The Clean and Simple Challenge, CAS479 - Pets - 4/30/18, was to include a pet in your creation. The challenge was in honor of Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, April 30th.
This challenge came at the right time because I was desperately searching for inspiration for a theme for a birthday card for my dad, who is turning 89 years young in less than a week. HeÂ’s a rancher and I usually do farm/western/tractor themed cards for him.
My dad is also a lover of Labs, and even though his dear Dillon dog has been gone for many years, he still loves to tell fun stories about him. I share that love of labs with him, starting with Sparky, a big black lab who was my guardian angel from the time I was tiny until I was 16 years old. So many wonderful memories!
Anyway, back to the challenge! Thank goodness the Pet challenge came the very day I needed to get my dadÂ’s card made. I dug through my stash of stamps, stickers and dies and came up with nothing. Hallelujah for my stash of new and old greeting cards! I stumbled on this delightful image of the two labs ogling the decadent chocolate cake - PERFECT!!!
It only took another hour to come up with a fun and unusual way to showcase the fun doggie scene....let me just say that it was not a pretty time in my stamp room! I settled on making a shadowbox card, because I wanted to make the doggies the star of the show, and to keep the design of the card clean and simple.
It only took 3 hours of excruciating trial and error to complete this card. The construction of the bones of the shadowbox card was quickly and easily done. There is a really well done tutorial here on SCS on how to score, fold and design the cutout. The time consuming part of this was in the finishing details.
This card is unusually large (5 1/2” x 8 1/2”), because the image of the dogs was large and I needed to have a large aperture to allow for them to show. Because the card was oversized, the cardstock used for the base needed to be good and sturdy. The prototype I made from my go-to favorite 100# lb coverstock was too wimpy! This tan Woodgrain texture cardstock is very heavyweight, so it worked perfectly. Fortunately for me the tan color also worked well with the colors in the image.
To keep the details simple and understated, I opted to use the smooth, flip side of the woodgrain cardstock for all the sentiment banners and used black ink with clear detail heat embossing to make the lettering bold and easy to read. It’s hard to see in the phot - the “eat cake” banner is anchored to the inside of the shadowbox front so that it hovers over the scene inside. And yes, I had a paw print brad in my stash...I couldn’t believe it, either! Ha...
I finished the card with a greeting panel on the back with a sentiment from Impression Obsession - May your day be sweetened with all good things! IsnÂ’t that just the best sentiment?!
Hope my dad gets a big smile on his face when he opens up this card. ThereÂ’s lots of love tucked inside, and I think he will feel that!
Thanks so much for popping by to look at my Labs -eat cake! Hope your day is sweetened with all good thing, too!
Date: Monday, April 30, 2018 GMT Views: 2009
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Registered: February 10, 2006 Location: South Dakota Posts: 1489
Tue, May 01, 2018 @ 4:46 AM
I'm not sure which I enjoyed more....your delightful card or your equally delightful story. I know your father will feel the love you put into this one because it really shows. Good job!!
Registered: March 8, 2005 Location: Halfway between Dallas and Houston Posts: 24020
Fri, May 04, 2018 @ 10:08 AM
Your dad will really love this card because any dog lover could not smile looking at those two ogling that cake. It made me drool a little looking at it too. I am glad you stuck with the design because it really showcases the image wonderfully and the sentiment couldn't be better!
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Registered: August 8, 2006 Location: Roseville CA Posts: 18520
Sun, May 06, 2018 @ 8:53 AM
omg that brad is the icing on the cake. love this! (i have a yellow lab so you had me at hello on this card). i hope your dad felt all the love inside - i am certain he must have! Lela