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 with 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!)
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!!!
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