Another Monday and the start of a new week! Lots going on in the coming weeks as far as Stampin' Up! is concerned:

• Only 2 more weeks to purchase items from this year's retiring stamps and accessories lists - lots of items have already sold out, but you can find those items still in stock here:

Retiring stamps & Retiring Accessories

• Join Stampin' Up! for just £50 - there are 2 more weeks left of the current 'sign up and save' recruitment promotion, where you can join Stampin' Up! for just £50 and choose a starter kit valued at £55. Read all about it here, give me a call if you'd like to chat to me about joining my team or if your decision is already made sign up here.

The biggest news of all today though is that I've finalised the details for my launch party for the new Stampin' Up! 2014 Annual Catalogue - here it is:

This is the first time that I've held a 'big bash' to launch the new catalogue and I'm very excited about it! I'm keen to spread the word locally about the benefits of Stampin' Up! and to meet more fellow experienced and would-be crafters and this will be a great opportunity for people to come along and see what Stampin' Up! is all about and learn more about hosting a party, my local card and papercrafting project classes and touch and feel lots of new product, including the new Project Life product set for scrapbookers and memory-keeping on the go.

New catalogues will be available for customers to take away on the day and there will be lots of offers and incentives for orders placed and parties booked on the day, as well as a raffle, a make and take project and lots of great new product and inspirational displays. If you live in or around Northampton, I would love you to join me.

If you're not local to me, but would like a new catalogue please call or email me with your details and I would be happy to pop one in the post to you in advance of the catalogue launch.

I will be providing lots of updates and 'sneak peeks' here and on my Facebook page over the next couple of weeks, so do stay tuned to join in the excitement of the build up to my new Stampin' Up! 2014 catalogue launch party.

Back shortly with today's creative post - until then, get the 30th June 2-6pm marked down in your diaries!

The retiring lists are here! Discover what stamps and accessories, including the 2012-14 In Colours, are retiring at the end 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 links below to see the complete lists:

Retiring Stamps - available May 30-June 30 (while stocks last)

Retiring Accessories - available May 30-June 30 (while stocks last)

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.

Back later with today's creative post.

By now you will all have had the opportunity to browse the new Stampin' Up! Spring-Summer Seasonal catalogue and salivate over its contents (if not, put the kettle on and get comfy quick!) As is always the way when a new catalogue launches, there are so many wonderful new items and it's easy as a keen crafter to think "I want it all!" even if our budgets don't stretch that far! By popular demand, I've decided for the first time to offer a number of new product shares - yes it is possible to have it all!!

If you've never participated in a product share before, the idea is that you can buy a bundle that contains a little of everything rather than pay out for whole packs of paper, ribbon or accessories and because lots of people are doing the same, you combine your purchasing power so making the share possible. So here is the detail for the shares that I am offering:

Spring-Summer Paper Share: £22

• 24 half sheets (6"x12") of DSP from each of the following packs: Kaleidoscope, High Tide, Watercolour Wonder, Retro Fresh*
• 3 full sheets (12"x12") of gold vellum (one spot, one stripe, one hearts)
• 3 full sheets (12"x12") of silver vellum (one spot, one stripe, one hearts)
• 1 full sheet (12"x12") of gold foil
• 1 full sheet (12"x12") of silver foil
• 12 full sheets (11.4x16.5cm) Fresh Prints DSP stack

*If you would like to increase to 24 full sheets, the bundle will cost £32.

Spring-Summer Ribbon & Accessory Share: £13

• 1.15m of 1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon
• 1.15m of Naturals 5/8" Chevron Ribbon
• 2m Gold Sequin Trim
• 2m Silver 1/8" Ribbon
• 1m 1 1/4" Blue Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
• 1m 1 1/4" Yellow Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
• 5.75m Gold Bakers Twine
• 5.75m Silver Bakers Twine
• 6 Mini Metallic Pegs (3 gold, 3 silver)
• 8 Basic Metal Buttons (2 each of 4 sizes)
• 8 Essentials Wooden Elements

If you need reminding of what these items look like, check out the copy of the catalogue in the side bar on the right.

I have also decided to offer the following ribbon shares from the annual catalogue on an ongoing basis:

3/4" Chevron Ribbon: £11

12 x 1m lengths of each of the chevron ribbon colours (Basic Black, Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Cherry Cobbler, Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry, Island Indigo, Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz, Smoky Slate, Pumpkin Pie, Wisteria Wonder)

2013-15 In Colour 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim: £4.50

5 x 1m lengths, one of each of the in colours (Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Baked Brown Sugar, Strawberry Slush)

2012-14 In Colour 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon: £4.40

5 x 1m lengths, one of each of the in colours (Gumball Green, Midnight Muse, Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit)

How to order:

• Email me with your details and which product share(s) you would like to participate in (make sure you let me know if you require multiples).
• You will be billed for your order directly (cash or Paypal accepted).

If you have any further questions, or would like additional information, please email me at joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk.

Small Print: Please note that purchase of the above product shares will not count towards a qualifying £45 spend to receive a free gift during Sale-A-Bration.

More exciting news in the world of Stampin Up! today - the Spring-Summer catalogue is now live!

You can browse the catalogue by clicking on the image on the right hand side of my blog. The new catalogue contains lots of great kits, stamps, papers and tools tto get your creative juices flowing - here are some of my favourites items:

 There are two tag topper punches - my favourite is definitely the scalloped tag topper punch - see some examples of things you can make with it below:

The Spiral Flower Originals Die - click on the video to see this in action:

The Burlaps and Blooms Simply Created Wreath kit - we will be making this in my project class scheduled for 23rd February if you would like to come along - contact me for more details.

In addition to the above items, there are lots more goodies: new stamp sets, designer series paper, and lots of bundles - stamp and framelit bundles and stamp and punch bundles. Watch this space for news of some product shares that I'll be doing to enable you to enjoy a little of everything that the new catalogue has to offer.

I'll be sharing lots of great samples using items from the new catalogue, but in the meantime make a cup of tea, get comfy and browse the new catalogue on line - it will take you a while!

Back soon with a project; 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.

No post yesterday, but two today to make up for it! Here's the first one. Great news - the Big Shot Magnetic Platform is back and now available to order again!

This is one of the 'unsung heroes' of this year's annual catalogue, although clearly I am not the only one to think so - some 13 weeks worth of stock sold out in about 3 weeks! I'm happy to report that supplies have now been restored, so if you've been eagerly awaiting yours, now's the time to order!

The magnetic platform makes light work of cutting cardstock with framelits; no longer do you need to rely on post-it notes and hope that they hold everything in place. If you would like to see the magnetic platform in action, here's a great video from Stampin' Up that shows you how it works:

If you would like to order a magnetic platform, either contact me or pop over to my online store now to purchase.

Back shortly with another post; until then, happy stampin'!

Another product update post for you: as some of you may be aware, there are a number of catalogue errors in the current catalogue (contact me if you would like a full list!), most notably the pricing of the new colour ink and cardstock bundles. This item was temporarily withdrawn from sale, but I can now announce that the following items are now once again available to order:

In addition, for a limited time only (until 3 January 2014) single markers in the new colours are also available to order individually at a cost of £2.95 each.

This is the last of the SU product update posts for the time being I promise! Back tomorrow with a craft creation (or two!) Until then, happy stampin'!

Good evening devoted blog followers! I've returned from my two week family holiday in the USA and am back with you. You might not have noticed my absence, as I managed to schedule quite a few blog posts for you all to read whilst I was holidaying with Mickey Mouse (and my family too, but clearly The Mouse takes centre stage - I am his No.1 Fan!) More on my holiday shortly, but meanwhile I have lots of Stampin' Up! news to share with you, so the next few blog posts will be information-related whilst we catch up on the latest offers that are available.

So the first, and most important of these: the Autumn-Winter Seasonal Catalogue is now live! This is what it looks like:

I have updated the link on the right-hand side of my blog page to the electronic version of the catalogue - please feel free to browse at your leisure and enjoy the fabulous new kits and products that are available to make your festive season easy and beautiful at the same time. I will be sharing my favourite items with you later this week and once the James Juniors are back at school in  few days time, I will be making and sharing Christmas cards and projects in earnest, but for now, click on the link below to start browsing and creating your festive wishlist:

There is also a carryover list of popular items from last year's catalogue that are still available - these can be seen below:

If you would like a paper catalogue, to place an order or are thinking about hosting a party, please give me a call or drop me a line and I will be happy to help. I can honestly say there are some fabulous items in the second of this year's seasonal catalogues; it was quite tortuous to have my pre-order arrive just before a two-week vacation, that meant I didn't get the opportunity to try out some of my wonderful new goodies. That said, my vacation more than made up for it: this year it was a special one to Orlando, Florida. At 6 and 8 years old, my children are at a great age to enjoy everything that Disney World and beyond has to offer. Today, I'm going to share not a project, but one of my most special holiday photos with you:

This is me swimming with a dolphin at Discovery Cove, Orlando. See that big grin? This was a 'bucket list' moment for me, as I've always wanted to swim with a dolphin and I just couldn't keep that smile from my face.

Back with a few more information-related posts today, then full on with the creating towards the end of the week.

Until next time, happy stampin'!

Well, today's the day you've all been waiting for: the new Stampin' Up! annual catalogue has arrived!

It is full of great new products, ranging from stamp sets, to designer papers, to embellishments and more besides - but don't just take my word for it; make yourself a cup of tea, then get comfy, check out the link in the bar on the right hand side of my page and browse for yourself!

As a demonstrator I've had the opportunity to browse the catalogue in advance and even order a selected number of new products that I've already had the opportunity to play with. That said, I have a VERY long shopping list of things I want (no, NEED!) from the new catalogue. I thought it would be fun to shoot a short video to give you a quick whistle-stop tour of the new catalogue and share with you my top 'wish list' items, so if you'd like to know what I think will be 'hot' this year, it's time to tune in:

As you can see, there's so much to choose from! If you have a long wish list of must-have items too, why not invite your friends round for an evening of crafty fun and host a Stampin' Up! party? You'll get the opportunity to create a great project, receive lots of crafty inspiration and earn free products that are beyond amazing; you can earn anything from £25 to £120 worth of free products and with party sales of £300 or more you will also be able to purchase one or more items at half price; this is a great way to reduce the cost of an investment purchase such as a Big Shot or a full marker set. So what are you waiting for? Contact me to book your Stampin' Up! party today!

Back tomorrow with a project; until then, enjoy browsing the new catalogue  !

There are a small number of catalogue corrections and initial supply issues that you need to be aware of, as follows:

Catalogue Corrections:

Two items were mistakenly given the same item number. Beautiful Butterflies Bigz and Lattice Bigz dies are both listed as 114507. The correct item numbers are: 
Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die - 114507
Lattice Bigz Die - 115958

The Ordering section incorrectly states that a customer has 10 days to cancel their order. Customers have 14 days to cancel their order.

Due to supply issues, the following items are currently unavailable; there will be an announcement to follow when they become available:

World Map Stamp (item 130342 for wood, 130345 for clear).

Label Pop ‘n Cuts (item 130160): Item will be available for order as of 12 July.

Wood-Mount Cases (item 127551 for full, 127552 for half).

Stampin’ Trimmer Rotary Addition (item 132986).

New Colour Cardstock and Pad Kit (item 132281).

My first day free of domestic chores this week and I was fully intending to begin madly creating with my new pre-order goodies that have been sitting in my craft room for over a week calling 'play with me' but alas, it was not to be - instead I've spent most of the day caring for my poorly boy who has (yet another!) tummy bug for the second time in as many months! He was feeling brighter this afternoon, so after an hour or so of sitting in the garden playing 'catch', I managed to get an hour or so to create a quick card set showcasing the new 2013-15 'In Colours'. For the uninitiated, 'In Colours' are introduced every year and remain current for 2 years before retiring. They compliment the standard colour families and I think I'm in love with this year's colours, which are quite different to the 2012-14 set. Without further ado, let me introduce to you:

 Firstly, Crisp Cantaloupe - a lovely peachy, pink shade:

Secondly, Pistachio Pudding - a pale green with a lemony hue:

Thirdly, Baked Brown Sugar - a lovely shade of cinnamon brown:

Fourthly, Strawberry Slush, a rich pink with red undertones:

And last but not least, Coastal Cabana - a lovely shade of watery blue-green:

What do you think? These colours are so fresh I am already brimming with ideas and I can't wait to start using them in earnest. I kept these cards simple so that the colours take centre stage, with only a mat in the same colour and a few pearls. The eagle-eyed SU devotees amongst you might be wondering what the stamp is that I've used; this is a sneak-peek of a new stamp called 'Wildflower Meadow', which also has a matching embossing folder. You can see it in more detail on this close up shot:

Only another six days to go until you can own this stamp and matching embossing folder too; it's one of a number of great bundles on offer in the new Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue, due to be released next Tuesday 2nd July. If you would like a copy of the new catalogue, they are available for £4.95 each including P&P; contact me to order yours today! Start writing your wish lists stampers - there are lots more great new items that I'm looking forward to sharing in the coming weeks and months.

One last picture of the whole in-colour card set, then I'm done for today; hopefully back tomorrow with another project, all being well. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Wildflower Meadow

Cardstock: Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Baked Brown Sugar, Strawberry Crush, Coastal Cabana

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Baked Brown Sugar, Strawberry Crush, Coastal Cabana

Tools: Wildflower Meadow Embossing Folder

Finishing Touches: Basics Pearls