The White card..

When I was crafting last weekend I decided that I was going to try to make a card without any patterned papers on it. Infact, I decided to make a card with just a single coloured image.  Being a backing paper designer this was pretty hard for me..but I gave it a go..

The balloon stamp is from the Funky Hand 'Our Betty' Love N That clear stamp set.  I coloured it with pink Letraset promarker and oulined it with a cool grey promarker.  I then just layered the stamped image onto another piece of white card and then onto the white card base.  Just to make them stand out a little I inked around the layers with a black ink pad and then seperated the laters using foam pads.

Even though it is a really simple card, and would be great if you are short on time. I think it turned out really well and it tested me a bit not using bright coloured backing papers!!

Speak again very soon.
Anice xx

Download sale is over!

Just a quicky to let you know that the 50% download sale is now over.  I know alot of you took advantage and I hope you will enjoy using your new backing paper collections.Now with all your new Funky Hand downloads why not join in with the Funky Hand Design Team challenge blog Get Funky ? We'd love to have you, see your creations and visit your blogs.

If you missed out on the sale..that's a shame, sorry. Keep your eyes here on my blog Funky Hand Thoughts, follow me on Twitter or 'like' our Funky Hand company page on Facebook and you will never miss a sale again!!

I will be back later with some crafting I hope!
Speak again very soon!
Anice xx

SALE TIME!

Yes we have a weekend of 50% OFF all downloads on the Funky Hand website from now until Monday 27th February at 10am.  Now, don't miss out on this sale because those downloads are going for practically nothing this weekend!

I have been so busy designing papers for the next Funky Hand craft CD and looking after Hugo our new Puppy that I haven't had time to craft and I'm missing making cards alot at the moment.  Lucky for me Ian has promised to be the 'Puppy looker after' this weekend to give me the chance to get back into all my lovely stash and get crafting.

Last weekend was pretty crazy as we went down to the Stitches Trade only show to do some ordering of cool new stash for the website.  Over the next few months we will be adding some great stuff to the website that will compliment the Funky Hand CD ROMS, Download collections and clear stamps.  I'm really looking forward to sharing all the fab new stash we have ordered, hope you enjoy seeing and buying it all as well!

Oh well, I'd best get back to my few hours of crafting so I can bring you a few cards that I have made here over the next few days.  Don't forget that we are right at the beginning of a brand new Get Funky Challenge at the moment.  The theme is 'Flying' and the Design Team are making some wonderful creations for you to be inspired by. As always there's a Funky Freebie backing paper for you to download if you don't have any Funky Hand products yet. This months paper is proving to be very popular!!  Pop over take a look at the challenge and then join in with us..we'd love to have you!

Don't forget to grab your 50% off Downloads from the Funky Hand website this weekend and I'll speak to you again very soon.
Anice xx

Funky Hand has a new Teamie..well sort of!

Sorry I haven't been around here since the weekend. But my hands have been a little full because Ian finally wore me down after ten years together and we got a puppy on Monday.

Here we are together..

His name is Hugo and he is a black Labrador.  I think this picture was the only time he stayed still on Tuesday.  Yesterday, on Valentines day, was our first day together without Ian in my Garden Studio.  Lets just say we were in the Garden more than the studio! He's not one for working..except if it's running me up and down the garden.  Making sure the Garden is poo free is also a new delight I have to get used to!

Thankfully today he seems like he just wants to sleep so I can get some work done!

Just a little update on the next craft CD ROM, I'm powering along with the backing papers..well I was until yesterday! and Sally our Graphic Designer and digital stamp designer is on the case creating as we speak.  Everything is going to plan to have a new Funky Hand craft CD release April/May time.  Until then, I will keep releasing downloads lke I have done so far this year (Steam Funk, Funky Kraft Stash & I Heart You) to give you plenty of little Funky Hand hits until the new CD.  We will be doing shows on the Create and Craft TV channel once it's out so you'll be able to see it then as well.

Before I go, as my little man (the dog!) seems to be waking up as I type don't forget that their is a new challenge now over on the Get Funky Challenge Blog.  Allison has us creating some flying themed cards which I think will be big fun!  Pop over and join in..have to go someone wants to pop out side!!
Speak again soon.
Anice

Fetch a Sketch Challenge 17

I told you in my last post that I was up for some challenge fun and I wasn't telling a lie!  Here is my second challenge entry this week!
This time I'm entering the challenge set on Fetch A Sketch, their challenge No.17.  Even though they say it's a simple sketch, it still took me a bit of time to come up with a card that I was happy with.

Here's the Fetch A Sketch challenge..

..and here is the card I made..

I created it using a craft backing paper and coloured digital stamp from my Craft The Year Away CD.  I know the smiley sun is very 'in your face' but I love him!!  I decided to mount the sun on the circle and then suspend him with bakers twine so that he is free standing and can move around when the card is picked up, here's a picture of what I mean..

Anyway, I hope that this card has brightened your Saturday blog hopping.  Don't forget that you should pop over to the Fetch A Sketch challenge blog and see the great cards their Design Team have created and then join in yourself!

Speak again soon.
Anice xx

Sketch File Challenge

It's been quite a while since I've had time to join in with challenges and I really miss it. So, I have decided that I am going set aside some time every week to make cards and join in.  Don't know if I will be able to really find the time every week but if you don't try, you never will!

There is a wonderful sketch over on Kathy's Waffle Sketch File this month called 'Peeping out' so that's my first challenge stop.  Here's the challenge image..

.and here is the card that I have created for the challenge ..

It's quite a complicated set of layers and that's why I really wanted to have a go at it.  I love playing around with different papers and layering them up.  It's so much easier when someone else is giving you the ideas!!

I made this card using craft backing papers from my Happy Happy Birthday CD ROM (the Winter Birthday collection) and the digital stamp of the cupcakes comes from the same CD.  I coloured them with my trusty promarkers so they would be made up of the same greens, greys and blues as the papers.  As the papers are so brightly coloured I decided to use white card for one of the layers and for the circle just to break up the image.  Of course I couldn't leave them just white so I doodled a square in the large white layer and added spots to the edge of the circle using a black Sakura Glaze pen. All the layers have been inked with a black ink pad to help them stand out from each other.  As I was crafting I found a piece of bakers twine peeking out of all the rubbish on my craft desk which was the perfect size to tie around the white layer so that's why it is there. The challenge is called 'Peeping Out' and the twine was peeping out at me!!

Well I hope you like my return to blogland challenges..and don't forget to pop over to Kathys Waffle Sketch File to see the fab challenge cards created by their DT and then join in yourself!

See you again very soon with more card making!
Anice xx

My Get Funky Challenge Card

It's my turn to offer some inspiration today over on the Get Funky Challenge Blog.  The challenge this month is January Blues (I know it's February but the challenge started on 15th January!!)  Basically you can make any sort of card or craft creation you like as long as it has a blue colour theme and most importantly has at least ONE Funky Hand paper or other product on it. There is a Funky Freebie paper on my website www.funkyhand.com to help you if you don't have any Funky Hand products to use. So there is no excuse for not following the rules!!

Here's my challenge card...

I've used something from three of my craft CD ROMs Colour Me Happy , Happy Happy Birthday and Craft The Year Away to make this card.

Take a look at the Get Funky post to see how I made it step by step. Then get crafting and join in with the challenge to win a Funky Hand download of your choice

Hopefully you have all had a chance to take a look at the three new download collections that have been released by Funky Hand so far this year Steam Funk, Funky Kraft Stash and I Heart You. If you haven't, pop over and take a look at the fab cards in the galleries all made by my wonderful Design Team members.  Maybe you might be inspired to buy one!

Speak again very soon
Anice xx

A Birthday card to share..

Oh no..a handmade birthday card request for a bloke.  It's every crafters nightmare..well it's mine anyway! Out of the window go the flowers and the pretty backing papers.  You have to come up with something that says it was handmade for you but, not just thrown together with a naff 'male' image on like golf clubs or something..you know what I mean.

Well Ian says to me last week, "It's Andy's birthday will you make him a card?" So here is what I came up with..

The card base is a white 250gsm 6" square blank.  Onto it I added a smaller square of polka dot printed card, the backing paper can be found on my Funky Hand craft CD Happy Happy Birthday.  It's from the How old? collection.  The coloured cake digital stamp is from my Craft The Year Away CD which I selected in the workspace on that CD and then changed Papercraft Factory editions to Happy Happy Birthday again and added the lovely 'Old Fart' sentiment to it from that CD.  That's a great thing about the Papercraft Factory CD ROM range you can bring things in from different CDs and use them together.

As it was a mans card I only added a bit of ribbon on the background but no bows or knots! I added a little bit of simple doodling in straight(ish) lines using a black Sakura Glaze pen and and layered it up using foam pads for the main digital stamp and sentiment.

Hopefully he liked it..like all blokes he opened it said thanks and then said 'Oh have you made it?'  You just don't get the recognition for your crafty toils from blokes like you do from lasses.  But, at least I did make something rather than give in and buy something from the shop!

Speak again very soon!
Anice xx

New download I Heart You released

I'm pleased to let you know that Funky Hand has a brand new download available on www.funkyhand.com to buy.  It's called I Heart You and it is priced at just £3.19. There are twenty craft backing papers included in it along with a matching alphabet and page of digital stamps and sentiments.  I didn't want it to just be for Valentine cards so this one will be perfect for anniversary cards as well.  Infact it could be used for any handmade card that you were creating that needed a heart theme and pretty pastel colours.

Here's one of the cards I created using it..actually you can see a video on www.funkyhand.com of me putting this card together..take a look,  Make a Handmade Valentines Day card

I'll be back with more cards over the next few days as it's getting close to my turn to show you what I made for this months Get Funky Challenge.  Don't forget about taking a look at all the fab cards that the Design Team have created for this months challenge, and then join in, you have until Feb 14th..theres a free Funky Hand craft download for the winning entry.  The only rule is that you use at least one Funky Hand paper or extra on your challenge entry..I'm so nice I give you a Funky Freebie paper every month so everyone can join in.  Take advantage and Get Funky with us!

Speak to you again very soon..and don't miss out on the new I Heart You Download collection.
Anice xx

Hello..is there anyone there? Echo Echo...

Yep, that's probably what you have been thinking for last couple of weeks. "Anice has obviously disappeared never to be heard of again!"  Sorry, if that was what you were hoping..but no I'm afraid I've been rather unwell with a chest infection which has left me pretty incapacitated.

Anyway, I'm back..still coughing a bit but back off the sofa and in the studio.  I have been working on another new download collection which the Design Team members are working their magic with as we speak so I will be back with more info about that very soon.

I'll be back again before the end of the week with a card or two that I have been working on.  I've also got plans to alter a pretty boring looking note pad I bought (very cheaply) recently so I'll show you what I do with that as well soon.

Just a quick post today to let you know I am still around and will be back blogging before you know it!
Anice xx  (cough, cough)