Farewell Loyal Friend - Part 1

Our family was blessed to share our home with an extraordinary dog for over 12 years. Chili was a source of great joy. She was also the topic of many interesting conversations with both friends and strangers. Not many people have encountered a Xoloitzcuintle, or Mexican Hairless Dog before, so it was quite common for her to get a lot of attention (and petting) while we answered a variety of questions when we took her to the park or for a walk. Unfortunately, we recently had to say good bye to our friend because of her declining health.

Pets have such an impact on our lives every day. Losing one is never easy. This project is a simple was to preserve the memory of the place your pet had in your home and heart.

Materials

• 7 x 15 inch shadow box
• clay paw print (can be made with a Sculpey Keepsake Ornament Kit), collar,  engraved rock, or other memento
• dog tags
• 5 x 7 inch photo mat
• adhesive Velcro
• tape
• photo
• glue dots (optional)

Directions

I'd like to start with a big thank you to our veterinarian for the compassionate care our dog received, especially at the end.  Our vet kindly made a paw print for us. It was a little hard to see at the time, but I am grateful to have it now.

You can make your own paw print with the Sculpey Keepsake Ornament Kit. It's available at many craft and hobby stores or online.

Begin by  removing the back from the frame and cleaning the glass both inside and out.

If necessary, attach mounting hardware.

Tape your pet's photo to the back of the photo mat.

Use tape or glue dots to adhere dog tags to the mat.

Place one or two pieces of adhesive Velcro (the hook side) to the back of the photo/mat and the back of the paw print or other memento.

Position the items onto the back of the shadow box.

Place the back into the frame and secure the shadow box closed.

Since Chili was the inspiration for my blog title and Etsy shop name, my shadow box will be hung and lovingly displayed in my studio.

You could also display a shadow box like this on a shelf or mantle.