General Chat

Mine are moslty cross stitch, like you Jacky. I had a break last year from making any, and everyone asked why they didn't get a hand made one. I've about 10 done so far. Dificult to sell because of time spent on them, although I am forever doing larger pieces and gicing them away. Rebecca

I started making cards about 20 years ago. Mine are all cross-stitch but have taken a back seat of late due to work and tracing my family tree which since things went on line, seems to take more time! Mine are mainly for special birthdays and celebrations and to my own design. Winter months usually sees the sewing bits coming out for an airing. I have tried to sell some but to find a price that is will cover some of the time put in and still be reasonable, seems difficult. Jacky

Hi Liz, hope you're ok? The tray you're talking about - is it advertised in Lakeland as an actual embossing tray? Then I will know which catalogue number to put on my Christmas list lol! Mandy :)

Thanks for that Joanne, I think that will go on my letter to Santa now! I do belong to Docrafts, their newsletter email came yesterday but I haven't read it yet. And thanks for that little tip on hairdryers - I did once buy a small pot of powder and tried it with a hairdryer, and of course it didn't work. Now I understand that the embossing tool is just hot rather than hot air. Thanks again, Mandy :)

Funnily enough my friend Gill and I are getting together today to make some Christmas cards. I love making a mess with card, glue and loads of bits. We are like a couple of kids and we do have a laugh. Jo.

Mandy - it's really easy. I don't class myself as an artistic person - i can't draw for toffee! but i can make really classy, professional looking cards (according to my husband!) using all different methods. Heat embossing is so simple. All you do is ink up your stamp and stamp onto your card, then sprinkle with the embossing powder. Then heat it with your heat gun. Easy peasy! The only problem with trying to use a hairdryer is that the hairdryer blows the embossing powder away! As mentioned 'do crafts' have a sale on at the moment and I their heat gun is reduced from 19.99 to 12.99! that's such a great bargain. I've never seen any that cheap before. To find out your nearest stockists check out their website www(.)docrafts(.)co(.)uk On the left handside of their homepage is a link to stockists. Hope this is of some help to you! Joanne

Hi Joanne, so is embossing with the heat tool easy? Worth the money? Thanks for any advice, Mandy :)

Hi Another card maker here! I haven't started making my christmas cards yet so must get a move on! I keep all my 'stuff' in a plastic wheeled drawer chest thingy like others have mentioned. I have plastic envelopes for all my embellishments/stickers/etc to keep them all together. I wonder if Gillian was talking about Iris paper folding? I like rubber stamping, heat embossing, dry embossing (with lightbox), using stickers, embellishments. Anything!! I'm a real craftaholic, in fact sometimes I think I get more fun out of buying supplies rather than using them, lol!! Joanne

There is a new magazine out called Quick cards made easy. That has quite a lot of good ideas in it. The ones I have made today have had either shapes stuck on the front or pices cut out of last years Christmas cards. i am pleased with the effect. I have used different coloured cards this year too, i usually stick to white, red an green but i have also used mauve and blue and they look very modern with silver embellishments on them. Ann Glos

Hi Gillian, I think the craft you are talking about is Lace (with a thingy over the 'e' but there isn't one on my keyboard). It's paper folding but it's all interwoven and looks beautiful when you open the design out. Mandy :)

Hello to all you artists!! Have started also a while ago to make my christmas cards in quilting also a new idea for me I saw whilst in England fold pieces of paper and then buying the cards with the opening at the front until now they look quite presentable and here locally is a boy who blows christmas decorations they are lovely all lopsided as well the balls so thats lots of presents accounted for as they are so lovely that they are hand made Would also like to keep this line open for any quilters or painters etc xxx Gillian

Hi Ann I was in a bit of a quandary, I wanted to sell my cards but was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with a commercial demand. So after a chat with my boss, I now sell them in the school staff room; I only need to make a few a week to keep them supplied but I also make 'special requests'. I keep 40% of the selling price, which just about covers my costs, and the other 60% goes to my local hospice. Mandy :)

Mandy Do you sell your cards? I mostly do mine for my own pleasure and use but my daughter has sold them in the past by taking a stall at a school fair. The problem these days is that so many people are doing it that selling is not viable. I suppose if you have an outlet in the right place they would sell. I have made 10 this afternoon, the first of my Christmas batch. Zoe, it will probably tell you whether you can use a hair drier. i think you can as long as it gets hot enough. Ann Glos

Hello, my friend Donna is right! What a good idea to start this thread, it seems there are quite a few of us on here. I have ME and manage to work part-time but that's it so I wanted to do something 'arty' from home. First of all I got an A level in interior design which I really loved doing, then I moved onto making cards. I get a lot of stuff from Lakeland - if you look at their website they have a much bigger range than in their catalogue. In fact, I found they had a better range than my local hobbycraft (depends where you are I suppose!). I noticed this week that they have loads of lovely Christmas stuff in. In the 'girls' section of the Argos catalogue, I got a nice set of two mini drawers (£9.99) and they take quite a few small bits and pieces. I've also got a few small nice storage boxes from Ikea. I got a nice little lidded tray from Lakeland that has very small compartments, ideal for beads etc. I do a bit of glass painting and quilling as well; I've got an embossing kit that you do with a stencil and tool, but I've wondered about getting the starter kit from Lakeland. They reckon it's easy so maybe I will put it on my Christmas list too! Oh, by the way, another card maker is Maisie from Wales. It would be nice if we kept this thread to swop notes and ideas! Mandy :)

Its the beginners embossing kit from lakeland I was thinking of. Just so she can get a taste for it. I was hoping it could be done with a hairdryer tho as spending 20 quid to find out she doesnt like it would be a waste Zoe

Zoe I have embossed stamped cards. I don't think she would find it too difficult as she already makes cards. What does the set consist of? i think you need a heat source to melt the embossing powder. Nell I have got some lovely bits and pieces from lakeland, bought when we were in the Lake District in June. they have a really good selection now, although not as good as Hobbeycraft if you have one in your area. I prefer to look at things before I buy so tend not to buy on line. Ann Glos

Whilst all the card makers are on one thread.... Has anyone done any embossing at all? I was thinking of getting my mum an embossing kit for christmas and I just wondered how complex it is and whether the resulst are worth the cost Zoe

I, like Jean, have also plastic chest of drawers on wheels. Actually I have two - one on top of the other. I have coloured card, also specially cut-out cards, coloured envelopes in various sizes, 3D pictures, ribbons, beads, various rolls of double-sided tape, glue, numerous pairs of scissors, knives, rulers, stickers in all colours. I have another set of plastic boxes on wheels with all my cross stitch work in it. I've finished my Xmas cards - 87 in all. Sylvia xxx

Lakeland Limited have lots of useful storage ideas. Try their online site. nell

Started mine a month ago. I have a large box with all the sewing equipment in - threads and material, and the xmas patterns. The I have a draw unit for other bits and pieces, including card blanks. Rebecca