Purple, Paint, and Polka Dots!

That sounds like some fun stuff, now, doesn't it? I think so. Well, I sort of thought so, anyway.

This is the challenge this week over at Use Your Stash! When the friendly design team email went out letting us all know what we would be creating I excitedly read the list right until I got to this one.

At which point I stopped. And cried.

Okay....so maybe I didn't actually CRY, but I was worried! PURPLE! They wanted me to use PURPLE!

You see, purple and I don't really get along. Well, it's not that we don't like each other, it's just that we are more on the 'acquaintance' level than we are at the 'friends' level. Is this making any sense? It's not like red and black and turquoise - you know...the colors with whom I am the very best of friends! No.... purple and I just aren't that tight.

BUT...what is a challenge if it isn't actually CHALLENGING?! So, instead of taking the easy way out and using the tiniest bit of purple I could muster, I decided to embrace it and create a layout with an entirely purple background!

I know...I know. You can stop applauding now. I know...you are impressed.

No?

Well, this is my imaginary world and you are my imaginary audience, so if I want you clapping you will be clapping, damn it! Got that?!

HA!

Yeeeeeee......aaaah. So. On to that layout. Before I scare you all away.



What do you think? Okay...so I have to admit that it isn't my favorite layout of all time, but the lack of patterned paper is a contributor to that, I think. BUT...I do think it is kind of cute! And I sort of love the polka dot technique that I used....



Here's a closer photo of the dots. To create them I punched a bunch of cardstock circles from a scrap and layered them under my purple cardstock on my Basic Grey Magnetic Mat (which just so happens to be one of my favorite tools EVER!) and then I used a sanding block to sand the cardstock and bring out the polka dot impression. Isn't that just cool? I kinda love it!



I added just a touch of Stickles to the felt butterflies to make them glittery and girly.



And I used a lot of really feminine trim to accent the photo and create a softer layout. Sorry about the glue boogers that I am now seeing in this photo - I will be sure to check that they are removed from the layout! How embarrassing! LOL!

The Paint portion of the challenge was the easiest part, since I use paint a lot in my work. I decided to do something I don't often do and I used letter stickers as a mask and sponged over them with paint. Once the paint was dry, I used my Tweezer-Bees to lift the letters carefully and leave the negative as my title. I also painted around the edges to finish the layout off!

So head on over to Use Your Stash and check out what the other DT girls did! Then create your own!

Oh...and I totally got a hair cut on Friday and usually that is not a fun thing for me, but I am really happy with it and my head feels SO much better!!!

***QUESTION FOR YOU! Does anyone have any links to some REALLY EASY and inexpensive recipes for week night meals? I know the usual options like kraftfoods and stuff, but if anyone has any specific recipes that you have actually tried and liked, I am looking for some new ideas, but they have to be quick and they have to be easy. Let me know! Thanks! You guys rock!