Today I have some very exciting news to share with you! From today for one month only, 28th May until 30th June, in addition to the standard £99 starter kit, Stampin' Up! UK is offering a reduced price starter kit at the bargain entry price of £50.

For one month only, you have a choice of joining options:

SIGN AND SAVE - If you already have a large stock of craft supplies and would like a lower price entry point, then the £50 starter kit is worth considering. You will receive £55 worth of product of your choice and a business supplies pack (including copies of the new 2014-15 Annual Catalogue!)

SIGN AND GET MORE - If you would like to benefit from additional free products, then the traditional £99 starter kit is still available and offers incredible value: it includes £130 worth of product of your choice, in addition to a business supplies pack (and new annual catalogues!)

Both of these packages entitle you to the all of the benefits that joining Stampin' Up! brings:

• Pre-order new products before they are released to the general market - Project Life, new Blendabilities alcohol markers, and great new catalogue items - pre-order starts in 2 days time!!
• An ongoing 20% discount on all product purchases
• Attendance at exclusive Stampin' Up! events, such as the UK Regional Training Day that I presented at recently (read all about it here)

In addition, if you join my team you will also receive an exclusive welcome pack and demonstrator handbook to help you build your new Stampin' Up! business, along with a free copy of my exclusive Product Table Builder Software worth £35 that is a must for any blogger who wishes to maximise their online sales. Not to mention the FUN! We are a close-knit team that has members far and wide and in addition to our face-to-face get-togethers and training meets, we are also part of a vibrant online community of fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrators who are always on hand with advice, encouragement and support.

So whether you just want to be a hobby demonstrator and take advantage of quality Stampin' Up! products at permanently reduced prices, or whether you would like to earn an income doing something you love, please give me a call on 07773 421446 to talk about what joining my team can do for you - I would love to hear from you! of course if you've been 'on the fence' and the £50 sign up offer ticks your box, then click here to sign up today - I look forward to you joining my team!

Good morning everyone! I've bumped today's creative post as I have more exciting Stampin' Up! news to share with you: following on from successful trials in the USA, Stampin' Up! is introducing photopolymer stamps in Europe too!

Stampin' Up! have spent a long time trying to find the right material to introduce clear stamping to the Stampin' Up! range that gives the high standards of stamp and finish that you would expect of the Stampin' Up! brand and this is it! The forthcoming annual catalogue will now contain wood mount, clear mount and photopolymer stamp sets. There are lots of benefits to photopolymer stamps: they are great value (they are cheaper to produce so you get more stamps per set) and above all their transparency means that they make it so easy to line up your images, without the need for a guide or a stamp-a-ma-jig. Here's a short video showing you how they work:

Now for the best bit - FREE STAMPS!! To celebrate the introduction of the photopolymer range, Stampin' Up! are offering a limited offer on Stampin' Up! photopolymer sets. For every order of £60 or more between 1-31 May, you can choose one of a selection of photopolymer stampsets FREE! This offer is only available whilst stocks last though, so if you'd like one, you need to get your Stampin' Up! order placed as soon as possible! if you're ordering online, don't forget to use the online hostess code to be in with a chance of earning additional benefits. The icons below show the stamp sets on offer (these are not clickable through to my online store - you will be presented with the option to add them to your basket when you have an order with a qualifying spend). To order, simply follow the shop online link on the right of this page.

Show & Tell 1 Photopolymer Stamp Set

Show & Tell 2 Photopolymer Stamp Set

Eye-Catching Ikat Photopolymer Stamp Set

Sans And Stripes Photopolymer Stamp Set

Back shortly with today's creative post; until then, happy stampin'!

Good evening lovely readers! I have finished editing my next video tutorial but have bumped it to tomorrow so that I can fit in a quick card that I made for this week's Paper Craft Crew challenge. here is this week's sketch layout:

Here is the card I made using this layout:

I went with a 4" square card for a change and a Crumb Cake base, then took a strip of Whisper White that I lightly sponged in Soft Sky across the top with Wild Wasabi across the bottom, then stamped the bunny minus the sentiment in Chocolate Chip and coloured him with Crumb Cake ink and a blender pen, before adding a candy dot for his tail. I matted this section on a strip of Chocolate Chip and then added a fringe of Wild Wasabi to the front of the card to make it look like the bunny was hiding in the grass. The new fringe scissors are great for creating grass in an instant and add a lovely texture. I then finished by wrapping some Early Espresso baker's twine around my card and tying in a bow. I stamped the sentiment onto an oval of Crumb Cake cardstock and finished with two co-ordinating banners, stamped using the Banner Blast stamp set and punched out with the matching punch. Both of these items are available free with a spend of £45 or more during Sale-A-Bration - contact me or visit my online store if you would like to place a £45 order and receive these gifts for free.

I've had a busy day today so am off to bed for a well-earned rest; back tomorrow with the second in my 'Any Size' box tutorial series. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Today's card is one I made at my recent quarterly team training and features lots of new items from the 2013-14 annual catalogue: new colours, a new stamp set, new embellishments. Take a look a the finished card:

It features three of the lovely flower stamps from the Flower Shop stamp set, including one that has been punched out with the co-ordinating punch. This is one of the many great value bundles available in this year's catalogue: there are a number of items which when purchased together, such as the Flower Shop stamp set and co-ordinating Pansy Punch, will receive a 15% discount.  The main card is in the new in-colour Coastal Cabana, and the punched flower is finished with one of the new in-colour embellishments in Baked Brown Sugar, which is echoed in the border edging. The rich yellow is the new Regal Crushed Curry, which is also the colour of the chevron ribbon bow - the star of the show as far as this card is concerned; I LOVE this ribbon!

This ribbon was one of my 'must haves' from the new catalogue; my only dilemma was exactly which colour I should purchase first! If you've now had a chance to look at the new annual catalogue and you too have a long wishlist of products you would like, why not get together with some friends and host a party? This is a great way to earn free products and you could make a version of the above card and have an evening of fun into the bargain. If you would like to host a party, please contact me today to book a date in the diary.

Back tomorrow with another project - a very special birthday card for a very special little boy. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Flower Shop, Perfectly Penned

Cardstock: Coastal Cabana, Baked Brown Sugar, Whisper White

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Baked Brown Sugar

Tools: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Pansy Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch

Finishing Touches: Crushed Curry 3/4" Chevron Ribbon, Baked Brown Sugar In Colour Boutique Details

Well, today's the day you've all been waiting for: the new Stampin' Up! annual catalogue has arrived!

It is full of great new products, ranging from stamp sets, to designer papers, to embellishments and more besides - but don't just take my word for it; make yourself a cup of tea, then get comfy, check out the link in the bar on the right hand side of my page and browse for yourself!

As a demonstrator I've had the opportunity to browse the catalogue in advance and even order a selected number of new products that I've already had the opportunity to play with. That said, I have a VERY long shopping list of things I want (no, NEED!) from the new catalogue. I thought it would be fun to shoot a short video to give you a quick whistle-stop tour of the new catalogue and share with you my top 'wish list' items, so if you'd like to know what I think will be 'hot' this year, it's time to tune in:

As you can see, there's so much to choose from! If you have a long wish list of must-have items too, why not invite your friends round for an evening of crafty fun and host a Stampin' Up! party? You'll get the opportunity to create a great project, receive lots of crafty inspiration and earn free products that are beyond amazing; you can earn anything from £25 to £120 worth of free products and with party sales of £300 or more you will also be able to purchase one or more items at half price; this is a great way to reduce the cost of an investment purchase such as a Big Shot or a full marker set. So what are you waiting for? Contact me to book your Stampin' Up! party today!

Back tomorrow with a project; until then, enjoy browsing the new catalogue  !

There are a small number of catalogue corrections and initial supply issues that you need to be aware of, as follows:

Catalogue Corrections:

Two items were mistakenly given the same item number. Beautiful Butterflies Bigz and Lattice Bigz dies are both listed as 114507. The correct item numbers are: 
Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die - 114507
Lattice Bigz Die - 115958

The Ordering section incorrectly states that a customer has 10 days to cancel their order. Customers have 14 days to cancel their order.

Due to supply issues, the following items are currently unavailable; there will be an announcement to follow when they become available:

World Map Stamp (item 130342 for wood, 130345 for clear).

Label Pop ‘n Cuts (item 130160): Item will be available for order as of 12 July.

Wood-Mount Cases (item 127551 for full, 127552 for half).

Stampin’ Trimmer Rotary Addition (item 132986).

New Colour Cardstock and Pad Kit (item 132281).