Welcome the Calico Crafts Design Team

Welcome everyone, to the new Calico Crafts Design Team Blog…We would like to start off by introducing the team to you by adding a short, craft relevant biography…

Firstly me:

Louise aka Zuzu:

My personal blog: zuzuspetalsstuff.blogspot.co.uk

My name is Louise but in the craft world I am known as Zuzu  (or Z).  I started crafting about 7 years ago by taking up simple card making. (I shudder to think at some of the cards i churned out and thought were fabulous).  I soon realised that card making wasnt for me and I discovered things like, tags, ATCs, fatbooks etc and did that for a while. Still I didn’t get comfy with crafting until I really discovered Altered Art.  3D objects seem to give me more satisfaction or adding a lot of texture to flatter objects. I have Linda Baldock to thank for that  (someone I hope you will all be meeting here at some point). Basically that’s it, I love altered art in a vintage shabby chic style and fail terribly at clean techniques. I am not a great stamper either yet love using them in my altered art projects.

I am a trained Counsellor and worked for two years for place2be (a charitable organisation running counselling for kids in schools), play guitar and a few other instruments and love cooking for dinner parties. Married with one 30 year old son.

Trish:

Personal Blog: inkpaintbeads.blogspot.co.uk

My name is Trish Latimer and I’m a full time mixed media artist. I write and design for a few magazines, and also teach classes near my home in sunny Blackpool!

I’ve been crafting seriously for over ten years, and teaching for nearly that long. My passion is using paint, ink and rubber stamps to create quirky colourful art on a variety of surfaces. I love making cards, but am probably most happy working on wood, chipboard or canvas. Any size, any shape! I adore getting messy, glue and paint accidents have turned into some of my favourite pieces!

I find inspiration in the oddest places, paint charts and fabric stores are an endless source of interesting colour combinations, and I’m always on the lookout for that strange piece of ephemera that can be a starting point for a creation of some sort. I would say the people who inspire me most are Teesha Moore and Dina Wakely, I am in awe of the way they use colour and shape in their work!

Lesley:

Personal Blog: smellylelly.blog.co.uk

Hi, my name is Lesley Walters and I live in Kent.

My love affair with all things crafty started about 7 years ago while watching a programme on embossing. It was like a thousand light bulbs going off.

After I gave up work to look after my first child I started to dabble in the dark arts of crafting. I love to challenge myself with new techniques and ideas. I am a complete ink and paint junkie and get quite distraught if i’ve got clean hands! Wood surfaces are one of my most favest surfaces to work and i love the distressy, grungy style look.

Recently fabric has been making an appearance into my work as well. Everyday life inspires me, and i’m known for writing many a list with random ideas on them!

Inspiration wise….i’ve got a lot of love for Ms Wendy Vecchi and my latest muse is Ruth Rae. I have 3 kids now, twins who are 4 at the time of writing this and my eldest who is 8 (who has a talent for crafting too). They take up a lot of my time, so I craft whenever possible……normally until the early hours of the morning.

Paula:

Personal blog: http://justforoneday11.blogspot.co.uk/

My name is Paula and I live on the east coat of England. At the moment I’m writing/designing for one magazine but I have created for several different titles over the last 5 years, as well as having items published in US titles. I started card making in 2004 when I decided that I wanted to make my aunt a card for her birthday, that idea has certainly blossomed into quite an obsession/addiction, at the moment I can’t see it coming to an end any time soon!

Pat: past team member

Personal Blog: laughincolour.blogspot.co.uk

My name is Pat. I am semi-retired (I look after my youngest granddaughter – do the school run and holidays), but give myself plenty of time to craft.

I have been interested in crafts for as long as I can remember  – learning to knit and crotchet from my grandmother  as a child and developing my skills and interests throughout my life.  Currently my interests are with mixed media – I am inspired by the Tim Holtz and people like Beryl Taylor. I am one of those people that keeps all sorts of bits and pieces – and have even picked up old rusty bits to use in my work.  My family would call in junk – I look on it as treasure. I had my own craft shop for years – but was glad to retire and have more time to concentrate on my own work….

Past Team member: Gillian

Personal Blog: scrappydoo-gillian.blogspot.com

My name is Gillian Simson, I live on the North East coast of Scotland. I have been crafting for around 10 years . I started with paper crafting and stamping but quickly discovered the world of altered art and working on 3D objects. My favoured styles ranges from grunge, distressed, shabby chic and vintage. I enjoy experimenting with a variety of mediums including, paints, inks and texture using them in as many ways as possible and trying to think “outside the box”.

That’s all from us just now but look out for projects appearing this week and regularly from now on.

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