Tutors

Cath Wilson

I've dabbled in many things over the years, including Calligraphy, knitting, dressmaking, playing guitar and singing, but it was only when I started to play with Desktop publishing programs and photographs that I began to make cards and prints for people.

Then one of my close friends sent me an embossed Christmas card, showed me how she had done it and I was hooked! She bought me a stamp and some embossing powder for my birthday and Lynne (who had also just started to stamp) bought me inkpads and made me a Birthday card! It's all been downhill from there, LOL.

While still working full time, I began selling stamps and things, to 'fund my habit' and a few of us got together to form a Stamp Club, meeting regularly in the Art Shop in St.Helens town centre.

Things just grew from there and I hardly even remember life 'Before Stamping'.

Lynne Wilkinson

Lynne has always been creative, dabbling in lots of crafts, such as knitting, toy making, dry embossing, glass painting, beading, cross stitch, cake decorating, decorating, etc, etc.

She hand carved her own stamp from balsa wood for her wedding invitations, which she made herself, made her own wedding cake and floral decorations and is generally willing to have a go at most creative things, being very much a 'hands on' person.

She sent Cath her second ever stamped card, then introduced her to unmounted stamps and Yahoo groups. Lynne is now the main demonstrator for Katy's Corner, helps out in the shop and regularly teaches workshops there, in addition to being one of the designers for the Katy's Corner Project Club and making lots of sample cards for Cath.

Neet Hickson

Neet's interest in crafts sprung from her hobby of cake decorating, which she says was not disimilar to ceramics which she was trained in. She was heavily involved in making wedding cakes commercially for a while but was not business like when it came to charging for her work.

Following one of several operations on her ankle (broken whilst parachuting) she was introduced to Parchmetnt Craft by a fellow cake decorator. Then she was introduced to rubber stamping which she first "pooh poohed" as "cheating". In no time at all she was hooked and has been ever since.

A retired Art Teacher, Neet runs workshops and has had articles published in Craft Stamper and Simply Stamping. She was featured in Big Strong Boys on BBC Television when she had a room changed into a dedicated stamp room.

She is an accredited demonstrator (Hobbycraft) and enjoys Altered Books and Paper Engineering.

Gill Yin

From being a small girl, I've had to have hobbies. Starting with the usual - knitting, cross stitch, crochet, dressmaking, and on to bobbin lacemaking, watercolour painting, dancing. Well you probably get the drift.

I have been stamping for quite a while now, having been dragged along to one of Gloria's workshops for Botany Bay, oh .... years ago. Of course the bug bit me hard and I went from a small box of equipment to a small room, LOL.

I did some workshop come demonstration days for a local library and have done demonstrations for our New Creations group. Resist is my absolute favourite technique as there are so many ways of doing it.

Meeting Cath Wilson and joining Katy's Corner opened the door to lots more techniques and also lots of talented, interesting people. Sharing what I've learned makes me happy.

Jo Pritchard

I have crafted since I was a child and through the years specialised in silver jewellery, drawing, painting, creative embroidery, silk painting and making bridal wear.

About twenty years ago, I studied textiles and went on to teach part time whilst also working as a trouble-shooter for the Electricity Board. When the Electricity service centres closed I drifted, quite by chance, into an exciting opportunity as a co-presenter for our local BBC Radio Merseyside’s social action helpline. Yes, I was paid for talking! In the process I was privileged to help change the lives of so many people for the better with our campaigns to help send books to Africa, spectacles to India and clothes to Romania.

Just for fun, I took a paper craft course a few years ago which led me to creative stamping and card making, little knowing that it would become the grand obsession in my crafting life!! It fills my time with creative fun and wonderful friends all over the world, especially through Katy's Corner Yahoo Group.

Since I retired last year from the BBC, I have returned to teach crafts part time and, once again, I find it so rewarding to pass on skills and develop people’s creativity.

Mairi Arthur

Mairi has always been creative. As a child she enjoyed knitting, sewing, and embroidery with her Grandma, but at school believed she wasn't artistic because she couldn't draw. After the birth of her eldest daughter, thirteen years ago, her abilities were reawakened when she chanced upon a Thank You Rubber Stamp and with that and some découpage paper she was thrilled to be able to create her own Thank You cards.

She delights in sharing her talents, helping and inspiring others on their artistic journey. During these past 13 years she has had experience in both a personal and professional capacity, creating for her own pleasure, running her own craft shop, teaching classes & demonstrating at Craft Fairs, shows and shops across the UK. Several companies, both here and overseas, have featured her sample creations to help inspire other crafters.

She enjoys many different paperarts and crafts but has never been able to get excited about working with cute designs, so has always leaned towards the more arty effects that can be so easily achieved. She is very innovative and loves creating Cards, Artist Trading Cards, Scrapbook pages, Altered Art, Home décor and gift items. Her artistic style has been described as classy, dreamy, elegant and 'that little bit different'.