Gnome-N-Birdy

Polaroid Love

2011-01-12T07:52:00.000-08:00

If your in the same boat as me and don't have the luxury of owning

your own Polaroid camera check out these great kits,

and web application for achieving the same great "shot" digitally.

Digi kits from Kitschy Digitals

clothesline, and vintage cameras

Flickr desktop application

poladroid

(click on images for sources)

Elephants on Parade - Etsy Friday

2011-01-07T09:43:00.000-08:00

Back in 2007 when I was just starting my blog and etsy shop,

back when i had no clue what I was doing and had very little clue

of what I wanted to share with the world

I started out with a logo of elephants on parade.

So it's no surprise that I have a soft spot for these giant creatures,

and when I stumbled upon the etsy shop Todd Design

it was love at first sight.

If elephants aren't quite your thing, oh well no worries

there are 145 digital items in this amazing shop

and I guarantee you that you will find something or many somethings

that will have you gasping for air too!

While you are there don't skip out on reading the shop announcement page,

because right now you can get 1 kit free when you purchase 4!

Super Scrapbooker to the Rescue

2011-01-03T08:07:00.000-08:00

What makes a superhero so amazing?

It's their super awesome powers of course!

Well you too will have all the powers and tools

you need to be a superhero in your own right

with this assortment of superhero themed digital kits and paper printables

Comic Digital papers created by Cupcake Cutiees

available at My Grafico

Pages created using the Spidey Kids Bundle

from Armina Designs

currently 40% of through the Month of January

Justice League free printables from

Paper and Pomegranates

Superhero Birthday Party ideas from Sprinkled With Flour

Not sure where super mom of My Chic Life got these awesome

POW - ZAP- VABOOM images but these cupcakes kick butt!

Printable superhero favor/treat bag toppers

from Wants & Wishes.

Loving her blog chalked full of amazing party ideas for all types of soirees

Super fun masks and armband free printable templates

from oliebollen

while you are there check out how to make

your own Unlikely superhero with your little ones!

Now go be SUPER!

Bring on the JUNK!

2010-12-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

I recently stumbled upon the concept of Junk or Junque Journaling.

Basic concept: Fill your sketchbook with random "junk", the more the better!

The themes for junk journals are endless. Some make collage book about special memories, or things they dream about. For others it's all about total destructions with topics like "Place sticky things here". if you need ideas to keep you going you might be interested in the sketchbook Wreck this Journal. I think this book would be a great way for young artist to explore new ideas and mediums. I think I'm going to get one myself and make it a group activity with my future foster kids. Yes, if you don't read my ittybittybirdy blog - my husband and I are going to be foster parents soon! If you are not into journals or don't think your are an artist try to think about your own scrap-booking and how random "junk" might transform it.

Click on the images for the sources to these great examples

and to see more of their amazing work :D

RetroKitschyFun NEW Etsy Fridays

2010-12-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

I really am terribly humiliated by my pathetic blogging this past year.I let this blog fall to the waist side and for that I apologize.

I've been contemplating writing a goodbye post but I can't even seem to get that done.I love the idea of this blog, and so must you because within such a short period of time and with so few post there are so many of you! So I'm going to give it one more go and see if I can't get my little butt in gear.I think having some schedule will help, and so my first new blog topic

is Etsy Fridays

RETRO: Created by me - ittybittybirdy

SweetLoveVinta... $22.00	jherrmann $7.00	sushipotparts $68.00	AuntBucky $65.00
swellkid $10.00	gabelanza $200.00	thevintagetree... $20.00	nickeldesign $45.00
mamamade $7.25	jherrmann $18.00	nickandnessies $32.00	forestofice $20.00
snapco $10.00	WrenWillow $22.00	TheVintageWren $11.00

Kitschy: Created by UfiaFair

TheThinVeil $13.50	melanieperalto... $20.25	savagespider $7.50	backstashandby... $8.00
FastEddiesRetr... $20.00	gaudyfairy $	ismoyo $9.00	UglyUnicorn $2.50
nice $16.00	AttysVintage $10.00	awildtonic $8.25	ArtfulVintage $11.00
theoccasionalm... $	dollbabyonline $18.95	TreasureHouseV... $14.00	chocolatelette... $12.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Fun: Created by Psyboom

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

RichardandRuth... $25.00	miniaturepatis... $32.90	ohcilly $20.90	EyeCandyCreati... $180.00
SOULFULSTYLE $30.00	janinebasil $23.00	cakemates $45.00	retromama $8.00
Missbluebirdan... $11.00	RusticRainbow $26.00	sunsetsandtea $22.00	chunkychooky $45.00
sugarpinkbouti... $	leJeune $12.00	cherrytime $20.00	tascha $15.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Sorry about the cut off images :(

I'll try not to let that happen again.

Let's Catch up...

2010-09-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

It's clearly been far to long since our last post

and I apologize for that...

and dang it all no good excuses come to mind

but believe me our absence doesn't mean we've been in hibernation

Karli and I have been plenty busy...

If miss Karli wasn't busy enough

she now has little Plant #3

on his merry way!

YES if you haven't heard

She is having a BOY!!!!

This summer Karli also collaborated

with our very good friend

- Julie from Minitoko

If you haven't spotted this freebie yet

well then what are you waiting for?

YES it's free so click click click away my digi lov'n friends

but just come back you here me... :)

wait wait go back...

did you take a good look around Mini Toko Ville?

Pretty mind blowing right?

yeah if the digi kits don't make your head spin

the website design, craft tutorials,

and Julie's super retro cute family and home will!

ACK! Love it all!!!!

Check out Julie's blog if you still don't get what I'm giddy about!

Let's see so what have I been up to these days?

hmmmm well probably my most exciting news

is that I finally followed my heart and got a pixie cut

haven't had a bad hair day all summer!

I'm working on a new digi kit that I hope to have out soon

but it's been a difficult one for me to concentrate on

but who knows maybe with the weather changing

I'll finally have the drive to sit at my computer

like a good little girl

I wanted to share some new digi goodness

from etsy Artisan April Harris of Jane Says

Aprils shop is always an eye catcher

always full of happy colors and fun whimsical creations

so it is very exciting to see her work start to come to life

in digital form

Check out Jane Says growing line of digi products by clicking HERE!

April has generously offered Gnome-N-Birdy readers

her Dig-Love-Hearts kit FREE with any digi purchase made in her shop

Just mention this blog post in the note to seller

offer ends 12-31-2010

I just love how this page turned out!

Digi kits from

Jane Says - Mini*Toko - A Print A Day - Tada

Scrapbooking Goes to the Cats

2010-07-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon the colorful world of

Lilly Bimble

(don't you just love how that rolls off the tongue!)

a few months ago and instantly fell in love with her doodles,

crafts, and clip art creations.

Just look at her inspiration!

It's no wonder her work is so fun and playful

I enjoy seeing Lilly's work evolve

like this set of hand painted Matryoshkas

that eventually inspired her digital clipart set

perfect for an array of hand made projects

but of coarse at Gnome-N-Birdy

we love scrapbooking!

and so fellow scrapbookers

if you love clip art and bright bold colors

check out Lilly's growing collection of

digital scrapbooking goodies

and while you are taking a peak

make sure to grab Lilly's Spotted Cat FREE download!

I'm more of a dog person myself

but I do miss my friend Alissa's cat - Yoshimi

What a character!

additional digi credits:

Kitschy digitals - A Print A Day - Pugly Pixel - Minitoko

For the Love of Shrooms

2010-07-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

Without roaming your yard endlessly

find a toadstool that puts a smile on your face

and some much needed kitsch into your day

(click on images for source)

Interview with Paper Glitter

2010-06-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

Meet Linnette of Paper Glitter

She is super cute and talented to boot!

What is your educational background? How did you get interested in graphic design?

Art has always been a part of my life. After leaving my home city of Miami at 18, I pursued an Industrial Design degree and a minor in graphic design at the Cleveland Institute of Art. My focus there was Toy Design though. I loved the bright colors and graphics and endless possibilities of fun drawing. I always liked illustration and experimented with cute type of characters throughout my carrier. I really taught myself to use Adobe Illustrator to bring my sketches to life in bright, bold images.

Tell us about designing toys? How did you end up with such a dream job?

I was offered an internship during college at Fisher Price as a toy designer and I was sold! After college I became a toy designer for an inventing firm called the Obb in Englewood NJ. After about a year and half I became very homesick and decided to come back home to Miami. I then worked as an illustrator for a company for about 4 years and then I decided to open up my own business offering toy design and illustrations. So I have been a LLC company for about 5 years since then. I have incredible clients from all over the world and I feel spoiled and blessed at times--I get paid to basically play! Designing toys is very fulfilling.

Check out Linnette's Toy Portfolio on Flickr

What inspires your party lines?

I must admit, I am not a "party expert" per say. I recently started to wonder in this field. I love paper crafting and creating cute graphics and party kits tend to lend themselves to have endless paper crafting opportunities. I really could not resist joining the current trend of party printables. I think I can contribute lots of fun themes/graphics with unique paper crafting templates-that's my strength. What inspires me is usually is an illustration style I would like to explore. I like to experiment with different illustration styles, I don't like sticking to one style. Some days I feel like doing an all out Kawaii look, on other days the look may be more modern , it all depends on the type of illustration style I want take a crack at!

What, who inspires you as a designer?

Walking through the greeting cards section in Target is my joy! There are so many wonderful styles illustrated on today's greeting cards that I am quite inspired when I see them. The greeting card section at Target feels like a gallery show to me---I am such a nerd! But I don't believe in copying--it takes a lot of work for designers to come up with images that bring emotion to someone looking at their images. Images already created should inspire one to desire to make their own and bring that level of emotion you just felt by someone else's work into your own :) I also love the following illustrators:http://www.greenbeanart.com/,http://www.fulanita.com/,http://www.worldofwassco.com/index.cfm.

What is you favorite childhood birthday (holiday) memory?

It has to be my mom's paper crafts. My mom would make our parties and she loved crepe paper-I can honestly still hear the sound that paper made as she worked late at night crafting our party items. She would make paper hats for everyone with lots of glitter--maybe that's where I get it from!

What are you working on next?

I am catching up with work at the moment and doing some very secret Kawaii projects! For PaperGlitter I am working on adding new items in the near future including some boy items.

Are you okay with people using your downloads for their digital scrapbooks?

Sure! I actually encourage it. I sell collage sheets and am planning to add more as well. As long as they print cut and play I don't have a problem with it :)

Favorite sweet treat?

I LOVE mcdonalds caramel sundae with one of their apple pies smooshed inside the sundae itself--so gross and bad for you--yet so good!

What have you designed that you are most proud of? (toy or download)

For a toy-it would have to be this My Little Pony Ponyville Boutique. It was one of those projects I knew it would work well before even drawing the first line on paper. I was given the assignment and within moments I had it carved out in my mind. For my downloadable PDF's, it would have to be my sweet paper dolls. I thought not only as an illustrator while designing them but also as a toy designer. I wanted to make sure they were easy to cut and I wanted the accessories to hang really well on the dolls.

Outside of design what do you do for fun?

I read blogs and craft magazines like crazy-these are my simple pleasures. I also like to go window shopping. I recently have had an interest in baking.

Top 3 favorite etsy shops?

Enid Wilson Studio

Greenbean Baby

Paper Platypus

Top 3 favorite blogs?

PaperCrave, Bakerella

(of course) and Fresh-Linen {she has such a great sense of style I wish I had!}

Check out Linnette's entire line of paper party supplies

by checking out her online shop and her wonderful blog

and don't miss out on her Freebies while you are there!

Doll Face I love you! + R U UP 4 A CHALLENGE?

2010-05-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

When Karli and I started throwing out ideas for this blog

we compiled quite a long list...

the main goal was to create a community

for all us kitschy, kawaii, bright, candy colored gals

who love scrap-booking, crafting, and the like

we both felt like we needed a place to showcase great work

and fun new products

and in just a few months we have grown to 70 strong!

WOW! THANKS!

But we want to grow more!!!

and we don't want to just inspire we want to play!

with you!

So how 'bout it?

If you have any ideas, work you want to share,

or maybe a product you think we should showcase next

please let us know.

One of the things I want to start

are bi-weekly or monthly scrap challenges

with themes such as a color, item, or page theme

I especially love the idea of scrap-booking what you love.

We all love our families, friends, and pets

but what about favorite items you own,

a favorite book, song, or place?

well think about it?

And be sure to let me know if the idea interest you?

Todays collection is a great example of what I'm trying to say

All these scrap'n gals

LOVE THEIR Blythe DOLLS!

(Click on pages for source)

Throw a Retro Sweet Birthday Bash

2010-05-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

1. Amazing Circus Birthday Cake - Weeeeeeeee, 2. '60's tray of party goodies:), 3. Charlotte Cupcake Picks! 2, 4. Happy Birthday Missy!!!, 5. Hi, Granddaughter, 6. Candy Bar!, 7. Seventeen magazine 1949 September, 8. birdie cupcake toppers, 9. Dripping with Sweetness

I thought you might enjoy a sweet compilation

of birthday ideas and inspiration

perhaps you are planing a special b-day party soon

and like myself are terrified of endless arcade games

and giant houses filled with air

and children screaming in delight at the top of their lungs

to the point of your ear drums exploding?

Does the idea of a backyard barbeque with adult interaction

and a chance to show off your creative spirit

and make all the other moms blush and applaud

your martha stewart you can do it attitude!

make you feel giddy and excited?

ME too!

Well I don't have little ones

so maybe I'm being a tad overzealous

of how much energy moms really have

but I know you gals have what it takes!!!

because after-all it's the blogging creative world

that I retrieve my inspiration from!

Loving ideas from ~

"Kate's Fairy Garden Birthday Party" - The TomKat Studio

"How to Throw a Super Fun, Super Cheap Event" - Babble.com

"Kendy's Big First Birthday... Party!" - Karli of Retro Plants

"DIY Pinata" - Everyday Celebrating & Inchmark

Sweetie World Candy!

If your like every other mom out there

you probably have oodles of pictures of everyone else

but none of you! Make sure you change that!

Nothing's more sad that a scrapbook missing mommas face

after all, someday when you are looking back through memory lane

with your children they are going to want to see mom too -

yes even those embarrassing haircuts and spandex pants

once the energy comes back

but before the next round of birthday bashes come around

make the memories last

and to insure that all your hard work is not quickly forgotten

document the special day!

That is why I am so excited about my new kit

Birthday girl

Here I am on my 7th birthday

gosh I remember going and seeing Beauty and the Beast in Theaters

the ball room scene where the room seems to spin still enchants me

visit my blog for my scrap pages using my new kit

and for all the digi kit sources

Enjoy a couple more retro sweet digi pages

Digi page from: The Gnome Hut a.k.a Retro Plant

Digi page from: Early Bird Special

~ Chelsea Ann

from jpgs. and layers to paper and glue

2010-04-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

If the last post made your head spin

don't fret... we love paper scrap'n too!

we all have our own unique style

me + paper, glue, and scissors just don't mix

but look at these great scrappers

who use everything from staples to ribbons

and even some digi kits too

so don't be blue if

you + Adobe and layers just wont do

(click on srap-pages for sources)

The Sweet Yummy Goodness of Digi Scrap'n

2010-04-10T16:13:00.000-07:00

Don't feel silly if you don't really "get" the whole digital scrapbooking thing

you're not alone! In fact the majority of people I talk to

have no clue what it is? I'm in NO way an expert on the subject

but I thought some of you would enjoy a relatively quick guide

to what you need and need to know to get started.

What is Digital Scrapbooking

from Two Peas in a Bucket

- I would highly recommend reading this

to get you started :)

First: You need Software

- this is where I am a little ignorant. I use Adobe Photoshop.

There are other programs that you can use

but again I can't tell you the pros and cons of one software program vs. another.

The price of Photoshop might give you sticker shock,

in which case you might look into Photoshop Elements.

I've also never used this program but I hear its a good choice

for getting started and those who are little skittish of learning new technologies.

for getting the best price look into purchasing a used version (maybe CS3)

or see if you can get a student discount

Second: Learn the basics

You don't have to go to school to learn how to use these programs.

I'm self taught :) and I believe Karli is too!

My suggestion is to purchase a " software" for Dummies book.

Whatever one is dedicated to the software you have.

The first thing you will want to learn are the basic tools.

Don't be scared off by the terminology! It really doesn't matter...

you can just learn the images on the buttons.

*try to learn the key commands! They ROCK!

Next you will want to learn about layers.

LAYERS ARE KEY!!!!

Also learn basic saving techniques so that you can come back

and work on a project and for posting your work on-line.

plus if you want to print eventually learn the difference between RGB/CMYK

Third: Buy kits

Once you have the software digital scrapbooking is far less expensive

than traditional scrapbooking products.

Kits prices range from around $1 up to $8 or so,

with most kits probably in the $2-4 range.

PLUS you can download freebies,

which we are showcasing on our blog all the time :)

Once you have purchased your kit you will have it forever.

FOR E V E R - Yeah I'm saying it like The Sandlot style

There is no oops moments with the glue and scissors.

Plus printing is always an option.

Fourth: Displaying Your Scrapbook

There are many ways to display your digi scrapbook

if you are technology savvy you can make a slideshow movie

I made one this Christmas for my family by first making a slide show of my pages

then used iDVD to turn it into a movie.

It was all relatively simple and looked really professional

+ it was a huge money saver compared to purchasing gifts for everyone :)

You can also have your scrapbook printed and bound

to share with your family and friends over a cup of jo.

You could upload them to a digital picture frame viewer

or make a private (or public) website for friends and family

to view from all over the globe

In short Digital Scrapbooking is fun!

and a wee bit addictive... so be careful ;)

Feel free to ask either myself or Karli basic technique questions

we are always happy to help

we hope that perhaps one or two of you will get the digi bug too

and maybe soon we will be showcasing your work on

Gnome-N-Birdy!

Digi Pages:

1. ittybittybirdy - kits from Minitoko and Kitschy Digitals

2. The Gnome Hut - Kits from Kitschy Digitals and personal vintage ephemera

3. Karine Imagine - Kits from Kitschy Digitals and Pugly Pixel

Macaroon delights!

2010-04-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

go and check out this AMAZING digital *freebie* from Katrina over at PuglyPixel!
just delicious and sweet and ALL things good!

this gnome and birdy LOVE it!
go and get some macaroons for yourself HERE

"Cute as a macaroon"
made by. . . Karli Plant

kits used:
Pugly Pixel: macaroons
Kitschy Digitals: vintage stacking flowers, cabinet cards
Minitoko: cute foods
Three Paper Peonies: school paper

1950's love

2010-03-26T10:24:00.001-07:00

some FUN images from the 1950's. . .
what a time of innocence, kitsch and classic design.
makes this little gnomes heart flutter.
love.

happy weekend folks!
xoxo Karli

and the WINNER is. . .

2010-03-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Colleen from HappyLittleArt. . .
congratulations Colleen!
hope you enjoy your Minitoko digital kit!
it should "kawaii" up your life a bit! ;)

thanks to ALL who entered and for showing their love for Julie and Minitoko :)
if you didn't win and you are a bit bummed. . . don't despair too much!
Julie release a different version of the exclusive "Kawaii Ribbon" kit which you can purchase HERE.

she has also made up a little *FREEBIE* so,
please go and download that to get your Minitoko "fix"! ;)

thanks again everyone for entering!

Minitoko giveaway {extension}

2010-03-12T14:56:00.001-08:00

hey lovely peeps. . . hope you had a GREAT week and that your weekend will be FUN and full of kitschy, retro goodness!

just a heads up before the weekend starts. . .

our Minitoko giveaway was supposed to be ending tonight at midnight but, guess what!?!
we have decided to extend the giveaway until next Wednesday, March 17th.
lucky, lucky you!

please leave a comment HERE to enter the giveaway. . . you don't want to miss out on winning this marvelous *exclusive* kit made by Minitoko JUST for gnome-n-birdy!
very kawaii.
very fun.
very, very awesome!

look at what you can make:

made by chelsea ann

products used:
Minitoko
IttyBittyBirdy

made by karli

products used:
Minitoko
IttyBittyBirdy
TheGnomeHut

so don't miss out!
please enter this fantastic Minitoko giveaway HERE

For the love of Minitoko

2010-03-07T21:22:00.000-08:00

so *very* excited to share with all you lovely retro, kitschy peeps. . . MINITOKO!

Minitoko is the brain child of Julie Fujara. . . a France based artist whose creations revolve around kawaii. . . glorious, bright colors. . . humor. . . crafting. . . and Japan goodness!

good golly, miss Julie. . . her blog, Flickr photostream and *newly* released line of digital scrap booking products showcase her AMAZING talent and keen eye for all that is KAWAII!!!
seriously.
make your heart stop CUTE.
really, don't believe me? just look:

have you stopped breathing yet from all the kawaii goodness your eyes just witnessed?

{well. . . lucky for you. . . you can get EVEN more eye candy (i know!more!?!) by visiting Julie's website. . . www.minitoko.com. . . just click and PLAY!
that's right, play!
i love how Julie adds her unique styling and fun to her website. . . you can literally "play" around. so go and try. . . SO worth the trip. . . your eyes will thank you! :)}

we are just *SO* Ga-Ga over Minitoko here at Gnome-N-Birdy that we wanted to learn more about miss Julie and all that inspires her to design and create such wonderful art. . .
Julie was sweet enough to take some of her time and "sit down" and answer a couple of questions for us. . . here goes!

Gnome-N-Birdy: Where do you live?

Minitoko (Julie):
in a historic town named Bourges, center of France

Gnome-N-Birdy: What are you inspirations?

Minitoko (Julie):
Americana and japanese pop cultures used to be my favorites inspirations for a long time. But I got a obsession with anything which is colorful and/or related to sweet food ;), Modern Tiki and vintage disneyana (I cried when I visited the very first disneyland in CA !)

Gnome-N-Birdy: What are you LOVES? <3

Minitoko (Julie):
my 2 chéris : Brune my husband and Otohiko my 5 months old boy, rock'n'roll (from 1950 to 1968), Motown artists like the Temptations and girls group, the Ramones, my band les YumYumYummees(.com), Computer Graphics, Sewing and making anything with my fingers, cats, checking my contact's favorites on flickr - oh lala too many things !

thanks Julie for taking the time to share your muses for such wonderful work!

speaking of "wonderful work". . . check out these digital scrap pages by Julie:

kits used:
Minitoko
Kitschy Digitals
IttyBittyBirdy
TheGnomeHut

*swoon*! do you see what i mean about color and kawaii? just fantastic!
check out ALL of Minitoko's digital scrapping products HERE.
so many *new* kits to choose from. . . and *new* ones are always on the way. . .
so check back often! :)
here is a sampling:

CUTE! did you like?
well listen up!
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
that's right. . . yay!
Julie is the sweetest gal and is offering a *limited* edition kit available only through THIS giveaway. . . exclusive for Gnome-N-Birdy!

can you believe it?
we can't either!
pinch us all lucky. . . so, you want in?
here's what to do:

go HERE and pick our your *fav* Minitoko digital scrapping kit. . .
leave a nice comment here about your *FAV* Minitoko kit and your name and e-mail. . .
all done!

that's it :)
easy as saying "kawaii".
we will randomly draw a winner on the evening of Friday March 12th. . . midnight!
you have until then to enter. . . so hurry up!
we will announce the winner on Saturday.
{you don't want to miss this. . . trust me! did i mention it is an exclusive kit JUST for this giveaway?}

thanks JULIE for everything!
love all you do and keep it up ;)

Double- NO! Make that Quadruple Bunny Points

2010-03-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

If you're in the mood to learn something new

I would encourage you to sign up for

this really sweet online class

where you will learn how to step by step

make adorable easter critters

a bunny banner and cozy slipper

and all kinds of other springtime goodies

The class is hosted by Stina of Sagolikt Pyssel

with guests Stina of Get Lucky,

and our very own Karli of the Gnome Hut!

and I have a good feeling it will be

a bunny hoppin' good time!

I'm very delighted to share my latest digi kit

Hippity POPpity~!

PLUS!

I made these twitterpated bunnies

in the same style as my Animal Cracker Kits

that you can download here

(download will expire in 30 days)

If you have any issue with the download just leave a comment

and I will e-mail the file to you when I get home Monday the 8th :)

this is a png file - if you would like JPG form just contact me :)

I would say this post deserves some

DOUBLE BUNNY POINTS

wouldn't you?! :)

Make sure you come back soon~

We have a very special post planned for next Monday!

Dy-NO-Mite Scrapbooking

2010-02-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

First off - Thank you so much for being so patient with us

as we worked out our pesky Internet Explorer issue.

For those who contacted us about the issue

Double THANK YOU!

we are still working on the sidebars

but everything should be back in place soon

I've recently been on this kick of

reminiscing about the totally sweet ol' 80s

and how fabulously AWESOME they were.

okay so I was only 5 when it was all said and over

and a new decade rolled into town

but hey it counts right?

From the Cartoons, music, and shoulder pads

it was a to the max tubular time

well at least in the eyes of a child

even now you can't help but love the look?!

yes for those of you with your heads in the sand

the 80's are totally back - like for sure!

Even those beloved characters like

Strawberry Shortcake, and My Little Ponies

have made a bright comeback

I think it is too funny that of all the lunchbox charters

I could have chosen from as a little girl

I chose Alf

and as to prove that my hubby and are a perfect match

his first lunch box was also that cat eating lovable alien - ALF

and yes we still record Alf - he is our morning background noise

as the news always puts me in a fowl mood

All Digi Backgrounds are from Karli

as she is the most Retro lov'n gal I know!

and the frames are from the Kitschiest graphic designer

in Cyber space - Danielle Thompson from Kitschy Digitals

have a Retro Sweet Weekend~

Chelsea Ann

2010-02-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

What an icky blog right? I know! We are in midst of fixing Gnome-n-Birdy

- after it came to our attention that it wasn't loading properly

for our Internet Exporer friends.

Please bare with us as we work towards fixing the issue.

Thanks! Chelsea Ann and Karli

Quirky Bean Bags?

2010-02-17T21:11:00.000-08:00

What do you call these silly things?

Do you remember them?

I vaguely recall them from my childhood

They were filled with beans?

Well if I could sew

I think I would start making these guys

and filling them with rice

i've had a knot in my neck and shoulders all week

and a warm froggy or turtle would do just the trick I think

Winner of the Valentine's Day Giveaway is

Linda of Lambsworld

now I'm off to sweet talk my hubby into a neck massage

or perhaps a long bubble bath will be less work ~ lol

oh how I miss the good ol' days of dating

Now when I ask for something

I get the roll of the eyes or called a nag

good grief

~ how did this happen? LOL

A Very Kitschy Sweet Valentines to You

2010-02-13T14:53:00.000-08:00

I've got a bit of a holiday decorating bug

when I was a little girl my mom had this pencil tree

that she would decorate for all the holidays

from January to the end of December

the tree was always a happy reminder

of the holidays and seasons we most loved

I love Valentines mostly for its kitschy sweet

in your face ridiculous over the top cliche ways of saying

"I LOVE YOU"

as my husbands clearly explained to me this morning

"why do I need to write anything in your card when Hallmark says it all?!"

In the 6 years I have been with my husband

I have only ever received 3 cards

and I'm a BIG sucker for cards!

In fact ALL I am expecting this year is a card

LOL I hope he doesn't screw up!

What is it about cards that makes us feel so good?

I love having an excuse to spend a good 20 minutes or so in the card isle

and don't tell me you haven't ever secretly purchased one for yourself!

or is that just me? (BLUSHING)

This post is meant to inspire you to look

at your card collection in a whole new light

especially those of use that love collecting vintage cards

but never know quite how to display and get the most enjoyment out of them

because honestly how many of us

just have them stored in boxes and drawers?

This first project is really fun and supper easy.

A great project for showers, parties, and holiday Decor

~ would be really cute in a nursery too!

To make your own garland using vintage cards you will need

Vintage Cards - Card Stock Copies preferably

Yarn, pom poms, large needle, scissors, extra card stock and tape

Simply cut out your cards, and laying right side down

tape a strip of card stock onto the back

(tape only the ends leaving the middle clear

to insert your needle and yarn)

Once you have all you cards ready simple string

your cards and pom poms

and finish by tying loops at either end

then evenly space your cards and pom poms

and your done! easy peasy!

For my Valentines Garland I used this really sweet vintage Valentines digital kit

from Daine of Saturday Finds

plus my own digital kit Rainbow Rosettes

If you're wanting to make something extra special with vintage cards

but don't have quite have what you need for your theme

Etsy and other online venues are a great source

Above are just a few of Diane's projects

using cards from her own personal collection

and because Daine is just as sweet as the artwork she creates

she is giving away a copy of her Vintage Valentines Digit Kit

plus some secret something extra special to one of our commenters!

Winner will be announced Thursday

Oh I just love working on my baby scrapbook

it will be a really sweet gift for my mommy dearest someday

One of the things I want to do is scan in the baby cards

from my own original baby book - what an extra special touch

and as I am a 80's baby there are some extra cute retro fun and colorful characters :)

If you're not a digital scrapbooker you can also use vintage cards

but you will most likely want to make copies on acid free paper and such

to ensure that your memories will last for years and years to come

This Vintage Ballerina Card is a perfect example

of how you can really use any themed card to fit your page

- This card had a lot of unwanted verbiage

but with the help of Photoshop magic

the words simply disappeared.

A simple and cute idea for paper scrapbookers

is to cover those areas with glitter or flocking

but I bet you were already thinking of that, right?

Digital Sources:

Love you Mommy

Herringbone Background: Erica Hernandez

Frame: Thrift Store Chic Picture Frames from Kitschy Digitals

Paper Hearts: Sweet Marie from yours truly (ittybittybirdy)

Vintage Cards: Saturday Finds Vintage Valentines Cards CD

Ballerina

Background: Gingham Trio from the Gnome Hut

Paper Hearts, Lace, and Frame: Sweet Marie from ittybittybirdy

Vintage Card and Trim Detail: Saturday Finds Vintage Valentines Cards CD

and those rad Valentines circles are from Karli's fab

Valentines Freebie!

Sweet!

Happy V-day to you!

P.S. Don't forget to comment

for your chance to win the very kitschy

Vintage Valentines CD from Saturday Finds!

seeing Rainbows

2010-02-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

Chelsea Ann is seeing rainbows and sharing that colorful LOVE with us!

*new* digi paper kit. . . bright, cheery and JUST right to get you in the mood for spring!
go and get it HERE.

happy weekend and look out for our V-Day Post. . . it will be full of love, projects and *giveaways!*

K.R.F. V-Day Finds

2010-02-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

So I was thinking it might get old saying

"Hey look at these Kitschy, Retro, Fun..."

so I'm trying out the acronyms K.R.F.

hmmmmmm, Yeah I think that maybe

this isn't such a good idea afterall

but given you all know what I'm referring to this time-

here you go ~ K.R.F. V-day flickr finds to sink your teeth into ~ ENJOY!

1. how sweet!, 2. New at the Emporium!, 3. Today's doodle,

4. Sweet Hearts Garland, 5. translation. . . freebie,

6. Turtle, 7. felt & ric rac gingerbread hearts, 8. Prom dress

You know ~ if you haven't made it to the super market yet

and you don't want to explain to your little princess

that all they had left were Power Ranger Valentine's Day cards

or you just want to show off how

{"I'm the most original gal in this town"}

unique and awesome you are

or because Danielle's free kit is so amazing and you just know

your friends will cry when you say I love you

with a sharp looking panda and shy little fox Valentine

Well if you said

"hey that's me!" to any of the following

click here to jump over to Danielle's blog The Thompson Family Life

for your free download!

Hello from Gnome-N-Birdy

2010-01-29T19:04:00.000-08:00

If you were to describe yourself how would you start?

Perhaps you would tell us a little about

what you've done with your life

or perhaps where you live...

but most likely you would describe the things you love.

Well as I sit here in-front of my computer contemplating how describe this new blog...

the only thing that comes to mind is to share what we love.

This blog was created out of friendship and shared passions.

Karli (a.k.a Gnome Hut & Retro Plant)

and I (Chelsea Ann of ittybittybirdy)

discovered that not only did we LOVE the same things

but that we also loved to share what we loved with the world.

This blog is our way of uniting our efforts into one place.

We hope that this blog will serve as a source of inspiration-

showcasing artist we love, items worth googling over,

and bringing you fun new ideas

to incorporate into your own lives.

So what is it that we really love?

It's simple...

WE LOVE ALL THINGS

Kitschy

Retro

Fun

We really want this to be an interactive blog -

please share your thoughts... share what you love!

For those of you who have some how magically stumbled upon our blog

but have no idea who we are I thought I would share a little bit more...

more similarities that is :)

Karli and I are both newbies to the world of Asian Fashion dolls

My hubby surprised me this Christmas

with the most BEAUTIFUL Record Player!

And to top it off I also got a $100 winning scratch-it ticket in my stocking

and that is how I was able to get my first doll (Pullip)

Marianne who's just as sweet as can be!

I'm spoiled!

Karli's first doll - Simple Peppermint

arrived this last fall and I have no clue where Karli's genius and energy comes from

but her Eve (dolls new name) already struts around with the greatest accessories

from prize ribbons to the sweetest dolly sized valentine cards -

which unfairly sold out before I could snatch a set for myself ~ oh-well :)

Karlie and I first became acquainted through flickr

were I fell in love with her collection of vintage toys.

As you can see I have a bit of a collection myself :)

Among a hand full of other things

WE BOTH LOVE LOVE LOVE

to digital scrapbook!

And within the last year we have also started to make

digital scrap-booking products of our own.

This new blog will no doubt be full of great retro-kitschy-fun digital kits,

project ideas, and how-to tutorials.

We really really want to share our love for digital scrap-booking with you!

Because it's fun!

Make sure you stop by for our Valentines Day post -

we are going to share great ideas for scrap-booking, and crafting

using digital downloads of vintage Valentine day card

- or of coarse you can use cards from your own collection!

~ There will be a special giveaway too :)

Oh ~ I almost forgot!

Karlie put together this really sweet Valentines kit

for our new friends here at Gnome-N-Birdy

Click HERE to get your free kit!

(for personal use only)

~Phew that was quite a lot of information ~

I guess it just shows how excited we are!

So hello everyone and welcome to Gnome-N-Birdy!

Gnome-N-Birdy

Polaroid Love

Elephants on Parade - Etsy Friday

Super Scrapbooker to the Rescue

Bring on the JUNK!

Retro*Kitschy*Fun **NEW** Etsy Fridays

I really am terribly humiliated by my pathetic blogging this past year.I let this blog fall to the waist side and for that I apologize.

is Etsy Fridays

Let's Catch up...

Scrapbooking Goes to the Cats

For the Love of Shrooms

Interview with Paper Glitter

Doll Face I love you! + R U UP 4 A CHALLENGE?

Throw a Retro Sweet Birthday Bash

from jpgs. and layers to paper and glue

The Sweet Yummy Goodness of Digi Scrap'n

Macaroon delights!

1950's love

and the WINNER is. . .

Minitoko giveaway {extension}

For the love of Minitoko

Double- NO! Make that Quadruple Bunny Points

Dy-NO-Mite Scrapbooking

Quirky Bean Bags?

A Very Kitschy Sweet Valentines to You

seeing Rainbows

K.R.F. V-Day Finds

Hello from Gnome-N-Birdy

RetroKitschyFun NEW Etsy Fridays