The 10 min card mystery...

You must have all been there, your other half has asked you to make a card for some occasion and you've said 'yes..yes I'll get it done' and then that request has gone clean out of your head until the moment when they say 'that card needs to be in the post tomorrow' and it's 10pm and you're thinking about going to bed after a long day..No? Well it happened to me last night. As I said in my last post I don't get to make cards that often that people actually receive so you would think that I would be right on top of one that needs making...wrong! I am so wrapped up in work at the moment I don't have much time to do anything else, never mind remember to make a card as ordered by my OH!

Well anyway there I was last night at my craft desk trying to make a decent looking anniversary card for Ians parents in less than 10mins as that was pretty much all the time I could stay awake.. and you know I was rather pleased with the results. (Please accept my apologies for the poor quality photograph but I had to take it this morning before it went into the post and the light was even worse than I thought it was.. this is the result of some serious photoshop messing..you should have seen it before!!)



Why is it that you can pull together something pretty simple but really effective from the stash you can find lying on your craft desk but when you have all the time in the world no inspiration comes? Annoying but very true..in my case anyway!!
The backing paper is from my not yet released download which I will be back to tell you about in a future post and the chipboard heart is covered with a paper from my CD Funky Daze (which you will be able to see more of next Tuesday at 11am if you tune into Ideal World) The ribbon and buttons were all just sitting lonely on my craft desk and they worked perfectly!

Now I'm off to sit in my craftroom and spend another few hours trying to come up with demonstration cards that wont be half as nice as my 10 min creation!!

I didn't realise that todays challenge on Daring Card Makers Challenge Blog was to include a heart on your card..I must be psychic.. get yourself over there and join in!

Speak again soon.
Anice xx

Woohoo!...I've made a card!

Recently I have been so busy with business 'stuff' I've almost forgotten that I actually make cards sometimes! So today it was quite a nice change to make a card that wasn't for a demonstration or work related in some way but one that is actually going to be sent to someone!!

My Nan has reached the grand old age of eight nine, well she will do tomorrow, so I have made her a card to celebrate. I decided to make it pretty and pink and leave off details of her age, I'm sure she will like it that way!

The spotty backing paper is from my craft download collection Shabby Saturday. The flower is by Prima and it's mounted in some lovely Bazzill card with the Swiss dots already embossed on it, which saves me doing it with my cuttlebug embossing folder! The biggest deal really on this card is that I have actually stitched the stem on the flower! Of course I had some help from my Bazzill In Stitch'z flourishes template, a recent fab purchase from the sale at Craft Obsessions. Anyone who knows me even just a little knows I don't 'do sewing' so having these templates has been a big help!!


I'm quite pleased with the results actually so be prepared to see more stitching from me in the future !!

Speak again real soon.
Anice xx

Why can't I just get on with things??

I don't know about you but I'm afraid I find it very difficult to start, never mind finish, alot of projects that I have in my mind. I have big plans about what this next scrap book page or card is going to look like but the actual act of going into the craft room and getting everything together to make it always gets put off until 'later'. At the moment I have loads of deadlines to meet..I need to make demos for my up coming Ideal Word Show where my CD Funky Daze will be seen for the first time, I have two adverts to design and submit to magazines, I have paperwork galore to complete from re applying for my driving licence to this years accounts paperwork but what have I been doing this morning? Looking on the t'internet for the best description of my problem.. I am the Procrastination Queen so I laughed out loud when I read this description on Wikepedia..

Procrastination is a type of behavior which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. Psychologists often cite procrastination as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision. Psychology researchers also have three criteria they use to categorize procrastination. For a behavior to be classified as procrastination, it must be counterproductive, needless, and delaying.

Oh most of the things I have got upto this morning have definitely been counterproductive, needless and delaying !

I have to try to stop putting things off until later and get myself on top of everything. Right I'm off to get these demonstrations started.. but I think a nice cup of tea might be in order first.. oh dear here I go again!

Speak soon
Anice xx

Just a little sneaky look..

I promise I have been working on new designs..even though all my other work has been getting rather in the way. That's a big problem with being the only one here..I have to do everything! I absolutely love my job but sometimes I wish I could sit for days just designing..I can dream I suppose!

I have received quite a positive reaction to the word books that are included on my latest craft CD Funky Daze with alot of my download customers asking when they will be available to them. I never like to include anything on a download that is available on a CD or visa versa so..that means that I need to pull together a new wordbook collection. Which is what I have done!! I'm not ready to release it for sale just yet..I have to let my wonderful Design Team get their hands on it first, but I thought I would give you a little sneaky peek just to prove I have actually been doing something other than processing orders and filing paperwork!



Now I need to get back to that order processing..speak again real soon!
Anice xx

It's all change at Funky Hand!

A couple of days ago I had a rather sad conversation with one of my Design Team members, Chris (Craftling). Unfortunately she isn't able to continue being an active member of the team. But Funky Hand design team members are not just people who craft with my products we are all great friends as well. So, though Chris wont be actively contributing to the designs in the future she will be sticking around with us..we would miss her too much if she went away completely.

With our Chris stepping down I found that I had a rather large gap to fill..well luckily for me I have found the perfect person to slip into the space! I am very pleased to announce the all new Funky Hand Design Team member is.. Lythan.

Lythan is one of my most favourite crafters, her cards and scrap pages are always so inspired and her style is just up my street!! Take a look at her blog Slighty Squiffy to see what I mean. So I am really honoured and excited to be welcoming her to the Funky Hand Design Team.

Now all I need to do is create some new papers for her to work with.. better get on with it then I suppose!

Speak again soon
Anice xx

What a lovely surprise!

These days all we ever hear is how bad things are and how much nicer people were to each other in the past. Well something happened to me today to throw that right out of the window. The postman arrived with his usual bills and business stuff but nestled amongst it was a parcel. I opened it up to find it was from Ruth (Tip Top Toppers Things Blog) from my Design Team and this was what was inside...



A card sending me some post Christmas cheer, a lovely mini note book for writing down my design ideas and a collection of stamped images, beads and other crafty bits. It was all beautifully wrapped in a brown paper and string parcel.

It's one of the kindest things I ever had happen to me. I was all tearful when I first opened it but now I am just filled with a lovely warm glow. I want to say a great big THANK YOU to Ruth for making my boring old day so much nicer. Ruths simple act of kindness has made me realise that it doesn't take alot to just show kindness to another person and make their life just a little brighter. It's something I am definitely going to try to learn from.

Have a wonderful day
Anice xx

Last day of the Funky Hand Sale !

Yes the last day of the Funky Hand 10% discount sale has arrived. I just wanted to let you all know just incase you wanted to grab a bargain whilst you still can. The discount is on all of our range, all the CD Roms, download collections and paper packs. Even the new release CD Funky Daze. We don't have sales very often here and there isn't another one planned..for a very long time so get in now !

Well on another note..how was your New Year? We had a great time with our friends but I have to admit I'm looking forward to getting back to some normality after all this Christmas and New Year cheer! 2009 is going to be a very busy year here at Funky Hand Towers and I can't wait to get back to it!!

I'll be back soon with some crafting I promise!
Speak again soon
Anice xx

Here comes 2009 !

Well I can't believe it but here we are again on the threshold of a New Year. I hope you are doing something that you are looking forward to this evening. I have to admit New Year is never my favourite celebration, I'm usually quite happy to sit in my house watching Jools Holland on the TV. This year we are spending the evening with good friends at their home so the taxis are already booked to get us there and back..lets hope they turn up!!

I find New Year a time when I tend to feel a little sad, looking back on a year and having to say goodbye to it. 2008 has been a very busy year here at Funky Hand Towers with lots of highs. Like live and recorded TV shows on Ideal World, releasing downloadable collections for the first time, getting together my wonderful Design Team, releasing Now that's Funky and Funky Daze CD collections. There have been a few lows as well like my few health problems but the highs very much out weigh them!!

At this time of year everyone is coming up with New Year resolutions so I'm not going to be left out! Perhaps if I list them here publicly I might keep them.. ha ha how likely is that?

1. Lose some weight (this is a permanent list leader!!)
2. Spend more time with my friends and family.
3. Don't leave everything to the last moment.
4. Plan ahead rather than react when things happen!
5. Blog more regularly.

There are loads more but I don't want you to fall asleep before you finish reading this post!

Oh, before I sign off I thought I would mention that the shows that I recorded for Create and Craft TV have started running this week, I didn't expect them to until the new year but, tomorrow (Thursday 1st Jan) if you are sitting in front of the TV at 12noon getting over the excesses of this evening have a look at the Create and Craft Channel I'll be there demonstrating cards made with my Funky Seasons CD.

Have a wonderful New Year and thanks for dropping by here in 2008. Next year is going to be a goody!!

Speak again soon..
Anice xx

Funky Hand New Year SALE !

I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas time. I know we have here at Funky Hand Towers! As usual we have eaten FAR too much but we have laughed and smiled loads with friends and family and that's what it is all about! To keep those smiles going for a little longer we decided that a bit of a New Year sale would be in order so..if you pop over to our website www.funkyhand.com you will find that there is a fantastic 10% discount on everything across the store for seven whole days!! That's on all our craft CD Roms, including our newest release Funky Daze,our fabby downloadable paper collections and funky acid free printed paper packs. As usual there is FREE postage and packing to anywhere in the world so why not grab yourself a little after Christmas bargain and keep a little bit of that Christmas sparkle going on into the new year.

See you over there!
Anice xx

Well it's almost here!

I used to love Christmas time. As soon as the lights started going on in the shops in October (!) I would start planning my wrapping paper colours for that year and making a list of gifts to buy. Lately I feel like Christmas creeps up on me and suddenly it's here and I'm not prepared at all. I wonder if it because I am so much more busy running Funky Hand than when I worked full time as an office Manager or as I am getting older I am becoming an old grouch?! I hope it's the first reason as we already have one Christmas Scrouge living in this house, Ian really isn't a Christmas lover! Hence the pleasant Christmas wishes on this post, I am trying to get into the spirit before it's too late!!

I have lots of things flying round in my head at the moment some I can't tell you about just yet..but keep an eye out here and I'll spill the beans soon. Others are all signed and sealed. I will be presenting a live show on Ideal World Shopping Channel on 27th January at 11am where I will be premiering my latest craft CD Rom Funky Daze. I'm really looking forward to sharing the fabby cards that my Design Team have been creating and showing everyone just how easy it is to create your own word books using the CD. Of course I haven't started on the demonstrations just yet..you know me I have to leave everything to the last moment to create the maximum stress levels possible!!

I am looking forward to a few days off over Christmas but I imagine it will be just a few as Ian seems to have a very large list of 'Things to be done over Christmas' whilst he is on holiday from his full time job. Though some of them are rather exciting.. all will be revealed in time but I am pretty excited about 2009 already!!

If I don't get back here again before Christmas have a wonderful time with your families and I hope Father Christmas brings you all the lovely crafty stash you have asked for!!

Anice xx