Let's Meet and Greet The Team

Hello Crafty Bloggers

Welcome to the SplodgeAway Blog. Why not get yourself a cup of tea or coffee and relax while we introduce you to SplodgeAway, the SplodgeAway Design Team and explain why we've started this blog.

The Suzicraft Story

In 2005 both Tom and I was made redundant from good jobs within months of each other. After crying for a few weeks we pulled ourselves together and focused on finding a solution!

Click here for the whole story……

Firstly, let me introduce you to two amazing individuals who have brought us all together.....


Tom Johnson

My name is Tom Johnson.  I am a 34 year old man and I have a passion for both art & business.  Susan & I not only live together but work together as we are joint owners of Suzicraft. 

SplodgeAway has spawned from my drive to cut a path into the craft manufacturing sector while Susan takes the lead on our successful retail business.

I have a vision that SplodgeAway will become a large and successful trade supplier of new and innovative crafting products & technologies and inspire crafters from all walks of life to develop their skills, share their knowledge and boost the overall participation in paper crafts. 

What is your favourite crafting product?
It has to be my first invention, The SplodgeAway Polymer Resin Blending Mat.  This mat is the “bee knees!” and makes blending inks a breeze.  It also allows a range of exciting and innovative techniques.  But I can’t help being bias.

Who is your Crafting Hero/influence?
My influence has to be my childhood tutor in photography and creative crafting Irene Reddish.  She has more letters after her name than the alphabet and skill to supersede them.  Irene holds an MA a BA and also studied at the prestigious Royal College of Art in London.

Give 3 words that best describe you?
Innovative, Driven & Focused can I also add Chatterbox??

How do you feel about working on the SplodgeAway Design Team?
I am not only very excited but honoured that I am working with some AMAZING individuals.  I think that with the team that Annette Lee and I are putting together, nothing will stop us!  The future is really exciting......  Watch this space!

Now I would like to introduce you to Susan….



Susan Boyce

Who is your crafting influence?
My crafting influence has got to be Karen Wright. When we first started the markets Karen invited me to her house and taught me lots of new techniques.

Give 3 words that best describes yourself?
This is a hard question to answer! I would say I am a stressful, helpful and focused individual.

How do you feel about working on the design team?
I am very excited to be working with the design team as it gives me an excuse to craft every week and push my own boundaries. I think we’ll have a great time and I am very excited to be working with them.

Your Favourite crafting product?
Obviously, my favourite product that I use with everything is the SplodgeAway mat as I distress everything!
My other favourite products are the 12x12 K&Co paper pads. They are so versatile and can be used with cards, scrapbooks, die cuts and more.

Thanks to Susan for sharing this first project.

For a full tutorial on creating this card, Click Here

Now let's introduce our amazing Design Team

This is Karen Wright,

My Name is Karen Wright I’m a 40 something mum of 3 and wife to a very understanding husband!  I work part time and craft in all my other spare time.


What is your favourite crafting product?
I would have to say my favourite craft product has to be stickles, if you’ve ever made a card, finished it and then thought it needs a little something more, add stickles to your layers it makes a world of difference.


Who is your crafting influence?
I take my inspiration from other crafting blogs, magazines and the internet, there is a world of inspiration on the www.


Give 3 words that best describes yourself?
If I had to pick 3 words to describe my personality they would have to be thoughtful, fun, and kind.


How do you feel about working on the design team?
I am so happy to be on the SplodgeAway design team, this is an innovative new product that will only go from strength to strength, apart from working with the fun new products I also get to share my passion of crafting to a wide audience and I only hope I give back some inspiration as I’ve got from others. 
Here's Karen's first project, The Cute Scene Card...

For a full tutorial on this project click here

Next meet Sarah Craggs........

 I’m Sarah Craggs, aka Sarah Savont, I’m a 27 year old mum of 2 boys. I have been crafting for 7-8 years and started when I met my Mother-In-Law who made cards, I had a go one day and from then on I’ve been hooked, my 1^st attempt still makes people laugh as it had everything and anything stuck on anywhere…I’m pleased to say that I have come on leaps and bounds since then.

I love crafting but after having my kids I didn’t craft as much as I wanted but since Suzicraft opened in September I have got the crafting buzz back and am now more crafty than ever!
My favourite crafting product has got to be stickles and gems, I love using them on all cards and projects I do…every card has got to have a bit of sparkle and bling.

Who is your Crafting Hero/influence?
I get inspiration from anywhere and everywhere, I spend hours looking at other peoples work and finding a style that I like and then adapting it to suit my needs. I love spending time in Suzicraft as I can get so many ideas from all the customers who drop in daily and they give me so many hints and tips which I like to go home and try.

What 3 words best describe you?
Oh my how do I describe myself in just 3 words…I could say I’m amazing and popular and gorgeous but that would just be a lie so I will have to go with Loyal, giggly and outgoing. (big gob, Tom didn’t write this)

How do you feel about being on the Design Team?
Honestly I’m so scared about being part of the Design Team, but I’m really excited to be working with the rest of the team and all the gorgeous SplodgeAway products, most of all I’m looking forward to an exciting future working under Splodge Away.
This is Sarah's first project and card fold tutorial

For a full tutorial on this project, Click Here

Next let me introduce..... Claire Kemp - aka Dimply

My name is Claire Kemp, but a lot of people know me as Dimply, I have been crafting now for about 2 – 3 years. It started off about 3 years ago when I learnt how to make bead jewellery, I did that for about 1 ½ years, then started with card making as found it more challenging and so much more rewarding. I have been going to Suzicraft now for approx 7 months

What is your favourite crafting product?
I would have to say that my favourite crafting product is a little bit of everything, stamps, distress inks, dies, spectrum noir pens but most of all I love using my SPLODGEAWAY mat, I us it on pretty much everything I make, from distressing cards, to using my water pens to colour in my stamps.

Who is your Crafting Hero/influence?
I get my inspiration from everybody around me, I see other people doing projects then go home and try to do them, but try and adapt them to my own style.

What 3 words best describe you?
I’d describe myself as friendly, kind, helpful, wacky, funny and inventive, oh that’s more than 3 isn’t it?

How do you feel about being on the Design Team?

I would say I am petrified about being on the DT but I hope the more I get involved the better I will feel about it, and I hope that I will do the Splodge away products justice.

Dimply's first project for us is this lovely distressed card

For a full tutorial on this project, Click Here

Next up I'll introduce you to Sam Crowe....

I am a stay at home Mum. I gave up work at age 40 to look after my kids.  Last year I decided to set up a small business to give me a good excuse to craft all day every day.  I have always had an interest in crafts of all kinds.  In my 30’s I went back to college and studied Interior Design, Soft Furnishings and Arts & Crafts, I have also completed a Painting and Decorating course, which all comes back to my love of colours and design. 

What is your favourite crafting product?
 My favourite product apart from my “Corner Punch” is my stash of distress inks and my stamps.  I know I am only supposed to give one item but inks and stamps just go hand in hand, and of course I love to mess about with them using my SplodgeAway.

Who is your Crafting Hero/influence?
 My crafting hero is my Mam.  From a very early age she had me stripping wallpaper, painting walls, doing small tapestries or latch hook rugs and knitting, making paper flowers or making my own skirt for a party. She always made it fun and was very patient.  My crafting influence now is Annette Lee who heads our SplodgeAway Design Team. She always has new ideas and has a wealth of knowledge and techniques under her belt.  I have learnt so much from Annette through classes and demonstrations. 

What 3 words best describe you?
 Three words that describe me…. IMAGINATIVE… ENTHUSIASTIC…SOCIABLE…

How do you feel about being on the Design Team?
I felt honoured to be asked to be on the team.  Tom showed me his SplodgeAway mat quite a while ago and I can honestly say I don’t know how I did ink blending before I had it.  I remember playing with a glass mat now and again and getting frustrated because the ink dries up on the glass too quickly.  My SplodgeAway mat is part of my basic, “never leave home without it” crafting kit.  I was telling everyone how great it was long before I was asked to be on the Suzicraft SplodgeAway DT because I really believe in the product.  I want people to buy it because I know they will be so glad that they did.

This is Sam's first SplodgeAway Project, the Shabby Sheek Bag....

For a full tutorial on this project, ClickHere

And finally, there's me... 

I'm Annette Lee aka Design Team Co-ordinator. I hope that you'll continue to support the work shown on the blog, and be inspired by the eclectic mix of style. After all that is what we want to do - just share our crafting passion and inspiration. We've got Guest Bloggers, Challenges, Give Aways and so much more to come. We are hoping to post something new every Sunday evening and would love you to pop along and leave comments and join in.

As many of you know I have been working as a freelance designer/demonstrator for the past 12 years. I met Tom and Susan last year and was impressed by their spirit and vision to allow others to join them on their creative journey. 

Who is your Crafting Hero/influence?
My inspiration comes in various disguises -   Artists, Flowers,  Fellow Designers and Colour.

What 3 words best describe you?
Three words to describe myself -  I had to ask my husband for this one and he came up with ...Creative... Dynamic and Inspiring.... (I'll pay him later!) 

What is your favourite crafting product?
My favourite crafting product - a pencil. This is a very undervalued and unloved tool!

I'm very much looking forward to being part of this journey, getting to know DT members and you readers. I'll leave you with a simple blended, distressed single layer card. By using the SplodgeAway mat and the Easy Ink Card, the stress of getting dark lines and blobs of ink was removed and my crafting experience much more pleasurable. Get that mat and inks out and SPLODGE!

For my tutorial, Click Here

Now go and get another cup of coffee xxx