My boy!

I don't often share pictures that are not craft related but wanted to share these beauties with you all straight away. No doubt they will be Smash*ed, digitally scrapped etc but just had to share them now!

It's my boy, Keagan, jumping the highest jump he's ever attempted - a huge 2ft 9"! Wow - nearly hurdle height (horse racing). He wants to be a Jockey and has been riding since he was 7, having weekly lessons with an instructor and now he's nearly 14, he often volunteers to go over the yard and help, working with the younger children, assisting with parties and lessons and carrying out the mucky yard work too. 

The pony is called Poppy - he's only been riding her for a few weeks but boy do they make a good team already.

Keagan's instructor took these photos as she was obviously much nearer than I could get!

Hope you enjoy seeing something a little different from me - enjoy the weekend.

Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 160 - just a spot of colouring!

Hello fellow snoopers & anyone else who pops by that isn't actually snooping through the desks of the WOYWW world.

Confused? Not sure what I'm on about? Well pop over to Julia's - Queen of desk snooping to found out for yourself.

Right desk - 

Sideways view

Looking straight on.

As you can see .......more colouring! As you know I'm a huge colourer-inner and love the challenge of bringing these fab images to life. I often print out my digital stamps quite large, makes it easy to blend etc but now I'm into my Smash Books I wanted some smaller images so I got myself a Some Odd Girls stamp (bought from Crafty Boots - Photo Kaylee) and a couple of others.  But I couldn't resist colouring this fab Saturated Canary image in either! 

What do you think? Am getting more confident with the shading and hair I reckon, but as they say 'Practice makes perfect' so good excuse to keep colouring! 

Thank you all for all the wonderful well wishes, I had a really bad weekend but am feeling a bit better again today. Just one of those things with my conditions - I've got a hospital appointment on Monday to see the Consultant again. Who knows what he'll come up with - hopefully something to help me cope a little better than I seem to be at present.

I may not be around next week, though I'll try my best, I'm having a small minor op on Tuesday (nothing major just some skin problem that needs to be cut out) but I'm expecting stitches and a reaction with my conditions. Fingers crossed it'll be smooth going and I'll be back snooping, but if I'm not, well I'm not and I'll see you the following week! 

Take care everyone - be seeing you soon.

Zo xx

Crafty Boots does Sport!

Happy Monday to you all!

Today sees the launch of a new challenge over at Crafty Boots and this time the challenge is SPORT, set by .........Me!

I nearly set it as Bristol Rovers, but thought no one would be able to do that so I changed it to Sport, it certainly pushed the DT girls to their crafty limits and I was often told how far out of their comfort zones they were pushed. I love it! Lol

So in order to celebrate my challenge I designed a new digital stamp available from Here she's called 'Sporty Boots' (there is also a special offer running for the duration of this challenge, Sporty Boots digital stamp is half price!).  The idea for her is that I always find male orientated sport images but not so many female versions, plus I wanted a character that wasn't a specific sport, but one that could be used for any depending on how you colour her and what you put with her - a bat, a ball, a hockey stick, a golf club, a set of hurdles or a high jump...........you get the idea!

So here are 2 projects I've done using 'Sporty Boots' - 

The first is a normal DL birthday card, coloured in suitable England colours, inspired by the Euro Football finals on at present (I was hoping that when you read this, England would still be in the finals, but it wasn't to be!) She's coloured with Copics and I used Portobello Road flag paper. I added ribbon and candi too. Perfect for any female footy fan! 

The second project is different - I wanted to show how digital stamps can be used to do more than just print and colour. It's basically an 8 x 8 scrapbook page created in Craft Artist Pro, using frames, materials, backgrounds and embellishments.  I dropped 'Sporty Boots' into the frame to create a picture. Then after printing I added a ribbon hook, some glossy accents and some gems and then mounted it onto card to create a hanging that could be put into any sport mad girl's bedroom, and here's the thing, I didn't colour the digital stamp on purpose, I've left it so that the recipient can colour it themselves to match their favourite sporting colours - if it had been me, she would've been in blue & white quarters! 

With clever shadowing the images look to have layers when actually it's mainly flat!  Of course, this could be any colour, but I went with the lime green, pink and turquoise combination, just because that's what I felt like!

She could be coloured to just be a Tom-Boy, a rambler, or even non-sport related, imagine her coloured in just normal colours because girls wear shorts and t-shirts every day too, not just for sport!

I really hope you like her, I'd love to see some creations using her for our challenge, why not join in, you never know you could be our next winner or one of our top three earning Crafty Boots recognition.

Take care Zo xx

The Card that was meant to be!

Well I thought I'd pop on here and post before settling down to watch/listen to the football (I do both - radio for commentary, tv for pictures!)

I recently found the fab site called Copic Marker Europe, it's their first birthday and are hosting a super challenge which can be found HERE - they kindly offered up a free digital stamp to use but you must take part in the challenge. Well who am I to turn down that opportunity!

I didn't read it right and made a Smash* book page to begin with, but then saw it was a card that was needed so this afternoon I sat down and got on with making my card using my original page as an idea or a pre-card plan as I called it in my post (scroll down to see it!).

Ok so here's the card - 

I used the Teresa Collins 'Spring Fling' papers and embellishments and the free Saturated Canary image coloured with Copics to match. The papers are so lovely and double sided so I couldn't resist folding back the corner and using one of the yummy brads that came with the kit. I cut the red flowers out of one of the papers to go round the edge.

So there you go, my challenge entry in the right format but the same style!

I'm off to hide behind my hands, shout at the TV, cheer or cry depending on the result and basically go through so many emotions as I watch the Football.

Take care Zo xx

Pre-card plan!

Ha ha sounds daft doesn't it? A Pre plan for a card, but you see I've recently bought some rather yummy papers and embellishments for my Smash* books, one of the books is going to be totally dedicated to craft, so all my favs will go in there, designs I love, ideas etc. Anyway I've recently found a new blog that's celebrating it's first anniversary copicmarkereurope.blogspot.co.uk and they are running a challenge to make a card using one of the free digital stamps they are giving away, but by receiving the digi you are consenting to join the challenge so me, in my normal organised and random way decided to create a pre-card plan, to play with the papers and colour the digi to practise before I make my challenge card.

Okay, I confess I messed up really!

I didn't read it right and thought you could make any project  for the challenge as long as it used the digi but when I went to get ready to link I saw you have to make a card, so I thought 'It's OK Zoe, your page is your pre-card plan!'

So I thought I'd share it with you anyway before I go off to make the proper actual card for the challenge!

I love this Teresa Collins 'Spring Fling' kit, with the yummy papers and embellishments there was no way I was going to leave this out of my crafty book. I love these colours together so pretty but not in a over floral sense if you know what I mean? No you probably don't but that's okay, I just hope you enjoy looking at my page and like what I've done anyway!

Take care Zo xx

Wax seal & digital!

Ha ha not something you'd normally find, a wax seal and digital imagery, but in my normal random-ness I am sharing exactly that!

Firstly my brand new super duper wax seal, all the way from Vienna - my equally super duper amazing friend Debs (pop over to Deb's blog to see actual pics from Vienna!), bought me my very own 'Z' seal and a stick of wax for me to try. You see we'd talked about these traditional tools a while ago, I mentioned I rather fancied having a go and having my own, so during Deb's visit to a super palace she saw exactly the right seal for me -

This is my first attempt, well after the attempt I made on paper which actually saw me manage to catch the paper on fire..........hmmmm not exactly what was supposed to happen, BUT never fear I managed to save the house and put the fire out!

How fab is this wax seal?

I love it and look forward to using it on my projects, Smash* Books and whatever else I can that won't catch fire! 

Secondly I want to share with you a digital page I've just created, it's custom sized to fit a page in my Smash book. I love these pictures that I found but felt I didn't have anything to go with them, so I got to work on my Craft Artist Pro and made this up -

There are areas that I've left ready for actual embellishments when I get some and also the journal block as I like to add my own writing as well.  I was able to change the colours of embellishments that I liked, like the glasses to match what I was hoping to achieve. I am rather pleased with it.  

Anyway time is away from me again so I'm going to get myself off to bed!

Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 159 - a 1st & a 2nd!

Morning - well here we are again! 

I so look forward to Wednesday's that I get quite cross with myself when I'm not well enough to spend the time visiting you all, last week I didn't do very well at all, but am feeling a little brighter so let's hope I can visit as many people as possible this week.

Okay my desk, pictures first then I'll explain - 

Side view

Better view

Close up of my first photo book I made (see my post last night)

Closer view of 'Sporty Boots', my new (& 2nd) digital stamp available from Crafty Boots! 

I spent most of yesterday creating my photo book in Craft Artist Pro, then printing it out before learning how to use my 'The Cinch' machine for the first time. So the photo book was left on my desk over night to dry, as I had created the cover separately and stuck it on! 

I also started colouring Sporty Boots but got distracted by the photo book. So I plan to finish colouring her in today. But am thrilled with her skin tone, I even managed to create freckles! (Not sure if they show up or not)

Anyway pop over to Julia's at The Stamping Ground to catch up with the rest of the world's greatest desk snoopers!

Right where's that kettle? I need coffee!

Take care Zo xx

My first Photo Book

Just a quick post from me this evening - yes I'm listening to the football!

I want to share with you this photo book I created in Craft Artist Pro - I've been wanting to do this for ages but finally sat down to create it today.  It's basically scrapbook layouts but created to a custom size. I used backgrounds, frames, materials and embellishments as you do, adding my photos from our holiday in Menorca from 2007. I then printed each out, single sides before binding together with The Cinch.  I used Centura Pearl card to create the back and front covers before creating a front page to mat and layer and stick onto the front. 

Here's the pictures - 

Yes I know, mostly of Keagan, but it was only us and I took the photos. I did take lots more and had them printed but for some reason during files transfers to new laptop I lost some files. I'll have to scan them from the prints at some point. I learnt a whole lot from this project and now know what was good and what didn't work so well. All good because I've got nearly 600 photos from Disney Land Paris to put into a book! 

Enjoy the rest of the evening - 

COME ON ENGLAND!

Take care Zo xx

Smash* & a tv appearance!

Well look at me back again, to be honest I run out of time this morning so had to post and go so I'm back to finish off my share for the day. I've not been too good lately, that's why I've not been popping by and leaving comments on as many blog's as I'd like, major brain fog, I would've only typed nonsense I can tell you! But I wanted to catch up with this before the weekend, am glad I had to come back because I can tell you something exciting - 

This morning Beader's Companion were on Create & Craft, the other day Sarah Milsop who fronts Beader's contacted me on FB to ask if she could show a picture of my wire coil embellishment I posted. Of course I said yes! So I watched back the recorded show and mine was the first picture Sarah showed. <much hand clapping & smiling> How fab, all of you saw it ages ago when I first posted it, but here it is again -

Am over the moon, a much needed boost I can tell you.

Now for the rest - while not so good I've found creating pages in my Smash* journal therapeutic so here's some of the latest - 

Shoes - I love them, unfortunately I'm not physically able to wear heels any more as I have to wear special supports to help stabilise my ankles but I still love to look and still have many pairs of my heels I bought. I only take a 2, a 3 at a push so finding grown up heels was always difficult but I do own 4 or 5 pairs of size 2's that are 4 inch heels! I keep them in a case under my bed and get them out often, just to look and remember!

These pages are on going and I will add pictures and information to them.  My boy, Keagan, has been riding since he was 7 (he's nearly 14), he has a 1-to-1 lesson every week. He wants to be a jockey. Earlier today he had a lesson with a lady who is a jockey and who trains ponies. He has had lessons with Sarah before and has ridden on a race saddle, but today he rode using the race saddle and jumped for the first time while on it. He's jumped many times using a normal saddle, but racing saddles and race riding are totally different. You've probably seen the jockey's on the TV, riding stood up....yeah that, going over the fences, well that's what Keagan did today, ride like a jockey, stood up, bent over and jumping over a fence that was straight across and a good 2 foot high! 

He loved every minute, so did I, seeing him doing what he loves and doing so well. You never know one day he may be one of those jockey's on the TV, that's his ambition, not to be on the TV but to ride in one of the major races like the Grand National or in the Cheltenham Festival.

Anyway I'm going to spend the evening with the football, will probably listen to it on the radio, don't know why but I prefer the commentary, I can watch the goals back later!

Take care. Zo xx

Father's day & a British card

Morning - boy is it wet & windy here. I just had a call from my boy, he'd walked to his friend's house but then it chucked it down so they phoned me for a lift to school, well I went, of course, am a soft touch me!

Right for those who have visited this week you would've seen many toppers on my desk ready for cards I needed to make. Thought I'd show you the finished cards I've worked on recently - 

Made this card for my friend's boy who will be 5, love all the characters so wanted to make him a real British type card for 2012.

This is for my Dad, he loves his cups of tea so thought this suits him a treat!

My dad also loves this well known TV show, so I had to buy the CD for this image alone. My boy wanted to give his Gramp this card. 

So there you go - will be back later with some Smash* pages. Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 158 - a spot of British humour!

Morning!

Here we are again - that time to show off our crafty spaces to the world & its....um can't remember what the saying is! But you know what I mean - if you don't then I suggest a quick trip to Julia's will sort that out, but be warned it may open a whole new world to you, one that is highly addictive!

Anyway you'll be pleased to know there is actually something on my desk this week, so I won't be putting you off with more pictures of me - 

So the wide view - taking in the newly sorted & tidied windowsill. Had to have a bit of a move around you see!

Close up of what's actually on my desk - toppers & card & CD-ROM ready to make my dad's Father's day cards, and also stuff for making a 5 year old a card too.

Sideways view of desk.

So there you go, that's my lot this week. Right I'm off to make a coffee before I get started visiting you all and attempting to actually make something other than Smash* pages!

Just before I go I'd better share some of my WOYWW anniversary cards that I received - I've already thanked the senders but thought you'd like to see them too - 

I'm thrilled with them all and they are all now on display in my craft room.

SO thanks again, you know who you are!

Take care Zo xx