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 :)