Hello … welcome to The Craft Room Podcast. I’m so glad you’re joining me today, because we are talking today about the upcoming Card Maker Success Summit.  I’ve been attending these summits for the past few years, and even though I’ve been making cards for over 30 years, I still come away from the event having learned something new, and loaded up with inspiration. So imagine my excitement when an invitation to speaker this year landed in my inbox! At the time I was putting finishing touches on the All Occasions box, so when I saw the theme for this summit … Card Maker Success … saying yes ..read more

Happy new year to you, and I’m so glad you’re joining me today as I answer the most common question I’ve received so far this year, which pertains to glue. Way back in Episode 26 I talked a lot about glue, but I’ve learned a few new things this week, so I thought it was time to share updated information and answer a question that lands in my inbox almost every day … “What is the ETA on the Precision Glue Press”. I made a short video about this today, but there’s more to know, so while this isn’t a super long episode, it does have some useful information, about the product, and glue in general ..read more

I’m so glad that you’re joining me for this episode, because it’s a wild ride. Even if you’re not into crochet (or parasols), I hope you’ll stick around for the thrilling tale of how a 34 second TikTok video sparked a crafting odyssey. I have some hot tips to share that you might find useful in your own crafting life. I’m sure I’m not alone in this … you know that moment when you see something on the internet and you just know in your heart that you HAVE TO MAKE IT. This is what I’m talking about when I say “obsession”. I’ve experienced this many times, though in recent years, not so much, as ..read more

Today we’re talking about an important crafting topic ... cost vs value. This is something I mention a lot on the podcast, but have never talked specifically about, so we’re going to talk about it today. In a nutshell, the cost of something is the price you pay for it. The value is what the product is worth to you. Todays episode is sponsored by Altenew. If you’re unfamiliar with them, Altenew have been around since 2014 and are renowned for their layering stamps, dies & stencils, detailed embossing folders, coordinating ranges and innovative tools. I am an Altenew stockist here in Au ..read more

Today we’re talking about a couple of very important things you need to know if you have Copic markers, or are thinking about starting your collection … maintenance and handling.   I want to start by laying out my credentials … I am a certified Copic instructor, and an Authorised Copic Stockist in Australia. I have been using Copic markers for over 13 years, and I created the Copic Subscription Box as a way to help crafters build their Copic colouring skills, as well as their marker collection. And, while I do know a lot about Copic markers, I don’t receive updated information from the TO ..read more

In todays episode I thought I'd catch you up on what's happening with international shipping. Between pandemic and Christmas levels of demand, USPS has become overwhelmed and suspended all shipping to Australia (and some other countries). I have some insights, as well as suggestions for alternatives to shopping overseas. LINKS Blog post - https://www.dawnlewis.com.au/podcast31 ..read more

In todays episode I’m answering a question from my awesome friend Renee who wants to host a swap for her online community. She wanted to know exactly how it’s done, so I thought it would be fun to talk today about how you can be a great swap host, and also a great swap participant. I have talked about craft swaps in an episode previously, but this will be more about the technicalities of what goes on behind the scenes and what makes a swap great. There are lots of different types of craft swaps, which I talked about in Episode 17, but the style of swap that I host are where participants create ..read more

Today, let’s talk about embossing. Breaking it down to bare basics, embossing refers to a technique resulting in a raised area on your project. For those of us in the paper-crafting world, there are two main methods of embossing that we can achieve an embossed effect. There’s dry embossing and heat embossing. They use very different methods and products, and there’s a distinct difference between the two. So, if a crafter in your life has hinted at a gift of embossing goodies, it’s important to know which method they’re referring to. Let’s talk about the differences between them. You can find a ..read more

I know it’s been a while between episodes, but Covid and lockdown have kept me extra busy with the shop. I’m excited to be back … thanks for tuning in!  Today, let’s talk about one of the oldest, most used, versatile and affordable pieces of kit that you can have in your crafting stash - stencils. Stencils are, essentially, a tool that helps you create a design quickly and easily by masking off the areas where you don’t want to apply your ink, paint or medium. There are lots of different sizes, shapes and types of stencils. You can buy them or make them, and there are a few different mate ..read more

Today I thought we'd talk about digital craft resources ... essentially the way that digital resources have changed and affected and influenced us in the crafting community. In the last 20 years, I have seen a significant shift away from traditional resources like books, paper patterns, and in-person classes to a very big influence and presence of digital patterns and resources and classes. And I see that it's affected us in the crafting community in three main areas. Accessibility Affordability Achievability If you have a computer, a laptop, a smartphone, a tablet, a printer, or access to one ..read more