Daily Chit Chat

The photos are not what I have made they were example for a demo I went to yesterday they were made with creatable dies

I am finally starting to properly enjoy my cricut. The help from you guys was great on all my problems with cuts not matching up was fab. I'm still having problems, but now seem to be able to get rid of most of them with setting changes, it just takes a while, and I'm not the most patient of people!!!! It's ultra frustrating when you don't do a test first, and do a whole sheet, just to find they're dodgy cuts. Can I ask what the deal is with tax and duty etc if you send for carts from US??? As there do seem to be some good deals, but I have no idea what happens.

It depends where you buy the carts from and what value they put on the customs declaration form. You are allowed to have goods up to £32 value free of charges if they are sent as gifts or samples. Now the sneaky thing with UK deliveries through customs is that Royal Mail charge an £8 (I think) charge for bringing the items through customs so you can end up with VAT of say £3 being charged to you but then you have to add the £8 on so your total payment before you get the goods is £11. Now sometimes even when you pay that on top of the cost of the cart it can still work out cheaper than buying the cart in this country. Many times you will get them through customs without charges but it is pot luck. The only bit of advice I can give you regarding this is, if you buy carts singulalry then you are more likely to get away without paying charges, once you are in to 2-3 carts or more at a time you are more likely to have to pay custom charges as the value of the parcel is greater.
I hope that explains the process for you. It is luck of the drawer whether you get through customs without charges or not so you have to average it out over the year.

Hi Liz, how are you today? it is very quiet on here I wonder where everyone is? I have seen a demo today using EK Success punches and with a bit if practice you can use them on corners and in some ways they are better and cheaper than Martha Stewart and have more designs.

Hi Pam, yes it has been quiet the past couple of days. It sounds interesting about the punches, are the corners hard to get to grips with. EK punches are those that lock shut aren't they? Why do you think they are better?

Liz, EK Success punches are just border punches, they don't make corner ones like the PATP by Martha Stewart, it depends on how you line the card in the punch as to what kind of corner you get, if you go onto www.bramwellcrafts.co.uk and click on the Video links you will find some videos by Melanie Heaton using the punches and yes they are the ones that lock.

I'll mosey over and have a nosey!

Morning girl's what a morning got up at 6 and then went back to bed after hubby and son had gone to work as i had such a bad head,while i layed in bed i watched c&c with the ek punches and i like the thing's that can be done with them,also i am going to a class on the 5th march and mel will be teaching how to use the ek punches and the circle sissor, the class is in chesterfield at my friends shop,speak later girls 8 mins left on battery

Hi Dee, you will enjoy Mel's class, I did the same one with her on Monday this week and I also watched her at a Demo yesterday, she is a very clever Lady as far as punches are concerned as well as designing lovely cards, her favourite stamps are Magnolia's used with Copics.

I know what you mean about headache, snap! I think it is the weather that is causing these headaches. I watched a video yesterday about EK punches and it seemed quite clever, I got the impression from the video more physical pressure is required than one uses with a Martha Punch. I like the handles on Martha punches they are easier for me with the problems I have in my right hand (I am right handed for all jobs). There appears to be similar designs between EK and Martha so I suppose it just depends which you prefer. C&C rarely have the corner punches when they show Martha punches it is predominantly border punches they show even when there is a matching corner punch.

I'm back charged up a bit and pluged in,,Pam if you think back i saw her laast year and loved what she did , so i asked if it was possible to come down the chesterfield (not that far from me as you may know) realy looking forward to spending the day doing her style of crafting and i also like magnolia stamp's oh and molly bloom's but i must say i use promarkers, when i told her what i used for colouring in she said that she would change my mind and switch me over to copic.

I will find it interesting as to why she will change you over to copics. They are more expensive, less readily available and I dont personally believe they are worth the extra. I think it might be tough to convince you, even Enfys who was copic crazy has converted to Promarkers now so perhaps she could give you a view on Promarkers versus Copics.

Liz, I have got arthritis in my hands and have no problems with EK Success punches and I know they have been tested on someone worse than me and she had no problems. I think the debate on which is best Copics v Promarkers is a personal thing, I have Copics and love them, a friend was very much against them and bought every colour in Promarkers and now she has had to use Copics in our card class she wished she had taken my advice and bought Copics!!! In fact Copics have now bought some cheaper pens out in 36 colours and they are just under £2 each.

That's interesting to know, I suppose they are all vieing (dont think is correct spelling) for the cash out of our pockets. I suppose to an extent it depends whether you want to support UK business or not. I suppose there are an equal number of fors and against for each pen. I had some of the glittery copics and was disapointed with them, they look great in the pen but arent glitterey to the same extent on the page.

Copic v's promaker's ?
I have promarker's simply because i got them when i found a good deel on them.

Ek punch's v's martha ?
I like them both, but i must say i find ek have a longer life and much easer to press down, and with mel's help ek punch's can and dose make some fab boarders.

Promarkers V Copics
I like Promarkers, I have used Copics though.
1) Promarkers are British made. I don't want to be all colonial but if I can get a quality product that is British or a quality product that is Japanese, i'll pick the British one.
2) I prefer the bullet end of the Promarker to the brush end of the Copic, I think I can get more control over where the ink is applied.
3) Promarkers are cheaper.
4) I like the Promarker colours better.
5) Copics look nicer, I mean the physical pen looks nicer.

EK V Martha
Absolutely no competition here for me really.
EK are far superior quality, they feel heavier and sturdier, the cuts you get are much crisper and clearer and they go through thicker card than Marthas. The physical effort of cutting with EK is far less than the pressure you have to use on a Martha punch.
They store flat!

I have Promarkers and I bought them when they were on special offer too. I'm not a big colourer as you know, so couldn't justify changing them for Copics. Determined to keep practising with them

I love the EK punches, better cutters than Fiskars. I only have one Martha which cuts fine.

Well I have been really good today and bought nothing off QVC not even the TSV!!!!!

Well done Pam a drum roll and round of applause for you. What was the TSV out of curiosity?

Martha Stewart punches that can be used anywhere on a piece of cardstock, I was not impressed as they were rather large and possibly not easy to store.

I have read about them but not actually seen any in the flesh. They work similarly to that fancy stapler that will attach decorative staples onywhere in a page, they are an alternative to a brad without the bulk at the back.

Hiya friends, sorry I haven't been on since getting back from CHA (name dropper) which was fabulous.
About the copic v promarker thing, I agree totally with everything Kat said, well put Kat. About the appearance of the pens, I have it on good authority (sshhh, top secret) that soon the appearance is going to be updated, and the colours made more identifiable on the caps. I have used both, and like Kat prefer the bullet tip nib.
Anyone going to Olympia in March? Let me know if you are, I am there on the first two days I think with Papercraft Inspirations, but I am free for coffee, lunch, a natter or whatever. I am going the 1st two days I think, it will probably be manic at the weekend.
Liz, I got your email about the airbrush, I will write back this weekend, I wanted to play around with it a little before reporting back to you. I literally only got it the day before I left for the US, so haven't had much of a chance.
Have you heard about the new Cricut magazine on sale in the USA? Nice thick glossy book. I have two up for grabs on my blog, all you have to do is leave your name. I hope that whoever gets them are from the UK, we can't get half this stuff over here.

Well done Pam for not spending on QVC.

Are you going to Preston?

I am going with Pat, she wants to learn how to use her sat nat so anything could happen today, I forgot to get off the motorway yesterday and ended up on the M62, it's true about these little devices, if you don't know where you are they are lethal! I must find my map book.

Ian has bought me a car, when I get it on Wednesday (if I get it, I will tell you the story). You might need a cup of tea/coffee and a biscuit (or two - or a pack).

Glad to see everybody posting, it was quiet for a while, I must admit I have been a little busy and too tired to sit in front of my computer at night.

Anyway, best get showered!

Good morning girl's up early this morning as it's craft day at ali craft's in lincoln, so we all will be havin a good old catch up,,some of us meet up at Mcd's for breakie (fiona, lou and carol) really it's more chat than craft.
Bye for now, hope you all have a good day Dee

A lovely sunny morning here today, so the washing is out on the line. I've just made a soup, yum and I hope to make some cards today too. Need to get the chores out of the way first.