Just popping by with a quick post to let you know that the clearance rack has updated. Lots of bargains to be had, some items with up to 60% off. You can see the full range of items by clicking here.

Don't forget there are still a range of special offers including main catalogue products. The current items will be on offer until 11pm tomorrow, when they will change to the last week of special offers. You can see the current list here.

Back tomorrow with some stamping; until then, happy shopping!

Today I've made another card featuring the Thoughtful Branches set -  when I originally wrote this post this exclusive limited time stamp set was going to be available for one more day only, however Stampin' Up! have today announced that there are still supplies in stock so it will be available beyond 31st August until they are exhausted, but it will then not return in a future catalogue or publication. Here's a reminder of the images and framelits in more detail:

Today's card features the sketch over at CAS Colours and Sketches, perfect for a clean and simple card featuring the large hydrangea bloom:

Here's my card:

Really not much to explain today: I used a Soft Sky card base, cut the flower head out of watercolour paper using the thinlit and used my aquapainter to give it an ombre colourwash in Perfect Plum. I added a stem in Pear Pizzazz and stamped the sentiment on the white panel in Perfect Plum too, then gave my flower head a liberal dose of clear Wink of Stella to add a subtle sparkle. Difficult to see on the photograph, but in real life it is just gorgeous!

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. 

Such an easy card to recreate, yet the ombre watercolouring really adds an eyecatching dimension to the card. You can see some of my other Thoughtful Branches projects below - this really is one set you do not want to miss out on - order yours today before it's too late!

Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Thoughtful Branches Photopolymer Bundle	Watercolor Paper	Soft Sky A4 Cardstock	Pear Pizzazz A4 Cardstock	Perfect Plum Classic Stampin' Pad
Aqua Painters	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush	Whisper White A4 Cardstock

Today I'm excited to be sharing another card I've made using the new Thoughtful Branches bundle, an exclusive set that will be available for a limited time only 2-31 August. As I mentioned earlier in the week, having been on vacation for most of July I had to wait patiently to come home and play with my pre-order set. I have tons of ideas for this set (you can see my card and home decor frame that I made earlier in the week here and here if you missed them) and for me the apple tree alone is enough to sell it - this will be my new 'go to' set for teacher's cards for sure - however the card that I want to share today isn't one I designed - it is a CASE of the one that the super-talented Brian King submitted to our challenge over at The Paper Players a couple of weeks ago.

So what is a CASE? Well, it can mean a couple of things: 'Copy And Share Everything', where you literally make a copy of the card that you see, or 'Copy And Selectively Edit', where you take the things from the card that inspires you and create something that has some foundation in the original card but the end result can look quite different. My card today uses the first definition - I've changed the colours and stamp choice, but my card is virtually identical to Brian's. Here's the link to Brian's original blog post that gives the detail on how he made his card and here is a photograph of it, reproduced with kind permission from Brian:

I just love this card and so wanted to create my own version in an alternative colourway - here's my card:

So what is about Brian's card that I love so much? I guess if I had to choose just three things they would be:

Perfect Layering - Brian is the King (no pun intended!) of Layers and often uses them to great effect on his cards and this one is no exception. The smaller layered panel behind the large bloom adds a bold block of colour that further accentuates the detail of the diecut.

Interesting Details - Brian chose a number of different ways to add interest to his bloom, using texture, lift and shine. He could have just diecut the bloom and left it 'naked' - but he is far too considered for that! The details added are what takes this bloom from 'pretty' to 'pretty spectacular' in my book! I inked my bloom with the stamp from the set as opposed to the textured stamp that Brian used, but did use the additional diecuts for lift and a liberal dose of clear Wink of Stella for shine.

Vertical Sentiment - Whilst this wasn't Brian's original intention, I think the size and script of the font really lend themselves to a vertical orientation. Sometimes a 'happy accident' is all it takes to create design genius!

I chose to use Dapper Denim for my hydrangea, coupled with Mint Macaron, Very Vanilla and Tip Taupe Taupe, the same colour combination I used recently for this card here. Feel free to save this combination if it's one that appeals to you too:

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. 

Thank you Brian for allowing me to share your card today and create my own CASE'd version - this was a worthy 'top pick' for sure and if Sandy hadn't got there before me it would most certainly have been mine!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Thoughtful Branches Photopolymer Bundle	Tip Top Taupe A4 Cardstock	Dapper Denim A4 Cardstock	Mint Macaron A4 Cardstock	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock
Dapper Denim Classic Stampin' Pad	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush

Happy Wednesday everyone! As promised, I have another project today using the limited time stamp set and thinlits bundle 'Thoughtful Branches' - a home decor frame that includes my family tree. As soon as I saw this set I knew it would be perfect for a family tree idea that I've had in mind for a while, so combined with my 'Letters For You' stamp set and co-ordinating Large Letters Framelits I set to work. Here is my finished project:

This is a rather large project - it has a finished frame size of 9" x 19 3/4" - so was something of a challenge to photograph - but I absolutely love it! 

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

Letters For You - I recently invested in this letters bundle - 'invested' being the key word here, as at £119.50 the bundle is the most expensive in the catalogue - but so worth it for projects like this one. The set has the whole alphabet along with useful punctuation and just like the Large Numbers Framelits and Number of Years stamp set, it is a set that can be used for so many projects and is timeless - a definite 'keeper'. I stamped my letters in Early Espresso and cut them out using my Big Shot and co-ordinating framelits, then substituted the 'I' in 'FAMILY' with my family tree.

Thoughtful Branches Tree - I stamped and cut out my tree trunk, then in order to create a tree big enough to comfortably accommodate my family members, I cut three treetops and layered them to create a fuller tree. Each one was backed with another base (so I cut 6 tree tops in all) for rigidity and I layered them together for added dimension. 

Family Touches - I stamped the names of each of my family members in black onto Whisper White cardstock using the modern Labeler Alphabet and cut them out by hand, then placed them in my tree in descending order of age and with a couple of birds to identify the parents and the apples identifying my children. Here's a close up of the tree so that you can see all of the elements in more detail:

This took longer to work out and put together than explain - but I am so pleased with the end result and am looking forward to hanging it on the wall. You are so going to want to get the Thoughtful Branches Bundle this month!

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'm linking today's project up with the team over at SUO Challenges where the theme this week is 'Delightful Dies' - the two I've used on this project are definitely firm favourites.

Enjoy your day; I'm off for a bike ride and some fresh air whilst the unpredictable British weather holds! I'll be back tomorrow with this week's new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Thoughtful Branches Photopolymer Bundle	Letters For You Photopolymer Bundle	Labeler Alphabet Photopolymer Stamp Set	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad
Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad	Wild Wasabi A4 Cardstock	Tip Top Taupe A4 Cardstock
Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad

Today is the day of the release of the exclusive limited time stamp set Thoughtful Branches! Available now until 31 August, you have just one month to get your hands on this set and its co-ordinating framelits too! Here's a close up of the images and framelits in more detail:

I am playing catch up with this beautiful set; due to my recent vacation I pre-ordered late, but I've been making up for lost time! I couldn't leave today without sharing a quick project using this fabulous and versatile set:

This is a quick teacher thank you card, inspired by a recent one I saw by Erica Cerwin (you can see her original card here). I actually made this card with the pieces I had left over from the project that I'm going to share with you tomorrow - it is rather lovely even if I do say so myself so do come by then, as you won't want to miss it!

Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Thoughtful Branches Photopolymer Bundle	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Writing Notes Clear-Mount Background Stamp	Night Of Navy A4 Cardstock	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad
Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad	Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad	Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine

Today I'm sharing the third and final card from my second of this month's technique class featuring the very on-trend Jar of Love stamp set and co-ordinating Everyday Jars Framelits Dies. Each of the ladies received the bundle and as always I was on a mission to use as wide a variety as possible of the stamps in this set to showcase its versatility.

This card is a lovely freestanding pop-up card that was inspired by this card created by Lou Kitzelman. I loved it so much I had to have a go at making my own so here's my version:

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

Jar of Flowers - Here I've used the Jar of Love set to create a jam jar full of pretty flowers. I love the little flowers in this set and the co-ordinating Everyday Jar Framelits make light work of cutting them out. Each flower is done in a single colour, with the base flower stamped off once to give the contrast with the smaller piece. I chose a mix of purples, pink and orange for my little posy - feel free to hover and pin this colour combination if it's one that appeals to you too:

Kraft Hardwood Table - I used some retired pre-embossed kraft cardstock in my class, however by stamping the Hardwood stamp in Versamark and clear embossing on plain kraft cardstock you can achieve a similar woodgrained effect for your 'table' base.

Another Fun Fold - This freestanding pop-up card is easier to re-create than it looks. It is a great statement card that also folds completely flat for postage which is always a bonus. 

Here's a quick step-by-step tutorial should you wish to have a go:

Freestanding Pop-Up Jar of Love card - Metric Version

Using the diagram below as your guide:

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. 

The Jar of Love and Everyday Jars Framelits bundle is another of those that has just has so many creative possibilities! If you haven't bought yours yet, this month would be the perfect time to do so; if you purchase the bundle at £48.50 you will earn yourself a £4.50 money-off coupon any purchases next month too - bargain! Just click on the links below to hop on over to my online store to order yours today - and don't forget to add this month's hostess code 63RNATE3 to get a little thank you in the post from me too.

I'll be back tomorrow with the second of the cards from my Jar of Love class; come back then, you won't want to miss it! Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Jar Of Love Photopolymer Bundle	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Hardwood Clear-Mount Stamp	Kraft 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Cardstock	Versamark Pad
Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool (Uk)	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad	Rich Razzlebberry Classic Stampin' Pad
Sweet Sugarplum Classic Stampin' Pad	Peekaboo Peach Classic Stampin' Pad	Flirty Flamingo Classic Stampin' Pad	Tags & Labels Framelits Dies	Sweet Sugarplum 3/8" (1 Cm) Ruched Ribbon

Today I'm sharing the second of the cards from my second of this month's technique class featuring the very on-trend Jar of Love stamp set and co-ordinating Everyday Jars Framelits Dies. Each of the ladies received the bundle and as always I was on a mission to use as wide a variety as possible of the stamps in this set to showcase its versatility.

This card was a punny fun-fold card using the goldfish and a feline friend - take a look:

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

Here Fishy, Fishy - I wanted to create something using the punny 'Best Fishes' sentiment and decided to have a little fun. Whilst my goldfish is swimming innocently in his jar, he is being watched by a mischievous pussy cat - and he has no idea! I stamped both my goldfish and my stalking kitty directly onto a panel of Whisper White (I stamped and punched his tail separately so that it would overhang) then stamped my jar separately and using the framelit cut out the centre too. To this I adhered a piece of window sheet that I had coloured with one of my retired Blendabilities - a light blue Sharpie or similar would also do the job - and stuck this over the top of the stamped panel. Lastly, I added a few bubbles with my white gel pen.

Serene Scenery Parquet - I used a couple of the patterned papers from the Serene Scenery DSP stack to decorate my card: a spotted one to highlight my greetings label, and one of the photographic images with a pattern that reminds me of a wooden parquet floor to the sides. 

A Fun Fold - I chose to create a centre step easel card to showcase my kitty and jar. I have admired a number of versions of this type of card create by my fellow demonstrator, the talented Amanda Bates at the Craft Spa however I wanted a card that would still fit into a C6 envelope when complete, so I created my own mini version.

Here's a quick step-by-step tutorial should you wish to have a go:

Mini Centre Step Easel Card (portrait) - Metric Version

Using the diagram below as your guide:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

The Jar of Love and Everyday Jars Framelits bundle is another of those that has just has so many creative possibilities! If you haven't bought yours yet, this month would be the perfect time to do so; if you purchase the bundle at £48.50 you will earn yourself a £4.50 money-off coupon any purchases next month too - bargain! Just click on the links below to hop on over to my online store to order yours today - and don't forget to add this month's hostess code 63RNATE3 to get a little thank you in the post from me too.

I'll be back tomorrow with the second of the cards from my Jar of Love class; come back then, you won't want to miss it! Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Jar Of Love Photopolymer Bundle	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Window Sheets	Foxy Friends Photopolymer Bundle
Serene Scenery Designer Series Paper Stack	Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad	Tangerine Tango Classic Stampin' Pad	Island Indigo Classic Stampin' Pad	Tags & Labels Framelits Dies
Sunshine Sayings Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Crumb Cake A4 Cardstock

I've been enjoying a nice couple of days of rest and relaxation but today am back to it from my sun lounger! I have a nice and easy Foxy Friends card for you, featuring the cute fox! Take a look:

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

Take One Fox - I stamped the fox in Calypso Coral directly onto a circle of Whisper White, then stamped his head again onto a piece of scrap paper, punched it out and popped it over the main image on dimensionals. 

Spots and Chevrons - I paired the fox with a couple of pieces of patterned paper: the chevron pattern is from the A Little Foxy DSP Stack and the polka dot banner from the Subtles stack (my paper is actually the old design as I was using up some of my stash, but there is an almost identical pattern in the current Subtles DSP stack - the dots are just slightly bigger).

Add A Happy Hello - I finished my card with a sentiment from one of my 'go to' sentiment sets, Tin of Cards, stamped in Archival Black. I love the sentiments in this set - the font seems to go with everything and they are a great size for most cards.

I also added a piece of retired Basic Grey stitched ribbon, as this was all that I had to hand when I made this card; the new Smoky Slate stitched Ribbon would work beautifully for this card though - I've included the link for this in the supplies table below.

This is the card that I made at my last Coffee and Card session at Bell of Northampton before we broke up for the summer and this little chap proved very popular. The Foxy Friends bundle just has so many creative possibilities! If you haven't bought yours yet, this month would be the perfect time to do so; if you purchase the bundle and a pack of the 'A Little Foxy' Designer Series Paper Stack together you will have spent £45 and so you will earn yourself a £4.50 money-off coupon any purchases next month too - bargain! Just click on the links below to hop on over to my online store to order yours today - and don't forget to add this month's hostess code 63RNATE3 to get a little thank you in the post from me too.

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 tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Foxy Friends Photopolymer Bundle	A Little Foxy Designer Series Paper Stack	Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad
Layering Circle Framelits Dies	Smoky Slate 1/8" (3.2 Mm) Stitched Ribbon	Pool Party A4 Cardstock	Tin Of Cards Photopolymer Stamp Set

This is my second post for today; you can see my earlier post with my card for this week's Connie and Mary challenge here. Today I have exciting news of a Stampin' Up! promotion that is due to run for the rest of July - Bonus Days! 

Did you get everything you want from the new annual catalogue yet? Since it came out only a month ago, you probably still have some items on your wish list, and I have some great news for you! For every £45.00 you spend between today, 7 July and 31 July (before delivery), you’ll get a £4.50 Bonus Days coupon that you can use between 2 and 31 August . Since our new annual catalogue has only been out a month ago, you will probably still have some items on your wish list and this is a great opportunity to shop from it, whether you buy your favourite products now or later 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: 7–31 July 2016 
• Redemption period: 2–31 August 2016 
• An email address is required to participate in this promotion; Bonus Days coupon codes can only be delivered via email.
• 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.

I'm so excited about this promotion - it really is the first of its kind, as Stampin' Up! has never offered money-off coupons before. Furthermore, there is also going to be a new exclusive bundle for sale from 2 August until 31 August called Thoughtful Branches, so you could get this limited-time product and use your coupons to get a great deal!

Don't forget if you are placing an order online to also include this month's hostess code 63RNATE3 to receive a free thank you gift from me too!

Here is a sneak peak of the exclusive bundle available from 2nd August - you can choose to spend your coupon on this bundle or any other items of your choice!

That's all from me today; happy shopping, knowing that get a spending spree next month too!

The retiring lists are here! Discover what stamps and accessories, including the 2014-16 In Colours, are retiring at the beginning of June this year. 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!

Please click on the images below to see the complete lists in the online store:

                               STAMPS                                  EVERYTHING ELSE

You can click on this link to access and download the complete Retiring List (in pdf format):

Retiring Stamps & Accessories - available April 18-May 31 (while stocks last)

You have just 6 weeks left to shop from the current annual and seasonal catalogues. Some of the items on these lists will sell out quickly and once they're gone, they're gone. So what are you waiting for? Don't delay, shop today! Click here to go straight to my online store - remember to include this month's hostess code UD3KDWM4 to receive a special thank you from me. If you live in or around Northampton, if you would like to save on postage and collect your order on delivery, please email me on [email protected] or phone me with your order.

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