Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Lynnda (left) and Elaine

Early days

"I have been a teacher most of my life and love to discover new things and share them with others. At the moment my energies are focused on designing stamps (special printing stamps for use in art and craft design, not the postage variety) for crafters.ΜύThe picture was taken in 1967 when I was about eight, the same age as my friend Elaine Kettle with whom I'd been friends with for about four years.

"We spent our weekends with our families on caravan rallies in and around Nottinghamshire where we lived. Each weekend there would be a children's competition. This particular weekend we had to make a 'garden on a saucer' and here we are proudly displaying our entries on our way to handing them in one Sunday morning. I don't remember who won, but I do remember 'borrowing' the mirror from my mum's handbag for the 'lake'. This competition was one of the more unusual ones. They were mostly colouring or drawing or even collage competitions.

"We grew up, but still enjoyed 'colouring in'. I became a science teacher in Barnsley and Elaine qualified as a town-planner and went to work for the Caravan Club in East Grinstead. Despite being miles apart we have stayed friends often making presents for each other for birthdays and Christmas. I left teaching and found myself helping my husband with his company where I met people who made cards and did this thing the Americans call 'scrapbooking' it looked like a nice idea and I bought Elaine a scrapbook for her birthday.

Crafting

We also made cards and gifts more consistently as supplies were more readily available through the company which eventually opened a specialist craft shop in Beverley which is where I met so many crafters. They are a wonderful breed who constantly help each other and those less fortunate than themselves using their talents to help the charities they are involved with.

"Not everyone has the time to do work for charity constantly, however they are happy to help with one-off events. So, whilst I worked at the shop we held a number of events. Some in support of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Humberside Making Waves Appeal which was set up to help raise funds to help provide equipment and training for lifeboat crews along the East Yorkshire and North East Lincolnshire coastline.

Stamp design

"My involvement in stamp design began three years ago following an e-mail conversation with Elaine about our holiday snaps. We thought we would have a go at designing some stamps for ourselves and the more we explored the idea, the more we liked it.

"Several months later I decided to help support of the Making Waves appeal, I would get my customers to make some cards, but couldn't find the right stamps to do the job. I decided that if I designed some stamps, they could also be sold to raise funds for the appeal. After designing a sheet of stamps featuring lifeboats and selling a few of these,Μύwe sold even more of our design mostly to my customers. Now, it is a full time occupation for me and I no longer run the shop and so haven't been able to get the ladies together as much as I would like to support the charities like we have in the past.

Charity craft day

"I have kept in touch with the Scrapbooking Club that used to meet up at the shop and so we have decided to pull together as many local craft teachers as possible to put on a day of crafting for anyone who can get themselves there and raise some money for Breast Cancer Care. Everyday 100 people are diagnosed with breast cancer, the charity supports those with the disease and those that love them.

"This charity crafting day will take place at the Woodmansey Village Hall, 19th July and I'll be demonstrating crafting and I'll be joined by some of my design team who will run workshops. Tutors from other areas will be stopping by too to give help and advice to crafters and those wishing to take up this stimulating hobby.