My Creative Spirit (Blog Archive)

                Hi Everyone, our Facebook Live community is growing Class No 7 is fast approaching. If you've not seen the classes they run in two parts over a Friday and Saturday eve, and are designed for you to use your own basic supplies and papers from your stash to make the project. It was great way for us all to craft together while we were in lock down and we're going to continue with them as we get back to the new normal. This weeks project is the Fold Out Folio Album and stand.  The focus of this class is to make an album out of the smaller, 8 x 8 paper pads on the market. A great album to start on if you're new to paper craft and a lovely one to make and give as a gift too. We've added a stand in with the album to complete the project.   With the class you receive the following: On Purchase: Full written cutting guide for the project and link to join the Facebook Live Class (digital download)...

We think you will love these two fabulous new collections from Graphic 45 and the re release of the latest Deluxe Collectors Edition. New for summer 2020, there is something for everyone here, whether you're wanting to craft for an occasion or thinking ahead for Christmas. All collections are available to pre order now!   Enter Early Bird as the coupon code when checking out to get a fabulous  5%  off  these collections if you order before 31st July.  Ephemera Queen  18th-century couture meets fun ephemera with opulent golden yellow, rouge pink, and tiffany blue florals woven with delicate touches of pearls and lace.  Be inspired with this bright collection with its bold ephemera, decorative playing cards, and hats galore.  Christmas Time C elebrate the most wonderful time of the year with vintage steampunk Santa’s and a collection of festive images.  With emerald green trees, red holly berries, glittery golden gears...

Today we're really excited to be introducing our latest craft kit.  When assembled this fun little album measures 8 1/4" x 7" x 2", has an elasticated closure and folds out to reveal an array of pages and tuck spots for ephemera and photos.  There are double sided acetate pockets to showcase pictures and acetate covered photo mats to hold pictures in place rather than sticking them down.  Changing up your featured photo's has never been easier.  The kit comes with all you need to assemble the album covers , make up the internal structure of the album and decorate in papers from the 8 x 8 Fruit and Flora pad. The PDF tutorial (digital download) has a full video assembly guide covering all the assembly steps, a full supply list, tool list and cutting guide for all card and paper pieces.  See links at the end of the post.  If you love the album but would like to make it and decorate in your own choice of papers there's a PDF Tutorial avai...

  Hi everyone, how's your week going so far? It's dull grey and raining here, again! If you follow me you'll know that over the past 11ish years I've been designing and making projects to share with crafters on line, in workshops and retreats.  Each one has been made with a lot of love and passion for my craft, and many of them still live with me in the house.  As you can imagine we're getting a little crowded here lol! So for a few months I'll be giving away one or maybe more project each month starting with this Picture Perfect Album altered in papers from the Imagine collection by Graphic 45.  You can see more of the project in the video below.        If you'd like to enter this months giveaway you can leave your comment below or hop over to my You Tube channel ( click here ) and leave a comment on the March 2020 Giveaway video.  All comments listed at midnight GMT 31st March 2020 will be entered into the draw. ...

Hi Everyone, I hope you've had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend and maybe some crafting lol!!!.  I'm excited to be sharing the latest addition to our range of boxes and box and album cover sets with you today.  Who doesn't love a box to put things or to hold a keepsake.  I know I do.   The Agatha Box Set  comes flat packed, is laser cut from 3mm MDF and can be assembled using glue, painted and altered in mixed media if thats your style, or with our Signature Black Construction Tape and decorated in paper as shown above.  The model was decorated in paper from the Le Romantique Deluxe Collectors Edition by Graphic 45, has an ornate lock and metal corners on the lid. Once assembled it measures w: 10 1/2" d: 8 1/2" h: 4".  See below for links to all featured products.   .     The Agatha Box and Album Cover Set  contains the ten laser cut pieces that make up the box, two album cover...

Hi everyone, I hope you've had an enjoyable week and are looking forward to the weekend.  I'm off out tomorrow to run our first one day workshop of the year and looking forward to meeting up with all the lovely ladies coming along for a fun day of crafting Picture Perfect albums.  This weeks release is our new Concertina Album.  It comes in two styles, both measure 8 1/4" tall x 6" wide, one had six pockets and three styles of inserts and the other has twelve pockets and one style of insert making it perfect to make it into a Year Book or calendar.  There's a full PDF Tutorial with video assembly guides for both styles of album, including the dimensions to cut your own album covers, a generic paper cutting guide so you can use your choice of papers and how to make the featured Concertina Calendar Album in the Fashion Forward collection by Graphic 45.  Let's take a closer look at both albums.  Twelve Pocket Concertina Album  Th...

Hi everyone, happy Friday.  I can't believe it's already the second Friday of the month and have a feeling this year is going to fly by. I'm always getting asked if I have favourites amongst the projects I design so I took a look back at my 2019 creations and put together my Top Five to share with you, along with links to the project video and related products too.  Before I share them here's a bit of blurb about my approach to the design process. Paper Sale - Jan 2020 Papers are an essential part of the projects I design.  We've got great savings on selected paper lines over on the website this month.   Click here  to browse.  A bit of blurb ........   As a maker myself I'm always very conscious of the cost of crafting, and in my world the cost of the gorgeous designer papers we all have to buy, stoke and stash. With that in mind I try to create projects that make you want to use those papers and turn them into gorgeous pro...

 .   .  Hi everyone, Happy New Year. I hope you enjoyed your festivities and managed to get some 'you time' to craft over the holidays too. With the boys doing their own things this year I headed down country to Falmouth, Cornwall to spend Christmas and the tweenie week with my lovey little sis.  We walked along a very blustery Maenporth beach on Christmas Day, entertained friends and enjoyed a lot of quality time together which was extra special in so many ways. Oli and his new girlfriend stayed at a hotel in Falmouth after Christmas too so we got to meet up some 270 miles from home lol!! Ahead of tomorrows post when I'll be sharing my Top 5 projects of 2019 pick up a bargain or two in our January paper sale.  We've got some great savings on the lines below:     Stamperia - 20% off   Make a Wish collection Grand Hotel collection   Cosmos collection    Alchemy collectio...

Hi Everyone, if you love making small projects then the new Picture Perfect album may be just what you're looking for. It's a perfectly sized project that can be assembled and decorated over a weekend in your favourite papers.  Measuring 8 1/2" tall, 7" wide and 1 3/4" deep the centre of the album has photo frames, deep pockets and a waterfall cascade, holds 20 - 25 of your favourite photos and folds up neatly inside a boxed cover with inset magnetic closures.   Altered here in papers from the Fashion Forward collection by Graphic 45.  This version of the album took two 12 x 12 and 8 x 8 December papers, and two green, two red and two yellow 12 x 12 papers from the Patterns and Solids pad.  A perfect combination of colours to make a Christmas keepsake.   The festive photo frames pop on the plain backgrounds.  The second Picture Perfect Album was altered in papers form the Time's an Illusion pad by Stamperia.  The pad has ...

Morning everyone, I hope your Christmas preparations are going well. For 25 years our Christmas tree, decorations and cards haven't gone up until after Oli's birthday on 17th. However, as he lives in his own place these days Harry and I decided that Saturday (14th) was the day to get our house into the Christmas spirit. When Oli called by on Sunday the first thing he said was " you can't put the tree up 'till after my Birthday' ! I had to smile.  Anyway were all in the Christmas mood here and I'm really excited to be sharing a new Joy to the World boxed album with you today.  The featured album has been made in our laser cut Box It kit and altered in papers from the Joy to the World paper collection by Graphic 45.  There are four interactive pages inside this fun album, all with interactive elements, pull outs, pockets and pull out photo holders, giving lots of room for your favourite photos and ephemera from the festive season.  I love the layered...