Crafts Beautiful editor's crafting tips for 2008

We caught up with Sarah Crosland, editor of best-selling crafts magazine, Crafts Beautiful. She chatted to us about crafting and even gave us a few of her top crafting tips...

What was it about Dawn Bibby and her craft designs that won her the Best General Card Designer and Best Crafts Beautiful Designer awards for 2007? 

Dawn is inspirational and everyone loves her! Her warmth and expertise captures the reader's attention and her designs look stylish, yet are easy to achieve. 

In your opinion, what makes a good crafter? 

Someone who can take basic materials, see the potential and turn them into a beautifully crafted item, paying special attention to detail and finishing.

What are the basic materials that every crafter should have?

I think that it's important to have good quality cardstock in a range of plain colours and textures, a rotary trimmer, a craft knife, spare blades, a cutting mat, a can of spray-mount, PVA glue, a bone folder and a selection of small punches.

What do you think it is about crafting that people really love and enjoy?

You can get a lot of pleasure from creating something handmade especially if it is for a friend or loved one; the planning and execution is as fun as the giving! Crafting is accessible to everyone - you don't need to be arty. There are plenty of materials, kits and gadgets available to help you to produce a reasonably professional finish. Crafting is also therapeutic; it helps you to concentrate your mind, reduces stress levels and is great for developing an eye for colour and proportion.

Are there any key designs or colours that people are using at the moment? 

There's the bohemian look with tattoo-style hearts, wings, floral patterns and scrolls that give craft projects a slightly scruffy and hand-drawn vintage feel. Then there are paisley brights with the Amy Butler style still going strong and with trademark colours, such as bright pink, green and turquoise teamed with olive, brown and grey. Other key designs are patterns inspired by nature and big and bold floral prints with contrasting smaller detail.

The monochrome black and white look is still really big, especially for wedding stationery and sophisticated papercrafting projects. The contemporary look is also important with motifs and patterns that have a child-like, quirky finish. There's a lot of strong primary colours as well with big and bold patterns and lettering.

What do you think will be the hottest crafting trends of 2008?

There's lots to choose from...

1. beading on cards is going to be a big thing, I think
2. home decor - such as stitched accessories
3. jewellery making
4. felt and embroidery
5. silk painting
6. knitting - making funky jewellery and leg and wrist warmers

And for papercraft, I think these will be some of the year's key trends:

• glitzy embellishments - such as jewel and flower brads
• Artistic Trading Cards, exploding boxes and cards with hidden mechanisms, such as waterfall and pop-up cards
• origami
• tapestry stamping
• textured card using embossing tools

Have you got any top tips for a beginner crafter? 

1. Start small - attempt easily achievable projects and take your time

2. Gather together a collection of crafty basics that you can keep adding to so that you can build up your stash

3. Buy Crafts Beautiful and Quick & Crafty! for all the ideas & tips that you'll need!

Shop for craft at QVCUK.com

Check out the Craft's Beautiful website for more crafting ideas.

Got any tips of your own for crafting in 2008? Share them with other crafters by commenting.