We are in our second and final month of this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion: you all know that this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion will end on 28th February and in addition to hosting and joining benefits (you can read about those here) you also earn a free product for every £45/90 spend - you can see the existing items here.

Good news: from now until the 28th February, there are more reasons to celebrate! You will also be able to choose from the catalogue items below (you must use the special code as detailed as opposed to the usual item code to get one of these items free with a £45/90 spend):

Remember, you need to use the special Sale-A-Bration item code for each product - these are different to the standard product codes for these items, which are still available to purchase in the annual catalogue. 

If you have your eye on any of the other Sale-A-Bration items, do bear in mind that they will only be available whilst stocks last - it is possible that they could run out before the end of the promotion, so don't leave it to0 late to place your order. 

I'll be back soon with another project. Until then, happy shopping!

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. Since we have a fifth Tuesday in January (where did this month go?!), we have a retro double challenge for you!  As a reminder, this is where we pair one of our previous colour combinations with an old sketch and you have to use both to make your card. You don't have to use an old set too (although you are welcome to!) - I decided these colours and the layout were perfect for 'This Birthday Piggy' which also means I can play along with my friends over at Just Us Girls this week where they are celebrating with clean and simple birthday cards.

As a point of note, the Just Us Girls badge this week has a great reminder of the definition of 'clean and simple' - one point of interest, lots of open space, minimal layers and few embellishments. These are the same criteria we use at CAS Colours & Sketches too so players, take note!  

I repeated my 'It's Your Birthday!' sentiment, stamped in Tuxedo Black, in the corner of my white panel and for my focal point I used that super-sweet piggy celebrating his birthday, complete with cake and balloon:

I coloured my image with my Stampin' Blends (colours substituted with the closest ones in my collection: Pink Pirouette (retired), Lovely Lipstick (retired) and So Saffron). I cut out my image using the Playful Piggy Dies - did you know these are still available here in Europe on the Clearance Rack, for the bargain price of £11.60 (reduced from £29)? This image could easily be fussy cut too, but there are so many great dies in this set in addition to those that cut out the images, they are definitely worth the purchase:

That's all there is to it - an easy, fun clean and simple birthday 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. 

As a reminder, for our colour challenges, you must use all of the stated challenge colours. You may also use neutral colours; however, the challenge colours should be the most noticeable ones featured on your card. We use Stampin' Up! color names for reference, but you are welcome to use any other companies' products as long as you match the challenge colours as closely as possible.

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

Edited to add: My cute birthday piggy was Chic of The Week over at Just Us Girls - woohoo!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

https://www.stampinup.uk/products/playful-piggy-dies?demoid=5006714

THIS BIRTHDAY PIGGY CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (22.00)

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

I love this colour combo, but when I saw the fabulous creations by the rest of the team I did wonder if my creation truly did them justice! I went for another Valentine's card - inspired by the words over at Time Out and perfect for the challenge over at Paper Craft Crew where I haven't played for a while and love is in the air too - and created another card for someone I love; take a look:

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

I went with a skinny diecut sentiment courtesy of the Love For You Dies and allowed it to overhang my diecut circle, and decorated the edge with a selection of hearts and flowers stamped and cut from the same bundle. I thought the blues were a nice contrast to the pinks and great for a not-too-girly Valentine's or anniversary card; I added some of the new Essentials Enamel Dots in Night of Navy to the centre of my flowers for added embellishment: 

For my card base I used one of the Tea Boutique pre-printed notelets in Turquoise Tide - I love the faux-texture of the finish on this paper. The same pattern can be found in the Tea Boutique DSP pack too if you wanted to make your own base. 

I really love the combination of these colours and can't wait to see what everyone does with them for this challenge!

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. 

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can leave you lots of lovely comments. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use #AYSIXXX when uploading to a public gallery.
• If you’re unsure about ‘the rules’, check the details under the Challenge Guidelines tab on the As You See It Challenge homepage.
• In a colour challenge, black or other neutral can be used in outlines and sentiments but no other colours should be included. Stampin’ Up colours are used for reference but colours that are a close match are welcome.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

LOVE FOR YOU BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (44.00)	TEA BOUTIQUE CARDS & ENVELOPES (9.50)	STYLISH SHAPES DIES (28.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (9.75)	NIGHT OF NAVY A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	NIGHT OF NAVY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)
TAHITIAN TIDE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	SWEET SORBET CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	POLISHED PINK CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	ENAMEL DOT ESSENTIALS (7.50)

It's Thursday and time for a new challenge over at TicTacToe! It's the turn of Team X to host this week and I am the featured designer this week. This is the fun board that we are playing along with: 

I went down the first column with diecut, heart and patterned paper and had another play with those Adorable Owls, taking my inspiration too from the scattering of red hearts in the inspiration photo over at Hand Stamped Sentiments - take a look:

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

I went with a similar layout to the card I shared with you previously, as I wanted to create another sentiment using my Alphabet A La Mode Dies. This time I added my 'Hoot!' having stamped a shower of hearts behind the 'O', and finished my sentiment with a heat-embossed one from the Adorable Owls stamp set. I used the other two owls in the set, again coloured with my Stampin' Blends and popped up on dimensionals on wither side of the central panel: 

I used a piece of the Country Lane Floral DSP for my base this time as I wanted even more hearts - it is a Valentine's Day card, after all!

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. 

A tictactoe board offers so many creative possibilities - how does this week's board inspire you? Why not have a go? We would love to see you in the gallery and who knows - you might be selected for Designer's Choice and be eligible to be a guest designer on a future challenge. 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

ALPHABET À LA MODE DIES (40.00)	STITCHED RECTANGLE DIES (33.00)	COUNTRY FLORAL LANE 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	BALMY BLUE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	SOFT SUEDE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)
CRUMB CAKE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	SO SAFFRON STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (5.75)	SWEET SORBET CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. The lovely Michal is hosting this month and her second challenge is a sketch challenge: 

Michal has asked that we use a trio of repeating shapes with a sentiment beneath. Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch when making your card.

For my card today I went super simple! I grabbed my Country Bouquet bundle and Country Floral Lane paper and this is what I came up with:

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

I punched a trio of heart-shaped flowers and leaves straight from the designer series paper, then added them to my blank white card base. I finished my card with a sentiment stamped just underneath:

And that was my card - done! #SimpleStamping at its best! The three hearts were the perfect width for my card. I didn't even finish the inside sentiment - I like the fact that I can use this card for any purpose as it is, so i will either add something when I come to send it or just leave it blank for my handwritten message. Just four items needed for today's card - and you could forgo the designer paper and just stamp your hearts and leaves to create this in different colours if you prefer.

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. I'm linking today's card up over at Just Us Girls where the code word is 'hearts' - might have another go with this theme tomorrow too!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

COUNTRY BOUQUET BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (36.00)

COUNTRY FLORAL LANE 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)

SWEET SORBET CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our first challenge of the new year over at As you See It where it's Jane's turn to host and she has a great sketch challenge for us:

I thought that large panel was crying out to showcase some beautiful designer paper and obviously I have lots to choose from!! I decided to make a couple of cards, both showcasing one of the beautiful designs in the new Dainty Flowers paper pack. Here's the first one:

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

Dainty Flowers - There's a fabulous sheet of paper in the Dainty Flowers pack that has a faux-watercolour print of wildflowers along two sides, which is perfect for cutting into 6 to make multiple cards; this is hat I used for the main panel on my card. I would say it looks like I painted it, but who am I kidding?! I paired it with a contrasting strip in Starry Sky that is another of the patterns in this pack for the card above; for my second card, I picked up the purples and used a piece of Regals DSP in Blackberry Bliss for the border edge:

This paper is beautiful and all the better for being FREE during Sale-A-Bration with any £45 purchase. Gotta love a freebie!

Dainty Delight - The sentiment on both cards is from the Dainty Delight stamp set, part of the Dainty Delight bundle that the paper coordinates with - you can find it on page 55 of the mini catalogue.  

Label Me Fancy - I added my sentiment to a simple punched label courtesy of the Label Me Fancy punch. A simple twist of ribbon and a couple of brushed brass butterflies complete each card. In the photos below you can see the faux texture of the watercolour paper - so realistic:

And here's the purple version:

Here's a photo of both cards together - which one do you prefer? 

Do leave me a comment below - I'd love to know what you think. I honestly love them both - this paper is so pretty! Very little stamping on today's cards - the paper definitely does all the heavy lifting.

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. 

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can leave you lots of lovely comments. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use #AYSIXXX when uploading to a public gallery.
• If you’re unsure about ‘the rules’, check the details under the Challenge Guidelines tab on the As You See It Challenge homepage.
• In a sketch challenge, you are welcome to rotate or flip a sketch. You can replace shapes used such as substituting a circle panel for a square panel. However, we must be able to still see the basis of the original sketch in your finished product.

Enjoy your day; I'm looking forward to hosting an informal open house this morning to share some of my favourite things from Sale-A-Bration and the new mini catalogue - you can be sure today's cards will feature! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

LABEL ME FANCY PUNCH (18.00)	DAINTY DELIGHT CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (24.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	STARRY SKY A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	BLUSHING BRIDE A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)
BLACKBERRY BLISS A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	FRESH FREESIA A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	REGALS 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)	STARRY SKY 1/8'' (3.2 MM) METALLIC WOVEN RIBBON (8.50)	FRESH FREESIA 3/8" (1 CM) OPEN WEAVE RIBBON (6.75)
BRUSHED BRASS BUTTERFLIES (9.50)

It's Thursday and time for a new challenge over at TicTacToe! It's the turn of Team X to host this week and the lovely Betty is our featured designer this week. This is the fun board that we are playing along with: 

I went across the middle with florals/free/sparkle to create another card using my free Sale-A-Bration Favoured Flowers designer series paper - take a look:

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

Further to this card I created last week using purple shades, I used the coral toned flowers to create another card using the same products and layout. I fussy cut a trio of flower heads, adding in a couple of buds and a few diecut leaves for added interest:

My sparkle is courtesy of my trio of Petal Pink Elegant Faceted Gems; subtle, yet they have a lovely sparkly in real life. Here's one last photo showing this card alongside it's purple 'sister' - which one do you prefer? Do leave me a comment below - I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

The Favoured Flowers papers are just fabulous and so easy to work with - and free!

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. 

A tictactoe board offers so many creative possibilities - how does this week's board inspire you? Why not have a go? We would love to see you in the gallery and who knows - you might be selected for Designer's Choice and be eligible to be a guest designer on a future challenge. 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

CALYPSO CORAL A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	PETAL PINK A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	EVENING EVERGREEN A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (5.75)	SUNFLOWERS DIES (31.00)	STITCHED RECTANGLE DIES (33.00)
ELEGANT FACETED GEMS (7.00)	ARTISTICALLY INKED CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (23.00)

Happy Saturday everyone! A quick card from me today as I managed to squeeze in a little extra crafting time (also known as I avoided standing in the rain on the sidelines of two very wet hockey matches today!) so I'm playing along with this week's Freshly Made Sketches layout from Amy:

I spent an evening earlier in the week fussy cutting flowers from my Favoured Flowers designer series paper that I received as one of my free Sale-A-Bration gifts and thought Amy's sketch was perfect to put some of them to good use - take a look:

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

First things first: the Favoured Flowers designer series paper is designed to coordinate with the Fragrant Flowers stamp set and die bundle on page 21 of the new mini catalogue, however I did not buy this bundle - but this didn't stop me claiming my free paper! Every time you see me use this paper, I will be co-ordinating with other stamp sets that might be similar. I hope you find this useful and a good way to show that you don't always have to have everything 'matching' to make something work.

I used one of the DSP patterns for the central panel then layered three large flowers for the circles of the sketch, having separated the leaves from the flowers so that I could tuck in a few of those too, along with a couple of diecut ones. I added a sentiment on a label and a trio of the new opaque dots in Fresh Freesia for a little extra sparkle:

The colours of this paper pack are really rich but they are great to work with, especially if you incorporate the lighter tones 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:

ARTISTICALLY INKED CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (23.00)	STITCHED RECTANGLE DIES (33.00)	BLACKBERRY BLISS A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	FRESH FREESIA A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	EVENING EVERGREEN A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	SUNFLOWERS DIES (31.00)
OPAQUE ADHESIVE-BACKED GEMS (7.50)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (5.75)

For today's creative post I'm sharing a couple of versions of the same card. Since it's the first day of the new mini catalogue, it's the perfect time to showcase a new punch bundle - take a look at the first of today's cards:

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

Country Bouquet - Both of today's card feature a stamped and punched flower courtesy of the Country Bouquet bundle. Punch bundles are always great for quick and easy card making and I love that this bundle, whilst heart-shaped and does contain Valentine sentiments, has a much broader appeal with lots of other useful phrases and floral elements too. The heart pairs with the leaves and males a sweet flower that can be used in lots of ways. Both of the hearts are on one stamp and both of the leaves on another, and the punch punches all four elements in one go. My top tip for using this kind of stamp/punch combo is to create a punch mask using a piece of window sheet. You can then use this when stamping to position your stamps and ensure that when you come to punch out, all four stamped elements align perfectly. Better still, if you position your mask in your Stamparatus, you can easily run off lots in one go - and potentially punch your blanks before stamping.

Thanks and Hello - I paired my heart-shaped flower with an embossed panel, courtesy of the Thanks and Hello embossing folders. I love the added texture this gives - hopefully you can see it better in the photo below:

A Perfect Pair - Having made a few thank you cards to send to customers who purchased with me at the end of December, I decided to replicate my card using the 'Hello' embossing folder as the card to include with my Mini Catalogue mailing - a great way to combine products from the existing and new range too:

The texture of the embossed panel really makes it, don't you think?

Here's both cards together:

Here's another shot of lots of my cards together before they went into the mailbags:

Creating these cards is always a labour of love as mass production on this scale takes a lot of time, however it's so worth it when I get a message from a customer to say how much they liked their card - it makes it all worthwhile!

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. 

I am linking today's thank you card up over at The Alphabet Challenge where they are on 'T is for Thank you' and my Hello card over at Inspire.Create where their theme is 'New To You' - both my punch bundle and embossing folders are new to me and I you can be sure you'll be seeing plenty more of them too in future weeks! It's been fun creating with lots of new product and I can't wait to share more of it with you.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

COUNTRY BOUQUET BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (36.00)	THANKS & HELLO EMBOSSING FOLDERS (7.50)	REAL RED A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	REAL RED CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	ORCHID OASIS CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	GARDEN GREEN CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)
BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	RHINESTONE BASIC JEWELS (5.75)

It's the 5th January and time for a new mini-catalogue and our Sale-A-Bration promotion! This year there will be only one Sale-A-Bration promotion: it runs from today until 28th February. 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 how does Sale-A-Bration work? 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. You can earn a free Sale-A-Bration product for every £45 you spend between 5 January and 28 February. 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 one of the best times of the year to join Stampin’ Up! There is are three fabulous joining options during this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion: 

• OPTION 1: Spend £99 and receive £170 of product of your choice.
• OPTION 2: Spend £125 and receive £170 of product of your choice and an exclusive limited edition Boho Blue Mini Cut & Emboss Machine
• OPTION 3: Spend £125 and receive £170 of product of your choice and a white Mini Cut & Emboss Machine

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. Above all else, it's a great opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals united through a common love of crafting.

Hosting is also even more rewarding during Sale-A-Bration. When you host a party and reach a certain amount in sales (see the Stampin’ Rewards chart in the Sale-A-Bration brochure for more information), you can earn a free stamp set!

Even if you reaches the qualifying amount on your own outside of a party, you can earn the same free stamp set too, both in person and when shopping in my online store. 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 virtual party, please do get in touch. 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 January-April 2023 mini 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!

Finally, a new kit has also been added to the online store today:

Say thank you to the people who make your day, every day with the Saying Thanks all-inclusive card kit! This month’s kit has everything you need to show appreciation to family and friends who light up your life! Make nine bright, colourful cards in no time to say thank you, recognise friends, and share your gratitude with a bright watercolour wash that won’t go unnoticed! You’ll never miss an opportunity to express gratitude with this colourful kit!

This kit retails at £13 and includes:

• Enough supplies to create 9 cards—3 each of 3 designs—and 9 coordinating envelopes.
• Printed and foil die-cut words, pre-cut pieces, and enough adhesive to complete projects.
• White bakerʼs twine and iridescent diamond sequins.
• Finished card size: 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" (14 x 10.8 cm).
• Coordinating colours: Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green, Poppy Parade, Tahitian Tide.

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 later today with today's creative post that uses some exciting new product! That post will go live at 0900 GMT. Until then, happy shopping!