Thursday 22 December 2011

A Freebie "To Do" list for you!

Good Afternoon Bloggers!

It's that time of year {well for me anyway} when I start to think about getting ultra organised. Doesn't last much further than the beginning of February really, but the thought is there! So I decided to get me a-designing a 'to do' list to write down all those most important of jobs that absolutely must not be forgotten. I always find I get on much better with a little list of jobs and LOVE crossing them off when they're complete.

Made with my wonderful Serif CraftArtist Studio Professional Software, and the gorgeous American Crafts Blue Skies Digi kit, I thought I would share this little list with YOU! Seems a pity to be selfish and just hold onto it myself. I would love if you do decide to take it, that you could share the love and leave a comment, and maybe even share with others on your blog that the download is here!

All you need to do is click on the photograph to enlarge, then right click to save image.


Enjoy!



Friday 16 December 2011

It's all gone Looney Tunes!

Now for the largest pack of the bunch! *WARNING* this post is photo heavy!

The Looney Tunes hours were so much fun to do - I felt like I was actually IN a cartoon when we were on set!  It never failed to make me smile. I hope if you managed to catch one of the hours you enjoyed it too.

So, here are all (apart from the ones we gave away of course!) the cards I made for the show.


What a sweet Tweety Pie! Do you think he's a he or a she? I think he's a he, so I'll say he's handsome.


One of my Fave Characters - Granny with Poor old Sylvester - always got the raw end of the stick!


Another Fave of mine - Taz! Dan (Magic Hands) was soooo good at doing an impression of him!

Sylvester - Great use for Glossy accents on that big nose! Can't really see it though.

The luckiest Road Runner in the World! Barbara Gray told us all about Road Runners - the National Bird of New Mexico. A thick as two short planks apparently and on a death wish every day!




Marvin the Martian. I think he did have a voice - if I recall it was a little like John Major!


The leader of the Pack - Bugs Bunny!


Down but never out!


Love Yosamite Sam!


Wile E. Coyote looking particularly fierce - Apparently the letter E stands for Ethelbert!


Christmas Fun!


I say, I say, I say...Foghorn Leghorn!


Another with Bugs


Pepe Le Phew - Nigel May's Favourite!


Well, as Porky Pig would say...Th..Th..Th..That's all folks!


A little bit of Sir Tim

And now for something for completely different...

I LOVED doing the Tim Holtz hours on Create and Craft. You know, not just liked - LOVED. The way I love Vanilla slices and such (please, don't get confuddled - the ones with custard, not cream). I loved being able to play with techniques, inks, embellishments and getting properly messy - the kind of messy which meant that the ink on my fingers wouldn't wash off for days. Yum!


After saying all that - I don't think the making of this card involved any inking whatsoever, but you can't have everything! It did involve stitching though, as you can see, and thoroughly enjoyable it was too! The stickers are from the Crowded Attic collection, and the papers are from the Vintage Shabby paper pack.


This card was made using a circle card blank {no...really?} distressed with ink, I think probably Old Linen and Walnut Stain {although I can't be sure - it was some time back} The resist kraft cardstock was coloured with Fired Brick distress stain, and the glassine paper was used to make the flower and the small circular background. I also applied mica powder to the flower for extra distressed blinginess! The ribbon is just to die for!


This card uses the glass look flat backed gems coloured with alcohol inks, with added pearl adornments. I've also made an alcohol background, and used tissue tape (love tissue tape!!!) to add interest to the background. The letters are from the Newsprint selection from Tim Holtz. Papers again are Vintage Shabby.

Hope you like! Thanks for visiting!



And now for some more...!

I told you I'd be back with more! And of course I would never let you down.

Here are the Polkadoodles cards I made with the Magical Winter CD rom, all for the Great Papercrafts Extravaganza in Harrogate all the way back in September....September! Where does the time go?!

Anyhoo, enjoy!








The final card features a page from an old book, which has been distressed further with walnut stain distress ink, then stamped with a butterfly stamp around the edge.

Hope you like! Thanks for stopping by!


Those Me to you Christmas Cards!

At last! At last I hear you call!

Eventually I got around to taking some photographs of my cards. The light is just pants at them moment for taking photographs, but I did my best, and I don't think they've turned out so badly. Could've been worse. well, you know.

So here they are. I did these when I joined Dawn for one of her shows on a Tuesday way back when. There are only three of them, I couldn't find any more, but the one with the kraft card base is the one that Sarpreet wanted to see. Enjoy!




I will be posting more cards tonight, from Looney Tunes, Spellbinder, Polkadoodles and Tim Holtz. More cards than you can shake a stick at!


Friday 9 December 2011

What kind of Tutorials would you like?

I couldn't make this into a poll, because I want you to tell me what you would like to see covered in tutorials. Do you want to see the basics, or certain techniques, cards being made from scratch, etc etc. I want to give you what you want, so please let me know here, and leave a comment.

I'm also going to start doing a craft club again in my local area, in Barton Upon Humber, sometime in the new year. If you are interested in coming along, please let me know your details and I will let you know when it goes ahead.

I'm also going to do full day craft workshops in the same area, so if you are also interested in this, please let me know. You can do so by either leaving a comment on click on the contact me button to the right of my blog.

Thanks so much for your help with all this! xx


Thursday 8 December 2011

I Know, I Know...

... I really am rubbish at keeping up with this!

Although I'm not on Create and Craft currently, there is always lots to do, especially at this time of year! I've managed to get all my Christmas Presents (I think a record for me!), but I am yet to wrap them. and I say this quietly - almost at a whisper...I haven't made my Christmas Cards yet...I know, I had all good intentions, making one a week, etc etc, but it just never seems to happen. Maye it will be like last year and we will just miss the last post for Christmas, or maybe I will get around to making at least some. We'll see - but do you know what there are worse things that happen!

The other thing(S) I haven't done are post the pictures from the Tim Holtz, and Looney tunes hours, and also a couple of cards from my hours with Dawn, which I have been asked to put on here. Rest assured Sarpreet - I promise I will do that, but the lighting is so bad at the moment it's really hard to get any good photographs! I'm hoping to invest in some proper lighting kit for when the natural light is low - or non-existent!

I also have some exciting things happening in the New Year, and with that in mind I ask for your help in answering a few polls which will help me immensely.  I'm really hoping to expand things in the new year, so if you have any ideas, suggestions or things you would like to see, I'd love to hear from you!

So with the fact that I haven't posted any cards for ages, here are three that I did using the Polkadoodles Magical Winter CD Roms. I hope you like them!

Well, as Porky Pig says, That's all folks. I promise I'll be back soon!


Monday 21 November 2011

The Serif CraftArtist Professional Give Away Winner is...

Hi there!,

Well I'm back from another busy week at Create and Craft! I have one more show tomorrow morning at 10am, then I can start planning for Christmas and some new exciting things I'm planning for the New Year!

It's time to announce the winner of the Serif CraftArtist Professional graphics program. Drum roll please....

The random number generator picked out the number...



The winner is....

Congratulations Jenny! Please leave your address for my by using the contact me button to the right of my blog. To get you started there are free digikits available here. For those of you that didn't win, thanks so much for entering.

Don't forget that you can download a sample trail of CraftArtist from Daisytrail, available here, and then download free digikits too!

I've also designed a patterned paper that you can download and use for free! here it is - hope you like it. Just double click to enlarge then save. Please leave a comment if you take it, and I'd love to see what you do with it!




Monday 7 November 2011

Serif Craftartist Professional Giveaway!

Hi there!

Sorry for my absense for such a long time.

I hope you managed to watch some of the hours I've just finished on Create and Craft this past week. I was presenting the Pick of the Week, which was a wonderful collection of Eras Digikits, designed by the geniuses at Serif! They sure do know their stuff when it comes to digikits and crafting programs for crafters!

I had a wonderful time learning how to use Craftartist, then making projects and demonstrating them. It really got me into scrapbooking, and I absolutely loved every minute of it. It will definitely not be the last time I use it, in fact,  I bought some additional kits over the weekend and started making another scrapbook album! It's so addictive!



If you didn't see, or weren't lucky enough to be able to get the Craftartist Professional software last week, Serif have very kindly said I can give this fantastic CDrom away to one lucky, randomly chosen commentor! How kind is that. Please note, this does not contain any digikits, (see it like this is your tools - craft knife, scissors, guillotine etc) but you can download digikits either for FREE (yes, free!) or purchase others for a nominal amount over at www.daisytrail.com.

Here are just a few of the projects I made using the software and the Eras Digikits...






So if you would like to win this giveaway, please leave a comment below. I will draw a winner on 21st November 2011 (that's two weeks, as I'm away again at Create and Craft and probably won't get time to post a winner!). Unfortunately only entrants from the UK, and Eire will be accepted due to postage costs.



Wednesday 5 October 2011

Our New Addition and another card!

Hi Again!

Today I wanted to take the opportunity to formally introduce you to the newest member of the Curd Family.


His name is Darren and we've had him for four weeks now. To say that he has been a racing Greyhound for all of his life {a Champion, no less!} he has settled into family life so very well. He is gentle, loving, sometimes playful but usually very lazy! He has the most softest fur especially around his neck and head, and I like nothing better than snuggling up to him for a love. He definitely has a calming influence!

He's four years old now, and ran his last race on the 18th June this year. His registered racing name was Rosewood Mike , and he was a champion in the very first race he ran and won three additional races, a fact I'm very proud of. He's quite large, even for a greyhound, and boy when he sees a cat, don't I know it!

I absolutely love him to death and now, I can't imagine life without him. Joseph is besotted with him too, and Darren is very patient with him.

I also have a card to share. Well, it would be rude not to!

Again it was made with one of the spellbinder border dies, and a Cuttlebug embossing folder, which was inked with white ink before going through my bog shot. The red grid paper is an old Doodlebug design from my stash, embellished with We R Memory Keepers rub ons.

Once I'd cut and embossed the edgeabilities die, I pricked the holes around the swirl and star, and sanded the cardstock to reveal the coloured core. I added mote definition with a white gel pen. One of my all time fave techniques! I hope you like it!

Just a cheeky reminder, I will be on Create & Craft tonight at 7pm with another hour of Tim Holtz!

Well, that's all folks! See you soon! x