Whisper White (100730), Marina Mist (119682), Riding Hood Red (111348); Tools:  Big Shot (113439),  Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Medium Sizzlits Dies (115951), On Board Merry Medley (122958), Paper Snips (103579), Scallop Border Edge Punch (119882), Houndstooth Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (123134), Blender Pens (102845), Brayer (102395);  Glitz and Glam:  Basic Pearls (119247)

It’s time for a peek at this week’s The Paper Players challenge card.  Join me for the reveal on Sunday…and be prepared for a fun challenge!

Here is a shot Muffy taken at last week’s dog show.  Although she was not the big winner, she did place!

She did a great job and we were very proud of her.  However, she still looks like a baby next to the older girls!  She is off again to show this Sunday…and then it will be Brody’s turn to go out and strut his stuff at a couple of shows.

A few weeks ago I posted that I was accompanying Brady to Columbia, Missouri where he was interviewing for a graduate assistantship at the University of Missouri School of Music.  After a busy day of auditions and interviews,  we returned home to await word.  Well…the call came!  Brady was offered the position.  His official duties will be playing trumpet in the faculty brass quintet and giving lessons to trumpet students. He is thrilled at the opportunity that he has been given…and he thanks all of  “Mom’s Stamping Friends” who wished him luck!  

For those of you who had a question about emboss resist after viewing my latest video,  I ink the stamp with VersaMark ink and stamp onto Naturals Ivory card stock.  Next, I heat emboss using White Stampin’ Emboss.  At this point, I apply the Crumb Cake ink using a Stamping Sponge, as shown in the video. I hope this helps.  If not, remember I am only an email away!  Until next time…