No stamping today! I have another Dress Up project from last month's quarterly training session: this time a lovely set of gift tags in a nice little pocket holder made using the Pop n' Cuts base again. Here's the outside of the box, decorated with its own dress on a Cute Clip hanger and another of those little filter paper flowers:

Open up the box to reveal a lovely set of dressed mannequin gift tags, each one with its own outfit:

This kind of holder is so easy to make just by adding in a couple of central score lines and box section to hold the tags; it would also make a nice notelet holder. As for the tags - what better way to ensure a gift for someone special is 'all dressed up'? My particular favourite outfit combo is the embossed filter paper sundress with the hot pink patterned bolero cardigan; leave me a comment and let me know which one you prefer, or better still how you would dress yours?

If you would like to get your hands on a gift tag set like the one above, you can do one of three things:

host a party during the month of May - this will be my hostess gift to thank you for booking a party and if you have party sales totally £300 or more, you could use your hostess credits to obtain the Pop 'n' Cuts Card base, Pop 'n' Cuts Dress Form and All Dressed Up framelit and stamps bundle ABSOLUTELY FREE!*

ask me about a class - if I have enough interested crafters, I will run a class featuring the Dress Up framelits and Pop 'n' Cuts base and you can learn how to make this set and more

contact me via joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk to place your order today

So many choices - I hope one of them tick's your box and I look forward to hearing from you. Back tomorrow with anohter project - until then, happy stampin'!

*Hostess credits for party sales of £300 totalling £75 (£50 plus £25 bonus if you host a party before May 30th) with one item purchased at 50% discount price

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Cardstock: Marina Mist, Sunshine and Sprinkles DSP

Ink: Basic Grey

Tools: Dress Up Framelits, Big Shot, Itty Bitty Punches, Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Heart Punch

Finishing Touches: Basics Rhinestones, 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon Basic Grey, Creped Filter Paper, Cute Clips

Two posts in one day - aren't you lucky?! If you haven't read this morning's post about the new 'This and That' journal bundle, make sure you scroll back and read it after this one; if you like scrapbooking but fancy something a bit more immediate, or even if you have never got into scrapbooking for this reason, you should check it out. The bundle of products including a blank journal, 12 sheets of designer paper, 4 sheets of over 100 stickers, 3 rolls of washi tape and a rotary stamp can be purchased at the discounted price of £29.24 during the month of May only - that's 15% cheaper than the standard catalogue price that will be charged when 'This and That' is part of the annual catalogue from July. 

So for this post, I thought I'd share another card made with the Dress Up framelits, this time using the framelits on a standard card. They really are so versatile, you can achieve so many different effects. This is a case of a card I saw on Stampin Connection - Im afraid I don't know who designed it - and since I was working with my Tea for Two Designer papers too it totally fitted the bill for a birthday card I needed to make for a friend of mine who celebrated her birthday earlier this week:

I am in love with the spotty paper in this set - I've made another card with one of these dresses too - I think the muted coral and vanilla look really nice against the black, which gives it quite a modern feel. This sentiment is from one of my favourite sets too: One in a Million is a set of stamps that can be used alone in some instances but are designed to be used in pairs - the other half of this sentiment that appears inside this card says "...that makes you one in a million!"

Back tomorrow with another project; until then don't forget to drop me a line at joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk if you would like to order a 'This and That' bundle, to be delivered directly to your door. Happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: One in a Million

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Tea for Two DSP

Ink: Basic Black

Tools: Dress Up Framelits, Big Shot

Finishing Touches: Basics Pearls, 3/8" Calypso Coral Ruffled Ribbon

Today is going to be 'Two Post Wednesday' (I know catchy!!) as there's big news as well as beautiful cards to share!

Calling all scrapbookers and journal writers - 'This and That' has arrived! If like me, you're always living life in the fast lane, but love to capture the funny and memorable moments in everyday life, this is the set for you - true journalling 'on the go'.

Check out this video to get a great look at everything that's on offer as part of this new package:

This and That will debut in the 2013-2014 annual catalogue, but Stampin' Up! is giving you the chance to get it now. During the month of May, there is an exclusive 15% product discount on this 5 item bundle when all 5 items are purchased together. The items can be purchased separately, but why would you do that when you can buy the bundle and save 15%? The 'This and That' range will be added to as time goes on, but the bundle discount is valid from 1st-31st May only and the items will only be available to purchase individually and at full price in the new annual catalogue from 1st July. The bundle contains plenty of stickers, washi tape and designer series paper, such that you will have enough to make cards and decorate other items too - lots of new, fun crafting items with tons of uses; can't wait to share my creations!

Click on the image below to download the details of the products on offer:

If you would like to order a 'This and That' product bundle, don't delay and contact me today to place your order. There's no limit to how many bundles you can purchase - which is great news, as this would make a great gift set for a crafty child or even reluctant writer; a great way to encourage handwriting practice without it seeming a chore!

Back later with today's project post. until then, happy stampin'!

As promised, today I have a card to match yesterday's lovely Melon Mambo treat holder, made with the Pop 'n' Cuts base. No dresses today, but another of those gorgeous filter paper flowers, this time hand-dyed yellow to really make it 'pop': 

This flower was made using the slightly smaller Floral Frames Framelit; the flowers can be coloured in a number of different ways - to achieve this effect, the edges were sponged with Daffodil Delight ink then the layers sprayed with a homemade mix of alcohol and shimmer spray to encourage the colour to 'bleed' and shimmer slightly. So easy and each time you make one, you get a slightly different look so all your flowers are unique.

The flower definitely takes centre stage here, however the background stamping, rhinestones and cute clip attaching the flag at the top all contribute to making this a great card, and one that perfectly co-ordinates with yesterday's treat holder. Here's a picture of both items together:

Rather lovely! Back tomorrow with another project and exciting news about a special promotion valid for the month of May only. To find out more, make sure you check back tomorrow for the full low-down. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Oh, Hello

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Sunshine and Sprinkles DSP

Ink: Basic Grey, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight

Tools: Floral Frames Framelits, Big Shot

Finishing Touches: Basics Rhinestones, 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon Basic Grey, Creped Filter Paper, Cute Clips

I'm back with more Pop 'n' Cuts to share today, but not as a card. As I mentioned yesterday, in the same way that the Dress Up Framelits can be used without the Pop 'n' Cuts base, the base can also be used without the framelits as a structure to make a pocket or treat holder. Here's an example of one such treat holder, designed by the lovely Monica Gale, that I made at my quarterly training session:

How lovely is this? it was so easy to put together: just cut a base using the die and the Big Shot, then emboss the front panel, score in the base lines and punch some ovals for handles, then decorate as desired. We used some strips of Sunshine and Sprinkles DSP and made a gorgeous flower from the filter paper that features on page 7 of the Spring-ummer catalogue. If you haven't noticed this, at £2.75 for 12 sheets it represents great value and each pack has enough to make lots of flowers in all different shapes and sizes. This flower was made with 6 layers of filter paper and the second smallest frameit in the Floral Frames set.

This treat holder would be great to wrap around a cellophane bag of chocolates or a hand-iced biscuit (that's what I'll be using mine for!) as a sweet treat for someone special. Come back tomorrow to see the card I made that co-ordinates with the treat holder that features a 'stepped up' filter paper flower. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Friendly Phrases

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Sunshine and Sprinkles DSP

Ink: Basic Grey

Tools: Pop 'n' Cuts Base, Floral Frames Framelits, Big Shot, Ticket Duo Builder Punch, Large Oval Punch, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder

Finishing Touches: Basics Rhinestones, 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon Basic Grey, Creped Filter Paper

Any of you who saw my Facebook post yesterday will know I am officially 'IN LOVE' with the Dress Up framelits and Pop 'n' Cuts Base in the Spring-Summer catalogue. I've been resisting purchasing them since the catalogue came out - I don't know why, because it really was love at first sight - but having used them at our last training session and spent a fun few hours with my downline Barbara playing fashion designers, I have finally succumbed. I have seen so many great examples of projects made with this set and I'm excited to share these with you in future blog posts.

Today I am going to share a card I made using all three elements: the pop 'n' cuts card base, the dress form and the framelits. So not much stamping today - Big Shot definitely required! I will share some projects later in the week that show how these can be used separately; when used together, they will make a pop up card with a mannequin to be dressed as you wish. For my first card, I used some of my favourite 'More Amore' DSP along with a Pool Party card base. Here's the outside of the card that you see when the card is folded shut:

Then when you open it, the inside looks like this:

How cute is that??! Dressed mannequin, complete with pearls and pretty cardi, in front of a mirror and dresser. What little - or big - girl wouldn't want to get this in the post for their birthday? Here's one last close-up of the mannequin:

This will, I feel, be the first of many such pop-up cards; come back tomorrow to see another use for this great set. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: One in a Million

Cardstock: Pool Party, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, More Amore DSP

Ink: Pool Party

Tools: Pop 'n' Cuts Base, Pop 'n' Cuts Dress Form, Dress Up Framelits, Ovals Framelits, Big Shot, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Small Heart Punch

Finishing Touches: Basics Pearls

Another birthday card today - this time a quartet of bright and colourful cupcakes:

I made this card a while ago and the layout is a case of a Mary Fish card - I love her clean and simple style - and the Create a Cupcake stamp set and co-ordinating punch make this kind of card really easy. Its also great fun to see how many different cupcake combinations you can make using this set. The punch also makes birthday candles a doddle to create - handy as I have lots of friends (and family!) celebrating 'significant' birthdays this year where large numbers of candles are required. A co-ordinated envelope too makes this card a sweet treat!

Back tomorrow with another project - I've been very busy in my craft room today and have lots of great projects to share this coming week!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Create a Cupcake

Cardstock: Pacific Point, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise

Tools: Cupcake Builder Punch

Apologies for my sense of humour, but I just couldn't resist! Today's card is a birthday card that I made for a male friend of mine, but would work equally well as as a female card and features one of the birdies from the Aviary stamp set:

This card was inspired by a Paula Dobson card I saw on Pinterest; I love the two colour design but I felt that the muted Crumb Cake layer needed a solid Island Indigo base card to really bring out the flashes of colour of the owl, sentiment and ribbon trim. Top tip if you fancy recreating this card - use a stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the bird cages; they're not as random as they look!

That's all for today. Back tomorrow with something special - until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Aviary, Sassy Salutations

Cardstock: Island Indigo, Crumb Cake

Tools: Stamp-a-ma-jig

Finishing Touches: Sycamore Street Ribbon (Sale-A-Bration - retired)

Today I thought I'd share another card with you from my recent 'Mixed Bunch' class. I created it after seeing something similar on Pinterest and it made it into the class because I think it's a good example of how you can use a punched shape to create the illusion of a flower without having used the co-ordinating stamp:

I cut a layer of Sycamore Street DSP and scalloped the edge and adhered it to the Island Indigo card base, then cut a further smaller layer out of Pool Party, embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder and punched out a flower shape from the edge of the cardstock and adhered with dimensionals to reveal the patterned paper underneath. I then used a 7/8" scallop circle with a co-ordinating brad to create the flower centre. A banner sentiment and a bright orange butterfly completed the card.

Back with another card tomorrow - until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Happiest Birthday Wishes (hostess - retired)

Cardstock: Island Indigo, Pool Party, Tangerine Tango, Sycamore Street DSP

Tools: Blossom Punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch

Finishing Touches: Basics Rhinestones, Designer Printed Brad

I was having a sort out in my craft box and found this card that I actually made in our January demonstrator training session, but haven't yet shared with you. It was designed by Monica Gale and is a great example of how you can use shapes and dies to make your own mask and create some lovely effects. So here is the card:

This card is quite different in design to the kind of thing that comes naturally to me - in particular, I had to be almost held down before I could bring myself to crumple the cardstock that has the stamped image on! - yet this, along with the torn edges, give the card a real 'vintage' feel. This card also showcases a great technique - by creating your own mask, you can create an outline image that can give your card a different perspective.

For this card, I made a mask using vellum cardstock and one of the Delicate Doilies Sizzlits. By adding a thin layer of Tombow glue to the back of the shape and allowing it to dry (wait until the glue turns from white to clear in colour), you can create a repositionable mask. This was then placed onto the Early Espresso card and sprayed with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz. When you then remove the mask, you are left with the mask shape and detail. Another tip to achieve a uniform ripped edge: hold all three sheets of card together and tear, holding one hand steady and tearing the card with the other by pulling towards you. The hints of Rich Razzleberry card and ribbon, along with the sparing use of silver glimmer paper, add a much needed edge to an otherwise quite muted card. The stamp used here is one of this year's Sale-A-Bration stamps from the set Vintage Verses, but this layout would work with lots of other stamps - the ones in the 'From My Heart' set would work particularly well I think.

So not my usual style, but lots of creative food for thought. That's one of the great things about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator; regular training sessions are great for pushing you out of your stamping comfort zone and encouraging you to try new techniques and ideas. If you would like to benefit from the development resources that Stampin' Up! has to offer, then there's never been a better time to sign up; you can find the full details of the current promotion that runs until May 30th here.

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

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Vintage Verses (Sale-A-Bration - retired)

Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Rich Razzleberry, Early Espresso, First Edition Specialty Paper, Silver Glimmer Paper

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Rich Razzleberry

Tools: Bitty Butterfly Punch, 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch, Itty Bitty Punches

Finishing Touches: Basics Pearls, 1/4"Rich Razzleberry Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz