Warm Memories and Digital Hybrid Scrapbooking

A digital hybrid scrapbook page...

Hello there

Hope you've had a good week. As promised, this week's offering is *completely* different to last, (though huge thanks to all the lovely people who bought something-it meansthe world).

This week though, I wanted to share something I've been doing just for fun, i.e. digital and hybrid scrapbooking.

I've been experimenting with it for a while, and wanted to share this one. 'Cos I don't know about you, but the weather here is currently dark, gloomy, wet, cold, and distinctly uninviting.

So, it felt like the perfect time to remember a lovely summer birthday trip from earlier in the year, to the totally-gorgeous-but-really-unsung Capel Manor Gardens. I actually took about 120 photos on the day. But even a digital A4 page has limited space. So these serve to remind me, that yes it really was that warm, bright and stunning...And yes, there really was cuteness and whimsy round every corner too...(Have you ever seen a cuter, (or more ancient) little cat door?)

But what *is* digital hybrid scrapbooking?

"Hang on a minute, though," you might be thinking. "Back up a bit, please. What the heck *is* digital hybrid scrapbooking anyway?"

Great question.  I'm fairly new to this, so may need to revise this description in the future. But my current understanding is that:

♥ Traditional scrapbooking is 100% physical and 3-D, with no computer involvement (unless you scan or photo the finished piece to show to others).

♥ Digital scrapbooking uses items that are 100% digital/created digitally. So...

♥ That means that digital hybrid scrapbooking is any process that combines these two methods.

I put today's offering into the last category, because of the way in which it was created (of which more below).

How I created this page

1. I started off with a painted abstract background in digital acrylics, like this (painted in Krita).

Small abstract summer
background example

2. I lightened the original background with digital paint in Krita (in which I worked for the rest of the digital parts of the process). Onto that, I placed smaller versions of the two digital photos, and also added shadows and framing digitally.

3. Here's the hybrid bit. The rose drawing  (scanned in and uploaded below too) was done 100% physically. I wanted to experiment and see whether or not it's really true that you can use eye-shadow, set with hairspray, an alternative, cheaper, vegan and obviously one hopes,  skin-friendly, alternative to pastels. 

The good news is, you can-if you use the right paper.  In this case, the first paper to hand (a receipt printed on thermal paper) turned out to be a surprisingly good surface.

Soft pink roses on...the back of a receipt!

(This whole section betrays that I have eyeshadow, hairspray *and* a hair dryer...but only ever use any of them for art. :-). But that's another story).

Then it was time for...

4. Adding in the handwriting. Yes, I did it digitally, but still, yes, it needs work. (If you've been here a while, you'll know I still struggle the most with hand-lettering.

and

5. The finishing digital pink splatters, to unify everything.

 If there are any take-aways from this...

If there are any take-aways from this (and there don't have to be):

♥ Any stage of this could have been done either physically, or digitally, depending on your preference,

♥ Krita is *spectacular* for digital art or hybrid journaling or scrapbooking,  and

♥ It was massive fun, so I'm going to keep on experimenting like this.

Finally...

That's quite enough for this week. thanks so much for being here (and for reading down this far).
Have a great week, and there'll be...

More soon.

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New Poinsettia Florals, and Yup, Sales...

Click or tap here to see/buy this at
 Pixels.com

Hello there

If you're feeling that you've *already* heard enough talk of sales. then please feel absolutely free just to enjoy this week's bright and cheerful watercolour poinsettias.

If you *are* into sales...

If you *are* into sales, then it would be remiss of me not to mention that:

♥ My designs on Pixels are 20% off most items until December 2nd 2025 with coupon code: XPRDFU

(For instance, these poinsettias especially suit greeting cards and Christmas ornaments, ;-) ).

Update on Dec 1st 2025-my Craftsuprint sale has now ended.

♥ For crafters-all my main poinsettia design sheets are already 20% off , *and*

My entire Craftsuprint store will be 20% off from November 27th-30th 2025 inclusive

♥ Redbubble, Zazzle and Spoonflower discounts and sales may still be buzzing about, but utterly beyond my control.

I did though, want to show you the alternative design option for these poinsettias, which I'm really liking on, eg:

This all-over print tote-bag at Redbubble, and

Red and Green Poinsettias 
All-Over Print Tote Bag

Red and Green Poinsettia Fabric

-Fabric and other items at Spoonflower.

And finally...

And there you have it. Thank you so much for reading down this far.

 I'll just wish you a great week, whatever you end up doing with it. 

More soon-of the distinctly non-salesy variety.

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Thank You

Thank You ecard-Click or tap here to download
(Image v. much sized only for ecard/screen use)

Hello there

As you can probably guess, the subject of this is a huge "Thank you"...To everyone and everything who reminded me (since my previous post-(in all its now mostly-struck-out glory...)...

♥ That the reason most people come here is to look at happy and joyful things, (yay!)...

♥ That if I really need a "niche", that's a fine one in itself, and...
♥ That it's perfect OK if I don't physically have time to post examples of every single design from and to  absolutely everywhere. I have a stockist/Linktree page which covers that.

Then, literally to cap it all... My right knee weighed in with mega-twinging. Which, for me is always a not-so-polite nudge that, "Clare, love...You've been walking in the wrong direction on this one..." 

As soon as I changed back to the central focus of whimsy and joy-those twinges were gone. (Which settled the matter once and for all, as I quite like at least being able to get from A to B :-).

Sooo

Enough from me, and huuuuge apologies for the confusion and waffle last week.

 I'm keeping some of the re-design, and still likely to change the main post sending day to earlier in the week (as with this one).

But otherwise-it's back just to a focus on whimsy and joy. Because who doesn't need a bit more of that right now, anyway?

Thank you so much for your patience, and for being here, and enjoy your week.

More soon.

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More Winter/Festive Florals

Free Christmas Anemones Background
Tap or click here to download and use

Hello there

Hope your week has been going well. 

And yes, if you were also here last week, your eyes do not deceive you. Those winter/Christmas anemones have now officially escaped their vase as well, to become this free download.

As ever, if you have any questions about how to use this, the answers should be in my "angel policy"

And though I uploaded it at a printable size, I can't vouch for download quality here on Blogger. As ever, if you need to print this at high quality, consider buying the file at full-resolution, over at Craftsuprint.

The ongoing and huge loyalty of so many crafters, cardmakers, and other people making lovely creative things (thanks *so much* especially if you're one of them and reading this) Update on Nov 17th  deletes previous text with the strikethrough symbol.  has also helped me make a rather big decision. Read on for details...

Site News

Long story short, for the last several months, I've been feeling too much like the proverbial mouse on a wheel, instead of a happy artist. I've been guilty of spreading myself too thinly, uploading to too many places...and not having nearly enough time left to create joyful art.

Don't get me wrong. I still love art, and everyone who has been kind enough to follow and buy all my items in so many different places over the years. Thank you so much.

But the time has come, for the sake of sanity, keeping my art high-quality and fun, and therefore making sure my products continue to be of that same quality...to focus my efforts much more carefully, on...

Designing original art downloads and supplies for people who use them to create their own crafts and projects.

 I've chosen this route, (initially as an experiment), for several reasons.

♥ Firstly, I specially love to design items knowing that someone else will be able to build upon them even further, and make them their own.

♥ This could well be because of the love and support (and yes, purchases...thank you so much) I've already received from crafters from all sorts of places. A nicer bunch of people would be hard to find anywhere.

♥ It could also be because my whimsical style seems naturally to fit in this area. It wasn't something I planned at all...It just happened...

As you may already be able to tell from the change in logo, tagline and some other site details, I've already altered BoundingSquirrel.Com to help support this change.

Calling all cardmakers, crafters, journallers and other people who create things...

All of this is despite the fact that I personally am much less good at crafting than I am at art and design. That was a major factor in my taking so long to go down the craft supplies path...If I had fabulous fine-motor skills myself, I'd have gone down this path some time ago.

 So, if you're the opposite (ie you love to craft, but not so much to draw, paint and design) and would like free printable craft supplies in exchange for providing pictures of your makes, please get in touch).

 If you have any thoughts about these downloads, or any ideas about future printables (or any other kind of art you'd like to see, there is now a contact form at the bottom of every blog page, and also and updated contact page here.

And if you're not a crafter...

But if you're not a crafter, you're still so very welcome to keep reading BoundingSquirrel and enjoying the images. Most links to previous products will also remain in place, and I really appreciate your support too. It's just that my focus is changing/emerging for the first time. Thank you for your understanding.

Phew...

That was a long one. Apologies for all the text. I'll leave you to your week, with huge thanks for you being you, (and a pic of the "Robins and Berries" collection, that's also available to buy now as printable papers ;-).

Click or tap here
to see and buy the collection
at Craftsuprint.com

Have a great week.

More soon.
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New Painting: Festive Wishes-Christmas Floral Art

My"Festive Wishes" Christmas floral
painting

Hello there

Just popping in to show you "Festive Wishes", a gently Christmas/seasonal/winter/holiday/ whatever-you-call-it-in your part of the world, painting that celebrates Winter Anemones (the flowers are also known as "Christmas Roses").

Seasonal but natural, I have to confess that I'm a bit in love with this one, and hope you will be too.

Update on Nov 12th: If this grabs you too, it's now available as part of a download here.

In any event, hope this brings some floral joy to your day, and there'll be more about it (with extra downloads) in my next post.

In any event, thanks so much for being here.

More soon.

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