Hello to all my Blogland friends,
This probably has to be my biggest tease to date!
Before I left for Arizona I got a bit of a Spring cleaning bug, thankfully only in my crafty space!
I set aside a whole bag of goodies that I would like to give away..I can guarantee there is some gorgeous brand new items, including a set of dies, Nestabling, Nestaboard, stamps, adhesive and more...
Make sure you are a follower but to make it a little different I've decided that
when you leave me a comment tell me anything crafty -
what you like to make, your favourite items, tools, anything...as long as it is craft related.
I think it will be fun for everyone to read.
Once I'm home and I've hugged Bella continuously, (going to miss that puppy way too much) I will ask her to pick out a name. I will be flying home as this post goes live, quite possibly jet lagged tomorrow
but I'm sure I will be smiling!
Take care dear friends.
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66 comments:
Well Christine if I have read this correctly you should be home when you get to read these comments, so I do hope you had a good flight and Bella didn't lick you to death when you got through the door..lol!!
I have loved craft since I was a girl. I started scrapbooking (more Smashing really, but it wasn't called that then) and next it was knitting. I knitted my first baby matinee coat at boarding school aged 14 and by then I was doing more crochet and alot of sewing. I knitted alot of my childrens layette items and also sewed many dresses for my daughter. Nowadays my passion is for cardmaking, creating Decorative Stick Pins and lots of home decor pieces (wall hangings, canvases etc). So as you can see, craft is my life now (have not been able to work in 12 years) and I love it.
This is a lovely way to share Christine, thank you; I can't wait to come by later and see what crafting things everyone else loves to do/has done. I hope you will join in too!!
Have a good rest Linda
I love crafting, I love to make cards,boxes and bags. I also learning how to crochet.
My favorite tools are punches and diecuts and my Cuttlebug of course.
What a lovely way to share a candy, thanks for the chance
hugs Linda Dekker
Morning Christine hope you had a great time, i have lost my mojo and can,t find it at the moment, but i love to paper craft with anything that involves a machine, i love my craft robo and my cricut, also love my calibur, never been able to knit, my mum just bought me a knitting machine and i can,t make that work either, but still trying also learning the crochet. Love to see what other pepole are doing.
Hi Christine ,hope you have had a great time and Bella missed you ,I have been doing bits for a long time my best I suppose was when I got a Blue Peter Badge for some art work I did I was on there hall of fame for a week ,I have progress since doing knitting I have 2 machines but since moving to a small place can`t find where to put them, for 5yrs now my sister got me into card making and i`m still learning new things ,I have tried to crackle glase at the weekend and it didn`t work so frustrating but i will get it to work some how after searching through u tube videos its a project i need to do for my Mum as she is 80 this year .thanks Melanie
Hi Christine Hope you had a good flight Bet you have had a fanatastic time
I started sewing as a small child and by the time I was 11 I was making dresses using my Mums old treadle sewing machine. She didnt use it cos she couldnt sew or knit.
I learnt how to crochet from a friend at school and made a blanket for my doggy!!!!
Knitting was the next step which a friend showed me how to cast on and I knitted some baby mits but didnt know how to cast off so I threaded the yarn through the stitches lol
Eventually bought a knitting machine and earned quite a lot of money from it but wool was easier to come buy years ago. I still did my dressmaking and home furnishings including loose covers for loads of sofas (Not all mine)
I had an accident 8 years ago hurting my back so heavy material was no option and my friend bought me a card making kit. The rest is history - started in a small box and now have a bedroom full of stuff but my Grand Calibur is my favourite craft item along with all the dies. My scoring board is my must have craft item and that is the one thing that gets used with every card but its not as much fun as the Calibur!
I am in Kenya for the moment and am so missing my craft room
Sue Yorkshire
Morning Christine
You are such a tease. I love all papercrafting. I started about 4 years ago with cd crafting (i have kept my first cards ugh!!!). Then saw something on tv, so i recorded all the craft shows. A couple of years ago i saw Sue Wilson on TV and could only dream about making cards like hers. Got the GC and my crafting has really taken off. Then you came on to tv with Sue. I now only record spellbinders or creative expressions, i have found my niche. I have had a few people asking me to make their cards (3 lots of wedding invitations as well) but i really enjoy trying out all the dies and putting them together to make different shapes. I love paper.
Sue
Hi Christine,
I have only been crafting for about 2 years but I have got the bug! Love watching C and C for inspiration and the demos and of course to see wonderful guests like yourself. I enjoy making cards and I have a box I keep at work so everyone knows if they need an emergency card I will have one. Started taking comissions and although it will never pay for all my stash every little bit helps!
Lynnus x
Morning Christine! Hope you had a good trip back home, Bella and the boys will be pleased to see you!
Crafting and me? Well I have been crafting in some way or other since I was a child: Dad was an artist, but whilst I love art, I never really inherited his skill in painting. I started with paper crafts, mainly scrapbooking thru spending time with my American family, but now it's mostly card making. I also enjoy a bit of craft related sewing and have been trying knitting again recently. I love to rubber stamp and my craft room tools I cannot be without are my Grand Calibur, Spellbinders and Promarkers!
In a few weeks I will be teaching my first card making workshops with a friend who owns our local lovely craft/gift shop. I'm nervous and excited! Looking forward to reading everyone else's craft stories, Carole Z X
Morning Christne hope you had a goos flight and welcome home. My favourite crafty thing is my grand calibur and spellbinder dies and cosmic shimmer glue and ribbon. can't forget the ribbon i think i have a thing for it as i have loads and more often than not cant bare to use it as its so gorgeous. Ive been crafting for many years since i was a little girl, when i used to knit and make my dolls clothes. I ve been interested in card making for about 4 years now and i have done some scrapbooking in my past job as a foster carers which i really enjoyed. ive babbled in jewellery making too nd made a few pieces as gifts for people. xx hazel
Christine, hope you've had a safe journey home and come home with lots and lots of ideas to share with us all. Hope you've had some good cuddles.
I've done bits and bobs of crafting when I was young like crochet and cross stitch. I was in hospital for 7 weeks in 2005 and off sick 11 months altogether and found Dawn Bibby on QVC. She got me into proper cardmaking and saved me during a very difficult time. Despite my own ill health I decided that I would make my cards solely to sell to raise funds for different charities and I have kept to this. 50% of everything I make is given to charity, the other 50% goes back into my kitty for more provision. I've now raised nearly £1,500 for charity - it doesn't sound much but to me it's a lot when some cards only sell for £1 to £1.50.
I use lots and lots of things in my cardmaking but my favourites have to be my CDs, my Cuttlebug and all my Nesties. I dream one day of a Calliber - well it's good to dream isn't it?
Take care, Kym xxx
Good morning Christine,
I started knitting when I was a teenager, made a couple of cardigans. I also did tapestry and a little crochet. Dressmaking went on for quite a few years, in the time when it was cheaper to buy fabric and make your own! I still do a little sewing and also enjoy machine embroidery when I have time.
About 8 years ago I started cardmaking and scrapbooking and absolutely love it. My favourite item has to be the Grand Calibur and dies, although I do love stamping too.
Chris x
Hi CHristine hope you had a safe jorney home. I started crafting 7 years ago when i saw a handmade card sent to my mum for her 50th and i thought i would love to have a go. I havent looked back since my favourite crafty items are nesties, bling and inks. Thanks for the chance
Elaine
Hi Christine,
I like anything to do with craft.
I make doll house dolls from fin=mo, bears in all sizes plus miniature and I love embroidery and paper craft.
I am teaching myself to make Dorset buttons and have lots of knitting on the go.
Margaret xx
I'm hoping you had a safe journey home and are now reading all these comments. Surprise packages are fun. What a great way to share what you've weeded out of your craft room. I love all sorts of papercrafts (cardmaking, bookmaking, origami, etc.), but also do a little knitting, want to learn to crochet beyond the basics that I know, have sewn most of my own clothes since the 6th grade, have a garage full of tools that I actually use, am the one always drafted to come up with an idea for a gift presentation...so any extra bits of crafty stuff would be welcome. I don't know if it's crafty or not, but I've also cut my hair since I was 15 which was a long time ago. ;-)
Hi Christine, hope you had a good journey home and aren't too jet lagged. I started knitting and crocheting as a youngster then like most crafters progressed to cross stitch. From there it was easy to make the jump to card making and scrapbooking. I've also taken some time out to do some egg crafting but have returned to the paper side of crafting now. It's great to read what other crafters enjoy.
Welcome back to sunny blighty! i've always loved being crafty and like to make cards for my friends and family. I love to get inky playing with stamps, distress inks & alcohol inks etc. i love to use my GC especially to make felt flowers and I really want to give the Nestaboard a try as I like to make mini albums as well.
I recently taught myself to knit with the help of You Tube and I'm currently making cute little chick easter egg covers to hold a certain yummy egg! Enjoy your cuddles with Bella x Sarah W
Morning Christine and welcome home hope you have the sun as we do in Kent.
Well crafting for me it all started when I had two young daughters so I made their clothes nothing very fancy but it saved a lot of money for me. I then became a guider so we made all sorts of crafty things at our meetings, such as sticking pebbles on flower pots with plaster really messy. Soft toys was another thing which we made to sell for funds.
Then onto card craft about six ago I saw Dawn Bibby on TV and thought I could do that and the rest as they say is history. I love stamping and spellbinder dies, I also like decoupage.
I make cards for Guide dogs as my daughter is a guide dog puppy walker, I give the profit to them.
Its very generous of you to give a stash away.
Take care
Lydia
X
Good morning Christine.Wow what a wonderful prize.I have always enjoyed crafts like knitting and sewing,but started card crafting after going through a rough time in my life.
I make all my cards for charity,mainly for animals.
My favourite tool would have to be my pokey tool,I would be lost without it.
I have also made two scrapbooks for my daughters,which I thoroughly enjoyed doing.
Hope you got a big kiss from Bella.xx
Hi Christine, hope you had a wonderful and enjoyable trip and arrive home safely, but not too jet lagged. So looking forward to hearing about the trip and seeing your photos! Crafting and me go way back. My mother was a knitter, so for an early birthday, I received a children's knitting kit which I loved. I also had a 'knitting Nancy' as it was called in my day! I was always making things-Blue Peter specials, and then taking them to school to show. My crafting progressed, and I started card making after a friend gave ne a beautifully handcrafted birthday card, and I thought, 'I could do that' and have! My favourite craft items are my die cutting machine and all my dies(especially Spellbinders), my little paper trimmer and my orange scissors. Thank you fr this giveaway opportunity!X
Welcome home Christine. I like so many others have crafted for as long as I can remember, starting with making doll's clothes on an old tredle sewing machine at about 6. As a teenager my father used to take me to a local market on Saturdays, he would buy me some material and I would come home and make a dress and wear it to go out that night, :) always at the height of fashion.
I then pregressed to knitting and would make something new every week, dabbled in crochet. Embroidery came when I was a student nurse working night shift, had to have something to keep me awake when the ward was quiet.
Cross stitch came many years later but lasted for quite a while, until it started affecting my eyes.
I only started card making 3 years ago when I decided to make a card for my great neice. It has now taken over my life and my house. I have a fetish for Spellbinders, but only have 72 sets so far (OMG I didn't realise I had that many, I just counted)
I have accumulated 123 promarkers and 144 spectrum noir's and just a few copics, about 100 craft cd's and card and paper that fills 3 large cupboards. Stamping is my latest thing, and I created a blog 3 weeks ago to enter challenges.
There you go... do you think I have an addiction?
Eileen x
Hi Christine welcome home ,what a tease you are ,as a young girl i started to embroider,sew and knit, as a teenager i delved in tapestry, painting and crochet.It wasnt until my retirement when i wanted a special Birthday Card ,and found that my pension would not stretch to a card that was not that special ,that i decided to make my own, I found the glitter girls and followed them and their boards for many years ,then in August last year i found the Big Shot on the T.V craft show,My husband got it for me for Christmas, i had some birthday money and bought some spellbinders dies but i do admit i an a complete novice and i did have a problem putting a card together mixing and matching the die cuts. However i found Sue Wilsons blog and yours and i follow every day and i have made some nice cards and crafts , so you see my retirement is now full to brimming with crafting ,the products i make i give to my local charities . So from me to you a very big Thank You Elaine H X
Hi Christine, I have been knitting for years,for my children and grandchildren, but only started making cards when I retired from work.I started with parchment craft which was hard to do but very rewarding and then branched out into die cutting etc.Ihave treated myself to a grand calibur, and watched you on tv giving great tips on the way to get the best from it, so am raring to go !I also like stamping and would love to get some sentiment stamps that you and Sue Wilson use on your cards. Thanks for the inspiration.....Jean
Hi Christine
hope you had a safe/good journey home.
You have asked for your followers to comment on what crafts/things we like to make, & also our favourite tools. I have been crafting for MANY years (more years than I care to recall) lol. I have delved into numerous crafts over the years from knitting/dressmaking/cake decorating/ making & dressing porcelain dolls, from miniature (dolls house size) up to much larger sizes, flower arranging/upholstering/ the list goes on & on. I now (mostly) make cards/scrapbooks (which I love). My favourite tool is my Grand Calibur & my Spellbinders dies. Before my lovely husband brought the Calibur for me, I was struggling to use my Spellbinders dies in my Big Shot Pro, I even brought an extra piece of kit to enable me to use the Spellbinders dies in the Big Shot Pro machine. I struggled with the machine/dies wasting loads & loads of beautiful card/paper. Now I have my Calibur no more wasting my treasured/stroked card/paper, it just glides through the machine. I can not recommend it highly enough (just wished I'd brought it first) saving me the cost of a very expensive Big Shot Pro.
hugs
Sandra (craftynan)
hi christine and welcome home, like everyone else I started making things as a child and progressed, (Made my bridesmaids dresses!)dabbled in cross sticth and then a couple of years ago decided to make my own xmas cards, found c&c and the rest is history. I'm a bit of a technophobe so no blog but I do like following others (yours and sues especially)my favourite things are of course my gc,spellbinders,distress inks, melt pot and everything tim holtz,I like to try lots of different tecniques and can't imagine lift without craft. crafty hugs Tina x
Morning Christine, So pleased you had a great time in USA and Bella will most surely have missed you as much as you have missed her. I have crafted since I was a child, being taught crocheting by my grandmother. Over the years I have knitted all my son and daughters woollens, sewn trousers and dresses for them, and knitted for my grandchildren. I have been an avid cardmaker for the past 15 years and absolutely love my nesties and grand calibur. When I retired 10 years ago took up water colour painting, which is now my second love to cardmaking.
Val C
Cant wait to hear all about AZ, I love all my crafting tools but lately I've fallen in love with my new Grand Calibur, wish I had bought it when it came out, it saved me a lot of time and wasted cardstock
HOW EXCITING, who doesn't love a great suprise!! I can see we all love crafting and Papercraft supplies but I also really enjoy learning new tips and techniques. I find myself searching the net to learn as much as I can and then I love to give it a go. It's a great feeling of accomplishment applying what you learn. Thanks for the Hope and Chance of winning your Suprise!!
Cindylu
miller896042 at bellsouth dot net
Hi Christine
I love all the cards you make and share with us. I particularly like using my cuttlebug and finding new ways to layer up the shapes. I also like using gilding flakes and am a flexi marker fan. Hope Bella enjoys some quality time with you even tho you will be sooooo tired after your journey. She will be glad to have Mum back.
Hi Christine, Reading the other posts reminded me of just how many different types of craft I have tried my hand at over the years. The amount wasn't surprising as Craft has been an integral part of my life since I was a very small child. What surprised me was how many of my precious memories of others involve crafting: Messy crafts, sewing, embroidery, tapestry with Mum; Sketching & painting with Dad; Cake decorating with Nan; Pottery at school, Making digital cards & animations with friends & partners; Handicrafts, Photography, Play Therapy at various jobs... To name but a few.
Thankyou for initiating this trip down memory lane.
Hi Christine
The things I like to make most are usually for other people, like birthday cards and scrapbook pages. I'm currently working on some tag books for my American penpal and a wedding album for my nephew, just collating all my info at present and my bits and pieces.
My favourite products have to be anything by creative expressions or Tim Holtz. His smile just makes me smile! he's an inspiration.
I don't have the Grand Calibur yet, only a cuttlebug but i'm glad this allows me the chance to still use Spellbinders dies, it's going to be a dear Santa letter.
I love stamping and seem to be collecting quite a lot of different designs. I've really moved away from anything cute, more vintage these days,
although I like Gorjuss girls.
If i had to choose my favourite tool, i'd say my rectractable pokey tool, what would i do without it?
And I guess my pro and aqua markers are my prize pocessions.
I like looking at various blogs and admiring what others create as this I think is how we learn from each other.
Hope your trip was wonderful and I bet Bella is happy now!
Hi Christine,
Hope you had a great time in Arizona, learnt a lot more and came home with those beautiful bags packed with goodies..
Sweet Bella will have by now washed/kissed every little bit of you she can reach, which I dare say whilst on your lap will be most of you.!!!!!!
Living with Labrador s I envy you having a small dog, their kisses are so much smaller and not so wet..
I too, like many others have been crafting in some way since I was young. Luckily for me as a child I has a sewing teacher who loved next door, I learnt a great deal from her, and progressed from toys to making my own clothes..
Knitting was taught by both my Nan and Mum, I love knitting for small people as I am quite impatient really, hence Crochet came next, this I taught to my Mum, makes a change for a kid to teach a parent something!!! Crochet is something I still do, often making for one of my Granddaughters.
Whilst recovering from major surgery about 10 years ago, my daughter brought me some papercrafting goods, to keep me quiet.
The rest is history.
I love tools, actually crafting tools are my weakness, hence I have a Cricut expression, one of the first in the country, I love it especially when batch card making, otherwise it takes up too much space. I have a Big Shot, Cuttlebug and of course my Favourite Grand Calibur.
I love the complexity of the Spellbinder Dies, the way you first look at them, create the basic shape then look to see what else can be created from it.
My Scrapbooking has unfortunately ceased, since losing my Mum four years ago, I have found it difficult to get going again, despite the arrival of 2 new Granddaughters in that time. I think I have discovered what a Block feels like, my Mojo has left me, or maybe its the shear amount of Photos I inherited and have no idea the history of.
Sorry about that went way off tangent there.
Thank you for the chance of winning your wonderful candy. Congratulations to whoever wins.
Hugs Georgette
Hi Christine
Hope you had an enjoyable trip
I've been card-making for approx 8yrs after having to give up knitting and baking for various reasons.
I found that it was a craft I could do as I could work something for as long as I felt able and even if I didn't get back to it for quite a while it had not "gone off" making it ideal and enjoyable
At the mo I'm enjoying my GC and trying to collect dies. My other half winds it through and I think even he enjoys joining in
Oh well enough of my ranting
Hugs
Sue
XXX
Hi, hope you are not too jet lagged and that you had a great time at Spellbinders. I have enjoyed crafting in many forms most of my life but the last 5 years have been taken over by papercrafting, mainly cards. I am just finishing a project though which has taken me two weeks and that was making an album from the Tropical Travelogue papers by Graphic 45 following an online tutorial and I thoroughly enjoyed it,so I might add this to my long list of things to continue to do.
There are so many subjects to choose from out there that sometimes I spend hours looking for ideas and inspiration in Blogland and end up not making anything! Must focus.
Thanks for the chance to win the mystery candy, I'm off to spring clean my craft room as you have made me feel guilty in doing yours.:)
Lorraine
Hello Christine, welcome back. Look forward to hearing all about your trip and seeing the pics from Arizona. Bet Bella jumped for joy seeing her Mummy again...maybe Mummy did too!!!
I have loved reading all the posts so far today about how everyone started crafting.
My Mum started me off with sewing when I was young and over the years have made clothes, curtains, blinds and soft toys to name a few. My Mum had a knitting machine but I could never get on with that so only knitted by hand but not that much really. I dabbled in cake decorating making birthday cakes when my children were growing up and 3 years ago I started card crafting. I love it but as I work full time do not really get enough time to craft so stay up sometimes till early morning. Roll on retirement. I started off making my own backing papers and toppers from pictures but now thanks to you and Sue Wilson would not be without my Grand Callibur and dies. As far as I am concerned a card isn't a card without bling on it. I make cards for people at work and family and friends. My friend and I have a craft night once a month and we share ideas and techniques.
Thank you Christine for all your inspiration and the chance to win some goodies although I have actually won one of your beautiful cards before so that probably rules me out.
Elizabeth x
Hi Christina, hope you had a great time in Arizona,I suppose I alwayd did craft things like kniting and cracha, my Mother was wonderfull with her hands and loved all crafts.I started Card making a few years ago and love it .I lost my mojo foe a good bit, bu since folling your blog and Sue one I have staredd again,my best thing I ever got is the Grand Calibur, I have only some of the dyes but am trying play with to see if i can get different looks and still learning,the other thing about Card making is all the wonderfull frinds I have made, they are all so very helpfull.I hope in a few weeks I will be able to share all of ny daughters wedding,cards etc, Than I have made
Smiles
Ita
Welcome home Christine, and how nice for you to land here in such lovely weather! I've been crafting for many years now and flit from one thing to another but my favourite is definitely paper crafting. Last week I gave my eldest sister her 60th birthday present - a scrapbook which started with photos of her as a little girl and ended last year when she was visiting us. I know it was a success as she cried all the way through the album (while stroking the pages :)). I'm now going to concentrate on the scrapbooks for my sons (which they'll not appreciate until I'm gone!) and starting the first one for my one and only grandchild.
Hi and Welcome home hope you had a great time. well I love my spellbinders the most. My Daughter is going to have a Baby. this will be our First Grandchild so I will Be making all the Decorations for her baby shower. the banner will be from my Cricut cart Tie the knot because I love the Scalloped Banner. then I will go to my Baby steps and cut out many Different things from that. I also will make the invites too. was thinking of making one of the Images and then adding a shadow of that Image and attach it to the back of the card. I know this will be alot but she is due Sept. 25th so If i start soon I am sure i can get it done. thanks for the chance to win.
Love all Carfts.
abbraddock@msn.com
have to start w/ saying Bella is a CUTIE!!! And I understand when you say she's missed when you're away (obviously, I have one of my own)...
crafty loves of mine? my craft room is full of YARN & knitting supplies & patterns; lots of paper crafting goodies, most used for card making; jewelry making, altho that's taken a rest for 'awhile'; & painting, which I'm now trying to renew.
Good afternoon christine do hope you enjoyed your trip, and that youve had lots of cuddles from bella and family members, i just love scrapbooking & making cards/wedding invitations. cant get enough started 5 years ago through illness and never looked back.ive been buting lots of spellbinders dies and my husband bought me some to i was very surprised!!! I did send u a message last week asking what font u used on your u tube video hope u can help caroline x
Hi, What an interesting blog read today has been. Thank you for making me think about all the different crafts I have tried, there has always been something craft based in my life from my first hand made cards that were cross stitch through the more unusual, bobbin lace making and many other crafts (does anyone remember macrame?)to knitting which I do a lot of now. I love knitting lace patterns. Having the alpacas I learnt to spin and weave and last year natural dyeing. My favourite crafting item at present is my Grand Calibre and my Spellbinders dies, I just like using the dies to cut the shapes, it is always exciting when they appear popped out of the die. I aim to try some scrapbooking, or at least some small memory books with the nestaboard, using your inspirational ideas. Looking forward to hearing all about your trip.
Kathy
I hope you have a good journey back and Bella enjoys her hugs. I started cardmaking about six years or so ago and I was hooked! Stamping is a favourite and I love getting messy with ink and absolutely adore my Grand Calibur and Cuttlebug. I dabble with Encaustic Art (painting with wax using an iron) and I really want to try Art Journalling but have not been brave enough yet. Scrapbooking too would also be good to try. About five and half years ago I fell ill with M.E. which has completely changed my life. It also means I can only craft in short bursts, but without craft, my illness would be a lot harder to deal with. Being part of the crafting blogging world is fabulous. It keeps me in touch with whats going on and I feel part of a community and not so isolated since I cannot get out much. Well I hope I haven't bored you too much but now you can see what craft means to me. Thank you for the chance to win and I will enjoy reading everyone's storys xx
Hi Christine,
I have been papercrafting for about 5 years and am still very much a novice. I seem to have loads of ideas in my head but have trouble transfering them to reality.
I do however use my crafty streak with the children that i work with, i am a HLTA at a Special Needs school and we get creative every day. I use my GC and dies at home and then the children create with the diecuts.
Hoping you enjoyed Arizona and that Bella missed you as much as you missed her.
TFS
Hugs
Amanda x
Hope you had a good trip and have hugged Bella really tightly!
I like making anything! I have always done sewing and cross-stitching and so it was inevitable that I would start scrapbooking! I have some (lets say) unusual ideas like making butterflies out of safety pins and beads and using ribbon as wings. You could say I like to think out of the box!
I like using die cuts the most on my big shot which I just love playing with. I also spend my weekends making cards just because I love doing it, I do struggle with cards for the males in my family though.
I do wish I had more dies and embossing folders but I will have to wait until I can afford to get some, crafting is an expensive hobby!
I enjoy reading your blog and seeing what you have come up with on a daily basis!
Welcome home Christine. I have only been paper crafting for about a year. A life member of the Embroiderers Guild, embroidery was always my main interest and I would try anything from canvas work to free machine embroidery and all things in between. Now retired I have started card making and find it so enjoyable and you can see results relatively quickly! My favourite pieces of equipment have to be the GC and Spellbinders, they can help the novice produce professional looking work. However, even with this equipment I would be at a total loss without the inspiration I get from the likes of you and Sue.
Anne x
Welcome back.I started crafting as a child with knitting,embroidery and cross-stitch.About 5 years ago I found papercrafting and hope that I have improved.The thing that has helped a lot is the grand calibur and spellbinders. I think I use at least one on each project.
Just love your blog which I have only recently discovered and your creations are just wow wow wow - Oh dear I have just realized the pun!. Enjoy your puppy reunion and take a good rest - hope the jetlag is not too bad.
I love to make cards, scrapbooks, mini-books and anything creative (painting, knitting and crochet are interests too) - cardmaking always gives me a buzz when I add glitter or make flower embellishments. Of course my obsession with spellbinders is just that - I love those dies.
happy crafting and good wishes
Phil
I have heard lots of great stuff about Arizona; a place I haven't been to yet! Hope you had a great time away and I'm sure I know how Bella has been feeling... our Molly will find her spot on the sofa and wait and wait till we get home.
Anyway, I have and still enjoy all things "artsy/craftsy" and have been creating various forms of artwork since I can remember. I had some health issues about 9 years ago which resulted in many eye surgeries; loosing the sight in my left eye. For about 2 years I was patched up and wasn't able to wear glasses until my good eye healed and so I pretty much thought that was the end of my painting, teaching, etc. until my bf said we should sign up for a card making class... huh?
Well that was the start of card making and page layouts which led to mini albums, then designing mini albums (favourite thing to make) to teaching at charity weekends and now having a studio in a large warehouse with 25 other artists.
I am now a dedicated acrylic and oil painter, paper crafter, and wife. (yes, in that order! :) ) I LOVE it all and I think I'm addicted?... :-)
Hi Christine - something crafty in my comment - well I love using nesties of all shapes since seeing you, Sue and the other demonstrators showing the potential for using them on C&C. They are beoming a bit of an addiction leading to a level of chaos in my craft room as sO am not good at tidying away when using the new sets I bought at the SECC. However also balancing crocheting my son a bed cover for his flat so not mcuh tidying going on anywhere lol!
What I like to do is to alter objects. The vintage style is my favorite but I like every style. I love mixed media too. Love surprises, thanks for the chance, Johanne L.
Hi Christine! I hope you had a nice flight home. Right now I am in school and am doing more homework than anything else...besides work. I do have a need to be creative though so I have been making cards for special people. Sometimes I use stamps like Donna Downey's new Poppy stamps and I also love using Spellbinders dies in my Grand Calibur!
Blessings to you,
Marianne
Welcome home Christine. Sounds like you had an amazing time, can't wait to see your photos. The luggage tags that you made for the design team are so pretty, another amazing idea. I started crafting about 6 years ago, unfortunately due to illness I had to give up my job in the City after commuting from Gravesend for 20 odd years!!! As I couldn't manage the stairs in our house we moved to a bungalow in Greatstone on Romney Marsh. I then became addicted to crafting through Dawn Bibby and QVC and the rest is history. My crafting goodies started with a box, then a chest of drawers, then a desk and now I am really lucky as my garage has been transformed into a workroom for just me!!! I watch Create and Craft and read lots of magazines but just recently Sue Wilson and especially you Christine have inspired me to create not just cards but books, labels, jars, pictures etc. I have a GC and a collection of Spellbinder dies and use them every single day in every single project that I make. Crafting has changed my life completely and although obviously I wish I was fit and healthy if it wasn't for my illness I would never have found the world of crafting. Thank you Christine for your daily blog it is brilliant. XXX
Hi Christine,
I started crafting at the very young age of 3, I learned how to knit my own socks with 3 needles :)
My Nana taught me crochet at the age of 7 and I learnt how to draw at school, papercrafting came much later but I am addicted to it, I have various electronic cutting machines which I use daily but my latest purchase was the Grand Calibur last month, now I am busy buying as many dies as possible LOL!!!
I am glad you had a great time in Arizona, Bella will have missed you loads :)
Hugs
Adele
Welcome home Christine!!
I cam into crafting late as a result of being left disabled by an operation that was supposed to change my life!! (it certainly did)!!
I mainly make cards, I love my grand calibur it was a gift from my husband and I have a good selection of dies,collecting them seems to be my latest guilty pleasure!!
Just a quick insight, although a little late as was at hospital all day yesterday!!
So glad your home!
Huge hugs
Sandra xx
Have only recently become a follower of your blog which is full of fab inspiation thank you for sharing :-).
I have always crafted Mum taught me to knit at a very young age scarfs for my toys..then she taught me to sew and I made all my own clothes for many many years, then one day about 15 years ago I found rubber stamps and was totally hooked, learning by my mistakes, which were many then I saw heat embossing and was wowed again, I love to make anything as long as I can use my stamps and get inky...just trying mixed media and getting very messy it's great!
Thanks for the chance to win some crafty goodies
Maggie*
What a jet-setting gal you have become, thanks to your talents. My daughter-in-law dabbled in home-made cards (very simple ones), and during one of the visits there she said 'you're not going home till you've made a card' - and that was it. She doesn't craft now, and I do. I love Spellbinders - got GC in November last year. I also love MCS crafting CD's. I love knitting, mainly for grandchildren and I ice a decent Christmas cake. I have discovered very late in life that I have inherited my Dad's arty streak.
You'll need time to 'come back down' I guess - have a good rest and come back on TV soon.
Hugs, Joan
Welcome home and I bet you had a great reception from Bella.
I love all kinds of crafting and have tried most of them .
I have settled on card making and also gifts made from card. I love using my Grand Calibur, My hubby Tim had brain surgery last year, thankfully he has fully recovered. He bought me the grand calibur because I looked after him so well when he came home.
I buy lots of dies its a case of... I have to have them.
I I love CD crafting but I like to think outside the box, and so I will make things my way and not the exopected way.
I just love the feeling of making something that brings a smile to others.
Thank you for the chance Hugs Elaine
Hi Christine, I started card making around 10yrs ago but i was always craft when I was younger, sewing and knitting with my mum, all my clothes were handmade or hand knitted.Even now all my soft furnishings (curtains, cushions, lamps etc.) are all handmade, i love that poeple ask me where my curtains or cushions came from and I can say, I made those! Now I am an avid stamper, jewelry maker and scrapbooker too. I am now starting to dabbling in altered art, i love getting inky and messy lol.
Love and hugs,
Dawn.W
Christine - I love, love, love your blog, you are truly inspirational. My next project will be a complete copy of your beautiful butterflies picture! My favourite craft purchase this year has been my pink ATG, it is so convenient and a real time saver. Thank you so much for the opportunity to win some crafting goodies. Best wishes, Toni
Golly what long comments, I've just enjoyed reading them all. Here goes with mine...... I got back into creating 6 years ago, when I was made redundant for the 2nd time, I asked to leave work earlier as the last interior design and decorative effects course was starting at the nearby campus of the local Uni. I enrolled, my only regret was that I hadn't done it sooner, as being in admin/secretarial work all my life wasn't exactly creative! I met some wonderful people in my classes, and went on to join a friend's class, who I met at college as she set up her own surfaces for stitch course when college withdrew the type of courses we required. I had the Grand Calibur for a Christmas present along with my Ultimate Pro, thus started my card making, I think they both compliment each other wonderfully. I combine these with the handmade paper and other surfaces I have created with stitching and other media, I am learning all the time, there is nothing more I like to do, than getting messy creating different textures. Gosh I have gone on a bit! Christine I only found your blog recently and find it really inspirational along with Sue Wilson's, keep up the great work. Take care Alison :)
Hi Christine - welcome home - what a gorgeous treat you've had... it's true to say ... "you never know where the journey may take you". Well I got into crafting at a very early age at my mother's knee so to speak. Progressed through knitting, crotcheting, painting (well.. colouring in really!!) machine knitting, cross-stitching then when I retired, card making - which I'm addicted too (says my sister) and I have far too much 'stuff'. I love tools
and machines so you can imagine I have a passion for spellbinders!!!!
I love watching out for all the new products on C&C but I am trying to curb my passion. My next project will be a copy of your beautiful framed butterflies... mmmm but there again I need to make one of your lovely plaques!!!! (see what I mean - I could go on...) Looking forward to seeing more of you on TV and following your blog. Have a good day (as they say in the USA).
Hugs
Heather
x
I sooooo love your designs. Those of us who love to craft but are not good at designing find your blog invaluable - well I do!!!!!
Hi Christine, welcome home! I have been crafting all my life, knitting, sewing etc. but 5 years ago I got struck down with Rheumatoid Arthritis which at 58 was devastating. I had to give up work but now have a new wrist and a new knee and have just started a 'wonder drug'. I got into card crafting by watching Create and Craft, bought bits and pieces and eventually started selling my cards. I now have a craft room which is shrinking by the day and do craft every single day, it has kept me sane and helped me enormously. People like you help so much as you are such an inspiration. Hope you have recovered somewhat from you jet lag by now.
I started crafting by making a cross stitch picture for my sister about 20 years ago. Or so I thought until I read several of the other comments and realised that actually I started crafting long before that. I started crocheting when I was about 8 or 9 because I couldn't get the hang of knitting ( and still can't). After being an avid cross stitcher for several years I turned to card making as a cheap way of giving my niece three 18th birthday cards - one from us and one from each of her two cousins. And the rest is history... Loving all the designs you share with us and I now have two weeks of school holidays to craft, craft, craft! Yippee! Ju
Your designs look fantastic! Keep up the great work.
Evening christine, hope you've enjoy your trip, and that your family are ok.I just any crafting from cardmaking to sewing made many christmas gifts this year. I just love many of the projects that you put on the site.well done keep it up xx
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