Friday 24 September 2010

My fabulous new siggy & links to FREEBIES!!

This is one of two cards I recently made using the designs of Dani Mogstad. I simply wanted to make feel-good cards to make someone smile. I think it worked :)

You can find the full card details here, but the little girl image is one I found at Clipart and Scrap - she is one of a set, and is 'dressed' by layering papers from Dani's kit and using Photoshop to make them fit, plus a little chalk to finish her face and hair once she had been printed and cut out.

On a side note, Dani recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and is taking time to enjoy her with the rest of her family. Lovely, happy news :)

Yesterday, I made my first post on SuzyQ Scraps blog. I'd love to know what you thought of it! I was showcasing one kit, Pumpkin Patch, which from the name alone has a distinctive Autumnal/ Fall flavour. I was trying to demonstrate that it can be used for so much more than the obvious theme. I think it worked - but I would be interested in your opinions! The post included this pretty, purple presentation idea:

If you like it, you are very welcome to download the freebie file, for both the pillow box and tag, directly from Suzy's blog, here!

I'm hoping to do this sort of thing again with more kits in the future - I'm signed up for the January hybrid post on Suzy's blog and have a 'lets get organised' theme (appropriate for the New Year!) rattling about in my head, but want to do it with a not-so-obvious choice of kit.

Well, that's my current plan.

Maybe.

....truthfully, I am totally subject to my whims & fancies, and regularly start cards and projects with one idea and finish with something completely different! I'd love to think of it as my 'artistic nature', but its probably a lot more accurate to say I am easily distracted by pretty, shiny new things :) I'm 6 at heart.

On to other news now: In my blog post for the Sweet Shoppe this month, I also had a little giveaway - this time card templates for you to play with! They are definitely meant as starting point templates - aimed at those of you who insist that they can't make cards! Honestly - if you can make layouts, I promise you can make cards too! Have a look at my post here, grab the templates and see for yourself :) These are a couple of examples I made using the templates:



You can find full credits for both cards in my gallery at Sweet Shoppe Designs, and yes the cute owl is sat on a hand stitched 'branch' - I really must learn how to use my sewing machine! ...though I actually prefer the rough 'n ready look of handstitching here.

Now, take a look at this:

I am very proud of this little tree, my family {apple} tree, as I called it in my galleries. It was made for the current issue of The Fix from Digiscrap Addicts to showcase a sweet kit by Pixel Perfect Designs. I used a template by Heather Roselli for the tree itself, and then added the apple frames as you see. It was a little fiddly to make, simply because of the reduced scale - and if I do it again I would print the photo frames onto photo quality paper as I think it would have a better finish.

I'm rather hoping Heather makes a similar Christmas Tree template - but if she doesn't I may try to adapt this one :)

Finally - just look at my FABULOUS new signature!!! I am so in love with it, and just had to show it off here! I 'bought' my
siggy candy (as its known) from Fizzy Pop Designs over at 9th & Bloom - I definitely recommend a peek!

...and actually, thanks to Lizzy of Fizzy Pop fame, I've started looking at
this site for colour ideas recently. Its just a nice site to browse around for pattern & coordination ideas if you've 5 minutes and cup of coffee!

Wishing you sunshine and fewer September showers :)

Sunday 12 September 2010

A cute zebra and a bucket

Hi! How were your Summer Holidays? Mine were not exactly relaxing, but I have to say its nice to get back into the old school routine again.
Incidentally, I'm hoping that my Mum will brave the internet and start popping by to read this blog (Hi Mum!!!) - firstly 'cos its good practice on browsing the internet (!), and secondly I'm hoping that knowing she will be looking, I will start posting regularly! Honestly, who wants to be told off by their Mum?

She's just beginning to get the hang of using a mouse, and needs ideas of things to go and look at - after all, it is rather a large digital world - so I may start posting interesting things to peek at, like that lovely esty shop I previously found.

I hope you like the first card above - I couldn't resist treating myself to a kit or two from Kasia Designs, who's just relocated her store. Her style was always clean and uncluttered, but she's refined her work even more and I just love it. I used The Bucket List to make my card.

Isn't this little chap a cutie? I've just added this card to my galleries - so its nice to show it off here too! The original digital image is what is referred to as a digital stamp. It started out as a black outline in SuzyQ's signature oopsie doodle style, to which I added colour by layering digital papers and cutting them to size with Photoshop. I like doing this - its time consuming, but oddly very satisfying!

I have had a really wonderful response to these babygrows which I decorated using Ju Kneipp's I {heart} Animals kit - the photo is even going to be featured in the Hybrid Standouts feature in Digishop Talk's October magazine. How wonderful is that!?!?!
In case you were wondering: the crocodile is (naturally) saying snap, snap, snap, whilst the fish is blowing love heart-shaped bubbles - so I added 'love bubbles' below, Finally the monkey is singing 'oh oobie doo' from the song from the Jungle Book movie.

I made them by using iron-on transfer paper from my local supermarket. Its a really special way to personalise clothes for children, or even a tote bag for yourself....:

This was made for the Digiscrap Addicts magazine in July, using a really beautiful kit by Veronica Spriggs.

I have literally just finished photographing this last card, which I made especially for the husband of a friend, who (you've guessed it!) is turning 40 today and is apparently not too happy about it.... although he is enjoying the opportunity to indulge in a bit of a mid-life crisis ;)

It's made using Over the Edge by Lauren Grier & Eva Kipler, and completed by layering the funny little doodle man and a funereal black ribbon! The font is called A Truer Blue , another freely available one from the very generous Kevin&Amanda.com - and is just perfect for this card.
'til next time....
Sara
x

PS Full details for my cards etc can be found by clicking the links below: