Funky Hand is closing down, time to say goodbye

It's been a wonderful ride running Funky Hand and I'm sort of sad as I sit writing this blog post to tell you that I have decided to close.

It's been on the cards for a while, my passion for designing began to dwindle in 2014.  I had a really good talk with myself on the day I cleaned bathrooms instead of finishing up designing a new backing paper collection. Why would I do my most hated chore rather than do what was supposed to be my 'passion'? Simple, I'd falled out of love. :(

Since then I have been talking myself into closing and then staying open and back again.  Finally, I have decided that it's time to say goodbye.

Over the years Funky Hand has been totally brilliant and totally terrible, sometimes at the same time!  I've met wonderful people and created virtual friendships that are better than some real ones I have. Everyone of my Design Team members have been the most talented, supportive, inspiring and precious women I shall ever have in my life. I thank them all for everything they created for me over the years and for the times they have had to listen to me moan and cry and helped pick me up off the floor, also pulling me off the ceiling and down to earth when things had gone better than I ever expected.

I've had the opportunity to do so many things that I wouldn't have been able to imagine doing like presenting live TV shows selling my own products. Moving into a cool little office and winning a small business award. These are just a few things that come to mind now, but there have been so many others.

But, all good things come to an end and now I am heading off to pastures new taking with me the experience I have gained from running Funky Hand.

To say thank you to all my customers I've put up one last sale with loads of discount off everything.  Pop over to the website to take a look it will be on until the 8th August when the virtual doors of Funky Hand will be shut for good.

So, that's it.  I don't have much else to say really.  I started a new job a couple of months ago and I'm loving the new challenges it's putting infront of me.  I'm very lucky to be able to change direction again at my age and I'm making sure I get as much out of my new job as I did from running my own business. Seems to offer a little less stress..but alot more deadlines, that's what  happens when someone else is setting them I suppose. :)

Thanks for everything,
Anice xx

In Sympathy cards

Hi everyone,

It is always difficult to strike the right note when you create an In Sympathy card.  I've had to create a couple recently and I thought I would share what I made to offer a little inspiration.

Obviously every card of this sort should be created with the person who is receiving it in mind and that's what I tried to do with this card.

The gentleman it was for is pretty stylish so I wanted to put that across even in such a sad card.  I used a backing paper from my Wishes & Kisses CD ROM and the digital image and sentiment also came from that CD.

I wanted to keep it simple so I used a black base card and just added some black ribbon.  When I had finished it it just needed something else.  So, I added the white heart pin through the ribbon to show him we love him.

When I use pins on cards I always add an extra foam pad under a topper or somewhere else out of sight to push the end of the pin into.  I find this means that the card stays just as it should when in the envelope and the pin hopefully wont do the receiver any damage when they open it.

Until next time,
Anice x

May 1st and it's looking V Funky..

Hello everyone,

I can't believe that it is the 1st May already!  I don't know why but I am always surprised by the passing of time :)

So, beginning of a new month means that there is a new Funky Hand original CD ROM being highlighted
by my fabulous Design Team ladies over on their blog Get Funky and Craft.  This months special craft CD is V Funky.  I wanted to make sure that everyone can get a good look at what is included on the CD so I made this video..



V. Funky is available over on the Funky Hand website for just £1.00.  If you don't already have it.. why not?  Get over there now and grab a copy. Also remember to visit the Get Funky & Craft Blog everyday to see what amazing things the Design Team have created using digital backing papers from it.  Or why not visit the Funky Hand Facebook Page. I hope to get a chance to have a chat with you over there soon.

Speak again very soon
Anice xx

One of those cards..

Hi everyone,

The title to this post might not tell you much, but I know you will all understand when I tell you more. Yesterday I had one of those cards that just wouldn't allow me to make it. I'll show you it first then tell you the story..

Backing papers:  Button Babies

Digital Stamp:  Button Baby Boy

I've been planning on making a 'New Baby' card for over a week for our next door neighbours.  They have just had a new baby boy and we had arranged to pop round to meet him last night. So, of course it came to lunchtime yesterday and I realised that all that 'planning' hadn't actually resulted in a card.  Ian told me that he would 'pick one up from the shop'!  Which I could not allow to happen, as next door know I design for a living and I think they would be disappointed if I hadn't even made them a card. (Well, I be ashamed if I hadn't made one more like.)

So, I had to pull together something quickly..it was fine I mean I have loads of backing papers and digital stamps, I make them, it wasn't going to be a problem.  How wrong I was...

Firstly, I couldn't decide what papers to use, then the printer started playing up and wouldn't take the card I was trying to print on, though it always had before. When I wasn't in a rush of course. Finally I had the papers and I printed the digital stamp, two images just incase.  I started to put the card together and it was going fine, then I realised that the ribbon that I had decided to use was too thick so I started to search for something else in my huge box of ribbon.  I found something, it was perfect but there was only about 4 inches of it and I needed more.  There was no more! Arrgghh!

I took a deep breath, it was going to be fine.  I cut everything to size, started to stick things together and it was going well.  Then I looked at the digital stamps..they were far too big.  So, back to the laptop to resize the images and print them again, but the printer didn't want to!  After rather alot of banging on lids, taking out printer inks and putting them back in, I finally had them printed.

By this time my office was a warzone, the craft box was open, practically filling the whole room, there was paper, card and ribbon everywhere.  The dog was lying under the desk because there was hardly anywhere else for him to fit and the front door opened.  Ian was home.  He then wanted to take the dog out so I had to push everything back into the craft box and close it so he could get all the dog walking stuff out of the office ensuite. Finally he left and I knew I had 45 mins to finish.  Everything was layered and attached all I needed to do was colour the digital stamp.. So, of course this happened..

Aarrgghh!  Luckily I always print two incase of disasters. Where was it? After 10 mins I found it amongst the shoved in papers in the craft box.  I finally finished the card about 20 mins before we were supposed to go to meet little Henry.

The moral of this story is.  If you need to make a card for a specific time, make it days in advance, not a couple of hours. Oh, and they liked the card.

Until next time.
Anice xx

Join in with our Easter Egg Hunt

Happy Easter to you all,

I hope you all have lovely weekends planned, but not too busy so you can fit in a little crafty play time.

To celebrate I've got a little competition going on over on the Funky Hand website.  Here's a video to tell you all about it..


So, skip over to the website  Funky Hand and have a search around to see if you can find the eggs. You never know you could be one of the lucky winners!

Enjoy all that chocolate I hope you will be eating,
Speak again soon
Anice xx

Happy Mothers Day..here's a sneak peek for you.

Hi everyone,

Firstly, I want to send best wishes to all you Mums (Moms) out there on your special day.  I hope you are all being spoiled rotten. :)

It's my job to make the Mothers Day cards here, who else would do it?  So this year I decided to create them using a couple of backing papers that are included on a 'soon to be released' Funky Hand downloadable collection called 'Pretty As A Picture' Keep an eye here or on the Funky Hand Facebook Page to find out a release date.

The toppers I've used are some beautiful Hanglar Stanglar stamps that I have been lucky enough to get hold of. Unfortunately they are no longer available for sale from the stamp company. Though they can sometimes be found on Ebay etc. Anyway, here's a closer look,

This one is for Ians Mum.  I decided to send the cards from the person who was sending them so this one is in blues and from a little boy, that would be Ian!  Also Ian calls his Mother 'Mum'..

As you can see I call my Mother 'Mom'  The craft backing papers are just two of the ones that are going to be available in the collection. Just using the brown and white ones made it really easy to add any colour with them and give each card a different look.

I'm still practicing with my Promarkers so the colouring is not perfect, hence the banner on the pink card falling down over her trousers..covering up a little mistake I made.Hehe!  But, isn't that the joy of making your own cards?  Each one is an exclusive creation and you can always find a way to cover any little accidents.

Speak again very soon.
Anice xx

February was the month of Love..

Hello everyone,

Last month the Design Team shared some amazing creations over on their blog Get Funky and Craft.  I thought I would share them with you incase you hadn't seen them so you could see what fantastic stuff they made.  All these cards and other papercraft items were created using backing paper downloadable collections from the Love collections available on the website.

Ok, here we go!

A wonderful layered card from Sammylou to get us started

An amazing sweet despenser from Kathy

Another creation from Kathy this time a card that shows us what we can do with layering.

Debs has got all classy with us here with a valentine card for her hubby.

Ruth has created an amazing heart layered card using practically all the papers in the collection.

Allison shows us how to combine stamping with backing papers to create a wonderful card

Sammylou again showing how to make the most of an aperture card.

Marleen decorated a jar in her favourite vintage style, which made me very happy.

Lou showing us how to use Funky Hand backing papers and silhouette cutting files

Tammy showing us how to make the most of layering papers.

Kathy doing her beautiful flower thing..

Our Queen of scrap paper cards Ruth showing us that you never need to throw out leftovers.

Allison giving the scrap card a go and showing us how it is done.

Sammylou combining digital stamps with paper piecing.

and finally Marleen showing us how you can create beautiful gift packaging.

Are they all not just amazing?  I am so lucky to have such a talented group of card designers to work with.

I'll be back very soon with a new downloadable backing paper release and some other fun stuff.
Speak again soon
Anice xx

Christmas cards I haven't shared!

Hi everyone,

If you read my blog, you know I am terrible for leaving everything to the last moment.  Once again Christmas just gone I left making the family cards to the last moment but, this year I actually did make them! Shock horror!  I didn't end up buying them. :)

I thought I would share them with you as I have been practicing my Promarker colouring and wanted to use my 'average' skills on the cards.  Here are the two I made for our parents:

The image is a freebie by Melonheadz from a few years ago. You can find the link to it here. http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/melonheadzdoodles/for-unto-us-coloring-page-by-melonheadz

I really enjoyed colouring these in and because the image is all colour it meant I could keep the card pretty plain.  The backing paper on them is from the Funky Hand Silent Night download collection.

Here's a closer look..

 

I am still very much a beginner with my colouring so don't judge me too harshly.  They took me quite a long time to complete but they turned out pretty good I think.

So, they are the first of my delayed Christmas shares.  I'll let you see the other ones I managed to finish next time.

Thanks for visiting

Anice xx