A Little Pause at the Craft Desk

Some blog posts are full of finished projects. This one is full of possibilities.

The past week has been one of the hardest I've ever experienced. Since losing my beautiful Labrador, Mr Banks (Beeb), I simply haven't had the heart to sit down and create. Crafting has always been my happy place, but grief has a way of quietening even the things we love most.

Rather than disappear completely, I thought I'd share a little crafty haul instead. These are some of the dies I've picked up over the past month, and although they haven't yet made it onto paper, they've already sparked plenty of ideas for when I'm ready to create again.

Looking through this pile, I can already imagine where many of these dies will end up. There are some gorgeous decorative frames that will be perfect for vintage journals and layered cards, several textured background dies that should add lots of interest without needing patterned paper, and a collection of stitched and geometric designs that will work beautifully on both ATCs and larger projects.

I have no firm plan yet, and that's perfectly alright. Right now I'm giving myself permission to create when inspiration returns rather than forcing it. Sometimes the craft room needs to be a place of comfort instead of productivity.

Supplies Featured

• Decorative frame dies
• Background texture dies
• Stitched rectangle dies
• Layering frame dies
• Various AliExpress die sets purchased during July 2026

(Product links will be added as I begin using each set in future projects.)

Thank you for continuing to visit my little corner of the internet, even during quieter weeks. I know Beeb would probably have been lying under my craft desk, hoping I'd drop a biscuit while I worked. One day I'll smile at that thought more than I cry, but I'm not quite there yet.

Until next time,

Bon

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Disclaimer:

All products featured on this blog were purchased by me unless otherwise stated. I am not sponsored by any company, brand, or artist mentioned in this post, and all opinions shared are entirely my own.

Vintage Botanical ATCs with My Cricut Joy

This week's Artist Trading Cards were all about soft vintage botanicals, layered textures and making better use of the tools I already own. I've had my Cricut Joy sitting in a drawer for far too long, and I decided it was time to put it to work by cutting the delicate butterfly embellishments for this set. It may be a small machine, but it's perfect for little projects like these, and I'm hoping this is just the beginning before I move on to creating larger projects with my Silhouette Cameo.

How I Created These ATCs

I started with a selection of beautiful vintage-inspired papers from an AliExpress paper pack, choosing coordinating patterns in soft greens, florals and muted neutrals to create a cohesive trio. Each ATC was layered with rounded kraft card bases and finished with a decorative kraft border to tie the designs together.

The focal point on each card is a simple kraft tag, which I deliberately left blank. I briefly considered adding a sentiment, but the more I looked at the finished cards, the more I realised the plain kraft tags provided a welcome area of calm amongst all the beautiful layering. Sometimes knowing when to stop adding is just as important as knowing what to include.

The delicate butterflies and tags were cut using my Cricut Joy, layered from kraft card and patterned paper before being finished with tiny flower centres. They add just enough detail without overwhelming the design.

The white floral sprays and leaves create plenty of dimension while keeping the overall colour palette soft and elegant. To finish everything off, I made my own pearls using Nuvo Crystal Drops in Ivory Seashell, placing them in small clusters to balance each composition.

One of my goals over the coming months is to make much more use of my Cricut Joy. It's such a capable little machine, and it deserves to spend more time on my craft desk than tucked away in a drawer. Small projects like these feel like the perfect place to build my confidence before tackling more ambitious designs with my Silhouette Cameo.

Supplies Used

• Kraft cardstock
• Vintage botanical paper pack (AliExpress)
• Cricut Joy
• Butterfly and cutting file
• Decorative border die
• Floral die cuts from my existing stash
• Thick vellum
• Nuvo Crystal Drops – Ivory Seashell
• Double-sided tape
• Wet glue

Final Thoughts

I'm really pleased with how these turned out. The soft botanical palette, layered textures and blank kraft tags create a calm vintage feel that I love, and they reminded me that sometimes less really is more. I also enjoyed giving my Cricut Joy a proper outing, and I'm looking forward to finding even more ways to incorporate it into future projects.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by. I hope these little ATCs inspire you to dust off a forgotten tool in your own craft room and see what you can create with it!

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Disclaimer

All products featured on this blog were purchased by me unless otherwise stated. I am not sponsored by any company, brand, or artist mentioned in this post, and all opinions shared are entirely my own.

Framed Escapes ATCs

 

Sometimes the simplest projects are exactly what we need. With the British heatwave making even the thought of crafting feel like hard work, I wanted to create something beautiful without reaching for lots of inks, stamps and embellishments. This trio of Artist Trading Cards came together using carefully chosen papers, die-cut frames and delicate sentiment tabs, proving that a few well-coordinated elements can be just as striking as a more technique-heavy project.

Creating the ATCs

For this set, I decided to let the papers do most of the storytelling. The backgrounds and focal images all came from pre-printed paper and sticker sheets that I purchased from Temu and AliExpress. Rather than adding lots of extra embellishments, I wanted the elegant illustrations to remain the stars of the show.

The beautiful decorative frames were cut from a die set I also bought from AliExpress and mounted over the scenic images to create the feeling of looking through a window into another world. I love how the warm metallic finish adds depth and draws your eye straight to each little scene.

Each ATC was mounted onto sturdy 300gsm white cardstock, giving the finished cards a lovely solid feel. To soften the bright white edges and tie everything together, I inked all the edges using Distress Ink in Tea Dye, giving them a gentle vintage finish.

For the sentiments, I wanted something that wouldn't distract from the delicate artwork. I chose the single words Peace, Love and Relax, printing them onto heavyweight vellum using my Canon TS8751. Before printing, I lightly blended the vellum with Tea Dye Distress Ink, then allowed it to dry completely before feeding it through the printer using the photo paper setting. Once printed, I trimmed the vellum into small tabs and adhered them to the bottom left corner of each ATC. The soft, tinted vellum blends beautifully into the background while still allowing the words to stand out.

Although the heatwave certainly slowed me down this week, I'm really pleased I pushed through and spent some time at my craft desk. These little ATCs have such a calm, peaceful feel about them, and they were a lovely reminder that sometimes less really is more.

Supplies Used

• 300gsm white card stock
• Decorative frame die set (AliExpress)
• Vintage background papers (AliExpress)
• Seasonal Sticker Book  (Temu)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink – Tea Dye
• Heavyweight vellum
• Canon TS8751 printer
• Wet glue
• Die cutting machine

Final Thoughts

These little ATCs were a joy to make and were exactly the kind of gentle, relaxing project I needed this week. I love how the copper frames, soft vintage colours and simple vellum sentiments work together to create three cards that feel connected while each telling its own story. Sometimes creativity doesn't have to be complicated to be rewarding.

As always, I'd love to hear which of the three is your favourite. Are you drawn to Peace, Love, or Relax?

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Disclaimer

All products featured on this blog were purchased by me unless otherwise stated. I am not sponsored by any company, brand, or artist mentioned in this post, and all opinions shared are entirely my own.

Vintage Clipboard Floral ATCs | Notes, Memos & Thoughts

 

There's something incredibly satisfying about turning a simple idea into a finished project. These Artist Trading Cards began with a colour palette I couldn't stop thinking about after discovering a beautiful vintage-inspired paper pack on AliExpress. The soft turquoise, aged cream and warm copper immediately reminded me of old clipboards filled with handwritten notes, sketches and little reminders. That single thought became the inspiration for this trio of floral ATCs.

How They Came Together

The starting point for these cards was one of my favourite craft purchases this year, a 100-piece vintage paper pack from AliExpress. Rather than choosing inks first, I let the papers guide the entire colour palette, which isn't something I do very often. Once I'd settled on the papers, everything else naturally fell into place.

To create the layered background, I cut two coordinating papers for each ATC, trimming the top layer slightly smaller than the base layer. Before adhering them together, I distressed the edges using a simple pair of scissors, gently scraping along the paper edge to expose the fibres and give each panel a well-loved vintage appearance.

I inked all the edges with Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap, adding warmth and definition without overpowering the delicate papers.

The floral focal point was inspired by the idea of notes clipped to an old-fashioned clipboard. That concept had been sitting in the back of my mind for quite some time, and these little ATCs finally gave me the perfect opportunity to bring it to life.

The large flower and stem were cut from separate die sets, while the clipboard tops came from another die set, all sourced from AliExpress. I loved combining them into something that looked as though a pressed flower had been clipped onto a collection of vintage memos.

For the leaves I used Distress Ink in Peeled Paint, which complements the turquoise flowers beautifully without stealing the spotlight.

To add a little softness behind the flowers, I tucked in delicate white die-cut foliage before raising the flowers on foam strips to create subtle dimension.

The finishing touch was the splatter. Instead of reaching for my usual white watercolour ink, I experimented with diluted white gesso. I'm so pleased I did because it created a much cleaner, crisper splatter that really stands out against the vintage backgrounds. I'll definitely be using this technique again.

Finally, I stamped the labels using an old typewriter-style alphabet stamp set with VersaFine Clair Nocturne, choosing the words "Memos," "Notes," and "Thoughts" to complete the clipboard theme. I deliberately distressed the labels slightly so they felt like well-used stationery rather than perfectly printed labels.

Supplies Used

Papers

• 400-piece Vintage Background Paper Pack (AliExpress)
• Turquoise cardstock
• Cream cardstock
• Book paper for flower centres

Inks & Mediums

• Distress Ink - Frayed Burlap
• Distress Ink - Peeled Paint
• VersaFine Clair - Nocturne
• Diluted White Gesso (for splatter)

Dies & Stamps

• Clipboard Top Die (AliExpress)
• Large Flower Die (AliExpress)
• Stem & Leaf Die (AliExpress)
• White foliage die
• Marianne Design ATC Die & Coordinating Stamp Set (available from Buddly Crafts)
• Old Typewriter Alphabet Stamp Set (various available on Amazon)

Adhesives & Tools

• Foam strips
• Thin Easy Tear Double-Sided Tape
• Wet glue for detailed die cuts
• Scissors (for distressing paper edges)
• Baby Blue Die-cutting machine (available on EBay)

Working with a paper collection as the starting point rather than choosing colours afterwards was a refreshing change, and I think it helped create a more cohesive collection. The soft vintage palette, layered textures and little clipboard details came together just as I'd imagined, and these have become some of my favourite Artist Trading Cards to date. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the ones that quietly wait until the right project comes along.

Disclaimer

All products featured on this blog were purchased by me unless otherwise stated. I am not sponsored by any company, brand, or artist mentioned in this post, and all opinions shared are entirely my own.