Hello at Last!

It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?  I never meant to simply drop out of sight, but that’s surely what happened.  My reasons for doing so are dimming with time, though I hope you’ll trust that all is well in our world and my memories of you and the time we’ve spent here together are as fond as ever.  Let’s see if I can recall and explain…

I guess it all started with an increasingly acute sensitivity to the amount of time I was spending on the computer.  I use it for shopping, bill paying, communication, research, art, photos, videos, music, planning and organization – you name it, I use it.  Then along came a nightmarish computer software conversion at work – frustration on so many levels that I’d just as soon forget – and when I came home from work the last thing in the world I wanted to do was sit down at the computer.  Time for the amazing healing powers of Wally and LuLu.



There’s nothing like a long walk in the fresh air and the ensuing cuddle time when they’re dry and soft and putting on the sweet.  And, boy, do they ever know how to put on the sweet.

There’s also been a lot of home improvement projects going on.  That’s LuLu making off with the paint rag.



I’m still cleaning up drywall dust from the bedroom project.

I thought I might get more stamping done if I wasn’t taking the time to photograph the cards and write blog posts and, indeed, I did make six Halloween cards and many miscellaneous without a single photograph.  I’ve now commenced in earnest on the Christmas cards and I thought I’d share three of those today.  The first is a digital from Sassy Cheryl’s with a Hero Arts sentiment.  I colored with Copic markers and added glitter and a poinsettia.  I’m trying to keep each of my Christmas cards mailable with one postage stamp this year, so in order to use the poinsettia I removed its bulky center and replaced it with three 1/8” punched and glittered circles.




Next is a Squigglefly Holiday Bells digital image.  This one has a more vintage look.  It’s also colored with Copic markers and I relied on glitter and texture to relieve the flat look.  I put spots of gold Stickles glitter, rather than gems or pearls, on the white panel (Spellbinders Labels Eighteen), and dotted the green beads with a Sakura Glaze pen.  The green panel is white core cardstock embossed with a Cuttlebug Heritage Collection folder and then sanded.



Finally, I have a card that’s very easy to make in multiples, so this is one of several I have in the works.  I brayered the inside front flap of the Cuttlebug Lace Tree embossing folder with mustard ink and embossed the white cardstock, then cut out the tree.  I layered a Cuttlebug Tiffany embossed panel onto the card front, then added the tree on dimensional foam mounting tape.  I added dots of Goldenrod Stickles glitter glue to the tree and it’s all done.  I used Stampin’ Up! Whisper White cardstock which is rather lightweight, and this will easily be a one postage stamp card.



Catching up:

• While I was away LuLu turned one year old.  Though we celebrated, I’m sorry she didn’t get a blog post.  She’s my sweet little princess and Wally’s my big handsome boy.  I love them both so much.
• I had a birthday in October, and so did my husband.  Better yet, he retired on his birthday.  I’ve never mentioned this on my blog, but for the last several years he worked and lived away from home and Wally, LuLu and I spent much of our time on our own.  We never planned to live that way and we’re glad it’s finally over.
• Also, you remember when our home was burglarized?  The DNA analysis on the bloody shirt the crook left behind when he broke our window finally made it to the top of the list and they found a match with a young man who has been in and out of jail several times.  A sad, wasted life.  He’s going to prison now.

I’ll try not to stay away so long this time, but I can’t say for certain when I’ll be back.  I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving.  Take care!

Bearing Down on the Apple Harvest

I scooped up these two free images – apple tree and bear – at the Birdie Brown blog the other day, and since I colored them before the month was over I’m participating in their challenge.  The only stipulation is that you use one or both of these images.  That’s my kind of challenge.  It looks like these free images will be available until Sept. 30.  You can find them and the challenge here.



I printed on Flourishes Classic White cardstock and colored with Copic markers.  The blue sky was sponged with SU!’s Soft Sky ink.  The sentiment is from JustRite.  I finally got to use one of my sweet little apple buttons, too.  I don’t even remember where I got it.

Have a happy day!

Autumn Flourishes

Hello, again!  I thought I’d share another fall card today.  Things are slowing down in the garden somewhat so I’ve got a little more time to stamp.  Already the mornings are chilly, the days are shorter and I’ve been enjoying the time I spend puttering around the house and getting crafty.



I used two Flourishes sets on this card – the pretty leaves of Autumn Flourishes (retired), and Medallion Motif for the sentiment and dotted circle.  The leaves are stamped in cocoa and rose, and I sprinkled in some lilac splatters using a stamp from SU!’s Itty Bitty Backgrounds (also retired, I think).  The pretty Spellbinders shape is one of the Fancy Tags Three.

Thanks for dropping in today.  See you again soon!

Wally’s Lovely Smile

Wally and LuLu are not allowed to roam the neighborhood, but given the chance they will slip next door to see Tori (chocolate Lab) and her people, just as Tori will occasionally pop over to visit us.  Polite and friendly sort that he is, he’ll always stand at the door and smile in at them.  On this day, Tori’s “dad” grabbed his phone and took a couple of pictures.



I’m not sure how dogs know the appropriate times to smile, but Wally nearly always smiles a greeting when he’s particularly happy to see someone.  We didn’t teach him.  He won’t smile on command and, in fact, he never gives us this kind of toothy grin.  However, I love the ear to ear, tongue hanging, sparkling eyes smile of pure happiness he wears most all the time.  You can’t help but smile back.



Are you smiling yet?  I hope so.  Have a good day!

Rootin’ Tootin’ Magnum

I just had to share this photo of Wally’s buddy, Magnum.




He spent the day recently with his young friends while his people were at work, and I do believe he had himself a pretty good time.  I’m sorry that I had to crop out the beautiful little girls who dressed him up, but I didn’t have permission to share their photo.  I can just imagine the fun they had.  This is only one of several outfits they posed him in.

Magnum’s Pa doesn’t like to see Magnum dressed up, feeling it’s an insult to his doggie manhood.

Really?



I guess I could name this photo “Tippy Toe Magnum”.

Seriously, I do respect Magnum’s Pa’s feelings on the issue, but I believe it is a mark of Magnum’s manhood that he could so willingly submit to this treatment for the sake of these little girls’ happiness.  I’ll bet he got lots of hugs and kisses that day.

Enjoy!
 

Vintage Birthday

Today I have the honor and privilege of being featured on the Digital Two for Tuesday blog.  Cora makes these images available for all to use for no other reason than that she enjoys what she does – searching them out from among vintage catalogs, books, magazines, and bringing them back to life in the 21st century .  These are honest to goodness vintage images and I’ve had great fun collecting and coloring them.  My birthday boy and another very cute illustration are available there today.



I printed the image on Flourishes' Classic Ivory cardstock and colored with Copic markers in shades of gray.  Pale gray ink was sponged around the edges of the image panel.  I'd hoped to make this card completely monochromatic, and I did accomplish that with the coloring, but then I mixed in some tan with the designer paper, and couldn't help but add that little pop of color with the red string on the button.  Almost monochromatic.  The button, by the way, is nearly as vintage as the image.  A Cuttlebug embossed border adds a bit of trim across the front.  The black cardstock (from CTMH) has a white core which peeks through when the cardstock is sanded, as I did around the card edges and over the embossed trim.  The designer papers are KaiserCraft Vintage Timeless.

I wanted to cut the image panel with a shaped Spellbinders die, but I didn’t have just the right size, so I pieced together two sections of the Curved Rectangles Nestabilities:



The embossed border strip covers the seam.  I imagine any of the die cut shapes could be shortened or elongated in this manner as long as you have something to cover the seam.

Well, this was fun.  Reminds me of my old designer days but, no, I plan to stay free wheeling with plenty of time to love on my Wally and LuLu.  I’ll be back later in the week with something to tickle your funny bone.  Hope to see you then!

Changing of the Seasons

Hello!  I don’t have any cute Wally and LuLu photos today, but I do have a LuLu card made with one of the images Alexandra sketched for me.  It’s time to get started on those fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas cards, so I’ve picked out a few images to color (in between the floral and baby cards).  I’m in a coloring mood and I have literally hundreds of digital images.  I know it sounds gluttonous but, though I’ve made my fair share of digital purchases, I’ve also picked up a lot of free images here and there and that’s why I have so many (justifying).  Several of my images came from Alexandra’s blog.  You won’t find Wally and LuLu there, but she has shared quite a few of her floral sketches.  This likeness of LuLu was sketched from a photo taken last fall, so I thought of it right away for my first fall card this year.



Sweet baby girl.

I stamped the leaves, the sentiment, and the grass sprigs.  The coloring was done with Copic markers and the designer papers are years old from Stampin’ Up!  I hope you enjoy it and I hope this stamping/coloring mood lasts.  See you again soon!

Just a Couple of Photos From the Garden

There’s always something pretty going on out there…sigh.  I hope you enjoy.

Then and Now

When we first brought LuLu home, Wally didn’t seem certain that the tiny creature was actually a dog and, though he was kind and gentle, he was also wary and watchful.  While she loved him at first sight and bonded immediately, there were times Wally wanted to be left alone, such as when he was settling down for a nap.  LuLu always wanted to cuddle.  Wally wanted none of that.  He would barely tolerate this sort of contact and I’m pretty sure he didn’t realize how close she was when this photo was taken.  During their waking hours we were constantly hearing, “Mom, she’s touching me again!”




Look who’s snuggling now.



LuLu doesn’t mind a bit.  Have a great day!

The Best of Friends

Wally and LuLu are so lucky to have each other.



Everyone should be blessed with such a friend. 



It’s these sweet, quiet moments that most tug at my heartstrings.



They’re unbelievably precious to me.

Our August days have been filled with the things of summer – picnics, family reunions and gatherings of friends, painting porches, trimming hedges, and tending the garden, barbeques and a good book in a comfortable chair while Wally and LuLu quietly entertain themselves.  They adjust to the moment.  I hope they don’t mind that my camera and I occasionally intrude on those moments.  I’ll want to remember them always, and so I post them here where I can revisit the serenity and purity and love and decency they bring to my world.

And then there’s the garden…







A sanctuary of beauty and wonder. 





My favorite place to get away from it all, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing this month – casting off my weekly stress and sinking into a big blanket of comfort come Saturday.  Taking it easy, slowing down, and living in the moment – just like Wally and LuLu.



They’re great teachers.  They bring me happiness and calm, and in return I’m devoted to their health and happiness.  What a beautiful way of life.  Thank you for sharing life with me today after my brief absence.  I dropped off the blog scene in all respects for a while, but the urge to reconnect is pulling me back.  Wishing you a lovely day.