One day, we'll meet at the Rainbow Bridge

Loss is hard. Loss around the holidays is just that much more sucky. Loads and loads of suck.

Unfortunately, a couple of friends lost their dogs over this Christmas holiday. One was 14, the other 17 and both were lost too soon. Any time you lose a beloved pet, it's too soon.

I have a really hard time with sympathy cards because just the idea that my loved one is sad makes my heart hurt. So, I cheated. I don't usually do the assembly line thing. Usually, each of my cards is individually made and unique. This time, I decided to make the cards the same. Nothing wrong with that at all, I just don't usually craft that way (let's be totally honest here...it's because I get bored making the same thing over and over. I'm not some card making virtuoso with limited edition cards! I'm just kinda ADD....lol).

And without further ado and digressions, here they are. Both dogs were black so I colored them that way. Stamps are CTMH. Then I used some dies, pop dots foe dimension and alcohol inks for visual interest. Ta-da!

I'm Santa...really, I am.

My husband and I have both had some major losses in life: a parent (mom for him, dad for me) and a spouse. We saw a memorial lantern a few years ago, with the "Christmas in Heaven" poem. Dave really wanted it but the cost was beyond ridiculous. When I saw lanterns in Michaels this year, I decided to make him one of his very own, personalized just a bit.

Here it is:

I set it up early, because Dave is the type who thinks Christmas decorations should come down on December 26th. I make him wait (impatiently, I might add) until after the new year.

To make it personal, I offset the presents a bit, so they look kind of cluttered. With three cats, that's how they often end up! I also added two of our three cats (the two that his late mom and wife knew; they never met my baby Athena). I put them in the usual places they like to sit. I chose a red lantern because it felt more like Christmas. Here's a close up or two:

Thanks for visiting and I hope your holiday season is full of warmth, love, and happy memories!