Run through some Trimcraft ranges (April 2016)

I've just realised this evening that this video was posted on Youtube a few weeks ago. It was a very quick run through lots of upcoming Trimcraft ranges to trade customers. I had a lot of products to get through in a very short space of time and had to repeat the entire session  (of which this is just part) 8 times during the course of the afternoon. 

This was the last session of the day so I was just about to drop!

Ulster Transport Museum

We had an impromptu visit to the Ulster Transport Museum yesterday and I really enjoyed it. I haven't been there since I went on school trips with the boys when they were both at Primary school and David and I hadn't been there together for about 20 years! Needless to say it was David's idea but I was happy to see him "in the zone".

I don't understand why this is in a museum - I used this bus ! lol

...and when I saw this I could immediately remember the noise it made coming up the street late at night!

Our neighbours had one of these :)

This was a very interesting part of the display for David as he remembered Davy Jones driving around Lisburn in this actual car many years ago!

The next photo is of particular significance to our family as my dad, mum and older brother sailed to Brazil on board the Andes in 1949!

 This part of the exhibition seems to be very new as there was still packaging around the display case.

Fairy Lantern - Mod Podge Sheer Colours and Extreme Glitter

I'm still trying out different things with the Mod Podge Sheer Colours - this time I've painted it onto a little lantern jar. I die cut a fairy shape from black card and attached it to the inside of the glass with Mod Podge. Then I painted outside of the jar with Purple Sheer Paint and coated it with a couple of layers of Extreme Glitter. I added a battery tealight inside.

You can see what it look s like in the dark below

I stippled 3 different colours (aqua, pink and purple) onto the jar with a sponge and then added the Extreme Glitter

Mod Podge Sheer Paint and Podgeable Glass Domes by Plaid

 I think I've fallen in love with the Mod Podge Sheer paints by Plaid! I've been trying out some ideas with them to build up a collection of samples for upcoming dates when I hope to be demoing these and it's beginning to become addictive! 

This time I've used the Sheer Purple to paint an old perfume bottle. I've covered the top of the cap with Mod Podge Extreme Glitter and then added a little Podgeable Glass Dome over a circle of floral paper to the centre of the bottle. You can see t he beautiful 3D effect in the photo below :)

These are the products which I used 

Whiz Kids Ballerina diorama card

 I've used Trimcraft's Whiz Kids 6x6 papers to decorate this diorama card and the decoupage pad on  the inside. When I looked at the little stage on the decoupage image I thought it needed to have a 3D effect.  I saved the biggest decoupage image (layer1) to use on the front of the card and mounted it onto scalloped circle die cuts with two little Dovecraft flowers (from the dies) at the bottom right.

 I used the Dovecraft Ballerina dies beside the scalloped circles on which you would write the message - paper piecing the ballerina's dress with pale pink paper.

Top view when the card is opened.

Thank You card

 Good morning. I made this card over the weekend for a nurse who stayed with my mother (and us) for almost two hours beyond his shift to make sure that she was ok and her details would be passed over correctly to the doctor and ambulance crew who were called to take her to hospital on Friday night. I thought he would like this as he has recently got a bike.

Thankfully, after some treatment and an overnight stay in hospital, mum is now back in the care home where she has been since breaking her ankle last year. 

I used Trimcraft's Simply Creative "My Guy" papers and Trimcraft dies.

Plaid Ultra Dye wooden trinket box

 I've been experimenting with different paints, dyes, surfaces and finishes using some Plaid Crafts products to see what can be used together. This is a little wooden chest which I stained with the brand new Ultra Dye (Turquoise). The colours are really vibrant and can be used on wood, wicker etc but I've also done some experimenting on semi porous surfaces too and will post some photos soon.

I decorated this little chest with Mod Melt Flowers which I painted with Plaid Home Decor Chalk Paint.

The little gem hearts in the foreground were colourless but I painted them with the Plaid Sheer Colours and will also be adding them to another project soon.

I coated the top of the box with Mod Podge Extreme Glitter - I just love that stuff!

How to make a diorama card using the Trimcraft Whiz Kids collection

I hope you enjoy this tutorial showing how to make a little diorama card which folds flat for postage but opens up to reveal a 3D effect inside.

I've used the new Whiz Kids collection by Trimcraft.

You will need:

Trimcraft Whiz Kids 6x6 papers

Trimcraft Whiz Kids 8x8 Glitter Decoupage pad

Trimcraft Whiz Kids Mini Bunting

Dovecraft A4 Premium white card

Trimcraft First Edition Scalloped Circle dies

Dovecraft Crafters Glue

Dovecraft 6x6 Colours Paper Pack

Simply Creative gems

3D foam squares

double sided tape

Die cutting machine

How to make it:

 1. Start with a 15cm square card  white card. Score and fold at 1cm from the right edge.

 2. Cut a piece of card measuring 15cm x 16cm, then score and fold at 1cm from each side on the 16cm length.

 3. Cut a piece of star paper to 14.5cm x 13.5cm and attach to the inside back of the card with double sided tape.

 4. Cut a piece of bunting paper to 13.25cm x 14.75cm and attach to the other piece of card with double sided tape.

 5. Tape the 10cm diameter scalloped circle die to the panel and pass through your die cutting machine.

 6. It should look like this when you remove the die.

 7. Put a strip of double sided tape on the back of the folded part of the card and attach the aperture panel to the card back.

8. Attach the other folded strip to the inside of the card as shown. Hold in this position and glue "Layer 2" of the decoupage into the centre. If you lay the card down flat before you adhere the  decoupage it will not be in the centre when the card is opened.

9. Add the next layers of decoupage with 3D foam squares.

10. Die cut a scalloped circle from bunting paper and glue to the inside left of the card. Add a smaller white scalloped circle die cut on top. Then glue the Just for You from the Decoupage sheet on top.

11. Cut a piece of Princess patterned paper to 14.5cm x 14.5cm and attach to the card front with double sided tape. 

12. Glue Layer 1 of the Decoupage to an 8cm x 12cm piece of dark pink paper and then glue this to an 8.5cm x 12.5cm piece of white card. Glue to the centre of the card front. Glue the "Birthday Princess" greeting to the top right.

 13. Add some bunting on 3D foam squares to the top left of the card. Add  gems to the centres of the bunting.

Top view

Blog stats again :)

Good morning :) and a BIG thank you to everyone who visited my blog yesterday. It's a personal milestone for me to have had over 2,000 visitors in one day. I'm very happy to see this as I have put a lot of hard work into building the blog up and maintaining it over the last 7 years.

It's only 8.50am and already 628 people have visited  - thank you sooo much :)

Mr & Mrs - Trimcraft

 This is another card which I made for personal use - 2 in one week! 

I've used Trimcraft's First Edition Wedding, Scalloped Circle and  Nature dies along with some flowers which I made from Dovecraft Flower dies.

The paper is Bella Rose which I've had for a while but I just love it :)

Folk Art Milk Paint by Plaid

 When I looked at the beautiful little pots of Folk Art Milk Paint which I received yesterday, I knew I had something I wanted to upcycle using it. I had an old wooden egg box, which had seen better days, out among the geraniums and fuchsias in my summer house so I cleaned it up and got started.

I used Blue Belle Milk Paint on the exterior and Sheepskin Chalk Paint on the interior. 

The Milk Paint has a lovely flat finish (obviously without the limey effect of the Chalk Paint) and was very easy to apply.

I used the Milk Paint Brush to apply the Blue Belle and then used a finer brush to paint a simple little chicken at the top with Shaker Red and Farmhouse Ochre.

This is what the egg box looked like before I painted it.

I took the "before" photo on top of some lily leaves in my garden  - so here are the blooms as well :)