We got chatting to Rosemary at the show and she told us why crafting is so close to her heart. Rosemary is a Grandma to eight grand daughters, with another Grandchild on the way.

As all her grandchildren and family are living in America and card making is their very own beautiful way of keeping in touch. As well as making a special card for every occasion Rosemary also makes all her grand daughters dresses, knits all their jumpers, and makes all their quilts.

Rosemary and her husband Robert said that making cards brings lots of happiness and smiles into their house everyday. We hope that Rosemary, Robert and all their grand children always share the love and happiness that making and sending a hand made card brings.

We met Kim Francis and her daughter Roxanne at the Stitch and Craft Show at Olympia. Kim runs a boys brigade and Roxanne is in the New Malden Girls Brigade. Both Kim and Roxanne love card making and paper crafting, and try to encourage anything that involves scrapbooking and cool card making.

Roxanne said ‘everyone deserves to be inspired’. Which gave us the idea of asking Kim to have an ‘Inspire Me Papers’ day at the 5th Kingston and Merton Boys Brigade. So we sent some of our Inspiration packs and this is what happened.

So much concentration, so much choice
The boys were really impressed with all the colours and textures and soon set about making cards for Easter. “We used paper, punches and glue to create some really great cards for them to take home for their families”, said Kim. As you can see from the photos no two cards are the same and the boys had great fun making them.

Happy Easter from us all!

Don’t forget if you are being creative this Easter with paper send us your photos so we can feature them in this blog. Those we publish will receive a free Inspiration Pack. Please send them to inspireme at inspiremepapers.co.uk

Our Inspiration Pack winners have all been receiving their free packs and creating some great cards.

Mrs Carol Hilliard from Belper, got straight stuck straight into making an excellent thank you card with her pack - and sent us the results. 

This 'Oo La La' design makes good use of the pretty pink palette featuring Candy Pink Daisy printed paper (from our Silkscreen Icons range) mixed with the subtle texture of the White Gold Dust with Floral embossing (from our Metallic Collection).

Mrs Diana Hollings from Ilkley sent us some very tasteful designs including the 'Thank You' card shown below. Check out her detailed work in the three dimensional flower head, with pretty rosette ribbon giving a great finishing touch. Featuring Lilac and Purple papers from our Essential Collection.

Why not show us your designs. We'll send a free pack of paper to all papercrafters who's work we publish here. Please send them to inspireme at inspiremepapers.co.uk

Best Wishes

Inspire Me Papers Team

A big Inspire Me team thank you to Mary Holmes, who has sent us two flower card designs that we think are fabulous.

Mary has used a pretty mix of our Essentials Collection Papers together with Silkscreen Icons Printed Papers to make these lovely lilac and electric pink colour palettes. It's easy to mix and match your own colour palette - by using the colour grids in our paper collections.

Alternatively, many customers find it easier to buy our Inspiration Packs - which feature a different designer palette and mood in each pack. The range includes Perfect Pastels, Fun Brights and the funky fashionable Go Girl.

Mary has used some very effective cut paper techniques to give these cards a simple layered look, by complimenting and contrasting her colour choice. Adding wire stems to each flower to create a 3D effect, making the flowers sit off the page.

The 'Lots of Love' card features a mini envelope made from our White Gold Dust with Floral Embossing paper from out Metallic Collection. Small diamante crystals and pearl beads add the finishing touch to both designs.

Fab!

Elizabeth Briggs has sent us some bright and beautiful scrapbook pages that we hope you'll enjoy too.

Elizabeth explained they were inspired by the story behind her mums gorgeous garden.

"My mum loves her garden and she tries to spend as much time in it as possible.
Now that she has grandchildren, she spends a lot of her time making it nice for when we visit. Sometimes both Mum and Dad are working night shifts, and they don't always get to see the garden in daylight. So I created these pages as they really sum up the beauty of it and the pleasure it gives us all".

We particularly like Elizabeths imaginative checker board layout, and use of bright contrasting colours, using papers from our Essential Collection and Silkscreen Icons Printed Papers range.

Innovative card maker and papercrafter Jo Kill has taken our Inspiration Pack range on a road test.

This "Birthday Star" design features our 'Bright Fun' Inspiration Pack - making it a very funky, and stand out birthday card.
Jo has layered her strong symbols and shapes over the Strawberry Red Star base paper, and decorated with freehand sketching. Adding clips, rivets and staples as intriguing points of interest, and a purple paper interior.

The "Thank You" large daisy design features the forthright and go ahead colour palette of our 'Go Girl' Inspiration Pack.
Jo has used the Electric Pink Spot paper for her punchy 3D daisy image - then layered the complementing papers behind. Adding her own decorative hand typography to the "Thank You" caption.

Many thanks to Lauren - who has sent us samples of her stunning 'designer look' wedding invites.
Lauren wanted a small but contemporary touch of black added to her dress and stationery, to give her traditional wedding a twist.

Lauren chose our 150mm sq Black Pearl Folded Cards and had the caption foil blocked in white with the help of a local printer.

She then digitally printed her RSVP invitation on a 'tip in' sheet to fit inside the invite.

To complete the invite and hold in the 'tip in' page - Lauren then added a sparkling diamante 'ring' threaded with a fine white ribbon.

The luxury look was