Like a crafty day out? We have just the competition for you! It's the Stitch & Creative Crafts Show at Manchester Central between 29th and 31st August and we have ten pairs of tickets to give away! Click here to enter.

There's a nod to Nickelback's chart topper inside this fun card made by Belinda Dawes in Newport.

She says, "I made this card for my son's 19th birthday. I used some of your free papers and templates as my inspiration. Everyone seems to agree that it's very hard finding new ways to make cards for men and this design really enabled me to try something different. I'm usually an avid 'pink and everything that sparkles' kind of girl!"

"The guitar ideas in your magazine really got my creative juices flowing and I came up with this little number. I loved the rock star theme as my son is a music fanatic. I've been crafting for many years and don't think of myself as that confident when it comes to cardmaking, but your magazine has helped me so much."

Thanks for sending us this card Belinda, we love the way you've adapted the design to suit the occasion. Don't be scared to show off your cards, they're fab!

Fanfare of trumpets please for Kathy Surridge from Littlehampton who sent us this picture of a cracking card she made from issue 9's templates and papers. Kathy says, "I bought You Can Craft for the first time as I was looking for inspiration for my husband's birthday in July. He loves all that's jazz and he was very impressed as were our friends and neighbours at his party."

"I have MS and am partially sighted because of it. Crafting and cardmaking are my passion – it keeps me going and keeps me happy."

Thanks for sharing your creative flair with us Kathy and we're glad you found a card design to suit the occasion!

Nothing goes to waste in the You Can Craft office! I salvaged this pink card after issue 10's 'All you need to know about cutting shapes" photo-shoot as I thought it would make the perfect base for a card for my parents, who've just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary.

All I did to jazz it up a bit was layer up some You Can Craft papers and a sheet of mystery-brand stiffened 'letter' fabric up on the left hand side, with a threaded 'Best Wishes' greeting on top, fixed in place with a scrap of narrow brown ribbon, tied in a bow. As it's their 30th I wanted to include some pearl elements so I stuck three mini pearl beads at the top and fixed the greeting onto a piece of ivory corrugated card, also from a previous You Can Craft kit. What do you think?

You can get the heart punch from Tollit and Harvey stockists.

Queen of cool fabrics, Amy Butler, is behind a gorgeous new sewing kit that we loved so much it went in the August issue! It includes 15 simple sewing projects, an illustrated booklet, pattern sheets, thread and a couple of fabrics - all for £15.99. The good news is Chronicle Books are running a You Can Craft reader offer – simply email orders@gbs.tbs-ltd.co.uk or call 01476 541080, stating reference code 'ucancraftpguk' to get £2 off and postage paid.

Celebrate!

For a really quick card, use up simple strips of left over papers by sticking them down a card for an instant pattern. A few decorative greetings, like these ones from the issue 10 kit, make the finishing touch. It's a 'make in minutes!'

If you loved the baby pink and chocolate brown ribbon-stitched cards in the August issue, you're going to love this competition! We have five McGill ribbon-stitch punches that we used for the project, kindly supplied by Craftime, to give away. Recreate the look at home with ease! Simply click here for the competition.

Get racey with this great idea for beaded cards for boys. It can be tricky to incorporate beads into masculine cards but we think you'll agree that this one, and the bow-tie idea, do the job rather well!

Boy racer

First, cut out shapes from green and black paper to make the grass and road panels and attach them in position on a blue card. Now, the beading! Glue white and black bugle beads onto scrap paper using the corner of the paper as a guide to make sure you're following right-angle! Place the beads in groups of three, first horizontally, then vertically for great texture. Once, dry, trim the paper backing to size. Cut a cocktail stick in half and trim to fit between the flag and the road, then stick in position. Outline the road with red and white bugle beads to finish and add a finishing line too.

Suitably attired

Take a white card and make a 3cm long incision in the middle of the top edge. Fold the card forward on each side to make a wing collar. Glue your beads in a bow tie shape on to scrap paper and once dry, cut it out and stick it on to the card. Attach black corner panels of paper at an angle to create the waistcoat and make the fancy bead button the same way as before, sticking in position once dry. This card would make a great invitation to a dressy occasion.

The sweetie paper embellishments in the issue 10 kit really got our designers' creative juices flowing! Here's another idea for a sweet thank you card.

Thanks, sweetie

This is a really quick and easy card to make. Give the cut-out sweets from your embellishment sheet in issue 10's kit a 3D look by placing them on red paper panels with sticky pads. Do the same with a greeting. Place these on a trimmed yellow card and cut strips from patterned paper to make decorative divisions.

We loved the sweetie designs in issue 10 so much we couldn't get enough! Always the way with sugary things in this office... So, here's another idea for you in the shape of a gift bag.

Bag it

Cut a piece of pink gingham paper to fit the bottom half of a white paper bag front. Give the top edge a zig zag with pinking shears, and attach. Stick two strips of pink organza ribbon at the top and bottom of the paper panel and wrap ribbon around the handles, fixing it on the inside. Use the template to cut a large blue sweet shape and stick it on, overlapping the top right corner. Cut a patterned paper circle and thread it with ribbon through two slits on opposite sides, then stick it on top of the blue sweet shape. Cut two red paper circles and thread with ribbons as before, layering an epoxy sticker 'Birthday Wishes' from your issue 10 it over the large circle, and a paper flower over the other. Stick these randomly down the side of the bag front to finish this sugary treat.

Show us how you get on by emailing youcancraftmagazine@futurenet.co.uk

If you fancy the look of the ribbon book we featured in the August issue of You Can Craft, here's your chance to get your hands on a copy at a discounted price!

Readers can order Ribbons! for the special price of £5.99 (that's £2 off the RRP) with free p&p (UK only). To order, please call the David & Charles hotline on 0870 9908222 or email dcdirect@davidandcharles.co.uk and quote code A0370.

…Janie Pearce from Carmathenshire, who won our bumper giveaway competition. LOADS of goodies are winging their way to you Janie - in fact I had to split it all into two boxes as there was just so much!

If you weren't lucky this time, keep your eyes peeled for more of our competitions - we'll be running another massive giveaway next month, and you could also be in with a chance to win a handy gadget that'll help you create some of the looks in issue 10, out today!

Hi there, and I hope you’ve been having a productive crafting month. I feel like I’ve been on a crafty whirlwind lately! It’s been a busy time making new baby cards for friends, family anniversary celebrations and a few birthdays too. But getting busy making cards and gifts is no bad thing of course, and I’ve been loving crafting heaps of personal greetings, lots of them using ideas and inspiration from You Can Craft! projects. My crafty passion lately is using the epoxy stickers in this month’s kit – they make a great focal point for a card, adding texture and interest. I’m sure you’ll love them too.

I’ve found time to plan my summer hols as well though. Our super sunny-style projects that shout “summer’s here!”, are a perfect inspiration. I’ll be carrying on with more irresistible makes while on my break, then I’ll get on with some homely projects. I’m loving the Oriental trend that we’ve captured in our silk kimono styled cards.

Well done to the following ladies for winning Papermania goodie bags:

Wendy Puse from Isle of Wight, Nicki Stannard from Essex, Christine Smith from Basingstoke, Lynn Robertson from Midlothian and Amanda Speller from Dublin. Your prize is on its way!