Valentine's Day is just around the corner!

Maybe its because I spend most of my time making cards and other papercraft projects and am working some days or weeks in advance, I sometimes forget occasions that I really shouldn't.

My husband and I have been together for nearly 25 years, and he is really good a remembering important dates and sorting out really lovely cards for them (I accept he buys his, rather than makes them - one day I will get him to make a card!!). I think it may be because I know that I can make a card for pretty much any occasion without having to leave home, that I just don't think ahead in the same way, unless it is for my wonderful job.

But this time I have remembered, I mean, how could I not when there are fantastic love themed suites to choose from. Our anniversary is in late November, and as I am a Demonstrator AND I went to the Stampin' Up! convention in early November, I got to order the Falling in Love Suite early, so could make an Anniversary Card with that, so for Valentine's Day, I am using the Sending Love Suite, which is perfect with the clean lines of Real Red and Whisper White throughout.

I have used a different card base for this special card. This is an Accordion Fold using a piece of 12 x 12 Real Red, trimmed to 8-1/4 x 12 (cut at 21 cm for metric users) scored at 4 and 8" (10.25 and 20.5 cm). I then measured up 4" on the left and trimmed across from this mark to the fold at 8" to get the zig zag.

The card was decorated with lots of the papers and die cuts and I added some Red Glimmer Paper into the mix. I embossed the Whisper White card that I used on the back piece, using the Falling Petals Embossing folder. As this is not as long as the card piece, I hid the join with some of the narrow Real Red Ribbon and then stamped below it.

I made the Envelope using the Envelope Punch Board and the Real Red Envelope Paper that is currently in the Clearance Rack (#139604) at an amazing £2.20 for 20 sheets of 12 x 12, I mean come on, that is less than half price, and perfect for your handmade Valentine's that may not be a 'standard' size. I decorated the front of the envelope using the Heart Confetti Border Punch and then added a few small areas of stamping front and back.

I hope hubby likes it (and doesn't read this post before 14th February!!)

Woo Hoo - Jumping around like a child!! Global Design Project Challenge #GDP072

I am thrilled and amazed to announce that I was one of the winners in the last Global Design Project Challenge with my Box of Bugs Project (click here to see it). I heard first thing this morning when one of the other Demonstrators in the Team sent me a message; I am still jumping up and down like a kid!

This week's challenge is to CASE (Copy and Selectively Edit) the Designer, in this case the amazing Krista Fratin. I always find it a little difficult when it comes to these types of project, trying not to be too influenced by the original, after all that is not the point of these Challenges. The point is to use the original as inspiration only.

As I am going through a phase of revisiting the wonderful Annual Catalogue, I was determined to make product in that the main focus of my project for today. I managed pretty well, only using one die from the new Spring/Summer Catalogue. The Products were from the Jar of Love Bundle. I looked at the sentiment 'You fill me with Happiness' and thought how appropriate it was for me today, so that was the launch pad for this project. I used Very Vanilla as the background and then did some 2 step stamping in So Saffron, added a die cut band from the So Detailed Thinlits set, also in So Saffron, then did some stamping on vellum for the small jar and bug (I am clearly in a bit of a 'bug rut' at the moment!). I mounted the Very Vanilla onto Soft Suede (a favourite of mine) and that was me done.

I am really pleased with how this has turned out, Simple, but, hopefully, effective. I hope you like it too.

If you need any of the products, just pop over to my online shop, and remember that during Sale-a-Bration, ever £45 (excl P&P) of pruduct you buy will qualify you for a FREE item from the Sale-a-bration catalogue.

Craft in Waiting

Last week I had a couple of hospital appointments (just some regular check up stuff). They were both on the same day, but with 5 hours between them, at a hospital half an hour away, or an hour to allow for parking time.

With lots of prep to get done for blog posts, having a day of sitting in waiting rooms, even allowing for coming home in between, was not something that I could really afford from a time point of view, so the challenge was what I could do while I was waiting. I really didn't have to think that hard. 'Inside the Lines' from the Sale-a-Bration Catalogue plus the wonderful new Watercolour Pencils and a Blender Pen were all I needed to pack.

With a few additions once I got home, these are the results close up:

Using the Detailed Dragonfly Thinlits, I cut the group of Dragonflies in Gold Foil and then pieced in Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Card for the wings.

This time it is the Bumble Bee in Black and Gold Foil.

And the Bumble Bee in Gold Foil.

The combination of the paper and watercolour pencils really is ideal for crafting anywhere; on the train, at a coffee shop or, like me, just waiting around. To join in the trend, just place a qualifying order of £45 (excluding P&P) and select Item #143830 as your FREE Gift from Stampin' Up! Remember to use the Current Hostess code too if your order is over £25, but under £150, and you will get a share of any Hostess Reward for the month; so more FREE stuff!!

My suggestion for a qualifying order for a new crafter with very few supplies, would be as follows, which comes to £47 including 40 Envelopes. From these supplies you could make a MINIMUM of 60 A6 cards, so less that 80p per card (including the envelope for 40 of them!!):

Celebrate a Birthday

I always think that I am one of the luckiest people to have a job I love so much, but there are lots of practical advantages too. Obviously doing something I really enjoy has to be at the top of the list, followed by meeting lots of other crafty people, both team members and customers, and that I always learn something from those encounters. But it is also a joy to be able to make cards for people with that individual in mind. Don't get me wrong, there are sometimes when the same card is ideal for more than one person, such as the card I made recently with the Beautiful You set, but sometimes you want to start from scratch.

Because I am a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, I may have many more stamp sets than most people, and that is possible because I get my SU products at a discount, and would even if I had decided not to run workshops and make videos, being a Hobby Demo still qualifies you to get products at a discount.

So, when I realised that I had forgotten that one of my neighbours is celebrating a birthday in a couple of days, I could look at the stamps I have and select the perfect ones for a card for her; Happy Celebrations (with the matching Debossing Folders) and Balloon Adventures. The Party Animal Designer Series Paper colours inspired the colour scheme, and a small piece of the paper features on the card too. 

I pulled Balloon Adventures because I wanted to use one of the sentiments inside the card, but then a couple of others caught my eye. As I had finished the card, I wondered how I could incorporate them into it. Whilst I was thinking, I pulled out out a Whisper White Envelope and suddenly remembered that these are perfect for stamping on, so 'Open Me Already' went on the back and a two step stamped balloon on the front; I was happy.

I think these stamp sets are perfect for someone new to stamping; Happy Celebrations covers so many occasions and has some background stamps too, but if you add Balloon Adventures you add a bit of 'Party' to these occasions, just by adding a Balloon or two. Between them they will be work horses for many years to come, and that is what you need if you are only able to have a few sets. Just add a couple of ink pads and some cardstock and you are good to go.

I sometimes think that we offer so many choices that it can be a bit daunting for people who want to put a toe in the water. Over the next few weeks I will be having a look at some options that new stampers may want to have a look at, considering those on a limited budget and those with a little more to spend, or items new stampers may wish to add to a basic kit.

Anyway, I hope you like this card, and remember that the envelope gives you even more stamping real estate to look at!

Beautiful You

The Beautiful You Stamp set was one of the first sets I was lucky enough to get my hands on. I won it at the Onstage Event in November last year, a whole two months before customers were able to order it! I was definitely lucky, but this is one of the benefits of being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator; getting to go to the twice yearly conference AND getting my hands on the new products early, and at a discount!

Today's project is a simple, but elegant card that I designed for a couple of my friends who have birthdays in the next few days. I am quite a fan of monochrome, but have not used it recently, so this seemed like the perfect time to give it a go, and the perfect stamp set. I am really pleased with how this turned out, a clean simple look with just a pop of colour, inspired by the Playful Palette Washi Tape.

Remember that until 31 March you get to pick a free item from the Sale-a-Bration catalogue for every £45 you spend on product (before P&P). There are lots of fun stamp sets, Designer Series Papers, ribbon and much more.

These are the items I have used for today's project, remember to use the current Hostess Code if your order is between £25 and £150, to get extra Stampin' Up! goodies from me:

Love is in the Air! Featuring Nails Inc

Looking through the new Spring/Summer Catalogue I spotted the Sending Love and Falling in Love Suites, both of which I love (pardon the pun!), but at first I wasn't sure that I would really get much use out of them, given that it is less than a month until Valentine's Day. I could kind of 'get' the Falling in Love Suite being used for weddings, and it is the perfect choice for that, with lots of lace and soft colours (it is my absolute favourite stack of Designer Series Paper, at the moment), but I was struggling with the Sending Love Suite, until I started playing with it. It is beautiful and perfect for all sorts of occasions and is so bright and cheerful with the cleanness of just Real Red and Whisper White. Love it!! (Sorry, I just seem to be in  a pun mood)

Today's project uses both of these suites with no Valentine's message in sight. This is a perfect box for all sorts of goodies, but is made specifically for two Nails Inc Nail Polishes. I put together a top coat and a colour, which is a perfect little gift, and used the colour to inspire the choice of cardstock. The Red, is, obviously, Real Red and uses one of the subtle patterns from the Sending Love Paper Stack. The more subtle one is Sahara Sand and the Falling in Love Papers. The Designer Series Paper can be cut from just one 2-1/2 x 6" strip!

One of the many things I love about Stampin' Up! is that they make it so easy to get the colours right; not only are the colours true across all the products, but ever Designer Series Paper pack or stack lists the colours used on the back AND in the details in the catalogue. So easy!

Remember that if you are placing an online order between £25 and £150, you should use the current Hostess Code shown on this site and you will get a share in any Hostess goodies (full details of how this works are here). Also, during Sale-a-Bration, to get a free item, such as the Avant Garden stamp set I used, for each £45 you spend (so two items if your order is £90 etc). ALSO and this is the big one, now is the PERFECT TIME to try out the Starter Kit. Not only do you get to choose £130 of products (your choice) for £99. You get FREE P&P and, until 31 March 2017, two free stamp sets of your choice from the Annual or Spring/Summer Catalogue, so up to an equivalent value of about £225. You then get the Demo discount, invitations to Team and Stampin' Up! events, the Demo Magazine and newsletters, the opportunity to get items from the new Annual Catalogue before Customers etc, etc etc. You will have all of this until the end of June at least, all for just £99!! What is not to love about that!!

JOIN THE FUN HERE!

Dimensions:
Cardstock - 7-1/2 x 6-1/4" (19 x 16cm)
Designer Series Paper - 2 pieces cut at 2-1/2 x 1-3/4" (6.25 x 4.5cm)
2 pieces cut at 2-1/2 x 1-1/4" (6.25 x 3.25cm)
1 piece cut at 1-3/4 x 1-1/4" (4.5 x 3.25cm)

Supplies for Red (Sending Love) version:

Supplies for Subtle (Falling in Lover) version:

Beetles & Bugs - Global Design Project Challenge #GDP071

I love Monday mornings! How many of us can say that and actually mean it?

I can and do for a whole host of reasons. Firstly, as I run my own business, doing something I am passionate about, why wouldn't I want to be doing it? Because most of what I do is based at home, it means I don't have to worry about the weather and the trains running late, I just walk across from my front door to my workshop, which takes me an average of about 20 seconds, including unlocking; just a slight change from the 2 hour slog into the office I was doing last year.

But another reason that I like Mondays is that it means there is another Global Design Project Challenge waiting for me in my Inbox, which is a great way to get the creative juices running at the start of the week. This week the challenge is for a 3D Project - basically anything that isn't a card.

As ever, I tried not to look at any of the samples that the Design Team had already posted so I could make sure that I produced something that was 100% original. As the new Spring/Summer Catalogue has the most adorable hexagon box (#142762 - Window Box), I am guessing that there could be quite a few projects using this, so tried to keep away from it. In my box of Thinlits, the Window Box Dies were next to the Baker's Box Thinlits (#138279), so I decided to use this as the basis for my project, but still looked at the dies for the Window Box and remembered that this set includes some dies to cut patterns into your project. I was on a roll.

I have been wanting to use the Beetles & Bugs stamp set (#142980) for some time, so the idea of a box of bugs came to mind. Air holes could be cut into the side of the Baker's Box using one of the dies from the Window Box set. Now we all know that bugs can get out of the smallest spaces, so if you cut air holes, you are likely to end up with bugs crawling everywhere; and so they are.

 

I had great fun doing the stamping, trying out different colour combinations. Cutting the bugs out was not nearly as fiddly as I thought it would be - just remember to move the card, not the scissors. Then I stamped some ants running around and crawling up the box, tied the top with some of our Natural Trim and I was done.

I hope you enjoy this fun project. I think it would be a perfect box for the small boys in your life, who seem to relish collecting bugs.

Of course, as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, I am lucky to get all my products at a discount, which does mean that my money stretches a lot further than it would otherwise. Yes, I run this as a business, but I know as many people who are Demonstrators just so they get a discount off their stash, as 'Business' Demos. Have a look at the current offer on the no obligation Starter Kit and the other offers that are available during Sale-a-Bration, in addition to the FREE item from the special Sale-a-Bration catalogue with every £45 of product you order.

You have to love a Freebie!

I'm sorry, you are probably sick of me talking about all the great free stuff that there is on offer at the moment, but you have to love it, right?

I had a phone call a couple of days ago asking me to make a card for a couple who have just had a baby boy. I didn't hesitate and grabbed Baby Bear and the Falling in Love Designer Series Paper, with the perfect baby blue of Soft Sky, Soft Sky Cardstock from the coordinating 12 x 12 Cardstock pack, cut in half to make a 6 x 6" base and I was away, but there was something missing from the card. I wanted everything to keep that soft subtle look, but also wanted something with a bit of bling. Bring on the Metallic Ribbon Combo from the Sale-a-Bration Catalogue.

This Ribbon Combo is perfect because it has either Whisper White with Silver accents, or Very Vanilla with Gold accents, so that was easy, a strip of the Very Vanilla & Gold was the solution to my problem. I added just one Soft Sky Heart shaped Enamel Shape and it was done. I think it is perfect for any new born, and if it is a girl, just change the background, ink and enamel shapes to Blushing Bride, and you have another master piece, or one of each for mixed twins!!

A quick and easy card that you can make in minutes. If you struggle with the 2 Step Stampin' (or in this case three!), my tip is to start with the stamp with the least image and work back to the one with the most. This is not what is suggested by most people, but I find it is easier because you will then start with the darkest image, which makes the next one easier to line up. Also the edges will  be softened as you add the other layers of ink, so a winner all round. Remember, if you are still finding this a bit tricky, to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig; this will make lining up the layers a doddle. Try a few times on scrap paper first, you will soon get the hang of it and will be stamping like a pro in no time at all.

Remember, you can only get the Metallic Ribbon Combo with a qualifying order during Sale-a-Bration. For every £45 you spend in one order through my online shop, you will qualify to a FREE items from the Sale-a-Bration Catalogue; £90 will get you two items.... etc. There is no limit to the number you can order AND the usual Hostess Rewards apply to orders of £150 or more, BUT with the added extra of an additional £20 of Rewards once your order hits £200 or more.

But I am still a firm believer that the single best offer during Sale-a-Bration is the no obligation Starter Kit. Don't be put off by the suggestion that you would have to run workshops, parties or classes; you are free to do so if you want, but you are also free to just enjoy the benefits of being a Demonstrator. Why wouldn't you want Stampin' Up! products at a discount? £99 for £130 of products of you choice, plus two stamp sets of your choice (for FREE, but only during Sale-a-Bration), FREE P&P and, should you want to look at making this into a business, a starter pack of business papers. If you want more information, either click the link to the FAQs I have put together, or contact me to talk about what is involved.

JOINING FAQs

My aim is to provide all my customers with a First Class experience, which is fairly straightforward if I meet them face to face, but a little bit of a challenge if we don't and our interaction is via online ordering, so to help make you fee VERY SPECIAL, I always send my online customers a Thank You card (and sometimes a little gift), but if your order is over £25 and under £150, if you use the current Hostess Code you will also get a little Stampin' Up! goody as an extra Thank You.

These are the products I used for this card:

High Tide and High Time to join the Fun!

Partly because when I filmed today's video, it was a very cold, if sunny, day in Oxfordshire, my mind was thinking about warmer days and that wonderful feeling of the sun and sand really getting into your body and making you feel alive. Or is that only me?

I then remembered that we have a Team event coming up in February, at which we share project ideas, either as single items, or, if you want you can take part in a swap where you make multiple copies of the same project and swap them with others. One of the swaps I have signed up for (and it is optional) is a project using the new High Tides stamp set. I LOVE this set, it reminds me of those warm summer days I am dreaming of today. So I joined the dots and today's video is the starting point for the swap I will be doing at the Team event.

There are quite a few techniques covered in this project, including some no pressure heat embossing, how to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig to help with two step stamping, using masks and some brayering (is that a word?!). But don't worry, I will take you through the steps one by one, so you will see how to master each one.

I am really pleased with how the final card looks, even if it does mean I have used almost all of the stamps in the set. Unfortunately, sorting out the video was a real case of 'third time lucky' as it was not until the third attempt that I finally got it sorted properly, without the technical issues I had faced with the first two attempts.

It has ended up a bit rushed I think as I only had just enough time to do the video before an appointment, but I think we got there in the end - just as well I need a few for the Team Swap!!!

Don't forget that until the end of March 2017, for every £45 of product you buy in one order, you get to choose a FREE item from the Sale-a-Bration catalogue. BUT the really amazing way to get FREE items is to take advantage of the Starter Kit, which until the end of March 2017, includes an extra two FREE stamp sets of your choice, as well as £130 of product of your choice and free P&P, ALL for just £99. Depending on the stamps you choose, that is the equivalent of about £225 of product for JUST £99. There is no obligation to continue as a Demonstrator, to hold classes or workshops; you can just take advantage of the Demo discount, join Team events, get the free weekly newsletters and Quarterly Magazine, buy products from new Catalogues sooner than everyone else. If at the end of June you don't want to continue getting all these, then just stop being a Demo. Easy. You know you want to. Just get your product list together and click this link now:

JOIN ALL THE FUN HERE

Window Shopping and joining the fun!

Today I have been playing with the Window Shopping Stamp and Die Bundle. I love a Bundle, who won't want 10% off crafty stuff? Always keep your eyes peeled for these in the catalogues.

There is so much to play with in this bundle that I wasn't sure where to start, but then I remembered that the Demonstrator Exclusive magazine had some samples in it using this, so had a quick look and pretty much did a straight CASE (Copy and Share Everything) of the samples, just using slightly different colours. But I love the results and this set, you can do so much with it. The dies are great for making a different shape box, but the other elements can do so much more than you would think at first.

I really liked the effect you get with the Ombre Stamp Pads too. I have been looking at these since they first came out, but had decided against them. At our last monthly Team meeting one of the raffle prizes was the Peekaboo Peach Ombre Pad, so I thought I would give it a go. Well, I am a convert! I love that you can use each shade separately, but also as one pad; just remember to give a slight twist as you ink up the stamp so you don't get solid lines between the shades.

Had I not gone to the Team meeting I probably would still be ignoring the Ombre ink pads, just another benefit of being a Demo. One of the things I love about the Team get togethers is that you meet so many different sorts of Demo (and you thought we are all the same!). Some are Demos that run a business, others are Hobby Demos and are their only customer, but they are all great fun and we have a real blast together (and all understand why we love stroking paper!) and get so much inspiration from each other.

Remember that for every £45 of product you order, you will get a FREE Sale-a-bration item (£90 gets you two etc), if your order is over £25 and under £150 (excluding P&P), use the current Hostess Code and you will get some extra goodies. BUT, and hits is the BIG ONE, if your order is close to £90 and your wish list is longer, get the NO OBLIGATION Starter Kit. For just £99 (including P&P) you get £130 of your choice of products PLUS, but only during Sale-a-bration, you get to pick ANY TWO stamp sets you want FREE. You know you want to ...... Come on, join the fun!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE FUN

Dimensions:

Peekaboo Peach or Watermelon Wonder Cardstock - half A4, scored in half to make A6 card base
Thick Whisper White Cardstock - 5 x 3-1/2" (12.75 x 9cm)
Glimmer Card of choice - scrap

Global Design Project #GDP070

I am really enjoying taking part in the Global Design Project Challenges. I have only just started doing these, but they really are a good way of getting the juices flowing. This week it is a Sketch Challenge, with this as the basis for the challenge (click on the image to hop over to their website):

One of the 'difficulties' I have with the challenges is that the Design Team each submit their interpretation, which are always fabulous, but I don't want to be influenced by their ideas, so whilst I like to have a quick look just to check that I am not going to be way off beam, I try to make this a fleeting glance, then do something else before I start. At this stage I will then ONLY look at the basic instructions, in this case the sketch.

What do you think? I added a few small areas of Gold heat embossing as I felt they needed a little something. Then one small Gold Enamel heart at in the bottom right hand corner, and I was done.

The challenge allows us to take as much or as little from the sketch as we want, although I have been fairly true to it this time. I have only used the Bookcase Builder stamp set for this project, it was the first set that came to mind when I saw the thin lines across the middle of the sketch, as it reminded me of the shelf. This set is so versatile with images for babies, men, couples, just about everyone, and some lovely sentiments. Great for cards, scrapbooking or Project Life.

If you are in the UK and would like any of the items I used in this project, please hop over to my online shop, and remember to use this month's Hostess Code - QTPHNN6R -  if you are spending between £25 and £150. This is good to the end of January 2017, if you are visiting after this, check for the current Hostess Code.

Stitched Framelits - ARE BACK IN STOCK

You will remember that Stampin' Up! did an early launch of the Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies just before Christmas and that they were so popular that a reorder had to be placed, but that sold out too.

Well, as of today, they are back in stock so this is the moment I know a lot of you have been waiting for. Jump over to my online store and get them in your basket NOW. Item number is 145372 and they are just £27 for the set of 12 dies,

Having checked the status of these, I took the opportunity of checking on the Inventory of other items. From a UK perspective, everything is in stock but the BigShot is showing as being on low inventory, and it is the first time in a long time that I have seen this. 

I was a bit confused by this to start, but then I realised a couple of things. 

Firstly, if you place an order of at least £400, you get an item 50% off. Now I accept that not everyone has that kind of money to spend, but this is Sale-a-Bration, so if you do spend £400, you not only get an item 50% off (and that can be anything in the catalogue, including Bundles), you will also get £76 in Stampin' Reward (14% of your total spend, plus £20 just because it is Sale-a-Bration), so you could get a BigShot with your rewards and just pay the difference of £23 AND still get an item 50% off AND 8 items from the Sale-a-Bration Catalogue. Now that is a good deal.

Secondly, this is the perfect time to get the Starter Kit and try Stampin' Up! out either as a Hobby Demo, just for the discount, or as a Business either full or part time. The Starter kit is always £99 for £130 of products, but during Sale-a-Bration you also get to chose 2 free stamp sets from ANY of the Catelogues. Now I think some people are getting the BigShot as part of that deal. If you include it in your Starter Kit, you still have £31 to spend on product. You could get the Cupcakes & Carousels Designer Series Paper Stack,and matching Cardstock Pack, the Celebrations Duo Textured Impressions Embossing Folders, and Ink Pad of your choice (personally I would probably go for Calypso Coral), ALL in your basic kit, then you can add the Happy Celebrations Stamp set AND either the Suite Sentiments Or Carousel Birthdays, knowing that they will all work together.

But if you already have a BigShot, just think about how much product you can squeeze into your Starter Kit KNOWING that your two favourite stamp sets are already in there waiting for you.

The only question now is which are you going to chose. There will never be a better time to join the Stampin' Up! family and join the fun; you could also get to join us all in Amsterdam at the next Onstage event. You know you want to..... so click here now:

JOIN MY TEAM TODAY

Sale-a-Bration - What does £45 of Product look like - Part 2

We have already had a look at what £45 of Product could look like in order to qualify for a FREE Sale-a-Bration item, but there are obviously lots of variations of that, so I thought you may wish to see another option.

This project has been adapted from a Make & Take we were shown at a recent Team Event. We meet up most months as a Team and at most of these meetings one of the Team will share a project with everyone else. The meetings are always great fun and involve lots of chat and laughter, as well as too much cake! This month the Make & Take was demonstrated by the lovely and very talented Gilly Hunt. It involves nothing wet or inky (at the meeting we were told why, but it is a secret!)

Most of the products I used were from the Party Animal Suite in the Spring/Summer Catalogue, which runs until 31 May 2017. It highlights just how easy Stampin' Up! make it for us, as everything in the Suite 'works' because they all use the same limited number of colours. But they will work with everything else that is the same colour, even if it is from a different suite.

How did I get to £45 this time? Here is how:

Party Animal Designer Series Paper - £10.00
Party Animal Cardstock Pack - £7.25
Party Animal Embellishments - £6.25
Emerald Envy 1/8" (3.2 mm) Taffeta Ribbon - £5.50
Balloon Bouquet Punch - £16.00
TOTAL EXACTLY £45

And because we have not used anything from the Sale-a-Bration Catalogue for the project, you get to chose ANYTHING from it. Result!!

I am getting quite good at the maths for a total of £45 now, so will see what other projects I can come up with that get you there. Remember that Sale-a-Bration only runs until 31 March 2017, and there will be more products added to the list of FREE items on 21 February.

You are going to get sick of me saying this, but please remember that this is the PERFECT time to join Stampin' Up! and my team. The normal offer of £130 of product of your choice, for just £99 (inclusive of P&P) stands, but during Sale-a-Bration, you get to pick two stamp sets from the Annual or Spring/Summer Catalogue for FREE, this means, depending on the sets you choose, you could get over £200 of product for just £99. Once you are signed up you can join us at Team events, or the six monthly Stampin' Up! events (which are the most fun!), but you also get a minimum discount of 20% off your future purchases, AND get to play with new products before anyone else. Don't worry if you don't meet the minimum sales target (which for a new Demo signing up now, would be about £270 of sales, before discount, between now and the end of June - excluding your Starter Kit), you would not have to repay anything or send it back, you would just stop getting your discount and would revert to being a normal customer again. So what are you waiting for??? Just use this link to Join my Team:

Join the Fun Here

Dimensions:
Crumb Cake - 4 x 8" (10 x 20 cm) and 3 x 3" (7.5 x 7.5 cm)
Patterned Paper - 6 x 6" (15 x 15 cm)

Sale-a-Bration - What does £45 of Product Look Like?

I am sure that you have heard me mention that during Sale-a-Bration, for every £45 you spend on product, you get to pick a an item from the Sale-a-Bration Catalogue, and that this has items in it that money can't buy, because they are FREE with the qualifying purchase. But do you know what £45 of product looks like and what you would be able to do with it? I hope to show you exactly this over the next few posts.

My first example is a project that uses one of the FREE items, the Tasty Truck Stamp Set. This is such a cute set and I think will be useful for all kinds of occasions and ages.

First let me show you how I get to £45.

Fruit Stand A4 Card Pack (24 sheets) - £7.25
Whisper White A4 Card (40 sheets) - £8.25
In Colour 2016-18 Stampin' Markers (5 dual tipped pens) - £13.50
Peekaboo Peach Classic Ink Pad - £6.00
Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad - £5.50
Basic Rhinestones - £4.50
TOTAL EXACTLY £45

So the Tasty Truck Stamp set is FREE!!!

Remember to use the Hostess Code for extra goodies if your order is over £25, but under £150.

If you are looking at spending £90 so get your two free Sale-a-Bration items, before you place your order PLEASE consider the Starter Kit. This is only £99, and includes Postage and Packing, so is only £4.10 more, but you get £130 of product, plus two FREE stamp sets of your choice from the Annual or Spring/Summer Occasions Catalogues. You do not have to run workshops or parties if that is not your thing, you can be your only customer, if that is what you want. But you get to be part of the Stampin' Up! family, attend Stampin' Up! and Team events and generally join in all the fun!! Just use this link to Join my Team:

Join the Fun Here

Dimensions:

Watermelon Wonder - A4 cut in half to A5, folded in half to A6
Peekaboo Peach - 5-5/8 x 3-7/8 (14.25 x 10cm)
Pear Pizzazz - 3-7/8 x 2-1/2 (9.75 x 6.25cm)
Whisper White - 3 x 2-1/4 (7.5 x 5.5cm)

Necessity is the Mother of Invention - Global Design Project 069

This week the Challenge on the Global Design Project Website is to design a project using these colours:




Now this caused me a little concern, as I don't own an ink pad or a marker pen in Delightful Dijon, so it was going to be time to think a little outside the box.

I had a look at some of the Stampin' Up! papers I have got to see which included Delightful Dijon, and the first one that sprung to mind was the Serene Scenery Stack, which I love, but always seem to forget about. Then I remembered that the Presents and Pinecones Christmas papers had Delightful Dijon in too, so I had a look to see what I had left that I could use for this project and found the perfect one to use as a matt. I chose one of the papers from the Serene Scenery Stack and then thought of the Wetlands Stamp set as an ideal partner with the pattern I had chosen.

I brought out my VersaMark re-inker and a cotton bud and 'scribbled' some re-inker lightly across the paper and then heat embossed with Silver Embossing Powder; this gave the exact look I wanted of light shimmering on the water in a marshland. Then I stamped the birds in Stazon, added some ribbon and a sentiment, some silver foil for the matt and I was good to go.

Ah, but I hear you ask, are the matts meant to be askew? They are indeed. I actually like it sometimes when things are not perfectly lined up; I think it gives more movement to the finished project. Oh, and which colour did I add? Island Indigo, both as the base for the card and as the main colour in the patterned paper.

Sending Love - Ink Tutorial

I sometimes think it is worth remembering that not everyone knows the same stuff that you do, and that even if people think they know stuff, that it is sometimes worth having a refresher, just in case. I know I have to remind myself of all sorts of things that I thought I knew, and one of the things I love most about crafting with my Team is that we can share ideas and learn from each other all the time.

I have not covered EVERY Ink type in this video, but watch this space for more tutorials that cover the basics.

From the top then (watch the video for even more information!):

StazOn – this is a great ink for slick surfaces, such as Window Sheet, Foil etc, but is also great for watercolour techniques as it is instantly waterproof.

VersaMark – this is the perfect ink for heat embossing as it provides a sticky surface for the embossing powder to stick to, it is also great if you just want a watermark effect.

Memento – this is another great ink for using with Stampin' Write Markers, Blender Pen and Watercolour pencils etc. Make sure it is fully dry before you use these, but once it is dry if is water resistant. You can use it on vellum, but it will take a while to dry.

Classic Ink – this is a water based ink that is perfect for general stamping on uncoated card. Stampin' Up! Inks are so full of pigment that you can get a number of 'generations' of impression from one inking and makes them perfect for two or three step stamping.

Stampin' Write Markers – these have a dual tip; one for writing and fine detail work, the other for larger areas.

All our ink pads (other than the Ombres) have refills available and I would highly recommend getting the refill at the same time as you buy the pad, so you know you have it – the refills last for years. The Classic and Archival Inks are the same ink in both the Pads and the Write Markers, so can be used to refill both for years to come.

I hope you find this helpful, but please let me know if you need any further information on how to use these inks. There will be additional information on how to use them in the coming weeks, but if you do have questions, I would be very grateful if you raise them so I can make sure I cover the information for others too.

Dimensions for today's project are:

Thick Whisper White – Half an A4 sheet (so cut to A5) folded in half

Real Red – 4 x 5-5/8 (10 x 14.25cm) plus a scrap

Sending Love Designer Series Paper – 3-3/4 x 5-3/8 (9.5 x 14.25cm)

Whisper White Envelope

If you need any of the products used in today's project, please jump on over to my online shop, where you will find all the pretty things you need. If your order is over £20 and under £150 before postage, please remember to use the Hostess Code for the month, this means that as well as the little gift and Thank You card you get from me, I will also be able to order you some extra goodies from Stampin Up to share between everyone who uses the code, just remember that for both of these, you need to ensure you do not click the 'No Contact' button when you place your order.

Enjoy Sale-a-Bration and I will see you again soon.

Global Design Project Entry for #GDP068 | Case the Designer - Jess Williams

This is a particularly exciting Post for me as it is my first entry into this the a challenge with the Global Design Project.

This week's challenge is to CASE (Copy and Selectively Edit) the Designer, and in this instance the designer is the wonderful Jess Williams. Jess is a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator in Australia and produces some truly inspirational projects. The Challenge was to look at a specific project and take any elements we want to inspire us with our project. We could simply use the same colours, in this case Night of Navy, Watermelon Wonder and Pool Party (we were allowed to substitute similar colours), we could use the same layout or the same products. I idea though is not to reproduce the exact project, but to use it to fuel our artistic juices. This is the project we were using:

I really liked the colours and the layout, but I don't have all of the colours in my crafty stash (there is a limit to what I allow myself to buy!), so I started thinking about similar palettes. I don't have the stamps that Jess used either, but I do have the stunning Lift Me Up Stamp set and matching Up & Away Thinlits Dies, and because I placed an order over £45, I was also able to get the FREE Sale-a-Bration Carried Away Designer Series Paper. the colours in the paper are very similar to the ones Jess used I decided that this was my way ahead.  

 

I hope you will be able to see the similarities between Jess's original card and mine. Although there are dies to cut out separate blocks of colour to sit behind the large die cut balloon, I wanted the colours to transition from Night of Navy to Mint Macaron (my substitute for Pool Party in the original), so I took a piece of Watercolour Paper and cut it to fit behind the top of the balloon and then used my waterbrush to lay down blocks of colour - from top to bottom these are Night of Navy, Island Indigo, Bermuda Bay and Mint Macaron - I then blended them together to get a seamless transition. Before I glued the painted piece it to the back of the balloon with the Fine Tipped Glue Pen, I painted the balloon with clear Wink of Stella; I am not sure that you can see the glitter in the photos, but in the 'flesh' it is so pretty.

My favourite element is the 'Happy Birthday' flying from the basket of the balloon. I knew I was going to use the Duet Banner Punch, but had originally intended to just use the simple design, as the curve fitted nicely at the top of the balloon. As I was working on the rest of the project, glancing at the punch every now and then, inspiration hit me and I saw that the end of the more elaborate banner looked just like a flag being flown behind the balloon; I love it when that happens. So I stamped 'Happy' and 'Birthday' from the matching Thoughtful Banners Stamp, punched them out and attached them to the basket with some Silver Metallic Thread.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at my entry to the #GDP068.

If you want any of the products used, these are listed below:

Hey Chick, where's my Free stuff?

Happy New Year to you all, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that Santa had you on his 'Good' list.

I had hoped to be back a little sooner than this, but there have been a few technical issues at the Old Stables over the past few days. But we are back!

Today's project uses a really cute stamp set from our Sale-a-Bration catalogue. This is the catalogue that has all the FREE items listed in it. It runs until 31 March and means that for every £45 of product you chose from the Annual or Spring/Summer Occasions Catalogues you get to pick one of the FREE items; and that is a FREE item for EVERY £45, so two items for £90 etc. This is the Hey Chick set and it has the cutest images and words.

I am using Notelet Cards this time, for a change. I think these often get looked over, but I would highly recommend keeping some of these on hand, they are not expensive and come in a pack of 20 including the envelope, and are available in either Whisper White or Crumb Cake. Such a useful item.

This card also focuses on the new Watercolour Pencils, which are probably one of the most anticipated items in the new Occasions Catalogue. They are extremely high quality and so easy to use. You can use them as 'ordinary' colour pencils, but they really come into their own when you blend the colours out with either a Blender Pen or an Aqua Painter. Perfect!

The measurements for this are so easy that I am not even going to list them. Just cut a piece of Whisper White cardstock that is 1/4 inch, or 1/2 cm smaller than the notelet front - Done!

I hope you enjoy this project and remember, if you have not yet received your copies of the Occasions or Sale-a-Bration Catalogues, are in the UK and don't already have a Demonstrator, just let me know and complete the Contact form below and I will pop them in the post to you.

Have fun and see you soon!

Are you ready for Sale-a-Bration and FREE Products?

It wouldn't be the start of a New Year without the Annual Sale-a-Bration from Stampin' Up! As ever, this coincides with the launch of the new Spring/Summer Catalogue and some of the items in Sale-a-Bration coordinate with the new Spring/Summer items.

At the moment I am not allowed to show you the inside of either catalogue, but I AM allowed to show you products and projects made with them, so here are a few sneak peeks:

This card is made using the Lift Me Up stamp set and coordinating Up & Away Thinlets (available at a Bundle Price) from the Spring Summer Catalogue. They coordinate with one of the Designer Series Papers in Sale-a-Bration, Up & Away, which is a super useful set that works just as well for Male and Female cards as well as Adults or Children. What is not to like about these?

Next, how about some perfect Wedding and Valentines papers, in fact there are two Suites that could fall into this category, the gorgeous, soft, Falling in Love, which works perfectly with the Delicate Details stamp set in Sale-a-Bration, and the brighter Sending Love, which is all things Real Red and White in a smaller format with a Paper Stack, rather than the more standard 12x12 (nothing in Sale-a-Bration to coordinate, but still a great set.

And if this is not enough of a taster, how about these stamp sets from Sale-a-Bration? I mean, are these cute, or are they cute? I particularly like the Hey Chick set and think these are going to be a real hit with lots of people, although some of my fellow Demos were not convinced until they saw a sample I made, which I think has made a few converts.

 

And for those of you who are in love with the Adult Colouring craze that has been going on recently, we have got Watercolour Pencils to tempt you AND some Designer Series Paper to use them on (another Sale-a-Bration item, Inside the Lines).

This is only scratching the surface, so there is a lot more to look forward to.

The launch is on 4 January, so not long to wait. Remember that during Sale-a-Bration there is a special offer for signing up as a Demonstrator by buying the Starter Kit. The usual price of £99 (including P&P) stands, as does the fact that you can chose up to £130 of product for that (already a saving of £31), but you also get to chose TWO FREE STAMP SETS!! These can be any stamp sets from any of the current Catalogues, which means you could save a further £93, so for £99 you could get your hands on over £200 of products of YOUR CHOICE. Click here to find out more about joining my Team. Please contact me if you have any questions.

If you would like a copy of the Catalogues, please complete the contact form below, of drop me an email at liz.yuille@artlover.com.