Happy Birthday, Barbie!!

Fifty-five years ago, Ruth Handler released what I think is the greatest toy in the world.  The Barbie doll is and always will be my favorite toy.  From the time I was three until much later in my teens than you'd expect, Barbie was pretty much the only thing I wanted to play with.  Ever after I grew out of playing with them, I still wanted the dolls. I'd try to fix the ones I experimented with, or whose hair disintegrated (that whole cottony hair thing? Not Mattel's best idea!) and for awhile tried to make clothes for them.  I never stopped loving the doll though.  Never stopped buying them, never stopped wanting a collector's dream room to fill with dolls I could never afford.  Barbie always represented that girls can be ANYTHING they want to be.  She never apologized for who she was, no matter how much people tried to knock her down.  Her blonde hair, her figure, even her eyeliner made her the subject of ridicule at times, but she's always been beloved, and she'll always be a huge part of me.

I wanted to make a birthday card to celebrate this milestone in Barbie's life.  I don't have any Barbie stamps that aren't children's toys--because there aren't any--but this is a pretty close substitute I think.

I'm of course linking to some challenges:

• The final Make it Monday Linky Party (sniff sniff!)
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - For A Special Girl (Barbie is SO special to me!)
• Card and Scrap - Use Dies
• Challenges 4 Everybody - #39 Anything Goes
• Just Be Creative Crazy Linky Party
• Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes
• Craftitude - Anything Goes
• Craftin' Desert Divas - Birthday Linky Party
• Word Play Saturday - Anything
• Crafty Creations Challenge - Birthday
• That Craft Place - Anything Goes
• 613 Avenue Create - #62 Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge Blog - Anything Goes
• Glitter N Sparkle - Anything Goes
• WhoopsiDaisy - Birthday
• Love To Create - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes/Use A Brad (there's one in the flower!)
• Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• The Stamping Boutique #7 - Make Your Sentiment POP!
• Crafty Girls Card Challenge - Anything Goes
• Crafting From The Heart - #9 Anything Goes/Favorite Colors (Mine are pink, purple and turquoise!)
• Melonheadz Friends - Bright Colors
• Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes
• As You Like It - Favorite Coloring Medium - I used ALL THREE of mine on this card: Copics, Spectrums and metallic watercolors.  Copics and Spectrums cause of the vibrant color and blending, and watercolors because they're so versatile and unlike anything else
• Addicted To Stamps - #86 Anything Goes
• DLArt Linky Party
• Craft All Day - #4 Anything Goes
• Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for looking and Happy Birthday, Barbie!  Laters!