Me:  OK, Twins! Who wants to talk about their show this weekend!
Brody:  I will! I will! Can I go first? Huh? Can I, Mom?
Me:  Brody, you seem very excited.  What do you want to tell Mom’s friends?
Brody: I beat my sister! I was named Best of Breed Puppy on Friday! And then on Sunday, I was the Preserved Weiner.
Muffy:  That’s Reserve Winner, you idiot.
Me: Muffy Lin! Let your brother finish!
Brody:  Oh, yeah!  I was the Reserve Winner and I beat out other big boy dogs.  I got to have my picture taken with the judd twice.  Once for being Best Puppy, and once for being the Reserve Winner on Sunday.  That was fun!
Me:  You did an excellent job, Brody! You looked very handsome in the ring Sunday!  How about you Muffy?  Do you want to talk today? 
Muffy: NO! I don’t want to!
Me: Why not Muffy?  You always love talking to Mom’s stamping friends.
Brody:  She doesn’t want to because she was a loser this weekend.
Me: Brody! That’s enough! Do you remember how badly it made you feel when Muffy called you a loser?
Brody:  I’m sorry, Mom.  I’m sorry you didn’t win like I did, Muffy.
Me:  What’s wrong, Muffin?
Muffy:  I’m so sad, Momma.  I didn’t win first all three days.  I always win first.
Brody:  I saw Muffy show, Mom.  Michelle the Handler said she had “ants”.  And then I heard her say that Muffy was a bad dog because the ants made her not stand still.
Me:  I think you mean she was “antsy”, Brody.   Michelle said Muffy was having some issues in the ring.
Brody:  Why did Muffy need tissues in the ring, Mom?  Remember when Muffy got into the whole box of tissues that Dad left on the floor by the bed when he had his cold?  Boy, was Dad mad!
Me:  Issues, Brody…not tissues!
Brody: Oh…
Muffy:  But I always win, Momma! That other girl dog who beat me never beats me, and she beat me two out of three times this weekend.  Didn’t these judges know I was the Winner, and Best of Winner and Best of Opposites on both Saturday and Sunday last week.  What’s wrong with these judges!
Me:  Muffy, you must always be on your best behavior in the show ring or you are not going to win.  You can’t rest on your laurels. 
Brody:  Who’s Laurel, and why can’t we rest on her, Mom?  I love to rest on people.
Me:  What I mean is that you can’t rely on your past achievements.  It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but hopefully you have learned a lesson from this.
Brody: Mom, we don’t have to swallow bitter pills, remember.  You bought those yummy pill pockets to put our medicine in when we are sick.  I love them.  They taste yummy.  Can I have a pill now, Mom?
Muffy: I’m sorry, Momma. I wanted to win so badly for you this weekend. Do you still love me even when I don’t win?
Me: Oh, Muffy! I love both you and Brody regardless of whether you win or lose.

So there you have it! Brody had a fabulous show.  It was the best of times for him.  He was named Best Boxer Puppy on Friday and he was the Reserve Winners Dog on Sunday.  At his age, both were awesome wins for him.  As for Muffy, it was the worst of times, in her book.  Michelle will be giving her some extra lessons in standing still!

Of course, I always fall behind on dog show weekends.  So, here’s to catching up! Until next time…

• Random Stamping! Creating your own background is always an option.  I  inked the “Compass” from The Open Sea stamp set in Cherry Cobbler, the “Anchor” with Marina Mist, and the “Ship” with Early Espresso, and randomly stamped onto Naturals Ivory card stock.  It was then zipped through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

• A Distressing Situation! To create the distressed look, I used the Seven Sided Tool from the Cutter Kit on most of the edges.  They were then distressed using Soft Suede ink and a Sponge Dauber.  Finally, everything was given a liberal spritzing using the Color Spritzer Tool and a Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker.

 
• Finishing Touches! Hemp Twine adds a decidedly masculine and nautical touch.  Even a bow works on a masculine card when popped up through an Antique Brass Jumbo Eyelet.  The Spiral Border Punch, used on the edge of the “Ship’s Manifest”, makes it appear as if it was just ripped from the log book.

• The Perfect Adventure! The sentiment “Everyday is the perfect adventure” from the On the Grow stamp set was selectively inked with an Early Espresso Stampin’ Write Marker.  “The perfect adventure” was stamped onto Naturals Ivory card stock and then punched out with the Word Window Punch.  A single Basic Pearl accents one end, and fits with the nautical theme.

 

Stamp Sets:  The Open Sea (W 123030, C 123032), On the Grow (W 123075, C 123077), French Foliage  Waterspots (2010 Holiday Mini); Inks:  Cherry Cobbler (119669), Marina Mist (119668), Early Espresso (119670), Soft Suede (115657), Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker (120973);  Designer Series Paper:  Nautical Expedition (122343); Card Stock:  Naturals Ivory (101849), Early Espresso (119686), Not Quite Navy (100867);  Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (119976), Cutter Kit (106958), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Paper Snips (103579), Crop-a-Dile (108362), Spiral Border Punch (119872), Word Window Punch (119857), Sponge Daubers (102892);  Glitz and Glam: Hemp Twine (100982), Antique Brass Jumbo Eyelet (108431), Basic Pearls (119247)

Stampin’ Up! Promotions

Strength & Hope Campaign
Purchase the special Strength & Hope Stamp Set or Digital Kit, and Stampin’ Up! will donate $2 to The Breast Cancer Research Fund.