Happy Birthday, Ruby!

Ruby is back and she has more style and personality than ever!  Here is Ruby Birthday Cake celebrating her birthday in Red, White and Blue style full of sparkle and fun!  These images are so fun to color since the designs lend themselves to so many artistic styles and creativity!  Don't enjoy coloring?  They also come pre-colored in sets and individually and as a topper bundle!  

This birthday tag is backed with a tag cut from Polkadoodles Starfish and Sandcastles Tags.  A little shimmer trim, twine, and gems and it's ready to pop  onto a gift!  

If you think she's partying now, just wait!  I'll be back later this evening to show you her evening look as she jets out of the US for her next party!  

Want to see more Ruby inspiration?  Be sure to visit the Polkadoodles Craft & Coloring Group on FaceBook!  


Ruby will be celebrating at the following challenges:  
TTCRD:  AG
Little Miss Muffet:  AG
Pile it On:  Holidays and or layers

Thanks for dropping by today.  It's always great to have company!  Please feel free to peruse other pages/posts, check out my Pinterest,  or view some videos at my YouTube Channel.

Tags!

The new theme for the Cut It Up challenge is Tags!  I love making tags and use tons of them at Christmas, but this time I decided to use a shaker tag that opens on top a card of encouragement!  

Our Challenge is generously sponsored by CAS-ual Fridays.  The tags were cut from Tag Buddies Fri-Dies.  This die set comes with 3 tags: I cut the largest tag from white cardstock and embossed it with a circle folder.  Then I nested the the smallest tag into the middle tag and only cut part way so the tag would fold/open up the shaker window!  Inside the shaker window I used sequins, beads, and the smallest Jumping Jacks Fri-Dies.  They are adorable!  I used them on the front of the shaker door, also.

I finished off the card with the "hope" sentiment from the Hope Fri-Die, some twine, a few sequins, and a fun feather! 

Here is the door open to see the shaker elements!

Hope is going out to the following challenges:  

When you visit the Cut It Up blog, have fun viewing the DT projects and check out the rules and prize info.  Then be sure to share your project with us ~ don't forget the die cut to have a chance to win a prize from our amazing sponsors. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Anything Goes ... Snarky

It's Thursday and time for a new challenge over at The Outlawz Twisted Thursday; the twist for our anything goes challenge is Anything Goes!  This is such a popular twist!  

This amusing image, Bearly Mrs B, is from BabyCakesDND our sponsor this month!  This digi was so fun to color and added 'a bit of a snarky' to a little card I'm placing in MY craft room which is why I kept it simple and to the point!  hee hee

I'll also give a little plug to Craft Room Door where Sandra Caldwell is the featured Digi Artist offering some free images to members there.  

Be sure to visit

 The Outlawz Twisted Thursday for all the details about the challenge and to check out all fun inspiration from the DT and participants!

Bearly Mrs B is off to the following challenges:  

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers:  Q is for quote
Aud Sentiments:  AG with a sentiment

  Thanks for dropping by today.  It's always great to have company!  Please feel free to peruse other pages/posts, check out my Pinterest,  or view some videos at my YouTube Channel.

Lavender Tea Lapbook/Junk Journal

It's a new challenge over at Digi Choosday and we are sharing some of our own favorite Anything Goes this week.  Our Challenges are always Anything Goes for all of your wonderful entries!  

For the last challenge I shared the teacup from the Lavender Tea Collection from Polkadoodles and looking at all the beautiful papers, I was inspired to make a lapbook/journal using this gorgeous collection!  

This particular book is for a bride who studied horticulture.  I'm sure she'll love this for all her gardening notes.  

This book is full of sewing, paints, inks, ribbon, flowers, laces, gems, pockets, tuck spots, journaling cards, tags, etc.  Please check out the video below, or you can view it HERE to see all the inside panels and printed journal/writing pages!
    

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Hey, have you ever wanted to be a Guest Designer with us over at Polkadoodles?  Check out the Digi Choosday page for the details!  

Be sure to head over to Digi Choosday and check out the amazing projects from our team!  Then come share what you are crafting; we'd love to see it!  Remember, when you visit the Digi Choosday Site to pick up your discount code to Polkadoodles; it's good all day today....Tuesday!  It's a great way to pick up those digi's you've had your eye on!  While you're there, you might want to sign up for the Newsletter so you never miss out on special events!

My book is off to the following challenges: 

The Outlawz Sunday Songs:  Lavender's Blue
Crafter's Castle:  AG with Option ~ More than one fold
Mini Album Maker's Challenge:  Any handmade complete book, journal, etc
World Wide Open Design Team:  AG
Classic Design Team:  AG 
Crafty Addicts:  Say it with Flowers
Crafting with Dragonflies: Use Baker's Twine
Crafty Catz:  AG With Beautiful Blooms Option
Morgan's ArtWorld:  AG

Thanks for dropping by today.  It's always great to have company!  Please feel free to peruse other pages/posts, visit my Pinterest,  or view some videos at my YouTube Channel.

Paper Piecing

It's Thursday and time for a new challenge over at The Outlawz Twisted Thursday; the twist for our anything goes challenge is to Paper Piece

This floral image, La fluers, is from BabyCakesDND our sponsor this month!  You can go to the link and pick up this image to use for challenges for free!  This is a great opportunity to try one of Sandra's images and just see how fun they are to color, paper piece, doodle, etc!  

I'll also give a little plug to Craft Room Door where Sandra Caldwell is the featured Digi Artist offering some free images to members there.  

Be sure to visit

 The Outlawz Twisted Thursday for all the details about the challenge and to check out all fun inspiration from the DT and participants!

  Thanks for dropping by today.  It's always great to have company!  Please feel free to peruse other pages/posts, check out my Pinterest,  or view some videos at my YouTube Channel.

Positive Women from the Past

It's mid-month over at the Path of Positivity and I have more Neutral Colors to share.  This time I went for an old 'black and white photo' look adding some lavender colorizing with copic and sponge ink. 

I believe this gorgeous image Lady Hat Feathers from A Day for Daisies, takes us back to the early 1930's; but I must admit, I'm not sure.  If so, this was a difficult time here in the US with the beginning of the Great Depression.  It never ceases to amaze me how the women of that time, including my grandmothers, were such incredible stewards of their gifts ~ time, talents, and money.  

These incredible women could stretch a nickel beyond anything I can imagine.  My grandmothers washed their foil, sifted/reused flour, fed animals with leftovers, sewed old garments into quilts, used fabric scraps for patches and bedding, pressed wildflowers, decorated with country wild flowers, etc.  It makes me see these women in such a positive light and with so much respect and gratitude for their resilience!        

*   *   *  
My Card:
I chose to go outside the norm with Copic Cool Greys for the entire image.  (Now, I know most of the time, we go with Warms for living things; but if you follow me, you know I'm always jumping out of the box!) Then I 'swept' over with an E00.  

The banner and circle doilies inside the floral frames are from Polkadoodles Lavender Tea and those lovely frames are from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles.  The main image was **printed onto the card front and then I added her to a frame and printed her again.  (**  I printed her onto the card front to be sure I did not lose the circular lines in the digi.  I knew when I cut them, I would lose them.  By printing them onto the card front, they would be there!)  The framed piece was then lined up carefully with the image below and popped on top with foam tape.  I added some crinkled seam binding and a few grey gems from my stash, and it's done!

*   *   *  

Be sure to come on 
over to 
Path of Positivity 
and see 
what the team 
thinks about neutrals!  
You can also find 
more information 
about entering 
the challenge!  
Thanks to our 
wonderful sponsors this month:
A Day for Daisies and Mari Digis.

Thanks for dropping by today.  It's always great to have company!  Please feel free to peruse other pages/posts, visit my Pinterest,  or view some videos at my YouTube Channel.

No Cards!

The new theme for the Cut It Up challenge is Anything but a Card!  This opens it up to lots of ideas, just be sure to include a die cut!

Our Challenge is sponsored by Ink on 3.  This sweet little box is from the Holly Days One Piece Boxes; however, I decided to use the HB2U Paper from the Snow Buddies Digital Paper Pack and turn it into a festive Birthday Box!  The little bear is really a Polar Bear, but I got creative with my Copics and made him into a very simple Panda with his balloon.  I added the ice cream cone which is also part of the paper pack.  

As you can see, this paper pack and box are both very versatile and can be used for many fun occasions...not just winter holidays!  

This little birthday bear will be partying at the following challenges:  

When you visit the Cut It Up blog, have fun viewing the DT projects and check out the rules and prize info.  Then be sure to share your project with us ~ don't forget the die cut to have a chance to win a prize from our amazing sponsors. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Bee You!

It's Thursday and time for a new challenge over at The Outlawz Twisted Thursday; the twist for our anything goes challenge is to use Corrugated Cardboard!  

This delightful image, Bee a Sunflower, is from BabyCakesDND our sponsor this month!  I colored her with Copics and layered her on top of embossed pieces of cardstocks.  I've also added stamping, sanding, flowers, buttons, cheesecloth, inks, and twines to add some country charm.  

Be sure to visit

 The Outlawz Twisted Thursday for all the details about the challenge and to check out all fun inspiration from the DT and participants!

She is buzzing off to visit the following challenges:  

2 Crafty Critter Crazies:  AG with a Critter
Tuesday Throwdown:  Tag It 
Simon Says Stamp:  Anything but a Card
Crafty Calendar:  Use 3 of Something ~ 3 Buttons
Little Red Wagon:  Bees

 Thanks for dropping by today.  It's always great to have company!  Please feel free to peruse other pages/posts, check out my Pinterest,  or view some videos at my YouTube Channel.

Shapes

It's a new challenge over at Digi Choosday and we are sharing some shaped cards this week.  Our Challenges are always Anything Goes for all of your wonderful entries!  

I have been so enamored with the Lavender Tea Collection from Polkadoodles and decided the time had come to create using one of the beautiful floral images.  I have combined it with the teacup cut from the same collection.  (By the way, there are several lovely cuts in this collection if you enjoy 3-D cuts!)  This cut folds at the top and bottom to form a closure in the back.  Be on the lookout for this used in a larger project coming soon!  

I tried something a little different for me using Tombow Markers and Marvy Brush Markers to create a water color effect.  I scribbled off color onto a tile and used it like watercolor.  My images were printed off onto the teacup shaped Mixed Media paper cut in Design Space.  After coloring/painting, I adhered that to some beautiful paper from the Helga Hippo Paper Heaven 3 and added some twine.  

*   *   *   

Hey, have you ever wanted to be a Guest Designer with us over at Polkadoodles?  Check out the Digi Choosday page for the details!  

Be sure to head over to Digi Choosday and check out the amazing projects from our team!  Then come share what you are crafting; we'd love to see it!  Remember, when you visit the Digi Choosday Site to pick up your discount code to Polkadoodles; it's good all day today....Tuesday!  It's a great way to pick up those digi's you've had your eye on!  While you're there, you might want to sign up for the Newsletter so you never miss out on special events!

My teacup is off to the following challenges: 

Crafting from the Heart: AG

Corrosive Challenge:  AG

A Bit More Time to Craft:  AG

Crafter's Cafe:  Tic, Tac, Toe~ Twine, Pattern Paper, Flowers

Thanks for dropping by today.  It's always great to have company!  Please feel free to peruse other pages/posts, visit my Pinterest,  or view some videos at my YouTube Channel.

Tall and Skinny....I wish!

It's Thursday and time for a new challenge over at The Outlawz Twisted Thursday and the twist for our anything goes challenge is Tall and Skinny!  Now, this is something I know NOTHING about!  hee hee  I have always been a bit height challenged topping out at around 5'2" and as for the skinny....well, let's just say I really like pasta, bread and ice cream!  😋 

Thank goodness, it's the project that needs to be tall and skinny!  I chose to make a card to fit into a US business size envelope; so the card ends up measuring around 3.5 inches by 8 inches.  

This fun image, Float Your Boat Hippo, is from BabyCakesDND our sponsor this month!  

Be sure to visit

 The Outlawz Twisted Thursday for all the details about the challenge and to check out all beautiful inspiration from the DT and participants!

  Thanks for dropping by today.  It's always great to have company!  Please feel free to peruse other pages/posts, check out my Pinterest,  or view some videos at my YouTube Channel.

Because one layout wasn't enough for this tune!

Yes, it is true; I already journaled this tune~ Stairway to Heaven~ and you can view it HERE. However, I had to create a sort of response in my journal.  Some tunes just merit more than one layout, and for me this one could go on for pages!  

Here is my take on these pages.  Please, feel free to interpret/decipher for yourself, since that is what art journaling is supposed to inspire!  

As well as the tune, I was inspired by this beautiful digi from Polkadoodles ~ January Knowledge is Everything.  This studious girl acquiring knowledge to gain reason seemed perfect for the layout.  The patient look in her eyes also moved me into the direction of the lyrics of 'listening' and 'standing long'!  All of this takes us back to the "All That Glitters is Gold" Layout from before and the Psalm reference.  

 I have included three embossed notes on the right side of the layout symbolizing for me listening, reasoning, and knowledge/wisdom.  Of course, this is all up to the one viewing as to what it holds for her/him.

*   *   *  

Material List:
Paper:  Polkadoodles Winnie in Winterland and stash
Black Vinyl:  (small musical notes) stash
Digi:  Polkadoodles Knowledge is Everything
Die Cuts:  Polkadoodles ~ Small Notes, Large Notes, and Flowers
Die Cuts:  Pied Piper ~ Cricut Nursery Rhyme and Scroll Cricut Heritage (my stash of cartridges)
Stencil:  TCW Mini Sheet Music    
Inks:  CTMH (Huge stash of these)
Embossing:  Ranger clear and gold, Versa Mark (stash)
Copics  (All in my stash)
Embellishment:  Gem from stash

My layout is off to the following challenges:  
Art Journal Journey:  Inspired by...music and digi ~  See details above!
A Gem of a Challenge:  Use 3 of Something ~ Large embossed music notes
Shopping Our Stash:  My fav things ~ Music, journaling, studying lyrics, stencils, and this digital stamp!
TTCRD:  AG
World Wide Open DT:  AG
Classic Design Team:  AG
Crafter's Castle:  AG
Colour Crazy Challenge:  AG

Thanks for dropping by today.  It's always great to have company!  Please feel free to peruse other pages/posts, visit my Pinterest,  or view some videos at my YouTube Channel.


  

Neutrals

As we continue the journey through the colors over at the Path of Positivity we have come to the Neutral Colors.  Now, I'm sure some of you might find this uninspiring or boring, but for me these sepia, black, white tones take me back to a time long before "my time" when 'talkies' were not yet watched and time was passed sitting in parlors viewing cards through stereoscopes.  These colors create a time machine for my imagination going back to tintypes and cabinet cards left from callers at the front door.    

I have chosen to color Chaplin and Cia from Mari Digis.  Since Charlie Chaplin was born in 1889, I imagine this delightful image takes us back to the turn of the century in England.  


 Here is a picture from the internet of Mr. Chaplin and his dog.  



I have found Charlie Chaplin to be such an incredible philosopher with several inspirational quotes to his name.  I couldn't wait to add this to my tag journal!  

Film embellishments are all from Polkadoodles Winnie Fruit Punch Collection.  Background papers are from CTMH and Polkadoodles Belle Papillon.  Embellishments retired CTMH Puffy Gold.  

Chaplin and Cia will be entertaining at the following Challenges:

Paru's Cardmaking Challenge:  Masculine

Monochrome Magic:  No Twist

Simply Create Too:  For a Male

Mari Digis Challenge:  AG with Mari Image

The Outlawz Festive Friday:  AG

Die Cut Divas:  Animals or Pets

*   *   *  

Be sure to come on 
over to 
Path of Positivity 
and see 
what the team 
thinks about neutrals!  
You can also find 
more information 
about entering 
the challenge!  
Thanks to our 
wonderful sponsors this month:
Mari Digis and A Day for Daisies.  

My 2018 Color Tag Series:
January:  Forever in Blue Jeans!
February:  Red...Power!
March:  Beautiful Yellow
April:  Garden Pastels
May:  Fav Colors in the Old West

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Summer Fling at Fussy and Fancy

Well, today is a special day since I get to join in as a Guest Designer at Fussy and Fancy and the theme is Summer Fling!

The moment I saw the theme, I was instantly reminded of these two images (Winnie at the Window and Rocco at the Window) from the Polkadoodles Special Moments Collection.  They remind me of the scene from Grease when the two are singing and sighing about their summer adventures!  Also, brings to mind summer romances that used to take place at camp!  ; )

I combined the digis with papers from the Winnie Starfish and Sandcastles Collection.  I stenciled over the bricks for the building and added some ink and flowers from Cricut Paper Doll Dress Up. I finished the colorful Summer journal page with a title from CTMH Artbooking and a few Bo Bunny gems! 

Many, many thanks to the crafters at Fussy and Fancy for inviting me to share my Summer Fling Journal Page with you today!  I had so much fun creating this and it's such a joy to be there.  

My journal page is off to evoke some summer memories at the following challenges:  

The Outlawz Paper A La Mode:  Create a Scene
Moo-Mania:  Use Die cuts (flowers, background)
TTCRD:  AG


Thanks for dropping by today.  It's always great to have company!  Please feel free to peruse other pages/posts, visit my Pinterest,  or view some videos at my YouTube Channel.

Old Film Stars!

The new theme over at 

 Cut It Up for this challenge is Sketches! 

I'll be the first to admit, I have a Pinterest Folder dedicated to sketches and it seems I never refer to it.  So, this challenge was great for me to go and find a sketch that would lend itself to this wonderful image from Day for Daisies.  

I was instantly enamored with this digi: Silent Film A.  It seems I have recently been attracted to the philosophical quotes of Charlie Chaplin.  (If you have a fascination with him and old film stars, keep an eye on my blog; I have another Chaplin project coming up in a few days!)


My sketch is from Split Coast Stampers and I found it on Pinterest.  I will admit, I re-made the sketch in Design Space since I couldn't get it to clearly reduplicate for this post.  Click HERE to see the original.

Dies:  

Film Reel Dies from CTMH Artbooking

Star Die from Basic Shape in Design Space

When you visit the Cut It Up blog, have fun viewing the DT projects and check out the rules and prize info.  Then be sure to share your project with us ~ don't forget the die cut to have a chance to win a prize from our amazing sponsors. 

This guy is shuffling off to the following challenges: 
Crafting by Designs:  For the Boys
Dream Valley:  For a Man or Boy
Simon Says Stamp:  Masculine
The Outlawz Greeting:  AG with a greeting

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.