Time For Last Orders!

by Joanne James31. May 2018 09:50

Public service announcements first today - bear with me, there will be a creative post to follow for those that are here for the pretty stuff! It's sharing lots of new product too, so you're going to want to stay tuned!

Counting down now - only 1 day to go until the new 2018-19 Annual Stampin' Up! catalogue launches!

 

I have already sent out copies to everyone on my catalogue mailing list who has purchased from me in the last 6 months - if you haven't received one, then do give me a call on 07773 421446 or drop me an email and I will pop one in the post to you today.

This also means the following: 

Today is the last day that you can order from the 2017-18 Stampin' Up! catalogue - this includes any of the 'Bundle and Save 10%' bundles. Even though many of the products they contain are being carried over to the new annual catalogue, they will not be available as a discounted bundle.

It is also the last day that you can order from the 2018 Spring-Summer Seasonal Stampin' Up! catalogue - a number of the products in this brochure are being carried over to the new annual catalogue, however we will be saying goodbye to many items. There are still a few items available at a discount on the Retiring List here - today is your last chance to grab a bargain! 

Today is also the final day to purchase any of the special Share What You Love Suite bundles. You can read more about these fabulous bundles in my blog post here which also contains the link to the store should you wish to purchase any of the bundles. Whilst all of the items contained in each bundle will be available to purchase individually once the new annual catalogue launches, the bundles along with the free gifts won't. So if you what to start Sharing What You Love, get yours today!

If you are placing an order online today, don't forget to use this month's online hostess code T3H6GHNT to receive a little thank you from me. 

I will be back shortly with today's creative post - it's so good, it deserves a post all of its very own, so be sure to check it out!

 

The Retiring List Has Been Updated - Discounts Available!

by Joanne James8. May 2018 08:05

 

Good news - today the list of products that will be retiring from this year's annual and Spring-Summer seasonal catalogues has been updated and some of the products are now available at a discount! You can see the list of discounted products here or just click on the image below to read and download the full PDF:

 

For a reminder of the full list, you can see and download the full list of items retiring from the current Spring-Summer catalogue by CLICKING HERE.

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You can see and download the full list of items retiring from the current Annual catalogue by CLICKING HERE.

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Retiring products are only available WHILE STOCKS LAST, so if you've still items on your wish list from this year's annual or spring-summer seasonal catalogues, you need to check the retiring lists and if they're on it put an order in pronto! Don't forget to add this month's online hostess code: W4TSQCWY

Here are the links to the online store for those items that are now discounted. including their reduced price:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.
 

Items are discounted by between 15-50%, so a few bargains to be had. The item I will miss the most out of that little lot has to be the enamel shapes - time to stock up I think!!

Remember stocks of all products featuring retiring ink colours are now officially whilst stocks last, so if you haven't ordered yours yet this really is your last chance.

I'll be back tomorrow with a creative project; until then, happy shopping!

More Details About The Stampin' Up! Colour Revamp

by Joanne James10. April 2018 19:30

 

I hope you are all enjoying the retiring lists - I'm sure, like me, you will be sad to see some of the items on them go, but on the bright side - I can assure you there is plenty more good coming our way as the new annual catalogue is AWESOME (yes, it is worthy of capital letters!)

As promised today, I have some more news for you on the colour revamp. There is lots of information floating around the internet on this already and not all of it accurate, so here are the main things you need to know right now:

Stampin' Up! has announced that there will be a change to many of the core colours as part of a colour revamp, as opposed to a colour refresh (impacting fewer colours), in the 2018-2019 annual catalogue. No changes have been made to the core colour offering since 2013 and it remains part of Stampin' Up!'s plan to update colours every three to five years. 

In terms of numbers, the overall changes can be summarised as follows:

In a nutshell:

  • We are keeping 27 of the existing core colours
  • 13 core colours are going away (in addition to the 2016-18 in-colours, although Flirty Flamingo is leaving as an in-colour and returning as a core colour)
  • We are adding 10 new core colours
  • We are adding 6 returning In Colours that will now be core colours (colours offered in the past that will now be available again)

At this stage, the main colours you need to be concerned about are the departing in-colours that I highlighted in yesterday's post and in addition those 13 core colours that are going away. They are shown below for your reference:

If any of these colours are favourites of yours, then now is the time to stock up on ink pads, cardstock, reinkers or co-ordinating accessories before they are gone forever. Availability of individual ink pads and re-inkers for the 13 Classic colours that are retiring ONLY will be guaranteed until May 7th. After that, ink pads and re-inkers will join cardstock, ink pad collections and accessories which will already be available only while stocks last until 31st May. 

To make it easier for you, I have included a table below that links directly to the online store listing each of the products in the retiring Classic colours that are currently still available at time of posting - the pictures are quite small as there is a lot to fit in!

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

If you need the links for the retiring in-colours, you can find those in yesterday's post here.

I will be sharing the details of the new in-colours and the new colours joining our core collections in a future post; meanwhile, I am going to include here the 6 previous in-colours that are returning to join those core colour collections - I know this will cause lots of people to whoop with joy to see old favourites returning on a permanent basis:

Who else is as excited as me to see the return of Blackberry Bliss?! I think that's more than enough information for one post - I will post separately about the changes to ink pad design as I know this is something that you also are keen to know more about, based on the enquiries I've been fielding today, but didn't want to overload you with information - there really is a lot to take in.

Back soon with a creative post - meanwhile, get those retiring colour orders in before it's too late! Happy shopping!

 

 

Going Going Gone - The List of Retiring Products Has Been Announced!

by Joanne James9. April 2018 20:00

 

It's here - the list of products that will be retiring from this year's annual and Spring-Summer seasonal catalogues has been announced!

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You can see and download the full list of items retiring from the current Spring-Summer catalogue by CLICKING HERE.

04.18_TH_AC_FLYER_RETIRING_LIST_EU

You can see and download the full list of items retiring from the current Annual catalogue by CLICKING HERE.

Retiring products are only available WHILE STOCKS LAST, so if you've still items on your wish list from this year's annual or spring-summer seasonal catalogues, you need to check the retiring lists and if they're on it put an order in pronto! Don't forget to add this month's online hostess code: YDNWGUGS

Some of the things I will miss most that feature on this list include:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

I will do a further review tomorrow, however if you want to stock up on any of the retiring in-colour items and you haven't already done so, especially re-inkers, I would urge you to do that sooner rather than later as they are always the first things to sell out.

Click on the links below to take you directly to my online shop to purchase any of the 2016-18 in-colour items that are retiring:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

You will notice there are also a number of colour products from other colour families that are included on the list; this is because Stampin' Up! has announced a colour revamp that will involve a complete overhaul of our colours, that includes movement between colour families, additional retiring colours and also some old favourites that will be returning - yay! - along with a redesign of the ink pad casing itself. I will have more news on that for you in the next few days.

I'll be back tomorrow with a creative post and an update on the retiring list; until then, happy shopping!

Oh So Eclectic 2017-18 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue Cover CASE

by Joanne James19. July 2017 11:00

Today I have another Oh So Eclectic card from this month's technique class which is actually a CASE of the card on the front cover of the current 2017-18 Annual Stampin' Up! catalogue:

 

The eye-catching front cover was in part what attracted my ladies to the Oh So Eclectic Bundle in the first place, so it seemed only right that we should make some of the cards showcased. I thought I would use today's post to actually talk about ways in which you can use the catalogue to help you on your creative journey and inform the sets that you buy when you shop for Stampin' Up! products.

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

CASE The Catalogue - The catalogue is not only the place to find the details for all of the products that Stampin' Up! sells, it is also a valuable resource of tips, tricks and ideas and serves as a source of inspiration in and of itself. It's choc-full of great examples of how many of the products can be used and I always encourage my customers to use their catalogues to their full potential, whether in doing a 'Copy and Share Everything' or 'Copy And Selectively Edit' (both fit the acronym CASE) or to use the ideas as inspiration to create something different entirely. Today's card is my CASE of the one that sits in the middle of the front cover page. I changed out the sentiment for one that I have - I used one from the 'Butterfly Basics' stamp set, a 'go to' for me - but otherwise stayed pretty true to the sample.

A Sample For Everyone - The catalogue might seem a little overwhelming at first glance, with so many stamp sets, tools and accessories and lots of colourful images showing samples galore. The trick is to look out for the clever signposts that are dotted throughout the catalogue that help you navigate your way, whatever type of crafter you are. On pages 6 and 7, there are lots of useful pointers of things to look out for as you browse, whether you are new to crafting or someone looking for more creative freedom. Either way, the catalogue has you covered. Particular signposts that I would encourage you to pay attention to are the 'quick and easy' icon:

 

Equally, the 'step it up' icon shows how you can start with a simple project, then 'step it up' with additional tools and embellishments:

 

There are also lots of tips and information panels that describe how to do lots of techniques - invaluable if you don't get to attend a class and benefit from the knowledge of your Stampin' Up! demonstrator in person or aren't able to get online to look something up, read their blog or watch a YouTube video. Last but not least, the 'You Can Make It' panels show you a project and are accompanied by a shopping list of the supplies you will need in order to recreate it yourself. Stampin' Up! really does try and make it easy for you!

One Step Up - So the card above is the first or interim stepped-up version using the Oh So Eclectic stamp set. The central panel is stamped, however it also includes a stamped and diecut flower, a label printed with the Pretty Label Punch and a sentiment from an alternative set, along with some Naturally Eclectic Designer Series Paper, some Pool Party Solid Baker's Twine and some Emerald Envy ribbon. If you are a regular stamper and have lots of supplies, this card is a great example of how you can bring various sets and tools together, yet is still relatively quick and easy to produce. 

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'll be back soon with another 'CASE The Catalogue Cover' card, this time showcasing the bells-and-whistles fully stepped up version using the Oh So Eclectic product suite. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Feathered Friends For Stampin' Up! We Love Our Hosts Blog Tour

by Joanne James25. June 2017 23:00

 

Welcome to my second post of the day! You can read my earlier regular Paper Players post here. I was invited by the lovely Janet Wakeland of Remarkably Created to participate in her We Love Hosts Blog Tour and jumped at the chance. This month's 'We <3 Hosts' promotion, where you can earn an additional £30 in Stampin' Rewards when you place an individual order for or reach qualifying party sales of £300 or more during the month of June, is a great opportunity to make a dent on your wishlist and pick up extra host rewards into the bargain. You can use these rewards to buy anything you like, including exclusive hostess-only stamp sets. There are six fabulous new sets just for hosts in the new annual Stampin' Up! catalogue: Background Bits, Dare To Dream, Feathery Friends, In The City, Tranquil Tulips and You're Delightful. You can see each of them below:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Today's blog hop features these exclusive hostess sets and contains a ton of creative inspiration and ideas of how they can be used on your papercrafting projects. I am using the Feathery Friends set today, a delightful combination of line drawn folk-art inspired birds and flowers. This set is perfect for colouring, so I decided to use it to create a little kit for 'colouring on the go', similar to one shared with us at Onstage Live in Amsterdam back in April - take a look:

I took a full-size wood mount stamp case and firstly created a custom cover insert, using a piece of Whisper White cardstock measuring 11 1/4" by 7 1/2" and scored on the landscape side 5" in from each side:

 

I stamped a whole bunch of Stampin' Up! notelets in varying designs using the Feathery Friends stamps and Archival black ink, then simply put them in the box with a pack of Stampin' Up! Watercolour Pencils and a blender pen to complete my kit:

 

This is just perfect to keep in my handbag or the car, so that I have something creative to do in those precious free minutes when I'm sat in the school carpark at pickup time or when I'm sat in the waiting room at the doctors or dentists. I find colouring so relaxing and having pre-stamped all my cards, I can both enjoy the time out and do something productive at the same time. The sentiment in this set is great for little notes to send to my team and the cards I left sentiment-free will work for all kinds of occasions.

The blender pen is a must-have to give a smooth finish to your colouring - I took a quick picture of one of the cards that I coloured already just to show you what a lovely finish you get when you use it with the watercolour pencils:

 

I hope you like my project showing just one of the ways you can use the Feathery Friends hostess set. There is still time to host a party or place a qualifying order to take advantage of this promotion - either place your order online via the product links below or alternatively call me or drop me a line - I would be happy to help. In addition, remember you also have the option to use hostess rewards earned towards the purchase of a Stampin' Up! starter kit; if this is something you'd like to know more about, I'd love to have a no-obligation chat with you about joining my team and the benefits of becoming a demonstrator.

 

To see more great projects using Stampin' Up's exclusive host reward sets, you can click forward to go to the next post in the hop, Stacy Lane, or if you missed it you can click backward to visit the previous blog, belonging to Laura Milligan:

 

If you lose your place, the complete list of participants can be found below: 

Exclusive Host Rewards Stamp Set Blog Tour

1. Nancy Gauthier   
2. Stamp-Patty's - Patty Chenail   
3. Debbie Henderson   
4. janet wakeland   
5. Alison Solven   
6. Laura Milligan   
7. Joanne James   
8. Stacey Lane   
9. Jenn Gulch   
10. Susan Timchack   
11. BJ Peters   
12. Carol Payne   
13. Amy Koenders   
14. Liz Holloway   
15. Katina Martinez   
16. Ginger Rabesa   
17. Jen Tribue   
18. Annette Sullivan   
19. Helen Read   
20. Miranda Mols   
21. Katrina Wolfe   
22. Karen Hurley   
23. Carole Anne Patterson   
24. Libby Dyson   
25. Chris Slogar   
26. Sherry Roth   
27. Fiona Stanton   
28. Kristina Rees   
29. Mary Dredge   
30. Georgia Giguere  

I'll be back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy hopping!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

 

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

The Wait Is Over - The New 2017 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue Is Here!

by Joanne James1. June 2017 07:00

The wait is over - it's June 1st and the new 2016-17 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue is here! I have updated my links on the right hand side of my blog and you will find a permanent link to the new catalogue there, but for today you need look no further than the picture below which will take you straight to the new catalogue:

BROWSE THE CATALOGUE

The catalogue is fantastic, with so many great new products to choose from. The new catalogue is posted above and 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. Don't forget to add the hostess code for June B3C3DUB6 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.

I'll be sharing my favourite items in a blog post later this week, but for now I have news of another very important promotion to share with you:

  • Earn Additional Stampin' Rewards with a single order or qualifying party sales  You can earn an additional £30 in Stampin' Rewards when you place an individual order for or reach qualifying party sales of £300 or more during the month of June. Here is a reminder of the rewards you can earn when you host a party, along with the details of the promotion:



Don't forget these Stampin' Rewards can also be used towards a starter kit if you choose to join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator - making the starter kit even better value! I still have some calendar dates free in June so if you would like to host your own Stampin' Up! party and take full advantage of the extra rewards, then please do get in touch! 

 

  • Want To Get Hands On With New Products? Save The Date - I will be holding my Annual Catalogue Open House Launch next week on Thursday 8th June - if you live in or around Northampton this is a great opportunity for you to see some of the products up close, take advantage of my BOGOF sale of retired stamp sets, do a make and take and more! If you would like to put your name down for this exclusive event then do get in touch!

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 tomorrow with a new project; until then, happy shopping!

Host A Stampin' Up! Party To Get Your Own Feathery Friends

by Joanne James17. May 2017 06:00

Wednesday already - this week is flying by! Today I'm sharing a card for this week's challenge over at CAS(E) This Sketch:

This is one of those sketches with so many possibilities. I decided to use one of my favourite hostess stamp sets in the new catalogue for my fun card today - take a look:

 

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

Feathery Friends - One of the best things about getting a new catalogue is that it always contains a new set of exclusive hostess stamp sets - stamp sets that can only be purchased with Stampin' Rewards earned as a result of hosting a Stampin' Up! party (or placing a qualifying individual order of £150 or more). I love stamps that I can colour - with pencils, markers or inks and my trusty aquapainter - so this set with its quirky bird and flower images is perfect for me. Here I simply stamped two of the images in Archival Black ink onto watercolour paper and coloured it with my ink pads and an aquapainter. 

There's Never Been A Better Time To Host A Stampin' Up! Party - Hosting a party is a great way to earn free product and is a fun thing to do at any time. Great news: to coincide with the launch of the the new Stampin' Up! 2017-18 Annual Catalogue, there is a host promotion starting 1st June that means hostesses can earn an extra £30 Stampin' Rewards with qualifying party sales. There will be more details to follow nearer the time, however if you want to book your slot in my diary, feel free to get in touch now and be sure of those rewards - there's never been a better time to host a Stampin' Up! party! 

A Fresh Colour Combo - I chose to pair two colours from the Subtles family - Pool Party and Wild Wasabi - with a pop of bright Melon Mambo pink for today's card and added a single pink candy dot by way of embellishment to one of my flowers. Here is my colour combo if you would like to save it for future use:

 

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:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

A Sneak Peek - Delightful Daisy Thank You Card

by Joanne James28. April 2017 20:15

Today I've a quick post to share some sneak peeks with you for some lovely new products that are appearing in the new Stampin' Up! annual catalogue that is due out on the 1st June - 6 in fact! Take a look:

 

Today's card features some great new products from the Delightful Daisy Suite, featuring some delicate and elegant florals, including:

  • A pretty new stamp set, Daisy Delight
  • A co-ordinating Daisy Punch
  • Delightful Daisy Designer Series Paper
  • 1/4" Daffodil Delight Double-Stitched Ribbon
  • Faceted Gems

It also features one of the new in-colours - the sentiment, also from the Daisy Delight stamp set, is stamped in Tranquil Tide.

This is such a pretty set - I'm really looking forward to creating more with it. I can't wait to share the new catalogue with you; if you are a customer of mine that has purchased from me within the last 6 months you will automatically receive an annual catalogue from me. If you haven't purchased from me within the last six months but would like to receive a copy of the new catalogue and don't already have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, then please get in touch with me here to reserve your copy.

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

 

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2024-25 Annual Catalogue

BROWSE THE CATALOGUE

Click on the image to download your copy of the 2024-25 annual catalogue. For a full list of current SU! supplies, go to my online store. If you would like any help or advice, please drop me a line at joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk or give me a call on 07773 421446 - I'd be happy to help.

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About Me

Hi I'm Joanne and live in Northampton and when I'm not looking after my husband and two beautiful children, am an avid crafter with a passion for all things Stampin' Up!

I must confess that I have never been a big rubber stamper - until I discovered Stampin' Up! that is. I love the fact that I can get such great results with co-ordinating stamps, inks, papers and punches - the possibilities are endless! Join me on my stamping journey as I share the things I love and be inspired to create amazing things yourself!

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