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Tours

Do you write a blog?Would you like more followers?

How about taking part in the first Creative Crafting Blog Tour?

This Summer we will be boarding our Crafty Bus and taking our readers on a magical mystery tour of everythingcreative!

A bus tour needs stops! And we don’t just have bus stops, we have BLOG STOPS!Join us as a stop for this event and lay on something special for your guests when they arrive. You willknow which day we are all coming so don’t worry we won’t turn up and catch you in your pj’s! If you aresuper keen you can even schedule your post ready to welcome everyone without you even having to bethere.It is up to you what you do,

A giveaway A competition A project An interesting feature A funny story

Don’t forget that the more interesting your item is, the more likely the visitors are to return to your blogover and over again.So have a think and look out for more information on how to grab your

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Raising the profile of the crafting communityAvAnna

Publications

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We always love to hear ofyour crafting experiences andread your feedback forCreative Crafting.Email us at:articles@creative-crafting.com

Get in touch!Visit our site using yourmobile QR APP!

Tina - In the Garden

Tracey - Wowthankyou

Claire - Elderberry Arts

Tina - Shinyies

Sally - The Bead Bounty

Gill - Personal Space Interiors

thecrystallady@creative-crafting.com

Technical Editor - Avril(Sprinkles Sparkles)

sprinks@creative-crafting.com

FEATURE WRITERS

Editor and Ad Sales - Anna(The Crystal Lady)

THE TEAM

Katie - Oldskoolretro Kitsch Boutique

Proof Reading- Huw(WowThankYou)

Carrie - Streutertech

Your Creative Team

Anna - Editor Avril - TechnicalEditor

Welcome to another June issue of Creative Crafting!

It doesn’t really feel much like June does it? What is happeningwith this weather?

So, it’s not very warm, raining a fair bit and that does give usmore time to be indoors crafting. So here we are again with lotsof projects for you to make and interesting articles to read withyour feet up and hands wrapped round a nice warm drink.

Exciting things are afoot at Creative Crafting HQ so make sureyou keep your eyes peeled on our networking pages so that youdon’t miss out.

Those amongst you that blog, we hope you will join us for ourBlog Tours, they should be lots of fun and we are really lookingforward to them.

Don’t forget that you too can be published in one of our issuesso get in touch and see how we can help you to promoteyourself.

Well, enough from us. We will let you turn the pages and enjoythis Father’s Day issue.

The Creative Crafting Team

Leanne - Smallsurprisesboutique

Jane - Jane Cameron

www.creative-connections.ning.com

www.creative-crafting.com

Samantha - OKCreations

Janice - Jangil Designs

Don’t forget to grab our mobile apps!

Purchase a printed copy of Creative Crafting from our sitewww.creative-crafting.com/buy_your-copy.html

Doug Miles

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An Interview with … Chris ParryDiscover the man behind the beautiful silverjewellery.

Create a photo mosaic coasterA fascinating project by Carrie from Streutertech.

Kitchen Capers with Gill – Something outtanothing. A fabulous feast for free!Gill has more of her wonderful recipes for us.

Get it hot and hit it!Creative Crafting review a local BlacksmithingCourse.

Millie-Mae and Mummy makes… A plaque forGrandad’s PondThis issue Millie-Mae makes a fabulous Fathers Daygift for Grandad.

The Honesty Shop – A concept in trustThe first of our review articles. Would you like usto review your products or services?

Make a Marbled Tie (On Shaving Foam)A fantastic Fathers Day gift idea from JaneCameron.

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As Seen by Creative CraftingThis issue we look at an item from Designs by JoJo

Meet Mick Brown – ArtistFind out more about Mick and his skill at tutoringlocal people.

Tina in the GardenTina is back with us for more garden fun.

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6All Buttoned UpOur favourite lamp work artist Sally tells us abouther new obsession.

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Gluten and Dairy free chocolate CheesecakeSo many of us are having to go wheat free thesedays. Great recipes from Claire from ElderberryArts.

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40 Make a Fathers Day memo boardwith Katie from Oldskoolretro Kitsch Boutique.

Competitions from both sides of the fenceTracey from WowThankYou tells us about thehobby of competition entry.

Little CraftersOur newest feature showcasing the work of the nextgeneration of crafters.

Helpful hints with JaneJane Cameron tells us more about Tax and TaxReturns

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44 Crafting on a BudgetThe next instalment with Leanne from SmallSurprises Boutique.

Kit or Miss – We try before you buyJanice from Jangill Designs tests out craft kits.

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Create labradorite CufflinksAnother Fathers Day gift idea with Samantha fromOne of a Kind Creations.

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The Craft Box – Make a notebook coverTina from Shinyies is back with another crafty make.

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GET IT AND HIT IT!I had already arranged a day off from work and found myself getting out of

bed with a spring in my step because today would be the first day of a threeday Blacksmithing course.

I admit that the primary reason for me going on a three Day Introduction toBlacksmithing Course is so I can write this review, but that doesn’t mean Ican’t enjoy it!

While it would be fair to say I am looking forward to the course, I still havesome concerns; Will I be able to make something useful? What if I don’t likeit, the review could be a tough one to write, then! So, taking my sandwiches,coffee and brand new leather apron, I head off to Westpoint Forge, justoutside Exeter, to find out.

Westpoint Forge Premises, just outside Exeteron the A3052

I arrived at the specially fitted Westpoint Forge just before 9am on acold February morning. Not knowing exactly what to expect, I walked intothe warehouse style building to discover a room filled with blacksmithingtools, hammers, tongues and row of hearths with anvils.

Around the building were tables covered with various demonstrationpieces. This place was clearly seriousabout what it did, it was a workshopand it would be my classroom for thenext three days.

Introductions are completed and the relevant Health and Safety warnings areissued, then we got down to business. There are seven of us and John, theteacher. John is descriptive and instructive, but there is no teacher that canreplace practical experience, so before long we get busy actually makingsomething.

Our skillful and experienced teacher describes a basic principal of Blacksmithing,drawing down, the art of hammering out a solid to a point. We use this new skillon our first piece, to make a spiked end for our beer glass holder.

After we have all tackled this, the lesson continues with John demonstrating howto form a scroll end, a circle and a 90 degree bend.

We all head back to our hearths and try to replicate what we have been shown.

The day continues in this format, instruction anddemonstration followed by practical and we proceed tomake our own versions of a toasting fork and a picturehook.

John is always on hand to guide us with as much (oras little) help as we ask for. By the end of Day One Iam tired, but quite surprised that I have been able tocreate three pieces of work to an acceptable standard.

I have learnt drawing down, hot cutting, forming atwist and punching a hole. Above all, I am relieved thatI was able to make something and I liked doing it. Onmy way home I realise I can’t wait to come backtomorrow.

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Day Two starts colder than the first, but that won’t worry us. Working afew feet from a hot hearth takes the chill off!

Our project for the following two days will be a hanging basket bracket,this will be a much more complex task and will teach us more skills, suchas ‘Jumping Up’ or ‘Upsetting’, ‘Tenon Joints’, ‘Riveting’ and my favourite,‘Leaf Making’.

The bracket comprises a ‘Flat back’, a ‘Support Bar’,with ‘Hook End’, a ‘Curved Brace’ and a ‘Collar’. This is anexcellent way to experience many of the skills required tomake a wide range of ironwork.

The work is hard and a key point I learnt today was thatI had to hit the metal much harder, while still beingaccurate.

It is much easier to get it right the first time than tohave to correct a mistake that is made due to rushing. Mymistake (lesson), today was the one about not allowingbeautifully curled thin ends of a Fleur-de-Lis to get toohot in the fire and burn off!

By the end of the third daywe have all made thecomponent parts for ourbrackets, mine includes afish-tail scroll and adecorative leaf.

Now John shows us the finalstep, shaping and fitting a collar.This (along with the tenon jointand the rivet) pulls the disparatemetal shapes into one completedpiece and with it I suddenly feelan overwhelming sense ofachievement.

We are all comparing work aswe have throughout the course,picking up pointers from eachother and wishing our work wasas good as the next persons.

My back bracket and support bar, before assembly

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The truth is, we have all learneda lot. I am intensely proud of theskills this course has taught meand I think the other studentsare too. I am aware that there ismuch more to it and that mypaltry four items are just the tipof the iceberg, however thiscourse has not just given mesome new skills, it has providedme with a new ambition.

I want to keep doing this, Iwant to embrace the idea thatalmost any bit of scrap metal canbe re-worked into somethinguseful, I want to create usingmetal.

I am already planning a smallhearth in my back garden, Iwon’t be spending a lot of moneyon it, I hope I can get it workingfor nearly no financial outlay, thiswill give me a chance to practiceand hopefully improve thetechniques I have been shown.Perhaps one day I will move upto a bigger hearth and may evenmake some money doing this?

I can wholeheartedlyrecommend this course toanyone who has an interest inworking with metal. If youchoose this, or one of the manycourses offered by theBlacksmiths Guild, you willdefinitely learn something thatyou can use, but there’s more toit than that. Maybe you will find anew joy in your life, maybe youwill open your eyes to a craft thathas played a part in theformation of our culture, becauseBlacksmithing is not just “get ithot and hit it”, it is a way ofthinking. Planning, designing,accuracy, skill and experience,but above all enjoyment, are thecore components that make anycraft. I am determined now to makeblacksmithing part of my life andin that way, this course haschanged my life and maybe thelives of the other students too.

Go on, give it a try.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:

Barry, Steve, Sue, Anthony, John,Andrew and Chris

If you feel like having a goat this, why not visit

www.blacksmitsguild.com

You will find courseavailability and prices with a

brief guide to what eachcourse entails.Article written and created by Doug Miles

For Creative Crafting Magazine

“…Blacksmithingis not just get ithot and hit it…”

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My name is Chris Parry and I am a hubby, father and bespoke jeweller. Ichanged career when I was 30 and have been making bespoke pieces ofjewellery for the last 13 years.

When did you begin and why?

I fell into my first job, and kept getting promoted. Ten years later at the age of30, I was good at what I was doing. Well paid for it, but bored to death anddidn’t want to carry on in that sector. So I resigned, sold my car and used mysavings to put myself through a degree in silversmithing and jewellery design.Whilst at university, you start to look at a way to make a living from the craft.The Internet back in 1999 was very fresh and I happened upon awebsite www.inspirals.co.uk and thought that I needed my own website to sellmy jewellery.I couldn’t afford to employ a website designer, so I bought three books. I readthem on the train whilst I commuted to university, and taught myself websitedesign.In 2000, I had my first sale to a guy in Northampton.I started on a homemade jewellers bench in my basement with the spiders. Ihave since opened two small shops and I just bought my own workshop/shopin the village of South Darenth, Kent.

What is it that you enjoy about your work?

I don’t work. It doesn’t feel like work at all. I go to my workshop and makethings for people, the day fly’s by and suddenly it’s time to go home.

Creative meets the man behind the silver!

www.chris-parry.co.ukThe best way to describe what Ido is this :

“For no other…”

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What is your biggest achievement?

I don’t measure success by the big commissions, the value, the corporate orderor the celebrity. I measure success by the small things. I got a stunning e-mailform a woman in USA thanking me for making the simplest of rings for herpartner 5 years ago. They are still so pleased with them that she felt inclined todrop me an e-mail all these years later. Another lady from Australia lost herbrother in a car crash and wanted a ring making with his signature inside.Making commissions like that and hearing what that object means to them isbetter than any award or big boy order.

Other than crafting, what do you enjoy?

The small things. Like the ten minute walk to school holding my daughtershand or having a latte with my wife in peace and quiet or telling my 17 year oldboy “I love him” in front of his mates. Opening a pack of bourbon biscuits andlaughing out loud, that will make sense later.

If you had to choose your favourite from your creations?

I am approached by parents who have lost a child. Either in birth or later years.Also by clients who have lost a sibling or a parent. Making something with ahand print, fingerprint or their hand writing is exceptionally rewarding. I can’tpick a favourite, as each story is deeply moving. I suppose the most memorablewas the first time, when I made a footprint piece for a lovely lady to rememberFrankie.

What advice would you offer someone starting out?

Don’t chase galleries and shops to sell your wares. Ten years ago, the only wayto make a crafting living was to provide multiple retails outlets. Now, with theInternet you can sell as easily to Alaska as you can to Cornwall. It doesn’t suitall crafts as some sell easier online than others. You should however have atleast a WowThankYou and Etsy shop, a personal website and a Facebookbusiness page. The Internet has changed how we shop and your location is nota barrier to success.

If you could change one thing about what you do what would it be?

Facebook is the nightmare. People see a picture and just put in the commentbox “OMG that is lovely how much please.” You answer their question, then thenext person puts the same question. A lot of my comment threads on facebook,are from people asking the same question. Ahhhhhhhhh.

What has helped your business the most?

Without doubt the Internet. Within that context, my own website -www.chris-parry.co.uk Within the last year, my Facebookpage. www.Facebook.com/Chris.Parry.Jewellery

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Has any person helped you more than any other?

More than any person, my supportive and beautiful wife, without whom none ofwhat I have achieved would be possible. She has been the rock. I also haveanother wonderful woman in my life. Eva approached me five years ago for ajob. She had done a night school course and was hooked. She has now workedfor me for five years and is my right hand girl. She is very skilled and I wouldn’tswap her for all the tea in China.

Tell us a random fact about yourself.

When people ask me at a party what I do for a living, I tell them “I’m a biscuitdesigner, you know the bourbon, that’s one of mine and also the ginger snap.”It amuses me that hundreds of people have told their friends that they met theguy who designed the bourbon.

Congratulations Chris!

South Darenth, Kent

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Millie-Mae&Mummy Makes …

Written By WowThankYou

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Wood (for plaque and stake)Wooden lettersPaints (various colours)Lots of brushesPVA glueClear varnishDecoration (stickers and stick on figures)

Step 1. Because our piece of wood wasn’t 100%suitable for living outdoors, we started by painting it allover (twice) with some white ceiling paint.

Step 2. Once totally dry, paint the plaque with yourchosen background colours – we chose mainly yellowwith a blue section at the bottom (the pond).

Step 3. While the plaque is drying, carefully paint the wooden letters. Leave to dry, then repeat.

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Step 4. Once totally dry, use the PVA glue to stick theletters onto the plaque.

Step 5. While the letters are drying, carefully add yourdecorations (stickers, etc.) Leave overnight to dry.

Step 6. Attach the stake at the back (drill a hole, anduse screws), paint it white all over. Leave to dry.As thisis for outdoor use, once all the decorations have dried,we gave the plaque two coats of clear varnish.

Step 7. Leave a good 24-48 hours for the varnish to sethard, then wrap it up and present as a gift to granddad,who promptly put it in place behind his garden fishpond!

Millie-Mae (6) is the daughter of Tracey Kifford, founderand owner of the online marketplace WowThankYou.

www.wowthankyou.co.uk

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TheHonestyShop.com is a unique High Street / Online Retailer for British Crafts andHandmade Gifts. Unique, because we focus and promote a responsible retailing bydonating 10 % of the profit from every purchase to a charity of customers choice. Anelectronic ‘Thank you Certificate’ is provided from a selected Charity and a Customer caneither print it or request a hard copy in the post.

Housed in a classic double-decker bus is the world's first honesty shop in a city, whereyou can find a wide selection of British handmade crafts and gifts. We trust ourcustomers to self administer their payments in Honesty Envelopes posted in our red GPO

box on the bus (there is a 'Bus Conductor' in an office on the top deck if needed). This gives The Honesty Shop anunusual and controversial high street presence that creates both visibility and publicity.

Our online store www.thehonestyshop.com continues to build a brand name to do with 'trust'.We only choose carefully selected quality products that are responsibly produced in the UK.

This innovative approach to honesty, trust and charity in the retail environment has been picked up by both MaryPortas and GFK the international industry analysts, both of whom have praised The Honesty Shop's initiative.

GFK's Edith Hornick concluded her article with "I think it would be wise for companies in all sectors to consider takinga leaf from The Honesty Shop's book in 2013".For a full range of gifts please visit our online shop at TheHonestyShop.com or visit The Honesty Shop Bus - Trusty atMerton Abbey Mills, Wimbledon London SW19 2RD

If you are interested in showcasing your work with The Honesty Shop please email info@thehonestyshop.com or call+44 (0) 207 622 2332

The Honesty Shop, a concept in Trust

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(on shaving foam!)

Written by Jane from Jane Cameron

You will need …1 plain white silk tieIron fix silk paint in your choice of coloursPipettes or droppers1 can economy shaving foam1 bin bagCocktail sticks / kebab sticks / marblingcombA plastic ruler or similarAn old credit card

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Step 1. Cut your bin bag down the sides and open itup so you have one long piece of plastic. This shouldbe as long as your tie. Tape it to the table.

Step 2. Spray the shaving foam on to the plastic inabout the same shape as your tie. Smooth it downwith the ruler so it’s nice and flat.

Step 3. Use the pipette to drop the paint on to theshaving foam

Use the cocktail sticks or marbling comb to makepatterns in your shaving foam. Try drawing stripes orspirals in the foam.Step 4. Lay your tie face down on top of the foamand pat it down. Leave it for half a minute so thepaint can soak into your tie.

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Step 5. Peel the tie off the foam quickly, starting atone end – most of the foam should stay on thebinbag.

Step 6. Put your tie face up on the bin bag andscrape off the excess shaving foam with the creditcard. Then repeat the process for the back of the tie.

Leave your tie to dry naturally.

Iron your silk (as per instructions on the bottle) to fix the paint into the silk, then gently hand wash to removeany shaving foam residue. Iron while damp to ensure a nice smooth finish. Your item can also be dry-cleaned.

Why not do a matching handkerchief, or a piece of fabric to cover a notebook?

To find stockists, and more about the fabulous art of silk painting, visit Jane Cameron atwww.janecameron.co.uk and the Guild of Silk Painters at www.silkpainters-guild.co.uk.

Professional Crafters Guild GCP

New Membership Options!

Standard and Premium Professional Crafter memberships

Standard and Premium Supplier memberships

Visit our website for more details and join hundreds of crafters andsuppliers who have helped us to make the PCG what it is today!

www.procraftersguild.com

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As a Lamp work bead artist, I like to keep my product innovative and fresh and was recently giving a lot of thought tonew designs and products.

I was chatting with ‘Creative Crafting’ editor Anna one day and she suggested ‘Buttons’. I wasn’t sure at first becausethere was more to them than just using a mandrel (the metal rod you use to wind beads). This was going to take somethinking about. Well, I did think about it and after only a couple of attempts came up with the best way of doing them.

Who would have guessed that Glass Bead making would lead me into the wonderful world ofButtons? I never would have, not in a million years, but now, glass buttons have me hooked.Oh, was I excited! These buttons were going to be one off original works of wearable art thatwould finish off the best of handcrafted projects. I started with some simple domed buttonswith raised flower patterns. I did these in pairs and although they were similar, they were infact quite different from each other.

I then moved on to multi-layered buttons, somewith encased flowers and some with raisedflower design.

Delving further still, I made some open petalflowers, making the flower itself the button.

Last but not least and these have me, hook,line and sinker, I started to make ‘Fish’.

Fun and Funky Fish buttons, with a character all of their own. Each one has a name andthe quirkiest face you have ever seen.

So I will continue on my quest to come up with interestingand varied button designs to delight my customers with andhope you have enjoyed seeing some of them too.

We know that there are many, many button lovers out there.Why not pop along to see Sally, she can create something‘Especially for you!’

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Looking for a quick gift idea for Father's Day?What dad doesn't love receiving homemade gifts from their children?

Here's a great project that's both quick and easy, finishing in 1 to 2 hours, depending upon your style.

Materials:Photograph or artwork4" coaster tile2" x 2" clear glassPackage of 3/8" tiles (1/2" or 1" tiles will work, as well)No Days Mosaic Adhesive filmScissors or razorStandard heat gun or embossing heat toolLong pair of tweezers (or other heat proof tool)Black sanded groutLatex glovesDust maskContainer for mixing water and groutCork backingHoneyDoo Powerbond Glue

Written by Carrie from Streutertechwww.streuter.com

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Step 1. To create a custom photo coaster, the first thing you need is a photograph cut to 2" x 2". (You can alsouse a piece of artwork, just re-size it to 2" x 2".)

Step 2. Cut the No Days Mosaic Adhesive to fit the coaster surfaceand another piece that is slightly larger than the photo. Find thecenter of the coaster and place the photo between the two pieces ofNo Days Mosaic Adhesive. Put the glass over the top of the photoand adhesive. So, now you've got the coaster substrate in front ofyou with a layer of No Days Mosaic Adhesive film on it. On top ofthat, you've got your photograph in the center of the coaster with apiece of No Days Mosaic Adhesive that covers it. Then, you place theclear glass on top of that. So this is what you've got so far.

Step 3. Now, you'll need to fill in all the empty space. Cover thecoaster with the rest of the tiles, remembering to leave little gaps(1/16" to 1/8") for the grout lines. It's not important that your linesare straight. In fact, it adds a bit of interest if they're not thatstraight! Also, you don't need to worry that all the tiles are in theexact spot they're supposed to be, as you can move them intoposition while you're heating.

Step 4. After you've covered your coaster, it's time to heat set thetiles in place with a standard heat gun or embossing heat tool.Begin by holding the heat gun about 6"-8" above your coaster andturn it on low. As the tiles begin to heat, you can begin to move theheat gun closer. You don't want to start too close, though, or elseyou'll end up blowing the tiles off the substrate with the force of thehot air!As the adhesive heats up, you will see it start to turn glossy andliquefy. You need to make sure to heat the tiles enough so that theadhesive underneath them also liquefies.

Step 5. Using a pair of long tweezers or other heat proof tool, pushgently on the tiles to see if they move. If the tiles skid or stick, thenthe adhesive under them is not fully heated. If the tiles glide as youpush on them, they have heated the adhesive underneath. Whenthe tiles are heated thoroughly, you can easily move the tiles aroundand position them into place. While heating, you'll need to pressdown on the clear glass in the middle of the coaster to push out anyair bubbles that get trapped under the glass and on top of thephoto.

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Step 6. After the tiles have cooled down (5-7 minutes), you're ready to grout. Before beginning to grout, check thatall the tiles are fully adhered. The tiles along the edges of the coaster will be the ones that may not have beenheated enough. If you push and pull on them and they pop off, you need to heat longer. If you begin grouting andstill have pieces that pop off, clean the area free of grout, place another small piece of adhesive under it and re-heatthe tile to activate the adhesive.

Wearing a dust mask, mix a small amount of black sanded grout (a handful) in a cup with just a bit of water (maybea teaspoon). Stir the grout around with your fingers until it is thoroughly mixed and about the consistency of peanutbutter. Spread the grout on top of your coaster, rubbing the grout across the tiles to force the grout down into thegaps. Don't try to push the grout into the gaps vertically, it won't pack it in there tightly. After you've got the grout inall of the spaces, stain the edges and underside of the coaster by rubbing the grout against them. (Alternatively, youcan paint the edges and back after you're finished with the coaster.)

Step 7. After you've finished grouting, wait about 10 minutes forthe grout to become hazy on top of the tiles. Then, you can polishthe tiles lightly with a paper towel. You can call the coaster finishednow, or you can add some rubber pads to the bottom to protectsurfaces that the coaster will lay on. Otherwise, you can continuewith the instructions below to attach a cork backing. The HoneyDooPowerbond will take a bit longer to cure, but the end result looksvery professional.

Step 8. While waiting for the grout to set up, cut the cork backing(you can find this at craft stores) by cutting it slightly smaller thanyour coaster (3-7/8"). After polishing your coaster, flip it over to theback side. Smear the HoneyDoo Powerbond glue in a thin layeraround the entire surface of the cork backing, BUT stay at least 1/4"from the edges. While the glue is drying, it will expand slightly andfill in the gap.

Step 9. After gluing, flip the coaster over to press the corkbacking flat and let the glue dry (2-3 hours). You may want to adda grout sealer to protect the grout, and prevent the black edgesfrom smudging.

Now, you've got a gift that dad can take to work with him toremind him of the littles while he's away!

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In the interests of scrimping (and making sure nothing lurks in the fridge,freezer or store cupboard for too long) I like to have a good kitchen clearout every couple of months. It saves money, gives me the opportunity toclean without having to rearrange the entire kitchen and allows my

inventive side to come to the fore. That despondent cry “There’s nothing to eat!” just isn’t allowed in my house. There’s something; it just takes a little time and imagination…

An Indian Feast; perfect for a Saturday night in

My Indian feast was made entirely from the store cupboard, plus a feweveryday essential ingredients like potatoes, onions, eggs and butter.This is a vegetarian meal; you could add prawns or chicken to the maincurry dish for meat eaters, or remove the eggs and butter/ghee tomake the meal suitable for vegans.Serves 4-6

· Potato and egg curry· Sweet and sour lentil dhal· Mushroom bhaji· Almond pilau rice· Fresh chapati

Potato and egg curry

This is perfect for using up bits and pieces from the fridge. I’ve madethis curry with some left over new potatoes, some eggs and greenbeans but you could pretty much use anything you like. Aubergine,cauliflower and broad beans work brilliantly. It’ll work well with chickenor prawns if you prefer a meat based dish.

· New potatoes – approx. 500g· 4 eggs· 1 large onion finely chopped· 1 tbsp olive oil and a knob of butter or ghee· 2 cloves garlic crushed· Thumb sized piece of ginger peeled and grated, or ½ tsp

ground ginger· 1tsp each of ground coriander, cumin and garam masala· 1 tin coconut milk· 400ml chicken or vegetable stock· Vegetables – green beans, peas, broad beans, aubergine, cauliflower etc. cut into even sized pieces around 2cm· Salt, pepper and if you have it, fresh coriander roughly chopped

1. Cut the potatoes into chunks, parboil for 5 minutes if raw and roast in a little olive oil until golden.2. Boil the eggs for 7 minutes, run under cold water then drain, peel and cut into quarters.3. Cook the onion gently in a large lidded sauté pan with a drizzle of oil and a knob of butter until golden and soft.4. Add the spices, garlic and ginger to the onions and fry for a minute to form a paste.5. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer gently for 20 minutes.6. Season to taste and add the fresh herbs.

KITCHEN CAPERSwith Gill

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Sweet and sour lentil dhal

You can use red or yellow lentils for this. I prefer yellow for the fabulouscolour with the turmeric. If you have too many yellow lentils you canmake a pot of pease pudding too. Simply take 4 tbsp cooked lentils fromthe pan after step 1, season well and blitz to a smooth puree. Keep in acovered pot in the fridge. It will set to a smooth paste. Delicious withham.

· 250g dried lentils· 500ml chicken or vegetable stock· 2 bay leaves· 1 tsp turmeric· 2 tbsp cider vinegar or tamarind paste if you have it· 2 tbsp brown sugar

1. Rinse the lentils in cold water and place in a saucepan. Cover with stock, add the bay leaves and turmeric andsimmer until tender – around 25 minutes.

2. Add the cider vinegar (or tamarind paste) and sugar and mix thoroughly until the sugar has dissolved. Thelentils will break up as you mix to form a rough puree.

3. Season to taste.

Mushroom Bhaji

This is a great way to use up mushrooms that are starting to look a little sad. A breathable mushroom bag will keepyour mushrooms dry and fresh in the fridge for longer.

· Sliced mushrooms – any closed cup variety will do· 1 tsp each olive oil and butter or ghee· 1 clove garlic crushed· 1 tsp each coriander and cumin· Juice of half a lemon· 1 tsp corn flour slaked with a little water to a smooth paste· 100ml white wine· 200ml chicken or vegetable stock

1. In a small saucepan, fry the mushrooms in the oil and butter until golden.2. Add the garlic, spices and lemon juice and simmer for a minute.3. Add the wine and stock and simmer until reduced by half.4. Stir the corn flour through until thickened and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.5. Season to taste.

Almond pilau rice

· 1 large onion, finely chopped· 2 cloves garlic, crushed· 300g basmati rice rinsed in cold water· 600ml cold water· Knob of butter or ghee· 100g flaked almonds

1. Fry the onion in a little olive oil until golden, then add the garlic to soften for a minute.2. Stir the rice through to make sure each grain is coated then add the water, cover and bring to the boil. Turn

down the heat and let the rice simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the rice covered to continueto steam. Don’t be tempted to stir the rice – the lid needs to stay on for the cooking to finish.

3. Toast the almonds in a small pan until lightly golden.4. Add the butter and almonds to the rice and fork through gently. Season to taste.

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Fresh chapati

The quickest easiest bread in the world! They take 5 minutes to make and2 minutes each to cook, and they’re great for getting the kids involvedtoo. This mix will make around 10 chapatis.

· 450g plain flour· 1 tbsp olive oil· Warm water· Melted butter or ghee, or olive oil

1. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and drizzle in the oil.2. Add enough warm water to form a soft and pliable dough. Knead

on a lightly floured surface until smooth – around 5 minutes.3. Place a wide shallow frying pan over a medium/high heat4. Divide the dough into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball then

roll out to 3mm thickness.5. Place the chapatti in the hot dry pan and cook until it puffs up on top and begins to brown underneath. Turn

over and cook until this side is browned.6. Place the cooked chapati on a warmed plate and brush with melted butter or ghee. Cover with foil to keep

warm, then carry on with the rest of the dough until you have a lovely stack of fresh chapatis.7. Perfect with pickles – hot lime is my favourite.

I hope you enjoy my recipes. Why not follow my blog for other foodie treatswww.personal-space-interiors.blogspot.co.uk

AS SEEN BY CREATIVE CraftingFollowers of our Facebook page and Twitter Account may have seen that we now offerproduct reviews. This can either be your creations, your service or your course/workshopetc.If you would like us to conduct a review for you further information can be found on ourwebsite. www.creative-crafting.com/product_reviews.htmlDepending on how many products we get submitted we may offer single or multiplereviews per issue.

Our next review is of:

The item sent to us by Designs by JoJo is an Ivory Heart Flock Handmade ServietteRing.Retailing at £1.85 each this dainty little item could be just what you need to add

The napkin rings are lined with textured paper with ivoryorganza ribbon bow and pearl diamante clasp finishedinside with small round brads - approximate size width4.5 cms x diameter 4.5 cms and can be made smaller/larger if required.

Although they don’t seem much on their own we can seethat a table full would look very elegant and we justLOVED the fact that it came in a little beribboned box!Certainly worth a look when planning your happy event! www.designsbyjojo.co.uk

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Hi! I'm Tina,

Yes I am back in the garden and very pleasedto welcome you all on this beautiful springday. We will have our tea in the conservatorywhere we can see the garden and enjoy thesunshine, as the wind is a still little cold.

It is the May Bank Holiday and I don't believethis weather. We never get this on a BankHoliday do we? Spring has really arrived!

So shall see what has been appearing in ‘TheGarden’ since your last visit.

We had the early daffodils but it was still socold, now everything is coming out so fast thebluebells are only just going to come outbefore the trees have their leaves. They arealso spreading all over the garden I just keep

finding themeverywhere, what abonus.

The forsythia has beenabsolutely gorgeousand so manyprimroses justeverywhere, the tulipsalso such bold colours.

Tina in the Garden

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There is some blossom on oneof the crab apples but theother two have been in thepath of the cold winds, thepears and apple trees haveblossom but not as much as inother years. But just look atthe delicate pink and whiteblossoms, and the fresh youngleaves.

So many shades of green and so fresh and vibrant, the treesdon't need blossom they are beautiful with just the leaves.There is the cow parsley it looks wonderful in the summer with

its lacey white blooms, but now what a wonderful shade of green. Also the water mint which is wild, not to beconfused with cultivated mint, smells the same but is not edible. It is very pretty and shows more shades of green.

Of course we have our resident crow, same tree, same nest it just keepsgetting bigger each year, it is so special to see them bring up a new familyevery year. I can’t help saying yet again nature really is wonderful.

Above - ForsythiaLeft - Apple BlossonRight - TulipsBelow - Crab AppleBlossom

Cow Parsley Water Mint Resident Crow

The Bog has dried out a lot and the water iris are coming up sofast you can almost see them growing. The marsh marigoldsare just finishing now but have been like a patch of goldensunlight.

The clematis in the hidden garden is in bud and the grapevine,if this sunshine keeps up the will be out in all their glory verysoon. The skimmia grew so big last year it is huge now and isflowering and smells just wonderful.

The parsley came through the winterwell but I lost the thyme and sage.Iwill have to restock the herb pots thisyear. Also I was so pleased andsurprised to find that some cuttingswhich I had taken of roses andshrubs have survived , I just left themin a sheltered spot in the hiddengarden.

Also the roses are all getting their new leaves and I have been trimming the dead wood from them where it was killedby the cold winter winds,just tidying them up a bit. Also the passion flower was damaged by the winter and I had tocut it well back, I will keep you informed of its progress.

At the moment I am sure you can almost see the leaves coming out and the plants coming up. After the cold winterthis sunshine is wonderful long may it last, not just for the plants but for us to.

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The rain last year was good for the garden andsome of the plants need pruning back a bit butwith the cold weather lasting so long it has to bedone quickly or it will be to late. The Russian vineover the seat being just one. Did I say over theseat you could hardly see the seat at all, I had toget my better half to attack that and he camethrough as usual.

In some of the wild parts of the garden we havebrambles, (well my better half does loveblackberry and apple pie) and they are a lovelyfree fruit. But boy did they love the rain last yearand the fact that it was so wet we could not getout to deal with them and they have spread likemad so we are on the offensive but they do fightback. Of course I am not going to show you aphoto of brambles I will leave that to yourimagination .

Well I think I have talked enough so I will showyou some random photos.

The garden really is so special at the moment sonew and exciting, I am snapping photos all thetime.

Oh! I guess we drank the tea and ate the biscuits,so who's for a walk in the sunshine this beautifulSpring day?

Thank you all for taking the time to visit with me,and I look forward to seeing you all again in thenext issue when I willagain be in ‘The Garden’.

Your green fingered friend,

Tina

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30

I've always drawn and painted (even before I could walk) and atschool I was involved in painting all the back-drops for two large

stages every time plays were performed. I also ended up paintingmurals all over our common rooms and corridors during holidaytimes! So I learnt how to scale work up to a large size very earlyon. This changed my perception as I realised what appeared to belarge daubs coalesced the further you stepped back ! (This wasobviously stored away for later use).

Since then I have worked as a graphic designer (before p.c.)where I learned my craft properly after that I used my skills andtalent to work as a mural painter and I also worked with Interiordesigners creating specialist paint effects for new builds. Mycustomers would either want their children's bedrooms andnurseries painted top to bottom or they would want a sky paintedright across a huge ceiling.

During this time I was invited to open a studio near where I livedin a local community centre the only proviso was would I beprepared to tutor community members one night a week? Lookingback I think this was the turning point in my painting career as I'vemet so many artists who are obsessed with getting their workseen and sold I actually started to realise this wasn't the wayforward. The more people who started coming through the doorsthe more I realised I was helping them not only to draw and paintbut also to build their confidence and I actually started modifyingmy technique in tutoring and painting so much so that my wholeapproach to painting completely turned itself on its head.

Meet Mick Brown

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The Tanfield community studio has been running for over 10years now and is entirely voluntary I take a nominal fee for heatand light. We occasionally obtain funding for equipment but Iteach students to make their own stuff and recycle and re-useeverything.

Over the last 15 years I have had various features in localnewspapers either for jobs I've been working on or pieces ofwork I've donated to local charities for fund-raising. This hashelped them out a great deal and they've always written back andthanked me, some of these letters are on my website. Onepainting in particular I donated to a diamond charity event raisedaround £400 or so but more importantly the guest of honour wasH.R.H. the Countess of Wessex and she saw my work. So

sometimes its not about grubbing about to sell the work. I give about 4/5 pieces away every year to charities and Ifind this more rewarding.

I have also exhibited in quite a few local galleries and have been lucky enough to sell on those occasions, howeverthe galleries take such a large proportion it is not cost effective to use them and I rely on the public visiting mystudio direct. This also helps because I don't believe in framing the work as I like the customer to make their ownchoice, they seem happier with that choice.

My second studio runs out of Glenroyd House in Consett, County Durham. One day I walked into my local D.C.V.S.office and told them what I could do and would they like to make use of me as a volunteer. It didn't take them longto fit my skills and talents to 'local art classes' and we now have nearly 30 people on our books. From the beginning Ithink we knew this was going to be the start of something new as Consett is a depressed area and there are a lot ofpeople existng on the fringes of the community who have challenges and it was very much a case of "if you build itthey will come". By word of mouth more and more people started coming to the class with all different abilities andlife experience. The role of coach or tutor has changed as I've had to learn to take on people with varying challengesin their own lives and they are truly inspirational to work with. This has had a dramatic effect/affect on my own workas my painting and drawing has become so paired down and de-constructed I am able to paint without any pre-planning. It is completely spontaneous! I try to pass on this method to my students as in my own personal life I'vehad challenges too!

Over the past few years I have been forming a social enterprise which is a largely non-profit organisation and divertsany funding into sourcing resources to keep moving art forward. I am not interested in personal greed and I cannothave anything as superficial as money clouding the production of my work. I have had to learn to balance mytutoring and my own painting but this is half the fun, I'm lucky to be able to paint for myself and not allow theaquisition of material objects control my art.

To see more of Mick you can check out his website www.redpoppyart.co.ukAlso on Facebook here www.facebook.com/mick.brownartist.3 and here www.facebook.com/MickBrownArtist

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Written by Tina from Shinyes

The Craft Box

This is what I did...

I rummaged through my craft box and gathered :Very thick card (saved from a package delivery),White card,PVA glue,Paintbrush,Button,Ribbon,Clear nail varnish,Pencil,Ruler,Scissors,Decorative papers,Silver coloured letter stickersNotebook.

I love stationary, and I’m always picking up items whenI’m out shopping. With my particular fondness fornotebooks, I now have a collection to rival moststationers stock cupboards. I never use notebooks, Ialways find the bound one's too nice to use (but thatdoesn't stop me buying them) and I don't like the lookof the cheap notebooks.

So I decided to make myself a re-usable notebook cover,making cheap notebooks look a bit ‘posher’.

Notebook Cover

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Step 1. I cut and trimmed the very thick card,both the same size but making sure that they werecomfortably bigger than my notebook. These wereto become the front and back cover of the re-usablenotebook cover.

Step 2. I began covering my front and back coverwith the decorative papers, beginning with thecorners. I made sure that there was plenty ofexcess paper which could be folded over the edgeof the covers, hiding the unsightly edges. Using thePVA glue and paintbrush, I continued to cover alleight corners.

Step 3. I covered the rest in decorative papers,again folding over the excess to hide the edges ofthe very thick card.

Step 4. I turned over one of the boards andcutting some decorative paper, I covered the back,hiding all the excess papers that had been foldedover when covering the edges. I only did this to oneof the boards to start with. The other would come abit later.

Step 5. I then cut a small rectangle of ribbon andsealed the edges with clear nail varnish to preventfraying, and sewed a button onto the centre, thiswas to become part of the fastening for thenotebook cover. I then measured a length of ribbonto go round the other board, giving plenty of wiggleroom to allow for the extra thickness that the cheapnotebook would make. Then I again sealed theedges with clear nail varnish, and cut a hole for thebutton to go through. After the button hole hadbeen stitched, I had my notebook cover fastening.

Step 6. Again using PVA glue I attached the buttonto the front board and the button hole ribbon to theback board, folding the excess ribbon round it'sedge. Then I was able to cover the board in mydecorative paper, covering the excess paper and theribbon.

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Step 7. Then it was time to attach the two boardstogether. I cut a piece of ribbon (you need thickribbon for this, I would recommend two incheswide) making sure it didn't quite reach the length ofthe boards. Again I used clear nail varnish toprevent fraying, and glued the ribbon to bothboards, leaving a gap between that was wideenough for the thickness of the notebook.

After it was dry, I held my breath and tested that itworked. It did!

Step 8. Then I began drawing out the parts thatthe front and back cover of the notebook would slotinto to keep them in place. I made them slightlybigger than the covers and added tabs that wouldbe used to glue them to the inside of the boards.

When I came to putting the notebook covers inside,I found that the notebook covers were gettingcaught on the tabs I had made to glue the housinginto place, so I cut the notebook covers down aboutan inch and they went in without a problem.

Step 9. My final finishing touch to my completed notebook cover was to use the silver coloured stickers andname my finished item “Notebook”

All done.

I was very pleased with the result and am contemplating making more of them as gifts for family and friends.

The end result - a beautiful notebook, a heap load of fun and an eagerness to start my next project.

Visit Tina at www.shinyies.co.uk

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Here is Daniel (age 3) painting with his toy cars, afterwe had a car wash!www.lebabybakery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/painting-with-cars-car-wash_8.html

Let us see what the next generationof crafters are up to!

Would you like to show off your creativeoffspring?

Email us at articles@creative-crafting.com

This beautiful jewellery was created bySarah-Mae who is the 9 year oldGrand daughter of Paulines Passions

This is Baba's Sucker Machine! It picks up dirtand bugs. Aged 4 years and 8 months.www.scrapbookerry.com

These fabulous elephants were posted on ourFacebook timeline. Created by a clever youngman who is 7 years old.

LittleCrafters

36

By Tracey Kifford from WowThankYou.co.uk

Can you remember where you were on Thursday 15June 2006? I can. At approximately 12:20 I was gettingready to drive to an acupuncture appointment in mid-Wales, about a 40 minute car ride from my home on thecoast in West Wales. The phone rang – I didn’t reallywant to take it as I didn’t want to be late – but I’m SOglad that I did. It was the Daily Express calling to informme that I’d won a £30,000 convertible car … wow! I hadentered the competition the previous weekend by text,having seen it while visiting my parents. I was 30 weekspregnant with my first child at the time, and I had beenan avid ‘comper’ for about two years. It was the pinnaclewin of my hobby, and alas my commitment to it fellalong the wayside when my daughter was born and I ranout of spare time!The hobby of competitions becomes addictive. Iremember entering 200 postcard competitions in a singleevening (golly, think of the cost of doing that now!) –and when I posted them all, I felt a huge wave ofachievement … and the excitement and anticipationkicked in that I could be sent a winning letter with somewonderful goodies. Over the two years I won more thana car – prizes ranged from a £1200 Currys voucher, 2 xcoffee machines, a crate of wine, a range oven, aweekend at Gleneagles in Scotland, a toaster, kettle,Kenwood food mixer, a camera, a camcorder, lots of

Competitions from both sides of the fencebaby goodies, hair care items (brushes, shampoo,straighteners) … I loved awaiting the postman each day!Why am I telling you all this? Well, I wanted to explainwhat it’s like when you spot a competition on a websiteor in a magazine, when you are a comper … I’ve lostcount of the number of competitions I’ve ripped out ofmagazines at the hairdressers, or items I’ve needed tobuy in order to enter a prize draw – as I said, it’s anaddictive pastime, and you want to enter everything youcan find. My hobby introduced me to brands I’d neverheard of before, took me to websites I’d never visitedbefore, read product descriptions in order to answer aquestion … and I was never alone in doing this…A typical competition on the internet gets over 6,000entries. 6,000 people who, like me, want to win the itemon offer. And if we need to find an answer before we canenter, we look for it – carefully, in order to ensure it iscorrect. There are thousands of people in the UKscanning websites every day looking for competitions toenter – and there are online competition portals andforums that pretty much tell you where to go. OK,people may not hang around on the site for very longpost-entering, as when you’re in the ‘competition zone’you are pretty much looking to enter as many as you canin the time available. But you do get to know thesewebsites and you remember them and revisit them whenyou need to purchase something specific. I rememberbeing introduced to the website Firebox.com this way – I

37

visited their site every month to enter their competitions – andthat following Christmas I purchased some presents from themand have done ever since.As I mentioned, since the birth of Millie-Mae and then Toby I’venot been as active a comper as I’d like to be. And now thechildren are in school and nursery I am looking to free up a fewhours here and there to get into it again … but for now I’mputting my experience to good use on the flipside of the coin…

I believe I have good knowledge of how a comper ‘works’, and Iuse this information on WowThankYou by regularly offeringcompetition prizes. I also list the competitions on the competitionforums I mentioned earlier – I WANT compers to flock to thepage to enter because I know that this is a sure-fire way ofintroducing them to the WowThankYou brand, and they WILLcome back and purchase from us at some point. We averagebetween 2,000 and 2,500 entries per competition over the monththat it runs. The numbers are slowly climbing, which I put downto persistence and continuity - When you place an order on theWowThankYou website during the checkout process you areasked where you heard of us and we’re starting to see ‘entering acompetition’ given as their answer.With our competitions, you need to answer a question that ishidden somewhere within the seller’s store (who has donated theprize). I make sure it isn’t too easy as I want them to really seethe items they are looking at. We can attribute a huge rise insales to some sellers who have either currently or previouslyoffered a prize – and this prize could cost as little as £8-10.There’s not many opportunities where this amount of money willget you 2,500-3,000 visitors …

And that’s the joy of competitions – compers don’t care what thevalue of the prize is as they enter everything, because they knowthere’s a higher chance that they’ll win the ‘smaller’ items ratherthan the cars, campervans, exotic holidays etc. To a comper, awin is a win, it’s as simple as that.

But yes I know what you’re thinking – “why encourage thesepeople to enter?” Simple answer – because they are also onlineshoppers! Trust me – as a comper online, you are pretty niftywith a computer as you spend so much time on one enteringprize draws, and quite honestly you simply don’t have time to goout shopping so buy online instead. It’s a winning formula, itreally is.

So if you are looking for ways to get noticed, think about offeringa competition prize on your blog, FB or twitter page. Don’t justrun the one – when it ends, start another … keep doing it andpeople will slowly start to remember you and your brand. Andthen when they need to buy something, they’ll return not as acomper but as a customer, which is what we all want to see!

Win a monthssupply of

‘Smugglers Brew’Tea!

From the CornishTea Company

Win a ‘BloomingTea’ Gift box for

2 From Netpune

Tea

Win aKatie Alice Travel

Mug and Book Bag

Win aTin of Honeybuns

Mini Cakes

www.bestcuppaintown.com

38

This is a very forgiving, quick and easyrecipe for a creamy chocolate

cheesecake free from gluten and dairyproducts.

Gluten and Dairy Free

Ingredients170g Gluten and dairy free digestive biscuits225g Dairy and gluten free cheese2 tbsp. sugar9 tbsp. coco powder (must be coca and not a hot chocolate as these contain milk)5 tbsp. dairy free spread such as Vitalite or Pure.

Step 1. Put biscuits into a foodprocessor and blend into fine crumbs.

Step 2. Add 2 tablespoons of the cocopowder and mix briefly to combine.

Step 3. Melt the spread and mix itinto the biscuit crumbs using a spoonuntil it is beginning to stick together.

Step 4. Pour the biscuit mix into acontainer and press down firmly toform the cheesecake base.

Written by Claire from Elderberry Arts

39

Step 5. Wipe out the food processorbowl. Put all the cheese into the bowlthe remaining coco powder andsugar. Mix well to combine. You canadd more sugar or coco to taste ifyou wish.

Step 6. Spoon the chocolate fillingon top of the base and spread withthe back of a spoon to cover thebiscuit base.

Gluten and dairy free biscuits can be bought in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and many health food stores. Any biscuit willwork so you could try chocolate chip cookies for the base (Sainsbury’s sell dairy free chocolate chip cookie) or ifyou are only avoiding gluten, chocolate digestives.

The base can be made with a combination of biscuits and nuts. Process the nuts before adding the biscuits as theywill take longer to break up.Tesco sell several varieties of dairy and gluten free cheese. The original creamy version is perfect for this recipe.Other varieties can also be bought in health and alternative food shops or online. Sheese is another often seenbrand.

A plain cheesecake can be created by leaving out the coco powder. This can be eaten plain or topped with a fruitsauce, fruit pieces, dairy free chocolate buttons or shavings or even chopped gluten and dairy free brownie pieces.The possibilities are endless.

Cover and chill for several hours orpreferably overnight.The cheesecake can also be placed inthe freezer for a few hours to speedup setting.

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Written by Katie from Oldskoolretro Kitsch Boutique

Father’s DayMemo Board

Canvas, any size (I use 30cm by 40cm)Fabric of your choiceWadding (I use Medium)Ribbon at least four metres for this sizeStaple GunStaplesScissors

Step 1. First take the canvas thatyou want to use and lay it face downon the wadding, cut the waddingwith at least three inches extra allthe way round.

Step 2. Choose one side of the canvas, fold the wadding over and staple itdown, leaving the corners till last, then do the same on the opposite side,then do the same for both remaining sides. Fold the corners of the waddingflat and secure them in place.

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Step 3. Next, lay the fabric out andplace the canvas with the wadding onface down on top and cut the fabricout with at least three inches extra allthe way round. Staple down in thesame way that you have done withthe wadding.

Step 4. Once the fabric is secured, then we need to tidy up the edges at theback, so fold the fabric over the wooden frame of the canvas and tuck itbehind all the way around. Then staple just on the inside of the frame, allthe way around to tidy it.

Step 5. Now is the time to add the ribbons, staple the first edge of the ribbon on the back, then put across the boardin a diagonal direction and staple down at the back. Continue till you have finished putting them in the one direction.

Step 6. Now do the same with the ribbons from the opposite direction making sure you weave the ribbon over andunder the one that is already secured.You now need to staple down some ribbon on the back in order for you to hang it; I always use five staples on eachend of the ribbon to secure it.

You are now finished, hang it up and decorate as you wish!

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Yes, it’s the annual horror, those sleepless nights coming up to 31st January when your Tax Return is due! How canyou make it easier? How do you know you’ve got it right? What resources are out there to help you?

How often should you do your accounts?Well, the HMRC require you to do your self employed return once a year. Normally your return is due in January forthe year which ended the previous April, so you have about 9 months to get it done.

However, it’s a really good idea to do your sums every month (set aside some time on the first Monday of the month,or something similar) as that way you know how your business is doing.

What information do I need?

· What you’ve earned (income), and what you’ve spent (expenditure).· Having all your information in one place is a wonderful thing.· Get yourself something to keep your receipts in (even if it’s a bucket!).· Set up a folder in your emails where you can keep all your online shopping receipts, and another one for your

sales.· Keep a little notebook in the car (or write your mileage in your diary).

Helpful hints:

· Don’t try and do it all at once!· Some credit cards only keep the information online for three months, so download your statement every

month (the .csv file format is good for reading in Excel or other spreadsheet programmes).

Do I need fancy technology?

· It’s a good idea to have some sort of spreadsheet to add everything up.Basically it can have “In / Out / Date / Who to or from / What for” and that willcover most of it.· If you’re scared of spreadsheets, go on a course or look at some onlinetutorials. There’s Excel by Microsoft (as part of the “Office” suite), and alsoOpenOffice’s spreadsheet program, called Calc, which is good and free!· If you want to be fancy you can get programs like Quickbooks, which you canadd all your information to and it will calculate your tax. However, these aren’tnecessary at first.

Helpful Hints bywww.janecameron.co.uk

Tax and tax returns!

43

What can I claim for? Can I claim a proportion of my household bills?

· Equipment and supplies you use for making your lovely items (if theequipment is expensive then you may need to claim back the cost of it overseveral years)

· Courses you go on to maintain (not improve) your standard – e.g. an annualrefresher is fine but going to learn a new skill (which would subsequentlyincrease your income) is not.

· You may be able to claim a proportion of your household bills if you workfrom home

· Here’s a link to what you can claim for: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim47820.htm· You can’t claim for food unless associated with an overnight stay, nor can you claim for clothes unless they are

really specific to your job (e.g. Kevlar gloves)

Do I need an accountant?

· Not necessarily. When you’re just starting out with a small craft business your tax return should be fairlystraightforward.

· If you do want an accountant, shop around. Some places accountants do a monthly payment (which can begood as you know where you stand).

Online tax return

Yes, you are expected to do your tax return online. When you register for the first time your username / passwordmay take some time to come through, so please register early enough that it will be with you in time. Keep yourpassword somewhere safe.

Might I get money back?

If your business is making a loss and you are also working (employed) then you may get a rebate.

Can I be employed and self employed?

Yes you can. If you are doing a lot of self employed work you may have aduty to tell your employer.

I need help!

You can ring the HMRC and ask them questions. Be prepared to be onhold for a while as they can be quite busy. A useful telephone number forthem is 01355 359022.The HMRC have webinars and e-learning packages to help you, and alsorun courses on how to get started and fill in your tax returnThis is a very useful link. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/startingup/help-support.htm

Jane Cameron.

Please note: This introduction is no substitute for specialist advice.

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So, last time I discussed the art of upcycling as a way ofreducing your craft expenditure, but there are only so many

times you can raid your loft or garden shed when on the hunt forsupplies. We will revisit recycling more throughout this series, butfor now there is something else I would like to consider.

Upcycling is an everlasting adventure, but it is useful to have aset stock rather than relying on uncovering recycled materials.I’m sure most of us have battled with the thought “I have somany ideas in my head, but where can I get my hands on cheapmaterials to bring my creations to life?” I know I have.

Written by Leanne from Small Surprise Boutique

orchidflowers.wordpress.com

Obviously my own personal experiences come into play a lot here, but perhaps some of you out there have hadsimilar encounters. When I took my first steps into my local craft superstore I was amazed by what was right infront of me. I couldn’t believe it had taken me so long to venture inside, but once I did I didn’t want to leave.After a few visits I started to realise I was on a strict budget, a budget that wouldn’t match the store, and althoughthere were many things I needed in order to progress forward in my craft work, I would spend more timewandering back and forth through the isles and whittling down my decisions to fit in with my budget than actuallycrafting.

I soon started to research the world of crafting, and after being amazed by the sheer magnitude of this new world Ihad embarked upon, I found cheaper alternatives for what I needed. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to visit mylocal craft superstores, I would live there if I could, and I recommend you keep them on your shopping route. Ihave learnt the importance of buyer’s research and it is something I would encourage you to do.

Quite often we get lucky when our favourite stores have sales, but sales don’t lastforever. In order to protect my bank balance I have taken on a new way of craftshopping. With notebook in hand a trip to my local craft superstore soon gives memy next shopping list, to see if I can find cheaper alternatives elsewhere. We’re allfamiliar with shopping around to find the best price, and I have found it to be justas useful when shopping for craft supplies.

www.freeimageslive.co.uk

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Fortunately, living in Leeds I am blessed with a spectacular market,filled with a wide variety of stalls and goodies. My needle craftseems to benefit most from my trips to the market, with material,wool, ribbons and buttons on offer in abundance. Buttons are alwaysa useful addition to any craft box, and the market is a good place tostart your collection. Also, I have discovered once you become ‘aregular’ customer there is often the opportunity to collect someenviable bargains. Just recently, for example, I was able to pick up alarge amount of lovely material, which was discounted thanks tobeing familiar with the seller. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

Building a network specific to your craft work is also a good way of keeping your craft budget to a limit. The moreyou network with others in the industry, the more likely you are to find out about the best places to stock up yourcraft cupboard. As your network develops, so will your knowledge, and in turn you can help others. I have found thisparticular method very useful, especially in recent weeks. I have signed up for my first craft fair, due to take part inJuly, and I am constantly extending my ‘what I need’ list. By networking with experts in this area I am graduallyfinding everything I need, such as packaging materials, and they come at reasonable price.

There are many ways to protect our bank balances whilst still producing high quality creations, and shopping aroundfor the best options is very beneficial, but it doesn’t have to be time consuming. My first port of call now is often mylocal market, and I recommend anyone in need of supplies has a wander around their local market too; it issurprising what you will find. And if you can’t find exactly what you are looking for, have a chat with the stallholders,they’ll often advise you on the best place to go.

Bracelets made using equipment from a trip to the market –ribbon, elastic etc.

www.northleedslifegroup.com

A selection of my bargain materialfrom a market shop, soon to beused towards many upcomingprojects.

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Kit or Miss?

This kit is supplied by Perfect Patchwork (www.perfectpatchwork.co.uk) who have both and a presence onWowThankYou (www.wowthankyou.co.uk).

I saw this kit advertised at Craftfest (www.craftfest-events.com) and must admit tofalling in love with it straight away. It’s just the colours I love and I have a softspot for stained glass, which I thought this replicated really well.I ordered on a Thursday lunch time, hoping to have it with me at the weekend.Sadly, it wasn’t posted out till Monday and arrived the following day.On opening, I was impressed with the quality of the fabrics, neatly cut to size.Backing fabric, wadding and binding were all provided, as well as embroiderythread, beads and charms for embellishing.I was not quite so convinced with the instructions which had poor photographyand were printed single sided on a sheaf of A4 paper.

If you are happy using a sewing machine, then as a first quilting/patchworkproject this would be a beginner level. As a general sewing project, it requiressome knowledge and is therefore intermediate.

The main panel of the project is made up in a quick and easy method with no needto sew the pieces together. The shapes are traced off the provided pattern ontobondaweb which is then ironed onto the provided fabrics. The fabric provided wasjust enough, so care needs to be taken to make sure you complete this stagecorrectly. The pattern pieces are ironed on to a calico panel, then bias bindingused to cover the joins and giving the stained glass appearance. Again, there wasjust enough binding.The next stage is to baste the panel to the wadding and embellish. For me, thiswas the scary bit, because the only instruction was embellish as desired. Thephotographs were to poor to see any examples. However, once I got over the“fear factor”, I rather enjoyed doing exactly what I wanted.

The next stage was to add borders, first a black one then a wider toning fabric.Both these stages were very straight forward. To finish a calico backing is addedand the quilt bound at the edges with black fabric. This was the only time I hadcause for concern with the fabric provided, as the pre cut pieces varied in width along the length, sometimes to lessthan the 2” required. A piece of calico was added while binding to provide for hanging.

Kits are reviewed on behalf of Creative Crafting by Janice Ayers of Jangill Designs.www.jangilldesigns.blogspot.co.uk and www.jangill-jewellery.co.uk

Amethyst Stained Glass Batik Wall Hanging KIT

Amethyst Stained Glass Batik Wall Hanging KIT

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Although I managed to complete the piece, I found the instructionsa disappointment. A set of numbered stages would have beenhelpful as I found it easy to lose where I was up to, especially asthe pictures were in pairs and not numbered for easy reference.The quality of the pictures means that you can’t see the detailwhich would have helped to clarify the instructions. For instancewhen sewing on the bias binding, should one row down the middlebe enough, or should it be stitched close to both edges?

As I have never made a quilt before, or done any patchwork, thiswas always going to provide some learning opportunities. I washoping to do some sewn together patchwork but this project uses asimpler method with the bondaweb. This is quite a common methodfor decorative items and saves a lot of time. The project does,however, introduce you to putting a quilt project together,including binding. The methods used are not the most advanced(no mitred corners for instance) which makes this a great beginnerproject. This is slightly at odds with the lack of instructions orexamples for embellishing.

This kit cost £14.95 plus postage.I was impressed with the quality of the contents and consideringhow well the finished item turns out, this is great value for money.You could obviously get all the components together yourself forless, but care has been taken here to provide beautifully compatiblecolours and designs of fabric. You also get the design andinstructions.

I am quietly pleased with my first quilting attempt and I’m eager todo more, especially with some proper patchwork. The hanginglooks great on my wall. Because the components were of goodquality, the piece looks eyecatching and bears up under inspection.

Complete in a weekend without too much trouble.

Good points: Great quality components, good value for money.Bad Points: Not informed that would not be posted for 3 days,instructions

Overall I really enjoyed this project and am keen to do more. If youdon’t fancy having a go yourself, Perfect Patchwork sell completedhangings for a very reasonable sum.

Find them at www.perfectpatchwork.co.uk or on WowThankYouwww.wowthankyou.co.uk/perfect-patchwork

We have heard back from Perfect Patchworks Flick who says..

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Written by Samantha Tookey from One Of A Kind Creations

Cufflinks Tutorial

4mm and 6mm plain round Labradorite beadsSilver plated Chain linksSilver plated ball head pinsA basic tool kit; including wire cutters, roundnose pliers and two pairs of flat nose pliers.

Labradorite

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Step 1. Start by picking out twolarger and two smaller beads; one byone thread onto a ball head pin andmake a wrapped loop.

Step 2. Once you have finishedmaking the wrapped loops for eachbead, unfasten two links from a lengthof chain.

Step 3. Thread a large bead onto one link and close securely (always openand close links back to front like opening a door so as not to weaken the link);open the opposite link and add the smaller bead, close this securely. Copy theprocess with the second set of beads and your cufflinks are finished.

Step 1. Begin with a headpin and adrilled bead.

Step 2. Insert headpin into the beadand hold firmly close to the top of thebead with round nose pliers.

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Step 3. Bend the headpin to a 45angle.

Step 4. Move the pliers so that onehalf is below the angle and the otherabove.

Step 5. Carefully bend the headpinaround the top part of the pliers,forming the first part of the loop.

Step 6. Move the pliers again so thatthe top of the loop is sandwichedbetween the top and bottom parts ofthe pliers and continue to wrap theheadpin until it completes the loop.

Step 7. Holding the loop with theround nose pliers, use a pair of flatnose pliers to hold the end of the headpin and slowly wrap around the neckof the headpin directly under the loop;continue until the headpin meets thebead and there is no longer a gap.Snip off excess with wire cutters andusing the flat nose pliers gentlysqueeze to conceal the end of theheadpin.

Step 8. The finished wrapped loopsready for use.

Tutorial written by

Samantha Tookey from One Of A Kind Creations

https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-of-a-Kind-Creations

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