Paper Dolls for Grown Ups

 I want to be sure my description sounds right.  Adult paper dolls doesn't sound right, it sounds not PG actually, so, I hope "Grown Ups" sounds like I really mean it.  I'm a grown up that likes to play with stamps/inks and paper...and I am very smitten by one of the very fun suppliers I buy from.  First of all, let me start out by saying...I am not an affiliate here, just a very adoring customer of Riley and Company  A few years ago, I discovered that Riley and Company owns the line of stamps, Mushroom Lane.  I thought these were discontinued years and years ago, when Cornish Heritage Farms left the industry.  I honestly didn't know the business deals/arrangements or proper terminology to speak on any of it, I just knew I LOVED Mushroom Lane, and was disappointed to see them end (or so I thought so).... Little did I know, Riley and Company carried on with the line, it may have been their line in the first place, like I said, I don't know the backstory, just happy to see they still exist, so fun!   (I highly encourage anyone to go take a peek...such creativity)

Back.To.Paper Dolls....

Riley and Company, has not only Mushrooms, Riley the Moose, and Funny Bone Sentiments, but an incredibly fun line called:   Dress Up Riley  With 12 character options (really 13, because Dress Up Raccoon/Fox can be made with a mask or without, so much fun and empowering to stamp that little mask on the fox face!  I know this, because I've done it!  lol  In addition to these really fun characters, (accompanying dies are available), so many options of "dress up" sets.  The clothing on each set is designed to perfectly fit ANY AND ALL of the fun characters.  I used the Dress Up Crocodile for my  character, I think the little crocs that come with it, sort of tied in with one of the parameters for this week's Craft Roulette.  

A little explanation here to my choices to fit the 4 parameters.  First of all, by having parameters, the design process actually is quite easy, compared to starting out with no limits.  I have been designing now for close to 30 years, and starting with a blank canvas, just a "I want to use this stamp set"... or "I want to scrapbook this picture"... I have found myself literally taking weeks to come up with the "perfect" result.  Since Craft Roulette, I've found that making decisions are much easier, which is exactly what I need in my fun life.  My professional life gets tired of making the decisions all the time, and it's nice to have someone helping out with that ... afterall, crafting is supposed to be fun.

Sooooooooooooooo.  My process..... With Craft Roulette, I will narrow options down considerably by typically taking whatever parameter jumps out at me and picking my choices from that.  If it's something easily adaptable, like making a square card, or A2, or even last week's A9...it really doesn't matter what stamp set I choose...back to making too many decisions, and it will deter me from even trying if I have to think too much.  So....taking the parameters that are a little more tricky, I'll try to connect at least a couple somehow.  This week, I connected the parameters "Textile" to "May Garden Colors".  Originally I thought I'd be using a burlap on my card, or ribbon, etc...but when I ran across this delicious woven blanket type material patterned May flower colors paper...I hit the creating jackpot in my mind.  The rest fell into place.  I KNEW I had a stamp set in my offerings that just screamed "use me" for a Southwest themed card featuring that really cool paper.  Dress Up Riley Southwest was retrieved out of my Riley Stamps, and I went to the desert in my mind.  (Although a totem pole is typically found in the Pacific NW versus the desert...I ran with the desert vibe / hybrid Pacific NW for the beautiful tulip fields found in the Skagit Valley)

I picked the Crocodile for no particular reason, other than that I thought the green would match nicely with the patterned paper...it wasn't until I was finishing up, that I thought about how fitting it was for a garden to be wearing crocs in it...I own crocs.  I love my crocs...  I even have one of those expensive croc "Bogg" bags, if you spend enough $ at Uline, you can get one for free, lol.

I LOVE this bag...and will probably be "earning" another one or 2 on my next few orders with Uline.

While coloring my stamped images, (which I did remote, I had to make decisions which SW accessories I was going to color and fussy cut for my square card, no going back)... I realized that a totem pole has layers.... like one spirt animal layered on top of another...so, that really is my justification of layers.  I did know, however, I could take the easy route and justify layers by all the layers of card stock there is used to put together a card.  Patterned paper + Card Stock + Character + Character Clothes + Card Base (I started making card fronts ONLY and adhering to a folded card base, it closes so much better, and makes total sense to do this....  I will probably always do this now, some of the thicker card stock simply doesn't score well, and I can use my bling bling card stock without wasting it on the actual folded card...more cost efficient too.  :)

In the end....  I started thinking about clothes... like when it's cold outside, you wear LAYERS of clothes.  And bingo...another justification of "layers".  My crocodile only has 2 layers, but, if I really wanted to...I'd find a way to get a 3rd layer on her...IF I wanted to go that route for layers.

This card came REALLY easy, once I found that paper.  I did struggle with what color background.  I'm truly sitting on the fence ... Kraft or White?  And sentiment or NO?  I chose a "dream" sentiment in my stash, because I included the dream catcher.  Am I the only one that sees that connection?  Probably...  TONS of enamel dots or NO?  I didn't feel I centered things best, a slightly bigger square would have worked better, so I was thinking fill in the blank spaces...I chose the jade color because of SW turquoise.  SO.MUCH.OVERTHINKING!!!  (By the way...an Ardyth Square is 4-1/2" x 4-1/2", named after Craft Roulette member, Ardyth...who does beautiful work, and truly inspiring!)

I LOVE to finish the insides too....  Still need to get the message side finished up...

Back to Paper Dolls ... Every.Single.Time I make a paper craft card / project with the Dress Up Rileys...I think of paper dolls.  The inner child in me comes out to play, it's fun and great childhood memories come to surface.  I was given the gift of creativity from my so very creative Mom, and sisters too.  I cherish those memories so so much... About to get teary here, so I'll wrap this post up.  I know I'm wordy, but I truly hope that if you read this far, you may learn a tip or 2 or something new along the way.  I write these posts for fun for me...I'm not in that affiliate world, it's a little rough in that world, and sometimes I see almost cut throat...so, I make these posts in mind to share about companies that I LOVE and adore to work with...  It's all about positivity here!  

The FUN Factor rating with Dress Up Riley:  5 inks here!  (AKA 5 Stars)  It's a GREAT TIME!!!

Til next week!

Yabba Yabba Dabba Dabba Do Do Do

 Craft Roulette Episode #317, my 114th contribution, it's hard to believe I have made it this far!  I have been working on a project for awhile, that I put on ice for a year, and have decided to finish it up.  It got labor intense, and my mindset wasn't in the capacity to finish it up...Well, never say never to unfinished projects, and I'm super excited to get the thing done after taking the break

So...

How fun to have these little dudes ready to go, when MESK popped up as the 4th parameter!  What's funny is, however, I had to replace what I took, so I ended up with the replacement, because after a year or better of not working with my images, I see my coloring / choice of markers, cutting, etc., has evolved to something I prefer ... could be my choice of card stock, I believe it was/is my markers...

 

So, a little note here...I color extras... every.single.time.... so making something quick is probably not going to happen, if I color 4 of each to get 1, and fussy cut on top of it...That being said, it was a Craft Roulette guest that offered the idea of having a little binder of "extras" to save for a rainy day...  I believe hers was for die cuts, but, I decided to get one, and store all my colored images.  This binder might make it's way to Paperganza this summer....  I didn't have a dinosaur, or his 2 buddies in my binder (I did have their wives though)...but...but...but...  I had an abundance of palm trees, so it made my card so complete for me, and I was able to break the urge to pull out my ink and make new ones.  It's not as if I didn't spend time already!  lol!  I have two now of each traveler in the prehistoric car for future use!  Why only 2 if I colored 4 each?  Well...yup...I adhered 1 each in my Creative Companion of course!  I have as much fun journaling my card journeys in it almost as I have making the card!

 Justification Justification:

1.  A9 = big card:  8-1/2" x 5-1/2"

2.  Florist Shop Colors = Floral Tape / Leaves / Soil and Colorful Flowers

3.  Birthdays = An obvious birthday card...maybe for someone turning 50

4.  MESK = MESSY DESK ....  If you know me, you know me...  so easy to do pull something off that!

 

Now... I MUST tell you about my stamp set used here!!!  I used a limited edition kit from Kindred Stamps. I ADORE Kindreds kits, full of value and literally hours of creating fun.  This kit released many years ago, and whenever a kit pops up...you bet I'm in line to buy.    Come back later, and I'll try to get my linking working.  Something changed on my computer over the weekend, and I'm for whatever reason, not able to get my links working here!!!  

 Well...for now, thanks for stopping by!  I'm finally getting to a place where I can take a breath.  It's been a little overwhelming for me the 1st 4 months of 2026, one more hard hurdle to get over (tomorrow) and I can hopefully get a good nights sleep, and put those worries away for awhile.  I know that's not possible, but, at least any deadlines ahead of me are fun ones!!!   

Carapace Carapace!

Until Friday night, I had no clue what a carapace was...  I do now!  I honestly don't know why I decided to Google "Is a crab considered hexagon shaped?".... but so glad that I did!  Not only did I conquer the hex parameter on this week's Craft Roulette, but...I learned a little about the sea spiders that I so love...especially if it's a Pacific Northwest Dungeness!  

 I really enjoyed this one.  The color parameter, "calm" colors, put me in the mindset of a tranquil beach vibe.  I work/have worked with many a med spa in my chocolate past and present, that I have the tranquil colors already figured out in my head.  Light blues/jades/white/starfish and sand is what comes immediately to mind.  I probably could have found a hexagon shaped shell, but, I have wanted to die cut this crab out now for quite awhile... somewhat of a diversion from stamping characters, fussy cutting to the line that I color carefully with a black marker to get rid of that white cut margin look?!  I needed something different this week, the parameters popped up so timely!~

My parameters are justified by:

 

1. My waves are cut at a diagonal!  This was tricky, as these dies have a small width, and my math/geometry brain wasn't working up to snuff when I did the cutting...  In the end, I figured it out, but, what a struggle, I had to THINK!
2. Calm colors, as in a fun memory of a beautiful beach in La Jolla / San Diego area years ago...
3. My mat(s) are with my  Postage Stamp Nesting Dies from Unity Stamp Company
4. A crab carapace is / can be hexagonally shaped.  (Not all species of crab) SO  ... I made a little hex diecut to stamp my inside card sentiment, to be doubly sure of the hex parameter...just in case your eyes don't see the hex shape in the crab that mine do!  lol!

 

So, there you have it!!!  Another fun Craft Roulette night started and finished.  I can't believe I'm at 113... I've had a ton of fun at it, and it has become my "thing" these days.

My calm!

A little bonus addition to this post!!!

 So I gave myself permission to copy a recipe out of the Adams Place Cooks With Vinegar Cookbook that my Mom and I wrote in 1989..  We have since then, printed 3 more times, changing the colors of the cover, not changing the contents...  If you have never cooked with Flavored Wine Vinegars, it opens up a great world of tastes by decreasing the need for salt and unnecessary calories too.  (Wine Vinegar makes a GREAT meat tenderizer).  Oh how I miss those early days of our business...  Since then, my husband and I found a passion to go crabbing on the Oregon Coast...it all started when my daughter played beach volleyball, in her early volleyball years.  Once she started playing in college, the tournament conflicted with her college schedule, it's been awhile since we have thrown the pots off the bridge...but when we did...our haul of Dungeness Crab can be plentiful,  once yielding over 40...yep, 40 crab to crack and enjoy! This dip recipe was created in our pre crabbing days, when my husband managed a wholesale seafood plant in our early years of dating, even before we were married....  My Mom and I had just started our gourmet biz, and decided to add a cookbook to the line to go with our line of wine vinegars.  We are even having this tonight!  :)  I prefer it now days with the Dill Vinegar, but any will do!  (and green onion)

 

 I prefer using our Dill Vinegar, and Green Onions for the onion...  so so good.  So good.  

 

Adams Place Cooks With Flavored Wine Vinegars

by

Gerry and Trudi Adams

Kennewick, WA  99337 

 

Unfrogettable...

 My Oh My!  Craft Roulette this week...  As tempting as it was to pull out a new stamp set, or something fairly new...that "Hopping" parameter, with "Strawberry Fields" colors...was almost too easy to create with, that it made it hard for me.  I truly had a vintage strawberry patterned paper picked out, along with my Velveteen Rabbit stamp, all ready for me to color and go to town with.  BUT BUT BUT....as much as I tried to get the vibe with it...my mood was needing something a little more bright and cheerful, I've had a couple of emotionally draining weeks, and vintage was only making my mood worse.

So bring on the cheer.... 

 I knew I had lots of hopping options...that wasn't the issue.  And so many hopping creatures can be found in a strawberry field.  Nothing says I even had to have strawberries in the equation, after all, it's just the COLORS found in the strawberry field that was the requirement.  It doesn't even need to be the whole field of colors.  It could have been brown for dirt, blue for sky, green for berry baskets, etc...  That being said, once the word strawberry was mentioned, I really couldn't get it out of my mind.  I have options for the patterned paper, (I have TONS of Graphic 45, which this isn't, but...anything in nature, G45 is my go to when I'm in a creative rut...) I have strawberry stamps...(how powerful the feel to press a stamp into the ink and stamp away...)...  I just wasn't getting the bunny vibe...so, next thought was grasshopper......  My grasshopper is vintage (Creative Keepsakes)... so, I almost nixed doing this week altogether.  Lots of ideas, but nothing triggering that creative spark, and it was getting gloomy.   

Last thought...FROGS.  I knew I had a couple of options there, right?  Well....not really...as I hunted through my stamp stash...I couldn't find any frogs, although I KNEW I had a set from my Stamping Up! days...  YIKES...going through that cabinet of unorganized wood mounted mountains of stamp sets....did NOT sound fun...  I had a general idea of where to look...right?  WRONG...WRONG...WRONG...  I found all kinds of treasures in there though, (reaffirming that NO PARAMETER is undoable...I am convinced)...  hahahahaha  ...  I FINALLY found my frogs not in the cabinet, but a drawer...and my first thought...THESE LOOK SO EASY TO FUSSY CUT!!!  That's all it took, and I started coloring away....

 

 I found a bonus "Hello" stamp for my inside element...another from the SU days, never been mounted on the wood...which I still have ALL my sets on wood, or possibly someday put on wood.  It's sad how many I never used...ever....  

 

 So, this card is done and ready to go.  My goal this year, is to actually mail some of these cards out.  What's held me back, is that the insides aren't finished, and it's not my style to send out a naked card.  Nothing elaborate on the inside, but a finished look here!  And a double whammy of both the Project and Random parameters!

 Well, it's Thursday night, and it all starts again tomorrow!  This time, I have zero office (oh the joys of self employment) obligations lined up, I can let loose and let my creativity come out to play.  It's times like this, I really miss my CR bff.  (RIP Janet)... Now, off to cut up some strawberries to go with that half and half I picked up at the grocery store the other day! 

  

Inka Dinka Doo....

 Inka Dinka Doo ... whatever that means ... haha ... 

I pictured myself, in a coconut house, hidden in the jungle.  Yep, that would be a mighty fine time...eating bananas and sipping on those fun bevvies that include tropical fruits served in a coconut shell.  I remember a time that my husband and I enjoyed the warm sun bouncing off the ocean in Mazatlan...sitting on a brick fenced ledge that is nestled up against the resort area grass where the sand meets, holding one of those drinks, little umbrella included.  We were all of 30 years old, not sure how our bodies would be on that ledge now!  hahaha  I'm sure the sandy beach is still as beautiful as ever.

Happy times.  I really hope my cards give the feeling of Happy today... we all need a little Happy.

I made my coconut house using a square die.  I cut 2 squares out, cutting one into 3/4" strips.  My coconut fringe was created using a  Multi Blade Herb Scissors on each strip, and then applying to the remaining square die cut, overlapping as shown.  I purchased the scissors 20+ years ago, probably for my home made salsa, but borrowed them from the kitchen for a craft project.  I later bought a second pair for my cilantro needs, and kept my original pair in my craft studio.  Priorities here.  Being totally honest, I haven't used either much, but when I needed fringe, or finely chopped herbs, I was glad I had both close by.  One  worked great for the pinata card I made years ago, and a paper hula skirt too, plus we eat a ton of home made salsa.  (I get impatient and use a sharp knife more often)  
 

Another fun supply, that I have been asked about is my paper crimper.  This is a great little tool, especially on "x amount of folds" Craft Roulette parameter nights.  Using it adds interest to a matte background, and it's fun to run the paper through the little gadget.  It's kind of liberating.  I have to admit, I'm on my second crimper.  I bought my first one, probably yet still in the 90s (Fiskars brand).... It finally had it's last crimp, I may have crimped too fierce using a very thick piece of card stock,...so I immediately bought another.  That tells you something, how much I value my crimping, to purchase a replacement.  I can guarantee, I have a handful of tools, that IF they ever gave out, I'd never replace.  Three words:  Fastenator (&) Sew Easy (the first is the equivalent of an evil stapler and the other...well, it made it's way to the garbage...) 

 

Here's another example of crimping! 

 

My last card is a bit nostalgic and will resonate with video game enthusiasts...  I left it to where you add whatever name you want to on the inside of the card...  It could be after a famous gorilla, or it can be whoever you want!  I let the designer paper do a lot of the work here too.  The 80s vibe and popular video games....I never could master that game to the end, but oh how I tried.

 

 In summary...my take on the new  Barrels of Fun stamp set and the 80s patterned paper.  Both are available tomorrow along with a few other fun finds with the Kindred Stamps April Release.

 

So, I hope this post is a feel happy post, as it's meant to be.  I think anyone who receives a card with any of these characters, even the Cranky one, could find a smile, and hopefully trigger a feel good memory...

 

In the words of  Mayou Angelou:

 

"I've learned that people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget how you made them feel." 

I hope this is a feel good moment!

Bye for now!  :) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 INKA DINKA DOO!!!

 

 

 The rest is off topic sort of...if interested...read on...

 

A little added bonus today because it somewhat relates to one of the supplies I used (scissors)(topic)...

 

My specialty food business of 40 years now,  introduced and launched a line of spices to compliment our wine vinegars.  The seasonings were my personal creation, and at 23 years old...I invested in about $3000 worth of spices and supplies (I must have really felt they would be a success, that's a lot of money for a kid) ... yikes... the investment was worth it, as we went on to manufacture and distribute a line of spice blends that proved to be worth the financial risk.  Over the years, our business focus has adapted to the changes in the economy, personal tragedy and personal celebrations too, plus business growth, etc.,  we repositioned our product line and mainly do high volume corporate chocolate orders.  (I'd share the names of a few of these well known companies, but I have signed many an NDA and know better than to!)   That being said, it's possible, we might bring a few things back, including this insanely popular product, but most likely on a smaller, retail scale, rather than widespread distribution.  Anyhow, (keeping this craft related)  my multi blade scissors aren't needed when using this fun blend.  All the fine chopping is already finished...so, on the go...just one tablespoon of spices with 2 small diced tomatoes, maybe a little diced onion too...is all you need for a quick batch of salsa....

Just a lil tidbit of info about our company, which has stood the test of time since the 1960s!  

 

Stay tuned ....  If, we do bring a few of the blends back, this one for sure made the cut!  :)

Jogging Path, Jogger Pants, and Juniper Trees!

 Stretchy pants for my J element?  Could be, but truly, the path here very much could be a jogging path in a park, and on a nice June Day...our joggers might like to enJoy a sit on a tomato colored blanket.

 It's pretty easy to justify parameters when you need to!  :)

 

I chose to use a stamp with a bridge on it, although, I did want to make a "bridging" type card.  I just knew I wasn't going to have access to my craft supplies, and so I chose to stamp my image and color where I was at...(comfy in my living room chair, watching baseball...and spending time with my precious boy, our pooch, who is feeling lonely without his other human, who has been reffing big qualifying out of town volleyball tournaments!!!)  My salad colors:  I have to laugh, my kiddo used to call broccoli "trees" and asparagus "grass" (well, asparagus lingo ... it is called grass) ...but, he told someone once that his Mom fed him trees and grass...lol...anyhow, so I had to throw that in there.  But, the greenery in this card, truly is salad colors, even with some silverware, blanket tomato red, and cheese colored windows.  So J.....I see a JOGGING PATH, I see JOGGER PANTS on a couple of our people here, and the trees...well, who says they aren't JUNIPER trees.  I came oh so close to freehand drawing a tiny JET AIRPLANE...but, after all this fussy cutting (3 layers of dimension here)...I wasn't about to botch it up.  Lastly, I swiped my markers on the grass and the sky.  I LOVE this technique, I love playing with markers!  I used a very inexpensive purchase of a 100? markers or so of cheap alcohol markers.  Except for the tip being a little too fat, I actually LOVE coloring with these markers.  I went out of the lines a little on my windows, but...that's ok, the whimsical look works here, I see it often done by the professionals, so...imitation is the ultimate flattery!  hahahahaha  It's OK to color out of the lines!!!

 Well...til next week!  :)

 

 

Bee-Cuz

Bee-cuz....   Yep, I needed something bright and cheery, it's been a Monday, and I'm ready for leftover Chinese Food and some Mariners baseball.  Will regroup tomorrow.  In the meantime, this very simple and bright Craft Roulette card was oh so fun to make, so easy, and lately easy is working out better for me than intense.  In card making, I think some times, I need to step back and take a break from things that seem to complicate the process, BEE-CUZ that's when it becomes unfun.  I just needed and wanted to do something quick and easy...so....I decided to make 4 of these. (haha)   I've never really made a slimline card before, maybe twice ever, and I'm not sure either time were the right dimensions!   I did buy a new die, just for slimline cards, I know, I'm late for the party, but how coincidental, that I ordered & received it about a week ago, and the first Craft Roulette parameter turned out to be SLIMLINE!  I could have complicated this more, but after today, I just want SIMPLE...so, stopped at this.  I don't think I need or want to add more to it.  Trust me, if I could have justified a "5th" parameter, I would have!  :)

 

 Parameters:

1.  Slimline Card

2.  Insect Colors

3.  April Element

4.  In the Corner

 

Every April, we have bee houses dropped in our orchards.  Here is a spot where a few of our buzzy friends are living for the next few weeks as they pollinate our peach and cherry orchards.  Maybe a few will fly far enough to pollinate our apricots, but if you look close, you will see the white blossoms on the trees or pink...white for our cherries, and pink for the peaches.  The apricot flowers have already dropped, cross fingers Mother Nature stays kind for all the fruit over the next few months!  For now, our little workers are doing their flying magic!