Well after a lot of hard work we have now launched our "Backing Paper Builder". This is an online system which allows you to make your own customised backing papers in 3 different sizes and 2 different orientations.

BACKINGPAPER BUILDER

We have been really really pleased with the feed back we have had on it so far. Everyone who has used it seems to have found it very straight forward and simple, which is what we intended it to be like when we first set out building it. We will ofcourse develop this further over the coming months so more feed back would be welcome either here or in our forum

There is a tips page and a lot of information is being put in the forum.

At different times of the year will will be adding different backing templates (you can choose to use these or solid colours) to reflect upcoming celebrations. At the moment we have some easter ones on there.

We are also experimenting with different fonts, the latest additions were to sets of "Wing DIngs" so you can use differnt types of symbols instead of words. This can give some lovely effects.

In the end the best thing to do is go to the page and have a play around. You can save any results you are happy with to your own computer so you can use them again and again and again. Here is an example of a very simple paper I did using just one symbol from one of the sets of WingDings.

New Forum and Article

Well we have started a new forum which is for both the Free Craft Downloads and the Free Craft Stuff sites. There are obviously a lot of craft forums around at the moment so I don't expect this one to be too busy but at least it gives somewhere where people can make comments / suggestions about the sites. You can find the forum at www.freecraftdownloads.co.uk/forum . Stop by and say hello if you have time.

I have also written an article on Craft CDs about print quality and DPI. I wont bother repeating it all here but if you buy craft design Cds it may make interesting reading for you :-)

A Difficult Year

There is no doubt that this is going to be a difficult year for craft companies both on and off line. Towards the end of last year several of the smaller online craft companies ceased trading and more are sure to follow. There were far too many of these small online companies to be sustainable but it is a shame as many of these smaller companies were run by real craft enthusiasts.

I've noticed already that several craft fair organisers have cut down on the number of shows they are running so this will cut down on the choice for crafters. As incomes drop and stand prices increase crafters will have to think hard about which shows they book. Unfortunately most finished craft items are not a necessity for the buying public and we shall have to wait and see how much they continue buying.

All is not doom and gloom, as normal in this situation there are bargains to be had as craft companies compete for the smaller amount of custom around. Keep you eyes on your favourite craft websites and you will see more reduced prices and sakes.