The Creative Crafts Show, EventCity, Manchester,

9 – 11 February, Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 10.00am – 5.00pm,

Visit the Creative Crafts Show in February and you will be inspired whether you are an experienced crafter, beginner or simply looking for a new hobby.

Highlights of the show include:-

· New Embroidery Workshops. Katie Pirson is a traditional hand embroiderer and will be doing two workshops a day. She will also be exhibiting various hand embroidery techniques and demonstrating traditional embroidery skills with a contemporary twist.

· New Extreme Textiles Workshops with Rachel John. Bringing out in 2012 for the first time ever - a new round of life changing innovations in textiles tools & techniques. She will focus on Extreme Weaving, Extreme Quilting, Extreme Tapestry and Extreme X-Stitch. Be among the first to try these extraordinary techniques and speed up your making time exponentially with Extreme Sewing in all its forms. Each session costs £5 to be booked on the stand.

· Knitting Know-how – now supported by www.rkmwools.co.uk. For the first time at the January show – come and meet like-minded knitters in your area – swap ideas and get handy hints and problems solved. Open to all ages free of charge.

· Beading Bonanza – back by popular demand The Southampton Beadshop will be running their workshops again to make their fabulous jewellery pieces

· Decopatch Delight - great for all ages with casual make and takes in the morning and longer workshops where you can decorate an alphabet letter in the afternoon. Plus many more displays, workshops and demonstrations including Stephanie

Weightman and her free taster sessions; Margaret Beal and her magical effects using a fine tipped soldering iron to cut, fuse and make marks on synthetic fabric;

Free ‘have a go’ area Supported by Craft Habitat – where budding crafters can have a go using all the latest stamps, punches, dies & papers.

So make a date and beat the winter blues with a trip to the Manchester Crafts show – a perfect place to see, try and buy – a great crafty day out!

Admission prices are £7.95 adults, £6.95 concessions and accompanied children under 16 are free of charge. Book in advance using discount offer code PR2 and you can save £1.50, get a half price catalogue voucher, a catering voucher and be entered free of charge into a prize draw to win up to £300 worth of craft vouchers*

(*Redeemable at the show only). Group offer buy 6 tickets and get 1 free. To book tickets in advance visit www.sccshows.co.uk or call the Ticket Hotline 01822 617744, quoting discount code PR2. Parking is free plus free shuttle bus between the Trafford Centre bus station and EventCity throughout the show.

Snugs & Hugs is perfect for anyone wanting an upbeat, colourful digikit to make personalised scrapbooks, photobooks and cards using free crafting software CraftArtist Compact or the full edition CraftArtist Platinum. The digikit – available for just £2 as an electronic download from DaisyTrail.com – contains the following creative elements: 60 embellishments, six background papers, four photo frames, seven materials, one alphabet, nine scrapbook layouts, nine party craft templates, and two brushes.

“Tommy’s is at the forefront of helping parents and their babies, and providing support to families who have been affected by miscarriages or stillbirths,” says Ashley Hewson, Sales & Marketing Director at DaisyTrail. “We hope the partnership and the Snugs & Hugs digikit will not only help raise vital funds, but raise awareness of this worthy charity. We have over 100,000 members on DaisyTrail and are confident many will show their support for Tommy’s.”

The Snugs & Hugs kit has been inspired by the bright and happy imagery of children’s picture books and conveys a warm, snuggly feeling to complement the baby theme. A combination of light paint washes and soft layers of textured felt are used, and the cute character designs, floral bead embellishments and stitched ribbons help build up a scrapbook scene. The colours are fresh and warm, with Tommy’s trademark raspberry colour running throughout.

Rowan MacMillan, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Tommy’s, says: “We are delighted to be working with DaisyTrail this year. The money raised from the sales of Snugs & Hugs will help us achieve our aim of saving more babies lives. In the UK alone, 1 in 4 women will lose a baby during pregnancy or birth. Losing a baby at any stage is a devastating experience for the whole family and we are working hard to change this sad reality. Through our medical research, we are already making a huge difference to thousands of parents and their babies’ lives.”

In addition to the Snugs & Hugs digikit, DaisyTrail will be running various fundraising activities throughout the year. A dedicated fundraising page has also been created.

More information on DaisyTrail’s support for Tommy’s, visit www.daisytrail.com/tommys. To follow DaisyTrail on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/daisytrail. To become a fan of CraftArtist on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/craftartist.

Craftsuprint.com is introducing a brand new printing service where for the first time ever crafters can ask for their order to be professionally printed and sent direct to their door.  Craftsuprint.com has become the largest craft sheet supplier in the world, with over 200,000 designs for crafty cardmakers to choose from and now it’s even easier to get the highest quality prints.  Whether it’s a crafter with printer issues or a downloading technophobe CUP can now remove any printing problems by doing the job themselves.  By simply choosing the print option during the checkout process craftsuprint.com will professionally print any order onto high quality gloss 200gsm paper.  All orders will be printed, processed and despatched within 24 hours and can be posted worldwide; meaning if that special card is needed in a hurry CUP can deliver.

As with all Craftsuprint orders when crafters have finished making their cards they can photograph it and upload the finished picture onto the CUP website to receive a cash commission every time the sheet their photo is supporting makes a sale. Craftsuprint.com is the fastest growing UK craft website and has a thriving, friendly craft community; packed with tutorials, craft videos, competitions, games, freebies, special offers and a busy craft forum.

For more information: http://www.craftsuprint.com/

Papercraft Essentials #71

The latest edition of Papercraft Essentials features:

• Making words count, as Lynda Bellinger places sentiments as the focal point of her cards.

• Missy Neal whips up a fabulous collection of teenage birthday cards using 5 quick tricks with punch tape.

• Su Pennick shows off the versatility of UTEE to create a variety of projects in an Essential Masterclass.

• Sakura pens are put to the test as designer Liz McGuire adds a dash of colour to her cards.

• Plus fantastic giveaways, Essential templates, Cut out and keep, Readers’ Gallery and much, much more!

The latest edition of Papercraft Essentials is on sale 4^th August and comes with a free set of CraftsUprint design sheets!

Creative Cardmaking #31

The latest edition of Creative Cardmaking features:

• Crafter’s Companion Ultimate Pro is put to the test as Louisa Thompson explores ways to get the best results for your projects.

• Missy Neal demonstrates how to bring your cards to full bloom using paper flower embellishments.

• Jackie Reader introduces Hunkydory’s Country Cottages collection.

• Designer Chris Cooke injects some elegance into his work with a selection of stunning Art Deco cards from Kraftyhands.

• Creative Cardmaking goes stamp happy with a Focus On stamping and a guide to making the most out of your inkpads.

• Plus our readers’ gallery, the winner of Your Creative Cardmaking, ideas for using your free gift, fantastic giveaways and much, much more!

The latest edition of Creative Cardmaking is on sale 29^th July and comes with a free 16-page Polka Doodles paperpack!

Looking for new ideas for your next craft project?
Whether you want to create a personalised card for your loved one or make a unique scrapbook to cherish forever, check out these seven great tips from Serif, the makers of CraftArtist, on how to get inspiration.

Reminisce with photos

When looking at old photographs, we always feel the memories flooding back and often think of small but meaningful conversations or actions from the past. Take note of these little gems, as they can result in a truly emotional scrapbook or photobook. Great for bringing out at family occasions! You might also want to use some of the old photos and mix them with new snaps.

Visit an arts & craft fair

Here is a perfect excuse to escape the house on Sunday! Check out all the stalls, from jewellery and beading to card-making and papercrafts, at your local craft fair. You are bound to leave with some unique ideas – whether it’s new colour combinations or materials you had never even thought of using. Also chat to the exhibitors – ask them where they get their inspiration from and share your ideas.

Read a book or magazine

We have access to so many fantastic crafting books and magazines nowadays. Many are packed with invaluable ideas, tips and designs that can help even the less-creative person have their light bulb moment. Buy some magazines or a book (or hire from your local library if you don’t want to part with cash). A story, photo or even an advert could be just the inspiration you need for a superb craft project.

Examine old projects

You don’t really want to make a craft project that looks the same as the last one, but looking back can help ignite some ideas on what NOT to do. Could it have been better? What was missing? Maybe you want to recycle some old bits and mix them with new ones. If you are new to crafting,
check out other people’s scrapbook and card designs – what would you do differently?

Spring clean your home

Who said cleaning wasn’t fun? Tidy up the spare room, clear out the garage or put your wardrobe in order. Whatever place you choose to spring clean, you may find items that will spark memories or ideas. Even better, you could find some objects to use for your project such as an old photo or love note.

Surf the web and forums

With most households having access to the internet, it makes perfect sense to scour the web for inspiration. Visit crafting websites
and forums such as http://www.daisytrail.com/ – a social crafting community site and the home of CraftArtist. Also, make the most of search engines. Type in what sort of project you’re trying to make and see what articles or galleries jump out at you.

Cheat (sort of!)

If you still need a helping hand, there are fantastic software programs for creating unique and personalised craft projects. With CraftArtist Platinum there are hundreds of pre-made templates included that you can easily personalise and make your own. There are designs for everything from weddings and babies to holidays and Christmas!

For more information, visit http://www.craftartist.com/.

Simply Cards & Papercraft #87

The latest edition of Simply Cards & Papercraft features:

• How to use glitter to add some sparkle to your summer makes.

• The Melissa Frances Kitschy Kitchen collection has arrived and designer Missy Neal shows us why they’re a must have for any cardmaker!

• Designer Su Pennick demonstrates how get the most from the latest craze – Japanese Washi tape.

• Inspirational ways to create adorable designs by printing on acetate.

• Step-by-step guides to the art of doodling!

• Plus fantastic giveaways, a ProMarkers Masterclass, a pull-out-and-keep craft activity pack and much, much more!

The latest edition of Simply Cards & Papercraft is on sale 20^th July and comes with a free exclusive Craftwork Cards Botanicals paperpack!

The latest edition of Simply Homemade features:

• How to transform your garden flowerpots; with a guide to the art of mosaics.

• Grow your own toadstool charm collection using polymer clay.

• Designer Diane Bertolatti injects some chic into the summer by combining knitting and felting to create two gorgeous girly bags.

• Sue Pennick turns back the clock to the 1950s to create a selection of tattoo inspired cards and gifts.

• Get ready for summer by customising an array of sunshine essentials with designer Jill Alblas

• Plus fantastic giveaways, budget makes, a guide to using your free gift and much, much more!

The latest edition of Simply Homemade is on sale 14^th July and comes with a free set of templates!