Tim Holtz‘s fabulous Distressables books are jam packed with techniques, projects and inspiration. The easy to follow step-by-step instructions are illustrated beautifully in colour photographs.

A signature I would love to have in my Compendium of Curiosities book.

My mini avalanche of Distressables 9×9 cardstock makes me happy.

Distressables 9×9 cardstock close-ups

More Distressables 9×9 cardstock close-ups

Even more Distressables 9×9 cardstock close-ups

A shopaholic amount of Distressables 9×9 cardstock close-ups

Distressables Doo-Dads are seriously awesome! The miniature images are perfect for sanding, distressing and using for collaging on dominos, bottle caps, slide mounts and other tiny altered projects…

… also great for ransom notes!

As these are rarer than an orderly queue at a craft clearance sale, I propose to share! I’m putting together a little bundle of vintage Timmy love to give away in my next blog post.

Zoe x

In the spirit of change, I stepped outside of my vintage brown comfort zone and dabbled with a little more colour. I used Tim Holtz Bitty Grunge stamps, (one of my favourite sets) to keep it grungy.

My Mum bought me some Dylusions Mica Ink Sprays which I absolutely love! I’ve become an overnight ink spraying maniac, frantically filling Mini Misters with ink ready to spray anything that moves!

Finding all these long forgotten craft supplies has given me a renewed sense of creative excitement. BUT, whilst I paint a rosy picture of crafting bliss, a dark cloud looms!

The naughty shopaholic inside of me is whispering suggestively about all of the delicious crafty delights I could fill the space that I am fast clearing with…

Zoe x

Everyone seems to be on a ‘Use What You’ve Got’ kick at the moment, and as cash strapped January rolls in to cash strapped February, I’m beginning to see the light.

I’m still on my New Years mission to clear out my craft space and have a jolly good de-stash. I’ve already filled 3 boxes with unwanted supplies that need a new home.

To my delight, I discovered some vintage Tim Holtz treasure hidden at the back of a drawer, which I will photograph and share with you.

Zoe x

I snapped these at the park next to our apartment building in Geneva, Switzerland.

With temperatures dropping to -18 over the weekend, the snow looks set to stay.

Time to light a fire, shuffle into my slippers and get creative.

Zoe x

I chose an IKEA ALEX drawer unit to store my wood backed stamps. I like that it sits on wheels and fits underneath my IKEA EXPEDIT desk.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been the ‘Crafty Ever After’ I’d hoped for! I missed a vital consideration when planning my craft space… Beware the Shopaholic!

My need for whatever craft treasure catches my magpie eye is constant and I left no room to expand. It hasn’t taken long for things to get out of control and now something needs to be done!

The overcrowding is causing me creative misery. I spend more time trying to clear a space and searching for supplies than I do crafting.

Before I can decide how and where to store my craft treasure, I need to decide what to keep and what to give away. I’m hoping to find some good homes for my unwanted craft supplies.

Zoe x

This year, to combat my New Year blues, I am jumping into the blogasphere to share my passion for crafting. In addition to the usual eat less, exercise more, I have decided to trim the fat from my craft space.

I shall post photographs of my progress and I welcome your comments, questions and ideas.

Zoe x

This is my first post. I’m going to be adding to it soon! Watch this space…