CHA IS COMING!!!

We took a break for Christmas but we are back now and looking forward to CHA at the end of the month. To celebrate this, over the coming weeks, along with the usual fantastic reviews we'll also be showing you sneak peeks of what the manufacturers have in store for us at CHA.

Then during the show we'll be sure to keep you up to date with everything that happens.

We'll be kicking of the sneak peaks later today so be sure to check us out.

Basic Grey Jovial Collection

The Basic Grey ‘Jovial’ collection retails at around £21.99 in the UK and is widely available from online retailers worldwide.

Yes, the busiest time of the year for most of us.... Christmas. I have a list as long as my arm of things I ‘should’ be doing, but yet I ditched my list last night so that I could dig in to these papers and get a headstart on making my Christmas cards! This very fact is a huge selling point of these papers, for me. No matter how much I love crafting, I struggle to get excited about making my Christmas cards. I think it’s the sheer volume of cards required and the fact that I feel that I ‘should’ make them rather than ‘want’ to, that does it. The fact that I was looking forward to trying out these papers in a Christmas card making environment can only be a good thing!

In the pack you will find 18 double-sided papers, a sheet of alphabet stickers (in 2 colours) and a sheet of coordinating cardstock stickers. Basic Grey use FSC-certified papers and soy based inks (LOVE that smell when you take them out of the pack, it’s good for the soul!) to do their bit for the environment. If you’ve never tried BG papers before, you can rest assured that the quality is good. [And it’s worth buying them just to sniff that new BG paper smell ;)]

The papers are all well coordinated, but with enough variation that you could use the whole pack to make scrapbook pages and/or cards and they wouldn’t all look the same. There’s a good mix of subtle patterns with some bolder designs thrown in, and a mix of abstract patterns with more traditional Christmas motifs such as snowmen, poinsettias and gifts. I love that there are several papers that you can cut some of the motifs out of to make your own embellishments. You don’t have to think too hard about mixing the patterns, as they do work really well together. I like the way BG managed to mix traditional greens and reds with some cooler blues and make it work. The patterns are unique and not ‘just another’ Christmas line. It has a definite BG twist to it.

The sticker sheet is very useable, especially for cards. In fact, my son stole a lot of mine without me realising, and I am now the proud owner of a heavily-stickered Christmas card :) I do think it would be beneficial to have a few more stickers included, as there are enough papers to create a whole stack of cards and layouts, but you’d have to take it easy on the stickers if you didn’t want to add more from your stash – especially if you have a sticker-stealing child in the house!

In all, I’d recommend this collection for anyone who loves a good Christmas line and has a lot of cards to make, or layouts to get scrapped! The papers go a LONG way, and you could easily create a bunch of cards, a few layouts and a mini album from just 1 pack, if you’re prepared to add some extra stickers/embellishments.

I give this product 4 scissors – the only downside for me being the paper to sticker ratio :)

Sewing machine love

My Mum is in the midst of making nativity costumes. So when she commented that she was so frustrated that she couldn’t get her sewing machine to work consistently and had to keep stopping and starting, I said ‘I’ve got two sewing machines here to review if you want to use one’. I arrived home from work a couple of hours later to find one sewing machine and one empty box. Half an hour later I got a text saying ‘This machine is amazing, you are not having it back!’. That from a seasoned dress maker and daughter of a professional tailor.

When you read this review you need to keep in mind that my comparison point is the old machine that I got for my 21st Birthday. I won’t tell you exactly how old that makes it but let’s just say that it’s a teenager ☺ It’s heavy, it’s clunky and it jams often.

When I suggested that I review a sewing machine or two to Amanda it was because I have been looking at some beautiful projects with sewing on them and wishing that I trusted my machine not to chew up an almost finished LO when I attempted to sew onto it and wanted to buy a new one. I was thinking more along the lines of a £20 job, but then I’ve not heard terribly good things about them. Therefore when Silver Viscount offered us a low end and mid range machine to review I was thinking, ‘That’ll be nice; I can create some LO with stitching on before I have to send them back’. But I had no intention of buying either of them because of the cost. This is a prime example of paying for what you get though.


The midrange machine is the Silver 1045, brand new to the market with an RRP of £419 but currently available for £279 at Silverviscount. This computerised sewing machine has 110 stitch patterns. This includes direct patterns and utility, buttonhole, eyelet, darning, quilt, satin, decorative satin decorative and cross stitches. The decorative stitches include vines, hearts and stars. ‘It even threads the needle for you!’ said my Mum and it does too. The LED screen and push button stitch control allows you to change the pattern and size of the stitch quickly and easily and you can control the speed at which the machine sews by sliding a speed control. I found this really useful on LOs where I wanted to go slowly to begin with to make sure that it would work, or where I wanted to go in circles or swirls and needed more control. The price and number of stitches may seem excessive for a scrapbooker perhaps but look at the LO I created below and tell me you don’t need that stitch ;)

With failed previous attempts with my old sewing machine in the back of my mind, I tentatively put the needle to some cardstock and put my foot on the pedal. Great! No jamming, no tearing, just beautiful stitching. Okay, so that’s not too tall an order. What about getting through some cardstock, some patterned paper and a photo? You better believe it. The machine didn’t even grumble! ‘Bring on the layers’, it said. ‘Fine, so what about chipboard then?’ (Can you see how much a part of the family it’s become? So much so that I have little conversations with it? LOL) And you know what, the 1045 didn’t even stop to think about it. Straight through chipboard onto cardstock it went. Genius!

The Silver 1008 is the low end machine. It’s retail value is £209 but again you can get a huge discount by buying from Silver Viscount for £119. This machine does 8 stitches which, to be honest, is probably all a scrapbooker or cardmaker would actually need. It has button hole stitches and an accessory box too. As a fairly basic machine it does the job. Let’s face it, most LOs and cards I’ve seen with stitching on use either a straight stitch and zig zag and it does those. The speed is harder to control and the paper didn’t feed through as easily so it’s much more manual than the 1045, which guides the paper through itself almost. It also tore through the paper a couple of times, but the more layers the better it was and this machine had no problem going through layers of papers and photos or even through chipboard.

I have a feeling that the mistake I made here was in using the computerised machine first. Once you’ve done that, you’ll find it hard to go back to a machine that’s not all singing, all dancing. In summary though, as a basic tool for scrapbooking and cardmaking the Silver 1008 is a well priced machine. However, compared to the Silver 1045 there’s no contest. In my opinion, it’s well worth paying the higher price for the quality and ease of stitching. It will appeal to a variety of crafters; dressmakers, scrapbookers, cardmakers and quilters for example. As the scissors rating says, I could easily sell this machine to my Grandmother and have already sold them to my Mum and my Aunt. It’s absolutely at the top of my Christmas list this year. I do have a wedding dress to make after all!

PS: I’ve had communication with two people at Silver Viscount and I have to say that they were both extremely helpful, polite and friendly. As representatives of the product they match the quality of the machines, that’s for sure. I have no doubt that if you had any questions or queries about any of their products then the customer service department would be only too happy to help.

Core'dinations

I was lucky enough to be sent not one but four packs of core’dination cardstocks; ‘The Whitewash collection’, ‘core impressions’, ‘Gemstones’ and ‘Black Magic’.  These come in sizes from 6x6” to 12x12” and RRP is between £3.95 and £12.95 depending on the size and the range.  This is comparable with other cardstocks of this high quality.

If you’ve not come across Core’dinations cardstock before, rather than having a white core the cardstock has a core colour which coordinates with the surface color. Each sheet has a cut off tab that tells you what the core colour is.  The colour can be kept hidden or you can bring it through by sanding, tearing or embossing the cardstock. 

‘The Whitewash Collection’ contains 20 sheets of different colours, mainly pastels.  The cardstock has been given a white wash finish.  This can be sanded, torn or embossed to reveal the core colour and the effect is beautiful.  Core’dinations have a design team and you can see some of the lovely creations using this collection there.  This one stands out for me  http://www.coredinations.com/index.php/2010/12/01/whitewash-wednesday/.  Each piece of cardstock has a smooth coloured side and a textured, whitewash side.  The white wash side feels a bit like a canvas and has that lovely texture. 

The ‘core impressions’ I received is the result of a teaming up between Core’dinations and Cosmo Cricket.  They have also teamed up with other companies such as Jenni Bowlin and Jilly Bean Soup. The pack contains the same good quality 80lb cardstock as the other packs and has a canvas texture.  The cardstock is embossed with 4 different patterns (seedlings, sparkle, kitchen dot, crisscross) and comes in 5 colours (amazon, deco coral, French roast, katydid and Red pepper) so the pack contains 20 unique sheets.  I particularly like the ‘sparkle’ design.  These papers can also be sanded, torn or inked to add texture and interest to a LO and bring the core colour through. 

‘Gemstones’ is described as ‘The Crown Jewels of Cardstock’ and contains 20 sheets in 20 colours of premium cardstock.  It has one textured side and one smooth side.  The textured side has a pearlescent finish.  It’s a subtle finish and adds the right amount of sparkle and shine to a LO.  It’s not sandable because of the finish but you can tear and emboss of course.  The 20 colours are beautifully rich and there’s a good mix of brights, pastels and neutral colours included.

I think that my favourite has to be ‘Black Magic’ though.  There’s something about putting a colour next to black that makes it pop, don’t you think?  I used a piece of the Black Magic paper with the red core for a CJ entry and it somehow gave the page a dark and bloody feel to it, which was exactly what I was going for as it happens.  I think that this range would come in to it’s own around Halloween when you could emboss spider’s webs etc on to the black and have some great greens and oranges coming through.  This paper is also good for sanding and tearing to release the hidden colour. 

The great thing about Core’dinations is that whichever collection you buy (and there are various others than those describe above) you can be sure that you will be buying some great quality heavy duty cardstock (80lb) that can be used and abused without tearing where it shouldn’t or ending up looking tatty.  It’s all acid and lignin free too.  The innovative collections contain a good mix of colours and patterns within the theme and, in my opinion, do what they say on the tin in that you can tear, emboss and sand to release the core colour.  Because no two pages in these collection packs are the same, you wouldn’t tire of using them and no two projects would look the same making them good value for money.  The cardstock can be used for background, matting or as patterned paper once it’s altered making it versatile.

The core’dination products are available worldwide.  Prices do seem to vary quite a bit, particularly on older collections so it pays to shop around.  Once you have your collection there is a blog and gallery on the core’dination website where you can get tips and inspiration for using your cardstock. 

For someone like me that likes to add texture and colour to Los they are great and I think that they have great appeal to card makers too. 

Perfect. Couldn’t ask for more. Great item, fair price. Everyone should have one! You’d have no problem selling this to your grandmother.

Kaisercraft Be Merry

Yes I know it seems to have been an age since our last post but we have been ill :( Really very sorry but we are back now :)
And we are back with a bang with a great review by Val


Kaisercraft provided us with items from the Be Merry Collection to review.

Be Merry is a festive Christmas-themed collection. The 6 x 6 pad includes 24 sheets of designer paper, including 10 specialty sheets featuring glitter, spot varnish, flocking and several sheets of die cuts. The journal tag pad features 24 tags – 4 each of 6 designs that coordinate with the paper pad. Available worldwide, the 6 x 6 pad retails for $8.99 , and the journal tags for $1.39.

The papers are cardstock weight. The colors are traditional but not bright. They mix easily with current trends like kraft cardstock, twine and stitching.

The smaller scale of 6 x 6 pads make them ideal for cardmaking, although the combo of materials in this pad make it useful for a whole host of projects.  I used the pad & tags to make cards:

This decorative banner was made primarily with the journaling tags. The letters were cut from the paper in the pad with a die cut machine:

…and even for gift wrapping:

This pad could easily be used for smaller scrapbook layouts and the die cut sheets would be extremely useful in making a holiday-themed mini album.

Kaisercraft is an Australian-based, family-owned company. Founded as a wood joinery business about 20 years ago, the company evolved first into small wood items, then officially their craft line in 2005. Sales from their outlet store in Geelong, Australia fund outreach projects that support children in Southeast Asia. (For every $10 spent in the outlet, $9 goes to help disadvantaged children!)

The versatility of this mini paper collection along with the tags make it an excellent value for the price! . (The Be Merry line also includes acrylic stamps, rub ons, chipboard and 12 x 12 die cut sheets & papers. ) I think these products are ideal for  paper crafters.

This review has been sponsored by Kaisercraft specialist supplier:

An Interview With Teresa Collins

In the latest of our hard nosed reporting we caught up with the fabulous Teresa Collins.

A great scrapbooker and designer. The Teresa Collins Designs ranges are always popular amongst scrapbookers and card makers alike. The innovative Teresa Collins Stampmaker product that has recently been launched at CHA has already become one of the most desirable products amongst stampers.
So sit back and have a read of what Teresa has to say.
 
How long have you been scrapbooking and what got you started?
At the end of 2002, I started to scrapbook when my mother died unexpectantly. I knew it was TIME to start documenting life.

What do you see as your biggest scrapbooking achievement?
Wow, I honestly don't know. I have had so many great experiences and achievements. I think the fact that I can travel the world and share 
what I love is humbling. I now see my products in countries throughout the world and this is something that makes me amazed and grateful.

What is your favourite scrapbooking product?
I love my pop up dots, ATG gun, corner rounder and BLINGAGE on everything... 

What is the most you've ever spent on a purpose made scrapbooking item?
NO idea... really best left unknown. wink!

Was it worth it? 
Of course!!!!!


If you could give every scrapbooker in the world one piece of advice what would it be?
Enjoy the process and create from your heart...style is subjective and really should be about YOU telling your story. 


Which scrapbooking product do you use the most and why?
Glossy Accents and Pop Dots... essentials to me for my gems and dimension.


What is your favourite design technique?
Stamping incorporated in my projects to personalize and customize.


If you could have any scrapbooking product or tool right now that you do not already own what would it be?
Let's see..... I think I own them all. I love tools!!!!!!


What camera or cameras do you use to take your pictures and do you have a favourite?
Canon Mark II


Do you use a particular type of pen for journaling?
I have a few... and honestly have no idea who makes any of them!

If you could use only products from ONE manufacturer for the rest of your scrapping days, who's products would you choose?
Well, you know... it would have to be my collections. 

Do you have a favourite layout you've created, and could we see it please? Why is it your favourite?
I do not have any favorites because everytime I do something new it is then my "new" favorite. 


As Teresa has said that her favourite work is always her last work I thought I'd share with you all a recent project that Teresa has on her blog over at teresacollins.typepad.com . Now how beautiful is this!

A huge thank you to Teresa for taking part in this little fun interview. We love to hear about all of the scrapbookers that so many people look up to. Especially those like Teresa who also produce such lovely looking products for us all to use.

American Crafts embellishments

I had a lot of fun working with some American Crafts embellishments for this review. The Items I’ve tried out are:

City Park ‘Slide’ Delights

Dear Lizzie Mementos ‘Charming’

City Park Printed Tags

Dear Lizzie ‘Enchanted’ Rose Brads

Dear Lizzie ‘Hyacinth’ Details

Remarks ‘Gazeebo’ Dimensional Stickers

The City Park line is equally as fun and funky and full of uplifting colour. Prices range from £3.00 to £6.00, or $4.00 to $7.00 in the US.

If I had to describe these products in one word, it would be ‘fun’! You can’t help but smile when working with the bright, colourful product that we’ve come to associate with the AC brand. The Dear Lizzie line is probably one of their most popular, and it’s easy to see why. The embellishments are still typically American Crafts, but they have an interesting and unique feminine twist. I managed to combine product from all the embellishment packs from different collections on my pages and they still looked as though they were made to go together. This leads me to think that you could probably buy a few new embellishment packs to liven up your older AC collections and get away with it :) You’ve gotta love an excuse to buy new embellies, right?

In addition to the fun designs, the embellishments are well made. Things that were meant to stick did, nothing fell apart and everything was well finished.

The cost is reasonable for what you’re getting, although we get a bit of a worse deal (as with everything imported) outside the US.

They are well suited to a multitude of papercrafts, and there are many product lines to choose from, so there’s bound to be something to suit you and your project.

I loved the products, and found the continuation of style and the fact that you can tell it’s designed by AC a positive factor. I can see objectively, however, that this might put some people off in terms of being ‘samey’, and not all that different to previous releases. I can’t think of anything else negative about them :)