Handmade with Love with Leann Chivers

It’s February and love is in the air! As you all know, here at Crafter’s HQ we’re all completely head over heels for craft, and perhaps most lovestruck of all are the members of our fabulous Crafter’s TV team! 

So this month, as part of our Handmade with Love campaign we’ll be getting to know more about our crafting family to find out what they love most about craft! This week, we sat down with the very lovely Leann Chivers who told us all about her long-standing love for crafting in all fashions and forms!

What do you love most about crafting?

For me, crafting is about expressing my creativity and enjoying some me time! I can’t sit still for long without something to do, so it’s a great way to relax and stay busy at the same time.

 But most importantly, it’s about giving loved ones the most valuable gift of all – the gift of time spent on something that’s just for them. I love creating gifts that hopefully will stay in the family as an heirloom for years to come.

I think hand-made gifts are so much more precious than anything money can buy,  so much love, time thought and attention has gone into them and they’re the gifts I treasure the most too.

What crafting tool or product can’t you live without? 

I can’t choose just one, I do too many crafts! I do love my Ultimate Pro though – I still have the one I bought 14 years ago, before I joined Crafter’s Companion, and I couldn’t make a card without it!

I have so many tools that are lifesavers for different crafts, a Gemini machine for card craft and quilt making. And my sewing machine and crochet hooks, I take them everywhere – planes, trains and automobiles – and truly craft on the go!

Which launch have you loved the most in the last six months? 

Well that’s really hard, as Head of Product Development I have to love them all, they wouldn’t be launched if I didn’t! There is range coming soon which would get my  vote though, so keep your eyes peeled!

How and when did you first discover your love for crafting?

I have crafted all my life, as far back as I can remember and I have my Mam and Gran to thank for that. 

 Mam taught me to knit at about the age of 4 and Gran taught me how to crochet not long after. I have fond memories of Mam showing me how to make salt dough on rainy afternoons, making Christmas garlands from tissue paper to decorate the house, making pom pom animals for local craft fairs and fundraisers, decorating my two younger brothers and sister’s birthday cakes and dabbling at dress-making.  

My Mam made me the best ra-ra skirt in the school for a disco when I was around 12, mine had 5 layers and the skirts in the shops only had 3!  She also spent an entire week, morning, noon and night knitting me a striped jumper dress in the 80’s when they were all the rage. She had no less than 10 balls of wool on the go at once! We would work together too, when I was 16 I knitted a batwing jumper and Mam sewed me a matching skirt to wear on a date – don’t tell Mr C!  

These very fond memories are why I love to craft and make things for my loved ones because long after the items have gone the memories remain. I have my Mam to thank for who I am and my crafty obsession, what a wonderful gift that was from her. Thanks Mam, love you! x

Who did you give your last crafty creation to?

My Grand-daughter, Ada, she’s 4 months old and loves bright colours, she gets very excited, so I made her Geoff the Giraffe!

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Well we hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know our lovely Leann that little bit more! If her words have inspired you, take a look at a few projects and guides below to get you crafting hand-made gifts for your loved ones!

We can’t wait to hear what you love most about crafting, so make sure you let us know and share your project photos with us on Facebook UK, Facebook USA,  Twitter, Instagram UK, Instagram US, Pinterest UK or Pinterest US using the hashtag #crafterscompanion.