Alphabet Challenge: Rainbow of Colour by Melinda

Red and Yellow and Pink and Green,

Purple and Orange and Blue,
I can sing a rainbow,

Sing a rainbow,

Sing a rainbow too!

A love for the colours of the rainbow is almost a pre-requisite when designing for Doodlebug and having a rainbow song stuck in your head whilst you are crafting is a regular occurrence too. It's Melinda with you today and I'm sharing a colourful take on this week's challenge to use 'alphas in a creative way'.

I've had this design roughly scribbled into my sketch pad for a very long time and finally I was able to put the plan into action. I just hadn't thought about what title I was going to use until I started looking through the embellishments and I came across the little yellow moon and everything fell into place. And lucky for me, I had exactly the right amount of rows to make it work!

First step was to measure out even spaces for each row and then apply the washi tape across the cardstock and trim off an even amount on each side.

Next step was to work out a balanced position for the photos and positioning each word next to each pic. There was a bit of moving around before I was happy with the combination.

One of the best ways to use your alpha stash is to choose different colours and designs for each word as it lessens the risk of running low on a particular letter before you finish your title... and how often has everyone run into that trap? Yes, I'm lifting my hand high!

Then for the fun stuff... embellishing! I always position the largest pieces first and fill all the little gaps with the smallest bits and bobs. And believe me, my desk ends up in a huge mess but it's heaps of fun.

Don't forget to visit yesterdays blog post to find out details on the alpha give-away... you don't want to miss this one! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend.

Back to School: First Day Layout by Melinda

Hello and happy Thursday! It's Melinda with you today and I am going to stand on my soap box and admit that school photos are usually the last pics I choose to scrap. I don't know why... I think it's because I can never come up with fun designs and I struggle with the primary colours... where's the pastels!!! Well Cynthea must have been listening because she has designed THE most gorgeous 'Back to School' collection that actually ticks all the boxes. Fun theme, primary colours with a hint of pastels and measuring tape washi! Yes you read that correctly!

My son is now in grade three so it truly has taken me a while to drag these photos out.

Now I know I've done a few of these collages as I love to play around with lots and lots of ephemera... I just can't help myself. So, if you would like to have a go yourself then I'll briefly explain my process and give you a few tips that I've learnt along the way.

Step 1: I found an apple shape on the internet and printed it out to the size I required then placed it onto my cardstock and using a hand-held embossing tool I marked the outline. I usually find it best to place my cardstock on top of a cork mat so the indentation comes through. You could use pencil but it becomes a bit tricky to erase it afterwards.

Step 2: I always start laying down the largest embellishments first so I have them balanced across the shape and I place my photo temporarily on the layout so I don't have to worry about putting pieces behind it.

Step 3: Next I fill in the rest of the shape with smaller pieces being careful to really watch my colours so I don't overdo the one colour too much in the one place.

Step 4: Finally I use Epoxy Sprinkles to fill all the small gaps and to complete the outline. The more gapes you fill the crisper the shape becomes.

Thank you for stopping by today and I hope I have given you some ideas in how to get the most out of all your stickers, brads, buttons and epoxies and a way that perhaps you hadn't thought about or just hadn't attempted yet.

"Hello Sunshine" Card Trio By Wendy Sue

Hello Doodlebug friends!  It's me, Wendy Sue, here on a beautiful Wednesday morning to bring a little bit of sunshine into your life!!

I am just LOVING the "Hello Sunshine" collection!  The bright, happy colors against the neutral kraft background were just begging to be made into a set of happy, springtime cards.  I had to oblige!

My first card features the sunshine sticker and the cute little "hello sunshine" text block.  I couldn't resist adding a white doily and some doodle twine to soften everything up!

Of course, I had to add some foam adhesive behind the sunshine and text block for a bit of dimension too...it's been one of my very favorite techniques for years now!

And who can resist a beautiful, bright rainbow with a soft fluffy cloud at the bottom?  Certainly not me.

Can you see how many clouds are layered here?  I'll give you a hint...it's more than three and less than five. ;)  I LOVE layers!

This sweet little phrase sticker just had to be put on one of my cards.  I used the sprinkles shapes "spring flowers" around it...and I love, love, love it!

I bet you know someone who makes your world more colorful and happy and fun - you should make this card for them!!

Hope you all have a very happy, sunshiny day!