RachelUK's Reviews

I have the fresh pear mist (more of a lime green) and it is useless. Firstly the spray is blocked so that nothing comes out, and even a bit of fiddling with a pin did not improve that problem. Then the mica doesn't mix well which means that some of your spray dots (I took the sprayer out to try and use it) are watery and only a few are shimmery. Such a disappointing product - there are way better spritzes available!

I really wanted some of my Christmas cards to show the real meaning and story of Christmas - not so much deer and ornaments and fairy lights, but the birth of a Saviour in a stable. This fabulous die allows you to do that so beautifully - just get the gold background (for those stars) in the right order!

I wanted this die as soon as I saw it - so versatile and you can use the 'holes' or the actual letters - the negative or the positive. I made two cards the day it arrived, and I haven't been disappointed.

Love these little chips - I do Journal Your Christmas with Shimelle, but whether that or December Daily is your thing, these are perfect.

I have just ordered this stamp set and not even received it yet, but for all the cards I will make and send to friends here in the UK, the spellings are all correct and not American - that in itself makes me very happy!

A new granddaughter meant a new album was needed. This fits the bill beautifully.

Bazzill quality can always be relied on, but I think the colours are difficult to assess on the site and this is way too bright for most uses. I was looking for a subtle fuchsia and this is more 'shouting'! But great quality all the same.

I'm a nurse and my dgd always rings me when she has a bump - most recently a broken wrist! She's 11 and an athlete and accident prone! This paper will definitely feature on the page with the broken wrist and X-rays! Good quality and fun messages.

Lots of great shiny gold letters in this pack - perfect for scrapbook page titles and beautiful to use.
If it wasnt for the fact that I'm on a buying freeze right now, I'd have more on the way!

They're pretty, they're pink and although I already had lots of cute fine-tip scissors, I couldnt resist!

If you like to add bling to your layouts, then these are for you.

If you like BIG, then these are for you! Very sparkly and very glittery but they take up a lot of space on a scrapbook page - maybe they are really intended for bigger projects. I have still used them on a page though - just needed careful placement!

Whilst the stamp does what it should, the handle came out immediately. Cue dh with the wood glue, so its ok now, but it isnt the best design.

I love using little word and phrase stickers like this in my PL albums - they fill in blank spaces on photos and add a little something to journalling. These ones by Imaginisce are the perfect size, too!

I waited months for this album to be available, and it is pretty expensive, so I wanted it to be good! Its for my first granddaughter, so I was aiming for an album that would last and look attractive in 20 years as well as now. As a previous reviewer said, the inside finishing is not great - small creases and not adhered as well as it might be, but that said, the outside is lovely, and I'm not regretting the purchase.

I am creating an album for the patients at the hospice where I work. I have some lovely pictures of feathers out in the grounds and in the large swan's nest at the lake edge where 7 cygnets just arrived! This will be the perfect background paper - good weight too.
I'd rather not have had the 'punched edge' printed down the side, but I can live with it!

Intricately cut butterflies. I like to use a little white chalk ink or gesso first, then colour them with ink pads (use blending tool) or Ingvild's chalk inks - very pretty to use on cards or layouts.

Love how these spritzes work but this was darker than expected so I just have to find the right project. The iridescence is very pretty though!

Love this die - even better than the Tim Holtz one! Cut a few out on your Big Shot, and take them with a tube of Tombow glue, next time you are sitting in the doctors waiting room. Start from the outside and bend the petals outwards (I find this helps the finished flower and its therapeutic too)! Then roll (no glue) tightly from the outside to the middle. Then let it go - it will spring open and I find that its easier to decide how open or tight you want the petals to be. Add a little glue on the inner edge, roll up, and 'plant' it on the circle in the centre. Theres your tutorial!

If you like Project Life, and I am an absolute fan (I love scrapbooking too, with a passion, but for journalling a year - PL is wonderful), then these are for you. I can't get enough of them - I think I have got every set!

I went a little crazy and bought 4 sheets of these letters! Inexpensive but perfect for Project Life - the right size exactly.

I have found that when I wanted blue letters I could never find any, so I purchased a few sheets recently. These are reasonably priced, stick well (I usually have to use glue dots on Thickers letters) and have the usual quirky font that Doodlebug like. I turned the S upside down, but these are great letters!

These are so great for putting on to birthday cards - quick and simple to use and look striking. I will be ordering more, for sure!

Seems extortionate by any standards!

I have used these beautiful roses to decorate the pages of a wedding album I am making for a friend, whose bridesmaids wore Cadbury's purple! These blooms are so pretty and dusted with a sparkle a little like sugar!

This is the perfect trim to use for all those snowy pictures! I used it on my Christmas Daily Journal mini album, and the texture it gives is perfect. I like bits and pieces of texture on the edge of my pages for mini albums, and this does the job beautifully!

I used to love these sprays, and have purchased around 10 of them. When you first get them, they produce a lovely fine spray and do exactly as they should. However, if you then dont use them all at once (and you're unlikely to as theres lots of ink in the tube) then they just seem to block up and stop working.

I had dh take one to pieces to try and improve the function but to no avail - the mechanism seems to seize and it leaks beautifully but refuses to spray!

I use extra page protectors all the time in lots of albums, but when i bought these for my Christmas journal, I was really disappointed. the 1" margin, which was open in the first lot that I bought with the album, was all fused together, partly with the hole punches and partly with the 'American Crafts' logo, which prevented me inserting an extra section of pp. I will not use this album again for this reason.

This stuff is fabulous, and once you have one colour, you will want them all! It sprays smoothly and easily, and is not wet, like Glimmer mist, but dries very quickly. The green colour is also shot through with gold, which makes it even prettier. It is a really gorgeous product.

Love these letters! So versatile - can paint or ink or distress them, but though I love lots of the thickers alphas, these are among my favourites, just cos they look so clear and legible on any layout!

I love these and everyone has such a variety of ways to use them. I used this one on a layout of my son trying peroxide bleach on his red hair - blonde for a whole school holidays! He definitely fell in the crazy/zany/wild sector!

I love Colorbok albums and have one for each of my 3 children, and one for my grand-daughter too. Once I get lots of pages in an album, all filled up with bulky embellies etc, I just need more posts, not more protectors! So the last two packs of refills I bought were for the posts only. Having said that, they still work out at a very reasonable price, and as I love those albums, I'll still carry on buying them!

I have already tried and used the rings from Technique Tuesday, and when I say used, I have used them as templates as well as the actual chipboard circles, and I couldnt wait to try the hearts (I have the stamp shape now too - I'm addicted)! They do not disappoint. They hold their shape beautifully and you can stamp, paint, print, cover them with paper, add bling, brads, punched shapes - let your imagination go - definitely recommended!

This is a really gorgeous blossom vine, with the softest pink flowers on it - how can you resist! I used it on a baby girl lo, but it is so versatile - I don't think one is enough for any scrapper - you need more!!

This is my first border punch from Fiskars and I love it! I've seen others use it, and couldnt wait to have one. I also was crazy enough to keep all the little flower centres I punched out and I'll use them in another lo - good value hey?
Very pretty little vine along the borders, and I think its great!

Well my snowflakes actually arrived a little battered in the shipping so they didnt get off to the best start. However, they are still pretty. I think they're much more like flowers than snowflakes, and have pulled off the little rhinestones (which do not match the pastel colour of the snowflake they are on!) and will no doubt use those separately. I intend to put more sparkly centres in the middle and then brads or buttons - much prettier way to use them, but I think on the whole that a flower punch and stickles would give you more use.

Just love the swirls and flourishes of this paper. They have a sort of paisley look to them (hope that term is not so English that you dont use it in the US too!) and I love the bright colours in the page. I'm a fan of turquoise in my los, but this page goes with just about any colour. Great for cutting up!

How big are these? Couple of huge flowers in this pack - made for wearing as a corsage, but just beautiful for scrapbooking! Pretty girly los, and of course any number of bridal pages too. The blooms are really pretty, and the yellow stamens can be painted or coloured to match your page - I think they're gorgeous, and I'm sure you will too!

These are great stickers. The alphas co-ordinate perfectly with the rest of the line, and they are slightly textured, which I like. The arrows are great fun - loads of uses, and altogether this is just a fabulous BOY line!

I'm a great fan of punches - I have lots. This one is really pretty, but I gave it one less star because it doesnt completely punch out of the paper - its left hanging on by a couple of tags. They're easy enough to snip, but normally a punch will cut clean out and this doesn't. It also isnt the easiest lever in the world - I sort of feel that it could break if you press too hard. However, I've only just started to use it...maybe I'll like it more in time!

Oh these new prima papers are sublime!! I chose this one because I have a grandaughter Isabella, but to be honest, I bought every other one in the range too. They are delicious! What a pretty frame to put round a lo, and I used this one on a BOY layout too! Gorgeous mediterranean colours, and just a hint of pink in the stitching - go on, you know you want some!!

Love these rub-ons. They're ideal for seasonal layouts but perfect for spring in my opinion. That soft pale green is the perfect new shoots colour, and there are loads of flowers, lots of little birds, and that great swathe of black grasses that you see at the side. Fabulous - I will be using every last bit of this one. I tried to make the grasses rub on over a Tuesday Technique ring - rub-ons dont like lumps and bumps, but I happily filled in the bits I missed - and the lo is none the worse for it.

My pack with these in them arrived today, and I have already used one on a lo. They are beautiful - made with some kind of leaf which produces the vein on the wings. Delicate enough to look really pretty, but sturdy enough to survive glue dots or whatever else we scrappers will do to them!

I already had one of these sheets of stickers and used them so much I had to have more, and then when they were at a lower price....whats to lose! Everyone should have some! Very versatile. Don't be deceived by the green backing paper - they are white letters with a sparkly blue bit - great for sunny and girly los and I already have in mind how I'll be using them next!

HUGE amount of paper in these packs. They have every pastel shade imaginable, and you can use them in baby los, in party pictures, for backgrounds and in chunks. You have spotty, stripey, letters, zig zags and more - all in one pack, and at such a fabulously reasonable price - how could you say no?! If anything the problem is just too much choice.

How cute are these! I used them for wedding notes on layouts, for wedding anniversary albums and for baby pages - totally versatile and really pretty.

Excellent value - a little pair of hearts which can go next to your journalling or use to highlight one of your photos - small but perfectly formed!

This is one great value product. You get both upper and lower case sparkly letters - about 3/4" high, and they are just great! I use tweezers to get them off the backing sheet and to help with placing them, but now I've used the silver ones for one lo, I'm quite determined to buy some in the other colours too!

Absolutely stunning collection of pink and green blooms, ideal for any lo, but perfect for those bright in-your-face designs that are screaming out for fuchsia and lime combinations - I've used them already once (having had them only days) and can't wait to use them again. Its just amazing how many there are in that cute tube too!

I purchased both the colour AND the black and white version of this rub on, so I guess that in itself is recommendation enough! Lots of very sweet flowers, swirls and butterflies on here, and they are so delicate. I love them on layouts of outside events, but they lend themselves to all sorts. Definitely a must-have!

You know what? I really wanted to like these, but they are so tricky to use! They are clear stickers, so they go on top of your journalling, but most already have the lines on them, so do you write first and hope to match the lines on the sticker, or draw round the sticker and hope to get your journalling the right size? And then the first one I used had WAVY lines for the journalling, which proved impossible to use if you wanted a legible result (I compromised - its about half legible). Nice idea, but impossible to use easily!

These little borders are just perfect for layouts with a nature theme - gardens, parks, deserts, zoos, camping - the great outdoors! A variety in one pack always seems like good value to me - and each will inspire you with a new lo!

I haven't quite got around to using everything on this page - mainly because there is so much on here! Above everything I love the outline made of brackets (parentheses) which is so striking on a lo - and different from all those squares, circles and scallops - just let your imaginations run riot! Great product with loads of uses.

The great thing about this product is that the circles are all stamps within stamps which means you can use as many or as few as you want, and I am a great fan of circles! 'Life's Little Moments' is my favourite, and the one that attracted me to buy the product, but I love all the little sayings, and they have lots of uses from birth congratulation cards to recording special memories. Clear stamps are simple to use - just get an acrylic block and you're away!

I bought this for a new baby boy. Had to send it abroad and it came packaged so safely I was able to send it on as is. My nephew said it was weird to start a new baby off by showing 'its ok to write on walls', but after that....! Great saying, and ideal for over the baby's crib!

How yummy is this pack? I love the colour combinations, and of course the colours in here suggest lots of other combinations too. You can cut the flowers out, use the frames, use sections for layering, and use the letters - so may uses in one pack. I challenged myself to use that bright pink in a boy page, and I think I got away with it! Basic Grey collections are wonderful, but I really like this one!

These little tiny letters are great for adding details such as dates and places, but also for journalling. They're easy to apply (I use tweezers - they really are teeny!) and they're easy to read too! I have also used them to help with a long title - write the small words in these stickers, and the key words in a different font and style - bingo!
Loads of colours available too, but I use this one the most!

I bought these for a specific reason. My MIL had had a card from the Queen to congratulate her on her Diamond Wedding. We drove her and my FIL past Buckingham Palace, and I took a photo of her looking out of the window to see the home of her old friend the Queen! When I scrapped the photo, I just wanted to add a crown to my MIL cos shes just a sweetie and I thought it would make her laugh and it really did!

Of course, as well as mothers in law, these are great for mothers, daughters and sisters - what more could you want?!

If you're new to stickles, then this is the one to go for! I love ALL stickles, but this was one of the first I bought, and I've had at least two. It generally dries to match the colour of whatever is underneath it, and the only exception to this is when you put it on black - when it dries to a gold colour for some reason. The gold wasnt what I wanted but by then it was too late, and no one said anything bad when I posted the lo, so I think I got away with it!
Just get one of these and try it out - its so much fun!

These are supposed to go in a 5x7 book, also by Heidi Swapp. I didnt realise that at the time (maybe I didnt read the small print!). I bought them because I thought they would be great on almost any lo, to accompany journalling, and they probably would, apart from the holes punched down the side. If you dont mind that, or want to use them in a book, then they'll be just right for you!

Like a lot of letter collections, there never seem to be enough of the letters you want, and its the same here. Now the truly inventive scrapper thinks that using a 9 will also make a g, and likewise using a 3 back to front will give a reasonable e. SOmetimes I even think that these adaptations make the lo more fun. The combination of colours here is pretty and girly - now just get inventive!

Whilst everyone uses that yummy bright red for Valentines, how about letting yourself go with this delicious raspberry, silver and black collection? Infinite number of uses, but oh boy does it lend itself to those romantic numbers! Go for it!

Turquoise is really my favourite colour for scrapping - I just can't seem to stay away from it! But this gorgeous pale aqua is the perfect companion for a turquoise lo. I love the shape of the brackets, and the fine print in the background - it is a really pretty paper.

I got this on the special offer deal - I'm such a sucker for those! But I'm not a bit disappointed. I like to do mini albums, and this is just great for those. I can cut the hearts out (which I've already tried), use them for matting photos and for backgrounds too. As you have several sheets of each design, the pad lends itself to trying different techniques - cos you still have some left! Very important!
Well worth the money and the offer makes it even better!

This little collection is beautiful, but certainly not just for babies! It has some lovely colours in it, and I used the pale blue and cream buttons on a lo for my BFF. The stars will definitely come in useful on a seasidey/swimming lo, and the pale peach lends itself to sweet spring layouts. You'll love it!

This transparency is so versatile, and probably the last place I would use it is on a Valentines layout, as there are so many other places I could put it first! I used that little red rainbow on a baby and granny layout, and the turquoise border for journalling on a toddler layout.

The page cuts into postcard sizes, and they are all just perfect for so many areas of your work!

Such treasures in here! Love those spotty buttons and the plain coordinating buttons and sequins are beautiful and can be used for much more than Christmas los. Of course, the box is appealing too - I'm a sucker for that stuff! Just got to think how I can use the box afterwards now!

I really like these. I used my sakura souffle pens on them which instantly changed them from black and white to turquoise, balck and white, but you could use chalk or paint or varnish or crackle glaze on them for a different effect. Love the size of them and they look really good on the page.

How gorgeous are these?! I just couldnt resist them, and used the 'dream' one within about 5 minutes of having them! The reviews I'd already read were encouraging, and I dont mind the heaviness of them - makes them look more authentic to me!

These tags are ideal for a wee bit of secret journalling, and just perfect for you to tuck behind part of your layout. They certainly lend themselves to far more than valentines los too, and I used one on a baby lo recently. Very versatile product.

I love everything granola at the moment. I have used the pale blue and cream brads from this pack on a seaside lo, and they were perfect. There are plenty of grungy browns and greys too, just waiting for your boys and men los - everyone should have some!

So much gorgeous stuff in one pack! I'm not sure that I can live with only the one pack, to be honest!I have already used a couple of sheets and some rub ons, and I'm in that frame of mind where I dont know whether I should use it or keep it, I love it so much!
Great versatile range of papers and rub-ons.

I've already bought three of these albums. One I used for an anniversary present - a history of the couples relationship, with lots of fun photos and journalling. They had it at their party for everyone to share! Another was to commemorate the life of a little boy who died at 18months. It was an opportunity for those who knew and loved him to contribute to memories for his parents. So the book is completely versatile. It ends up getting fatter the more things you put in, but I think that adds to its charm.

I love this! I bought it for a special project - my inlaws Diamond Anniversary wedding album. They never had a first wedding album - money was tight after the war, and I wanted this to be special. It was. The aperture on the front was just right for one of only two official wedding pictures that they had, and this was the chance to give them something to treasure. Everyone had tears in their eyes - this album really helped!

I love using glue dots, and use them more than any other kind of adhesive on my los. For some reason the American ones are much better than the ones we get here in the UK (its only that postage that upsets me!). They come away from the backing paper smoothly, and the variety of glue dots available means that there is one for every job.
These mini ones are exactly that - tiny, and hide nicely behind what you're sticking!

This is just the best toy in the world - everyone should have one! You can use a variety of shapes of tags on one layout or choose just one for impact. Here you have five different shapes to play with, and the tagmaker does a great job of crimping the edges. I have used mine with buttons, with fabric, with pps, and even journalling. Absolutely dozens of tags come with the kit - go ahead and try it!

These divide from the background beautifully with no tags to trim off (at least not from the ones I've used so far!). I love the variety on one sheet - the different fonts and borders -definitely great value for money too!

I was able to rub thhis on over some mini alphas with the date and year on, and it looks perfect - I'm really pleased with the result. Recommended!

Of all the jewelry box colours, I think these are the best, as I have stickled them, inked them, drawn and doodled on them and coloured them in. I love the font, and I love the way the letters stand out so well.

Love the sweet baby pastel colours of both this and the pale blue thickers, though I used them to good effect in a snow layout too! Handle well and nice and clear on the paper.

I have used these in so many layouts and projects, I can hardly remember how many! Beautiful glazed brads of a really high quality - I'd highly recommend them. Pink blue green lemon - they fit into just about any layout.

Versatile letters and numerals for any project. I bought two packs and have used them often. But then we all know how good American Crafts thickers are, don't we!

Use it for anything! Birthdays, weddings, christenings, graduations - totally versatile product, and it goes with all colourways!

Stickers never disappoint! I occasionally find a bit of glitter gets stuck in the nozzle, but I use a pin to clear it and carry on. I love stickles!

I've used a number of these in different colours. They accent something important in a larger layout without being obtrusive. It is a gentle bit of bling, and the variety of sizes are just perfect!

These were probably designed with card-makers in mind. I'm not a card maker, but I like them anyway! I used one on a layout, and the little white holly leaves showed up beautifully on a red background. I would recommend them - especially for cardmakers.

I LURVE stickles! Although I like the diamond one because you can more or less put it on anything, this is also a big favourite. I love turquoise layouts, and of course this particular colour lends itself well to all those water and winter layouts. A great addition to my big bag of stickles!

This was my starter at stamping! Just a little bird - not too expensive, and a great way to get started. I used him with gold ink, and he came out fine. Recommended as a good starting point. Yes, I could probably have drawn him, but I wanted to try stamping, and this was a fine start!

Whats the point of the magnetic container? I guess if you're going to have a whole heap of them, then they'll all stick together, but for me, I'm always more interested in whats inside the container! Here you have a good variety of red and pink brads of different sizes, including a couple of spotty ones, and they suited me fine. A girl can never have too many brads, hey?!

I'm new to stamping, and still not great at it, but I'm getting there! the great thing about these blocks is that you can see exactly where you are placing your stamp. You dont need to press hard, and the variety of blocks means that every stamp size is catered for!

I really enjoyed using this page. I stickled over the little flowery vine, and did loads of sewing, ribbons, eyelets - threw everything at the page, and it worked well. Those stamp edges are great for making a page stand out.

I used this to make a Silver Wedding album for some good old friends. We included pictures from the times they first met and started dating, and concluded with wedding, children and a couple of 25th anniversary party pages. It isnt the poshest album ever, but it is ideal for sharing, and it went round everyone at the party, and doesn't look in the least dog-eared afterwards!

I have now bought a second to do an album for a wedding of a friend - and that MUST be a recommendation!

This is a wonderful calendar. I gave one to my parents for Christmas, and included layouts of the kids all the way through. You do have to individually put every single date on every single day, which is a bit of a hassle, and a job for when you're sitting in front of the tv! That aside, when you get to December, you can pull the date pages out, add another 12 layouts, and you have a 24 page 9x9 album for someone you really care about. Perfect!

Well maybe its me, but I still dont have quite as much control over this as I'd like. It may need more practice, but I'm prepared to keep trying. Basically a good product!

What could be more versatile than a whole pile of white cardstock! Seems simple enough, and thats right - it is. I use it when I want plenty of white space (not often enough, perhaps) or when I want colours of my pps to really stand out. Couldn't be more simple, but it works a treat.

Bought this directly as a result of seeing how Gabrielle inks her pages. Her work is so beautiful. I decided that if this helps her, then it should help me! Easy to use, not to dark, producing a nice chalky finish on the edges of the paper. Definitely a great buy!

I love the Daisy D's rub-ons, and have used quite a few. I actually split this one so that I could use it in three different layouts. It goes on smoothly, doesnt stick to the backing paper (as some transfers do) and produces a crisp clean result.

I use this on everything! I've bought a couple, and they are consistently good. The ink flows smoothly, so you can make a nice round dot very easily. If the ink dries on a corner of the ballpoint, its easy to wipe off and carry on. I use it mostly for dotting, but I love the effect.

This is gorgeous stuff to use! It is fractionally smaller than 12", so don't expect it to quite fit your page if you want a strip to go right across. However, I don't mind! It is soft and pretty, with a variety of snowflakes, and as part of a layered page layout, it looks fabulous, with your base coloured paper showing through.

This is a wonderful little album. I wanted to use it for a specific purpose, so I didnt need the words and frame and seasidey bits and bobs that come with it (but I'm sure I'll use them somewhere else!) but it has been perfect to record all the pictures I took on a day out with my other half learning to drive a steam train! There are papers that come with it, but I also used some of my own. Nice little aperture for your own photo on the fron too.

LOVE this pack! The colours are great - especially for those all-important 'masculine' pages, but also for anything on wild weather or scenery. Navys, greys, stone, cream, and lots of great patterned paper. Also a sheet of alphas, and some die-cuts. I can't get enough of this at the moment!

These soft paper snowflakes are really pretty. They lend themselves to extra decorating - I've tried chalking and stickles - and show up really bright on the layout. I've also used a punched snowflake in the centre to give extra depth.