My Furkids

I thought I would share a couple pics of the loves of my life...............

This is Zeke, he is my 9 year old basset hound.  He came to me at 7 months old from Bluegrass Basset Rescue.  He loves to wear bandanas!  I took this the other day when we were having unseasonable warm weather here in mid-Michigan.  Don't you just love those swirls on his butt?

Last summer I was in our local hardware store petting the resident cat and telling the owner and some women shoppers how much I missed my kitty.  I had to put Ernie to sleep the first of the year and Zeke and I were missing feline company.  Well one of the women said she had a friend so I gave her my number.  It seems that a cat was left on the side of the road, duct taped into a card board box and she was giving birth.  Shame on her previous owners!  She was rescued and homes were found for the kittens but not her.  So I adopted her.  She was a skinny scrawny little thing, barely 10 months old and already a mom. She weighed 6 lbs when I got her.  This picture was taken in October, 3 months after she came to live with us,

And here is a pic of my little girl taken just 2 months later, I named her Slinky.  She lost most of her baby hair and grew in a brand new coat.  And surprise, surprise, she is part Maine Coon cat.  She has a fabulous mane around her neck and down her chest.  And such a bushy tail, it is shorter than a normal cat's but very full and luxurious.  She is a beautiful cat and such a love.

She and Zeke get along quite well.  They play and she is much rougher than he is.  She can't resist those big droopy ears of his and he usually gets bit by her.  He is a wuss and comes running to Momma when she plays too mean, lol.  But they enrich my life and I am truly blessed to have found them.

Outlines Monday Challenge 16 - Picture This

Our team challenge this week for Outlines Rubber Stamp is Picture This, incorporate a picture into your creation.  Visit the Outlines Rubber Stamp blog to join the challenge for a chance to win a $25 shopping spree and to see what the rest of the design team has created.

For my card, I started with my Holly Photo Frame  and my Holly Strip stamping them with Memento Tuxedo black ink onto Cryogen paper.  I colored the Holly with YG23 and R37 and then colored the background with E50.  Trimming out just the outside of the frame, I added a photo of my basset hounds, Molly and Zeke from Christmas 2003 then mounted it onto red card stock.  I used this wonderful new holly patterned paper from the Christmas Eve Chowder 6x6 paper pad by Jillibean Soup as well as the striped border piece.  I trimmed the edge of the Holly Strip and added it to the bottom of my card stock.  For the sentiment, I used one of the inside panels of the Holly Photo Frame adding a  Merry Christmas from the Posy Winter Greetings stamp set.  Using Holly Sq. Lg. and stamping it twice, I trimmed out just the holly and added them to the card.  The last step was to add Crystal Viva Glass Effect Gel to the holly berries for extra shine.  Finished size is 5 x 7 inches.

 Be sure to visit the Outlines blog and join in on the challenge for a chance to win a $25 shopping spree at Outlines Rubber Stamp company

Cheery Lynn Designs Butterfly Embellished Frame

Cheery Lynn Designs has released some fabulous new butterfly dies this month, 3 styles in 4 different sizes.  All week long, the design team is showing you some of the great possibilities of these dies.  For my project today, I am using 2 of the 3 butterflies that come in the Exotic Butterflies Small Set.

I began with this wooden picture frame I had laying around.  Using Basic Grey's Capella collection of paper, I created the backing adding a picture of my sweet Molly.  (Sadly she went to the Rainbow Bridge January 2010, I miss her every day)  I used my XL Coved Rectangle Stacker Nesting dies to cut out the photo and then my XL Scalloped Coved Rectangle Stacker Nesting dies for the panel behind the photo.  Using my Pair of Ferns dies, I added 2 to each side of the photo, then a name plate created with my Little Stackers Scalloped Cove Rectangle die.

Next I cut 3 Fanciful Flourish die cuts to embellish the sides of the frame.  Before cutting them, I used spray adhesive and attached a piece of Capella paper to some coordinating card stock so it would have some strength.  One of the great things about Cheery Lynn Designs dies is their ability to cut through multiple layers of paper.  Using the same technique on the butterflies, I adhered 2 more pieces of Capella paper to card stock and die cut 2 of the butterflies.  Using glue, I added the vines and the butterflies to the frame, wrapping the vines and leaves around the side of the frame.

The last embellishment was the corner flower and leaves created using Judy's Blooms.  I found out that you can cut Grunge Paper with this die.  So I cut a set using Grunge and a set using some Capella paper.  I glued them together, shaped the leaves and petals and then glued them to the frame.  This frame measures 6 x 8 inches.


On May 22nd, Cheery Lynn Designs Blog will host a Butterfly challenge with two fabulous prizes.  To enter you must use a Cheery Lynn Designs butterfly.   The first place prize of a $50 gift certificate to Cheery Lynn Designs will be voted on by the design team; the second place prize of a $25 gift certificate will be picked using Random.org.

My Basset Girl

It has been a year this week that my sweet basset hound, Molly went to the Rainbow Bridge.  She was my constant companion for almost 11 years and I miss her everyday.  At Christmas I was presented with an incredible gift.  Bev, a dear friend and one of the ladies from my monthly stamping class, asked her niece, Leslie Frick from Custom Creations by Rika to create a Molly sculpture for me.  Using photos of Molly, she sculpted this amazing mini statue.

She captured Molly's features and coloring, even all her freckles and the little spot of white on her back.

Incredible amount of detail in a sculpture that is only 4 inches wide by 2 inches tall.

I will treasure this always and thank Bev and Leslie for such a wonderful gift.  As most of you know, I am team leader for Karen's Doodles and I asked Karen if she would draw me a basset girl, and here she is.....

I sized and printed this cute little girl onto Cryogen paper with my inkjet printer.  Copics used:
Basset - E17, E13, E51, W1
Eyes - E97
Hat - YR20, YR21
Flowers - B32, B21

She will be available soon for purchase from Karen's store.  I used my Cheery Lynn Designs Heart to Heart Doily dies for the hearts and added leaves from their Dimensional Leaves 2 Large set.  The DP is from Bo Bunny.  Finished size is 6" square.

Basset Babies Album

I have never made a scrapbook before but I recently attended an all day crop with a friend and wanted to give it a try.  So I decided to make a book of my basset hounds.

 
Using Cheery Lynn Designs French Flair XL Stackers Nesting dies for the shape of the book, I got to work.  I cut DP as well as chip board for the cover and back of my album.  Then cut individual pages, a total of 7 using the same die.  I also added a Dimensional die cut basset hound to the cover as well as a few inside pages.  Click on the picture to go to a larger version to see the details on the basset hound die cut, they are very cool.  So this is Molly's first page, she went to the Rainbow Bridge in January; I miss her every day.

and here is my handsome boy, Zeke, he is such a doofus boy!

I just love the French Flair Nesting dies, this album measures 5 5/8" square.  A perfect size for a wonderful keepsake album. 

Products used:

Mo's Digital Challenge #32 - Love

This week over at Mo's Digital Challenge, Denise has set our challenge to Love.  I have used one of Mo's newest images called Buds!

I decided to make a long card, 4 x 9.25 inches.  So I sized and printed my image accordingly.  Copics used:
Face - E000, E00
Hair - E99
Shirt - YR21, YR23
Jeans - BG72
Belt - E33
Socks - BG11, YR23
Dog - E21, E30, E53
Nose - W5
Collar - R29, C5
Shadow - W1

I used this great new paper from the Basic Grey Max and Whiskers 6x6 collection.  I computer generated the saying.  The punch is a Martha Stewart Arch Lattice border.  I added lots of metal brads for a guy card feel.  Be sure to check out what the rest of the design team and has come up with.  I hope I have inspired you to give digi images a try.

And here is the love in my life, my Zeke.  Isn't he just a handsome boy?

Karen's Doodles Puppy Love

I did not get a chance to create with this image for Valentine's Day but I thought he would be perfect for anytime you needed a love/hugs card.  So here is Karen's Doodles adorable Puppy Love.  Just look at those big puppy dog eyes, isn't he just the cutest?

So I sized the image in Adobe Photoshop Elements and printed him onto Cryogen paper with my inkjet printer.  This is such a great image to color as the fur makes a perfect guide for shading.   Copics used:
Puppy - E41, E42, E43, R20
Eyes - E97
Heart - R81, R83

I followed this week's sketch challenge from SplitCoast Stampers, SC269.  What a great sketch, I love the diagonal pieces and all the layering. I turned the sketch vertical to accommodate the image.  I again used  paper from SEI, the Juliette collection.  This time I used a smaller stripe pattern and a floral.  Isn't it just gorgeous?  Finished size is 5 x 7 inches. 


And speaking of puppy love, here is my Zeke, a 7 year old basset hound I adopted from Bluegrass Basset Rescue in Kentucky at the age of 7 months.  Isn't he a handsome boy?  And you can tell he makes himself right at home on my leather couch!

He is great company while I am creating cards.  He lays on the couch and contemplates life, lol. 

Goodbye to my sweet Molly

My best friend and companion of the last 11 plus years, Molly, my basset hound, went to the Rainbow Bridge today.  The day started out normal, she was up and happy, ate her breakfast, bossed her basset brother, Zeke around.  Yelled at me when I was late giving her glucosamine pill.  She asked to go out around 11:30.  She went out happy and normal and 20 minutes later came in with head hanging and hardly able to walk.  We went to the vets, they took x-rays and saw something strange.  Exploratory surgery revealed a huge tumor on her liver, inoperable and most likely more tumors in her other organs along with much internal bleeding.  So she never woke up from the surgery.  She was so shocky that they could not keep her alive long enough for me to say goodbye.  I miss her so much already, she has slept with me most every night for the last 11 years.  She has whined and begged and got her way when she wanted a cookie or a carrot.  She could sit up like a gopher and beg for food.  And she had a lovely voice and would sing songs with me.  I love you, Molly Polly and will see you again one day.  Zeke and Ernie the cat will miss you too!