God is good, no one is hurt, and that's enough.
Anyway, today's card is another in my Dies Go CAS series, with an embossing folder thrown in for good measure. The Hero Arts Nesting Hearts Infinity Dies are amazing. I love being able to make hearts in such a vast range of sizes.
Yes, I distressed, which seems appropriate for this week. At first I was irritated that the ink got down below the raised spots, but after googling images of real birch bark, I realized it makes the heart look much more realistic.
Besides, look at all that unsullied white space. *happy sigh*
The cute cardinal comes from Poppy Stamps Cheery Cardinals die.
Design Notes: At first, I wanted this to be a portrait-oriented card, but then I realized the sentiment and cardinal would be closer to the lower right "sweet spot" on the card if I used a landscape-oriented card base. The results speak for themselves.
Cooper Update: Formal diagnosis (second opinion) of severe hip dysplasia on right side, with mild dysplasia on the left. That X-ray almost made me cry. Both elbows have fragmented medial coronoid process, which is also worse on the right. Cooper's right is all wrong!
This is not what you want to have happen to a puppy. He will eventually have surgery on the elbows for sure (that surgery is guaranteed to stop the chipping away of bone in the joint). The hips are on a wait-and-see. I'll be talking to the vet about supplements for joint health in hopes of slowing down the issues. But he is pretty much always going to be in some level of pain.
Not that he seems bothered by it now. He's snoring on the floor behind me, using his doughnut collar as a pillow. When he's awake, he's jumping all over the place (please don't tell the vet...she said to keep him from jumping until the stitches come out, but HOW?) and generally acting like the happy puppy he is.
So yay, Cooper!
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.
Mercy, grace, peace, and love,
Susan
Supplies
stamps: My Favorite Things Label Maker Sentiments
ink: Memento espresso truffle
paper: Papertrey white, StampinUp real red
accessories: Tim Holtz embossing folder, Poppy Stamps Cheery Cardinal die, Hero Arts Nesting Hearts Infinity dies, dimensionals
Love the card! I admit to a soft spot for anything with a Cardinal (my kiddo’s school mascot)
ReplyDeletePoor puppy! Hopefully the elbow surgery will give some pain relief. Pool therapy would be gr at for him!! (Surgery might be cheaper than a po 🤪😂)
Thanks, Starla!
DeleteI am so sorry to hear about Cooper. Chronic pain is something you don't want for any pet (or person) you care about. Knowing there will be huge medical bills is not what you want for yourself. As you said in a previous post, Cooper is lucky to be with you as he will be taken good care of, no matter what.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I know so many people who have chronic pain in their joints - knees, hips, elbows - and they're all pretty happy and loving life, so why shouldn't a dog?
We recently rescued a mutt and at the first vet's check it also came up that he has a bit of a weird angle in his knees and elbows. There have not been any further exams (yet) and if we're lucky, there might be a beagle somewhere in the mix, which would make his simple O-legs. If not, we're going to be in about the same spot you find yourself in now. Nothing to be done but wait and see!
Best of luck to Cooper!
Good luck to you with your new pup. It's so hard to wait and see, isn't it?
DeleteOh boy! I hope you have a nice relaxing evening and that this coming week is nice and quiet!
ReplyDeleteMy puppy broke his leg and keeping him "down" was pretty much impossible! Good luck!
Thanks. We do our best but he jumps up no matter what. *sigh*
DeleteI like the color combination of this card, and the birch inking really does look realistic. Something about the large bark heart and the tiny cardinal has particular appeal as well—I think it's the blend of nature elements foiled by the contrast of sizes (the bark larger than the bird, opposite that of nature) that makes it work so well. Besides, of course, just plain good design!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the update on Cooper. I'll be praying for you and him—and hoping that you do get a relaxing weekend.
Good point about the scale of the elements. If the cardinal were a bit bigger, it would likely look weird. The exaggerated difference makes the design choice look more intentional.
DeleteThanks for your prayers, Cacia.
A descriptive card for a hurting heart. Please remember- Hope anchors the soul.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ginger.
DeleteOh my poor Cooper. That made my heart just sink. Please keep up updated along the way. I really did enjoy your post today and I love the card you made, I love all the white space! Love the idea of using TH birch embossing folding on the heart and the ink, great idea. And and I have to say how much I love that you list your supplies at the end of your posts, it helps so much! Thank you. God bless you today and your family.
ReplyDeleteI will keep you and the whole internet updated. He has a lot of fans!
DeleteI love the pop of red on your heart card. Cooper is so lucky to have your family to love and care for him.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sheila!
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