My baby girl is gone...

Took my baby girl Jessica to be put to sleep last night. She was 19yrs and 3days, but couldn't bear to see her suffering any more. Not pain as such, but she had dementia (aimless wandering, wailing at the chair, incontinent), had become so thin and probably had kidney disease. I'm a vet, so I'm used to helping other people make those sorts of decisions, but it was the hardest thing I'll ever do. I took her to a vet friend, and stayed with her til the end - it was very peaceful and she (quite uncharacteristically) didn't fight or argue, so maybe she was ready??

This is her just before we went - my cat with the beautiful eyes.

Just don't know what to do with myself now - haven't slept for 3 nights and feel so guilty (normal I know but can't help it). Postman overwhelmed me this morning with a whole armful of crafty stuff that all seemed to arrive at once, but I'm just not sure I have the energy or motivation to do anything, so I may not be posting anything for a while.

First wordbook card!

Here is my first attempt at a word book using the Funky Hand CD-ROM. This card was made for my Mum (from my Dad):





Other than the Funky Hand prints, I have used some die-cuts from Let's Make Cards, and some heart, flower, pearl & gem embellishments. I have bound the "book" using two eyelets and ribbon. The cupcake image is from the DoCrafts Creativity CD-ROM.

Challenges I'm entering:
Get Funky February - I Love Crafting
Digital Tuesday #46 - All things girly
Cooking it up with Katie #11 - Girly, paper-piercing (I hope eyelets count!) and 2 papers
Totally Gorjuss #18 - Flower Power (tho I'm not sure if a stamp is required??)
Magical Crafts #9 - Something for Mum

MUM DO NOT LOOK!!!

Right, I'm putting all the "writing" at the top in case my Mum comes to look at the blog before her big day on Sunday and sees the pic!!
This is my first easel card, and after much deliberation on which cardstock to use for the base, I found one sturdy enough!
The image is a Miss Anya coloured with Whispers, and I distressed the edges with ink (never tried using the ink pad to fade in from the edges, quite like it)! I've used 2 different papers (flowers & butterflies) from Sharon Duncan's Embossibilities Elegance CD-ROM - it's Mum's and I've never tried it but it came out ok on paper. I've used 3 different types of embellishment (flowers, brads and eyelets).

Challenges I'm entering:
Charisma Cards #7 - Sketch
Quixotic Cards #14 - Something for Mum
Allsorts #39 - 3,2,1 = 3 flowers, 2 papers, 1 image
Pile It On #6 - Let us see flowers
Crafty Angels #22 - Fantastic Flowers
Anyone For Anya - Flower Power
Cute Daisy May - Bright & Cheerful
Simon Says - Recipe = 3 types of embellishment, 2 papers, 1 image

An Elephant Never Forgets...

Here's the card I made for my Aunty's birthday because she absolutely adores them:




With matching envelope:

I've used an elephant decoupage & matching backing paper from The Papercraft Tutor, although it seems to have been taken off the site now (Rita the designer has to take some things off to put new stuff on - maybe you could email her if you wanted to get the file?)

I have used some mulberry paper that I have never known quite what to do with until I saw the latest edition of Papercraft Inspirations magazine where it tells you how to tear the paper after wetting along the lines with a paintbrush. The wire wording was done by me and attached using nylon thread sewn around the wire and held on the back of the card with a bead (if anyone has a better way please shout up...glue didn't work either)! I LOVE writing with wire...look out for some name cards coming up (I did a whole batch while half-watching a film the other night). 4 little brads around the decoupage for decoration.

Challenges I'm entering:
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #54 - All About Me
Cute Card Thursday #100 - Metal Mania

UPDATE: Rita at The PaperCraft Tutor has just emailed me to say that she will be putting the elephant decoupage set back on the site for a week or so in case anyone wants to download it. Go and have a look - there are some great ideas!

Blog Candy Wins!

Yesterday my blog candy from Inspire Creationz January draw arrived:

And I just found out that I won Katrina's candy over at Whimsical Wishes!!

Please check out both of these fab blogs for some stunning cards!!

Mystery card...is now here!!

Here is the Valentine's card:



*******************************************************************************

Well, I have finally finished a very special card, for a very special someone...

BUT... it's the Valentine's card I've made for my Dad to give to my Mum, and she might look on here so I'll just have to wait til Sunday after she's opened it!

It's got a special fold, and the papers are from Creative Cardmaking Issue 11 and Cardmaking & Papercraft Issue 57! Along with my first attempt at lace (incire) and a few punches and sparkly bits!

WATCH THIS SPACE....!

Challenges I will be entering on SUNDAY:
1) The Pink Elephant #53 - Valentine
2) Creative Craft #6 - Roses are Red
3) Creative Card Crew #44 - Valentine
4) Simon Says - What's love got to do with it?
5) Sassy Designs #8 - Hearts & Flowers
6) Rainbow Lady #90 - Have a Heart
7) Cute Card Thursday #99 - In the Name of Love
8) Polkadoodle # 6 - Hearts & Flowers
9) Dutch Dare #71 - Valentine's
10) Secret Crafter Saturday #70 - Multifold

When all else fails...Hug Your Cat!

This is a cute freebie image from My Grafico, with a sentiment freebie from Squigglefly. Then just a scalloped square with the Bigshot, some DST with glitter, Glitterations corners and some gems!

It's for my best friend (another vet) who has two little cats, and I just felt like sending her a card!!

Challenges I'm entering:
Digital Tuesday #45 - It's All About The Animals (too true, for us vets it really is!!)
Crafty Creations #54 - Friends
C.R.A.F.T #37 - Digi Colouring
Stamp Something - Something Cute

"Oh look!! A bumble-bee!!"

Any other Rhod Gilbert fans? The way he said that on Michael Macintyre's Comedy Roadshow with his awesome Welsh accent made me howl!

Anyway.... here's my bumble bee - in fact a free-bee (get it??) from Dustin Pike.

I coloured him with Whispers pens, but then decided to add a bit of gel pen to make the water look wet. Then some beads on the brolly, then some zoomz, then glitter on the wings. Got a bit carried away really!!
Followed the sketch from Moving Along With The Times, but the time moved along with me and I didn't finish in time to enter their challenge! Gutted!!
Challenges I'm entering:
Magical Crafts #8 - Something for the kids
Lucy's Challenge #5 - Polkadots
Pollycraft #33 - Things with Wings

Card for a boy!

As with many of you, I find cards for boys difficult - they don't often appreciate flowers, gems or glitter like us girls, and I'm always struggling to find the right sort of image or stamp.

I used one of the images from the Docrafts Creativity CDROM free with the latest magazine, along with some "boy" paper from DCWV Text prints in a stack. Then just a peel off with 3 snaps (I think that's what they're called).
Challenges I'm entering:

Baby Love!

Here's another different take on the "love" theme:



The image is a freebie digi stamp from Pollycrafts - go and download it yourself here.
I've used the green "baby" paper from DCWV text prints paper stack, and the green and pink textured card is from DCWV scrapbook kit in a stack. I've used nesties and sizzix bookplates to "punch", with some hearts & gems to finish,
Challenges I'm entering:
Papertake Weekly #34 - Love Actually
Cooking it up with Katie #10 - Home/Family, punch & sticker
Paperplay Challenges #5 - Love Notes
Fussy & Fancy Friday #3 - Hearts
Bee Crafty #23 - Romantic or loving
Die Cut Dreams # 34 - Have a Heart

Flowersoft Bouquet

Well, I finally attempted the FlowerSoft bouquet, and also the twirly ribbon that I thought would be horrendous to stick to the paper. I've decided that FlowerSoft glue is magic!



I've used one of my new WhichCraft scalloped circles that I won earlier in the week. Small error - I folded it the wrong way so had to cut the bottom a bit otherwise it was wonky as it stood! I used paper, mini buttons and the wide ribbon from the DoCrafts goody bag. The bouquet with cute little curly ribbon is from Flowersoft. I've distressed the edge of my sentiment using Whispers pen (couldn't find the right inkpad).
I have no need to make Valentine's cards, but I thought this might cover the "love" theme in some of the challenges!
Challenges I'm entering:Allsorts #38 - Get Distressed with Button/s and a bow
Saturday Spotlight #17 - Teeny Tiny
Charisma Cardz #5 - I Love You
Dutch Dare #70 - Summer in Winter
Rainbow Lady #89 - Four Seasons
C.R.A.F.T #36 - Love/Valentine
ABC Challenge - N is for New
Pile it On # 5 - To the one you love

Fishy Fishy!

This is a card I just made for my Aunty's partner, who is apparently into fishing (says Mum):

I've used 2 types of paper from the Dovecraft Masculine range, along with some glitter stripes (DST + Glamour dust), and a rub-on sentiment on a Sizzix bookplate, on a nestie die cut! I've no idea where my mum got the fish from, but I pinched it!

Challenges I'm entering:
Cute Card Thursday #98 - Spots & Dots
One Stop Craft #65 - Make it Personal

Must be my lucky week!

Wow, a second crafty prize in one week?? And I didn't even know I'd won it til it dropped throught the letter box. I entered this giveaway on Crafts on the Net website, and I won!!

I'm about to send a CV off to a possible job opportunity, so I just hope my luck holds out a bit longer!

Foxy's story!

I think it's about time to introduce my new(er) doggie, Foxy. I've actually had him since last July, but never quite got around to putting pics on here, and thought I'd tell you his story - Are you sitting comfortably?... Then I'll begin....

It was a Monday morning, when I looked at the computer screen....."Spiderman, canine, possible PTS - aggressive" - which is to be interpreted as "keep your hands in your pockets if you value your fingers".

I went into the waiting room to find a young mother in tears with a small innocent-looking dog under her chair, wagging his tail. They entered the consulting room and the lady explained to me that she could not keep "Spiderman" anymore as he had started to become aggressive with her children. The local rehoming centres would not take him with the history she had given so she needed to have him put to sleep. I looked down at the cheerful little chap, still wagging his tail (stood next to her son). I asked about his behaviour in other respects and was told that he was not good with other dogs, or in the car, had never been vaccinated, castrated, wormed/de-flea-ed or microchipped, but did like cats, and enjoyed playing with a ball. With this in mind, I asked her permission for us to keep him and attempt to rehome him through the practice. She agreed as she was clearly heartbroken at the idea of euthanasia, and she signed him over to us.

Everyone fell in love with him - he must have had about 10 walks a day as well as cuddles in abundance. A receptionist immediately got on the phone to rehoming centres, who said that he would be more appealing if neutered (keeps their costs down and better for new owners). We appealed to the boss to let me do that "on the house", which he agreed to (having fallen in love too). So Tuesday morning came and went, and he recovered well from his little op. Wednesday afternoon he went behind reception with the other staff dogs - no problem. That evening as I was consulting, the receptionist said that he was waiting for me to come out of the room, and that I should take him home as he obviously wanted to be with me!!

Spoke to Dad that night, and he said no way. So Thursday afternoon I took him home (to see if he got on with our Labradoodle Ben) - if he didn't the decision was easy, as a rehoming centre had actually called to say they had space. I put him in an oversized cat basket in the car, in case he didn't like travelling (as I'd been told)....good as gold. And he got on fine with Benny, so he stayed! He went to work with me everyday, where it was decided that he looked more like a Foxy than a Spiderman, and when I moved jobs he sat beside me in the car - my little buddy!

He does like to play with a ball, and he does like cats - to chase. But he has NEVER been aggressive towards any children we have encountered on a walk, but then I would never leave any dog alone with a child.

The lesson...... Don't always believe everything people say, especially when they don't want an animal anymore.

Oh, he also enjoys sunbathing:

Surfing the web:

And even a bit of reading:

But most of all he likes to wrap everyone round his little toe!!

I won a Whimsy!!

I'm so excited - I won Sledding with Marty & Max from the new Snickerdoodle Kids collection, after joining the Whimsy bloghop and commenting on Crystal's post!!

Flowers for you!

Really enjoyed how my last flower card turned out, so decided to try another!

Once again I've used the Docrafts goody bag for the two papers, the paper flowers and the little bow, a FlowerSoft vase with some gems and eyelets.

Silly me - I did follow the Sketch & Stamp #20 sketch, but just realised I haven't used a stamp - oops!

Challenges I'm entering:
Moving Along With The Times #31 - 3 eyelets, 3 flowers & ribbon

Skipping!

This is another fab digital stamp from Digital Doodling - she's called "Little Issy Skipping" - go and see what great images Wendy has created!

I've used some polkadot paper from a Daisy & Dandelion paper pack, and some punched flowers, glitter & rub-on sentiment. (Oh and gems, don't forget the gems)!

Challenges I'm entering:

Crafty Catz #17 - Sketch