Dude Time Doodles December Inspirational Challenge

This week is the Dude Time Doodles December Inspirational Challenge, and we want to see projects featuring, in some way, your Favorite Christmas Movie.

Our Design Team did a super job showcasing how to incorporate Bonibleaux Designs/Dude Time Doodles into this theme, and we can't wait to see what you come up with.

My favorite Christmas movie, no contest, is the original, animated The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. I used a quote from the end of the poem by Dr. Suess [ref.]: "Maybe Christmas ... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas - perhaps - means a little bit more!" And paired it with a funny sentiment on the inside: "Hope that's true, because all you're gettin' is this card!"

On the front, the frame is a digi stamp from Create with TLC, and the rest are from Bonibleaux Designs/Dude Time Doodles. I printed them onto Shrinky Dink plastic, shrunk them in my toaster oven, and then colored the tree & presents with gel pens. You can't see it in the photo, but I stamped a flourish in clear embossing powder on the sentiment piece, after I printed it. The image on the inside is by Marlooney, available from Bonibleaux Designs/Dude Time Doodles. I love that little guy!

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
Hooked on Crafts Challenge #14: Christmas
The Crazy Challenge #98: Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #51: Anything Goes
Speedy the Cat's Friends Challenge Week 86: Make a Christmas Card

Stamps: O Christmas Tree, Santa's Balls & Presents! from Bonibleaux Designs/Dude Time Doodles, Frame digi stamp by Create with TLC, Fiskars sentiment stamp

Paper: Studio G, Hammermill, Recollections, Shrinky Dink plastic
Tools: Fiskars papercutter & finger knife, Marvy heat tool, acrylic block, HP printer & ink, Adobe InDesign, Martha Stewart scissors, ZipDry glue, toaster oven
Supplies: Sakura & Elmer's gel pens, Copic markers

Dude Time Doodles Dec 14 / Marlooney image

This week at Dude Time Doodles we're showcasing a fun image by Marlooney to get you ready to Valentine's Day! This is called "Cheap Valentine", doesn't her expression say it all?!

Not being prepared to depart 2011 quite yet, I made a Christmas Gift Card Holder:

And the inside:

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges, which you might be interested in as well:
PaperCrafting Journey: Christmas Creations
Samuel Taylor's December Challenge: Anything Goes

Pop-up Gift Card Holder Tutorial at Paper Garden Projects

Stamps: Cheap Valentine & Santa's Balls by Marlooney for Bonibleaux Designs/Dude Time Doodles, Clouds digi stamp from Shelly's Images (thank you!), sentiment generated with Banjoman font

Paper: Hammermill, Graphic 45, stash DP, white linen cardstock from Paper and More
Tools: Fiskars papercutter, Martha Stewart detail scissors, ZipDry glue, ZIG glue pen, HP printer & ink, Adobe InDesign
Supplies: Recollections flocking, stash pearl necklace, Elmer's & Sakura gel pens, Copic markers

Fetch-a-Sketch Challenge #13 sponsored by Dude Time Doodles

Dude Time Doodles is sponsoring this week's Fetch-a-Sketch challenge, so you know there's going to be some great inspiration from both Design Teams! I had lots of fun making this card, using the sketch & Santi Beaches.

It's a bit difficult to see, but the base of this card is acetate (clear plastic).

Hope you'll join along at Fetch-a-Sketch, and maybe even pull out your Bonibleaux Designs/Dude Time Doodles images!

Stamps: Santi Beaches & Presents! by Bonibleaux Designs/Dude Time Doodles, sentiment from Studio G, pine tree stamp by Tim Holtz, FIskars frame stamp

Paper: Hammermill, Recollections, acetate, stash DP
Tools: Fiskars papercutter, Tim Holtz paper distresser, needle, Marvy heat tool, Martha Stewart detail scissors, ZipDry glue, ZIG glue pen, Singer sewing machine, acrylic block, ProvoCraft corner punch
Supplies: Recollections embossing powder & flocking, thread, Versamark & Memento inks, tulle

Dude Time Doodles Challenge reminder and freebie

I haven't participated in the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge for quite a while, and found the perfect reason when I saw "Kris Jingle" being offered for FREE on the Dude Time Doodles blog! It's only available for a limited time, and I'm looking forward to seeing people use it for our current challenge DTD Challenge, "Show Us Your December Holiday Spirit". And while you're at it, why not Bling It On for the December Pile It On challenge‽

Update: This won the random prize for Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge 133/134! Thanks Priscilla, you rock!

Peace on Earth with Fall-to Layouts and ColourQ

I've been on a stamping/embossing kick, so I decided to try my hand at the ColourQ Combo #114 (Poppy Parade, Certainly Celery, Cool Caribbean, Kraft + white) and Clean&Simple Fall-to Layout #168. Oh my goodness, be sure to check out the DT and contestant projects for both challenges...simply amazing. I was truly inspired.

The blue & white pieces are stamped & heat-embossed with snowflakes in Kaleidoscope (clear, glittery embossing powder). I used some small snowflake stamps to  heat-emboss the border on the red circle. The "shadow" is the same kind of paper, but embossed all over in Kaleidoscope. I added a little hand-drawn border on the kraft piece with a glitter gel pen.

Stamps: Raisin Boat, Martha Stewart, K&Co.

Up on the Housetop

I actually find myself in the odd position of being kinda caught-up with my holiday cards...but I can always make more! I couldn't resist using a couple of the super holiday freebies from Tellen's Place Designs...and it was the perfect opportunity to finally use the reindeer-themed stamp set from Studio G (I think) that I've had in my Christmas stash for years. Gotta love those little hooves! For the layout, I turned to Mojo Monday Sketch #218. Thanks everyone!

This card is all about texture (you know how I love texture!): The base is a shiny, textured Core'dinations cardstock; the bright white piece is Hammermill cardstock heat-embossed with snowflakes in Kaleidoscope (glittery, clear embossing powder); the oval is plain Recollections paper with the sentiment stamped with chalk ink & heat-embossed in Kaleidoscope; the strip uses the same Recollections paper but the hooves are heat-embossed in copper. I colorized the image in brown & printed it on white linen cardstock. Santa's beard is covered in white flocking (as is Ally's outfit on the inside, see below), the white on his hat & coat are heat-embossed with clear powder, and the snow on the chimney is heat-embossed in Kaleidoscope (I love that stuff!). I "paper-pierced" the edges with my sewing machine.

Can't believe Christmas is right around the corner! I'm certainly feeling the spirit :)

Feeling peaceful with Glitterbabe

This week's Dudetime Doodles December Holiday Spirit Challenge is being sponsored by Glitterbabe's Digis, so as a way to advertise both I made this simple card featuring GlitterBabe's Dove digi stamp (thank you!). I've included instructions & tips on how to heat-emboss digi stamps, just scroll down. I was also inspired by the first of the 2012 Christmas Card Challenges (oh my!): One Layer Christmas Card.

I made a border the circle around the digi stamp, and heat-embossed it. Then I stamped & heat-embossed Peace in the middle. It's nearly impossible to see in this photo, but I painted the dove's body with Granite Tattered Angels glimmer mist. I added - • - • - borders on the front with a Sharpie white paint pen and on the inside with an Elmer's glitter gel pen.

There are plenty of great tutorials out there on how to heat-emboss digi stamps (e.g., Digital Delights, Mel Stampz), but here's how I do it:

1. I finally broke down & bought an "embossing-buddy", a little cotton bag filled with cornstarch that you rub over your paper before heat-embossing so that excess powder doesn't stick. Oh my goodness it was worth every penny! If you have one, rub it over the paper before printing.
2. I use coated cardstock from Recollections' Metallics line (available at Michael's). Using photo paper also works, but you have to worry about the coating bubbling up. If you use photo paper, you want to print it at "high quality", but I find that with the Recollections paper it works best to print it at normal quality, but run it through the printer twice (quick, like a bunny!)
3. Immediately pour on the embossing powder; I like to give it a moment to stick, then I knock off the excess & heat it up. Easy-peasy!

Dude Time Doodles First Wednesday Challenge: Holiday Spirit!

Dude Time Doodles is kicking off December with a theme challenge: December Holidays, or, more specifically, we want you to Show Us Your Holiday Spirit!

Our sponsor this week is Glitterbabe, and the lucky winner will receive 2 free images from her store...*3* if the winning participant uses a Glitterbabe image. Can't see what you will create.

I become such a kid again during the holidays, which means I'm also prone to a certain amount of mischief-making. So here's my take on showing a little Christmas Spirit:

The framed pictures are Santi Beaches, Duck Snowball Warrior by Dude Time Doodles, which I printed onto Shrinky Dink plastic, colored, and shrunk in my toaster oven. I made the Christmasy scene with O Christmas Tree & Down the Stairs, and generated "Santa's Work Shop" for the little door.

Both Mooning Elf & the Christmas Cheek sentiment (below) are by Marlooney & are sold at the Bonibleaux Designs store.

Challenges:
Dude Time Doodles: Show us your Holiday Spirit for December

Come & Get It Challenges: Anything Christmas
Here Come the Boys Challenge #16: For the Man/Men in your Life
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle: Holiday Card

Bonibleaux Designs digi stamps:

O Christmas Tree, Down the Stairs, Santi Beaches, Duck Snowball Warrior by Dude Time Doodles

Mooning Elf, Christmas Cheek sentiment by Marlooney

Paper: K&Co., Hammermill, Recollections, Shrinky Dink plastic
Tools: Fiskars papercutter & finger knife, toaster oven, acrylic block, HP printer & ink, Adobe InDesign, Martha Stewart scissors, ZipDry glue
Supplies: Sakura & Elmer's gel pens, Copic markers

Pile It On for December: Bling with Designed2Delight

The current Pile It On Challenge is going to last all December, so you have plenty of time to play along! The sponsor is Designed2Delight and our theme is Bling.

One of the Pile It On DT members is sitting out this session (life happens!) so I rushed in to pinch-craft. Designed2Delight very generously let us choose our images from their great store, and let me tell you I'm gonna have to buy this one! Aren't these Whimsical Cardinals so expressive‽ If you click on the image, you can view it larger to see all the details.

I knew I wanted to paper-piece the image, but I ended up using fabric from a pack of Heidi Grace swatches. I printed the background pieces, cardinals, and their scarves onto the fabric, which I ran through my inkjet printer by taping it securely onto a piece of cardstock. Making sure the top is well-secured is key. This method works well for printing on tissue paper, too.

I was especially pleased to find that the images were offered together as well as separately; that's not usually the case with stamps (even digital ones), and it makes this a super deal! Having the images separately as well made it easier to print & piece. Fussy-cutting the fabric wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done, but I'm happy with the result.

I added some fringe to pre-beaded stick pins that Mom sent me recently. Man, those are some serious pins! My childhood best friend had a beautiful collection of vintage hat pins, and I remember thinking they were more formidable than a collection of pocket knives! They were really fun to use.

I stamped & heat-embossed the sentiment in red onto a ready-made tag. It says "happy holidays from our house to yours," but since the photo above actually includes my neighbor's house, here's one facing our actual house:

Challenges:

Pile It On Challenge #49: Bling

Going Grey with Scrap-Creations Challenge: Christmas

Jingle Belles: Holiday Card Link-up Party

Raise the Bar Challenge #86 + DT Call(!): Christmas

Bling it On December Challenge: Christmas

Scrappin' Chics December Challenge: December Holidays / Anything Goes

Forever Friends December Challenge: Christmas + use an Animal

Stamps: Whimsical Cardinals digi stamp by Designed2Delight, sentiment from Studio G (I think)

Tools: Fiskars papercutter, needle, awl, Marvy heat tool, acrylic block, HP printer & ink, Adobe InsDesign, Tim Holtz scissors, ZipDry glue, Crop-O-Dile II
Supplies: Heidi Grace fabric swatches, Recollections embossing powder & adhesive gemstones, metallic cord from stash (well, pulled off of ready-made Christmas tags), Versamark ink, tulle, Sakura & Elmer's gel pens, decorative pins from stash (thanks Mom!), Tattered Angels glimmer mist

a Real Red fingered dawn

I loved making Christmas projects last year with SP & Company's Ornamental Trees set, and when I saw SP Color Combo #128 (Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Lucky Limeade), I just had to pull out the set. I made a scene using these lovely triangles, and was inspired by Homer's epithet in The Iliad: rosy fingered dawn [ref.]. Although in this case it's a Real Red fingered dawn!

I matched my idea with the Card Positioning Systems Sketch #246 to make this Shabby Chic-ish card:

I used masking and emboss-resist to create the top panel.

Inspiration:

SP Color Combo #128: Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Lucky Limeade

Card Positioning Systems #246: Sketch by Tami Mayberry

Stamps: Ornamental Trees by SP & Company, sentiment from Tim Holtz

Tools: Fiskars papercutter, Tim Holtz paper distresser, needle, Marvy heat tool, Martha Stewart detail scissors, ZipDry glue, Singer sewing machine, acrylic block
Supplies: natural paper & cardstock from stash, Recollections embossing powder & pop-dots, thread, Versamark, Inkadinkado & Memento inks, Paper Pretties ribbon


Update: Whoo-hoo, this card won SP Color Combo #128!

Cooking It Up with Katie Challenge, sponsored by Dude Time Doodles

Dude Time Doodles is sponsoring the current, Anything Goes challenge at Cooking It Up with Katie Challenge (Nov. 30 - Jan. 5), and I just had to make a card for the occasion using Hanukkah Harry!

I made a flap card. Here it is closed:

Isn't he just something else?! I paper pieced him using, in part, Core'dinations cardstocks. Love this stuff...his coat is from their Whitewash collections, white to blue. I machine-embossed & sanded it to reveal this lovely pattern. His at & pants are Core'dinations too, black-to-brown from their Black Magic collection. I printed the image, flipped, onto the light side of the paper and then sorta scraped the detail lines onto the black side. Worked great, very easy!
The card opens:

The sentiments & image on the inside are all from Dude Time Doodles too. I made a piercing template for the little hand-sewn Stars of David, and although they were a bit time-consuming, they were totally worth it. So cute!

For the back, I used two Hanukkah stamps from a Stampin' Up! set. It's difficult to see in this photo, but the Star of David is stamped & clear heat-embossed on both the back of the card (light blue) and the back of the message card.

Don't forget to visit Cooking It Up with Katie to see all the lovely creations. I heard a "rumor" that NanaConnie is going to be featuring Dude Time Doodles cards all through December, so be sure to check out her blog too!

Stamps: Hanukkah Harry, Menorah and Hanukkah Sentiments from Dude Time Doodles, Jewish Holidays stamp set from Stampin' Up!
Tools: Fiskars papercutter & deckle scissors, HP printer & ink, sandpaper, Sizzix Texture Boutique & embossing plate, awl, needle, Marvy heat tool & punch, Martha Stewart detail scissors, Provocraft corner punch
Paper: Core'dinations Whitewash, Hammermill, Recollections, Mark's Finest
Embellishments: Copic markers, Recollections embossing powder & adhesive gemstones, variegated floss, Versamark & Memento inks, Copic markers for edging, Sakura gel pens

Dude Time Doodles New Release Blog Hop

Welcome to your first stop on this month's Dude Time Doodles New Release Blog Hop! There're 5 new super-fun images out today: Abner Abominable, Fanny SkiBum, Gabe Gretna, Harold HoHoZzzz, and Welder Wenceslas.

I'm so excited to get to join them this month as the November Guest Designer. In fact, just as I was finishing up this very card, they asked me to come onto the team! Wow! Of course I accepted, and now I kinda feel like I made this card for myself! Thanks everyone, it's like a party everyday!

Here's the hop order:

CG

Linda (Next stop)

Anne

Michelle

Dawn

Ruth

Cleota

Kevin

Tammy

Ginny

Dude Time Doodles

One of the Dudettes - or Dude - will be named our MYSTERY HOSTESS at the end of the hop and one lucky person who comments on that blog will win a free Dude Time Doodles image of their choice.

Here's my card, using Gabe Gretna:

Thanks for stopping by, and stay crafty!

Sugar and Spice challenge at Pile It On, sponsored by Whoopsi Daisy

[This post was supposed to go up on Sunday, but Blogger ate my homework. And, much like the child whose puppy ate her homework two days before it was actually due, I had ample time to rewrite it but I was visiting the in-laws and, well, playing dolls with our 4-year-old niece trumped my remembering my blogging duties! Oh well, better late than never:]

The Pile It On challenge this week is sponsored by Whoopsi Daisy Designs, and in the spirit of their sweet & girly digi stamps, the theme is Sugar & Spice (Girly, baking, color, etc.). As always, the PIO Design Team made awesome projects, so you'll have plenty of inspiration! Hope you'll join us.

Here's my take, using this adorable digi stamp from Whoopsi Daisy Designs:

This is a Side Spring card, and I adore that it really only takes one sheet of paper. I first saw this type of card at Grannyscards, and it was easy to follow the Splitcoast Stampers tutorial that she linked to.

Here it is "open":

And the back message section:

Inspiration:
[I missed the deadlines on the last 2 challenges this card was inspired by!]

Pile It On #48: Sugar & Spice (Girly, baking, color, etc.)

MyGrafico Challenge 115: Dinner/Cleaning

Stamps + Fun = Creativity Challenge #74: Stitching
Top Tip Tuesday Challenge #61: More than 1 fold

Simply Merry

Here's a quick Christmas card I whipped out the other night.

Inspiration:

Fetch-a-Sketch Challenge #11

Samuel Taylor's November Challenge: Christmas Card

Crazy 4 Challenges C4C114: Black + White + WOW

Sentimental Sundays Challenge, sponsored by Dude Time Doodles

I'm really enjoying my time as Guest Designer at Dude Time Doodles (DTD), and I couldn't resist making something for this week's Sentimental Sundays Challenge, which DTD is sponsoring.

The challenge theme is Masculine Gift Tags (plus a sentiment), so I made a tag using the Let's Hear it for the Boys! set from Sentimental Sundays (provided for this challenge; Thank you!) as well as Tim Tightend from Bonibleaux Designs/Dude Time Doodles.

So fun! I used a basketball-embossed paper I bought some time ago for a project, and ran the yellow pieces through my embossing machine more adding the colored pieces. The "be merry" sentiment is a polymer stamp (Studio G I think?); isn't it just right with that DTD image?!

Hope you'll join the fun and make a tag for this challenge.

Postcard Swap at City Crafter - My loot!

I had so much fun making my postcard for the Thanksgiving Postcard Challenge / Swap at City Crafter, and was truly inspired by all the entries. We have until Nov. 22 to send out our postcard & some Thanksgiving goodies to our swap partner, and I just sent mine out yesterday. However, my swap partner, Linda from My Happy Place, was really on the ball and I received my goodies from her on Friday! Whoop! Thank you so much Linda, it brightened my whole weekend.

Before we get to the goodies, here's the way this beautiful package arrived at my doorstep:

Wowza! It's decorated on the front too. Just think of all the smiles this gave along the way!

And here's what was inside:

Linda's postcard is so lovely and cheerful...The stitching is so exact and perfect, I can't believe it. You can read more about the postcard in her original post.

And now for the goodies:

I cannot wait to use all of this! That rose ribbon is so fantastic that I might just hang it up in the house to admire!

Many thanks to Linda and the whole team at City Crafter. Looking forward to more challenges and swaps!

Update: Linda enjoyed the package I sent her as well! Be sure to check out all the final swaps on the City Crafter Party blog.

Dude Time Doodles November Inspirational Challenge

This week's Dude Time Doodles challenge is an inspiration challenge: Make a card inspired by the image on the right. You can interpret it any way you'd like: Thanksgiving, color theme, leaves, gratitude, turkeys, whatever! Here's the official scoop:

1. Use the photo / color inspiration and the Dude and Dudette creations to get your mojo moving.

2. You are not required to use BDD images. Although it would make us really really happy and giggle a lot if you did!

3. You can use humor, innuendo, be a little naughty, sarcastic. As long as your project is masculine.

4. Be sure to use the InLinkz in the Dude Time Doodles post to submit your creation.

This month, we have an awesome new sponsor.

Graphicat Designs is a Brand New website full of some of your favorite things. Not only do we carry our own unique blend of sarcasm based sentiments and fun images, but we are the Canadian retailer for some fabulous other stamp companies such as Tickled Pink, Simply Betty and Whimsy Stamps. Graphicat Stamps come in digi format, High Quality Clear Photopolymer and Unmounted Red rubber for all your stamping pleasures! Graphicat also offers many other great paper crafting items from custom, hand made embellishments to BoBunny paper pads. *And* we offer FREE SHIPPING! So pop on over and check us out, sign up for our newsletter and look around.

Graphicat Designs is Proud to sponsor Dude Time Doodles, a fellow stamp company with images that match our sarcastic ways at Graphicat!

The winner will receive a Sushi Stamp Set from Graphicat Designs, pictured here:

Isn't that such an awesome prize?! Hop over to Dude Time Doodles and check out the gorgeous cards by the Design Team; then take that inspiration and join the challenge!

I decided to make a Thanksgiving card with Bountiful Blessings. I knew I wanted to layer the image, but couldn't decide on the card design. So I asked my Creative Consultant (my fab husband) for some direction, and he suggested "dimension & texture". So I made a simple framed card, using a template I made for a FlowerSoft/Dimensional card back in August.


I separated the image into 4 layers, with texture on each. There's FlowerSoft on the feather, Glossy Accents on the eyes, apple, and ham (I love that I can honestly say that I glazed the ham!), glitter glue on the stein & buckle, flocking on the pumpkin & squash, and I machine-embossed the football. Each layer is popped up with foam pop-dots.

I only have two Thanksgiving sentiment stamps: one in English and one in Spanish. I chose the latter, from from Dilo En Español Stamps, and stamped it with StazOn onto a pretty, preprinted acetate sheet Mom sent me. I backed the acetate with vellum, and popped the whole thing with foam tape.


The inside was built with the scraps from cutting the front frames, and I enlarged some of the main image for embellishments.

Even though this is a GDT card, I'm entering into the Texture Challenge at Lily Pad Cards. Be sure to check out all the wonderful DT cards for this challenge at Dude Time Doodles, and I can't wait to see what you create!

Stamps: Bountiful Blessings from Dude Time Doodles, Que Siga La Fiesta set from Dilo En Español Stamps

Tools: Fiskars papercutter, Cricut, SCAL, HP printer & ink, Sizzix Texture Boutique & embossing plate, Martha Stewart detail scissors & border punch, ZipDry glue, ZIG glue pen

Paper: Recollections, Hammermill

Embellishments: Copic markers, Pretty Petites ribbon, FlowerSoft, Stampendous flocking, Recollections pop dots & foam tape strips, Glossy Accents

Dude Time Doodles November FREEBIE Challenge

It's time for another Freebie Challenge at Dude Time Doodles, and I'm super excited to get to play along with the Design Team again as a guest designer! Hope you'll join us; and if you win, you could become the Guest Designer for December! This is a super-fun team, and the images are so great to work with.

This month's freebie is Duck Snowball Warrior. Doesn't he look like he just hit by a snowball & is saying, "Oh yeah?!," about to fire off in snowy retaliation! My husband & I always enjoy a good snowball fight, but it can get pretty serious!

I decided to stick with a snowy color scheme, so I added detail to the digi with gel pens. I generated the sentiment with Harrington, and traced it with a glitter pen as well. The snowman is printed on a shiny white paper and paper-pieced onto the white background. I added "snow" with FlowerSoft & flocking. I made the frame in SCAL & cut it on my Cricut, so that I had a frame with little circles I could make into snowballs! I filled each indent with Glossy Accents and covered it with Polar White FlowerSoft. I cut a backing frame mat from scrap cardboard, and edged it with a gold pen. After putting it all together, I added some glittery Stickles along the inside frame, and on the edges of the tulle.

For the inside, I cut some white circles to make a snowball-pyramid. I edged them with a Smirk glitter pen. I glued a shiny white mat onto the flat white card base, and embossed it together with a Polka Dots (I did the same for the front frame).

There are so many possibilities with this digi, so be sure to enter the challenge and make yourself a fun Winter card!

Supplies:
Stamps: Duck Snowball Warrior from Dude Time Doodles, front sentiment generated with Harrington font
Tools: Fiskars papercutter, Cricut, SCAL, HP printer & ink, Sizzix Texture Boutique, Cuttlebug embossing plate, Martha Stewart detail scissors, ZipDry glue, ZIG glue pen, Glossy Accents
Paper: Recollections, Hammermill
Embellishments: Smirk, Elmer's & Sakura gel pens, Flowersoft, Recollections flocking, Krylon gold leafing pen, cardboard from stash, tulle