Ruff U, Chloe

Today's a special day in our house. Chloe the cutie puppy is celebrating her first birthday! It's hard to believe she's already one year old. She's grown and changed so much since I first saw her in March and introduced her in this post. I took her to the vet yesterday and she's up to 55 pounds, so I'm hoping she's fully grown. The photo below was taken this evening--she's looking a little shaggy right now, but I hope to have that taken care of next week.

This special occasion called for a special card, so I pulled one together using this week's Paper Craft Planet sketch challenge, provided by Loretta. I made a sweet, girlie card--even though Chloe's not a particularly girlie dog. She can tumble with the best of them at the local dog park! I'm proud to say that she even knows how to deliver a great shoulder check (maybe I should hook her up with the Washington Capitals??).

Anyway, I used the little dog image from Unity's I Ruff You kit as my focal image. I colored the image with Copic markers in shades similar to Chloe's fluffy and way overgrown and out of control fur. For the sentiment, I inked up and stamped just the word "ruff" from the kit's "ruff day" sentiment, then inked up just the "u" and stamped it.

I used two different papers from the My Mind's Eye Fine and Dandy Tickled Pink paper pad on the cardfront. A dotted pattern is underneath the image panel and a heart patterned one is arranged in strips on the cardfront. I attached a piece of pale pink faux suede ribbon down the length of the card and used my Bow Easy to make a matching bow for the top of the card. I added a trio of pink buttons to the edge of the image panel and drew on some faux thread with a white pen for a finished look. I hope Chloe won't mind that I'm keeping this card for myself. I've seen her rip enough papers to confetti to know exactly what would happen if I gave it to her . . .

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Unity Stamp Co. I Ruff You kit, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers (YR0000, YR20, E31, E34, R21, B0000), X-Press Copic blending cardstock, Spellbinders circle die, My Mind's Eye Fine and Dandy Tickled Pink 6 x 6 paper pad, May Arts light pink faux suede ribbon, Bow Easy, Basic Grey Curio buttons, Ranger Inkssentials white pen

other: Blushing Bride cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Berry Sorbet cardstock (Papertrey Ink)

And, while I had my Unity stuff out and ready, I made a quick mini card for the latest All Things Unity challenge to make a mini card. Mine's a 3 x3 Valentine using the Wishes and Kisses November 2010 Stampin' Store kit.

I used the kit's scalloped heart as my focal image. It's heat embossed in black on a pink panel then cut out (that was a pain!). I added it to a black panel with a strip of dotted paper from Echo Park's Be Mine Collection Kit along the bottom. A pale gray strip has the kit's "be my Valentine" sentiment stamped on it. I slipped the strip underneath the heart and cut a notch in the end, letting it extend just a little beyond the card's edge. A black button, threaded with some black and white baker's twine, finishes the little card.

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Unity Stamp Co. November 2010 Stampin' Store Kit-Wishes & Kisses, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Echo Park Be Mine Collection Kit, Divine Twine Licorice Black baker's twine

other: Basic Black Craft ink, Basic Gray, Going Gray, Melon Mambo, and Basic Black cardstock, black embossing powder (Stampin' Up!); button (Papertrey Ink)