Catching Up (and a card)

I have been feeling very disconnected from my blog. The only posts you've seen from me are the ones I set up weeks ago to auto post for Design Team assignments. It's been super busy around here. Father's Day weekend was filled with family and I was busy the prior week with menu planning, grocery store runs and getting the house cleaned and ready for overnight and long weekend guests. Then my step-granddaughters who live in North Carolina stayed with us for a week longer. We had a fun week with them with lots of activities during the day and watching movies at night. We met their father half way between Alabama and North Carolina on Tuesday to get them home. Even at half way it's an all day trip.

And the big news is that we have a new puppy. We lost our little Yorkie, Chloe almost 7 years ago.  My husband declared that he never wanted another one, that he was too old to have his heart broken again.We had another dog for a while that we took in when my father-in-law passed away but she was old also and we had to put her down when she became too ill and wouldn't eat anymore. Don's feelings about her were all connected with his dad so that was so difficult for him to deal with as well. So again, I heard no more dogs from him. The past couple of years though we started talking about how much we missed having a pet. And I could tell he was warming up to the idea. Then my stepdaughter emailed me one day and said that she wanted to get her dad a dog for Father's Day! She wanted me to look for one here and when I googled yorkshire terrier puppies+Birmingham and what turned out to be our puppy popped up first! We timed everything so that I went to get her on the day she and our granddaughters were driving up from their beach vacation. It was a total and complete surprise for Don. And of course we absolutely love Zoe and she is part of the family already! We are going through the usual training problems but she is worth every minute of potty issues. She is very attached to us and has major separation anxiety issues which is a struggle as I simply do not know how to help her through it. Here is a phone snapshot taken the first few minutes at her new home which explains why she looking at us as if to say, "who are you people?" I promise I won't inundate you with puppy pics!

Now on to my card for today. I've actually had this one done for a while I love the cottage image from the Market Street Home Sweet Home stamp set. I've stamped it before but this time I wanted it to be more whimsical. Matching the sweet colors from the Echo Park Everyday Eclectic 6x6 pad I created a girly playhouse that you often see in backyards. I placed it in a "grassy hill" cut with a combination of The Cat's Pajamas Grass and the Holiday Toppers CutUps and added the sun and cloud cut with Lil Inkers Designs Large Sunshine and Rainbow and Clouds Die set. The image was placed on pop dots for dimension. Sadly, Market Street is now out of the stamp business.

Products: Market Street Stamps, Echo Park dp, PTI button, Kaisercraft pearl, The Cat's Pajamas CutUps, Lil Inkers Designs dies, Spellbinders Nestabilities
Copics: W00, E81, E84, G0000, G000, G00, RV00, R81, R83, R85, BG0000

I have to set my craft table back up as I put everything away for the big family weekend. I plan on doing that on Friday and hopefully get back into the creative groove.


My sale page.