Twofer Challenge #41

Before you have a gander at my post and my cards, I want to let you know that after much deliberation,  Darnell, has decided that this will be the last Twofer Card Challenge. The decision did not come easy to her, but it was one which I think we can all relate to various aspects of our own lives becoming more demanding, where something has to give. And we can all understand that certain things must take priority in life. It has been my honor, and a true privilege to have been a team member from the very beginning. I've also had the great pleasure of being "teamies" with a number of absolutely amazing designers. I think we grow a little by friendships we make along the way. I'm very proud to have played  alongside these incredible women-friends, and especially Darnell. Thank you, dear friend, for letting me be a part of this very challenging, fun, and wonderfully brain-stretching team. It's been a blast from first to last. And now for the post...

Remember hearing about the 'dog days of summer?' Too hot even for dogs?? I never quite understood what that meant. Well....here's a little trivia for you! The dog days run for 20 days before and for 20 days after the star Sirius (part of the constellation Canus Major, The Greater Dog) aligns with the sun; July 3rd to August 11th. The Ancient Romans believed that because Sirius was the brightest star it added to the heat given off by the sun during that time period. Hence, dog days. Those long, hot, sultry days of summer. I'm not a fan of the heat anymore. Thank heavens I live so close to Lake Michigan, where in summer,  it's always "cooler near the Lake!" And speaking of dogs, Twofer has got a great challenge this time:

As usual, I didn't have too much trouble thinking about designs; that part was easy... No, it was choosing which set to use that gave me grief! In the end, I went with an Ellen Hutson set:

Here's a look at each card:

The first card was a "Congratulations" card sent to my grandson who received his MBA this past Spring. Mighty proud of him! The second card is, well, a birthday card! The recipes are as follows: 

For the first card, I started with an MFT stripes base, which I cut the center out with an MFT rectangle die. I added a black MFT frame (or your eyes go all crazy). The EH doxy was left uncolored, but I did give him a red bow tie and a Photoplay crown as I had no mortarboard. He's a prince anyway! The sentiment is from the same set. 

For the second card, I used the same EH doxy on a white panel. I die cut the 'happy birthday' with an AE die and added some green patterned paper (as my dad would say...) "on the underneath of it." The balloon was from a SSS set, and the "50" was from another AE set. I drew in the string. Joe, the recipient of this card, has two doxies, Brutus and Maximus, so the EH doxy was the perfect choice! 

So my lovelies, this is your last chance to play the Twofer Challenge. Before you pull out your dog/cat stamps and play along, head back to TCC to see what the DT and Guest Designers have made, and leave them some love. I'm going to miss this challenge, and seeing you all in the gallery. Your cards have often blown my mind. It's been lovely over these last few years to see all the wonderful creations you've made. Thank you for supporting Darnell and The Twofer Card Challenge.  See you in the gallery, and as always...