Allie

Those of you who follow my blog, either here or through Facebook, may know I have 3 dogs.  My greyhound, Tipper, was even featured in "My Studio" post.  I've had 7 dogs throughout my life, 4 of which are now gone.  Although I loved all 4 dogs, my favorite was probably Allie, the one my wife brought into our marriage.  She wasn't a pedigreed dog, as a matter of fact she was a Chow and golden retriever mutt.  However, she was everything you could ask for in a dog - smart, sweet, loyal, obedient and protective.  She passed away in 2003, when my daughters were 7 and 10 years old.  It was one of the saddest days for our family.  We still miss her.

This morning, a friend of mine posted the video GoD and Dog, by Wendy Francisco.  I've seen it before, and love it because its message truly speaks to me.  This inspired me to create a card in memory of Allie, and was able to incorporate it into this week's Card Positioning Systems' sketch CPS 255 Challenge by flipping it vertically.

I began with a primary yellow note-card and attached a red paw print mat to it.  I then created the dog scene on a blue polka dotted 3"x4" block, which served as the sky.  To simulate a grassy ground, I used a band of green striped paper and punched the upper border with a Martha Stewart embossed zig-zag punch.  All the edges were outlined with a blue Marvy Le Plume II marker to simulate stitches.  I made the bright yellow origami dog by following Paul Jackson's folding instructions.  To finish "Allie," I added the eyes, nose, and collar with a black Hunt Painters - fine.  I also added a foam pad under her nose to create some dimension.  I made the white card stock dog tag with a Marvy oval punch and some red and gray Marvy Le Plume II markers.  Instead of the band of flowers, I used a black ribbon and color coordinated buttons.

I believe dog lovers of any age or gender would enjoy this card, and could be used as a birthday or dog sympathy card by changing the message within.  I invite you to follow my blog and leave a comment - it would truly motivates me.  Blessings!

PS - I hope you enjoy the video!