Good evening everyone! Firstly, can I say a big than you to Helen, Dotty and Granny for your lovely comments on Rebecca's blog post yesterday - it's always nice to get comments and she was very touched by your kind words and asked me to say thank you to you all today.

On to today's post! I wanted to play with my new photopolymer stamps that arrived last week (free with each order of £60 or more - read all about the May offer here) and am just managing to squeeze in my entry to this week's Pals Paper Arts challenge, where this week there is a colour challenge. I also loosely based my card on the sketch over at Fab Friday:

Whilst the PPA design team came up with a great variety of cards suitable for both men and women this week, this colour scheme led me to make a masculine card. As I mentioned, I wanted to use my photopolymer stamps to try out an idea inspired by a printed card I saw recently on Pinterest (you can see that card here) - here is my card:

Clearly without the absolute pinpoint accuracy of the printed medium, yet this alphabet was relatively easy to stamp and align using the Sans and Stripes photopolymer stamps without the need for a stamp-a-ma-jig. I cut the word bubble by hand (another reason to add to my list of 'Why I need an e-cutter'!) and backed this with a contrasting coloured panel that I embossed with the Chevron embossing folder, rounding the corners to echo the shape of the word bubble. Lastly, I punched a contrasting heart and popped it on a dimensional. I liked this card so much, I also made one in the reverse colourway:

I think I like my Cajun Craze base the most, but this alternative version comes a close second. What about you - which one appeals to you most? I made this card with Father's Day in mind - still a good month away, but it pays to be organised! It would equally make a good birthday card for a special Dad.

That's all from me today; back tomorrow with another project. until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Sans And Stripes Photopolymer Stamp Set	Cajun Craze A4 Card Stock	Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad	Night Of Navy A4 Card Stock	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad
Very Vanilla A4 Card Stock	Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Small Heart Punch	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Envelope Punch Board

It's still Wednesday (just!) and they're here: today's Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced.

As always, if you want to take advantage of any of the deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person. Don't forget to add the Hostess Code for May (you can find this under the 'Shop Online' section on the right. 

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

Beautifully Baroque Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Champagne Glass Glitter	Heat Tool - Uk Plug	Melon Mambo Stampin' Emboss Powder	Pewter Stampin' Emboss Powder
The Man, The Myth Board Book Designer Template - Digital Download	Wild Wasabi Stampin' Emboss Powder	Wildflower Meadow Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Embossing is the name of the game this week, with some great offers on dry embossing folders and powders and a heat gun for heat embossing. Back shortly with today's creative post; until then, happy shopping!

Today I'm sharing one of the latest additions to the Stampin' Up! range: the Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit. It costs just £17.95 and contains literally EVERYTHING you need to make 20 cards - tags, embellishments, cards, envelopes,  stamps, ink, block - yes, everything! This kit is great for seasoned crafters who want to stock up on cards in a hurry and those who are new to crafting - if you've never stamped before, this is the kit for you!

To see just how easy it is, check out my lighthearted video below where I make all 20 cards in under 6 minutes:

Ok, so there was some fast-forwarding in there!! In reality it took me just over an hour to make all 20 cards, which is still a great output for a short time investment. If you would like to purchase a Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit, get in touch or pop on over to my online store and place an order today. This kit would also make a great gift, maybe for a teenager or someone who likes crafting or to try new things - at less than £1 per card, it represents great value.

Better still, why not get together a group of friends and host your very own Hip Hip Hooray Card Party? I'll provide the kits, all you need to provide is the refreshments. I'll be on hand to help and answer any questions and I guarantee that by the end of the session you will have 20 cards to be proud of! Contact me to book your Hip Hip Hooray Card Party today!

And here's one more look at the finished cards:

Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit

Good morning everyone! I've bumped today's creative post as I have more exciting Stampin' Up! news to share with you: following on from successful trials in the USA, Stampin' Up! is introducing photopolymer stamps in Europe too!

Stampin' Up! have spent a long time trying to find the right material to introduce clear stamping to the Stampin' Up! range that gives the high standards of stamp and finish that you would expect of the Stampin' Up! brand and this is it! The forthcoming annual catalogue will now contain wood mount, clear mount and photopolymer stamp sets. There are lots of benefits to photopolymer stamps: they are great value (they are cheaper to produce so you get more stamps per set) and above all their transparency means that they make it so easy to line up your images, without the need for a guide or a stamp-a-ma-jig. Here's a short video showing you how they work:

Now for the best bit - FREE STAMPS!! To celebrate the introduction of the photopolymer range, Stampin' Up! are offering a limited offer on Stampin' Up! photopolymer sets. For every order of £60 or more between 1-31 May, you can choose one of a selection of photopolymer stampsets FREE! This offer is only available whilst stocks last though, so if you'd like one, you need to get your Stampin' Up! order placed as soon as possible! if you're ordering online, don't forget to use the online hostess code to be in with a chance of earning additional benefits. The icons below show the stamp sets on offer (these are not clickable through to my online store - you will be presented with the option to add them to your basket when you have an order with a qualifying spend). To order, simply follow the shop online link on the right of this page.

Show & Tell 1 Photopolymer Stamp Set

Show & Tell 2 Photopolymer Stamp Set

Eye-Catching Ikat Photopolymer Stamp Set

Sans And Stripes Photopolymer Stamp Set

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

It's Wednesday and they're here: week 4 of Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced.

As always, if you want to take advantage of any of the deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person. Don't forget to add the Hostess Code for April (you can find this under the 'Shop Online' section on the right. If you're local to me in Northampton, I'm placing an order tomorrow so if you would like to add anything to this order and save on postage, then give me a call today and I will place your order for you.

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

Baked Brown Sugar 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim	Downtown Grunge Photobook Template - Digital Download	Dress Form Pop' N Cuts	Label Insert Pop' N Cuts Die	Measuring Stick Stampin' Around Builder Wheel
Tasteful Trim Bigz Die	Venetian Romance Designer Series Paper

As you can see, some great deals this week: in colour stretch ruffle trim and another DSP and some great deals on Big Shot Dies - the Tasteful Trim die and two of my personal favourites - the Pop 'n' Cuts dies. Here's my most popular card made with the Dress Form Pop 'n' cuts - my pop up Lego City Fireman from last August (original post here):

More good news too - Wednesday Deals will continue throughout the month of May! I will post them here every Wednesday, so do make sure you check back each week - there are some great deals to be had!

Back later with today's creative post - until then, happy shopping!

I've been busy preparing for next week's classes today; I'll share those cards with you later next week, however today thought I would share something a little different. If any of you are followers of Stampin' Up! UK's Facebook page, you will probably already be aware of Stampin' Up!'s 'Cards For Keeps' charitable auction that is due to take place on Ebay in May. For those of you that aren't, Stampin' Up! have joined forces with Coram, the oldest UK children's charity, to celebrate its 275 year anniversary by inviting a wide range of stars from sport, stage, screen, music and art to create a unique card using Stampin' Up! supplies.

Stampin' Up! demonstrators have also been invited to submit a card for a pre-auction competition; the winning card will also be entered into the 'Cards for Keeps' auction, alongside those of the participating celebrities. In trying to decide on a design for my contest submission, I did a little research about Coram. Through services such as adoption and creative therapies, Coram helps some of the UK’s most vulnerable children to feel safe and loved and have access to the education and opportunities in life all children need. I read several inspirational stories about the work they do and the difference they make to the lives of so many young people, they really are a charity worthy of our support.

So without further ado, let me share the card I designed;for me, this card sums up everything that Coram stands for:

My colour scheme of Pumpkin Pie, Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White was inspired by Coram's logo and corporate colours. I decided to make a square card with a strong focal point - the 'you make the world a better place' stamp from the Starburst Sayings set. For me, this stamp sums up the work of Coram so well - they make the world a better place for thousands of children each and every year. l brought in lots of detail to my card with layers and textures: I stamped the image in Versamark and heat embossed in Cherry Cobbler embossing powder, cutting out the 'World' banner and popping it up on a couple of dimensionals for extra emphasis. I then matted my starburst on white and Cherry Cobbler circles, followed by a final starburst of Pumpkin Pie. I cut my banner using the Banner Framelits and a piece of Cherry Cobbler Cored'inations cardstock. The base of the card is Pumpkin Pie, with Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White mats and a central panel of Polka Dots DSP in Pumpkin Pie. A Cherry Cobbler seam binding double bow tied with white baker's twine and a Pumpkin pie button finish my card.

The inside had a little treatment too, before I added my personalised message:

If you would like to see some of the celebrity cards that have been created for the 'Cards For Keeps' online auction, check them out here on the Cards For Keeps Pinterest board. There are sure to be some sought-after auction lots, with celebrities from Benedict Cumberbatch to Liza Tarbuck, and Axel Scheffler to Twiggy.

I'll let you know if my autographed version is lucky enough to join them, but for now I'm off to work out which ones I'm going to bid on - so far my favourite is Jo Brand and the Jelly Babies (yes, for real!)

Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Starburst Sayings Clear-Mount Bundle	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad	Pumpkin Pie A4 Card Stock	Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad
Cherry Cobbler A4 Card Stock	Polka Dot Parade Designer Series Paper	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Emboss Powder
Heat Tool - Uk Plug	Brights Designer Buttons	Cherry Cobbler 1/2 Inch Seam Binding Ribbon	White Baker's Twine	Regals Core'dinations
Circles Collection Framelits Dies	Magnetic Platform	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Banners Framelits Dies

It's Wednesday and they're here: week 3 of Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced.

As always, if you want to take advantage of any of the deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person. Don't forget to add the Hostess Code for April (you can find this under the 'Shop Online' section on the right.

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

Afternoon Daydream Kit - Digital Download	Christmas Ornament Punch	Fun Flowers Bigz L Die	I Am Me Designer Series Paper	In Color Boutique Details
Modern Medley Designer Series Paper	Stampin' Write Marker New Color Kit

Back shortly with today's creative post; until then, happy shopping!

It's Wednesday and they're here: week 2 of Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced.

As always, if you want to take advantage of any of the deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person.

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

Afternoon Picnic Designer Series Paper	Crisp Cantaloupe 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim	Fancy Flower Punch	Floral District Photobook Template - Digital Download	Polka Stampin' Around Builder Wheel
Silver Glimmer Paper	This And That Epic Day Designer Series Paper

We've had a lovely family day out today at one of our favourite places locally, Twycross Zoo - a lovely little zoo for monkeys (of the Junior and primate variety!) and whilst I haven't had time to take any photos in my studio today - I might share two creative projects tomorrow to make up for it, so watch this space - I do have some very exciting Stampin' Up! news to share with you today: Stampin' Up! are partnering with Becky Higgins, the creator of Project Life, to bring Project Life products in a range of exclusive and co-ordinating Stampin' Up! colours and designs.

If you're not familiar with Project Life, it's a really simple, affordable way to get your photographs into albums; it's a pocket-based scrapbooking system, that allows you to file your photos and journaling cards easily so that you spend more time making making memories and less time scrapbooking them - sounds good to me!

There will be a complete Project Life product line on offer in the new annual catalogue that launches here in the UK on 1st July, but in the meantime, here's a short introduction from Shelli Gardner, Stampin' Up! CEO and Becky Higgins herself to tell you more:

As a mother of young children who takes hundreds of photographs each year, most of which never go beyond my computer's hard drive, this is a system that really appeals to me and I'm excited that Stampin' Up! are getting involved with Project Life. 

 I'll be sure to bring you more news as it emerges; I'm sure this is just one of the new things that Stampin' Up! will be introducing with the new annual catalogue - exciting times!

One last thing - today is the last day for this week's weekly deals, so if there's anything on the list that you fancy, then get in quick and place your online order in my shop now. Full details of this week's offers can be found here. A new collection of weekly deals will be announced tomorrow!

Back tomorrow with a project (or two!) and details of the new weekly deals; until then, happy stampin'!

A nice early post from me today as I have some great news to share with my UK and European readers and customers - Wednesday Weekly Deals are here!

Starting today and for the whole of the month of April, new weekly deals will be announced every Wednesday. We won't know what they are in advance: you will simply need to go to my online DBWS store to find out what they are. I will of course include them on my blog each week as they are announced - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced. Stampin' Up! customers and demonstrators in the USA have been benefiting from Wednesday Weekly Deals for some time, so it's great that this is something we are now all able to benefit from.

As always, if you want to take advantage of any of the deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person.

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

Blossom Party Stampin' Up! Originals Die	Dress Up Framelits Dies	Festive Flurry Framelits Dies	Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder Die	Needlepoint Border Textured Impressions Embossing Folders
Recipes By Design Digital Kit - Digital Download	Secret Garden Framelits Dies

Back later with another project; until then, happy bargain hunting!