Week 14 - Use a Die - Polkadoodles Crafting Challenge

Hello out there - hope you have all had a fabulous week of creativity.

Now I hope that the Easter Bunny brings you lots of delicious chocolate to eat, 

but no taking it in the craft room.

Afterall, we don't want chocolatey creations, unless of

course they are edible LOL!

Have you all seen the latest new release to the Work and Play Collections

Work & Play 10 - Country Life

It is another amazing collection of 10 beautiful country characters and themes, stunning papers,

embellishments and cute animal digis too!

You just have to go check out the different bundles and even available as single digi stamps.

HERE

The winners of our Birthdays Challenge are at the end of this post.

We are here with our inspiration creations for Week 2 of our current challenge

Use a Die

You can enter HERE

Don't forget, you do not need to use Polkadoodles products to enter our challenge.

The rules are in the side bar over there ----->

Now, lets see what the DT have for you.

Scatty Jan - Ohhhh I really loved making my little bird house this week. The die that I used is the Jolly Bumblebees memory box havent used it for far to long - I glittered up his wings using star dust stickles.I cut the little house on my portrait . The roof  was cut from paper from Work and Play 1 collection (as was the branch) - The nuts and ladybird were from Cherryblossom Lane collection. The flag banner is from Picknix cd and the main paper , birds, and flowers from the Eden collection. It's so much fun working with all the collections , there are plenty on each but it's also great that they mix and match. The little tiny leaves ontop of the house are a punch- lots more piccy's on my blog xx

Asha - I made a card for a friend who is expecting a baby girl. Here's a sweet and simple card made with papers from my all time favourite indispensable CD for patterned papers - Sugar Birdies. The pre-coloured digi and sentiment are from the Fredericka Mini Collection. I'm using heart dies in various sizes to cut and frame as well as a few sequins and sheer ribbon for a soft and delicate finish.

Penny - I was delighted when I saw the theme of Use a die for the challenge and immediately ran off to play with my Little B and Spellbinders dies to create.  I used the wonderful Eden collection papers and embellishments.   I love how easy it is to coordinate everything, I think I was smiling the whole time I created this.

Karon - My hubby's nephew is getting married later this year, so I decided to get my Wedding card made and done.  I used several sizes of oval dies behind the main image and on the inside.  I have used the wonderful Bride and Groom rabbits off of the wonderful Cherryblossom Lane Collection, they are also available as a single digi download.  All the elements are from this fabulous CD.

Lou - I have used one of the card templates from Work and Play 8, Music; adore their shape with the music notes on the side. Papers, embellies, sentiments and flowers are also from the same CD/download. Dies were a Sizzlet set to create some frames and a Sizzix butterfly die.

Cheremane - I have used the stunning Eden Cd to create my card and used Fairy Wings Digi I adore everything about this collection the colours are very feminine teamed with stunning images it really is a must for all your girly creations. I teamed this up with Spellbinders and Memory box die's to suit the theme.

Agnieszka - hello Crafters :) Today I want to share with you my card with image from the
Work & Play 10 CD Collection - Country Life. I used pre-coloured image Gamekeeper :) I also printed papers from CD - they are so pretty and softy colours. I created card for a man, added some white and craft carton, few flowers and dies (Cheery  Lynn Designs - lace and leaves and Crafty Ann - honey comb lattice, sentence - "for you".

Anna - For the Use a Die Challenge, I decided to make a last Easter card for this year, in my favorite color - violet. It has flowers, lace and a cardboard bunny . Card made from  Winston collection.

Our winner (chosen by Random Org) for our last challenge

Wk 11/12 Birthdays is

#92 - Ane Lene

You have won a download of the amazing Eden Collection

Please contact us HERE and quote PD14001Wk11

So many amazing projects for our Birthday's challenge, we found it really difficult to choose

a Top 3 so this week, we have a Top 4 :-)

Our Top 4 this week, chosen by the Design Team are

#33 - Jacee

#85 - Nancy Brown

#88 - Margaret A (Granmargaret)

#100 - Shell B

Thanks and congrats to you all, don't forget to take you blinkies from the side bar.

Thanks to all those that take part in all our challenges, we love coming to visit and seeing

all your wonderful creations and inspiration.

Don;t forget our current challenge

Use a Die

and enter 

HERE

From all of us here at Polkadoodles, we would like to wish you all a very

HAPPY EASTER

Week 2 - Tic Tac Toe - Polkadoodles Challenge

Hi everyone.  How has your first week of the New Year gone?  We are all busy here with a new release and also some new members of the Design Team to introduce to you.

Firstly, lets start off with the fabulous new release of 

Work and Play 8 - Music.

An amazing collection of fabulous character digi's, papers, sentiments, embellishments

for you to get your teeth into.  It is available as a CD and also as an immediate download collection.

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce two fabulous new members of our Design Team

they are

Ria and Jane 

I am sure you will make them feel really welcome!

They are a great addition to our team and if you click on their names you can take a visit to their fabulous blogs.

Jane was so excited to be joining us, that she created this fabulous card as a big hello to the team and to all of you out there.  Isn't it gorgeous.  She has used the fabulous Piper with Bunches digi.

The winners of our last challenge from 2014

Christmas Reds and Blues will be announced at the end of this post.

Now onto this weeks fabulous inspiration from our Design Team.

To enter the challenge you can go HERE!

Don't forget you do not need to use Polka Doodles products to enter our challenges.  But please remember to follow the rules of there ---->

Scatty Jan For my Tic, Tac, Toe I have gone for the middle row - Image , Ribbon and Buttons - The lovely image is Maddie Twirling Curls -I printed her onto the lovely ultimate Graphic and  I have coloured her using Graph'It markers - I have paper pierced her hat using one of the papers from the Baby Boom collection

Ruth:  I've gone for something simple and used the bottom row - Embossing, Buttons and Polka Dots. I found some laser cut hearts (perfect for Valentine's Day!) in my stash when having a tidy up and teamed it with some hot red polka dot paper from Work and Play 5 - Festive Hollybobs.  Everything else is from my stash.

Karon - I decided to use the diagonal for my card - Sentiment, Ribbon, Polka dots.  I used the fabulous Work and Play 7 Collection for this card and just inked around the edges.  This karate girl is is from one of the design sheets and is a pre-coloured digi.

Asha - I made a Valentines's card for my young nieces using the image from the Sugar Birdies CD and sweet button paper from the Bonbon Belles Double CD. I've also thrown in the following: polka dot ribbon, dotted flower, diecut hearts, embossed heart, buttons and stitching. My design follows the right column (Diecut - Stitching - Polka Dots) or the middle column (Image - Ribbon - Buttons) or the bottom row ( Embossing - Buttons - Polka Dots) or the middle row (More Than 2 Layers - Ribbon - Stitching) or the bottom left to top right diagonal (Embossing - Ribbon - Diecut). Decisions ... decisions!

Jane - Really couldn't wait to get started as a new Design Team member and therefore here is my creation for this latest challenge.  I used the wonderful Amelia with Basket digi.

Anna -  This time I made a card in shades of violet for a Name Day, which as it turns out, is celebrated only in Poland. I prepared the card with paper from the Winston Deluxe Papercrafting Collection , using left row : Sentiment, More than 2 layers, Embossing or  the bottom left to top right diagonal row : Embossing, Ribbon, Die cut, or  the bottom row : Embossing, Buttons, Polka Dots. A layered card with die cut accessories, flowers and a string of pearls.

Lou:  I think I may have used more than one line when making my card ... well I just needed to make sure ...! I have used the line "sentiment, more than 2 layers, embossing". I have used Drummer Troy clear rubber stamp (now sold out) on my card, although he is available as a digi download and also can be found on the Work and Play 1 CD. 

Cheremane - Hi everyone and New Year Wishes to you all. For this challenge I went with straight down the middle of the grid, Image,Ribbon,Buttons. I have decided to use the Brand New

Work & Play 8 Cd. Wow wow its jammed packed and a major must and I couldn't wait to use it. I have used the Violin Girl which also comes as a Digi just on her own, I also used three of the papers and one of the sentiments from the CD. Be sure to take a look at the

 Brand New W&P 8 Collection over at the Shop.

Absolutely stunning creations!

Now onto the winners from our final challenge in 2014

Christmas Red's and Blues.

The Design Team had great pleasure in visiting you all and have chosen a Top 3 for this challenge.

You are all winners and have won a Work & Play download bundle worth £5 each.

#1 - Niki1 

#7 - Helen

#8 - Margaret A

Please contact us here and quote PD2001wk51 to claim your prize.

That's it for this week folks.  Have a fabulous one and don't forget to

enter our

Tic Tac Toe Challenge

HERE!

You have until 12 noon, GMT, Friday 16 January to enter.

Wk 25 - Somewhere Over the Rainbow....Polkadoodles Challenge

It's Friday!  Another week gone by here at Polkadoodles and what fabulous
inspiration we have for you all this week.
Our theme is still
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
and it has been

wonderful looking at all your creations.

You can enter the challenge HERE

Don't forget you do not have to use Polkadoodles products to enter the challenges

but please make sure that you follow the rules in the side bar ----->

You have until noon GMT, Friday 27th June, so get creating.

The winners of our Week 22/23 - Men on our Minds Challenge

will be announced at the end of this post.

Have you all been drooling over the new release Rose Budd Papercrafting Collection.  Isn't it stunning!...

 

Now onto our DT inspiration for this week....  

Scatty Jan - I loved this weeks theme, I could not remember all the colours though and had to look them up!!  I used the lovely image Poppy from the Bonbon Belles CD , The sentiment is also from the same CD - The image and the pearls have been coloured in with Graph'It Markers xx

Karon - I tried to take this one literally and that is why I chose to use the cyclist off the Work and Play 4 collection, she is coloured with alcohol markers.  The little puppy (Toto) is from the Dollie Daydream Girl Talk CD, cutting it from one of the digis. The housing scene is from the fabulous CD collection Double Sprinkle of Kraft, I added some blue birds and a balloon from the Bonbon Belles CD collection.  And there you have it, a sort of Dorothy on her bike with Toto, off to the State Fair :-)

Asha - I made a patchwork rainbow background using papers from the bumper Sugar Birdies Collection. The image is a pre-coloured digi called Anya from the Fredericka Mini Collection. I fussy cut her and popped her up on foam tape. For embellishments, I used flowers from Bonbon Belles and I finished the project with a few bling.

Fabulous inspiration for you this week!.....

------

The winner (chosen by random org) for the Men on Our Minds Challenge

is

#54 - Alycia Clark

You have won a copy of the fabulous Work and Play 1 Collection

Please email us here to claim your prize and quote PDw250001

Our Top 3 as chosen by the DT are

#41 - Margaret A

#44 - Caroline W

#68 - Mandy

Well done everyone and don't forget to get you blinkies from the sidebar.

You can enter the current challenge

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

HERE

See you next week!

Wk 17 - SPRINGTIME Wk2...Polkadoodles Challenge

Hello everyone.  Hope you all had a fabulous Easter and didn't eat too much of that delicious chocolate.
Before we get to business, we have a little reminder for you - you can watch Nikky on Create and Craft TV on Tuesday 29th April with a brand new Dutch Doobadoo show! If you've never heard of Doobadoo it is a fantastic range of new products in the UK and Nikky will be showing us some gorgeous things we can do with it! So make sure you tune in or watch online on the Create and Craft website!

Here we are into week 2 of our Springtime Challenge

You have until noon GMT on Friday 2nd May to enter this one and we will announce the winner on 9th May. Dont forget you dont HAVE to use Polkadoodles products to enter the challenge, but please just make sure you follow our rules in the sidebar --->

You can enter your creations  HERE

The winners of our last challenge will be announced at the end of this post.

Don't forget the new Work and Play Collection 3 is available now and these collections are a fantastic, affordable way to build a whole library of characters for every occasion you could ever need!

Here is the fabulous DT inspiration for you this week....

Claire Boelema - This is what happens when you need emergency Easter cards! Once I'd done the Easter cards I decided that I'd make a few more cards for my card box. So here's a selection of really quick makes for all occasions using the super cute bird from the Candy Doodles CD

Lou: I have used Paper Boutique 3 and the flower cross, to create an Easter card for my M-i-L. The cross and flowers have been layered on to acetate, with another cross on the inside. Lots of layers added and a simple sentiment (created using rub ons).

Claire C ...I love Spring, after the dark days of winter is lovely to potter around in the garden and watch the birds. I've made a Spring themed easel card using a digistamp coloured with Graph'It Markers, papers and lots of embellishments from Sudio 12 Picknix Collection 1 Cd.

Karon - I decided to have a look back and some of the older CD's this week and decided to use the Sugar Birdies CD collection.  I made two cards, one a pyramid card, and not to waste the left overs I made an inverted pyramid card too.  Using one of the pre-coloured toppers and paper.  The sentiment tickets are from Dollie Daydream Goes East collection.

Fabulous makes this week, or what!? Wow!

The winner and Top 3 for our Week 14 and 15 Animal Magic challenge are...

Our Random winner chosen by Random Org is

#52 Sarah - J W

Well done!  Email us here quoting code PDw170001 to claim you prize, you won a copy

of our fabulous Work and Play Collection 1 - fabulous!

Our Favourite Top 3 chosen by the Design Team are

#51 Yogi

#86  Karen Foy

#35  Samih who is only 8 years old eveyone!

Congratulations to all our winners - don't forget to take your blinkies from the side bar.

You can enter your creations  HERE

Good luck everyone and get your creating heads on :-) 

We'll be back next week with some UBER exciting news, so don't miss it!!! 

Wk 14 - Animal Magic...Polkadoodles challenge

Hi everyone, welcome back to another Polkadoodles challenge!

Before we get down to business we have to give you a heads up for 3 hours of Nikky on Create and Craft TV next week - you can join her for 3 hours throughout the day at 8am, 1pm and 4pm so make sure you tune in!

So let's get to this week's challenge!

This week we are looking at

Animal Magic

And the team have come up with some great inspiration as always!

You have until 18th April at noon GMT to enter this challenge and the winner will receive a copy of our Work and Play 1 collection which is worth £10 so well worth entering this one! 

You don't have to use our products to enter so get making!

Before we get to their makes let's deal with our winners from last time! Our week 11 and 12 challenge was Mum's the word and we had some lovely entries!

Our random winner chosen by Random.org is

11 Lady E

Well done! Email us here quoting code PDw140001 to claim your prize, you won a copy of our Work & Play 1 collection, woohoo! 

....and the Design team's favourite top 3 are:

16 Witchyfingers

29 Sharon

15 Cheremane

Well done everyone! Thankyou all for entering and playing along with us, please grab your blinkies from the sidebar! 

So let's get to the challenge!...

Ruth: I've used the fab Paper Boutique Vol 3 to make my card - I cut out all the elements and layered them up how I wished, added some wobbly eyes and glossy accents to the nose. I've layered it up using foam pads for depth. A really great card to make and a wonderful cd too!

Claire C: This challenge was a great excuse to use one of my favourite cds, Cherryblossom Lane to create this 'bendy' card. The CD is on offer at the minute so don't miss it as such a bargain price! The background is one of the precoloured scenes from the Cd and I've coloured the images with my Graph'It markers.

JAN - I decided to go all yellow ready for Spring with my make today. I made a shaped card - all papers, images and sentiments are from the 'Sugarplum Daisy CD' with a few extra little embellies from my stash, including some honeycomb embossing peeking out at the bottom!

Karon -  It's so fun looking through the CD's and finding so many new things to play with.  I made a shaped card using the pre-coloured log and mushrooms, from the Double Sprinkles of Kraft CD  Then had to add the cute Happy Birthday Owl from the Sugar Birdies CD, which I coloured with pencils.  Added a little bit of bling to finish her off.

Kerrie - I had a good think for this Challenge and Chose to use 'Double Sprinkles of Kraft' CDrom this was my first ever Polksdoodles CDrom and still a firm Favourite of mine. I love the Owls on this CDrom but I also love the Pastel Colours mixed with the Kraft Card styles of papers etc aswell. I chose an Image and then had fun choosing Papers, Sentiment and Flowers in similar colour ways and then coloured the Image to match in with the colours I picked. I settle on making a shaped card after i chose the sentiment because its a similar shape. and I couldnt resist a jaunty angle xx

Fabulous makes from the team as always! Don't forget you have until 18th April at noon GMT to enter this challenge and the winner will receive a copy of our Work and Play 1 collection which is worth £10 so well worth entering this one! 

You don't have to use our products to enter so get making!

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.

Tutorial: Mini Pop-Up Cards

Hello, fellow crafters! It's my turn to host a Polka Doodles Tutorial and I'm going to show you how to make an easy peasy mini pop-up card.  So incredibly simple you'll be churning these out in no time at all. The finished project looks like this:

Cute little owl with a birthday greeting on the outside ...

.. and another cute little owl pops up on the inside!

Here's how to make this adorable project:

1.  Get an image. I'm using this cute little owl from Polka Doodles Sugar Birdies CD and it measures 1-3/4" wide and 1-7/8"up to his eyes (2-3/4" all the way to the top).  You need to measure your image because the pop-up mechanism has to be smaller than the image so that it's not visible.

2.   Prepare the card base. I'm using heavy base weight CS to make a 4"x4" card.

3.   Make the pop-up mechanism. Based on the size of my image I cut a piece of layering weight card stock measuring 1-1/4" x 5". On the long side, I scored and folded at the following marks on my ScorePal: 3/4"; 2-1/4"; 3" and  4-1/5". ( Each section measures 3/4", 1-1/2",  3/4", 1-1/2" and 1/2").  

4.   The 1/2" section at the end is the glue tab. Apply some adhesive tape here.

5.   Fold over and glue the tab to the top edge of the strip of card stock. You should have a box without sides.

6.   Apply some glue to the wide surface of the pop-up mechanism and attach it to the pop-up image. You should not be able to see the pop-up mechanism from the front of the image.

7.   Now you're ready to attach the image to the card base. If you want to decorate the inside of your card make sure you do it before you attach the pop-up image. First, apply some glue to the base section of the pop-up image and adhere to the centre inside of the base card. Then push the image flat against the base card, apply glue to the section that will be against the base card (as shown below). Close the base card down on top of the pop-up image. Let the glue dry before opening.

8.   Once the glue has dried, open the card and voila! You have a 90º equal parallel pop-up card.

It really is that simple!  Just 2 little details to bear in mind:
a)  the pop-up mechanism (the "box" behind the image) must be a little smaller than the image itself; and
b) the base card must be big enough to fit the image when it's folded down flat.

Here's another pop-up card, also using an image from the Sugar Birdies CD.

This card measures 4-1/2" x 3-1/2" ...

.. and there's that little pop-up owl. Fabulous birthday surprise!

The Sugar Birdies CD is full of cute elements that you can use to churn out quite a few of these dinky little pop-up cards. I hope you'll give it a go, it really is hoot to make! (Sorry... I couldn't help myself! LOL).

Happy crafting!

Beijinhos,