The wait is over - it's May 2nd and the new 2023-24 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue is here! You will find a permanent link to the new catalogue on the right hand side of my blog but for today you need look no further than the picture below which will take you straight to the new catalogue: 

The new catalogue is fantastic, with so many great new products to choose from. I've sent paper copies to everyone who has shopped regularly with me in the last 12 months; if you live in the UK, don't have a paper copy of the catalogue but would like one, then do get in touch and I can arrange to send one to you. A digital copy of the new catalogue can be accessed via the image above and it will be permanently linked via my blog on the right hand side if you don’t have a paper copy and wish to browse. If you've already made your shopping list and just want to go straight to the shop to place your order, click here - ordering systems have now fully transitioned from the old stock items to the new so you are good to go! Also, remember to add the current hostess code for May 7DXKGX9G if your order is less than £150 and ensure your preferences are set to 'contactable' to receive a thank you in the post from me.

What will be first on your list - in colours? New or returning colour favourites? A new stamp set, dies or bundle maybe? I'll be sharing my favourites in the coming weeks.

There is also a new kit launched in the online store today: The Confetti Birthday Kit, the newest addition to the Kits Collection by Stampin’ Up!, comes with everything you need to quickly create confetti shaker cards—a total of 9 cards in 3 lively designs. Celebrate in style with bright, bold colours, confetti, and birthday greetings full of joy!

Here's a link to the unboxing video that shows the kit in more detail:

That's a lot of information for one post; if I were you I would put the kettle on, put your feet up and get comfy and settle down with your new catalogue for a browse and start creating that all-important wish list!

Back later this morning with today's creative post; until then, happy shopping!

An important second post today! For 24 hours only, starting at 11pm UK time this evening, Stampin' Up! are offering FREE shipping on orders of £60 or more.

The key information is as follows:

• Free shipping applies after the qualifying order amount has been met.
• The minimum qualifying amount to receive free shipping is £60 or more.
• Free shipping only applies during the 24-hour period the promotion is live in each market; this means that the order must be opened and closed between 18th April 2023, at 11 p.m. and 19 April 2023, at 11:00 p.m (UK).

This is a great time to stock up on retiring in-colours or stamps, pick up a bundle that you've had your eye on and more! So start making those lists and head off to my online Stampin' Up! store after 11pm - remember to add the current hostess reward code 6CFWAKVR at check out - or message me with your order.

Happy shopping!

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. This week's challenge is a sketch challenge and Valerie has asked that we create a slimline card with a square feature and overlapping sentiment:

Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch when making your card but remember to make it a slimline if you'd like to be considered for the winner's spot for this challenge. 

For my card today I ended up making two cards; I'll share the first one tomorrow as it was a little less clean and simple than I'd have liked. This is the card I settled on to share with you today:

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

This is actually a no-stamping card. I used a piece of the retiring black and white Perfectly Penciled designer series paper and coloured the negative space around the florals using my Mint Macaron Blends, before cutting it out using one of my square Stylish Shapes Dies. I added this to a base of thick Basix White cardstock, and then added a layered thanks sentiment cut with the Amazing Thanks Dies on dimensionals to complete my card:

The Perfectly Penciled papers are great for colouring with your Stampin' Blends markers and this 'reverse colouring' really allows the black and white design to stand out. This paper, along with Mint Macaron and all its accessories and those fabulous Amazing Thanks Dies are all retiring at the end of this month - add them to your shopping basket whilst you still can - or maybe wait until 11pm this evening when the 24 hour free shipping promotion starts - you can read more about the free shipping promotion here!

I'm also linking today's card to the black, white and one colour challenge over at Color Dare and the current 'anything goes' challenge at Less Is More.

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'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

AMAZING THANKS DIES (ENGLISH) (10.40)

PERFECTLY PENCILED 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (7.87)

MINT MACARON STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (7.65)

STYLISH SHAPES DIES (28.00)

MINT MACARON A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)

Happy Monday everyone! Today I'm sharing a card that I made for a few current challenges:

I'm using Cecile's layout over at Freshly Made Sketches and the colour combination over at Colour Inkspirational (I chose my retiring in-colour as Polished Pink - love this pink!) and am also linking up over at Inkspirational where the theme is clean and simple. I'm also using a retiring stamp set - for the first time! Take a look:

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

When I saw Cecile's sketch, I was initially tempted to go with the 'clean and layered' look, however I decided I'd challenge myself to embrace my 'inner Cecile' and create something altogether more clean and simple. I already had the 'Cottage Rose' stamp set out on my desk as I wanted to give it at least one use before it goes away, so I decided I would use that for my focal point, masking and stamping in an extra set of leaves too, in black onto Very Vanilla cardstock.

If you too are a fan of Cecile's work, you will know she is the queen of clean and simple cards and lots to add colour to line stamped designs using a paintbrush and watercolours - her current Design Team cards both at FMS and at CAS Colours & Sketches are good examples of this. I wasn't sure I could pull this off though, so instead I decide to go for a more bokeh effect and using both a blending brush and sponge dauber to achieve different depths of colour, I added Polished Pink and (retired) Encore Gold ink using stencils made with a variety of circle punches and some leftover window sheet to the main flower. A simple gold-on-black heat embossed sentiment completes my card:

I added the same floral detail both inside the card and on the front and flap of my coordinating envelope to complete the look. I resisted the urge to add some enamel dots and just allowed the flower to take centre stage. What do you think? Have you ever tried this kind of technique before? Do leave me a comment below - I would love to hear your thoughts. I don't mind saying I just love this card!! A mix of traditional floral and modern, abstract colouring - so fun! Thank you Cecile for a fabulous sketch and design inspiration this week!

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:

COTTAGE ROSE CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (19.20)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (5.75)	VERY VANILLA A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	POLISHED PINK CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (6.00)	SPONGE DAUBERS (4.75)	BLENDING BRUSHES (11.75)
VERSAMARK PAD (9.00)	METALLICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)	BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)

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 across the bottom with floral, embossing and stitching and took the opportunity to work with the current Color Hues palette of peach and kraft and decided to try out a fun technique that I saw on Instagram recently - take a look:

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

Graffiti Art - I saw a reel on Instagram recently by the New Zealand demonstrator, Jacque Williams, where she created a fun graffiti art-style card and I really wanted to give it a go! It's actually not that tricky to do: you choose your background wall colour (I used Crumb Cake) then ink one side of your Bricks and Mortar embossing folder before inserting your card and running it through your Big Shot machine. This gives you your inked 'cement' lines and the base onto which you then stamp the rest of your design. Simple! This embossing folder is great for this technique and makes a great background too. I can't believe it's retiring - if you don't have one, I'd seriously consider adding to your collection whilst you still can!

Floral Art Gallery - I chose to add some bold florals for my wall art, using the large bloom from the Art Gallery stamp set, with a Pale Papaya base and top layer of Calypso Coral for some pretty peachy florals, and I stamped the stems in a neutral brown. I also added some splatters in Crumb Cake randomly across my wall to add to the artsy feel.

Art Gallery is another stamp set I haven't used in ages but is leaving us with the current outgoing annual catalogue. I'll be keeping mine though - these florals are a no-brainer and the simple block sentiments are so useful with all kinds of cards, not to mention the large diecut sentiment in the set too. Pale Papaya is leaving too - so get yours now whilst you still can!

Tailormade Tag - I finished my card with some Crumb Cake baker's twine and a tiny tailor made tag with a simple thank you sentiment. I am sending this card to a dear customer of mine who loves a messy card - mixed media and grunge are totally her thing, so I know she will appreciate my attempt at getting even close to her signature style!!

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. You should definitely check out the design team's cards this week too - they are amazing!

Enjoy your day; I'm hoping to get a few cards made today in between errands and laundry. I'm hopeful to be able to use the washing line today, as right now it's a lovely bright and breezy day. Not sure I'll be still in luck by the time the washing machine cycle has finished - we are experiencing proper April showers here in the UK at the moment. The constant to and fro the washing line is definitely keeping me fit though! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

BRICK & MORTAR 3D EMBOSSING FOLDER (9.50)	ART GALLERY PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (8.40)	TAILOR MADE TAGS DIES (21.00)	BAKER'S TWINE ESSENTIALS PACK (10.25)	PALE PAPAYA A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	CALYPSO CORAL A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)
CRUMB CAKE A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	PALE PAPAYA CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (6.75)	CALYPSO CORAL CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	CRUMB CAKE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	EARLY ESPRESSO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (9.75)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's my turn to host this week and I've a colour challenge for you to work with:

I chose pastel colours for this week's challenge; I rarely choose pastels as a starting point, much preferring brights, so I thought this would both challenge me and also give me a gallery full of pastel design inspiration - a win-win I'd say! With the recent Stampin' Up! announcement of a full colour refresh, we are saying goodbye to not only the outgoing 2021-23 in-colours, but several from across the colour families too. I've used one of the retiring in-colours and three of the four retiring pastels from the subtles family on my cards today along with the layout over at Try Stamping on Tuesday - take a look at the first one:

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

Farewell Hand Penned Petals - I used the retiring 'Hand Painted Petals' stamp set and coordinating Penned Flowers Dies on my car today, along with the border dies from the Eden Dies set, also retiring, to pick out the border edge of my Country Gingham panel. This is a great stamp set if you're new to stamping - it has both outline stamps and individual pieces to infill the various flowers and leaves with colour, but they intentionally don't line up with each other exactly. The easy, artsy look means that you don't have to align the stamps perfectly - yet they still look great, perfect for a beginner! Get your stamp set and dies from my online store here whilst stocks last. 

Bye, Bye Blushing Bride - This card features Blushing Bride and Mint Macaron, retiring pastels from the Subtles family, along with Pale Papaya, a retiring in-colour. I've never been a big fan of Blushing Bride (I find it a 'muddy' pink) but I do think it can be enhanced when paired with other colours. Paired with the peachy tones of Pale Papaya and the fresh green of Mint Macaron and some ribbon and gems in those colours too, it does look quite pretty - what do you think?

So Long, So Saffron - So Saffron is another of the departing Subtles, so I decided to make a variation on my first card using Pale Papaya for the larger flowers and the pale yellow of So Saffron for the smaller ones; all other details were the same.

I think I prefer this version, but I'll leave it for you to decide if you have a favourite!

So are you a fan of the Subtles colour family and pastel shades? If so, you should definitely consider entering our challenge this week!

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

And the second one:

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:

Enjoy your day; I'm off to set up my Easter egg hunt for the James Juniors - they might be in their teens now, but they still like to hunt for their chocolate, they are nothing if not sticklers for tradition! We have a roast turkey lunch planned then this afternoon will be spent consuming the fruit of their spoils and if the sun continues to shine, walking it off! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Today I'm sharing my second card for my Guest Designer spot over at Just Us Girls. This week it's word week:

Sunshine - could this be any more uplifting?! I decided to CASE Ann's card over at Global Design Project #GDP388 and pair a couple of old favourites with a new-to-me stamp from the annual catalogue for my card - take a look:

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

Instead of fussy cut flowers, I flipped Ann's design and used simple white clouds, diecut with my Basic Borders Dies, for the top and bottom elements and saved the detail for my sunny panel behind.

I recently purchase the Rays of Light background stamp and thought it would be the perfect way to show the warm sunshine streaming down between the clouds. In a nod to Ann's card, I stamped it onto a piece of yellow Hues of Happiness designer series paper, inking my stamp in a blend of Daffodil Delight and retiring Mango Melody. The patterned/floral sides of this paper are what you most often see showcased, but the reverse coloured sides are beautiful too. The stamp itself has a lovely textured surface and I think this is enhanced with the faux brushstrokes on the designer paper.

Like Ann I did use the Sending Smiles bundle for my sentiment, keeping with a bold, black diecut 'sending' and then adding a more appropriate stamped element to my bottom cloud in an ombre of the two yellows I used for the sunshine. I added a few adhesive-backed milky dots in Mango Melody to complete my card (these are currently in the retiring sale and available at a discount in my online store here). Mango Melody ink pads are unfortunately no longer available - those departing colours are flying off the shelves!

There is something so cheery about sunshine cards I think - I can't wait to see what the Design Team and JUGS gallery has in store this week!

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:

BASIC BORDERS DIES (27.00)

RAYS OF LIGHT CLING STAMP SET (17.00)

SENDING SMILES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (46.75)

HUES OF HAPPINESS 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)

DAFFODIL DELIGHT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)

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

I considered how I was going to use that large central circle as my focal point and since I'm in 'use it up' mode with my retiring product right now, I decided to create a little scene using some woodland creatures from the Happy Forest Friends designer series paper in the annual catalogue. After much fussy cutting and arranging and re-arranging, this is what I came up with:

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

Several of the sheets in the Happy Forest Friends pack have printed scenes on them, so having considered how I was going to make the most of each sheet I actually fussy cut some animals, then used my largest circle Stylish Shapes Die to partially cut a circle, having firstly fussy cut the edge of the tree to sit outside of the circle border. I then added an owl, bear, bird and half a fox (good job he was peeking from behind the tree!) and layered them to create my scene. You can see the detailing a little better on the close up below:

I added a couple of panels using another of the patterns in this pack to the background, and a simple bow of Old Olive twine and a stamped and fussy cut sentiment from the 'Lovely You' stamp set that seemed to fit with my scene. The 'Lovely You' stamp set has lots of useful sentiments and is currently available at 60% off - just £9.20. What a bargain - snap one up here in my online store whilst it's still available!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

HAPPY FOREST FRIENDS 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)

STYLISH SHAPES DIES (28.00)

MOSSY MEADOW A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)

MOSSY MEADOW CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)

Click here to go right to the the online store to shop your favourite retiring items now!

These are the Last Chance Retiring Products lists updated by Stampin’ Up! on March 31.

Click here to see the retired items list for the 2022-2023 Annual Catalogue in PDF format, including the discounts that will apply beginning on April 4:

You can click here to download the retiring list for the 2022-2023 Annual Catalogue in Excel format so that you can modify and edit it.

Click here to see the retired items list for the January-April 2023 Mini Catalogue in PDF format, including the discounts that will apply beginning on April 4:

You can click here to download the retiring list for the January-April 2023 Mini Catalog in Excel format so that you can modify and edit it.

Stampin’ Up! has put together a quick video showing you the colours that are leaving and the new colours coming in, including the new In Colours!  You can see it here:

Here's a quick list of those colours that are retiring:

• Blushing Bride
• Pear Pizzazz
• Mint Macaron
• Rich Razzleberry
• So Saffron
• Merry Merlot
• Pacific Point
• Mango Melody
• Soft Suede
• Sahara Sand
• Bermuday Bay

I'll have more news with regard to the new in colours in a separate post, but for now - I'll be placing an order first thing tomorrow so if you'd like to take advantage of the bargains on the retiring list, then do get in touch.

Let me know if you have any questions. Back tomorrow with another post; until then, happy shopping!

Happy Wednesday everyone! Sale-A-Bration may be over for another year, but the first day of a new month brings exciting news with two new announcements for you. First up - Online Exclusives!

Online Exclusives offer a great opportunity for new experiences! You won’t find these products in any catalogue; they are fresh, never-before-seen products to spark your creativity and expand your crafting collection - all from the convenience of the online store. You can see all of the items that have been launched today in my online store by clicking here.

Here are images of just some of the products available:

There will be a number of Online Exclusive product releases throughout the year so be sure to keep up to date!

Secondly, the latest addition to the Kits Collection by Stampin’ Up! also launches today and can be found in the online store.

The Colorful Kaleidoscope Kit is filled with geometric shapes and unique kaleidoscopic patterns. This kit includes 9 full-size cards, 3 each of 3 designs, measuring 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" (10.8 x 14 cm) and 9 coordinating envelopes and retails at £22. You can order yours in the online store by clicking here and here's a link to the unboxing video if you'd like a closer look:

That's all for today! Remember if you are shopping with me in the online store, remember to use the host code for March in order to receive a little thank you from me in the post.

Back soon with a creative post - until then, happy shopping!