Oriental - Family

Evening - my second post of the day! 

I'm back to share my latest Polkadoodle DT make, pop over to the main Polkadoodles blog to see all the details!

 I'm loving the new Dollie Daydream goes East, oriental collection. The papers and images are gorgeous so it was so easy for me to to make this project this week. I used one of the scene papers which I cropped before adding the fab oriental family sentiment. I printed out the stunning character and coloured her with a mix of markers including the amazing Graph'It markers.  As the papers are so beautiful I kept to simple matting and layering to complete my card.

Here's a close look at the lady - 

I hope you agree with me, this is a stunning image and fabulous to colour too. Looking forward to seeing all you entries!!

Take care Zo xx

Turquoise & purple rule!

Hello everyone - well I'm delighted to share this DT project with you all as it's my first for the Graph It marker Colouring Challenge blog!

For this project I used the gorgeous Dollie Daydream Collection and I used the opportunity to make a card for my niece who has a birthday in February -

The Graph It markers I used are-

Skin = 4115, 4120, 4150, 4170 + 5140 & 6110 for shadows.

Hair = 7180, 7240, 7250, 7260, 7270.

Dress = 6130, 6170, 6185, 9100, 9505.

Here's some close ups - 

I added papers, lace and flowers etc from my stash. I absolutely loved colouring this image, the hair and dress really allow you to work on depth, tone and light. Fabulous!

I'm really looking forward to sharing more of my GI projects with you all and I hope you like them!!

Please shout if you ever want to know anything about colouring with markers, I'm more than happy to help and hope to create tutorials to help so please let me know what you would like to see.

Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 243

Morning!

Desk dashing time again so make sure you check in with Julia - the desk controller of the world to make the most of this adventure!

So my desk taken about half an hour ago - 

Had a re-jig of my pens to sort my Copics & Graph It markers. I like to have them all sorted into colours ranges/number order! Bit OCD I know.

Pens, charts and colouring.

Window side.

Sneaky peek at a new image.

I left my Project Life out last night to remind me to print photos and do last week's layout.

So that's me. Today I'm going quiet. Those that know me will be pleased to know the OT lady & Surveyor/Grant man from local council came yesterday to sort out the forms & to finalise plans to proceed with my wet room!! Plus I had some grab rails fitted. We are slowly getting there people!! Yay!!

Coffee time; oh before I go thought I'd share this photo - 

Guess which cheeky boy stayed in bed while the humans of the house got up?!!!! LOL

Take care Zo xx

In the Pink!

Morning! 

It's Tuesday so that means I'm here to share my Digi Choosday DT project.

So the DT were challenged to to be 'In The Pink' I took this very literally and used a bold shade to colour this gorgeous Dollie Daydream Girlie Talk  character using a mix of markers including Graph It's.  I coordinated the ribbon and ticket sentiments by colouring them to match with my markers. A simple embossed background with a few Candis finished it all off. I often like to put a bold coloured character onto a white background. It really makes the main image pop I think!

Here's a close up of the gorgeous girl.

I must admit I am so pleased with her hair, took me ages to colour, but I feel I really got the hair strands and shine to work!

Hope you have a fab day, don't forget to check out the main blog and our facebook page too. The design team are always popping in and out of the group so feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 242

Morning!

Hope you are all well? So it's desk displaying time again so pop over to Stamping Ground - home to Queen Julia of all desks who will explain what this is all about. 

So my desk - 

Usual suspects.

A mess! 

WIP covered deliberately I may add but zoom in to pick out details!!

The reason I keep my working desk in front of the window. Sun and a view. (Though you can't see that, I  can look out across the valley, up to the railway museum and see old steam engines going up and down the line!)

Chaos - so many Smash books!

Well done to those of you who spotted the different radio! My fabulous Union Jack radio broke :( so I bought a new radio because I listen to Talksport everyday. I know! But I love the banter, news and guest interviews.

Self-boasting alert! - Now some exciting news, some of you already know I'm on the Polkadoodles Design Team, well I have recently joined the Graph'it Design Team too!! I was honoured to be asked and as I love colouring, this was an opportunity I couldn't refuse. My first lot of samples were shown on the telebox yesterday. So exciting!!

So that's me, I shall visit you all, I may not always comment but I do pop by. I appreciate all of your love, it makes me smile and these days I need every smiling moment I can get. 

Take care Zo xx

Birthday Wishes

Happy Digi Choosday to you!

I'm back to share my latest DT make. All of the challenge details are over on the main Polkadoodles blog so why not pop over and check it out?

This week saw me make a birthday card (DT challenge met - check!) for an elderly family friend. I used the gorgeous Blossom Flower Picking image from the stunning Cherryblossom Lane Collection. I coloured her with a mix of markers including the superb Graph It's. Simple matting and layering of embossed Coredinations card, a ribbon/webbing & bow plus a ticket sentiment finished it all off nicely.

Here's a close up, shows off the embossing a treat I reckon!

Not sure why I chose these bold colours, they are what I fancied at the time. Once again I had to raid my scraps box as I coloured her before thinking of papers etc. If I don't have paper or can't print a paper to match I do what I have done. Scrap card + embossing folder = colour matching layers!

Take care Zo xx

Every Girl needs shoes!

Morning!

Well I'm back to share my latest Polkadoodles DT make and I can say I really enjoyed this one. Why not pop over and find out all the details and join in!

So the DT were asked to bring out our girlie side this week, and for me, that means shoes! I chose this gorgeous digi from the stunning new Dollie Daydream Girl Talk CD to make this calendar hanging. I printed out the images a number of times as I wanted to decoupage various sections and coloured each top part with a mix of markers. Simple matting and layering along with a calendar block and ribbon finished it all off.

And yes, the shoes had to be blue, of course!!

I decoupaged 3 layers and had to plan which one was top so I didn't colour more than I had too. Though, I did add a little colour around the edge of the layer below just so you can't see white! 

I didn't want to take away from the shoes so chose simple black and white layers, but the sparse white background did detract from the shoes so I used a fine liner and dotted lots of dots to 'fill' the space to take ensure the white didn't jump out too much. Am sure I saw someone do that on the TV and thought it bizarre but it really does work!

Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 241

Hello desk dashers!

I'll challenge you to spot the difference on my desk this week. But before I start dap over to Julia's Stamping Ground to join in, link up or just see what all of this is about.

Here's the photos -

I took this one yesterday to show you - my project 2013 smash book, filled to perfection. I never missed a week so it's a good record for us to look back on. I put it away and got out what is now on my desk.

Right hand side.

Window side. Oooh just notices the reflection of my taking the photo in the PL pockets. How cool is that! I'm going to do Project Life style this year as I feel it will be easier for me to keep up with as I did struggle with my smash book during spells when I was not so good.

This is my 1st week layout. I really love the idea of PL and its ease of use.

Don't forget to look out for the 'spot the difference' I'll give you a clue, it is something that you always see on my desk week in, week out!

That's it for me. I will say I did finally go to the doctors and have had my meds tweaked and had a fasting blood test to make sure there isn't anything else going on other than my conditions. Especially as I've been so bad of late. But here's to finding out for sure and hoping for a better 2014!

Take care my friends. Zo xx

It's a Boy!

Good morning, it's Tuesday again which means another Digi Choosday challenge launches over on the Polkadoodles blog. 

Here's my project - 

So for this challenge I couldn't resist using this gorgeous Teddy Bear I coloured him with a mix of markers including the fab Graph It's  I kept the project simple and used up some of my offcuts of card. I embossed them using some folders from my stash. Simple matting and layering and the sentiment finished it off.

I really enjoyed colouring this bear, I reckon he/she would look fab in any colour, in fact I may do that!

Here's some close ups -

Look forward to seeing your entries!

Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 240

Good afternoon, I'm finally here. I confess to sleeping all morning and then sorting chores etc but I have now taken photos. 

As always pop over to the amazing Stamping Ground - home of WOYWW for all the details to join us desk dashers. I see there is to be another crop, I will certainly try my best to get there again as I have loved every one so far!! I'm not far away so if anyone wants to come but needs to stay over I'm sure I can persuade Keagan to give up his room for the weekend!! 

Okay desk - 

Right side.

Window side. 

Sharing this angle to show off my gorgeous banner my fab friend Stephanie-Emma made me.

And as I type I have this little fella on my lap. Yep Baxter wants to join in this week!

All in all, my craft room is a mess. Needs major sorting so I plan on doing that this year. I'm going to get rid of stuff. Right that's me. Keagan will be home soon. 

Happy New Year, to those I've not 'spoken' to already!!

Take care Zo xx

New beginnings!

Well good morning - I'm back on this first Tuesday of 2014 to share my latest Digi Choosday at Polkadoodles DT make with you all.

For me, the New Year gives me chance to wipe the slate clean and come up with new ideas & plans. So I made this sign to go in my craft room to remind me - I used the new and gorgeous Dollie Daydream collection. Two of the sentiments created the background paper (both referring to shoes!) and then I used the stunning shoe which I printed three times so that I could decoupage it. I coloured each part using a mix of markers including Graph It's.

I added some ribbon and coloured some Candi to match. 

So my plan this year - to take each day as it comes and bring more colour into my life not just in my colouring!

Oh and shoes. A girl can never have too many shoes after all!!

Take care Zo xx

Birthday Wishes in January

Morning!

I'm back today to share my Crafty Boots DT make, the challenge is simply ANYTHING GOES! So fill your boots (ha get it?!!) and use those Crafty Chrimbo pressies as much as you wish!

I checked my calendar and saw I needed to start my birthday cards so I got started and made this one using a Saturated Canary image and some papers etc from my stash.

This image is 'Tea and a Book' and I love her!!

I've challenged myself to use up my old stash in 2014. I think, now, afterward trying nearly every type of craft I know colouring is my thing so I'm going to use up the paper kits, sell or give away other things I don't use. I will be doing a blog candy post soon so pop back often!!

Take care Zo xx

Christmas Card Keeper!

So today over on the Polkadoodles blog I've shared my first ever tutorial as a DT member. I'm a little nervous about it so I'd love it if you could pop over and leave me some love, or here!!

So here it is for you guys too -

 As it's the start of the year, most of us are tidying away the Christmas decorations and cards. As crafter's we all (I assume) receive gorgeous handcrafted cards from our crafty friends and, if you are like me, I can't bear to hide them away in a box what alone get rid of them. So I've made a Christmas card keeper that can be filed into Project Life or into a journal or folder. 

In order to make this you need two paper bags and some papers and embellishments to decorate, along with some ribbon. I chose to use papers and embellishments from the fabulous 'Home for Christmas' collection.

I started by preparing my two paper bags - 

I cut off the handles and glued the bases together.

As the two bags are going to lie like pages (like a bag album) I spent time making sure I could fold the bags backwards and forwards once the glue had dried.

Burnishing each fold/line.

Once happy I set about decorating my base. As I used two bags there are obviously two pouches to hold cards and four sides to cover so I printed off enough papers and embellishments to cover all the areas.

The bag bases create the spine so I also decorated the part that's inside. I may stick one of my bigger cards to this spine, creating another "page" if you like. It's important when covering the bags that you don't glue the openings together as this is where you keep your cards!!

Here you can see a small card popped inside the bag. My idea was to create a project to keep those special cards and I feel this is a great way to do so. Once each pouch is full you could clip it together or punch a hole and secure it with some extra ribbon. I haven't done this yet as I haven't taken down my cards!

As you can see in the top photo I punched two holes in the spine and tied some ribbon through, I could leave it as a separate album or pop it into a folder or journal. The finished project measures 8 1/2 x 7 inches.

I enjoyed preparing this tutorial for you and hope it provides a little inspiration.

Happy New Year everyone!

Take care Zo x

Our Favourite DT make from 2013

Happy New Year!

Hope you all enjoyed the Festive period but are now ready for 2014. I know I am!

Anyway, for this week's Polkadoodles challenge we were asked to go back and choose our favourite DT make from 2013.

Now for me, this was easy - A) I was a newbie DT so didn't join until later in the year and B) I knew straight away what to choose!!

 It had to be my santa hanging.

Here's what I said at the time - 

"For this challenge I decided to set myself a task of using the digi images from the amazing Home For Christmas CD  to create a wreath. I chose the fabulous Poinsettia and the super santa. I took both into Serif Craft Artist and digitally manipulated the images - flipping to face the opposite way & changing sizes - positioning them around a rough circular shape. Once happy I printed it off and coloured every single image with a mix of markers including some Graph It markers. I chose more contemporary colours to match my home decor and once coloured I attached a ribbon."

Here's some close ups - 

I proudly put this up in my kitchen and am reluctantly going to take it down. I spent too much time colouring this for it to hide away all year. Maybe I'll hang it in my craft room........

Take care Zo xx