Take note of our top crafting hacks from some of the biggest names in the industry and guarantee to make your cardmaking that little bit easier. Whether you’re looking for ways to cut down costs or simply hoping to get your creative juices flowing again, we’ve got you covered. You’ll be a know-it-all in no time!

1 Savvy Spending

“There’s no need to splash your budget on cardmaking products, I love to reinvent new uses for everyday products. For example, if you want to create a scalloped effect, simply draw over the top of a line of pennies. I also save up little snippets of card and offcuts of ribbon, which are great for sparking your imagination when you sit down to create.”

To hear more from Corinne and visual tutorials, head to the Crafts Channel at youtube.com/TheCraftsChannel.
Corinne Bradd, Designer

2 Combo Crafting

“My biggest pitfall when I started cardmaking was buying things that were only good for one use. There are so many craft items on the market that have multiple purposes now! I also found that taking classes at my local craft store was incredibly helpful when learning about brand-new techniques and products.”

Head to particraft.blogpost.com for extra cardmaking tips from Sue.
Sue Wilson, Stamp Designer

3 Mix and Match

“Create interest on a card with a combination of contrasts. For example, pair a large element with smaller ones; mix straight and circular lines, and combine a script-font stamped greeting with plain type.”

Visit saranaumann.com for tons of projects and techniques.
Sara Naumann, Mixed Media Artist

4 Stuck In A Rut?

“When you’re stuck for ideas, you can find heaps of inspiration on social media. Pinterest allows you to be specific in your search i.e. ‘handmade cards with
butterflies’ and in Instagram, you can search using hashtags: try #handmadecards, #cardmaker or #instacraft for ideas.”

For more inspiration, head to Kathy’s blog at thecraftblog.com
Kathy Hodson, Trimcraft Demonstrator

5 Back to Basics

“If you fancy trying out calligraphy, it’s best to start with the basics. I’d recommend following some guidance from a book or taster class. We run workshops at our London studio several times a week and I’m lucky enough to have published a book, Modern Calligraphy which is designed to teach you how to get started. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy it!”

Modern Calligraphy is available to buy at orionbooks.co.uk.
Lucy Edmonds, Calligrapher and Author

6 Stamping Secrets

“Make sure you are using the right ink-pad for the surface you want to stamp onto. Acetate, glass and vellum are non-porous surfaces so stamps tend to slip and slide on these. Use a permanent ink such as Memento or Archival, and I’d also recommend a stamping platform.”

For extra tips and tricks, head to cardsbyjulie.blogspot.com.
Julie Hickey

7 Roll Up, Roll Up!

“Less is more when it comes to gluing your quilled shapes to your greeting – too much adhesive can quickly ruin them. I would also recommend using tweezers to carefully lift and position your motifs onto the card to ensure they don’t lose their shape.”

Looking for more quilling tips? Visit elizabethmoad.blogspot.com.
Elizabeth Moad, Designer

8 Ink Techniques

“Thin card will curl after spritzing on the ink, so opt for a heavier weight. It may still curl up slightly, so when dry weigh it down overnight or iron on the back to help flatten it out. My second tip? Spritzing is messy and for a finer mist you need to be further away from the card. Protect your surfaces with lots of scrap sheets of paper.”

Colette Smith, Designer

9 Oh,So Vintage

“I can’t get enough of the distressed, vintage look. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is by sticking to traditional images. If you want to ‘muddy’ anything, then a Tim Holtz distress pad rubbed along the edges works wonders. Finally, if you use ribbon then opt for delicate voile, velvet or lace.”

Discover Joanna’s range of dies at joannasheen.com.
Joanna Sheen, Designer and TV Presenter

10 Striking Sentiments

“There are so many ways to make your heartfelt words stand out on your greetings and with plenty of embossing powders out there, you can really experiment with colours and textures. I personally love the Pink and Main die sets from WOW! Embossing and I think they’re perfect for adding interest.”

Marion’s blog is a go-to for embossing and stamping how-tos, head to sugarandspicecrafts.co.uk.
Marion Emberson, WOW! Embossing Designer