Tuesday, 24 December 2013

Christmas Decorations I


The weather outside is really frightful, as the storm just does not want to come to an end. So I have simply taken out some time and created some handcrafted Christmas decorations.

The inspiration for this style of ornament came from the Trimcraft advent calendar, day 13. There are dies, which cut the cardstock in this style, but the Trimcraft advent calendar also provides a free template.

I used cardstock from the First Edition Silent Night paper pad, adhesive pearls and charms. The holes at the top and at the bottom of the ornament are reinforced with eyelets. I then attached the charms with one 8mm jump ring (at the eyelet) and two 5mm jump rings. I threaded beading elastic through the hole at the top, as this is not so visible when the ornament is hanging in front of a window or at the Christmas tree.

So I pretty much used just things that many of us have in their craft stash anyway. And the free Trimcraft template means that a) we can get a bit of crafting fix over the Christmas days or without spending much on additional materials and that b) this ornament could also be useful for those of us, who might need to keep kids entertained over the next days. And stored carefully these 3D ornaments can be lovely decorations for many years to come.

Sunday, 22 December 2013

Final Preparations in Santa's Workshop


Christmas is nearly upon us and even Santa is slowly finishing his preparations. But until then it is time for two more cards created with Helz Cuppleditch's Santa's Workshop collection by Trimcraft.

This time the stamps within the collection are providing the focal points. The images on both cards are coloured in using ProMarkers. I used the bullet tips as well as ultra-fine nibs.


You can view the product lists and step-by-step instructions in my Trimcraft gallery by clicking onto the links below the photos.

Even I am now finishing off my 2013 Christmas cards, but I intend to try my hands on some handcrafted decorations on Monday and Tuesday. Our Christmas dinner is sorted and the bulk of the food shopping done, so I might only need to go to the shops for some milk and bread and should have some time for a bit of 'creative relaxation'.

Saturday, 21 December 2013

And more 'Tis the Season'


I hope you are all having a lovely weekend and that it is not so wet and windy (the storms are really haunting us this December) where you are.

I still need to share two more card projects created with the Dovecraft Tis the Season products by Trimcraft with you. I so love the colours and designs of this lovely collection and these two cards have become my personal favourites.  For the first card I also used one of those fabulous small Christmas clear stamps by Dovecraft. When I saw the sleigh in the Range I just could not walk past it.


When you click onto the links below the images you can view the product lists and instructions for these two cards.

Saturday, 14 December 2013

Dovecraft Tis the Season


I have been trying for a couple of days now to take photos of cards, but daylight really is in short supply here. And even today, on a Saturday, it did not want to make much of an appearance on a stormy and very wet day. So artificial light will have to suffice for most photos at the moment. I cannot wait for the days to get longer again.

Here are now two more Christmas cards created with the Dovecraft Tis the Season collection by Trimcraft. These products showcase beautiful images with lovely colours and are a great combination of traditional Christmas elements and modern twists.


Product lists and step-by-step instructions for both projects are available in my Trimcraft gallery. Clicking onto the links below the photos will take you straight to the relevant project page.

Sunday, 1 December 2013

Doesn't time fly?


Our nephew is now an adult and celebrating his 18th birthday. It is just incredible how fast the last couple of years have gone by.

And, of course, I had to think about a birthday card. We all know how notoriously difficult male cards can be. And I did not want the card to be too serious, as he is still very young. So I was looking for a cheeky sentiment - and I just love one of the Indigo Blu Dinkies. It is originally a Christmas stamp, but the Christmas images can be masked before inking up the stamp. Another bit of inspiration was his job as apprentice joiner. An old stamp that I had not used for years, kraft card and tool brads by Woodware just seemed to bring it all together.

I used:
* 8" x 8" kraft card blank and kraft cardstock
* black textured cardstock
* parchment paper in combination with a black Brilliance ink pad
* ivory glass-smooth cardstock by Southfield
* Daisy & Dandelion DIY stamp
* Indigo Blu Dinkie 'Good All Year'
* Memory Box number dies
* Marianne Designs die for the parchment section
* black spider web net
* Woodware tool brads
* Tim Holtz washers and brads
* black Memento ink pad
* ProMarkers
* adhesive: double-sided tape, Collall glue gel and Dovecraft 3D large foam squares (one of my desert island products)
* toolbox basics

I hope you like the result.

Sunday, 24 November 2013

Grace Taylor Eclectic Emerald Part 2

Here is now the promised blog post with more project ideas for the Grace Taylor Eclectic Emerald collection, which is distributed by Trimcraft.


I am starting with another card. This time I have layered up some of the Grace Taylor die-cut shapes to give them more of a 3D feel. You can view a list of the products I used together with step-by-step instructions in my Trimcraft gallery. The decorative border is created using a Cheery Lynn die.

But it does not always need to be a card. The die-cuts and sticker flipbook from this collection are also great to embellish smash books or journals.


I am a massive rugby fan (rugby union to be precise). Before last weekend's match between Scotland and South Africa I was so fortunate to 'bump' into the Springboks on two occasions. There was even the chance to chat to a few of the guys. Just when I suddenly ended up right amongst some of them I was glad that we were at their team bus and not on a rugby pitch with an egg-shaped ball in sight ... The Springboks are amongst the best three teams in the world, so these were incredible moments that I wanted to capture - just for myself, so that I can bring back the happy memories of these encounters each time I come across the pages.

In addition to photos I managed to take I collated some further information and arranged all printed materials together with Grace Taylor Eclectic Emerald die-cuts and stickers on the pages. A bit of doodling and stamped rugby balls complete the layout.

Saturday, 23 November 2013

Grace Taylor Eclectic Emerald

 Grace Taylor Eclectic Emerald - Good Times

Trimcraft are distributors for the new Grace Taylor Eclectic Emerald products. And I have selected this collection, which is great for scrapbooking, cards and more, for my brand-new projects. The colours are fresh and pleasing on the eye. And especially the glittered stickers are very tempting.

These Grace Taylor products are great for quick, yet effective cards.

Grace Taylor Eclectic Emerald - Bingo Fan

The two cards featured in this post just include Dovecraft 6" x 6" textured cardstock, 15cm square linen textured ivory card blanks, Embossalicious embossing folders and adhesive pearls as additional products. A full list of required products as well as step-by-step instructions are again in my Trimcraft gallery.

More is already in the pipeline. It would be great, if you would check for further project ideas on Sunday.

Thursday, 14 November 2013

Twisted Easel Calendar


As the year 2013 is already nearing its end and Christmas will shortly knock at the door, desktop calendars make great little presents that we can create ourselves. A brand-new Trimcraft project is a twisted easel calendar - and Trimcraft are even supplying the calendar tabs as free template.

Here you can see my take on the project, which I created for Trimcraft using their great new Back to Basics Monochrome collection. You can view the product list and step-by-step instructions in my Trimcraft gallery. And for those particularly interested in dies: I used Britannia dies for the numbers. All other products used for this project are by Trimcraft.

Sunday, 3 November 2013

Santa's Workshop Aperture Card


Today I would like to show you a card that combines the character collection Santa's Workshop by Trimcraft with the currently so very popular Tonic Verso dies.

I used the Santa's Workshop aperture card and envelope set. And the bow ring die set proved to be just the right size and provided a perfect match. In addition to these products I used

* Santa's Workshop designer paper pack
* Santa's Workshop glitter stickers
* Santa's Workshop metallic ribbon bows
* Santa's Workshop premium adhesive gems and pearls
* berries
* Liquid Pearls
* textured cardstock

Have a good start into the new week.

Saturday, 2 November 2013

From doily to flower


Have you ever wondered how you could use paper lace doilies for your craft projects? What about using them to create a flower? This is exactly what I did for the card above, which I created with Dovecraft Back to Basics Monochrome products.

I used one paper lace doily as base. For the additional layers I cut away the centres of doilies, cut open the then achieved doily rings and arranged and rushed the lace strips on the base doily with generous amounts of tacky glue whilst moving further and further into the centre with each layer. A fabric brad is ideal for the centre of the flower - the size is perfect, it has a lovely texture and it hides the edges of the final layer as well as any traces of adhesive that secures the last lace strip. But you might want to protect your work surface with a craft sheet or glass cutting mat, as the tacky glue will really soak into the material.

The pierced holes in the layers are created by hand, but I like to use a Tim Holtz idea-ology ruler for evenly spacing.

If you are interested in re-creating this card, you can find instructions in my Trimcraft gallery. Please just respect my intellectual rights for this card design.

Saturday, 26 October 2013

Stylish Monochrome


I have always liked monochrome cards, as they can be so elegant and are just not too colourful even when a splash of colour is added for a special effect. But it is sometimes not so easy to find really nice monochrome papers. The new Dovecraft Back to Basics Monochrome collection is exactly what my heart desired - gorgeous papers and loads of different beautiful embellishments.

For the above card I used apart from Back to Basics Monochrome products

* white and grey textured cardstock
* a Tonic Studios vintage frame die
* Britannia sentiment dies and
* a swirl die by My Favourite Things/Die-namics

Full instructions for this card can be found in my Trimcraft gallery.

And I have got e feeling that you will see many more projects with these lovely monochrome products on my blog over the next few weeks. These dark and grey days might have an advantage after all ...

Sunday, 20 October 2013

Tis the Season


Another new Christmas range by Trimcraft is the Dovecraft Tis the Season collection. The colours and designs are going more into the traditional direction although blue tones are also featured. The shades of many elements are slightly muted, which results in elegant and softer colour schemes.

For the card above I combined Tis the Season products with cardstock from a First Edition premium textured cardstock pad, organza ribbon from Woodware, a charm and holly die-cuts created with a die by Marianne Design.

Full step-by-step instructions can be found in my Trimcraft gallery. You are more than welcome to re-create the card, but please do not give it out as your own design/work.

Have a great start into the new week!

Santa's Workshop Easel Cards

Santa's Workshop - Toys, Toys, Toys

This week I have opted for a different card shape and created two easel cards with the Santa's Workshop collection by Trimcraft. These products just make such wonderful Christmas cards that I cannot get enough of them.

Santa's Workshop - Santa's Snowmen

You are again welcome to re-create the cards (but please do not enter them into competitions, submit them for publications, etc.) and can find product lists and step-by-step instructions in my Trimcraft gallery.

And for those, who are interested in details of dies and embossing folders: For the 'Toys, Toys, Toys' card I used an Embossalicious embossing folder by Crafter's Companion. The snowflakes in the second card are created with a die from a set by Marianne Design.

Wednesday, 16 October 2013

Christmas Stocking


Trimcraft have just added a fabulous new card workshop for a stocking card to their forum. Also perfect for Christmas decorations! And the template for the stocking can even be downloaded for free.

This is the Christmas stocking that I have created for Trimcraft. I based it on the beautiful Nordic Christmas designer papers by First Edition, a Trimcraft brand. A full product list and step-by-step instructions are in my project gallery, so that you can re-create the card. And for those diecutting addicts like myself: The branches are created with a die by Marianne Design.

Monday, 7 October 2013

Santa's workshop is still busy


At the end of the weekend I would like to share another Christmas card with you that I created with Santa's Workshop products by Trimcraft with those adorable characters by Helz Cuppleditch.

I have added again step-by-step instructions and a product list to my Trimcraft gallery. And for those particularly interested in dies: The holly die is one of my trusted Marianne Design dies.

Have a good start into the new week. And I will be back with more projects as soon as other projects that are already in the pipeline are finalised.

Sunday, 6 October 2013

First Ever Halloween Card


You might find it hard to believe, but up until now I have never made a Halloween themed card. But now and again stepping out of our comfort zone is good for us crafters and so I took on the challenge to work with Halloween images by Crafty Stamps.

I did not want to go too much into the scary direction and was more looking for a bit of a fun element. What about a cat that is freaked out by green light coming from a pumpkin? I created the Halloween scene in this card with the cat stamp HW102HF and the Halloween minis set HW1C6.A black Letraset fineliner came in handy for completing the scene, which is coloured in using Spectrum Noir pens. I added sparkly highlights with a Sakura gelly roll pen ' 'Clear Star'.

Further products I used include an Embossalicious embossing folder by Crafter's Companion and a Gothic Border geared punch by Tonic Studios as well as adhesive pearls from the Santa's Workshop range by Trimcraft.

Sunday, 22 September 2013

Santa's Workshop Decoupage


After some nasty bugs did such a great job of knocking me out during the week I had my work cut out today. And it was full steam ahead with some brand-new projects created with the fabulous Santa's Workshop collection by Trimcraft with lovely images by Helz Cuppleditch.

Product lists and step-by-step instructions for all cards are already in my Trimcraft gallery. Just click onto the link underneath each image to go straight to the uploaded details.


For the holly leaves on these cards I used a die by Marianne Design. The star ornament on the second card is created with a Memory Box die. The border punch used for the card above is by Tonic Studios.


I hope you like these cards.

Sunday, 15 September 2013

Santa's Workshop has opened


Oh, is it not lovely when you plan to get some crafting done, to write up some project instructions, to prepare photos for the web and to create some blog posts only to find that your Microsoft Publisher seems to be on strike with message that it is not even installed or seems to have deactivated itself. It took me hours to find out that the latest Windows update during the week seems to have caused havoc with Office 2010 and to work out ways how to get still into the software that is in fact still installed and activated. I just feel like screaming now ...

And please do not get a complete shock, but I have actually started my Christmas cards! The cute Santa's Workshop collection designed by Helz Cuppleditch and manufactured by Trimcraft has made it easy to turn the corner.

And I have also found another favourite project. I really dislike glittering my entire environment and myself when working with glitter or glitter card. I found now the A5 glitter card sheets from Trimcraft, which are apparently not shedding glitter. I cut sheets with my guillotine and even used them in my precious Cuttlebug. And it really works! The glitter stays on the card and just there. I think I need to get some more of these sheets, as I am hooked.

A product list and step-by-step instructions for the card above can be found in my Trimcraft gallery. And the Trimcraft website has just re-launched with a really fresh and modern look. It would be great, if you could have a peek and would check out the new look and features.

Sunday, 8 September 2013

Bubble Bloom


I thought that weekends are supposed to bring a bit of relaxation, but this one was just busy, busy, busy ... But at least I found a bit of time tonight to chill out with a bit of cardmaking.

The card is something a wee bit different, as I picked up my Woodware bubble bloom 'Clarissa' stamp. I bought it a while ago, but had so far never the time to use it. I so like this image and the combination of colouring with alcohol markers and card candi. And the good thing about Woodware products is that many independent craft retailers are stocking these products and can order in what they might not have. So it is even a chance for us crafters to support independent retailers and our local craft shops.

I worked with the following products:
* Woodware bubble bloom stamp 'Clarissa'
* Sentiment stamp
* 15cm x 15cm linen textured white card blank by Southfield
* Glass-smooth white cardstock by Southfield
* Textured cardstock
* Tonic Studios Verso dies set 'Gothic Border'
* Grand Nestabilities circles
* Corner rounder
* Black Memento ink pad
* Spectrum Noir pens
* Candi
* Adhesive pearls
* Organza ribbon by Woodware
* Natural fibres

Saturday, 31 August 2013

Lillibet and a new toy


A new toy has found the way into my office/craft room, as I just could not resist the small handheld sewing machine by Joy! Crafts. I just had to try it out today, but we are not friends just yet. It works like a stapler and dragged the cardstock into directions I did not want it to go, so a lot more practice is required.

My products of choice for the card are once again the beautiful Lillibet products by Trimcraft. I just love the wide range of gorgeous embellishments, which can be combined so nicely with other items from the collection or can be used to give other projects that perfect finish. The only other items that I added to this card are flourishes created with a Die-namics die.

A list of required products and tools as well as full step-by-step instructions can again be found in my Trimcraft gallery.

Sunday, 25 August 2013

Scottish Teddies


This weekend I really wanted to have a play with my Tonic Studios delicate lattice dies. I have had them for about two weeks but not sufficient time to try them out. The large dies work well with the oval Spellbinders dies. And the space in the centre seemed to be just perfect for super cute images of Scottish teddies.

For the teddies I used the rubber stamps SC167F (Teddy) and SC4S (Westie and Teddy Set) by Crafty Stamps. I stamped the small teddy first. Then I created a mask of the small teddy from sticky notes, covered the small teddy and finally stamped the larger teddy. As colouring medium I referred back to my trusted ProMarkers, as the ultra-fine nibs are just perfect for small sections of stamped impressions. I mounted the image onto metallic DCWV cardstock from my stash and then the pearlescent delicate lattice die-cut.

For the background I decided on pearlescent Moondust cardstock in 'Crystal' from Southfield embossed with an Embossalicious folder by Crafter's Companion and mounted onto beige pearlescent cardstock. The card blank is 15cm square and linen textured from Southfield. Embellishments are paper roses from Wild Orchid Crafts and Trimcraft (I used packs from the Lillibet and Santa's Workshop collections). The small dies from the Tonic set and the metallic cardstock took care of additional accents amongst the flowers.

Sunday, 18 August 2013

Scottish Wedding


This weekend has been dominated by the Edinburgh Book Festival, but I finally find the time to share a Scottish style wedding card with you that I made this week.

The image is the small Scottish wedding couple WD162M by Crafty Stamps, which I coloured in using ProMarkers, a FlexMarker in 'Soft Mauve' as well as a Sakura gelly roll pen in 'Clear Star' for some accents. For the background I used white linen textured cardstock from Southfield and the Marianne Design die set LR0242. But I decided against a completely white-on-white card and mounted the die-cuts onto lilac textured cardstock, which also frames the stamped image. I opted for a 15cm square linen textured card blank.

As embellishments I opted for white adhesive pearls, white paper roses, a decorative pin and in line with the Scottish theme also white heather and thistles.

Rubber stamps by Crafty Stamps are available from their shop Stampers Grove in Edinburgh, the Crafty Stamps and Stampers Grove websites and at the Ross Papercraft Show at the Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh on 5 October 2013.

Sunday, 11 August 2013

Crafty Stamps' Domestic Goddess


It was really time again to pick up those wonderful Domestic Goddess stamps by Crafty Stamps. I love them so much, but have not worked with them for far too long. So many ideas, so little time ... Sometimes I really wish the day had more than 24 hours.

For the card above I used the stamp 'Groceries' (DG105M), which I coloured in using ProMarkers. Additional products used for this card are a Joy! Crafts stencil, a Darice embossing folder, paper roses and rosebuds, paper blossoms by Dovecraft as well as a Joy! Crafts die from their Vintage Flourishes range. After a very long time I actually used my lightbox for the embossing with the stencil - and it was so great to experiment and built up the embossed sections. With an embossing machine the entire shape will get replicated whereas I can choose areas and work on effects when I use a lightbox.


The second card features the stamp 'Cooking' (DG102M). After colouring in the image with ProMarkers I combined it with a coloured lace doily and paper roses from Trimcraft's Lillibet collection, twine, brown adhesive pearls and die-cuts created using memory box dies (kitchen utensils) and a Joy! Crafts die (swirl) to create the card. I also used an Embossalicious embossing folder.

Sunday, 4 August 2013

More from Lillibet and her Friends

Lillibet - Country Life

What can be a nicer start into a Sunday than dedicating some time to finishing off craft projects whilst sitting at the window and watching the birds enjoying themselves in the sunshine?

Lillibet - Just For You

And as a result I can now share with two more projects created with the lovely Lillibet collection by Trimcraft. Product lists and step-by-step instructions are also available again.

Click here to see the details for 'Just For You'. The tag is created using a Die'sire tag die by Crafter's Companion. And just click here to see the instructions for 'Country Life, for which I used an Embossalicious embossing folder for Crafter's Companion. The ink pad that I used is a Tim Holtz distress ink pad in 'walnut stain'.

Have a lovely Sunday!

Saturday, 3 August 2013

Lillibet - Joy


Oh what a chaotic week this has been! I am so glad that it is the weekend and that I can relax with a bit of crafting.

Let's start with another Lillibet card. This morning dark clouds were hanging in the sky and it was extremely windy, so these lovely products by Trimcraft were just right to brighten up the day. I have also prepared a product list and step-by-step instructions for those of you, who would like to re-create the card. You can view the details in my Trimcraft gallery. Please just do not give the design out as your own, do not enter it into competitions or challenges or similar.

Some might be interested what kind of die I used for the leaves. It is a corner die by Cheery Lynn. I just cut the corner into two pieces and trimmed those to the correct length.

And I need to make a confession. I am already stocking up like mad on some Lillibet embellishments. Another paper pad is probably due soon ... I just love to use the items from this collection so much. And the colours are not only great in combination with the Lillibet images, but also with so many stamps that I own.

Sunday, 28 July 2013

Lillibet - All About You


I seem to be on a role this weekend. Here is already the next Lillibet project. It is just so much fun to work with these gorgeous products. And what I like especially about the Lillibet designer paper packs are the soft colours and the couple of sheets with a linen effect.

As I created this project for Trimcraft, I have also compiled a list of products used for this card (the bow die is by Die'sire/Crafter's Companion, by the way) as well as step-by-step instructions. You can again find these in my Trimcraft gallery. And if you have any questions around this project, just give me a shout by leaving a comment below.

I think now I will relax a bit in front of the TV, a the end of the weekend and the beginning of the new working week are not far away. Have a good start into the new week.

Lillibet - Hugs


Lillibet is an adorable little girl with a wonderful bunch of friends.
Follow her on her adventures and be truly delighted by her charming
life as she plays, ponders and builds lasting friendships.


Trimcraft have just brought out a collection of lovely products around these adorable characters. And there are so many brilliant embellishments to explore. There are wooden elements, paper blossoms, three types of flowers, lace ribbon, coloured doilies, charms and so much more. I am still only slowly moving from the 'stroking stage' to actually using these beautiful items. Oh, what are we crafters like ...

I have again prepared a full list of products and step-by-step instructions for this card, so that it is easy for you to re-create it should you wish to do so. The details are - as usual - in my Trimcraft gallery.

And the bad weather today has one big advantage: It is just too wet to do anything outside and I can now continue to work on more projects with these gorgeous new products.

Saturday, 27 July 2013

People of Scotland


It is really time to share again a couple of Scottish cards with you.

For the two cards featured in this post I used images by Crafty Stamps, which come as cling mounted stamps made from quality grey rubber. Due to this they do not require any preparation prior to use, are easy to store and provide great stamped impressions. For the tartan sections I opted for the paper piecing technique and incorporated tartan paper. And as both images are quite detailed I chose ProMarkers for the colouring in of the scenes.

Is the fiddler in the card above not great?! A real character. This one is image SC164Q by Crafty Stamps. Due to his more 'unpolished appearance' and the masculine feel of the card I kept the embellishments simple with just a few black nailheads by Mark Richards, which are distributed by Woodware. I wanted to let one of my 'guilty pleasures' from this week, a Celtic knot geared border punch by Tonic Studios (I just could not resist to get it as soon as I saw it), dominate the background.


The second card shows a dancing couple (Crafty Stamps image SC162M). For the background of this card I decided on the gothic square Simplicity Verso die set by Tonic Studios. A decorative bow created from dotted organza ribbon by Woodware and two decorative pins, which I added with a bit of silicone glue, are completing the card. The ends of decorative pins can be very sharp, so I trimmed off the pointed ends with a wire cutter once I had added them to the bow.

If anybody of you is coming to Edinburgh for one of the festivals, perhaps pop into  Stampers Grove near Fountainpark. This is the home of Crafty Stamps, and you could explore their entire range in real life.

Sunday, 21 July 2013

And again Grace Taylor


It is so good that the temperatures are just around 20 degrees and a bit more pleasant this weekend. During the week it was just awful and far too hot here. I tried to finish this card, but just ended up sticking to cardstock and paper ...

And today I  needed a slow start to the day. My ears needed to recover from an amazing 40th anniversary open-air concert by Runrig at Edinburgh Castle. It was absolutely brilliant, but also very noisy. And I must admit, after this excitement and positive adrenaline rush it also took me a good few hours to go to sleep. It was well worth it!

Back to bsiness and the card. My materials of choice were again Grace Taylor products distributed by Trimcraft. This time I combined the scrapbook papers, paper flowers and paper butterflies with Dovecraft 6" x 6" textured cardstock, parchment paper, wire and Dovecraft adhesive gemstones (they come in strips of jewels and contain a whopping 468 pieces, so are great value for money). The ink pads of choice were a black Brilliance ink pad and 'frayed burlap' distress ink. A sentiment by Claritystamp, a leaf die by CREAlies and a mask with dotes were my 'helpers'.

I have again prepared step-by-step instructions for this project. You can view them in my Trimcraft gallery.

Sunday, 14 July 2013

Grace Taylor for male cards

Yes, I thought I had organised my office after the move and I really must have done a good job. For the card that I would like to share with you today I needed talcum powder. Usually I have got a small pot and foam applicators. I found the applicators, but where is the small pot with talcum powder hiding? I was searching high and low for 1 1/2 hours (!) and ended up taking the big tub and putting a bit of powder onto kitchen foil for this job. At some point the small pot will probably bite me into my nose ...



But now to the card. I based it around the beautiful Grace Taylor products, which are distributed by Trimcraft. I wanted to explore, if the Grace Taylor products could also be used in such a way that they are suitable for a male card. Even colours of some football or rugby teams contain red tones, so why not opt for a colour combination that includes some? And I must admit that I am quite pleased with the result.

If anybody of you would like to re-create this project, you can find a product list and step-by-step instructions in my Trimcraft gallery.

Sunday, 16 June 2013

Grace Taylor and a new toy


Oops, this blog post is coming on a bit later than intended. I could not resist to watch Andy Murray's final at Queen's and hope that I am forgiven. Congratulations and good luck for Wimbledon to him.

This weekend it was time to play with some Vintage Romance products from Trimcraft's Grace Taylor collection and a new toy that I got just the other day. I had been considering getting a Dymo labeller for some different style sentiments for a while - and a few days ago it finally found its way into my office/craft room.

Full instructions for this card are in my Trimcraft gallery, but here are some more details regarding the punch and the dies I used.

* The border punch is from the Simplicity range by Tonic Studios.
* The decorative corner dies are by Cheery Lyn Designs.
* I used a 2" x 2" die set by QuicKutz for the Eiffel Tower.
* Marianne Designs contributed the parasol die.

Saturday, 15 June 2013

Fizzy Moon to the Rescue


What can a crafter do when a card is required in a hurry?

Recently I was so glad that I have my Fizzy Moon decoupage and paper pads by Trimcraft, which not only contain beautiful die-cut decoupage images but also glitter card and patterned paper/light cardstock. Just some white textured cardstock, dies by Marianne Designs, paper roses and rosebuds, some adhesive pearls and a corner rounder were enough to create an urgently needed wedding card (somebody forgot to tell me that he needed one ...). It was actually a pleasant surprise how the card turned out with such a minimum of products.

The pads are also great for crafters, who have a less extensive craft stash or cannot access all their craft items due to holidays or a move (and I have gained more then enough experience with the latter one over that last few months).

Saturday, 1 June 2013

1st Ross Papercraft Show in Edinburgh



Today was the day of the first Ross Papercraft Show in Edinburgh. It was really nice to get there, as I had to miss the SECC and the Sincerely Yours show due to our move. I was pretty good when it comes to the craft spending, but I am over the moon that I found a set of ink blending mats (one in A4, one in 12" x 12" and one in A3) at the organisers stall. They are like the SplodgeAway mats but much more affordable. I am already using a 12" x 12" mat and wanted to get a smaller size anyway (and I can always cut the larger ones to size), so I am a pretty happy bunny that I have saved so much money. And other crafters in the area can also benefit, as Stamper's Grove are now also stocking the mats.

The card above is one that I made for the Stamper's Grove/Crafty Stamps stall as pretty much last minute addition. It features their Domestic Goddess stamp 'with husband' (DG110M) stamped with black Memento ink and coloured in using ProMarkers.

Further materials:
* White linen textured cardstock by Southfield
* Patterned paper
* Dovecraft 6"x6" textured cardstock pad
* Paper roses and rosebuds
* Decorative pins
* Adhesive

Further tools:
* Die-cutting machine
* Border die by Marianne Designs
* Heart-shaped die by Joy! Crafts
* Toolbox essentials

Wednesday, 29 May 2013

Finally Back ...

I seem to have been away for ages, but the work at the house and the move just brought so much work and trouble with them. Believe it or not, we have been faced with so many delays that the work at the house is STILL not finished. And there are also some boxes, which still need to be unpacked.

But my office is taking shape and I am slowly starting to find my craft stuff again - although I must admit that there are still a few items that are still hiding from me. Or the gremlins are still playing with them ...

Today's post is mainly catching up with work that I have not yet shared with you. All the stamps are by the Edinburgh-based business Crafty Stamps, which will also be at the Ross Papercraft Show in Edinburgh on 1 June 2013.


For the first card I stamped the thistle image SC169M with VersaFine ink onto watercolour card and coloured it in with Letraset AquaMarkers, which I applied with a damp brush. I also used white linen textured cardstock by Southfield and Core'dinations cardstock.  For the decorative rctangle I used a Die'sire die by Crafter's Companion. Organza ribbon by Woodware and adhesive pearls by Meiflower are completing the project.


The second piece is based around the cottage stamp SC160M. I stamped it onto ivory glass-smooth card by Southfield  and gave it a slight shading with coloured pencils. The features in the night sky are highlighted with the help of a Quickie glue pen and gilding flakes. I also used: ivory linen textured cardstock by Southfield, gold mirri card, Black Magic cardstock by Core'dinations in combination with a sanding tool, a Darice embossing folder, a Cheery Lyn die, a Dovecraft heart punch and adhesive gold-coloured pearls. I used the K & Company smash date stamp for the sentiment.


The final projectfor today features again a thistle image. This time it is created with the stamp SC168HF. Apart from white and black cardstock and a sheet of Dovecraft Back to Basics patterned paper I used circle dies. The feature behind the round toppers is created with the help of a Joy! corner die. I cut two black corners and joined them at the back of the topper. The sentiment stamp is also by Crafty Stamps (HB114L). Black adhesive gems are finishing the card.

So, that is the catch-up done. From now on I will be posting again on a regular basis and show you brand-new projects.

Sunday, 14 April 2013

Crafty Stamps Sneak Peek 2


Our move is now in full swing (and that although the work at the house is still continuing), so time to craft is very limited. And it does not help when a lot of craft items are already packed up or already at the house. And this weekend is so bad with very little sleep that I just had to escape into my own little world for a few minutes and make a quick card.

For this card I used again a brand-new image by Crafty Stamps, which is due to be released soon. I have been trying to find an image of a decanter and a whisky glass for many, many years, so I am absolutely over the moon about the stamp featured in this sneak peek.

In addition to the new image by Crafty Stamps I used the following products for this card:

* White textured cradstock
* Green textured cardstock
* Tartan paper
* White glass-smooth cardstock by Southfield
* Memento ink pad
* ProMarkers
* Sakura Gelly Roll pen 'Clear Star'
* Octagon dies
* Die-cutting machine
* Adhesive
* Toolbox essentials

And if you have a chance to go to the Sincerely Yours show in Edinburgh on 20 and 21 April 2013, please have a look at the Stampers Grove/Crafty Stamps stand and say hello to the team.

Sunday, 7 April 2013

Crafty Stamps Sneak Peek


Do you like to incorporate Scottish images into your crafts? They are not only great for patriotic Scots and holiday keepsakes, but also brilliant for elegant cards in general. Some images make good focal points for quirky cards.

Today I would like to give you a sneak peek on a new stamps by Crafty Stamps, the Edinburgh based stamp manufacturer that is at home at the craft shop Stampers Grove.

I just love this image of a Highland dancer, which reflects all the grace and elegance connected with this beautiful skill.I coloured her in using ProMarkers with ultra-fine nibs and used the paper piecing technique for the kilt and kilt hoses (I stamped the image onto tartan paper, cut out the relevant sections and added them to the card).

And here are the ingredients used for this project:
* Square white card blank
* Tartan paper
* Core'dinations Black Magic cardstock
* Glass-smooth white cardstock from Southfield
* Die'sire Emobossalicious embossing folder
* Label die set
* Organza ribbon
* Adhesive pearls

If you like this stamp, please keep an eye on the Crafty Stamps website or the Stampers Grove website for this and many other new releases that will be available in the near future.

Saturday, 30 March 2013

Border Collie


I really like the new border collie image by Crafty Stamps (AN113F). It pictures such a beautiful furry friend. When I saw the stamp my very first thought was to use it in combination with peg stamps - and so I had a play this afternoon.

The stamped image only needed a bit of colouring with Spectrum Noir pens, so I brought in some colour with the peg stamps which I used with Distress Markers. This also allowed me to use more than one colour for some of the stamped images, which are included in the 'Butterfly Blooms' set by Rubber Stamp Tapestry and the 'Highland Winter' Majestix set by Card-io.

Apart from round dies I also used a decorative Die'sire die by Crafter's Companion.

The embellishments are deliberately kept simple with heather and thistles joined together with organza ribbon by Woodware to avoid covering up too much of the stamping.