It's the 30th June - which sadly means the end of the 2013 annual catalogue and the Spring-Summer seasonal catalogue. So if you have anything that you would like to order today, you only have until 10pm to do so, so get in quick! It's also the last day of the 'Sign and Save' join Stampin' Up! for £50 promotion - details and sign up form in the box on the right hand side of my blog.

Me, I'm already thinking about the new! I've had my launch party for the new 2014-15 Stampin' Up! catalogue today and it was tremendous fun. I saw lots of my existing customers and got to meet some lovely new people too and I thought today I would leave you with a few photos of the day:

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported my Stampin' Up! business. Congratulations to Clare, Julie, Lorraine and Joy who were the lucky prize winners in today's raffle and to Barbara who won the door entry raffle prize - I will be in touch with you all in due course with your gifts.

Back tomorrow with lots of new catalogue loveliness - until then, happy stampin'!

Another busy day of crafting today, with additional preparations for Monday's 2014-15 Stampin' Up! Catalogue launch party event - details here - I'm so excited and hope as many of you as possible will be able to join me! If you'd like some sneak peeks of what Monday has in store, do pop over to my Facebook Page and give me a 'like' - I am posting there daily to give you a flavour of the lovely things that you'll be able to see and do. In addition to next week's new annual catalogue launch, there are also 2 other important points of note:

• Monday is the last day that you will be able to order from the Spring-Summer annual catalogue
• Monday is the last day that you can join as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for the reduced 'sign and save' starter kit entry price of £50

If you've ever considered joining up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, whether to earn an extra income or simply to purchase discounted supplies to further your papercrafting hobby, this is a great time to do it: whatever your motivation, for just £50 you can give it a go - with the new products on the way, there's never been a better time to see what Stampin' Up! is all about.

There are so many things that I love about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, but one of the best things is definitely the people you meet along the way. I have met some great people and found some new friends through my role as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, both in the UK and abroad, and none more so than the members of my team. We are all different, but we share a common love - for all things crafty and Stampin' Up! - and today's card is one I received from one of the members of my team, Samantha, recently. It was one of those cards that was unexpected but left me feeling so touched and I wanted to share it with you - here is Samantha's card:

Samantha's card is a riot of 'sneak peek' items from the forthcoming catalogue: a new hostess set called 'I Like You', new in-Colours of Blackberry Bliss and Mossy Meadow - check out the gorgeous new satin ribbon! and her delicately stamped and blended paper-pieced flowers are just lovely. Samantha has been crafting forever, but has only recently started an online blog of her own called Stamp Delights - you can find it here if you would like to check it out, I'm sure she would love to see you.

I love managing a team of demonstrators and inspiring them creatively and supporting them in running their Stampin' Up! businesses in ways that suit them. I may never have met Samantha if it wasn't for Stampin' Up! and the same can be said for most of the other members of my team too - how great to be doing something that you love and making new friends at the same time too? If you are reading this and thinking 'that could be me', then give me a call or click here to join my team - I would love to hear from you!

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!

Apologies for no blog post yesterday - and only a late and quick one today! - but yesterday was a big day for me! I know I shared with you that I was attending the Stampin' Up! UK Regional event at the Telford International Centre yesterday, but what I didn't share was that I was actually one of the demonstrators presenting!! I had the honour of presenting a 10 minute WOW technique using one of the new stamp sets from the forthcoming new annual catalogue due out on 1st July but had been sworn to secrecy.

Unfortunately I can't share any of the presentation details or project pictures with you until the 30th May when the new catalogue moves into pre-order for us lucky SU! demos (you needed to be in the room yesterday to get the scoop on that I'm afraid!) but thought I would share a few photos from the day of my big moment. I didn't actually present until 3.30pm, so had most of the day to enjoy (or should that be get nervous?!) before heading on stage. So here I am with two other SU! demonstrators from my extended team, Vicky Wragg and Michelle Bryant, getting ready to start my technique slot:

Here's me talking through my demonstration:

And here it is live on the big screen: 

Lastly, for those of you who saw my Facebook post on Friday - here are those nails , still looking good!

Thank you to my lovely downline team members Samantha and Helen and my ultimate upline Monica Gale for these photographs (well, you just can't take photos of yourself can you?!) I may have a few more to add in due course.

I will be sharing the technique that I demonstrated and lots of the samples I made in due course, so if you couldn't attend the Telford event and would still like a sneak peek, do pop back from the 30th May to find out more - only 12 days to go!

Lastly, it wouldn't be a blog post without a creative share - so here's a photo of the lovely thank you card made using My Digital Studio that I received from Charlotte Harding, European Training and Events Facilitator and Paula Gorry, Stampin' Up! UK Business Development Manager, to thank me for sharing my creative skills and ideas at yesterday's event: 

A bright combination of Retro Fresh, washi tape and hexagons - what a lovely gesture. After all, I was sharing something I loved!

I had a super fun day with my downlines Samantha and Helen and amanged to catch up with lots of members of my extended team. As demonstrators, these events are such a great opportunity to meet new people, but also gain lots of ideas, tips and inspiration for ways in which you can build your Stampin' Up! business. Not to mention the 'sneak peeks' and new product information - there is so much fun coming your way, believe me!

If you would like to get ahead of the curve and be part of my stampin' Up! team, watch this space for some new and exciting information about joining Stampin' Up! within the next week or so - trust me, you won't want to miss it!

Lastly, I want to share this great group photo that we took of the wider team at the end of the day - it shows just how much fun was had by all!

Normal blog service should resume tomorrow; until then, happy stampin'!

Yes it's arrived - Sale-A-Bration, the best time of the Stampin' Up! year begins today!

Sale--Bration runs from today, 28th January until 31 March 2014 and there is so much to celebrate - you can read all about it by clicking on the brochure in the side bar of my blog, but the key things to know are:

FREE GIFTS: For every £45 you spend during Sale-A-Bration, you get a free exclusive Sale-A-Bration gift - and there are 13 to choose from!

MORE FREE GIFTS: Get £25 more to spend on any Stampin' Up! products with a qualifying party*

EVEN MORE FREE GIFTS: If you decide to join Stampin' Up! during Sale-A-Bration, you can choose £150 worth of products for only £99 (instead of the usual £130). All this in addition to a 20% discount on future product purchases, the ability to order new items in advance of everyone else, along with the wider benefits that joining a company such as Stampin' Up! has to offer. Also, if you join my growing team of Stampin' Up! demonstrators, you will receive additional benefits, including a FREE copy of my Product Table Builder software to help you make the most of your online sales opportunities - this is an exclusive benefit to those who sign up to be a part of my team (worth £35). My team is a mix of those who are hobby demonstrators and those who use Stampin' Up! as a business to earn them additional income and are a great bunch - everyone is welcome and I would love you to join us.

The best way to see these products is to attend my February classes, which will feature Sale-A-Bration products, or give me a call on 07773 421446 and arrange to host your very own Stampin' Up! party. To whet your appetite, I made a short video showcasing lots of the Sale-A-Bration products - they look even better close up than in the brochure, so why not click on the link below and take a look:

I hope that got you all excited - don't forget, please get in touch via joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk or call me on 07773 421446 if you would like to get your hands on some yourself or click on the links below to hop on over to my online shop! 

Today also sees the launch of the Spring-Summer catalogue, featuring some lovely new products - please check out today's other post for more information on my favourite things!

Lots going on today so back soon with more creative delights; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration Products available free with a £45 spend:

Petal Parade Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Sweet Sorbet Designer Series Paper	Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack	Good As Gold Card Kit
Banner Blast Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Banner Punch	You're Lovely Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Twisty Treats Kit	Heartfelt Banner Kit
See Ya Later Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Hooray For Parties Digital Ensemble	One Big Sale-A-Bration 2014 Digital Ensemble

*An extra £25 of hostess credits will be earned for all qualifying party sales of £250 or more.

Once a quarter, my wider upline team get together for a team training day. We craft, we share business tips and ideas and we catch up with friends. It's a fun day devoted to our Stampin' Up! businesses and one of the many benefits of being a part of a wider Stampin' Up! team. One of the important parts of these events is the process of 'swapping'. Everyone prepares a card, scrapbook or 3D sample using current products in line with a chosen theme. Today our theme was the forthcoming Sale-A-Bration campaign; as promised, today I'm sharing the swap I prepared:

This card uses three of the products that you can earn free with a £45 purchase: The Petal Parade stamp set, the Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, and one of the Sweet Sorbet Designer Series paper designs. I used a 1 1/4" circle punch and my circle framelits to cut out the flowers and mounted them on dimensionals for extra interest.

If you would like to make this card, you have only nine more days to go until Sale-A-Bration is live and these products will be available online or through the Sale-A-Bration mini catalogue - not much longer to wait now! I am already taking party bookings for the Sale-A-Bration period; if you would like to host a party during Sale-A-Bration, then contact me to book a slot. Sale-A-Bration is a great time to join Stampin' Up! too; if you would like to know more about the benefits of becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, then check out the link on the right hand side of my blog page or get in touch for an informal chat; I would be happy to share with you the benefits that being a demonstrator can offer.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Card Stock A4 Pistachio Pudding	Card Stock A4 Crisp Cantaloupe	Summer Starfruit A4 Card Stock	Pool Party A4 Card Stock	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad
Summer Starfruit Classic Stampin' Pad	Circles Collection Framelits Dies	Magnetic Platform	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	1-1/4 Inch Circle Punch

Well, I'm back from Stampin' Up! 2013 European Convention and what can I say - my team and I had a blast! We came home exhausted, but having had the best time swapping, learning, meeting old friends, making new ones, 'sneak peeking' at some fabulous new products. Normal blogging is now resumed and I have lots of lovely things to show you, starting with the general swap that one of my downlines, Barbara, and I made for everyone we met at convention. It was something of a 'case' on the tag that features in this year's autumn-winter seasonal catalogue, but with a few changes to make it our own. Here is a picture of one of our finished swaps:

We also made some in a Pool Party/Island Indigo/Embossed Silver colourway - I will have to edit this post to include a photograph of one of these as I can't find one at the moment (might have to retake!) The snowflakes in the Festive Flurry set are great for making ornaments or 3-D tags or box-toppers with and you can layer just three snowflakes or all four to get a really large one. I shot a short video tutorial to show you how to put these layered snowflakes together to create this added dimension; grab your glue gun and click on the link below if you would like to see how to achieve it yourself - the video also shows the snowflake in the alternative colourway:

 I hope you find the video useful and have fun creating your own snowflakes in lots of different colour combinations. Just before I leave you the supplies list for this project, I thought you might like to see a fun Convention picture of me with 2 of my downline team members - I'm the one in the middle with the stripey hat:

If you would like to join us for some fun - and chocolate! - at next year's European Convention in Brussels next October, get in touch for more information about the benefits of joining my team.

Back tomorrow with more swaps and gifts made for friends; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

No blog post yesterday as I spent the day preparing swaps for convention next week and went out last night for a pre-Christmas get-together with some of the ladies from my monthly card classes. We had a great time - they really are such fun! Today I'm sharing with you the card and notebook that I made to welcome Kim, the most recent member of my team. I decided to use the Modern Medley designer series paper as the basis for my set, which is something of a departure for me as I don't usually work in just black and white (or in this case, vanilla). So here's my set:

I used a couple of the stamps in the Chalk Talk set as the focal point and kept the design simple with just some ribbon and button accents. here's a close up of the book cover:

And here's the co-ordinating card, with seam binding ribbon and bow, rather than naturals ribbon:

I really like this set, even with the absence of colour - nice for a change! More importantly, Kim liked it too, which is really the main thing. Welcome gifts are just one of the many benefits of joining my team; if you are reading this and would like to know more about how to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and all the benefits that becoming a member of my team has to offer, then email me at joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk or contact me on 07773 421446 for an informal chat today.

Back tomorrow with a great project and easy to follow video tutorial; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Another busy day today with the first of this week's card classes. I will share some 'makes' tomorrow - meanwhile, I have a fantastic offer to share with you today. As part of Stampin' Up's 25th anniversary celebrations, there is an amazing sign up offer: for 2 weeks only, you can become a Stampin' Up demonstrator for only £25!

Key facts about this deal are as follows:

• The starter kit will be £25 and includes products of your choice up to the value of £26.95 (kit value must be more than £25 but less than £26.95)
• You will also receive a business supplies pack including annual and seasonal catalogues, with free p&p
• You will receive a 20% discount on every order you place
• You will also receive a 30% discount on the first order you place over £150 within the first 30 days of sign up and a free stamp set of your choice from the 2013-14 Annual Catalogue
• You will receive 2 free months of Demonstrator Web Services
• If you reach £225 sales within the first quarter (ending 31st March 2014), you will maintain your demonstrator status until 30th June. If you don't, your demonstrator status will lapse, but without penalty; you have no obligation to purchase anything other than your starter kit if you don't want to.
• If you join my growing team, you will get to benefit from my knowledge, help and support in addition to that of one of the UK's most successful teams of demonstrators and the considerable resources provided by Stampin' Up itself.

Whether you want to feed your own crafting habit by having access to discounted craft supplies, or would like to earn a little (or a lot!) extra income and run your own business, I am here to support you in any way I can.

Remember, this offer is valid for 2 weeks only (the £99 starter kit will not be available during this time) until 21st October; contact me on 07773 421446 if you would like to know more or alternatively sign up here today!

Back tomorrow with a project; meanwhile, I look forward to hearing from you!

I was recently fortunate to gain another member to my growing team of Crafty Owls, so as is customary I like to make a card and gift to welcome them into the fold. Here is the card I made to welcome Samantha to my team:

This card was inspired by one I saw on Splitcoast Stampers by Pretty Paper Cards. I cheated a little with the background, using my retired spritz tool and the 'grunge' stamp from the retired 'French Foliage' set, as I have yet to invest in the grunge stamps in the new annual catalogue. I took the opportunity to use another of the lovely new in-colours - this time Crisp Cantaloupe. I also made a co-ordinating decorated notebook for those all important notes, dates and business tips that will be heading Samantha's way; when you're new to Stampin' Up!, there can be a lot to remember, even with a helpful upline in place to guide and support you. You can see the book in the picture below:

If you would like to join my team, whatever your motivation, then do get in touch. Stampin' Up! can be a great way to earn an income whilst doing something you really enjoy, whilst also making new friends and providing you with access to some of the best paper crafting products on the market at a substantial discount. I can support you, whether you wish to build a profitable business or simply become a hobby demonstrator and feed your crafting habit! If you are interested in joining my team and would like to benefit from the incentives and training opportunities that Stampin' Up! has to offer, please give me a call or drop me a line for a chat about what's involved ato how to take the next step. 

There is also a Stampin' Up! Creative Tour coming to a town near us soon; if you would like to 'try before you buy' and experience first hand some of the corporate benefits that Stampin' Up! offers its demonstrators, then I would be happy to take you along as my guest - get in touch if you would be interested in taking advantage of this exciting opportunity. 

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

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Happy Day, French Foliage (retired)

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Crisp Cantaloupe, Very Vanilla

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Crumb Cake, Crisp Canteloupe

Tools: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Honeycomb Embossing Folder

Finishing Touches: Basics Pearls, Linen Thread, Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon, Tea Lace Paper Doily