My mum's cards

Last Friday was my mum's birthday.  We spent the morning at Dobbies, the local garden centre, where we had a lush breakfast, mooched about and bought some Christmas presents including some for Baxter!!

Anyway on WOYWW people saw a glimpse of my mum's card so I thought I'd come back and share them properly with you. There are three - one from me, Keagan and my dad. My dad jokes he has an existing order that runs from year to year to cover every occasion where he needs a card for mum. 

Firstly my card - 

I used card and toppers from Hunkydory. I also used my clay molds from Stampin'Up to make the white flower embellishment.

Next is the card from Keagan - 

I used Party Paws bundle from Crafter's Companion to make this large decoupage stand-alone shaped card. I added chipboard letters 'Nan'. 

I love the layers and the finish to this decoupage.

Now for the card from my dad - 

I created this card from scratch. I used Coredinations card and vanilla card from American Crafts. I used my A4 Embossilicious folder from Crafter's Companion to create the fuchsia background. I added the black web before layering the vanilla card that had been embossed with the Anna Griffin Rose embossing folder. Then I punched out the butterflies with a punch I've had for years. White lettering and pearls and gems finished it off.

So there you go, mum's cards for another year done!

And more importantly she loved them.

Take care Zo xx

Sweet Treats anyone?

Good morning!

I'm back this Monday to share my latest Crafty Boots challenges DT project and the theme, chosen by Lisette, is -

Sweet Treats

So we want to see your makes where you share sweet treats - from cakes to sweets, Christmas or birthday, longs there's something that's a sweet treat on it then join in with us.

Here's mine - 

One of my fav things about the cooler months is that I can have hot chocolate! And if I'm lucky, when I go out I may have a luxury hot chocolate. Though I haven't found a hot chocolate here in the UK that matches up to the ones I had in Paris, back in Nov 2011!  So my sweet treat is hot chocolate. This is a Saturated Canary digi image that I've coloured with a mix of markers. I've embossed some Black Magic Coredinations card using a snowflake embossing folder.  I've kept it simple with matching purple card that's vintage Coredinations. I added the white stitches and frosted Candi.

I love this embossing and how it looks sanded back. Makes cards simple and quick to make but they still look fab!

Look forward to seeing your creations.

Take care Zo xx

Two-folds for you!

Good morning - I'm back to share my latest DT make for Polkadoodles. 

Head over to the Challenge blog to see all the details & see what my other teamies have made, you will be inspired!

So for my make, I've used the fabulous Home for Christmas collection & have created an easel card with a fold back card on the top. Yep, one of those!

As you can see I've used papers, images and embellishments from the Cd, there isn't anything on that card other than the silver mirri card that doesn't come from the cd.

This is the inside of the easel card. I layered up the holly to create the stopper.

This is the inside of the folded card, it's decoupage.

To make this I created the two card bases, chose the papers and decorations and printed them off. Then I set about decorating the easel base before decorating the fold-back card. The fold-back card is then set onto the easel & glued in place. By making the bases first I got all the measurements correct. It took a little time but well worth I think as the card really stands out. All of the elements are easy to cut out and I only added a touch of Glossy Accents to finish it off.

Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 225

Good Afternoon - finally here. Just a quick hello cos the Desk-boss-lady Julia has told me to have a quiet day so I am, well until my brother arrives wanting me to sort out his iPhone that is!! Everything is now okay here; bit of a stressful day yesterday as Keagan suffered a head injury due to another boy's stupidity. But it's all good & Keagan is fine. Phew!

My desk hasn't been touched today yet - 

Bit of a mess for me; I know you lot tell me otherwise but I can't help it!

There's the usual stuff, some Snowman papers I thought I'd use for my own 'C' cards for family. There's my mum's card I'm halfway through doing. And just a bunch of stuff that needs putting away! 

That's me. I shall visit once I get chance. Take care Zo xx

A Special Delivery

Way back at the start of the year I signed up to take part in a 'Pay It Forward' thing - in total I have 5 people who I have to make something for this year. Now my crafty fab friend Stephanie-Emma is one of those five. Over the last couple of years this lovely lady has supported me and been so generous so I wanted to make more than just one thing for her.

So I got colouring and coloured up some of both of our favourite characters and made this little lot - 

This is actually the photo Stephanie-Emma shared on her FB page, but I forgot to take a photo of all of the items together so I asked if I could use it!

There's a Thank You card, 2 bookmarks and a calendar. Each with characters coloured by me using a mix of markers. The Calendar took ages as I also coloured the background and tried out different techniques.

Here's some close-ups -

All of this was waiting at home for Stephanie-Emma when she got back from the big craft show at Ally Pally, I forgot she would be away but it kind of worked well as it was a nice surprise on her return!!

Hope you have a great week. Take care Zo xx

Home For Christmas

I recently made some DT samples as requested by Nikky, Polkadoodles very own talented boss, and now that I know they have safely arrived I can share them with you all.

I made three different cards using the new Home For Christmas collection - I tried to use different elements from the CD and took them into Serif Craft Artist to create my own toppers & so that I could layer embellishments and digi images.

 

This first card I absolutely love, even if I say it myself, I created the basic shaped card using papers and images from the cd. Once happy, I printed off the house three times. I matted and layered the base topper onto my card base taking time to cut the card base to the shape, before adding all of the layers. I also tripled the layers of the holly and added the heart to reflect the sentiment. Glossy accents make the berries shine!

The layers created some real depth, and as you can see I added some sparkle. So easy to do, but so effective I think.

The next card is simple design using only a few elements from the cd - 

Again in Serif I digitally chopped up an insert to create my background, then I positioned the santa black and white digi just off the page. I printed it off and layered it onto gold card. Then I coloured the santa with a mix of markers choosing a vintage blue colour.  This card is flat but adding shadows to the images and sparkle brings it to life.

The next is an easel card - 

Again I used Craft Artist to create the backgrounds/toppers and to print off multiple embellishments.

Layering up the holly embellishment created a perfect stopper for the easel.

I decorated the inside with the same paper as the topper but added the white space and border which was digitally cut from a background paper!

I really enjoyed working with this Cd and feel it's a definite must-have for any Christmas project. I know the rest of the DT are loving it too. It could be the best one yet!!

Take care Zo xx

Christmas but different!

I've not been well, this has been a right pain....literally. But no virus was going to stop me colouring so while resting on my bed, I set up my bed table and got colouring. It helped. Took my mind off how I was feeling, but you see.....when I'm bad my creative juices flow. I get so many ideas, I have to jot them down as I really don't feel like doing anything. However I did create this card - 

I was bored of making 'normal' Christmas cards and have set myself the challenge this year of making some different cards. I think this meets that. It's different. The colours are bold, funky and not typical. I love it!

It's an 8 x 8 card base which I have covered with Coredinations card that I have embossed with the music embossing folder. The image is from Some Odd Girl and I have coloured it with a mix of Graph It & Copic markers. I added ribbon and usual bits of bling and Christmas sentiments.

Here's a closer look at the image -

Due to this image being more than just characters, it has accessories that I have had to colour and coordinate, I want to enter it into the Graph It Marker blog challenge  and for that, the challenge is to colour accessories. I think I have coloured quite a few in this image!!

Let me know what you think of my latest creation. Right I'm off to rest up and listen to the rest of the footy (Was supposed to go as we are at home, but no way I could.)

Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 224

Hello, how are we?

I was missing in action last week, I was crafting away and meeting DT commitments and generally enjoying what I was doing! So that's good. Thankfully my mojo has stayed firmly in place.

So my desk -

Usual suspects on the right - that's a huge pile of stamps I'm playing with in between DT stuff so I haven't filed them away yet!

People often ask what are these green disc things, well they are Epiphany tools, punches that also create epoxy embellishments when the bubble caps are placed into the tool along with paper.

You can see the grey wet road out of the window. Images are waiting to be coloured and a pile of images from the new Polkadoodles Home for Christmas collection in my window sill. Leftovers from my DT makes.

So that's it. Quiet day for me as I've not been that good, but sitting quietly colouring away is the same as rest, isn't it?!!

As always dash over to Julia's Stamping Ground to join in and desk hop around the world.

I'm grabbing a coffee and then coming back so I shall see you soon.

Take care Zo xx

Apple anyone?

I'm back this Monday morning to share my latest DT make for Crafty Boots Challenges where a new challenge launches today. It was chosen by Helen who chose - 

APPLE

Yep that's right, we want to see your creations where there's an apple involved!

Here's mine - 

I created a Smash Book page using my Teresa Collins papers and the 'Snow' image from Saturated Canary. I confess I was going to make a card but I spent ages colouring her hair and was so pleased with it I decided I couldn't part with it so put it in my book instead!!

I coloured her with Copics and I was trying a new hair combo using YR21, E33, E18 & E79. I love it so I guess most of my characters will have reddish hair tones for a while!! 

Hope you can join in our challenge and you never know you maybe the apple of our challenge!!

Take care Zo xx

A Pirate's Life for me!

Ahoy there mateys! 

I'm back today to share my latest Polkadoodles DT project.  Why not pop over to the Polkadoodles blog and see what it's all about and how to join in?! 

I decided to use the gorgeous Bonbon Belles Cd collection  The cd is packed with images and characters, so full of colour and easy to use with its coordinating collections. I took my chosen images into Serif Craftartist Pro and created a background using the papers, then I created a topper using some of the pre-coloured images and the Pirate Boy digi image which I left blank. 

Once printed I coloured the Pirate Boy using a mix of markers and began layering the images. I added a die cut which I had inked between the topper and the background. To finish I added tickets, card candi and Glossy Accents.

I love that this collection is so versatile and can be used for many occasions and for male and female cards.

I look forward to seeing your creations!

Take care Zo xx

Skittles anyone?

Just a quick post from me to share my latest creation using the new 'Home for Christmas' collection from Polkadoodles.

Nikky gave the DT permission to start sharing our makes so I set to work making these little guys after waking up at a stupid time with the idea!

I imagined them as skittles that could be lined up at the end of the hall/room & children bowling a little ball knocking them over, but once I made them I thought that they could also be decorations to go on a shelf or table at Christmas. Or in the windowsill!

They are simple to make. I collected 6 loo roll inners and covered them with papers printed from the CD. I then decorated them using the pre-coloured embellishments and characters. Add a touch of sparkle and there you go!!

Here they are stood up together! 

Well I think you will all love this collection. I've only used a small amount from it and there is so much more I could have chosen.

Why not pop over to Polkadoodles shop and have a look!

Take care Zo xx