Birthday and sympathy cards

I have quite a few friends and family who are celebrating birthdays in late December and January.  I designed this card for them.  I used a card base from Studio G, stamps from Stephanie Bernard's Stamps of Life, versamark ink, Crayola glitter paper, and Die Cuts with a View cardstock.  The patterned paper here is some leftover wrapping paper.  It was too pretty to throw away!

I also used this design to make a condolence card for the families of Newtown, Ct.  I thought the snowflake was appropriate because the lives of those lost were unique, beautiful, pure and fleeting.  I hope that the cards and letters help comfort the families a little.

Christmas Time!

For the past few years I have joined in with my "scrapbook home on the web" Creative Chaos friends and had a Christmas card swap.  Here's my card for this year. 

 

 

This technique is really useful for using up scraps.  I cut different papers into one inch squares, ran them through the Xyron X machine and laid them on the diagonal.  K and Company die cuts of cardinals and snowmen were perfect for this.  I used the sentiments from Stephanie Bernard's  Stamps of Life.  The eyelet paper is a dollar store find from a few years ago. 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

Guest Designer for June at Scrapping Everyday Miracles

I have the honor of being the Guest Designer for June at Scrapping Everyday Miracles.  I'm happy to be among the company of such wonderful and inspiring designers! 

http://scrappingeverydaymiracles.blogspot.com/

A new little one is on the way...

This is a baby card I did for my sister-in-law who is expecting her first baby.  How exciting! :)  I got the onesie stamp from Denami Designs.  They have such cute images, and specialize in little stamps.  They have some completely adorable little chick stamps!  Paper is from Echo Park, and oval was cut using Spellbinder's dies and the Wizard.  Sentiment stamps are from Stephanie Bernard and ink is from Clearsnap. 

http://denamidesign.com/

Happy Birthday Mary and Grace!

Mary's birthday is on May 30 and Grace's is on May 29, so we always have their parties together.  When I was expecting Mary, Grace had asked me if I could please have the baby on her birthday so she could have a "birthday buddy."  I told her no, that wasn't going to happen because the baby wasn't due until July.  Mary must have heard her sister's request because she came seven weeks early!  So birthday buddies it's been ever since. 

I made this card using the cute pops2eat, patterns4pops, and miniabc2stamp sets from Stephanie Bernard's Stamps of Life.  For the popcicles, I stamped off the pop background (inked the stamp, stamped on a scratch paper, then stamped the image so the ink was lighter) and then used the same ink full strength for the dots. 

You're a treat!

I made this card for my dear ex mother in law and friend, Carolyn.  She IS a treat!  I'm going to put a Dairy Queen gift card inside. :)  I know she'll like that.

I used Echo Park "Springtime" paper, and Stamps of Life "Pops2eat" stamp set.  I added the little smiley because I love smiles on objects, like apples, toasters, etc. I think it's so cute.

Steampunk Art Journal

Graphic 45's Steampunk Debutante line is right up my alley.  I love the Victorian look. I made this album for a friend of mine and I liked how it turned out.  I enjoy adding details.

Happy Birthday (in 2 colors and black and white)

I got this idea from a challenge at 365 Cards.  The challenge was to create a card using two colors and black and white.  I fell in love with the chair paper.  I got it and the yellow dotted paper from Michael's, it's the Recollection line.

 I enjoyed this challenge. Black and white do make most colors just pop, don't they?

To see this challenge and other fun card challenges, go here:

http://365cards.blogspot.com/

What's your favorite?

A few years ago, I made these LOs of the kid's favorite things.  I thought it would be fun for us to look back when they got older to see what they liked with they were younger.  I did these  in 2007, maybe I should do another set of LOs like this.

Happy Birthday Einat!!!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you....Happy Birthday dear Einat....Happy Birthday to you!

Einat is having a birthday and she wants her friends to share a growing experience.  So here is mine:

In 1997 I had a horrible year.  I found out my dear mother in law had Parkinson's Disease.  My husband's Grandmother passed away.  One of my friends lost her four year old daughter to cancer. In the spring of that year, my husband left me.  I had two small daughters and I tried to cope by making it all "ok".  My husband and I would remain friends, we would co parent separately and do whatever we could to make things good for our girls.  I went to therapy with him in an attempt to create some kind of new workable relationship with him, because it was very clear he didn't want to be married to me.  He had found someone else.  About two months into this, I had an accident which totalled my vehicle, and sent my youngest daughter to the ER in a helicopter.  I went with her, praying the whole time....and thank God she was OK.  In order to go with her I had to sign a waiver for medical treatment for myself, because they wanted to take me to the hospital too.  We were all ok. I was afraid to drive after this, but did, because I had to.  About three days later a deer jumped out at me.  I didn't hit it but it scared me badly.  A few days after this, someone else almost hit me AGAIN.  I pulled over to the side of the road, shaking, and I put my head on the wheel and said, "God what do you want from me?!?!"   I heard an answer in my mind, clear as a bell, that said, "You can't take a step without ME."  I had been trying to "manage" everything on my own, things that were completely unmanageable. 

At my friend's daughter's funeral, I had gone to a Catholic church, which was, for me, aptly named, "Our Lady of Consolation."  The message had touched my heart deeply that day.  I had also been going to graduate school at a Catholic institution, Immaculata College.  Images of Jesus and Mary surrounded me at school.  I also was talking online to some friends who just happened to be, you guessed it, Catholic.  Sometimes God nudges us in the right direction.   In my case, I feel like he had to nearly hog tie me and drag me kicking and screaming!  After he so plainly told me I needed Him, I started going to Mass at OLC.  I joined the Church formally about a year later.  Another year later I married a good devout Catholic man and we had two more children. 

There are still times when I want to manage things by myself.  But God is always there, patiently waiting for me to turn to Him, rely on Him, follow Him and rest in Him. 

If you would like to share in Einat's birthday celebration, check out her blog here:    http://scrapinit.blogspot.com/2012/04/best-birthday-blog-candy.html

Name Change

I've decided to change name of my blog.  I do love the name "Peace, Love, Art" because it fits my ideals...but I wanted something a little more unusual, something more specific.  I came up with Square Peg because many times I feel like a square peg in a world of round holes.  I feel love for this world, wonder at it's natural beauty and processes.  I love people...how different we all can be, how varied and yet, how alike we can be as well.  But I sometimes feel like I don't fit in, like I don't belong here.  I have deeply held, rather conservative religious beliefs, but politically I'm fairly liberal.  I don't usually like trends. Sometimes I look at the way life is here now, what is popular...like tattoos and piercings....focus on dark things in movies and media.... how much people love coffee....and I just feel so disconnected because I don't enjoy those things or even understand some of them.  I try not to judge people on outward appearance alone----I'm always interested in what makes people tick, why they behave as they do, what their motivations are.  I want to understand, and I believe most everyone is good at heart.  So if you are a tattooed, pierced, coffee drinking "True Blood" fan I can still be your friend, even if I would do none of those things myself.  But it does make me feel very separate sometimes.  I feel puzzled by the violence in our world, the discord, the discontent.  My feelings of being on the outside don't make me hate anyone and it is hard for me to understand sometimes why people seem to really react to "difference" and "otherness" with such negativity.  I guess feeling like a square peg sometimes makes people feel angry, because instead of examining themselves, it is easier to put down someone else.  Everyone loves to find affinity with others, to be in groups of people like themselves.  It feels good to be affirmed in your beliefs and preferences.

I am a square peg.  I am different. I'm working to feel content with my sense of being odd in some respects, realizing that I may never be totally in alignment, trying to accept others as they are, and to not only be "ok" with them but to be happy with them, at peace.  I ask God's help in this.  I have come to see being a square in a world dominated by circles is a gift in itself, even though it doesn't always feel comfortable.

Bloom where you are planted----Card

I did this for a challenge at Bo Bunny that required you to feature handmade flowers.  I was feeling a little blah and trying to get myself motivated to make something.  I found that challenge and kind of dragged myself to my desk.  At first I sighed and almost just got up....then I realized I had a big flower already made.  After I got that, believe it or not, everything else on this card was just at my fingertips---scraps from other projects!  So it came together fast and easy and was very enjoyable to make...and it turned out so shabby chic---a look I really love.  So I'm pretty pleased with my scraps card!  Stamp is from the Stephanie Bernard "mums2stamp" set.

If you want to participate in this challenge, make some flowers and go here:

http://www.bobunny.blogspot.com/2012/03/card-challenge-tuesday_27.html

Technique Tuesday for Cookin' Up Creations---Saturday Morning Diva

So by now, you are all aquainted with my sweet Papillion friend Chai.  Well, up until about two months ago, Chai slept on a (very nice) dog bed in our master bathroom, as she had since she'd been a puppy.  She never liked this.  She aquiesced, but she would always raise at least a little fuss, whining and scratching the door.  When we went up to bed she'd jump on my bed and snuggle in deeply, hoping either that I wouldn't notice she was there or perhaps that the cuteness factor would make me leave her there.  Well, I started leaving her there for a while, putting her in her bed after we'd watched some tv.  Then one night I fell asleep and she stayed all night inadvertently.  Of course, we've never gone back to dog bed, which now sits, unused.   She just wants to snuggle!  And...she is in no rush to get out of bed when the sun comes up! 

I made the background paper for this LO using the "Mums4you" stamp set from Stephanie Bernard, as well as her inks, licorice and guava.  I used a "Stamping off" technique, with the pink flowers, because I wanted a lighter pink.  Stamping off refers to inking up a stamp, stamping it one time on scratch paper then stamping where you want it.  It gives a lighter color.  I made the butterflies with my Silhouette and a small butterfly punch, using vellum to make the smaller one and coating both in stickles glitter. The buttons are from Doodlebug designs, and twine is by The Twinery.

Paper Playtime--Say it with sentiments "Guy Thing" challenge.

I made this card for a very special guy.  My brother in law, Robert, who just found out he is cancer free!!!  He's beaten kidney cancer, and we are all so thrilled that he is healthy.  He's been in my life forever, much more of a brother to me than a brother in law, a wonderful man.  So I made him this card to celebrate, and had a transportation/travel theme because he and my sister will soon be going on a cruise. 

I'm submitting this card for the Paper Playtime Say it with sentiments "Guy Thing" challenge.

Check it out here:  http://paperplaytime.blogspot.com/

Something we should always remember....

Yesterday in church the Gospel reading was John 3:16 - 21

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
*************************************

I often wonder about people who reject God...it is difficult for me to understand on the surface.  But this passage makes it clearer for me.  No one likes being told what to do. People love to think they have control over everything, themselves, their destinies, other people....and they don't want to give up control.  I know I like to try to do everything myself...to have control, even if it is just cleaning the house.  My kids and husband, no matter how well intentioned, don't do it like I do it.  LOL!  But when I let go and let them help, things are better for me, and for them too.  I share the burden and they learn to help and not take me for granted.

The illusory sense of "control" is seductive. It draws us away from the light and makes the darkness seem attractive.  It is a lie, a lie that we tell ourselves...."I have control over my life. I can do whatever I want. There is no God sitting in judgement over me, no God to answer to, I am god of myself."  And the more we adopt this attitude, the deeper we go into the darkness.  If we keep going into the darkness there will come a moment when we will no longer see light at all.  No direction will lead us out, we lose track of where we came from, where we are going, and we become "lost."    CS Lewis, in "Mere Christianity," talks about this.  He says that every little step away from God makes the next step away from God easier.  So we are tempted to step away and every step gets easier to take until we are, like Hansel and Gretel....lost.

I know people in my life who have rejected God.  There is no God, they say, God is just a construct used to opress people...the "Opium of the Masses."  But when one rejects God, there is always something to take the place of Him.  Love of self, love of pleasure....ideas and other constructs fill the gap.  I know someone who fills that void with conspiracy theories and belief about aliens.  It is impossible for them to believe there is a loving God that ordered and created the universe, but easy for them to believe that cures for cancer are being suppressed, that the government is trying to poison us with our water, that aliens are out there and have made contact but the government is not telling us.  If the "government" could keep a secret then there would be many fewer scandals.  There is a theme of mistrust and paranoia with this line of thinking.

I choose to believe in God, His love, His justice, and His mercy.  I just know it in my heart, and have always known it.  There have been times when I started to step away and I have been pulled back.  I always fervently pray to God that He keeps me close and never lets anything come between He and I.

Stamps of Life/Virginia's view challenge

The challenge was to create a card using this image as inspiration.

This is what I came up with.

It was a fun challenge.  I used Stephanie Bernard stamps "Mums4you" and "Pray4peace".  I also used Stephanie's brand of inks.



Creative Chaos Blog Hop!

Happy Birthday, Creative Chaos!!!  I LOVE YOU.  :)

Welcome to my blog my dear friends.  I can't begin to tell you how much you all mean to me.  *muwah*

Answer these questions about my blog and you could win some scrappy goodies.  Answers can be found throughout my posts here on the blog.

1. I made invitations for Paul's birthday.  What animal did I use on the invitation?

2. What year did I have my bariatric surgery?

3. What was my first blog post about?

4. I've made quite a few Valentines.  How many are posted on my blog?  

So leave your answers in the comments section of this post if you'd like to play!

"Late Bloomer"

This layout was done for the Cooking Up Creations scrapbook site as part of being the "Next Crop Chef" winner.  I had to design a layout for "Inspirational Sunday" and decided the theme would be about a "game changing" or life altering event.  In my example, I used my weight loss surgery experience from three years ago. 

The flowers were fun to  make.  I used Co-ordinations cardstock and ran it through the Wizard with a Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder, distressing it with sandpaper.  Then I cut a spiral out of the paper and wound it around, securing it to the base with a dab of hot glue.

If anyone would like to ask me questions about bariatric surgery or my experience, I would be happy to talk about it.  There is a lot to know before that kind of surgery is undertaken, but it certainly has changed my life in a fantastic way.



Professor Plum for Cookin Up Creations/ Compassion for Scrapping Everyday Miracles

I did this layout for two different challenges.  One was for CUC, in their Clue themed challenge game this month, they gave a sketch and asked for a "Professor Plum" layout using purples.  SEM asked for a "one word that describes you" layout for their challenge.   Somewhat immodestly I picked compassion.  I do have a big heart.  I root for the underdog.  I try to understand why people behave as they do and have empathy for them in whatever situation they are in.  I think God gave me this gift so I can be a peacemaker.  There are many, many times I fall short of this goal but I do try.

Journalling says: For His own purpose, God gave me a compassionate heart.  It makes me want to understand people's motivations for their behavior and also allows me empathy with those who are different from me.

Cookin' Up Creations Crop Chef winner announced

....and guess what?  It's ME!  I know, I know, I can't believe it myself!  I had so much fun with the challenges.  Because I won the competition, I get to be Crop Chef of the Month for March, and I get a gift certificate.  Sweet, huh? 

http://www.cookinupcreations.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=9408

I would like to thank Cookin' Up Creations for hosting such a fun competition.  It really gets me thinking creatively to have a challenge like the ones they posted.

Currently they are running a "Clue" game for the month of March.  Come play Clue...you might find out who killed Mr. Boddy!

I've been working on a secret project which I'll post later this week. 

Chance to win THIS!

Hi Scrapfans...

The Ribbon Carousel is giving away one of their fabulous carousels.  They are so functional and pretty, I need about 2 or 3 of them! 

Head on over to their blog and find out all the ways you can enter to win one of these sweet prizes!find out about it all HERE.

Crop Chef Challenge #6

For this challenge, we were asked to use a wooden element, some red, paint a border and use a big tag.
My son Paul recently turned 11 and for his birthday he got a computer program that records music, a mixer, two microphones, speakers and a music stand and bench for his keyboard. Basically he got a mini recording studio.  He and my youngest daughter write and perform music together.  They call themselves "The Bubbles."  Paul plays drums and piano and Mary plays drums and guitar. 

Background paper is chipboard,  patterned paper is Carolee's.  Wooden letters--generic, "to" Heidi Grace, and "rock" grunge stamps from Autumn Leaves. Game spinner and sprockets from Tim Holtz.  Embossing powder on "rock" from Ranger.  Vintage lay away tags.

Crop Chef challenge number #5

I had SO much fun with this.  I bought this scrapbook paper about 4 years ago and misplaced it.  I found it the other day and it was made to use markers on!  So I busted sbout the Spectrum Noir markers and went to town. :)  The challenges for this LO were: Use a die cut, lace,  a circle, sticker or rub on, dangle something, use sanding, and use fabric.  I sanded the photo.  I know you can do this kind of thing with brushes in photoshop, but I don't know how to do that...much easier to bust out real sandpaper for me!!!  I used fabric to mat the photo, a lace doily, a dangling gem under the doily, butterfly and letter stickers.  I didn't have any green spectrum noir markers or copics so I used Luminarte's twinkling H2Os  water color paint for the green leaves. And of course, my sweet subject is my little girl, Mary.  She's 2 in this photo, taken on Mother's day, 2005.

Here's what the paper looked like in process:

Crop Chef Challenge #4

Here's my #4 layout for the Cookin Up Creations Crop Chef Challenge.  For this challenge the necessary elements were:  a key, buttons, flowers, torn page or photo and ruffled paper. 

I'm very happy with the way this turned out.  I made this, in part, for my husband for Valentine's day so a lot of love went into it. :)  I used the lyrics to the Beatles' song "Real Love."    PP Basic Grey and Making memories, key Tim Holtz. Stephanie Bernard stamps used for background on heart and banner. "Real Love" cut on Silhouette with "cotton candy" font. "crown" border cut on Silhouette. Distress ink "Tattered rose" Tim Holtz. Ribbon by Making Memories, velvet trim by Wright.   I really like how the ruffled edges around the hearts turned out.  It was my first time doing that and I really like the effect.  Also I got inspiration from my friend Shar Hoff in making the flowers.  She makes such gorgeous flowers on her projects.  I didn't have the Tim Holtz die she uses so I thought I'd try making them by hand cutting a spiral with wavy edge scissors, and it worked pretty well! 

The photos are of us at our wedding and the other one is us on our 10th anniversary cruise.  I liked the juxtaposition of the formal and informal pictures.

Please go visit my friend Shar's blog to see her fabulous creations and get inspired yourself!  :)
http://scrapendipity.blogspot.com/

...and give a listen to the beautiful Beatles song....Real Love.  I'm so thankful to have Real Love with a man I love more every single day.

Cooking up Creations Crop Chef Challenge #3

The challenge this time was to include, embossing, a clock face, trims, hand written journalling, a postage stamp, stickles and masking technique.  I decided to to a LO about winter.  I have quite a few relatives who live in Florida and California, and they always gloat about their "good weather."   I actually like winter.  It serves a purpose in my life, is part of the rhythm of nature.  I like being warm in my house, making warm comfort food, and watching the occasional snowstorm.  Sometimes it's incredibly beautiful.  And I think it makes spring truely welcome and miraculous.

Journalling says: "It seems to me that many people miss the blessing of winter. Instead of cursing the cold or wishing it away, I prefer to focus on home and family and the warmth I create there. It is a time to be reflective and dormant, like nature itself. It is a preparation for the miracle of renewal that happens in the spring. I <3 it."

Spread the love...

Here are the Valentine's I made this year:

Finally done with my Valentines for this year. :)  I had a lot of fun making them.  I hope the receipents like them too.

As you can see, I used a lot of the black and white polka dotted paper. It is from Making Memories, and I found it at Big Lots, a pack of 25 sheets for $2.  I would suggest to any new scrapbookers/cardmakers, that if you ever see a deal like that to buy in quantity.  Dotted paper is very versatile, and looks so good paired with solids or other patterns.  I'm glad I have a lot of it!

Cookin' up Creations Crop Chef Challenge #2

Here's my second layout for the Crop Chef Challenge at Cookin' up Creations. 

I used Bazzill Cardstock for the background, Patterned Paper is Basic Grey.  I punched circles out of an old book and used them as a border.  I inked it using Tim Holtz distress inks.  Journalling says, "To maintain a joyful family requires much of both the parents and the children.  Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others."

Requirements for this challenge were:  Use ink, use a metal tag, a heart, and a border.

Thanks for looking!

Cookin' up Creations Challenge #1

Here is the layout I did for the first challenge of the Cookin' up Creations Crop Chef competition.  The requirements were: 

dotted paper
double matted photos
ribbon photo corners
bottle cap or other metal embellishment
punched shape
doily
and...use pictures of your pet.

If you have been following my blog you'll know that I LOVE doing layouts of my fabulous wonderdog, Chai. :)  So I was delighted to see that requirement!

The red paper is Bazzill, dotted pp is Making Memories.  I got that Making Memories paper in a pack of 100 sheets at a Big Lots store, and I LOVE it.  It is so versatile, I am glad I got so much of it....and for only 2 bucks!  Ribbon is by Making Memories.  The doily, lacy envelope, and the letters are all cut from my Silhouette machine.  There was a big learning curve for me with the Silhouette, but once I learned to use it, the things I've been able to make on it are amazing.  As you can see, it can cut very intricate shapes.  I put red glitter and UTEE in the bottle cap and embedded a punched heart shape in there.  The bottlecap is attached to one flap of the envelope and does a good job of holding the envelope flaps down. I put some journalling inside the envelope about the first day with Chai.  The pictures are of that first day. Wasn't she cute? 

Romantic Valentines

These Valentines look so complicated, but they really aren't!  If you have a xyron X sticker machine and a paper trimmer with a ruler, it's easy peasy!   I picked out a bunch of papers that have similar colors or a coordinating color scheme (like the cream, red black), and made sure to use at least one with writing on it.  Then I made a card base from heavy cardstock and matted it using one of the papers and some solids. I cut one inch squares from the patterned paper and ran them through the X machine.  Then I adhered them to a piece of cardstock that was cut to fit within the last mat.  I adhered them diagnonally, making sure that the first row I did on the top of that paper had the corners lined up with the edge of the mat, with half the square hanging off of the mat. (I simply cut those off even with the mat after I laid them down)  I staggered the patterns in a pleasing way, added some paper lace, a metal label holder and used the little clown figure on pop dots. 

For the second card, I changed it slightly.  I made the flower with pink vellum.  I cut out circles of the vellum, secured them in the middle with a brad and sprayed it with pink glimmer mist, scrunching up the paper while it was wet.  When it was dry, I put a button and some embroidery floss in the middle of the flower.

If you make your Valentine a card like this, they will know without a doubt that they have your heart!

CROP CHEF Challenge!

I'm going to be participating in Cooking Up Creations "Crop Chef Challenge." 
Hopefully I'll be posting what I make here too... 

You can visit and sign up for the challenge yourself at

www.cookinupcreations.com

Penguin Party!

I made this birthday invitation for my son Paul's 11th birthday party.  He loves penguins, so the Penguins4Christmas and the More Penguins2love stamp sets from Stephanie Bernard are very useful here in my house!  For this card, I used Stephanie's stamps, her ink in licorice and strawberry, and copic markers. I highly recommend Stephanie's line of stamps, they are fun and inspire me to make all kinds of interesting cards.  She has a club that if you join, you get a monthly stamp set for $10, and club member discounted pricing on her other products.  In my opinion, you get a lot for your money. You could spend $10 a month easily on cards, why not make them yourself and send a little love as well? 

This is another card using the same stamp set.  I used crayola markers on this one, and used black embossing powder on the penguin and gifts.  Paul had found a $20 bill on our front street while he was out walking Chai.  Instead of keeping it, he took it to our neighbor because it was in his yard.  As it turns out, our neighbor's daughter *had* lost $20 earlier that day.  Our sweet neighbor rewarded Paul with a gift card and praised his honesty.  I was very proud of him, because he knew just what to do by himself.  The inside of the card reads, "When you do God's will on earth, you store up treasure in heaven." 

Check out Stephanie Bernard's Stamps of Life website for more fun ideas for cards.

http://www.stephaniebarnardstamps.com/index.htm

distressed Valentine

Valentines don't have to be all pink and flowery.  I made this one for my nephew a few years ago.  I cut a "tribal heart" image and a heart with wings image out using my Silhouette.  It's a little more edgy than just a plain heart.  To color the heart, the tag and the library envelope, I used a technique I saw Tim Holtz use.  I dabbed distress ink onto a paper plate, then misted the plate lightly with water.  Next, I put my tag, die cut, and envelope face down on the plate, then lifted it back up.  This gives a mottled look to the paper.  Then I dried the paper with a heat gun, and repeated the process with a second color of ink.  I used "Fired Brick" first and then "Black Soot."  After the heart images were dry I inked the edges with more black distress ink, then used Ranger's Perfect Medium and Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel in clear on them.  I used a swirl foam stamp from Making Memories on the envelope, and some Tim Holtz stamps on the tag, and finished it off with some ribbon and cord.  I don't remember who makes the black/sliver star patterned paper. 

Like This

Ok, so you met Chai in the last layout I posted.  She is such a joy to me.  She was a surprise too, I never thought I wanted dog again.  I have had dogs before and have an allergy to them.  But when I saw her it was "love at first sight."  Sounds very silly, and I suppose it is, but it is true.  She looked at me and I at her and it was decided in an instant.  During the first weeks I had her, I had to buy air purifiers, special dog shampoos, air cleaners, medicines for me,  etc. to be able to handle having her.  I found a system that worked and it's been smooth sailing as far as the allergies.  Chai ate some dog treats from China when she was a pup and it made her very sick.  (Please avoid buying dog treats/food from China!  It's NOT safe!)  After that experience she refused to eat dog food, or kibble.  So I did some research and I decided I would make her food.  She eats mostly meat, veggies and rice. She's picky about dog treats and won't eat many kinds of those.  I have been suprised to find myself being one of those people who dote over a little dog, and I never thought I would be "like this."

She wanted to get in the picture with her layout.  She knows.  It's pretty awesome having her as a pet!

It's a Girl

                                   



In November, 2010 we got a new member of the family. We hadn't intended to get a dog, but we saw her and that, as they say, was that.  I'm really happy to say that I haven't regretted the decision. She was the cutest thing, ever, wasn't she?  I can't remember who makes this paper, I'm sorry!  But isn't she cute?  We named her "Chai."