Today was the day

I knew that sometime this week the vet office would call me to tell me that little Zoe's ashes were ready for me to pick up. What I didn't expect was for them to call me while I was out and about running errands this morning. Needless to say, that phone call brought a flood of emotions, and once again I found myself trying to navigate the roads through a blanket of tears. It's hard losing a little one, and perhaps I take it harder than most people. I don't know. I do know that Zoe is now at home with me where she belongs. Soon, I will put her ashes in a little sache bag and head over to Build a Bear Workshop where I will have them put inside a teddy bear. That's what I do for my departed little ones. Here's a picture of Mione (she passed away last year April) with all the teddy bears I had at the time. I am sad to say that I've added to that collection since taking this picture almost four years ago.

Here's the beautiful cedar box that currently house Zoe's cremains.

I also requested that a clay paw prints be done before she was cremated. I will need to bake this slab before too long, but I want to add some color and bling. After all, she was one of the pricesses of the house.

The pet cemetary that cremated Zoe also included the Rainbow Bridge Poem. Many forms of this Norse-inspired legend exist, but the poem iteself is one of my favorites. I cry every time I read it, so I warn you, if you're sensitive to the loss of a pet, you might want to get a hanky.

The Rainbow Bridge

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

I will be making Thank You cards for the gals over at the vet hospital soon. I haven't quite been able to bring myself to do that just yet, but I want to let them know how much I appreciated their support.

In an effort to make this post a bit more cheerful, here's a card that I made the other week. It may look complicated, but I assure you, it's rather easy.

Instructions: Take a piece of SU's white glossy paper (it has to be glossy or this technique won't work) and cut it down to your desired size. Use SU Classic reinkers in your colors of choice to dab a few spots on the paper. If you want, you can also use the Gold and Silver Encore Pad refills to add a bit of glitz to your design as I have done in my example. Next, thoroughly moisten a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and then dab it over the glossy paper. The alcohol will pick up and move the colors around. You can dab and smoosh until you get the look you want. Once you're done, spray the paper with fixative (honestly, I use hairspray - works just as well, is less than half the price, and smells darn good) and let it dry. After that, the piece is ready for you to do whatever you want! I used StazOn ink to stamp an image from the "You and Yours" stamp set. The sentiment is from the "Heard from the Heart" set.

I'll be back tomorrow with some more cards and techniques. I hope you all have a good day :)