A new day, a new month and time to tell you about some new product too - the All Together Collection! In the words of Stampin' Up!, "loving hands and heartfelt words are the best way to show you care. With hand designs that illustrate coming together in friendship and solidarity, the All Together Collection will help you create cardmaking and paper-crafting projects that reflect the people you know and love."

The All Together Collection includes early-release products from the 2022–2023 Annual Catalogue—an exciting new range of natural Stampin’ Blends—and exclusive products you can’t get anywhere else! While the Natural Tones Stampin’ Blends are an early-release product from the 2022—2023 Annual Catalogue, the collection’s additional products are exclusive and only available while supplies last. Encourage them to shop early to ensure they receive the entire collection!

Here's a video from the lovely people at the Stampin' up! home office that shows the suite in more detail:

See the product details on the flyer below for more information, or to purchase from my online store I've included the clickable shopping links at the bottom of this post.

I have some great projects to share in the coming weeks that showcase these new naturals Blends markers and they will also be featuring in my upcoming March class that features the 'In The Moment' stamp set. This online class is scheduled for 21st March 2022, 11am-1pm - please get in touch for more information or to book your place. 

Equally, if you love the whole All Together Collection, you might like to consider joining my Stampin' Up! team and ordering it as part of your start kit - for just another £1.25 you could receive an additional £31 of product AND 2 free stamp sets of your choice - along with all of the wider benefits that come from being part of the Stampin' Up! family. If you'd like to know more, then please get in touch - I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Back later with today's creative post for this week's colour challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches; until then, happy shopping!

ALL TOGETHER 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£10.75)	HERE TOGETHER CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£21.00)	HERE FOR YOU DIES (ENGLISH) (£30.00)	HERE TOGETHER BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£45.75)	STAMPIN’ BLENDS LIGHT COMBO PACK (£8.25)	STAMPIN’ BLENDS MEDIUM LIGHT COMBO PACK (£8.25)
STAMPIN’ BLENDS MEDIUM COMBO (£8.25)	STAMPIN’ BLENDS MEDIUM DEEP COMBO (£8.25)	STAMPIN’ BLENDS DEEP COMBO PACK (£8.25)	NATURAL TONES STAMPIN’ BLENDS COLLECTION (£41.25)	ALL TOGETHER SUITE COLLECTION (ENGLISH) (£97.75)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As You See It where it's time for a colour challenge from the lovely Heather C:

I am using the current Fusion sketch again today for my layout (in the correct orientation this time ;-)) and another first-time outing for a new stamp set - take a look:

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

Catch You Later - Today's card features the cat and goldfish combination from the 'Catch You Later' stamp set, found on page 63 of the mini catalogue. An unlikely pair of friends perhaps, but the sentiment suggests they share a definite affection between them! I like this set because it contains lots of small images that are easy to colour. 

Circles, Circles - I added my stamped image to a pair of layered circles in each of the challenge greens and also used a strip of Soft Succulent in-colour designer paper with a circle motif across my card to tie the whole thing together. 

A Pop Of Extra Colour - I actually chose to use this image for today's challenge because I thought the goldfish would be the perfect animal to showcase Calypso Coral. When my card was almost complete, I decided I wanted to add a little more coral to accentuate it; luckily I found a few retired enamel hearts in my stash that were just the job!

The funniest thing about today's card? I didn't even register that our challenge badge also featured a cat until after I had loaded up my card into my blog post! Heather must have been sending me inspirational vibes in more ways than one!

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 project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can leave you lots of lovely comments. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use #AYSIXXX when uploading to a public gallery.
• If you’re unsure about ‘the rules’, check the details under the Challenge Guidelines tab on the As You See It Challenge homepage.
• In a colour challenge, black or other neutral can be used in outlines and sentiments but no other colours should be included. Stampin’ Up colours are used for reference but colours that are a close match are welcome.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

CATCH YOU LATER CLING STAMP SET (£22.00)	LAYERING CIRCLES DIES (£33.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.50)	2021–2023 IN COLOR 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£10.75)	EVENING EVERGREEN A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)
SOFT SUCCULENT A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	SOFT SUCCULENT STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	CALYPSO CORAL STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	CRUMB CAKE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Claire to host this week and she has a timely Clean and Simple challenge for you to work with:

I love our challenge badge this week and decided to embrace the fun of our challenge photo and go with a card that is all about playing with leaves - take a look:

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

I stamped this super-cute image of this little chap playing in a big pile of leaves with his kitty from the 'Seasons of Fun' current seasonal hostess set onto a panel cut with the Whimsy Dies (the swirly border reminded me of a breeze!) and coloured with my Stampin' Blends markers: 

That's all there is to it - super clean and really simple to achieve!

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 Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

I'm linking today's card up for another entry over at The Alphabet Challenge where they are on 'L is for Leaves' and over at SUO Challenges where the current theme is 'people'. 

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

SEASONS OF FUN HOST CLING STAMP SET (£11.00)	STITCHED WITH WHIMSY DIES (£27.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£7.75)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.50)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)
SMOKY SLATE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	REAL RED STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	CHERRY COBBLER STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	CAJUN CRAZE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	OLD OLIVE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)
BASIC BLACK STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	BRONZE & IVORY STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	STAMPIN' BLENDS COLOR LIFTER (£4.25)	CINNAMON CIDER STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! Ann is hosting this week's challenge with a trio of colours chosen by the lovely Jaydee:

Now before you think I'm completely mad sharing a Mother's Day card in July, there is a reason I'm sharing this card today! I made this card back in February and when I went to make my card for today, Rebecca reminded me that we had made this card that featured Jaydee's colours and I hadn't blogged it, so although the papers are now retired, she wanted me to share it - so here it is:

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

This super-simple shaker card was a Mother's Day project that I made with a group of local Brownie Guides that I work with. For ease, we used the (retired) in-colour Memories & More card bases, onto which we heat embossed a Mother's Day sentiment (from the retired 'Strong and Beautiful' stamp set). We used the jar punch to punch a jar shape out of a piece of (retired) Flowers of the Season designer series paper that we had cut out using a scalloped stitched die, then inserted a mason jar shaker dome into the aperture and filled it with sunflower seeds, before attaching it to the card base. We stamped and coloured some co-ordinating sunflowers from the 'Jar of Flowers' stamp set and added these with a dimensional to the top of our jar, before finishing our shaker jar with a Bumblebee ribbon bow. 

The intention was that once Mother's Day had passed, the Brownies would then be able to remove their sunflower seeds from an opening in the back of the card, plant them and enjoy them in their gardens all summer long. The Mother's Day card that keeps on giving, you might say! I hope that their Mums are still enjoying their cards, several months on.

These mason jar domes are a great way to make an easy shaker card - have you used them in your crafting? What did you put in yours? Share with me in the comments below - I would love to hear your ideas!

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 Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

   I'm also linking up today's card with the girls over at The Flower Challenge where they are asking us to add spots or stripes to our card - my DSP has spots and my floral panel has a dotty border :-). 

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

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; I spent much of my day yesterday in the garden jet washing patios and paths, before catching the end of a thrilling Wimbledon ladies final. Today I will be getting my jobs out of the way in the morning before settling in for an afternoon and evening of sport: the men's finals at Wimbledon before I have to give way to the men of the house for football and the finals of the European Championship, England v Italy - wish me luck! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

JAR OF FLOWERS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (£21.00)	JAR PUNCH (£17.00)	MASON JAR SHAKER DOMES (£6.00)	STITCHED SO SWEETLY DIES (£30.00)	JUST JADE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)
MISTY MOONLIGHT STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	CINNAMON CIDER STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	2020–2022 IN COLOR STAMPIN' WRITE MARKERS (£13.75)

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. This week's challenge is a sketch challenge and Shannon has asked that we add three similar shapes to a panel across the centre of our card. Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch when making your card.

For my card today I decided to go pastel with pale blue and yellow which is the current colour challenge over at Less Is More and I created a pretty row of punched flowers backed with gingham - take a look:

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

The flowers on today's card are courtesy of the new 'Flowers of Friendship' stamp set. I stamped them in Basic Grey onto So Saffron cardstock and added a little extra tone-on-tone shading with my So Saffron Blends. I punched the two different-sized flowers with the co-ordinating Flowers & Leaves Punch and layered a row of three against a simple stitched rectangle of Balmy Blue gingham, finishing the centre of each with pale blue pearls. I added a sentiment from the same set to complete my card.

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. 

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! color 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 tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

FLOWERS OF FRIENDSHIP BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£33.25)	SO SAFFRON A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	SO SAFFRON STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	BASIC GRAY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£7.75)
STITCHED RECTANGLE DIES (£33.00)	PASTEL PEARLS (£6.00)

It's Thursday and time for a new challenge over at TicTacToe! It's the turn of Team X to host this week and the lovely Felicita is our featured designer this week. This is the fun board that we are playing along with: 

So much seasonal goodness to choose from on Felicita's board this week! I got so excited with all the elements and the lovely Julee's fab Mojo Monday sketch that I covered pretty much every square on this week's board except wreath and Thanksgiving! I paired the beautiful Gilded Autumn papers with lots of rust and one of my most favourite stamp sets to use at this time of year - take a look:

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

Country Home - My milk churn and autumn florals come from the 'Country Home' stamp set that has been around for a while, but I have to say is one of those sets that is a real keeper. I've made many, many cards with this set (and never featured it in a class, interestingly); I've coloured those florals many times and each of them different - search my blog for lots more inspiration using this set. I love the sentiment font and sizes too and they are great for thankful cards, whatever the time of year. My milk churn features a tiny 'thanks' and I saved one of my favourites for the inside of my card:

Rusty Colour - I decided to look at ways to incorporate the 'rust' element into my card and whilst I wasn't in a mood to get messy, I decided that the brushed brass foil (as opposed to copper) would add a nice metallic element and I embossed it using the Tin Tile Embossing Folder for some texture. I also majored on browns in my colour scheme and added some loops of coppery ribbon to my florals too.

A Little Bit Country - Having spent more time than anticipated deciding how best to layer those papers (I alternated each pattern for each layer before deciding), I wanted to keep with my country feel and added some wooden leaf embellishments and some green and white gingham ribbon to finish. A lot going on with this card, but sometimes it's really nice to move away from 'clean and simple' and see how far the layering can take you!

I'm also linking today's card up over at SUO Challenges too where the current theme is Autumn/Fall and my leafy, rusty creation definitely evokes the season for me! 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 Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

A tictactoe board offers so many creative possibilities - how does this week's board inspire you? Why not have a go? We would love to see you in the gallery and who knows - you might be selected for Designer's Choice and be eligible to be a guest designer on a future challenge. 

Enjoy your day; half term continues in the James household with nothing much of interst to report! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

COUNTRY HOME PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£20.00)	GILDED AUTUMN SPECIALTY DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£14.00)	BRUSHED METALLIC CARDSTOCK (£14.00)	TIN TILE 3D EMBOSSING FOLDER (£9.25)	BASKET WEAVE & METALLIC RIBBON COMBO PACK (£7.50)
FLOWERS FOR EVERY SEASON RIBBON COMBO PACK (£9.25)	RECTANGLE STITCHED DIES (£33.00)	IN GOOD TASTE ELEMENTS (£6.00)	CRUMB CAKE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	EARLY ESPRESSO A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)
VERY VANILLA A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)	CRUMB CAKE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	STAMPIN' BLENDS MINT MACARON COMBO PACK (£8.50)	STAMPIN' BLENDS CAJUN CRAZE COMBO PACK (£8.50)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.50)

Today I'm sharing a card that I made at the weekend still with a 'Christmas In July' theme going on (desperately trying to get into Christmas crafting!) that is for a few current challenges:

The lovely team at Less Is More are doing a one layer card Christmas in July theme and I chose one of my retired stamps, 'Dove Of Peace', which I thought would make a lovely image for Time Out's challenge to be 'Peaceful'. It also gave me an opportunity to get out my Stampin' Blends for a spot of colouring which is what the ladies over at SUO Challenges are all about this week:

I coloured the detail on my dove with a combination of Bermuda Bay, (retired) Coastal Cabana and Pool Party Blends. I then took a dry aquapainter (the new fine one is perfect for this) and painted the remainder of the body of the dove in white shimmer paint. This was quite time consuming, but so worth it; the photo really doesn't do it justice - it has such a soft shimmer in real life. I think I'll make a few more of these in alternative colourways - they will be great for sending to my overseas friends. 

This is one of my favourite retired Christmas stamps and great for one layer cards; do you have a favourite stamp for one layer creations? Do leave me a comment and let me know - I'd love to hear about your favourite Christmas sets, old or new.

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'!

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Ann to host this week and she has a great clean and simple challenge for you to work with:

I was intrigued by Kim's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches this week and armed with this and one of my personal favourite stamp sets for masculine cards I created my card - take a look:

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

I had already decided that I would use the 'A Good Man' stamp set for my card this week as it really lends itself to clean and simple cards. I stamped and coloured my image and created my woven cardstock trim as per Kim's sketch, having stamped my sentiment on the horizontal strip and I was done - minimal layers (virtually one layer), no embellishments and plenty of white space - yep, I met the clean and simple brief!

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 Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

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; I spent yesterday finishing the last of my big garden cleaning jobs, with patios cleaned and garden furniture ready now for waxing. I'll be taking it easier today with some cooking and last-minute revision with the youngest James Junior in readiness for the first of this week's Common Entrance exam papers tomorrow - Geography and maybe a leisurely family bike ride too. I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

A GOOD MAN CLING STAMP SET (EN) (£22.00)	STAMPIN' BLENDS CALYPSO CORAL COMBO PACK (£8.50)	STAMPIN' BLENDS SOFT SUEDE COMBO PACK (£8.50)	STAMPIN' BLENDS NIGHT OF NAVY COMBO PACK (£8.50)	LIGHT BALMY BLUE STAMPIN’ BLENDS MARKER (£4.25)
STAMPIN' BLENDS COLOR LIFTER (£4.25)	WHISPER WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£7.75)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.50)	CALYPSO CORAL A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	CRUMB CAKE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)
NIGHT OF NAVY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)

Today I'm sharing another quick card that I made for this week's Just Add Ink challenge - you know I can't resist a good sketch:

I decided to make a fun card using the retiring 'Music From My Heart' stamp set - take a look:

Since three out of four members of the James household play piano, and we have a guitarist and singer too, it stands to reason that this set would be one of the first into my shopping basket when the Spring-Summer catalogue launched last December and I am sad that it isn't carrying over as we haven't had anything like it before. I just love this set and it is a keeper for me! 

This card is just some random stamping of the treble clef and the 'forget your trebles' sentiment onto a white cardbase, with a black top panel and then some layering of a stave, a wavy piano keyboard and a stitched square to highlight my piano. I like the heart detail on the treble clef, which allows for some quick pops of rainbow colour. I did the same with the notes on the stave, although this layer did blend into the background more than I would have liked; smaller black notes would have worked better in hindsight. No matter - this card will be perfect for a musical friend; in fact, I might run off a batch to send to my choir ladies to let them know I'm missing them!

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:

Music From The Heart Photopolymer Stamp Set	Stitched Shapes Dies	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Basic Black A4 Cardstock	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Basic Black Combo Pack Stampin' Blends
Real Red Combo Pack Stampin' Blends	Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack	Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack	Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack	Bermuda Bay Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack	Balmy Blue Stampin' Blends Combo Pack
Highland Heather Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Happy Easter Sunday wishes everyone! As it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Jaydee to host this week and she has a beautiful colour challenge for us to work with:

I used Jacquie's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches as the basis for my card today (I used a Layered Square Die instead of a diamond, turning it onto it's point) which showcases the main floral stamp from the Ornate Garden Suite pre-release - take a look:

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

Ornate Style - The Ornate Style stamp set is one of two that feature in the Ornate Garden Suite that is on early pre-release from the new 2020-21 Stampin' Up! catalogue; you can read more about the whole suite in my earlier post here if you missed it. I used the main floral stamp in the Ornate Style stamp set as the focal point for my card. I heat embossed the image in silver onto Whisper White cardstock and coloured it with my Seaside Spray, So Saffron and Smoky Slate Blends. I added the single flower stem from the same set to the inside of my card:

I haven't added a sentiment yet; I might turn this into a birthday card, as I have lots of them coming up, but for the time being I've left it black until I've decided.

Something Blue - I used Seaside Spray as the main colour on my card today: for my base, a layer of in-colour DSP inside my aperture and a trio of faceted enamel dots. I've used this same colour combination before on these projects, where I used So Saffron as the main colour. Which one do you prefer? Feel free to leave me a comment below, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Ornate Thanks - I finished my card with a heat embossed sentiment from another of the stamp sets in the Ornate Garden Suite, called Ornate Thanks. This is a great set with lots of sentiment combinations and I particularly like the style of the handwritten font.

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 Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

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; we will of course be hunting for Easter eggs today and spending much of the afternoon consuming large quantities of chocolate whilst making the most of our own company - again! Safe safe everyone! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Ornate Style Cling Stamp Set	Seaside Spray A4 Cardstock	2019–2021 In Color 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper	Shimmery White A4 Cardstock	2019-2021 In Color Faceted Dots	Embossing Buddy
Versamark Pad	Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder	Seaside Spray Stampin' Blends Combo Pack	So Saffron Stampin' Blends Combo Pack	Smoky Slate Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack	White Stampin' Emboss Powder