Let's Stamp!

Fabric Friday

2012-01-06T09:00:00.006Z

Aren't these bookmarks so cute! I always seem to have two books on the go and yet my bookmarks always consist of a reciept or scrap of paper. I thought it was time to actually have a bookmark that I was proud of! I've made quite a few of them for birthday presents for friends and family. They are nice and simple to make. If you like straight lines in your sewing, then a sewing machine would be good (if you sew anything like me anyway!) but it's not essential.

You will need:

Fabric cut to 4″ x 8″
Fusible interfacing cut to 3.75″ x 7.75″
Fabric strip for flower cut to about 1.25″ x 42″
Coordinating thread and sewing machine
Fabric glue
Coordinating button
Needle and thread
An iron!

I got the instructions for these cute bookmarks from Little Birdie Secrets. The fabric is, of course, from Stampin' Up! The best thing about the fabric bundles is that you get three fat quarters of co-ordinating fabrics which takes the worry out of picking matching fabrics and you can even use Stampin' Up! buttons for a perfect colour match.

Christmas past

2012-01-05T11:07:00.000Z

I think this is probably the last week that I can get away with using my new Santa mug, so whilst I was still in the festive spirit I wanted to share with you the lovely handmade cards that I received from my friends this year. Notice how they all use Stampin' Up! products! Thank you all!

I also wanted to share with you these cute little table favours that we had on our table on Christmas day. The children all had the Santa pillow boxes with a couple of Quality Street inside them. The cute birdhouses are made using the mini milk carton Big Shot die. This is such a versatile die and perfect for putting a quick gift together.

Right, that's it for Christmas cards but as I am still scrapbooking my Christmas photos I will be back with some layouts later next week.

Spring Mini Catalogue Blog Hop!

2012-01-04T10:00:00.016Z

It's time for another blog hop! There are so many lovely new goodies in the Spring mini that a blog hop is really such a fun way to see some of them and to get inspired! I always enjoy taking part and seeing all the wonderful designs that the talented demos on In Love With Stamping come up with.

Click here if you'd like to see some of the gorgeous new products available. As always, if you'd like to place an order or want a copy of the catalogue then please contact me.

Welcome, if you have joined me from Hayley's blog.
Aren't her designs gorgeous?

I just love Spice Cake and was so excited to see it in the April mini. I immediately wanted to scrap a layout with it and was inspired by one by Megan Hoeppner. I hope you like it.

I didn't want the embossed letters to be too shiny. I initially covered the chipboard in chocolate chip ink before covering in versamark and then the gold embossing powder. I rubbed off some of the embossing powder and didn't fully heat in patches to give a slightly distressed look to them and to let the chocolate chip show through in places.

Recipe
Spice Cake DSP 124003
Spiced Paisley stamps w127155/c125817
Spice Cake Designer Fabric 124066
Just Perfect Alphabet 115358
1 ¼" circle punch 119861
1/2 circle punch 119869
Distressing essentials 118762
Gold embossing powder 109129
Versmark 102283
Soft Suede ink pad 115657
Crumb Cake card stock 121685
On board Alphabet Soup chipboard letters 119239

Thanks for taking the time to visit, and do leave a comment if you can - it's nice to know you've stopped by. Now it's on to the wonderful Kate.

Here is a list of everyone who is taking part.
1. Alison P - www.craftyalisoninlyon.blogspot.com
2. Daisydaye - www.emma-daye.blogspot.com
3. Sarnie - www.kraftybiker.blogspot.com
4. CarolynUK - www.stampaholix.blogspot.com
5. Tracey R - www.derbyshireducks.blogspot.com
6. Kara M - http://karascraftycorner.blogspot.com
7. Hayley (craftydevils) - www.mycrafthaven.blogspot.com
8. Emma_H - www.emma-letsstamp.blogspot.com
9. Kate - http://stampinupwithkate.blogspot.com/
10. Theresa M - http://my-next-chapter.blogspot.com
11. TinaFaghy - http://littlewhitehousecrafts.blogspot.com
12. Donna M - http://www.head-over-heels-by-dlm.blogspot.com
13. Laura - http://airingcupboardstamping.blogspot.com
14. Charlie - http://craftylittlemoos.blogspot.com/
15. Sara (craftingandstamping.com) - http://craftingandstamping.com
16. Leanie - http://www.beautifulimpressions.co.uk
17. LittleBeckie (Beckie) - http://www.bextiesandstickytape.blogspot.com
18. Jayne (charliemenace) - http://jaynescraftycorner.blogspot.com
19. Julie H (craftybug) - http://www.the-crafty-bug.blogspot.com
20. Fiona W - http://oakfieldcrafts.blogspot.com
21. Natalie - http://www.natalieoshea.co.uk/blog.html
22. Rozelle (LittleMoo6) - http://thepapercraftsessions.blogspot.com

January Scrapbook Club!

2012-01-03T12:16:00.000Z

Most of you probably know my love of scrapbooking by now, and this year I've decided I want to catch up on all those photos that are waiting to be scrapbooked! So with that in mind, and after requests, I am starting a scrapbook club! January's class will be a Christmas one and we will be making two layouts.

Date: Tuesday 17th Jan
Venue: my house!
Time: 8pm

An email has gone round to everyone who is on my email list but if you'd like to know more than give me a call or drop me an email. Sign up is by Friday 5th January. Sorry about the short notice but I hope some of you will be able to join me.

November hostess promotion!

2011-11-01T10:40:00.001Z

We have a brand new promotion for November!

All workshop hostesses who host a £300 workshop from 1 November – 15 December, will receive the Paisley Petals Bundle Set and a package of Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper - up to a £33.90 value - for FREE in addition to the regular hostess benefits!

Qualifying hostesses can choose between the wood- or clear-mount Paisley Petals Set.

The stamp set is such a pretty one, and having seen the papers in the flesh I can tell you that they are lovely! The large flower head would make a lovely alternative Christmas card.

Call me soon if you'd like the chance to earn this lovely free stamp set and papers. And don't forget, that if your workshop order comes to £300 you get all of the following:

1) Paisley Petals Bundle FREE

2) £50 in hostess pounds to spend anywhere in the catalogue

3) one item at 50% off, and that one item could be the Big Shot!

New Hostess benefits & New Recruit offer!

2011-10-03T16:38:00.001+01:00

There is so many changes in the new Idea Book & Catalogue that it's hard to know where to start!

I am so excited about the new Hostess benefit system! The three tiered level hostess system has gone and has been replaced with four pages of lovely new stamps and papers, and the good news is that if you have a qualifying party of £150 or more, you can order any of them! Instead of the free stamp set from the previous IB&C you now have Hostess Pounds that you can either spend on the exclusive Hostess only products or anywhere else in the catalogue! How amazing is that?!

And if that wasn't enough, if your workshop is £300 or more you get one item at 50% so you could buy that Big Shot for half price! Which with the £50 you get free for a £300 workshop, would mean that you could get £90 worth of free product!!

Want more? Well, if you sign up as a demo in October and join my Inklings team then not only do you get approx £250 worth of goodies for £119 but during October only, you will also get the In-Colours bundle worth £27.95 absolutely free!

So as well as all the wonderful goodies in the Starter Kit (which you can personalise) you also get the following free:

Pool Party Classic Stampin’ Pad
Calypso Coral Classic Stampin’ Pad
Lucky Limeade Classic Stampin’ Pad
Wisteria Wonder Classic Stampin’ Pad
Island Indigo Classic Stampin’ Pad
A4 Smooth Card Stock (20 sheets: 4 ea. in new In Colors)

Stampin' Up! has a +One challenge for all us demos this year and the task that I have set myself is to share my love of Stampin' Up! with a new recruit. So if you are interested in finding out more and joining my Inklings team then please get in touch: emmakray@yahoo.co.uk

It's here!

2011-10-02T08:53:00.002+01:00

The new catalogue is finally live! And I am so excited to be able to finally share it with you. I am sure that you are all going to love it as much as I do. And not only do I have a new catalogue to share but there is also an exciting new Starter Kit offer as well with even more freebies! So if you want to join me in my Inklings team then pop back later tonight when I will update you with this fab new offer.

But first, it's blog hop time! A large group of us on ILWS have got together for a blog hop to showcase some of the new loveliness from the IB&C. Hopefully, you will have arrived at my blog after visiting Caroline's. I just love her Christmas card.

As a demo we are allowed to order pre-order items before the IB&C goes live and I just had to have the Delicate Doilies set. So here is what I came up with.

Yes, we have fabric!! Do you like my little owls. I'm not the best at sewing but these owls were so quick and easy to whip up. I adapted a tutorial from Efemera Ink to make the birds. I'll be back with instructions tomorrow.

I love fabric, it's great for adding dimension to a card, but also if you do sew, how fabulous it will be to match your present and card! You get three different patterns of fabric in each pack. I'll be showing you lots of ways to use this lovely fabric on your cards throughout October.

Have you spotted the new lace ribbon border punch too! It's lovely. You can back the doilies with different coloured card using the 1" circle punch which matches perfectly or you can even thread ribbon through it.

Card: Basic Grey & Wistera Wonder *new in-colour
Ink pads: Melon Mambo, Wistera Wonder*, Pool Party*
Buttons: from the Subtles buttons collection
Punch: Lace Ribbon Border 122362

Next is a lovely card that we made at the Stampin' Stars training session last weeknd. I love how Natalie layered up the greeting using one of the fab new doily shapes from the designer paper pack, a medallion from the new BS Perfect Pennants Bigz L die, 1 1/4" and 1" circle punches. I can't stop saying this, but I love how SU! makes everything so easy for us by making sure that the punches and stamps work together. The greeting stamp is from Happiest Birthday Wishes which is one of the exclusive new Hostess stamp sets.

Well if you have read this far, then thank you for popping by. As always, your comments are really appreciated. The next blog to hop to is Sally's. I am sure you will love what she has made.

The full list of the Blog Hop is below:
1. Lauralou http://airingcupboardstamping.blogspot.com/
2 AlisonP www.craftyalisoninlyon.blogspot.com
3 Glittermum http://www.mygroovystampinup.blogspot.com/
4. Theresa M http://my-next-chapter.blogspot.com/
5. SarahLP http://stampingobsession.com/
6. Sassy Stamper (Elaine) http://www.thesassystampers.blogspot.com/
7. Sarastamper (http://craftingandstamping.com)
8. JJ66 http://jan-crippin.blogspot.com/
9. Evy c http://evyscraftycreations.blogspot.com/
10. DonnaM http://www.head-over-heels-by-dlm.blogspot.com/
11. Scrappydiva http://www.stampin-divas.blogspot.com/
12. Natalie http://www.natalieoshea.co.uk/blog.html
13.Dawn http://www.tartanstamper.blogspot.com/
14. Erika (Twintrouble) http://twintroublescreations.blogspot.com/
15. Maggie (maggiemae) http://thefineartofstampin.blogspot.com/
16. Julie H (The Crafty Bug) http://www.the-crafty-bug.blogspot.com
17. Elizabeth (Stash Fairy) http://elizabethscraftroom.blogspot.com/
18. Michelle (ShellieStamps) http://michellescraftypaper.typepad.com/
19. Keren. http://www.kerenbaker.wordpress.com
20. Emma (Daisydaye) http://emma-daye.blogspot.com/
21. Rachel (Rachel) http://www.stampingurl.blogspot.com
22. Valerie (valmoody) http://stampingwithval.wordpress.com/
23. Kara (KaraM) http://karascraftycorner.blogspot.com/
24. Sarah (IOW Sarah http://www.stampinsarahiow.blogspot.com/
25. Tracey Rossos http://www.derbyshireducks.blogspot.com/
26. Jacqui (scrappy duck) http://jacquisworldofcraft.blogspot.com/
27. Patricia (Beckscraft) http://stampinbeckscraft.blogspot.com/
28. Sarah-Jane http://cardsandacuppa.blogspot.com/
29. Claire http://stampinupscrapper.blogspot.com/
30. Cupcake http://pinkycardsandcreations.blogspot.com/
31. Kimf http://kimfeecrafter.blogspot.com/
32. carolineskinner http://stampinupandbranchingout.blogspot.com/
33. Emma_H http://www.emma-letsstamp.blogspot.com/
34. Sally - Pink Sky. x http://pinkskysu.blogspot.com/
35. Carolyn http://stampaholix.blogspot.com/
36. Tina http://littlewhitehousecrafts.blogspot.com
37. Hayley (craftydevils) www.mycrafthaven.blogspot.com

Last Chance List Blog Hop

2011-09-10T09:45:00.003+01:00

It will soon be time to say a fond farewell to some of our favourites from the main IB&C and also the mini. For the blog hop I've choosen Pattern Pieces background stamp and Sew Lovely. I just adored these two sets when they were first released and it seems only right that I should choose them for the Say Goodbye Blog Hop. Remember, you can still order them but only until 30th September and then they will be gone forever.

If you have found me from the link on Valerie's blog then welcome. Isn't her work amazing! After you've finished here please go on to Donna's lovely blog. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and if you have time please leave a comment to say you passed by! It's always good to know that I'm not the only one reading this!

So on to the card!

Paper: Sweet Stiches - I love this paper!
Card: Rose Red and Daffodil Delight
Stamps: Pattern Pieces (122230) and Sew Lovely (123435 w or 123437)
Other: you can never go wrong with some pearls for that final bit of decoration! Although, now I am thinking about it I think I would use buttons next time!

I was hoping to show you a bit more with this suite but I ran out of time, it will have to wait till next week. Anyway, I hope you like it.

Another one going

2011-09-08T09:59:00.000+01:00

Wow, this week has been a hectic week. In between sewing labels onto school clothes, hunting for school PE kits that have mysteriously hidden themselves over the summer holidays, I've also had the joy of the new Stampin' Up! Idea book & Catalogue arriving plus new stamps and on top of all that it's the last chance list! Phew, I think I need another holiday!

I just had to share this card with you. Becuase I Care is my favourite out of all the 2010-2011 Hostess sets and will be going at the end of the month. I just love that large Hydrangea flower and it's such a lovely set to use for so many occassions.

I inked up the hydrangea using Pretty in Pink and Rose Red markers with Old Olive for the leaves. I then misted the stamp lightly and stamped it onto our watercolour paper to create a lovely soft image. The papers are from the Subtles Collection and it's finished off with some gorgeous seam binding ribbon in Rose Red. Don't you just love how easy it is to match colours across so many different products? Anyway, this card was for one of my hostesses. I hope she liked it.

Fond Farewell!

2011-09-01T00:04:00.000+01:00

It's time to say a sad goodbye to some of the lovely stamp sets and papers that have been in this year's Idea book & Catalogue. But I can't stay sad for too long as I know there will be lots more gorgeous stamps and papers to replace them in the new Idea book & Catalogue that comes out on 1 October.

Would you love to see the new catalogue before 1 October? If so, make sure you email me and request your copy now for just £4.95 including postage (retail price is £5.95). Alternatively, if you'd like to get one for free then book a party with me!

The full list can be viewed by clicking the icon in the right-hand column.

Here is a layout of my two boys using one of my favourite sets Beware, Pirates! which will be retiring. I love this set, it is perfect for boy's cards and for the distressed look. I am sorry about my poor photography skills but I hope you can see my layout clearly. I may have to try and re-do it tomorrow!

It's almost time!

2011-08-31T08:00:00.000+01:00

Can you believe that I am counting down the days until September, and not just because my youngest will start school for the first time!

On 1 September the retired list for the 2010-2011 catalogue will be out and us demos will have our first glance of the exciting new 2011-2012 catalogue! Now, I don't know what will be coming or going, but I can be pretty certain that the Designer Papers will be going. So I thought I'd show you how well they can work for your scrapbook pages. If you want to make sure you have that retired list in your hands on 1 September then drop me an email and I will make sure I email it out to you - emmakray@yahoo.co.uk

Bloom

I've had these photos of the gorgeous flowers at Knebworth House for a couple of years now (hence the half-completed date!) and I've never been able to find the right paper to show them off until this year! I just love the Botanical Gazette paper from this year's mini catalogue. There are 6 lots of paper in the set and they are all double-sided (12 sheets in total). I love how this design provide subtle background whilst letting the photos shine through. All it needed was some chipboard letters, a stamped butterfly and some ribbon roses made with the seam binding ribbon.

This set of paper will be retiring in September, so don't forget to order some whilst you can!

Ingredients:

Botanical Gazette DSP £8.75 121783
Seam binding ribbon in Rose Red £6.25 121884
Rose Red ink pad £4.95 101778
On Board Alphabet Soup £8.95 119239
Decorative Label Punch £15.50 120907
Nature Walk clear mount: £18.95 121997, wood mount £23.95 121925

Top Note Die Star

2011-08-30T11:31:00.000+01:00

I love the Top Note die, it's so versatile. It can be used for 3-D projects like the little train I made a while back, as well as cards.

I am going to show you how to make this lovely 'star' shape. OK, it's not really a Star but it's close! I'm trying to tidy up my blog, so if you've been following me for a while you may have already seen this tutorial before.

So here is how you make it.

1. Cut your cardstock using the Top Note die.

2. Rotate the card half a turn. You need to line the points of the cut card up with the pointed parts of the die - the purple card is just there to show you the die cut outline of the die.

3. The end result! You will end up with the lovely pointed square plus two large brackets that would be great for a scrapbook layout or to be used on another card.

I hope you liked that quick tutorial. One of my new catalogue resolutions is to start posting mini tutorials, so keep an eye out for more to come!

August offer!

2011-08-02T09:11:00.002+01:00

Are you enjoying the sunshine and the long summer?! I don't know about you but I certainly need some time to myself during the summer holidays to keep myself sane! And what can be better than some craft time, and to sweeten it how about a freebie too?!

During the month of August, if you spend £75 or host a workshop of £250 or more, you will receive a pretty make-up bag, a gorgeous reel of Rich Razzleberry striped ribbon and a tub of assorted clips.

Drop me a line if you'd like to place an order with me to receive this lovely offer.s

Time for a change?

2011-07-21T15:11:00.001+01:00

It's almost the start of the summer holidays but already I'm looking forward to September - not only because both of my boys will be at school (the youngest starts for the first time!) but also because us demos will get to see the new catalogue, and just as important - what's retiring!

The USA have already launched their new catalogue, and it is brimming with exciting new goodies! Unfortunately, we have no idea which of them will be making their way across the pond to our catalogue nor which ones will be disappearing for ever! The list below is the list of items that are retiring from the US version of the catalogue. But it doesn't necessarily follow that they will retire from ours! Are there any on there that you have been meaning to buy?

So Many Thanks 120173 - £12.95 - p112
Autumn Harvest 110372 - £17.95 - p20
Gifted 116982/120480 - £26.95/21.95 - p23
Sparkly and Bright 115346 - £16.95 - p24
Holiday Hoopla 116912/120450 £20.95/16.95 - p25
Love you Much 113756 £24.95 - p19
A Good Egg 114974 £22.95 - p20
On a Pedestal 113814 - £16.95 - p30
Cheers to You 111037 - £14.95 - p32
Kimono Kids 117000/120498 - £21.95/16.95 - p46
Simply Said 106598 - £25.95 - p47
Fun & Fast Notes 113500 - £33.95 - p40
Choo Choo 113982 - £16.95 - p34
Beware Pirates 115187 - £24.95 - p41
Forest Friends 113478 - £14.95 - p35
Animal Stories 116716 - £14.95 - p36
A Flower for all Seasons 111592 - £12.95 - p53
Hello Again 113780 - £10.95 - p44
Razzle Dazzle 116714 - £18.95 - p45
Sense of Time 113804 - £22.95 - p63
Compliments to the Chef 114397 - £18.95 - p74
Fresh Cuts 111634 - £21.95 - p67
Pick a Petal 109445 - £26.95 - p67
Tart and Tangy 111514 - £12.95 - p68
Bella Toile 111598 - £16.95 - p61
Sanded 109294 - £16.95 - p61
Art by Design 109339 - £16.95 - p78
Occasional Greetings 110520 - £30.95 - p21
Schoolboook Serif Alphabet 113510 - £44.95 - p77
Schoolbook Serif Numbers 111680 - £24.95 - p77
Engraved Greetings 117116 - £12.95 - p86
Hello You 117118- £8.95 - p86
Tag Alongs 117018/120513 - £17.95/14.95 - p33

We won't know which sets are retiring until 1 September, and it may well be that there are sets retiring that aren't even on the above list. So if there are any sets on the list that you want, you may want to think about ordering them before the retired list comes out on 1st September. Once that list is up and running stamps do run out quite quickly, and once they are gone they will not be restocked.

There are so many on there that I will be extremely sad to see go but I will especially miss Sanded background, Sense of Time and Beware Pirates go.

If you want to make sure you receive the retired list as soon as it goes live, either make sure you come by my blog on 1st September or add yourself to my mailing list!

What a hoot!

2011-07-09T10:14:00.000+01:00

A friend asked me to make a card for one of the play helpers at our children's pre-school and this is what I came up with. I've been dying to use this cute new owl punch from the mini catalogue, and it was also a perfect excuse to pull out some bright colours. I hope she liked it.

Products:
Brights DSP
Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip & Rich Razzleberry
Stamps: Party this Way
Owl punch from the mini catalogue
Inks: Marina Mist & Melon Mambo

Father's Day with Plane & Simple

2011-06-16T11:28:00.001+01:00

I love the Plane & Simple set from the mini catalogue. It's so versatile and great for male cards - plus it comes with 3 phrases: Happy Father's Day, Happy Birthday and Thank you, which makes it a really useful set to own! If you've got your eye on it, then make sure you pick it up before the end of September, as we never know which stamp sets from the mini are going to make it into the main Catalogue and Idea Book.

I've not taken part in any challenges for a while, so I thought I'd have a go. I've used the Simply Stampin' sketch challenge from last week along with a colour challenge from the Color Dare blog. The dare this week was to use:

Cajun Craze
Baja Breeze
Not Quite Navy

They are not colours I would normally use together but I think they work quite well. I cut the circle using my Big Shot and the useful Circles #2 die.

I then went on to play with the set a bit more, but this time I paired it with the Newsprint DSP and some of the crumb cake seam binding ribbon. The plane works so well with the map paper from Newsprint.

And finally, for my last card I tried something a little bit different for me and did a pull tab. I also coloured the plane in using the blender pens and Cajun Craze. The pearls have been coloured in with my promarkers. I hope you like this week's cards.

A Sense of Time

2011-06-08T11:06:00.001+01:00

My husband is going to be 40 this Saturday! Doesn't time fly! I wanted to use one of my favourite stamp sets, A Sense of Time. It's such a great set for male cards. I've paired it with the distress kit from Stampin' Up! and the Square Lattice embossing folder. The Lattice folder is one of my favourites, I just love the texture it gives. It's great for distress effects but also wonderful for a basket weave! Anyway, I hope you like the end result!

The lighting is not great, so you may want to click on the photo to get a better view.

A more detailed description follows below.

Stamps: Sense of Time, Sanded background

Card: Not Quite Navy, Chocolate Chip & Very Vanilla

Inkpads: Early Espresso, Night of Navy, Cajun Craze

Tools: Distressing kit, Big Shot & Square Lattice Embossing Folder

How to!

1. Card: ink up the small cogs stamp in NN and stamp on the right hand side.

2. Ink up the Sanded background stamp in EE and stamp on to some VV cardstock. The stamp the clockface using NN and two small cogs using CC.

3. Using the flat stamp from the distressing kit, gently ink up the sides using the Blue inkpad from the kit. I did the corners first and then rubbed along the sides when there was less ink on the pad. When using the flat stamp you want to start off your card and then rub on in a circular motion. Then go around the edges again and into the middle of the card using the flat stamp and the Tea Stain inkpad (making sure you've used your Stampin' Scrub to clean the stamp first!

4. When you are happy with the distressed appearance, put it in the embossing folder and run it through your Big Shot.

5. Mount onto Chocolate Chip card and create the greeting.

6. You can then decorate the envelope using the small cog stamp!

Stondon Stompers Home Shopping Night

2011-05-02T22:34:00.000+01:00

Sorry to have been absent for so long but I've been having computer woes! The lesson is to always remember to renew your antivirus protection! So after spending money attempting to fix it, I have a new computer that refuses to work with my old monitor - don't you hate technology sometimes!! So I am around, but only when I can get on to a laptop in the evening.

Stondon Stompers will be having their first ever Home Shopping Night on Thursday 12th May at 8pm in the village hall on Hillside Road, Lower Stondon. Tickets are £3 and there will be lots of lovely stall holders selling products that you can't find in the shops, including of course, Stampin' Up! As well as having a stand displaying some of the the lovely cards and products that we sell, I'll be doing a card class. The class is £5 but is refundable if you spend £15 or more in the catalogue, or if you book a party - refund will be given on the night of the party. I hope some of you can come. If you'd like a ticket then just drop me a line.

Swap frenzy

2011-04-03T23:31:00.001+01:00

One of the things I love most about being a Stampin' Up! demo is how supportive and inspiring other Stampin' Up! Demos are! As a prelim to the huge marathon of the mini catalogue blog hop that took place on Saturday , I organised a card swap amongst fellow demos on ILWS. So many gorgeous cards kept falling through my postbox each day! Sadly, I was only able to keep hold of one group of swaps and the rest had to go on to other homes, but I wanted to take a photo of the amazing cards that were made. They are not shown at their best here but I hope you can get an idea of just how wonderful they are. There are a couple from each group that didnt' make it in time but I will try and post a separate photo of them when they arrive. If you took part in the blog hop yesterday then you may already be familiar with some of these cards - aren't they gorgeous!

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part. If you are coming to my Open House on Saturday 9th April, then you'll be able to see some of these lovely designs in the flesh!

Thank you also, to everyone who took the time to visit my blog yesterday, especially if you were kind enough to leave a comment, it really is appreciated.

Mini catalogue blog hop!

2011-04-02T10:00:00.051+01:00

It's here! The 2011 mini catalogue has been launched and to celebrate the xx pages of loveliness, some of the demonstrators on In Love With Stamping have decided to have a blog hop. Of course, we all wanted to take part in such a fun event, so there are 3 groups for you to enjoy.

I am taking part in Group One which started with Erika, and you should have come to me from the very talented Gemma. Aren't her designs gorgeous!

Sew Lovely

I loved the Sew Suite set the first time I saw it on the American demo's blogs and I am so excited that we have it in our new mini! Best of all, not only does it come with paper and stamps but there are buttons and wheels as well!

Colours: Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie
Stamps: Sew Lovely, Pattern Pieces background stamp
Paper: Sweet Stiches DSP
Buttons: Brights buttons

Birthday Train

Now, if you've read my post from yesterday (or already been blog hopping) then you'll already know our exciting news - we have the Big Shot! And with it are lots of exclusive Stampin' Up! dies. The Top Note die has to be one of the most versatile and I have a couple of projects to share with you. It's my nephew's 3rd birthday party today and I wanted to make him something special. I first saw this train idea on American demo Lisa Young's website, and just adored it. The little carriages are perfect for filling with sweets or little presents.

I've also used the Top Note die to create a really quick party invitation. If you have 15 plus invites to send out, then you really want something nice and quick that is also flat to post, and this is perfect. If you wanted to make it even quicker you could just stamp the train in one colour rather than using the markers to colour it in like I've done. The party detail stamps are from the really useful Cheers & Wishes stamp set.

And last but not least I have one more card to show you, which again shows off the lovely Top Note die.

This time I've used the totally lovely Baby Blossoms stamp set. It's a two-step stamp set so does require a bit more time, but I hope that you agree it's worth it. I love how Cath Kidson it is!

Stamps: Baby Blossoms

Ribbon: NEW Seam binding ribbon in Rose Red
Paper: Subtles DSP pack

Now I bet you're looking at it and thinking, but that's not the Top Note die, ahh, but remember I mentioned how versatile it is! Well here's how you do it:

1. Cut your cardstock using the Top Note die.

2. Rotate the card half a turn. You need to line the points of the cut card up with the pointed parts of the die - the purple card is just there to show you the die cut outline of the die.

3. The end result! You will end up with the lovely pointed square plus two large brackets that would be great for a scrapbook layout or to be used on another card.

If you are still reading at this point, thank you for stopping by my blog, and if you like what you've seen, please leave a comment, it's so nice to know that people have stopped by. Then it's on to the lovely Rachel for more gorgeous cards.

If you've enjoyed the blog hop so far, then don't forget to take a look at the other groups taking part - perhaps with a nice cup of tea and slice of cake to hand!

Group 1 (the group this blog is in)
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4

New Mini Catalogue!

2011-04-01T11:32:00.000+01:00

Mini catalogue link

I love April, not only does it mean Spring is here and with it lots of pretty flowers, but it's also the launch date of the 2011 Stampin' Up! mini catalogue. This year's edition is a bumper one with 31 pages of gorgeous new stamps, punches, papers and ... the BIG SHOT!!

You read it right, we now have the wonderful Sizzix Big Shot, and with it lots of lovely exclusive Stampin' Up! dies. I'll be demonstrating it at my workshop on Saturday 9th April but if you can't make it, then why not book a workshop and I'll show you all sorts of lovely cards and 3-D items that you can make with this beauty!

One of the perks of being a demo is that you can get your hands on some lovely new products before they are released. I'm taking part in a Mini Catalogue Marathon blog hop tomorrow, so if you pop back then you'll be able to see what I've come up with and visit lots of other SU demo blogs full of gorgeous cards!

March Frenzy!

2011-03-02T10:51:00.001Z

After Sale-a-bration, what could be better but another fab offer?! Stampin' Up! are offering up to 30% off a select list of products, but be quick as the discount only applies whilst stock lasts. Drop me a line if you'd like to order anything.

Bliss!

2011-02-06T08:00:00.000Z

Bliss is the top selling stamp set from Sale-a-bration. I just love this set, that scroll is gorgeous and best of all it is free! If you've not got your set already then make sure you do so by the end of the month! All you need to do is place an order with me for £45 and you can have it free - either as a clear block mount or wood mount set.

I've used one of my all time favourite Stampin' Up! colours, Cherry Cobbler. This colour along with Old Olive and Chocolate Chip is one I turn to time and time again. This time I've paired it with Basic Black and Very Vanilla for a bit of old fashioned elegance.

I've stamped the gorgeous En Francais in Chocolate Chip on to Very Vanilla. I've then stamped the lovely scroll in black on to some of the Stampin' Up! white vellum paper and sewn the two together. I've also distressed the edges using oen of the metal files from the distressing kit. It's mounted on to some Cherry Cobbler which has been punched with the scallop trim border, and again distressed using a metal file. The ribbon is some of the gorgeous Red Riding Hodd ribbon that was available as part of last year's Christmas Cracker offer. I've added a couple of flowers on dimensionals decorated with some basic pearls, and of course the lovely butterfly. I was really pleased with how this butterfly turned out. I've stamped it once on Very Vanilla, and then again on the vellum paper using some crystal effects to attach it to the first butterfly.

Anyway, I hope you like it and come back soon to see some more birthday cards made with this lovely set.

A month of birthdays!

2011-02-03T11:44:00.001Z

February is a busy month in our household. Not only is there Valentine's day and my own birthday (although fortunately I don't need to make a card for the latter!) but we also have lots of other birthdays to celebrate. Which is when my big box of stamps comes in handy! I'll hopefully be showcasing some of the cards I've made this month over the next couple of weeks - of course, without mentioning who they are for, just in case they are reading!

Here is my first card then. I love tools that make my life easier - especially when I have lots of cards to make. My favourite tool at the moment is the Color Coach which arrived last week and I'm kicking myself for not ordering sooner! This handy little tool makes colour selection a doddle. You just choose the main colour that you want to use, flip the card over and it gives you two colour combinations to choose from. Watch out for Shelli's favourite dream combos. For this cute cat image from the Level Two hostess set Long Fellows, I knew I wanted to use Cajun Craze. So I found the card, flipped it over and went with the lovely colour recommendation of:

Cajun Craze, Old Olive and Baja Breeze.

I've coloured in the funky cat using the blender pen and ink palette technique that I highlighted at my last Open House. I've then matted him, popped him up on some dimensionals to add a bit of depth and added it to the card. I love buttons and these gorgeous olive buttons are from the Brights tub. You get 72 buttons in 6 colours for £7.75.

Sale-a-bration blogathon

2011-01-23T10:00:00.006Z

Hi and welcome to the Sale-a-Bration blogathon! If you have come to my blog from Theresa's site then you are doing it in the right order! If not, then head back to Theresa for the start of the blogathon and some really gorgeous cards. Firstly, I apologise for the poor photography - it's something I need to improve on!

I've used the lovely Sweet Summer set for my first two cards. This has to be my favourite from the free sets, although they are all pretty cute! I've stamped the banner of Rose Red cardstock with the vine in versamark and then I've scored some lines two-thirds across. You could also use the Stampin' Up! paper crimper to do this for some added dimension. The vine in the main image has been stamped with Certainly Celery and then I've gone over the stamped image using the same ink but with my blender pen. The seed head flower has again been coloured using those fabulous blender pens, and mounted with dimensionals. For an extra little touch I've added a button from the neutral set and added a tiny tag. I just love Tiny Tags, it's one of those sets that at first I wasn't sure I'd use, but now it's one of my most reached for sets.

The second Sweet Summer card is a nice simple card that just uses the three flower heads, with a tiny flower added with a dimensional, and of course decorated with a tiny basic pearl.

Bliss! How gorgeous are these little butterflies?!

And my final for today is one that was inspired by one of Mary Fish's cards, I've just shrunk it down a bit. I love this colour combination of Concord Crush, Pumpkin Pie and Bashful Blue.

Thank you for visiting. I hope you've enjoyed the cards and find lots of inspiration on the blog hop.The next person in the link is the super-talented Natalie.So head over to her blog for some gorgeous cards.

There are four rounds in this blogathon, I'm part of the second group.
Round one starts over on Sara's blog.
Round three starts with Keren's blog.
Round four starts with Kirsteen's blog.

New year, new you, new stamps?

2011-01-17T14:58:00.000Z

I have to confess that I don't tend to make new year's resolutions, they always seem to be something that I don't want to stick at like losing weight, eating less chocolate and so on. But one resolution I always have on there is to craft more - I like to have at least one resolution I know I can stick to! So if you've already made yours and you want to have more quality time for yourself, craft more, get out and meet people, or even just take on a role that fits around your life, why not take a look at the Stampin' Up! starter kit.

Or do you have a wish list of £100 or more? If so, you can stil take advantage of all that the Starter kit has to offer.

In Jan and Feb you get: £275 worth of items for just £119!

You can adapt it to suit your tastes

Choose the stamp sets & colours that suit you!

Choose an extra free stamp set up to £45

During SAB you can add on an extra stamp set for free!

Enjoy Demonstrator benefits

When you purchase the starter kit you automatically become part of my team and enjoy all the benefits that being a demonstrator has to offer. You are not obliged to purchase anything further, you do not have to hold workshops or sell products. You can just purchase the Starter Kit for the great discount that it offers.

You have till June to test-run the Starter Kit

Join during SAB and you have until June to decide whether you want to continue as a demonstrator. If you decide not to continue, then the starter kit is still yours. There is nothing to pay back! If you want to continue as a demonstrator you can do so with sales of £250 per quarter. That includes your own purchases.

I joined during Sale-a-bration last year and I haveloved every minute of it. If you'd like to find out more, or simply just treat yourself to the Starter Kit then drop me a line!

More Sweet Summer fun

2011-01-10T16:11:00.000Z

If you've opened the flyer for Sale-a-bration on my website, you may recognise these two cards. They are just such pretty cards that I could not wait to case them.

If you don't have patterned paper you can improvise and use the bloom flower head in the set, and stamp it on a strip of melon mambo using the white craft ink pad. I then created a faux line of stiching using my paper piercing tool and mat pack.

Still not got your own copy of this lovely stamp set? Then call me to place an order of £45 or more and you can get it for free!

Sweet Summer fun!

2011-01-09T15:48:00.000Z

Summer may be a long way off but that doesn't stop us having fun with this gorgeous, limited edition set from Stampin' Up! This has to be one of the most versatile sets on offer in Sale-a-bration.

I demonstrated this technique at my open house on Friday. It's made using the brayer resist technique.

Ingredients :
Brayer
Classic stamp pads: Bashful Blue & Rose Red
Staz on
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Glossy White
1/2 inch stiched poly-ribbon in Pear Pizzazz
white crayon
Basic Rhinestones
Sale-a-bration free set Sweet Summer
Eyelet border

Start off by randomly stamping the branch stamp from Sweet Summer in stazon on your glossy white cardstock. Use a careful touch as the smoothness of the cardstock can make the ink slide if you are too heavy-handed. Put it to one side for a moment or two to let it dry. In the meantime stamp some of the spiky flower images on to another piece of glossy cardstock, again using stazon. When both pieces are dry, use your white crayon (I borrowed mine from my son's pencil case!) to highlight certain parts of your stamped images.

Now for the fun part - the brayering. Ink up your brayer with the Bashful Blue ink. Making sure that you spin it every now and then to make sure there are no lines on the brayer when you are inking it up. Then starting off the cardstock run the brayer over the top of your images. Repeat a couple of times until you have the depth of colour that you want. Then take a piece of kitchen towel to wipe off the excess ink over the white crayon marks and you should really see them pop. Repeat with the Rose Red ink pad and the flowers.

Stamp your greeting at the bottom of the page. I used a greeting from Just Believe. Then make the rest of the card up as you see in the photo, making sure you add those wonderful Stampin' Up! rhinestones to the centres of your flowers.

Please get in touch if you'd like to order any of the items I used to make this card.

Gorgeous new SAB stamps

2011-01-01T23:22:00.000Z

Mmm, this post appears not to have gone live, so if you don't want to click on the link to the right to see all the lovely SAB goodies then here they are! Take a look at my post early today to see one of the cards I have made with the Sweet Summer set.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T17:50:00.000Z

I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and are relaxing after the big celebrations of new year! We don't really celebrate New Year in any big way but spend the evening celebrating with friends, swapping resolutions and predictions for the year ahead (and of course looking back on the ones we made last year). One of my resolutions in 2009 was to spend more time making cards and scrapbooking. I think I can safely say I managed the first part but my poor scrapbook is looking rather neglected - something I need to combat in the next couple of months!

What better way to start the new year than with some gorgeous new exclusive stamps, and best of all you can get them for free! I am so excited about this year's Sale-a-bration. The stamps are gorgeous and I know you will love them too. From the 1st January till 28 February, your purchases can earn you free stamps! The stamp sets are only available during Sale-a-bration and will not appear in any of the future catalogues.

There are three ways that you can benefit during Sale-a-bration.

1. Spend £45 in products (before shipping costs) and earn one free Sale-a-bration stamp set of your choice!

2. Host a workshop of at least £300 (before shipping costs) and earn one free Sale-a-bration stamp set of your choice in addition to the generous hostess benefits! That's on top of any stamp set you've already earned from your personal purchases!

3. Join. Would you like to have the benefits of being a Stampin' Up! demo and be one of the first to see the new releases? Well, if you join my team during Sale-a-bration you can choose one stamp set up to the value of £44.95 from the Idea Book & Catalogue for FREE! If you'd like to take advantage of this offer then give me a call or drop me an email and I'll happily talk to you about the benefits of being a demonstrator.

Click on the little icon of the Sale-a-bration flyer in the top right corner to see all of the gorgeous stamps on offer. Pay close attention to the little pink ring around the owl in Punch Bunch! If you have the Idea book and Catalogue then you'll know what that little pink ring means ...

2010 Convention!

2010-11-06T23:25:00.000Z

Shelli & I

Well after what seemed like a mammoth train journey (3 changes on the way there but oddly only needed one on the way back - moral of the story is to completley ignore online journey planners!), I am home tired and exhausted but had an amazing time. This was the second European Stampin' Up! Convention, and the first one that I attended, and it was such a fun time. I love meeting fellow demos and sharing ideas and being inspired by others. Not only was it great meeting all the wonderful demos from the UK, Germany and France but Shelli (the founder of SU) herself was there, and you could not meet a nicer lady! Her enthusiasm is totally contagious! Ohh, and we got lots of lovely free stamps - one of the perks of being a demo!

There are so many exciting things in the pipeline, some of which have to remain a secret for a little while longer but if you keep an eye on my blog I'll try and post some photos of the amazing make & takes that we made and the swaps that I received from fellow demos. And if you're thinking of signing up to become a demo, you'll be very excited to hear that next year's convention is going to be in ... Disneyland Paris!!! I can't wait.

New Christmas Bundles!

2010-11-02T10:34:00.000Z

When it comes to Christmas cards, it's never too early to start making them and this year Stampin' Up! is giving us a helping hand with their limited edition Christmas Bundles. Choose one of the four bundles on offer and you can choose a gorgeous real of Christmas ribbon absolutely free. What's more, these ribbons are not in the main catalogue so this really is an exciting offer! There is no restriction on the number of bundles you can order. For each bundle you order, you will be able to choose a free ribbon real.

The Welcome Christmas bundle also comes with the limited edition Christmas Cocoa Speciality Designer Series 12x12 paper. This gorgeous paper is a combination of 2 single-sided flocked designs and 4 double-sided designs. Perfect for not only your Christmas cards but also for scrapping those precious photos after the big day itself. What's more these bundles make fantastic Christmas gifts for your friends.

This offer is only available whilst supplies last and is open until the 29 December. Please see the flyer on the right hand side of my blog for more details, or get in touch via email or phone if you'd like to place an order!

It's Christmas time!

2010-10-04T15:59:00.001+01:00

Well not quite, but one of hostesses this week wanted a Christmas themed workshop so I've been playing with my new and not so new stamp sets and colours. They both use the gorgeous Cherry Cobbler and ever so essential Old Olive. I can see these two colours being used for a large number of my Christmas cards this year!

The first card is made using the un-Christmassy 'Circle Circus'. I decided that the circles would make lovely baubles. The middle bauble has been stamped twice - once directly onto the card and then onto a separate piece of card which was then punched out and mounted with dimensionals. The little ties were hand-drawn. A nice, quick card to make.

The second card is made with the new Christmas set 'Contempo Christmas'. Us demonstrators were lucky enough to be able to get this lovely set on pre-order before the catalalogue launch. The matching bauble punch will help to ensure that your Christmas cards are completed in next to no time!

These little cards are really quick and simple to make, perfect when you've got lots of cards to send out to friends and family.

It's the 1st October!!!

2010-10-01T12:46:00.000+01:00

And that means it's the launch day for the new catalogue! There are lots of new goodies to get excited over, plenty of new ribbon, the gorgeous new colours, patterned paper, and of course lots of wonderful new stamp sets. I already have a long list of favourites!

Stampin' Up! have introduced new clear mount stamp sets in the UK! You still get the amazing stamping quality of Stampin' Up! red rubber stamps but now you can mount them onto clear stamping blocks opening up your stamping options and making storage of all those lovely stamps a lot easier.

The postage rates have also changed. Postage is now a flat rate £4.95 regardless of the size of your order, so you can now place larger orders without worrying about the postage going up.

With all the new exciting products on offer there is also an exciting new Starter Kit. The Starter Kit is at a special reduced price of £119 (valued at over £230) and contains all you need to get you started. There is also a scrapbooking add-on called Stampin' Memories for just an extra £50 (valued at over £80). What a great time to become a demonstrator! Feel free to email me if you're interested in becoming a demonstrator and would like more information.

If you've not already ordered a copy from me then take a peak at the electronic version in my sidebar. If you can't wait to have the glossy pages in your hands then get in touch and I'll happily order one for you. The new catalogues are £5.95 but throughout October I'll be selling them for £4.95 or if you host a workshop you can get your own copy for free!

I'll be back later tonight with some photos of the cards I've made with some of the new stamp sets but there are some gorgeous ones in there, and the new hostess stamp sets are divine.

Even more reductions!

2010-09-17T10:06:00.000+01:00

Stampin' Up! have reduced the prices again on the retiring items list. If you still need to get your sale fix then click on the icon below. The list shows everything that will be retiring and won't be available in the new catalogue. The punches will be available in the new slimline format in the 2010/2011 catalogue. Some items are already selling out, so if there is something you want, grab it whilst you can. You can place an order directly with me by emailing me and payment is via paypal.

Retiring List

2010-09-01T09:18:00.000+01:00

Can you believe that it's September already! Wow, summer has gone fast. I hope you all had a lovely summer break and are looking forward to the kids going back to school again.

Stampin' Up! have released their retiring list for the current catalogue. Items are only available whilst stock lasts. Most of the punches will still be available in the new catalogue but will be in the new compact format that the two-part bird punch currently uses. So if you are disappointed to see one of your favourite colours or stamp sets go, then order it now whilst you can!

2010-2011 Catalogue
The new catalogue will be available to view online and purchase from 1st October. However, if you'd like to get your hands on it as soon as possible then you can place a pre-order with me. I should hopefully receive my copies towards the end of September and will post them out as soon as we are given the go-ahead to do so. There is a slight price increase in the catalogue and it will now cost £5.95. If you'd like to receive a catalogue for free, why not book a workshop with me. All hostesses receieve a free catalogue and you could be one of the first to earn the gorgeous new hostess sets, and of course purchase some of the lovely new stamps in the catalogue.

Codicote Village Day

2010-07-26T10:12:00.000+01:00

I had a stand at the Codicote Village Day on Saturday 17th and had a wonderful day. Thank you to every one who came along and said hello. Unfortunately, it was an incredibly windy day and I wasn't able to display my cards- I didn't really want to spend the day chasing cards around the field! The fair itself was a wonderful event and I hope to be able to take the boys next year.

I held a prize draw on the day to win this sweet starter card making kit with the lovely All a Flutter stamp from the mini catalogue. This has to be one of my favourite stamps from this year's mini. The lucky winner is ...

Charley Hurst

... so well done Charley, your prize will be on its way to you soon. I'm also offering 10% off your first order to everyone who entered my prize draw as a thank you from me.

Unfortunately, I've not yet worked out how to upload my photos from my phone to the computer (for some reason it didn't come with an instruction book!). But I'll post a photos of the stand and prize when I can.

Wedding Invites with SU!

2010-05-27T08:27:00.000+01:00

A little while ago I took part in a wedding invite swap over on ILWS. The wedding season is fast approaching, so I thought I'd show you my card for the swap. There are so many stamp sets that you could use for a wedding card. There is the lovely Mr & Mrs and Special Blessings, but I choose to use one of my favourite sets: Baroque Motifs. I've paired it with Choc Chop ribbon, ink and cardstock (don't you just love how easy Stampin' Up! makes it to co-ordinate your cards!) and the lovely very vanilla. You could also add an extra bling to the card with a spray of one of the glimmer shimmers.

I need to update the photos with a watermark, but just whilst I'm trying to figure out how to do it, I should point out that all stamped images are (c) Stampin' Up!.

Become a Stampin' Up Demonstrator!

2010-04-29T10:58:00.000+01:00

Have you ever wanted to become a SU! demonstrator? Well now is the perfect opportunity. In conjunction with the Hobbycrafts show, Stampin' Up! are offering a special 10% discount on the Starter Kit price. This means that you can get your hands on over £240 worth of business supplies and Su! goodies for just £125 instead of the normal £139! That in itself is a great saving, but should you want to take it further then you can start your own SU! business going into people's homes and demonstrating the great products at workshops.

If you'd like to find out more then please give me a call, or drop me an email. But remember this offer is only on for a limited period and orders have to be placed before 7th May.

All new colours!

2010-04-08T09:12:00.000+01:00

I've got some exciting Stampin' Up! news to share with you. We are having Colour Renovation at Stampin' Up! As from October we will be getting four revamped colour families (now to be called collections). The Colour Renovation has been based on customer feedback and new colour trends. Twenty-five of our current colours will remain and they will be joined by 15 new colours in the core colour collections! The re-vamp does mean that we will be losing some of the old colours, so if they are your favourites make sure you stock up on them whilst you can! The colours below are the ones that will be retiring in October.

But look at all these lovely new colours that we'll be getting! The colour revamp applies not only to the cardstock, but also to the ribbons, ink, markers etc.

On top of all the lovely new colours we'll also be getting In Colours! These will be a range of five new colours that will be introduced every year and will stay around for two years before being retired. This year we will only have 5 In Colours but each year after that there will be 10 new In Colours running alongside each other, so at any one time there will be 50 colours - 40 core colours and 10 In Colours! Think of all the colour fun you can have with them!

Mini Catalogue Day!

2010-04-01T10:25:00.000+01:00

Hurray! Today is the launch of the mini catalogue. All my regular customers should have received their copy now, but if you've not got one and would like one, please send me an email and I'll pop one in the post straight away.

There are some absolutely lovely new products in the new mini, new flat design punches, single stamps from £4.95 and some gorgoeus new designer paper. Even us demonstrators don't know which items will make it into the main catalogue in September, so if you see something you like, order it now. Two of the designer papers will only be available for the lifespan of the mini catalogue (April - Sept) or until stock lasts.

Click on the image of the new mini catalogue cover on the right to see all the loveliness that could be coming your way!

If you want to see some of the lovely new stamps for yourself then why not come along to my Open House on Monday 12th April from 8pm. We'll be making a card using the lovely Vintage Vogue set. If you'd like to come please email me so that I can reserve you a make & take pack.

Do you want another sneak peak?

2010-03-31T22:31:00.000+01:00

Here is the last sneak peak until the mini catty goes live tomorrow - are you as excited as I am? I wanted to share a couple of cards with you that I've made using the fabulous new Vintage Vogue stamp set. I love this set, and I think it will be out on my desk for quite some time. Both of these cards were really quick to make, ideal for when you've suddenly remembered a birthday - or in my case realised that it's Good Friday and therefore no posting!

So here they are. The first card is a 4x4 card (I love this size) that I made for my friend Astrid in Austria. She sent me some lovely goodies for my birthday and I just wanted to send her a thank you card.

The second card was a design that I saw over on Carole's blog and I just had to use it. The blank space on the left hand side would be perfect for a birthday or seasonal greeting. The card uses the fabulous new bird punch - with its new flat design, which is great for storage, and the co-ordinating wheel for Vintage Vogue. I've used colours from the Soft Subtles family. If you'd like your own copy of the new mini catalogue then please send me an email.

Things are not what they used to be

2010-03-27T21:38:00.000Z

Once upon a time, going to see a gig meant seeing Manic Street Preachers or the Stereophonics, nowadays it means going to see Andy from CBeebies perform with his comedy partner Mike! I spent this afternoon in a very modern church hall (it used to be a warehouse) with 100 other toddlers and their familes watching Andy and Mike's Big Box of Bananas, and I have to say that I throughly enjoyed it! I just took my eldest son as I wasn't sure that my youngest would have sat all the way through it, but Robert loved every moment of it - especially the funny noises - amazing how a noise that sounds like a fart can always get a laugh! Robert got two more signatures for his autograph book and I got some slightly blurry photographs to hopefully make a great scrapbook layout! I'll try and upload a couple of photos tomorrow. In the meantime I really need to finish my ILWS wedding card invite swaps!

Sneak Peak

2010-03-23T11:07:00.000Z

After receiving so many lovely swaps at the Reading Training, I felt it was only fair to share some of them with you. So here is just a little sneak peak of what's going to be coming on the 1st April. Sorry about the poor photo! This cute little owl is part of a new set of adorable animal critters ... make sure you check back on 1st April to find out more!

Reading Training - thanks girls!

2010-03-23T10:37:00.000Z

One of the things I love about Stampin' Up! (other than all of the gorgeous products of course!) is the support that you get from SU! I spent Saturday in Reading for a training day and it was such good fun! We had lots of sneak peaks of the new products that are going to be in the new mini catalogue (come back on the 1st April for more details) and it was a great chance to meet up with fellow demonstrators. I was a tad nervous as I'd not met any demos yet, but I needn't have been.

The top photo shows me with the other Emma H (!) and fellow Stampin Star. It was great to meet someone else in our group, even if our upline Natalie wasn't able to make the training event. I really shoudn't let the camera anywhere near me though!

And here are some of the other lovely girls at our table busy making our challenge project (Emma, Alex and Jackie). I can't show you what we made just yet but all will be revealed on the 1st April! Big hellos also to Nickie, Carol and Sue who were also on our table but I got distracted and neglected to take their photo, sorry!

I received some amazing swaps and was blown away by some of the demonstrator's choices projects - in fact, make that all of them! Again, more pics to come soon!

Huge thanks to all of the presenters who showed us some wonderful projects and made it such a fantastic day.

If you're interested in becoming a demonstrator or want to come to my Open House for the mini catalogue launch then please send me an email.

Perfect Pairs promotion

2010-02-28T05:25:00.000Z

I am so giddy with excitement, just when you think you can't beat the Stampin' Up Sale-A-Bration, they go and launch another fantastic offer! During the month of March you can choose your perfect pair and select a punch and the coordinating stamp set, and receive 20% off the punch!

And if that wasn't exciting enough, for a limited time you will be able to order the Full Heart Punch that is not currently available in the main catalogue. This punch has been out in the States for some time now but this is the first time that we've been able to buy it in the UK! It's a gorgeous punch and coordinates perfectly with the Simply Said stamp set. This punch will only be available whilst stock lasts and then once stock sells out you'll have to wait until the release of the new catalogue in September to get your hands on it, and who wants to wait that long?! So, if like me, you can't wait to own the Full Heart punch then get in touch and I can place an order for you. The punch is available on its own for £12.50 or at £10.00 if you buy the matching Simply Said stamp set at £22.95 (or any other set in the offer). Postage is £3.95.

SU! Help for Haiti

2010-01-23T22:09:00.000Z

It would be hard not to be affected by the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti. Companies and individuals everywhere are helping in whatever way they can and Stampin' Up! is no exception. In the past SU! have made donations through designated stamp sets and from now until 28th February Stampin' Up! will donate £1 from the sale of every Greenhouse Gardens stamp set and donate that money to the Red Cross. This will be a worldwide effort, with demonstrators in the USA, Australia, Germany and France all having a similar offer.

You can see example cards made using this stamp set on page 43 of the catalogue. If you'd like to order either a catalogue or the stamp set, then please contact me. I will also be donating £2 for every Greenhouse Garden set sold to the Red Cross. If you want to find out how the Stampin' Up! headquarters are helping the relief effort for Haiti, please read Shelli's blog.

Stamp with Us Challenge

2010-01-23T21:14:00.000Z

There is a lovely sketch challenge over on Stamp with Us this week and you can see my entry below.

Alas, there is no patterned paper in the SU! starter kit and I'm suffering slightly from withdrawal symptoms so I had to break into my non-SU! stash for this one. The paper is such fun and slightly mad that I thought it would look better if the lines were all out of kilt, but actually once you put the butterfly on, it just looks like I can't stick paper on straight! I've embossed the centre of the flower to give it a lovely shine. Sorry about the poor lighting, I will try and replace it with a better photo on Monday.

Cardstock: all from my scrap stash except the yellow & orange which are SU! Summer Sun & Pumpkin Pie. Similar SU! colours would be: Pink Passion, Tempting Turquoise and Lovely Lilac.

Stamps: Garden Whimsy, greeting from Fun & Fast Notes

Inks: VersaColor: Boysenberry & Raspberry

Paper: Love Elsie

Time to play!

2010-01-23T09:55:00.000Z

I've had great fun playing with all of the wonderful stamps that arrived in my starter kit. The first one that caught my eye was A Rose is a Rose. I have to confess that the rose is not my favourite flower and at first I didn't intend to purchase this stamp set, but when I saw all the gorgeous cards that had been made with it, I had to have it! I've made two cards to show how adaptable this stamp set is. The first one is quite grungy and I've aged the paper torn from a book with Choc Chip ink. The second one has a more contemporary feel to it, and is a gorgeous design that I CASEd from someone (who I need to go and search for so I can credit properly!).

Applogies for the poor photo setting, but the best light is from my son's bedroom window! I really do need to find somewhere more scenic to take photos from! Anyway, I hope you like them, and please leave a comment if you do. It's always nice to hear from you.

Ingredients: (all are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted)

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip and Creamy Caramel

Patterned Paper: Doodlebug Designs

Stamp set: A Rose is a Rose

Inks: Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Garden Green, Old Olive

Ribbon: from my stash

Ingredients: (all are from Stampin' Up!)

Cardstock: Ruby Red, Old Olive

Ribbon: 1/4 grosgrain ribbon in very vanilla, which I've coloured with my pens.

Stamps: A Rose is a Rose, It's Beautiful jumbo wheel

Inks: as per the previous card

Open House

2010-01-17T14:06:00.001Z

I'll be holding my first Open House on 1st February! There will be lots of fun things happening as well as some lovely samples on show to get your creative juices flowing! Come along for:

tasty nibbles & wine
Makes & Takes
door prize raffle
a chance to get creative!

The night will be lots of fun and a chance to catch up with everyone for a good natter. I'll be posting some sneak peaks of some of the cards I've made in the next two weeks, so do check back if you want to see what will be on show.

Sale-a-bration 2010!

2010-01-17T13:55:00.000Z

Hurray! I'm so pleased that I've already managed to fulfil one of my new year's resolutions - to craft more! I've just signed up to become an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator in Herts & Beds, and I'm really excited about it - after all, what could be better than working by making cards and scrapbook pages! And to top it all of, SU! have a great offer on this month.

Everyone likes a freebie and this month, Stampin' Up! are offering you the choice of three exclusive stamp sets when you spend £45 or more, before the 28 February. These yummy stamps are only available whilst the SAB offer is on, and are not in the main catalogue. I can't wait to get my hands on one of these lovely stamp sets - deciding which one is going to be the hard part!