Saturday 2 February 2013

Way out of the comfort zone



Before I tell you about my card and our new Allsorts challenge, I must say a huge thank you to everyone for you kind comments and thoughts with my little problems this last week. Also to my lovely challenge team mates for picking up my commenting for me this week, you are all stars ********* 

Holly is home from hospital.....I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Animal health Trust at Newmarket, but they really are a wonderful organisation with some of the best vets from around the world and way out there with their research, specialist knowledge and care. And we are so lucky to have it within an hours drive so can easily be referred there.

The bottom line with Holly is that she is incontinent and at the moment not a great deal more they can do until her female anatomy develops enough for them to operate to try and rectify several issues. Bless her she constantly asks to go outside.....like every ten minutes......but of course it's often too late and very distressing for her as labs are by nature such clean dogs. So we are ploughing through kitchen roll and puppy pads like there's no tomorrow and the washing machine is working overtime with dog beds. In some ways it's worse than a baby because you can at least put a nappy on them and put them in their pram ! Here's a picture of her in the little 'recovery' coat they sent her home in yesterday, not something you get with your average vet's practice.


My speech is slow, I had another drain put in Thursday but at least the pain seems to be easing today, so some light on the horizon hopefully and perhaps something more than soup for a change. 

Now for some craft and it's Jo's turn to host the theme at Allsorts this week and she is challenging us to 'Get Cute' which certainly is a challenge and way outside my comfort zone, but I have been very good and didn't even get my distress inks or Pan Pastels out of the draw.

I've used what to me is cute, or at least as cute as my stamp drawers get, a Penny Black image and some Magnolia DP, lace and lots of die cuts. I used just a little watercolour to lift the image and decoupaged the tiny elements.

Hope you have a good weekend and as always thank you for popping in and I know I've said this several times this week, but I really am trying to get round to you all, even if it's only a few words.

58 comments:

Jacqui's little piece of England said...

What a lovely card Brenda.I love this stamp it makes such a lovely new baby card.
Such a sweet little pup sending love for both of you
jacqui x

Desire Fourie said...

Such a beautiful and pretty creation. Love the soft colouring. Holly is so cute and I hope her little problem will be sorted in future.
Hugs
Desíre
{Doing Life – my personal blog}

Sheetal Ahlawat said...

I know you will be in full throttle soon, you always do :)

Unknown said...

Yes Brenda, this is definitely not your usual style, but o wow you did a great job :) love everything about your card and the pretty soft colors... I hope that your little Holly will be ok soon. She is so lucky to have such a loving family as yours :) Xx

jem (jane elizabeth middleton) said...

Poor Brenda and poor Holly,hope you both get better soon.
Your card is both cute and very pretty, a lovely image and gorgeous flowers.
take care , you are both in my thoughts and prayers. janex

Elena V. said...

oh!! the card it's so sweet!

cebelica said...

This challenge may be out of your comfort zone, but I still think you did an amazing job with your card. It certainly is very cute. I love it! Hugs! xx

Wendy L said...

Gorgeous Brenda. Glad you are feeling abit better and Holly is so cute. xxx

Lorraine said...

Good morning Brenda.
I'm sorry you're having such a bad week. I hope both you and Holly are better soon.

Your card is absolutely gorgeous and definitely cute! I love the soft colours and all your embellies.
Have a good weekend
Lorraine x

Jane said...

This must be so hard for you all Brenda. To have Holly and yourself unwell at the same time is really tough. I really hope that things move onwards and upwards soon for you all. Don't worry about the commenting at all, just take your time. Your card is just wonderful...more "me"than "you" and the colours are perfect together. The flowers are amazing.You are so very generous in blogland and it is always lovely to visit here. Have a lovely weekend, hope the sun is shining there, Jane x

Beryl said...

This card is so gorgeous Brenda - even though it's not within your own comfort zone - you've made a card that many (including me)would be so chuffed to produce.
I know a little how it is for you with Holly as we had a similar problem towards the end of Meg's life. I hope it's not too long before they can do the op.
Beryl xx

Donna said...

Hi Brenda, your card caught my eye over on the Allsorts challenge blog and I just had to pop over and leave you a comment. You card is so pretty and beautiful and I love the soft pastel colours, such gorgeous added detail too! Holly is so sweet and I love her little jacket. Best wishes being sent for both of you :) Donna ♥ x

PS: I'm stalking your blog now and will be back again soon!

Julie said...

Ohhh B, my arms ache to give you a squeeze,what a week you've had bless you. Poor Holly,lets hope she soon. Develops enough to be helped. Your card as always is gorgeous,how delicate the cradle looks. Take care,Julie x

Sarah said...

Gorgeously cute card B, I absolutely love it, well done for coming out of your comfort zone xxx

Craftnut said...

Poor holly, but she does look snug in her little jacket! i think you do cute very well (even if you try to avoid it), i love this image and its very gorgeous. Take it easy! Tracy x

Paula (PEP) said...

You have such a lot on your plate the last thing you needed was for Holly to have such a problem. For a card that's outside your comfort zone this is definitely one that I'd call elegantly 'cute' & a beautifully apt one for a new arrival.
I was very touched by your comment for me - especially with all that you have going on.
Much love from me
You remain much in my thoughts.
Paula (PEP)

Linby said...

Poor little Holly - and all that washing!
LOVE this card - see you can do cute!
Lynn x

Sue said...

Oh dear poor Holly, I hope that they will be able to do something to help her soon. It must be hard for her to understand what is going on and a lot of work for you too.
I'm glad that your pain has eased today, I hope you continue to feel better

Anyway, your card is gorgeous, I love that sweet image and beautiful flowers.
I hope you have a good weekend
Sue

Nataliya Levina (Nata_Lu) said...

Very nice postcard and dressed the dog ;-) :-)

Fliss said...

A very sweet and pretty card Brenda.
Holly looks so cute in her little coat and I hope they manage to get her sorted out soon as it sounds rather distressing for her, not to mention all the extra washing!
Hope you feel better soon too.
Hugs, Fliss xx

Tanya said...

Poor little Holly, she looks happy enough in her little coat! So cute. Hopefully when she develops a bit they'll be able to fix her right up :) I get newsletters from the AHT, I really don't think you could find a better place to care for your canine critters. So fingers crossed they can help her soon, it must be very difficult for both you and Holly at this stage.

Your card is gorgeous! You're multi-talented Brenda, we don't normally see stamped images of this kind on your cards, but you're just as fantastic with them as you are with your fab scenic cards! :D

Have a good weekend, and I hope you're feeling much better soon too.

Tags xx

Crafty Lark said...

Love your beautiful softly coloured card. Just so gorgeous. Sending both you and Holly some get well hugs. Do take care especially with these painkillers. xx Flora

Gail said...

Your card really is 'cute'!
Glad you're feeling a bit better!
Hope they get Holly straightened out, her coat is cute too!

Alison said...

Oh WOW, what a stunning card I love it.
Holly looks such a cutie, it`s so worrying when your pets are poorly. I have a dog with Addison`s disease and always on the lookout for a relapse.
I hope your health improves.

Love & Hugs to you both
Alison xx

Stamps and Paper said...

Brenda your card is just Adorable...just pretty pastel colours and such a gorgeous image...Pleased that Holly is home she looks lovely in her little coat...sorry you have had a bad week and lets hope that you start to feel a better soon

Anne

Emma (metalicbutterfly) said...

HI B

Looks like theres lots of recouperating to be done at your house at the moment, sending you a big hug!
Your card is perfect you do cute so well ;)

Em xxx

walchowDesign said...

So happy that Holly is home in her comfort house. She is adorable with her little "sweater"! For a card which is out of your comfort zone, you did a great job on it, Brenda! It's beautifully cute.

Take care, Brenda!

May said...

Gorgeous card Brenda, I love it.. that image is so cute... love the layout.. Beautiful!

Sorry to hear wee Holly will need surgery.. It must be so distressing for her having accidents all the time.. Bless her!! I have to say she does look so cute in her pink coat...

You take care Brenda your health is suffering too at the moment.. Wish you better..
Hugs May x x x

Paper Creations by Shirley said...

Oh my gosh Brenda, you have had your challenges. I hope both you & Holly recover, hopefully her operation doesn't have to wait too long ? She looks so sweet in her little pink coat. Your card is beautiful, you have the most beautiful dies and use them together so beautiful. Take good care, Shirleyx

Jolara said...

beautifull hugs Joyce

susiestacey said...

Hi Brenda l have been thinking about you and little Holly, she looks so sweet in her little woolie, hope in time the vets will be able to help with the problem. Hope you havwe some of the bright sunshine we have today to cheer you up a bit - take care.
Almost forgot - Cute - you have cracked it and it is now within your comfort zone Brenda, the card is beautiful. x Susan x

Sunshine HoneyBee said...

Sweet card. Like the paper piecing, pastel color & embellishing. I host a wkly challenge at Marks Finest Papers Simple Salutations in which the challenge this wk is Anything Goes. Membership in MFP is free. Please join, enter & let them know I sent you.
Melissa
"Sunshine HoneyBee"
MFP SS Hostess

Marianne said...

I totally love your penny black card. Beautiful!
Sorry to hear you're not so well. Take good care.
And poor Holly.... Wish her a quick recovery and give her a big hug.
xxx Marianne

McCrafty's Cards said...

An absolutely gorgeous card Brenda, I like the adorable image the lace and the flowers, glad to hear you are feeling a bit better, and that Holly is home all thought you have a lot of work with her, as she gets older it might improve itself. sending you and Holly lots of love.
Kevin xx

Andreja said...

Brenda, what a cute card. Such a beautiful colours and flowers :-))
Hugs Andreja

Mummylade said...

Holly is lucky to have such a caring family =)
And you did brilliantly on the cute theme!

Jane said...

Hi again Brenda, just to say that I have emailed you re the March PB guest design spot. I'm just checking that I'm not sitting in your spam folder! As I do really like to plan ahead can I just ask what the theme will be and do I use one of my own stamps or is there something particular I need to get hold of? Thanks so much. As I know you approve your comments you can just not publish this one!
My email is janetyrrell@hotmail.co.uk Thanks so much,hugs, Jane xx

NancyD said...

Brenda, this card may be outside your comfort zone but it is special and so pretty. I am so sorry to hear about your new pup and her troubles. I think you have already had your fair share of troubles. It is time for a break! Just know that so many of us care about you! NancyD

chillin with Quillin said...

your card is gorgeous, love the layers and details on it!!!
I really hope you and your dog get feeling better soon, take care!!!!
Paula

Crafting Queen said...

Poor puppy, do hope they can help her. Lot of hugs to her. Love your card, it's beautiful.

Silvia(Barnie) said...

You've created such a wonderful soft colored card, the image is really lovely. Glad to hear, that you and Holly are feeling a bit better :)

Inky Angel said...

Brenda,
This is such a gorgeous card. It looks perfect to me. You are so talented, you can certainly pull off any challenge. Hope you have a speedy recovery.
Take care. Hugs and wishes from Katie

Anonymous said...

Brenda I hope this next week proves to be the turning point for both you and Holly!
LOVE your card is super duper oober cute LOVE the way you have coloured it too!
hugs me x

Crafty Humphreys said...

Dear Brenda, I'm a real Bloggernovice, have no followers at all, probably just as well, the excitement might be too much and I've just discovered you, via Dee Paramour's blog (I'm doing well just to have worked out that much!). LOVE your cards and wish you well (and poorly pooches too!). Crafty hugs Suz xxx

Tedz said...

Beautiful card Brenda, it looks as though you make these all the time. Poor little Holly, I feel for her! It's a shame you couldn't put her in disposable nappies in the interim like those little baby kangaroos were (they cut a hole for the tail) but I suppose she would chew it off. I hope you are feeling better soon. Pauline xx

catherine said...

Just a super card Brenda and fits in with the challenge so well.
x catherine

Kat said...

Gorgeous card Brenda. That image is adorable and the colour combo is lovely.

Poor Holly! As you say Labs are clean dogs and it must be very distressing for her. I hope the vets can help her as soon as she is old enough.

And poor you Brenda, you've had a horrible few weeks with one thing and another. Hope things improve for you soon.

Take care,

Kat xx

nnalorac said...

You've made a super job on the card front Brenda,so pretty, never know it was out of your comfort zone. Here's to better times for you and Holly. Carolxx

Anonymous said...

hi brenda, glad to hear holly is home and she looks adorable in her little coat. oh my goodness! this card is beautiful and oh soooo cute and still has those special touches that make your cards your own. hope you continue to feel better!
hugs, linda

Jackie said...

What a wonderful cute card, it is so cute. No-one would every think you were out of your comfort zone :o)
So pleased you have Holly home again even though she is causing a lot of work just now. Hopefully they will soon be able to sort her out.
Please don't worry about commenting, we all understand that you have issues which make it difficult for you...hugs
Jackie xx

Jennifer said...

Firstly I'm so sorry that this has been such a rough week for you! Glad your sweet friend is home now....even with all the extra attention needed! Hope you're feeling better soon to!
Secondly, what a perfectly delightful card! Love the image with all the dimension you've added and the rolled flowers are beautiful!

Tracy said...

Hi Brenda
Such a sweet card, and an adorable image. You certaily did cute here Brenda, it's so gorgeous. Love all the die cutting too.
Happy crafting
Tracy x

Tracy said...

Also meant to say how cute Holly looks in her coat too
Tracy x

Lindsay Craftymonster81 said...

Oh Brenda it sounds like you have been having a bit of a bad time of things lately bless you, I really hope that the situation improves for her soon (she looks very sweet in her recovery coat) and I will be hoping for better days for you as well, really sorry to hear that things have not been so good. Your card is stunning, I think you do cute very well, I love this sweet image and the decoupaged elements really make it pop, beautiful colouring and die cuts too, love it
Lindsay xx

Anonymous said...

aww Holly is so sweet! And they sure are work but they are so worth it, such wonderful souls!

scrappymo! said...

Praying for better days ahead for both you and for holly.
I love your card. It is so sweet and you did such a fantastic job on it!
Love the decoupage and the colouring!

Merry said...

Love your card, it is too sweet. I hope you are feeling better yourself. How wonderful for Holly to receive this little jacket.

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