Happy New Year

Wishing you a Happy New Year.
2011 was not always a happy time for everyone and we hope that this year will be better for those who have had their lives drastically changed. I noticed that printed on a shopping bag of a customer the other day, the verse "John 3:16". I know from personal experience the help and comfort He offers.

Over the past year we have been supporting the Guide Dogs appeal with a collection box in the shop and have had two charity "Make Take and Eat Cake " events for Marie Curie Cancer Care. A good amount of money has been collected for both worthy charities - thanks to customers generosity.
For 2012 we are making Marie Curie our focus charity. We seem to have known so many friends and customers who over the past year have had their lives altered by this cruel desease that it seems right to choose this cancer care charity to give to.

On a lighter and crafting note - we are open New Years Eve until 3pm and on Bank Holiday Monday 10 - 4.

We have loads of things in our sale which is on until Saturday 14th January.
Included in that are all our wood mounted rubber stamps to clear at up to 85% off. Only 2 prices now - £1 or £2.99. We will be replacing these with a larger range of clear and unmounted stamps soon after stocktaking.

Our new workshop list is available in store or from our website www.in2crafting.co.uk Booking has started with classes being ever popular, so don't leave it too late before you book.

Thank you from all of us for your custom in 2011. We appreciate all your comments, cards and friendships. A big thanks too for all our lovely staff and tutors who make the place buzz.

Hope to see you again soon

John,Réne and the rest of the team

Letraset Metallic pens and some quick and easy cards

New in the shop are the packs of Metallic Markers set 1 from Letraset at £11.59 a set, if you are a Promarker or Aquamarker fan you will love these pens!! The pens are slightly different in that the nibs are a fine and medium size.

They are waterbased not alcohol based like the Promarkers so you cant blend them together but you can blend them with water. Six fab colours....

I have been having a little play and here's a great technique to make backgrounds for some quick and easy last minute Christmas cards.

You will need: a heat resist craft mat, some glossy cardstock, circle punches, spritzer bottle with some water in, heat gun, Black Adirondak or Stazon ink pad, Glitter gel pen, ruler { with nice smooth edges} stamps. I used the Paula Pascual Joyful Bubbles and Christmas Messages

Firstly, take some of the Pens...I used 3 colours the blue, violet and green and literally scribble them in a small area on your mat, then repeat with the other two colours. Take your water spritzer and spray some water over the ink, you don't need too much.

 Then take your glossy cardstock and lay glossy side down into the mat. I found if I moved it around too much I got a muddier look, which I did not like as much, so just press down firmly and then peel back. You can see the ink drying but I gave it a blitz with my heat gun to stop it dripping. The card will bend, don't worry it will straighten when cool.

To make the card I used circle punches to punch out 3 circles, then used the next size up circle punch to make a mat in black card.  You can use whatever size punches you have or if you have a circle cutter or circle Nestabilities, they would work just as well.  I stamped the "J" and "Y" on 1st and 3rd one and a snowflake and circle on the middle one. Stick the two layers together, I cut a rectangle of white card slightly smaller than the width of my prescored card stamped the little caps from Paula Joyful Bubbles set just above where I wanted the baubles to sit. Mat with some more Black card and before you stick down, take a ruler and run the Silver pen along the edge of the ruler to make a border, repeat on all sides keeping it even depth all the way around. I stamped the "to the world" sentiment, which comes in the kit but you can choose whatever sentiment you want. To do the bottom, I stuck a strip of double sided tape across the card, remove the top and sprinkle with silver glitter, firmed down with finger. I then scored a line above and below with a score board. Finally, a gem and some elastic cord for bows as a finishing touch.

Here's another version, same technique but I used the swirl stamp in the Christmas Messages set to stamp all over the circles and then drew a line with the Silver pen,  the lighter the pressure the thinner the line. I attached with foam pads and run some lines of a glitter gel pen around the swirls to add some twinkle.

Hope you like playing with your pens, definitely something to ask Father Christmas for!!! Have a great weekend, don't forget you save 20% off your shopping at the till today in the shop and you still get your points as well if you are a Privileged Cardholder. So you get 27.5% savings in total!!!

Everything is included (except gift vouchers, special orders and payment for workshops). Even already reduced price stock is included! So come and make some savings, get some crafting stock or a present for someone. There will be demos showing a stamping, colouring and glittering technique at various times during the day between 10 - 1 and 2 - 4.    Parking is free on Saturday - just outside our door.

Hot news.......just in individual Flexi markers in 52 colours just being put out in shop £2.95 each, so if you have been looking for more colours to fit in with your Promarkers, these work really well together!!

Jackie