We spent some time getting to know the brilliant owner of the fantastic Heffy Doodle, supplier of wonderfully imaginative stamps and dies for all your cardmaking needs! Lesley orginally hails from Northern Ireland but now lives in England! We were desperate to find out more...
We talk to... Heffy Doodle!
Hi Lesley! We keep hearing how you've landed your dream job! How did your crafty journey start?
I have always loved arts and crafts, but it was during university that I really developed a passion for papercraft. I decided to make a scrapbook after a year working abroad. I went to the craft store so much that I managed to get a job there. I loved holding demos and speaking to customers about stamping and scrapbooking, and not long after that I set up a blog so I could share my creations online. Over the years, I have had my blog and YouTube channel, which has helped me build an audience for my creative work. I also made some projects for magazines and was accepted into a few design teams. My hubby Craig has been saying for years that I should design my own range of stamps, and this year I finally decided to go for it!
And how did the name Heffy Doodle come about?
This always makes people giggle! Well… when Craig and I were first dating, he would marvel at the fact that I could eat so much food – sometimes even more than him! One day he jokingly called me a hungry heifer, and before long the name Heffy became a term of endearment. That is why my blog is called Hungry Heffy Crafts. As I design my own stamps, they are my doodles, so these stamps are a Heffy Doodle.
What a great story! Do you have a favourite stamp set you've designed?
Yes – the stamp set called Interactively Yours. I love making interactive cards, especially cards that light up, and I always wanted a stamp set that had small subtle instructions like press here, pull me, slide me etc. This is probably my most used set, and I am so happy that it is a favourite for many other crafters.
You're providing inspiration to other crafters, but where do you find yours?
Inspiration is everywhere. I can see a design on wrapping paper or in a book and it can be a starting point for my own doodles. Sometimes the wonderful design team will have fantastic ideas to share with me and that helps me get started when it comes to putting pencil to paper. I absolutely adore Nichol Spohr. I first started following her work many, many years ago when I was an avid scrapbooker, and lucky for me as I got more invested in cardmaking, so did Nichol. Her work is always clean, well finished and inspirational.
Do you have an ultimate card making tip?
When I am making a card with lots of layers, I use the corner of my MISTI or scoring tool to help me align the edges just perfectly. This is particularly useful when it comes to creating shaker cards. I also have a pair of Fiskars scissors that I absolutely love. I have had them for so long, they almost feel like an extension of my fingers. Despite buying many scissors nover the years, I keep going back to these ones. No one else in my house is allowed to use them – they are MINE!
We hear you started Heffy Doodle in a rather interesting way...?
When it came to launching the company, we decided to have a Kickstarter campaign in order to help cover the initial costs. We were absolutely overwhelmed by the fantastic response we received from
customers and the crafty industry. It was such a success that I left my day job to focus on Heffy Doodle full time. We now are delighted to have an online store and a host of wonderful retail partners across the globe – in Australia, Europe, USA and UK.
Thanks for chatting with us Lesley - now back to work!
For more fascinating interviews with brilliant hints, tips and tricks to inspire your card making and papercraft, pick up your copy of Making Cards and Papercraft magazine today!
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We talk to... Heffy Doodle
