Friday 28 November 2008

'Reflection' and 'Experimentation'.....

I didnt do it did i? was going to shock you all by acheiving 4 posts in as many days....and I didnt manage it!!!

I had intended to post some 'Reflection' cards last night..... but I got a bit carried away playing about with the artwork for the Woodland Elves......(more about those later...)

Here are the cards I should have added last night......

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but this was actually my least favourite image when I designed the Winter Elves.....and I was suprised when she became the most popular stamp!

I think I'm finally starting to see what you are all seeing, and i'm using her for all my girly chrimbo cards......!!

The first is coloured with promarkers, mounted onto two circles cut with my xcut....Papers DCWV rose tinted christmas, making memories ribbon and a punched snowflake.

For the second I had a point to prove to my hubby..... He's been complaining that he spent nearly £30 on colouring pencils that I never use... and he says I could have got the same effect with 99p ones from the supermarket..... well I think not!! so I've given my promarkers a well deserved rest and had a play with my pencils.... these are blendable colouring pencils from derwent.... and I'm really pleased with how they colour... I'm not sure super market jobbies could measure up... and hubby has agreed....1 to me!!!

I've added a few highlights with fineliners, which I also used to write the sentiment. The bottom of the card has been embossed with a cuttlebug folder and rubbed down with sandpaper, you can't really see it on the pic, but it feels amazing!!

Lace , ribbon, flower and button from stash... and thats about it.....

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Experimentation

After I posted the sneek peeks of the new stamps last night, I couldn't resist having a bit of a mess about with the images....

I printed some of the artwork off, and got out my special (much better than 99p jobbies) pencils...

And had a play about with colouring and layering....

These have been printed at roughly the size of the finished stamps..... so it gave me a good idea of how the images can be used together.....

These aren't officially named yet so I can't tell you which i've used, but I've layered 3 different images, the sitting couple, the tree and the small bird...

if you look closely it is a little messy, as i roughly cut the images just to get an idea of sizing... but you get the idea...


Just added some little beads to the tree, and a bit of ribbon, The sentiment is hand written.

I do have more little 'fairytale' scenes in mind, but I won't show you yet, because I think i've teased you enough....

Have a fab evening!!!

Paula xx

Thursday 27 November 2008

Sneeky Peeks!!! Woodland Elves and Twirls Additions...

3 posts in 4 days!!! I think I must be ill!!!
wanted to show you the very first sneek peeks of the next batch of FROM THE HEART stamps....
(yes....have had a few sleepless nights!)
Can't give you a definate date of when these will be available for sale..... but I hope it will be within the next couple of weeks....
Now I have the rather long winded task of colouring them ready for the packaging artwork and web site images.......
still, its fun!!!
Meet the Woodland Elves...and Also the Twirls Additions...
(have some scenes in mind already!!)


Hope you like them......
Got some cards to post later using everybody's favourite 'reflection' stamp...... so will soon be 4 posts in 4 days!!! (I know!!! please feel free to go and have a lie down, I can understand its come as a bit of a shock!)

Have a great evening...
Paula xx

Tuesday 25 November 2008

Meet Wilbur and Albert.....

I know its been an age since I added any new downloads to the shop, so I thought it was about time I got my finger out!! I'm breaking myself in gently though... just a couple for now..

Meet 2 little cuties... named Wilbur and Albert.

Click the above image to go to the shop

I'm dedicating these guys to a friend, not sure if you still read my blog, but if you do, you know where the names have come from, and you know who you are...!!! xx

These come as a 2 sheet pdf download

1 sheet coloured, one uncoloured...

3 different designs

2 of each design per sheet

Here are a couple of quick cards I made using them...



I'm hoping to get some more designed this week... and I'll have some sneek peaks of some new From The Heart stamps very soon.......

Thanks for looking......

P.s Pops..... I used my little gadget on the second one...LOOK!!! (Thanks!)

Paulaxxxx

Monday 24 November 2008

Pollycraft Challenge 4 Choose a Challenge

This time over at the POLLYCRAFT MONDAY CHALLENGE..... we've made it a bit easier for you... you get to choose your challenge... you can either follow a sketch.....

Or you can create something using the free papers (available on the challenge blog)
Here are my little creations......

For the first I've followed the sketch.....
I've used the snowperson clear stamp, coloured with promarkers.
The papers are DCWV 'Rose tinted Christmas' and 'old world'
Snowflake is punched, and edged with promarkers, and glittered.
Flowers and brads are 'making memories'
Ribbon and button from stash
Little bells added to a wire swirl (they even jingle!!!)


For my second I've used the Winter Elves Devotion stamp again coloured with promarkers. The papers are the Free Download designed for the challenge.

The Ribbon is making memories {note worthy}

Charm brads and flowers from stash...

and a bit of doodling...

Now the window was once again cut using my trusty nutella jar as a template (lol)....BUT I don't need to struggle any more...cos my amazing, brilliant, wonderful friend Pops has bought me a fabby x-cut cutting tool and circle shapes How lovely is that!?!? Pops, I love you SO much!! you are just the best!!!

get yourself over to the challenge blog to see the other DT's FAB creations, AND info on what you need to do if you'd like to join the pollycraft Design Team.......

We look forward to seeing what you create this time...

Paula xxxx

Sunday 16 November 2008

Some cards, and a little beauty called 'reflection'....

Firstly I'd like to apologise to anyone who didnt manage to get their hands on the rather popular 'reflection' stamp this week.
As you know Pollycraft is very very tiny (basically just me and a computer!), and I can't buy massive amounts of stock (yet!)

Me and hubby tried to guess an order amount, that we hoped would last the week, until we could place another order..... well how wrong were we!!!? this little beauty didnt even last 48 hours....



I am hoping to have a larger amount of stock of these available this week, as soon as I have a better idea of a definate date, I will be sure to let you know!! If you'd like to reserve one of these now, just email me...

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Now I know this is REALLY naughty, showing you something you can't get your mits on at the moment.... but I wanted to show you what I've been doing today.....

For the first time in AGES, i've had a whole day to play with my crafty bits, so I made the most of it... although I did spend a little bit too long on this....

Wanted to try something a bit different to what I normally do..... the problem is...I don't have any fancy tools, so everything had to be cut freehand..... which is why it took a while....

The papers are all DCWV from the old world mat stack.... got these half price from the NEC hobbycrafts show on Friday....Bargain!! wish I'd bought loads now, I adore them, and they work brilliantly with these stamps....

For the cut out, I drew around a nutella jar..LOL.... first the top rim, and then flipped it over and drew around the bottom rim... to create 2 circles, one inside the other, I only cut out the smaller circle, leaving the larger circle as a frame around the edge... I then coloured the 'frame' with promarkers. the dark card was cut afterwards with scalloped edge scissors.... using the same nutella jar template, and a bit of careful lining up.... (you can see why it took ages right?) the lighter card down the centre was cut with wavy edge scissors, and attached slighty short of the edge to leave a white band down the very centre... which I added doodling to.... not sure if you can see it!... the fastening is just a ribbon either side, threaded through an eyelet. I used photo fasteners at the bottom, which I originally thought would hold the card shut, but it didnt quite work.... still, I like how they look!!

Dots added with a white pen to finish......

And then the inside....

Image is coloured with promarkers, I also coloured a square around her in blue. around the edges of the image I added some doodled 'stitching' with a staedtler triplus fineliner (if you've never seen these I highly recommend them!! they are great for doodling, and also for adding highlights to your colouring... a set of 10 costs around £7 in craft shops, but you can pick them up for around £3 in supermarkets!)

I also doodled down the sides of the paper, and the sentiment is handwritten in the same pens.

I added the stars with a white pen, to make the paper look a little more christmassy!

and thats it.....

Want to make more of these I think, but need to find a quicker method...I think this took me about 2 and a half hours!

I've also made a couple of cards for challenges, but they are on my other blog....I don't like to put them on here, because its like I'm using the challenge to promote the shop, and I think thats unfair...
but if you want to have a look at them they are here

hope you've all had a great weekend...
Paula xx

Monday 10 November 2008

Pollycraft Challenge *3* DT News and other bits!!

Gosh 2 weeks goes fast!!
Doesn't seem 5 minutes since I was doing my post for the last challenge!!

This time the challenge over at POLLYCRAFT MONDAY CHALLENGE has been set by the wonderful POPPET

And the challenge is to use at least 3 circles in your project....

Hmmmm...I've got to admit this one scared me a bit, cos I'm not really one for circles.... however I think its a fab challenge, and I loved making my card....

and here it is.....
I've used the Colour it yourself santa with gift and coloured him with promarkers.... The backing papers are DCWV and I've used sandpaper to 'distress' the edges... the flourish circle stamp is from the new From The Heart Range.I've cut it out and doodled the sentiment, then coloured the inner circle with promarkers, and also added a bit of the same colour to the edge. For the top circle, I used the same stamp again, but cut off most of the swirls, then just added a bit of colour with promarkers, punched a smaller circle from more DCWV papers, and added a button.
So I think I've covered the circles!!!

Hope you will join us again for this challenge...... hop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the DT's work..... all fab as usual...

Plus.... you may notice we have a newbie!!!

Another Emma!! (now known as EmmaW... whether she likes it or not!!)

Emma is now a fully fledged Pollycraft DT member... we hope you will make her feel welcome, and pop over to her blog to see her fantastic creations.....


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Now then...I've got a bone to pick with you all.......

The From the Heart Winter Elves stamps seem to be a bit of a hit with lots of you ...... I've had one stamp from the range sell out already, and 3 more are now getting very close.....
I'm seeing some absolutely stunning cards using these images on lots of your blogs.... but one little guy is NOT getting any of the limelight......
So I'm giving him his little bit of fame..... cos he is my favourite........


For this card i've used the adornment stamp and coloured him with promarkers. The papers are (once again) DCWV and sandpapered edges... I've also circle punched into the corners...
Ribbon and star brad are from stash.... and the sentiment is a special little suprise I'm going to be sharing with you later this week.......
a bit of doodling.....I dont think I doodle enough....LOL! and we're done.....
right, I feel better now!
Just so you all know.... as I know there are one or two... or more.... of you eagerly awaiting more stock of the 'reflection' stamp ... if you pop over to the shop and sign up for the newsletter, I will notify you when more are added..... It will almost definately be this week.
Thanks for looking...
Paula xxxx

Thursday 6 November 2008

Stamp Update....

Well what can I say??
The New From the Heart Stamps are proving FAR more popular than I could Ever have dreamed (although given the current sleep issue, theres not an awful lot of dreaming happening!)

If you pop over to the NEWS page in the shop (which i now promise to update!) you can see which products are limited stock....

Most importantly...
FIN PENGUIN-SUPRISE is now OUT OF STOCK (more coming soon)
WINTER ELVES -REFLECTION :ONLY 1 AVAILABLE
BILLIE DAISY CHAINS : ONLY 2 AVAILABLE
I'd just like to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to all of you that have bought stamps....Its just bizzare still when I pop over to your blogs and see them on your cards!!
Hoping to be back later with some cards....and some exciting DT news....
Paula xxx