Under a creative spell

Taking a short break...

2012-02-24T20:19:00.002Z

Hello all

Just wanted to let you know that I am taking a short break from blogging... You might recall that I mentioned some life turbulences a while ago... well, they've never really gone away and now they are back double force...:((.

So now I need to take a step back, make some decisions and sort a few things out... I will still visit you occasionally but may not be as chatty...

I hope you will understand and will not forget about me until I'm back... I promise to be back before too long!

Sending you biggest hugs ever...!!!

WOYWW #142

2012-02-22T10:23:00.002Z

Today I am showing you a picture of my dining table as I left it this morning... A bit hazy as I took it in a rush with my phone ;).

My craft room is currently inaccessible... Not much has changed in there since last week actually, due to some temporary mojo breakdown...

But I am currently working on two lots of wedding invitations... Two of my best friends are getting married this summer and I got the honour to make their wedding invitations...lol ;). Luckily, both couples participated in the "design" stage so once the LO was approved, all I need to do now is to put it all together... Easy? Yes, but it seems to be taking ages! ;)

Since the time is ticking away and I've had some delicate prompts about the progress, I really needed to get on with the invites... here's the first lot and WIP...

Hopefully my mojo decides to return asap so I can go back to "proper" crafting!

Until then - happy What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday 142! And if you'd like to see which desks were my favourite last week - check out my WOYWW Pinterest board here!

Hugs

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 141

2012-02-15T12:17:00.003Z

How quickly has the time gone...? It's Wednesday again and time to have a look around some fabulous workdesks around the blogland... If you don't know what it's all about - click here and you will find out all you need to know!

Here's what's happening in my craft room at the moment - a total (creative) MESS!!!!

I don't even know if I should be showing it to the public!!!! lol ;)

I am working on a shadow box - a present for one special Birthday Boy, who I was telling you about here. I can't show it to you yet - but I will soon!!!

My work progress has been slightly delayed as after battling with illnesses of some sort (mine and my OH's), I am working on another important project (not crafty related lol) and also have some wedding invitations to finish for my best friend's wedding... so busy, busy, busy!!!

And I just have to tell you about the Valentine's gift our Kropek brought us home last night...

We've had all sorts in the past, mice, birds and other small creatures... in different states of "liveliness"...

But yesterday Kropek brought us - a bunny!!!!!! A small, cutest ever, bunny!!! How he managed to catch one and shift it through the cat flap, is beyond me! But he managed... such a thoughtful boy.... We were glad to catch the bunny in one piece and release back to nature...

Some of you will know that last week I started my new Pinterest board for my favourite WOYWW picks. If you'd like to see if your desk caught my eye last week or which desks I found most PINTERESTING this week lol ;) - click here.

And if you don't know what Pinterest is about - check out my Pinteresting tutorial!

Happy WOYWW!!!

Big hugs

Pinterest, what's it all about? "How to use Pinterest" Tutorial

2012-02-08T22:06:00.001Z

In case you haven't heard of Pinterest yet (gasp!!!) or you have but you don't really know what it's all about... This post is for you!

Pinterest is a virtual Pinboard where peeps from all over the world can clip their favourite images for inspiration, just like onto a good old pinboard, except a virtual one lol ;).

I must say, I absolutely LOVE< LOVE< LOVE Pinterest!!!!! Gone are the days when, whilst searching for decorating, wedding or crafty inspiration ideas, I used to save favourite pictures on my computer, clogging it up and wasting a valuable disk space ;).

Now I can do it all online!

Let's say I need some inspiration to redesign my craft room....

Or look for inspiration for your next card or tag...

You can clip as many images as you like and you can add as many pinboards as you wish! ;).

And if creating your own boards is not your thing, you can follow other peeps' boards, just as you follow your favourite blogs!

Are you ready to join? Great! Let's get onto the nitty gritty then!

Strangely enough Pinterest operates on a "join by invitation" basis. To join you can request an invite from the Pinterest team:

If you choose to join this way, you may end up waiting for a reply for a VERY long time ;((.

Alternatively, if you know someone who already has a Pinterest account (like me! lol) you can ask them to invite you - your email address will be required.

If you'd like me to invite you to join, just email me at underacreativespell@wp.pl and I will be happy to help!

NB. You can choose to join Pinterest through your Facebook or Twitter account to allow you to easily share your new pins through your preferred channel.

Once you've opened your new account, it's time to personalise it ;).

Let me just draw your attention to the basis function buttons ;).

Under the Edit Profile button you will be able to add a description to your profile, add your profile picture and also add links to your blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts. The icons to these will appear below your profile picture and description.

If you'd like to stay "visible" to the search engines, make sure you keep the Visibility option switched on.

Now you are ready to start creating your pinboards. To do so, you need to click the Add + button in the top right corner.

A new window will appear:

To add a new pinboard click Create a Board button.

A new window will appear.

Here you can choose a name and a theme category for your board.

Now you can start adding your favourite images (pins).

To add the pins from any website, click Add a Pin.

To add an image from your computer, click Upload a Pin.

Another way to easily add pins to your account is by using a "Pin It" button which you can add to your Bookmarks Bar. For a short guide on how to do that click here.

You can also "pinch" other people's pins and repin them to your board ;). You can like and comment on your feve pins, too!

Now go and enjoy filling up your newly created Pinboards! And if do you, let me know so I can follow your boards and see what you are up to!

If you found this tutorial helpful, please click the +1 button and using the "share buttons" below let your friends know about this new super cool virtual pinboard community! And if have any questions, let me know, too and I will try my best to help.

And if you'd like to follow my boards (new images are being added daily!) click on the button below:

I must warn you however....

Pinterest is highly addictive!!!! ;-)

Big hugs!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday #140

2012-02-08T18:55:00.001Z

Hello friends!

A quick post to join in with today's WOYWW - if you'd like to find out what it's all about visit the chief WOYWW Julia's blog to find out!!!

Here's the view of my desk....

Not much going on this week, other than a big mess I haven't had any will or power to tidy up... We've got a bit of a hospital at home at the moment, with both me and my OH not feeling well :((( He's suffering from a terrible "man flu" (and we girls know what a serious condition that is, don't we?!!!!) and I am struggling to think or keep my eyes open - my sinuses are being a BIG pain in the ....errrr sinuses...?

Hopefully we'll be back up on our feet soon!

Until then....

In case you didn't know, my Creative Spell is now on Pinterest! And if you'd like to see if your WOYWW made it to my favourites for this week, check out my WOYWW Pinboard here! ;). And if you would like to find out what Pinterest is about, click here to see my tutorial ;).

I'm off then - back to bed to get better...! I apologise if I don't get to visit you for this WOYWW with not feeling well and all that... but I will try my best!

Big hugs

I love Paris in the spring time... and embracing my crafting style

2012-02-04T22:32:00.004Z

Over at Flying Unicorn, there is a fabby new challenge Embrace Your Crafting Style.

To take part in the challenge you are to:

1. Make something that expresses your unique, personal crafting style.
2. Write a short description about your crafting style.

I've never realised how difficult it would be to describe my own style... probably because I love experimenting and trying new techniques. But I think there is one common theme that appears in the items I make...

So here it is... whether it's cards or altered items they are usually quite feminine and have a vintage, distressed flavour. I also sometimes think of my pieces as a mix of French country style & opulence with a splash of colour ;). Whichever way to describe it, when I'm under a creative spell ;) I always try to pour a little bit of "magic" into the piece I am working on...

I love rubber stamping and I love to decorate my crafty makes with inks, paints or shimmer sprays. I also am fascinated by time elements, flowers and butterflies and love incorporating them in my pieces.

So now onto my project...

It's an altered frame I got a long time ago in a charity shop. I just loved the shape of the frame!

Now, you might remember that in my previous post I said I was working on something that made me take my tissues out lol ;).

Or napkins? Well, it's a tissue paper of some kind anyway ;).

First I covered the whole frame with tissue paper and used watered down PVA glue as an adhesive and to varnish. When dry, I sprayed the frame with the gold cosmic shimmer mist.

The background paper was also covered with the tissue and dry brushed with matt emulsion paint. This gives a nice washed out, chalky finish which is lovely to stamp on.

I then stamped this beautiful Stampendous stamp (my recent treat, courtesy of the Stamp Man challenge lol) and coloured it with Inktense pencils.

Using TH dies, I cut some leaves from a leaf textured paper and made some flowers from Papermania papers. Then I added some more Prima flowers, a vintage button and some hat pins. The seam binding and the cheese cloth were coloured with inks and glimmer mists.

That's all from me for now. I hope you enjoyed this little insight into what I believe my crafting style is... well, you may choose to agree or disagree! lol ;) Either way - I'd love to hear what you think!

Enjoy your weekend!

Big hugs

Challenges:
Flying Unicorn February - Embrace Your Crafting Style
Stampendous Impressions - Texture
The Stamp Man Challenge - Embellish it
Hotshot Craft Challenge #3 - Flowers
Wags 'n Whiskers #72 - Home decorations
Aud Sentiments Challenge #47 - Anything but a card with a sentiment
DYSU Challenge #57 - Anything goes
Divas by Design - Anything goes
Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Challenge #24 - Make your own flowers
Die Cuttin' Divas #50 - Anything goes
Party Time Tuesdays #53 - Anything goes
Make It Monday #74 - Anything goes
Splendiferous Creations Bloggers Challenge - Alter It and blog hop:

WOYWW #139

2012-02-01T19:04:00.001Z

Where has the time gone??? It was only yesterday that we were travelling around the blogland looking at each other's desks... Was it not...?

If you'd like to join in the fun, hop over to Julia's blog, the first stop in the worldwide desk hopping extravaganza!

What you can see here is something you've all been waiting for...

A mess!!!!

Yes, that's right! My desk is finally showing some signs of creative action going on ;) I can't tell you what I'm up to yet, but watch this space!!! It's something that's got me take my tissues out... ;P. But I will say no more!!!

And on a happy note... I was so excited when I found out this morning that my seed packet was chosen as a Top 3 on Tip Top Tuesday challenge!!! Wooo hoooo!!! ;))).

That's all for now! TTFN!!!

This time it's for men... - #14 Fashionable Stamping Challenges

2012-01-29T11:30:00.007Z

Re-edited: Yeeey!!! My card has been chosen as one of the Top 3 at Craft Your Days Away!!!

The new challenge at FSC is "Make it a guy thing". So go on, get those masculine creations going and join us for this challenge!

As always, one lucky winner will receive a lovely prize from Marina from the Cottage Crafts.

My project for this challenge is a card for a VERY special person celebrating VERY special birthday ;). The Birthday Boy is a super talented person, he loves playing music, writing poems and short novels and he is a passionate painter. In my card I was trying to somehow include all of his passions...

The papers are from my fav ever Tim Holtz Lost and Found collection. The stamps I used are Tim Holtz Visual Artistry and Papermania Urban set.

Can you see the tiny bicycle and the cute book I've made using the Papermania stamp to embellish the card?

And I love how much texture the ornate frame, the little book and the seem binding ribbon have added to the card ;).

The images were coloured with distress inks and Inktense pencils.

And this is the inside of the card.

I hope you will join us this week and don't forget to check the amazing samples prepared by all the Fashionettes to inspire you! For a quick hop to their individual blogs just pick the name from the list below! ;)

Have a lovely Sunday!

Big hugs

Challenges for this card:
The Stamp Man Challenge - Embellish It
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Show a song title (Live the life you've imagined by Red Rose)
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything goes
GC #133 Chestnut Theme Challenge - Use a set of stamps
GC #134 Spicy Supply Challenge - Ribbon
GC #135 Random Redhead Challenge - Use your favourite paper
Artistic Stamper Jan - Vintage
CYDA #37 - Distressing
Crazy 4 Challenges #121 - Layer it on
Inspire Me Fridays #43 - Anything goes
DYSU #56 - Ribbons
Celebrate the Occasion #47 - Masculine birthday
Splendiferous Creations Bloggers Challenge - Texturise it & blog hop

Seed packets giveaway - winners announced!

2012-01-29T10:15:00.001Z

As promised, here are the results of the draw for my seed packets tutorial ;).

So without further ado...

The first seed packet goes to....

The winner is... Lainey of CraftyActs! Congratulations Lainey!!!!

And the second seed packet goes to:

The winner is Dot of Dot's Dabbles!!! Congratulations Dot!!!! ;)

Girls, please email me your addresses to underacreativespell@wp.pl and I will post your prize asap!

Thank you so much everyone for your lovely and supportive comments on my first ever tutorial! And stay tuned - more creative art from me later today!

Big hugs

Template week at Polka Doodles #4, Seed Packet tutorial & a giveaway ;)

2012-01-27T10:00:00.008Z

Re-edited: OMG!!! My seed packet & tut have been chosen as Top 3 at the Tip Top Tuesday challenge!!! Sooooooo happy!!!!

First of all I wanted to say a big "welcome" and "thank you" to all my new followers! Your support really means a lot to me!

In case you've missed my yesterday's post with my new blog button, you can view it here ;). And I have a new blog header, too! Hope you like it!

Welcome to our new Polka Doodles challenge! This week we are playing with templates - digital and plastic ;).

I've used a seed packet template from Sundae of Seasons CD, the papers are from Sundae of Seasons and the seed packet image hidden at the back is from Not For Girls CD.

The butterflies are from the Fairy Flutterfly Maxine stamp set and the flowers were a free stamp designed by our talented Nikky for the Craft Stamper. All coloured with Inktense pencils. This template is so versatile!

I loved this template so much that I could not just make one packet - I HAD to have a go and make another one lol ;). Here's the front...:

And the view of the back...

Whilst playing with the second seed packet I also thought it would be fun to try my first ever step-by-step crafty tutorial ;) So here it goes but... please be gentle with me - I'm a bit of a tutorial newbie! :D

For this project you will need:
1. Seed packet template from Sundae of Seasons CD
2. Your favourite Polka Doodles papers and images (collections used here are: Sundae of Seasons, Not For Girls and Love & Cherish CDs)
3. Scissors, paper trimmer, paper distresser
4. Favourite adhesives
5. Tea Dye Distress Ink and a selection of distress stains
6. Blending tool, Mini Mister spray
7. Baker's twine and seem binding
8. 0.75" and 1" circle punch plus border punch
9. Flowers and embellishments of your choice

Print off and cut out the template of the seed packet from the Sundae of Seasons CD. Trace the template onto the back of your chosen patterned paper and then cut it out. You can also print the template directly onto your chosen paper. I wanted my seed packet to be slightly bigger than the original template, so I enlarged it on my computer first.

Using your scoring board score the paper along all four lines to make the flaps fold neatly. Depending on your preference, you can fold the flaps to form a "vertical" or "horizontal" envelope/packet.

I've gone for the "vertical" option here ;).

If you like the aged look, distress the edges with the Tea Dye distress ink and a blending tool. Remember to always work in circular motions from your craft mat onto the paper. This will help you get a soft finish without any harsh lines.

Measure the size of the card stock you will be using as a mat for the image against the size of the template. You can use a ruler - although I never do. I just go with my creative flow ;). Lol ;).

Cut out your mat.

Follow the steps as above for the patterned paper, cutting the paper slightly smaller than the cardstock mat.

Distress the edges of the patterned paper (and the cardstock mat if you like) using scissors or paper distresser. Then add some vintage flavour with the Tea Dye DI and the blending tool.

To make the closing buttons/tabs cut 2 circles using 0.75" and 2 circles using 1" circle punch.

Attach your buttons to the seed packet using a couple of eyelets, one on the opening flap and the second one half way down the packet. Do not glue the buttons as you want them to be loose, except for the eyelet centres.

Now, using your preferred adhesive, glue the packet's flaps in place, leaving one free for the opening.

Top Tip - do it exactly in this order. I glued the flaps first, then tried to fix the eyelets - not very easy, I can tell you that!

Cut 2 strips of paper, one slightly wider - this will be our mat. The strips should be long enough to wrap around the packet. Finish the wider strip lengthwise with a border punch to add interest. Distress the edges with the distress ink as above.

Adhere all elements in place.

Cut the seam binding to about 30 cm length. Apply your chosen Distress Stains to the seam binding and then quickly spray some water with the mini mister. You will see that the inks will start blending in nicely. If you don't have Distress Stains, you can use distress ink pads instead.

Whilst the ribbon is still wet, wrinkle it in your hands for a lovely shabby vintage look. Let it dry naturally or if you are just as impatient as I am, you can dry it with a heat gun ;).

Choose your favourite seed packet image from the collage sheet on Not For Girls CD...

30 minutes later.....

... then cut it out ;).

Attach your image and the seam binding ribbon to the front of the packet, then add flowers and embellishments as desired.

Turn the packet over, wrap and tie baker's twine around the closing buttons. Embellish the back as desired. Here I used a lovely butterfly from the Fairy Flutterfly Maxine stamp set which was coloured using Inktense pencils.

And your seed packet is ready ;).

To celebrate this new tutorial adventure I will be giving away both seed packets to 2 lucky commenters :). If you'd like me to send my creative spell your way, please leave me a comment below and I will draw the lucky winner this Sunday!

Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for visiting!

Big hugs

Linking to:
Make it Monday #73 - Anything goes
Simon Says Stamp challenge - Anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday #68 - Sketch 1 Layers

Did you know... and my new blog button!

2012-01-26T20:49:00.002Z

Did you know that you can now follow me on Twitter? :D

And you can also be my friend on Facebook! ;)

And I also now have a blog button!!! Yeeeey!!! And I love it!!!

Please feel free to grab it and if you add my button to your blog, let me know and I will make sure to add yours, too!

If you don't know how to add a blog button to Blogger, please click here to view Cindy Adkins' helpful tutorial ;).

Many of you have also been asking me why I use the name "Asia"...;). No, I don't mean to say that I am the king of any continents lol ;).

Well, Joanna is my formal name in Polish, just pronounced differently - like Yoannnnnna (as my friends like to say, as we Poles pronounce every letter in the word!).

Asia in Polish is an abbreviation, equivalent to Jo in English ;). Again, pronounced slightly differently - something along "ashyer"...lol

Stay tuned as tomorrow I will share with you something AMAZING - my first ever step by step crafty tutorial! It's AMAZING not because the tut is so great (it's my first tutorial after all lol!) but AMAZING because I have actually finally made one ha ha ha! :D.

Until then...

TTFN!

Big hugs

Ps. I will have a small giveaway, too!

WOYWW #138

2012-01-25T15:28:00.006Z

Wooo hooo, it's Wednesday and it's time to be a bit nosy and have a look around some crafty desks ;). If you'd like to join in, register on the Chief Desk Officer Julia's blog ;).

So here is mine.... Ta dah!!!! Not much going on there.... not yet at least!!!

But just look at what's arrived in the post today - my fabulous prize from the super wonderful Stamp Man shop. This is what I spent my winning prize for the Third Annual Awards challenge!!!! Thank you so much Jill & Ian!

I am sooooooo happy and I just can't wait to ink those beauties up!!! And what have you been up to lately?

Big hugs

FSC #13 - It's all about butterflies...

2012-01-15T00:31:00.008Z

...and bugs ;).

Yes, that's right! That's the new challenge theme at Fashionable Stamping Challenges ;) and it's right up my street as I looooove butterflies!!! I suppose you'd never know if I didn't tell ya... lol ;)))

As always, our lovely Marina from Cottage Crafts has prepared a fabulous prize for one lucky winner!

And here's my card for this challenge:

My card was also inspired by the January Muse CASE Study card (butterflies and colours):

I used my brand new Dahlia set from Stampendous and the papers are DCWV Mariposa pack. The flower was coloured with distress inks and oil pastels and then sprayed with gold cosmic shimmer mist. I stamped the flower three times and decoupaged it to add dimension.

The papers have been distressed with a generous amount of random border punching, tearing and inking... For more inspiration on this technique visit this fantastic blog by Finn, she is a truly inspirational artist!

The light background paper has got lovely glittery spots, (I love bling!) although they are a bit difficult to photograph...

I added some accents to the butterfly swirl with Liquid Pearls and also added some beads and gems to the butterflies' bodies - more bling! lol ;).

And can you see some more butterflies hiding in the corner? ;).

I hope you will join us for this challenge and you must have a look at the samples prepared by my Fashionable Sisters as they are simply outstanding this week!

Have a lovely Sunday and thank you for visiting!

Ps. In case you missed it yesterday - I have a short tutorial on how to add sharing buttons on Blogger which you can view here.

Big hugs

Challenges for this card:
Stampendous Saturday Challenge - Bling
CBGM #1 - Decoupage
Mark's Finest Papers #90 - Use border punch
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Spots and/or stripes
Addicted to Stamps #21 - January blues
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #168 - Anything goes with blue
Southern Girls Challenge #35 - Show us some sparkle
CASE Study #73 - Inspiration card
Flatterby Wednesday #185 - Bright colours
Heart Songs Designs #30 - Border punches/Torn paper
GC #133 Chestnut Theme Challenge - Use a set
PanPastel UK #1 - Anything goes
Splendiferous Creations Bloggers Challenge - Wings and Things - Blog hop:

Adding share buttons to Blogger - quick tutorial

2012-01-14T00:20:00.004Z

I have recently noticed that many blogs (and other websites) have those cool buttons at the end of each post, where people can share their favourite posts with the world.

Sadly my blog didn't have them so I challenged myself to find out why lol ;).

It took me a little while to find this but who would have thought the answer was that simple! ;)

To add the share buttons in Blogger, go to your Dashboard and click Design. Then in your Page Elements template click on Blog Posts Edit.

A pop up window will appear.

Put a tick next to Show Share Buttons et voilà!

NB. You might not be able to see the Share Buttons within your post to start with. But if you refresh to your main blog view, they should be there! Good luck! ;)

Well, if this tutorial has been helpful, please click the +1 button, that is now proudly displayed at the bottom of this post ;).

Happy blogging!

Vintage Theme at Polka Doodles #2

2012-01-13T09:00:00.030Z

Thank you so much to all of you brave enough to challenge yourselves with our Shades of Grey theme last week ;).

This week at Polka Doodles we are going vintage or retro!!!! So please wow us with your timeless, vintage creations! And here is what I prepared to share with you today. I am not going to say who this is for, but I just have a feeling you might be able to guess anyway! lol; )

For this week's vintage theme I looked for inspiration in Not For Girls CD and oh boy, this CD is full of vintage goodness! My papers are a mixture of Not For Girls and Paper Boutique vol III CDs and the tickets, sentiment and alphas are from Not For Girls CD.

Again my hubby's toolbox was invaluable for the right embellishments, which I treated with some alcohol inks. I mean the embellies, not the tool box of course lol ;). A lot of distressing with distress inks later and my card was finished! ;).

I've got to say, I quite like my new photo studio ;). There is still plenty for me to learn to make the most of it but I think I am going in the right direction with the pictures...lol ;).

I hope you can join us this week and I can wait to see what you've created! Please make sure to also check what the rest of the DT has prepared to inspire you!

Have a lovely Friday and.... it's almost the weekend!!!

Big hugs

Challenges for this card:
Simon Says Stamp & Show - Red Letter Day
Dutch Dare Card Challenges #147 - For the Boys
Pixie Dust Studio #109 - Put your heart into it
Sweet Stamps Challenge #49 - Hearts
Top Tip Tuesday #67 - Anything goes
Crafty Cardmakers #59 - No floral embellishments
Incy Wincy Designs #128 - Vintage
Karen's Doodles Challenges #95 - Valentine's/Love
Make it Monday #71 - Anything goes
The Stamp Man Challenge - Use red

I'm so excited!!!

2012-01-10T21:58:00.000Z

Just a quick post but I just had to.... I am soooooo excited and proud and stuff!!!! Do you remember my Christmas candles project?

Well, my candles have been chosen as a Ginger Gem in the GC Spicy Supply (wax) Challenge!!!! Wooo hooo!!! How fab is that??? Thank you so much GC Team!!!

If you would like to see my original post, click here ;).

I'm joining in with the Creative Blogger's Party & Hop ;).

TTFN!

Hugs

New Year, new challenge and big news at Polka Doodles!

2012-01-06T09:00:00.014Z

Happy New Year everyone!!!

I hope the New Year will bring you lots of joy, health and happiness and of course lots of crafting!!! And to get your crafty mojo flowing we have a new Polka Doodles challenge to inspire you!

This week, we have a colour theme - we'd like your creation to be in shades of grey. And we also have a sketch for you to follow:

The lucky winner will receive a special set of Flexmarkers from Letraset - of course in shades of grey ;). And here is what I prepared for this challenge:

For my card I used papers from the Sundae of Seasons CD and the stamp from the Neighbours range. I really love this stamp, although I have not had a chance to ink it up before. The image was coloured with water colour pencils and cosmic shimmer water colour paints.

To embellish the card I used lots of die cuts, some old ones (from Nestabilities and Tim Holtz) and some new ones from Marianne Designs. I also added some vintage lace.

The piccies were taken using my brand new photo studio (with a super fabby light tent and special lamps) that I got from Santa for Christmas - thank you, Santa!!! Now, I just need to learn to use it to its best advantage lol ;).

The new year also brings new and super exciting news from Polka Doodles!

First of all, we are now launching a fabulous new craft club and magazine - Pen & Paper Circle club!!!

Each Club issue will include a special exclusive set of Polymer stamps, a printed paper pack, special Club offers and discounts PLUS our special, EXCLUSIVE CREATIVE CHRONICLE Club magazine which gives you 12 full colour step by step tutorials and inspiration on how to use your kit, with special projects from Nikky and the very talented Design Team. Each magazine issue will include special offers and news from Polka Doodles, together with a preview of the upcoming next issue.

Nikky has also started a new monthly challenge blog for our lovely junior crafters - Diddy Doodles Challenge Blog. To check out the very first challenge and the fabulous creations by the Junior DT members click here ;).

I hope you can join us for this challenge and we can't wait to see your fabulous creations!

Big hugs

Challenges for this card:

Simon Says Stamp & Show - Something old, something new
Heart Song Inspirations #29 - Anything goes
Make it Monday #70 - Anything goes
Stampalot Challenge Jan - Monochromatic
Through the Craft Room Door #17 - Monochromatic

My 2011 highlights and Happy New Year 2012!!! ;))

2011-12-31T10:00:00.003Z

Just as the year 2011 is about to end, I thought I would share some of my highlights from the past 12 months :). If you click on the month, you can see the original post about the featured project ;).

Hopefully I can put a good spell on the New Year 2012 to be full of positive inspiration, creative art and some new (good!) changes in my life... and that all those nasty life turbulences finally go away!

Over at the Stamp Man challenge blog, the team are having their annual awards challenge, where you are asked to choose your best/favourite project of 2011. And if I was to pick my most favourite highlight, then I think it would be the September one... ;).

And whilst reflecting on the past year, I would also like to thank you all for being such wonderful blogland friends. Thank you for all your magical comments and words of encouragement, they always mean so much to me!

Thank you for all the inspiration you've shared and I hope I've somethimes managed to inspire you, too ;).

And I wish you all a very happy New Year 2012!

With best wishes

What's on Your Workdesk (White) Wednesday and Christmas wishes...

2011-12-21T14:33:00.003Z

This is going to be my last post before Christmas and probably before the New Year as well, so may I take this opportunity to tell you that I am....

And just a quick peek at my messy desk for WOYWW #133 :). It was all lovely and tidy 2 days ago. I even gained my floor space back, whilst doing some Christmas tidy up and look what's happened here!!! I could try to blame Kropek or some bad gremlins that broke into my craft room at night... but you will know all too well that this was not true! So instead, I will be brave enough to confess, that I did more crafting almost immediately after I tided up my room.

There is something about tidy craft space that it just does not seem to last, don't you think...? lol ;)

And I haven't yet had a chance to share this last addition to my Christmas tree - paper mache hearts decorated with scraps of old wall paper, glitter and gems ;). So here they are:

I am sharing these with White Wednesday #131 and City Crafter Challenge Blog #88 (Winter White).

And my lovely Christmas tree with white decorations, the one I have been dreaming of for the last 3 years, is finally up ;)).

Next year there will probably be more ornaments hanging there, some purchased, some hand-made (how could I not???? lol ) but for now, that will do ;D.

Here's a side view of my lovely tree...

And here the tree is proudly presented by our handsome lad Kropek...

And just in case I don't get to visit your lovely blogs personally, let me say it again...

See you in the New Year!!!

Big hugs

Altered Christmas candles

2011-12-19T11:56:00.005Z

Re-edited: Wooo hoooo! I'm the winner of the Delicious Doodles challenge!!! Yeeeeeey! ;)))
Wooo hooo again!!! My candles have also been chosen as a Ginger Gem in the GC Spicy Supply (wax) Challenge!!!! ;)))

I've been craving to try this new technique for a looooong time but somehow I was too scared lol ;). I thought it was going to be really difficult but suprisingly, it wasn't at all!

And here's what this post is all about...:

If you haven't tried to alter a candle yet - you must give it a go! It gives amazing results and is really rewarding ;).

All you need is a permanent ink (I used Timber Brown StazOn), tissue paper, greaseproof/baking paper (optional but quite useful), heat tool and something else...err... right - a candle of course lol!

Once you've stamped your image onto the tissue, place it on the candle then wrap the candle tightly with the baking paper. This will help you keep the image in place at the start and will also help to keep the shape of the candle when the wax starts to melt. Try no to over-heat the candle. It's better to repeat the heating process than having to reshape your whole candle lol ;). When the wax starts to melt, the tissue will magically disappear into the candle and your stamped image will look as professionally printed onto it!

The stamps I've used are from the Vintage Christmas Stempelglede set - err.... just for a change lol ;). Have I meantioned how much I loooove this set??? I just don't seem to get enought of it... ;D

The candles have been snugly wrapped with patterned paper and ribbon bands. The paper bands have been stamped with Crafty Individuals Santa Sleigh stamp and slightly distressed with Tea Dye DI.

I also stamped a few Crafty Individuals pine trees onto acetate, cut out and placed around the piece. I love the "see through" effect it gives, as if you can almost peek through the trees to see what's behind ;).

The glass plate was covered with glass pebbles and faux snow. And the pine cones were painted with white and gold acrylic paints. It's difficult to show it on a photo but I love the soft sparkle of the pebbles, paint and the gold embossing on the patterned paper.

Hope you have a lovely week and I'm back to my Christmas preparations!

Big hugs

Challenges for this project:
The Artistic Stamper 'Dec - Christmas
The Stamp Man - New technique
GC #130 Spicy Supply Challenge - Wax
Crafty Individuals 'Dec - All wrapped up
Addicted to Stamps #19 - Snowflakes
Dream Valley Challenges #22 - Christmas
Gingerloft Challenges #30 - Christmas and Winter
Opus Gluei - I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
The Squirrel and the Fox #7 - Christmas
Alphabet Challenge - W for white Christmas
Delicious Doodles #8 - X-travagant Xmas
Fairy Fun Fridays #68 - Holly Jolly Christmas
Inkspirations Challenges #100 - Christmas
Inspire Me Fridays #37 - Anything goes
Jellypark Challenges - Anything but a card
Jingle Belles - Something Christmassy
Mami Doodles #40 - Altered Art/Home Decor
Raise the Bar #86 - Christmas
Make it Monday #68 - Anything goes

Still in the Christmas mode...:)

2011-12-17T16:38:00.004Z

Just wanted to share two more Christmas cards I've made using the super - fabulous papers from Polka Doodles Magical Winter 2 CD.

This time with the gorgeous image from the Vintage Christmas set by Stempelglede. Have I mentioned how much I adore this stamp set???

And I love the way the Polka Doodles papers coordinate with each other and with the image... and with a bit of distressing and a touch of gold cosmic shimmer mist the card has a subtle vintage sparkle...! ;)

And whilst talking of Polka Doodles, why don't you join us for the new challenge. This week we would like you to create a project with a window for us to peek through ;). We also have a blog candy with £10 voucher to spend in Polka Doodles shop for grabs!

I haven't been feeling very well lately and I didn't get to create anything for this challenge :((. But why don't you have a look at what the rest of the Team have prepared to inspire you and hopefully my cards above will also give you some creative ideas!

And whilst I am busy with Christmas preparations Kropek is definately trying to take things easy... I just had to share this pic, it really mady me laugh!!! ;))

Have a lovely Saturday!

Big hugs

I am entering the following challenges:
JUGS #115 - Colour challenge (red, olive, white/craft)
Annabelle Stamps - Christmas cards
Jingle Bells - Christmas inspiration
The Artistic Stamper 'Dec - Christmas

Christmas quick - makes - Polka Doodles #49

2011-12-09T09:00:00.002Z

If you are starting to panic about Christmas being only 2 weeks away (ohh I can almost hear you gasp!) then it's time for emergency measures and time for a new Polka Doodles challenge! ;)

This week we'd like you to share inspiration for some super quick Christmas cards, to help all those super-late crafters catch up on their Christmas cards! lol ;)

Here's my take on the challenge...;)

For my card I used a fabulous collection of papers and a pre-coloured image (isn't she the cutest?!!) from the Magical Winter CD part 2. I also used a touch of glitter, a few punched snowflakes and a snowflake embossing folder.

Once Ive decided on the size of the panels, I was able cut multiple copies in seconds (ok, minutes maybe hehe), which was perfect for my "Christmas cards mass production" ;). And if you need any more papers, you can just print them off from the CD with a click of a mouse!

This was a very quick card for me, as quick as my cards go ;). What's your secret? Please join the challenge and share the inspiration! And don't forget to check out what the rest of the DT have prepared for you to get your creative juices flowing!

Have a lovely Friday!

Big hugs

Fashionable dressmaking - FSC #10

2011-12-04T11:15:00.001Z

Time for another Fashionable Stamping Challenge! And this time we are going to have a proper fashion reverie as this time we are challenging you with a Dressmaking theme! ;).

As always one talented winner will enjoy a fabulous prize from our lovely Marina from Cottage Crafts.

You can interpret the theme whichever way you like ;). Corsets, dress forms, accessories, sewing... whatever your imagination tells you.... or you can try a little play with words like I did...:).

I have been really busy lately with Christmas related makes... as surprising as it may sound at this time of year lol ;). And I was desperately looking for some inspiration as I needed to make a wedding anniversary card for one VERY special couple ;). And if they are reading this, thank you so much for being such wonderful people, you guys are a perfect Mr & Mrs and you friendship means a world to us! xxx ;->.

I rummaged through my stamps collection and then suddenly the inspiration struck lol ;). I dug out all PaperArtsy stamps I have and my project is a bit of a "showcase" of my PaperArtsy collection ;). I used Clocks 5, Hot Picks HP1009 and Hot Picks HPXT02EZ. Can you see the woman's face hidden behind the flowers?

The dress forms were die cut from mountboard using TH die, covered with distressed inks and stamped with Timber Brown StazOn. I looove mountboard, it works beautifully with distress inks... Then the images were coloured with cosmic shimmer water colour paints. I just love, love, LOVE the subtle shimmer these paints give!

The ticket and clock stamps are by Crafty Individuals. And can you see the clock hands made from little scissors embellishments...? Aren't they cutest ever???? lol :). I've also used stamps from the Artistic Stamper, Stempelglede, Prima, docrafts and some small alpha stamps.

The papers are DCWV Mariposa collection. To embellish I added some Prima flowers, shabby resin frames, pins and buttons and machine stitching.

I hope you can join us for this challenge and I can't wait to see what you create! But don't forget, no digi stamps - traditional stamping only! And if you want to be totally WOOOOWed make sure to visit the challenge blog to see what my Fasionable Sisters have created. The DT samples are simply mind blowing!!!

Thank you for visiting and have a lovely Sunday!

Big hugs

Challenges for this card:
2 Sisters Challenge #68 - Die cut and/or punches
Simon Says Stamp - Anything goes
Catch The Bug 'Dec - Anything goes
Card Makin Mamas #34 - Sentiments
Sundays with Crissy #24 - Anything goes
Crafty Purple Frog Challenge - For someone special
Art Impressions Stamps #42 - Flowers
PaperCrafting Journey - Anything goes
Cooking it up With Katie #86 - Anything goes
The Paper Shelter #42 - Anything goes
Stamp With Fun #139 - Stitching (real or faux)
Stamps & Fun - Creativity #75 - Distressing
Sunday Stamper #183 - Love and/or Life

"As seen on TV"... lol ;)))

2011-12-02T09:00:00.002Z

Wooo hooo!

I am so excited that I can finally share it with you - my TV debut!!! Well, maybe not mine strictly speaking... lol ;)

A couple of my cards have been shown on Create and Craft TV as DT samples for the FABULOUS Polka Doodles and the demos of the Pretty Tuff CD :))

Here's the view from the telly (yeah, I know it's pretty sad taking the pic of the telly but...I couldn't help it!!!! lol)

And here are the "originals" ;):

Both cards were made using the papers and the images from the Pretty Tuff CD.

Whilst on the subject of Polka Doodles, why don't you join in with our new challenge this week! Make a Christmas card or project for a child, but it must have a secret element (something hidden that the child can discover).

Have a happy Friday and..... it's almost the weekend!!! Yeeeeeeey!!!!

Big hugs

Roses in December and What's On Your Workdesk (White) Wednesday

2011-11-30T15:37:00.001Z

I thought it would be great to again visit What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, haven't joined in with the fun for a while! So here it is, my crafty table in it's full glory, with lots of Christmas related makes in progress ;).

And as recently promised, just wanted to share some hand made ornaments for my lovely white Christmas tree... And whilst on the subject, I am linking this to White Wednesday ;)

The roses are "shop bought" and are detailed with Stickles.

The leaves were covered with music sheet and die cut using Tim Holtz die. And then a good amount of glitter on the edges ;).

The roses will be clipped to the tree with a very high spec attachment, which I sourced in the following way...

I went to a motor/hardware shop near my work and asked the shop assistant: “I don’t suppose you happen to have some kind of clips, which look like crocodile mouth, do you…?”. And the shop assistant politely replied “You don’t mean crocodile clips, do you???”.

My hubby has been laughing for a week now, and still can’t stop laughing at this story…! Lol ;)

Happy (white) Wednesday!

Big hugs

Also linking to:
Flying Unicorn - Roses in December
Woopsi Daisy Challenge - White on white
Challenge Up Your Life #57 - Music
My Sheri Crafts - Decorate for Christmas