Paris PACS here I come!!!

HI there ladies,
My bag is packed ...I don't know how i am going to lug it onto the trains!!! I have re-packed it 3 times!!! Only to take out a paint brush or 2 ,a steel ruler and a track-suit...lets not forget that the max. temp is 4degrees! and the venue is in a forest...who know how warm our rooms will ??
I wanted to look smart in Paris but how chic can one look with snow boots and a waterproof jacket?

This is a photo of one of our my projects.

I will be srteamiing when I get back, I will post day and time on tuesday,then I can show and tell you all about our adventure.
keep well.
Will chat next week.
ps. please excuse this odd post but its 1:28am and I am exhausted!

Let the Countdown Begin!

This is what my daughter Raphaella is saying" I wish it was the first of December!" Why?  Even though  she is 20 years old ,she still LOVES Advent Calenders and has  had one, every year, ever since she was 2!When Irini from Get Creative asked me to do an advent challenge for November, I knew that I had to make something for Raphaella, so I made her a Matchbox House, here it is. She is dying to tear the first opening to reveal what the matchbox has inside......

I don't have many Christmas paper, but I did have a pack of 15x15 Websters Holiday Collection Combo pack, and I thought it would be perfect to decorate the house...so I started cutting away...bliss I had so much fun! Here are some details........

I used my Nestabilities ClassicScalloped rectangles to cut the window and the door details. I added a Basic Grey brad for a doorknob.I added Transparency to all the windows to give the glazed effect and I also stamped the chandelier and added ribbon and lace to the windows to create a real effect. If I had a smallish dress form I would have used it for the attic window, but I don't so I settled with a stained glass effect,with some left over Graphic 45 paper ,a flower brad and some Sepia Glossy Accents

was looking for a fence in fact I asked a couple of friends, for a die,but to no avail, so when I saw the fence dies at the opening of Sfragidomania I thought there is a God...and then when  I saw the little key dies I was ecstatic!! This is what I  did with them.

For the detail on the other side I cut out the tree and birdhouse, coloured the birds and covered them with Glossy Accents,  for some definition, I also used Stikles on the Christmas Tree and on the Holy and some of the roses. 

                                       

I have left the back for last, even thought I finished the back of first...this is what I did....I first added ribbon tags on each box so as to pull open easier, then I added the little something into each box.....#25 has the main part of her christmas presant in it.I stacked and glued boxes together leaving 6 for the roof.I then drew there shape onto the back of the Jillibean  paper and serrated 3 of each side of each box and punched a hole at each box too,  I wanted a way to seal the boxes so as no cheating could happen. Once all this was done I stuck the paper onto the sides of the boxes and  also to the sides and top of the house.

Once that was done I covere the side of the remaining 6 boxes and the stuck them together to form the roof and then I stuck the roof structure onto the main body of the house with masking tape.I then cut out rectangles of Prima Annalee,Parlour and trimmed them with my Fiskars border punch to make the roof  look "tiled"

I then added the little bird and some icicle dies as well as some wool to give a snowy effect.

I also decorated the house with some ribbon to make it more dimensional and I also did some finger stamping to give the walls some texture, Lastly I added some roses.......

Make one its fun!

I will stream tonight at 9pm at  Zeffy Scraps USTREAM so as to answer any questions, this show will be in English so as to accomodate my English speaking readers as well.

Keep well.

Love Zeffy

Gate- Fold Mini

Hi there ladies,
I have not been aroung much as I have had a lot on my plate recently. Anyway things are on track now, still have a lot to do but I will get there.
The videos of my first gate- fold mini, are just before this post so scroll back to see them or click here for PART 1. and PART 2 It is rather big and chunky,maybe I should have used a different binding! I used a lot of Pink Paislee papers as well as some Basic Grey,7 Gypsies and Bo Bunny.
I have not even had a chance to photograph it so the video will have to do for now. The video has two parts...enjoy.
I have also just finished a very exciting project for Irinis' blog Get Creative so keep a look out for the next post!!
I am going to PACS in Paris on the 25th of November ,so a lot of things need to get prepared, I have also started a new mini album so join me on Zeffy Scraps on USTREAM on Sunday the 14th  at 9pm so that you can have a chat and take a loook at what I am up too...
Be happy, love
Zeffy.

S.A. Surprise Part 2

S.A. Surprise- part 1

Its almost Christmas.

Hi there  Friends.
I wish you all a very good month...
I was very honoured when Irini from Get Creative asked me to be the Guest Designer  for November. And the challenge for this half of the month was to make a Christmas Card.
I have always said that for commercial purposes to make Christmas more attractive to all Christ has been taken out of the picture so we have the word Xmas....and X can be all sorts of other things.
So when Irini asked me to make a card I started looking for a picture of the birth of Christ....thats whats its all about!!
I decided to draw onto our rich Orthodox heritage  and make a card depicting the Nativety  of Christ.
I had a sketch that the Nuns at the Monestry of the Dormition of theTheotokos in Panorama, Thessaloniki gave me, they use these big sketches 20x30 for  their iconography classes. So I scanned and shrunk it down to 10x15 and then printed it on matt photo paper.

Once I printed my image I coloured the halos with gold paint. For the patterned paper I used Graphic45 Renaissance Faire Collection, Awakening and for the solids I used Core Color Core'dinations. The little title is stamped and heat embossed with gold.
I wish you all a very creative November...its going to be a busy month!!!
I will be streaming on USTREAM on Wednesday evening at 21H00.I will be making Christmas tags.Join me.
Talk again later..
love Zeffy.