I have been busily getting on with a new set of products to go onto www.funkyhanddigital.com it's all very exciting, I have designed two sets of high quality backing papers on 135gsm acid free paper (so they are good for scrapbooking as well as card making) and they have now been printed and will be ready for sale very soon. Here are a couple of photos to give you a little hint of what they are like. I will update you when they are ready for sale on the site.



Things are getting busy here as we get closer to Christmas as I am trying to get everything ready for the trade fair next year, buy all the Xmas presents and get ready for going on holiday! We leave on 17th so time is really getting tight. Did a long day shopping yesturday so the majority of pressies are purchased just a couple more to go...still haven't done my cards though, at this rate I will have to buy some! Can you imagine?!

Happy Birthday to me..for yesterday! Yes I became another year older yesterday and I wanted to say thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes. I also want to say a massive thank you to all my lovely internet buddies from Making Cards forum who sent me a collection of the most lovely handmade birthday cards. Thank you all very much! I will be back soon to tell you all about some new exciting Funky Hand products that will be available in the near future. I'm very excited..but I will tell you all later.
Here is a card that my Mom made for me for my birthday..she's an avid card maker so I wanted to show you it.

As Christmas approaches it's getting lovely to walk around the shops looking at all the decorations and wrapping paper. I love Christmas so I enjoyed just wandering around listening to the music and looking at all the tinsel and pretty decoration displays. Ian really hates shopping around Christmas because it gets so busy, so this year I am doing the shopping during the day to miss the crowds, trouble is I want to buy all the decorations because I keep thinking of cards I could make with this and that. I have to keep my money in my purse!
Ians Grandma had a fall a couple of days ago and broke her collar bone. As she is in her 90's things like this take such a long time to heal she is pretty unwell. I made her a card to wish her better, I thought I would show it to you. Something simple but pretty, hope she likes it.

Finally I have found time to sit down and design my own Christmas cards for this year. As I am so busy I decided to keep them pretty simple and easy to make. Last year I had more time and spent ages shrinkng plastic, stamping, glittering etc.. this year it's all much more simple. My friends and family will think there is something wrong with me!


Now that is decided I just have to find time to make enough to go round!!

I just never seem to have time to sit down and really get on with making some cards recently so I was really please when I got to make a couple of cards yesterday afternoon using my new papers. I thought I would let you have a look...




The papers are from my new CD It's Funky Too There have been a few changes here at Funky Hand over the last few weeks, Ian my techie has been freshening up the sites and finally it's all finished! I am really happy with the changes.
On the home front we have been trying to decided what we were going to do at Christmas this year. After much talk we have decided to leave the cold of the UK jump on a plane and head off on a Carribean cruise! I am really looking forward to having Christmas day in hot weather! There is still loads to organise for Christmas though even though we wont be here.. we have to buy and then share presents with friends and families early so that is our focus at the moment. I haven't even started my Christmas cards yet! I have decided on the designs just have to get started! I hope you are more organised than I am..

I am so excited! My site www.funkyhanddigital.com has had a facelift! Please go and have a look at it..it should be wrinkle free now! I have also released my new CD as well, It's Funky Too. Have tons of card orders to make today so I have to go now but I will be back soon.

Finally I have completed the designs for my next CD. It wont be available for a few weeks whilst Ian gets it up and running, but here is a sneak preview of some of the designs.

As you can see it is going to be called 'It's Funky Too' as it's my second full CD! The other two 'The Funky One' and 'Yule Be Funky' are still available on Funky Hand Digital
It's been all go since I returned from my trip to Barcelona. What a great city it is. I got lots of inspiration from everything that I saw there, even the paths on the streets have great designs on them which would make great patterns on papers. The weather was ok most of the time but we did have one day when it tipped down with rain. Overall it was a good experience, and Lisa had a nice birthday I think, I hope! because after all thats why we were there!
I am looking out of my office window and the rain is coming down, the sky is grey, winter is really coming our way now. But that at least means Christmas is approaching..but first I have to get through my birthday next month..I wonder if I will get nice crafty pressies or not??

Sorry I haven't been here for a while.. I have been working hard on getting my next CD finished. I am pleased to say that I have finally finished the last design and I can now start working on getting the thing ready for sale. I am really pleased with the designs and once they are ready I will post a little example for you to have a look at. Well it's getting late so just a short one today, I'll be back with more a interesting post real soon.

Can you believe that it is October already? Time just flies by when you are having fun I suppose! I have been making cards for lots of different people recently for every kind of occasion here are a few creations for you to have a look at...













I have also been hard at work designing new papers for my next CD release, everything is going to plan at the moment but as I am aware I should enjoy it whilst I can because something will happen and put me off track..it always does!!!
The big thing we are upto over the next few days is flying off to Barcelona, Spain to celebrate my friend Lisa's 40th Birthday. Should be great..I have never been there before. I have heard that it is a beautiful city so I hope I come back with loads of inspiration for colours and textures to put into my designs!

Hello! Just a quick one today as I am so busy..I just wanted to tell you about a really brilliant craft forum that I have found, everyone is really friendly and welcoming. It's totally unlike some of the craft forums I have joined, I wont mention any names, where everyone is really clicky and no one replies to your posts or even acknowledges your existence if you are not one of the 'in crowd'!!
www.makingcardsmagazine.com its the forum attached to Making Cards craft magazine and I recommend you go over and have a look. Everyone will make you really welcome. Until next time...

What fun I have been having over the last few days.. I have been designing Christmas cards to go on to www.funkyhand.com which should be up by the weekend. I have also designed some quick card examples using the papers from my new Christmas papers CD 'Yule Be Funky'which you can now have a look at on www.funkyhanddigital.com for some inspiration.
I have also been on a Sizzix buying frenzy and they have been arriving through my letterbox every day! (I am waiting in as I write for the postman to arrive as I am sure I will be getting another delivery!) Why have you suddenly gone mad on Sizzix you ask? Well I can't be really sure..I have had a Sizzix machine for ages, a present from my parents, and I had a few dies but never really bothered that much with it.. then two weeks ago I won some Sizzix Alphabars in my my first auction on Ebay and I haven't been able to stop buying since!! I hadn't really looked at the Dies available but suddenly there are some really great unusual/Funky ones. My favourite, for today anyway!, is the Dress and Accessories designed by Rob and Bob studio. I love their scrapbook paper designs so it was no suprise to me that I liked their venture in Sizzix Dies too. In a rare spare moment I made this dress, its sort of Mrs Xmas wear don't you think?! It was fun just trying different papers and textures, the neck line and waist band are made from white felt which I put a bit of crystal glitter glue on, I think it has made it look a bit like fur..without hurting any animals!
Anyway, I have a business report to write which I can't put off any longer..even though my new Sizzix dies are calling me from my craft room.....

It's been a whirl wind here at Funkyhand Towers over this last week. I have completely revamped my craft room and finally all my craft stash has a tidy place to live. We ventured to Ikea and bought wooden shelving and loads of plastic boxes and containers..then I spent all Saturday unpacking everything and putting it away. I have to say that it looks great..but I can't find anything! Before, even though everything was in boxes and bags lying everywhere..I knew which bags and boxes contained the things I needed, now I haven't a clue! I will get used to it in the end I suppose.
The last three days my parents have been visiting me from the Midlands so I haven't got any real work done at all.. but I have had lots of nice lunches out and visits to the craft shop (my Mom is an avid card maker!) But this afternoon they went and when Ian came home today (he'sbeen in London all day so he was home late) with just the two of us again it seems very quiet. I don't get to see them that often so I am always a little sad when they leave after a visit. But now I suppose I have no excuse not to get making some new cards to go on www.funkyhand.com to replace the ones I removed in the clean out last week! Well, I think I will go downstairs now to finish off the bottle of wine that my Mom and I didn't finish last night.. back to the grind stone tomorrow. No rest for the wicked eh!

Back again so soon! I wanted to share a sweet card I made this evening using one of the papers from my new CD-Rom 'Yule Be Funky'available from Funky Hand Digital It's a really simple card but to tell you the truth thats how I like my cards! I am pleased with the result just using one of my backgrounds and a Santa topper..

Time just rushes by each day..sometimes I have no idea what time of the day it is and only look at my watch when my stomach starts telling me that it's empty! I get so engrossed with designing papers and making cards that I can lose a whole day!
I know I am so lucky to have a job that I love..I wasn't always so lucky, so I wont complain about the time warp I seem to have been through today! I went into my craft room at about 12noon after I got back from meeting my business advisor, just to finish off a couple of cards, I have just surfaced it's almost 6pm! Where have those hours gone??
Here's one of the cards I designed and made this afternoon, its a good luck card for a work collegue of one of my customers who is leaving to live in New Zealand.. I hope he likes it! I've had a break now.. must get back to work as I still have loads to do.. but its a labour of love! Until next time.

Hurrah! My new Christmas themed CD 'Yule Be Funky' is finished and available for sale right now on www.funkyhanddigital.com I am really excited about this new release.. but now I have to get working even harder on the next one!! No rest for the wicked! Go over and have a look at the site and let me know what you think of the new Xmas papers.
Anice x

I must be just thick ..but am I the only person who finds putting things for sale on Ebay really hard?? I really admire the people who list items all the time and their entries look so proffessional. I was nearly pulling my hair out last night trying to put one of my CD's for sale. Can't have done the job too badly as it sold this morning!! But now that means that I have to put another one on tonight.. oh no, Ian and I almost killed each other last night getting that listing on!!
I have been busily making cards the last few days to fulfil recent orders but that hasn't stopped me designing some new papers for the third CD that I am working on. Heres a peek at a couple of the cards that I made with the new papers..



I am really pleased with this collection so far, I am learning each time I design more so they just keep getting better, In my own opinion of course!! Let me know what you think.. don't be shy leave a message! Also let me know what sort of papers you would like to be available and I will see if I can design something to include on this new CD. Well until next time...

This weekend Ian has been away at the V Festival so I have had the first weekend on my own in the house for ages. It was great! I was out and about with my friend Lisa on Saturday and we ended up eating for England! After lunch and a bit of shopping we then had a cream tea with the biggest cream scones I have ever seen..they were wonderful!
On Saturday night we watched chick flicks and generally had a nice 'girlie' evening. With everything going on with Funky Hand Digital I just haven't had time to really relax and enjoy my friends company. After this weekend I think I am going to have to remember there is more to life than work.. (but not more than crafting of course!!) and try to relax more. Oh and I also have to start a diet..I felt those cakes going on to my large enough already hips before I had finished them!!
Anice x

Good morning everyone.
Things are not getting any quieter on the Funky hand front I have to say! But I am not complaining of course. The first advert for funkyhanddigital.com is in Card making and paper craft magazine and number of hits to the site has really increased which is fantastic. I also want to take a moment to thank the wonderful customers who have purchased the first CD and then taken the time to let me know how happy they are, thank you so much for your feedback it means so much to me to hear from my customers. We have made a few changes to the website so that you can have a clearer idea what sort of papers you can expect on the CD when you get it home, obviously I couldn't include all the papers and colours in new image as there is far to many but I think it now gives a better idea whats included. I have also finally finished the designs for my new Christmas themed CD and handed it over to my resident 'Techie' Ian to do his magic and make the CD work..(no guesses that I don't have a big part to play in that side of things!) I have completed an image for the website when we launch it and I thought you might like a sneak peek of the designs to give you an idea of what I have been doing...



Right best get back to work I have bathrooms that are never going to clean themselves..who said working from home would be fun??
Anice xx

Hello Hello Hello..what an exciting time I am having!
I am so excited at the moment as my first advert for www.funkyhanddigital.com has appeared in this months Card Making and Papercraft magazine. I can't wait to start to supply more people with my backing paper designs..it's all so exciting. Not only that but I have an even bigger situation for the company right on the horizon..I will tell you about that once everything is signed and sealed...
On the home front Ian and I have just been working all the time, not much fun to be had at all recently so we have decided to let our hair down this weekend. We are going out with friends tonight to the local pub, but Sat night we are heading out on the town to Newcastle which we haven't done for ages... best get my drinking head on like the good ole days. I will let you know if I lasted later than 10pm next time I post!
Happy crafting x

Where has all this rain come from??
For the last few weeks it has been so hot here I began to think I was living in a new country, but today good ole England has been returned to normal summertime weather..it's raining! I am sorry for complaining about the sun.. rain is worse.
Not that I have had much time to even know what the weather has been like, I have had card and cd orders coming out of my ears! But I have finally caught up and have time to post here! It's my friends birthday today (Huggs to Corrina) and my moms birthday Saturday so for the first time in ages I have been making cards for myself, I thought you might like to see my creations..


















I used one of the papers from my new cd 'The Funky One' on Corrina's card available from Funkyhanddigital.com and the two papers on my moms card are new designs that will be on available on a future CD release.
I am working hard at the moment on completing the designs for my Christmas CD which should be available soon. Who could have guessed that it would be so taxing coming up with Xmas designs, maybe now the weather has turned nasty I will find more inspiration!

Anyone else suffer from the call of the craft shop??
Today I popped into my local craft shop to pick up a birthday gift for my mom, shes a big crafter so it's a nice simple choice that she will like! But that doesn't give me licence to empty my bank account does it?? I can't just go in get what I went for and walk out..oh no. I have to examine all the new stock (putting it in my basket as I go) it's got so that the assistant sees me coming and walks round the shop with me pointing out new items, she knows a good sale when she sees one! I have a trade account there because of www.funkyhand.com but the discount I get should be the amount that I have spent in total...not the discount amount! Oh well, I had best get onto making some cards with all this new stuff to justify the cost before Ian gets home!!
Speak soon
Anice xx

Sorry it's been so long since my last post.. everything is so busy here at Funky Hand, I have had card orders coming out of my ears and the new backing paper CD-rom is proving very popular! I am trying to design the christmas papers for the new xmas CD rom, make cards and keep on top of all the paperwork and meetings etc! Goodness it's harder than when I worked for someone else! I am not complaining though and I would like to thank everyone who has been ordering from me.. please get intouch after you have recieved your CD's and give me any feedback that you would like to give. Its the only way for me to learn exactly what my customers like or don't!
Another thing that has been causing stress here is that we have moved over to a new broadband provider..they told us that 'the change would be seamless..' why do we fall for these lies every time? Yesterday I had no broadband all day as our old service was turned off but the new one wasn't switched on..the company didn't think it was important to keep us informed about what was happening.. poor Ian was on the phone for over two hours last night trying to get an answer to out problems..lucky for me he knows more about getting things set up that the rubbish call centre staff he was trying to talk to, so I have connection today.. still waiting for a call from one of their managers. Think I will be waiting forever, not holding my breath! OK rant over!! Have a great day

Just a quick message today.. I am up to my eyes in card orders today! Dont get me wrong, I am not complaining of course but having been away all weekend and only getting back late yeserday afternoon I feel like I have so much to do to catch up with everything, and to top it all I think I have caught a cold! Poor me..it's not nice having a cold at the best of times but I am finding having one when it's 30 degrees and I have 20 odd cards to create rather..testing!!!
Anyway I had best stop finding other things to do..like posting on my blog and get on with some work!!
Anice x

What a beautiful morning!
The sun is shining so brightly through my office window I can hardly see the screen on this computer.. Yesterday I didn't stop all day, I had a great meeting with my business advisor and now I am full of enthusiasum for getting on with the new business. But I finally made time to actually sit down and make some cards..not for an order but just for fun! I had forgotten how much fun it is to make cards just for the hell of it not because someone has asked you to make one. It was great..I went through my vast collection of stamps and embellishments and found things I didn't even remember buying! I am sure you crafters out there know exactly what I am talking about! I have attached a couple of my creations here for you to have a look at, the backing papers are my own designs from my 'The Funky One' CD rom (available from www.funkyhanddigital.com) and the stamps are Hampton arts and inca stamps. I have gone mad with the twinkling H20's on both of these cards which are my current favourites. I can't stop buying them! They are everywhere all over my crafting room! I am not a tidy crafter so really today I should tidy up.. but I might just sit in the garden in this great weather with my laptop and design some more Xmas backing papers for my new CD..though I doubt many winter inspired designs will come to mind.. would anyone be interested in summery xmas designs??? I doubt it! So, best get on with everything..going to Birmngham to visit my parents tonight and then on to visit Ians brother and family in Lyneham for the weekend so I have loads to do to pack.. but the sun is calling me!
Anice x

So much for my good intentions! I intended to post here everyday and two days in and I have already missed a day..should have know! I am enjoying the fact that I am not having to work flat out all the time designing papers and getting everything ready for the launch of the CD, but I will have to get back to it soon as the Christmas Backing papers wont make themselves! The weather isn't helping either, it has been so hot and hazy here I really don't want to be bothered with doing anything with a Xmas theme!! I am not a Geordie but having lived here in Newcastle for 12 years I am used to the weather up here being mostly grey..this hot weather is doing me in! Not that Birmingham where I am from is a tropical island (ha!). The Sky+ version of tonights Big Brother is calling so I best be going. Hopefully I will have more exciting news tomorrow ..if I keep to my 'once a day post' intentions.

Ahh the end of the world cup..
I don't know about you but this world cup seems to have been on the TV for months even though I know it's only been a few weeks! I thought I would take the opportunity to write here again during the second half whilst Ian is shouting at the TV and generally enjoying himself! What have you been upto today? Something interesting I hope..I have just worked again! I have created a new set of papers for my Christmas CD so that was a positive thing..slowly I am inching towards completing it. I was also looking into craft fairs today..goodness there is alot to think about when you are deciding where to showcase your designs. It will all be worth it in the end I am sure. Tommorrow I think I am going to set aside some time to make some sample cards using my background papers. I haven't just sat down and made cards for ages..just for fun, rather than to fulfil an order. I'm looking forward to it already! I will post anything decent that I come up with here tomorrow, there, that gives me an incentive to get crafting. Not that I really need one! Enjoy your Sunday evening..

Hello and welcome to my corner of the web!
Well, I have to say this is a bit of a strange experience for me, putting my thoughts out there for other people to read. At the moment all my thoughts are focused totally on www.funkyhand.com The website only went live on Thursday but we have been working towards it for months..feels like years since we just sat down and watched TV without it being 11pm and we haven't stopped all night. Ian (my web geek partner, you'll hear more of him in the future!) designing and creating the website whilst I frantically sit at the laptop downstairs designing backing papers in order that we actually have something to sell!!
Crafting, card making etc have been my obsession for the last year, but it wasn't always like that.. but that is a story for another time..maybe! For now I think just welcoming you is enough, we can get to know each other slowly I think. Now I think I am going to be completely reckless, stop work, go downstairs and watch Big Brother!