Animal Magic

Good morning,

Well, what a miserable couple of days - I hope everyone survived the dust cloud!

It's time for our next challenge over at Polkadoodles and this week the new theme is

'ANIMAL MAGIC'

Now, with so many fab CDs to choose from by the talented Nikky Hall, it was a difficult decision - but one of my favourites won. Here's what I started with using the super 'Sugarplum Daisy CD' ...

And here's the finished result ...

I decided to get all 'busy as a bee' in readiness for some nice weather to come our way. I'm not usually a bright colours person, but I love the yellow on this one. I started with a shaped template and added papers from the CD. All the imagery and the sentiments are also from the CD. I added a few extra embellishments from my stash, including a bit of frantage powder (supposed to represent the pollen!), some polkadot ribbon, a couple of yellow brads, some die-cut flowers made from scraps of leftover paper and a little gold metal swirly bit on the sentiment ticket. Can you see the bit of honeycomb embossing at the bottom too?

I am looking forward to seeing which animals you all choose to play with, and don't forget to check out Team B's midway inspiration next Friday too.

I am entering this in the WeDoobadoo challenge - Sweet as Honey

Hugz, Jan xx

Spring in the Air

Happy Friday everyone,

I have to work today, so scheduled my post ready for this morning. It's time for our midway motivation over at Polkadoodles for the current challenge, which is

'SPRING IS IN THE AIR'

Here's what I made for my DT inspiration using the fabulous 'Sugarplum Daisy CD' ...

This one is an 8x8" scalloped edge base card, covered with lush papers from the CD. The image is also printed from the CD collection, together with the cute little sentiment. All other embellishments are from my stash.

Why not pop over to the blog to see some more fantastic inspiration from my teamies - and if you would like to come and join in the fun, you have until Friday 4th April to submit your entries.

Hugz, Jan xx

Mum's the Word

Good morning,

It's Friday again which means it's time for our next challenge over at Polkadoodles, but first some news about Nikky's latest collection. We have a brand new CD available which includes a set of ten adorable themed 'Work & Play' characters for only £8.99 - click HERE for more information.

And for the next two weeks our new theme is

'MUM'S THE WORD'

We would love to see your projects especially for 'Mum' - will it be a Mother's Day card, a birthday card or just a little something special - the choice is yours. Here's what I made for my DT inspiration ...

I made a little word book using the template from the 'Candy Doodles CD'. I covered it in pretty papers from the 'Cherryblossom Lane CD' and then added lots of extra embellishments, also from the same CD. These make great gifts and you can add some little photos inside as a surprise element.

Hope you can join us this time.

Hugz, Jan xx

Sugar and Spice

Happy Friday,

Well, my half term break is sadly coming to an end - but I have got loads done.

It's time for our half way inspiration over at Polkadoodles and this week Team A have created projects for the 'SUGAR & SPICE' theme which began last week. Here's what I made for my DT inspiration ...

The theme made me think of 'sugared almonds', so off I went to reach for my 'Candy Doodles CD' which has some fabulous pastel papers and elements to play with. I printed off my little girl image and coloured in soft tones using my Promarkers. She is mounted on papers from the CD and the little tickets are also available to print - I simply added my own wording to match the theme. The wording around the edge of the card was printed on my pc and reads 'sugar & spice and everything nice - that's what little girls are made of'.

Hope you can join us - Nikky is offering a fab prize for the winner - a goody bag of delicious craftiness worth £50! Why not pop over to the main blog HERE and check out some more crafty inspiration from the team.

Hugz, Jan xx

Love is in the Air

Hello,

It's Friday again, so it's time for another challenge over at Polkadoodles and this week our Nikky has another new brand new collection - Dollie Daydream goes East. This one is crammed full of oriental gorgeousness and has to be my current favourite.

Our challenge theme this week is

'LOVE IS IN THE AIR'

but the Design Team were challenged to use the new collection and we weren't allowed to make cards either! Here's what I made for my DT inspiration ...

Well, I made another tag - I love them (and I have a huge stash of them)! It's covered with lush lantern paper from the CD and then mounted onto gold mirri card, then a black mat. All the elements are from the CD and the gorgeous oriental Dollie is coloured with my Promarkers to match the lanterns in the background. I think my favourite bit is the tiny little scroll, which is also printed from the CD. 

Hope you can join us this time.

Hugz, Jan xx

Shop till you Drop

Hello,

I'm back today with the next challenge over at Polkadoodles and this week we are all shopping! The theme is

'SHOP TILL YOU DROP'

which I think is close to all our hearts (especially if it's craft shopping!) Here's what I made for my DT inspiration ...

Don't you just love this little boutique with its fancy dresses in the window! All the papers and printed elements are from the fabulous 'Dollie Daydream Collection' which you can buy HERE at the Polkadoodles store. There are so many gorgeous images to choose from, it's difficult to know where to start!

Why not pop along to the main blog and check out what my teamies made too.

Hugz, Jan xx

All things Girly

Happy Friday to you all,

Well, that's week one over - I don't know about you, but it seemed to fly by for me!

It's time for our next challenge over at Polkadoodles and this week our Nikky has put together a brand new collection, which we all had the privilege of playing with. It's called 'Dollie Daydream Girl Talk' and is just perfect for our theme this week, which is 'GIRLY, GIRLY, GIRLY'. If you haven't ordered your copy yet, what are you waiting for? It's currently on offer at only £12.74!

Here's what I made for my DT inspiration using papers and elements from the collection ...

I have a new found addiction for making tags at the moment! This one is covered in paper and layered with different elements all from the collection.  The flowers are absolutely fab - if you are like me and can't make anything without putting a flower on it - then this one's for you. It has a whole section full of flowers that you can print, cut and assemble - all I added was a little bit of ink and a centre - don't they look fab!

Why not pop over to the main blog HERE and check out some more inspiration from my fellow teamies.

Hugz, Jan xx

A little something for the table ...

Hey there folks,

How are the Christmas preparations coming along - I'm still behind with my shopping and haven't written a single card yet! Think I need a few extra hours in my week!

It's time for our next challenge over at Polkadoodles and this week the design team were challenged to make something for the 'Christmas Table' - so here goes with my DT inspiration ...

I made a couple of things using papers and a sentiment from the 'Angelberry Christmas CD' which is currently on offer for just £7.00 at our on-line store HERE. 

The first is a little Christmas Tree made using the Tim Holtz rosette die - I cut several pieces in two different papers and adjusted the width before simply stacking them up.

The second is a cute little cracker which I made using a template I found on the internet. 

Hope you can join us this week,

Hugz, Jan xx

It's a Sketch at Polkadoodles

Hi there everyone,

I hope you're all having a good week as we head quickly towards Christmas.

It's Friday challenge time over at Polkadoodles and this week we are having a Sketch Challenge - here's the design we would like you to play with ...

These are a great idea if you are having a 'crafters block' and can be manipulated to suit your design. Here's what I came up with for my DT inspiration ...

I used papers and a sentiment from the 'Angelberry Christmas CD' to make my Christmas design and all other embellishments are from the 'A Home for Christmas CD'. I layered most of the images digitally, then printed out the little house again and decoupaged it and added some glitter for the snow. I finished off with a pretty little organza bow and a few aqua adhesive gems for a bit of sparkle.

Come along and join us with your own interpretations of our sketch this week - there is a great Polkadoodles goodie bag on offer for the winner!

Hugz, Jan xx

In Shape for Christmas

Hello there,

Well, it's been a very tough week here with a bit of a health scare for me, but I'm glad to say that everything is all ok now. It's my youngest daughter's graduation today, so a good day all round for us - she is so excited having waited since July for this day.

Anyway, back to the crafting and it's time for another challenge over at Polkadoodles and this week our theme is to make

'A SHAPED CARD - WITH NO DIE CUTS'.

So here's what I made for my DT inspiration ...

Everything you need to make this card can be found on the fabulous 'A Home for Christmas CD'. Simply print out all the elements, cut them out and stick away - how easy is that! It doesn't really show very well on my photo, but lots of the holly and poinsettia elements are cut out and decoupaged too, together with the quirky little church in the centre. I added a little bit of stamping along the bottom and some glitter on the snow to finish - not a single die-cut in sight!

Hugz, Jan xx

Make a Box for Christmas

Hello to all my crafty friends and followers,

It's time for our next challenge over at Polkadoodles and this week we are 'MAKING BOXES'. It was my choice of theme this time and I love making projects that aren't always cards.  My DT inspiration this week uses the 'A Home for Christmas CD', together with a template from the 'Paper Boutique - Volume 1 CD' and includes a tutorial on how to make my gift box, so here goes ...

Step One

Print out your chosen paper twice 

and then put the two sheets back into the printer 

and print the templates onto the reverse.

Step Two

Cut out the box outlines, then score along the dotted lines 

using the template as a guide.

Step Three

Fold along all the score lines and burnish with a bone folder.

Ink all the edges with your chosen ink (optional).

Step Four

Cut a piece of white scrap card to make a 8.7cm square 

(these measurements are for the A4 template).

Stick this to the inside of one of the box sides to reinforce it

before cutting out an aperture using a Circle die.

Step Five

Using a matching Scalloped Circle die and the next size down Circle die,

cut a frame from co-ordinating cardstock.

Cut a piece of acetate to fit the back of the aperture 

and stick down on the inside.

Stick the die-cut frame to the front of the aperture.

Step Six

Stick the flaps together on both sides to make the box whole.

(I use wet glue for this as it allows time to get the edges lined up).

Step Seven

Glue the flaps together to close the bottom of the box.

(Use a long handled paint brush to reach inside and flatten the flaps).

Add another 8.7cm square of scrap cardstock inside 

to reinforce the bottom of the box.

Fold the top sections together, 

pushing gently on the diagonal score lines 

to create the 'milk carton' effect top.

Measure even spaces and punch two holes in the top of the carton. 

Thread ribbon through the holes and tie to fasten.

Now your box is ready to decorate and fill!

Here's my finished sample with added embellishments from the CD,

all ready to fill with goodies for Christmas.

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and found it easy to follow - I would love any feedback that you may have.

I shall look forward to seeing your projects over at the challenge blog.

Hugz, Jan xx

Christmas is Coming!

Good morning,

Well, it's Friday again already - so it must be time for another challenge over at Polkadoodles and this week we are all preparing for Christmas with the theme 'CHRISTMAS IS COMING'! I can believe it's almost that time of year again.  This time the design team were challenged to make a card using more than one fold, so here's what I made for my DT inspiration ...

I used a 'Three Panel Screen Card' and covered it with papers from the fab 'A Home for Christmas CD'. Each piece is layered on gold mirri card, then a complimentary coloured card and I added the cute little border (also from the CD).  The greeting was printed from the sentiments section of the CD and mounted on a die-cut scalloped circle. The baubles are from the embellishments section of the CD - I printed each one three times, cut them and then stuck them together to create another folded 3D element to my card. A few bits of holly to decorate and some fab Polkadoodles dew drops to finish.

I hope you can join us this time in our lead up to Christmas - I shall look forward to seeing your entries.

Hugz, Jan xx

Halloween Tag

Hello there,

Well, I have been dying to get crafty for Halloween, but this is the first chance I've had. So, when I saw the new theme over at the 'Graph'It Marker Colour Challenge' I decided it was time I got started! Lol.

Here's what I made for my entry ...

I have used a collection of things to make my tag, starting with a basic shape cut from a piece of recycled card. This was covered with some scraps of paper from my stash in green, orange and rust and then mounted on black card.  

The main image is made of three separate images overlayed to make a little Halloween scene and are from the 'Witchie Witchie download bundle' available from Polkadoodles. I coloured the pumpkin with my Graph'It markers - I used four different shades from the skintones set (4115, 4125, 4155 and 4170) and blended them from light to dark. The green and yellow was added with my Promarkers.  

The 'Happy Halloween' sentiment and the little bats are printed from the same download bundle and cut out and added to the tag with some dimensional glue (although this doesn't show very well in the picture).  The 'October' calendar is from the sentiments section of the 'Home for Christmas CD', also from Polkadoodles and I added a little spider web (from the download bundle) and highlighted the 31 with markers. 

I added a few extra embellishments, including a little hand drawn spider, some tiny bunting with 'boo' lettering stamped on it, a die-cut gate and a couple of little metal pumpkins which I coloured with my pens too. And lastly, a piece of black ribbon to finish off.

Right, I'm off to enter this into the challenge - wish me luck!

Hugz, Jan xx

Autumn Time

Hi there,

Sorry I've not been around much this week - it's been a tough one!

It's time for the next challenge over at Polkadoodles and this week we would love to see your 'AUTUMN' themed projects. So, whether it be a nice autumn scene, something halloween themed or just an autumn colour scheme - it's up to you. The design team were challenged to make an autumn scene, so here's what I came up with for my DT inspiration ...

I used the 'Sundae of Seasons CD' together with 'Bonbon Belles' to make my scene and added a multitude of images, overlaying them to build the picture. I used distress inks behind the scene to fill in the sky and added a piece of backing paper, a greeting and some fussy cut leaves for added decoration.

Don't forget to check out the main blog to see some more inspiration from my talented teamies.

Hugz, Jan xx

Candy Colours

Good Morning,

Well, we had the most gloomy day here yesterday and really cold too - hope the forecasters are right and we still have a little sunshine left to enjoy over the weekend.

It's time for a new challenge over at Polkadoodles and this week we would love to see your projects using the theme

'CANDY COLOURS'. 

Now you can use anything to showcase this theme, but Nikky's gorgeous 'Bonbon Belles CD' is absolutely perfect with six yummy candy themed colour sections to choose from. I decided on a scrapbook layout for a change this week - here's what I made ...

I used six different papers and a couple of little bows from the 'Marshmallow Fluff' section of the CD to make my layout. That is such a tiny part of the selection and there is still five more sections to choose from.

Why not pop over to the main blog HERE and see what my teamies favourite candy combinations are. I shall look forward to seeing your projects - you have until Sunday 29th September to join us.

Hugz, Jan xx

Home Sweet Home

Good morning,

It's my turn to post over at STUDIO 12 at Polkadoodles today and I have made a little wall plaque using a combination of CD images and acrylic stamps ...

I couldn't resist the cute little house from the 'House of Hearts' collection and I masked it and added a few other stamps to make a little scene on a piece of craft card.  I stamped the house again on book paper and paper pieced it over the top of the first stamped image.  I then coloured the whole thing with my Promarkers. 

The background is one flat layer, put together on my computer using a backing paper from the 'Picknix 2 - Gingerbread Twist CD'.  The gorgeous frame, piece of lace and the sentiment are from the 'Welcome Home' section of the 'Picknix 1 CD'.  

The whole thing is mounted on kraft card with a piece of twine added to hang it with.  Hope you like it.

Ooo, and don't forget we have a brand new Polkadoodles challenge starting tomorrow and I'll be back then to explain more, but for now here's a little sneaky peek (but don't tell the boss!).

Enjoy your day,

Hugz, Jan xx

Follow Your Heart

Hello and good morning from a very wet Yorkshire,

I'm back today with a little make using some more of the gorgeous Studio 12 stamps from Polkadoodles. I adore the little 'heart' which can be found on the 'Distressed Zig Zag' set which you can buy in our on-line store HERE.

Here's what I made ...

The artwork measures 8.5 cm square and is framed with a 6x6" mount, but you could just as easily recreate this on a mini canvas. 

I began with a piece of white cardstock which I covered with distress inks in Mustard Seed and Peacock Feathers. Then I used a variety of little stamps from the same set to over stamp using the same inks to create a background (the text stamp is from my own stash).  I stamped the hearts directly onto the card and then stamped again on a scrap of book paper, cut them out and coloured them with the same distress inks before embossing the front one with clear powder. The sentiment is printed on my pc and I added a little doodled line around the edge.

Don't forget our new challenge went live yesterday - so if you haven't seen it yet just click HERE.

Have a great weekend,

Hugz, Jan xx

A Significant Birthday

Hi there friends,

Well, that's my first week back at school complete and I'm shattered. I've haven't done any crafting all week and I am having serious withdrawal. It's my day off tomorrow so guess what I'll be doing for most of the day!

Anyway, as it's Friday it's time for another challenge over at Polkadoodles - this week the theme is

'A SIGNIFICANT BIRTHDAY' 

so we would love to see your projects to celebrate. It can be any significant number - I chose a 50th since I celebrated mine earlier this year. Here's what I made ...

I have decorated a brown kraft gift bag with paper from the Picknix 1 CD and stamped around the edge with the 'Distressed Zig Zag' stamp from Studio 12. The topper is made using the 'Shabby Owl Blossom' stamp plate, also from Studio 12 and coloured with my Promarkers. I added a stamped greeting and a little '50th' embellishment to finish.

Why not pop over to the blog for some more fab inspiration from my teamies - they have all been very creative. Which celebration will you choose?

Hugz, Jan xx

Bright and Beautiful

Hello crafty friends,

It's time for another challenge over at Polkdoodles and this week the theme is 'ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL'. Now this one is open to interpretation - what do you see as 'bright' and 'beautiful'? It can be anything that you think fits the theme and the design team have had a few ideas of their own. Here's what I made for my DT inspiration ...

Now, I'm not used to working with such bright colours - I'm more of a pastel girl myself, but this is what I love about being on a design team - it pushes you out of your comfort zone once in a while. I thought of lovely bright colours and reached straight for my 'Bonbon Belles' CD which I know has the most amazing sections of colour. My card was made using papers and embellishments from the 'Tropical Sorbet' section - hope you like it.

Also, if you haven't ordered your snazzy watermark for your projects yet - pop over and have a look in the Polkadoodles store. Just click HERE for more details.

I shall look forward to seeing your interpretation of our theme this week.

Hugz, Jan xx

In the Garden

Good morning,

Well, that's another week gone and I spent most of crafting - what better way than to spend my holidays. As it's Friday it must be time for another challenge over at the Polkadoodles challenge blog. This week the theme is 'IN THE GARDEN' and we would love to see your interpretation of the theme. As a design team we were challenged to use some of the gorgeous download bundles available in Nikky's on-line store. I chose to use the 'Shake a Tailfeather kit' which has some fabulous papers and images to play with - just click on the link below for more details.

Shake a Tailfeather

Here's what I made for my DT project ...

I made a garden journal which I can add pages to as I go along, recording what I planted and when, etc. The background paper and all the embellishments are from the download kit - the wording was printed on my pc.

Please pop over and check out what my teamies made for further inspiration.

Hugz, Jan xx