JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE!!!!

Meet Buddy.  He belongs to our neighbor, and we L-O-V-E Buddy!  My husband and son started carrying dog biscuits in their cars so they'd have a ready treat for the greeting they'd get from Buddy each day but, recently, the neighbor installed an invisible fence (for Buddy's safety), so he doesn't get to come visit very often.  Apparently, the fence has been turned off since the weekend (yippee!!!!).  Buddy escorted each of my class guests to the front door on Saturday (and got biscuits).  He "helped" as we worked in the yard on Sunday and earned a few more.  This morning I was walking by the patio door, and guess who was standing there?  LOL!  He was looking in as if to say, "I'm here for my biscuit!"  Even if you are a person who doesn't like dogs, you would LOVE Buddy!  He's the sweetest, most loving dog--the perfect companion!

ALTERED "FANCY FAVOR" BOX

Stampin' Up!'s "Fancy Favor" die is one of my favorites--even moreso now that I have yet another creative project to make with it!  The Fancy Favor die-cut box is soooooooooo versatile!  For this project, I used Stampin' Up!'s "Bella's Bloom" stamp set to very simply decorate the note cards.  Other products used include Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette (retired In Color), and Whisper White card stock, Modern Label punch, and dotted Melon Mambo ribbon.

ETA:  A tutorial for this box was posted on 5-29-14 and can be found HERE.

"JOY" BANNER

Are you looking for a quick holiday decoration?  I believe this will suffice as I just spent about an hour making it.  That doesn't sound too quick, but I know the next one (if I need to make another one) won't take as long since I can "get my act together" and not make so many trips across the room to the Big Shot and then back to the card stock file.  Another Stampin' Up! demonstrator (Barb Mullikin) shared one of these banners that she had made, and I just made subtle changes and added more die-cut embellishments to mine.  Stampin' Up! products used to create this banner include Scallop Square die, Serif Essentials Alphabet dies, Merry Details Sizzlits die, "Merry Moments" designer paper, Old Olive, Real Red, Very Vanilla, and Chocolate Chip card stock, Old Olive striped ribbon, Real Red dotted ribbon, Jumbo Brad, Sticky Strip, Ice Rhinestone Square Brads, and a retired piece from the Antique Brass Hodgepodge Hardware kit to use as a hanger. 

HEATHER SAVED THE DAY!!!!!

Heather Wright-Porto, thank you SO MUCH for working your magic to restore my blog's three columns, choosing a great color to coordinate with my new banner, and for getting my banner centered!  I love the new look, but mostly I love that you came to my rescue so quickly!

A BAD THING HAPPENED

You're probably wondering if you're at my blog, and I assure you that you are.  Unfortunately, with the click of a button, I lost all of the bells and whistles on my blog.  I am SICK about this!!!!!!!  I'm going to try to restore it, but that may not be possible.  Argh!!!!!!!!!  For now, I hope you can enjoy the new banner that I designed with Stampin' Up!'s "My Digital Studio."  I'm really pleased with the banner . . . I just wish, wish, wish that the rest of my blog remained unchanged.

PICTURESQUE FALL . . . DIGITAL CARD!!

Check this out!  I decided to see how my Fall window graphic would look on a card, and I used Stampin' Up!'s brand new "My Digital Studio" software to design this digital card.  It looks pretty good, huh?  I have  had so much fun learning to use the software, and it's actually quite easy!  If I choose to get this card printed, I can always add some buttons or brads later, but I really do think it looks fine the way it is.

PICTURESQUE FALL

Since my last post was a gripey one, I decided I should post something pretty!  This picture is one that I snapped as the sun was going down today.  The tops of the tallest trees looked so nice with the glow of the setting sun, but my photo looked mostly drab.  So, I "doctored" it using a colored pencil filter and then added the window framing.  Since my photo showed up (on the gray mat in my editing program) with white corners around the curved window frame, I thought they had to go!  My sweet and talented son made them disappear using Photo Shop and then came in my room to upload the picture for me.  When he saw that my blog background was white, he just shook his head and questioned WHY I thought those white corners mattered.  LOL!  I wasn't even thinking that they wouldn't show up here!  Anyway, hope you enjoy this pretty picture!

FAUX DESIGNER PAPER

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I rarely use sentiments of thanks, so it just figures that I'd need a "thank you" card. The Office Manager at my son's doctor's office has been sooooo very helpful in getting a claim filed (again and again and again) correctly and properly so that the insurance would review and approve it. This claim was generated over a year ago for lab work, and I know the Office Manager could very well have sent me to deal with the lab, but I'm so glad that she didn't. This claim, if not paid by insurance, would have cost me $350, but I knew the lab work was a covered service. And it was--finally! So, for using her experience and connections to save me a ton of run-around and further aggravation, I made this card to send to her. I absolutely love the faux designer paper technique, and isn't Stampin' Up!'s "Friends 24-7" stamp set just awesome? Other Stampin' Up! products used include Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, and Soft Suede card stock, Iridescent Ice embossing powder, VersaMark, Soft Suede, Brocade Blue, and Certainly Celery ink, Organza ribbon, Modern Label, Word Window, and Scallop Oval punches, and the handy dandy distressing tool.

FALL HELLO FOR AUNT BETTY

I made this card a few minutes ago to send to my Aunt Betty.  She lives in a retirement home and seems to get a little down (emotionally) during this time of year.  I know this card isn't exactly cheery by color or design, but I hope it will add a splash of Fall decor to her room (she keeps my cards on display--HA!) and cheer her up by knowing that I'm thinking of her.  Stampin' Up! products used include Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Whisper White, Really Rust, and Always Artichoke card stock, More Mustard 1/4" grosgrain ribbon (retired), "Loads of Love Accessories" stamp set, and Sizzix Leaves #2 die.  And yes, this is yet another square card.  ;-)

ADORABLE SNOW FRIENDS

I pulled out some retired Stampin' Up! products (and other items) to create these two "snow friends" cards.  I just need cooler degrees so I can put them in the mail to special people who could use a warm hug in a card!