Warning: This is a longer start than usual, but most of it does pertain to my project. If you're here only for the "how-to", simply scroll down past till you're where you want to be. :)
We're Back Home Again in Indiana (for those who know the song) and it's warming up, but not nearly as warm as Florida was. Almost as soon as we got home, it was time to see the older Grandbabies because Princess Pistachio was having her 4th Birthday and it was definitely a fete fit for a Princess! This no-longer-toddler is a full-fledged fashion diva who was stuck on the color pink before she walked. She loaded up on Barbies, Barbie Accessories, and Paw Patrol. This Memaw enjoyed 2 sets of hugs, squeezes and kisses... 2 more sets to go!
Getting home was easy. Unpacking is always the hardest part of any trip, but this time, I'd unpack 20 times if I didn't have to face what we're facing right now. My Helper Dog, Hunni Pi, will be 14 years old on April 29th, and of course, she's slower than she was a year ago, but this past winter has been rough on her. Each month, she's gotten slower and is hurting more in her hips- barely being able to move at times without falling. She made the trip back to Indiana better than we thought she would, but during the last week in Florida, she began to really cling to me. She hasn't let me out of her sight and needs to be next to me or in my lap constantly now. I've thought of this time coming for the past 4 years, since one of her siblings was the first of her litter of 7 to die (from cancer, sadly).
Hunni Pi was born in 2009 from parents who weren't supposed to have been bred together. Her sire was a full bred Chesapeake Bay Retriever and her dam was a mix. The dam was surrendered to a local Veterinarian (for whom one of my Besties works for) and was delivered of 7 pups. They named each after the Vet and his siblings (one of whom was also our Vet for a long time) and the smaller, weakest pup was bumped up against the cage causing her a hematoma that needed to be drained many times. Our Bestie had helped deliver each pup and brought a few of them camping with us one weekend that fall. My Helper Dog at the time, Nikki B. Claws, had once been a stray and she was a good barker whenever anyone came around, but she was getting older and I dreaded losing her. When we walked over to see the new pups, they ran back and forth- all except one. This little blonde girl toddled slowly
and unevenly over to us and plopped herself down for a nap...smack on both my feet. The "No!"s my ChiefHubby said were turning into "Pray about it,"s and later that night, trickled into what we might name her. Before the weekend was over, I was her Momma. She's the only pet we've ever had who didn't go through anything bad in her life; she may still have started out unwelcome and unwanted, but GOD had a good plan for her and that plan included helping me. I am forever grateful for the gift she has been to me these 13 and 1/2 years, but now it's my turn to keep my promise to her and help her. How do you 'plan' this kind of thing? It goes against every fiber of my being. I am a nurturer and a grower. anything opposite of that feels totally wrong to me. Yet, how can I make her keep going- when the pain medicine no longer helps her? In a perfect world, she would simply fall asleep like Buster did; he made it through the week at the Vet (a victim of one of the first-ever bad treat recalls causing renal failure- the same of which 1 Grandpup died from in 2022 and one recently came too close to death). He was released acting like his old self.... happy to just come home and let go in the night. But perfect endings rarely happen, and I cannot let my puppi pi down. With The LORD's help, I can bear this- only if she can. I know my prayers will be answered and I will One Day be able to see her again because I believe that nothing is impossible if we ask! I can only hope I am worthy of the accounting of her life with me will be good to The LORD's ears. We'll know the outcome by Wednesday night.
I was very happy that Linda was able to restock Eileen Hull's Library Pocket Thinlit Die set
to use along with my Tim Holtz Tag Collection Thinlits.
I had several "dog papers" in my stash for some time now.
But while still in Florida, this 'clock paper' caught my eye- with good reason.
I felt it would make a good backing to tie my Tags into a booklet.
Before we get started, here's a handy list of links to tools and materials I used:
Sizzix Chapter 4 Tim Holtz Thinlits Dies - Framed Tags (to cut your own)
Tim Holtz Distress Heavystock #8 Tags (ready to use Tags)
I began by tearing my TH File Card into two halves for my front and back covers.
Then I started die cutting all my papers into Tags as well as heavier cardstock
to use as my middle for the Tag pages to stiffen it up.
I also die cut smaller Tags -enough to make 6 fronts & 6 backs.
Don't forget reinforcers for the Tags for looks.
I used Glossy Accents to adhere all the reinforcers to the Tags on both sides,
then set them all aside for now.
I die cut 3 Library Pockets and 3 double-sided Cards to go inside.
There are smaller 'tab' dies, so I made 3 of those (and a spare),
as well as 3 Bookplates, then set those aside, too.
I wanted to create a couple of my own kind of Tags- Americana,
to show off my "All American Helper Hero" Hunni Pi.
So I dug up some favorite stash papers (I must've gotten a ton of this years ago)
and cut down the larger pieces into smaller ones that fit into a Tag die.
You can see how I adhered the top blue first.
To get the 'tear' on both edges: start by tearing off a bit from the bottom on the right side.
You'll want your right hand to pull the paper UP,
while your left hand pulls the other half DOWN.
Then turn the paper 180* and do the same thing:
right side goes up with the right hand and left side goes down with the left hand.
Begin another tear off the bottom (scrap it away) to begin another "Stripe's" edge.
Once you've adhered all the pieces, simply die cut the entire piece into a Tag.
Before I tore my clocks up, I took another scrap 12x12 like-sized
to make a plan of how many strips I would need for the number of Tags I wanted.
This actually worked out pretty well for me by just using the TH Mini File Folder
as my guide for width. It measured 4 inches, so that gave me 3 folds from 1 strip.
At 12x12, this meant I needed just over 7 strips.
Then I did a Paula Cheney kind of thing to 'splotch' up my clock papers
by smooshing some TH Ground Espresso Oxide onto my Craft Sheet and
spraying some water onto it, then just dragging all my papers through the mess,
then heat dry all of it.
Next was to edge everything with the same Ground Espresso Oxide,
but with a Blending Tool.
Getting some into those creases helps give the aged look.
Remember to heat dry once again.
It was during this, I happened to find some pink ribbon
that just happened to match Hunni Pi's lead and her washed-out collar.
I gave the same aging treatment to all the papers
and started putting it all together.
TH Long Fasteners helped make the Bookplates look real.
I started layering the front cover to the first Tag...
there are TWO papers here: one under and one on top.
Keep layering as you add another Tag... until you
can add the back cover to close up like a book.
I actually had one more Tag set than I needed
but didn't have a set of papers for the front and back.
You'll see in the end photos where I added another element instead!
Here, you can see all the middle parts of each Tag.
Each will be covered up- except for that one extra.
This is showing the backside of the foldout.
Here, the front side of teh foldout is shown.
I did purposefully place some of the clock paper upside down in order to keep
both sides the same direction.
My thinking is how we cannot control time itself.
At this point, we were still in Florida
and Hunni Pi was just starting to become 'clingy'.
She was just dropping wherever I was standing in order to stay near me.
By the time I was able to work on this again- we were back home in Indiana
and the clinging was increasing. She sleeps a lot now & it gave me time to finish this.
I added some IdeaOlogy items and printed out her name onto plain cardstock.
Can you spot the element that is going to be on that extra Tag?
It's from an older TH Movers and Shapers Bigz XL Pocket Envelope Die.
But you can find the newer Th Thinlits Collector Die Set (link is included up above).
Here's the finished project:
Front with belly band on.
And if you haven't guessed: this is one of Hunni Pi's blankies
I am using for displaying this project.
The boy reminds me of how our younger Son was getting ready
to graduate high school and head off to Purdue-
officially making us "Empty Nesters".
This pup helped me while I was alone a lot after that
when ChiefHubby was still on the VFD and working full time as well.
The 1/4 is half of an older TH Type Chip, for the 14 years she'll be.
The paw charm and the paw print brads used on the inside Tags are from stash.
Front of Tag Booklet without belly band.
I used my TH Tiny Attatcher on these TH Stencil Chips to add Hunni's name.
Hunni comes from a dear friend in Alabama who had a Golden Retriever
she named Hunni. I named mine after hers.
Pi comes from actual 3.14 pi because our Sons were both Honors Math students.
(Click here to see related photo from previous post.)
This can be opened like a book, or spread out as in the following photos.
The Pocket holds the small Tags, which I added TH Jump Rings to,
for adding notes or details on a photo.
The back of the extra Tag is a good place to keep her papers....
The loss of a Helper Dog is like getting an arm ripped away from your own body.
The bond is a special kind of thing that happens once in a lifetime- if you're BLESSED.
And we were... VERY much so.
Hopefully, this will help me get through and remember the good times.
My concern now is for Hunni Pi to get through this time.
The backside with belly band on.
I think she approves.
Thanks so very much for joining me on this journey of puppi love
in handcrafting a Tag booklet for tucking away happy memories.
Remember to pop back in for more of our Design Team as we play
Tag Team for the next 2 weeks here on Inspiration Ave.
Don't forget to grab what you need from our Sponsor;
before you head off to create your own.
And now it's your turn: TAG, YOU'RE IT!
Until next time...
Stay Safe &
HAPPY BLOGGING!!
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