Shitsu Valentine Card

 

Loretta, a very dear friend of mine, has a little Shitsu dog who is 12 years old, and not in the best of health. Lori asked me if I would make her a card to give to her husband, from their little dog, for Valentine's Day. I was reading an article on making Valentine cards in the latest MS Living magazine, when I saw that they had a card you could download called, Pawprints in the Snow. It was a line drawing of a little fox, circling a tree in a heart-shaped pattern, leaving his little paw prints. I thought it would be the perfect base for Lori's card. I took out the fox, increased the trail a little, and designed a Shitsu with Lori's dog's coloring, which I put at the end of the trail of paw prints. She's wearing a little pink bow in her hair like she does when she comes home from the groomers. 

I also lined the envelope with a free digi paper I found at squigglefly. Hope Lori likes it.

The link to Martha's Pawprints in the Snow card: 

        http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/paw-prints-in-the-snow-valentines-day-card#slide_1

The link to the paw print digi paper: 

      http://www.squigglefly.com/freebies

If you are interested in the Shitsu svg, the file is $2.50 USD. Please use the "Donate" button to order, and  under "Purpose" (on the Paypal page that comes up after you enter the dollar amount and your email address), tell me which file(s) it is that you wish to purchase. Upon notification from Paypal of funds received, I will email you the appropriate files, including all necessary svg's and scut2 files, as well as a sheet of assembly instructions where needed which includes a photo of the finished project for reference. Thanks for your interest. I appreciate your business so much! Laura

Still Having Christmas Here...

Since I had the flu on Christmas Day, our family will be celebrating the holiday tomorrow, January 2nd. As such, of course I am still "wrapping things up" (huh-huh- pun intended). Two of our kids prefer cash to just about anything else you can give them. I, on the other hand, am so disappointed for them when they have only one little, tiny present to open, so I am forever trying to find new and exciting ways to make a cash gift a little more special. I have folded money in just about every configuration you can think of, which is fun, but...well, it's been done. So, I decided to see what I could do with my Cricut and a $50 bill. I came up with a "Santa Mask" for President Ulysses S. Grant. It's hard to see, but there are several layers to make it 3D. I'm pleased as punch......my son will hate it......bonus!

I am selling this one, as it took quite a while to design. It is $2 USD if you're interested. Upon notification from Paypal of funds received, I will email you the appropriate files, including all necessary svg's, scut2 files, as well as a sheet of assembly instructions where needed which includes a photo of the finished project for reference. Please use the "Donate" button to order, and leave a note under "Purpose" on the Paypal page, telling me which file it is that you want. Thanks for your interest! I appreciate your business so much! Laura

How to Beat Cold Sores (most of the time)

I now have what I fondly refer to as my "Christmas Blister". I hate having to admit that - they're awful, ugly things, that are right out there in the open for everyone to admire, and of course, I get mine at the busiest social season of the year. My body "tries" to get one every year at this time, due to the stress I put myself under to fulfill everyone's dream of the "Perfect Christmas". I know, I know - that's a fantasy, and I should let it go, but I have just enough Martha Stewart in me to believe that, "Yes, Virginia, it can be done." One of my daughters is as compulsive as I am in this regard, and I believe we have coined a new word to describe some of our efforts as being "Marthesque".
Anyway, the blister. A number of years ago, I developed one at Christmas, and a friend said, "You know, I have a "cure" for those." Right...heard that one before. Just type 'Cold Sore Cure' into Google, and see what comes up. Anyway, she gave me a recipe card with 3 'ingredients' on it, and some simple instructions:

500 mg. Chewable Vitamin C - every two hours
Acidophilus - (pill form of the active probiotic culture in Yogurt that attacks "bad" bacteria) 10 mg. 3 times a day: wake-up, mid-afternoon, bedtime
1000 mg. L-Lysine (an amino acid) twice a day, 12 hours apart - morning & night

I have a blister this year only because I awoke at 3:30 AM on Christmas morning with abdominal flu, and all its trappings. Had to postpone Christmas until January 2nd. I have found through the years that the only time this formula doesn't work is: a - if you're having your monthly period, or b - if your immune system has been compromised by a recent illness (the flu, in my case).
I am not a medical doctor, but I gotta tell you, this stuff works. Start the regimen at that first little tingle that those of us who are sufferers of these things are all too familiar with, or as soon thereafter as possible, and continue until all signs of a possible blister are gone. If an actual blister erupts, scrap the treatment; it won't work once the blister actually surfaces.
I share this information in hope that someone will benefit from it. As always, ask your doctor before taking any supplements.  If anyone copies this information down, please copy my blog address along with it, and come back and let me know if you've had success with it.
Talk to your doctor before taking lactobacillus acidophilus if you have any other medical conditions, allergies, or if you take other medicines or herbal/health supplements. Under certain conditions, it may be dangerous for you to take lactobacillus acidophilus.
Do not take lactobacillus acidophilus without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or may become pregnant during treatment. Do not take lactobacillus acidophilus without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Do not give any herbal/health supplement to a child without the advice of a doctor.

Christmas Goody Bag Freebie & a Yummy Recipe, too! Merry Christmas!

I made this little goody bag to give away to friends and neighbors, and it is available for free here, as my Christmas gift to you! I am filling mine with Stacy's Peanut Butter Bark, a yummy concoction of Cheerios, Craisins white chocolate and peanut butter, and tied off with a sparkly, tinsel ribbon (can't punch the holes till I get the filling made, which will probably be about 2 AM tomorrow morning.) There is a 4x8" sheet of paper inside the plastic bag (I got at Michaels) to stabilize it, and the bag & sheet of paper are sandwiched between the front and back of the reindeer's base and stapled. Glitter "snow" is added to cover the staples and the reindeer's feet (which I forgot to glue on in the pic).  The recipe follows...

Stacy's Peanut Butter Bark

2½ cups small pretzel twists

2 cups Cheerios

2 cups Craisins (dried cranberries) or raisins
1 cup cashew halves or Spanish peanuts

10 oz. white chocolate chips, vanilla candy coating, or almond bark

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Lay out a large sheet of waxed paper. In a large bowl, combine pretzels, Cheerios, Craisins and nuts. In a small bowl, microwave white chocolate chips and peanut butter on high for 1 minute. Stir well. Continue microwaving for 15-30 seconds longer, until melted, stirring after each 15 seconds. Stir till smooth. Pour over pretzel mixture, stirring to coat. Quickly spread out onto waxed paper, about ½” thick. Let stand 30 minutes or until set. Break apart into 2x2” pieces. Store airtight.

Merry Christmas,
Laura

Another Beautiful Handmade Goody

I came across this gorgeous ornament at: http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2010/12/diy-modern-paper-ornament.html, a FABULOUS site if you like a modern aesthetic - I DO! She gives full instructions for making the ornament. Don't try it with cardstock - too heavy (voice of experience). She suggests computer paper, and that's what you should use (Laura).

Gleaning Christmas Ideas from others

I have been surfing alot more than designing these days, and have been so inspired by the creativity of other bloggers. Here is a sampling of some of the things I found just today. Both of these ideas are from: http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com.

Doily & Sheet music candle wraps for battery-powered tea-lights - I mean, how lovely are they?

Winter in a Jar

A fun bloghop full of prizes!

I was just over at http://takethesidestreet.blogspot.com/, and she's giving away some of that cool looking-glass paint in a spray can. Hop on over and try to win some!