Thursday, 12 January 2023

Two New Funny Cards to Give You a Laugh...

Hello there.

Sometimes, you just need a laugh, especially in January.

With that in mind, here are two newly-uploaded cards, both of which you can personalise before sending. (Update on March 2nd 2023: These cards, along with all my other funny cards, are now available for instant download on Zazzle.Com).

The first (appropriately enough for BoundingSquirrel) is for anyone and everyone who loves squirrels, and/or who battles to keep them off the bird-feeders...

Funny cartoon customisable card in which squirrels are lined up on the fence with bank-robbing gear, all ready for a raid on the bird feeders...
Click or tap here to see in more detail...



The second cartoon card involves that ever-popular funny birthday card staple, wine...

The same principle applies though. The card is fully customisable too...just click or tap on the image below to see it in more detail.

Funny and customisable wine cartoon delivery card, in which a tanker comes to deliver wine to the neighbours...
Click or tap here to see the card in more detail...


Hope one or both of these gives you (and/or anyone to whom you might send them) a boost and a lift.

Have a good week, and more soon.

___________________________

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Thursday, 5 January 2023

An Inspiring Question for January?

Hello there

Hope you're well, and having a happy New Year.

One of my responses to recent events outside my control has been to delve more deeply into art-journaling than before. And in the case of the graphic below, digital-art journaling, in Krita 5.


On a richly-layered pink, green, white and gold background, the message"Ask yourself, which choice feels most magical right now?" emerges.



The bizarre thing is, when I sat down to do this, I was feeling much less than great. So much less than great, in fact, that a totally unrelated question, designed to take my mind off things, felt like a *wonderful* idea.

 And so it was that, in the midst of all the gloom, this, cheery, sunny message that came out. Can't explain that at all. But maybe this is part of the mysterious power of art-journaling that its devotees describe.

Where will this lead if anywhere? Am not sure yet. Or indeed, whether it even *needs* to lead anywhere. That may not be the point. 

But it *is* fun to explore things from a new perspective, and I *love* the joyous and summery colours that emerged. Plus, what better time to keep journaling than New Year/January?

Then...


I was having so much fun, in fact, that I couldn't resist popping over to Redbubble and seeing how things looked there. 

Imagine my surprise when something started in order to cheer myself up ended up looking this good on a journal cover, magnets, and other lovely things? What lovely little reminders might they make, to give any of us a little nudge back into feeling more magical when we need it?

Ask Yourself, Which Choice is the most Magical Right Now Art Journaling design
Click or tap here to see more...



It just goes to show that art time, in all its forms, is always a good idea, and its results, a constant surprise.

Thanks so much for being here, and for reading down this far. May your own January inspire you too, however you most need it to do so.

More soon.

Thursday, 29 December 2022

Free 2023 Watercolour Graphic

Tap, right-click or click this image to download.



Hello there, and hope life is treating you well.

To coin a cliché, it's really hard to believe that it's almost 2023.

(For full disclosure, this is being typed and scheduled in advance in mid-December as am having a break from the online world until January).

But it's become something of a tradition for me to "paint out how next year feels" each December.

And this year, this is how 2023 feels from here.

And, as ever, you're welcome to use this graphic if you wish, in any way that fits my (ever-so-generous...promise) angel policy. Links back are always lovely, but never required.

May you have a wonderful new year. And, as ever from here, there'll be...

Thursday, 15 December 2022

A Christmas Cartoon Ecard

Hello there

And now it really *is" that time of year again, and this year's Christmas ecard is below. As with them every year, feel free to use and share it if you wish (though am not sure if its topic will resonate in other places as much as the UK-do you have strikes at the moment too, where you are?).


In this cartoon, even Santas's reindeer are on strike and are demanding more pay, and extra carrots.
Click, right-click or tap here to download this ecard.



In any event, enjoy the festive season, wherever and however it is for you.

I'll be taking a break from blogging now until the New Year, but have some posts already scheduled for you for after Christmas too.

Most of all, thank you for reading all these posts, and for being here.

___________________________

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Thursday, 8 December 2022

Christmas Foliage Graphics...and a Quiz




Hello there

Hope you're well and thriving, and ready for some fun, as well as a not one, not two, but three freebies to download, as befits the approaching festive season.

You're welcome to use any of the set of three graphics in this post, in any way at all that matches my angel policy. Just right-click, tap or click (depending upon your device) on the graphic(s) you'd like to use, and the graphic should download.

And if you're not in need of freebies right now...as well as if you are, this post is also a quiz.

Christmas Foliage Watercolour 2
Picture 2: Right-click, tap or click here to download




Each of the pics in this post was created in a different way. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to decide which method (A, B or C) matches which Picture 1, Picture 2 and Picture 3.

Free Christmas Foliage Watercolour Picture 3
Picture 3: Right-click, tap or click here to download.


Painting and Drawing Methods Used

Which of these methods do you think matches which picture? (You may have to scroll up  from here to see the pictures again).

Method A One of the pictures in this post was created using 100% digital watercolour painting and digital ink sketching,  in the wonderful Rebelle 5 app, (not an affiliate link, I just enjoy using it).

Method B One of the pictures was created by wetting hot-pressed, (ie smooth) 300g Bockingford Watercolour paper, splashing colours into wet areas, and then, when the areas were dry, inking in details with a black waterproof pen.

Method C One of the pictures in this post was created by sketching onto 300g cold-pressed Bockingford Watercolour Paper first, and then painting in details wet-on-dry (though white highlights were still added later).

Your answers

When you think you have your answers, check the PS at the bottom of this post, to see if you're right.

Please note, this quiz is just for fun, there are no prizes, and the answers are at the very bottom of this post, in the P.S. section.

Whilst I'm in the business of making sure that there's enough text here to obscure the answers, this is probably a great point to remind you that my Redbubble shop is still a great place to look for gifts (most still in time for Christmas, or of course, any other time of year), and that  the printable designs in my Craftsuprint shop can be downloaded 365 days a year.

With that said, I hope you had fun with this post today, and/or found something you wanted in one way or another. It's only left for me to wish you a happy week, and promise that there will be more from me soon as well as...



A P.S with the quiz answers...


And the answers are:

Picture 1 was painted using method B. The surface is smooth (ie hot pressed) and the end result has a pretty sploshy wet-in-wet look.

Picture 2 was painted using method A, and is therefore, 100% digitally painted, (even though the digital paper behind it has a really convincing rougher/"cold-pressed paper" look).

Which means that Picture 3 used method C, with its rougher paper and penwork that am feeling now might have been a little over-the-top :-) .

Whatever your answers, hope you had fun, and see you next week.