Today I want to share with you news of another special kit that will be coming to the UK for the first time this month: Paper Pumpkin! For those of you that may not be aware, Paper Pumpkin is a monthly papercrafting kit offered by Stampin’ Up! that is currently only available in the United States and parts of Canada. This month's kit is a particularly special one as it was inspired and co-created by the founder of Stampin' Up! herself, Shelli Gardner. Because the 'Hugs from Shelli' kit is so special, Stampin' Up! has decided to give demonstrators and customers everywhere the chance to experience it. As such, the Shelli kit will be available as an exclusive, limited release in all of our global (Europe, South Pacific, Japan, and Quebec, Canada) markets starting 15 May.

The exact contents of the kit are as always a closely guarded secret, but here's a short video by Shelli herself that gives a flavour of what the kit has in store: 

Part of what makes a Paper Pumpkin kit special is that Stampin' Up! don’t reveal the projects inside the box ahead of time so when it arrives there's always a sense of excitement and anticipation for the good things inside. Shelli describes the kit as “A touch of earthy and elegant spring with lots of layers and texture.” I was lucky enough at Stampin' up!'s recent Onstage event to make one of the cards in the kit - here's a picture of what that card looks like:

Isn't that so pretty? Even the envelope is beautifully decorated inside and out. No more sneak peeks, but I can confirm the Shelli kit from Paper Pumpkin includes the following:

• An exclusive stamp set not available anywhere else
• One Classic Stampin’ Spot® from our Classic ink collection
• Paper and crafting materials to create 12 cards (3 cards of 4 unique designs)
• 12 exclusive, coordinating envelopes
• Adhesives and embellishments for all 12 cards
• NOTE: A clear block is NOT included with this kit.

In addition, the kit will coordinate with the following Stampin’ Up! colours: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Old Olive, Petal Pink, Pool Party, Pretty Peacock, Soft Suede, and Very Vanilla.

So how can you get your hands on one? The 'Hugs From Shelli' kit goes on sale on 15 May and will be available only whilst supplies last. Kits are expected to be popular and to sell out quickly, so either be ready to put your order in online or contact me in advance in order that I can arrange to order your kit for you; you won't want to miss it!

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

Today I have a card for the current challenge over at As you See It, where the team are asking us to complete the sentence 'When I think simple, I think of...':

Now today's post feels a little bit of a cheat as far as the challenge is concerned, however hear me out. My regular readers will know what a fan I am of Stampin' Up!'s kits and for me, 'When I think of SIMPLE, I think of KITS' every time! Especially all-inclusive kits, with everything in the box ready to go, including instructions and layouts - no thinking required! So today I'm sharing with you one of the latest all-inclusive kit offering from the annual catalogue - the Notes of Kindness Card Kit and one of my current 'go to' kits.

Here is an example of one of each the finished cards from the set:

And here's an image that shows all of the cards that can be made with this kit:

Here's the low-down on the Notes of Kindness Card Kit and why I think they are perfect for just about anyone and everyone:

All Inclusive - The Notes of Kindness Card Kit kit is one that contains everything you need to create 20 cards, 5 each of 4 designs: card bases, co-ordinating envelopes, die cut images and shapes, a Stampin' Spot ink pad, set of 6 photopolymer stamps and an acrylic block, along with a range of accessories and embellishments. Simply add your choice of adhesive and you are good to go. 

Great Value For Money - At £33.00, this kit offers exceptional value for money - where else could you buy 20 handcrafted greetings cards at £1.65 each and have a stamp set, ink spot, block and a range of embellishments left over to create even more things with too? Not to mention the creative fun you will have putting them together along the way! And if you like it, refill kits of the consumable elements are available so you can make even more for less too.

The Perfect Gift -  Whether young or old, experienced crafter or new to crafting, this kit is perfect for you. Follow the instructions included or unleash your own creativity and do your own thing - and if you're trying to buy for 'the person who has everything' - I bet they don't have one if these! The kit comes in a lovely recyclable gift box too, so all you need is some ribbon and a tag and you are done.

Here is a reminder of this fantastic kit if you are getting organised and want to pin it 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. 

Like all of the kits in the Stampin' Up! catalogue, the Notes of Kindness Card Kit is the perfect way to bring your creativity to life like a pro MADE SIMPLE - with everything except glue included. So I hope the ladies over at AYSI will forgive me this indulgence of creating a kit card for this week's challenge - for me a kit is escapism in a box!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Notes Of Kindness Card Kit (£33.00)

Notes Of Kindness Card Kit Refill (£20.00)

It's half term here so I'm feeling stretched again this week, hence no blog post yesterday. I was also sending out my new annual catalogues to everyone who has ordered from me in the last 6 months so that they will be with you in time for when the catalogue goes live on Friday - can't wait! If you haven't ordered from me in the last 6 months and don't already have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator but would like to receive a catalogue, then send me your details to joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk and I will arrange to post one out to you.

Today I'm sharing one of my favourite cards made with some of the products in the fabulous Share What You Love Suite that has been on early release this month - take a look:

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

Lovely Floral - Dynamic Indeed - You all know how much I love designer series paper and the papers in this suite are no exception, however for today's card I wanted to showcase the fabulous Lovely Floral Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and needed it to take centre stage, without a paper pattern to distract from it. The embossed detail is just gorgeous - I think this folder may move into my top 3! Whether on its own or tucked behind some additional layers as on my card today, it makes a card all on its own. I think it would make a fabulous design for wedding stationery too and so easy to mass produce.

Embellish With Love - I also used a number of the accessories from the Share What You Love Embellishment Kit: the label, twine and metallic rose brought my card together really quickly. Add some of the velvet ribbon, some coloured pearls and a sliver of pearl doily and it steps up the embossing folder to make for a quick card with lots of interest and detail.

A Beautiful Day - The only stamping is the simple layered floral and sentiment on my diecut piece - I stamped my petals in two different strengths by stamping off the outer petals first for added interest.

You have just one more day to take advantage of the Share What You Love Bundles, including free products and the exclusive 'Statement of My Heart' stamp set, before these items can be purchased individually in the new annual catalogue. This suite will also feature in one of my Monthly Product Technique Clasess in June - check out the details on my Facebook page or contact me if you would like to know more.

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:

Gotta Have It All Bundle (£118.75)	Lovely Floral Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (£8.25)	Share What You Love Embellishment Kit (£10.25)	Love What You Do Photopolymer Stamp Set (£20.00)	Rich Razzleberry 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Velvet Ribbon (£7.50)
Pearlized Doilies (£4.25)	Share What You Love Artisan Pearls (£5.50)

I've started the week with one of the James Juniors home from school with the dreaded lurgy, so no time to craft 'from scratch' today. Days like this are perfect days to work on a kit though, where all the hard work and prep is done for you. So today I'm sharing not one card but 5 - yes the five different all-occasion card designs that feature in the fabulous new 'Lots of Happy Card Kit' - take a look:

Here's the low-down on this kit:

Lots of Happy, Lots To Love - There's lots to love in this all-inclusive kit: with 4 each of 5 designs, you can create a total of 20 all-occasion cards using the included 'Lots of Happy' stamp set and then colour these using the Watercolour Pencils that are also included in the kit. two of the four pencils that are included are exclusive to this kits and not available with the standard pencil set. Here are each of the 5 designs individually:

A Fun Night In - The Lots of Happy Card Kit is perfect for a fun night in with friends - if ever you needed an excuse to get together on a wintry afternoon or evening and have some fun, this is it! No skill or previous experience necessary, so whether you consider yourself a crafter or a complete novice that just loves to send beautiful handcrafted cards, this kit is for you! The theraputic benefits of colouring are well-known (you can read all about that in my previous post here) - add some refreshments - tea and cake or wine and nibbles, either works! - and a fun night is guaranteed! If you would be interested in hosting a fun evening with friends, do get in touch - I would love to help you to host a night to remember! What's more if you invite 7 friends to participate during Sale-A-Bration - each kit costs £31.50 each - as the hostess you can get your kit for FREE!

And There's More - This fabulous kit also has a refill available, so if you enjoyed it the first time around, you can reuse your stamp set, block, ink and pencils and create even more cards! A refill costs just £19 - that's less than £1 per card, bargain!

Also the lovely people at Stampin' Up! have also produced a video showing this kit in more detail if you'd like a closer look:

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 know I often say this when a new kit comes along, but this really is a good one - the end results are so contemporary and pretty, I love it! Contact me to get one for yourself today!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Lots Of Happy Card Kit

Lots Of Happy Card Kit Refill

Today is the last day for posting here in the UK to guarantee your Christmas cards will arrive in time for Christmas. If, like me, you have been making Christmas cards all season but still need a few extra at the last minute, the Watercolor Christmas Project kit is definitely a quick solution.

I am a big fan of Stampin' Up!'s kits, which are very generous and of extremely high quality and the Watercolor Christmas Project Kit s no exception. Here are each of the designs in the kit:

Each kit makes 20 cards, 5 each of 4 designs, which look time-consuming but in fact take only minutes to assemble. Which is good news, given that I made up a pack last night for sending out today! I love the co-ordinating Watercolor Wishes stamp set too, however the kit can be used with other sentiment sets you have if you prefer. These kits are on offer as part of the year-ed sale, so I would highly recommend you grab a few and make them up now ready for next year - it will give you a great head start for your cardmaking and you will hit the festive season running!

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. 

Back soon with another project; until then, happy shopping!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Watercolor Christmas Project Kit*

Watercolor Christmas Clear-Mount Stamp Set*

Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad

Today I'm sharing a card for this week's challenge over at Global Design Project where this week the challenge is to CASE The Designer and the man in question is one of my all-time favourites - the lovely Brian King. Here is the challenge badge showing the card of Brian's that we are to CASE:

And here's my festive-themed CASE of Brian's card:

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

CASE = Copy And Selectively Edit - I am a big fan of Brian's clean, layered style and so CASEing his work was not difficult for me! I was inspired by the layout of Brian's card, the sentiment style and use of designer series paper, although chose to add to my Christmas card stash with an alternative festive theme and colour scheme.

Watercolour Christmas - I needed a big, bold sentiment for my card and wanted to mimic not only the size but also the swirling script style of Brian's card so I settled on the largest of the sentiments in the Watercolor Christmas set. This set is designed to work with the Watercolor Christmas project kit, yet the gorgeous scripted sentiments, along with the trio of trees, is useful for so much more than the kit cards alone - it's a definite keeper. The angle of the letters meant I needed to add my embellishment after the sentiment rather than slightly more centrally, but the basic layout that inspired my card can still be seen. 

Going Green - One of the things I liked about Brian's original card was the definition that the Early Espresso borders gives to the individual layers and elements. Having decided to use the Be Merry Designer Series Paper for my main panel, I chose to use Garden Green for my borders and sentiment. I carried on the colour with my Garden Green Stitched Felt Embellishment, which also serves as a nod to the Christmas tree pattern on my DSP. 

This is a great card that uses relatively few supplies - thanks Brian for the inspiration!

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 - or two! - for our new challenge over at The Paper Players. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Stitched Felt Embellishments	Watercolor Christmas Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Be Merry Designer Series Paper	Garden Green A4 Cardstock
Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad

Today I'm sharing a reminder of some of the kits that will be retiring from the current annual catalogue. You can read my previous posts about the Watercolour Wishes and Oh Happy Day all inclusive card kits here and here. The catalogue also includes some fun project kits too, including the Perfectly Wrapped product kit.

This kit contains everything you need to create 8 bags (4 each of 2 different designs) and 8 boxes (4 each of 2 different designs). Here's a picture of everything the kit contains:

This little lot makes a whole ton of cute boxes and bags that are perfect for gifting treats:

You can use it with the co-ordinating Perfectly Wrapped stamp set or find your own creative uses for it - you choose! 

In addition to the photo of one of the bags above, here's one of the boxes that I made up:

These would be great for party favours and are also proving popular with my daughter's almost teenage friends due to the trendy packaging and are a great size for jewellery, makeup or a good supply of chocolates!

The nice people at Stampin' Up! have also produced a video that show how this kit comes together:

If you want to get your hands on some stylish packaging that's easy to put together, click on the links at the bottom of today's post to go the online store. It's a wrap!

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:

Perfectly Wrapped Project Kit

My regular readers will know what a fan I am of Stampin' Up!'s kits and today I want to share with you the latest all-inclusive kit offering - the Oh Happy Day Card Kit. Here's one of the finished cards from the set:

And here's a catalogue image that shows all of the cards that can be made with this kit:

Here's the low-down on the Oh Happy Day Kit and why I think they are perfect for just about anyone and everyone:

All Inclusive - The Oh Happy Day card kit is one that contains everything you need to create 20 unique cards: card bases, co-ordinating envelopes, die cut images and shapes, a Stampin' Spot ink pad, set of 13 photopolymer stamps and an acrylic block and a range of accessories and embellishments. Simply add your choice of adhesive and you are good to go. 

Great Value For Money - At £31.50, this kit offers exceptional value for money - where else could you buy 20 handcrafted greetings cards at less than £1.60 each and have a stamp set, ink spot, block and a range of embellishments left over to create even more things with too? Not to mention the creative fun you will have putting them together along the way!

The Perfect Gift -  Whether young or old, experienced crafter or new to crafting, this kit is perfect for you. Follow the instructions included or unleash your own creativity and do your own thing - and if you're trying to buy for 'the person who has everything' - I bet they don't have one if these! The kit comes in a lovely gift box too, so all you need is some ribbon and a tag and you are done.

Here is a reminder of this fantastic kit if you are getting organised and want to pin it to your Pinterest 'Christmas Gifts' board 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. 

Also the lovely people at Stampin' Up! have also produced a video showing this kit in more detail if you'd like a close look:

I truly do think that this is one of the best kits yet - it's the bright and colourful equivalent of the equally good Watercolour Wishes kit - you can read all about that one here. Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Oh Happy Day Card Kit

Multipurpose Liquid Glue