A week ago I had planned to unveil my delicious Stampin’ Schach Blog Candy when tragedy struck my family. With the death of Missy the Boxer, celebrating was the last thing on my mind. A week has passed, and today marks the 11th anniversary of when we adopted Missy. Your kind words have helped to heal, and although a void still exists, I have reached the realization that I still have many reasons to celebrate. These are symbolized in my blog candy:

• My First Year Anniversary as a Stampin’Up! Demonstrator occurred February 1st! Since paper is the traditional gift for first anniversaries, this blog candy contains over 75 six inch by six inch card stock squares!
• The unconditional love of Missy the Boxer for almost eleven years. There was no buddy like my buddy. Therefore, I have included an unmounted “Snow Buddies” Hostess Level 2 set from the last Holiday Mini.
• A “perfect” 34 year career as a teacher. I have loved every minute of it. Since it was a “plum” job, I have included a new “Perfect Plum” Stampin’ Write Marker!
• A blog whose readers and followers are tied together by their love of stamping and papercrafting. To symbolize this tie that binds, I have included a roll of Certainly Celery Ribbon from last year’s Sale-a-bration Ribbon Bundle.
• Virtual friends whose words have comforted me. What could better represent this than the 2009 Level 1 Hostess Set, “Comfort Food”!
• Valentine’s Day! Real Red Classic Ink to symbolize red roses.
• I have also added a few cute brads, some silk flowers, and bling simply because I wanted to!

In addition, I am also including this card, which was selected as a Clean and Simple Favorite a few months ago on Splitcoast. I feel that it’s sentiment, from Vintage Vogue, is very appropriate in light of my recent life experiences.

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It’s Thursday, and we all know what that means. It’s time for another Pals Paper Arts challenge! With the weather we’ve been having lately, I decided that it was time for a breath of spring. Armed with sketch in hand, I reached for the “Floral” images from Vintage Vogue (my favorite set from the Occasions Mini) and the sentiment from Spring Song, a sweet little set that I earned during Sale-a-bration. Won’t you play along with the Pals this week? We have yummy blog candy for you over at the PPA…Mmmm! Delightful, delicious calorie-free blog candy. And if that doesn’t convince you, just look at this classy sketch:

So grab your stamps, ink, paper and punches. It’s time to play @ PPA!

• Seeing spots before your eyes? Don’t call the doctor yet. It’s just Stampin’ Up!s cheerful Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Stack. I selected the Old Olive and Rose Red Polka Dotted patterns. I love these two colors together, and the spring look they impart to the design.
• Still feeling a little dotty? That’s because I zipped a piece of Whisper White card stock through my Big Shot along with the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder. Not only does it coordinate with the dotted pattern paper, the impressions are so crisp that they “pop” right off the page.
• Oops! Something crimped my style! Free-hand leaves were Paper Snipped from Old Olive card stock which had been passed through the Crimper. After all, the more texture the merrier.
• A quartet of punches makes this card sing! After stamping the sentiment from Spring Song onto Whisper White, it was punched out using the Wide Oval Punch. A Scallop Oval peeks out from underneath, while an Old Olive Modern Label forms the foundation on which to adhere two small blossoms. And who can overlook the impact of the Scallop Trim Border Punch.
• Nothing sings spring like bling! Green Circle Ice Brads are the perfect center for any flower. Their only drawback is that they are addictive. You can’t stop with just one!

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Welcome to the Pals Holiday Hop! If you’ve arrived from Kalshelia Lloyd’s Stampin‘ Fabulousity, I am Stop Number 2 on the hop! Hop along with me and my fellow Pal Hoppers, and we will direct you through the entire hop of wonderful creations! Should you become lost along the way, you may access the entire Hop Line-Up at the end of today’s post. The goal of today’s hop is to showcase several of the stamp sets available to you during this year’s Sale-a-bration. I will be introducing you to Spring Song and D is for Dog. Since there are several more stops to make, let’s get started with what I have created for you!

• Texture, texture everywhere! Textured Mellow Moss forms the card base, while Pretty in Pink is zipped throught the Big Shot with the new Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder. What an easy way to add interest!
• I needed a hug this week, so I used Stampin’ Up!s adorable “Hugs”Sending Love Notes. These Whisper White cards sport a dainty scallop, which I paper pierced. A blush of Regal Rose accents the edges.
• Tired of ho-hum hummingbirds? Blender Pens and a variety of inks bring this little aviator to life. I used Taken with Teal, Regal Rose, Going Gray and Old Olive for his plumage, while the flower was tinted with Regal Rose, Always Artichoke, Pretty in Pink and So Saffron.

D is for Dog

I love dogs, so when Stampin’ Up! came out with the D is for Dog set this fall, it was one of the first sets that I purchased. In tribute to Missy the Boxer, I created one final card for her. We actually welcomed Missy in to our home on Valentine’s Day, so it seemed fitting to make a Valentine to place into her Memorial Box, along with her favorite toys, collar, leash, and chewie. The sentiment “You Stole My Heart” is from the Love Bandit set, while the “Dotted Heart” is from I {Heart} Hearts. She truly did leave a pawprint on my heart.

• Want to mix and match patterns? Remove the guess work by using perfectly coordinated Designer Series Paper. Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper shines with glittery designs.
• Glitz and Glam! Notice the red rhinestone accenting the paw print? It was removed from a Circle Fire Brad by simply lifting up the prongs on the back. How easy is that?

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