Creative Stamping - Card Four (last but not least!)

Hello to you all.  I hope you have been enjoying getting a look at the cards that I made for a piece in the latest issue of Creative Stamping.  This is the last card that I made so you can all sigh with relief that it's over. Until one of the other two mags Funky Hand are included in this month is released hehe!

OK, so this is the final card..

The backing papers on this card are from my craft CD Dreams Come True and the digital stamp is one of my latest releases Doodlewords - Happy Birthday.  When I created this card and sent it into the magazine for them to photograph.I hadn't even released this digital stamp so I took a big chance incase all the stamps in the collection weren't finished and available on the website.  Thankfully they were and you will find everything you need to create a card like this on www.funkyhand.com

I thought I would leave you with a close up of the Happy Birthday stamp.  I'm really pleased with all the Doodlewords digital stamps, and there will be more soon. They are so simple to colour for beginners, like me, and offer lots of options for blending and shading for more experienced colourers.

OK, that's it for me today until the next time we speak enjoy your crafting and take care.
Anice xx

Creative Stamping - Card Three

Hello and here I am again with a card that I made for inclusion in the latest issue of Creative Stamping Magazine.  Don't worry I only made four cards so there will be only one more post about this! 

I wont mess about today, here is the third card that I created..

This card is one of my favourite cards that I have made in a while.  The backing papers are from the Funky Hand download Steam Funk.  The digital stamp is Flower Cake. I had fun making this, I love the colour red so using a red base card was a great way to start the red theme on this card.

So, another short blog post to share a card with you from this magazine, just one more left to go. Speak again very soon.
Anice xx

Creative Stamping - Card Two..

Here I am again to share another card that I created for this months Creative Stamping Magazine.  The magazine is available now, it has loads of great stuff in it, not just Funky Hand. There's colouring techniques from Sandra Wright of the House of Zandra, she's a really lovely lady and a very talented designer. I met her and we had a nice chat at a local craft show up here in Newcastle last year.

Anyway, less of my musings about people I have met! Lets see the next card I made...

This card has some handmade flowers on that if you know anything about me, was a big deal in itself!  I don't do much in the way of handmade embelishments.  I have alot of trouble making them because of my right hand being a bit funny and also I'm pretty lazy!! So, just stop and look at the picture and be amazed..it will be a while before you see anything like this again on one of my cards!

The backing papers on this card are from a Funky Hand CD ROM Colour Me Happy. The digital stamp is from the Where The Faeries Live set , it's No.1 Tree Stump Lane.  The CD and the digital stamp are available on my website www.funkyhand.com

OK, that's it for today. Speak to you again with another card soon.
Anice xx

Creative Stamping Mag - Card One!

It's always really nice to be approached by a craft magazine to use your products and create some inspiration cards for them. This month sees Funky Hand in three different magazines!  Of course I wont show you the cards until the mag has been released. So, over the next few posts I will show you the cards I created for Creative Stamping that was launched last weekend.  I'm not going to go into loads of detail about how I made them..that's in the magazine.  I just want to show them to you.

OK first up a sort of gift card, if the person your sending it to likes tea of course...

This card was created using a backing paper from one of my older download collections Minty Madness.  It's always been a favourite of mine.  The digital stamp is one of the I'm A Mug For You collections     You're My Cup Of Tea.  You'll find both of those downloads on the Funky Hand Website www.funkyhand.com

The tea bag is from my Earl Grey collection so you will not be able to download that..you'll need to get that from the supermarket!

Well, that the first of the magazine cards.  I'll be back soon with another one!
Anice xx 

This card is really easy, quick and fun to make.

Fathers Day. Same card two different looks.

It's Fathers Day so best wishes to all the Dads out there.  I made my cards a bit late I'm ashamed to say.  So, my Dad will see his card here before he actually receives it.  Sorry Dad.

I thought I would make the same basic card for both my Dad and Ian's Dad but use different papers and colour the digital stamp to match those colours.  It's actually really surprising how different they look.

First up is Ian's Dads card.  I used the newly released Thank You Doodlewords digital stamp and papers from my craft CD Wishes and Kisses, In Sympathy collection

Sorry about the rather poor images, the light was pretty bad here yesterday. But you'll get the idea!  I matched the colours that I used to colour the digital stamp to the spotty backing paper.

I used Letraset Promarkers to colour the image. Here are the colours I used, Morning Mist, Slate, Caramel, Black & March Hare to outline the whole image.  The Doodlewords digital stamps are really easy to colour so great if you need something quickly or are a beginner with colouring.

When I made the other card I followed the general design of the first card and used the same Thank You digital stamp but this time used backing papers from my craft CD Colour Me Happy, Pleased to see Ya Collection.

Once again I used the spotty paper to match the colours as closely as possible when colouring the digital stamp.

The Promarkers I used this time were, Satin, Green Shoot, Budding Rose, Plum Preserve and Fresh Meadow to outline the image.

So, if you need to make more than one card for the same occasion and you have left it pretty late like I did! Using the same basic design but changing the backing papers can make two or more pretty different cards.

Funky Hand is flooding craft magazines this month with three different collections of cards in three different  magazines.  I'll be back to show you some of the cards that are in the magazines once they are in the shops.

So, I'll speak to you again very soon.
Anice xx

Spring Wedding Scrap Page

When I was working on the new Wedding Downloads that I have just released I decided that I could make up a simple digital scrap page with a picture from my friends Andy and Vics wedding from last Summer.

I actually used the Spring Wedding Collection as that had colours that matched the image better.  The photograph was coloured but I decided I wanted it black and white and then to pick out the colour of Vics hair and bouquet in the picture.

See what you think..

It's a very simple digital scrap page but I wanted to show off the Spring Wedding backing papers and the Alphabet that matches.  You can purchase then from my website www.funkyhand.com now.  You can download the backing papers and the alphabets (png files) separately or get them in a combined collection for a good price. You should take a look at the galleries of cards for all the new Wedding collections, my Design Team girls have made some amazing cards.

Anyway, I had best get back to work.  If you can believe it I've started on Christmas products. It's early I know and it's pretty hard to be inspired when the weather has been so good but loads of crafters start really early with their Christmas cards I need to have some downloads and digital stamps available to tempt them! 

I have to admit to being a last minute Christmas card maker.  When do you get started?  I'd love to hear what you have planned for Christmas cards or have you already got them started or even finished?!

Speak soon
Anice xx

New digital stamp -Happy Birthday

Well, what excuse do I have for not posting here for over a month?  I've been working on new Wedding themed paper and alphabet downloads and some new digital stamps.  Is that a good enough excuse?  I don't think so really but it's the only one I have!

Anyway less of my excuses and lets move onto the card I made for Ians Dads birthday recently...

I was quite pleased with this card for a man.  The base card is black so I didn't need to have to think about having a lower layer of paper.  The squares of patterned paper are from the Funky Hand CD Colour Me Happy, the Jovial Man collection.  Then I topped it with one of my new digital stamps Doodlewords.  This one is of course called Happy Birthday!

Here's a closer look..

These digital stamps are perfect for matching the colours of the backing papers that you choose for your card.  That's what I did and it worked great.  I am not a wonderfully experienced colourer, I'm still practising and learning so I thought about other people like me when designing this collection of stamps.  They are really easy to colour in and they are fun and funky toppers.  There are more than just a Happy Birthday digital stamp, there is also: New Home, Hello, Mr & Mrs, You're Having A Baby & Thank You.  You can find them all on the Funky Hand website.As usual there are some fantastic samples from my Design Team members so you can get some inspiration for what you can use them for. Take a look at all the galleries. There will be somemore Doodleword digital stamps pretty soon, I'm looking at them on my desk at this moment!

I've also been working on a couple of magazine spreads.  I can't show them to you yet as the magazines are not released for sale until later in the month.  But keep your eyes out for Creative Card Making, Creative Stamping and Complete Cardmaking with your PC. Lou from my Design Team created the cards for the last magazine and there are some great freebies on the CD ROM that comes free with that magazine. Perfect for all you digital crafters.
 
I'll be back later in the month to show you those card images, hopefully I'll be back to talk to you before then though!OK enough from me, get back to whatever you need to be up to. I hope it's bit of crafting.

Speak again very soon.
Anice xx

A birthday card for our little princess

Hello, I know you probably can't believe it, Anice has blogged more than once in a week!  But I am really trying to stay on top of my posts..how many times have I said that before? Too many to remember, but you can't blame a lass for trying!

Today's card I made for Steffi, Ians niece and both of our God Daughter. She is a real little princess who loves pink, and plenty of bling!  I went for the pink..but I don't think I added enough bling..see what you think..

The backing papers on the card are from the Funky Hand Colour Me Happy CD ROM  (Blissful Baby collection) The Cupcake image is from the Happy Happy Birthday CD.  I use just two of the papers from the collection but by reducing the size of the pink polka dot paper in the Papercraft Factory workspace I was able to make the pink spots much smaller that the green green ones though in the collection they are the same size. 

I layered up the cupcake image using the green paper and more white card.  I decided to rough up the green paper and used a file to distress it a little.  Here's a closer look..

I also added some shiny colours to the image using Promarker Metallic Markers.  I love these markers. In the centre I added just one Card Candi to reflect the green layered outside the image. You will see that I added three more Card Candi at the top of the finished card, they are all from the Cotton Candy collection.

I wanted to add some simple bunting to the corner of the card as I really like that look from other handmade cards I have seen all over the web recently.

Making the bunting was very easy.  I cut four squares out of the green polka dot backing paper and then cut a 'V' into each of them making the bunting shape. I wasn't to worried about them being perfect but you could take more time if you wanted completely square bunting. When I had cut them, I found just using them as they were meant they seemed to just disappear into the background of the card. So, I decided to add some simple doodling, drawing around the edge of two of them and then drawing around the dots on the other two.  It's amazing how doing such a simple thing can make the same paper look completely different. I attached them to the card using Collall PVA Glue only at the top of the bunting and when they were dry I folded them a little to give the impression of a little movement.

I was quite pleased with the results.  I think Steffi liked her card so that's the important thing.

Speak again very soon.
Anice xx 

CAS birthday card for my brother

March is always a big month for birthdays in my family, that's my excuse for not showing you the card I made for my brother before now..the middle of April!

Gary, my brother, isn't really bothered about handmade cards. Unless he needs a card then he is very happy to go through my Moms collection of cards she has made rather than go and buy one!

Anyway, I have to admit I made this card at lightening speed and kept it very simple, and flat, so it wouldn't get damaged or cost me a fortune to post!  That's Sisterly love for you..ha ha!

Right less chat, here is the card..

The base card is black, I can't remember which company I got it from but, they are perfect for male cards I have found. I mixed up a few papers and an image from different Funky Hand Papercraft CD ROMS. The backing papers are from Colour Me Happy (Jovial Man Collection) and the Balloon image, I used the pre coloured version of for speed, and the 'Happy Birthday' banner are from Happy Happy Birthday.

I doodled some black lines around each of the backing papers before I layered them on top of each other, then added the image on top of them.  I inked around each of the layers with a dried up black ink pad to give them a little definition.  As the base card was black I found that I didn't need to do any more to it.  I suppose I could have added some card candi or a button or two but..Gary wouldn't have noticed them and I didn't want to waste my stash!!  Awful to admit I know!!

So, there is the card for my brothers birthday this year.  I like to think of it as clean and simple, rather than the fastest card in the west (or North East!)

Right I'm off to get back to designing my next download collections.  Anyone ready for some Wedding papers? I hope so as that's what I am working on!

Speak again very soon.
Anice xx

..and the winners are..

It might be a little later than I promised, I'm afraid I've been a little under the weather, but here are the winners of the Funky Hand Easter Egg Hunt held on the Funky Hand website www.funkyhand.com over the Easter Holiday weekend.

First up are the winners of the Easter Eggs: (Both of these young gentlemen have very kind Mums who asked me to award them the eggs)

Adam C

Jacob C

and the lucky winners of the £5.00 Funky Hand vouchers are:

Helen J

Jocelyn S

Sandra C

Trish V

Michela M

Congratulations to all the winners. Thank you very much to everyone who took the time to hunt down the Easter Eggs over the Easter weekend.  It turned out to be so much fun that we may well do something like it again.  Keep a look out !

Speak to you all very soon.

Anice xx