Incredible Year!

This has been an incredible year for me personally as well as professionally, since DZ Doodles Digital Stamps was introduced in August. And admit that I haven't been able to give my blog the attention it deserves other than list new images or projects - you all offer such wonderful suggestions!

I have lots of goals for the coming year and hope to be able to reconnect with people online. I will be embarking on some new projects and How-To video's that you will hear about on this site. I really appreciate those of you that have read my posts for a while and continue to stay in touch. Even though my posts aren't frequent, I enjoy knowing that there are people out there who support my images!

I hope you'll take a moment to visit DZ Doodles Digital Stamp site and view the many wonderful projects that the Design Team and Guest Designer's, as well as other paper crafters have created. Images are added frequently, so, don't forget to browse those categories to see what's new!

I wish you and your family a safe and very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Diane 

November Marks A Real Change ...

November marks a real change of season and a reminder that the Holidays are now closer than we'd like to think! Now is the time to gear up for turkey day and Christmas -- even New Year's! With temps continually dropping, soon the air waves will herald old favorite songs, and the soft crunch of snow underfoot, the sizzling of fireplaces as it crackles and pops, will surely keep us in touch with the reality of what Christmas is all about. It's not about the number of gifts under the tree, or how the house is decorated, or even the number of parties we attend, but the celebration of Christ's birth. This year do things that really count and enjoy the season!

Week by week we get closer to
the biggest Holiday of the year ... 8 weeks!

At DZ Doodles Digital Stamps, we hope to help you
count down the holidays with our

Eight Weeks of Thursday Digi Specials!

New holiday and assorted digi images will be available every Thursday at an introductory price ... available until the next Thursday's digital image is introduced. However, the digital image removed will either be listed in its category and available at regular price, or unavailable until sometime next year, perhaps discontinued entirely.

We'll start this Thursday's digi image (week 1) with a more ambitious image and by week 8 something you can complete quickly for last minute gif-giving.

I just love Santa! And this digi image from DZ Doodles digital images, Santa's Gift truly was fun and easy to do. I did two facial versions: dark and light skin tones using Prismacolor pencils. Here is my color pencil recipes to help you re-create the same effects -- using colors in the order that I have each one listed. Remember to color lightly because you can always go back and add colors prior to burnishing colors (blending) using your Prismacolor PC 1077-Colorless Blender pencil! You can purchase Prismacolor pencils online at Dick Blick Art Materials!

The Santa's Gift image digi size was made 5" x 5" to strikingly fit onto a 4-5/8"W x 6-7/8"L card size.

Dark Skine Tone: PC1001-Salmon Pink (apply lightly), PC939-Peach, PC941-Light Umber (apply lightly), PC946-Dark Brown (use to deepen shadowy areas-lightly), PC930-Magenta (use lightly for cheek & nose). Light Skin Tone: PC914-Cream (apply lightly), PC927-Light Peach, PC939-Peach (use to deepen shadowy areas-lightly), PC1033-Mineral Orange (use to darken shadowy areas even more), PC928-Blush Pink use lightly for cheek & nose). Beard: PC1068-French Grey/10% (lightly cover all the white areas), PC938-White (softly cover over French Grey areas), PC1070-French Grey/20% & PC 1063-Cool Grey/50% (use for shadowy areas). Santa's Hat and Gloves: PC1014-Deco Pink (lightly cover entire areas), PC922-Poppy Red & PC923-Scarlet Lake (darkening areas). Santa Package & Bow: PC913-Spring Green, PC90-Grass Green (darkening areas), PC904-Light Cerulean Blue, PC906-Copenhagen Blue (darkening areas).

Have a great papercraft day!
Diane

Happy World Card Making Day!

Today's the day stampers and papercrafters all over the world celebrate their craft. And here at DZ Doodles, Kim and I wanted to thank all of you for your support and encouragement throughout our beginning first few months. Without you and the gorgeous cards and creative projects you make, and share with the world, this little business of mine would be just a thought.

DZ Doodles will be hosting the 5:00pm EST slot on Paper Craft Planet. Come join us for some fun!

Toodles from Doodles!

Deedle-Dee Doodles Has Changed To DZ DOODLES Digital Stamps!

http://www.papercraftplanet.com/group/dzdoodlesstamps

Come on over and sign up for the DZ Doodles group on Paper Craft Planet and you can pick up a cutie digital stamp freebie! And after using this stamp image on your project(s), post it in the DZ Doodles group to share with everyone! We'd love to see what you've made!

Remember ... you can be a part of the group and not receive every email discussion by clicking on the "Stop Following" above the members pictures. However, check back often on DZ Doodles Group to get your updated discussions or new challenges and even freebie's! Bookmark it and put it on your daily task sheet to check ... and you shouldn't miss a thing!

For the "all new" DZ Doodles Digital Stamps images just go to http://dzdoodles.com! Hope to see you there soon.

Toodles, Diane

Design Team Call - DZ Doodles

Design Team Call

We are so excited about the opening of DZ Doodles online store and we are looking for our first design team. We need help and passion promoting my stamps through your personal blog and online galleries. It is exciting to see the talent that is out there and look forward to seeing your entries. To be on our team, you can use products you already have and you will have a lot of freedom to create. We are looking for five (5) designers.

General Requirements

You will need the ability to photograph your art for submission to DZ Doodles.

You will need to have a blog or website with regular updates.

You will need to promote DZ Doodle stamps through your blog or website once a week and whenever you see the opportunity and linking back to DZ Doodles.

The Perks

The opportunity to play with a generous range of brand new DZ Doodles stamps.

Promoted as a DZ Doodles Design Team Member on DZ Doodles website and Paper Craft Planet.

One free DZ Doodle stamp download once a week.

Your bio and artwork will be spotlighted on DZ Doodles website.

Term and Open Call

If chosen, your term will run for six (6) months beginning on September 1, 2009 – February 28, 2010. This call is open to all.

Application Process

All submissions must be received by 9 am CST, August 28, 2009. Those of you chosen will be emailed directly. We will make a formal announcement on or before Monday, August 31, 2009.

Please send an email containing the following information to stampfest@cox.net.

Name

Address

Email

Phone number

Blog or website address

Links to any online galleries you may have

Three (3) cards, layouts, journals, altered pieces or 3-dimensional items using stamps as the main focus. Your submissions don’t need to be brand new and do not need to have DZ Doodles stamps used, but should not have been published or submitted for publication for a printed or online magazine. No past publication necessary. Creativity is your best qualification!

Please note if you are a current or past design team member for any other companies. We do not expect you to work solely for us or have any design team member experience.

Please tell us a few words about yourself and why you would make an asset to our Design Team.

Thanks!

Where does the time go? Seems like only a few weeks ago that I was thinking that half the year is gone when I flipped my calendar to July. Someone once told me that time goes faster the older you get, and I laughed. Now, here I am "older" and beginning to believe it's true. And the only reality is, as we "mature", our schedules get fuller and there's less time to find yourself getting bored!

I can definitely state that my calendar seems to get fuller every day ... in fact, looking at the calendar, there are only five months left until Christmas , even less than that if you celebrate Hanakkah. I am, of course, behind in my papercrafting projects according to my TO DO List that I made as part of this years resolutions.


One of the most asked questions is, "When are you making your images available?" And I'm happy to say that the process of setting up the "DZ Doodles" digital stamp web site is underway! DZ Doodles will offer affordable printable stamps -- no more waiting on the mailman and no more trying to organize a section in your scrap area for rubber or acrylic stamps! The files will come in the format of "jpg" and "png". DZ Doodles will accept PayPal payments and after payment your order will be sent via-email!


Thanks for visiting ... Diane

Gift-giving Presentation

I love the ooohs and aaahs I get when gift-giving because right away mine always seems to stand out. Presentation is the greatest satisfaction to gift-giving and never fails to leave the recipient with lasting memories.

In 2006, when I first met up with consultant, Kim Burmeister, about Close To My Heart products I showed off some of my crafting ideas. Silly little purses was one of them, that I would make up for family and friends to give the girl's small gifts in ... the saying goes, like shoes, a girl can never have enough of them. I called my designs "Pursvelope's" (purse-envelopes). My thought is that we never really know what to give someone for that special occasion and usually choose a gift card to their favorite place to shop, attach it to a card and enclose it into an envelope - why not a purse made of paper? This way too, little girls especially, can carry purse and all shopping (I've been told that big girls do to). My Pursvelope creating began as a narrow enough purse (instead of just an envelope) to present a birthday or get well card. And I'd make one up now and again - sell it on eBay, but, mostly filed my drawn pattern ideas into the folder that said, Pursvelopes!

I never imagined that I had something of interest for crafters! Then I just received a book from Crafter's Choice Book Club called, Paper Sculpt Sensation by Marion Elliot [first published in 2009] and there on its back cover was something similar to the Pursvelope's I created and filed away! Now, even more, I see that I need to pull this folder from my file cabinet and get busy, as another email blog of inspiration has drawn my attention to my designs!!! Lauren Meader's blog My Time, My Creations, My Stampendence http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ is all a buzz about her purse/tote-like creations. Those of mine, that I have showing, are just the skeletons so that they are ready to embellish for that next friends gift-giving ... because they are technically-challenging to make when you are in a hurry and are durable enough to last a long while.

My Pursvelope idea has along the way transpired into a bit wider design to not only add a card but a CD/DVD or handmade photo album inside of it. Actually that enlargement was inspired by a baby girl gift for a friend (I officially started the child out with her first purse). Then they became even wider so that the recipient could receive some smelly-good stuff, cosmetics, spa stuff using the sample bottles I picked up at Walmart ... and oh, I've even used them for nail care products, and love to gift-give Mary Kay cosmetics in them too. The Pursvelope depth depends on the products I will be enclosing inside each one and try to stay with depth's of not less than 1/2-inch up to 2-inches. The handles are in porportion to the purse size and are also made of card stock that has been reinforced, so that it can carry items without structual damage ... I even make the rings for the handles from card stock!

I could go on and on about the one's I've designed 9failed to take photos), but instead, I'll mention that pre-made designs are going to be available soon, so all that you need do is add your embellishments to them and create whatever theme design you'd like to make your Pursvelope into. Each Pursvelope is made using a 110 lb card stock base attached to quality card stock papers.

Requests for additional information regarding any of the items I show on my blog are always welcomed [deedledeedoodles@hotmail.com] and I have to say there's a lot happening this month that I will be adding to this blog -- digi stamp downloads of my artwork, acrylic stamp sets are in the process of getting underway, "new" crochet embellishments and frames are in the making, etc. ... be sure to visit my eBay http://blogs.ebay.com/ddd68157

Finding Inspiration

The question is, how does a person continually gain 'new' inspiration and not run out of ideas? The answer is easy and anyone can apply it to their own paper crafting habits ... you just have to look.

People often overlook how much inspiration can be found in just a single item and each can be used more than once: shapes, color, contrast & hues, size, etc. Whether it's an image found on line -- make afolder on your desktop and folder it, something from a print publication or even packaging/labels from grocery store product packages ... folder it, and you can begin to build your own inspiration rference. Use a three-ring binder with page protectors. This way you can slide clippings in and out and easily move them around or scan and add images to your desktop folder.

This spring I was informed that a grandson just got his valid driver's license and a while later told to remember that another was graduating from 8th grade (or middle school is what I think its called now) ... I'm NOT that old, but, when you hear driver's license, graduating 8th grade and grandchild all in one sentence, not to mention year, it surely makes a person feel the aging process as I consider myself a young Gramie!

I began searching my folder it stuff to inspire some artwork designs that would be different. I came up with these two very different card creations! Both of my artwork pieces are computer generated cardstock paper-piecings dimensionally layered on the cards.

The GRAD BOY card was made with a variety of scraps I had, but, the DRIVER's WHEEL front and inside panels were created using Adornit-Carolee's Creations Travel Collection Travel Map paper (very nice). I played-off my cover sentiment with the words we often hear ... "can I see a valid driver's license please?" Inside the card, are both a child's key ring set and adult set of key's, which represents the change from child to adult now, as it seems like only yesterday that he was putting those plastic key's in his mouth to teeth on! I used Prisma Color colored pencils numbers: PC42, PC926, PC925, PC920, PC1006, PC916, PC917, PC1015, PC906, PC918, PC922, PC940, PC941, PC1072, PC1054.

I do appreciate that you visited today, Diane

Today's design is for someone that I was told is in the hospital -- she loves my crocheting, so I thought I'd cheer her up with something special. A 4-1/4 x 6-1/4 size card of white crardstock embellished with assorted papers and Oodles Of Doodles Butterfly & Blossoms Lavender Crochet set (available on eBay under Seller: ddd68157 in an assortment of colors (brads not included). Materials also used to create this simple but cute card include, Impression Obsession Clear Stamps CL43-Anytime Sentiments, Versa Magic Chalk Inks/Perfect Plumeria, Paper Pizazz Easy Stictchs template #HOTP 7328, Zig Emboss Writer 1.2mm, embossing powder, various brads, a touch of glitter glue and some ribbon!

Deedle-dee Doodler, Diane

Aprons-aprons-aprons!

If you are like me, you've got hundreds of reasons to papercraft whether it's card projects, your latest pile of photos for scrapbook pages, or special craft projects, and very little time to do it! Papercrafting is something that I really do enjoy, but sometimes the inspiration {and time} is lacking. I catalog card ideas, name & date file photos, and print up craft project How-To's and it all sits either in a folder in my desk drawer, or hard drive, and occasionally see's the light of day! What is needed for many of us is a challenge, a source of inspiration to give us a leap start.

That inspiration came around last Christmas when my daughter informed me that she needed an apron sewn up as a gift for the gal giving a party. We found a cute "mod" pattern to make. This got my drawing juices flowing and I came up with a few apron images for my artwork collection, however, wondered how I would incorporate them into cardmaking projects, but set the drawings aside. Most of us use other people's creativity as jumping-off points, and wouldn't you know it -- a blog posting came in my email "Thinking Inking" www.debbiedesigns.typepad.com/ and there it was, an adorable apron card! I could not believe it - why didn't I think of that? A Hostess Thank You card ... how clever! I purchased the papers she listed, Cosmo Cricket "Early Bird" 12 x 12 cardstock (which is just a yummy collection not to mention excellent quality) and used the same technique to create the apron, by printing on the paper, and doing a cut & paste of specific parts of the apron. I used my exacto knife to cut-out the intricate pieces and Quickie Glue Pen to adhere them. Oh my gosh ... oh so cute! Now I have to find other images of mine that I can do the same technique to - I have more aprons listings and cookware & bakeware.

I do appreciate that you visited today, Diane

Tea Set

I was hard-pressed in creating the perfect card for my sisters birthday which was fast approaching. Late one sleepless night while surfing numerous blog sites for something inspirational and unusual (and about to give up) I stumbled onto something so dang cute and just the "thing" for my tea drinkin' sister -- Suzanne J. Dean's Tea Gift Set (www.scrapbitz.blogspot.com) ... you'll have to scroll down to her list of TUTORIALS & TEMPLATES where you'll find the Tea Bag Box Template/Tutorial.

Of course I had to add a special twist to my creation ... Oodles Of Doodles Crochet Embellishments and I crocheted around the front outer flap. The stacked cups on the card front is a piece from Tea Time stamp set for Deedle-dee Doodles Clearly Stampin' stamps (approximately 2-1/2" x 2-1/2") and used Prisma colored pencils to color in the image. My handcrafted crochet embellishments are listed on eBay - http://blogs.ebay.com/ddd68157 - and I'm trying to list a large variety of items as fast as I can, so please keep checking back!

With Suzanne's measurements, construction was quick and easy, and had me wondering what other box sets could be created. I didn't include a tea towel with my recreation, however, you could include a tea cup & saucer set ... one of those stacked tea pot & cup sets would be nice, or even a linen napkin with a crocheted edging. To my surprise the four individually packaged tea bags inserted neatly between the accordian pleating without "bulging" the box ... how clever! The overall finshed box size is 3" T x 2-3/4" W x 3/4" Deep and basically fits in the palm of your hand -- too cute!

Velcro has a package of 6-sets (1/2" - 12mm) peel & press on hook and fastener dots that worked out well to keep the flap closed -- easily reopens. Now she can carry it in her purse for that quick spot of tea at work or anytime and it's refillable!

Keeping It Simple!

The Baby Girl Announcement card is created using a 5" x 4-1/4" basic card size (Stampin' Up has them with envelopes) and a variety of 12" x 12" decorative papers that I found at my local craft store (on sale to boot!). I kept this quick and simple, and very economical!

Also used, is the "Bundle of Joy" stamp from Clear Expressions Oh Baby Stamp Set with Night Sky chalk ink (Southwest color set) from Versa Magic. The rattle panel was also enhanced with the same color chalk ink and applied raised by using 1/16" dimensional adhesive foam dots. The Oodles of Doodles Crochet Rattle is attached with a few hand-stitches tied off on the back, so that each recipient of the card can detach it if they'd like to, to apply to their scrapbooking page, baby frame or for any other crafting use. And with a touch of ribbon to make the bow appear to be tied to it, it was put together in a jiffy!

There's also a few photos of one of my favorite paper crafting projects, the Pursvelope for baby girls that's just wide enough to carry a CD case inside. So, whether it's a newborns coming home photos, the family gathering of candidly taken photos, or personal moments spent with baby -- putting your special memories on CD will bring out your creativity and help you present your photos in an entertaining display! This is an exclusive pattern design of Deedle-dee Doodles Oodles Of Doodles Paper Crafts.

Deedle-dee Doodles Photo Frame Crochet Collection

Every once in a while a handcrafted embellishment comes along that leaves you in awe. That was my reaction after doodle-crocheting my photo frame collection consisting of crochet stitches and cross stitch onto a durable lightweight frame using various crochet thread colors.

As you flip through your latest batch of of photographs, you can't help but smile as you remember all that transpired throughout those moments of togetherness. Whether it's a newborn coming home photos, the family gathering of candidly taken photos, or personal moments spent with family and friend's - scrapbooking your special memories in an extrodinary fashion with Oodles of Doodles Crochet Photo Frame embellishments will bring out your creativity and help you present your photos in an entertaining display!

Uniquely created crochet and cross stitched frame designs only available from Deedle-dee Doodles!

To view a variety of designs please go to my personal eBay blog http://blogs.ebay.com/ddd68157