I have been very busy exhibiting at my first wedding fair today, so today's work is that of a guest crafter - my daughter! Today is Chinese New Year and as my daughter is very fortunate to learn Mandarin at school, we decided to make a new year card for her Mandarin teacher, Wan Lau Shu (or Mrs Nelson to the uninitiated - apologies for  the poor phonetics!!) and a small gift.

So first up, the card:

This year is the Year of the Snake, so we decided to decorate the card with a golden snake (yellow/gold is considered the most important colour and the colour of Imperial China) made using a paper-folding technique learned at a lunchtime 'Maths through Art and Design' club (aren't schools great these days?!). We stuck the snake to a bright red card, as red is an important colour in Chinese culture symbolising good fortune and joy and is very popular during new year celebrations. To finish, my daughter carefully wrote 'Happy New Year' in her best character writing alongside it.

She then also made a small gift of a punch art panda bookmark to go with the card. Isn't he cute?

Just a few simple punched shapes, diamantes to give his eyes some sparkle and a red bow for luck. So to everyone out there who is celebrating today, a Happy New Year! Until next time, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies (Panda Bookmark only):

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black

Tools: Large oval punch, 2-step bird punch (the wing), owl punch (circles for eyes and heart for nose), diamantes

Before I share more of my 'Feeling Sentimental' notelets with you, today I thought I'd let you know about the wedding fair I'm attending at the weekend and give you a sneak peak of the 'make and take' wedding invitation you could try your hand at if you come along.

I've been busy all week preparing samples for the Budget Bride Live Wedding Fair at Diana's Health Club in Wellingborough this Sunday (click here for more information). If you're a bride-to-be and would like to know how to make your own wedding stationery, then do come along and discover how easy it can be with a little help from me and some Stampin' Up! supplies. You can enjoy making everything from invititations to place settings, guest favours to room decorations - all colour-coordinated to tie in to your chosen theme.

If you are attending on Sunday, you will also have the opportunity to have a go and discover just how easy making your own stationery can be - just take a look:

This invitation in classic white allows you to have a go at a number of basic techniques: embossing the raised flower design with the Big Shot, a simple sentiment stamped in black, along with two punched butterflies to add interest. I'm sure you'll agree it looks great as it is, but with the addition of some pearls or colour, can be easily tied in to your theme or given even more of a 'wow' factor.

You may also be surprised at how easy on the purse-strings making such beautiful wedding stationery can be: you could make 40 invitations like the one above for just £67.90 including envelopes and still have ink, stamps, punch and an embossing folder to make co-ordinating items too. When you consider that the average UK bride and groom spend £465 on wedding stationery alone*, then this is nothing short of a bargain and definitely something to think about if you're getting married on a budget.

If you would like to discuss your wedding stationery needs, do come along on Sunday or contact me for further information on how I can help make your day as special and individual as you are.

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Paper: Whisper White

Inks: Black Stazon

Stamps: Loving Thoughts

Tools: Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Big Shot

*Source: Weddingsday.co.uk

So today, I thought I'd share something a little different. I have been playing with another new Sale-A-Bration stamp set, this time 'Feeling Sentimental'. I have to confess it's not the sort of set that immediately appeals to me - a little too vintage for my liking! - however it does us all good to move outside of our comfort zone every once in a while, so I've created a set of 6 notelets using 3 different stamps in this set and using a few different techniques to illustrate how you can achieve some quite different effects whilst still keeping things simple. 

So, first up, that quintessentially British icon, the telephone box. These are fast becoming few and far between, so it's probably time they are immortalised in a stamp. I've used a Real Red card base and ink - well, you can't really use anything else can you? On one, I've stamped in red straight onto the card and left it at that, apart from the 'hello' sentiment - this is the centre of one of the new Pretty Petites stamps, inked with a marker pen so that I could stamp it without the surround. It reminded me of an old-fashioned curly telephone receiver cord. The second card I stamped in Basic Black, then used a blender pen and Real Red ink to colour in. This gives a sharper outline, but I think more character with the blended infill. The latter is my favourite - which one do you prefer?

I'll be back with more cards featuring the other stamps in this set over the next few days - a Penny Farthing bicycle and a fairground ferrris wheel, but until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Feeling Sentimental

Paper: Whisper White, Real Red

Ink: Basic Black, Real Red

Tools: Blender Pen

A quick post from me today as I've been busy preparing for a forthcoming wedding fair. Another card with Valentine's in mind: this time, using the 'together' stamp from the 'Happy You' hostess set in the main catalogue: 

I've used a front fold overlapping design in vanilla for a change, with the stamp coloured with markers and a blender pen and showing through a punched circle. I've used a lovely piece of More Amore designer paper on the right for contrast and a punched Pretty Petites label to hold the card closed.

That's all for today. Join me tomorrow for a 3D project - meanwhile, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Happy You, Pretty Petites

Paper: Very Vanilla, More Amore (DSP)

Ink: Real Red; Stampin' Write Markers: Real Red, Primrose Petals

Tools: Blender Pen, Petite Curly Label Punch, 1 3/4" Circle Punch

We are back to the LOVE theme today, with a cute set of four notelets with a coordinating box. I have designed them with Valentine's Day in mind, but these little 3" notelets are perfect for tucking into a lunchbox or loved one's pocket for a surprise love note.

I've used a selection of stamp sets to create this set:

From the left, do you recognise the stamp used on the first card? I created the patchwork heart design by using my marker pens to colour the central section of the 'recover rapidly' Band-Aid stamp from the Sale-A-Bration Patterned Occasions stamp set, aligning each one with my trusty stamp-a-ma-jig to align them into a neat patchwork pattern. The second stamp is from a now retired set called 'Sprinkled Expressions' and the third uses the cross stitch heart from the Hoop La La set in the main catalogue. Lastly, the heart/flower stamp is one of 24 available in the set 'Spring Sampler' available in the new Spring Summer seasonal catalogue that goes live TODAY! There are lots and lots of lovely new items, some of which I've already featured and many of which you will see on my blog during the coming weeks and months. There is a link to the catalogue on the right hand side of my page; if you would like your own copy of the catalogue or would like to place an order, do get in touch with me at joanne@thecraftyowl and I will be happy to help.

I also whipped up a lovely two-tone box to keep them all in out of melon mambo cardstock with a co-ordinating regal rose flap shaped using one of the small Labels Collection framelits. To finish off, I stamped and cut a pair of hearts using the Hearts a Flutter set to tuck the box flap into and hold it in place.

My little girl has had her eye on these ever since she saw me putting them together, so I'm thinking I might slip the first one of mine into her school bag for a little surprise. The second might go into my husband's lunch box - assuming I stop crafting for long enough to make him a sandwich of course! I hope you are inspired to have a go and make something similar - do leave me a comment and let me know who you are sending yours to. Off to create now - until next time, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Patterned Occasions, Sprinkled Expressions (retired), Hearts A Flutter, Hoop La La, Spring Sampler, Tiny Tags, Hearts a Flutter

Paper: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Regal Rose

Stampin' Write Markers: Real Red, Melon Mambo, Regal Rose

Tools: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Hearts a Flutter Framelits, Labels Collection Framelits, Simply Scored

Yesterday I held my first Stampin' Up party - thanks to all the lovely ladies who attended for being so kind to me on my first outing! I thought I would do a quick post today to share with you the gift I made for the hostess as a thank you.

It's a set of four notelets in a co-ordinating box, featuring the Madison Avenue and Vintage Verses stamp sets and the Sycamore Street designer series paper and designed by the lovely Monica Gale for our recent training event. You can check out her blog here - and spookily, as I've just gone to create the link I can see she has blogged her own set today; clearly great minds think alike!!!!

If you would like to receive a similar gift set, then all you have to do is get in touch with me and arrange to host your own Stampin' Up party - it's a great opportunity to get together with your crafty family and friends, make a project and receive lots of free goodies; in addition to free products of your choice depending on your party sales, you can also receive some of the lovely silver glimmer paper featured in the cards above with orders above £150. This is a great product - it doen't shed, like some glitter card, it can be coloured with the aid of ink and rubbing alcohol to match specific projects and a little goes a long way!

Come back tomorrow for some more cards on a Valentine's theme and the launch of the new Spring-Summer catalogue.

Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Madison Avenue, Vintage Verses

Paper: Pool Party, Whisper White, Sycamore Street (DSP), Silver Glimmer Paper

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pool Party, Summer Starfruit

Tools: Bitty Butterfly Punch, Oval Punch, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Small Heart Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Apothocary Accents Framelits

Finishing Touches: 1/4" Rich Razzleberry Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

That most romantic time of year, Valentine's Day, is just around the corner so I thought it was about time I shared with you some of my latest creations with love in mind.

So first up is a Valentine's card in classic red and white.

I used my typeset alphabet for the white 'I' and 'YOU' and set on a red mat for definition, then used a layered heart as a substitute for 'LOVE'. The fancy base heart and top hearts are stamped and cut with the Hearts a Flutter stamps and framelits set featured in the new Spring/Summer catalogue, due out on February 1st, with a solid red heart punched using a full heart punch layered in between. Lastly, a scoreline around the red mat to add definition and it's done.

I'll be posting lots more Valentine's projects during the next couple of weeks, so do drop by and check them out. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Hearts A Flutter*

Paper: Whisper White, Real Red

Ink: Real Red

Tools: Hearts a Flutter Framelits*, Full Heart Punch, Typeset Alphabet, Simply Scored

*available February 1st

As promised, I have lots more Sale-A-Bration to share with you: today, a trio of cards featuring the other flower stamp in the Madison Avenue stamp set, along with some beautiful co-ordinating papers.

Two of the cards also highlight one of the new Pretty Petites stamps, effortlessly puched out with the new Petite Curly Punch. The Pool Party and Tangerine Tango ribbons and the button are also from the Sycamore Street Ribbons and Buttons Pack - and did you notice the embossing on the third card? This is courtesy of the new Vine Street Embossing Folder; I love the subtle texture - it gives the card an 'extra' dimension.

So, 6 new products - and you could have any of them free for every £45 spent during the Sale-A-Bration promotion. Sale-A-Bration runs until 22nd March, so who knows - if you start now, maybe you could collect them all?!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Madison Avenue, Pretty Petites

Paper: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Sycamore Street (DSP)

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pool Party, Summer Starfruit, Tangerine Tango

Tools: Vine Street Embossing Folder, Petite Curly Label Punch, Circles Die, Scallop Border Punch

Finishing Touches: Sycamore Street Ribbon and Button Pack

At last - the best party of the year has begun, and will last right through until the 22nd March 2013! Stampin' Up's Sale-a-bration is here and has to be one of the best times in the Stampin' Up calendar to get involved: whether you're an avid crafter or a newbie who fancies some free gifts to get you started, then read on for ways in which you can join the party!

PARTY ON YOUR OWN - During Sale-a-bration, you can earn a free gift for every £45 you spend. There are 17 different items to choose from and best of all you can order as many times as you like! The full set of sale-a-bration items can be seen below:

Better still, get together or host a PARTY WITH FRIENDS who share your love of crafting and you can get even more for your money:

WITH ORDERS OF £150 OR MORE, you will receive:

• A free sale-a-bration gift for every £45 spent
• A free pack of silver glimmer paper
• At least £25 of free products from any current catalogue too!

WITH ORDERS OF £300 OR MORE, you will receive:

• A free sale-a-bration gift for every £45 spent
• A free pack of silver glimmer paper
• At least £50 of free products from any current catalogue
• A great free sale-a-bration product bundle (Sycamore Street designer paper, Madison Avenue stamp set and Sycamore Street ribbon & button embellishment pack)
• At least one item at 50% DISCOUNT as well!!

PARTY ALL THE TIME - As if that wasn't enough, there are also great benefits to joining Stampin' Up as a demonstrator during sale-a-bration: you'll get 25% more in your starter kit than usual, that's £162.50 worth of products for £99 and you can choose what you'd like - your kit, your way. I'm quite new to Stampin' Up but I love being a demonstrator and sharing my ideas; if you'd would like to share my enthusiasm and become a member of my team, please email me at joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk or call me for a chat - I would be happy to talk about the possibilities and where I can add value.

I've already shown you a couple of card sets made with the Bloomin' Marvelous stamp set and today I would like to share with you some of the swaps I made for a recent team training that showcase a number of additional free products: 

So what are you waiting for? All this and more could be yours! Drop me a line at joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk and arrange to book a party or place an order today.

Keep watching my blog for lots of other great ideas and ways in which you can use the great free sale-a-bration gifts.

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Madison Avenue, Vintage Verses

Paper: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Pool Party, Summer Starfruit, Tangerine Tango, Sycamore Street (DSP)

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pool Party, Summer Starfruit

Tools: Scoreboard, 11/4" circle punch

Finishing Touches: Sycamore Street Ribbon and Button Pack

Having spent most of the day outdoors today buidling snowmen and sledging with my children and generally making the most of the snow and an unexpected day off school, it's nice to sit all cosy and warm and share another card set with you.

So here is the second trio of cards I made with the Bloomin' Marvelous stamp set, this time introducing the butterfly too:

A slightly more feminine colour palette I think, with the latest in-colour inks of Primrose Petals and Raspberry Ripple for the randomly stamped flowers and butterflies and some Gumball Green for the stems which I think just adds a bit of 'zing'.

I also hand cut one of the butterflies on the central card and popped it on a dimensional for added interest:

It was easy enough with my Paper Snips, but if you're not great with fiddly cutting out it can be punched in seconds with the Bitty Butterfly Punch, a new product in this year's Spring-Summer Seasonal Catalogue and available from the first of February. I have also used a mat of Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals or Gumball Green cardstock respectively and a little ribbon accent just to finish off. I really love this stamp set - and the sentiments are generic enough that they suit lots of occasions.

If you would like to recreate these cards yourself, the Bloomin' Marvelous stamp set is one of 17 items that you can obtain for free for every £45 spent during the promotional period, starting tomorrow! Please drop me a line or give me a call if you would like more information.

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: *Bloomin' Marvelous (Wood 129651, clear 129654)

Paper: Whisper White, Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals, Gumball Green

Ink: Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals

Punches: *Bitty Butterfly Punch

Finishing Touches: Stitched Satin Ribbon Raspberry Ripple, Stitched Satin Ribbon Gumball Green

*Available to purchase from 22nd January.