Finally - I made something!

As you know the last few weeks have seen little creativity at my hands. Apart from colouring I've not really completed a project. Mainly due to my conditions stopping me from thinking, sitting, walking you get the picture, but over the last few days I've started to feel a bit better, feel a little more able to do things so last night I started to make an ATC concertina book from a kit I bought from Gabrielle from her website Crafty Thoughts. One day I'll make it to an actual class, but for now I had to make do with a postal kit, which was fantastic. It contained all of the elements I needed to make this project apart from the glue, embossing powder and ink, and came with full instructions how to make my book step by step.

So I took my time, followed the instructions and I made this - 

The Front cover

The Back

One side

The other side

Individual pages

I used Tim Holtz summer Distress inks - picked Raspberry, Mowed Lawn and Salty Ocean, I added glossy accents, crackle accents, ribbon, couple of extra elements like the corners and corrugated card along with the words to the stamped images that came with the kit.

I so enjoyed this - it was great fun to create and to get inky but also to have some direction, something to follow to keep me on track. 

I'm really pleased with it and know I'll make some more of these little books. I can imagine making them with different papers and themes, maybe even make them as a gift. 

So there you go, what do you think?

Right I've got to get sorted as I'm off to see the doctor to hopefully sort out some new medication based on the recommendations of the consultant. Fingers crossed!

Take care Zo xx

New Blog Header!

Woohoo go me - just designed my new blog header using Craft Artist Pro and I'm pretty darned pleased with it. Those of you who know me well will know it's very me what with the coffee cups!  Saw this digi-kit on Daisytrail and had to have it. Love the designs and colours. Chose a new picture of me and Keagan too. We took this on Tues 5th June  while we were watching the Queen's Jubilee. 

No crafty make to share today - been a bit lacking in that area but I thought I'd share this picture of me that Keagan took on Saturday evening before we went to our friend's wedding evening. I don't dress up very often so this is not something you'll see again for a while!

Not the best picture of me but it's the only one we took in the end, I took the camera but never got it out of my bag. I don't usually go for the leggings and top (yes it's supposed to be a top, but on me it's more of a dress!) look but just loved the design of this floral pattern. 

So there you go!

Enjoy your day whatever you're doing, take care Zo xx

Digital design & nails!

Hello, I was going to say good morning but it's not, it's just gone noon!

Just wanted to share a couple of pics with you all and to say I will get round to visiting you soon I promise but I'm having to sleep lots lately.  Just the way it is - I'll get there eventually!

Anyway between sleep I've been digitally crafting using a prize I won from Sarah Hurley, she sponsored the Smash* UK group on Facebook and my name was drawn when the group hit the target of members. So I chose many fab things from her store but this 'Say Cheese' digi kit has to be my favourite! Here I designed a card using Craft Artist Pro, printed it out and then used Some Odd Girl stamp Photo Kaylee (bought from Crafty Boots) along with the little photos, all stamped using Card Candi stamps (also from Crafty Boots!) to complete it.

It's actually all flat apart from the girl, just for you photos and the wooden camera. The rest just looks 3D cos of the clever effects in CAP.

I designed this insert to match and finished off the back of the card too.

I had such fun - just shows Hybrid digital crafting can work!  I thought this kit would be perfect for my Smash books, which it is but saw the potential for more. Will definitely make more cards/projects with it.

I'll finish off with a picture of my new nails!  Those of you who popped by for WOYWW knew I was having them done as a treat, to have a pamper to cheer me up. It worked, I feel quite glamorous with these, pity the rest of me doesn't match!

Take care Zo xx

WOYWW 163 - I think!

Hello - I missed you all last week, but had to step back and rest. Busy old week, you know the story but here's a quick reminder * Saw Consultant = things being done = positive.  Didn't have minor op in the end = Doctor no3 disagreed with Docs 1 & 2.......oh well!

Ended up having a week of Not so Good Zoe = Not so Good & So Tired Zoe this week!

Anyhoo you're here for the desk and as always it's tidy, but even more so because I was the lucky girl to win the gorgeous Bling Bin from The lovely Jan aka Lunch Lady Jan

All my bits and bobs, like pencils, pokey tools, scissors & stuff that normal stays on my desk are now housed in their oh so pretty new bling bin hanging off the side of my desk. How fab does that look!

Here's what's on the desk -

My latest Smash* pages in the black book, dedicated to all things craft. So this is just a selection of my Some Odd Girls images that I've been colouring over the last week or so. I finally finished the last one yesterday so I stuck them all in yesterday evening and left the book there to dry.  I did show a sneaky peek of the page layout in the post before this one.

That's it folks, me done, I'm off get my jobs sorted before nipping next door to have my brows tinted and my nails faked!  So handy having a Beautician living next door. Bit of a pampering never hurt anyone I say.

Pop over to Julia's to share in the wonder of the desk hopping world wide!

I'll be back later, with perfect nails, groomed brows and that all important cup of coffee.

Take care Zo xx

What I've been doing.

Morning all - as you know I'm a little quiet of late, just resting up and trying to get done what needs to be done.  I've had a few family and friends cards that need making so I've just been working my way through them as well as doing a little colouring for a page I've got ready in my Crafty Smash book. So today I thought I'd share just a few pics of what's been going on here between the resting & doing as I'm told!

 - 

The 1st is a card for my friend who has just moved which I designed on Craft Artist.

This is the design of the pages I'm working on in my Craft Smash book using Heidi Swapp Sugar chic 6 x 6 papers that I cut up along with the bunting. 

And these are the Some Odd Girl images I've coloured so far to go on those pages. Don't forget you can buy Some Odd Girl stamps from the Crafty Boots on line store, there's a link to the shop on my side bar.

This is a card my friend asked me to make, the recipient is a huge F1 fan - I designed it in Craft Artist - it's all flat apart from the cars which I printed out extra layers to decoupage up to make the cars 3D.

I've a wedding card to make this week and a few birthday cards to sort too, so I'm just taking it steady and not rushing anything, it'll get done in the end, I know it will!

Anyway even though I've not produced a DT project this time there is a new challenge over on the Crafty Boots challenge blog

Why not pop over and join in - Bingo anyone?!

Take care Zo xx

Fine & Dandy!

Hello - just thought I'd pop on here & let you all know I'm fine!

Luckily (or not as it may turn out) I didn't have to have anything cut out in the end, Doctor number 3 decided he disagreed with Doctors 1 & 2 and that he didn't feel anything needed cutting out, even though the problem remains. Thinks it will disappear of its own accord - we shall see, but I'm keeping an eye on it and if it doesn't magically disappear I will be going back to see my own doctor. Not impressed at all, after all that psyching myself up to go through it! 

Monday was a very long day for me - the consultant was amazing and very thorough, you should see all the blood they took, okay, too much information I know.  Anyway due to the combination of all of my conditions unfortunately I have deteriorated from 3 years ago, so he's referring me back to the specialist team based in The Mineral Hospital, Bath.  I spent many months having 1-to-1 care with a lady from this superb team when I was first diagnosed - The Min (as it's affectionately known) is only one of 5 hospitals in the country who specialise in one of my conditions, how lucky am I to have this only half an hour away from where I live?!

Sounds daft but I am looking forward to going back in, as I know I'll gain so much from it, and will get all the help and support I need, including seeing the OT's, so that they can make sure I have any gadgets/aids that I need. But it will also be very demanding on me physically. The travelling in/out each time, the impact of the physio/hydrotherapy and general being prodded and pushed around will take its toll on me. Last time I spent 7 months going in/out nearly every week! 

We shall see - got to wait now for the first appointment to come through, fingers crossed it's not too long before I hear.  Once I do start going, I may frequently disappear from my blog, though I'll try not too, like this week I've just had to step back and rest, away from it all.

Anyway let me finish off with a card - while resting/relaxing I've done a lot of colouring, I mean, I can't be totally idle can I? Lol

I've made this for my friend's little girl who's birthday is this month - 

Yep another Saturated Canary image - Party Hardy - isn't she adorable? I coloured her with Copics and am really pleased with my red colouring which can be really difficult, those bows look pretty cool, even if I say so myself! 

Thank you all for your well wishes and much kindness you've all shown me, I really appreciate it, puts a smile on my face and shows me what a fab bunch you lot really are!

Take care Zo xx

Happy Days!

Ah now that's was a fab programme I grew up watching! But, it's not what I mean, I mean it literally, I had a happy day, one full of colouring and relaxing.

This next week isn't going to be easy - hospital trip and a minor op to contend with so I know I won't be around much, which means I'm having to have really quiet restful days so that I can cope with it all and what better a thing to do than colouring!

Like all us crafter's, I have stash that I don't want to part with, images I've coloured and don't want to let go, so I've dedicated an entire Smash* Book (black one) to my crafting so that I can play with the yummy papers, colour those images and then keep them all to myself, safely tucked away in my Smash Book ready to look at and keep admiring!

You all know I'm a huge Saturated Canary fan, well recently my friend Stephanie-Emma (she of Crafty Boots fame!) introduced me to Some Odd Girls (Crafty Boots sell the clear stamps if you're interested) images - I bought Photo Kaylee and Gifty Gwen from Crafty Boots in the form of a clear stamp then I went on-line and purchased some of the digital stamps too! 

Oh my what fun I had - I spent virtually the whole day yesterday putting these pages together, colouring and arranging other images I'd already coloured. I went a bit mad with the hair, but then those of you who know me, will know I'm partial to a spot of mad hair colour myself! 

So the radio was on, tennis commentary, the Copics were out and images were coloured. 

I can honestly say I love them all, my favourite if I had to choose would be the girl on the left page, bottom middle, with blue hair wearing orangey socks and top with blue shoes. Why? Because while I colour using blue.......a lot.....I don't use orange tones very often and it was hard to do but I'm really pleased with the effect.  Since buying my Copics, my colouring has come on leaps and bounds - to the point where I know I'll not go back to using anything else. Watch this space as they say cos I will at some point be selling my other pens.....I have too many to keep them all!

Right time to try and get some more jobs done.

I will be popping on here to look and see what you're all up to but I'm not putting any pressure on myself to be actively blogging because I just don't know how things will go so if I'm not around, you'll know why.

Take care Zo xx