Crafty thoughts from Crafts forum Members

Here is another specially commissioned card that I have been asked to make.  The brief was to include the line “Happy 40^th Birthday Del Boy” and the rest was up to me! 

  I’d acquired some scraps of lovely suede fabric some time ago and have been itching to do something with them, and this was the perfect opportunity as the mustard coloured piece was perfect as Del’s donkey jacket. Del Boy’s customary chunky gold bracelets, sovereigns and ‘D’ chain add to the character, as does the famous Trotter 3-wheeler van.  For something a little extra, I included the “this time next year we will be millionaires” fob watch and the ill-fated blow-up dolls.  Two of Del’s speciality cocktails were also added. 

Lovely jubberly.

I’ve been asked to make an Anniversary Card and I wanted to do something a little bit different.  I’d bought some gold rose printed vellum a short time ago (really only to justify postage and packing on something I REALLY needed!) and had not had any ideas on how to use it.

 Anyway, copied the centre tie template onto ivory hammered card and then creased (using my wonderful card creaser!) at the appropriate points.  I used pritt stick to glue the vellum to the card as I’ve found this one of the easiest ways to stick large areas of vellum and you can’t see the glue.  The holes to tie the ribbon through were punched using an ordinary hole punch (but I marked where the holes needed to go – just in case!)  I’ve had a recent splurge on buying ribbon (I can’t resist) and used some wide gold organza ribbon to tie the card together.  A hand cut tag with ‘Happy Anniversary’ is also attached to the ribbon.  Inside are banners top and bottom with the words ‘Happy Anniversary’ running across.   I hope the commissioner and recipients like it!

Rainbow disks are a publishers of craft books on CD. covering wide range of subjects from beading and card making to quilting and stained glass.

Disk include:

• Tiaras and Bridal Jewellery
  Projects using beads and wire
• Bead Net
  New Ideas for Netted Beadwork
• Beaded Jewellery
  Over 50 gorgeous designs and projects

Rainbow Disks was started in 2006 by Barbara Case (Thornton) and Vivienne Wells, who between them have extensive experience of writing and publishing practical books.

Barbara Case is an internationally successful author of books on bead jewellery including:

A World of Beads/Making Bead Jewellery (1995)

It’s all about the beads! (2006)

Making Jewellery with Gemstone Beads (2007)

To find out more please check out rainbowdisks.com

For other craft workshops and courses try http://www.ukcraftwebsites.co.uk/workshops.php

I came across this site yesterday and find it will be very useful especially if your mojo has taken a hike.  It’s got great templates for both cards and scrap pages alike so thought i’d share it with you.  Here’s a card i’ve made using one of their card maps.  Can you guess which one i’ve used?

The link to page maps is:  www.pagemaps.com hope you find it useful.

So what is crafty addicts all about…

Crafty Addicts is a craft haven of card making and scrapbooking supplies. We have everything for your hand made creations, from double sided tape to electronic cutting machines!

Crafty addicts has a massive select of stuff to make handmade craft items.

Here are a few things that caught my  eye:

Flower soft embelishments:

Some great papers:

Plus loads of other stuff!

Crafty addicts isn’t only online but a full on bricks a motar shop in Chorley, Lancashire…

To visit Crafty addicts please click here: craftyaddicts.co.uk

For other uk crafts suppliers click here: http://www.ukcraftwebsites.co.uk/suppliers.php

As by the title of the site I bet you can guess what ” Craftie Cards” Make

Well craftie cards offers unique handmade cards for the following variations:

• Anniversary
• Best Wishes
• Birthday Child
• Birthday Female
• Birthday Male
• Congratulations
• Good Luck
• New Baby
• Thank You
• Thinking of You
• Wedding Day

The site mentions the fact that the range is increasing so if you don’t find what you need then it would be worth contacting them..

 Here is an example:

DL Card with 3 beautiful Dark Pink daisy flowers - suitable for most ages

For more information or to visit craftie cards click here : craftiecards.com

For other UK cards websites please visit http://www.ukcraftwebsites.co.uk/cards.php 

I’ve been wondering for a while what I would do if my card creaser broke.  I’ve not had it a particularly long time – my Mum bought it for my birthday after I’d nearly worn out her Lakeland Craft catalogue, and to be honest, I don’t know what I’d do without it!

 After measuring (to make sure that the fold will be central) I use the sharpish tip to mark where I want my fold line at the top and bottom of the card, I then score between the two.  This gives me the indent where the fold will be and then I simply fold the card and use the rounded edge to press on the fold.  Thus providing a professional looking card! The card creaser is also useful for smoothing down any rough edges to the cards.

Go and buy one!!

And so this tale of creativity starts

Contact one of us if your looking for parts

We have Jellybelly Jellybrain

For all hand sewn bunting with added name

Butterbeandesigns for colourful letters

The likes of which Id say nobody betters

Tip tops unique cards are very distinctive

For all happy occasions she’ll have a card you’d like to receive

Candles by Lisa makes fantastic works of wax

Easily contactable, though currently not by fax

Crystal Velvet make tiaras and hat pins

Watches, charms and adjustable rings

Apple Tree Craft , a seamstress extraordinaire

RaspberryBloom is a jewellery designer with magical flare

Beadsage is wise and a master at bead weaving

Approach him cautiously if its forum advice you are needing

Funkyhand is modern with her scrapbooking cd’s

Indri with her quilling(can we have an update please?)

KandM Creations with her maillework and beadweaving

Once you visit her site theres no way you’ll be leaving

EM Evans and NattyNetty supply

Craft bits and pieces for all of you to buy

Sommerwood sells beautiful hand painted clocks

Or treat your (untidy) child to a storage box

The silver zebra makes her pieces of decorative glass

Not only that she has a fantastic………range of other products

To one and all and anyone Ive forgotten

Im Poisoned Apple Jewellery so lets face it, Im rotton.

Well i’ve had my new cricut cutting machine for just over a week now and i’m absolutely loving it.  As a card maker i don’t know how i ever managed to live without one.  I am still in the learning process when it comes to blade length, pressure and speed etc but luckily for me the machine seems pretty fool proof and even i can’t go to wrong. 

 I have found great inspriration from an experienced cricutter and fellow member of the crafts forum, her name is Samm, she is an excellent card maker, knows her cricut machine inside out and has recently been chosen to join the design team for the Scrummy Stash Cafe.  Her Blog can be found at http://samm-l.blogspot.com/. 

 As i love this machine so much i have decided to stock them and the accessories - so watch this space (so to speak) and as always the prices will be great. www.getcrafty.org.uk

 If you own a cricut machine, why not come and show off your creations on the crafts forum………go on, you know you want to.

Making little people is what I’m good at.  Or so I have been told. 

Hang on.  Let me stop you right there, before your mind wanders down the wrong path - this is not the kind of blog for things like that! I create personalised cards for special occasions – friends becoming engaged, their subsequent weddings, babies etc., purely because I could never find a high street card which said it all.  I started off creating for my own use and then it snowballed when I took some into work and sold them all within an hour! Ah-ha!  I thought! (Remember them?!) Can I develop this opportunity; can I make people smile at my cards and instil a desire to keep them long after the normal shelf life of 3 weeks on the windowsill?  With a spring in my step I knew I had to keep my own personal card sending going, not to miss any birthdays, anniversaries or opportunities and hope that order requests would materialise from those. 

Lisa and Mike’s engagement card (Easter 2006, and no, I did not take a photo of it), you could say was the catalyst.  I was touched and secretly very chuffed that they had framed it and hung it in the kitchen and wondered how to ask Lisa if I could perhaps, sort of, maybe, kind of, pull together something, nothing flash of course, for the Wedding planned for early June 2007. She must have read my mind!  She emailed me to ask if I’d create 16 thank you’s for the immediate Wedding party – the two Dad’s, two Mum’s, Best Man, 5 Ushers, 4 Bridesmaids, Page Boy and Flower Girl.  And best of all, a brief to do what ever I wanted! 

After the initial warm glow of recognition for my creative talents had worn off I began to privately swear and gnash my teeth as I thought I’d fail miserably and the cards would be naff.  I asked Lisa lots of questions as to colour scheme, the hairstyles and colours (very important!) and anything else I needed to know.  And then I got to work……

Lisa and Mike were really pleased with them!  And I was asked to create a 60th Birthday Card by Mike’s Mum for a work colleague, and I’ve also been asked to create some Save The Date cards for another friend…….