Let's Make Cards Magazine

At the weekend I finally managed to find time to sit down with my latest issue of Let's Make Cards magazine.

I love looking through the various designs and through all of the different ideas that can be made with the free kits.

Usually, I just copy the designs but I am trying to get more creative and come up with my own designs and ideas.

I'm still putting together some cards from this month's kit but in the meanwhile, this is my version of festive hearts.

My latest card designs

A few months ago I never imaged that I be making my own card designs but the positive comments I've got from friends and family have encouraged me so now I am working on a range of designs which I hope I can get some of the greeting cards manufacturers interested in.

The designs I've created are versatile so can be used in many forms such as materials, backing papers and craft stamps.  Here's some of my designs.  Some of them are hand drawn, others are from pictures I've taken.  I think you can guess which are which!. *

*All designs/photographs on this page are my work and I retain the copyright to them.  They cannot be reproduced or reused without my written permission.

When scans go wrong

I tried to scan some photographs into my computer last week.  Most of them went fine but once I got to the photograph of some pansies, it just wouldn't scan them.  I don't know what happened as I didn't do anything different with the picture.

After several attempts, I did end up with a distorted version of them which I actually liked the look of some I'm calling them "Abstract Pansies" and selling the picture as cards, posters, journals etc.

I'm also working on a line of other designs, which I hope will scan in better than the pansies did but has made a good journal cover.

Happy Easter!

It'll be Easter soon so I've been using it as an excuse to buy more craft materials  to make Easter cards.  Although I've made cards in the past, I've not made them from scratch and I often used the designs from craft magazines as inspiration.

With these cards, I've made them myself from a kit I brought on eBay.  I like the way they've worked out so far and I'm going to be making plenty more.

My favourite is the Bunny!

My first handmade chocolates

OK, so I’ve chosen the really easy way to make chocolates by buying some cooking chocolate and some chocolate moulds but I want to get used to the tempering and handling the mixture first.

You can use a bain-marie to heat the chocolate over the stove or you can just add some water to a saucepan, add the chocolate to a bowl and top and let the chocolate melt that way.  Alternatively, you could just melt it in a microwave but I didn’t want to heat it too quickly.

Once melted, you can pour the melted into the moulds; I used heart shaped silicone moulds and then left them in the fridge for an hour or so. (I had to wrestle with it a bit to get the chocolates out after wards).

I’m pleased with the results so far and just need to work on getting the backs of the chocolate a bit smoother (some of them are a bit too full of lumps and bumps) so with the next batch, I’ll let them cool for a bit before smoothing them out.

My first soaps

In the past few weeks I've been trying my hand at soapmaking.  At the moment I'm just using melt and pour soap while I get used to working with it and with the moulds.  I've noticed a book on Amazon about making your own melt and pour base so this is what I'm going to do next and then I will be able to say I've made them from scratch.

I've been experimenting with different colours and fragrances.  The colours I've come across are limited but you can use them to make different shades, for example, a few drops of blue soap colouring will make a turquoise colour while using more will make a deep-blue colour.

I'm using what I know about aromatherapy and hopefully putting that to good use.  I'm using lavender/chamomile to make relaxing soaps, geranium and ylang ylang to make uplifting soaps, lemon and orange to make refreshing soaps and eucalyptus and peppermint for if you've got a cold or you need to clear your head.

After heating the soap, you can mix in the colours and then the oils.  The soaps take about an hour to set and smell divine.

The Craft Business Handbook by Alison McNicol

I've spent the last few months buying supplies, learning new craft techniques and revisiting old ones, making soaps, cards, lip balms, and learning to use a sewing machine.  Next, I want to start to run it as a business rather than just selling to family and friends.

I recently brought The Craft Business Handbook by Alison McNichol.  This book is one of the most useful and inspiring books I've brought recently, and I've brought a lot of them. 

Divided into nine chapters, the book covers everything from setting up a business, developing a brand, selling online, using social media and promoting yourself.  The case studies - all people who have themselves started from scratch - is inspirational to a beginner.

The book is available from Amazon.