DESIGN TEAM LEADER

HEATHER PEEL - NORTHUMBERLAND

I'm married for the 2nd time to a lovely sweet man .we met in our little fishing village coming up 11 years ago in Jan .We eventually got married will be 4 years in sept , in our beautiful church on the sea front .I worked for many years as a nurse in a mental health NHS hospital and loved every minute of it . I had to move on as our ward was on closure due to care in the community. I tooK ill and was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia which they now say had been there for quite some years, before, but was always put down to been other ailments . I have crafted in some way all of my life from a child ..some way or other.had my first sewing machine and was making clothes at the age of 11 years old .I Knit .,and make curtains ,not so much now . I got into card crafting nearly 5 years ago ,when while recuperating from my hysterectomy found Create and Craft on tv ,and thought well i could do this ,the first things i did was my own wedding invites ,then it grew into table arrangements ,then the whole ceremony even  the mens ties as well were all was designed by me, I also have done fashion design at city and guilds level ,and a short course at college in interior design ..i have always loved to create things for my friends and family ,and this has rubbed off to my Daughter who is currently finishing her ba honours degree in Fashion Design Knitwear after 7 years of study .I am so proud of her. I set up a community Craft group and secured funds from funding bodies of over 8 thousand pounds to buy equipment and materials etc. Of which I am the chairperson . I am enrolling in our local college to do a btec in either art ,or fashion Textiles come Sept.

DESIGN TEAM

IDA HOPPER - COUNTY DURHAM 

My name is Ida and I have been married to David (my own particular rock) for 16 years (Today...)  I have 2 sons, 1 daughter  and one stepdaughter

These lovely people have given me 6  wonderful grandchildren.

I love card crafting.. Not really the mat and layer type of crafting, but where you have to actually MAKE the card. I have been crafting in some form or another for all my life.

I found card crafting 4 years ago and was hooked. 12 hours a day is the norm for me... I have my own craft club in a  town called Willington in County Durham and I couldn't have a nicer set of ladies if I had hand picked them.

SARAH BATH - SWANSEA

My name is Sarah Bath and I am a 20-36 (okay, 36!) year old mother of 3 along with two-step children although I think of them as my own. I work for a coach company and drive school children and people with disabilities to their required destination.

SUE SIEROTO - LEICESTER CREATE & CRAFT DEMONSTRATOR

I am 57 yrs old and a nana to 5 lovely grandchildren who all love crafting, I am married to Jim for the last 9 yrs, who is a teacher, and a rock musician,( yes I married a pop star lol) we both have hobbies, mine is crafting, I love card making but also the challenge of template making ,I am registered disabled as my walking is limited, and I am in pain most days,
but my craft keeps me going. I started card making 5 yrs ago after being very ill, had to give up smoking, saw crafting on the TV and thought I can do that, so every time I wanted a cigarette I made a card, and I have never looked back.

TRACY PRIDDLE - SUNDERLAND

Hi my name is Tracy and I am a married housewife with 2 children aged 4 and 6. At the moment I fit my card making hobby in around my husband and 2 children and looking after the house.  My initial hobbies were cross stitching and making salt dough projects and I joined a crafting course through my local community centre about four years ago, which is how I became interested in making hand made cards.  My interest and fascination with cards has grown ever since.  

JAE SUTHERLAND - WALSALL - CREATE & CRAFT DEMONSTRATOR

LESLEY DENTON - PLYMOUTH

Im Lesley DENTON, 52 years old ,married to Andy for 35 years .We have 3 grown up children and 5 grandchildren. I have been making cards for about 3 1/2 years and started after illness made me give up my knitwear business. I am know completely hooked on card making to the point of obssesion  lol( arent we all)

SANDRA PARSONS - MIDDLESEX

I’m 47, married, with a 19 year old son, oh, and the biggest coward of a cat you could ever meet!! I, like most people, started crafting very young, taught to knit by my Nan and then progressed onto cross stitch. But it wasn’t until I discovered card making some 10 years ago, that I was well and truly hooked. I first saw a kit on a shopping channel and thought, yeap, I’ll give that a go. When I think back to my early creations, I wonder why I persevered – my cards were not very good, to say the least. I’m a huge decoupage fan, loving the way images ‘come to life’ off a card and am completely obsessed with CD crafting. I relish the thought of having my own craft shops in my own home, offering ‘completely matching or co-ordinating images’, available 24/7, 365 days a year  – especially when I have a habit of leaving cards until the last minute to make!! I have also dabbled a little in candle making, gallery glass and jewellery making but am always drawn back to card making. Apart from card making I’m fanatical about gardening and cannot pass a weed without pulling it out, love heavy rock music and football. Born in November, I’m a typical Scorpio, with a wicked sense of humour, who has a habit of saying things that other people only think – thus I’m always getting myself in trouble.

 EILEEN TOWERS - LINCOLNSHIRE  

Hi my name is Eileen, I have been married to Paul for forty years.We have three sons and two lovely granddaughters.I have been crafting since I was very small.

I was taught sewing and knitting by my Auntie.I went on to do many different crafts over the years.Even did a craft after school club for children at a local school.

I started making cards about 10yrs ago.Now I am really hooked.Love trying out new things and experimenting with new idea’s.Since moving to Lincolnshire  a couple of years ago  my cardmaking has increased considerably. I have had a stall at a few local craft fairs and have become friends with a lovely lady who owns a local craft shop.Now I am kept busy making samples for the shop and doing the odd cardmaking classes for her.

 DIANE MARSH - SOUTHAMPTON

Hello, I am Diane. I am married to Kevin, who deserves a medal for putting up with me and all my clutter, and I have 2 fabulous teenage children, Jenny and Daniel, oh and I can’t leave out my baby…our Westie Maggie!

 I love making cards and 3D models and gifts. I got into crafting about 12 years ago because I was asked to help at my Daughter's School Christmas Bazaar. I had never made anything before, and didn't think that anything I made would sell. I made lots of floral Christmas items including table displays and door wreaths. I set up the stall in the morning, went home for lunch...and was amazed to see that most of the items had been reserved by the time I got back, before the sale had even started! I made a topiary tree for a friend as a gift and couldn't find nice packaging or a card to go with it, so I decided to make my own. That was it, I haven't bought a shop card since, and never will. Hand made says so much more to the person receiving it.. I love to fit the card to the recipient, whether it is just their favourite colour, or their hobby, or something even more personal to them. It really makes people think that I have given their card or gift a lot of thought, and of course, I have.. so much nicer than just choosing something from the local shop.

JAN CONNER - SPENNYMOOR, COUNTY DURHAM

I live in the north east with my long term partner Bob my toy boy! I'm 51 he's 50 lolAnd our cat Tink!I have two grown up son's.My eldest has given me three wonderful granddaughters 6 5 2. My youngest is a soldier. 
I am absolutely hooked on crafting especially cards & models and I love adding lace  trims & ribbon to my projects.

'I live in the Midlands and have been married for 30 years to a wonderful man who never moans about the time/money I spend on crafting! (maybe he loves the peace and quiet.. ha ha!) I have 3 children, youngest still at home and work in special educational needs.I first got into crafting 2 years ago when I decided to make a scrapbook album from birth to 18 for my daughters 18th birthday. I totally amazed myself with the result of the album, I was so proud of my project considering I cannot draw or paint- I discovered a creative side I never knew I had! 

I started out with a small plastic crate which extended to 4 and then to an extension at the back of my utility room! When I completed the album I had so much craft stock left over from papers, brads, eyelets etc, you name it, I had it, so I decided to try my hand at card making and so it began! Now I have a craft room bursting at the seams!'