Oodles of Doodles News! Witch Heel Candy Favors, Safmat, Wobbly Eyes, Felt Kits, Sandals UpCycled, Birdcages, Ocean Album, Hot Air Balloons, Fran-tage, Cardinal, Background Header, DZ Doodles Freebies!

Hello Fellow Doodlers!

AUGUST FIRST IS GIRLFRIEND'S DAY. H-U-R-R-Y ... GET YOUR CARDS MADE UP!

Television ads are bombarding  the U.S. airwaves of "back-to-school" supply specials and savings, and it's got me thinking about Fall projects. I love the decor of not only Autumn colors but Halloween's silly designs and every one's excitement for that one night of candy goblins going door-to-door! In need of some Halloween decorating ideas or Fall themed decor? Here's some great projects to get a jump on!

Make some of these Witch Heel Candy Favors, from I Love to Create, for your Halloween party! They are sure to be a hit for children and adults alike. Use card stock to craft a witches high heel shoe. Pattern, Materials List and Instructions included. Spooky Glow in the Dark Sign too!

Are you in the mood to do some fall sewing? Clubs and Co. has some awesome patterns to get you started -- from witch shoes to vulture ornies!

Stampendous Trick or Treat Fragments! Fragments of color in Halloween hues to help you create all sorts of new projects. Adhere to your surface with any adhesive, or sprinkle them over embossing enamels and melt together to create dynamic effects.

Using the shoe pattern PDF download (available below), these are an assortment of designs that I found that will give you a variety of creative ideas!

Cindy at Skip To My Lou, Paper Witch Shoes, is from a pattern design by Ellen Hutson. To make your own paper shoes get the downloadable PDF Templates for the shoe and lining click on Paper Witches Shoes (above), included are some basic construction!

WORKING WITH SAFMAT MAKING WALL DECALS -Have you seen all of the fancy wall decals that you can buy? Well there is a fun way to make your own. So firstly, what is this stuff SAFMAT? Well it just happens to be one of the most clever inventions Jak Heath has come across. It is a transparent film that you can print on from your home printer, not like an acetate it’s more like a transfer that you can get crafty with and add your own design to. You can even print photographs on to it.

NIGHTIME EYES - Bird's site shares a card using different sized wobbly eyes against a dark background and midnight blue sky. Hers is created for a brother who walks his dog in the evening, but for some of us, it may remind us of evening camping trips by the fireside. Your imagination runs riot thinking of what creatures could be hiding behind those eyes! What a Halloween suggestion!

But this shoe is my all time fave Witch Shoe design
that I hope to get made before Halloween this year!
I wasn't able to find the original designer of them and the pattern,
so please if you know who it is, notify me so that I can give them the acknowledgement!
Click on shoe outline pattern and save to your digi folder!

  

All Things Crafty is really ambitious when it comes to creating her wtches shoes -- using recycled materials and some paper mache!

"OMG!" I just received my Bucilla Seasonal Felt Home Decor Kits and I'm excited about getting started with putting them together to add to my Christmas decor! There's a lot of bits and pieces to work with so I'm glad I have the 'time' to concentrate on it without worrying about the holiday rush! There's more to select from, but these were my fave's for this year's decor addition!

One pair of chunky strappy sandals, an assortment of Tulip Soft Fabric Paints and some extreme embellishment glue to attach your this 'n that's creates an outstanding refashioned (or upcycled) pair of sandal footwear! Too cute for those sandals you can't bear-to-let-go-of!

   

Here's another bird cage idea that I just had to share with you - what is it with me and bird cages lately? Kianel, at Creative Inspirations (from France), made this lovely CI Painted shimmery mini bird cage; made out of a Cheery Lynn Designs die cut.
And as I was researching other birdcage projects, I came across this free download by Clip Art Etc. a Vintage Girl with Birdcage that might interest you as well. Of course, once you click on Clip Art Etc. (above) you'll enjoy a plethora of other free vintage images to download. I went nuts!










OCEAN ALBUM by Joe Rotella at Want 2 Scrap is a creative mix of undersea life. This 5 page album also includes binder rings.

"Oh how darling!" Joy Chilean of, How Joyful, shares her PDF Pattern File Template with 3 hot air balloon sizes (for the nursery) and basic assembly directions so that everyone that loves hot air balloons can create their own designs ... babies crib or not, these would be darling hanging anywhere!

Week of Webisodes, by Paper Wishes, introduces FRAN-TAGE! With Fran-tage Money Saver special, and Fran-tage Super Saver Charming Collage cling-mount rubber stamps!

DISCOVER THE DESIGNER IN YOU!

Dove Art Studios, Stampendous Sneak Peek - Day 5 Cling Jumbo Cardinal will have you creating gorgeous holiday cards too, like this one! Sneak Peek-Day 4 - Sneak Peek-Day 3 - Sneak Peek-Day 2 - Sneak Peek-Day 1.

... has a daily plethora of full size image downloads that you'll hope to someday incorporate into some of your projects! There's so much 'variety' that there's a little something for everyone!

Simple Custom Background Header

    

Digi Haven is a Challenge Blog for those who love Free Digital Images (also known as "freebies") and is dedicated to thanking all the Wonderful Artists out there who Generously Share their Talents with you! And to help you compete, I'll be listing "freebies" that you'll enjoy using to acquire your "Winners Button" to proudly display on your site! Credit me, please, if you post online - and drop me a link ... thanks!

Stay IN TOUCH ... and enjoy the last few weeks of summer!

Diane 

Be nice! Want to copy? Sure, go ahead! My artwork is for sharing, and you may copy for personal use, as well as posting on your blog. If you post it somewhere, let me know, I love to see what happening. All that I ask is that you add a link back to my blog - I'd appreciate it. If you would use one of my freebie digis on your blog, please do so as a project that links back to the free digi image on Oodles of Doodles News blog (do not include the digi image on your blog to acquire). Any questions please kindly contact me first for permission. Don't worry, I'm really nice about things and usually say yes! What's NOT OKAY. Don't copy my artwork, designs, projects or tutorials for publication submissions, contests or to sell. Let's all play nice, okay?

Oodles of Doodles News: Freebie, Fussy-Cut Edge, Embossing Powders, Basics of Digis, Transfer Methods, Globe Sliceform, Stamp Camp #1 Video, Picnic Basket, Mixed Media Collage Techniques!

Hello Fellow Doodlers!

Oodles of Doodles News wants you to know one thing: I get you. I know you like to mix your fiber art with paint, or doodle and collage in journals, or collect found objects you know you’ll find a use for “someday.” Your art can’t always be defined. It’s out of the box and outside the lines. Other people may not get it, but I do -- and my hope is that these oodles of newsy articles will enhance and inspire what you do! Has your style evolved since you began stamping, papercrafting, gone artsy? Do you have a signature color, motif, or technique? Leave a comment below!

Embossing powders are a gateway into mixed-media art. Any substance that seems to magically change, and watching the powder-coated stamped imprint turn into a shiny raised image after heating will just wow you. About the time I began DZ Doodles Digital Stamps, Tim Holtz' line of Distress products was taking off. I loved the vintage, grungy look you could achieve with his supplies, and I stocked up on the faded ink colors and rusty-crusty embossing powders with names like Faded Jeans and Worn Lipstick.
It's easy to learn how to emboss. All you need is cardstock, pigment ink, embossing powder, a stamp, and embossing tool or heat gun.
1. Ink up your stamp with the pigment ink. You can use clear ink specially made for embossing, but you can also use colored ink.
2. Stamp your cardstock or tag.
3. Open the jar of embossing powder and tap the crystals out onto the inked image. Tap off the excess powder onto another piece of paper or a manila folder.
4. With your heat gun about 6" away from the image, turn it on and slowly move the heat gun around, watching the embossing powder melt. This should take just a few seconds. If you're using enamel embossing powder, it will turn shiny. That's all there is to it.

Here are some tips and safety precautions to be aware of when using embossing powders:
Technique tips:

• Be sure to use pigment ink. They stay wet longer than dye inks enabling the powder to stick to them.
• Choose your embossed finish to suit your project. Embossing powders come in enamel (shiny), matte, and other finishes. For example, Tim Holtz' Distress^TM embossing powders don't melt as much as regular powders. Instead they result in a granular patina that appears rusty and aged, depending on the color you choose.
• Work over a piece of unfolded cardstock (an old manila file folder is perfect for this). After tapping excess powder on the cardstock, bring the two sides of the unfolded paper into a V and pour the extra powder back into the jar. If you are working with more than one color of powder at a time, have a folder for each one.
• After covering the inked image with the embossing powder, turn the paper over and tap on the back. This will help the excess powder to drop off the paper rather than stick to it if you just tip the paper to the side.
• To remove flecks of embossing powder that have gone astray (before using the heat), use a soft, small paintbrush.

Safety precautions:

• Before opening the jar of powder, don a disposable surgical mask so you don't inhale the granules.
• Work in a well-ventilated area, preferably while wearing a respirator, during the heat gun phase of the project as the heated embossing powders will emit fumes.
• That heat gun? It gets hot. Direct it away from you and not too close to your artwork. Make sure you have a safe, sturdy spot to set it down when not actively using it (like a fire-proof table or an upturned terra cotta flower pot), and turn it off between blasts. Always unplug it before leaving the room, even for a few moments.

Canopy Crafts, by Nance Lempinen-Leddy, made her own edgelit ... fussy-cut the edge. An awesome idea! She began by stamping a border of images along the cards front opening edge, in a color combo. Then trimmed the card edge, following the stamped images outer edge shapes to create a super cool effect. Now I know what to do with all those floral stamps that I love to collect, but just haven't found very many excuses to use them as much as I'd like to! :0)

Deedee's Tuesday Tutorial - DIGIS 101: Instead of sharing a project, Clearly I Stamp is sharing a great tutorial explaining the basics of digis and by the end of the tutorial you should have a strong grasp on what digis are, and be able to get started using them. Included is a zip utility program download if you haven't one, and 60 day trial offer for Microsoft Office 2010 to download which includes Word as well -  so that you can follow the resizing and printing tutorial using Microsoft Office! 


Twelve EASY IMAGE TRANSFER METHODS consolidated in one place so you'll easily find the method that you want to use for your particular project. You will find 12 different ways to transfer onto pretty much any type of material; some are The Graphic Fairy DIY Projects Tutorials, some are from readers and a couple were found online.

The GLOBE SLICEFORM Tutorial at Extreme Card and Papercrafts is a unique design idea that would work well for Christmas ornaments ... one thing that I thought of when I first saw this. Get your Globe Sliceform download template as a PDF, or SVG1 and SVG2 and cut out pieces!

Paper Wishes Webisode's introduces Teresa's Stamp Camp #1 DVD - 20 Chapters with 130 unique cards! Includes several marbling techniques using Pergammo Paper and card stock, water and blending solution: Smooch Inks, chalk sets, and Spectrum Noir Pens. Also, Stamped image stamp dimensional layers and lots more!

What a cute summertime project to gift-give cookies or candies -- Inky Antics "Life's a Picnic" Basket. And Inky Antics Easter project "Bunnies in a Basket" too!

Learn How to Make a Collage: 4 Free Mixed Media Collage Techniques

What can a collage contain? Well, just about anything. One of the most unique aspects of mixed media collage art is that the creative possibilities are endless! From paper and paint, to fabric, stitching, and found objects, you can create a collage with just about anything you can think of. But making a collage isn't just about the end product, it's about what you learn along the way. The process of finding your materials, figuring out where to put each element, and exploring new ways of creating collage designs, is in itself an exercise in art. Some of the techniques you unearth may also help inform other areas of your art, strengthening your abilities through the process of creative discovery.

In this free eBook you will get tips from four experts on a variety of collage techniques for creating mixed media collages using fabric, paint, stitch, found objects, handmade paper, and more. Each artist reveals how careful planning and spontaneity combine to inspire you to create collages that are truly unique works of art. Take your collage art to new creative heights with the tools and collage techniques in this FREE eBook!

Get Four Articles Full of Incredible Mixed Media Collage Techniques and enter the world of collage/mixed media art! Download your FREE eBook to get started today! Collage-in-Color-PC-eMag.

DIGI HAVEN is a Challenge Blog for those who love Free Digital Images (also known as "freebies") and is dedicated to thanking all the Wonderful Artists out there who Generously Share their Talents with you! And to help you compete, I'll be listing "freebies" that you'll enjoy using to acquire your "Winners Button" to proudly display on your site! Credit me, please, if you post online - and drop me a link ... thanks!

Stay IN Touch ... and stay cool!