Hi Everyone - hope you have had a great week.

Our Design Team has been busy once again - did you see this week's great posts from Joanne, Tina, Lowri, Betsy, Shirl and Tanya



You have until Wednesday to e-mail us your entries to the "All about LOVE" challenge.

Remember - it doesn;t have to be pink! It can be using a project using a product you love, a card or gift made for someone you love, or a layout about love- we would LOVE to see them all!

Please e-mail your entries to artfullcraftsdt@gmail.com. We will be featuring YOUR entries on the blog on Thursday and announcing the winner! We have a FANTASTIC prize - papers from all three of the Kaisercraft February collections - Magic Happens, Class of '87 and Timeless


For our feature this week we are meeting another member of our Design Team - Betsy Clark.

Betsy is a very talented papercrafter from Geraldine. She specialises in card-making but also enjoys many other crafts.  Here she shares with us three of her favourite projects, and tells us more about herself and her work. To see more of Betsy's gorgeous cards - be sure to take her look in her gallery.


How were you introduced to cardmaking?
I have always been a rather creative person but around 20 years ago a friend was having a cardmaking day, and she was short on numbers, so being a generous friend I went along to give her an extra pupil. Little did I know where it would lead me! Marion had me hooked.

Stand-Up Card Betsy loves to use her Copic Markers for colouring and she has done a wonderful job on this cute card!

What inspires you to create your cards?
I love doing personalised cards for people. They give me interests, colour, age and name and I am in my element. Surfing the net is a favorite past-time, getting into many wonderful blogs. There are so many amazing talented ladies out there.

What other projects types do you work on besides cards?
Patchwork is my first love. Between buying fabrics and scrapbook papers my bank account suffers! I did start a scrapbook for my daughter when she had her first baby, doing the first six pages and I have done a number of canvases for my grandchildren.

Ornate Card with Custom Bag This lovely decorative piece has a curved acetate front - and fits perfectly into a custom made bag (also shown)

What is your favourite scrapbook brand and why?
Well what sort of a question is that! There are so many favourites that I find it hard to choose. As I have an addictive nature I buy up many lovely papers (and there are lots) that are on the market just now. Webster's Pages, Graphic 45 and so it goes on.


What tools/products can you not do without?
My easy square and rotary cutter (primarily used for patchwork) are well used in cardmaking, Scor-Pal is another must have, then I could mention cuttlebug, spellbinders, copics, flowers, ribbon, bling, inks - it's never ending. I look around my workroom and think there's nothing there I could do without!

Friendship Album Betsy has created this beautiful vintage themed album. This type of star album folds flat, but when opened up show all of the pages at the same time.

What is your favourite technique or embellishment?
Making my own flowers has me intrigued at the moment although I do love Prima flowers and Kaisercraft also have a lovely new range of Paper Blooms. Colouring with Copics is a favourite, especially with the Magnolia stamps. They are gorgeous.

What do you hope to try to improve this year?
I pray that I will be good given good health so as to be able to continue doing what I love doing - one being making and teaching cardmaking. Another would be to get more familiar with my computer, and being able to do things with it, like understanding Lowri's instructions and putting them into practice! Now there's a challenge Lowri!

What advice can you give to people just beginning to enjoy cardmaking?
Go for it - you'll absolutely love it and get addicted! Speaking from experience you'll find you never have any money. Just joking!

Thanks Betsy - your work is wonderful.


Be sure to keep an eye on the blog this week for some more Design Team posts - and if you have entered our challenge - make sure you check in on Thursday to see if your work has been featured!