Ice Cream Dolls

Last Christmas I believe it was I did a little swap with

Sandy of Sandy's Creations

I made Sandy this silly Ice Cream Doll

and from there made 5 more

I had a bag of these doll heads for about a year

with not one clue of what I possibly was going to do with them...

what is terribly ironic is that

I didn't even find out until months after making the dolls

that the original name of the doll is

ICE Cream Dolls!!!

Can you believe that! What are the odds?

I also hadn't seen Boopsie Daisy's version until a few days ago

I love her use of colors! She is brilliant!!

Well I finally decided I was going to overcome my fears or using my printer

I know I'm crazy silly that way...

and I am now working on become friends with my Sewing Machine!

So without to much blood shed on my end

and even less wasted paper and ink

I figured out a system of printing that works for me

although I really do have to figure out why all of a sudden my printer

is printing things all wonky cricked like?

My husband says that happens and it can be fixed

I hope he is right!

The next thing was to learn how to cut straight

this has never been my strong suite

but thanks to Martha Stewart I have finally found a paper slicer

that is honestly made for gals like me ^^

I am really excited about these!

And soon - very soon

I'll be sharing a few more cards I've been working on!

Ice Cream Doll card sets are now available in my etsy shop

but feel free to contact me if you only want one or two

I also turned them into digi files for my scrapbooking friends

I really really wish I could meet Julie of Minitoko!

Everything she creates is pure genius in my humble opinion

She has opened her very own digi shop called Mini Toko Ville

even if your not into digi scrap'n you should take a peak

it is seriously the most amazing website

I'm seriously red in the face jealous

and the cherry on top

is that you can pick and choose which elements you want

instead of purchasing entire kits!

Truly mind blowing!

soarces:

Digi page 1:

ittybittybirdy, and Minitoko

Digi page 2:

itttybittybirdy, Minitoko, Kitschy Digitals,

Ginhild Storeside,

and Holly McCaig

BFF

I'm really happy that I started this Doodley Doo project

it reminds me of the good ol' days of school

and that oh so bothersome thing they referred to as

HOMEWORK

except this homework I rather like!

I've been swinging quite a bit lately

our land lord left their children's swing set

... so many fond memories I have of playing on swings as a young girl

Swing tag, scrapped knees from jumping into the playground

an entire recess of being "married" with my best friends brother

whe shortly after asked me to be his gf in a note

you know the ones marked yes or no

My best friend and I met at age 6

we were quite a unlikely pair from the start

I was shy and reserved and she was bold and daring

we fought like cats and dogs

it was an on and off again friendship

but the memories we created in our youth

created a sister like bond

In high school our lives were heading in different directions

we grew further apart with each year

but somehow we kept in touch

Today my friend is really struggling

life has not been easy for her

she has gone down a lot of dark paths

yet she is such a beautiful person

and I believe in her so much

I know she has what it takes to make a better life for herself

but I wish I knew how to help her

I sometimes think I should have or could now

somehow be a better friend

More than anything I want her know

how much she has always meant to me

whenever I am around her a part of me comes alive

a silly, carefree girl - a girl I hardly know

I've always been a tightly wound person

but B has always been a source of fun and adventure

My childhood would not have been the same without her

I would escape to be with B as often as I could

to escape the sadness and pain I felt at home

B was never in the mood to talk about "life"

she was about singing and dancing

and honesty I think I would be a real stick in the mud

if B hadn't been there all those years to help me

let things go and just enjoy

being a kid

B - I love you!

I am an incredibly lucky person

to have my very best friend in the whole world

be my wonderful husband

I don't know what I would do without him in my life!!

There are no better quotes in the entire world

that express how my heart truly feels

than those that come from the Hundred Acre Woods

“If you live to be 100,

I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day,

so I never have to live without you.”

&

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together..

there is something you must always remember.

you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem,

and smarter than you think.

but the most important thing is, even if we're apart..

i'll always be with you.”

Jimbob understands me sometimes better than I understand myself

he accepts my flaws while encouraging me to overcome them

he believe in me, and holds my hand when I'm afraid

he is caring, and kind, and generous

he is wise, and silly, and sometimes wonderfully strange

he is not perfect, but he tries to be

he makes me laugh, and he lets me cry

he is adorable and irritating at the same time

he loves me and know in my heart he always will

he is my best friend and that kind of love

will make it through the hard times

and will be there when things are truly unpleasant

our friendship grows stronger with each year

I hate being parted from him

I am not ME without HIM

and all that might sound like mushy crap

but it's all 100% true - and well

I guess I simply can't describe him and us any other way ^^

Happy Monday Everyone!

If you aren't too busy this next week

maybe you should join me in this weeks

Doodley Doo Challenge?!

Playing Outdoors

It is funny how the sounds of nature can bring such joy

I feel like August Rush finding music in the wind

from insects, birds, and frogs, to the far off cry of a lamb

I love to sit outside and just breath

it clears my mind, my anxieties

and fills me with inner peace

I hope we never have to move back to the city

country life suites us both so well

as a child I would dream of city life

of the busy streets, the endless shop windows

and the unique rhythm of day to day life

But now I know I am a more quiet soul

I enjoy the slow pace of country life

the traditions and friendliness of a small town

and the beauty of watching the land change all around me

with the seasons and the labor of an honest days work

Oh I miss Ptown in many ways

I miss Knittn Kitten, Scrap, Pix, and Masu

just to name a few...

If you live in Portland or are planning a visit

I would highly recommend you visit these local businesses!

Most of all I miss my friends and family

but I have started to make new friends here in Emmett

and that is such a comfort :)

Digi Kits from:

Ittybittybirdy - Kitschy Digitals

- Gunhild Storside - Pugly Pixel

We are very lucky that the property we are renting

is so beautifully landscaped

it's quite the yard - the lawn takes me around 2.5 hours to mow

and I have quite given up on all the weeding

I'm enjoying practicing photography

in my own back yard

as well as some photo editing with Photoshop

(click on the image to view the free flickr texture I used)

Before

After

Isn't that just amazing!

I'm still pretty new at using textures and actions

you might visit Maybe* Mej

her last post was dedicated on how to create soft textures

and she has some great free actions to get you started on that too

(used on my top photos^^)

I've recently received a few comments asking me how I edit

my photos and what software I use

I'm still really new to all forms of editing

so I haven't really found my favorite tools

but mostly I think its a matter of patience

and the willingness to learn new skills

for those without Photoshop

I would recommend Picnik

As always I wish you all happiness!

~Chelsea Ann

Doodley Doo - Why Don't You?

Morning! Oh my it's really not morning at all!

In fact I believe it is past 1 in the afternoon

I guess that's what happens to you when you take

a strong pain killer at 2 in the morning

this post was suppose to be sent out yesterday

but as I was under the weather

and then the weather its self made me frightful

to keep my computer on

I am just now getting around to it :(

You may notice that I've been working on my blog

not 100% finished yet

I do apologize that its loading slower than before

but I am really happy with the look I created :)

I'm curious - if it is translating properly for

Internet Explorer users?

This post is to invite all my artist pals

to join me in a little project I started to help myself

be more diligent in creating art on a regular basis.

The idea is really simple

Each Monday a new topic will appear at the top of my right sidebar

This weeks topic is friendship

(Click on the "Doodleu Doo" tab above this post

for all the topics this month?

The idea is to use the topic as a starting point to create from

You can create in any media, and your work can be at any level of completion

from a rough sketch in your sketchbook - to a finished illustration

If you would like to join in

simple add your work to the Doodley Doo Flickr group or e-mail me

There is no pressure. Play along one week and skip the next

work ahead or even work behind

I just hope a few of you will join

because it will make this a whole lot more fun!

I've made an HTML grab button for your blogs

if you would like to share that you are participating

Every Monday I will post my weeks work and perhaps maybe even yours :)

Well I best be off to start my day

~ Chelsea Ann

Summer Frills

I am quite late in sharing this very exciting news...

my work was published in this Summer's Altered Couture

- a Stampinton and Co. Magazine!

As I love fashion it seems fitting in some ways

that this would be my first appearance in a publication

yet I don't sew a lick and this has pretty much been my one and only

altered fashion experiment

I did find it amusing that they "altered" my piece

by taking the ribbons off the brooch

I wonder why? hmmmm

It was a very unreal and exciting honor for me

and I hope it will be just the first of many ^^

So now that Summer is finally here

I am excited to adventure outdoors and find great places

to photograph my Project Dress Up looks

I'm working on a collection of photo-shoots at the moment to showcase

my Yoyo Headbands

I was lucky enough to have two photographers for this shoot

but in a matter of 5 minutes I was eaten alive by mosquitoes

this shot was accidental - I was either itching or slapping at a pesky squeter

I'm not sure if I was ill that night from the bites or my dinner

but either way it was quite unpleasant :(

These were taken at the Black Canyon Dam

would be such a pretty place to have a wedding

Yesterday was our 3rd Anniversary!

Unfortunately Jim was off on a business trip

I was just reflecting this morning on how much I love our new life in Idaho

It's been such a good change for both Jim and I

My anxiety is so much better

and Jim is - well he is so much more the young man I fell in love

with almost 7 years ago

City life was just not for us

nor was all the rain!

I hope you all have the courage to follow your hearts

if you feel like you just don't belong where you are

(*-*)

P.S. My blog may or may not be under a bit of construction in the days to follow