Puppy Love, with Daisies

Can you believe I haven't colored anything in over a month?! I got into paper piecing and then kinda didn't feel like crafting for a little while...sometimes that happens, but now I'm back in full force!

I was recently introduced to the Stamp and Create online store, through the very generous prize they sponsored for Top Tip Tuesday's birthday celebration, and part of my delicious haul was this polymer stamp by Mo Manning. The stamp came just in time for me to break it in for this week's Bronte & Bella's Challenge (Mo's challenge blog). The theme is "Furry Friends," and since this stamp actually depicts Belle and Bronte it seems like kismet! (Although I used my own color palette.) I love how the dog is sitting ... it reminds me of a game we play with our dog Walt (which my husband invented), where we say "Show me your belly" in a funny voice and Walt rolls over for us to scratch his fat little belly. It's the sweetest show of submission from a dog that has quite a personality. Seriously, I can say it from across the room and, if he's in the mood, he'll roll over and give you a look like, Well come on then! That's him in the photo on the right, wondering what Mommy is up to this time!

I'm entering this shaker card into the following challenges (thank you for the wonderful inspiration, all!):
Craft Your Passion #77: Green, Yellow, Black and White
My Sheri Crafts Challenge #69: Sew Simple
DP2 Challenge #102: Furry Friends
Cute Card Thursdays Challenge 184: Animal Crackers!
Going Grey with Scrap-Creations Challenge: It's a Girl Thing

I took the card outside to take advantage of the lovely sunshine for the photo. The other day I was taking a photo of a card on the back porch, and I heard someone across the street say, Now what's she doing?! We live across from a halfway house (really lovely folks, and there's always someone around to keep an eye on things), and between me & the dogs & the squirrels, we provide quite the entertainment for them!

The paw-flowers and sentiment are heat-embossed (see my supply list below). I used my Sew Easy tool to pierce the holes for the stitching. It really is relatively easy! The only trick is the surface you use; I found a really helpful review at Scrapaganza, and she suggested using corrugated cardboard for the mat. So now I have an old mailing box in my craft space for just that purpose!

And here it is "all shook up". This was my first time using micro beads, and although folks have been telling me how easy and fun they are, I ended up getting covered in them. Those little buggers can really move! For the card base, I used the very handy Shake It set from Impression Obsession. So, the card, the base, and the plastic piece we are provided for me. Easy peasy!

And here's the inside. Wow, the light yellow really matches our house!

Stamps: Bella and Bronte by Mo Manning (manufactured & distributed by Stampavie), Paws to Remember set by Raisin Boat
Paper: Recollections, Hammermill
Tools: Fiskars papercutter, stamp block, MS detailing scissors, Marvy heat tool, Sew Easy piercing tool, needle, awl
Other: ZipDry glue, variegated embroidery floss, Recollection adhesive rhinestones & micro beads, Stampendous embossing powders, Versamark & Memento inks, Shake It set from Impression Obsession
Copics: B10, G02, YG41, G07, BG09, BG49, BG15, YG03, YG63, Y000, Y08, Y06, Y17, YR12, E13, E35, E33, E37, E11, E31, YR01, E51, E000, RV42, RV02, C-1, C-5, C-7, 100

Update: This card won an "Ooo-La-La" Blog award for My Sheri Crafts Challenge #69. Thank you!