Challenge 28

Hey Doodlers! And Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends in the US!

Well, another busy week at Doodle Towers, we're on Ideal World next week so we're currently up to our neck in CD's and artwork and packing and..and...and...stress! It's always a bit manic the 2 weeks prior to a show and then the week after (funny, in a month that means there's only one week which isn't!? hmm) but this time is worse due to the swine flu taking me out for a week and being way way behind..never mind, soon be Christmas and there is a brand new CD launch next week so that more than makes up for it! If you look closely at the Design Team entries and blogs this week I'm sure you'll see some sneaky peeks at the new stash! The show is Thurs 3rd Dec on Ideal World at 2pm.

I also have to just mention that myself and the fabulous Kirsty Wiseman will be holding a joint workshop in York on Saturday 5th December 10.15 - 1.15pm - craft fun and mince pies galore if you can join us, we have a couple of places left so if you want further info please click here.

Right, winners of Challenge 26...we asked you to use this sketch and use a Male theme...
in 3rd place...Teri
in 2nd place...Cornish Mist
and in First place is the lovely Little Ted - well done!
So email me for your stash and blinkies girls please!

Don't forget! Closing date for Design Team applications is Fri 27th (today!) so you'd better be quick if you want to join us! We're looking for a couple of new teamies so don't be scared, we're all very friendly!Email me here with your details. We've had lots of entries so it will take a while to plough through them all so give us a couple of weeks for the results! :D

Before I go any further I have to give a massive thanks to the very fabulous Dolly, our Guest Designer for November, my that's flown! It's Dolly's last week with us but we have all loved her projects and we hope she'll be back soon, I am LOVIN' her card this week!

So on with the show as they say...No sketch this week, but to make it easy you need to use 3 different papers and a Rubber Stamp - the rest is up to you! I think the Doodle Dollies enjoyed this one and we have some fab cards this week...

November Guest Designer, Dolly...

Dolly's doing a Crimbo take on all the challenges so here is her lovely lovely card, I adore this, think it's because of my 2 favest things - green and dots!! Just adorable this Dolly and thanks again for all your efforts during the last few weeks...

Made by Kerry..."I've been making Christmas cards from non Christmas papers, so decided to do the same for this challenge. The background paper came from Candy Doodles, the papers for the trees and center strip came from Sugar Birdies. I embossed stamped snowflakes and glittered the trees. Added a few gems and stamped the sentiment across the paper ribbon also from Sugar Birdies."...just fab!

Made by Ruth...Ruth's given us a cheeky little peek at something new from the new CD Back To Nature here and this card is just lush..."I've used one of the images and all the papers are from Sugar Birdies. I made the flowers myself by roughly following the flowers on her hat. Stamps (around the flowers and sentiments) are the Candy Doodle ones."

made by Enfys...I just adore En's style and this week is no different...En says "Got to use up all my scraps of jingly papers for this one! Happy thanksgiving to our American doodlers!" En's used the snowflake stamp here and papers from the Crimbley Doodles download and Jingle Jangles...

Created by Claire...Easel cards seem to be a big new trend and Claire took this great fold as her inspiration this week...Here she's used the Not For Girls CD...

Created by Kris...Another sneaky peek at the new CD here...tut tut those naught girls..."Well not only did I manage the 3 papers (plain green from Sugar Doodles, Presents and Hugs from Jingle Jangle) and the stamp (present); I also snuck in one of the fabulous new images from the new CD. I think the look on her face is very sexy. I used a circle card and also cut some additional hearts and popped them on." Not sure she's meant to be sexy, think it's Kris's colouring! lol!...

Created by Sue...Sue lives in flooded Cumbria so it's a miracle she managed to create anything in the floods! Typical crafter, I bet she made sure all her stash was on high ground! Here she's used the Jingle Jangles CD...

Made by Boni...Boni's done a totally different look this week and it's lovely...she's used the Not For Girls CD and actually created the pink backing paper with the flourish stamp from the Daisy Doodles set, such a very versatile stamp and one of my all time faves ever. Love how she's made that cute flower by punching circles and stamping into the middle of each one, very creative and a great idea...

So, that's our offerings for this week - don't forget you have till Sunday 6th December to enter this one, leave your links in the comments below. You can still enter last week's challenge until Sunday 29th at noon so make sure you get your entries in!
In the meantime I will see you all (hopefully) for the show next Thursday 3rd Dec, which is on Ideal World at 2pm. ttfn!

Challenge 27

Well bloggers, the cold weather has well and truly kicked in, together with the old swine flu. Yep yours truly has had it all week but thank goodness today I actually feel (relatively) normal again and thanks to everyone who helped me feel better in my hours of self-pity! Needless to say everything has been on hold for a week, so I am well and truly behind with the new CD and it will now be launched a week later on Thurs 4th Dec at 2pm on Ideal World. Methinks you will like. Me hopes anyway!


So on with the matters in hand! First of all, let's get this little thing out of the way...

So if you would like to be worked like a navvy week in week out for a miserly pittance sign up now! We are looking for a couple of new suckers sorry peeps so make sure you send me an email now! We will consider any age/gender/ability etc but please make sure you can commit to entering challenges at least every 2 weeks and can also help with samples for TV shows. New teamies will be announced beginning of December and the closing date is Fri 27th Nov at lunchtime.


Right, next on the agenda...winners and winners...you are all winners in my book...for challenge 25 you had to make Crimbo decorations, looks like some of you might have struggled with that one but thanks for the massive effort of those of you who entered...
The runners up are...Siobhan and Ribena Ruby...
and the winner of a fab set of Daisy Doodles stamps is, drum roll pleeeese....Cornish Mist! yayy! Well done to all of you, please email me for your stash and blinkies...


So, here we are on challenge 27 already, 2009 is flashing past my piggy eyes this year...So I asked the fab Dolly Doodlers to make cards using the Not For Girls CD this week. BUT they had to make a card which WASN'T for men. AND they had to use this here sketch too...

So for all of  you lovely challengees you need to use the Sketch and in keeping with the season I'm going to ask you use the colour theme BROWN as well. That's it! Entries have to be in by Sun 29th November at 12:00 GMT and the winner will receive a free CD for their troubles! I might even throw in some choccy coins as it's near to Crimbo! wahaaaay! So let's get on with the show...


Made by Lou...This is so creative! I love the way Lou has used the train background which couldnt be any LESS girly to make this fab Crimbo card..all aboard the santa express...just inspiring Lou! She's used several "plain" papers, layered the papers & then cut out some holly leaves & berries. The sentiment is made with rub ons.

Created by Krista...Krista's used the Tweets here and coloured one pink to make a lovely couple in love! hehehe sooo cute...

Made by Boni...I love this card, I'm so into nature images at the moment...here everything is from the Tweets collection on the CD, I just love it, could be for any occasion this one...

Created by Enfys...she always does it doesn't she? En can make the most beaut cards and this is one of them, just gorgeous...She's turned the sketch on it's head and used the stars and stripes papers. The flowers are from Cricut and she's used Glossy Accents to give them a glassy patent finish. A decoative punch border and lush ribbon finishes it off...

Made by Kerry...there seems to be a blue theme this week! Kerry has been very creative in her thinking here...the polka dot flowers have been cut from the "Bowls" papers, they are in fact, little bowls balls, but how well they work! She's also used the Not so plains which is a plain paper with a bazzill effect texture, we are all lovin' that one...

Made by Ruth...Ruth loves the Tweets with 'tude! Here she's used pencils to colour in the Tweet and added a charm. The backing paper is a brick effect which works really well...

Made by Sue...Here Sue's used the black and white stripes and one of the sentiment frames to make a really simple but elegant card, sometimes less is more...

Created by Kris...how cute is this! Kris has used the Not-so-Plain Plains with the Tweets and coloured "her" with Prismas and OMS, fashioned her a crown, and computer-generated the sentiment. Just adorable, this so makes me chuckle!...

Made by Claire...the Tweets have deffo been popular this week! Here Claire has used several backing papers and layered them all up together, and has torn the main tree paper to show the sentiment behind, inking the torn edge in blue.  I just adore the stamped leaves around the edge which is from the Daisy Doodles stamp set and she's doodled some little swirls which look gorge.  She's finished the whole thing off with the little seed packet which is a template on the CD...

Made by Saskia...We're all really sad this week :( because this is Saskia's last week with us.  She's been with us from the start way back in May and she will be a sad loss to the team with her quirky ideas and inspiration but she has oodles of other stuff she has to do. She has promised to look in on us from time to time though and I'm secretly hoping we will entice her back in the future! 
Here she's used the vintage gardening papers to make this lovely card - can you believe she crochets those little flowers herself! A lovely card from a lovely lovely lady...

So, now onto our amazingly fabulous Guest Designer for this month, the uber talented Dolly.  All through November Dolly is taking the same challenges as the Design Team but she has to make a Christmas equivalent! (I think she liked this cos she is slowly amassing all her crimbo cards, lol!).


So here she is with another fabulous project for this week...


"Another simple one from me!  A christmas take on the sketch using Jingle Jangles CD and the christmas stamp set.  Used the snowball papers again but resized the sheet to A5 to get more snowballs on the card front, and the stitched paper saved me doing the stitching!  

I decoupaged the stamped tree to give a bit of dimension and added some gems!"

We love it Dolly!...


So that's it from us this week folks! 


Remember you can win a fab CD for this challenge so get creating now! Please remember to follow the rules properly and entries must be in by Sunday 29th November at 12:00 GMT.   Don't forget! You still have time for last minute entries to last week's challenge, entries don't close till this Sunday at 12:00, so make sure you get in on the action!
ttfn xx

Design Team Call

CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES...FRIDAY 27TH NOVEMBER AT 12:00 GMT

Challenge 26

I know I say it every week but time certainly does fly - Santa will have been and gone and missed me completely at this rate! I think as I've got older my time management has flown off and left me high and dry as I seem to always be in a rush and nowt ever gets done. Hey ho, better start writing my wish list now!


I have to give a wee mench to the fabulous Dolly, our Guest Designer for November - what a fab tutorial she gave us last week, shame yours truly was so late posting it, if you missed it make sure you check it out here. Dolly will also be giving us her take on this week later, can't wait!


For Challenge 24 we asked  you to make a card for the guys using 3 brads and a stamp.  As always, great entries everyone but alas, there can only be 3 picked :(   and I have to say there really really were some amazing cards...(remember to follow the rules tho, some of you lost out because you forgot the brads!)...


Joint Runners Up goes to...Pinky and Peggy...great works girls please email me for your blinkies...
and... First Place goes to the fab creation from Magic Wanda who's won a Candy Doodles CD for her troubles, please email me Wanda!...

Now, don't forget you still have time to enter last week's challenge which is open until Sunday lunchtime for entries - you need to make some kind of Christmas Decoration using a stamp - and don't forget you can win a set of Rubber Stamps worth £14.99 so get those entries in!

Right! Our next challenge is to use the sketch below and use a Male theme. The Design Team have once again done us very proud with their interpretations of this sketch and given you lots of inspiration using the Not For Girls CD. Closing date is Sunday 22nd November at 12.00 GMT so remember you gotta be in it to win it!

So first we go to Dolly our fab Guest Designer for November...

Here Dolly's made a great Easel card, using one of my fave snowball papers from the CD and then made her own cute parcel just by cutting a parcel shape and using ribbons. I really like how she's used the stamps in the circles instead of actually adding an embellie where the shapes should be on the sketch, very inspired! She's then stamped the greeting and used that as the catch for the card to stand up and attached a wee brad...another fab idea Dolly!


Created by Kath...Kath's certainly made a winner here (oooohh how corny! lol!), she's picked the footie papers here but I really like the use of the newspaper and the mesh in the background...

created by Ruth...she always does something different and here Ruth's gone for a bit of a retro look, this image always makes me laugh and would suit anyone and any occasion I think...

Created by Saskia...fab choice of papers here and such a versatile card, great for someone older maybe...

Made by Boni...Boni has made a fab easel card as well this week, love this card it's so bright and breezy and I love how she's used the button as the catch here...

Made by Claire...the burger n chips rears it's sesame bun again, you are all LOVIN' this one so much! Here Claire has used the same diaper fold for the chip carton and I love the way she's used the same wordy paper in 2 colours - I've only just noticed the little promise button at the bottom - cool!...

Made by Kris...Wow! Kris has gone for something totally different here...still from the NFG CD, she's chosen this fab vintage paper and picked out the elements in a creative way...nice work Kris...

Created by Enfys...Here En has used the fab chevron papers from the CD and used the little alphies combined with her chipboard to make up the greeting. Great card...

Created by Lou...Wow, I LOVE this card! Here Lou has used one of my fave images, the music Stampie Topper and the star papers. The sentiment is one from her own stash and she's doodled and then stamped some extra stars onto the papers - I think this is just fantastic...

Made by Kerry...another stunner from Kerry this week...I'm so pleased Kerry found these papers on the CD as they're one of my faves...they actually look like textured cardstock and give a "Bazzill" finish, they're so effective you actually want to stroke them and then it's weird when they're all smooth to the touch! Kerry has used the papers with her die-cutting machine to make the leaves and then used Polkadoodles stamps for the message and the tiny leaves as a finishing touch...faberoo...

Ok, that's your lot for this week, as always leave your entries in the comments below the post and join us for next week's challenge! tttnw x

Christmas Tree tutorial

Hi all

Well it's better late than never! I know I promised a tutorial for Sunday and it is still Sunday - just! Sorry this is so late but I've had technical problems with the video and it's taken me about 4 hours and 3 attempts to do this tutorial and in the end I've lost a section but hopefully it's not too bad! Hope you enjoy it and have a go.

If you would like to make this lovely 3D Christmas tree just watch the video...

November Guest Designer - Dolly

Well folks, as promised I'm handing this post over to the lovely Dolly who has kindly agreed to be our first ever Guest Designer! Yayy! Dolly will be doing a weekly project for us every Friday during November and I'm sure most of you already know her from blogland anyway and if you haven't already come across her fab blog then you should do so - but not till you check out the fab tutorial below! Dolly will be following the normal DT challenges but she will be putting her own stamp on each challenge ('scuse the pun) - I can't wait! So here ya go, first up...

"Was I surprised when the lovely Nikky, the multi talented designer of all things Polkadoodles asked me to be a Guest Designer for November? Took me about 30 seconds to decide and say 'Yes!'. I love Nikky's designs and the DT over there are a talented bunch so I was honoured to be asked to join them.

This week the Polkadoodles challenge is to create a christmas decoration and here's my christmas tree mobile. 

And here's how I made it. The papers I've used are from the Jingle Jangles CD. 

Cut two triangles of patterned paper measuring 16cm at the base and 20cm high. 

Cut 2 6.5cm squares of contrasting paper for the pot and shape the sides making them more pot-shaped!

Cut the 2 triangles of paper into strips 3.75cm wide 

Cut 2 Stars for the top of the tree and 2 Ovals for the hanger.

Place one set of tree pieces and the star face down leaving a 2mm gap between each piece. Take a piece of string and stick it to the centre of each tree piece with some tape, keeping the string as straight and as near to the centre as you can. Otherwise it'll be 'wonky'!

Now stick the corresponding pieces on top with glue, decorate both sides and stamp a sentiment on the oval hanger. I'm going to make a few of these to send as cards, it folds quite easily to fit into a standard sized envelope.

Hope you can join in with the challenge this week, it closes on Sunday 15th November. There's some lovely designs by the DT to inspire you to get crafting for christmas, be sure to check them out !"  

xx....Dolly