Get Better Soon with Playful Pets and Healing Hugs Hello. Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the 18th Social Stamping Blog Host. This month's Social Stamping theme is Get Better Soon. When thinking about what I would make I decided to create a card for my dog, Gemma, and I to send to her groomer. Gemma is a Lhasa Apso x Shih Tzu and requires grooming professionally every 3 months or so. Gemma's groomer is brilliant in handling dogs and has amazing skill with the clippers. I have been taking my dogs to her for many, many years. She has been going through a barrage of tests recently and so I thought it would be great for us to send her a card to let her know that we are thinking of her and appreciate her. This is a Slimline 3D Box style card, with a middler layer sitting between the front and back. It will lay flat and fit into a standard DL envelope. The front and back base pieces were cut from a piece of A4 Thick Whisper White card-stock; with the front piece being 1 1/2" longer than the back piece. Both ends of the front piece were scored in from the edge at 1/4" and 3/4"; so the front sits 1/2" away from the back. The 1/4" section was used to adhere front to back. Before forming the box, a woodgrain piece of In Good Taste Designer Series Paper was mounted on a slightly larger piece of Real Red card-stock; which in turn was mounted to the front base piece. A rectangular hole was cut in the centre of the front section using a rectangular die from the Stitched So Sweetly dies. As it was cutting through 3 layers of paper, it needed to be passed through the Cut n Emboss machine a few times. The rectangular hole was to be longer than the die, so the die was moved further along ensuring it aligned with the cut scallops. Part of the cut rectangular piece was used to create the in-between layer. A number of dogs were fussy cut and one die cut from a couple of designs from the Playful Pets DSP. The red stripe that has been used for the background also came from the same focal central grey dog was popped up on Dimensionals, a couple of dogs were adhered to the middle layer, and one of the dogs (the one doing the "downward dog") was adhered to the front layer. One of the dogs (probably a Lhasa Also or Shih Tzu, is wearing a healing collar that was cut from Vellum card-stock with a small circular die from the Layering Circles dies. A second fussy cut head was added to give the appearance of wearing the collar and add further dimension. The letters to form the word "Doggone" were cut from Real Red card-stock that had been adhered to an Adhesive Sheet. A second set was cut from Real Red card-stock to add to the back of the letters as I realised that the letters would partially hang over the edge of the cut out centre. The letters were adhered at the base in a wonky fashion. A piece of twine from the Playful Pets Trim Combo pack was attached to one of the dogs (as a lead) and partially looped around some of the letters, with the end frayed a little. A rolled Glue Dot held the twine in place behind the 'N'. A sentiment from the Healing Hugs stamp set was stamped in Early Expresso Classic Stampin' ink onto Vellum card-stock and then over stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss powder. The Stamparatus was used for stamping which enabled the double layer of stamping to stamp directly onto of the Early Expresso sentiment. I do love my Stamparatus. As the sentiment didn't show well in position, a small piece of Whisper White card-stock was adhered to the Vellum and the sentiment was also popped up on Dimensionals. A piece of Whisper White card-stock was mounted on Real Red cardstock and then onto the back panel. Prior to mounting, the panel was stamped with a dog, dog bowl and butterflies from the Pampered Pets stamp set in Early Expresso Classic Stampin' ink. The same dog was also stamped on the front of a DL envelope. To finish off the Slimline 3D Box card a bone trinket from the Playful Pets trinkets was adhered with a Glue Dot to the focal dog and butterflies were stamped in Early Expresso Classic Stampin' ink. I thought I would take a photo of my special girl with the card that is to be sent to her groomer. It wasn't an easy process as she had positioned herself in the garden. To take the photo I ended up in the garden, kneeling in the wet dirt. Most of the photos showed her looking anywhere but toward the camera. Peta of Stampin' Cat, I am in awe of you and your photos of your cards with your cat. I have decided that the ol' adage about actors never working with children or animals also applies to taking photos of dogs and cards together!!! Here's Gemma with the card: I hope you are enjoying this month's Social Stamping Blog Host that has focused on a "Get Well Soon" theme. If you started at the beginning with our amazing Social Stamping Host, Kelly Kent, then this is the last blog, however, If you started part way through you can either click here to be transferred to Kelly's blog at My Papercraft Journey to see her gorgeous creation or click on the 'Next' graphic below; or if you would prefer to go to the full list of participants click on this link to be taken to Kelly Kent's Host Blog Post at My Papercraft Journey where you will find individual links that can take you to each person's blog. Hope to see you again next month (Saturday, 28th November) when the Social Stamping Blog Host theme is "Merry & Bright". Do look after yourself and your loved ones. Stay well, stay safe and be kind to yourself and others in these strange times. Andrea 😘