I am Jane. I live in Leeds, UK with my husband and a daft black cat. My daughter has just moved to university, so life has changed quite a bit.
I like doing all sorts of craft and don’t focus on one in particular, I’m sure it would be easier if I just did one thing. The main things I do are card making, knitting and beading. I am strictly amateur league at them all. I used to work with children so have an interest in children’s crafts, the messier the better as long as I don’t have to do the clearing up!! I now work with the opposite end of the age spectrum as a occasional volunteer in a local care home with a small group of crafty ladies.
My grandma and mum taught me to knit when I was at junior school and I knitted from then on. Over the years I learned cross stitch and simple machine sewing. I got into card making in 2003, mainly to use up bits and bobs that I had around, but it kind of went mad and I started to buy products and make more cards. I set up my website Crafty Jane’s to sell the cards and take orders for personalised cards. Well actually my husband set up the website, I am not that technically minded. In recent years I have not been able to sell my makes so mainly donate them to charities.
I belong to a group of card makers called Outlawz, we design cards to inspire people for monthly challenges
My favourite thing to create is the stitched cards I make, using patterns from sites like Stitching Cards, Ann’s Papercraft, Form a Lines.
I like making cards as it is fairly quick and I like to make them simple, but fun. They are usually easy to do and can be portable, I can even do the stitched ones laid in bed if need be.
I was also very impressed that I managed to make a couple of quilts.
Quilting is very time consuming, I have another one on the go, but have not done any for ages, maybe one day!
I think this necklace has to be the most impressive thing I have made, but I had never worn it as the ends were sharp and it was uncomfortable to wear. I cut the drops off to wear it. Sadly it has now fallen apart and needs restringing, nothing to do with me cutting the drops off, but very frustrating.
I like the jewellery making, but it can be quite fiddly and tiring and I have trouble following patterns.
I am lucky to have a husband who lets me buy craft products, within reason and who doesn’t complain too much if things don’t get used! I have probably spent as much on storage as products!
I think my next craft to learn, is the art of taking photos that do justice to my makes.
