Evening all!

I'm delighted to announce that I have another collection of cards which featured in Papercraft Essentials magazine and it's all about cake!!! Issue 127, on sale NOW features my fun cupcake cards using the very latest Avery Elle stamp ranges...


I'm really not a girly girl and don't usually go mad on the pink, but with this project I just couldn't help myself! I stamped the actual cupcake using Memento Desert Sand ink, I then built the cupcake wrappers and toppings using a mix of Colorcore cardstock in shades of pinks and lilacs. The cherry on the top was glazed with a bit of glossy accents!


I'm so happy with the way this collection turned out, I also think it's been shot amazingly by the Papercraft Essentials team! I hope you like my efforts!


To see the full range you can grab a copy of Papercraft Essentials 127 here!
N x
Hello blogworld!

Apologies AGAIN for my absence, I've been so busy with life and wedding prep that i've scarcely had the time to sit down and make any cards!

That said, I missed the release of Simply Homemade issue 62 which has a rather exciting Hero Arts feature done by yours truly! It was an honour to feature in best-selling multi-crafts magazine Simply Homemade which brings the best from the craft world into one magazine each month!

This feature is all about on-trend colour layering with the latest ranges - a perfect combination for creating a stack of quick cards you can grab anytime for any occasion! I used the Ombre inkpads that i fell in love with on my last Hero Arts feature, and added plenty of twine, Washi and sequin bling which balanced well with the clean and simple look!


The cards in this collection feature the Color Layering Butterfly & Hibiscus Stamp sets and the Light to Dark Peach & Pink to Red ombre inkpads. I can't decide which card i like the best, but know they are all going to come in handy as i'm terrible at remembering special occasions until the very last minute! I hope this feature has inspired you to make some special cards of your own!


 To grab a copy of Simply Homemade 62 to see the full range click here!

Thanks for stopping by! N x


Hello all!

I'm ashamed to say that I've had a rather uninspiring non-crafty week or so, in favour of wedding prep and the likes! I also couldn't bear to approach my craft desk which is shocking.

However I'm delighted to reveal that a collection of cards I made using the latest Hero Arts goodies is featured in the brand-new issue of Papercraft Essentials - 126 which is on sale now! The Beginner's Guide, which features an article gave me a chance to trial the fabulous range of Ombré inks and stamps and give honest feedback! I'm still excited about this project and Hero Arts even gave me a cheeky mention on social media this week!


I felt apprehensive about achieving the perfect ombré look as I’d never attempted it before in my papercrafts! I was pleasantly surprised to find that the inkpads are very versatile and it couldn’t be easier to achieve a beautiful gradation of colour with the one inkpad. I found that overlapping the inks when inking helped to get a graduated line of colour, the inks will produce varied results depending on the colour of cardstock you use. 

These inks work perfectly with the Hero Arts Color Layering stamp range. Use the ombré inkpads to build the image or mix and match inks to create your own combinations for endless possibilities! If I had a to pick a favourite colour it would have to be the Mint to Green shades as it's works for a range of projects and occasions.

Hero Arts are based in the USA but their products can easily be found on a number of sites including Make the Day Special and if you're interested in seeing my feature a copy of the magazine can be found here!

Ta Ta for now,

N x
Evening all!

Papercraft Essentials 125 went on sale last Thursday and I'm delighted to say that I made the cover with my Color Burst projects! I think the colours in the Color Burst range lend themselves perfectly to Christmas projects, it's never been easier to get intense colour with texture! 

It can always be tricky to batch-make Christmas cards, but by creating a few large colourful backgrounds and drying with a heat gun, you can then cut down to make many smaller cards! I experimented with a mix of heat embossing techniques to resist the Colour Burst pigments, paper piecing and painting with the pigment to achieve different results.

I sent my card designs to Ken - who loves what I've done with the range! I'm a very happy crafter!


Here are just a few of the cards I made - I hope you like! :)





Hello all!

I've been unleashing my inner crazy cat lady with the latest stamp release from Apple Blossom Craft Collection! I only had a quick play, but am so inspired by the set that i'm hoping to make many more! I know a lot of cat lovers - so this set is perfect for a range of occasions and themes! I also think it would be fabulous for Scrapbook pages too..

This little card was made by creating a quick watercolour background with my favourite pens - Spectrum Aqua markers!Stamping the cat in black Archival and layering with coral cardstock and embellishments! So easy...I hope you like!


It's worth mentioning that there's a We Love Dogs stamp set too! If you want to get your hands on either, you can find them on the CraftStash website here
Watch this space for more cat cards!!
Well, I did it..

I started making Christmas cards in September! I'm that crafter that usually started a batch of Christmas cards on Christmas eve. But I just couldn't resist the adorable reindeer die which came with Simply Cards & Papercraft 141! All the elements of the die are in one handy plate and you get a stash of gemstones to complete Rudolph! The card practically made itself...


The papers are scraps from my stash, I went bold for a contemporary look and the fab Christmas sentiment is from the Creative Stamping 27 FREE stamp set! The card didn't take longer that 10 mins.. perfect for batch making! I might try a different style to mix it up a bit!


You can grab this issue of Simply Cards & Papercraft 141 from here!

Bye for now! N x

Happy Monday!

I'm so excited to say that some of my new Christmas creations feature in Die-Cutting Essentials issue 5! Christmas crafting isn't something that comes naturally to me, especially if its traditional but I couldn't help but be inspired by the brand-new Apple Blossom die ranges. Here's a sneak peek of the contemporary Christmas cards I made exclusively for Die-Cutting Essentials!




Both cards are a blend of Fancy Pants paper collections [I know i'm obsessed], must-have American Crafts Washi tape, Apple Blossom dies, Clearly Besotted/Sam Poole stamp sentiments and a sprinkling of silver sequins. I'm always very lucky to work with inspiring colour schemes and the latest crafty products.


I made the cover too! Woo!


If you haven't got your copy yet which comes with an epic FREE Merry Christmas die, you can always pick up a copy from here

Good evening all!

It's safe to say we are well into Autumn, which i think is my favourite month! So far we've had many days of early morning sunshine and a touch of frost in the air which is a winning combination when walking to work!

A lovely colleague gave me a ball of Mondial Express wool in a stunning mustard blend, the concept being that you knit the snood or scarf with your arms!


As always, I broke the rules and decided to knit the yarn with my biggest needles for a closer knit. I like the 'baggy' snood look but really wanted something closer to the neck. I took a gamble and knit the full ball on size 20 needles starting with 7 stitches wide... then soon realised that it would end up looking more like a pillow front!



*Unravel*... Restarting with only 5 stitches gave me the extra length I needed to complete the snood! I decided to finish the snood by darning the opposite ends together to give a natural fold in finished piece. I do love a project that comes together in an evening.

Ta Da! I hope you like :)




Hello all!

It's been too long. I'd like to think that I've neglected my blog of late due the glorious summer sun! Unlikely... but I have been up many a 'do' and making plans for my Wedding next April!

Speaking of Weddings... I was lucky enough to attend my close friend Sarah's wedding two weeks ago the The Midland in Manchester. It was a beautiful day, the bride and groom both looked stunning as they celebrated with us all!

The theme of the Wedding was bee's and bee hives, so I thought I'd whip this little card up! I love going over the top with dimension [when i know I'm not posting the card!] I made this stunning flower with the free die from Simply Cards & Papercraft 140 and Fancy Pants Office Suite designer papers. The sentiment is a Hero Arts stamp, I love the fonts used! I don't think you can go wrong with yellow and black, especially with a contemporary collection of supplies. I hope you like it!


Sarah and her now husband Jod are jetting off to South Korea for their Honeymoon! They love the culture and regularly eat the cuisine, so i thought why not purchase his & hers Sushi Bento boxes! It's safe to say that they went down a treat!


Me, David & the blushing bride! [A little bit worse for wear at this point...]


N x

 Hello craft world!

I'm delighted to say i have a feature in the current issue of Creative Stamping!
I was completely in my element for this one, using a mix of stamping techniques and watercolour markers!
I will admit that I don't usually do masculine makes [the men in my life don't appreciate the effort as much!] and that blue isn't a colour i use frequently, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this one - AND I got to keep the fantastic Feathered Friends stamp set!





Both of these cards feature watercolour backgrounds, with a mix of heat embossing, watercolouring vellum and fussy cutting - [a labour of love]
I embellished the cards in this feature with Washi tape and with a line of stitching using my sewing machine out for a bit of extra detail...

I hope you like! And don't forget this issue is on sale NOW!
N x
Happy Sunday!

A few weeks back i had the pleasure of going on my very first hen do! The beautiful bride to be Sarah is due to get married in two weeks time followed by a fabulous honeymoon in South Korea! 

I thought what better gift for the honeymoon that a hand-made eye mask for the long flight and some little travel cosmetics from Soap and Glory!


This project was so easy, even though I had to hand-sew it as my machine is on the fritz! The tutorial can be found on The Red Kitchen website here!


We had a lovely evening of wine tasting, teppanyaki followed by cocktails and dancing! Maybe too many cocktails judging by this pic!


Me and Betty <3




TFI Friday!!

I feel that this weekend couldn't come quick enough, especially as i have a lovely day perusing my wedding venue to look forward to... which i'm sure will be swiftly followed by a wedding planning panic!

I did manage to take some time out after work this to play with a fab new die i got my sticky mitts on. The FREE Balloon & Flower die set which came with Simply Cards & Papercraft issue 139 features two awesome stitched dies - perfect for summer crafting! This set has everything i love about dies... it's versatile, contemporary, fun and easy-to-use!
 I made a happy smiley floral card using flower die, with kraft and white cardstock. The flowers are die-cut from a mixture of Summer Vibes papers [Fancy Pants Designs] and Forever Young papers [BoBunny] - I love pinks and corals! The smiley stamp is from Kaisercraft, and i've got more than my moneys worth for this set!


This second card features a background i created by blending Shaded Lilac Distress ink over ripped paper masks. The beautiful sentiment is part of the same Kaisercraft range. As much as i love the bright colours I used in the first card, i also really love a subtle monochromatic look. I think the balloon looks really sweet in this setting.


And this final card was made for a purpose! My lovable chum Aimes has taken the big ol' step of moving into a new home! This 'Up' inspired card features the Welcome Home stamp set from Hot Off the Press, the same fun designer papers from the first card and a Co'ordination vellum sentiment! I know Amy will love this card because it's her magazine's FREE die!


I hope you like my efforts! Tune in for some super sewing next time! <3
Evening all,

This week I was lucky enough to get my hands on the brand-new Santoro Willow collection from Trimcraft... just in time for the mammoth amount of birthday celebrations that are happening throughout the summer!

I think if in doubt... build a flower! I love the centre of this flower which features cool cogs and sequins. I like this card because it combines an unusual colour combo!

I created this colourful number for a very special friend, i know she's going to love it :)


I hope you like it! N x
Happy Sunday!

Today i'd like to share a little card i made on a whim in the week!

A close friend was having a rough time so i thought i'd knock up a quick card to say 'thank you for being you!' Sometimes i think its easy to spout advice like a broken record to loved ones but putting in that little bit extra and writing it in a lovely card can be really comforting.

This little card is made using the Fancy Pants Summer Sun collection, my trusty Fiskars intricate Daisy punch and some handy Washi tape and brads!

I hope you like it :)


Hello blog world!

It's been a while... i've been frolicking in the summer sun!
My crafting has been on hold whilst I spent a week in sunny St Ives!

We picked a glorious week to go - and made the most of it surfing, fishing and sun bathing...
We even made time to visit the Eden projects and got a cheeky tattoo as a momento! <3






Nice tan! :)
Evening all,

It's been a while, which i regret!

Apparently June is a very busy month for occasions, i've spent most of my time trying to create unique gifts and presents for loved ones and very little time experimenting with my own 'stuff'.

Lovely Stephanie owner of Clearly Besotted was kind enough to send me a fab new stamp set from her Summer releases which helped me get my mojo back!

The Let's Roll stamp set is perfect for so many occasions, and I couldn't resist using this unique sentiment! The card is a mix of odds and sods, including hand-cut grass! I hope you like it!


You can find this adorable stamp set here!



N x

Good evening one and all,

I'm delighted to report that i'm part of the brand-new Apple Blossom Craft Collection design team!

Apple Blossom Craft Collection is an exclusive new range from a UK design team who's designs are intricate, luxurious and afordable. These high-quality die sets feature a variety of elegant motifs, borders and frames, perfect for adding that finishing touch!


I was lucky enough to play with the brand-new bird die which is fab, i don't usually like big dies but this one has so much versatility, it can easily be paper-pieced or cut down to suit different themes and occasions. This die set consists of three separate dies, the birds and foliage, a circular die and a frame.


Here's the Thank You card i made, i hope you like it!
You can grab this fabulous bird die here :)

Keep your eyes peeled for brand-new and exclusive Apple Blossom dies on the CraftStash website!



Evening all,

Well, its official - summertime!

I can't believe it's already June, this time last year we were moving House from Preston to Manchester. This will be the first place we've stayed for over a year! Frankly, i'm glad because i hate the stress of moving.

That said, my crafty pal Betty is moving into a fab new pad in the center of Manchester and i couldn't-not make her a little something as a housewarming gift! It's always tough creating a handmade project for a fellow crafter, especially as Betty is quite the sewer - www.makeitbetty.com/



I created the applique letters by backing fabric with Stick-It sheets and die-cutting with Xcut letter dies, the rest of the wording was hand-stitched with a thick red thread. Extreme close-up!


I'm happy to report that Betty loves it... i hope you do too!

N x