Free Digi Stamp!

I've had so many lovely comments about my Royal Wedding Digi Stamp Kit and Illustrations that as a 'Thank You' today I'm giving away a free Corgi Digi Stamp.

Just click here or on the image to download the little Corgi in Colour and Black & White (colour with your Promarkers or Pencils)

Also, there is still time to enter the Blog candy competition - great prizes from Letraset, Derwent, Kuretake, Crafty Ribbons and me! click here for all the details.

Sarah x

Blog Candy Reminder

I hope everyone enjoyed the Royal Wedding earlier today, I missed most of it but did see the most important bit of all - the balcony smooch(es!) sweet, didn't they look happy :o) And I saw some of the edited highlights on the news after - I'm sure we'll be seeing those for days and weeks on the news and in magazines! I have my 'Congratulations' card to do this weekend with my own Digi Downloads of course...

I just wanted to remind you all that the Blog Candy is still up for grabs, see here.

Have a lovely weekend!

Sarah x

Hybrid Crafting

One of my favourite things about CD crafting and Digi Stamp Kits is that there is always something to hand, you never run out! But of course, nothing compares ot the feel and smell of paper so I like to print out all my Digi bits, cut them out and keep them in a box for quick cards and projects - you can't fail to be inspired when you open a box full of hundreds of embellishments!!

Thats why working with GallimaufryUK's Digi Kits has been such a dream for me - not only has it given me the chance to experiment with and improve my digi scrapping but I love the elements that she designs, especially for my Hybrid projects. A lot of people are scared of Craft CD's and Digi Scrapbook kits but there is no need to be, you don't need to be digital-savvy to use them (if I can do it nayone can, LOL) and I print them all out and use on my cards and Layouts. Here are a couple of projects I've done recently, a Layout of Fuzzybutt, I love this pic of her, cute!

and even some cards!

You wouldn't think that corrugated card was printed would you?! A definite space saver for me as I used to have a giant box of corrugated card bits, now it takes up hardly any space.

Now I'm off to get ready, it's the day before the royal wedding so I'm off out on Kate's Hen Night (not officially of course, I don't think she frequents the bars of Essex...) but I will be enjoying a vodka or two nonetheless :o)

Sarah x

p.s. if you are looking for your free download click here and for the Blog Candy click here

Crime Scene Mini Book

So, I mentioned that I was working on a really fun mini book, now it's all done and ready to be filled with pictures and journaling so I thought I'd share! I recently got these fabby Crime Scene stamps from a Facebook friend:

and I've been DYING to use them! I had a tag / envelope book which I thought would be really fun to turn into a crime scene style 'Case Folder' like you see in those old detective films and programmes



So here is my step by step walkthrough...

The front  cover - I painted the chipboard with acrylic paints and embossed the stamping on the front

As you open it a mini Bulldog clip holds a chipboard file folder, inside is a mini manila card for observations held together with a Tim Holtz mini paperclip

 

The come the Mini Envelopes, each has been inked with Distress Inks using a blending tool...

 

 

 

The little card on the front of this one is an October Afternoon 'Wild Card' which I distressed

This one has a mini 'polaroid' attached to the front...

 This one ties with string at the back...

and contains a tag which has a mini bottle attached to it - I coloured this green with my Promarkers to make it look like it contains something icky!

This one also opens....

 

 

To reveal a tag with a 'blood stained' piece of evidence!

All of the envelopes have their own little tags which I will add my photo's and journaling to - now I just need to decide who my subject will be and their 'crime' I'm guessing Fuzzybutt will be the obvious choice - there is certainly enough photo's of her mischief to choose from!!

Thanks for looking!

Sarah x

p.s. if you are looking for your freebie download it's in the post below, and the Blog Candy is still open here!

Excited about the Royal Wedding??

Then I think you'll love the new release for today - Princess Wedding Digi Stamp Kit

The kit contains 6 digi stamps in colour and black and white (use your Promarkers or Pencils!) including the Prince & Princess, the Church and some Bunting (well, it wouldn't be a royal wedding without it!!) You can get your kit for the bargainous price of just £3.50 here!!
I also have a free download for you today, some printable Union Jack Bunting, in two colourways, print off nice and early to get ready for your Tea Party :o) Click here or on the picture to download!

Hope you like!

Sarah x


p.s. Also, don't forget my Craft Candy is still open (see the post below) and I'm still looking for some European crafters and illustrators (non-UK) so please leave or send me your links!!

Bank Holiday Blog Candy!

Right, I promised you a lovely giveaway today so here we go....

First up, for the followers of my Blog....


The prize is my ever popular CD's Woodland Whimsies 1&2, a set of Woodland Whimsies clear stamps and a set of Aquamarkers kindly donated by the lovely peeps at Letraset.

To win this prize you just need to be a follower of my blog! How easy is that? no comments, no challenge, just click follow :o)

Secondly, a prize for my Facebook peeps....

The prize is my ever popular CD's Woodland Whimsies 1&2, a Derwent Card making Kit (Butterflies) which includes cards, a design and some gorgeous metallic pencils, a selection of pens and some gorgeous pink brads from Kuretake and a selection of ribbons from Crafty Ribbons Thank you to Derwent, Kuretake and Crafty Ribbons for donating these prizes!

To win this prize you just need to be a follower of my Facebook Page! :o)

Of course if you follow both my blog and my Facebook page you have the chance to win both prizes!

This is open to UK and international entries. The winners will be drawn at random after the next Bank Holiday on 5th May.

Have a wonderful Bank Holiday!
Sarah x

Holidays!

It's nearly time.... 4 days off... I know you're probably counting down like I am, my xbox keeps winking at me, my pile of library books are calling me, my PJ's are ready and waiting - I won't be leaving the hosue the whole time I can tell you!! I did plan to have the whole time off but got a job in this morning that of course just can't wait so I will be working a bit (not complaining because it's a fabbo job!) and probably crafting too as I just can't stop (I have a ton of digi bits from GallimaufryUK printed out to finish off some hybrid LO's) but this is the most time off for ageeeees so I'm looking forward to it :o) I hope the sun is shining where you are (if you like that kind of thing, I'm not a fan myself being as I can sunburn through a brick wall!) and you have lots of fab things planned.

If you're short of a project then Crafty Ribbons have a children's apron project made from a teatowel up on their blog here, just try not to get distracted by all the fabby goodies, LOL

Also, I'm looking for some European crafters for a little something, if you are in Europe (not UK, sorry!) please leave me your blog link so I can have a nosy - thank you / merci / danke schon / gracias etc... :o)

If you pop back tomorrow I have a little Blog candy going up - don't miss it!

Sarah x

Illustration with Derwent

Another illustration today! This one you may recognise as I showed you a teeny tiny preview of it a few weeks ago and some of you made some brilliant guesses as to what it could be :o)

This was done using Inktense and coloursoft Pencils from Derwent. I loved using the Inktense pencils to create the water and the jellyfish, it's such a rich colour and it's permanent once dry so I could use the coloursofts over the top to shade and blend. I can't wait for my next project using these two sets together again!

Also, you have to pop over the the Derwent Facebook page today, you can see their fantastic Magestic Box set being packed - I do love a sneaky peek!

Sarah x

Inky Fun

So today I promised you some crafty stuff and I have kept my promise! I spent the night (and early hours of the morning!) in my studio yesterday playing with some new stamps I got from one of my Facebook friends. This little set is so versatile, I love it! I love to see how many different uses you can get from one set of things or how you can do basically the same thing but make it look completely different by giving it a little twist, so here goes!

Firstly, in colour, using my Promarkers to colour in the elements....

Then in Monotone, again using Promarkers, I used the Warm Grey set for this one...


For this one I over stamped using the fading ink colour to create the impression of shadowy trees, you need a really juicy ink pad for this effect as some will go patchy or run out completely and ruin your card (I managed 3 impressions here!) For this kind of stamp where you have a very solid area I prefer that too, I find my own brand of ink pads work the best for this, I used the chocolate brown for the colour card and the black in the monotone card, here you can see I've stamped the same stamp with some of my favourite ink pads for comparison:

I've even left my messy smudges in so you can see I haven't messed with it! The Memento is what I used to use for everything, but you can see my ones are even darker than that! they make such a lovely clear impression - love!

I also done some fun experiments with my Kuretake alcohol inks which I will blog in the next day or two, once again my manicure is ruined but it was SO worth it, they really are fun!

Thank you to everyone for your lovely messages yesterday, I'm feeling much brighter :o)

Sarah x

Illustrating with Promarkers

This weekend I locked myself away and spoke to noone, a big bout of the Blues had hit and I'm best on my own when that happens! So apologies for my lack of tweets, emails etc... thank you to those that sent messages, normal service is now resumed :o)

Another illustration from me today, this time with Promarkers! This is an Alice in Wonderland picture that I done for the Book Fairs.

You can see the rest of the illustrations shown at the Book Fairs on my Facebook Page.

I'll endeavour to post something crafty tomorrow as I've mostly been posting illustrations the last few days!

Sarah x

Some more Illustrations

As promised here are a few more other illustrations from the Bologna and London Book Fairs.... :o)

Noah's Ark (Digital)

Happy Bug (Digital)

Froggy (Collage)

I'll be showing some over the next couple of days, including those done with Promarkers and Derwent pencils, or for a sneaky look you can pop over to my Facebook page where I've uploaded them!

I'm looking forward to a crafty weekend now, lots of projects to be getting on with...

Have lovely weekends!

Sarah x

Fairytale Illustration

I mentioned the other day that I can now start showing some of the illustrations I have been working on for the Bologna and London Book Fairs, I will be updating my portfolio with everything over the next few days and will blog as I go, there are some handdrawn, (some with Promarkers and Derwent Pencils) some digital and some mixed media collage. Here is the first piece I can show, Snow White & the Seven Dwarves....

More tomorrow!

Sarah x

Making Cards Magazine

Today the new issue (May) of Making Cards magazine was released featuring 2 collections of papers designed by me! :o) as well as lots of cards for you to make from them (you can spot two of them on the left of the cover) as well as lots of other lovely things of course! I hope you will pick up a copy and make some fab projects with them, please share on my Facebook page if you do, I'd love to see them!

I'm still recovering from my big day yesterday but today I started work on some designs for a new project - no rest for the wicked!

Sarah x

London Baybeeeee!

Today was another day in London for me and what a lovely day it was, the sun was shining (but not too hot) and everyone seemed to be in a good mood, me included!!

I started off in Islington, which is lovely - much better than my last visit about 10 years ago!! There are some nice shops and at one point there is a bookshop, CyberCandy and Starbucks all next to each other - it's like it was made for me!!! Me and B have planned a little day out these when I go to another show there in a few weeks time - I can't wait!! Now just have to decide which of the lovely little places and pubs we will have lunch in!

Anywaaaaay! the point of that was my visit to the UK Stationery Show which was held at the Business Design Centre. It was a lovely show, quite small but very buzzy and seemed to be lots happening! I met some nice people, good potential things and I look forward to seeing how it develops at the next one :o) Unfortunately I only got this one pic as I got distracted by all the pretty notebooks and things once I got inside - Booootiful!

Then I was off to the London Book Fair, I was soooo nervous as it was my first time and I knew it was a big show (though I didnt realise quite how big!) My work was being shown there as well after returning from the Bologna Book Fair and I was meeting with the agent who was representing me in person for the first time for an update and a chat as well as having a scout around the publishers to see who I'd like to work for (they are all my new best friends and I'll be ringing them every ten minutes til they give me some work :o) s'joke, honest!)

Now my work has been shown and pawed over (and admired, hopefully!) I'm now free to show off all of those pieces I was working on - yay! So look out for those over the coming days.

Now I'm back to my sunny corner of Essex, my feet are broked, I'm dehydrated from all the talking and laughing with lovely peeps and my arms hurt from hauling back a TON of publishers catalogues. I kinda wish I could go again tomorrow but instead I'll be drawing, e-mailing, planning and looking forward to the next one :o)

More exciting things tomorrow!!

Sarah x

Inappropriate Scrapping??

So Saturday was the hottest day of the year (so far presumably...) and what was I doing? sunbathing? enjoying an ice lolly? putting aftersun on my sunburnt shoulders? Nope, naturally I had an overwhelming urge to dig out all of my christmassy snowy scrapbooking stuff and start work on a snowy LO - absolute madness!!

So while you were all no doubt basking in the sun, I made this....

The papers are from Cosmo Cricket, the stickers are from October Afternoon and the Seam binding ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons. The picture is of the view from my window by my desk on one of the snow days last year.

I am a bit of a winter fan so maybe all the sun got to me and I had to be reminded of the colder weather!!

Today was the start of the London Book Fair and my work is there - wahooooo! I'm off to visit both the Book Fair and the UK Stationery show tomorrow - so a busy but exciting day in London! I'll make sure to try and get some pics and blog all about it tomorrow :o)

Sarah x

Exhausted!

Today is a quick and early blog post for me! I think this weeks events have well and truly taken it out of me and I feel like a rag doll!!

This morning I managed a quick trip to the library to research some suggestions Lyn made to me yesterday and then came back with a giant pile of books to catch up on some more emails and phone calls. I have lots and lots of design work to catch up on over the weekend and I must get my strength back for next week when I'm visiting the London Book Fair and the UK Stationery Show - very excited!

I think Fuzzybutt has the right idea, don't you?....

I hope you all have lovely weekends!

Sarah x

A Day in London

Today was another day in London for me - I seem to spending more and more time there! Today I met with Lyn Stone, a fellow illustrator, we went to Starbucks (my second of the week, heaven!) to have a chinwag and catch up on book fair gossip and illustration projects. Lyn has been doing this for longer than me so it was lovely of her to share her wisdom with me and answer my many many questions! We have such different styles that there is no fear of competition so we can be free to talk about all our projects, so nice as I often have to keep everything a secret for months!

Central London was so nice and warm today, although the tube was hotter than the sun!!! London is lovely but so busy and crowded - it's lovely to get back to my quiet corner of Essex :o)

Tomorrow I'm going to the library to have a look at a few things Lyn suggested to me and then I have SO much stuff to catch up on, what with only having 2 proper work days this week and I only have 3 next week as I have 2 days in London again!

Sarah x

My Little Break...

So this week I spent 2 days with my family up north in Durham - yay!

I got there very late Sunday night / Monday morning, intending to give my mum her mothers day card and a quick hug and go straight to bed, of course that wasn't quite how it went and we were still awake at 8am Monday morning with no sleep and a full day planned!! We sneaked a little nap while everyone got ready and fed the animals (quite a feat at my parents house, dogs, rabbits, birds, chickens, ducks... you name it they've got it!) then we all jumped in the car (quite literally in my case as my dad has a Land Rover and I'm only 5ft tall!) We went off to Newcastle to look at in an art shop recommended to me by my Twitter friend Jax - thanks Jax, we loved it! My mum and dad bought me some lovely new Moleskine Journals - they have my two favourite things, Kraft covers and Squared paper - journal heaven!!!!!!!!

Then we went off to the comic shop where I did my absolute best to resist the temptation of beautifully illustrated graphic novels and all of the fabulous Zombie books and merchandise as well as they lovely art books - it was a tough thing to do!!

My dad had heard about Chinatown and wanted to go and take some pictures, here is the entrance to Chinatown - this man asked us to take his picture so we all did, then we took one on his camera for him - bwahahahaha ;o)

Chinatown was nice but mostly full of food places, made my tummy rumble with all the lovely smells - Chinese food is my absolute favourite! All of the buildings had these lovely lanterns outside

Here are my little squishies with one of the lions...

I say 'little' but Harley (in black) is now taller than me and Xena (in pink) is only a few inches shorter than me and will be towering over me in no time *sigh*

On the way back into town I spotted this darling little restaurant, how pretty is that sign??

We will have to try it on our next visit!

This man was outside Starbucks..... shame about all the scaffolding behind him!

And finally, this little wooden sculpture outside Newcastle station....

On the way home we of course had to stop off at Hobbycraft, I was very good though, only one small bag of stuff ;o)

Back to work today catching up on millions of emails and Fuzzybutt and OH were very pleased to have me home after much sulking(from Fuzzybutt not OH ;o) )

Sarah x

Art Journaling with Kuretake

I showed some pictures a few weeks ago of me getting messy and completely ruining my nails (so worth it!) with Kuretake Alcohol Inks - I just love them and have lots more projects planned with them.

One of the projects I made from this process.....

Was this Art Journaling panel....

I used 3 colours of alcohol ink to make the background, using thinner on a kitchen towel to lift the colour to make the lighter circles. The stars are made from Gesso'ed canvas on a roll, again coloured with alcohol ink and stamped using Staz-On. The girl is my Doodle Dolls stamp stamped onto coated Kraft wrapping paper (also on a roll and totally bargainous - look out for it in stationery shops, it's about £1!) and then coloured with Kuretake Posterman Pens. I then journalled over it when dry using a Kuretake Writer Pen.

It's taken me a while to get the courage to show this piece, it's always scarier showing Art Journaling because it's more personal and has your own thoughts and feelins wrapped up in them, it's like showing someone your Diary!

I do love this piece though, it sits in my studio and is a daily reminder to be a little bit braver than the day before - and who knows what you can do!

Sarah x

Mothers Day Cards

Making a Mothers Day card for my mum is always pretty difficult, she doesn't like flowers or cutesy things like that so trying to find something a bit different but also 'Mum-ish' is quite the challenge.

Firstly I made this card using my ink pads in the rainbow colours and masking the centre panel (ribbon is from Kuretake, 'Mum' is Jenni Bowlin rub-ons)

But I wasn't pleased with it, I love the colours and the masking worked well but I hadn't prepped the 'lady' stamp properly and it make the ink bleed out a bit - yuk! Note to self, always use stickytape and fine sandpaper to prep first! The smaller the stamp the more important that process is!

Soooo.... after getting all annoyed with it I decided to do something completely different - back to the trusty Easel Card, I used one of the October Afternoon Wild Cards and used pleated Seam Binding from Crafty Ribbons to make this one, which is what she ended up with! I can show now because she will already have it :o)

I much prefer this one, I like the colours and the ribbon detail and I finally used a stick pin on something - yay!!

Sarah x

Happy Mothers Day!!!

A BIG Happy Mothers Day to my mum! :o)

I hope all you mummies are having lovely days and being spoilt rotten. I myself got a big lick in the face from Fuzzybutt, hmmm.... I feel somewhat short changed.... LOL

I'm off to Durham later tonight to see my mum and dad and family for a bit, I've scheduled some blog posts for while I'm away so you won't miss me too much :o) and I'll be back Wednesday live and in person to tell you all about my trip.

Sarah x