New Year's Card

On the last day of the year I want to spend some time progressing storage and home decor items, so this is my final card of 2015. And to round up the year in style it is a card for New Year.

I used products from the Dovecraft Christmas Basics by Trimcraft plus First Edition dies and some small adhesive pearls from the Glad Tidings collection. For a full product list and instructions for this card please refer to my Trimcraft gallery.

Have a great start into a hopefully healthy, peaceful and successful year 2016!

Belle & Boo Christmas Plaques

During 2015 my crafting focus has really shifted from cards to home decor items. I never thought that I would enjoy it so much to create decorative frames and MDF items. And my handcrafted Christmas decorations, for example, that are currently surrounding me are - in my humble opinion - even nicer than many bought items.

The two MDF plaques in this blog post are created around the adorable Belle & Boo Christmas collection by Trimcraft. The plaques were prepared with white gesso and First Edition deco mache papers. A final all over application of First Edition deco mache gloss decoupage glue gives them a nice shiny and smooth finish.

Product lists and step-by-step instructions for both projects can again be found in my Trimcraft gallery.

Wintery Snowflake Decoration

Merry Christmas!

Today I would like to share a wintery home decor item with you. I found it perfect as Christmas Day crafty treat, but it could also be a nice gift for a host during the festive period. And as it features snowflakes, it is not just for Christmas but a lovely item throughout the winter. I used Dovecraft Christmas Basics wooden snowflake shapes and white adhesive pearls as well as metallic paints and jump rings.

I am so pleased with the way this snowflake chain has turned out that I will definitely create another one in gold and silver.

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

Christmas Countdown

Just a short time to go now until Christmas Day. I would like to use the opportunity to share two more Christmas cards with you, which I made recently with Trimcraft collections.

The first card features products from the Helz Cuppleditch range 'The Night Before Christmas'.

The second card is a quick make created with the Dovecraft Christmas Basics collection.

Product lists and step-by-step instructions for both cards as well as larger images can again be found in my Trimcraft gallery.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Tatty Teddy Birthday Card

Today I would like to share an 8" square birthday card with you. For this project I reverted back to products that Trimcraft brought out at the beginning of this year: the Me to You Mother's Day papers and decoupage images.

I really indulged in the die-cut decoupage images and used as many as three on this card.

In addition to the Me to You papers and decoupage pad I used brown cardstock, paper flowers and the First Edition traditional sentiment die set (also by Trimcraft). This die set has quickly become one of my favourites and I will probably use it very often for sentiments on cards.

The Night Before Christmas Plaque

Today I would like to share another home decor item with you.This time it is an oval Christmas plaque based around an image from Helz Cuppleditch's The Night Before Christmas collection by Trimcraft and the matching reindeer deco mache papers. The base is an oval MDF plaque into which I punched two holes using my Crop-a-Dile Big Bite. Other tools like a drill would also do the trick.

For a product list, step-by-step instructions and a larger image please go to my Trimcraft gallery.

Glad Tidings Project Series

Over the last days I worked on a series of five projects created with the new Dovecraft Christmas collection 'Glad Tidings'. Here are now images of all five new cards. Larger images as well as product lists and step-by step instructions for all projects will be available in my Trimcraft gallery by the end of tomorrow.

The Night Before Christmas Scene

Now that I am on my own I need a lot less Christmas cards and find myself more and more often opting for home decor items when I am crafting. And they make it possible to have some more and new decorative Christmas items even if the budget is tight. And Trimcraft's new collection 'The Night Before Christmas' with images by Helz Cuppleditch in combination with some other great new First Edition and Dovecraft Christmas products allows for some unique items with a personal touch that could not be just bought in shops or could be found in countless homes.

This 6" x 6" panel based on a piece of cardboard also brought out a great way of using up loose glitter without mess. I mixed a generous amount of PVA with white Dovecraft glitter and applied it lavishly to the icicle border and the snowflake elements. This leaves the ice and snow elements nice and sparkly - and the glitter is not shedding.

I prepared again a product list and step-by-step instructions, which can be found in my Trimcraft gallery.

Mini cards with felt die-cuts

Today I would like to share two more mini cards with you. This time I used products from the Dovecraft Christmas Basics collection. The focal points of both cards are die-cut embellishments created from felt.

I must admit that I was initially unsure how die-cutting felt would work, but I should not have worried. With the Dovecraft felt and Christmas dies it worked just fine. I would just recommend to ease the felt carefully out of the dies in case there is a fibre that needs to be cut (and that is better than tearing a fibre and potentially the die-cut). Due to the pressure from the diecutting machine the edges are even finished nicely. By the way, I used a Cuttlebug with a pretty worn out cutting plate.

Product lists and step-by-step instructions for both projects are again prepared and can be found in my Trimcraft gallery.

Christmas with Belle & Boo

Belle & Boo Christmas - Winter Magic

The popular and so adorable characters Belle and Boo are making a return in Trimcraft's 2015 Christmas collection. And I could not resist to have a good play with the new products, which I combined with some of the brand-new Dovecraft Christmas Basics products, while watching today's rugby matches.

For the first card that features Belle and a reindeer I have created a faux embossed effect with the fabulous Dovecraft Christmas Basics snowflake dies. I love especially the corner die from this set. And I think I need to organise more of the Dovecraft Christmas Basics A4 cardstock that I used for this project. The card in this multipack comes in kraft, white, red, green and a dark burgundy tone and is so nice and smooth and lovely for die-cutting and embossing.

Belle & Boo Christmas Mini Card

Christmas cards do not always need to be relatively large and time-consuming. Making a Belle & Boo mini card with the new Dovecraft Christmas Basics A7 cards and envelopes was fun, effortless and so quick. And that is just brilliant for those of us, who need to make a significant number of Christmas cards.

Belle & Boo Christmas - Festive Cheer

The final card for today is again based on a 6" x 6" card blank, which I used as tent-fold card. Most elements on this card are coming from the Belle & Boo decoupage pad.

I have again prepared product lists and step-by-step instructions for all three cards. Just click onto the titles below the images and you will be taken through straight to the relevant pages in my Trimcraft gallery.

Dovecraft Serendipity

In this blog post I would like to share three cards wih you that I created with the new Dovecraft Serendipity collection by Trimcraft. The products are great for brightening up the now much cooler, wetter and duller days (although it was still getting pretty warm when I cut the grass today).

The Rugby World Cup was a good excuse for some quality crafting time at home. The creative juices were flowing while I was watching some of the games, but I found it impossible to drag myself away from the TV to write up the instructions ...

If you like my creations, you can find product lists and step-by-step instructions in my Trimcraft gallery.

First Edition Paper Flowers

Today I would like to share a card with you that I created around the beuatiful papers from the First Edition Paper Flowers pads. Dies and stamps from Trimcraft's Santoro collections in combination with First Edition markers seemed to be a good addition.

A product list and step-by-step instructions for this card are - as usual - in my Trimcraft gallery.

Dovecraft Pretty Papers

Today I would like to share a card with you that I created around the Dovecraft value paper pack 'Crowning Affair'. The colours are so pretty and attractive. And the double-sided papers make it easy to match up perfectly co-ordinated sheets.

The sentiment stamp used on this card is from the Dovecraft Sweet Paris sentiment stamp set. The dies for the frame and the tag are from the first Santoro Mirabelle die set by Trimcraft. For the embellishments I reverted to products from Trimcraft's Belle & Boo and  Sweet Paris collections.

A product list and step-by-step instructions are again in my Trimcraft gallery.

Large Santoro's Willow frame

Usually the packaging of craft products is just for the bin. But Trimcraft's Santoro products are so beautifully packaged  that even many of the wraps, boxes and cover sheets of paper pads provide great additional craft items. For this frame I turned the reverse of the cover sheet from a 6" x 6" Santoro's Willow paper pad into the focal point.

The frame I used is from IKEA's RIBBA collection. I absolutely love the square frames, as their depth allows for generous embellishments and 3D effects. I have again uploaded a list of the other products as well as step-by-step instructions to my Trimcraft gallery.

The First Edition markers have joined my craft stash

The new First Edition twin markers have finally moved in! And I must admit that I am very impressed with the fine nibs, which are great for detailed and precise work - and that, unlike ProMarkers, without the extra expense for especially fine nibs.

Here is the first card for which I used the First Edition markers by Trimcraft as well as products from their Santoro's Willow collection. For the background I deliberately coloured in small sections at a time with the fine nib to achieve more like a parchment effect. I really like the vibrant colours, which compliment the peacock feather and the brown glitter card by Dovecraft. And this glitter card does not shed and works well for die-cuts without creating a glittery mess in the die-cutting machine.

A product list and step-by-step instructions are again in my Trimcraft gallery.

Storage - just prettier

             

Cardboard storage boxes are inexpensive and useful, but most of them do not actually look that good. So I thought that Deco Mache decoupage papers by Trimcraft in combination with some other craft products could make a real difference.

I like the shape and size of the long Tjena boxes from IKEA - and as they are available in white, it is not even necessary to prime them with a light colour before applying Deco Mache papers. I opted to improve this one with Deco Mache papers in contrasting colours and to embellish it then with a Santoro Mirabelle decoupage image and die-cuts created with Santoro's Willow dies and First Edition alphabet dies. I deliberately concentrated on the lid, as I intend to keep the box in a drawer with a frosted glass front. And pretty boxes behind the glass just look better than a wild collection of items.

A product list and step-by-step instructions for this project are again available in my Trimcraft gallery.

I think I will make a few more of these boxes over the next months. They are an attractive way of keeping drawers with glass fronts or open cupboards/shelves organised. And now that I need a lot less cards for my personal use it is also nice to have some other craft projects lined up.

Santoro Mirabelle Notebook

I recently purchased a notebook for training notes, but they can be so uniform and downright boring. So I opted for a soft cover notebook from Ryman's, which is really nice to the touch, and decided to enhance it with a Santoro Mirabelle centre piece.

The topper consists of white heavyweight cardstock covered in Santoro Mirabelle deco mache papers and adorned with Santoro Mirabelle images and embellishments. I just love this collection by Trimcraft, and it will be nice to have a Santoro Mirabelle creation with me at work.

A product list for this project and step-by-step instructions are available in my Trimcraft gallery.

And some more Bohemian style cards

Bohemian - Just For You

What can be nicer than crafting with some a bit bolder and summery colours when it is so cold, wet and relatively chilly outside? The weather has been pretty poor all week and today it is even more like autumn due to strong winds. But at least Dovecraft's Bohemian collection provides a bit of colour on a dull day.

Bohemian - Peacock Shaker Card

Nearly all products used for these cards are by Trimcraft. I only added card blanks, teal cardstock, kraft card and acetate. In addition, I used a black ink pad and ProMarkers to colour in the rose. Full product lists are in my Trimcraft gallery. You can also find step-by-step instructions for both cards there.

Bohemian Stag

For the card in this post I have gone all colourful with the Dovecraft Bohemian collection. The photo does not even give the beautiful floral paper with a gorgeous pearlescent sheen justice. I added lace ribbons and a wooden shape for a bit more rustic feel for this nature-themed project.

And colouring in the stamped image of the stag was so relaxing. Just what I needed after a busy week.

I have again prepared a product list and step-by-step instructions. Both can be found in my Trimcraft gallery.

And if you like the Bohemian products as much as I do, remember to enter Trimcrafts's monthly competition by 30 June 2015 to be in with a chance to win a paper pad and some embellishments.

Here come the boys

Belle & Boo - Gone Fishing

It was really time to work again with the Belle & Boo collection by Trimcraft and to create some cards with those adorable images. For the two cards featured in this post I concentrated on the boys. It is so refreshing to have craft products that also cater for them.

Product lists and step-by-step intructions for both cards are again available in my Trimcraft gallery. Just click onto the titles below the images to be taken through directly to the details for the card in question.

Belle & Boo - Birthday Boy

Two Santoro Cards

Santoro Mirabelle - Little Feathered Friend

The gorgeous Santoro Mirabelle and Santoro's Willow products by Trimcraft are, of course, not only suitable for stroking and creating home decor items. So it is really time to share some cards with you.

All products used for these two cards are from the Santoro collections and arranged on Dovecraft 6" x 6" card blanks. For full products lists and step-by-step instructions please refer to my Trimcraft gallery.

And the cards in this blog post do not even require the use of a die-cutting machine.

Santoro's Willow - For You

Decorative Santoro's Willow Frames

Santoro's Willow - Mechanic of my Heart Frame

The products from the new Santoro's Willow collection by Trimcraft are so absolutely gorgeous that I just have to be a bit selfish and use some of them for home decor items. Otherwise I would probably just end up stroking the products and not use them, as I would not like to part company with them ...

I also adore the modern and stylish RIBBA picture frames from IKEA - especially because of the nice deep frame, which can stand up straight on a cupboard, shelf or windowsill. And although these 13cm x 18cm frames are not as deep as the square version they still provide enough space for a few, not too high embellishments.

Santoro's Willow - Mademoiselle Snow Frame

Frames of this kind can make lovely presents, but these two will definitely not leave my home. And more will follow in the near future.

Product lists and instructions for both projects can be found in my Trimcraft gallery. Just click onto the titles below the images to get directly to the relevant page.

A 'Bright Spark' Weekend

Dovecraft Back to Basics Bright Spark - A Hint of Summer

After a very busy week I needed a wee bit of relaxation and chill-out time at the weekend. And what could be better for that than some quality crafting time?! So I got out the Dovecraft Back to Basics Bright Spark collection by Trimcraft and got creative. The five cards featured in this post are the result.

 

Dovecraft Back to Basics Bright Spark - Pink Delight

 

Dovecraft Back to Basics Bright Spark - Floral Greetings

 Dovecraft Back to Basics Bright Spark - Special Wishes

I am still playing catch-up when it comes to the product lists and step-by-step instructions, but in this moment of time one card is already on the Trimcraft forum and the others will follow during the course of this week. All the details will then be available in my Trimcraft gallery.

Dovecraft Back to Basics Bright Spark - Special Day

Travel Excitement

First Edition Travel Notes - World Traveller

... but perhaps not quite as you might think. This excitement purely relates to crafting and to the new 'Travel Notes' First Edition paper pads. These are not just great designs in beautiful colours. I like especially that the double-sided papers offer so many options for plainer backgrounds and the so important matting and layering without the need to search for coloured cardstock in the ideal shades.

The papers are perfect in combination with travel or transport themed dies. I got the Joy! Crafts suitcase die a while ago, but have only used it once before this card. The Travel Notes papers are now providing the perfect background.

First Edition Travel Notes - Fly Away

All other dies used on the three cards featured in this blog post are by Trimcraft. The majority of them are First Edition dies, but I also used the Sweet Paris die set and the envelope from the Winter Woodland owl die set (those dies are not just useful for Christmas projects).

First Edition Travel Notes - Paris

If you are interested in the product lists and step-by-step instructions for these cards, just click onto the titles below the images. The links will take you directly to the corresponding pages on the Trimcraft forum.

Travel Notes

First Edition Travel Notes - Have a good Journey

Trimcraft are treating us to yet another set of great First Edition paper pads. 'Travel Notes' is the name of the newest addition to these high quality papers. The pads are coming again in the sizes 12" x 12", 8" x 8" and 6" x 6", i.e. the right size is available for every papercrafter.

 First Edition Travel Notes - Lock & Key

After an absolutely mental week it was nice to just have some fun with these new papers. I just added some gold metallic card, parchment paper, Tonic circle and scalloped circle dies and a 3mm adhesive pearl. All other products are by Trimcraft. For detailed product lists and step-by-step instructions please see my Trimcraft gallery. A click onto the title below the images will take you straight through to the relevant page.

Kaleidoscope

First Edition Kaleidoscope - Work in Progress

The new First Edition Kaleidoscope papers remind me so much of beautiful tie-dyed silk that I could not resist to create two cards with a sewing theme. Just good that there is a haberdashery set amongst the First Edition dies.

I needed just a handful of other products like large 3D foam squares from Dovecraft, black cardstock, 15cm square white card blanks, twine, adhesive pearls and glue gel for these cards. You can view the full product lists and step-by-step instructions by clicking onto the titles/links below the images.

First Edition Kaleidoscope - Silk