Hochanda

Katie Skilton gives us a sneak peak at what's to come with her next show on Hochanda with Sizzix! Hello there… Today I wanted to share a quick blog post with you with some sneak peaks of what I have coming up on my Sizzix shows on Sunday 19th June. I know there are a lot of Tim Holtz fans out there so this release is going to be really exciting for you. It is time to get those inks, paints and mixed media projects out as these new dies will be perfect for that. One of the most popular products on my Hochanda shows are always the Sizzix Mixed Media dies and this time will be no exception as I bring you the latest release - Mixed Media #3 Not only that but we have some fabulous cogs in both Biqz dies and Thinlits Dies. And of course the new release Sizzix Bigz Die Dapper.  How cool is this for the men in your life? Over the 3 shows I will be showing you how to get the best from your Sizzix dies and sharing a lot of crafty inspiration. ...

Introduce yourself! Hello, my name is Bee Morrison.   I am a self employed artist, designer and art tutor living and working in Eccles, Manchester. Tell us how you got into the art industry, was it something that you had always wanted to do? Since leaving school, I had drifted into office work but I yearned to go to art school.   Then I saw someone on the television being accepted for art school and I knew that I had a lot more to offer.   So I immediately applied for Bolton foundation course and have never looked back. Four years later I had completed the design course with an honours degree in Art and Design. When you are not painting, what else do you like doing for fun? I love listening to classical music and gardening.   If I had not gone into art I would have been a gardener. What was your “first” when I grow up I want to be….? From the age of 8 I wanted to be a fabric designer and this stayed with me for a very long time.   ...

Feeling a little uninspired recently? Here are 5 different craft projects to take you out of your comfort zone, guaranteed to kill that boredom once and for all! Terrarium Difficulty level out of 5: ⅖ Tutorial: here A terrarium can be described quite simply as an abundance of small plants growing in a controlled environment, and that controlled environment is usually a clear container than can be sealed off or open. This means that not only will it look in great in your home, but it’s also a great way to grow succulents and other such plants. Items such as pebbles and soil are used for it’s base, and from there you can plant and top said base however you wish. One of the best things about these are that they can be planted in almost any clear container, from glass cups to lightbulbs, the possibilities are endless! Cork pinboard Difficulty level out of 5: ⅗ Tutorial: here This DIY project isn’t exactly challenging but it is time consuming, though regardless of those two things, t...

We're so excited to share with you these top tips from our very own wood working expert Roger Berwick!  First thing's first... scroll sawing is a wonderful hobby to get into and the versatility of the SIP Scroll Saw is what makes it such an enjoyable tool to use. However, what must initially be considered is your personal safety when you are using one! Whilst the scroll saw is one of the safest woodworking power tools with a powered cutting blade it must still be treated with care and respect. Make sure that you wear safety goggles or glasses and keep your fingers well away from the cutting blade. You also must consider the dust being generated, so make sure to wear a mask or apply a extraction vacuum source. Now we've covered the basic safety elements, here are my 5 top tips for starting out with scroll sawing! 1) Choose the right scroll saw There are many scroll saws on the market but you need to consider the saw that is best ...

We were lucky enough to have been invited to The SAA’s incredible, record breaking exhibition, and we even bumped into our favourite guests Sharon Hurst and Matthew Palmer! Find out how we got on and see some pictures of this amazing feat! "You wouldn't sit down at a piano and expect to know how to play." - Richard Hope-Hawkins, Managing Director of SAA On 30 March, The Society for all Artists hosted a World Record Breaking Exhibition  preview, the l argest number of original artworks exhibited under one roof. Artists all over the world had been challenged to create their own original artwork on an Artist Trading Card, and they didn’t disappoint! The finished product showed all of this artwork mounted together on panels, with a total surface area of 201m 2 and the effect was stunning! The SAA had anticipated 10,000 entries, which would have been an incredible achievement in itself, but the fact that the final entry number was 32,283 paintings r...