Quick and Easy Cards!

As the title would suggest I've got a selection of quick and easy cards to show you today. I don't know about you, but I find that most people I know now expect a handmade card and are visibly disappointed when I present them with a shop bought one. So when last weekend I suddenly realised that Sunday was going be Easter Sunday I kind of panicked as I normally send out a handful of cards to various friends and family who celebrate.

After a little bit of thought I suddenly remembered that there were some uber cute little birds on the Candy Doodles CD that could easily be recoloured to look like chicks and would therefore be ideal for an Easter card. I'd also spotted on the Polka Doodles DT blog that an upcoming challenge was for Easter/Spring and as I haven't made anything for the challenge blog for ages that I'd also join in over there!!

So here's what I came up with. You'll notice I didn't stop at Easter cards I also knocked up a few Birthday cards to add to my stash too!! These were so quick and simple that it seemed rude not too!

Firstly I opened a word document and using the shape tool drew a square measuring 9cm x 9cm and changed the outline to 0.05pt so it was nice and fine. I then opened up the bird image from the Candy Doodles CD in Paint and recoloured and copied it. I then pasted the bird into the word document and resized it to fit into the square , before copying and pasting and rotating the image to create a mirror image.

I then added a text box with no outline and typed my sentiment, before dragging it into position. Once I was happy with the layout I grouped the images and simply copied and pasted the desired number on the page. At this stage I decided I didn't want the birds to be all the same colour so I recoloured them and I also changed the sentiments before hitting the print button.

Once printed it was simply a case of using the squares as guide for trimming to size before matting and layering the image onto a card base.

To finish I simply tore some strips of Washi Tape for grass and re-drew the birds legs with a fineliner, before adding a line from the birds beaks to the sentiment.

I hope that you'll join us for the Easter/Spring challenge.

Claire x

Products Used:

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:

Love Birds!!

Morning. It's time for another challenge over at Polka Doodles and this week we want to see "things with wings". Don't forget you don't need to use a Polka Doodles product, but we'd love it if you did!

This is a commissioned card for a lad that I work with. He wanted a card for his girlfriend to mark the six months that they'd been together. The stipulation was to include a photograph of them, the date they met, a bird, no flowers and no pink!!! So this it what I came up with.....

The papers are from the Sugarplum Daisy CD and the images are from the Candy Doodles Collectors Edition. I made a pocket for the tag which carries a photograph of the couple and I used the computer to generate the date they met text which has been printed onto the ribbon. The die cut hearts are some that the lovely Angie from Bumbles Bees Craft Den sent me ages ago. The sentiment on the die cut heart is also computer generated.

Well that's it from me today. I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Thanks for stopping by.

Claire x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Life's A Beach!

Hopefully the scheduling widget hasn't let me down today! I'd like to blame Mr Blogger but I think it's more due to my incompetence!!

Anyways. it time for another challenge over at Polka Doodles and this week we want to see Summer! I think someone had the bright idea that if it won't come to us, that'd we'd make our own one! Now I really struggled with this challenge, totally lacked inspiration and kept going back to the same image which I've used a couple of times before. So after much umming and arrggghhhing I decided that I try and scrapbook a picture I took of my son when we were on holiday a couple of years ago. Now I say try, as I'm not a natural scrapper and therefore it's not something I find particularly easy. However, I'm determined that I will persevere as I have so many lovely pictures that are just sitting on my hard drive taking up space that it seems a shame not to do something with them. So here's my project for the week - what do you think?

Materials:
Sundae of Seasons
Studio 12 Picknix - Collection 1
Candy Doodles Collectors Edition
Stickles
Glossy Accents
Prismacolor Pencils

Whilst I hopefully have your attention I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that Polka Doodles has a DT call out at the moment as does Studio 12. You can find all the details of how to apply and what's required by clicking on the links.

I hope you all have fab weekend (although the forecast is pants - again). I think we're going to be stuck indoors doing chores, but I might manage a little trip out to the cinema to see the new Snow White and The Huntsman Movie.

Claire xxx

PS Message for Marg - the link to freezer paper is here and the post with the tutorial is here

I'd like to enter this page into the following challenges:
{PIN}spirational Challenges - Shell picture
Craft Your Passion - Anything goes
Crafty Cardmakers - No cards, tags or ATC's
Creative Monday's - Summer
Fashionista Weekly - Simply Summer
Incy Wincy Designs - Use more than one digi
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Catered Crop - Banners/Bunting
Quirky Crafts - Feature something you'd see in the sky!
Simon Says Stamp - Joy's Photo Inspiration

It's a Royal Affair!

Good morning, it's time for another challenge over at Polka Doodles. Now as it's the Queen's Diamond Jubilee weekend we want you to make a project to celebrate that, you can use anything that suggests royalty. Wether it be colours such as purple, red, gold or gemstones such as diamonds, or even using the union flag you decide!

I wasn't really sure what to do for this weeks challenge, but after a long hard think I decided that I wanted to make a fun project that I could use for my Jubilee party. So I've made a birdhouse, this photo heavy so be warned!

The birdhouse template has been taken from the Candy Doodles Collectors Edition CD. As the template is a bit bigger than I wanted for this project, I simply copied the image, pasted it into a Word document and resized it. The template was then printed onto cardstock. I placed the roof part of the template back into the printer and printed the free Polka Doodles Blue Jubilee paper on the opposite side. 

Once all of the house pieces had been cut out, I poked a hole in the centre of the roof and in the bottom of the floor. Gold thread was then passed through roof to make a hanging loop - I used a dot of hot glue on the knot to ensure that it was secure. I then passed a length of gold thread through the house floor and again used a dab of hot glue to secure the knot. The house was then assembled as per the instructions with the exception of cutting out a window at the front of the house.

The bunting was made using another free Polka Doodles paper that I resized and printed out several times before cutting down into triangles and gluing onto twine. I used the left over scraps of blue paper to create the heart shaped windows.

The hanging hearts and crown were made using an image from the same set as the papers (this was a freebie set that Nikky Hall created for this months challenge over on our Facebook page Polka Doodle Dandies). I simply resized the images in my graphics programme, coloured them with Promarkers, chucked a bit bling onto the crown and then hot glued them in place.

The little mouse image has been taken from the Sugarplum Daisy CD. She normally wears a pair of dungarees and a flower in her hair, but I have made her a new set of clothes especially for this project! The ER has been cut from a Tim Holtz/Sizzix Market Place Die. I've finally got around to using my Memory Box Wrought Iron Fence Die! I finished the whole thing off with a bit of organza ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and computer generated dates.

So if you've got this far well done!!! I hope you all have a fantastic Jubilee Weekend, and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that the sun shines forthe duration of it!

Thanks for stopping by today

Claire xxx

I'd like to enter the following challenges:
Kuretake - Red, White & Blue with a bit of bling
My Mum's Craft Shop - Red, White & Blue
Crafts & Me - Ribbon
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
 I ♥ ProMarkers - Use a digi
Cooking It Up With Katie - Celebrate with ribbon & a die cut
Divas By Design - Anything goes
Just keep On Creating - Anything goes
Penny's paper Crafty - Anything Goes
Creative Craft Challenges - Red, White & Blue
Everybody Art - Anything but a card
Bunny Zoe's - Anything goes
Cupcake Craft - Royalty
Make it Monday - Anything goes
OSAAT - Red, White & Blue
Pan Pastel UK - Diamond Jubilee
Craft Your Days Away - Red, White & Blue

Something Old, New, Borrowed & Blue!!!

Morning! It's challenge week again for team B over at Polka Doodles and just in case you hadn't guessed it the theme this week is Weddings.

I decided that I fancied making an exploding box as they always seem to go down well with the recipients and as I had someone to make it for it would so totally be worth the effort involved! So that's what I've done! The old is of course the tried and tested exploding box, the new was my Labels One Nesties and the addition of clothes to the owls, the borrowed was the mini heart punch (courtesy of my lovely friend Maz who for some reason chooses not to blog??!!) and the blue is of course evident in my colour scheming! So here it is:

The gorgeous polkadot paper is from Candy Doodles Collectors Edition CD. The Heart & Button are from the Sundae of Seasons CD and the owls are from the Sugar Birdies Special Collectors Edition CD. I've drawn a jacket and top hat for the male owl and a veil for the female owl to make them look like a married couple. I free-hand cut the horseshoe.

The arch is made from card covered acetate which has been embossed.

The little frame on the front was from Poundland and I've just given it a coat of acrylic paint and brushed it lightly with Distress Ink. The back of the frame has been glued onto the box and the frame simply clips on and off. Needless to say I will be in search of more these as I think they'll be really useful!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire xxx

Materials
Candy Doodles Collectors Edition
Sundae of Seasons
Sugar Birdies Special Collectors Edition
Labels One Nestabilities
Sizzix - Blonde De Monde Alpha
Sizzix - Burlap and Swirls Embossing Folder
Stickles
Glossy Accents
Gems

I'd like to enter this box into the following challenges:
I ♥ PROMARKERS- Anything Goes
Just Keep on Creating - Anything Goes
Truly Scrumptious - Anything Goes
Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Challenge - Anything Goes
Sassy Cheryl's - Anything but a square card
fashionista challenge - Weddings
make it monday - anything goes
Simon Says stamp & show - anything goes
stamp with fun - weddings
catch the bug - things with wings
crafty emma - anything goes

Polka Doodles Giveaway

Fancy winning a copy of the brand new Candy Doodles Collector's Edition??? Well to be in with a chance, pop over to Enfy's Blog - Going Buggy cos every single day this week she's going to be giving away a copy!! So what are you waiting for?? Go.....

Claire x

Upcycled Pin Board - Polka Doodles Challenge

Good morning, I'm hoping that this post has published as I've had to schedule it.


It's challenge week for team B over at Polka Doodles and this week we have some fabulous candy for you from our sponsor Marianne Design . The prize on offer is an adorable basket Craftable. Craftables are new from Marianne Design and offer more variety to your die-cutting with the additional embossing options and you can also decoupage layers if you're clever with them! There is also a lovely Boat themed Creatable die which is fantastic for using with men's cards and some scrummy flower ribbon. So I really hope that you're tempted to join us for this weeks challenge which is Make A Card Or A Gift For A Male.


I opted to make to a gift for my son's room using this old magnetic board that my daughter had thrown out.

As he has a vintage Union Flag and Rock'n' Roll theme running throughout his room, I thought I'd alter the noticeboard to match. So, I printed out some distressed Polkadot papers from the Pretty Tuff CD, cut them down, edged them with Distress Ink and arranged them on the board to represent the Union Flag. The off cuts were used to cover the magnetic buttons. I then printed the skull and crossbones and the letters from the word book template from the Candy Doodles Collectors Edition, cut them out, distressed them and attached them to board with silicone glue. I decided not to add a ribbon for hanging, instead I opted to hang the board using the holes that were left from removing the cord previously used to hang the board.

I'm hoping he's going to like it, but will have to wait and see as I want to give it to him later this month with a concert ticket attached to it.


I hope you all have a fab weekend, whatever you are doing.

Claire x

Materials:

Pretty Tuff CD

Candy Doodles The Collectors Edition

Old Magnetic Pin Board

Distress Ink - Tea Dye

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:
Anything Goes - Boyz to Men
Creative Craft Challenges - Boys will be boys
Papertake Weekly - Anything goes
Craft Your Passion - Anything goes
Make It Monday - Anything goes
Smudgy Antics - Anything goes
Mark's Finest Papers - Recycle

Mini Box Frame for Polka Doodles Make It Summery Challenge

It's a quick post from me today as I've been working all this week and will be at work when this post publishes :(

I've made a little box frame for this weeks challenge over at Polka Doodles which is Cabin Fever, so we want to see loads of Summery cards and and projects. The prize is a brand new Candy Doodles Collectors Edition CD. Anyhow, it's stash box stamp week which meant that I got to play with one of my gorgeous uninked stamps, so here's my offering for this weeks challenge, a box frame made entirley from paper/card. I hope you like it, cos I think you'll be seeing a few more of these! :D

Oh and before I forget don't forget to pre-order your copy of The Pen & Paper Circle Kit. This edition has a really gorgeous A6 set of stamps and a cd containing 54 backing papers and coordinating png alphabets and if that wasn't enough there's a magazine with 12 step by step tutorials, hints, tips & inspiration. Remember, you only have until the 7th March to order.

Materials:
Papers, Tree Image & Sentiment taken from Polka Doodles Candy Doodles Collectors Edition
Elisabeth Bells Little Curls
Martha Stewart Punch
Stickles
Promarkers

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:
PaperPlay - For mother
S J Crafts - Flowers
The Crafty Purple Frog - Green & Yellow
Crafty Catz Weekly - Something beginning with B
Fussy and Fancy - More than words
CropStop - Is it blooming outside
Crafts & Me - Shades of Spring
Crafty Creations - Fancy folds
Flutter By Wednesdays - Inspiration photo
The Paper Shelter - Add a sentiment
Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything goes
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Use a digi
Truly Scrumptious - All creatures great and small

Exploding Box - My Last Polka Doodles Sample

Good morning. Yes it's me again, this getting quite a habit!!! Don't worry sporadic posting will resume again shortly! ;D

I just thought I'd show you my final sample that I did for the Polka Doodles Create & Craft Show at the weekend. It is of course an exploding box.

When I received the Candy Doodles CD I had a quick flick through it for inspiration and almost instantly found the little birdhouse template and the butterflies. Now those of you have followed me for any length of time know what a sucker I am for birdhouses and butterflies, so I just knew that I had to make something with it. My only problem was what to do as I had way too many ideas running around in my poor little head!

In the end I decided that as time was relatively short that I'd stick to something I knew, but play with the template. This is what I ended up with.

Cute or what? And so much fun to make! Which is a good job really as my poor daughter attempted to claim it and was gutted when I told her she couldn't have it, so guess who's gotta make another one?

Anyway, I hope I haven't bored you all this week with my frequent posts! Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you on Friday with another cute project (what has got into me!!).

Claire xxx

Materials:

Candy Doodles Collectors Edition - Polka Doodles

Stickles

Cloud Clay

Wooden Stick

Acrylic Paint

Promarkers

Acetate

Glossy Accents

Distress Inks

Circle & Scalloped Circle Nesties

I'd like to enter this project into the following projects:

Make It Monday - Anything goes

The Cutie Pie Challenge - Flowers

The Corrosive Challenge - Another Dimension

Scrappy Frogs - Die cuts

Sir Stampalot - In the garden

Crafty Purple Frog - Flowers

Polka Doodles Samples Part 2

Did you guess correctly? This C&S card was another of my samples that I made for the show at the weekend using the Candy Doodles Collectors Edition. It literally took five minutes to create using my graphics programme and a Letraset Fineliner.

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow as I'll be bringing you my final sample.

Claire x

Materials:
Candy Doodles Collectors Edition - Polka Doodles
Pink & White Cardstock
Letraset Fineliner

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Bunny Zoe's - Celebrations
Incy Wincy Designs - Birthdays
Lollipop Crafts - Anything goes
Stamps R Us - Anything goes
CD Sunday - Wings & Legs
PanPastel UK - Animals
Paper Sundaes - Birthdays
Aud Sentiments - Happy
CRAFT - No designer papers
Paper Crafting Journey - Make it cute

Did you see the show yesterday??

Well did you tune into Create and Craft to see the new CD "Candy Doodles - The Collectors Edition"? If so, what did you think? Did you like the new Candyland  Characters? And did you get a good look at the samples made by the DT?? Can you guess which ones were mine?? I'm gonna be tease today and show the one that wasn't shown, so you'll have to pop back later in the week to see the ones that were featured :D

So........ here it is! Not my usual colour palette I know, but none the less I think it's worked out OK or maybe not LOL :/

Materials:
Papers, Images & Embellishments - Candy Doodles - The Collectors Edition
Promarkers
White Pen - Polka Doodles
Stickles
Dew Drops - Polka Doodles

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Allsorts - Anything goes
Digi Doodle Shops's Best - Anything goes
Paper Crafting Journey - Make it cute