The Holly & the Ivy!

Good morning & happy Friday to you all.

I'm back today to share my latest Polkadoodles DT make as there is a new challenge launching over on the Polkadoodles blog, so why not pop over, see what's going on and join in!

So this week, I took our DT challenge literally! Firstly we were also asked to make our creation based on a Christmas carol. I thought long and hard about this and decided my carol inspiration was 'The Holly & the Ivy'! Then it said 2 CD's, so sure enough I used the gorgeous 'Home For Christmas' cd together with the fabulous 'Angelberry' collection, but then I also took 2 old CD's to make the main bases of my decoration. I printed off papers & embellishments, which I layered for a decoupage effect, from both collections to cover the cd's and I also printed the beautiful digi image of the Angelberry Peace angel which I coloured with a mix of markers. Once everything was dry I glued each part to some Christmassy ribbon. I also die cut some ivy using a die I have, I kept it pearl white but rubbed some gold gilding wax to accent the embossing.

Some close ups -

I'm really enjoying challenging myself to make different things and this was different for me, I wouldn't have made such a piece, so I say have a go! You never know what you will come up with.

Take care Zo xx

Just Create!

Morning!

I'm back today to share my latest DT make for Digi Choosday over on the Polkadoodles blog. Pop over to see all of the wonderful DT creations and to find out more about the challenge and don't forget to join in!

This week I set about making something I've wanted to do for ages. A sign for my craft room door! I took a MDF 'Create' word and decorated it with gold paint, once it was dry I painted Tim Holtz crackle paint over the top, I'm sure you could also colour the MDF with Pan Pastels. I created a wire coil using my wire coil gizmo to attach my image which was matted and layered a number of times on colour coordinating card. The image is Emma Canning's Colour Me Happy digi which I coloured with a mix of markers including Graph It's.

I love this image and reckon it suits me a treat!

Sorry I've been quiet of late. I'm having a bad spell with my conditions and finding it hard to concentrate for too long and am in a lot of pain. So I'm sleeping a lot and resting.

Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 232

I was supposed to start this post with Good Morning, but I can't, my desk-a-dashing friends, because it's now the afternoon.

Keagan didn't go to school today, he's feeling a little unwell, lots of it about, so once the phone call to school was done, yours truly thought, I'll just have another half an hour............

Yep you got me! That half an hour lasted for nearly 2 so by the time I got up and managed to shower it has now past noon! 

Okay enough talk - dap over to Julia Dunnit's for the discovery of desks, link up & off you go.

Thankfully I took photos last night before I went to bed because, as I do I tidied up and my desk is now empty and that would be boring. I've acquired a reputation of being 'one of those tidy crafter's' and now I know why, I keep sharing photos that I take first thing therefore my desk is always tidy!

Fear not, here is the WIP proof - 

Okay so usual suspects, plus my Project Life card box open, there a A4 pic of me and Keagan on the wall taken at my Graduation back in 2010. I found it behind another photo when I changed out pictures.

So Ottlite fully functioning showing up my PL album with lots of photos.

Shelves looking colourful!

Closer view shows old photos. These are actually photos of photos cos the originals are still in mum's album which she kindly let me borrow. (Yes she used corners and not stuck them in!) The baby/little girl is me! I've decided, after watching Sunday Scrappers show on Create & Craft on Sunday, that I will use this PL album to make a record of my life for Keagan plus by doing it now I can still, thankfully, ask my parents about who/what/where etc though mum has kindly written some details into the album!

So there you go, a longer post than planned but I'm sure you'll forgive me.

I do hope those affected by the recent events in the Philippines soon receive the help they dearly need. It's always difficult to imagine what it must be like, I just can't get my head around it to be honest.

Thanking you all for the kind comments last week following my fall, I'm okay now, last week was a bad one, but it's gone so we move on and it really isn't a big deal when you see what others are going through.

Take care Zo xx

A Time to Celebrate!

Well this week I chose to celebrate a very important occasion in my life for the latest challenge over on the Polkadoodles blog for Digi Choosday.

 My Graduation. 

Way back in 2003, I was made redundant (This was before my health took a turn for the worst) and I decided to do something I've always wanted to do and that was get a degree. The Open University suited me and how I wanted to work so I started on a 6 year long journey of study. I studied for a BA Open (hons) degree choosing a wide range of subjects & a varied path to get to my 2:1. 

The personal achievement I gained from completing my degree is something I will never forget. Thankfully Keagan's school were understanding and allowed me to take him out of school so that he could attend the ceremony with me and my parents which took place in the grand Town Hall in Cheltenham in May 2010.

I wanted to celebrate this achievement with pages in my Smash Book so the latest challenge was perfect!

I used the fantastic Emma Canning Graduation Celebration image to embellish my pages. I coloured the image to match my robes using a mix of markers including Graph It's.

Here's some close ups, I look a lot younger, but then it was 3 years ago. In that 3 years Keagan has grown a lot and now towers over me!!

Such lovely memories to cherish. 

Looking forward to seeing your projects of celebration.

Take care Zo xx

Take 3 tags.......

Well happy Friday everyone, today I am back to share my latest Polkadoodles DT make for the latest challenge over on the inspirational Polkadoodles blog.

Well this week challenged my creativity until I looked at some Christmas photos from last year & then it seemed so simple. I'm no Scrapbooker as regular visitors know, but I do Smash Books and I have nearly every book there is, so I set about creating this page using the scrumptious Angelberry collection to document 3 of my favourite photos (they are under the tags!). I took the gorgeous papers & images into Serif Craft Artist and created a custom sized page. Once printed, I stuck it into my book, and added the 3 flip tags, and the Angel image I had already coloured. A tiny bit of colour coordinating twine finished it all off!

Again a simple enough project to do but it looks fab I reckon!! 

Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 231

Well I'm here! Just. Had a fall last night you see. So I had to lie in, had to, against my will, I really wanted to get up and get on with things. Honest! 

But do not fear desk dashers (pop to the home of WOYWW to join in), I'm ok. Sore. But ok and in one piece. 

I did manage to take photos of my untidy desk, yes untidy, well to me anyway - 

Right side - pens of course, but I thought I'd show what's in front, lots of boxes and that black handle is my grabber so I can pick things up off floor!

Pile of pens, card, papers & stuff!

WIP

More WIP

My altered Embossing box. I covered Keagan's footy boots box with pretty papers and added the bow. It now holds all my embossing folders and the plates/boards for my Ebosser!!

So that's me. Coffee in hand. I've already had my neighbour pop round to check I'm okay having seen about my fall on FB! 

Take care Zo xx

Digi Choosday at Polkadoodles!

Well Hello everyone - I'm back today to share my latest DT make for Digi Choosday over at Polkadoodles

This week I have made a clean & simple card using the gorgeous Tilly Reading digi image & I also used leaves from a flower.  You can find lots of accent digi images, like flowers, in the digi download section on the website. I used a simple dotty embossing folder to create the background. I coloured all of the images with a mix of markers including the gorgeous Graph It markers. Sometimes keeping the background white & simple lets the images jump off the page!

I do like to make cards like this as you never know when you may feel like sending a 'Just Because' card!

Check out all of the DT inspiration and the download section on the Polkadoodles website, you will find something for every occasion!

Take care Zo xx