Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where for this fortnight we have a fun recipe challenge for you:

I often struggle with this kind of recipe challenge, but must confess that along with Julee's Mojo Monday sketch for my layout (sketch 3) today's card came together quite easily - take a look:

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

Flowering Foils - I decided to use the Flowering Foils Specialty Designer Series Paper as the basis for today's card. This is one of the second-release items that can be yours FREE with a purchase of £45 or more during the current Sale-A-Bration promotion and has been super popular with my customers, so I was keen to show them how they could use it. I used a rose-gold hatch patterned piece along with a piece of silver foil cut using my Stitched Rectangle Framelits for two of my layers, then fussy cut one of the flowers from another sheet to form the centrepiece of my card. I backed my flower with a stitched vellum circle to preserve the shape of the sketch but not detract from the detail of the bloom itself. These papers are so, so pretty and the photographs in today's post really don't do them justice - it is so difficult to photograph foil!  

Sparkle, Sparkle - To compliment the foiled papers, I decided to add lots of sparkle and shine. I used some white ribbon with a silver metallic edge for my bow, along with some silver twine behind my flower and a sprinkling of champagne rhinestone jewels and clear epoxy droplets for extra sparkle. I even added a silver (retired) tassle - then had to stop myself before I went really overboard!! 

Label Me Bold - Whilst this card would make a lovely wedding card, I have no need for one so decided instead that it would work equally well as a special birthday card. I inked up my 'Label Me Bold' stamp set for the first time to add a simple silver heat-embossed sentiment to my card. You can see that better on the photo below:

This sentiment stamp set was one of the first I bought from the new seasonal catalogue as I've been wanting a set like this for ages, but this is the first time I've inked it up. I love the clean, block font which is perfect to cut through the detail on a card like this.

So what do you think? Do you love these Flowering Foils as much as 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 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Before you put your creative thinking caps on, why not check out the blogs of the other As You See It team members:

Amy Jasper

Heather Cooper

Jan Clothier

Jane Knudsen

LeAnne Pugliese

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.

We look forward to seeing your creations in the AYSI gallery.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Flowering Foils Specialty Designer Series Paper (£0.00)	Stitched Rectangle Dies (£33.00)	Stitched Shapes Dies (£28.00)	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock (£7.75)	Silver Foil Sheets (£4.75)	Silver Metallic Thread (£3.25)
Silver 3/8" Metallic-Edge Ribbon (£6.50)	Frosted & Clear Epoxy Droplets (£8.25)	Champagne Rhinestone Basic Jewels (£5.50)	Label Me Bold Cling Stamp Set (English) (£16.00)	Embossing Buddy (£5.50)	Versamark Pad (£8.75)
Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder (£5.50)

As promised, today I have Sale-A-Bration news for you! I know how much you've all been enjoying the benefits of the Sale-A-Bration promotion; as if it couldn't get any better I just wanted to let you know that from today there are some new items being added to the selection of products that can be earned free, both with a £45 order and two stamp sets that can be yours with a purchase of £90 or more. You can click on the image below to download the flyer:

So what's new? There is the silver and rose-gold foiled Flowering Foils Specialty papers - you can check them out in this video here from the Stampin' Up! Home Office:

 Aren't they gorgeous? These papers are sure to be popular!

 There is a great masculine stamp set called 'Well Dressed', perfect for easy masculine projects:

There is some coloured and embossed vellum 'So Very Vellum' that is perfect for dressing up your projects:

Each of the above products can be yours FREE with a £45 product purchase.

In addition, there are two stamp sets that are available with a £90 spend. The first is a stamp that coordinates with the Label Me Fancy and Label Me Lovely punches called 'Tags in Bloom':

Finally, there is the 'Rise and Shine' stamp set that co-ordinates with the carryover Cup of Cheer Dies:

As with the other items in the Sale-A-Bration catalogue (with the exception of the Kerchief Card Kit which is now sold out), these items will be available from now until the end of the Sale-A-Bration period, 31st March whilst stocks last. You can see full details for each of the new product on the new Sale-A-Bration flyer via the link above and there will be more samples made with each of them over on my Facebook page today.

If you would like more information or to place an order, either go here to purchase from my online store (don't forget to add this month's hostess code C3HMK9CP) or click on the links below. Alternatively or you can email me or telephone me if you would prefer. Back shortly with a new creative project; until then, happy shopping!

Links to the new Sale-A-Bration items in the online store: 

Flowering Foils Specialty Designer Series Paper (£0.00)

Rise & Shine Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) (£0.00)

Well Dressed Cling Stamp Set (£0.00)

So Very Vellum Specialty Designer Series Paper (£0.00)

Tags In Bloom Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) (£0.00)

Happy Monday everyone! The James Juniors are off on their half-term break from school this week so we have a week of revision, piano practice, those boring errands that are saved for a week off and fun in equal measure; this week's blog posts may therefore be a little short! Today I'm sharing a card that uses the current colours over at Color Throwdown:

I decided they would be perfect to ink up one of the little fairies from the New Wonders hostess set from the annual catalogue - take a look:

I stamped the image twice on Basic Grey, then on the bottom layer I sponged the leaves with Old Oliver ink before colouring them with my Blends alcohol markers. For the second image, I cut away the corner, coloured the rest of the image with my Blends, added a liberal dose of clear Wink of Stella to her fairy wings and popped it up on dimensionals. I popped the whole thing on a Highland Heather card base.

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 were fortunate to enjoy a quiet weekend indoors and caught up on some movies that we have been wanting to watch: The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas and Toy Story 4. Both so different, yet both equally good in their own right and I would definitely recommend them. We are off to the opticians today amongst other things so will have to brave the elements - wish me luck! Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

New Wonders Cling Stamp Set (£12.50)	Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Highland Heather A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Smoky Slate Light Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)
Highland Heather Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Purple Posy Stampin' Blends Combo Pack (£8.50)	Ivory Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)	Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Petal Pink Light Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)
Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush (£7.50)

I have a super quick post today as I have had a Valentine's home decor class today and have a school music recital to attend this evening, so I need to quickly squeeze in a couple of cards I made over the weekend using the gorgeous 'Little Ladybug' stamp set that is a free gift for anyone hosting a Stampin' Up! party with qualifying party sales. The first is for the current challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches:

Some simple stamping and Blends colouring with a sponged background and split sentiment, highlighting the word FLY:

 The second is for the current challenge over at Less Is More where the challenge is 'tiny and few':

This seemed perfect for that itty-bitty row of ladybirds with a fun sentiment:

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

And for the super clean and simple card:

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 (earlier!) tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Little Ladybug Host Cling Stamp Set (English) (£0.00)	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)	Real Red Combo Pack Stampin' Blends (£8.50)	Basic Black Combo Pack Stampin' Blends (£8.50)	Ivory Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)
Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Balmy Blue Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock (£7.75)	Stitched Labels Dies (£31.00)

Hello everyone - it's time to shake off the January blues, today is THE day - yes, the highlight of the Stampin' Up! calendar, Sale-A-Bration 2020 is here! No more sneak peeks - the catalogue is available, the shop is live and from now until 31st March the benefits are yours for the taking. 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 what is Sale-A-Bration? 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:

Earn a free Sale-A-Bration product for every £45 you spend between 3 January and 31 March. 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! 

It’s also the best time of year to join Stampin’ Up! There is a fabulous joining option during this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion: as usual, you can become a demonstrator for just £99 and choose £130 of FREE products for your Starter Kit. In addition to an extra £31 worth of product in your starter kit, exclusive to Sale-A-Bration, you will also get the following items FREE:

• A new Mini Paper Cutter
• A 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper Sampler pack
• Your choice of any stamp set offered in current catalogues (host sets and Sale-A-Bration sets excluded)

Isn't that just great?! Plus, the whole kit ships for free! 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. 

It's also a great time to host a Stampin' Up! party. When you host a party and have party sales of £275 or more (this also applies to individual orders), you will earn the exclusive Little Ladybug stamp set for FREE in addition to your usual Stampin' Rewards. Party sales of £400 or more also earn one 50% off item. What's more, you can even apply your Stampin' Rewards to a Starter Kit and become a demonstrator yourself - I would love to welcome you to my team!

If you would like to host a party, real or virtual, please do get in touch; my diary is filling up but there are still lots of slots available and I would love to share these great benefits with you. 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 Spring-Summer 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!

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 soon with lots of projects showcasing products from the new catalogue. Until then, happy shopping!

Friday already? Where did that week go?! I am just popping in with another Christmas card that I made for my stash inspired by the following challenges over at Sunday Stamps and Christmas Kickstart:

I couldn't resist using the sketch to showcase some fabulous festive designer series paper - take a look:

Since Christmas Kickstart is all about the presents, I decided that this gift-filled paper from the Night Before Christmas DSP pack would make a perfect centrepiece. This card is all about #SimpleStamping - the only stamping on the front of the card is my sentiment, which I thought it would be fun to make it look like a tag from the man in red himself - well, everyone knows that's who really brings the gifts at Christmas time, right?

I did do a little more stamping inside my card, using a sentiment from the 'Greatest Part of Christmas' stamp set, an exclusive hostess set available in the current Autumn-Winter catalogue that can be yours if you host a party before the end of the year, along with a few more gifts:

Isn't that a great sentiment for a loved-one at Christmas time?

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:

Night Before Christmas 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper (£10.75)	Cherry Cobbler A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Poppy Parade A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Mossy Meadow A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock (£9.00)
Pretty Peacock A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Pretty Peacock Classic Stampin’ Pad (£7.00)	Greatest Part Of Christmas Host Cling Stamp Set (En) (£12.00)	Holly Jolly Christmas Cling Stamp Set (En) (£20.00)

The wait is over but the day has finally arrived! The new Autumn-Winter Seasonal Catalogue is here - you can download an electronic copy by clicking on the image below:

Physical catalogues have gone out in the post to my existing customers and anyone else who requested a copy; there will of course be a permanent link to the catalogue in the box on the right side of my blog page until 2nd January 2020 when the sales period ends. I've already shared a few sneak peeks and there is so much more to come! For today, put your feet up and browse the new catalogue in all its glory.

And there's more good news! Between now and the end of September, we have a fabulous promotion too - here is also a fabulous customer offer on during July where for every 3 packs of designer series paper you buy from the following selection, you can choose another one absolutely FREE! The papers included in the promotion are listed below:

I will be sharing some videos during the coming weeks on my Facebook Page highlighting each of these patterns and of course you can check out the projects on my blog for lots of additional paper inspiration. If you would like to see any of these papers up close in more detail, then do get in touch and I can share a sample with you.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or queries. Don't forget to use this month's current hostess code ZFNK46PH if you are placing an order online to receive an extra thank you from me. Back soon with more creative inspiration for you. Until then, happy browsing and get writing that wish list! 

This is my second post of today! You can read my earlier creative post here but I wanted to make sure you had the latest information regarding Trimmer Blades for Stampin' Up!'s discontinued Stampin' Up! Trimmer.

The final batch of Stampin’ Trimmer Cutting Blades (item 126995) arrived in the warehouse earlier than the expected September due date, so they will be made available to purchase TOMORROW. 

Trimmer blades will be available to order on Wednesday, 28 August at 6:00 p.m. (UK), and when they sell out they will be gone for good.

In the past, blades have sold out within minutes and individuals placing single orders have had more success than demonstrators placing orders for multiple customers. As such, my advice to you is to be ready to place your order online at 6pm and arrange for them to be shipped to you directly. Remember, the limit is three packs of blades per customer.  

Stampin' Up! has also announced that there will be a new paper trimmer available for demonstrators to purchase before the end of 2019, which will sell for £23. This should be available to customers shortly thereafter and I will provide you with more information as soon as it becomes available.

Lastly, since this is the last week in August, don't forget if you earned bonus coupons last month, this is your last chance to use them if you haven't done so already. It's also the last opportunity to take advantage of the 'Extra, Extra' recruiting promotion. If you need more information, do get in touch or read all about it here.

Good morning everyone! I hope you all had wonderful weekends and if you're in the UK are enjoying the glorious weather - long may it last! I have a big news post for you today as it's all happening here at Stampin' Up! during the month of July.

First things first - BONUS DAYS ARE BACK! Do you remember this promotion from last year? It was so successful, Stampin' Up! have decided to repeat it this year. 

For every £45.00 you spend between 1 July and 31 July (before delivery), you’ll get a £4.50 Bonus Days coupon that you can use between 1 and 31 August. Our new annual catalogue has been out for a month now, so I'm sure you will have long wish lists; this is a great opportunity to shop from it and make savings when you shop again in August with your coupons! 

There are some details in terms of small print that you need to take note of, as follows: 

• Promotion period: 1–31 August 2019
• Redemption period: 1–30 September 2019
• An email address is required to participate in this promotion; Bonus Days coupon codes can only be delivered via email.
• If a participant earns multiple codes from a single order, they will receive one e-mail with multiple codes. If they earn multiple codes from multiple orders, they will receive separate e-mails for each code earned.
• It is strongly recommended that you both save emails containing their Bonus Days coupon codes AND write down the coupon codes in a safe place. Codes cannot be resent if the email is lost, and lost codes cannot be recovered.
• Bonus Days coupon codes can be redeemed for any product, excluding Starter Kits.
• There is no limit to the number of coupons you can receive per order or throughout the duration of the promotion.
• There is no limit on the number of coupons you can use on an order during redemption.

As if that wasn't enough, we also have a fabulous recruitment offer - check it out:

Yes, the promotion that is so good, we named it twice! If you've ever considered becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, this is a great time to join. For the next 2 months, from 1 July until 31 August, new demonstrators will receive £25 to put towards bonus products in their Starter Kit - that's in addition to the extra £30 they already receive, so a whopping £155 worth of products of your choice for £99. And that's not all: the following month after joining, you will receive an £8 coupon code to use towards any order placed that month - and that includes items from the Autumn-Winter catalogue which goes on pre-order to demonstrators on 1st August a whole month before it goes live to customers on Wednesday 4th September - woohoo!

There are some details in terms of small print that you need to take note of, as follows: 

• Promotion period:1 July–31 August 2019
• The bonus at initial sign-up allows demonstrators to pick up 32 € I £25 more than usual. They will pay 129 € I £99 to sign up and choose 207 € I £155 worth of Stampin’ Up! products in their Starter Kit.
• Coupon codes will be sent between the fifth and seventh business day of the following month the new demonstrator signs up.
• The e-mail address listed in a new demonstrator’s profile will be used to send the 12 € I £8 coupon code.
• Refer to the Demonstrator Policies document (UK | NL) for more information on recruiting policies.
• Coupon codes may be redeemed only once; they will reduce the commissionable amount of orders.
• Coupon codes expire 31 October 2019; after this date, they will no longer be valid.

There really has never been a better time to shop with or join Stampin' Up! - if you need any additional information on either of these promotions, then please don't hesitate to get in touch. I would love to help you explore a new business opportunity or simply get your hands on some great quality crafting supplies.

I'll be back shortly with today's project (it's a fun one!) but in the meantime you can shop with me online here or click here to sign up and get your hands on a starter kit today!

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

I was inspired by Nance's challenge badge this week so decided to go down the houseplant route and ink up another soon-to-be retired stamp set, but with a sneak peek of something new too - take a look:

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

Goodbye Just Because - The houseplant on today's card is from one of the hostess sets in the Spring-Summer seasonal catalogue, 'Just Because'. These exclusive sets are sometimes overlooked, but they are a great perk for party hostesses who can claim them with Stampin' Rewards for a special price when they host a qualifying party. They can also be claimed if you place one large qualifying order and are always worth a look. I can confirm that the new annual catalogue has some fabulous hostess sets, so if you would like to host a party post the new catalogue launch, then do get in touch with me now to book a suitable date.

An Embossed Frame - The houseplant on today's card is rather green and uninteresting on its own, so I needed something that would add interest whilst still keeping to Laurie's 'clean and simple' theme. I decided on a stitched embossed frame, placed at a jaunty angle. I used my rectangle stitched framelits to cut a frame that I then ran through my Layered Leaves Dynamic Textured Embossing Folder; an easy way to draw the eye to the image and sentiment.  

Hello New 2019-21 In-Colours - My jaunty frame also gave me an opportunity to give you a sneak peek of the new 2019-21 in-colours. My main card showcases my favourite, Purple Posy, and I created a set with a frame in each new in-colour: left to right you can just see Terracotta Tile, Pretty Peacock, Rococo Rose, Seaside Spray and Purple Posy. 

My cards are a little 'unfinished' in as much as I wanted to add one of the new in-colour faceted dots to the right of my sentiment on each card, but alas we are having shipping issues here in the UK and mine hadn't arrived in time to make my card. For anyone local to me that is attending my Open House catalogue launch event on 5th June, you will be able to see the 'completed' 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 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:

Enjoy your day; I am hoping to spend some time pottering in my garden and enjoying the sunshine. I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Just Because Cling Stamp Set (£12.00)	2019-2021 In Color A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies (£28.00)	Layered Leaves Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (£8.25)	Mossy Meadow Stampin' Blends Combo Pack (£8.50)
Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)