Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Instant Downloads and HUGE SALE to celebrate!

Okay, so it's finally done. We've uploaded all our images to payloadz in order to offer instant downloads with your Cafe purchases! We also added new images a few days ago, but in the midst of completing the instant downloads, we just haven't had time to let you all know!
To celebrate this great occasion we've decided to have a HUGE SALE! We're calling it the Buck or Two Sale and it has started and will last until Midnight, Wed. May 6th (yes, you have a whole week!). We also have decided to sweeten the deal and offer a Buy it All option for even greater savings (it is National Scrapbooking Day Saturday afterall).
We hope that the change makes your shopping experience a little bit more enjoyable as you don't have to wait anymore to play and with the great savings, you can't lose!
Having said all that, if there are any problems with your purchase, please let us know just in case there are any hiccups with the new system.
Well, I'm off to get some more work done... hopefully, we can be back with some more cards or challenges or both soon!
Happy crafting!
Kendra

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Charisma Cardz Challenge #14 & sneak peek!

Hey, I'm not imaginary after all... I managed to finally enter a challenge using one of our new images we're adding to The Cafe tomorrow! Kendra's been trying to convince me to enter this world of blogging and challenges but up until now, I've been able to avoid it... she got me though. I was excited to colour "Syd Nutty" and I found the challenge to use Purple and Green at Charisma Cardz something that was simple enough for me to wet my feet with and so I took the plunge and here I am. Here is my card.

Isn't he cute!? I had so much fun colouring him with my watercolours I can't wait to do another project (shhhh... don't tell Kendra!). I have to say that I did try Kendra's copic markers on a second image of Syd that I printed, but they just weren't working for me. I guess I'm partial to my faithful watercolour pencils. I'd need a lot more practice with the copics to even think about showing you all what I've created! That's the perfectionist in me speaking I guess.

For this card, I watercoloured Syd Nutty from The Character Cafe (due in the store TOMORROW!), used Rob & Bob Studio Paper, some flocking (my 1st attempt at it) for the flower centers, and a few little acrylic hearts from my stash. Simple, but effective I think... and it is my first attempt! I'm pretty pleased with it though.

Well, I've got to finish up a few things for tomorrow still and so that's it for today... but I'll be back for another challenge at some point I'm sure (Kendra won't let me stay away now...).

Happy crafting!

Kelly... "the imaginary illustrator" ;)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Dare U 2 Digi BLING Challenge

Hope you all had a wonderful long weekend and stuff yourselves full of good food and company! I know I had my fill and the kids played hard all weekend with the other neighbourhood kids and boy were they dirty! I think the saying is that a dirty kid is a happy kid??? Mine were tickled pink to have friends over all weekend that's for sure.

Anyway, on to business... I had such fun last week with the Dare U 2 Digi challenge that I knew I'd be back :) This weeks challenge was BLING... and do I like that idea!!! I immediately thought of using Cheerleader Lexi. I figured what better pom poms than glittery ones! I have to say I had fun doing this one.

For my sculpting, I had purchased a whole box of glitter and microbeads which got little use before it got packed away, but it's unpacked now. It felt so good to let the glitter fly today!!! I even used my cricut to cut the pom pom pieces using the .svg file that comes with Lexi so it really was easy peasy (lemon squeezy as my 6 yr old says!)... I then used my zig pen to paint them and added the glitter! I left the poms uncoloured underneath because I really wanted them to stand out, but I might colour them, not quite sure yet... I kinda like it this way... I think I'll just make another card and see how it looks the other way to compare (yeah, that's it!). Anyway, if you're wondering, I used glue dots to hold the poms just in the middle (under the rhinestone) so they're curled up and away from the card... soooo much cuter in person! Oh, I guess you might want to see the pic!!! LOL, sorry


I left the space above Lexi for a greeting/sentiment... but in my case, a name (I have 2 dd's that attend tons of birthdays and I think a personalized card will be great for that... I just have to wait to see whose birthday is next!)

The details... I used Cheer Lexi from The Character Cafe coloured with Copics, paper from DCVW Glitter Stack, stamp letters from Studio G coloured with copics, stickles, and glitter and acrylic rhinestones from my stash. Pretty simple huh?! I think there's a birthday girl somewhere who'll love this card, I know I do :)

Big News!!! Kelly is actually doing a challenge this week too (I've introduced her to the "dark side"... blogs - I'm addicted, reading more than writing but addicted none-the-less - and she took the plunge!) I can't wait to see what she has to post tomorrow. She's using one of our new releases but I haven't seen what she did yet, so I'm excited for tomorrow to come quickly!

Well, thanks for stopping by, I'm off to get some more work done! Be sure to stop by tomorrow for Kelly's sneak peek here and over at The Craft Addict blogspot where I'll be showing off the second of our new release images due out on Thurs. April 16!
Until then, happy crafting!!!!
Kendra

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Another Challenge - Tewlip Card

I was having so much fun colouring the other day since I printed off a whole page of images that I decided I'd better start using them for more than just colouring practice! I've been making cards and having a blast doing so :)

Speaking of printing a whole page of images... I thought I'd let you all know that I updated our Tips/Tricks page with some instructions on how to bring digi images into your word processor program (such as Word or Works) and size them the way you want. This also allows you to print any number of images on one page to save paper and you don't have to have a page of all the same image... gotta love digi stamps!!! I've been colouring my heart out.

So, I found this challenge at the Sketch and Stash Challenge blog and I just had to participate...


I used Tewlip (available at The Character Cafe!), Basic Grey paper, Rob & Bob Studio papger, some flower embellies from my stash, some flower confetti tabs (what on earth they are called is beyond me, sorry), acrylic gems and Stickles.

Okay, so now I'm off to get some work done... got some ideas I want to work on :)
Happy crafting!
Kendra

Monday, April 6, 2009

A Card Challenge!!!

I just had to play with our new images to be released April 7 (tomorrow!) and so I figured I'd seek out a challenge and give it a go! It has been far too long since I got my hands (and my desk) full of glue and glitter! Although, come to think of it, I never did get to glittering... I have a sick little one today and so I tried to keep the mayhem to a minimum.

Well, the challenge... is the kwernerdesign.com Colour Inspiration Challenge!

I didn't really know what I was going to do with this little guy and then I came across these colours and well, I figured why not give it a go, he was already coloured appropriately? Made me realize that I totally need some more paper though... lots of it! I really don't have enough to pick from. Since this is my first time entering the Colour Challenge, I hope that I did it right :)

Anyway, on to the card... This is B'Monkey from The Character Cafe, coloured with watercolour pencils, ribbon from my stash, Basic Grey paper cut with the Cricut, a little white ink and voila, simple, but cute (at least I think so). My picture taking, really needs some work as I see you can't tell there's "cloud"-like inking on the blue, but I promise to work on my photography skills! *adding it to my "list"*

I am also entering another challenge tomorrow, but I just didn't want to miss out on the time-line for the kwerner challenge (I've done that before!!!) and figured I'd better do it now, before time slipped away as it tends to do when kids are involved! Anyway, I coloured G'Monkey with copics as I was testing to see the difference and really, I'm definitely a copic girl, although I'm still learning how to use them effectively. I think at some point, I'll be re-doing Mr. B'Monkey in copics because the difference (in my opinion) is unbelieveable (although he steals my heart no matter what "colour" he's wearing!). Since I wanted to enter G'Monkey in a challenge, but couldn't find anything quite right I'm posting a pic of the card I made for her too... hope this doesn't break challenge rules!

Well, that's it for tonight! I'll be seeing you all again tomorrow :)
Until then, happy crafting :)
Kendra

Sunday, April 5, 2009

New Image, new card & a big Thank you!

We just wanted to say thank you to everyone for our warm welcome and all your comments and well wishes. We greatly appreciate it.


On another note, we have a new image at The Cafe!


Meet Tewlip... she's okay for use in digital kits - the term most commonly used for this is commercial use, or CU. We still do not want our images used for web sets or website design, but I think she'd be pretty cute in some digital scrapping pages and I think others will too. I wish there were more hours in the day, or I'd do it up myself, but alas, I will leave that to the digi pros (and if you do use her in this manner, please let us know, we'd love to see it and would definitely put a link to your kit(s) on our site).


For you card makers, we have added a sentiment... actually, we added the sentiment because I so want to make a card using her and well, needed something special! She's actually sitting here on my desk waiting for some colour. I hope to have another post showing what I do with her in the next day or two... as well as another image set that just needs some tweaking (HINT - it's a cute little bundle)!

Now I'm so excited to show you all another card made by Sheri at Twitterpatedwithpaper using Emmy (named after my own dear little angel!), and I just can't be more pleased to show her off! We just adore this card, it's super cute and I love those papers. So inspiring, as I look over at my "to be coloured" section of my desk... hmmm


Well, that's it for tonight, gotta get some sleep... tomorrow's a whole 'nother day and I got some cards I want to make so I'd best get some crafty sleep!

For you night owls or those that may be on opposite time zones to us, Happy Crafting!!!

Kendra