Believe in Santa with a Holly Jolly Christmas

by Joanne James7. November 2019 13:36

Today I'm sharing a card that I am hoping to squeeze in for this week's Fab Friday Challenge:

 

They have a great sketch and I was working on something else when I had a sudden flash of inspiration - take a look:

 

I decided to use my Seasonal Wreath embossing folder for that large circle as a background for my jolly Santa, which offered some theraputic colouring with my Stampin' Blends. A simple sentiment also from the 'Holly Jolly Christmas set completes 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; I have a host of things to get done today, which thankfully are indoors, unlike poor Rebecca who is outdoors taking part in a hockey tournament all day. I made sure she was dressed for the weather and I know she will be perfectly happy with her lot, but honestly it's been so cold here this last few days I would definitely rather her than me!

I'll be back tomorrow with another project for our new challenge over at As You See It. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Important Stampin' Up! News: Purple Posy Ink Pad Discontinued With Immediate Effect

by Joanne James5. November 2019 22:00

 

Today I have an update from you regarding Purple Posy ink from Stampin' Up, which I have pretty much copied for the news release, as follows:

Despite Stampin' Up!'s efforts to resolve issues with Purple Posy ink, we have learned that the ink colour is still shifting over time. This means that the colour is coordinating more loosely than we typically allow with our colours. Due to these ongoing challenges, we have decided to discontinue Purple Posy classic ink. As of 5 November 2019, the following items will no longer be available to purchase:

  • Purple Posy Classic Stampin’ Pad (item 150084)
  • Purple Posy Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill (item 150091)
  • 2019–2021 In Color Classic Stampin’ Pad Assortment (item 150087)

We are unable to replace Purple Posy ink pads for customers who have already received them. However, anyone with concerns regarding the colour shifting properties of their Purple Posy ink pads should contact Demonstrator Support directly to arrange for a £7.00 coupon code as compensation. 

All other Purple Posy products (such as Purple Posy Stampin’ Write Marker, Purple Posy Cardstock, Purple Posy Stampin’ Blends, etc.) will remain available for purchase.

All of Stampin’ Up!’s exclusive ink colours are run through a vigorous series of tests to get ahead of challenges like this, and to ensure colours are accurate and meet our standards of coordination. Purple Posy did pass regular testing standards in time-simulating ovens, but we have now identified that it fell short when it came to actual time passing. The colour begins to shift once the ink has rested in the ink pad for about six weeks.

It is rare for Stampin’ Up! or our ink manufacturer to have such persistent issues with ink; Purple Posy has certainly been an anomaly. We completed full testing on 11 distinct batches of Purple Posy Classic Stampin’ Ink before releasing the current version. We are now confident that no additional efforts would uphold our coordination needs over time. 

So there it is - Purple Posy ink and ink refills are no more. If anyone has any issues with an existing ink pad that they would like to report, please get in touch. Fortunately for us, the other non-ink products in the range will still be available until June 2021, so there will be lots more opportunity to enjoy this lovely colour. 

This seems like a good opportunity to share the latest set of cards that the ladies in my in-colour club received, which were in fact a CASE  of a card made by my dear friend and AYSI teamie Jan Clothier of Thinking Stamping, who made this lovely card a while ago and I liked it so much I cased it for my ladies with her permission - you can see Jan's original card here and you can find a close up of my Purple Posy version below:

I hadn't used the 'Love What You Do' set for a while so it was good to ink it up again. Here's a shot showing all of the cards in the 2019-21 In-Color set:

So pretty - thank you Jan for the inspiration!

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

 

Apologies that this is in Purple Posy, but I'd made and photographed these cards before the Stampin' Up! announcement was made. Whilst I did use Purple Posy ink for the blooms on my card, you could colour these with Stampin' Write markers and achieve a pretty similar effect. Such creativity will still be required if we are to enjoy colour coordination with this delicate soft purple from now on. 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:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

The New Stampin' Up! Trimmer Is Here And The Exclusive Christmastime Is Here Suite Now Available

by Joanne James1. November 2019 08:00

It's the first of November and with that comes two exciting announcements! Following the withdrawal of our previous trimmer due to Stampin' Up!'s inability to obtain a reliable source of blades, I am pleased to announce that our brand new paper trimmer is available to all customers today and I can honestly say it’s excellent!

       

Demonstrators have had the last month to order and fall in love with it and let me tell you, fall in love I did. I LOVED the old trimmer and never thought it could be improved. But I was wrong. This one has awesome larger blades that cut like a knife through butter. The new trimmer has some of the great features of the old trimmer and some new ones of its own, in particular a great detailed grid cutting guide, no removable cutting track and an improved ruler across the join of the extendable arm. The attendees at my recent weekend craft retreat also road-tested the trimmer and were extremely positive about its performance.

The new trimmer is a great price too at only £23 which is cheaper than our last one. The trimmer is available now from 1st November but packs of additional blades will not be launched for sale till January. They will be sold in packs of 4 blades for £11.25 and I will remind you when they are available to buy in the New Year.

 

Christmastime Is Here Suite

There is also a new exclusive product suite being launched today called 'Christmastime Is Here' which has the most beautiful Christmas Rose stamps, dies, patterned paper with matching accessories. It is available whilst stocks last and is not in any publication.

You can purchase the whole bundle or purchase your favourite products from the bundle, whichever you prefer. There is even a limited edition bracelet which would make a lovely Christmas gift for someone or a treat for yourself maybe.

Links to my online store for all of the configurations of the Christmastime Is Here suite can be found below. You can go to the item in my shop by clicking the photo or simply search for 'Christmastime is Here' (Christmastime is one word with no gap in between).

If you are considering treating yourself to the whole bundle and the new trimmer a starter kit would be a great option: you will receive £130 worth of any products of your choice and it only costs £99, so there's there option to add something else in too and still make a saving. If you'd like to take advantage then click here to join my team or get in touch to discuss further - I would love to welcome you.

Back soon with another post, including some lovely makes featuring this suite. In the meantime, happy shopping!

 

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

 

A Pair of Tropical Chic Floating Frame Cards JAI480

by Joanne James29. October 2019 19:00

We are still on half term here so I have been spending time with the James Juniors this week and am resting my shoulder so have not managed much in the way of crafting. I have a quick post for you today to share a card for the current challenge over at Just Add Ink:

The ladies are asking us to 'just add a technique' so I decided to have another go at a Floating Frame Card - or rather, pair of floating frame cards. Here's the first one with contains the inside of the frame:

 

And here's the second one with the outer floating frame:

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

The floating frame technique is really easy to create with a few basic tools: some 'Press and Seal' food wrap or similar, a framelit - I used my Tropical Chic stamps and co-ordinating dies and Rectangle Stitched Framelits Dies - and lots of dimensionals! You simply stamp and punch/diecut your images, lay them out, cover with Press and Seal, trim to frame size and cut out your central piece, before adhering dimensionals to the back of the diecut pieces and adhering to your chosen card base. Finally you remove the Press and Seal and your floating shapes remain in place.  

Add a sentiment and you're done! These cards are quite time-consuming, but they are fun. I'm thinking I might have to have another go with some other supplies to create a festive version  - watch this space!

Here are the visual summaries of the key products used on today's projects 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:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

CAS Perfectly Plaid Merry Christmas Card

by Joanne James25. October 2019 14:00

This is my second post for today - you can see my earlier As You See It challenge post here. I had a little extra time yesterday and managed to make another card, this time for the current challenge over at Addicted to CAS where the challenge is to use plaid on your card:

I had some piece of leftover paper having wrapped some gift boxes for the lovely ladies on my retreat last weekend so decided to use one of them for a quick clean and simple Christmas card - take a look:

 

 Whilst this card looks like it has a few steps, it really did take me next to no time to make: I always have some white cardbases cut, the plaid and thin strip of red cardstock were leftovers from other projects, as was the gold foil 'Christmas' - I had a few of these in the die case that I had cut previously, complete with self-adhesive backing. So all that was left to do was cut the paper to size, glue the pieces together and stamp the 'merry' and the holly and add a trio of red rhinestone berries. I even had time to use one of my favourite sentiments from the same 'Merry Christmas To All' stamp set on the inside of my card: 

 

So simple and a great way to use up some of those leftover bits and pieces too!

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:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

From Our House To Yours In Shades of Blue For AYSI 212

by Joanne James25. October 2019 13:00

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for the dreaded speed-stamping challenge:

    

 For a card in under 10 minutes I had to keep things fairly clean and simple so armed with the sketch over at CAS Colours and Sketches this is what I came up with:

 

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

Shades of Blue - I chose Balmy Blue, Blueberry Bushel and Night of Navy as the trio of blues I wanted to feature on my card. I stamped each house in all three colours and added some balmy blue snowflakes to suggest the oval shape of the sketch. 

From Our House To Yours - I love these little houses in the 'From Our House To Yours' set and because they come in separate pieces they are easy to stamp in different colours. They're photopolymer too so they are super easy to line up. 

Speedy Stamping - The stamping on my card took just minutes - it was super quick and easy! I did spend a little extra time creating my diecut edge and adding my teeny tiny snowflake sequins; even with my Take Your Pick tool these were more fiddly than everything else put together! My card ended up taking 9 minutes 24 seconds total - which is still super quick for me!

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. 

Do check out the As you See It gallery to see what the rest of the team have created in shades of blue - and see who was the fastest this week.

Enjoy your day; I'm off to the hospital today, hopefully to sort out my pesky frozen shoulder that's been troubling me the last few months. All being well I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

24 Hour Stamp Sale - Save 15% on Selected Stamps

by Joanne James22. October 2019 20:20

10.14.19_HEADER_24HRSTAMPSALE_EUSP

I have had a couple of days off from blogging following my hugely successful Creative Escapes Craft Retreat this weekend but wanted to pop in with a quick post to let you know that  Stampin' Up! is having a rare 24 hour stamp sale from 22.50 tonight, Tuesday 22 October until 22.50 tomorrow night, Wednesday 23rd October when you can receive 15% off selected stamp sets. How about that? Here is a list of the stamps that will be on offer:

The discount applies to individual stamp sets (not bundles) and can also be used in conjunction with a starter kit. Place your order here through my online store or by clicking on the shopping bag icon in the menu on the right hand side - don't forget to include the current hostess code for an extra thank you from me. 

Don't forget to add the current hostess reward code 6W6ARCB2 for an extra little thank you from me; this will also ensure you receive a copy of the new Spring-Summer catalogue and Sale-A-Bration leaflet which will be on its way within the next couple of months!

I'll be back with more creative projects later in the week but in the meantime this is a 24 hour event only so you have to act fast to benefit from 15% off these amazing sets, so time to go shopping - don't miss out! 

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Promotions | Shop Online | Shop Stampin' Up! Online

Ahoy It's Your Birthday CAS Masculine Cards for PP464

by Joanne James20. October 2019 09:00

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous LeAnne to host this week and she has a great Clean and Simple challenge for you to work with:

 

As you are reading this, I am away entertaining a lovely group of ladies at my Creative Escapes weekend craft retreat where we will be Christmas crafting to the max. My cards for you today though are all about birthdays - and male birthdays at that! I made these cards a while ago when I was preparing for my 'Come Sail Away' technique card class, although I didn't feature them in the class itself and LeAnne's challenge this week is the perfect opportunity for me to share them with you. I made two cards in one sitting and wanted to share both with you, so first up the more clean-and-simple of the two: 

 

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

All At Sea - Both of my cards feature a background layer embossed with the High Seas embossing folder for some subtle texture. I love the detail that this gives and it’s perfect for my nautical theme. 

Ahoy The Hand Lettered Prose Dies - I used my diecutting machine and the Hand Lettered Prose Dies to diecut an a, h, and y from my Balmy Blue card layer before I added the waves embossing. This allowed me to use the negative space to show the contrast of colour with the navy cardstock behind and gave me the opportunity to make a second card using the letters I had cut out with just a little extra effort. If you like these letters, it is worth also checking out the blog of one of our current Paper Players guest designers, SU Mohr (see the link list below), who has created many wonderful projects using them.

O It's A Ship's Wheel - I substituted the ‘o’ in the word ‘ahoy’ with a ship’s wheel from the Smooth Sailing Dies to tie in with my theme and added a frosted epoxy droplet to the centre for some subtle bling. I love playing with words to create this effect! I finished my sentiment with a stamp from the ‘Broadway Birthday’ set. The second of my two cards is below, which uses an extra layer and the positive rather than negative letters, but is otherwise the same basic card:

 

So what do you think? Is today's sentiment loud enough to celebrate a birthday? I’m now of an age where I’m not shout from the rooftops with each passing year, however I do love to celebrate and am thankful for the many thoughtful cards i receive from friends and family near and far. 

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:

Here's a quick recap of our challenge rules:
 
1.  Create a new paper project
2.  Upload your creation to your blog with a link back to us and provide a direct link to the post featuring your challenge submission.
3.  Please link your card to no more than four challenges, TOTAL.
4.  Have FUN!

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; I'll be back later this week with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Feels Like Frost Christmas Trees For AYSI 211

by Joanne James11. October 2019 13:00

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a theme challenge:

    

I saw the wonderful autumn trees on Heather's badge this week and had an idea to create something inspired by this, but I couldn't get out of the Christmas zone that I am in this week as I plough ahead with the final preparations for my forthcoming Creative Escapes weekend craft retreat the weekend after next and with the beautiful Feels Like Frost papers still out on my desk following my technique class earlier this week, I couldn't resist another card featuring them - take a look:

 

This week's Inspire.Create sketch was perfect for a large centrepiece and this photographic image of snowy fir trees is worthy of a showcase. The photographer has managed to capture the sunlight peeking through the trees and the bokeh along with the soft pink sky make for a stunning image I think. I bordered my DSP with a couple of strips of sparkle glimmer paper to add to the feeling of frost and snow and used a Purple Posy card base - an unusual choice for a Christmas card, yet I think it ties n with the paper nicely.

Today's card really does feel a little like cheating, as I couldn't even bring myself to stamp a sentiment on the front of my card. The only stamping was this sentiment from 'Perfectly Plaid' that graced the inside, along with a tiny offcut of DSP from the front of my card (waste, not, want not!):

 

This card really would take no time at all to create, even though in reality it took me ages as I deliberated over whether to add a sentiment or not - does that ever happen to you when making a card? Still, at least now I can go and make a few more using the other sheets of this paper in the pack in record 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 day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Feels Like Frost Snowy Pine Branch CAS Christmas Card

by Joanne James10. October 2019 20:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I can't believe it's Thursday already - as usual the week is flying by! Tonight I have a super quick post with an even quicker card that I made for the current challenge over at Just Us Girls:

Once I saw that the word of the week was Designer Paper how could this self-confessed designer series paper addict not play along?! Here's my super-simple Christmas card featuring the Feels Like Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper:

 

I mounted my DSP onto a Night of Navy mat and an extra-thick Whisper White cardbase, having first stamped my sentiment from the Frosted Foliage stamp set directly onto my DSP. And that's it! So simple. I made a version of this card in my technique class earlier this week; we were featuring the Feels Like Frost Suite and this card was voted the unanimous favourite - it just goes to show that sometimes stamps, ink and paper (of the patterned kind!) is all you need! A great example of #SimpleStamping.

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 lunchtime with my card for our new challenge over at As You See It. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Mini Catalogue

BROWSE THE CATALOGUE

The mini catalogue is now live! Read and download your copy here.

Shop Online

Access my online shop 24 x 7, 365 days of the year:

Current March hostess code:

S9F2XJJW

Shop Online

Join My Team

It's always a great time to join Stampin’ Up! New team members can get £130 worth of products for only £99 + free business supplies + free shipping + all the fun being a part of Stampin’ Up! Stampin' Up! has something for everyone: join my growing team and benefit from my support to enjoy Stampin' Up! however you choose.

If you're interested, call me for a chat to understand how I can help you realise your goals. Alternatively, if you have already decided to sign up and you just can't wait, please click here for the link to the online form where you can sign up and order your starter kit right away! 

Latest Kit!

Stampin Cut and Emboss

The Rock Legend Kit has all you need to make 8 cards with coordinating envelopes. Along with the new Panda Friends Kit, both are available from January 4th for just £14 each - get yours here!

2023-24 Annual Catalogue

BROWSE THE CATALOGUE

Click on the catalogue for a full list of current SU! supplies - if you would like to order any of the items featured, please drop me a line at [email protected] or give me a call on 07773 421446 - I'd be happy to help.

New Online Exclusives

There will be new products available exclusively in the online store from 5 March - check them out here.

About Me

Hi I'm Joanne and live in Northampton and when I'm not looking after my husband and two beautiful children, am an avid crafter with a passion for all things Stampin' Up!

I must confess that I have never been a big rubber stamper - until I discovered Stampin' Up! that is. I love the fact that I can get such great results with co-ordinating stamps, inks, papers and punches - the possibilities are endless! Join me on my stamping journey as I share the things I love and be inspired to create amazing things yourself!

Follow Me

Monthly Newsletter

Box Builder

Click the button above to use Box Buster to create your custom box design using the Envelope Punch Board!

Kits Collection Now Available!

Stampin Cut and Emboss

The new Kits Collection from Stampin' Up! is now available!

Click here to see the current kits available and order yours online today.

I Design For

 

 

 

Stampin' Up Stuff

This is my personal blog and is not endorsed by Stampin’ Up! I hope you find it a plentiful source of ideas and personal inspiration but please don't copy my designs for contest submission or use for classes, publication or sale without express permission.