Top Dog Dies are GORGEOUS!

How lucky am I?  Really!!  I feel SO blessed that I get to Design for such amazing companies.  Top Dog Dies keeps coming out with the most GORGEOUS dies with each new month's release.  Not to mention, the store is stocked FULL of amazing dies from releases gone by, and yet....they continue to knock our socks off with each new release.  This month, they released some amazing corner accents, darling flowers, and two delicate and lovely borders that I just can't seem to put down.  I love them all, and I feel SO lucky to be a part of this amazing team.

As you read this post, I will be away in Minnesota helping my brothers to deal with some medical issues with our dear ole' Dad.  Dad has been hospitalized for over a week now.  He acts like he had a stroke, although signs don't indicate a stroke.  He's gone through extensive testing, and they have determined that he has colon cancer.  I (like you) hate the "C word".  But it's part of life, and we have to deal with the situation at hand.  The decisions that must be made are never easy, and nobody can tell us that our decisions are right or wrong.  They are decisions that we have prayed about, and that we feel are the right ones for our Dad.  We have decided, together, that Dad isn't strong enough (physically or emotionally) for the surgery. That means we are giving it to God.  We will make Dad comfortable, let him know how VERY much we love him, and then....we have to step back and let God do what God does.  He handles things, and we trust Him.  The road ahead isn't going to be easy for Dad, for us, or really for anyone.  We don't know WHAT the future holds, but we do know WHO holds the future.  We also have the assurance of knowing FOR CERTAIN that our Dad is going to Heaven when he dies.  Not because he was a perfect Dad or a great person, but because Dad placed his faith in the sacrifice that Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, made for us when He gave Himself as a sacrifice for his (and all of mankinds') sins.  I really appreciate your prayers.  I've had a rough week.  But I know that I am a very blessed girl, and I can only be grateful for my family, my life, for my precious Savior, and for Dad.  May God bless his days and give him the strength he needs during his final journey here on earth - however long that may be.

OK, before I start get all teary-eyed, here is my card for this week's Top Dog Dies post.  I used some of the Echo Park patterned papers I had left over from a blog hop we did a while back.  I used the pink printed patterned paper to create the base of my card which was cut using the Top Dog Dies Signature Antique Die.  I just LOVE the shape of this die, and it makes a lovely card base or a great mini album.  It can also be mixed and matched with our many other shaped dies to create mini albums with various shapes.  They're all the same basic size so that they can be used together if desired.  Next, I used the brand new Top Dog Dies Alaina Border Die to create a garden gate.  Under that, I used green rick-rack to create stems/leaves for my flowers; and the flowers themselves were cut with the new Top Dog Dies Pretty Petals Die Set and I placed gem stickers in the centers of my flowers.  The sentiment is just a little sticker from the Echo Park set.  Top Dog Dies really has some AMAZING dies.  You can see them all here in the Top Dog Dies Store. 

Thanks for stopping by to say hello and take a peek.  I will be back in town on Monday night (rather late), so I don't know when I will be posting again.  Sometimes life takes us for a loop, but I will get back in the swing of things just as soon as possible.  I hope you're all having a great week.  I appreciate your friendships, and I look forward to visiting your blogs soon.

Hugs,

Karen