i CAN HAZ ice cream!

A layout inspired by several weeks of information at May Flaum's Camp Scrap documenting my 11 year old dog's range of joy after eating her first dish of soft serve ice cream from an ice cream shop. Best 99 cents I ever spent : ). I had to clean the two dots of ice cream off her nose when I figured out she just wasn't going to lick them off.

That ermergerd face cracks me up. When she's really happy her ears are slicked back like she got into some vintage Brylcream.

The Echo Park Summer Days Alpha Sticker set didn't have an exclamation point, so I turned and "i" upside down. I love the low key "best day ever" rub on for the last picture.

Papertrey Ink Lemon Tart cardstock, Alpha Block stamps stamped with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink.
Echo Park Summer Days Alpha Stickers, "lick, lick, lick", the "i" and "ice cream!" in i CAN HAZ ice cream! and "perfect picnic".
Pink Paislee Sweetness glitter stickers "ermergerd"
Amy Tangerine Other Half Aqua Glitter Foam Thickers "CAN HAZ"
Maggie Holmes Open Book rub on "BEST DAY EVER".
K&Company Best of Brenda Walton patterned papers
We R Memory Keepers Foil/Glitter Pack (rub on) "Happy" "Sweet" and decorative elements.

Simon Says i scream for. Simon also Says Sparkle and Shine.

Less than 15 Days

I don't know what it was about this dog. The look in her eyes? The furrow in her brow? She had less than 15 days to adjust to life in one of the highest kill shelters in the country and then she was killed despite the fact that a lot of people were pulling for her. And it. just. broke. my. heart. So I scrapped it.

When I made the page back in 2012, I could barely get the foundation down. But I've been looking at it again for a few months, and even though it still makes me cry, I finally feel I've conveyed what I wanted to say.

I removed the heart embellishment from the top of the pocket and reattached it to the pull out card. I used gold paint on the top of the card. RIP Boo is written on Papertrey Ink White Shimmer cardstock edged with gold paint on the edges. I cut off the points on the side of the mat, and added a pair of gold foiled scissors and leafy boughs from Maggie Holmes. I used Dr. Ph. Martin No Bleed White for the lettering and details around the mat. Then used Gold Stickles to embellish the blue pattern paper.

 The front of the pull out has all of her shelter info on it. .

My journaling is on the back.

Simon Says Sparkle and Shine, there is a LOT of gold paint (two tones), Gold Stickles and White Shimmer cardstock.

If you are looking to add a pet to your family, please consider adopting from a shelter or rescue.

What's New Pussycat?

I've had this stamp set since 2010, and I haven't used it in a project yet so today is the day. The card base is Limeade Ice by Papertrey Ink and I don't think I was able to capture it in this picture, but it is a lovely clear bright tropical lime green without going neon. The stamp set is Cleary Swanky's Cat's Pajamas stamped with Onyx Black Versafine ink.

Simon Says Furry Friends.

Bagged and Tagged Challenge

Papertrey Ink's 8th Anniversary Bagged and Tagged Challenge. The challenge is to make a tag to go with a gift bag. I used the Tasting Tag as a combination Gift Tag and Presentation Tag for a Dachshund pin. The holes to tie the spoon on are perfect for holding the pin.

The dachshund pin is cut out of felt with the die from Come All Ye Faithful and sewed with a two tone handspun embroidery thread. My new favorite  felt pin closure is a safety pin (they just lie better on felt in my opinion). The stamps are from Come All Ye Faithful Additions and  a stamp made by cutting fun foam with the die set."Wag" and "Swag  and the silhouette on the bag are stamped with Pure Poppy ink. The washi tape was a gift, no idea who makes it but it is lovely. I didn't have a "Le" stamp, so I had to wing it with a Sharpie.

Because Simon Says All Creatures Great and Small, I'm including it there also : ).

Papertrey Ink November 2014 Blog Hop

Dachshund Through the Snow.  I used the Dachshund die from Come All Ye Faithful with Dark Chocolate cardstock. The antlers are from Come All Ye Faithful Additions, and red Stickles for the nose. The Movers & Shakers Spinner dies. Papertrey Ink November 2014 Blog Hop.

To Boldly Go Pug-naciously

Simon Says to Boldly Go, using big stamps and bright colors.  So I used one of the biggest stamps I could find and one of the oldest I have going back about 15 years? I remember buying it at a stamp convention and everything was made of actual rubber.  I felt it needed a little something so I wrote "Pug-nacious?" in a fine line black pen. The ink is Picked Raspberry Distress Ink

Making Lemonade, Just Because : D

This card is made entirely from things previously used, that could have been better. I stamped the dog for a Make It Monday challenge, but decided to dress it up by turning it into a mat on a different card base, only I sneezed and it went on wicked crooked.

So I trimmed that one off so there is a peek of Simply Chartreuse under the Vintage Cream, but I like it. The Sweet Blush card base was going to be used for a different card but I changed my mind at the last minute and it tore a smidge... but totally covered by the new mat. I added some of the very very very thin gold tape from Papertrey Ink's Make It Market kit: Luxe Letterpress and finished it with a big "Hi-Ya" for a Just Because card worthy of the Simon Says J is for . . .

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Come All Ye Faithful (dog), a stamp made from fun foam from the Come All Ye Faithful die set (dog coat), Say It with Style (sentiment).
cardstock: All Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream, Simply Chartreuse, Sweet Blush

Make It Monday #168: Baby Wipe Stamping

Baby Wipe inked with Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Inks stamped with a dog coat stamp die cut from fun foam. The coat edge is stamped with Colorbox Gold Pigment ink. The dog is stamped with Classic Kraft Ink.Papertrey Ink  Come All Ye Fathful stamp set. The technique can be seen here.

WOYWW 196 and Gertrude's Devil Bowl

Front and center, an actual VHS tape (Handspinning Advanced Techniques by Mabel Ross). Two out of three DVD players bit the dust, fortunately I have a stash of crafty VHS to watch. Just behind it are my two Papertrey Ink ink pads (Ocean Tides and Kraft). They are sort of yin or yang shaped, so the larger side can be used for inking large areas and the pointy bit for getting in the small places. On the other side is part of my freshwater pearls stash. Seriously, I'm addicted to them. The zip bags in the front contain some of my larger PTI dies. I've decided if I keep them there, I'm more motivated to find a better storage solution for them. On the other hand, when they are out, I use them more.

I'm sometimes accused of hoarding because I save odd junk mail and all my PTI packaging, but it's really a useful craft source. And if you don't believe me, you can see it for yourself in this blog post about 25 Creative and Frugal Supplies for Mixed Media from Cloth, Paper, Scissors lol. They didn't specifically include one of my favorites though, which is those subscription cards in magazines which look so different when they are cut.

 This card was made a while ago with second-hand materials and a sharpie.

And a PSA for anyone whose dog is a food gulper. Instead of the fancy $30 dollar specialty bowls designed to slow their eating, I found a $2.79 double bowl turned upside down works really well. This one has a ridge in the middle to really put the brakes on by rocking and turning as she eats. My dog thinks this is the devil's doing, but she is no longer in danger of getting bloat from eating too quickly.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground to see more crafty goodness on desks around the world! Better yet, snap a picture of your own crafty space and join in the fun : D.

My Mojo Monthly - February 2012 - Heartstrings

February's theme on My Mojo Monthly is heartstrings. I am not a romantic, and until I was pregnant with my daughter, I really didn't care for heart shapes at all unless they were broken or anatomical. I still covet an anatomical heart stamp or two, but I am much more tolerant of hearts than I was before :D. While I was pregnant, I also became addicted to House Mouse and my feet grew a size and a half and I'll no-longer crawl over broken glass for Chinese take-out (I still like it a lot though). The baby books left me woefully unprepared for these side-effects of pregnancy lol.

While my page does have a heart on it, it was totally inspired by a picture of a dog named Boo who was not rescued despite some Herculean efforts by volunteers to find her a home. (BTW if you are looking for a pet, please consider rescues.)

I don't know if it's the worried look on her face or the fact she reminds me of my own rescue pup when she is doing her Stellaluna impression, but when I found out she had been killed, it just broke my heart. So I did what scrappy people do, I made a tribute page for her. I felt awareness is something. Working with all the gorgeous Graphic 45 paper made me want to audition for the Graphic 45 Design Team. My tribute to Boo was my first entry.

The winged heart is made with the Cricut Imagine and Love Struck 2010 cartridge covered with Glossy Accents). I spent a lot of time with my craft knife and steel-edged Tim Holtz ruler.

I started by cutting off the frame from Graphic 45 Fashionista "Fashionista". Then I cut off the outter row from Fashionista "Bon Marche". Then I made a large mat from the "Bon Marche" leftovers and made an "X" with a craft knife and painted the folded over bits with gold paint. Added another layer and painted those with a second shade of gold. The final mat is Graphic 45 Botanicabella "Summer Sonata". The background cardstock is an ochre color heavily inked with Wild Honey Distress Ink to add dimension. Finally Boo's picture is attached to heavy cardstock and attached to the mat with two layers of foam tape.