Creating heals. Sorta...

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So I've been sick for the last four days with what is either a very bad cold or a very mild flu. It isn't bad enough to keep me totally bedridden but it's annoying enough to leave me without much energy. I had to forgo my dance class today, something I really didn't want to do, which underscores the level to which I am sick. Next to nothing keeps me from a dance class. Thankfully I have been lucid enough at times to venture into my craft workshop and make up a couple of cards.

"Celebrate You" was created in honor of my sister and brother-in-law's 29th wedding anniversary. It was made in shades of white and iridescent ivory and accented with tiny bits of black and gold bling. Materials used were: Spellbinders Borderabilities A2 Curved Borders One die, Memory Box Vivienne Butterfly die (style #98265), Stampin' Up Elegant Lines Embossing Folder (retired), Celebrate You stamp by Stampin' Up (retired). Flowers, pearls and mini bling from my stash.

"Center Your Heart" was created for the Oriental Stamp Art (OSA) Yahoo Group's weekly layout challenge. The challenge for this week was to create a card similar to this one that also adhered to the basic rules for the weekly challenge, those being that the card must be Oriental in nature and must contain at least one stamped image. This was my best attempt. Actually it was my only attempt. I was lightheaded and fatigued as a result of my not-quite-the-flu symptoms but I liked the challenge so much that I muddled through until I finished it. I'm so glad I did. Creating a card, however simple, gives me a satisfying feeling of accomplishment. It goes a long way to combating the feelings of uselessness I get from spending a day slopping about in pajamas and generally feeling like...like...bleeechh!

Yeah, okay. It's time for me to crawl back into bed again.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Pitiful Pooch

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Note the bandage on her right leg.

The only thing more pitiful and miserable than an injured or sick child is an injured or sick pet and today our dog, Marla, was injured while running through some grass. Somehow she cut herself on her right rear leg near the joint and although the wound was small and didn't bleed much, it appeared to be somewhat deep. My son and I cleaned the wound, applied antibiotic ointment and wrapped it with gauze and tape to prevent infection. That was the easy part. The more difficult part was keeping her from chewing off the bandages. At first she was muzzled which promptly turns her into a floor mat as she throws herself flat on the floor in a gesture of total defeat. It is truly a pitiful sight. Then we borrowed a plastic dog cone from my sister who had used it on her own dog. Problem was that my dog is medium sized and my sister's dog is BIG. Needless to say we had to do a little gerry-rigging to get it to stay on her (gotta love those binder clips). She was no less pitiful but at least she wasn't muzzled. She should be fine in a day or two. We've just got to get her through the night without chewing off her bandages.

Poor baby.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva