CQ Cards For All Seasons

By Connie Westenberg

CQ is the latest paper craft to come out of Holland, and here in English translation is a book to tell you how it is done. CQ stands for “cum quoque” which means equal in Latin, referring to the fact that everything you need for it is the same size – a 2.2cm square. Choose your set of punch, stencil and peel-offs from six different multi-season designs and off you go. Punch, stick, emboss and stitch beautiful frames for your cards.

This technique is remarkably simple to do, look great and is very addictive. I found that even the least interesting paper tole prints or whatever you use as “middles” is enlivened by these dignified yet eye-catching square designs. It would have been nice to have shown them used in conjunction with something other than the latest paper tole sheets, and some scrap booking ideas would have been great but this aside this is a very user-friendly book. Even if it was in Dutch the lovely photographs are very self-explanatory, and in the absence of any templates there are lots of illustrations of the motifs themselves which are quite useful if you are choosing a new set. If you are going to start this new hobby then this book is rather essential.

Added note:
If you live in the UK, these stockists sell all the CQ materials:

Cardcraft Plus Ltd, Unit 2, 15-19 Sedgwick Street, Preston, Lancashire PR1 1TP
Tel: (01772) 272572 Email: mailorder@cardcraftplus.co.uk
Website: http://www.cardcraftplus.co.uk/

The Art of Craft, Dept PC, 101 Lynchford Road, North Camp, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6ET Tel: (01252) 377677 email: info@art-of-craft.co.uk
Website: http://www.art-of-craft.co.uk