Guest Designer: Melissa Stinson + Giveaway

Hi! I'm Melissa Stinson from Scrappy Jedi blog, and I live with my husband, Darren, in Huntsville, Alabama, where I work as a software engineer (when I'm not playing with paper!). I'm so excited to be the Guest Designer for Doodlebug this month!

I first started scrapbooking the summer after I graduated from high school, when my parents gave me a camera as a graduation gift. Soon after that I found myself in the scrapbooking aisle at my local Michaels, and between the loads of new photos I was suddenly taking and the graduation money that had recently been given to me, a new scrapbooker was born!

Doodlebug Designs products have a special place in my heart. I love the color palette and the bright, fun designs, and Doodlebug was actually the first manufacturer that I learned to recognize by name. I remember stalking my JoAnn store (I didn't have an LSS at the time) waiting for the new goodies to come out! I admit that I still have a stash of All Mixed Up rub-on alphas (in every color!) hanging around my scrap room- I love them just as much today as when they first came out!

  These are so awesome...consider PINNING them to PINTEREST!! 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: 

Visit Melissa's blog and subscribe or leave her a comment. Then come back and tell us you did this. One lucky winner will win a goodie box of Melissa's favorite Doodlebug products. 

Contest Ends: Sunday, June 3rd at 11:59pm MST. Winner will be announced on Monday, June 4th.

Doodlebug's Tuxedo Fabrics from Riley Blake

Did you know that Doodlebug creates designs for FABRIC too? 

We license our fun designs through Riley Blake. And we know many of you love our papers, but wouldn't you love to create with the same darling prints in fabric. Just think you could coordinate your outfit with your scrapbook layout (just kidding). 


Today we thought we'd share a fun project that Sherry Cartwright created using the fun Classic fabric prints. 

I wanted to fancy up my camera strap, so I chose some Doodlebug fabric from the Tuxedo collection, from Riley Blake Designs.   When choosing the fabric, I had to keep in mind that I am not the sole user of the camera --- my husband uses it as often as I do.  I chose a black flower print on a dark grey background -- a bit of frills in a masculine color.  

Making the cover was super simple.  Cut fabric about an inch longer than the shoulder strap [usually the nylon portion with the camera manufacturer logo].  Next you want your fabric to wrap around the width of the tube with about a half-inch to spare.  Simply hem the shorter side, then with fabric folded in half lengthwise, right sides of fabric facing, pin  and sew to create tube cover.   Thread your camera strap through the tube and viola!   

It make it look a whole lot better, but I still wanted something cuter.  

So, I made a quick flower.   

Cut about a foot length of fabric, about two inches wide.  Straight stitch in the longest length on your machine settings, or hand stitch loosely,  along one edge.  Pull top string to gather and knot each end to hold gather.  

I used hot glue to adhere to a circle of black felt, acting as the base.  

Cut another piece of fabric in a smaller width and repeat the same process for a smaller flower.  Glue over the larger flower.   

Layer yellow button over black button and attach to center with doodle twine.  Once.   Then, string a rubber band or elastic cord through another button for the back, making sure to knot.  Stitch it on the black felt circle.   

This loop will allow the flower to be attached to the strap when I’m using the camera, but will also allow my husband to remove it when he is using the camera.   

I can’t wait to take my camera out for a whirl in style!   

Tuesday Tutorial: Cone Flower Embellishment

Today Ro Philippsen is going to share with you how you can do simple and easy cone flowers to embellish our designs.

You will need two circular punches of different sizes, one may Scalloped punch and two pieces of paper of different colors.

After punched 2 circles, you need do a cut from the edge to the middle, like the picture below.

Then glue it to attach both sides so it forms a cone.

Then glue the smallest cone into the largest cone, and glue a little flower in core.

You can decorate with a trim.

And use it on your layout and cards, or other Projects.

In Honor of Memorial Day

There are only two words that describe the 

meaning of Memorial Day. 

"THANK YOU"

Take a moment with all of us at Doodlebug to remember the real meaning of the holiday and say a prayer for our soldiers (no matter where you live) that are on active duty, far from their families and friends, and also for the countless military families that have sacrificed a loved one.  

With love and appreciation from all of us at 

Doodlebug Design

Doodlebug Featured on U-Create Crafts Today

Have you ever been to the mega-crafty blog of U-Create Crafts? 

If not, you're in for a treat...if so then you already know why. Just this week we had the 

pleasure of hosting a group of amazing bloggers and we loved 

getting to know Kari and Becky from U-Create Crafts. 

Be sure to check out their blog post over on U-Create Crafts to see more 

great pictures they took and their thoughts about visiting with all of us at Doodlebug.

Sets of Sisters - Becky & Kari, Cynthea & Tonya 

Thanks Kari & Becki for stopping by!! 

Guest Designer: Liz Qualman + Giveaway

My name is Liz Qualman and I am really excited to join the Doodlebug team on the blog today to share some ideas for miniature projects.  I am a big fan of bright, bold colors and thought the Snips and Snails collection was right up my alley.  I don't actually have a baby anymore since my little man is 3 years old now, but I still loved how the collection could be used with little boys.  The colors were just right for my outdoor photos.

I thought it would be fun to take the elements I would have added to a 12 x 12 layout page and spread them across three 6 x 6 miniature layouts.  Doodlebug has some adorable patterns that look fantastic as 6 x 6 patterned papers.  I also thought it would be fun to display the miniature layouts with tiny clothespins, or they could easily be put into a long, narrow frame that could be changed out in the future.  I used the thicker 12 x 12 cardstock paper for the background, but all of the other papers are 6 x 6.

My family visited an aspen grove last fall on our annual autumn jeep trip.  My son loves to explore and have fun outside, so I tried to capture this experience across the three pages.  The colors of the collection looked fantastic with my photos and the more everyday patterned papers made great backgrounds.  I used my typewriter to add the sentiment to the punch out journal card, which I first backed on blue cardstock before I rolled it through so the little notebook paper edges would not be ruined.  Twine makes such a nice border on pages and I used it on each page to tie all three together.

I added pop dots to the fun cardstock sticker banners on the "So Fun" page.  I also added some of the mini pearls, boutique buttons and shaped brads to give the pages a little bit of sparkle and dimension.  They were the perfect size to keep with the miniature theme.

GIVEAWAY: 
We loved the Liz joined us for your "Anything Mini" week and shared her take on it. So we're going to giveaway a pizza size box of Doodlebug goodies to a lucky winner. Do one of the following for an entry to win:

1. Visit Liz Qualman's Blog and follow her blog: http://lizqualman.blogspot.com/. Then come back and leave a comment telling us you did this.

2. Post a project you created with Doodlebug's products to our Facebook Wall, then come back and leave a comment here that you did. 

3. Post a link on Facebook or Twitter to today's post, then leave a comment you did this. 

4. Pin one (or all) of the images to Pinterest, leave a comment that you did. 

You will have until the Sunday evening to enter. The winner will be announced on Tuesday morning.

Thank you to Doodlebug for the wonderful inspiration!

Snips and Snails Products:

3212: baby boy doodle twine

3288: baby boy- mini pearls

3292: baby boy- shaped brads

3216: baby boy boutique buttons

3268: snips & snails- cardstock stickers

3269: snips & snails fancy frills cardstock sticker

3230: cheery o's double-sided cardstock

3276: snips & snails- 6x6 paper pad

3263: snips & snails- double-sided cute cuts

Mini Thank You Cards by Wendy

Hi Doodlebug fans, it's Wendy Sue, here with a little (literally) idea to share with you today!  


With the last day of school just around the corner, I am finding my days are filled with field trips and talent shows and class parties, and concerts, and all sorts of activities (in addition to the AP tests and finals for my older kiddos).  I thought I'd get a jump start on those "last day of school teacher gifts" we all love to put together for the teachers of our younger children.  I wanted to make fun cards for my 3 boys' teachers and decided I wanted to do a smaller size, rather than the traditional card size (mostly because of the size of the particular "gift" I want to attach the cards to).  I found that cutting the create-a-card card bases in half vertically would result in the perfect size for the mini cards!

I let my boys help me pick out the embellishments and colors for their teachers...it was cute how thoughtful they were about it, choosing just the perfect sticker for their teacher.  I'll have them write a little personal note inside the card...because what's cuter than a child's handwritten note?  Nothing, that's what!  In addition to the doodle-pops, I added some baker's twine and these brand spanking new letter stickers - "teensy type" which were the perfect size for the mini cards!

I hope you're enjoying the last days of the school year wherever you are - hopefully these mini card ideas will help you when you're brainstorming plans for those last day of school treats and gifts!

Supply List: Create-A-Card A2 Polka-dot cards (swimming pool and bubblegum); Snips & Snails Cute Cuts; Sugar & Spice Cute Cuts; Teensy Type cardstock stickers (swimming pool, bubblegum, and limeade); doodle-pops cardstock stickers (paradise, pretty posie, kaleidoscope); Doodle twine (swimming pool and bubblegum); Thank You doodles cardstock stickers (lily white)