Cheerful Chubbies

All "Chubbies" and scraps used in all these tags are (c) by Farrah's Creations and can be purchased at Designer Scraps or DSLL (with some limitations).

Fallen Angel



This tag combines the Damaged Angel "Chubbie" with the "Dangerous" taggers kit. I just adore this little doll!

Mouse Mama



"Mousie and Me" is one of Farrah's new releases and she's something for the "Mouse"-kateer in all of us. The scraps are from the "Through my Window" taggers kit, which turned out to be a surprising little set. I'd bought it for the colors, but it some really unique and interesting elements in it, and would probably to be great for some fairy tags.

I look forward to experimenting with it.

Rock Star



I think the Punk "Chubbie" is just too cute! The "Rock Star" taggers kit is a freebie that can only be found at the Designer Scraps Shop. The little Scotty dog was made using a template from Farrah's "Template Mix" pack, which also includes a reindeer and a glitter stick.

Jolly Santa



This is one of the "Santa Baby Chubbies" which comes as part of a two pack. The scraps are all from the "Jolly" holiday themed kit.

Last Dance with Merry Jane



The "Mysterious Chubbie" is a new release from Farrah, as is the "Love Song" taggers kit. The "After Dusk" alpha is courtesy of Flowers Scraps.

M.J. relates that she was born "Mary Jane", went through periods where she was either Mary, or Jane, but not both at the same time, and finally settled on "Merry Jane" in high school. Once she turned 18, she legally had the spelling changed. The Chubbie actually kind of looks like her, in a cartoony stort of way.

Farrah has half a dozen new freebies (full size) up on her blog for the New Year, so be sure to stop by and pick them up!

Stop making Sense

PSP just started making a whole lot more sense. I knew I could do the things I wanted to do, it was just a matter of how. I'm used to PhotoShop, so when I wanted to add a glow or a drop shadow, I'd go to layers, then effects.

Not so in PSP, where the whole thing is a function of what is essentially the filters menu, although PSP calls it effects.

Anyway, as it transpired, once things started clicking, a whole new vista opened up...and I don't mean the new Windows' interface.

I got the New Year's T-13 done in record time, and I think I did better work than I've ever done in the past. It was certainly more creative.

There are still some things I'm struggling with - the text tool being the main one - but otherwise I've had a bit of fun. I'm thinking I might have to make up my own word art or a while in order to get the hang of the Text Tool. It doesn't react the way I expect it to.

Brrr Babies



I'm not sure when I got the "Brrr Babies" kit from Farrah Creations, but it was a blog freebie. It's a full sized kit, not a taggers sized kit and she usually sells both, and I usually buy taggers. In any case, the "Brrr Baby" Chubbie Doll was one of the things I bought with my gift card.

It actually game in two tubes, one for the Chubbie and one for the polar bear, so I didn't have to crop him away from the doll in order to move him around. The "Snow" word art is by MW Designs. Note it's still in gray scale. I figured out how to color it - in glitter no less - last night, but these projects were from yesterday morning, which is when I discovered...

Scotty Girl



How to apply a mask! That's what gives the background that really cool, there and not there, look. I also used masks on some of the T-13 projects. w00t! I'm excited.

The "Scotty" Chubbie and the "Scotty" kit are both by Farrah's Creations. This is one of two Chubbies in the pack, the other is not quite so glamorously dressed. The Chubbies equate more with Krissy's Dolls than they do with a poser tube. I tend to use Krissy's Dolls more as element add ins, while I think the Chubbies are intended more to be subject matter (similar to posers).

So Dangerous



This is the tutorial I'd wanted to try off Calypo Designs' blog and despite a less than perfect understanding of the french language, I managed to get through it and get the the tag to come out the way it was supposed to as well!

Maybe I'll try one of Candy's tutorial's next, now that I'm starting to get the hang of the controls.

The "Dangerous" Chubbie is from Farrah's Creations. The scraps were part of the tutorial materials on Calypso's blog. I did pick up the "Dangerous" taggers kit from Farrah as well, but haven't worked with it yet.

I'd been resisting the Chubbies up until now - I'm still not all that sold on them - but these were sort of fun to work with, so I will probably buy several more once I get paid again.

My Misty

When I moved to Florida from Ohio, I made a decision not to move my cats with me, largely because I didn't know where I was going, where I was staying or how long it would take me to find an apartment and a job, and having pets along would only complicate the matter. Not to mention the the fact that they would not have like the airline trip.

So I spent a lot of time finding good homes for them where I thought they'd be happy. I know that Eclipse bonded with the younger daughter of the family she was placed with the two where nearly inseparable. Coke became an only cat, which I think is what she wanted as she was always skittish and afraid, and was happy to be in a secure environment.

Nothing specific was ever said about Misty, but when I was talking to my mother on Christmas Eve, she related how Misty kept returning to my old house, looking for me. Then my mother would have to go, lure her off the roof, and return her to her new family. This happened several times, evidently, she just kept coming back. Whether she was actually looking for me, or if she was just equating the old place with being "her den", I don't know.

It's the way my mother put it. That she was "Looking for you."

25-years later, she's still punishing me for "running away from home" although I was well into my twenties at the time and had moved out on my own in the first place.

After growing up in an abusive household with an alcoholic parent, I suppose I was running way from home, but I certainly didn't run far enough, as she can still call me up to make sure I have a "happy" holiday.

Diamond of course says it shouldn't matter. She says I was destined to move here anyway and save her from living as a wild kitty ("yes and give Tristan home too") and what happened with "one that came before" shouldn't matter to me.

But it still makes me sad, breaking a little kitty's heart like that.

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The "My Kitty" Chubbie and the "Scottie" taggers kit scraps are all (c) by Farrah's Creations. The exceptions are the stocking - which is from Aussie Scraps Holly Jolly blog train contribution - and the kitty in the ornament which is from Designs by Sue.

Sue's little clip art cats can be purchased at the Aussie Scrap Store.



Tristan really was a naughty boy yesterday, so I got quite a kick out of the word art from Scrappin Obsession. The scraps are from the Holly Jolly/Christmas Around the World blog trains by Aussie Scraps, while the coal is courtesy of Queen Brat Designs.

And don't let this picture fool you into thinking he wss feeling at all remorseful about it. He slept in a pile of catnip yesterday and today. How remorseful could he be?