Zoe Zentangles!

Eeek what a horrible day - it's grey, cold and wet, very wet!

Thankfully I haven't got to go anywhere, my boy is at home, not well, so I am on sympathetic mum duties!

Today I want to share some Zentangles with you. I recently rediscovered this wonderful form of doodling, after spying some fantastic creations while snooping the WOYWW desks. Anyway I bought a rather inexpensive art journal and started. My first creation was more about learning to 'doodle' in certain ways and creating forms. From then on I embraced this intricate (mine seem to be intricate and complex designs!) creation and went with whatever felt right. My first proper piece was formed around our initials (Z for Zoe & K for Keagan). It was on my desk the other week during WOYWW but now it's framed and on the wall -

I didn't want to keep it in the book I wanted to be able to see it, so I got it framed properly (my dad is an artist so I have a framer at hand!) and now I can see it every day, and I'm proud of it, it took a long time but it's special to me.

Some of my Zentangles will remain in that book, but others felt too creative to leave there. I drew a circular 'Zen-doodle' which I rather liked, so I took it out and cut it in half. I then backed it onto black card before mounting the 2 halves onto 2 cards.

See what you think? -

I kept the card simple - I felt the designs were detailed enough without over embellishing them. I'm really pleased with how they turned out, it's something different and I think these cards are unisex, and form a different style to many of my other creations. I will definitely be doing this more often!

Anyway take care,
Zo xx

Just for me

Hope this is a happy sunny Saturday for you all!

Well I've got my radio on, Rovers are away today, so I'm listening and will be shouting at the radio over the next few hours I suspect!

Today I want to share with you a rather self indulging make. When I was born (mid 70's) Zoe was a fairly unusual name around here. Though obviously it's become more common over the years.  One of the problems my parents had was that they weren't able to buy me things with my name on. As a mum now, I have the same problem (I know, I caused it!), my son is called Keagan, and I've never come across anything with his name on either.

This has an impact on my crafting as I do like to make things with our names on, so yesterday I set about making this hanging for my kitchen.

The base is actually a page from a chipboard album, which I painted with Gesso before using a mask/template to ink through using Peeled Paint Distress ink.  I then cut turquoise paper (Tim Holtz) to create a centre piece, inking the edges to blend it with the background. The flower was made with 2 layers both being inked with Peeled Paint and Tumbled Glass through the mask I'd used before. I added the white flourishes, ribbon and lace completing it all with 3 Fanciful Tim Holtz buttons. The lime green and turquoise combination matches the colour scheme in my kitchen and I plan on hanging it in pride of place. My kitchen - my rules! Ha ha.

The majority of the products I've used are available, though shapes/styles may vary, from the on-line Crafty Boots shop including the chipboard albums, card and the fanciful buttons.

I hope you like my self indulging make! 

Take care Zo xx

Happy Birthday Gabrielle!

Good evening everyone - I wanted to share with you the card I made for fellow Crafty Boots DT lovely lady, Gabrielle's birthday. I'm sorry I'm late (well for me, am usually in bed by now!) but I've been out for the day. My lovely friend Debs took me (though I helped navigate using the list! ) down to Weston-Super-Mare, about just under an hour away, to the Dunelm shop. Fab place, and many homely bargains were bought. A few crafty bits did sneak their way in to my basket too!

Anyway, Gabrielle's card, which I know I can share with you as it arrived safely!

Now I know Gabrielle loves all things inky so I made sure I used some! The paper is from my Papermania book-print pad, I inked the edges with Walnut Stain distress ink, and then stamped the flourish stamp and embossed with gold WOW powder. The dress form is a Basically Bare product which I inked and painted with H2O's and then stamped and embossed again with the gold. Once it was all dry, I embossed it in a folder by running it through my Cuttlebug. The lace was white, but again I inked it and then added the ribbon. I inked the sentiment too, and finally splattered some water on to the whole card to create.......well splodges! I really enjoyed making this card, and am pleased with the effect!

So Happy birthday Gabrielle!

Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 150 - colouring

Hello everyone!

Well it's time again to show you my desk, if you don't know why then pop over to Chez Julia's to find out.

Short & sweet (just like me!) this week, the desk -

Took this before the light went yesterday evening, I tend to set things up and leave them ready for the following day (also means they're ready if I can't sleep during the night!).  You can see (right) Kanban toppers, (middle) sheets of digi stamps which are Krista's (Saturated Canary) wonderful artwork and then (left) tubs of Pro/Flexmarkers & Copics. Yes, I do store them in what was liquid washing tablet boxes! Smells nice when I open the lid. I often change my colouring medium, switching between my Spectrum Noirs to my Pro/Flexmarkers & Copics or even water colour pens/pencils. Depends on my mood you see.

A new addition to the button collection has emerged following another visit to the local Haberdashery -

Sporting the wonderful WOYWW badge is the new jar of orange buttons!

Right that's me, I'm off to make a coffee and start my weekly snoop through the list. Thanks to everyone who pops by and a huge crafty hug to those that take the time to comment too. Take care Zo xx

A canvas for your perusal!

Good morning (ooh yeah it still is, I had to check though!)

I'm supposed to be writing an article, but haven't even opened the page yet, too many distractions. Anyway today I want to share with you a canvas, I've made it to go into my son's bedroom. We're having a bit of a house makeover this year. We've lived here for 11 years so many rooms need updating and Keagan's room is top of the list!

He's chosen a neutral colour scheme of creams and browns but wants to add splashes of colour.  I think he'll end up choosing flashes of colour like blue & red to accent the room. He's got a wicked new duvet set which is a scene from London, with the London Eye, Big Ben etc on it. 2012 is certainly providing some fun and funky home décor furnishings. Perfect for a teen room.

I wanted to make something unusual, different, something none of his friends would have so I made this -

Once more the leftovers from my altered book were used to make the background. I just ripped and stuck! Then I used my new key mask to ink through to create the key effect. I smooshed, yeah that's how I can describe it, faded jeans and vintage photo distress inks in different areas before adding the large tag. I coloured it with the faded jeans first before embossing with the Cuttlebug key folder. I added buttons, die cut swirls and the ticket and peg. The weathered clock die cut was inked with a combination of the 2 colours. I used a brad to join the handles which I set at 6 and 10 to reflect Keagan's birthday! To finish off I inked and added some canvas resist pieces and splattered some water over it all!

As much as I love it, the real test was when Keagan saw it. Thankfully he liked it too and thought it was cool. Phew!

Take care and enjoy the rest of the day. Zo xx

No Girls Allowed - Crafty Boots DT

Happy Monday to you all,

Well we're enjoying the last day of the Easter Holidays here as my boy doesn't go back to school until tomorrow.

Today sees the start of another Crafty Boots challenge which you can find Right here this time the theme is No Girls Allowed as chosen by the lovely Emma - so let's see your creations and remember no girls!

My DT project is a first for me, as I've never made anything like this before, but I have to say I'm really pleased with it and am planning on making a girl version too.

It's a wall hanging using the Paintbox Poppets CD-ROM. I've taken the framed card elements to create 3 boy framed pictures, which I've then laid a piece of ribbon across the back of all three and stuck down  before then fixing Centura Pearl card to the back of each picture to sandwich the ribbon to create the hanging.

Each picture is finished off with card candy, and complementing ribbon.  I think this could be hung in a playroom as well as a bedroom, anywhere really, I've got this one hanging on the door handle in my craft room at present as I'm so pleased with it, I didn't want to put it away just yet!

Thanks for popping by, hope you like my project and I hope to see your creations over at Crafty Boots.

Take care Zo xx

A Tag made by .....Me!

A Sunday afternoon post, not something I always do.

For ages I've admired the tags that people make, and often gain inspiration from many of my crafty friends.  I've always made cards and other papercrafting projects and have not really got into making tags.  But recently I've started to feel a little left out as I've seen some wonderful creations appear tag-based. So I thought I better get in on the act too!

My first 'real' tag is now peering at me, inspiring me to make some more. So I thought I'd share it with you all, instead of keeping it to myself.

I had no plan, no theme, I just wanted to create and play with some of the new things I have. I still have lots of torn pages from my altered book, so I've been using them to create bases for projects.  The die cuts - cog, flourish and tattered flowers (Thanks Stephanie-Emma!) were used as masks over the torn pages. I just inked over them to leave........well..... un-inked areas, so simple but I love it!

I've also just bought the canvas resist pieces from the Crafter's Companion website and wasn't sure what or how to use them so again I just played, and was surprised at how textual and fab they are.  I kept the same colour - vintage photo - distress ink as I knew everything would match that way, but played with the textures and finishes.

The cog and flourish were sprayed with Spray & Shine to give them a glossy finish to the rest.  In my local discount store they sell  little bags of things which is where I bought the bag of small pegs, perfect for attaching tickets etc.  Talking of which, I chose 'story' because I had the typed pages and it just seemed right at the time.

So come on, be honest, what do you think?

Take care Zo xx