Thursday, 2 March 2023

Instant Downloads Are Here

Hello there

Hope all's well with you, and that it's OK to be *really* excited in this post.
Because finally, finally (and can I say it again...*finally* :-) it's time to announce something have been wanting to share for weeks...

You can now instantly purchase download and print ready-designed funny greeting cards from my CartoonsbyClare  store on Zazzle, like this one:

Funny card which states that as beer contains hops, and hops are a vegetable, then beer must be healthy too. Statements have cartoon illustrations of beer and hops beside them, and the card has a golden background.
Beer Logic, now available as a download too



Zazzle beta-tested this for ages before making it all fully live (or advising any sellers to shout about it). Which was wise, but has also meant that have been keeping this secret since well before Christmas...And it's now March...


Why is this such a big deal?

 "Why is this such a big deal?" you may be asking. Fair point. Well... 

Before now, the (excellent quality) Zazzle cards had to be printed and arrive in the post? Well, they still can if you would like that. But instead or as well as that option, instant downloads mean that you don't have to wait for any cards to arrive in the post.

You can just download and print them straight after purchase. Which means that if need the card quickly, or live outside the USA, you can still have exactly the card you want, but now, you can have it instantly.

This is also great news for the planet, in terms of all the packaging and transport miles saved.


Can I still personalise the card before I buy it?

Yes, you can still personalise/personalize the cards before purchase. Here's an example of a card that people enjoy personalising. Eg. by changing the name of the recipient:

Card shows a girl with a large pony tail, surrounded by clothes and accessories on her bedroom floor, drawn in a cartoon style. THe caption reads "Cara wasn't untidy, she just preferred on-floor storage solutions"
Click or tap here to order the download or print
version of this card.




See this and lots more downloadable cards in my Cartoons by Clare Store on Zazzle.


What if I like sending or making physical cards?

Zazzle can still print your cards physically if you'd prefer that. And outside the Zazzle universe, for people who enjoy making cards from the (also instant-download) sheets and kits in my Craftsuprint store, there will still be new sheets and kits to enjoy.

The instant downloads option is designed for people who want the convenience and/or eco benefits of downloading, but don't want to make or design the cards themselves.


Finally

As a final note, I'd add that this isn't just for funny cards. You can download all sort of other cards, like the one below, and prints and posters too, from BoundingSquirrel, and the wider Zazzle site.

Hope this news feels as great to you as it does here...have been waiting a *long* time to make this post (and used to wish it were possible, well before Zazzle even suggested it to sellers).

If you're even just a bit curious about it, do have a look at some of the cards, and see if my downloads are something you might like.


And in any event, thanks so much for being here, and for reading down this far.

Have a lovely weekend, and more soon.

Thursday, 23 February 2023

New Painting: Wild Flowers by the Sea

This digital watercolour looks more like a traditional one, showing a path between a green wildflower meadow and the splashing sea or ocean. The path leads up into soft green hills...
"Wild Flowers the Sea," by Clare Walker

Hello there

Hope that you've had a great week and are thriving.

This week's post is all about giving you a chance to breathe, relax, and take a stroll along a deserted coastal path, bordered by a wild flower meadow, and leading into soft green hills...

I hope that you enjoy this as much as I loved creating it, and it gave me a sense of peace (and mojo) that have been missing for a while, all-in-all. It is a digital watercolour (in Rebelle 5...But somehow, it came out looking surprisingly traditional.

So please do watch this space for more like it, and for the final destination for this painting too.

In the meantime,  please relax into this image if you'd like, and have a lovely week.

More soon.

Thursday, 16 February 2023

Here's A Free Floral Animated Gif to Share...

Gif shows pink watercolour flowers that "shower" splatters, follewed by the words Sending this...With Lots of Love and Hugs
Click, right-click  or tap here
to download

Hello there

It's a quick check-in with you today, but hope all's well and that you're thriving.

I made this animated gif to cheer up a friend...and then realised it would be a lovely thing to release to help you share some cheer and joy around as well.

So, feel free to download and share this image to cheer up anyone you think might like it.

 (As ever, copyright remains with me, and credit is always appreciated, but never required).

And other than that, this has been one of those "in-between" weeks where there's plenty going on, but nothing that I can share yet.

Take care, and more soon.

Thursday, 9 February 2023

Announcing: New Spring Daffodil Craft Sheets (and the Story Behind Them).

Image shows a mock-up of three sheets of yellow white and orange paterned daffodils, a card front sheet, inserts and verses and a daffodil-vase patterned background.
Click or tap here to see the Spring Daffodil 
card sheets in more detail.


Hello there

Hope all is really well with you. And yes, as you've probably guessed from the picture above, it's time for the unveiling of three more sheets for card-making, papercraft, scrapbooking and all similar tasks.

These ones feature bright spring daffodils (about which, much more below).

There's a main card front sheet, (which lets you make decoupage daffodil layers if you'd like) an insert sheet (plus bonus daffodil-related verses) and a background daffodil-vase patterned sheet. The sentiments and verses will work for any occasion from St David's Day on 1st March, to birthdays, Easter, and even anniversaries.



The story...

But in any event, thought you might like to know the story behind this design.

It started in the depths of winter a few week ago, when some friends (you know who you are, and thanks *so* much again) were kind enough to send me a surprise bouquet of flowers...

Photo of a bunch of mixed daffodils



The flowers were so stunning (especially at this time of year) that I got rather more excited about taking pictures than worrying about the background :-) ... But am sure you get the idea.

The whole thing was so inspiring, in fact, that I also *finally* got around to painting an empty jar that had been hanging around, with yup, daffodil motifs...


Photo of Daffodils Painted onto a Jar
A painted jar...


(I'd never used acrylic paint pens before, and let me tell you, they were *fun* :-) ).


The next step was to fill that jar with tiny LED fairy lights.

Photo of the daffodil painted jar filled with lit-up fairy lights, shining in the darkness
Daffodil light jar...



The next project was the rough sketch that morphed into the "Daffodil Vase" pattern (eventually).

Watercolour sketch of daffodils in a blue vase
Rough Watercolour Daffodil Sketch



And then the motifs for the main designs of the sheets from the start of this post...

Watercolour Daffodil Motif



I guess I'm telling this story because so much joy came from that one bunch of flowers...Just as it can from any act of kindness, really.

Time to leave it there,  and to wish you a lovely weekend when it comes.

Thanks so much for reading down this far, and more soon.

Thursday, 2 February 2023

It's Groundhog Day All Over Again: Free Marmot / Groundhog Background

Cute watercolour/watercolor marmots ort groundhogs play hide and seek behind rocks in this cute free background.
Free Groundhog/Marmot Background
Click, right click  or tap to download

Hello there

Hope you're thriving and ready for today's free download: Cute groundhogs, in a printable that you can use in lots of different ways.

The sheet prints out well (300 dpi) at ordinary A4 size in a home printer, and is based around a pattern that's also on lots of cute stuff in the shop...

A confession...

I would have got this to you before today ('cos as I type, it as already Groundhog Day, Feb 2nd).

But for reasons best known to myself, I only realised this morning that marmots and groundhogs are the same animal...

Anyway, you have them now (and let's face it, cute marmots/groundhogs help to make life happier at any time of year, don't they?). (Here's the download link again, if you need it).

Hope you have loads of fun with this.