dannisdoodles

*Updated* Jumping at several small opportunities

may get us there more quickly than waiting for one big one to come along. ~Hugh Allen

What a wonderful quote, loooove it!

I want to thank all of you, from the bottom of my heart, for all your friendship, support and love during the Idol Competition.  As you may know, my "BIG OPPORTUNITY" officially ended yesterday, but my eyes will be left open to all the "SMALL OPPORTUNITIES" God may present.  I am blessed.

There is so much unbelievable talent in this competition, it will be fun to watch it all play out.  I wish all the remaining 15, the very BEST OF LUCK!  You, all, are amazing!

On another note, we are having a special CHA sketch over @ TripletheSketchthis weekend.  If you participate in the sketch, you are automatically entered into a drawing to win 1 of 2 RAKs on the site.  This is a REALLY fun sketch, hope you'll play along.

Here's the card I created for the sketch.

Whoo loves you? Card 

happiness is time with you CARD

(using some of my favorite scraps of October Afternoon & Chatterbox Happy Day)

 

 

Best of Friends Card

(Using up more scraps of Webster's pages & Sei along with some of Amy Butler's tags, love them)

 

 

Have a wonderful Saturday!!!

hugs & love!

danni

Summer Afternoon

summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.  ~Henry James

Today is a GORGEOUS day.  It's warm but just enough breeze to make it a GORGEOUS summer afternoon.  We are definitely going to take the bikes out tonight, can't miss this one....sigh, beautiful summer. 

Like all of you, we have had summer plans and lived them to the fullest BUT the LAZY days of summer, you know the kind where you sit on the front porch and watch the sprinklers in the fields and drink lemonade or take a trip down to the library and listen as they read to you out on the lawn?  Oh, these days make me HAPPY, HAPPY!  I hope you, too, are enjoying your summer, every single second of it!!!

I have created quite a bit this week but all the new stuff can't be shown just yet.  BUT, I have created a card I'd love to share with you. 

You make Me smile Card

I was playing with some scraps and some of the K & Co. Amy Butler tags, what a sweet collection of childhood beauty these are!

I thank you, ALL, with all my heart, for your incredibly sweet notes and emails, I can not tell you how inspiring you, all, are to me, from your friendship to your shared creations, I am blessed.

Have a wonderful summertime-kind of evening!

hugs & love to all of you!

danni

 

*Updated* Paper Crafts Gallery Idol

Round #1 officially starts today.  The theme is scallops. Whether you prefer scalloped chipboard accents, punches, die cuts, or creating your own scallops from scratch, the sky is the limit! 

Here's my interpretation of showcasing "scallops":  MyCard

The "love this" blue button does NOT count as a vote.

If you would like to vote for my card OR anyone else's card, you scroll down to the "description" part below the pic of the card and you'll see where it has a link that says: "click here to vote for your favorite"  when you click that button, it will take you to a new screen and you click your favorite and submit your vote. 

For those of you who support me, I thank you with all my heart!!!

Title: Scallop-Stitched Beautiful Bride Wedding Gown

The creating process:

  a.. I cut the Sei Black Orchid paper slightly smaller than Bazzill White Cardstock; then used my Fiskars Threading Water Punch on the edge of the pp to create that scallop.
  b.. I hand-drew and cut the silhouette gown and then stitched each of the scalloped trims onto the gown.
  c.. I then tied Heidi Swapp white tulle around the waist, sewed on the Melissa Frances buttons with the Creative Cafe trim and curled/cut the ends of the tulle. 
  d.. I adhered the Doodlebug Posies and Kaiser Pearls for the necklace
  e.. I then stitched a sentiment circle using DMC embroidery floss, typed the sentiment "beautiful bride" and added the Doodlebug pink bling.
  f.. Adhered gown to the pp and adhered pp to the cardstock.

Here's a link to all the "scallop-themed" cards this week:  Top20GalleryIdol cards

The cards all have oh so many interpretations of scallops and are AMAZING! 

I have just read about a DT call over @  2sketches4you They are looking for 6 designers to add to their site for a fall term.  The deadline is midnight July 19th.  They have 2 sketches and a some details.  The link is here: 2sketches4youDTcall  I will not be going for this one, but Kazan & Laura are amazing and I wanted to pass along the info. once I learned of it!  Good Luck to ALL of you!!!

I have created a card using sketch #4 over @ 2sketches4you. 

This, like all the others, is an INCREDIBLE sketch Laura, wowsers!

More Webster's Cards

This one is based on the sketch over @ SketchThisCards this week. 

And there is some amazing inspiration from the DT, as always!

 

Also, today was the debut of RandomChaos Challenge #23. 

The challenge:

use the following:
-1 photo
-at least 3 words in your title
-chipboard letters
-flowers.

This was such an incredible challenge Janelle, thank you! 

Here's my layout for this challenge:

And last, but certainly not least, the amazingly talented AmyTara started a blog and tagged me in her recent post.  Thank you Amy Tara, I am THRILLED you have your blog up now :)

1. Ten years ago:  My eldest son was 4 and we were just getting back from Disneyland to celebrate his birthday.
2. Five things on today's to-do list:  Finish laundry and cleaning up the kitchen.  Organize my office.  Dance with the vacuum and duster.  Finish up my DT work.  Take my wee babes swimming.
3. Snacks I enjoy:  My favorite snacks are probably raw almonds and yogurt
4. Places I've Lived: Santa Maria, Ca., Reno, Nevada & Coleville
5. 4 girls I tag: Renee, Patter, Carrie & Emily (if you all haven't been tagged already...giggle)

Off to leave you, all, some love!

Thank you so much for all your sweet notes, they make my day EVERY day!

hugs & love!

danni

 

 

 

A day out

today with the wee babes.  We don't have a lot of days left with Daddy not having to be at the office, so we're taking advantage of EVERY moment.

I have been tagged by my dear friend AmyTara who is just starting a blog, I am so excited!  I adore her, she's the sweetest, and her work?  Do I even NEED to say anything?  Breathtaking!  I will get to the "tag" and all my creations when we get back home tonight.  It's time to take the wee babes out to "wear them out" a little.  ENERGY, and LOTS of it today....giggle.  Are you finding tons of ENERGY at your house this summer?  America energy deficient?  Bottle it (the wee babes energy)!  We'd be set for life....giggle

What would July be without Christmas cards...giggle! (Used lots of American Crafts & Melissa Frances on this one)

Hand-Delivered Christmas Joy (for those hand-delivered Christmas recipients, boss, secretary, neighbors, special loved ones, favorite co-worker, Christmas party hostess)

Joy Card

dear Santa, i can explain Card

 

Matching Joy Christmas Tag

 

Hi Birdie Card

 

 

Have a wonderful and blessed Sunday! 

hugs & love!

danni

 

 

Such a wonderful

day with my wee babes.  I love days like this.  We are camping.  Yep, camping and loving every second of it.  As I sit here typing this, my wee babes are snoring (as only they can) exhausted from swimming and playing and I feel absolutely complete.  Oh these moments feed the soul.

For everyone that encouraged me, emailed me, loved me and voted for me this week, I thank you with all my heart.  The love and friendship has moved me beyond words.  I love you my friends, thank you for being you!!!

Gallery Idol First-Round Theme was announced yesterday. 

 The theme is "scallops" (Description in email from Kelly @ P.C. announcing the theme was this: whether you prefer scallop chipboard accents, punches, die cuts or creating your own scallops from scratch, the sky is the limit!  I need to tell you that Kelly has been THE BEST through all of this too, can NOT possibly have been fun and she's been beyond sweet!

(I took the following off their website)

Congratulations to the top 20 finalists of Gallery Idol! To continue your quest to become THE Gallery Idol, each of you must now submit a card for round one, which is themed “Scallops”.  All projects must be submitted by 9 a.m. (MST) on Monday, July 14th.  Voting will begin at noon on Monday and run through noon on Thursday, July 17. The Top 15 will be announced on Friday, July 18 and given the next theme

I spent several hours yesterday creating my card and it's ready for "it's close-up" with my camera when we get back home.  I will post a link on Monday when they all go up.  (This was a challenge.  As much as I enjoyed this one, it did take awhile to execute my interpretation of scallops but it has come to fruition.  I am really looking forward to seeing all the interpretations on Monday because it's such a "broad" theme.) 

I will not have pics today of creations, because I am camping (insert neener neener smiley).....giggle.  Of course I'm kidding, just having a "giddy camping moment"  I am so thankful for these times with my hubby and wee babes, blessings they are! 

Have a wonderful and blessed weekend!!

danni

We had the best

 time at the Lake with the kiddos yesterday.  It was altogether relaxing and blessed.  We rode bikes, swam, kayaked, had a picnic, oh the lazy days of summer, loooove them!

I do have a couple of cards to share with you today. 

The first was created using the new Chatterbox Happy Day line and Eclectique line along with some Heidi Grace paper and Kaiser pearls.

(click pictures to enlarge)

A little birdie told me Card

Inside reads:  It was your "bird" day

*Updated* The Patriotic Cards are up for Paper Crafts Idol

They just uploaded them, but I still don't know how the voting works.  As soon as we hear how it works, I will update here but I will leave the link so you can view the all the cards.

PatrioticCards for Gallery Idol Round

This is the most current email we received from Kelly about the voting process.  Thank you, ALL, for your notes and support, they have meant the world to me!  We're off to take kiddos swimming at the lake for a wee bit, it's so hot here. 

1). You vote by clicking the "Love This" button.
2). You can vote for multiple people, but you can't vote for the same person more than once. (I realize this isn't the messaging on the old site.)

(Just getting home from taking the kiddos swimming and it looks like there's still just as much confusion regarding the voting for Paper Crafts Idol.  I guess you can vote for more than one person, vote for yourself and others multiple times and the whole thing is still being worked out.  I don't know what any of it means, only to say, for those of you emailing me and leaving me notes and voting for my card, I thank you with all my heart!!! I know that everyone I've had the blessing of working with @ P.C. are amazing and it'll all get worked out in a fair and precise way as quickly as possible, card-Gods-willing :))

Here is a card I created today before the posting of Idol cards and heading out to the lake.

happy, magical mushrooms card

MyCard

(here's a link as pics are still not uploading, I have an email in, we'll see....)

hugs & love!

danni

No Gallery Idol Posts Yet

but they tell us that they will go up tomorrow, Wednesday @ noon M.S.T, hopefully.  I have had a few emails regarding the voting process for PaperCraftsGalleryIdol second round.

 I do know this. 

The voting is now scheduled to begin tomorrow, Wednesday July 9th. 

The voting will be on our Patriotic-themed cards, the cards listed on the site right now are the ones the editors picked to put us through to the next round, they will not be voted on.  Our Patriotic cards have NOT been posted as of yet.  I can NOT show you the card here until it debutes on the site, hopefully tomorrow, and I can't post a pic here only the link to the card. 

When the patriotic cards are posted, around noon M.S.T, then you'll be able to vote for your favorite card.  You only have one vote, you pick your favorite card or card/maker to go through to the next round. 

Then on Friday, again around noon M.S.T, the votes will be tallied and the top 15 will be announced and the theme announced for the next round.

You have until noon Friday M.S.T to vote on your favorite card/card maker.

I hope that's been helpful, that's all the knowlege (besides what my card looks like....insert grinning smiley) that I have at this time.  I did not know about this last year so I am going on what emails I have been receiving from Kelly @ PaperCrafts.

Thank you, all, for your notes, they mean more than I can even convey.

So, until then a card to share.

I used the sketch over @ 2sketches4you to create this card in the wee hours this morning.  This was such a fun sketch, they are all absolutely amazing and I am excited to have found their site.

MyCard is here until I can get it to upload directly here, sorry, don't know why it's not working.

hugs & love!

danni

 

*Updated* Random Chaos anyone?

I was informed by Janelle that I was invited to join her design team over @ randomchaos this morning.  I am very excited and oh so humbled to work alongside some AMAZINGLY talented women, thank you so much, I am so honored.

Also, today is the day we reveal our cards over @ PaperCraftsfor the 2nd round of Gallery Idol.  Our cards, patriotic-themed, should be posted and voting to start @ 12:00 p.m.  I am excited but not anticipatory, making it thus-far was far more than I could've imagined or hoped for and I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this.

This was the update from PaperCrafts today on their site regarding the Gallery Idol posting of cards and the voting.

In their quest to become the next Gallery Idol, the Top 20 has designed patriotic cards in honor of Independence Day. It’s now up to you, the Paper Crafts online community to decide who will advance to the Top 15. Please cast your vote next to your favorite patriotic card. REMEMBER: YOU MAY ONLY VOTE ONCE, SO CHOOSE WISELY! Attention: We are in the process of converting our old web site over to our new site. Due to circumstances beyond our control, voting for Gallery Idol’s “Round 1: Patriotic Cards” will not begin until noon (MST) on Tuesday, July 8th. You’ll have until noon (MST) on Friday, July 11th to cast your vote for your favorite designer. The top 15 finalists will be announced Friday afternoon, and given a theme for the next round. So, I'll be back tomorrow to post a link to the card, not tonight!  Hugs & love to all of you!

We had a wonderful 4th weekend.  We just got back home from my MIL & FIL's house and it was an awesome get-away.  Back home now, to put things away and get back in the swing of things.

 

I hope you, all, had a wonderful weekend!

hugs & love!

danni

 

*Updated* Happy 4th of July!

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.  ~Thomas Paine

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.  ~Elmer Davis

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.  ~Erma Bombeck

I love my freedom.  I love my America.  ~Jessi Lane Adams

May God Bless you today, with family, barbeques, friends and laughter.  May He bless you with a life fulfilled and a celebration of the freedom to live that life however you choose.  May God bless you.

May God Bless EVERY man and woman in the military today.  That they may be kept out of harm's way and be blanketed with prayers, support and love, near or far.  May they ALWAYS know, they are the BRAVEST of ALL brave and their sacrifices, immeasurable. May God bless our service members.

May God bless ALL the families of the military today, especially those celebrating without their service member.  May they be blessed with friends and family today, a day of great celebration and independence.  May He bless them with the return of their/our HERO and the greatest sense of pride and honor. May God bless the military families.

May God bless my brother, who will be celebrating this 4th of July with his family, a celebration he has usually been deployed for.  May he get to see the "awe" and wonder of the celebrations through the eyes of my nephew, their only child.  May each and every color, sound and smile today carry him through his next deployment in August.  May God bless them with love, laughter and many a memory today.  May God bless my brother.

Have a wonderful, joyous and safe celebration today.  May you have every happiness and joy and TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES....giggle!

Wanted to update before we head off to the fireworks.  My daughter, baby and I created these planter sticks today.  We cut hearts out of felt, stitched the stars, stitched the chipboard and/or buttons on and then adhered it to a metal skewer stick.  My 3-year old baby, too young to stitch, created his own flag and stars, cutting the felt and gluing them onto white cardstock, be still my heart.  We had so much fun creating these, we plan to create a bouquet of different ones for our Granny upon her return from the East coast.  We have had the best day, barbequed chicken and tri-tip,  ridden bikes, shot sling shots, created planter sticks, eaten tons of watermelon and run through sprinklers.  And will watch fireworks together shortly, what a blessed day! Hope you, too, have had the most wonderful day! (((hugs)))

(Pics are NOT uploading yet tonight, I'll be back later to try and upload them, if not, in the morning!) 

hugs & love always, my friends!

danni