Dotty Tag

Inkspirations has a bright, bold colour challenge this week and it just screamed PTI's Dot Spot to me.  I decided to team it up with the latest A Passion for Papertrey challenge - Mad for Tags.  I really should be focusing on Christmas cards right now but I am just burning through birthday cards and never seem to have enough!  I think I mentioned before that I make cards for staff birthdays at work and this is for our newest vet.  When I first started working at the hospital 10 years ago Laura was a high school student helping out in the kennels.  Now she's all grown up and a qualified vet!  She's settled in at work really well and it's fun to get to know her again on a whole new level.  Even if it makes me feel old...  :)

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Sentiment from Little Bitty Bird, Images from Dot Spot) PTI

Inks:  (Melon Mambo, Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie) Stampin' Up
Punches:  (Tag) Woodware Craft Collection, (1/8" hole punch) McGill

Gems:  Doodlebug

Pen:  Sharpie

Rainbow Hearts

I've never played along with an Embellish challenge before but I look at them every time they're posted and I swear every time that this will be the challenge that I take part in.  And here I am.  Finally.  Took a rainbow to get me here but hey, whatever works! 

Supplies: CS: Bazzill & PTI; Stamps: Purple Onion Designs & Paper Smooches; Ink:  SU Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Pacific Point, Rich Razzleberry

And with this card I christen my Purple Onion Designs stamps!  I have been eying up these stamps for ages and finally made a purchase which arrived last Thursday.  I got ragged on pretty hard at work as I spent my lunch break cooing over my new goodies.  LOL!  They can rib me all they want though because they buy plenty of cards!  :)  

Inkspirations & Terrapins & Cats!

The challenge at Inkspirations this week is a colour challenge.  I've had extra work shifts this week so haven't had much time in the Craft Cave but managed to whip this up this afternoon.  I've had this Hero Arts stamp for a while but this is the first time I've inked it up.  I love those birdies and I have a few other ideas for them that I'll hopefully get to sooner rather than later!

A few interesting moments at work today.  We have a specialist from Boston who comes down a few times a year to do big orthopaedic surgeries.  (His name is Dr. Nick Trout and if you like animals and you like books then you should check out his book "Tell Me Where It Hurts").  Anyway a lady happened to turn up with a terrapin that had been run over by a car and the bottom half of his shell was split in half.  Since Dr. Trout was here he agreed to repair it.  The vet from the local aquarium and zoo came by to help get the little guy under anaethetic and then Dr. Trout, using pliers, heavy gage wire and Krazy Glue, patched him up!  Apparently it was his first terrapin surgery and despite taking ages to wake up the little guy came through just fine.

I also met a cat named Morris and thought I'd share a picture of him - all 22lbs of him!  There's a lot of Morris to love.  Amanda, the nurse in the picture with him, is barely a hundred pounds and she looks lost behind him!  LOL!  Never a dull moment at Endsmeet Animal Hospital!

Whale of a Birthday

No challenges today but thought I'd post this card I made for one of the bosses at work.  
He's in his fifties but has more energy and zest for life than anyone I know.  He's a fantastic vet and an avid deep sea fisherman.  He skin dives and spear fishes.  He's made his own shark cage and is involved in a local tiger shark tagging program.  He swims with the tiger sharks and with whale sharks.  And he plays the saxophone.  He's currently off from work as he's on the Isle of Wight representing Bermuda in windsurfing at the Island Games.  Dr. Neil Burnie is an inspiration.  Have a look at this little clip about him.


When I saw this Unity stamp I thought it was a whale's tail.  I've since realised it's a bracket but the whale's tale made me think of Neil so I made this card for the staff to sign for him.  Happy birthday, Neil!

The Play Date Cafe Challenge 65

I really love the colour palette from this week's Play Date Cafe challenge - nothing even vaguely Valentiney about it!  LOL!  

I decided to use it to make a  good-bye card.  Sadly, two of the vets at the veterinary clinic I work at are leaving at the end of the month.  They are a lovely couple who are fun, easygoing and so warm and caring with the animals.  They really will be missed by staff and clients alike.  They've also been big fans of my cards (I've made a few for each of them which I think they gave to each other!).  I found these fun orange and green images on K & Co's Happy Trails paper and I pulled out these cute lime green American Crafts arrows that I've had for about 2 years.  Hope they like the card, I just wish it wasn't a good-bye card...  

Card Blank: Handy Hippo; PP: K & Co Happy Trails, Basic Grey Ambrosia; Ink: SU Basic Grey, ColourBox Lime, Palette Orangerie; Other: American Crafts arrows, Nestabilities Small Labels die, Cosmo Cricket alphabet stickers

Thank You Cards

The veterinary hospital where I work is blessed to have a large number of very generous clients (who seem to think we all need fattening up by the amount of cookies, chocolates and gift baskets they have bestowed on us!)  Usually we buy a few boxes of Thank You cards and try to get them written and sent out before the New Year.  I decided to make some myself for us to use this year and was pleased with the result:

Supplies:  Stamps: Hero Arts wreath, Stampendous paw print, PTI sentiment; Ink: Colorbox green & scarlet, Versafine black; Cardblank: The Stamp Pad Co.


I wanted to keep it CAS as I had quite a few to make and I knew I wanted to use the Hero Arts wreath.  Then I had the idea of using red paw prints in place of berries to get the animal theme in there.  Hopefully the clients enjoy them!