How can it be Friday already?! It's been half term for the youngest of the James Juniors this week so there hasn't been much time for crafting! I'm hoping to get a little time in my craft room tomorrow but until then I do have another card for you featuring the Thoughtful Wishes bundle and Thoughtful Journey papers, along with details of the latest Step By Step Class created with my friend and former Stampin' Up! Artisan Designer Jan Clothier, aka Thinking Stamping.

First up, my card! The Thoughtful Journey papers are so beautiful - even a small amount can go a long way:

When paired with the Thoughtful Wishes bundle, especially those fabulous diecuts, along with some dry embossing and the texture and sparkle of tone-on-tone glimmer, there's so much to love! That's why Jan and I chose this bundle and papers for our step by step class:

Our new step by step class features the Thoughtful Wishes bundle and Thoughtful Journey designer series paper. Simply purchase the Thoughtful Wishes bundle and a pack of Thoughtful Journey designer series paper from us and we’ll email you the step by step instructions to make four beautiful projects featuring them. If you already have the suite or bundle, simply purchase something else of equivalent value and we’ll email the class instructions to you.

You can shop with me if you live in the UK and Europe. 

You can shop with Jan if you live in New Zealand.

If you would like to receive the details for this step by step class, you can place your online order with me by clicking on the direct product links for the bundle and papers needed below; remember to add the current hostess code 3NR3FB9W to your order. 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

THOUGHTFUL JOURNEY 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.75)	THOUGHTFUL WISHES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (53.00)	ADHESIVE-BACKED PEARL TRIO (7.00)	EXPOSED BRICK 3D EMBOSSING FOLDER (10.25)	NESTED ESSENTIALS DIES (32.00)	2024–2026 IN COLOR™ GLIMMER 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) SPECIALTY PAPER (10.25)
PETUNIA POP A4 CARDSTOCK (10.75)	MOSSY MEADOW CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (13.00)

News of the August Stampin' Up! Kits Sale yesterday so I saved this post until today! It's August and time for a new Create with Joanne and Jan tutorial bundle!

My friend and former Stampin' Up! Artisan Designer Jan Clothier, aka Thinking Stamping, and I are working together to reward our customers with some extra special perks. Every two months, Jan and I will be putting together a set of four tutorials featuring a bundle or suite. Simply purchase the suite or bundle from us and we’ll email you the tutorials in PDF format for you to make. If you already have the suite or bundle, simply purchase something else of equivalent value and we’ll email the tutorial package to you.

The four tutorials (two from each of us) will really show you different ways to make the most of your purchase because you’ll get the benefit of both our ways of thinking and both our styles. There will be a range of project levels, from casual to avid and you won’t find these projects in any of our other social media platforms. We’ve designed them just for our customers. In addition to the tutorials, you’ll also be offered access to an exclusive private Facebook Group where you’ll be able to share your projects, and ask us questions. You’ll also find little extras there from us like extra projects, tips or even the occasional video or Facebook Live. You just never know!

So there you have it. Two great reasons to shop with us: a package of four exclusive designs AND access to a private Facebook Group so you can pick our brains and share your work with us.

You can shop with me if you live in the UK and Europe. 

You can shop with Jan if you live in New Zealand.

For August-September, we are featuring the Gorgeously Made bundle from the 2023-2024 Annual Catalogue. The Masterfully Made Suite Collection features the Gorgeously Made stamp set and die bundle and includes beautiful designer series papers featuring mixed media designs with handpainted and hand-torn designs. If you would like to receive this tutorial, you can place your online order with me by clicking on the direct product links for the bundle and any other products in the suite below:

GORGEOUSLY MADE BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (47.50)

MASTERFULLY MADE 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.75)

ADHESIVE-BACKED SEQUINS TRIO (7.50)

Hi everyone - as promised I'm here with my second post today and some exciting news! Welcome to Join In with Joanne and Jan!

My friend and former Stampin' Up! Artisan Designer Jan Clothier, aka Thinking Stamping, and I are working together to reward our customers with some extra special perks. Every two months, Jan and I will be putting together a set of four tutorials featuring a bundle or suite. Simply purchase the suite or bundle from us and we’ll email you the tutorials in PDF format for you to make. If you already have the suite or bundle, simply purchase something else of equivalent value and we’ll email the tutorial package to you.

The four tutorials (two from each of us) will really show you different ways to make the most of your purchase because you’ll get the benefit of both our ways of thinking and both our styles. There will be a range of project levels, from casual to avid and you won’t find these projects in any of our other social media platforms. We’ve designed them just for our customers. In addition to the tutorials, you’ll also be offered access to an exclusive private Facebook Group where you’ll be able to share your projects, and ask us questions. You’ll also find little extras there from us like extra projects, tips or even the occasional video or Facebook Live. You just never know!

So there you have it. Two great reasons to shop with us: a package of four exclusive designs AND access to a private Facebook Group so you can pick our brains and share your work with us.

You can shop with me if you live in the UK and Europe. 

You can shop with Jan if you live in New Zealand.

We’re kicking off with the Cheerful Daisies bundle from the 2023-2024 Annual Catalogue.

The Fresh As A Daisy Suite Collection features the Cheerful Daisies stamp set and die bundle and includes beautiful designer series papers featuring loosely handpainted florals that also feature all of the new 2023-25 in-colours. If you would like to receive this tutorial, you can place your online order with me by clicking on the direct product links for the bundle and any other products in the suite below:

CHEERFUL DAISIES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (50.25)

FRESH AS A DAISY 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (9.98)

ADHESIVE-BACKED SOLID GEMS (7.50)

Remember to add the current hostess code 2A6EXGJ4 to your order. 

Watch out for a new tutorial package for August-September at the end of July.

It's Thursday and time for a new challenge over at TicTacToe! It's the turn of Team X to host this week and the lovely Felicita is our featured designer this week. This is the fun board that we are playing along with: 

I went down the first column with Friendship, Any Colour and Any Shaped Die and went with a tone-on-tone look using one of Stampin' Up!'s new 2022-24 in colours, Tahitian Tide - take a look:

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

My card uses a simple white base with ink, ribbon and DSP in Tahitian Tide. Oh and did I mention the glimmer paper? This is the star of today's card - along with the Pretty Pop Up Dies that I used to create the detail for my focal point - check out the dimension and sparkle below:

The glimmer paper has a graduated ombre effect; difficult to see on this small area, but so pretty and along with the designer paper and metallic ribbon does a great job of showcasing the bright blue tones associated with this colour. I added some basic pearls to highlight the die detail. I have a top ribbon tip for you too: if you look closely, you can see I created a notch in the edge of my card which allows my ribbon to sit perfectly straight and be held neatly in place. This ribbon is lovely - so soft and ties beautiful bows. A simple card that is sure to bring a smile to a friend's face when received in the post. 

I liked this card so much, I made another one in Starry Sky which I thought I'd share - what do you think?

My favourite is still the first one, but I'm going to make a whole batch and include them in with this month's In-Colour Club packs as I think they do a great job of showcasing these lovely new in-colours.

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 Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

A tictactoe board offers so many creative possibilities - how does this week's board inspire you? Why not have a go? We would love to see you in the gallery and who knows - you might be selected for Designer's Choice and be eligible to be a guest designer on a future challenge. 

Enjoy your day; I'll be back tomorrow with this week's card for the new challenge over at As You See It. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

PRETTY POP-UPS DIES (£30.00)	SIMPLY FABULOUS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£17.00)	2022–2024 IN COLOR 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) GLIMMER PAPER (£11.25)	2022–2024 IN COLOR™ 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£11.25)	TAHITIAN TIDE 1/8'' (3.2 MM) METALLIC WOVEN RIBBON (£8.50)	STARRY SKY 1/8'' (3.2 MM) METALLIC WOVEN RIBBON (£8.50)
TAHITIAN TIDE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	STARRY SKY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£8.25)

A new day, a new month and time to tell you about some new product too - the All Together Collection! In the words of Stampin' Up!, "loving hands and heartfelt words are the best way to show you care. With hand designs that illustrate coming together in friendship and solidarity, the All Together Collection will help you create cardmaking and paper-crafting projects that reflect the people you know and love."

The All Together Collection includes early-release products from the 2022–2023 Annual Catalogue—an exciting new range of natural Stampin’ Blends—and exclusive products you can’t get anywhere else! While the Natural Tones Stampin’ Blends are an early-release product from the 2022—2023 Annual Catalogue, the collection’s additional products are exclusive and only available while supplies last. Encourage them to shop early to ensure they receive the entire collection!

Here's a video from the lovely people at the Stampin' up! home office that shows the suite in more detail:

See the product details on the flyer below for more information, or to purchase from my online store I've included the clickable shopping links at the bottom of this post.

I have some great projects to share in the coming weeks that showcase these new naturals Blends markers and they will also be featuring in my upcoming March class that features the 'In The Moment' stamp set. This online class is scheduled for 21st March 2022, 11am-1pm - please get in touch for more information or to book your place. 

Equally, if you love the whole All Together Collection, you might like to consider joining my Stampin' Up! team and ordering it as part of your start kit - for just another £1.25 you could receive an additional £31 of product AND 2 free stamp sets of your choice - along with all of the wider benefits that come from being part of the Stampin' Up! family. If you'd like to know more, then please get in touch - I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Back later with today's creative post for this week's colour challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches; until then, happy shopping!

ALL TOGETHER 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£10.75)	HERE TOGETHER CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£21.00)	HERE FOR YOU DIES (ENGLISH) (£30.00)	HERE TOGETHER BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£45.75)	STAMPIN’ BLENDS LIGHT COMBO PACK (£8.25)	STAMPIN’ BLENDS MEDIUM LIGHT COMBO PACK (£8.25)
STAMPIN’ BLENDS MEDIUM COMBO (£8.25)	STAMPIN’ BLENDS MEDIUM DEEP COMBO (£8.25)	STAMPIN’ BLENDS DEEP COMBO PACK (£8.25)	NATURAL TONES STAMPIN’ BLENDS COLLECTION (£41.25)	ALL TOGETHER SUITE COLLECTION (ENGLISH) (£97.75)

Today I'm sharing a card that is a 'sneak peek' of one of the cards that I am making with the lovely ladies signed up form my 'Daffodil Daydream' online card class that is taking place next week; I used the great sketch over at Sunday Stamps for my layout, so am linking up with their current challenge. Here's their sketch:

And here's the card that I made using it as my starting point:

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

Daffodil Afternoon - I knew I wanted to use this particular design of Daffodil Afternoon designer series paper as my background. Bold designs on dark backgrounds can be intimidating, so I chose it as I wanted to give my class attendees ideas how to use them. Taking advantage of the split panel and choosing the lighter colours for both the card base and mat layer both serve to lighten this pattern. Lots to love about this paper pack, but most of all - it's FREE with a £45 purchase during the current Sale-A-Bration promotion! If you buy the Daffodil Daydream stamp set and die bundle, this makes a great free product choice to accompany it as it co-ordinates beautifully.  

Daffodil Dies - And so onto those Daffodil Dies! There are lots of die pieces in this set but they go together really easily when you know how. We will be going through that in class, so it was only right that I make up a couple of flower heads and use them to decorate my sentiment label. I cut them from colours that matched the daffodils on the paper, then added some ink with a blender brush to each piece to bring a little more depth to the colours. 

And A Beautiful Shape - Finally, I did start out with a circle shape as per the sketch, albeit I then layered it with my sentiment label and daffodil heads almost covering it up! You can see that circle. courtesy of a new die in the Beautiful Shapes set, a little closer on the photo below, where the debossed detail can just about be seen:

I know this die is one I'll be using lots; the added detail makes it a nice centrepiece. It's no stitched circle, granted, but it is a nice alternative!

I'm looking forward to making a version of this card in my 'Daffodil Daydream' online card class next week. I have lots of other classes and events planned in the coming months - if you would like more information, then do get in touch - I'd love you to join me!

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; I have been granted a free pass on the school run this afternoon, so am fortunate to be getting a little extra crafting time (I might even make a head start on tomorrow's chores too!). I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

DAFFODIL DAYDREAM BUNDLE (£51.25)	DAFFODIL AFTERNOON 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£0.00)	BEAUTIFUL SHAPES DIES (£27.00)	PIERCED BLOOMS DIES (£34.00)	MATTE BLACK DOTS (£6.50)	VERY VANILLA A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)
BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	PALE PAPAYA A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	FLIRTY FLAMINGO A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	PEAR PIZZAZZ A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	PALE PAPAYA CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	FLIRTY FLAMINGO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)
TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.50)	VERY VANILLA A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£7.75)

Today I'm sharing a card that I made for this week's Inspired By challenge - I went with the holiday option as I couldn't resist the white and turquoise of the inspiration photo:

I've been making lots of samples using my Festive Foliage background stamp for my online technique class that I held earlier this week and these colours were perfect to demonstrate heat embossing and the use of less traditional colours for a foliage-rich card - take a look:

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

Festive Foliage - I heat embossed the 'Festive Foliage' background stamp in white onto Bermuda Bay cardstock and added a simple white mat border to accentuate it. Background stamps are a great way to cover a cardfront, but they don't need always need to be coloured. I did brush over the leaf details with some clear Wink of Stella; it's quite difficulty to see in the photos, but it adds a lovely subtle shimmer in real life.

Winter Wishes - I decided to add a 'Winter' sentiment to the front of my card using some retired Bermuda Bay ombre paper from Sale-A-Bration earlier in the year, popped up on a label and backed with a couple of co-ordinating ribbons. 

Well Defined - There was a reason why I chose 'Winter' as the greeting on the front of my card; I wanted it to follow through to my sentiment from 'Well Defined that I used on the inside:

Whilst this card would work for the holiday season, I thought it would be perfect for seasonal greetings or even to send to someone who celebrates a birthday during the winter months.

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:

FESTIVE FOLIAGE CLING STAMP SET (£20.00)	TASTEFUL LABELS DIES (£29.00)	PLAYFUL ALPHABET DIES (£32.00)	OPAL ROUNDS (£7.00)	BERMUDA BAY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)
BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)	VERSAMARK PAD (£8.75)	BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (£17.00)	WHITE 3/8'' (1 CM) GLITTERED ORGANDY RIBBON (£8.00)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Claire to host this week and she has a colour challenge for you to work with:

These colours immediately made me think of florals, then Christmas and since I had just taken delivery of some new goodies that ticked both boxes I couldn't wait to try them out - take a look:

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

Merriest Moments - Merriest Moments, like the Art in Bloom bundle in the annual catalogue, is a 3 in 1 bundle comprising a stamp set, dies and a hybrid embossing folder that enables you to get beautifully textured die-cut images in seconds.

Perfect for the challenge over at Just Add Ink this week, where they are asking us to 'use a frame' on our cards, the Merriest Moments hybrid embossing folder adds a beautifully textured frame, choc full of festive foliage. I embossed my card base, then embossed and cut my frame and I added some sponged white kraft ink to give it some highlighting:

I added a sentiment panel and a trio of red and yellow Christmas poinsettias to accent it. I also stamped another flower and a sentiment inside my card to finish:

This bundle has everything you need to make your Christmas cards in one go - just add your colours and create! This bundle will feature in my class on October 11th so if it appeals to you, then do drop me a line to be added to class list. Meanwhile, I can't wait to create more cards with this bundle!

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 Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

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; I am looking forward to a catch-up day today, since I've been out of action decorating for the last few days. I'm hoping to squeeze in a little crafting too so that I can be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

MERRIEST MOMENTS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£50.25)	REAL RED CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	OLD OLIVE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)
TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.50)	OLD OLIVE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	UNINKED STAMPIN’ PAD & WHISPER WHITE REFILL (£8.75)

So many reasons to celebrate today - or should I say, Sale-A-Brate?!

First up, we have a new mini catalogue, with everything you need for your seasonal and festive crafting, to take you from autumn, through to Halloween, Christmas and beyond! Here is the new mini catalogue, in all its festive glory:

Just click on the image above or in the sidebar on the right to browse the catalogue online, or contact me on 07773 421446 if you would like a paper copy posted out to you and you don't already have a demonstrator; paper copies have been sent to my regular customers. If you are as excited as me and just can't wait, here's the link to my online store - everything is available to purchase from today!

And as if that wasn't enough, we get a second bite of the Sale-A-Bration cherry this year too, with our second 2 month long Sale-A-Bration promotion! Starting from today 3rd August until 30th September, you can once again get more bang for your buck when you shop, host or join. You can click on the catalogue on the right hand side of my blog page or below to access the Sale-A-Bration leaflet to download a copy or click on the icon above or on the right to go directly to my online shopto place an order - we are LIVE!

So a reminder of how Sale-A-Bration works: for anyone who hasn't come across it before, it's Stampin' Up!'s annual promotion that is loaded with offers whether you shop, join or host. You can earn a free Sale-A-Bration product for every £45 you spend between 3 August and 30 September. There is also the opportunity to earn even bigger rewards with a £90 purchase. It's the perfect time to purchase those products you've had on your wish list and earn more products for free! Here's a link to a video from the nice people at the Home Office that lets you see each of those free products up close in more detail:

I hope that was useful and rest assured I will be sharing plenty of additional projects on my blog in the next few weeks that show these items in more detail. 

It’s also one of the best times of the year to join Stampin’ Up! There is a fabulous joining option during this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion: as usual, you can become a demonstrator for just £99 and choose £130 of FREE products for your Starter Kit. In addition to an extra £31 worth of product in your starter kit, you can select an additional one of 12 bundles FOR FREE. Here are the bundles that you are able to choose from:

There couldn’t be a better time to join the Stampin’ Up! family. Plus, the whole kit ships for free! There is plenty of choice and flexibility, whether you want to be a hobby demonstrator and just use your discount to enable you to purchase craft supplies more cheaply, or alternatively would like to build a flourishing direct sales business and sell supplies to others - it's entirely up to you. 

Hosting is also even more rewarding during Sale-A-Bration. When you host a party and reach a certain amount in sales (see the Stampin’ Rewards chart in the Sale-A-Bration brochure for more information), you can earn a free stamp set - this time the 'In Your Words' stamp set shown above. Even if your order reaches the qualifying amount on your own outside of a party, you can earn the same free stamp set too, both in person and when shopping in my online store. What's more, you can even apply your Stampin' Rewards to a Starter Kit and become a demonstrator yourself - I would love to welcome you to my team!

If you would like to host a virtual party, please do get in touch. Equally if you've ever thought about becoming an SU! demonstrator, now is a great time to do so - I would love to have a no-obligation chat with you about joining my team and the benefits.

If you would like more information on any of the above, please don't hesitate to get in touch! 

Thanks so much for popping by - it's always nice to share good news! Back soon with lots of projects showcasing products from the new catalogue and today's clean and simple post for our new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. Until then, happy shopping!

Today I have a couple of festive Christmas cards that I made using my favourite 'Festive Foliage' background stamp from the annual catalogue - here's the first one:

I stamped one background stamp in Real Red on Basic White and another in Versamark onto Real Red cardstock and heat embossed it in white, then split the panels and swapped them so that there is one of each on each card for contrast. Here's the second one:

I added a sentiment from 'Poinsettia Petals' on a label cut with my Tasteful Labels Dies and backed each with some white glittered organdy ribbon from the upcoming mini catalogue:  

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've been looking at creative ways to use background stamps for my upcoming online class in September that features both the 'Festive Foliage' and 'Daisy Garden' background stamps and will look at ways to use them for all-year round cards. A split panel card is a great way to create two cards quickly using the same background stamp, so today's post is a nice taster for my class ladies who are already signed up for this class. If you would like to join them, you can find full details for this and all my online classes on my Facebook Page here or just message me for more information.

I used the sketch over at Inspire.Create and the monochromatic red colour scheme from over at The Rainbow Challenge as further inspiration for my cards today and since I'm still doing Christmas I'm also linking up with Christmas Craft Creations and their 'anything goes' theme.

The weather here has alternated today between brilliant sunshine and torrential downpours and apart from giving up on using the washing line completely, I have successfully managed to get a whole bunch of errands run whilst dodging the rain (mostly!) Since we are on the summer holidays, the children are taking turns to help out with cooking the evening meal. One is more enthusiastic than the other (I wonder if you can guess which one!) Needless to say, if I survive the flour tornado that is currently my kitchen, I will be eating Turkish-style flatbread pizzas for dinner this evening! Enjoy the rest of your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

FESTIVE FOLIAGE CLING STAMP SET (£20.00)	REAL RED A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	REAL RED CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)	BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (£17.00)
TASTEFUL LABELS DIES (£29.00)	POINSETTIA PETALS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£25.00)