Remembering dog kisses

Welcome

Today is one of the worst days.

Our dear Tyler is at peace now and no longer in pain.

He went quietly and kept his uniqueness to the end.

Tyler

Walking had become difficult for him,

he was just so tired all the time.

But at the vet’s today he was able to perk those ears up and chow down on his favorite biscuits.

Food has always been his weakness!

It hasn’t really hit us yet.

Surely he is just asleep in the other room...

we will hear him snore any time now...

We have had many dogs through the years.

Each one has had unique quirks,

silly habits and funny expressions.

We have stories to tell, and laugh about, and remember many good times.

Like our Great Dane, Luke.

We would go to the vet’s. While I checked in

I would tell him to go sit down.

Luke would survey the room, and then choose which bench he wanted to sit on. It was always a very deliberate choice, sometimes being next to another client, sometimes sitting alone...

patiently waiting for me to come sit next to him.

Tyler sitting on the couch in his favorite corner.

Photo by inkspired

It will hit me later that Tyler is truly gone.

When I come home there will be no more

drooly wet kisses and wiggle-butt to greet me.

I will sleep through the night,

instead of being woken up at 11pm...

3:30am, and again at 7:30am.

I won’t need to check to see if he has water in his bowl, throughout the day.

He’s been drinking a LOT lately.

We didn’t know it was part of the cancer.

I suppose I am rambling a bit,

as my thoughts are skipping around,

not wanting to settle and be calm

Because then I will see that he is gone.

And it hurts.

So why do we continue to put ourselves 

through this grief?

Because the rewards are greater than the loss.

Because pets enrich our lives like no other thing.

Because no matter how bad your day has been,

Your dog is waiting for you to come home;

waiting to tell you how GREAT you are!

Waiting to love you unconditionally.

And yes,

after my tears dry I will be thankful that I was given

the privilege of knowing a dog

called Tyler.

R.I.P.

1/25/2020

‘Til next time,

inkspired

A Bookish Retreat

Welcome!

Kaleidoscope by inkspired 

Colder weather always makes me want to stay inside, turn the fireplace on, make a mug of hot chocolate 

and curl up under a throw with a good book.

Whimsies and dreams

By artist Yaoyao Ma Van As

There are some very creative book lovers out there that have made special book nooks.

These inspire me!

Posted on Pinterest by fancydecors 

 Posted on Pinterest by

goodgollymisshollybooks.blogspot.com

 Posted on Pinterest by indulgy.com

Posted on Pinterest by Scottish Book Trust

Here is a great idea of transforming a closet 

into a cozy book nook!

Posted on Pinterest by Deb McGuiness

What a great idea for recycling milk jugs -

Courtesy diyprojects.ideas2live4.com

Courtesy projectgreenify.com

This fold up nook is easily made with cardboard and duct tape! Visit the site for instructions.

Reading is so fun,

once you get the hang of it.

Practice, practice, practice!

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Truth:

(Usually experienced before 10 am, or coffee)

Don’t put your shoes and socks on in a dark closet.

You will most likely be embarrassed when your 

color choices are seen in the light ...

A Fascinating World of Cultures!

Welcome!

Here is another WordPak creation I made.

How many different languages do you recognize?

They all say ‘Welcome’!

Kaleidoscope by inkspired 

I love to learn about other cultures than my own.

I love to see their traditional costumes,

learn about the foods they like,

and listen to their music.

Boy from Ecuador 

Paper dolls from the 1970’s

Combine that with my love of paper dolls

and you have...today’s blog!

Girl from Ethiopia

Girl from Ireland

Antique paper doll with costumes from

Scotland, Ireland and Wales

Here is a recipe for

Irish Flag Salad

Courtesy of Taste of Home

It is named Irish Flag salad as it is 

the colors of the Irish flag.

Serves 4

1 6 Oz. Package baby spinach, fresh

2 medium pears, thinly sliced

2 medium oranges, peeled & sectioned

2 Tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

2 Tablespoons chopped pistachios

Dressing:

3 Tbs canola oil

2 Tbs orange juice

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 tsp grated orange zest

1/2 tsp salt

Divide spinach on 4 plates.

Top with pears, oranges & pistachios.

Whisk dressing ingredients together.

Drizzle over salad. Serve immediately.

Yummy!!

Children in traditional Swiss folk costumes

Vintage Switzerland paper doll

Spanish ladies in regional folk costumes

1950’s-60’s paper doll
includes a Spain bullfighting costume 

Girl in traditional folk costume of Hungary

Hungary themed coloring page

Japanese girl in traditional dress

Vintage Japan front-and-back paper doll

The last one for today -

Traditional Swedish folk costumes

Paper dolls featuring Sweden from
a wonderful vintage Around the World set 
of paper dolls by Kellogg’s Krumbles

I hope you have enjoyed this very small tour
around the world with some vintage
paper dolls and unique folk and traditional
costumes representing their countries.

I haven’t showcased any countries from
North America, or
Central America.
Australia and all the Island countries are waiting,
 along with most of Africa.
Oh! What a huge world we live in!

However,
they will come another day!

‘Til then,
inkspired

😁

Scissors 101

Welcome!

Using a new app!

WordPak

Easy to use - you type in words you want and then can choose preset color combinations,

choice of shapes and your font choice.

How many languages can you recognize in the above heart?

Hint: they all say ‘welcome’.

Kaleidoscope by inkspired 

I am constantly trying to clean/put away/organize

my stamping/craft room.

But then, I find a project I want to work on,

so my surfaces will be once again covered!

Recently I found a folder with some of my completed

paper cuttings.

It was fun to see them again!

 Bremen Town musicians

American Collection, Back Street Designs

Hand cut by inkspired 

I have no idea why they were in a folder, 

and not framed and hung!

Swans

American Collection, Back Street Designs

Hand cut by inkspired 

Many of my papercutting patterns are from the now out-of-print Back Street scherenschnitte series of books.

You can Google them and find the patterns 

online and free now.

Hand cut by inkspired 

American Collection, Back Street Designs

Some I find in craft magazines.

Hand cut and pierced by inkspired 

Some patterns I get from papercutting books.

Hand cut by inkspired 

I am always on the lookout for new patterns!

I have even made a few patterns of my own.

😁

Of course, do I have any photos of those?

Nope!

Oh well.

Parchment hand cut by inkspired 

Hearts & Flowers, Back Street Designs

(I think I may watercolor this one

to give it some added dimension and interest.)

Scissors tips

Now, I did call this blog Scissors 101,

so I best pass on a few tips for you!

1. Always use the sharpest scissors you can find.

Paper is very dulling to scissors.

2. Use your papercutting scissors ONLY for paper.

Other materials may cause nicks in the blades,

which may affect how smooth your cut is.

3. Scissors with very short blades work well for 

delicate/intricate cuts.

Try to find some with longer handles.

4. Many ‘purists’ use only black paper.

Experiment with different weights and colors!

5. An Xacto blade is used for small, straight cuts.

I like Fiskars fingertip blade holder.

6. Do not be cheap. Change out your blades frequently to avoid tears in your cutting.

7. A self-healing mat is not a must, but it sure helps!

You can find these in the sewing/quilting sections.

8. To access an area inside the cutting, use a hole punch.

Now you have room to fit in your scisssors blades

without risk of tearing the paper.

9.***Very Important!!!

When you are cutting, move your paper around,

NOT your scissors!

This may take some initial re-training of scissors habits,

But

It will make all the difference in your cutting!

Hand cut twice to make a stand up 

dimensional centerpiece.

Pattern is from Papercuttings by Alison.

She no longer sells her patterns on paper or books.

She has opened a digital download type site however.

I so hope you will go grab some scissors,

an old magazine or greeting card

and cut something out!

I find it very satisfying and relaxing.

‘Til’ next time,

inkspired

Kaleidoscope by inkspired

Truth: (usually experienced before 10 am, or coffee)

You really should sit down 

when attempting to put on pants. 

This prevents falling over,

and also from trying to put both legs

into one pants leg...

😁