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.

Santa's Workshop Decoupage

Santa's Workshop - Hot Chocolate Kisses

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.

Santa's Workshop - Sweet Christmas

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.

Santa's Workshop - Santa the Baker

I hope you like these cards.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.