A Cheapskate Idea

I love buying new craft supplies as much as, no probably more than, the next woman but some of the stuff I'd like is a bit spendy and I'm always on the lookout for cheap DIY versions of it. Soooo.. I thought I'd share this little tip with you in case it's of use.

I've recently been playing with Distress Inks a lot and I like the kind of watercolour effect you get when you dab the pads straight onto a non-stick craft sheet and then pick the ink up with your paper.

I'd rather not spend £10 on one though so the other day I came up with this quick alternative. All you need is a piece of mat board or cardboard, some freezer paper and sellotape. You can make it whatever size is most useful for you, just wrap the freezer paper (shiny side up) over the board and stick down at the back. 

Notice how neatly I folded and stuck! OK, it won't last as long as an actual craft sheet but it's practically free and you can just replace the freezer paper as needed. I've been using mine for a few days now and it's bearing up well. Just wipe with kitchen towel when you're done and it's ready to go again!

And here's some I made earlier!

Sterling Stuff! News For UK Shoppers

I know that many folk in the UK prefer to be able to shop online at stores where they can see the price of goods and pay in pounds sterling and not have to deal with conversions to and from other currencies. Indeed, why not? It's undoubtedly more convenient to have transactions in your own currency and, to that end, I have two pieces of exciting news!

First, I have recently opened a store on Folksy which is a wonderful site for handmade goods. All the sellers on it are UK based (although you don't have to be in the UK to shop there!) and there are loads of great items to be had. Just the thing if you need some last minute gifts - and speedy delivery - in the run up to Christmas!

Second, for all those who have been put off to some degree from shopping on Etsy because all the prices and payments are in dollars, well not any more! Etsy is now supporting multiple currencies, in keeping with its international clientèle. So when you visit either of my shops, and those of many other UK sellers too, you will see sterling prices and be able to make your payments in pounds, no conversions to deal with at all!

Cool, huh?