New August-December Mini Catalogue goes live today

It’s beginning to look a lot like... there’s a new catalogue! Today is the day when you can order from the brand new August-December Mini Catalogue from Stampin’ Up!® And it’s packed to the drawstring with gorgeous projects for autumn, Hallowe’en and – gulp – Christmas.

You can see – and shop – the new products here

Here are just a few of the products which have my name all over them...

The Gilded Autumn Suite – gorgeous! I loved this so much that I bought the whole Suite. The punches are so cute and the paper is currently too nice to use...

In The Pines Bundle – well you know I’m a sucker for trees, and especially pine trees as I’ve just returned from a week in the Abernethy Forest in the Scottish Cairngorms. They’re really good for you, too – they emit chemicals which boost your mood and your immune system. Clever things, trees. 

Coming Home Bundle – such a fun bundle, comprising the Coming Home stamp set and the Home Together Dies. Add the paper for even more fun. Best of all, if you purchase this stamp set, £2.50 will be donated to charities devoted to adoption, foster care and infertility. 

Yuletide Pasture stamp set – well, what can I say? It has a cat in it! Along with a sheep (baa humbug cards coming soon) and a Highland cow. I can see me combining this set with In the Pines for a truly Highland Christmas card. 

Christmas Countdown advent calendar kit – yes, it’s back! This was SUCH a popular kit last year and there’s plenty of mileage left in it yet. As you can see from this photo, you don’t have to make a Christmas project; use it with any Designer Series Paper or stamped images to create a year-round décor or storage item. And guess what? You can decorate BOTH sides of those boxes, so you can make your advent calendar on one side, and something else on the other. It’s a twofer!

Which ones are on your wish list?

Christmas Ornament Week: Countdown to Christmas

It’s getting a bit late for Christmas card ideas so this week on the blog it’s Ornament Week!

I’m kicking off with this lovely wood slice ornament with a pretty cardinal, totally CASEd from USA demonstrator Fran Smith and using the Countdown to Christmas stamp set. We don’t get cardinals in this country but they look very pretty and colourful for this time of year.

I stamped the bird image and greeting (from Peaceful Boughs) directly onto the wood slice using Stazon ink, then stamped the bird again onto Whisper White. I coloured the bird using a Real Red Stampin’ Write marker then cut it out and piece it on top.

The Old Olive die-cut boughs are dipped into embossing paste for a snowy look.

Get pearls and rhinestones in any colour you like to match your project by colouring them with Stampin' Blends alcohol markers. Just be very gentle so you don’t damage the brush tip. 
 

Christmas Countdown meets You Always Deliver

This was one of those projects that looked better in my head. I was aiming for clean and classy but fear it may just be a little boring.

I set myself up with a bit of a task by deciding to colour in the berries individually. Turns out there are 50+ on each image... and I was making cards for all the customers who ordered at a party this month! Still, it turned out the thought was worse than the actual colouring and I finished them in a few minutes.

I’d been a bit reluctant to buy and use this stamp set because we don’t have cardinals in the UK... and then I realised, it makes the perfect crested tit!

My Pool Party ink pad was freshly re-inked, so I stamped off the background image to avoid it swamping the bird, which was stamped on top in Grey Granite. A few dots of silver give it a wintry feel.