Sweet Daisy Mae

This coming Wednesday will mark 2 weeks since we had to say good-bye to our sweet border collie Daisy. She was with us for 12 years and was an absolute doll!! That dog loved to chase after sticks; we always joked that her leg would be hanging on by a ligament and she would still go full bore. Well, now she is chasing those sticks across the Rainbow Bridge. I made this card for the doctors and staff at our vet's office to say thanks for the love and care they always gave to our girl. Shhhhh, I know it's not Stampin' Up! and I won't post the name but I got it at one of those big box stores. Can you believe I did not have any dog (or cat for that matter) stamps in my inventory? Unbelievable! This is a CASE with a couple of minor changes. Of course, once again, I did not jot down the name of the original creator or blog so if this is yours let me know so I can post credit. I did use Stampin' Up! cardstock in Crumbcake, Early Espresso, and Melon Mambo along with retired MM ribbon

And here she is, the wonderful Sweet Daisy Mae! She turned 12 this past February, which for us is short....our mini dachshund, Dollie, was 18 (1991-2009) and our kitty Sneakers was 21 (1987-2008). The house has been really quiet. We could always tell when Daisy was around as she was not the most graceful of dogs when it came to laying down....she would always kind of flop down with a resounding thump. Laughingly we would call her "Grace".

And who ever said cats and dogs don't get along? My 2 snugglers in action. Daisy and Sneakers became fast friends when Daisy came into our family.

And finally, a dog and her boy.....My youngest son, Ethan would love on Daisy sooooo much and she would just take it. Sometimes she would look up at you and you could just tell she was thinking "Okay, that's enough love for now." I think Ethan was always a bit disappointed that Daisy wouldn't sleep on his bed with him, but she tended to be hot natured. The only time she really ever slept with any of us is when someone was sick and in our queen size bed. There apparently was enough room for the sick body and the sprawled out collie. That was one of the sweetest things about this old girl, she knew when you didn't feel well and was willing to stay by

 your side until things were better.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the contraband card. I will actually have another to post in the next day or so; a belated birthday card for my son's third grade teacher. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Explosion Box

This is my first Explosion Box ever and even though I tend to be my own worst critic....I love it! This little box is such a neat way to keep memories of a special event. For the past several years a friend has asked me to make a favor or memento for a father-daughter dance called the Princess Ball at her church.  Our beautiful Poppy Parade is a perfect match for the red sashes that are being used in their color scheme.

I got to use so many different products while creating this box and many for the first time. I am so bad about ordering a product I think I am just going to love and then it takes me forever to actually pull it out of the packaging....please tell me I am not the only one! Although I had put my Mixed Bunch stamp set and coordinating punch to use previously, I have been sitting on the Textured Impressions Designer Frames. Why? It makes such a beautiful presentation and I will be using it a lot more often.



One of my Sale-A-Bration goodies, Language of Friendship. When I first saw this set I thought it was okay, but nothing I really had to have. Then thanks to all the creative ladies that so graciously post their work  online I found myself really wanting it.



On the top flap you can see where I used the new Framlits Labels Collection....I am liking these too! It may just be me, but I wish the nesting sizes were a tad bit closer in size. I like the matting that I did on the top flap, but I think I would have liked the black label to be just a bit smaller. I'm sure the dies are sized this way for a reason, but a girl can always wish :-)

Last but not least, I have finally cracked open one of several pads of In Color DSP from the Hostess Benefits to add a little pop to the blank flaps. When I originally put the box together I did not have the scalloped trim around the bottom of the lid. I looked at it for a couple of days and each time I just knew it needed something, it was too plain. I punched a couple of different borders and then decided upon the Scallop Trim Border, cut it about 1 1/4" wide and adhered to the inside of the lid and all of the sudden my explosion box was done.

I know most of the explosion box samples I have seen online started with 12"x12" paper, but since you can't get 12"x12" Poppy Parade only, I opted to go with a smaller size. I started with 8.5"x8.5" and scored at 2.75" and 5.75". Each subsequent layer was cut .25" smaller, but scored the same. The girls will be able to add small pictures and/or journaling on the flaps that range in size from 3", 2.75", 2.5" by 2.75". The reverse side of each embellished flap was left blank for the girls to customize.

I met with my friend last night to show her the sample even though I had already emailed her pictures. Her first comment was "the pictures do not do justice to this box"; what a lovely compliment! Well I am now off to start making 20 of these little beauties. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my newest project, have a great day!