All Things Stampy

Charming card 2

2012-01-28T09:53:00.000Z

Here’s the second Charming card from the Stamp-a-Stack. This one uses a colour combo from the Color Coach: Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso. How to get those squares so perfect? Easy: use a punch! Stamps: Charming, It’s Your DayCardstock: Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Very VanillaInk: Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil DelightAccessories: Dotted

Charming card

2012-01-27T07:40:00.000Z

This is probably my favourite card of the Stamp-a-Stack, as I love the colours so much, although I admit I do like them all. It uses the Charming stamp set and the gorgeous new velvet ribbon from the Mini catalogue. Can’t say much more as there’s a cat on my knee, “helping” me to type! Biggest wrist wrest I’ve ever used! Stamps: Charming, It’s Your Day. Cardstock: River

Spice Cake button card

2012-01-26T07:47:00.000Z

Here’s the second Spice Cake card we made at my Stamp-a-Stack, although this one has almost no stamping on it at all. I totally copied this idea (but not the colours) from a card I saw at Convention, which is one that Shelli Gardner received from a demonstrator for her 50th birthday. No idea who made it which is a shame because how cool would it be to have your card shown

Spiced Paisley Stamp-a-Stack project 1

2012-01-25T07:00:00.014Z

I know you want to see them, so it’s back to the Stamp-a-Stack projects today. This one uses the new Spice Cake Designer Series Paper and just a hint of the Spiced Paisley stamp set. The larger images are stamped on the card base in Versamark, to create a subtle background, and the smaller images are stamped and stamped off in More Mustard on the Very Vanilla tab. The main panel is the Spice

Sale-A-Bration starts today!

2012-01-24T07:00:00.008Z

Today’s the day! Sale-A-Bration has begun – click here to see the fabulous brochure! There are five items in it – four stamp sets (all available in wood-mount or clear-mount) and a pack of Designer Series Paper. They’re all beautiful and suited to very different styles. I’m particularly loving the Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Papers, and the Fresh Vintage stamp set,

Join the Sale-A-Bration!!!!

2012-01-23T10:14:00.000Z

Taking a break from my Stamp-a-Stack projects for a moment, I must remind you that tomorrow is the start of something fabulous: Sale-A-Bration!!!!! Those of you who have been Stampin’ Up!® fans for a while, will know just how exciting Sale-A-Bration is, because there are freebies for everyone! Here’s how it works There are five exclusive Sale-A-Bration (SAB) items this year

All-day stamp-a-stack

2012-01-22T10:12:00.000Z

Yesterday was my first All-Day Stamp-A-Stack and, due to the positive comments both on the day and via email since, I can confidently say it was a success. Oh and we raised £65 for Cancer Research, too! It was very relaxing (well it was for me as I just wandered around chatting!) as everyone moved around the four different work stations. At each one, they made two cards of

Two tags

2012-01-19T21:00:00.000Z

How about a tag for a change? I made a bunch of these to send out to customers a few weeks ago. They use the Two Tags die (which I absolutely love and use all the time now) and a new set from the Mini catty called Charming. This is really sweet and was one of the many freebies I earned from Stampin’ Up!® recently. I stamped the script in Bashful Blue, the flowers in Real

Postage stamp birthday card

2012-01-17T08:45:00.000Z

Here’s another really easy card to make with Perfect Postage (can you tell I didn’t have much time?). I stamped the candle cake image several times on Whisper White and punched it out with the co-ordinating Postage Stamp Punch. I took a strip of Riding Hood Red and stuck the first image in the centre, working outwards and butting each image right up to its neighbour, to

Happy Bunny Birthday

2012-01-16T13:46:00.000Z

Just spent the morning packing for Saturday’s Stamp-a-Stack – with lots of help from my Mum. Thanks, Mum! We’ve packed up such fun goodie bags that I wish I was going! Oh wait, I am... but you know what I mean. But back to today’s post. Despite being (relatively) on top of things for Saturday, I realised I don’t actually have many Mini catalogue samples to display so, last

Adding texture with fabric

2012-01-13T07:44:00.000Z

I'm sorry I'm not posting much lately - I have been busy with my craft supplies and do have eight brand new projects to show you... but I can't reveal them until after my Stamp-a-Stack. The rest of the time has been spent packing for this event - as you can imagine, there's quite a lot to do! But I did throw together this very quick and easy card the other day. Be ready

A touch of glimmer glamour

2012-01-10T07:00:00.007Z

I was so pleased with the way this card turned out that I immediately made two more – that’s never happened before! I was playing with some new toys... my new Curly Cute stamp set (WHY have I held off buying this for so long?), the new Designer Printed Brads that I earned free from Stampin’ Up!® recently and, from the new Spring Mini, the all-new Glimmer Paper and the

Fruit & Flowers One-Sheet Wonder

2012-01-09T07:59:00.000Z

It’s a terrible picture but you get the idea – this is another One-Sheet Wonder I made, albeit a smaller one. This time I used the lovely set from the new Mini, Fruit & Flowers, in Rose Red, Old Olive, Elegant Eggplant and Wisteria Wonder. The set didn’t suit overlapping (I tried it) so the effect is a lot less intense, which is more appropriate for fresh fruity images and

Spiced Paisley One-Sheet Wonder

2012-01-06T08:01:00.000Z

In an attempt to get on top of some birthday cards for the year, I made a One-Sheet Wonder using the fabulous new stamp set, Spiced Paisley. This set is perfect for a OSW as the images look good overlapped and there are lots of them. The colour combo came from the Colour Coach: Chocolate Chip, Pool Party, Wild Wasabi, with the addition of So Saffron as I felt I needed

New Mini is here!

2012-01-04T08:05:00.000Z

The new Mini catalogue goes live today! I’ve been clutching my sticky mitts around one of these beauties since Convention, desperate to show off what’s inside and now the day has come at last... and I realise that I don’t have anything photographed. Doh! It’s all sitting here on my desk, waiting for some daylight, and I keep forgetting. Will try to remedy this in the next couple of days. You can

Happy New Year and a happy new Mini!

2012-01-03T08:55:00.000Z

First of all, a belated Happy New Year to everyone who passes by this blog. Sorry for the absence – rest assured I have been very busy behind the scenes, designing the projects for my Stamp-a-Stack and placing a rather large order of supplies. I thought the hardest part would be not duplicating tools (because I plan to have “stations” for each set of projects) but no, the hardest part was

Belated birthday greetings, Judie!

2011-12-30T08:58:00.000Z

Oops, missed the date again because I didn’t have time to post on here before I went to work yesterday (first day back, you know how it is). Anyway, I meant to say Happy Birthday, Judie! This is Judie’s birthday card – and yes, Judie is the fourth member of my team to have a birthday in December. Remarkable, considering that I have a relatively small team. I wanted to

Happy Birthday, Alison!

2011-12-27T10:53:00.000Z

Ooh, a bit late this one but you know how it is at this time of year. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and that things are getting back to normal now (if that’s what you want) or that the revelry continues (if that’s what you want). We have a day off today, which will give us chance to eat some leftovers, then it’s back to more visiting/entertaining etc. But I am

Happy Birthday, Tricia!

2011-12-24T14:44:00.000Z

If my calculations are correct, this is the card I made for my downline, Tricia, whose birthday is today. Happy Birthday, Tricia – hope your celebrations aren’t eclipsed by Christmas (again). It’s a similar theme to Sue’s card from the other day – still enjoying drawing borders on cards and stamping with Hopeful Thoughts and Aviary. Stamps: Hopeful Thoughts, Aviary,

Happy Birthday, Sue!

2011-12-22T09:07:00.000Z

Today is Sue’s birthday, so Happy Birthday Sue! Your card is on its way but you know what the Christmas post is like. Sue is my "great-grand-downline" if you like and an enthusiastic member of our team. Not sure if I mentioned it at the time but I was lucky enough to win a free ticket to Convention in a Stampin’ Up!® competition and, as I was already booked in, I offered it

One-layer snow card

2011-12-17T13:51:00.000Z

I absolutely love this card created by Vicky over at Crafting Clare so thought I’d be brave and have a go, despite not having the French Foliage stamp set she’s used for the splatters (LOVE that set but never seem to get round to getting it) or a decent standalone “Merry Christmas” stamp (must rectify that before July!) So here’s my take on the card, with the addition of a

Christmas chocolate slider

2011-12-15T08:01:00.001Z

So... here’s the Christmas “card” I sent out to my Virtual Hostesses and gave out to all those who attended my team meeting last weekend. I tell a lie... this is a more elaborate version - I scaled it back a little for mass production. But they were fun to make, and no writing involved! Best of all, they get chocolate! It’s a chocolate slider box, which means you simply pull on the knot or bow

Merry Chocolate!

2011-12-14T08:10:00.000Z

I quite like making Christmas cards (as long as there’s a bit of variety) but I have made quite a few this year for classes (not enough classes, according to Helen J!) and demos, so I thought I’d do something a bit different. Also, I confess that I really don’t like writing Christmas cards – after years of typing almost everything, my hand cramps up when I have to use a pen

Christmas cards as easy as 1, 2, 3...

2011-12-12T19:22:00.000Z

As you know, stamping can be as simple or as complicated as you like. I like to keep my Make & Takes simple for speed, but show slightly more complicated (“stepped up”) versions to show the potential of our accessories. Here are three Christmas cards, starting with the simplest – the design you’d use for mass production, which doesn’t require extra postage... Next we move on to a slightly more

Stampin' Up! on Facebook

2011-12-09T08:02:00.001Z

I know a lot of you are on Facebook. I am resisting as long as I can (have enough web things to update as it is!) but if you want to keep up-to-date with Stampin' Up!® news, there is now a UK Stampin' Up! Facebook page, here. I've just had a peek and there are some pretty fab projects on there, including brand new stuff made by our country manager, Paula Gorry, and some of the sneak peek items we

Convention Make & Take 3

2011-12-08T08:07:00.000Z

Wouldn’t this look fabulous hanging in your craft room? Pity I don’t have a craft room to hang it in! This was another of the Make & Takes we did at Convention and I’m ashamed to say I did it wrong. The banner is made from the Petal Cone die (see right). You are supposed to cut the flap off and then cut it vertically so you are left with a triangle and a semi-circle joined

Convention Make & Take 2

2011-12-07T08:09:00.000Z

This is the second card we made at Convention during our Make & Take sessions. It’s a lovely design, featuring colouring with markers, direct-to-paper, crimping, tearing (actually, I added the tearing)... some of my favourite things! We were also stamping on Confetti White cardstock, which also adds a shabby chic feel to a project. Stamps: Creative Elements, It’s Your

Convention Make & Take 1

2011-12-05T08:02:00.000Z

Today I thought I’d show you one of the Make & Takes we did at Convention. We received our four M&T packs in our fabulous bag at registration and there was a M&T session on each day. As all the projects used the same basic kit, we could choose which ones to make at each session – in fact some demonstrators chose to chat instead, taking their kits home to complete... which

No mistakes, see?

2011-12-03T09:58:00.000Z

You know how there are no mistakes in rubber stamping? This is one of those occasions. It was my first time stamping with this set and seasoned stampers will know that sometimes the images don’t stamp evenly straight away. This is because they have a coating on the rubber to ease their removal from the moulds – rather like greasing a cake tin. Some residue of this coating

Christmas Gift Guide

2011-11-30T08:24:00.003Z

NB: I'm having trouble with my emails right now - can receive but not send. Please be patient - if you need a quick reply, stick your phone number on the end and I'll call you. It's one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year as everyone gets ready for Christmas. Why not take the stress away this year and get your gifts from Stampin' Up!® No frantic dashing to the shops - just drop me a line

Step up for Christmas

2011-11-28T07:48:00.002Z

And this was my Make & Take, which I think everyone loved! This is one of the most popular images from Easy Events right now (might have something to do with the time year!) and here I’ve shown the basic Make & Take we did at the workshops (top), along with an example of a stepped-up version for those who have more time and resources at their disposal. Some of the cards were Cherry Cobbler and

Two Tags Die projects

2011-11-26T11:17:00.000Z

With all the excitement of Convention, I never got round to showing you my October/November workshop projects! I was concentrating on a few products: the new Easy Events stamp set, the new Two Tags die and two old favourites; Watercolour Wonder™ crayons and blender pens. First let me explain the Two Tags die. It looks like this and you won’t be surprised to know that it

Bags, bags, bags - and SU fabric!

2011-11-24T09:23:00.000Z

As well as the Eiffel Tower charm, I wanted to give my team members something to remember Convention by – as a thank you for coming along and being such great downlines. So I decorated a jute bag for each of them, as I knew they’d be needing extra luggage on the return home! They were all different but I’ll just show one of them – this one uses the Timeless Portrait fabric,

Convention 2011

2011-11-21T21:56:00.001Z

So.... I’m back from Convention at Disneyland Paris and beginning to feel a little more human again. Was too exhausted to post anything yesterday. But it was a good exhausted as, just like last year, we had a fabulous time! Here's as short a summary of the weekend as I could write -and some pix, too. Sorry no picture of the team, but I forgot to ask their permission to

Team gifts for Convention

2011-11-18T07:00:00.010Z

We couldn’t go to Paris as a team without commemorating the occasion in some way. As I’ve mentioned before on here, every time one of my team attends an official Stampin’ Up!® event, I present them with a bead for their keyring. They earn a keyring from me when they achieve their first SU promotion and become a Bronze 2 demonstrator – so yes, sometimes they have a bead before they have something

Convention Swaps 2

2011-11-17T07:00:00.002Z

Today’s the day! Off to Convention, so just a quick post to show you my other set of swaps. These are that old favourite: Elizabeth Shaw after-dinner mints, which fit perfectly inside these little favours made from the Two Tags die. I LOVE this die – it has so many possibilities! All I’ve done is score the bookmark shape at 3.5cm and 5cm from the short end and fold it up.

Convention swaps 1

2011-11-16T12:07:00.000Z

Getting very excited now because tomorrow I’m off to Paris for the annual Stampin’ Up!® European Convention! I’ll be travelling with five other excited demonstrators to Disneyland, where the Convention will be held on Friday and Saturday. I don’t expect I’ll be able to update my blog while I’m away but have scheduled a couple of posts to keep you going – and will have lots

I'm back! (Not that I ever really went away)

2011-11-14T14:46:00.000Z

Ooh, sorry for my terrible blogging lately – have never been so lax! It’s partly because I’ve been so busy doing workshops, preparing for Convention (it’s this week!), having visitors and generally getting on with life, partly because I haven’t had time to make anything new recently (apart from my Convention swaps) and partly because it’s always so blooming dark that I

Little thank yous

2011-11-10T08:11:00.000Z

A set of little thank you cards made using Easy Events. I made them all different colours because I get bored doing things all the same – and because I’m trying to wade through my Subtles scraps box! (I’m finally beginning to make an impact – it was VERY full!) I coloured the flowers with Watercolour Wonder™ crayons and blender pens, then – quelle horreur! – I even added a

Beau Chateau gift set class

2011-11-04T14:38:00.000Z

This beautiful gift bag is made with Beau Chateau Designer Series Papers. I love these papers and I love this bag – although next time I think I’ll make the cardstock trim in Soft Suede. Fill the bag with a set of beautiful handmade cards and you have a fantastic gift for Christmas – something the recipient will know you’ve made with care. So, why not join me at my class

Fab offer for hostesses!

2011-11-01T08:13:00.000Z

Ooh, how exciting! Extra freebies for hostesses who hold a party between now and 15th December! In this fabulous new offer, anyone who holds a workshop totalling £300 or more will earn a Paisley Petals Bundle FREE! The bundle consists of a pack of Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper and the Paisley Petals stamp set (wood or clear-mount), worth up to £33.90. This is in addition to the usual

Circus birthday scrapbook page

2011-10-30T21:54:00.000Z

And yes, yet more mileage from the Pennant Punch and Polka Dots embossing folder! This is one of the projects we were given to make at a Stampin’ Up!® training session last month. I’ve changed it slightly from their design because I really wanted to use the new Pennant Punch. It’s a 6x6 scrapbook page and quite simple to make. You cut a piece of the striped paper from Big

Polka dot Christmas

2011-10-28T12:50:00.002+01:00

Another simple Christmas card... and another way of getting mileage out of Pennant Parade and the Polka Dots embossing folder! Here I’ve even used the scalloped bunting created with the punch to make a little tab for the greeting. Stamps: Pennant ParadeCardstock: Real Red, Old Olive, Early EspressoInk: Real Red, Old Olive, Early Espresso, Daffodil DelightAccessories:

Going dotty over these products

2011-10-26T08:54:00.000+01:00

Yet more bunting and polka dots – I think I’m going to wear these products out! The challenge here was to get the whole piece of Whisper White embossed, when it’s actually larger than the Polka Dot embossing folder. So I embossed one half and then carefully positioned it back in the folder, ensuring the raised dots went back into the indentations in exactly the right place.

Bring out the bunting (again)

2011-10-24T09:05:00.000+01:00

Another simple bunting card for you – this punch is such a hit with those who are enjoying the bunting trend as it eliminates lots of cutting out. Here I’ve used some of the new In Colors and the Pennant Parade stamp set. I’ve stamped the bunting onto cardstock of the same colour as the ink, then punched out the simple triangle with the punch. A strip of cardstock was

Oh what a circus!

2011-10-20T07:52:00.000+01:00

OMG! As the young people say. But seriously, how totally fabulous is this? Regular readers will be able to tell at a glance that I didn’t make this – I just don’t have the patience for all that cutting out. Very regular readers will probably have worked out that this is the work of Kelly, a friend and former downline. She’s super-talented and spent quite a while at my

Two little love birds

2011-10-17T08:31:00.000+01:00

Oops, I thought I’d posted this on the blog ages ago! It’s the little confetti box we made at my catalogue launch at the beginning of the month. As the day was about products and not techniques, I saw no need to reinvent the wheel and recycled a template I’ve used before. You can see it here. I used the new Cheerful Treat Designer Series Papers, which are absolutely

Layered Christmas tree

2011-10-15T11:18:00.001+01:00

Turn your bunting upside down and you have a Christmas tree! Here I’ve layered three shades of green, all embossed using the Polka Dots embossing folder. The Pennant Parade stamp set features a little Christmas tree pot so you can get more mileage out of your stamps and the punch. Clever, eh? The rhinestones were coloured with a red Sharpie before I added them to the centres of the tiny flowers.

Roll up, roll up...

2011-10-13T08:15:00.000+01:00

How cute is this? This was one of the fabulous projects we were all given to take away and complete at a Stampin’ Up!® training session recently. They even gave us this fab stamp set, too! It’s called Under The Big Top and it features lots of images on a vintage circus theme. This gorgeous project is a little circus wagon which holds a set of co-ordinating mini cards.

Oh Christmas trees...

2011-10-10T20:40:00.000+01:00

How about another Christmas card from this versatile stamp set? Pennant Parade is not just for bunting – turn those triangles upside down and you have very effective Christmas trees! Stamps: Pennant ParadeCardstock: Real Red, Early Espresso, Old Olive, Whisper WhiteInk: Old Olive, Real Red, Early Espresso, Daffodil DelightAccessories: Big Shot, Polka Dot Embossing Folder,

Cheerful tree(t)

2011-10-08T07:00:00.013+01:00

Happy Saturday everyone! It's been a full-on week, so I'm glad it's the weekend and here's a bright and cheerful card to celebrate. Easy Events has to be the single most useful stamp set in the new catalogue. There are stamps in the set for all year round, and you can mask off the greetings – or even trim them if you’re feeling brave – so that you get even greater versatility. Here I’ve stamped

Extended pillow box

2011-10-07T07:48:00.002+01:00

Isn’t this cute? And perfect for those bars of chocolate which won’t fit in a normal-length pillow box! I first got this idea from a French* demonstrator after receiving an extended pillow box from her in a swap earlier this year. It really is very simple – all you do is die-cut two pillow boxes and join them together with Sticky Strip! Then you just have to make sure you’ve covered the join with

A little birdie...

2011-10-06T08:08:00.000+01:00

What a fab card! And I can say that because it’s not one of mine. Imagine my surprise when I was sorting through my birthday cards from earlier this year and found this beauty... which uses one of the new stamp sets in our new catty! It came, of course, from a far-off land... Canada to be precise, where the Stampin’ Up!® catalogue comes out earlier than here so they get

Blue skies in October

2011-10-04T07:35:00.003+01:00

I love these papers and I love bunting! Bunting is a key trend right now and you can make your own very easily using the new Pennant Punch and some Designer Series Paper, as I demonstrated at my catalogue launch party at the weekend. I can’t lay claim to this clever design – I found it on the internet – but I had fun making my own using my trusty brayer. To make the

Join my team and get a fab free gift!

2011-10-02T20:34:00.001+01:00

Here’s exciting news if you’ve ever toyed with the idea of being a demonstrator: a FREE gift if you sign up during October! Everyone who joins the Stampin’ Up!® family during October* gets a FREE In Color Kit worth £27.95. This contains FIVE INK PADS in the new In Colors, plus an assorted pack of In Color cardstock. This fab free gift comes on top of the already excellent value Starter Kit,

Today's the day!

2011-10-01T06:00:00.000+01:00

Today’s the day! The day that the new Stampin’ Up!® Idea Book & Catalogue goes live! Which means that not only can you view it online, via the SU website, you can order anything you like from it through a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator like me. There are loads of lovely, lovely things in the new catty – it’s hard to know where to begin. But I’m loving the fact that there are lots more stamps to

Catalogue countdown, day 5

2011-09-30T08:09:00.002+01:00

Earlier this year I was asked by a customer if we sold a bunting punch to go with Party This Way. The answer at that time was, unfortunately, “no”... but the good news is that all has changed! From tomorrow’s new catalogue, we DO sell a bunting punch, although it’s called a Pennant Punch. The other good news is that we also have a new bunting stamp set to go with it! It’s

Catalogue countdown, day 4

2011-09-29T07:56:00.000+01:00

Now, before you think “wow, she’s upped her game!”, let me confess that I did NOT make this card! It is, of course, the work of the super-talented Kelly, who joined me for a fun stamping session last week. Unlike Tuesday’s creation – which was so simple that it just had to be my own – this was not a quick card to make, although it was positively speedy compared to the

Catalogue countdown, day 3

2011-09-28T08:12:00.001+01:00

Staying with the Christmas theme, Pennant Parade, one of our new stamp sets, is perfect for Christmas cards – because if you turn the stamps upside down, you get these lovely trees! There’s even a pot in the stamp set, as well as a star, although I’ve not used the star here. The background is “debossed”, which means the dots go in instead of out. Whether that was by accident or design, I’ll

New catalogue countdown, day 2

2011-09-27T15:29:00.002+01:00

This is one of my favourite samples with new catalogue products – and yet it’s so simple, it only took a few minutes to make. I stamped the image in Basic Grey onto Whisper White cardstock, then coloured the leaves with blender pen and ink pads. I layered it onto Sahara Sand and Always Artichoke cardstock, then created the mistletoe berries with Basic Pearls. Cool, eh? The

New catalogue countdown!

2011-09-26T07:52:00.000+01:00

You’ve all been very patient, waiting for new catalogue sneak peeks. So here’s something to whet your appetite.. a joy fold card featuring a brand new stamp set called Easy Events. It’s a really cute set and I’ve paper-pieced the shell using this beautiful new paper collection, Cheerful Treat. The paper is for hostesses only, so if you want to get your hands on it, get in

Distressing class projects

2011-09-23T11:30:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately – I’ve been up to my ears in preparing for my new Catalogue Launch Party, trying to make samples, changing my email address, setting up new-style newsletters, not to mention nursing a stinking cold! But now, better late than never, are some of the projects we made at last week’s Distressed About Distressing class. Unfortunately, I took a

He's been framed

2011-09-19T18:54:00.000+01:00

When I decided to make a frame out of the Woodland Walk paper, I discovered just how difficult it is to mitre corners! The crocodile is stamped, coloured and then covered with Crystal Effects. The grass is handcut using my fab Stampin' Snips. To create the frame, I cut strips of Woodland Walk paper. I mounted this on a piece of the backing card which comes with Designer Series Paper and trimmed

Elegant butterflies

2011-09-16T07:49:00.000+01:00

You don’t want to let these beautiful papers slip away do you? You only have until the end of September to order any of the Designer Series Papers in the current catalogue. Well, I say “any” – Jolly Holiday has already sold out and other items are selling fast, so don’t delay! Shipping is £4.95 to anywhere in the UK – and if you spend £50 or more, I’ll pay the shipping for

Products still selling out fast!

2011-09-09T07:46:00.000+01:00

Keep your eye on the retiring list because more items are selling out daily. One of the latest victims of its own success is Tart & Tangy. I had a sample to show you using this set but didn't want to reveal it until I'd given it to the recipient. Oh well... moving on... Name cards are easy when you’ve borrowed somebody’s alphabet dies! I’d been asked to create a

Here's looking at you...

2011-09-06T08:24:00.000+01:00

I'd forgotten how nerve-wracking September can be, with the retiring list and products selling out, left, right and centre! I will be placing a group order with free postage this evening - and after that it will be individual orders only, which I will place as soon as they arrive. Shipping will be £4.95 to any UK address - but if you spend £50 you can have FREE shipping! It

Products selling out fast!

2011-09-05T13:26:00.000+01:00

Red alert! Some products on the retiring list are sold out already! I'm upset about Sense of Time because I was planning to use that at the Distressed About Distressing class later this month! So the lesson to us all is: get your order in early! Now, onto today's card... and doesn’t our little owl go well with this woodgrain paper from Woodland Walk? This is for a friend

It takes all sorts...

2011-09-03T09:03:00.000+01:00

I’ve been having fun with those monsters again! There’s something very cheering about these little fellas and I thought I’d have another play with them, just in case they ended up on the retiring list (thankfully, they didn’t!). It all really started with the goggly eyes – and it amused me to put eyes of different sizes on this monster. I stamped him twice – once onto the

Strength & Hope

2011-09-02T09:21:00.000+01:00

I have a friend who is in great need of some strength and hope at the moment following some family news, so I made this card for her. I have to admit I haven’t always got on well with this stamp set but having a real person to make a card for made all the difference and I really like the results. Remember, if you buy this stamp set, Stampin’ Up!® will donate £1 to the

Catch 'em while you can!

2011-09-01T08:15:00.000+01:00

Here's the link to the list of retiring products! And guess what? A few selected items are reduced by up to 40%! But remember that ALL these products are only available while stocks last, so if you want to order anything, please let me know ASAP!

Order your catalogue... and make it snappy!

2011-08-31T07:00:00.033+01:00

There's a crocodile card if you scroll down but please bear with me for a couple of Public Service Announcements! Tomorrow is a very important day - it's the day that the retiring list is published. This is the list of products which will not be carried over to the new Idea Book & Catalogue, which goes live on 1st October. So, if you're a Stampin' Up!® fan (and why wouldn't you be?), there are

Distressed at sea

2011-08-30T07:39:00.003+01:00

Another distressed seascape from my experiments with the water spritzing technique. This time I used blue ink and highlighted the tops of the “waves” with dots of the white gel pen. Again, I got a bit carried away with the distressing – must learn to stop! Stamps: Sail AwayCardstock: Basic Gray, Night of Navy, Real Red, Whisper WhitePaper: Play DateInk: Night of

Sailing in a stormy sepia

2011-08-29T10:08:00.000+01:00

In preparation for my Distressed About Distressing class, I’ve been playing around with a few distressing techniques. Not sure if this one will make it to the class due to time restraints though. I have no idea what this technique is called – perhaps someone can enlighten me? I took a piece of acetate and swiped with one of the ink spots from the Distressing Essentials Kit. I spritzed it lightly

For a beautiful baby...

2011-08-26T09:07:00.000+01:00

Can’t believe I’ve forgotten to post this baby card – baby Grace must surely be walking by now! This is a for a friend who is currently enjoying her gorgeous new baby girl, Grace Elizabeth - who, I notice from the latest photo, looks just like her! There’s hardly any stamping on this card because the papers do all the work – they’re from the Nursery Suite collection, which

Keeping it simple

2011-08-22T07:10:00.003+01:00

Cards for men don’t have to be brown, they don’t have to be gloomy, they don’t have to be hard work... and they don’t have to have ties on them! I made this for a man and it’s clean, simple and there’s nothing fussy or frilly on it to make it feminine. Can’t say fairer than that (oh, and it was really quick, too!) Stamps: Party This wayCardstock: Pacific Point, Real Red,

Distressed and doodled

2011-08-20T11:33:00.000+01:00

Sorry about the long absence – school holidays and all that. To celebrate my return, though, how about a scrapbook page for a change? We created this page at my recent Scrapping Wednesday class – I would love to be able to hold these classes monthly, so get in touch if you’re interested in scrapbooking, whether you are starting from scratch or just want to build up your

All boxed up

2011-08-15T07:51:00.000+01:00

I know, I know, teacher gifts in the middle of August? This one slipped through the net but I’m posting it now because you can always use the idea next year... or at Christmas... or for a gift for someone else. Anyway, teacher gifts don’t have to be tricky. This is just a small bag of Thornton’s Chocolates in a perfectly-fitting box. How can making a box fit perfectly be

Retro stitches

2011-08-12T09:43:00.001+01:00

Don’t you just love the retro look of these fab papers from the Mini catalogue? They’re called Sweet Stitches and are very funky. They were perfect to make a thank you card for a very talented lady who has altered a coat for me. I made a buckle card, instructions for which are here. It’s a really simple card to make, with no waste. There’s very little stamping on this card; there really was no

Cats go to great lengths

2011-08-10T08:25:00.001+01:00

Another cute “Long Fellow” – this time a cat and anyone who has cats will know that yes they can stretch themselves to great lengths! This was for a girl’s birthday so I decided to go for a pink cat, which I coloured using a Stampin’ Write marker in Pretty in Pink. The rest of the card is very simple, too – I am just trying to use up some of my Subtles scraps as I can’t get the lid on the box!

A charity request

2011-08-08T19:28:00.001+01:00

Please indulge me as I take a break from stamping for this post. Those of you who know me in real life will most likely be aware that hubby is a MAMIL – that is, a Middle-Aged Man In Lycra. Here he is, after his gruelling trek to the top of the Col du Galibier in the French Alps last summer. He did that just for fun (hmmm... define “fun”) but next month is taking on a challenge for charity. He’

Wedding neutrals

2011-08-07T07:00:00.002+01:00

It was only after I sent this wedding card that I realised that a birdcage isn’t perhaps the most appropriate image! Hope the bride and groom don’t feel caged in – oops! I’m not very good at elegant cards for frilly occasions such as weddings so I went for soothing neutrals – but with a hint of bling. Which, of course, the photo doesn’t show. After I completed the card I spritzed it with some

Long enough?

2011-08-05T07:00:00.008+01:00

How cute is this dog? He’s from Long Fellows, a Level 2 hostess set – a set I just couldn’t resist mounting and using. And as for colouring him, it couldn’t be simpler – a dab of Perfect Plum ink form the blender pen and a slash of the same under his feet and he was done! The stamp comes with a sentiment underneath but I didn’t want it on this particular card so I simply

Perfectly pillowed

2011-08-04T07:05:00.007+01:00

When my team members reach Stampin’ Up!® milestones, I like to reward them in addition to the rewards they receive from the company. When they get to Bronze 2 they get a keyring/bag charm from me with a bead on it. Further achievements earn them more beads. I was delighted recently that two of my team achieved promotions, so I made these cute little boxes to hold their beads. This one was for

Naturally sweet

2011-08-02T07:03:00.003+01:00

These are such sweet little cards, made with my favourite stamp set from the Mini catalogue and the gorgeous Springtime Vintage papers. This was the Make & Take for my recent parties – if you fancy making cute projects like this, why not book your own party? I began by stamping the sprig in Rose Red on a small square of Very Vanilla cardstock. I stamped repeatedly without

White rabbits! And a new offer!

2011-08-01T07:49:00.004+01:00

It's the first of a new month and we have a new offer for you! It's called Gift With Purchase which is pretty self-explanatory... yes, you get a free exclusive gift with a qualifying purchase or workshop. Everyone loves freebies, so check out the full details at the Stampin' Up!® website by clicking here. Then please get in touch to book your workshop or place your order!

Bright, fun projects

2011-07-31T07:46:00.003+01:00

These were the other bright projects to partner the bunting card at my Stampin’ Experience. I demoed the cello bag topper and then everyone made the card. I LOVE this bag of M&Ms. I bought the sweets at the last-minute and was so excited when I opened them and realised just how perfectly the colours match. The only thing I’d change would be the Old Olive – Wild Wasabi

Distressed about distressing?

2011-07-30T07:11:00.001+01:00

I've updated my events page with details of a new class - Distressed About Distressing? Please take a look by clicking here.

More bunting!

2011-07-29T07:08:00.001+01:00

I’m loving this bunting card – so much so that I made another... and another! This was one of the demos at my recent Stampin’ Experience event. I tried to stick to a limited product list, which is very difficult when you’re used to using everything you have! But I managed it with Party This Way, Brights inks, Brights cardstock assortment and Neutrals cardstock assortment

Wine tag

2011-07-26T09:41:00.000+01:00

What a poor picture! You can’t tell but this is a wine tag. It’s ever so easy to make and dresses up a bottle of wine nicely. I carefully wrote down all the measurements so I could add them to this post, but I have no idea where they are and I’m currently in the middle of a massive craft sort-out! Basically, it’s a piece of Basic Black cardstock, scored across the width,

Number line

2011-07-23T11:01:00.000+01:00

A card with very little stamping but I really do have A LOT of paper to use up before the end of September. Why? Because, as you may or may not know, it’s usually the case that ALL our Designer Series Papers are retired to make way for new ones in the new Idea Book & Catalogue on 1st October. Don’t worry, we will have fair warning, with a retiring list issued on 1st

Pine cones a go-go

2011-07-20T07:09:00.001+01:00

This is the final Christmas in July project and one of my favourites, because I just love trees, shabby chic and River Rock! We stamped in Always Artichoke, but you’ll see I managed to sneak in some Old Olive cardstock! I’d invested in a 1 3/8” Square Punch for this class which certainly made preparation easier for me, and I’m loving the punch, too. I love the background

It's still Christmas...

2011-07-18T07:30:00.013+01:00

More Christmas in July projects for you – scroll down because there are two projects again today. First up is this (I think) lovely card using Welcome Christmas. To make this card, we stamped the wreath on a Very Vanilla panel – because the stamps we were using were clear-mount, we could see exactly where to stamp without using a Stamp-a-ma-jig®. The greeting was stamped

It's Christmas at last!

2011-07-17T10:17:00.000+01:00

I’m so behind with blogging but finally have my Christmas in July projects photographed and ready to show you. Please scroll down for a bonus project! This year I decided not to try to be trendy with non-traditional colour schemes and stick to my favourites: greens and reds. There’s a reason these colours are the most popular for Christmas and that’s because they work. And, of course, plenty of

Coming soon...

2011-07-16T22:06:00.002+01:00

It's Saturday, it's late, I do have loads of projects to show you but now is not the time. Will try to get them off the camera tomorrow!

Floral bunting

2011-07-13T07:15:00.004+01:00

Springtime Vintage papers are so gorgeous, I’m surprised I haven’t been taking orders for them from everyone! They feature pretty florals reminiscent of old-fashioned wallpaper, little girls’ dress prints or patchwork fabrics. Here I’ve used them to create bunting, which is perfect for a little girl’s birthday. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have bunting like this at your

Our stand at the Roundhouse

2011-07-11T09:45:00.000+01:00

I’m so late in posting this but better late than never, eh? This is our stand at the Fabulous Places Food & Drink Fair at the Roundhouse last weekend. Didn’t we look smart with our official Stampin’ Up!® signage? BIG thanks to Stampin’ Up! for the loan of this fantastic wall (with Velcro panel to attach display cards) and pop-up banner. Thank you, too, to Emma Daye, a

Join the Stampin' Experience!

2011-07-05T22:09:00.000+01:00

You’re invited to a free event! I am holding a special free event to introduce people to Stampin’ Up!® There will be demonstrations, a Make & Take and, of course, cake! It’s on Saturday, 16th July in Aston-on-Trent, which is just south of Derby. Doors open at 10am for registration and the event runs from 10.15am-12.30pm. Whether you’re a beginner crafter, experienced

I'm back!

2011-07-05T08:18:00.000+01:00

Hello! Remember me? Are you still there? So sorry for such a long absence, you wouldn’t believe what a busy week I’ve had. All good stuff though! Saturday and Sunday was the Fabulous Places Food & Gift Fair at the Roundhouse. I don’t have pictures of our stand yet but will have soon, I promise. I have to say that we looked suitably fabulous with our huge Stampin’ Up! wall

Nautical news

2011-06-28T07:59:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the lack of blog posts, I’m having a really busy week, trying to prepare for the big Fabulous Places event at the Roundhouse in Derby at the weekend, while also getting ready for Christmas in July the weekend after. Please bear with me over the next few days as I won’t be around much to post to my blog. But, to keep you going for a while, here’s an idea which I saw on the great Shelli

Sail Away

2011-06-24T07:57:00.000+01:00

Have I introduced you to this sailing boat yet? I don’t think so, and yet I’ve been using it quite a lot recently. It’s from the very back of the Mini Catalogue, where you’ll find some really nice individual stamps – perfect for presents, for those getting started who don’t want to splash out on everything immediately and, of course, for those who just like the images. I’m a sucker for all