Phindy's Place freebie and a new paper choice

Just a quick post to share a card I made with Phindy's newest freebie. The card is very simple, just two ribbons overlapped and a series of brads holding it in place. What I found most interesting about making this card is I used a new paper to print out the image. Usually I use Cornish Farms "Simply Smooth" but I decided to try an Epson paper called "Premium Prsentation Paper Matte". It gave a very different result - the paper absorbed the ink quite quickly which meant much more vivid colours. The blending seemed to go all right but I was quite surprised at how much darker the colours ended up.

Anyway, I'm entering this card into a few challenges as follows:

• Phindy's Place - use ribbon (I've used two ribbons - a solid yellow ribbon with a daisy ribbon overlaid)
• Pile it on - make it sweet (she truly is a very sweet looking bear)
• Stamp, Scrap & Doodle - girlie

Recipe:

• Phindy's Place - digital image
• Basic Grey "Bittersweet" collection - patterned paper
• Brads, ribbons - stash
• Copic markers

Another vintage card

I was so happy with the way my last card using a vintage image worked out that I decided to try another. This card is to congratulate my husband's nephew on the birth of his second daughter. I found the image on the Digital Two for Tuesday site and just fell in love with the sweetness of the two little girls holding hands.

Once again I am using a sketch from Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge. Their sketches are just so good and they always include two versions - one clean & simple and one fancier.

I'm also entering this card into these additional challenges:

• Digital Tuesday Challenge - create something girly
• Fab 'N Funky Challenges - theme is "it's childish" (this card is to welcome a new baby)
• Stampotique Designers Challenge - theme is "love" (this card just screams of sisterly love to me)
• C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - digi colouring

Recipe:

• Patterned paper - Basic Grey
• Digital image - free vintage image from Digital Two for Tuesday
• Spellbinders nestabilities die cut
• miscellaneous buttons

Valentine's Day is approaching

I can't believe it is half-way through January already! I am ever so rapidly losing control of my time, and yet I still manage to find time to craft. It's the only thing keeping me sane!!!

Anyway, today I have a couple of valentine's day cards to share - I'm not sure which one (if either) my husband will get.

This first card is made for 2 challenges:

• Dustin Pike's first ever challenge at his new challenge blog (he even provides a free random stamp to use)
• Copic Creations challenge #19 to colour fur

I used two Dustin Pike stamps - the bear and the background (from his pirate set). The images are coloured with Copics (of course). I followed Marianne Walker's Tutorial - Coloring Fur for the bear. I need lots more practice but I think the result is still more realistic than I usually achieve.

Recipe: 

Digital images - Dustin Pike

Paper - Basic Grey, Lemonade

Ribbon - scrap, unknown

Other - glossy accents, heart brads

This second card uses a digital stamp from a brand-new company called Wink* Wink* Ink. The image is a freebie and it is just soooo cute.

Recipe:

Digital image - Wink* Wink* Ink

Paper - Basic Grey, Granola

Digital Stamp Freebies

I've been scouring the internet for digital stamp freebies and thought I would share my findings. These links will take you to sites where I've found free digital images (plus a few sites for free digital papers). If you find others, please let me know and I will expand the list.

AI Factory

Becca Kay - anime as well as some really sweet papers & blogger skins; also check out her wordpress site for an adorable kitty and Friday Freebies

Bugaboo Stamps - Friday freebies plus other freebies on the blog

Charmed Cards & Crafts - freebie of girl running through rain

Cheeky Radish Designs - freebie on the SNR group site

Creations by Penny

Cuddly Buddly - cute circle digi stamps plus papers, templates & printables

Cute Daisy May - Little girl in fancy dress

Daisie Company - Christmas set includes gingerbread houses, cookies and trees

Design House Digital - free digital kits include papers, embellishments, images

Digital Delights by Louby Loo - Freebie every Friday

Digital Doodling - assorted "Tilly" freebies

DigiSparkle - need to create an account to receive

Digistamp Boutique - monthly freebie

Digital Tuesday - absolutely beautiful vintage images posted every Tuesday

Doodle Dragon Studios - Dustin Pike posts freebies featuring his adorable dragons and other characters regularly. He is quite prolific in releasing new images for sale, too, and they are always worth purchasing.

DZ Doodles - Friday freeebies

Fred, She Said - lots of freebies including flowers, fun monsters, backgrounds and decoupage downloads; generally posted on Mondays

GTC Crafty Corner - over 60 freebies

Hambo Stamps - fun cat & pig stamps

Lost in Paper Scraps - list of freebies on right side

Mo's Digital Pencil - 6 freebies (& counting) available on her blog - she regularly releases new images for sale too (and they are always worth the purchase)

Mygrafico - free digistamps and clipart

Phindy's Place - Lovely angel provided for 1st Challenge

Pink Petticoat

Pixie Dust Studio

Prairie Fairy - kitty fairy

Sew Many Cards - Friday freebies. Cute animals with stitch detailing. Also check out their Challenge Blog for Friday freebies

Simple Doodles

Stamps and Smiles

Stamp by Step - digi set updated periodically

Stretch N' Bubbles - Free digi Wednesdays (but only available for that week)

Tales from Pollycraft - Lovebirds available permanently plus a new freebie posted every Friday (but only available for that week)

The Creative Cottage - monthly freebies

The Greeting Farm - Mer-kid and New Year's Baby

Robyn's Fetish - Wacky Wednesday Freebies

The Stamping Boutique - freebies available through the Paper Craft Planet group

Two Scoops Rice Designs - Whimsical images monthly featuring a cute little mouse named Mumford

WinkWinkInk - New freebie posted every month or so

Other places to find images:

Another great resource for free images is clip art. Doing a search of "free clip art" and whatever subject you're looking for will bring about thousands of options. Here are my favorites:

Disney Stationary - coloring pages have lots of quality images

Dustin Pike freebie and sale!

If, like me, you are a fan of Dustin Pike's dragons, monkeys and other creatures, you will absolutely have to check out his blog today and tomorrow. He is having a one-day only blow-out sale of images past & present tomorrow, Nov 25 (even though there is a hint in his blog to beat the rush and buy today). I have already downloaded mine and it's killing me that I have to wait another 5 hours for work to end so I can use them.