Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a colourful recipe challenge chosen by Heather C:

I was tempted to try and create something for Chinese New Year when I saw this recipe, but I decided I didn't really have anything that was going to work for the Year of the Horse so I went with a Valentines theme instead!  I rooted around my retired box for some old favourites and this is what I came up with:

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

Apart from the need to feature lots of red on today's card, I was struck by the inclusion of vellum - not something I use all that often. I spent a little time perusing Pinterest for inspiration, and saw some wedding invitations where vellum was used as the base for the actual card, rather than a layer. I'd never tried this before so thought I'd give it a go. I added a slanted piece of Real Red cardstock on both the front and back at the base of the panel, and heat embossed my sentiment from the retired stamp set 'Iconic Imagery' in gold, then decided to add a pair of diecut hearts in red glimmer paper overlapping the vellum panel. I used the retired 'Friend Like You' Dies and backed the more detailed heart with an adhesive sheet before diecutting so that it would add a little extra depth:

I added a few sparkly red faceted gems for a little extra sparkle and bling, then stamped a small sentiment detail onto the inside panel of my card to finish:

My main concern using vellum for the cardbase was that it wouldn't be sturdy enough to stand up, but it turns out I needn't have worried as it stands up just fine:

This card was actually fun to make for something a little different; I think I might give it to the hubby for our wedding anniversary next month. 

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• For a Recipe Challenge use all elements of the recipe - the possibilities within those parameters are endless.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your post.
• Make sure you link the specific post and not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI#(insert challenge number) when uploading to a public gallery
• Please turn off word verification so that we can send you lots of feedback.
• You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges. 
• We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider for Top Pick and Featured Artist, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

REAL RED A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)

VERSAMARK PAD (£9.00)

METALLICS WOW! EMBOSSING POWDER (£20.00)

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. This week's challenge is a sketch challenge and Nancy has asked that we add some corner detail along with a focal point and overlapping sentiment. 

Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch when making your card. For my card today I've made another card using the Lovely Arrangements bundle - take a look:

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

I decided that I wanted to create a monochrome card and needed a bold, bright colour to really shine against all of the white, so when I saw the new colour combination over at Color Hues (thank you ladies for the shout out you gave my card for the previous red & grey challenge) it had to be Azure Afternoon. I'm also linking up over at Inkspirational where they too are looking for 'shades of blue'. I stamped and layered my flower and whilst initially I considered simply scoring in those diagonal lines (a signature feature of the lovely Nancy's cards), I was somewhat inspired by the tiled effect of the Inkspirational photo prompt and instead decided to use the rectangular die in the Lovely Arrangements die set, set at an angle to create them and trimmed away the excess. This is an interesting way to use this die but I think it works. It's tricky to see the detail on the main photo, but you can see it more clearly below:

A simple sentiment, also in blue, along with a couple of enamel dots, complete my card. This is one of those cards that is actually quite easy to make but the monochromatic colour scheme packs a real punch. 

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 soon with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

LOVELY ARRANGEMENTS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£45.75)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£16.00)

AZURE AFTERNOON CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)

RAINBOW ADHESIVE-BACKED DOTS (£8.50)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for the perfect 'fill in the blank' challenge for the new year:

I hope you all had new craft supplies from Santa because this week's challenge will give you the perfect opportunity to use them! I couldn't wait to break into a new suite that I picked up just before Christmas that I have still yet to open, so I grabbed the sketch over at Atlantic Hearts and set to work. Take a look at what I came up with:

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

My newest and until now unopened purchase was of the Lovely Blossoms suite, part of the latest Online Exclusives release, and today's card showcases the Lovely Blossoms designer series papers, with a slight nod to the Lovely Arrangements bundle by way of sentiment and label. The Lovely Blossoms papers, featuring blues, greens, peaches and neutral are just lovely. On today's card I used two of the patterns to create my base, diecutting the edge of one with my retired Basic Border Die to get a curved edge, and overlaid this with a flower stem that I fussy cut from one of the sheets that is made up of lots of individual card front designs. It compliments the busy background florals and is perfect for the sketch:

A simple sentiment and a trio of Secret Sea flat pearls complete my card. I really like this suite and can't wait to make more with it! I'm also linking today's card up over at Inspire.Create for their 'something new' challenge.

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 or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• For a Fill In The Blank Challenge you must complete the sentence and relate it to your entry.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your post.
• Make sure you link the specific post and not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI#(insert challenge number) when uploading to a public gallery
• Please turn off word verification so that we can send you lots of feedback.
• You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges. 
• We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider for Top Pick and Featured Artist, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

LOVELY BLOSSOMS 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£11.75)

LOVELY ARRANGEMENTS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£45.75)

SECRET SEA CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)

2025–2027 IN COLOR™ FLAT PEARLS (£8.00)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£16.00)

CLOUD COVER A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)

There's lots going on in the world of Stampin' Up! so this is a round-up of all today sees the launch of the new January-April 2026 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!

There are new Online exclusives available in the online store today too! The following images show just some of the items available:

Click here to download the full list or here to see them in the online store.

This month also sees a Bonus Days promotion:

When you shop between 6 January and 2 February and spend £45, you will earn a £4.50 coupon to spend in February!

We also have a new Product of The Month for January:

The Fabulous Sayings stamp set can be yours for just £5 with a purchase of £70 or more.

Finally, three new kits are being introduced this month, the first of which, Butterfly Garden, has been added to the online store today:

The remaining two kits, Adopt A Pet and Lots to Love, are delayed and will be added to the online store when available.

A reminder that the Virtual Card Retreat will take place between 22-24 January:

You can purchase your kit and register here.

Thanks so much for popping by - it's always nice to share good news! Back soon with a creative post that uses some exciting new product! Until then, happy shopping!

Happy New Year everyone! Did you miss me? I've enjoyed an extended blog break over the Christmas and new year period, hosting guests and enjoying time relaxing with friends and family, which has been lovely. I'm back to it now though - normal blog services have officially resumed! As it's Tuesday, it's time for our first challenge of 2026 over at CAS Colours & Sketches. The lovely Nancy is hosting this month and our first challenge is a colour challenge: 

I was so tempted to use these rich colours for a Christmas card, but I resisted and instead decided to pair them with some new product that is all about spring - because on mini catalogue launch day, you really want to see some new product, right? 

Here's today's super clean and simple card featuring a new stamp that you can find in the January-April mini catalogue:

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

My card features a sentiment and some florals from the new 'Sunshine & Tulips' stamp set, but I'll confess now - I bought this bundle for the fab coverplate die that goes with it, which I'll be back to share with you soon, so I wouldn't advise you to purchase one without the other! Anyhow, this sweet row of tulips pairs perfectly with one of the sentiments in the set for a pick-me-up card for anyone feeling a little down with the January blues - we are already past the shortest day, so things are looking up and today's card is a reminder of that.

Whilst this card looks deceptively simple - just a row of tulips and a sentiment, right? - I would warn you it's quite tricky to get a good result. How do I know? The card you see below was my fifth attempt! Why? Well, that row of tulips is a single stamp and as it's photopolymer, it's tricky to ink evenly using Stampin' Write markers. The only way to get a clean image is to use a stamping platform and carefully mask off both the tulip heads and leaves/stems in turn using removable low-tack tape (trickier than it sounds given their relative positioning). Definitely worth it though as the tulips do look lovely in two colours:

As an added bonus, once you have the stamp mounted and you've created the masks, it's easy to add a two-tone row of tulips to your envelope too for a little CAS co-ordination.

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. 

Who would you send this sweet pick-me-up to? Do let me know in the comments - I'd love you to share your thoughts.

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! colour 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 later with all of today's new catalogue launch news and if I get all of my other jobs done another project tomorrow too. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

SUNSHINE & TULIPS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£17.00)

BASIC WHITE NOTE CARDS & ENVELOPES (£9.50)

SECRET SEA CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)

CHERRY COBBLER CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)

OLD OLIVE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for our final challenge of the year, a colour challenge set by our erstwhile teamie Jane:

I decided that I wanted to make a Christmas card featuring the Branching Out bundle that has been sat on my desk for ages, waiting to be used - and it's already on the Last Chance List! Take a look:

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

I had a layout in mind for my card, but when I saw a card using the Branching Out bundle by Jay Soriano, one of the UK Artisans, shared in our private demonstrator Facebook group earlier this week I changed my mind and decided to CASE his layout, but adding my own twist using our challenge colours. My base DSP was a piece of retired Brightly Gleaming specialty paper with a beautiful gold embossed design and you basically cut a slit into it before gluing to the base, so that you can slide the labels into it before gluing down. A slit is also added to the uppermost layer of the label above the stamped sentiment - this slit is the home for the various pieces of diecut greenery, berries and pinecones:

I added sparkly gold enamel dots for my berries for a touch of festive sparkle, along with some retired gold ribbon tied with Night of navy twine. I always cut more greenery than I need when making this type of card - perfect to decorate the inside:

I really like this layout and can see me using it with other sets too. I have finally posted all of my Christmas cards for the year, but I can't promise that I'm done with making them; it's always good to get a head start on next year, right?

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 or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• For a Colour Challenge use all of the given colours and only those colours with these exceptions:
• White and Very Vanilla are free colours.
• In addition, you may use of ONE of these neutrals: Basic Black, Basic Gray, Crumb Cake, Basic Beige.
• For a Speed Stamping Challenge you must tell us the time it took to make your project and it must be finished in under 10 min.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your post.
• Make sure you link the specific post and not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI#(insert challenge number) when uploading to a public gallery
• Please turn off word verification so that we can send you lots of feedback.
• You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges. 
• We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider for Top Pick and Featured Artist, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

BRANCHING OUT BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£45.00)	NIGHT OF NAVY A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)	NIGHT OF NAVY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)	PECAN PIE A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)	PECAN PIE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)	MOSSY MEADOW A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)
MOSSY MEADOW CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)	OPAL ROUNDS ASSORTMENT (£8.00)	BLENDING BRUSHES (£14.00)

From 10-12 December, there will be free shipping on all orders of £60 or more! Details as follows:

• All order types qualify for this promotion.
• Free shipping is for three days only. Orders must be opened and closed during 10–12 December.
• Free shipping automatically applies to your basket after the qualifying amount has been met, which is 75 € | £60 (before shipping and handling).
• Coupon codes and product credits are non-commissionable and will lower your order’s retail amount. Orders must meet the qualifying amount to be eligible for free shipping.
• The additional cost for expedited shipping is not covered by this promotion.
• Due to the high volume of orders and the Christmas season, the distribution centre may fall behind our typical shipping timeframes. We will do all we can to return to our regular service levels as quickly as possible. Any orders placed during this promotion are not guaranteed to arrive before or by 24 December. If you need an order by Christmas, consider expedited shipping.

Due to the time difference, this promotion will start on 9 December at 11:00 p.m., for Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Click here to go straight to the online store - happy shopping!

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. Rachel is hosting this month and it's our final challenge of the year: 

For this week's challenge you can choose any of our 2025 sketches or colour combos - just make them festive!  

For my card today I actually used our last sketch CCS574; as I continue sorting through my stamping supplies, I rediscovered a favourite festive stamp set and co-ordinating edgelits that were perfect for a second festive take on Deborah's sketch - take a look:

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

A Night of Navy card base was all I needed to highlight my white diecut from the Sleigh Ride Edgelits set. A simple stamped sentiment from the co-ordinating stamp set, Jingle All The Way, and a wooden star from my stash completed my super simple card:

 My card was so simple to make, I made two - a quick way to boost my festive card supplies:

Thank heavens for simple CAS designs at this time of year!

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. 

We hope you can join us for our last challenge of the year!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

NIGHT OF NAVY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)

NIGHT OF NAVY A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)

BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)

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

As a lover of layers, I thought this sketch would be right up my alley, but I must confess I struggled a bit this week! I wanted to play with my Online Exclusives Friendly Foliage bundle; take a look at what I came up with:

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

Friendly Foliage - I have had my Friendly Foliage bundle out on my desk, waiting for an opportunity to showcase the main foliage stamp, so decided I'd try it with this sketch. This is a stamp that doesn't disappoint: the image is crisp and clean and the dies in this set are just fabulous, with the die for this main stamp set cutting out both the outline and the internal pieces too, which makes it great for layering. There are some great sentiments in this stamp set too. 

Timeless Plaid - Designer paper was an obvious choice for all those layers, however finding something with three different patterns that coordinated but didn't take away from my stamped image was tricky. In the end I settled on the Timeless Plaid papers, using two contrasting plaids for the bottom layers and taking my colour cues from the multi-coloured plaid. It makes for a rather unusual colour combo - (retired) Wild Wheat, Calypso Coral and Cherry Cobbler, but I think it looks OK. I don't love it (that's probably because it includes Wild Wheat!) but it's OK. 

Let's Talk About The Sketch - So I was a little economical with the sketch when I made my card. I did use all of the layers, but the third layer (the circle on the sketch) is the solid Calypso Coral panel behind my stamped image, and my sentiment piece is a much smaller horizontal. This worked better for me and since sketches are open to interpretation, that's fine. You can see the detail of the layering in the close-up below:

What do you think of this card? I love the stamp set, but I'm note sure I've done the sketch justice. I think a trio of DSPs and an alternative focal point might have been a better option, but there we go. The trials of a cardmaker lol!

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 or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your post.
• Make sure you link the specific post and not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI#(insert challenge number) when uploading to a public gallery
• Please turn off word verification so that we can send you lots of feedback.
• You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges. 
• We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider for Top Pick and Featured Artist, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

FRIENDLY FOLIAGE BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£36.75)

TIMELESS PLAID 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£11.75)

CALYPSO CORAL A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)

BASIC BEIGE A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)

CHERRY COBBLER 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 Deborah has asked that we incorporate a wavy line with a sentiment:

Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch when making your card.

For my card today I used a sheet of my most favourite paper in the Christmas Tags & More Mix & Match Specialty designer series paper pack, featuring a bough of festive Christmas greenery:

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

I fussy cut the outer edge of the bough and adhered the designer series paper to a Real Red card base to highlight the red of the berries. The only other addition to my card was one of the pre-diecut gold embossed sentiments from the Greetings For You pack:

Super simple - just snip, stick and done!

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 later in the week with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

CHRISTMAS TAGS & MORE 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) MIX & MATCH SPECIALTY DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£11.75)

GREETINGS FOR YOU MIX & MATCH EPHEMERA PACK (ENGLISH) (£8.00)

REAL RED A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)