Sad News

Unfortunately, I have some sad news to share.  On Friday, we had to put down our 5 year old dog, Rusty.  He had been really sick, vomitting and diarreha, for about 2 weeks.  We brought him to the vet on Tuesday and without doing tons of tests, they had no clue what was wrong with him and sent us home with some medicine.  Well the medicine helped him hold things down, but he was not eating.  He also went from 29.5 pound last year to 19.3 pounds.  That is a dramatic weight loss for such a small dog.  Since things weren't improving, we transferred his records to an animal hospital for a second opinion.  She was baffled too so we agreed to start doing some tests, x-rays, blood work, heartworm test and lyme disease test.  When they did the x-rays, they noticed that there may be a blockage in his stomach so they wanted to do a barium test to see if it would flow through him.  If not, we agreed to pay $3 to $4 thousand to have surgery to remove the blockage.  That afternoon, we got a call from the doctor saying that the barium made it through him and that surgery was not needed.  Finally, a ray of hope until we got the second phone call.  They tested his blood and they discovered that he had critical kidney failure.  The doctor believed that he has been sick for a long time and possibly had it since birth.  At this stage in his disease, endless amounts of money would not help him and would only extend his life for 3-6 months in enormous amounts of pain.  We could not do that to him.  So unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to our dear friend.

Rusty was a wonderful and sweet dog!  He loved to go camping, kayaking, chasing my husband on his mountain bike and most importantly, he LOVED playing FRISBEE!!!  I'd like to share some pictures of Rusty with you.

My Christmas Present 2005

Playing Frisbee in Wells Beach, ME

Kayaking

Camping

Eating Birthday Cupcakes

Hiking

Singing

Being Goofy

Rusty, we both love you more than anything and we miss you so much!  We could not let you suffer and you deserved better than that out of life.  We had a wonderful life with you even though it was only for 5 short years.  We miss you singing, barking at the pans, chasing squirrels, chasing bikers, sleeping in bed with us and sharing ice cream and popcorn with you.  You are in heaven now with your big brother, Brandy so you are not alone.  You will never be forgotten!  We love you!

Love, Mom & Dad

Christmas Project #2

Here is my second, and final, Christmas project using dgital cutting files from Filekutz by LisaJane:

I thought that a snowman bookmark would bring some festive reading to someone special!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Background Basics: Retro, Papertrey Ink - Daily Designs, Papertrey Ink - Daily Designs Sentiments

Paper: PTI Spring Rain, PTI Kraft, GP White, Creamy Caramel, Real Red, Basic Black

Ink: PTI Vintage Cream, PTI Enchanted Evening, PTI Tea Dyeing Duo

Accessories: Cuttlebug, PTI Bookmark Die, Cricut, Filekutz by LisaJane - Dancing Snowmen (LK000115)

Hump Day Inspirations #20

Happy Wednesday!  Today's challenge over at Inktegrity is an Anything Goes!  Please stop by and play along for your chance to win a $5 gift certificate to the Inktegrity store.

Here is my card:

This image was available for FREE from the Inktegrity blog.  If you missed it, grab it HERE!

Supplies:
Stamps: Inktegrity - Spooky Gate & Sentiment
Paper: PTI White, Gina K Luxury White, Only Orange, DCWV Rock Star DP
Ink: Copics
Accessories: None

Sofa Table Runner

I made this runner for our sofa table this weekend.

I purchased the pattern from Connecting Threads called Geese in the Posie Patch.  It was the only runner that was narrow enough to not hang over the sofa table.

Since I have difficulty doing triangles, I thought that this was a small enough project to practice with.  I am very happy the way this came out!

My next quilting project is to make 2 place mats to match our living room for the pull up coffee table we just bought.  We are using the blue ones from the kitchen so I want to make some brown ones.

Squigglefly Challenge #72

Today's challenge over at Squigglefly is to make a Halloween or fall card.  Here is mine:

I thought that these stacked pumpkins were adorable.  I also colored the entire background for the first time to add some dimension to the colored image.  I really like the way it came out.

Supplies:
Stamps: Squigglefly - Stacked Pumpkins, Papertrey Ink - Fillable Frame #7
Paper: PTI White, Gina K Luxury White, Always Artichoke, Close to Cocoa, Unknown DP
Ink: Always Artichoke, Archival Jet Black, Copics
Accessories: Cuttlebug, PTI Fillable Frame #7 Die, Leaf Brads

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a non-craft related note, today is my dog Rusty's 5th birthday! I cannot believe that I have already had him for 5 years! Every year for his birthday, I make a batch of yellow cupcakes and leave 2 unfrosted for him. I know, he is spoiled rotten!!!

Happy Birthday Rusty!!!!

Grace: A Christmas Sisters of the Heart Novel - Shelly Shepard Gray

Summary from Net Galley: It’s Christmastime at the Brenneman Bed & Breakfast, and everyone is excited about closing down for the holiday. Anna and Henry will be celebrating their first Christmas as a married couple, and for Katie and Jonathan Lundy, it’s their first Christmas with baby Stefan. Winnie and Samuel Miller plan to stop by as well for a wonderful two weeks of family and rest.

But when two unexpected visitors show up, hoping to stay for Christmas, the family must test their commitment to hospitality. Levi is a widower who lost his wife four years ago and can’t bear the thought of another Christmas alone. And Melody is a young pregnant woman who won’t open up about how she ended up on her own at Christmas at almost nine months pregnant. Anna, who knows a thing or two about keeping secrets, doesn’t trust her, and strives to find out the truth about these two strangers who have disrupted their holiday.

But as the Christmas spirit descends on them all, along with a snow that traps them at the inn, a healing and hopefulness takes over, allowing new relationships to be built, and the boundaries of family to be extended.

 

I loved how there were several stories unfolding at once.  First there was Melody.  She was a young unwed mother with a very sad story.  She went to the inn to have some relaxation before the baby is born.  Then there is Levi.  He was looking to forget his bad memories of Christmases past.  Along the way, Melody and Levi help each other get through the holiday.  Leah is Melody's English friend from home who travels to be with her on Christmas.  She has her own troubles and meets Zach along the way.

This was the first book that I have read by Shelley Shepard Gray and I loved it!  Although, in this book, the past three books of this series are mentioned quickly, I am eager to read all of them.  I am looking forward to starting Hidden next.

A special thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins publishing company for allowing me to review this book before it is released on October 26, 2010.

Santa Face Tag

Here is my first project using a Christmas digital cutting files from Filekutz by LisaJane:

I thought that I would use the Santa Face (LK000114) cutting file to make a Christmas tag.  I added some Ice Stickles to give his cap some texture.

Supplies:

Stamps: SU - Bitty Backgrounds, Papertrey Ink - Mixed Messages (Sentiment)

Paper: GP White, Basic Black, Blush Blossom, Old Olive

Ink: Always Artichoke, Archival Jet Black

Accessories: Cuttlebug, PTI Tag Sale #1 Die, Eyelet, Cricut, Filekutz by LisaJane - Santa's Face (LK000114)

Hide in Plain Sight - Marta Perry

Summary from Good Reads: She couldn't turn her back on her family in their time of need.  So when her sister was injured, financial expert Andrea Hampton traded the big city for Amish country to help turn her grandmother's house into an inn.

But life with the Plain People took a treacherous turn when a string of accidents and pranks threatened her family. Someone didn't want the secrets the old house harbored to come to light. Trusting anyone— even the handsome carpenter who seemed so genuine—was a battle for Andrea, but her life depended on her ability to find the truth.

Andrea did not want to come to Amish country to help her grandmother and sister get the house finished for the grand opening of the inn.  When she arrives, the family is hit again and again with trouble.  Someone does not want this inn to open.  Thankfully, Cal is renting from Grams and lives in the barn.  Andrea relied on Cal for help and created and bond through it all.  In the end, Andrea finds a strong family bond, a new friendship and God while helping the family through several tragedies.

This is the first book that I have read from Marta Perry and Harlequin Love Inspires novels.  I was very pleased with the story!  For me, it was not the typical Amish stories that I am used to since the story took place in Amish country and the neighbors were Amish.  I am more used to having more Amish characters and culture than this book provided.  I am looking forward to reading the other two books in this series, A Christmas to Die For and Buried Sins.

Hump Day Inspirations #19

Happy Hump Day!  Here's another challenge from Inktegrity.  This week's challenge is a sketch challenge.  Here it is:

Here is my card:

I colored this image first and realized that when I cut it out that it was larger than I originally thought it would be.  I do like the way this looks anyways!

Supplies:
Stamps: Inktegrity - Everything's Okay Bouquet, Papertrey Ink - Fillable Frames #7 (Sentiment)
Paper: PTI White, Gina K Luxury White, GP White, PTI Raspberry Fizz, Always Artichoke, Unknown DP
Ink: Archival Jet Black, Copics
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Circle Nestabilitites (Classic)

Airplane Quilt

Here is a quilt that was ordered by a co-worker for her one year old nephew.

She requested airplanes, boyish colors, no flower prints, no orange, no pink and no purple.  So I think I covered it rather well.  This pattern took a little longer than normal since I am attempting to work with more detailed pieced blocks.  This pattern is called Stitched Leaves Pattern and I got it over at Connecting Threads.  Grab your copy of the block pattern HERE!  Instead of fussy cutting the centers, I embroidered two different airplanes for half of them and left white centers for the rest.

Happy Wedding Day

This is the last card from my order from last week.

I made this card to coordinate with a wedding invitation which was cream with brown birds, leaves and flowers.

Supplies:
Stamps: Inkadinkado - Birdhouse, Papertrey Ink - Delightful Dahlia (Sentiment)
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream. Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, SU DP
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Ribbon Ended Tags, SU 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon - Chocolate Chip

Hump Day Inspirations #18

This week's challenge over at Inktegrity is to show off your Halloween or fall cards!  Here is mine:

I decided to use the new apple basket image with the retired SU Summer Picnic DP.  I love the apples with the brown too!

Supplies:
Stamps: Inktegrity - Apple Basket
Paper: PTI White, Gina K Luxury White, Close to Cocoa, Summer Picnic DP
Ink: Copics
Accessories: SU 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon - Chocolate Chip, SU Hodgepodge Hardware - Buckle

October's Newsletter Project

Here is my project for October's newsletter with Filekutz by LisaJane:

This is a super simple birthday card.  I cut out the frame, made the mat for the sentiment a smidge smaller than the center and voila!  I added some adhesive half pearls for an accent.

Supplies:

Stamps: SU - Sincere Salutations

Paper: PTI Kraft, GP White, Basic Black

Ink: Bravo Burgundy

Accessories: Cricut, Filekutz by LisaJane - May Freebie Flourishes, Adhesive Half Pearls

Squigglefly Challenge #70

This week's challenge over at Squigglefly is to make a card for a Celebration.  Since I make tons of birthday cards, I thought I would use that celebration.

Sorry for the incomplete post, I post the card and then I add the wording later on when I am slow at work.  I obviously missed this scheduled post!  Oops!!!

Supplies:
Stamps: Squigglefly - I Chews You, Papertrey Ink - Birthday Bash Sentiments
Paper: PTI White, Gina K Luxury White, Basic Black, Unknown Bo Bunny DP
Ink: Archival Jet Black, Copics
Accessories: None

More Pictures!

Here are some more pictures of Sebastian from last weekend.

We spent the majority of last weekend at home cleaning and doing things that needed to get done.  So we got to spend some quality time with him.  Since we bought him the proper lighting for his cage, he looks more alert, brighter and happier!  He is very calm and loves to be held!  He was even sitting on my shoulder while I was making some cards.

I have discovered that he loves collard green, shredded carrots and shredded butternut squash.  He also took a swim in his water bowl and splashed water all along the sides of his cage.

I totally love the way he sleeps.  When the lights go out, he falls asleep where ever he is.  The other night, he was half on the branch and half on the ground.  We woke him up and moved him because that did not look comfortable.

He is becoming a great addition to this family!!!

Congrats to YOU

Here is card #2 for last weekend's card order.

A co-worker's friend is expecting her second child.  So we thought that we would take a different approach for this card.  This card is for her son.  Inside it reads: "Big Brother".

Supplies:
Stamps: SU - Bundle of Joy, Papertrey Ink - All About You
Paper: PTI White, GP White, Barely Banana, Pumpkin Pie, SU DP
Ink: Archival Jet Black, SU Markers
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Oval Nestabilities (Classic & Scallop)

Simple Secrets - Nancy Mehl

Summary from Good Reads: Can graphic designer Gracie Temple have it all: the big city life and a job at a successful advertising firm? Just when she feels life coming together she receives an unknown uncle’s inheritance in a quiet Kansas Mennonite community. The house comes with a dark legacy and a cast of interesting neighbors, including farmer Sam Goodrich. Can Gracie shake off the dust of this town or will its secret charms pull her in to stay?

Gracie had a lot to deal with inside this small Mennonite town called Harmony.  She went there with the intentions of dealing with her uncle's estate.  Once she got there, she learned of a secret that her uncle had been keeping for several years.  The thing is, there are people in Harmony who did not want these secrets revealed.

Along the way, she falls in love with the town, the people and even Sam.  Sam was the neighbor's nephew who guided Gracie through Harmony and became a wonderful friend.  Together they were determined to uncover the truth explained in her uncle's note.  Lots of people in Harmony had devasting secrets and the more Gracie dug into the past, the more was revealed.  In the end, Gracie, Sam and the whole community came together.

This was a heartfelt story about family, friends, love, community and truth.  It shows how holding back the truth can have a terrible affect on everyone around you as well as yourself for holding it inside for so long.

I honestly enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading more in Nancy Mehl's second book called Simple Deceit which is coming out in early 2011.  A special thanks to Net Galley and Barbour Publishing, Inc for allowing me to review this book for them.

Hump Day Inspiration #17

Happy Hump Day everyone!  Please stop by Inktegrity's challenge blog to participate in this week's challenge.

The challenge for this week is a sketch challenge.  Here it is:

Here  is my card:

I thought that I would put a little spin on my interpretation of this sketch.  Although my card is just three easy laters, I figured that the image was oval and I added the sentiment to the other side.  Cool, huh??!!

Supplies:
Stamps: Inktegrity - Ricky the Racoon
Paper: PTI Kraft, Gina K Luxury White, Brilliant Blue
Ink: Archival Jet Black, Copics
Accessories: SU Ticket Corner Punch

Airplane

I was inking up some of my Papertrey Ink stamps this weekend.  I just had to play with this one!

This is such a cute set (and it is only $5).  It is perfect for a little boy's birthday card.

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Fly Away
Paper: PTI White, GP White, PTI Enchanted Evening, PTI Spring Rain
Ink: PTI Enchanted Evening, Archival Jet Black
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Traffic Jam

Happy Anniversary

I had several  card requests over the weekend.  Here is one of them:

A friend requested an anniversary card using the layout of the wedding card that I made for her over 3 years ago.  Good thing I take pictures of all my cards as a reference!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU - Simply Said, Papertrey Ink - Fillable Frames #4 (Sentiment)
Paper: PTI Kraft, GP Whtite, More Mustard, Old Olive
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: None

Meet Sebastian!

This is Sebastian, my 1-1/2 year old bearded dragon!

I purchased him from someone on Craigslist who needed to get rid of him since they are moving to an apartment that does not allow pets.  I have wanted one every since I saw one at Claws N' Paws zoo in Pennsylvania last 4th of July.  Jay and I started pricing everything that was needed to get started and it was way more than we wanted to spend.  So we started watching Craigslist instead so I could give a bearded dragon a second chance at a good home.

We brought him home on Tuesday night after an hour and a half ride in the car.  I think it may have stressed Sebastian out a little bit.  Rusty, our dog, is having a hard time dealing with him.  Since his cage is on our old coffee table and is the right height for him, he walks around the cage and whines at Sebastian.  I don't think he knows what to think of him!  All he knows is that his mommy is crazy!  LOL!

This is him hunting.  We stopped at a pet store on Wednesday night and got him some more things along with 20 crickets.  OMG, he loved it!  He had so much fun and it was rather fun to watch too!