Win a copy of Love Love Love.

I really love giving stuff away.  You might ask yourself, why? Well, I love getting stuff and having the chance to win stuff is just as great. So, if I like it so must other people right?  Well, I think you do!

Thinking that I'm right, I have put this simple little competition together for Valentines day.  I could tell you all about it but, I thought a short little video might be a fun way to tell you all about it..

Have you watched?  If you couldn't then here's the info.  You can win a copy of my download Love Love Love.  All you need to do is go to my website www.funkyhand.com and download the new Funky Freebie.  It's a FREE backing paper, that matches the Love Love Love download.  That's it.  You download the Freebie and then get put in the draw to win the collection.

But, you must download the Freebie by Midnight (GMT) Thursday 6th February.  Not long to get that Freebie to have a chance to win the prize.

So, what are you waiting for? Get over to www.funkyhand.com now and get that Funky Freebie!

Speak again very soon.
Anice xx

A bit of a trick for shading with Promarkers

Hello everyone!
I hope you all had a good Christmas and a Happy New Year celebration.  I know, I know it's almost the end of January.. My 'New Year New Blog Attitude' hasn't started well, but as usual I have an excuse! I've been really working hard on some new Funky Hand digital products which are now all with my wonderful Design Team so you should be seeing them very soon.  So, less of the weak excuses and on to what I really have come to talk about!

Promarkers & Colouring in general.
I don't know about you but I have got a bit of a 'thing' about collecting Promarkers at the moment.  Over Christmas my collection grew nicely, and the New Year sales helped the storage to get a little fuller! That's all well and good but, I need to work on my actual colouring.

I was browsing some blogs and websites over Christmas and I came upon a really good idea for working out where shading should be on your image.  This is something I always have trouble with. The problem is I can't remember where I saw the tip.. If I find the Blog again I will come here and leave the information for you.

It's really simple, all you need is some acetate and a permanent marker..

What the heck?  I hear you thinking.  Using this simple little technique I was able to work out how to colour the shading on these two Bot - Fire Away digital stamps.  One with the light at the front and the other behind.

I have written all the details for you on a full blog post over on the Funky Hand Design Team blog  Get Funky & Craft  Pop over there and see all the details.

Hopefully you will learn something new, if not then take a look at the other posts over there.  There are sure to be some card images or techniques that the ladies have shared that will inspire you with your crafting.

OK, I'm off to finish off some new images for the website.  I'll be back soon to share some other nugget of crafting info or just my general chatter in the near future.

Anice xx

Merry Christmas one and all !

Thanks for supporting me and the Funky Hand team over 2013.  I hope you all have a wonderful, magical Christmas.

Anice xx

Layering a Funky Hand digital stamp

Welcome to you all! 

Today I thought that I would share a bit more information about my idea for layering one of the Georgie digital stamps 'Georgie Angel' that I posted about over on the Funky Hand Design Team Blog. Get Funky & Craft.  For this creation I messed around with the stamp and created a GSD to cut out the image with my cutting machine.  You don't have to have a cutting machine.  You could just print out the digital stamp image four times and just cut the parts that you want to layer out.

Please remember: Not all digital stamp designers would be happy with you doing this sort of thing so you must remember to check all terms and conditions linked with each stamp.  If it is not mentioned there, it doesn't mean it's OK to do.  Always ask.

OK, here is what I started out with for this project,

As you can see I decided that I wanted to layer her face, the upper part of her body and her hands holding the heart.

I coloured the images in with Promarkers before I cut them out.  Colouring small parts of images when they are already cut out is really hard in my opinion but if you prefer to cut out first please go ahead.

Sorry, that was the perfect opportunity to show off my Promarker collection to you. To say I'm a bit obsessed with them is a little bit of an understatement! I have to admit Ian was a little shocked when he saw them all out on the table.  He says he didn't know I had so many.  I told him I'd had them all ages (wink)

Before I go on, if you have some Promarkers you might like to grab this really helpful free download from Sarah Hurley.

It's a  layout of all the names of the currently available Promarkers (including Limited Editions) with circles to add the pen colour to. Print the download onto the same paper/card that you use for colouring your digital stamps and colour in each of your markers. It will then give you a true coloured effect.  Sarah has laid them out in a really helpful order.  Grab the free download from her website  http://www.sarahhurleydesigns.co.uk/oldshop/prod_2834920-Promarker-Colour-Charts-Updated-for-Winter-2013.html  Please don't just share this freebie with your friends send them over to Sarahs website to grab their own copy. 

OK, lets get colouring in Georgie.  I started with her skin and then her hair..

For her skin I used these Promarker colours: Almond, Blush and Dusky Pink.  It actually looks very pale on this picture but it doesn't look so pale in reality.  For her hair I went for a deep brown/auburn. The colours I used were: Tan, Cinnamon and Coco.  I also added a tiny bit of Henna at the darkest places.

Next up is her Angel outfit.  I saw this collection of Promarkers being used for Blonde hair and I thought it would be a good combination as I wanted it light but not just leave it white.  The colours used are: Ivory, Satin and Almond.  For extra shading I used Vanilla.

Here is Georgie all finished.  I wanted a warmer colour for her wings and ballet shoes so decided on pinks.  The colours used are: Antique Pink, Dusky Rose and Budding Rose.  Finally the heart, I wanted a nice vibrant red colour so I used Red Sweater and Ruby.

I decided to colour in each layer of the image as I wanted no white bits showing under the layered stamp, but also, because it was an opportunity to practice the colouring, as the lower levels of the face, upper body and heart wouldn't be in clear view!



 Finally here's the finished card I made and a closer look at the layering..

I used 1mm foam pads to layer the head and upper body and 3mm foam pads for the heart.  I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

If you have purchased the (or are thinking about it) Georgie Angel digital stamp and would like the GSD I used in this post, send me a message through the Funky Hand website Contact Us page and I will email it to you for free.

All there is left to say is, I hope you all have a very merry Christmas. Just incase I don't get back to post here before the big day.  I'm crossing my fingers that Santa has more Promarkers in his sack for me.  I hope you get all the crafty stash you have asked for.

Speak again very soon.
Anice xx

A tale of two Christmas cards..

If you read my last blog post, you will know I'm behind with my Christmas card making.  Though to tell you the truth I have the same problem every year!  So, when Ian announced that we needed to send two cards to America 'today' I was reasonably under pressure as he was not aware I hadn't made 'one' yet never mind 'two' to be posted! (I said I was behind..maybe I should have said..hadn't made any!)

So, I decided to make simple, quick cards. Take a look and see what you think.. (Forgive the photographs they really did have to be made and in the post with the glue still wet!)

They are the same, but different!  I used the Doodleword Merry Christmas Digital Stamp, a white textured base card and some wired ribbon.  Due to the time constraints I only used two Promarkers to colour them.  Poppy and Forest Green and left spaces for white.  Even though I was under pressure I couldn't colour them both the same. So, I coloured them the opposite way.

It's actually impressive how different they look just with different ribbon, one being mounted and one unmounted.  I also drew around the letters on the second card with a Promarker (Cool Grey 2) which also gives a different look to the digital stamp.

So, there you are.  My CAS Christmas cards in a hurry.  Are you all ready with your Christmas cards?  Have they been in the post or handed out weeks ago? Or, are you like me, wishing you had kept the promise to yourself after last year that you would make cards all year long so you weren't in this position again?

Good luck with your last minute card making or enjoy your cuppa as you sit back smugly knowing you are all done. Pah!

Speak again very soon,
Anice xx 

Monster Pets are going to get ya!

Here I am again about to apologise for my lack of blogging..I'm so bad that I'm probably speaking to myself right now as everyone has stopped reading!  If you are out there, say hello.  Otherwise I will just chat on to myself!

There was a new set of releases on my website recently that I haven't told you anything about!  I'll start with the digital stamps I think.  These ones are a bit of fun, great for putting on kids cards or adults who are like kids!  They are called Monster Pets.  There's Monster Dog, Monster Rabbit and Monster Cat.  Here's a look at them..

The Monster Cat isn't on a card yet, as you probably guessed by the picture!  I'm still working on that one.  They are so much fun to colour but if you pop over to the website and take a look at the galleries attached to the digital stamps you will see some amazing cards from the design team that have been paper pieced.  Completely amazing.

The other download that is now available is a backing paper collection called Hairy and Scary.  I designed it with these monster images in mind, but you could use it for anything really on its own.  Well, anything where you needed some strong colours and a few 'hairy' papers. Hehe!

Now for a bit of chat I think.  How are you all getting on with making the dreaded Christmas cards?  I imagine you are all organised and have them already written and ready to go..or even gone.  I on the other hand, as usual, haven't even started mine.  Oh the shame!  I am going to make a few hasty ones today as we are meeting up with extended family this evening and I will hand them over as if I'm all organised.  But the rest will need to be fitted in when I can.  It's the same every year, I plan to make them in November and it's gets to December and I haven't even planned what they will look like never mind made any.

Well, I had best get on with the cards I need to make today.  There will be a couple more releases on the website this coming weekend.  I promise that you wont wait weeks to see all about them.

Speak again soon.
Anice xx

Super cute gift card tutorial

Just a quick bob by today, I didn't want you to miss a wonderful tutorial from one of my Design Team members Tabbatha.  How would you like to know how to create one (or more!) of these?

Then get yourself over to the Funky Hand Design Team blog, Get Funky & Craft.  This is where you will find these gift cards: Get Funky & Craft Gift Cards.  But whilst you are there, I suggest having a look at the other posts on the blog.  There are some amazing tutorials and inspiration posts from the DT.  There is a new post put up there every Wednesday and over each weekend.  May be you should put a note in your diary to visit.  I'm sure you wont be disappointed.

Oh whilst I have you, don't forget about the Funky Hand craft CD giveaway.  All the details are on the post below. CD Giveaway  You can only enter to win the 6 craft CDs of your choice (£71+) until Saturday 16th Nov so you had best get entering.

Before you go though..don't forget to visit the Get Funky & Craft Blog and see Tabbathas gift card tutorial.
Speak again very soon,
Anice xx

Win SIX Funky Hand craft CDs of your choice.

I'm feeling all generous today so, I thought I would share a competition that is currently running over on the Funky Hand Facebook page here with you.  It's pretty easy to enter, and I think it's a prize worth winning..if I say so myself!

Leave a message in the comments here or pop over to Facebook and leave a message there.  Everyone who comments will get one entry into the draw to win the six Funky Hand CD ROMs of their choice. (All the CDs available are not shown in this picture by the way!)

 If you want an even better chance of winning then just pop to the Funky Hand website www.funkyhand.com and purchase a download from the ever growing collection of ones available.  If you buy a download you will get an extra FIVE entries into the draw.

The six CDs are worth up to £71.94 (depending on which ones are chosen) and the downloads available on the website start from 99p. If you haven't tried downloads before, it might be a good time to try one, you could get a great new backing paper collection or digital stamp (or both!) and, have a better chance of winning all the CDs.

Anyway, I wanted to let you all know about the competition, leave a message here or go over to the Facebook page.  You have until 12 noon Saturday 16th November to join in.

Good luck
Anice xx

Woohoo! new download releases & a discount code.

Hi everyone,

It's busy day here in the Garden Studio..we have new download collections up on the website.
I'm really excited about them all but especially the new digital stamps 'Georgie'.  She is the first cute girl 'character' I have drawn and I really hope you like her.

Less of my waffle take a look..

She's a bit of a princess which is what inspired me to create the latest backing paper download as well..

Twenty backing papers in pinks, green and cream, perfect for all your 'Little Princess' crafting!  My design team have made some beautiful cards and other creations so don't forget to pop over and take a look at those.

Oh, I said I had a discount for you didn't I.. well I haven't forgotten!  As we are celebrating the new releases you can have a bit of a present!  Use the code below and get 15% off any downloads you purchase from the Funky Hand website between now and Tuesday 12th November (midnight)

I hope you like the new releases and I will speak with you here again very soon,

Anice xx

 

New release peek..

Hi all,

Here I am again offering you my apologies for not posting on this blog often enough.  I only have the excuse that I have been working away on new digital backing paper and stamp releases.  November is my birthday month and I've decided to make it a big release month.  We are starting this weekend and here is a little peek at what will be available on my website www.funkyhand.com .

I'm really pleased to be able to introduce you to my first 'cute' girl digital stamp character Georgie.  I've been very naughty showing you this little peek as this is a card I made for Creative Cardmaking with Your PC magazine. (oops!)  It wont be for sale until December so I'd best not show you any more or I'll have my hand slapped!

I just wanted to give you a little look..and for you to get the feel for the new backing paper collection also being released on Saturday.  Little Princess.  This collection fits perfectly with Georgie as she has turned out to be a bit of a 'Princess' already hehe! It is pinks, greens and creams with cup cakes and crowns.  Along with the usual spots and stripes.

 I'll be back at the weekend to tell you more about the new releases and show you what I have been making with them.

As I've already said November is going to be a big release month for Funky Hand so, look out for more digital stamps and paper packs over the next few weeks.  Oooh  how exciting!!

Speak again very soon,
Anice xx