Hobbies and Crafts

Hi Ann,
Many thanks for the reply. I belonged to an online cardmaking group for a long time. Sadly, it went into meltdown after a massive disagreement. After that, I stayed away. I did have an invite to another group, which formed from some of the original members. However - once bitten, twice shy etc......
I make a mixture of cards having started after buying a pack of card blanks, an ink pad and 2 stamps, whilst on holiday at Center Parcs in 1993. It has grown since then and 2 years ago, the garage was converted and currently looks like a crafter's bomb site!!! I love stamping and am returning to this for Christmas cards this year. I love using dies, but am very selective. For me, a die needs to be multi functional in order to justify it's cost. Some of them are SO beautiful and the end results are amazing. I too have a Sapphire and love it. It stays on the desk and I use it for my smaller dies. I saw that somebody was having a cutting problem. A thin card shim has solved my problem - this has developed as the first set of plates wear. I have a replacement set ready, but the first plates have really been worked hard.
I make my cards for charity and have recently donated a large batch to a local charity which supports people who have/had breast cancer. I have also given batches to local charity shops and Cats Protection. I make cards for family birthdays etc and love having them ready for Christmas too. When making cards, I lose myself - hubby has to come to extract me out of the room sometimes!!!

Looking forward to chatting in the group - Ann (totally agree - very good name! :-D)

Hi Ann, sounds like a wonderful way to use a garage! I craft in a spare bedroom. (Retired with grown children (grandchildren and great grandchildren) so plenty of space). Not so good at stamping but I have a go, I like to use dies, find the saphire really useful when too lazy to get the larger machine out. But I still like decoupage and also using scrap book methods.

Our birthday girls group doesn't chat on here much these days as most have left Genes there are about four of us on here now. But the whole group of about 19/20 of us still make and send cards which keeps us busy. Jo,who is on here is the coordinator, and very good she us too. We also do Christmas cards for part of the group. (We are divided up into smaller groups).

Yes some of the dies are expensive I love the tatty lace dies and have had a few as presents. Love the peacock. However for the saphire I discovered in The Range that they do small Xcut dies that are the right size.

Welcome to the group Ann......Wynn here from Cyprus.....ex pat. Card making for me began when I retired here almost 15 yrs ago. I now run a weekly card and papercraft group. I used to sell my cards for the kidney charity here but I'm not very good at selling and would rather give it away. Recently I took the plunge and hired space in a handcrafted goods store.....we'll small shop really. So someone else is doing the selling for me lol. I am alson on 4 online design teams so that keeps me very busy. I also have an online blog ......sunshinecardsandcrafts.......pop in sometime and say Hello!!

I have recently invested in the Grand Calibur but it's so heavy to lift about that I might buy a smaller machine like you and Ann have.

Glad the card making relaxes you....same here. Speak again soon. Wynn xx

Hello Ann, I am Jean from Lancs, and after reading your replies we could almost be twins...lol I have been a cardmaker since 1982, when I first started craft stuff was hard to find now we cant keep up with all the ideas and new things. I unfotunatley have had a big upheaval in my lifestyle after a bad fall I had to up sticks and move into assisted living , it was major trauma , but I have managed to still have a craft room and still make cards doing that has certainly helped me ....I like the Sapphire too, my cards also go into charity places, and now I do some for the residents in here,scrapbooks where also a passion of mine..Ann and I both belong to the Birthday Girls and sending and recieving cards is great, lovely to see so many varied styles, we also send photos of each other cards along with another lady Sallie ,so always get fair comments on our efforts,I like yourself am totally hooked on this craft, I have even managed to get two the careres in here crafting and a couple of the residents , which is very good....Ann and I are also on the Just Jean thread , so have peep on there, you may like to have a word with us. Sallie the other crafter is on there , she makes beautiful cards too.
I have really enjoyed chatting with you and welcome you with open arms, as you may gather I can also chat for England :-D :-D :-D :-D
come back soon Love Jean xx <3

Hi Jean, how do I find the Birthday Girls and the just Jean thread please. Wynn xx

I think you put the thread name in the search box Winifred.

Birthday girls is on the gen board I have nudged it up?

Also nudged the Just Jean thread on gen board.

Wow! Lovely to meet you all - ladies after my own heart. Thank you for the welcome, Wynn & Jean.
I too am retired - sadly it was early retirement on grounds of ill health. I used to teach, but contracted a virus which left me with ME. Now, 19 years later, I still have the "residue" of ME, which the consultant predicted. However, I am functioning again and enjoying life. My hobbies are a lifeline for me and once started, I am a nightmare to shift!!! I am sure all of you know about crafting addiction....... Love the idea of converting your carers, Jean! Ann - stamping is definitely something which needs time. I do know now, that my early attempts were definitely in need of extra time! I have not stamped much for a very long time, but plan to use images for Christmas this year. Maybe, we could exchange ideas and possibly images, for people who would like the opportunity to use colours/paints/pens, but prefer not to stamp??
I am off to find the Birthday Girls thread and I shall chat again soon.
Many thanks for the welcome - Ann xx

Ann have you ever used digi stamps. That is probably the way to go for those who don't do stamping well (like me) however I can't get my head round them as to me they are just drawings, not stamps. I do like colouring in but when I see the colouring done by the professionals of their stamps mine are not as good. Jean does stamping well.

Good Morning, Ladies!
Sunshine here at the moment - not sure if it will last, though.
Ann - have heard of digi stamps and just had a look. One site looked good - I may investigate as I do like to test things out. As you say, the professionals certainly complete their work well, but ours will always be unique

Speak soon - enjoy your day, everybody
Ann x

Ann2 I like stamping and colouring, I invested in Versafine small ink pads I find they are thinner lines so looks so much better, My favourite craft thing is die cutting I have two storage files full of them. My cutting machines are E-boss, Big Shot and Sapphire, I had Cuttlebug and Grand Calibra sold them to the careres,I find the ideas and tutorials on youtube great....I also like to alter the colours of peel offs too.

I wish I could manage to get my latest pics on here, no problem when I had D living with me,she had them on quick time,must master it :-S :-S :-S

see you later take care Love Jean xx <3 <3

I've got the Big Shot and my craft group has a grand Calibur and a CuttleBug. I'm hopeless at colouring in....always looks childlike.....so I don't stamp. Even the digis are no good for me. Some people seem to be able to produce professional results tho.

I do wonder if it makes a difference what pens you use. Professional people seem to have the choice of all the most expensive pens with blending things etc. i love colouring in the new type books but I use pencils.

I am sure thats true Ann, I have lots of different pens, in fact quite a few of the promarkers have dried up with the lack of using them, I do like Whispers and Duflex
I use them to colour peel offs... I have some that I bought but havent used I wouldnt be suprised if they had dried up too.I watched a tutoriol on youtube and they used ink pads to colour with just like water colouring.. I must have a go with that...In fact I will go and have a dabble now, see you all later.

Love Jean xx

Hi ladies,
Absent due to crazy couple of days!
I used to have a batch of Tombow double-ended pens. Like you, they dried out, through lack of use. My preferred colouring method is watercolours, but on watercolour card as it covers a multitude of colouring sins!!!
I found a wonderful digistamp site today - quite by accident. I was trying to locate a stamp set - now discontinued. The makers now have a digistamp site. In case anybody wishes to check it out (if you haven't already done so) it is justinklined
I haven't put the www. bit in - are we allowed to post website details??? Anyway, I found a set, which is the replica of one of the stamp sets I was trying to locate.
Wynn - I really would not worry - if you are making cards for people you know, they will appreciate whatever you have done. I was always taught that it is the thought that counts - for me, that still holds today. I am sure people who know you, love your productions :-)
Will visit later in the week. Hope all are well Ann x

Yes ann you can put in web site links. That one sounds interesting, I will have a look when I get home.

Jean I have oens that have dried up, frustrating if you don't use them all the time isn't it? Same with ink pads.

I think I would be too impatient eith water colour paint as it would have to dry begore you went on to the next bit zi think. Anyone use watercolour pencils? I do have some of those, not yet used!

I had watercolour pencils Ann, I didnt use them much, finally sent them to Dizzi,she had sent me a picture so the pencils were a thank you...

Ann2 what was the stamp you were trying to get? I have many so who knows I may have it let me know....

I was wondering if any one has ideas to do something other than cards , I have done scrapbooking,decorated bags,also decorated small notebooks and decorated photo frames ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) I had thought maybe some chipboard stuff but any ideas would do....

What about those little boxes you can buy in Hobbycraft to put small gifts in Jean? You can also buy little frames, handbag mirrors etc to put pictures in, and key rings but they are a bit small really for what you want.

I must get back to scrap booking, ages since I did any, should be doing some pages of Adam. :-)

Jean I do the little boxes Ann mentioned. Also I've started decorating letters. The letters are made from lightweight wood.....you can get chipboard ones too. Or door hangers for children's rooms. Not done these but could be something else. What are you needing the ideas for. Are they to sell? I do altered notebooks too. Anything really to extend my range from just cards. Hope this helps.