Happy Monday everyone! The James Juniors are off on their half-term break from school this week so we have a week of revision, piano practice, those boring errands that are saved for a week off and fun in equal measure; this week's blog posts may therefore be a little short! Today I'm sharing a card that uses the current colours over at Color Throwdown:

I decided they would be perfect to ink up one of the little fairies from the New Wonders hostess set from the annual catalogue - take a look:

I stamped the image twice on Basic Grey, then on the bottom layer I sponged the leaves with Old Oliver ink before colouring them with my Blends alcohol markers. For the second image, I cut away the corner, coloured the rest of the image with my Blends, added a liberal dose of clear Wink of Stella to her fairy wings and popped it up on dimensionals. I popped the whole thing on a Highland Heather card base.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

We were fortunate to enjoy a quiet weekend indoors and caught up on some movies that we have been wanting to watch: The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas and Toy Story 4. Both so different, yet both equally good in their own right and I would definitely recommend them. We are off to the opticians today amongst other things so will have to brave the elements - wish me luck! Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

New Wonders Cling Stamp Set (£12.50)	Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Highland Heather A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Smoky Slate Light Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)
Highland Heather Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Purple Posy Stampin' Blends Combo Pack (£8.50)	Ivory Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)	Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Petal Pink Light Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)
Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush (£7.50)

I have a super quick post today as I have had a Valentine's home decor class today and have a school music recital to attend this evening, so I need to quickly squeeze in a couple of cards I made over the weekend using the gorgeous 'Little Ladybug' stamp set that is a free gift for anyone hosting a Stampin' Up! party with qualifying party sales. The first is for the current challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches:

Some simple stamping and Blends colouring with a sponged background and split sentiment, highlighting the word FLY:

 The second is for the current challenge over at Less Is More where the challenge is 'tiny and few':

This seemed perfect for that itty-bitty row of ladybirds with a fun sentiment:

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

And for the super clean and simple card:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Enjoy your evening and I'll be back (earlier!) tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Little Ladybug Host Cling Stamp Set (English) (£0.00)	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)	Real Red Combo Pack Stampin' Blends (£8.50)	Basic Black Combo Pack Stampin' Blends (£8.50)	Ivory Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)
Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Balmy Blue Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock (£7.75)	Stitched Labels Dies (£31.00)

Hello everyone - it's time to shake off the January blues, today is THE day - yes, the highlight of the Stampin' Up! calendar, Sale-A-Bration 2020 is here! No more sneak peeks - the catalogue is available, the shop is live and from now until 31st March the benefits are yours for the taking. You can click on the catalogue on the right hand side of my blog page or below to access the Sale-A-Bration leaflet to download a copy or click on the icon above or on the right to go directly to my online shopto place an order - we are LIVE!

So what is Sale-A-Bration? For anyone who hasn't come across it before, it's Stampin' Up!'s annual promotion that is loaded with offers whether you shop, join or host:

Earn a free Sale-A-Bration product for every £45 you spend between 3 January and 31 March. There is also the opportunity to earn even bigger rewards with a £90 purchase. It's the perfect time to purchase those products you've had on your wish list and earn more products for free! 

It’s also the best time of year to join Stampin’ Up! There is a fabulous joining option during this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion: as usual, you can become a demonstrator for just £99 and choose £130 of FREE products for your Starter Kit. In addition to an extra £31 worth of product in your starter kit, exclusive to Sale-A-Bration, you will also get the following items FREE:

• A new Mini Paper Cutter
• A 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper Sampler pack
• Your choice of any stamp set offered in current catalogues (host sets and Sale-A-Bration sets excluded)

Isn't that just great?! Plus, the whole kit ships for free! There is plenty of choice and flexibility, whether you want to be a hobby demonstrator and just use your discount to enable you to purchase craft supplies more cheaply, or alternatively would like to build a flourishing direct sales business and sell supplies to others - it's entirely up to you. 

It's also a great time to host a Stampin' Up! party. When you host a party and have party sales of £275 or more (this also applies to individual orders), you will earn the exclusive Little Ladybug stamp set for FREE in addition to your usual Stampin' Rewards. Party sales of £400 or more also earn one 50% off item. What's more, you can even apply your Stampin' Rewards to a Starter Kit and become a demonstrator yourself - I would love to welcome you to my team!

If you would like to host a party, real or virtual, please do get in touch; my diary is filling up but there are still lots of slots available and I would love to share these great benefits with you. Equally if you've ever thought about becoming an SU! demonstrator, now is a great time to do so - I would love to have a no-obligation chat with you about joining my team and the benefits.

As if that wasn't enough, today also sees the launch of the new Spring-Summer catalogue - full of gorgeous new products:

Just click on the image above or in the sidebar on the right to browse the catalogue online, or contact me on 07773 421446 if you would like a paper copy posted out to you and you don't already have a demonstrator; paper copies have been sent to my regular customers. If you are as excited as me and just can't wait, here's the link to my online store - everything is available to purchase from today!

If you would like more information on any of the above, please don't hesitate to get in touch! 

Thanks so much for popping by - it's always nice to share good news! Back soon with lots of projects showcasing products from the new catalogue. Until then, happy shopping!

Friday already? Where did that week go?! I am just popping in with another Christmas card that I made for my stash inspired by the following challenges over at Sunday Stamps and Christmas Kickstart:

I couldn't resist using the sketch to showcase some fabulous festive designer series paper - take a look:

Since Christmas Kickstart is all about the presents, I decided that this gift-filled paper from the Night Before Christmas DSP pack would make a perfect centrepiece. This card is all about #SimpleStamping - the only stamping on the front of the card is my sentiment, which I thought it would be fun to make it look like a tag from the man in red himself - well, everyone knows that's who really brings the gifts at Christmas time, right?

I did do a little more stamping inside my card, using a sentiment from the 'Greatest Part of Christmas' stamp set, an exclusive hostess set available in the current Autumn-Winter catalogue that can be yours if you host a party before the end of the year, along with a few more gifts:

Isn't that a great sentiment for a loved-one at Christmas time?

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Enjoy your evening and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Night Before Christmas 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper (£10.75)	Cherry Cobbler A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Poppy Parade A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Mossy Meadow A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock (£9.00)
Pretty Peacock A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Pretty Peacock Classic Stampin’ Pad (£7.00)	Greatest Part Of Christmas Host Cling Stamp Set (En) (£12.00)	Holly Jolly Christmas Cling Stamp Set (En) (£20.00)

The wait is over but the day has finally arrived! The new Autumn-Winter Seasonal Catalogue is here - you can download an electronic copy by clicking on the image below:

Physical catalogues have gone out in the post to my existing customers and anyone else who requested a copy; there will of course be a permanent link to the catalogue in the box on the right side of my blog page until 2nd January 2020 when the sales period ends. I've already shared a few sneak peeks and there is so much more to come! For today, put your feet up and browse the new catalogue in all its glory.

And there's more good news! Between now and the end of September, we have a fabulous promotion too - here is also a fabulous customer offer on during July where for every 3 packs of designer series paper you buy from the following selection, you can choose another one absolutely FREE! The papers included in the promotion are listed below:

I will be sharing some videos during the coming weeks on my Facebook Page highlighting each of these patterns and of course you can check out the projects on my blog for lots of additional paper inspiration. If you would like to see any of these papers up close in more detail, then do get in touch and I can share a sample with you.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or queries. Don't forget to use this month's current hostess code ZFNK46PH if you are placing an order online to receive an extra thank you from me. Back soon with more creative inspiration for you. Until then, happy browsing and get writing that wish list! 

This is my second post of today! You can read my earlier creative post here but I wanted to make sure you had the latest information regarding Trimmer Blades for Stampin' Up!'s discontinued Stampin' Up! Trimmer.

The final batch of Stampin’ Trimmer Cutting Blades (item 126995) arrived in the warehouse earlier than the expected September due date, so they will be made available to purchase TOMORROW. 

Trimmer blades will be available to order on Wednesday, 28 August at 6:00 p.m. (UK), and when they sell out they will be gone for good.

In the past, blades have sold out within minutes and individuals placing single orders have had more success than demonstrators placing orders for multiple customers. As such, my advice to you is to be ready to place your order online at 6pm and arrange for them to be shipped to you directly. Remember, the limit is three packs of blades per customer.  

Stampin' Up! has also announced that there will be a new paper trimmer available for demonstrators to purchase before the end of 2019, which will sell for £23. This should be available to customers shortly thereafter and I will provide you with more information as soon as it becomes available.

Lastly, since this is the last week in August, don't forget if you earned bonus coupons last month, this is your last chance to use them if you haven't done so already. It's also the last opportunity to take advantage of the 'Extra, Extra' recruiting promotion. If you need more information, do get in touch or read all about it here.

Good morning everyone! I hope you all had wonderful weekends and if you're in the UK are enjoying the glorious weather - long may it last! I have a big news post for you today as it's all happening here at Stampin' Up! during the month of July.

First things first - BONUS DAYS ARE BACK! Do you remember this promotion from last year? It was so successful, Stampin' Up! have decided to repeat it this year. 

For every £45.00 you spend between 1 July and 31 July (before delivery), you’ll get a £4.50 Bonus Days coupon that you can use between 1 and 31 August. Our new annual catalogue has been out for a month now, so I'm sure you will have long wish lists; this is a great opportunity to shop from it and make savings when you shop again in August with your coupons! 

There are some details in terms of small print that you need to take note of, as follows: 

• Promotion period: 1–31 August 2019
• Redemption period: 1–30 September 2019
• An email address is required to participate in this promotion; Bonus Days coupon codes can only be delivered via email.
• If a participant earns multiple codes from a single order, they will receive one e-mail with multiple codes. If they earn multiple codes from multiple orders, they will receive separate e-mails for each code earned.
• It is strongly recommended that you both save emails containing their Bonus Days coupon codes AND write down the coupon codes in a safe place. Codes cannot be resent if the email is lost, and lost codes cannot be recovered.
• Bonus Days coupon codes can be redeemed for any product, excluding Starter Kits.
• There is no limit to the number of coupons you can receive per order or throughout the duration of the promotion.
• There is no limit on the number of coupons you can use on an order during redemption.

As if that wasn't enough, we also have a fabulous recruitment offer - check it out:

Yes, the promotion that is so good, we named it twice! If you've ever considered becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, this is a great time to join. For the next 2 months, from 1 July until 31 August, new demonstrators will receive £25 to put towards bonus products in their Starter Kit - that's in addition to the extra £30 they already receive, so a whopping £155 worth of products of your choice for £99. And that's not all: the following month after joining, you will receive an £8 coupon code to use towards any order placed that month - and that includes items from the Autumn-Winter catalogue which goes on pre-order to demonstrators on 1st August a whole month before it goes live to customers on Wednesday 4th September - woohoo!

There are some details in terms of small print that you need to take note of, as follows: 

• Promotion period:1 July–31 August 2019
• The bonus at initial sign-up allows demonstrators to pick up 32 € I £25 more than usual. They will pay 129 € I £99 to sign up and choose 207 € I £155 worth of Stampin’ Up! products in their Starter Kit.
• Coupon codes will be sent between the fifth and seventh business day of the following month the new demonstrator signs up.
• The e-mail address listed in a new demonstrator’s profile will be used to send the 12 € I £8 coupon code.
• Refer to the Demonstrator Policies document (UK | NL) for more information on recruiting policies.
• Coupon codes may be redeemed only once; they will reduce the commissionable amount of orders.
• Coupon codes expire 31 October 2019; after this date, they will no longer be valid.

There really has never been a better time to shop with or join Stampin' Up! - if you need any additional information on either of these promotions, then please don't hesitate to get in touch. I would love to help you explore a new business opportunity or simply get your hands on some great quality crafting supplies.

I'll be back shortly with today's project (it's a fun one!) but in the meantime you can shop with me online here or click here to sign up and get your hands on a starter kit today!

Today it's Easter Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Anne-Marie to host this week and she has a clean and simple challenge for you to work with:

Remember: this is clean and simple week. What do we mean by 'clean and simple' ? Create a card that has:

• Minimal layers and embellishments
• Plenty of open space, also known as 'white space'
• Is simple and uncluttered

I struggled initially with Anne-Marie's challenge this week; I think not getting into my craft room all week hasn't helped! I had an idea for a card and then once I'd made it I really wasn't sure about it; I'll share that card tomorrow and would love you to come by and take a look and tell me what you think. Meanwhile, after a break and a change of stamp set, along with this week's CAS(E) This Sketch layout and the CAS Colours and Sketches colour palette, I created a second card and felt much happier about the whole thing! So here's that card:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

Paper Piecing - Not to be confused with 'paper piercing', paper piecing is the technique of stamping an image and then stamping either the whole or partial image again on coloured or patterned paper and fussy cutting it to piece it together on the main base image. I used it for both the skirt that my teacher is wearing (Blueberry Bushel in-colour DSP) and the pile of books she is carrying (a mix of Wood Textures DSP and solid colour cardstock). This is a fun way to add pattern to areas of your stamped image and can be used with a wide variety of stamps - those with larger areas suitable for colouring, such as those in the Hand Delivered hostess set, are particularly good. 

Primary Brights - I love this colour combination; the trio of primary colours is very bright and also seemed appropriate for a teacher thankyou card. I added further interest to my books by using a couple of different scraps of Wood Textures DSP for additional subtle detail. 

A Teacher Thank You - The sentiments in the 'Hand Delivered' stamp set suggest that the pile of books is intended to make a graduate congratulations card, yet I think they are perfect for a teacher card too. There is a thank you sentiment in this set, but I opted to use the words from the 'Picked For You' set instead, so that I could use a teacher-specific greeting on my front banner (both of the banner elements come from the Lakeside framelits set) and continued this theme with the wording on the inside too:

This card is sure to brighten someone's teacher's day! Both of the James Juniors have male form tutors this year, but Ben has plenty of female subject teachers who are worthy of a little end-of-year gift, so I think it might be heading to one of those. Both of these stamp sets are so useful for teachers cards, and both are set to retire with the current annual catalogue so if they're on your wishlist make sure you put them in your shopping basket before it's too late.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Enjoy your day; we will be having an Easter egg hunt, followed by a roast for lunch and then an afternoon in the garden making the most of the wonderfully warm weather we have been blessed with the last couple of days - we need to make the most of it as I'm sure it won't last! Wishing you a pleasant Easter bank holiday weekend however you choose to spend it. I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Hand Delivered Photopolymer Stamp Set (£12.00)	In Color 2018–2020 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper (£10.25)	Wood Textures Designer Series Paper Stack (£10.25)	Real Red A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Crushed Curry A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Blueberry Bushel A4 Cardstock (£8.00)
Ivory Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)	Real Red Combo Pack Stampin' Blends (£8.50)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)	Picked For You Photopolymer Stamp Set (£20.00)	Lakeside Framelits Dies (£25.00)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's Laurie's turn to host this week and as it's the fifth Sunday of the month we have a tic-tac-toe challenge for you to work with:

I really struggled with my card today - too many options to choose from on Laurie's fabulous board! I was also under a little time pressure having left my card to the last minute, which is never good for creativity! I also used this week's sketch over at Stamp Ink Paper which is great for a blank canvas with a central focal sentiment and my card also happens to use the colours over at Color Throwdown this week (as close as I have to them). So after much deliberating, I went down the left hand row of Laurie's TicTacToe board to create an Easter card (I've just realised it works for the diagonal too!) - take a look:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

Sale-A-Bration Shades of Purple - I chose to feature this pretty floral paper from the Sale-A-Bration Botanical Butterfly paper pack as the background for my card today. Such a pretty pattern - if you like it as much as I do, then you only have today to still snap it up as this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion is finally coming to an end. I softened it with a piece of vellum, so that it didn't distract from my main design yet still adds a delicate pattern detail.

Cross Of Hope - Today's Easter card features a layered cross as the basis for the centre piece: a simple cross cut from Wood Textures DSP and overlaid with a simple silver one at its centre. There are some beautiful cross dies in this framelit set (check out my fellow paper Player LeAnne's card for an example of one of my favourites) however simple was my choice for today to allow my florals to shine. 

Easter Greetings - I inked my floral stem with my Stampin' Write markers and overlaid the whole thing with an uplifting sentiment from the 'Hold on To Hope' stamp set, which I heat embossed in silver onto white - I think this is a lovely banner for Easter. A linen twine bow and some glitter enamel dots finish my card. 

So what do you think? In hindsight I think my card might have needed to be smaller in size or with a few extra layers behind, as the centre still seems a little overwhelmed by the background, but in the end I just decided to go with it! Feel free to let me know what you think in a comment below - it may prompt a rework!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

It's Mother's Day here in the UK and we still have our German exchange student staying with us, so having experienced the delights of traditional British fish and chips yesterday, we are out to afternoon tea today. I'll try and remember to take a picture to share with you tomorrow! I'll be back tomorrow with another project and news of the fabulous new range of Stampin' Up! storage that will be on sale from April 1st - and that's no joke! Until then, enjoy your day and happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Cross Of Hope Framelits Dies (£25.00)	Hold On To Hope Clear-Mount Stamp Set (£20.00)	Highland Heather A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Vellum A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Many Marvelous Markers (£112.75)
Embossing Buddy (£5.50)	Versamark Pad (£8.25)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)	Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder (£4.75)	Glitter Enamel Dots (£6.50)
Wood Textures Designer Series Paper Stack (£10.25)	Silver Foil Sheets (£3.75)	Old Olive Linen Thread (£4.75)	Botanical Butterfly Designer Series Paper (£0.00)

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Happy Monday everyone! Today is the start of my class week, so it will b a busy one Chez James! Today's card is one I made that uses the current sketch layout over at Just Add Ink and the colour palette at Color Throwdown:

I thought these colours would be perfect for a birthday card featuring one of the Sale-A-Bration stamp sets, Lovely Lattice - take a look:

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

Lovely Lattice - There is lots you can do with this stamped image - many ways to colour it, and lots of options to cut it out and build layers and dimension with the flowers too - but I like it because the main image is one of those that can fill the card and there isn't much else required. I heat embossed my image in white onto Crumb Cake cardstock which really does show the detail of the lattice behind the flowers beautifully. For a free stamp set, this one really is rather pretty - and still available if you'd like to get your hands on it with a spend of £45 or more. Who doesn't love FREE product?!

Colour on Kraft - I decided to colour the image using my watercolour pencils, but dry with no added water for blending, as I wanted to see the pencil strokes; I used a combination of Gorgeous Grape, white and Basic Grey pencils, with a tiny spot of Crushed Curry for the flower stamens. 

Birthday Wishes - The 'Lovely Lattice' stamp set is sentiment-free, so I reached for one of my favourites from the current Spring-Summer catalogue that you haven't seen me use much here on my blog but rest assured they will be a keeper for me, regardless of whether or not they carry over to this year's new annual catalogue: the Well Said bundle. The' Well Said' stamp set combined with the Well Written Framelits dies really are the perfect pair and allow you to create endless sentiment combinations. I added a piece of Gorgeous Grape mini striped ribbon behind my layered sentiment and a sprinkling of pearls to complete my card. 

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Lovely Lattice Cling Stamp Set (£0.00)	Well Said Cling Bundle (£71.00)	Gorgeous Grape 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Mini Striped Ribbon (£7.50)	Rectangle Stitched Framelits Dies (£33.00)	Smoky Slate A4 Cardstock (£8.00)
Crumb Cake A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Gorgeous Grape A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Highland Heather A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Pearl Basic Jewels (£4.75)	Embossing Buddy (£5.50)
White Stampin' Emboss Powder (£4.75)	Versamark Pad (£8.25)	Watercolor Pencils (£15.00)