Hi there,

I just wanted to say to all members of docrafts.com.....

Have a Wonderful Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

Thank you for all your wonderful comments, support and inspriation over the past year. Thank you for joining in with the challenges, commenting on my blog and for supporting the love, Clare Curd range.

With all my love, Clare x

Can you believe it...I know....don't keel over on me. Two posts in 24 hours. That must be some kind of record for me!


Well, tonight I thought I would show you how those little post it note holders from yesterdays post came into being. Of course, if you know how, please turn away now. I'll shout you when were finished!


Firstly, before the lowly post it note was turned into a princess by the fairy godmother (ie me!) it was but a piece of cardstock measuring approximately 17 x 8.5cm. As you can see on the photo, I have also made a score line, about the thickness of the post it note pad. Now, of course you will need to adjust the measurements of your base card to reflect the size of the post it note pad, but I think they are all pretty standard, just check afore ye cut. The cardstock I have used here is white core'dinations cardstock, but on other post it note holders I have made, I have changed the colour to complement the papers and even the post it notes!

Now I have turned over onto the textured side of the card and cut two squares of patterned paper (this paper is We R Memory Keepers Tiffany Collection). Isn't this paper just gorgeous? Well I call it paper, but really it's double sided paper - almost cardstock, complete with glittered areas! I have cut these squares leaving a small border of white card around the edge.

Then I have turned the card over again (are you dizzy yet!) and attached ribbon to the centre of the edge of the card on each side. I used about 18 cm of ribbon each side, making sure there was about 14cm hanging over the edge. I use the markings on my craft mat to make sure the ribbons match up on each side. As you can see I have nicked David's electrical tape to fix the ribbon as it's strong and won't be seen by the time I've finished! I've had this tape for about 6 months and David still hasn't noticed - what does that tell you about David and his D.I.Y habits!

Now I made two squares of white core'dinations cardstock to fit the two panels exactly, and stuck them over the inside of the folder. Simples!

I did all the holders as a batch, that is I cut all the card together, cut all the panels together, and stuck all the ribbon together. You can still use different patterned papers and colours, I usually spend sometime choosing my papers before hand and getting everything together before I start. You can guarantee though I'll change my mind!

Well that's it....You can look back now!!

Will I be back tomorrow? What might I have...who knows! Come back and visit again x

Love, Clare x

I've been meaning to get around to doing this for ages, writing in my blog that is...honestly, I have - but what with one thing and another time just passes me by!

So, what have I been up to...well, let me see. I think I'll start from last Thursday as it really isn't viable to start from last year! It was my Birthday on Thursday and it started off as a pretty dismal day, but ended up more positively. David (my hubby) was away in Russia with work, and as it was also my Wedding Anniversary, it was quite sad to be spending it without him. However, for my birthday/ Anniversary present he bought me a beautiful platinum diamond ring, to replace my engagement ring I lost two years ago (well I didn't lose the ring, rather the stone lost me - at a craft show of course! I can just imagine a crafter finding it on the floor, and taking it home to stick onto a card - goodness - how expensive would that card be!). Sheila was meant to be coming over to spend a couple of days with Joseph and I, but unfortunately she had hurt her back badly, and how did she do it I hear you ask - crafting!!! She was cutting card all day, not turning properly (tut, tut, Mrs Halliwell!) and the next day and for the following week, she seized up like a rusty old pair of pliers! So, anyway she couldn't come and I was mightily disappointed - I love Sheila so much (as a best friend you understand...nothing more) and I knew had she come it would have been one of the best Birthdays ever (apart from the one that I actually got married on, I suppose), but it wasn't to be. So, I sat around and moped for a while, the postman came and gave me a big cuddle - at the door - that will get some tongues a-wagging around here I can tell you, and then I went out in order to cheer myself up with some retail therapy.

Then, Friday was the local Christmas Fair - and I was to have a stall to raise money for such a wonderful charity - St. Andrew's Children's Hospice. I had been feverishly busy in the evenings everyday for about a month (and weekends too) trying to get enough cards and gifts together to make a pretty penny for them. I thought I would show you some of what I made (more to come in later posts).

These are some post it note holders I made, and they are so easy to do, that I made 8 altogether I think! I changed the design of each one, but still they were quick, as I did everything in batches. I choose all my colour schemes at the same time, and did all the trimming together etc. I think all together they took me about 4 hours, which I don't think is bad. Just a quick tip: If you're planning on cutting everything at the same time, make sure all your post it notes are the same thickness, it makes it easier as you can just use the same measurements each time then!

Here they are, all bagged up and ready to fly off my table! I simply used a DL sized card bag and once I had tied ribbon around a rubber band which was fixed to the top, I trimmed the top off the ribbon. They make them look much more appealing, yet cost pennies and are so quick to do.

And here is a close up of a little tag I made. These were pre-cut tags, although of course you could die cut or punch your own. I stamped a large flower design with colorbox cat's eye dune pigment ink, and also inked around the edge with the same colour, then stamped the 'to' and 'from' wording with merlot ink (probably my most favourite colour!). They were so quick yet so sophisticated, I had to hold myself back from making loads!

Good evening!

Sorry I have been a naughty blogger again, but where does the time go? we're half way throught November already!! we'll soon be tucking into Christmas pud at this rate!

Now don't get all light headed on me, as I have a card to share with you, but first I want to tell you about something very exciting! Have you visited docrafts.co.uk recently? well there's happenings going on with the launch of Creativity! TV.

There is a free preview, right there, right NOW! Click here to be taken straight to it.

When you become a member of the creativity! Club, you will be to enjoy a weekly episode of Creativity! TV, but there will also be free back issues of docrafts Creativity! magazine, available to download online, plus free exclusive downloads such as printable papers and templates. Not only this (can we fit in any more!), but as a member of Creativity! club, you will have exclusive access to card making, scrapbooking, jewellery and home decor projects, and as the icing on the top of the very large cake you will receive a FREE subscription gift worth £19.99

which includes an exclusive set of clear stamps, Creativity! Club membership badge, Creativity! Club mug, Creativity! Club cotton shopping bag and last but not least a Creativity! Club mouse mat. There will also be more free gifts throught the year too!

There will also be instant messaging, an exclusive chat forum and online savings! Membership will cost only £2.50 per month, so watch the docrafts website for more information and to be one of the first to join the club!

So...now I want to share a card with you that I made for the current issue of docrafts Creativity! magazine. I would love to share something brand spankily new, never seen before by the naked eye, but unfortunately everything I have made recently has been for magazines or for Creativity! TV. Boo hoo.

I just love the colour scheme on this card! The burgundy swirl paper is from the Papermania 'Home for Christmas' Jesse Edwards Collection, but still works so well for an everyday card. I teamed it up with core'dinations cardstock and paper from the Papermania Regency Collection. I also stamped Squeak onto the same paper and cut out for a different effect. three burgundy brads and brown satin ribbon finishes the card. I truly hope you like it!

Love, Clare x

Good Morning all!

I just wanted to let you know about an exciting new opportunity which could see you being featured in furure issues of Docrafts Creativity! Magazine! If you have a crafty story to share and fancy adorning the pages of this coverted publication, simply click here for more details.

Love, Clare x

I've just been looking through the products section of the Docrafts website to get some item codes for the cards I've been making today, and I just spotted such a bargain which I thought was amazing! They have the 'Let it Snow' set of Christmas Clear Stamps from Papermania

Good Morning all!

I'm just finishing up everything for the QVC Crafting Customer experience next week in London. It's alot of hard work getting everything ready for the two days, and once we're there it's so busy and there's much to do, but it's so wonderful seeing all the QVC customers, having a chat and sharing our love for craft.

As last year, I'll be there with my Docrafts hat on, doing Make and Takes, and we also have demos of some of our newest products to appear on QVC too - you could be the first to see these goodies! I want to keep the make and take card a secret until the Event, but I've taken a sneeky peek for you...


I'll also be taking along with me the cards and other items made with the Forever Friends

Good Morning!

I never seem to get any time to make cards for myself these days (all together now...awwww), and when I say 'for myself' I mean cards that I can freely send to people whenever I need to. I usually save all my cards just in case they are needed for another reason - a video, a kit on QVC or whatever. Usually, the time frame to make these cards is very small, and so 'back ups' are a lifesaver! I then keep them 'till I think I will no longer need to call on them, and recently I've begun selling them to raise much needed funds for a local Children's Hospice. It feels good to be able to give something back by doing something you love.

Anyhoo I'm waffling as usual, so let me get on. These cards came together very quickly, over half a day or so. Even though they are all different, the layout stayed the same, saving time on what can be the most time consuming part of the process. It was also a great way of using up my scraps of card. I just love that feeling!

I used a number of elements and greetings to make up my cards - specific greetings such as Happy Birthday or Thank you, to more generic ones such as wishing you joy or I hope you know how much I care. I kept the main card base colour and embossed panel (various Doodlebug inpressions cardstock designs) white, taking my colour scheme from the Anita's Sticky ribbon which I applied to the top and bottom of the embossed panel. Then all I had left to do was choose an embellishment which would fit with the occasion and colour scheme of the card. To keep the process enjoyable I used a number of mediums - stamped images, buttons, fabric flowers, and die cut embellishments. You should have seen my desk by the time I'd finished!

So now I have about 18 cards to keep me going for a while. Well, that's all for now!

Thanks for coming on over!

Love, Clare x

Well, haven't I been a naughty blogger? What with one thing and another I've not been posting as often as I should. As usual, life has just got in the way! I'm going to make a concerted effort to be a good blogger from now on, so please forgive me.

I thought I would start my return to blogging with a little explanation of how I made this card which features in Clare's Corner of the September issue of Docrafts Creativity! Magazine. As you can see I took pictures at the time of making this to show you how I created it, so I suppose the thought was there!

First of all, I created the main centre panel of the card using my fantastic Quickutz