Star Framelits card and #christhecatalogue

Am having an exhausting evening as Mr Winky has had some dental work done today and, because of the anaesthetic, he’s not allowed outside… supposedly for 2-3 days. I vetoed that immediately as I know what he’s like but the vet did say he couldn’t go out until tomorrow at least. 

So this evening is an Ayckbourn-style farce of closing doors and running around to prevent him from escaping. “He may be a little drowsy”… I think not - he’s never been so lively! Mainly because he really needs a wee and won’t use the litter tray provided.

...

Anyway… after a short break to disinfect and mop the floor,  I’m back with a card from my now not-so-recent Awkward Cards Workshop. This was one of the cards we made for teenagers, using the Stars Framelits which, trust me, are not just for Christmas. 

In other news, I spent Saturday in the company of 350 other demonstrators at the UK Regional training event in Telford. This was a great opportunity to see some of the products from the upcoming catalogue. There were some fabulous demonstration, lots of swapping (sadly, I didn’t have time to make any swaps, but that never seems to stop me coming home with some!) and I even won a Prize Patrol, which is virtually unheard of!

The catalogue itself was launched in spectacular style by our very own Chris from Demonstrator Support. Chris has been with SU ever since they launched in Europe in November 2007 and is the one we all turn to when we need help. So it’s no wonder he gets the biggest cheer of all when he turns up on the SU stage… and dressing him as a catalogue only served to make the cheers even louder.  

He did, however confess that it was quite heavy, so I asked him to pose looking miserable and he said: “I’ll pretend that you’ve phoned me three times in a day with different problems.” Rude. 

134180	133723	137779	135315
106578	106549	135636	119246

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Online store up and running again

Good news! The online store is up and running again. Go directly to the retiring products by clicking here. Thanks for your patience!

Stampin Up! retiring list 2015

The Retiring List is here! Check it carefully because anything you want from that list will NOT be in the new catalogue, and will only be available while supplies last.

Click HERE for the list!

I may be ordering later today but after that, if you want something, please order through my online store.

UPDATE: It's currently 5.30pm and the system is down for maintenance. Please be patient while this is resolved and try your order again later.

Clearance Rack - huge end-of-year sale!

Don’t miss these fabulous deals on the Clearance Rack! You could grab yourself a full set of alphabet and number dies for just £48.59 (RRP £80.95) right down to embossing powder, washi tape and tags, for less than £2. Lots of bargains to be had so take a look HERE.

NEW: Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit

Do you…

…struggle to find time to make cards?

…want to start making cards but don’t know how to begin or think it’s going to be expensive?

…love cool new products and word stamps?

…know someone who fits any of the above?

The solution to all the above can be found in our fabulous new Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit. The kit allows you to make 20 cards at less than £1 each… you can’t buy fabulous cards like this at that price! Just £17.95 will get you the following:

• Cardstock for 20 cards
• Clear stamp block
• Stampin’ Dimensionals
• Twine 
• Clips
• Basic Gray Stampin’ Spot (1” square ink pad)
• Envelopes for 20 cards
• Hip Hip Hooray stamp set (three stamps)
• Adhesive die-cut embellishments
• Full colour instruction brochure

Pretty amazing, eh? Whether you’re a complete beginner or experienced crafter, I think you’ll love this product. I can’t wait to order mine!

Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit - 134998 - £17.95

New Texture Boutique Embossing Machine - and extended Valentine's promotion

Are you back for news of an exciting new product? Good. Because I’m here to tell you about the brand new Texture Boutique Embossing Machine... and, if you scroll down, there's more exciting news to share, too!

Small and portable, the Texture Boutique Embossing Machine is designed to be used with our Textured Impressions embossing folders, to add an extra dimension to your projects. 

We have three new embossing folders in the new Spring/Summer catalogue. Order all three at £7.50 each and the Texture Boutique Embossing Machine at £26.95 and you'll qualify for a FREE Sale-a-Bration gift. Why not stay with the embossing theme and order the Textured Impressions Decorative Dots folder?

Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Check out the Stampin’ Up!® video for more about this new tool.



Ok, are you ready for some more news? I am absolutely DELIGHTED to be able to tell you that some of the products from the Whole Lot of Love promotion are still available!

This is something I’ve been emailing Stampin’ Up!® about in the past few weeks as I felt that these products were lost over the Christmas period and have much wider appeal than just Valentine’s Day. And you know how excited I am about the Monster Hugs!

Check out the list of what’s still available*. But they’re not around forever... they will be here until 14th February, so hurry!

• 131850: Love You More Stamp Set (wood-mount)
• 131853: Love You More Stamp Set (clear-mount)
• 134611: Follow My Heart Stamp Set (wood-mount)
• 134617: Flowerfull Heart Stamp
• 132862: Toujours + d’amour Stamp Set
• 134610: Sweetheart Treat Bags
• 132162: Monster Hugs Boy
• 132163: Monster Hugs  Girl
• 134609: Sweet Sayings Cards and Envelope

* Just compared lists - looks like the only thing which isn’t available is the German stamp set. 

Santa's List Label Card Thinlits - and Clearance Rack news!

If you like smaller cards – or want your main element to be a bigger feature of your card – you can cut down the cards made by the Label Card Thinlits to make any size you like. This one is sized to fit our note card envelopes, which we can buy in Crumb Cake, or which come in white with the Whisper White note cards.

I stamped around the bottom with that old favourite, Lovely as a Tree, in Old Olive. Then used the same stamp to represent branches around the white label on the inside. If you don’t have this stamp set, I highly recommend that you get it as it’s suitable for very many occasions; Christmas, masculine, sympathy, birthday… you name it, you’ll be able to make it with this versatile stamp set.

It’s not too late to buy for Christmas presents – why not take a look at my online store and, while you’re there, check out the Clearance Rack. New items have just been added and there are some great bargains on cardstock (some of your favourite retired colours!) and ribbons, not to mention dies and embossing folders and embellishments, too!

You can have your order shipped to any UK address for just £4.95 – and delivery should be within about five days at the moment.

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Santa’s List, Wishing You

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Crumb Cake

Accessories: Label Card Thinlits, Modern Label Punch, Basic Rhinestones, Old Olive Simply Styled Embellishments

Whole Lot of Love - brand new Valentine's products!

Christmas is just around the corner – the countdown began today as the first window of the advent calendars across the nation are prised open and, in most cases, the chocolate eaten from within. I remember the days when we had to be satisfied with a little picture of a robin! (Clearly I’m getting old.)

If Christmas is just around the corner, that means Valentine’s Day is not far behind and, as crafters, it’s helpful to stay one step ahead.

Releasing our Valentine’s products early means you can get cracking on your projects over the impending break, or even buy these gorgeous stamps and accessories as gifts for friends for Christmas. 

We saw sneak peeks of all of these products at Convention and I have to admit that, despite not being a big Valentine’s sender, I love them! I won the Love Your More stamp set (well, swapped prizes with a friend) and have been playing with it over the last couple of days.

Here’s what I made for a friend’s birthday – I don’t think she reads my blog, so it should be ok. I coloured the bird with markers – it looked really crisp until I decided to add Crystal Effects to the heart. You can just see that the word “Love” has faded slightly, where the Crystal Effects has made the ink run. I know I should have left the ink to dry for longer but patience isn’t a strong point.

So, despite being a Valentine’s set, my first use of it was for a birthday card – and I know I can get lots of use out of these stamps – in, fact, any of the products on the list below would be useful for all kinds of occasions!

The Monster Hugs received the biggest reaction at Convention – these are soooooo cute! They don’t require much crafting (you just add a chocolate or something small to the centre of the monster, wrap the arms around it and seal with a sticker) so are perfect for beginners, for children, for non-stampers you want to tempt into the craft and for when you need something really cute in a hurry. They’d be great for party favours, for giving out to the class on your child’s birthday… and just for keeping in stock for when someone you know could do with a hug.

Check them out… these products are available from 1st December to 27th January only, or while supplies last.

Stamps

Love You More Stamp Set (wood) - 131850 - £19.95
Love You More Stamp Set (clear) – 131853 - £15.95
This set is also available in French and German in clear-mount only – ask for details

Follow My Heart Stamp Set (wood) – 134611 - £13.95
Follow My Heart Stamp Set (clear) – 134614 - £10.95

Flowerfull Heart Stamp (wood only) – 134617 - £8.95 

Accessories

Sweetheart Treat Bags – 134610 - £4.50
12 Heart bags, 12 die-cut labels, 12 pre-cut pieces of Pool Party Baker’s Twine 

Monster Hugs Boy – 132162 - £5.50 (available 9th December)
Monster Hugs Girl – 132163 - £5.50 (available 9th December)
Each pack contains 18 monsters, in either pink or blue, 18 goggly eyes, 18 adhesive hearts 

Sweet Sayings Cards and Envelopes – 134609 - £5.50
12 printed card bases, 12 envelopes (four Real Red, four Pool Party, four Crisp Canteloupe) 

Recipe for my Love You More card: 
Stamps: Love You More, Summer Silhouettes
Cardstock: Whisper White, Pool Party, Calypso Coral
Ink: Pool Party ink pad; markers in Pool Party, Marina Mista, Calypso Coral, Raspberry Ripple
Accessories: Chalk Talk dies, Chevron Ribbon – Marina Mist, Baker’s Twine from Tag a Bag Accessory Kit, Crystal Effects

Half-size wood-mount cases now available

Great news! The half-sized wood-mount cases are now available to order, after a delay. These great boxes are now available in two sizes and have lots of uses, such as...

• Converting your old wood-mount stamps to the new matching storage system. Printable inserts are available (see below)
• Storing stamping supplies such as markers, reinkers, ribbons etc
• A hard protective case for a mini scrapbook album
• Gift box to present cards etc (take a look at mine, here)
• Gift box to make a mini craft kit for a friend who's just starting out
• Store small toys for children on a car journey

I'm sure you can think of more!

If you want to transfer your old wood-mount stamps to this fab new packaging, you'll want it to look right, so Stampin' Up!® have produced some inserts for you to print:

Blank half-size insert - fits Half-size cases - 127552 - £4.50 (pack 4)
Blank full-size insert - fits Full-size cases - 127551 - £6.25 (pack 4)

Find them on page 197 of the main catalogue.

Envelope Punch Board is here!

Today’s the day we launch a brand new exciting tool that’s going to make the craft world go wild! I just know it’s going to be a big seller!

Why so confident? Oh, lots of reasons! Here are three:

1. I love it. It’s quick and easy to use and very versatile – it’s been giving me hours of fun!

2. It’s a bargain. It’s £17.95, just a couple of quid more than a standard size punch, and offers so many possibilities.

3. You’ll love it, too. I’m confident about this because I’ve already demonstrated it at my Epic Day of Crafting – where the guests burst into spontaneous applause!

It is, of course, the Envelope Punch Board!

This fabulous, lightweight tool creates customisable envelopes in at least 66 different sizes. You can use cardstock or DSP, or even print your own designs using My Digital Studio and your home printer. You can make envelopes in seconds.

Measurements are in metric and imperial – you get a metric sticker to add if you wish, but I prefer to keep mine separately, so that I can still use inches when required.

You can make so much more than envelopes, though – if you book a party I’ll be happy to demonstrate it versatility.

If you can’t wait that long, drop me a line and I’ll order one for you – the order number is 133774.

Meanwhile, take a look at the Stampin’ Up! video, showing you how quick and easy it is to use.

New product: Thinlits card dies

I have two brand new and very exciting products to show you – and they’re available now! They are Thinlits Card Dies and they make creating flip cards an absolute breeze.

Circle Card Thinlits Dies

Label Card Thinlits Dies

There are two designs available, each retailing at £29.95 – and each one comes with a host of accessory dies, which you can see in the images.

To use them, all you have to do is lay the largest die on half a sheet of cardstock and run it through your Big Shot. Fold along the scorelines, concertina-style, and you have the basis of your flip card. Then you can decorate it as you wish, using the accompanying dies or whatever you have to hand.

The finished card is US-sizing, but this is not an issue, as you have several options, including:

1. Use our standard C6 envelopes and live with the fact that they are a little long. The card will still fit.
2. Buy the Medium Envelopes (page 162), available in Clear or Crumb Cake. These are sized perfectly.
3. Watch this space for another fab new product!

Of course, I’ve hinted at these fab products before, by showing you one of the cards we made at my Epic Day of Crafting. Here’s the inside of the one pictured at the top of the page, which I made for my downline Donna’s birthday.

For more about the Thinlits, please click here.

Stamps: Flower Shop, Remembering Your Birthday

Cardstock: Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Coastal Cabana

Accessories: Label Card Thinlits, Chevron Embossing Folder, Pansy Punch, Bird Punch, Itty Bitty Punches

25 stamp sets at 25% off!

Whoohoo! Let’s get this party started!

As many of you will know, Stampin’ Up!® celebrates its 25^th anniversary this year – and we’ve been enjoying a year of special offers and surprises.

The actual date is this week – the 25^th to be precise – so, to celebrate, between now and 28th October, you can buy 25 stamp sets at 25% off! That’s a pretty impressive saving, don’t you think?!

You can see the full list here or check them out at my online store (with images) here.

I’m going to have a proper look myself now – as I’m sure there will be something I *ahem* need!

Please get in touch to place an order!

Wetlands ornament - and a £25 sign-up offer

First of all, I am desperately trying to fill my Epic Day of Crafting, as unfortunately someone has had to drop out. I have three places left, so if you want to spend a fun day making  beautiful things, please click the link at the top of the page. 

Also, I have more information about that tempting £25 Starter Kit, but first I wanted to show you this little beauty. 

It was made under the expert tutelage of my friend/downline Kelly, with whom I spent a lovely crafty afternoon during the summer with a couple of other friends.

We were playing around with Wetlands (current favourite stamp set and possibly my biggest seller so far!) and I showed her some little wooden hearts I’d purchased recently.

I’d painted a few of them in white undercoat and sanded them down. I’ve experimented with stamping on them but not quite had the results I wanted yet.

Kelly to the rescue! She pressed one half into a Pool Party ink pad and the other into a So Saffron ink pad and smeared the ink around with kitchen roll. Next she stamped the lovely sandpipers across the centre to create this beautiful scene.

Soon we were all making them! And now we’re all arguing about who gets to make these as a Convention swap or team gift! It may have been Kelly’s idea … but I bought the hearts… LOL

Stamps: Wetlands

Ink: Pool Party, So Saffron, Black Stazon

Accessories: Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon, Linen Thread, wooden heart (not SU)

Now for the Starter Kit offer. Take a look at the table below to compare it with the standard Starter Kit. You’ll see that this deal is aimed at those people who are serious about starting a business, but perhaps already have quite a lot of SU supplies (*cough cough*). You can turn those hoarded supplies into business tools for just £25 when you take up this offer. 

However, you don't get masses of craft supplies with this one - it’s merely a cheap way into running a business. 

Check out the table to see which kit will suit you best. If you decide it's the standard Starter Kit, act fast before this offer starts, as the Standard Kit won't be available during the special offer. If you want to join during the offer, wait until Monday. 

And when you decide to join my team, all you have to do is click this link. Simple as that. 

Special offers for everyone!

At Stampin’ Up!® we like to look after everyone, so October sees great offers for customers, hostesses and new recruits.

Best of… Sale-a-Bration

Another new stamp set to celebrate our 25^th anniversary, this time featuring some of the best Sale-a-Bration images from the past 25 years. This stamp set will be available until March 31, 2014, or while stocks last, and is only available in clear-mount, at £13.95. A bargain, I think you’ll agree.

Party more, get more!

Hostesses can clean up this month, with a special boost to their hostess benefits. A party of £250 or more will earn you an extra £25 of hostess benefits! So, a £250 party will get you a whopping £65 of freebies!

Sign up for £25

Yep, you read that right – you can sign up for just £25! This is a very limited time offer, running from 7^th to 21^st October. Full details will be released soon but it seems this will be a smaller Starter Kit, with business supplies, aimed at those who are keen to start running a business, who probably already have a rather impressive collection of supplies!

Please get in touch if you’d like more information about any of the above!

Clearance Rack is up and running!

Clearance Rack is live! So get yourselves to www.helenread.stampinup.net and start shopping! You’ll find lots of your retired favourites, such as products in Baja Breeze and Lucky Limeade, as well as bargain scrapbook albums and kits, ribbons, buttons, dies, folders… there’s even the tabletop cutter, which is well worth having – I was very sad to see that retire. Missing the fabric? There's Spice Cake fabric at just £2.19. Yes, £2.19!

Remember, items are only available while stocks last and there is likely to be a LOT of interest today with it being the first day, so don’t delay – get what you can while you can!

The Clearance Rack is intended to be a permanent feature of the website, so keep checking back, whenever you get the urge for a bargain. Even though the products are all retired, you’ll find that some have carried over in a different format, eg you can (at the time of writing) get a full pack of Primrose Petals Core’dinations cardstock, which is now only available in the catalogue as part of an In Color assortment. And there’s a pack of old In Color markers, of which four out of the five have carried over to become core colours.

Anyway, enough rambling, take a look – and remember you’ll need an account and to pay shipping to have it delivered to your home. 

My Creative Tour swaps - and exciting news about Clearance Rack!

Long post today as I have two projects for you (scroll down) and some VERY exciting news! 

If you love a bargain – and, frankly, who doesn’t? – you will LOVE the Clearance Rack! Starting on Tuesday, 24^th September, there will be a Clearance Rack section of the online store. This is intended to be a permanent feature of the store and it means you can get your hands on retired stock at substantially reduced prices! Can I get a “whoohoo!!!!”?

There are some things you should know:

1. I will only be taking Clearance Rack orders through online shopping, so you will need to create an account at my online store and paying the £4.95 shipping charge. Due to supplies being so limited, it is impractical to include Clearance Rack items in workshop orders.  

2. Clearance Rack will be used to clear out surplus items which have retired – no current items will be sold this way. For this reason, items will only be available while stocks last.

3. Items will be listed and pictured only in the online store, so visit www.helenread.stampinup.net periodically to get the best bargains. 

4. No returns or exchanges will be accepted, except in the case of defective product. 

So, while you are waiting for the Clearance Rack to open, why not bookmark my online store, create and account and familiarise yourself with how it works?

And now, as promised, here are my swaps from the Creative Tour. I made Christmas cards as I'm in a festive frame of mind right now, with my Christmas stamp-a-stack coming up tomorrow. Photos are a bit dodgy, but I just took them on my phone a few minutes ago because I'm feeling lazy today.

Stamps: Santa's List
Cardstock: Old Olive, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Paper: Season of Style DSP
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso
Accessories: Chevron Embossing Folder, Ovals Framelits Dies, Basic Rhinestones

Stamps: Mosaic Madness, Greetings of the Season

Cardstock: Old Olive, Whisper White

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive

Accessories: Mosaic Punch, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Mosaic Embossing Folder

New Christmas-themed single stamps

Here’s exciting news if you like making Christmas projects – a new set of single stamps!

There are eight stamps to choose from, six of which co-ordinate with an existing punch or die. They are:

Be Merry – 134767 – £7.95

Joy and Love – 134771 – £6.50

Prince of Peace – 134811 – £6.50

A Gift For You – 134765 – £4.50

Cheers – 134769 – £4.95

Christmas Star – 134813 – £8.95

Magical Season – 134777 ­– £4.95

Wonderful Blessing – 134779 – £7.95

These stamps are available in clear-mount only and come packed in a cello bag. They are available until January 31, 2014, or while supplies last.

Don’t delay, if you’d like to place an order, please email me! Alternatively, you can order anything, day or night, through my online store!

Butterfly bundle offer - save 15%

Papillon Potpourri is one of our most popular stamp sets - but if you're one of those who doesn't yet have it, why not get it this month while you can save on a product bundle?

Until the end of September, you can save 15% when you purchase Papillon Potpourri (page 90) and co-ordinating Bitty Butterfly punch (page 183). This offer is available on both wood-mount and clear-mount options:

Wood-mount bundle - 135311 - £26.52 (a saving of £4.68)
Clear-mount bundle - 135312 - £23.97 (a saving of £4.23)

Interested? Just email me to place your order!

Happy Day box and two announcements

A couple of updates before I show you today's project:

World Map 

This fabulous background stamp is now available. Unfortunate wording removed and now safe to use!

Clear-mount: £12.95, code 130345

Wood-mount: £15.95, code 130342

Wood-mount cases

While there's still a delay on the half-sized cases, the full-sized wood-mount cases are now available to order. Use these to transfer your old wood-mount stamps into lovely, matching cases which stack perfectly against your clear-mount cases. Or simply use to store other craft items, such as markers, punches etc. You get four cases for just £6.25. Code 127551

And now for today's project...

Remember this box? Here it is again, revamped with brand new papers and stamps. Crisp Canteloupe is a surprising colour for me – I really didn’t think I’d like it but I really do, especially with Early Espresso as it is here, with the oh so gorgeous Soho Subway Designer Series Paper.

Stamps: Happy Day

Cardstock: Crisp Canteloupe, Whisper White

Paper: Soho Subway

Ink: Early Espresso, Crisp Canteloupe

Accessories: Cute Clips

New Colour Bundles available

As you know, our mini Colour Refresh has seen the addition of 10 newcomers to our core colour collections. Now you can buy some special bundles of products to boost your collections and your creativity.

Here are the details:

New Colour Cardstock Bundle – 134937 - £11.50

Cardstock bundle contains 2 packs of A4 cardstock; each pack contains two sheets of each new colour; 40 sheets in total

New Colour Pad Bundle – 134938 - £42.95

Bundle contains one Classic Stampin’ Pad in each of the new colours

New Colour Cardstock & Pad Kit II – 134936 - £49.95

Get both bundles and save!

Contains 40 sheets of A4 cardstock and 10 ink pads

If you’d like to order any of these products – or anything else! – please get in touch!