Crafternoon Tea at Bell of Northampton - Spaces Available!

by Joanne James11. April 2016 19:00

I have had a busy start to my week: the James Juniors are back at school after an enjoyable Easter break so today has been spent catching up on correspondence, spending more time making my swaps for Onstage later this week and planning for my week ahead, which includes the fist of this month's Technique Classes tomorrow - more on that later this week.

Today I want to share a home decor project that I will be making at my 'Crafternoon Tea' event that I am holding at Bell of Northampton in Kingsthorpe on Saturday 7th May, featuring the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies and the 'Hello Life' stamp set:

All instruction and materials will be provided for the session and each person will leave with a decorated 9” x 9” frame to keep. Check out this close-up of the gorgeous flowers: 

Once you’ve completed your project, you can tuck into a scrumptious afternoon tea for two with scones and cakes alongside a large selection of sandwiches stuffed to bursting with egg mayonnaise, chicken and horseradish, cheddar cheese with chilli jam and many more scrumptious fillings freshly prepared by Tea and Cake @ Bell.

The session will run from 10am-2pm on Saturday 7th May and cost £56 for two people. Buy it for yourself or as a gift! Why not treat yourself and your mum, friend or daughter to a voucher for an indulgent afternoon tea and crafting session! There are still spaces left for this event - I would love you to join me! If this is something that appeals to you, click here to make your booking online.

I'll be back tomorrow with a 'sneak peek' of the card that I will be making in my drop-in Coffee and Card Session at Bell's on Wednesday this week between 10-12 noon. Until then, happy stampin!

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3D Projects | Classes

Coffee and Card Drop-in Sessions at Bell of Northampton

by Joanne James8. March 2016 09:30

I have an extra post today to share some of the detail around a new type of event that I've added to my calendar recently - Coffee and Card Drop-in Sessions. You can see the key details on my graphic below:

 

I am excited to share this new venture with you. It's the perfect opportunity for non-crafters and crafters alike who live in or around the Northampton area to 'dip their toe' into the world of papercrafting and experience Stampin' Up! products first hand with me, without having to commit to a class. And what better place to do it than in the luxurious surroundings of Bell of Northampton, whilst enjoying a drink and a delicious cookie prepared by the in-house baker Alex of Tea and Cake @ Bell. No booking, skills or expertise required - just pop in for a little 'time out' and leave with a beautiful handcrafted card to send to someone special. You can find directions to Bell's here - there is ample free customer parking with disabled access at both the front and rear of the store.

The full schedule for these sessions along with the rest of my classes and events can be found on my website here. The next of my sessions will be tomorrow, Wednesday 9th March - I'd love to see you there!

Back shortly with today's creative project; until then, happy stampin'!

Awesomely Artistic Collage Card

by Joanne James5. January 2016 07:05

A two-post day today! This year's Sale-A-Bration promotion and the launch of the Stampin' Up! 2016 Spring-Summer catalogue is today and you can get the full scoop here; for today's creative post I am sharing a card that we are making in my technique class this month. Our class is using the 'Awesomely Artistic' stamp set and looking at collage techniques. This is one of the cards we made and it features one of my favourite new products from the new catalogue for adding a touch of sparkle to your projects - take a look:

 

The glimmer on the dragonfly's wings is tricky to capture on a photograph, but I can assure you in real life they have a beautiful golden shimmer! The Wink of Stella Glitter brushes are the perfect tool to add sparkle and shine to your projects. There are two different pens on page 24 of the new Spring-Summer catalogue and we used the gold one on this card. We used the clear brush on our other two cards; I'll share these another day. 

My February technique classes will feature the beautiful Bloomin' Hearts Thinlits Die and the co-ordinating Bloomin' Love stamp set. If you live in or around Northampton and you would like to join me for crafting enjoyment with like-minded individuals, please do get in touch for more details. We had a new lady join us today for the first time so if you're reading this, a big hello to you Fran - I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as we enjoyed your company and look forward to seeing you again soon.

I have another full day of classes today; I'l 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.

 

 

 

 

Sleigh Ride Edgelits Christmas Ornament with Salt Technique Background

by Joanne James20. December 2015 21:29

It's Sunday and whilst there is no Paper Players post from me today - we are taking a couple of weeks off from our design commitments to enjoy the festive season with our families - however fear not - as promised I still have a project to share with you today! 

My December technique classes featured creating backgrounds with the salt technique. I had created the following pair of cards cased from the lovely Jen Timko just for fun:

I just loved the white, layering and beautiful and unique sky created using this fun technique:

 

You can see Jen's card and a great video on the technique here. In my class we made a similar card using the 'Jingle All the Way' stamp set but the real focus of our class was a 3 dimensional Christmas bauble ornament and a co-ordinating box to gift it in, all featuring backgrounds made using this technique. Here is my finished bauble:

This bauble is quite stunning in real life; the layering, silver foil and embossing and dazzling diamonds glimmer paper, along with that amazing sky, really show the Sleigh Ride Edgelits off to full advantage. I'm so sorry that these will not be carried over on 4th January; if you haven't already purchased them, place your order now before it's too late!

Back soon 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.

 

Vintage Leaves Autumn Home Decor Wreath

by Joanne James20. October 2015 22:27

I've had a busy day today with my 'Shake It Up!' Children's Craft Class making the shaker cards featured in the 'To You And Yours Shaker Cards Project Kit'. We all had tremendous fun and made lots of great cards. I'll share a picture from our class at the end of today's post, however in the meantime my blog project to share with you today is the one that my Facebook followers had a sneak peek of last week that I made with a lovely group of ladies - our Autumn leaf wreaths. We based our design on this one created by Stampin' Up! Artisan Designer Alison Okamitsu; I made a large wreath like Alison's to hang on my front door and the ladies liked it so much they wanted to create a similar, smaller version - here is ours:

 

We used a selection of muted colours and the wonderful Vintage Leaves stamp set and cut out the leaves using our Big Shot and co-ordinating Leaflets Framelits (one of the catalogue 15% off bundles if you are a bargain-hunter!), some pinecones, a few leaves punched with the bird builder punch and a burlap bow to finish. Isn't that pretty? The ladies were all so very pleased with their wreaths and their stamping as this is something of a first for them! 

This was a private class that I held for a group of like-minded friends who often invite me to run a class just for them. If you have a group of friends that you would like to arrange a crafty get-together with, or would simply like to join in with one of my existing scheduled classes, then do get in touch - I would love to hear from you! Don't forget the offer of additional Stampin' rewards is also still valid until the 9th November - party sales of £200 or more will earn an extra 3% of Stampin' Rewards (formerly known as Hostess Credits) so if you have a long wish list, I've still a few slots left so contact me to book your party today!

Before I go, let me share a photo of the James Juniors proudly displaying their handiwork from this morning's class:

Like mother, like daughter (and son!) as the saying goes - what else can I possibly add?!

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.

 

Embellished Ornaments Meets Season of Cheer Class Card

by Joanne James13. October 2015 22:08

A quick post from me today to share one of the cards we made at this month's Technique class, featuring the Embellished Ornaments stamp set and Delicate Ornament Thinlits Dies. For this card, I combined it with the 'Season of Cheer' designer series paper and used it to fill the framelit space of the bauble:

I chose soft Sky and Night of Navy for the mats and layers for my card and having stamped a sentiment on the front, then also decorated the inside of the card to co-ordinate:

I layered the sentiment over the stamped bauble for extra detail and interest. This stamp set and framelits are one of the great bundle offers that you can find in the seasonal catalogue, with 15% off the combined price if you purchase both items together. Who doesn't love a bargain?!

I really like this card - the colours are rather unconventional for this kind of card yet they are the perfect match for the designer papers. I think this may actually be my favourite of this month's class cards! I set my ladies a challenge too - to use the bauble shape that was wastage on this card to create another one - I'll be sharing them on my Facebook page in due course as their entries start coming in!

If you live in or around Northampton and you would like to join me for either of next month's technique card classes, we will be featuring the 'Happy Scenes' stamp set and co-ordinating Hearth and Home framelit dies. Please get in touch for more details!

I have another class tomorrow - this time Autumn home decor is the name of the game! Come back tomorrow to see what we made and also find out what's on the latest set of Wednesday Weekly Deals and a new project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

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

 

To You And Yours Christmas Shaker Cards

by Joanne James6. October 2015 21:23

Today I have another kit based project to share with you: the 'To You And Yours Shaker Cards' project kit featured on page 4 of the current seasonal catalogue. Whilst I love creating my own cards from scratch, I am also a huge fan of Stampin' Up!'s card kits. Like the rest of the Stampin' Up! product range they are always of a very high quality and represent great value for money and for me are a great way to relax as I craft, as all I have to do is follow the instructions and put them together!

I don't always blog my kit projects because often they are completed then straight out the door (they make great last minute cards for busy crafters too!) however I often get the feedback when people see them made up at classes, parties or open house events that they look so much better in real life than the catalogue images. So, with that in mind I have been making a concerted effort, along with one of my downlines and fellow 'kit fan' Barbara, to get my kits put together ahead of time and share them with you. So here goes! 

The 'To You And Yours Shaker Cards' Project Kit contains everything you need to make 18 cards, 6 each of three designs. You can make them with or without the additional stamping - for this you will need the 'To You And Yours Too' co-ordinating stamp set and a few ink pads (see product table below). The first card features a star shaker, complete with star-shaped sequins:

 

The second card features a Christmas tree, with sequin baubles and glitter glass shaker:

 

The last card features a bauble, in gorgeous green and red (in case you're wondering, I swapped the sentiments on the front of each of the star and bauble cards because I preferred them this way) - I think this one is actually my favourite: 

Aren't they just gorgeous?! And not tricky to put together at all! So much so that I am running a couple of children's classes to make these cards during the forthcoming half-term holiday; you can check out the details by clicking on the 'events' tab on my Facebook page here or alternatively send me an email or give me a call - spaces are limited and they are filling up fast! Likewise, if you would like to get together with a group of grown up friends to make this kit then let me know - I'll bring along the inks and stamp sets, you just need to purchase the kits!

If you are purchasing this kit to craft at home, (or need more convincing!) the lovely people at Stampin' Up! have even made a video showing you step by step how to put the kit together:

I hope you enjoyed the review of this fantastic little kit; I'll be back with details of the other kits we offer in due course. That's all from me today - back tomorrow with details of this week's new Wednesday Weekly Deals and a creative punch art project. until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

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

 

 

Merry Christmas Ornament Card

by Joanne James26. September 2015 22:33

A quick - and late! - post from me today, but since I didn't post yesterday I thought I'd better squeeze one in today! I was fundraising at a MacMillan Coffee morning yesterday and have been busy with the usual flurry of household chores, homework and swimming clubs that generally occupy a Saturday in the James household today. The lovely ladies over at Less Is More have a challenge for 'something shiny' this week and I have the perfect CAS creation to fit - here's my card:

I used a simple base of Real Red and a mat of Whisper White, onto which I stamped 'have a' and 'Christmas' in red around a gold foil 'Merry' diecut, formed using my Christmas Greetings thinlits (I am so in love with these!) I cut an ornament shape out of gold foil using my Delicate Ornament Thinlits Dies and my Big Shot and backed this with a 1 3/4" circle of red glimmer paper (well what is shine without a little sparkle too?!), added a gold cord trim bow and adhered the ornament slightly off the edge of the card to look as if it was hanging from the 'y' of 'merry'. 

I designed this card as one of the makes for my all day Christmas stamp-a-stack this week and the ladies present loved it, although having to remove the tiny pieces from the ornament was proving tedious by the time they had made six of them! I'm also using the ornament dies in my October technique class in a couple of weeks time and can't wait - combined with the Embellished Ornaments stamp set (another 15% off bundle when you buy the two together!) they really are very versatile.

Back tomorrow with my card for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players; come back then, you won't want to miss it!

Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

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

 

Poinsettia Festive Flower Punch Christmas Card

by Joanne James21. September 2015 21:40

I've been busy today with the final preparations for the first of my all day Christmas Stamp-a-Stacks later this week but today's card that I'm going to share is the final one from last month's technique class using the 'Reason For The Season' stamp set:

For this card we used a base of Real Red and decorated the front with a piece of Merry Moments DSP, then cut away a section using a 2" circle punch, so that it would fit around a 3D poinsettia flower made from Real Red card stock and adhered to the inside to the card. We used two layers of petals and a trio of leaves for our flower and wrapped a few loops of fine gold metallic thread behind it. This was a great card to get everyone used to building the 3D flower using the punch, having stamped the patterns onto the petals and leaves beforehand. These flowers also look great on festive packaging and really make the most of this versatile stamp set. This is one of the many great value bundles in the seasonal catalogue - with 15% off when you purchase the bundle, it represents a great saving. If you would like to see this stamp and punch combo in action (and a refresher for the ladies that attended my class!), here's a great video from Stampin' Up! that gives you the lowdown:

I hope you enjoyed that video. Don't forget, if you live in or around Northampton and would like more information on attending any of my classes, you can find full details here or just get in touch to confirm availability. 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.

 

 

White and Gold Christmas Poinsettia Card

by Joanne James15. September 2015 21:02

Good evening blog readers! I had a lovely time with the ladies - and gent! - that attend my card class at a local residential care home this morning. As always, the lovely Sheila and Brenda were wonderful hostesses and today we were joined a new resident, Peggy, for the first time. We enjoyed a pleasant few hours making Christmas cards and this afternoon I caught up with one of my team over a quick coffee and got some jobs done before collecting the children and embarking on the usual Tuesday round of homework, piano lessons and dinner. Anyway, enough about my day! No time to make a card today, so I thought I'd share with you another of the cards we made at my Technique class this month. Another using the 'Reason For The Season' stamp set, but this time in white and gold:

I used extra thick Whisper White cardstock for my base, then created a layered central panel using a piece of gold foil cardstock and a piece of Whisper White covered with a piece of the gorgeous gold foil Winter Wonderland Designer Vellum Stack. I stamped the sentiment and flower onto a piece of Whisper White in Versamark and heat embossed in gold, then fussy cut the flower and punched the sentiment out using a 2" circle punch. To put together, I created a few loops of gold corded trim and adhered these to my card, followed by the sentiment then lastly the flower, overlapping each slightly. A sprinkling of gold sequins from the Metallics Sequin Assortment completes my card.

This is my favourite of all the cards we made in this month's technique class - I love the modern, crisp gold and white finish. That's all from me today; back tomorrow with a new collection of weekly deals. until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

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

 

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Cards | Classes | Shop Online | Stamping

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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!

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