Something I Haven't Done in a While.

I love challenge blogs.  Every week I look forward to the new sketches and prompts at blogs like Sketchy Thursdays and TAAFOMFT; they are such wonderful sources of inspiration and I don't plan to stop playing along with them any time soon. But the other day it occurred to me that virtually all of the crafting I have been doing lately has been in response to challenges.  I honestly can't even remember the last time I sat down and made a layout that wasn't based upon a sketch. So I decided I had better make a page without any "help", if for no reason other than to prove to myself that I still could!

SUPPLIES

Cosmo Cricket patterned paper, chipboard accents

Recollections card stock

Pebbles Inc ribbon

Unknown buttons

Read more...

A Cherry On Top

I've been really busy the past few days and haven't been paying much attention to blog happenings, so it took my sister (in Taiwan!) posting a link to my Facebook wall to get me to notice that Deb over at A World of Imagination had bestowed a lovely blog award on the Polka Dot Door!  Needless to say, we are very honored and excited; not only because this is the first blog award we have ever received, but also because Deb is such an amazing scrapbooker herself.  The fact that she would bestow this on us is quite the compliment. 

Apparently there are some rules for accepting this blog award:

1. Thank the person who gave it to you - Thanks DEB!

2. Copy the award to your blog {done}

3. List three things you love about yourself. {seriously?  I don't like answering these types of questions, but here goes}

• I love that I have three beautiful children.
• I love that I am married to my best friend.
• I love that I am a stay-at-home mom.

{how's that for deflecting?}

4.Choose and post a favorite photo

5.Pass this award on to 5 others.  {this one is hard too - there are so many blogs that I love! }

• CraftyPaperGirl
• Design by Diana
• Scrappietoo
• Naptime Equals Scraptime 
• Tomomi

All these ladies inspire and amaze me with their lovely work.  You should definitely visit their blogs.

Read more...

Sketch Mania 8.25

It's Wednesday so DeeDee has a new sketch posted over at SketchMania.

 I had a little bit of trouble with this one at first since I do not use circles in my scrapbooking very often.  I tend to be more of a linear thinker I guess.  But this sketch and both of the last Guest Design Team sketches at Sketchy Thursdays have used circles, so I am learning to love them.

Now, I fully admit that my finished card looks nothing like the original sketch; it kind of took on a life of it's own.  I really like the way it turned out though, and DeeDee has assured me that she does not mind the artistic liberty I took with her sketch.

SUPPLIES

October Afternoon patterned paper

K& Company patterned paper

American Crafts thickers, mini mark rub-ons

Recollections card stock

Unknown string

You can head over to DeeDee's blog to see what the rest of the design team came up with, and also to link up your own entry.  This is the last sketch to get an entry in for the $15 Crop Chocolate gift certificate.

Read more...

Color Combos Galore #156

Ok, ok, I know that three blog posts in one day is a bit much, but I just realized that I needed to get my layout for this week's Color Combo Galore posted.

This is my first time participation in the CCG challenge but I think it will be one I go back to regularly. Their inspiration boards are so beautiful and I love that not only do they provide a gorgeous palette work with, they also challenge participants to use different techniques on their projects.  This week the challenge was to use a provided sketch and complete your layout in less than an hour. I managed it, but I tell you it was a stretch for me to complete it in that amount of time.  I am definitely a slow scrapper!

SUPPLIES

Pink Paislee patterned paper

American Crafts Thickers

K & Company chipboard accents

Unknown vellum, ribbon, cardstock, tickets

Hope you have a great night,

Read more...

Sweet Baby Card

Just a quick post to show you a card that I made the other day but couldn't post because our internet connection hadn't been hooked up yet. 

I am really excited about this one because I tried something new - I embossed.  I know, I know, embossing is kind of old school but I have honestly never tried it before.  Well, I have done a bit of dry embossing with the Fiskar's embossing thing, but I had never ever tried the "real" thing.  Actually it was one of those things I swore I was never going to get into - like sewing on layouts, which I now do ALL the time. The only reason I even had any embossing powder was because I picked it up for like $0.10 at the thrift store one day thinking that my sister might want it. 

Well, it turns out that the whole embossing thing is actually quite easy and I discovered that I do not need a heat gun as my ribbon iron works very well to melt the powder.

SUPPLIES

Colorbok patterned paper

Making Memories Ribbon

Studio G stamped sentiment & image

K & Company brads

Martha Stewart border punch

Unknown clothes pins, string

Read more...

The Messiest Room in My House

I don't think I have ever posted a picture of anything other than my crafting projects on this blog.  I am kind of operating under the assumption that people will see enough pictures of my kids etc. just by looking at my layouts and I don't need to bore my readers with gratuitous photos of my daily life... though I admit that if I were a better photographer and actually had good photos to show off I would probably rethink that assumption.

At any rate, today is the day that I post a picture of something other than a scrapping project, though it isn't that much of a leap since it is a picture of my scrapping room.  Or as I am calling it for the moment... the den of shame.  It really is a huge mess; and while I would love to blame the entire condition of the room on the fact that I haven't had a chance to organize it yet and I am still waiting on the delivery of my furniture, I must also admit that part of the problem is just that I get messy when I am crafting.

The reason I am willing to even let you see this disaster is that I am *planning* to get it all organized and prettied up, and then also posting pictures of that.  I figure if I let you all see the mess you'll better appreciate the improvements.  Though, I really can't guarantee that it won't get messy again even after it is pretty and organized.

There now, doesn't that make you feel better about yourself?

Read more...

Sketchy Thursdays September Guest Design Team Challenge

Well, my temporary lull lasted a bit longer than I had anticipated due to having to wait almost three weeks for the installation of our internet services.  Oh well, it was probably better that I didn't have the distraction of my blog and Crop Chocolate to prevent me from actually unpacking.  I am happy to announce that we are safely and happily installed in our new home; most of the boxes are unpacked and hopefully I only have to wait another week or so until the rest of my new furniture gets delivered.  And who knows, maybe someday I'll even get around to hanging some pictures on the wall.  In the meantime, I am just happy to be done with the heavy lifting and back to fun things, like scrapbooking.

I am really thankful that my internet was finally hooked up this morning so that I can post my layout for the Sketchy Thursdays September Guest Design Team Challenge.


I wasn't actually going to make a layout based on this sketch because, honestly, when I first saw it I really, really disliked it.  I guess you can say I am not a circle scrapper.  But after a particularly long day of unpacking I felt like I needed to do something creative or I was going to snap, so I sat down (on the floor) in my (completely disorganized) scraproom and decided to go for it.  And after I started playing with a photo and pretty papers I discovered that I actually *love* this sketch. 

SUPPLIES

Cosmo Cricket patterned paper

Recollections kraft paper, rhinestones

American Crafts glitter thicker

K & Company glitter

Jenni Bowlin Studio butterfly

Unknown ribbon, thread

Read more...

Temporary Lull

This is just a really quick post to let you all know that no, you have not been abandoned. The Polkadot Door blog is going to be a little bit quite for the next little while. We are in the process of moving provinces and with 3 little kids underfoot, you can imagine it can be busy at times. Hopefully the blog will be up and running again regularly in a week or so, but no promises. Keep checking back, you never know what impossible things a crafty Mama may be able to accomplish in the middle of mayhem!

Thanks for your continued support, looking forward to getting settled into the new place and creating once again.

Read more...