Free Happy Halloween Gif (and a Sale...)

Hello there.

Now, before I go any further with this post, if you are scared of spiders, please know that, I am as well.

Which made it both bizarre even to have *had* the idea for the Halloween gif below, and essential that the spider therein be the cutest and most smiley, goggley-eyed creature I could muster.

Click, right, click or tap here to download and use this gif if you wish

I hope therefore, that everyone can enjoy this gif, however they feel about spiders (please do download and use this image if you'd like, ready for 31st.). Alternatively, there is also a Halloween, "Friendly Ghost," gif from a previous year here. (Terms of use for all my freebies are here).

Nothing spooky about this sale, though...

In other news, I just wanted to let you know that *all* the printables in my Craftsuprint shop (over 450 of them, now) are on sale from today 28th October to the 31st October 2022. This is the last full sale of these that I plan to run before Christmas, so it's a great time to stock up on any printable sheets you've had your eye on.

Here's the link to the shop again: https://www.craftsuprint.com/clare-walker/

Equally, if you're reading this after Oct 31at 2022, the sale will be over. The link will still point to shop goodies though :-).

And with all of that said, it's time just to wish you a lovely weekend (or day, if you're reading this later).

More soon.

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An "Autumn Bounty" Thank You Design...

          

Hello there and hope you've had a good week.

I'm posting this later than I'd like, for reasons to do with minor home improvements that *finally* finished today and will leave us better-prepared for winter...Yay!

So there was time after all for this week's card sheets, which are perfect for this season, and all designed on the theme of rich autumn or fall colours, autumnal bounty, falling leaves, and the idea of thanks and thankfulness. (They should all be available in my Craftsuprint shop by the time you read this).

Because, whatever is going on in the world at large, it would be pretty difficult to feel anything but thankful for some of the beautiful, golden-washed scenes the Computer Man and I have been lucky enough to enjoy and capture this year...and whose colours were a *big* inspiration behind today's sheets.

Like this shot of a pergola in Southwark Park...

Or the changing colours in the lesser-known little gem that is Downhills Park...

We've been so spectacularly lucky with the conditions this autumn, that even our neighbour's rosebush has come over the wall and got in on the act. (Who knew that roses could make an *autumnal* spectacle too?...Maybe everyone but me ;-) )...

I guess the point is, whatever's going on in this particularly crazy world in which we seem to be living right now, beauty and nature are constants, and whatever else is also true, I'm so, so, grateful for that colour, beauty and joy.

More soon.

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A Cute Halloween Cat for the Spooky Season...

Hello there, and I hope all's great with you.

Every year, around the Halloween season, I face the same dilemma. Pictures, card sheets and products for it are supposed to be spooky. And yet, "spooky," isn't my natural stamping ground, whereas "cute and whimsical," ideas come more naturally.

Halloween Black Cat image by Clare Walker
Click here to see it on stickers at Redbubble.

So am hoping that this Halloween cat can cover both bases, and be useful to you this Halloween season, whether you need him for crafting and card sheet purposes, or on some ready-made stickers and other goodies.

Halloween Black Cat Design by Clare Walker,
Papercrafting and photo by Marion Kimberley-Scott

,

Once again, the wonderful Marion Kimberley-Scott has demonstrated far better than I ever could, the wonders you can make if you choose this cat as a printable card sheet (see the pictures above and below). Thanks so much, Marion (and for the permission to use your pics)..

Halloween Black Cat Card Insert: Design by Clare Walker,
Papercrafting and photo by Marion Kimberley-Scott

And with that, will just wish you a happy weekend (or day, depending on when you're reading this.

More soon.

PS. If spooky isn't your thing, you can also check out what became of last week's cosmo flowers, if you'd rather, in an updated post,  here...

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Rebelle 5 Initial Review, and Cosmos in a Field...

Hello there and I hope you're  doing well, wherever and however you find yourself today.

Update on Oct 14th: This post originally referred to a Rebelle 5 sale, through which I bought Rebelle 5, but which  has now closed.

The review, the resulting picture, and that which the picture became, still hold good, though. :-)

Cosmo Flowers in a Field, by Clare Walker, BoundingSquirrel.Com.
Digital Watercolour in Rebelle 5.

This is in no way a full review,  (just an initial one) as this is my first outing with Rebelle 5. But the painting above took only about two-and-a-half-hours (and that's including watching an introduction video or two and getting re-acquainted with the user interface). My first thoughts from all that are:

-It is incredibly intuitive and easy to use.

-Unlike other apps and software, it seems to focus primarily on bringing the feeling of using "traditional supplies," to the digital user.

-I loved the mixing possibilities, and the huuuuuge sizes and resolutions at which it seems Rebelle 5 can now export files (all whilst keeping a painterly look and not having to vectorise them-that's a big plus).

-The real paint granulation, textures, splatters and paper textures are incredibly authentic. (I admit it, I squealed with joy when I saw some of them in action...). You don't even need to take my word for this, as the effects are right there in the painting above.

 

On the other hand...

Should probably also add that I'm probably now ready for Rebelle in a way that I wasn't when testing it for the first time. I'm using a faster computer, and a small Wacom tablet, for one thing. 

But more importantly, I now have a lot more experience and practice in traditional watercolour than I did then. And I think that that experience really helped me to "hit the ground running," this time.

There's more...

Rebelle 5 also includes lots and lots of brushes and tools that aren't watercolour, such as digital acrylics, which do look great fun to try (and would probably put me off with their messiness in a traditional art context...I may be the only art person anyone knows who *hates* the feeling of extreme gunk on their hands...:-) ).

It looks like it's going to be a fun winter of digital painting ahead around these parts. :-) :-) :-).

And...

If you'd like to see what became of this picture, click here to see a set of cardsheets based upon it is now available in my Craftsuprint shop.

One person who has already visited the shop for these is the wonderful Marion Kimberly-Scott, whose lovely pic of the cards she made as a result are is featured below, with her permission, and my grateful thanks.

Card made by Marion Kimberly Scott
from a design by Clare Walker.
 (Photo used by kind permission of Marion also)

Take care, and more soon.

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