The wait is over - it's May 1st and the new 2024-25 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 with me in the last 6 months; 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 have your paper copy 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 VDKNV7BH 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.

There is also a great joining promotion that goes live today to coincide with the launch of the new catalogue:

It’s always exciting to be able to invite people to join our community of crafters and creators. And right now it’s even more exciting because when you sign up between 1 and 31 May to become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, in addition to £130 worth of products of your choice for only £99 + free business supplies + free shipping + all the fun being a part of Stampin’ Up!, you will also receive the following 2024–2025 In Color products in your Starter Kit for FREE:

That's an additional £78.25 of FREE product - such a great deal and the perfect way to add these fresh new colours to your supplies - and all for just £99. I would love to chat with you about the benefits of joining my team and being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator; as always, you can always find the link to join my team on the right hand side of my blog page; alternatively it's right here if you fancy jumping right in!

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 with news of two new kits that have also launched today; until then, happy shopping!

Today I'm sharing another card using one of the current Sale-A-Bration free products that I've been using but haven't shared a project that features it in a while - what can I say, so many goodies, so little time! So today it's the turn of the Trusty Toolbox designer series paper - take a look:

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

No Co-ordinating Product? No Problem! - The Trusty Toolbox designer series paper co-ordinates with the Trusty Tools bundle that can be found on page 56 of the mini catalogue, but you don't need the bundle to have a lot of fun with these papers! They are great for creating layered cards with lots of fun patterns and the tools themselves are so easy to fussy cut as I've done on today's card. 

Biggest Wish - I went with a diagonal design to give me the opportunity to fit in lots of lovely tools and paired my design with a birthday greeting from the 'Biggest Wish' stamp set - a great sentiment-only set:

And Another Thing - If you look closely at my card, you will see that none of the tools are shown in their entirety; I actually used a bunch of tools cut from the edges of the paper and used my diagonal to 'hide' their incomplete portions - waste not, want not, right? I also used a few more to decorate the inside of my card:

A few enamel dots were all that I needed to complete this fun masculine card that makes the most of these free papers!

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 also linking this card up for a second entry over at TGIF Challenges where the theme this week is Sale-A-Bration.

Enjoy your day; it's still raining cats and dogs here in the UK so I will most definitely be spending the day indoors - I'm not sure that the ground can take any more! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

The ladies over at TGIF Challenges have Sale-A-Bration products as the theme for this week so I have a another card for you featuring one of my Sale-A-Bration favourites. My card was inspired by this card by Cindy Timmers. I decided to keep with the layout of Cindy's card and the use of designer series paper, but changed it out for the oh-so-pretty Flight & Airy papers - take a look:

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

Flight and Airy - My card actually uses three of the patterns in the Flight & Airy pack: a busy floral for the base, a panel of washed Boho Blue and some birds diecut from another of the designs. On every card I've made featuring these birds up until now, I've fussy cut the birds, but for today's card I wanted to show that if fussy cutting isn't your thing, these papers are still great! I used my Stylish Shapes Dies to diecut three circles, positioning the birds in the centre each time. 

Thoughtful Moments - I used a sentiment from the 'Thoughtful Moments' hybrid embossing folder across the centre of my card. I inked the embossing folder with Night of Navy ink using my brayer, then embossed and diecut it onto a piece of DSP the same colour as my horizontal band. These embossed and diecut sentiments make such an eye-catching centrepiece: 

Finishing Touches - Some Night of Navy twine, iridescent gems and some leaves punched using my retired leaf punch complete my card. The leaves in particular add lots of dimension and I must say I rather like the end result.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

THOUGHTFUL MOMENTS HYBRID EMBOSSING FOLDER (ENGLISH) (36.00)

STYLISH SHAPES DIES (28.00)

IRIDESCENT RHINESTONES BASIC JEWELS (7.00)

GARDEN GREEN A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.50)

NIGHT OF NAVY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. This week's challenge is a sketch challenge and Michal has asked that we include a large focal sentiment on a bordered panel:

Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch when making your card. For my card today I wanted to showcase more of the free Sale-A-Bration papers before they go away - so I paired them with one of my favourite large sentiment sets for a cheery card - take a look:

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

There is only a small area of designer series paper showing on my card (we are aiming for clean and simple, after all) but the bold and colourful flowers of the Sunny Days paper can still be seen. I paired them with sentiment from the Sending Dies and 'Sending Smiles' co-ordinating stamp set and added a trio of tiny diecut flowers for an added pop of colour to tie in with the paper:

That pattern is my absolute favourite in the Sunny Days pack so I had to show real restraint to use so little of it! If you would like some, you have another 9 days to place an order of £45 or more in order to receive a pack of this paper for 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 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Enjoy your day; today I'm going out to lunch with hubby to celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary - where did those years go?! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

SENDING DIES (ENGLISH) (31.00)

SENDING SMILES PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (21.00)

POOL PARTY A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)

BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (10.00)

TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (6.25)

BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)

Today I'm sharing a quick clean and simple card that I made yesterday using this week's Color Throwdown colours and the current AAA Cards sketch:

My card showcases a couple of Sale-A-Bration freebies that I've yet to share - take a look:

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

 I thought these colours were perfect of a bright blue sky with a tree and tropical leaves, home to this adorable sloth. I used a stencil and a blending brush to add my sky and clouds, stamped and coloured my sloth with my Stampin' Blends, then diecut the tree and leaves with the Jungle Pals Dies and fussy cut the sloth as I didn't want a white border. Isn't he cute?!

A simple sentiment from the 'Charming Sentiments' stamp set completes my card. The Jungle Pals stamp set is free with a £45 purchase and has lots of fun jungle animals - perfect for children's cards. The Jungle Pals Dies are free with a £90 purchase and not only do they cut out the animals, there is a great tree, leaves and vines 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. 

Sloths are very on-trend so this card will be sent to the oldest of the James Juniors at university in the hope that it will be well-received!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

CHARMING SENTIMENTS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (22.00)	AZURE AFTERNOON CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	BLENDING BRUSHES (13.00)	GRAY GRANITE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (9.50)	CRUMB CAKE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (9.50)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (6.25)
GRANNY APPLE GREEN A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	PECAN PIE A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.50)

Today I'm sharing a card that uses the same products to create two different looks. I used the sketch layouts over at Tuesday Morning Sketches and Inspire.Create for each of my cards:

Both cards feature a sentiment 'Hooray For Surprises', a label cut with the Everyday Details Dies and designer series paper from the free Sale-A-Bration Flight & Airy pack. Here's the first card, with a blue colour scheme:

Here's the second card, with a pink colour scheme; I've also added some (retired) Garden Green ribbon and a bow to this version:

You know how much I love the Flight & Airy papers - no fussy cutting today though! The pattern detail of these papers lends them to be used on clean, uncluttered cards. The panel designs of both of the layouts are a great way to add interest. I love the diecut detail on the labels too:

These are great designs if you need to knock out multiples too. I'll be sending these to members of my team to celebrate their Stampin' Up! anniversaries - the inside of my cards reads 'you are simply amazing' - because they are. With Sale-A-Bration being a great time to join Stampin' Up!, there are always anniversaries to celebrate at this time of year!

Finally, here's a photo of both cards together:

Which design do you prefer? Do leave me a comment below - I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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:

HOORAY FOR SURPRISES PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (19.00)	EVERYDAY DETAILS DIES (32.00)	BOHO BLUE A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	MISTY MOONLIGHT A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	MISTY MOONLIGHT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	FLIRTY FLAMINGO A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)
FLIRTY FLAMINGO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (10.00)

I've had a major cleaning day today, so decided to grab some time to create a quick card inspired by Judy's layout over at Freshly Made Sketches before I start preparing dinner:

I debated how to make the most of this layout then decided on a punny masculine Valentine's card - take a look:

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

This is a great layout from Judy - the square could be the sentiment or a focal point. I went with the latter, since I decided that the narrow vertical would make a great measuring rule, which then dictated how I wanted to use the other elements. My card features three of the patterns in the Trusty Toolbox designer series paper pack - a fun set of papers that can be yours free with a £45 purchase as part of the current Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration promotion. The main panel is a dotted design that looks like a tool storage panel; the reverse of this is the ruler design I used for the vertical and finally I substituted the square element with a pencil and measuring tape that I fussy cut from another of the Trusty Toolbox designs. I paired my papers with a tongue-in-cheek sentiment from the 'Perennial Postage' stamp set that seemed the perfect choice:

A trio of adhesive-backed hearts complete my card, which I'm also sharing with my old teamies over at Festive Friday (waves enthusiastically!) - I used red, hearts and love sentiment from their inspo list.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

PERENNIAL POSTAGE CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (23.00)

COPPER CLAY A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)

BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (10.00)

TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (6.25)

STAMPIN' WRITE MARKERS COLLECTION (126.00)

ADHESIVE-BACKED HEARTS & FLOWERS (7.50)

Happy New Year everyone! I took an extended blog break over Christmas to spend time with family and loved every minute of it. That said, it's the 4th January and time for a new mini-catalogue and our 2024 Sale-A-Bration promotion so today I'm back to tell you all about it! Once again this year there will be only one Sale-A-Bration promotion: it runs from today until 29th 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 4 January and 29 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! 

If you host a party or place an individual order with purchases of £275 or more, you can choose an additional £27.50 of products in addition to your standard rewards for FREE!

It’s also one of the best times of the year to join Stampin’ Up! There are two fabulous joining options during this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion: 

• OPTION 1: Spend £99 and receive £130 of product of your choice and a Stampin' Glass Mat Studio (retail value £56)

The Stampin’ Glass Mat Studio is a paper crafter’s dream! The heavy-duty glass mat comes printed with a ruler and grid lines for easy measuring, while the large surface space gives ample room for spreading out while paper crafting. The safety-tempered glass has a heat and scratch resistant surface that wipes clean with the included cloth and water—no chemicals needed. The reusable cloth also cleans ink off your stamps! The nonslip, heat resistant, waterproof silicone mat features four palette squares for mixing custom ink colours or for holding small ink spots in place while crafting. Each component can be used separately or you can use all three items together for a multipurpose paper crafting studio that’s both functional and elegant. 

The Stampin’ Glass Mat Studio includes:

GLASS MAT
* 5 mm thick
* 17" x 14" (43.2 x 35.6 cm)
* Safety-tempered
* Heat and scratch resistant
* Wipes clean with water or alcohol
SILICONE MAT
* 8-3/8" x 6" (21.3 x 15.2 cm) 
* Multiuse, nonslip
* Waterproof, heat resistant
* 4 palette squares for custom-colour mixing or holding Stampin’ Spots
* Product colour: white
CLEANING CLOTH
* 8-1/4" x 8-1/4" (21 x 21 cm) 
* Durable, reusable
* Lint free
* Cleans stamps and other surfaces with only water
* Product colour: dark grey

If the Stampin' Glass mat Studio isn't of interest to you, you might prefer the following alternative:

• OPTION 2: Spend £99 and receive £160 of product of your choice.

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.

If you would like to host a virtual or in-person 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 2024 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, two new kits have also been added to the online store today:

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 tomorrow with a creative post that uses some exciting new product! That post will go live at noon. Until then, happy shopping!

ROCK LEGEND KIT (14.00)

PANDA FRIENDS KIT (14.00)

It's the end of October and I just wanted to remind you that you have until 11.59pm this evening to take advantage of this month's fantastic joining offer:

Stampin' Up! wants to celebrate our 35^th anniversary in style! From 3 to 31 October, anyone who joins our fun crafting community as a new demonstrator can choose either 35% OFF the cost of their Starter Kit or get 35% MORE product with their Starter Kit! What a deal! 

New demonstrators can choose one of the following options for their Starter Kit:

Option 1: Get 35% OFF the normal cost of a Stampin’ Up! Starter Kit. Those who select this option will receive £130 worth of product for only £64.35!

Option 2: Get 35% MORE product with their Starter Kit. Those who select this option will receive £175.50 worth of product by spending £99!

No matter which option new demonstrators choose for your Starter Kit, both provide you with free business supplies and free shipping on your Starter Kit—not to mention all the fun that comes with being part of Stampin’ Up!

If that wasn't enough - it gets better! Those who sign up for a Starter Kit during this offer will also be automatically registered for FREE to our virtual OnStage@Home event on 11 November—an event that has a £72 value! At this virtual, one-day event, we’ll celebrate our 35^th Stampin’ Up! anniversary, watch lots of presentations, and view new products in action from the January–April 2024 Mini Catalogue and Sale-A-Bration Brochure. In fact, attendees will be able to order brand new products for the Craft Along Experience where they’ll follow along and create crafts from the comfort of their own homes!

Joining offers like this one don't come along often, so whether you're looking for friendship, a hobby, a business or lots more besides, there really is no better time to consider joining Stampin' Up! If you would like more information or help in deciding which option suits you best, do get in touch with me - I would love to chat to you about the benefits of being a part of our stamping community. If you've read this far and have already decided you want to be a part of it - click here to join my awesome Stampin' Up! team.

It's the start of October and there's lots of news to share with you! A fantastic joining offer and two new Christmas-themed kits launch today. First up:

Stampin' Up! wants to celebrate our 35^th anniversary in style! From 3 to 31 October, anyone who joins our fun crafting community as a new demonstrator can choose either 35% OFF the cost of their Starter Kit or get 35% MORE product with their Starter Kit! What a deal! 

New demonstrators can choose one of the following options for their Starter Kit:

Option 1: Get 35% OFF the normal cost of a Stampin’ Up! Starter Kit. Those who select this option will receive £130 worth of product for only £64.35!

Option 2: Get 35% MORE product with their Starter Kit. Those who select this option will receive £175.50 worth of product by spending £99!

No matter which option new demonstrators choose for your Starter Kit, both provide you with free business supplies and free shipping on your Starter Kit—not to mention all the fun that comes with being part of Stampin’ Up!

If that wasn't enough - it gets better! Those who sign up for a Starter Kit during this offer will also be automatically registered for FREE to our virtual OnStage@Home event on 11 November—an event that has a £72 value! At this virtual, one-day event, we’ll celebrate our 35^th Stampin’ Up! anniversary, watch lots of presentations, and view new products in action from the January–April 2024 Mini Catalogue and Sale-A-Bration Brochure. In fact, attendees will be able to order brand new products for the Craft Along Experience where they’ll follow along and create crafts from the comfort of their own homes!

Joining offers like this one don't come along often, so whether you're looking for friendship, a hobby, a business or lots more besides, there really is no better time to consider joining Stampin' Up! If you would like more information or help in deciding which option suits you best, do get in touch with me - I would love to chat to you about the benefits of being a part of our stamping community. If you've read this far and have already decided you want to be a part of it - click here to join my awesome Stampin' Up! team.

In addition to this month's joining offer, there are also two new kits that are available from today in the online store:

Celebrate Christmas with everyone, everywhere with the Christmas Everywhere Kit by Stampin’ Up! It comes with everything you need to create 9 Christmas cards in 3 festive designs featuring trees from around the world. Get an early start on your Christmas crafting and send some festive cheer to friends and loved ones wherever they are! Here's a couple of additional images of the kit in more detail:

Here'a a link to the unboxing video for this kit:

The second kit released today is the Rustic Christmas Countdown Kit. This kit has all you need to make a rustic, 25 day paper advent calendar. What a great way to bring a classic, cosy Christmas feeling to your home this season! 

Here's a couple of additional images of the kit in more detail:

Here'a a link to the unboxing video too:

Aren't they just great?! Both of these kits are available right now by placing an order with me or in my online store by clicking on either of the links below - remember to add the current host code (see the box on the right hand side of my blog) for a thank you from me:

RUSTIC CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN KIT (18.00)

CHRISTMAS EVERYWHERE KIT (ENGLISH) (20.00)

Lots to think about in this post! Back later with today's creative project - until then, happy shopping - or maybe even joining!