Behind the Scenes: Building a Better Craft Book

Today, I’m working on the final images for Affinity for Crafters. It’s a project that has gone through some pretty major changes during its development, changing not only how I teach vector design to beginners, but also what I teach.

One of my favourite new features is something we’re working on today: One Motif, Four Ways.

It starts with one simple design and shows how it can be transformed into four completely different elements, such as a corner, a border, a frame and a decorative embellishment. The idea is that, as you work through the book, you’re building your own design library, giving you the confidence to create digital craft projects completely from scratch.

Here’s an early proof of one of the layouts so you can see the style of the book. Many of the tutorials are broken down into clear, step-by-step stages with large illustrations and screenshots to guide you through the process.

What is the book like beyond one motif?

Although this book has grown from my earlier Designing with Vectors titles, it has been completely reinvented from the ground up. Even if you already own those books, you won’t find duplicated content here. Instead, everything has been written and laid out with a much stronger beginner focus and a clearer learning journey. We have other new content types such as the Design Catalogue and Drawing Inspiration pages (which look hugely different even from their Colour, Cut & Go Create preview), as well as quick reference pages, exercises and skill zone challenges, alongside our familiar project layouts.

Working on this book has encouraged me to take deep dives into Affinity’s tools and discover new ways of using them for crafting. Every time I’ve found a technique that genuinely helps a crafter design with more confidence, it’s found its way into the book.

Along the way, though, I’ve had to be quite disciplined. Affinity is such a capable piece of software that it would be impossible to cover everything in one book without overwhelming beginners. That means I’ve deliberately focused on the tools and techniques that give you the biggest creative return… and yes, it also means I’ve already got ideas and drafted content for at least two more books! 😊

Whether your goal is to create your own cut files, design stationery, produce printable projects, create fabric designs, or even develop your own stamp designs, I hope this book gives you the confidence to begin that journey.

If Colour, Cut & Go Create is about making the most of the supplies you already own, then Affinity for Crafters is about giving you the skills to create the supplies that nobody else has.