I've been busy hosting a few Stampin' Up! parties this month - the current hostess promotion to earn the Merry Patterns stamp set means that it's a great time to gather with friends for an evening of creative fun. Today I'm sharing a couple of the cards that my hostesses and friends have had the opportunity to make:

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

Labels To Love - The Merry Little Labels stamp set and Everyday Punch bundle have been very popular with my customers and I wanted to share the other stamp set in the catalogue that also co-ordinates with the Everyday Label Punch: Labels To Love. There are sentiments for a variety of occasions in this set, not just Christmas, and each of them fits the Everyday Label Punch - that makes for a winner in my book! We used a couple of the Christmas sentiments and paired it with the festive Quilted Christmas papers. I even decorated the envelope flaps with a piece of co-ordinating paper in the alternating colourway. Here's one of them - you can see the second one at the bottom of this post:

Add Sparkle With Tinsel - The Mini Tinsel Trim is great for decorating your Christmas packages but is also great for adding a touch of sparkle to your cards. here we tied knots in each end and created a loop behind the label for a quick touch of glitz. 

A Quick Card Solution - These cards are a slightly smaller than a standard card size, measuring 12.7cm x 8.9cm, as we used Stampin' Up!'s white notecards and envelopes for speed. They arrive pre-scored and with envelopes included and are great if you are mass-producing or want to make some quick and easy cards, for Christmas or any time. They are also great for children's cards - both the James Juniors go through a pack of these when making up their Christmas cards for classmates.

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 had lots of fun making these cards with some of my party groups; check out my Facebook page if you'd like to see some of the action. Equally if you would like to get together with friends for an evening of crafty fun in the run up to Christmas, do get in touch - I would love to share Stampin' Up! with you.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Labels To Love Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Quilted Christmas 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper	Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Everyday Label Punch
Mini Tinsel Trim Combo Pack	Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes

Happy 1st September everyone! Yes, this day has finally arrived! The new Autumn-Winter Seasonal Catalogue is here - you can download an electronic copy by clicking on the image below:

Physical catalogues have gone out in the post to my existing customers and anyone else who requested a copy; there will of course be a permanent link to the catalogue in the box on the right side of my blog page until 2nd January 2018 when the sales period ends. I've already shared a few sneak peeks and there is so much more to come! For today, put your feet up and browse the new catalogue in all its glory.

And there's more good news! Between now and the end of October, we have a fabulous promotion too - host a party with qualifying sales and you can earn the Merry Patterns stamp set for FREE in addition to your standard Stampin' Rewards that you will receive. Check it out here:

The Merry Patterns Stamp Set is a two-step stamp set exclusive to this promotion and, with its candles, holly, jolly deer and classic sentiments, reflects all the cosiness and warmth you associate with the season. As a party host you will get this set for free if your party sales reach the qualifying amount of £250. So why not gather some friends, get creative and earn rewards and a free stamp set into the bargain! I have both daytime and evening party slots available - either call me on 07773 421446 or email me via joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk to book yours.

The lovely people at Stampin' Up!'s home office have also produced a short video that shows the Merry Patterns stamp set in action along with some great samples - check it out:

Isn't that great?! Lots of creative possibilities for sure with this set. 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or queries. Don't forget to use this month's current hostess code KJ9FSDMS if you are placing an order online to receive an extra thank you from me. Back soon with more creative inspiration for you. Until then, happy browsing and get writing that wish list! 

Before I share today's project, I just want to give you a reminder that today is the final day for the 'We <3 Hosts' promotion where you can earn an extra £30 of rewards with an order of £300 or more. If you would like to refresh your memory on the details, you can find them here. You can place your order online or alternatively feel free to call me if you'd like to place your order over the phone. It's also the final day for this month's hostess code - if you are placing an order online for between £25 and £150, don't forget to add the code B3C3DUB6 to receive an extra thank you in the post from me.

Today I'm sharing another of the cards I designed for one of my recent team training meetings - you can see one of our other makes here. This one features probably my favourite of the new in-colours, lemon lime twist:

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

Lovely Words For A Friend - I used the Lovely Words Thinlits for the 'friend' diecut on my card, snipping it away from the oval so that I could use it standalone. These are such great thinlits with so many ways they can be used to create interest on your cards. 

CASE The Kit - The design of my card was inspired by one of the cards in the new 'Hello Friend' heat embossing product kit on page 16 of the new annual catalogue. One of the business topics we discussed at team training was how Stampin' Up!'s kits can benefit your business and our make and takes all included opportunities to practice the techniques and skills required to demonstrate with this kit effectively. There's nothing like being prepared and I'm sure my team would agree that team training is great for this kind of thing. Check out this video from the home office team that shows you the Hello Friend Kit in more detail:

Stampin' Up!'s kits are great for a crafty get-together with friends; if you're reading this and would like to arrange one with me to guide you through the fun techniques, then do get in touch. 

Copper Trim - To tie in with the dip-embossed copper of my diecut sentiment, I finished my card with a length of the new copper trim. This is a really versatile trim option for cards, home decor and gifts; silky smooth, you can use it like ribbon as it ties beautiful bows, but you can also split it and unravel it and use it like net, or even stretch it and use it as a cover for small items such as chocolates (a little like a sock!) 

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:

Lovely Inside & Out Clear-Mount Bundle	Lemon Lime Twist A4 Cardstock	Tranquil Tide A4 Cardstock	Tranquil Tide Classic Stampin' Pad	Fresh Florals Designer Series Paper Stack
1/4" Copper Trim	Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder	Versamark Pad	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Heat Tool (Uk)

Welcome to my second post of the day! You can read my earlier regular Paper Players post here. I was invited by the lovely Janet Wakeland of Remarkably Created to participate in her We Love Hosts Blog Tour and jumped at the chance. This month's 'We <3 Hosts' promotion, where you can earn an additional £30 in Stampin' Rewards when you place an individual order for or reach qualifying party sales of £300 or more during the month of June, is a great opportunity to make a dent on your wishlist and pick up extra host rewards into the bargain. You can use these rewards to buy anything you like, including exclusive hostess-only stamp sets. There are six fabulous new sets just for hosts in the new annual Stampin' Up! catalogue: Background Bits, Dare To Dream, Feathery Friends, In The City, Tranquil Tulips and You're Delightful. You can see each of them below:

Background Bits Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Dare To Dream Photopolymer Stamp Set	Feathery Friends Clear-Mount Stamp Set
In The City Photopolymer Stamp Set	Tranquil Tulips Photopolymer Stamp Set	You're Delightful Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Today's blog hop features these exclusive hostess sets and contains a ton of creative inspiration and ideas of how they can be used on your papercrafting projects. I am using the Feathery Friends set today, a delightful combination of line drawn folk-art inspired birds and flowers. This set is perfect for colouring, so I decided to use it to create a little kit for 'colouring on the go', similar to one shared with us at Onstage Live in Amsterdam back in April - take a look:

I took a full-size wood mount stamp case and firstly created a custom cover insert, using a piece of Whisper White cardstock measuring 11 1/4" by 7 1/2" and scored on the landscape side 5" in from each side:

I stamped a whole bunch of Stampin' Up! notelets in varying designs using the Feathery Friends stamps and Archival black ink, then simply put them in the box with a pack of Stampin' Up! Watercolour Pencils and a blender pen to complete my kit:

This is just perfect to keep in my handbag or the car, so that I have something creative to do in those precious free minutes when I'm sat in the school carpark at pickup time or when I'm sat in the waiting room at the doctors or dentists. I find colouring so relaxing and having pre-stamped all my cards, I can both enjoy the time out and do something productive at the same time. The sentiment in this set is great for little notes to send to my team and the cards I left sentiment-free will work for all kinds of occasions.

The blender pen is a must-have to give a smooth finish to your colouring - I took a quick picture of one of the cards that I coloured already just to show you what a lovely finish you get when you use it with the watercolour pencils:

I hope you like my project showing just one of the ways you can use the Feathery Friends hostess set. There is still time to host a party or place a qualifying order to take advantage of this promotion - either place your order online via the product links below or alternatively call me or drop me a line - I would be happy to help. In addition, remember you also have the option to use hostess rewards earned towards the purchase of a Stampin' Up! starter kit; if this is something you'd like to know more about, I'd love to have a no-obligation chat with you about joining my team and the benefits of becoming a demonstrator.

To see more great projects using Stampin' Up's exclusive host reward sets, you can click forward to go to the next post in the hop, Stacy Lane, or if you missed it you can click backward to visit the previous blog, belonging to Laura Milligan:

If you lose your place, the complete list of participants can be found below: 

Exclusive Host Rewards Stamp Set Blog Tour

I'll be back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy hopping!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Feathery Friends Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Watercolor Pencils	Blender Pens	Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes	Full Wide Stamp Cases
Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad	Whisper White A4 Cardstock

The wait is over - it's June 1st and the new 2016-17 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue is here! I have updated my links on the right hand side of my blog and you will find a permanent link to the new catalogue there, but for today you need look no further than the picture below which will take you straight to the new catalogue:

The catalogue is fantastic, with so many great new products to choose from. The new catalogue is posted above and will be permanently linked via my blog on the right hand side if you don’t have a paper copy and wish to browse. If you have your paper copy and just want to go straight to the shop to place your order, click here. Don't forget to add the hostess code for June B3C3DUB6 if your order is less than £150 and ensure your preferences are set to 'contactable' to receive a thank you in the post from me.

I'll be sharing my favourite items in a blog post later this week, but for now I have news of another very important promotion to share with you:

• Earn Additional Stampin' Rewards with a single order or qualifying party sales  You can earn an additional £30 in Stampin' Rewards when you place an individual order for or reach qualifying party sales of £300 or more during the month of June. Here is a reminder of the rewards you can earn when you host a party, along with the details of the promotion:

Don't forget these Stampin' Rewards can also be used towards a starter kit if you choose to join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator - making the starter kit even better value! I still have some calendar dates free in June so if you would like to host your own Stampin' Up! party and take full advantage of the extra rewards, then please do get in touch! 

• Want To Get Hands On With New Products? Save The Date - I will be holding my Annual Catalogue Open House Launch next week on Thursday 8th June - if you live in or around Northampton this is a great opportunity for you to see some of the products up close, take advantage of my BOGOF sale of retired stamp sets, do a make and take and more! If you would like to put your name down for this exclusive event then do get in touch!

That's a lot of information for one post; if I were you I would put the kettle on, put your feet up and get comfy and settle down with your new catalogue for a browse and start creating that all-important wish list!

Back tomorrow with a new project; until then, happy shopping!

Wednesday already - this week is flying by! Today I'm sharing a card for this week's challenge over at CAS(E) This Sketch:

This is one of those sketches with so many possibilities. I decided to use one of my favourite hostess stamp sets in the new catalogue for my fun card today - take a look:

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

Feathery Friends - One of the best things about getting a new catalogue is that it always contains a new set of exclusive hostess stamp sets - stamp sets that can only be purchased with Stampin' Rewards earned as a result of hosting a Stampin' Up! party (or placing a qualifying individual order of £150 or more). I love stamps that I can colour - with pencils, markers or inks and my trusty aquapainter - so this set with its quirky bird and flower images is perfect for me. Here I simply stamped two of the images in Archival Black ink onto watercolour paper and coloured it with my ink pads and an aquapainter. 

There's Never Been A Better Time To Host A Stampin' Up! Party - Hosting a party is a great way to earn free product and is a fun thing to do at any time. Great news: to coincide with the launch of the the new Stampin' Up! 2017-18 Annual Catalogue, there is a host promotion starting 1st June that means hostesses can earn an extra £30 Stampin' Rewards with qualifying party sales. There will be more details to follow nearer the time, however if you want to book your slot in my diary, feel free to get in touch now and be sure of those rewards - there's never been a better time to host a Stampin' Up! party! 

A Fresh Colour Combo - I chose to pair two colours from the Subtles family - Pool Party and Wild Wasabi - with a pop of bright Melon Mambo pink for today's card and added a single pink candy dot by way of embellishment to one of my flowers. Here is my colour combo if you would like to save it for future use:

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:

Feathery Friends Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad	Aqua Painters	Watercolor Paper	Melon Mambo A4 Cardstock
Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad	Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad	Brights Enamel Shapes

My team and customers know what a fan I am of Stampin' Up!'s kits - they make for a perfect crafty evening in with friends, whether you are a seasoned crafter or have never crafted before and would like to try something new. Today I want to share with you one of the two popular card kits in the Stampin' Up! range that are retiring at the end of May with the end of the current annual catalogue. 

The Designer Tin of Cards Project Kit features on page 160 of the annual catalogue. Here's a picture of everything that's included:

This generous kit contains blanks and envelopes to create 16 cards and comes with a lovely card organiser storage tin and dividers to keep them in when you're done. Add a Designer Tin of Cards stamp set (this set contains some great stamps to decorate your envelopes and the inside of your cards too), a couple of ink pads and some adhesive and you are good to go! Or if you're an existing crafter with supplies, you could use any ink pads and sentiment stamp set to achieve great results. Here's a picture of the finished cards in the set:

First, fiesta-inspired birthday cards:

 Moroccan-inspired thank you cards:

Floral-inspired sending love and best wishes - great for a variety of occasions:

Lastly, some pretty congratulations cards:

Aren't they great? What's more, the kit has been reduced from £24.50 to just £14.70 - that's less than £1 per card and a fabulous tin to store then all in! 

If you would like to order the above kit, please click on the links below to order from my online store or if you live in or around Northampton, please email me or give me a call to get them added to my next order. What's more, if you would like a bargain impromptu get-together with friends where you each get to make one of these kits, then do get in touch and we can book a date in the diary.

That's all from me today; back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy shopping!

Links to my Stampin' Up! Store - Designer Tin of Cards Kit:

Designer Tin Of Cards Project Kit

Designer Tin Of Cards Photopolymer Stamp Set

Good morning and welcome to another week! Mine is going to be a busy one so without further ado I'm sharing a card for this week's challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches:

These ladies have some great sketches and this one from Jen M is no exception - I love the layering of the panels. I went bright today - take a look:

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

Get A Vase of Flowers For Hosting A Stampin' Up! Party - Yes, that's right - today's card features the vase of flowers from the hostess set in the Spring-Summer seasonal catalogue, 'Thankful Life', a set available to purchase exclusively to customers who host a Stampin' Up! party or place a single order of £150 or more. Extra Stampin' Rewards during Sale-A-Bration make this an excellent time to host, although stamp sets like this one make it worth hosting a party all year round. The stamps are photopolymer and so easy to line up to create a vase of colourful blooms that will last so much longer than fresh ones! This set will be available to hostesses until the Spring-Summer catalogue ends on 31st May, so if it's a set you would like to own, do get in touch with me to arrange a night for your crafty night in with friends. 

You Brighten My Day - The 'Thankful Life' hostess set does come with two sentiments of its own, however both were too too big for the embellishment 'button' that I wanted to create. I opted instead for this one from 'Sunshine Sayings' that seemed particularly appropriate given my colour choices for today's card.  

A Fiesta Of Colour - I took the inspiration for my colour combination straight from the Festive Birthday Designer Series Paper that I used for my background panel - as a brights girl these colours really appeal to me and I just love the mix of patterns they contain: 

Here is the colour combination if you would like to save it to use on your projects too:

What a great combination of bold and bright colours - guaranteed to cheer!

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:

Thankful Life Photopolymer Stamp Set	Festive Birthday Designer Series Paper	Crushed Curry A4 Cardstock	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad	Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad
Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad	Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pad	Tempting Turquoise A4 Cardstock	Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Pad	Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies
Layering Circle Framelits Dies	Sunburst Sayings Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Yay it's Friday! It has felt a little like the weekend here today as my hubby has had the day off today having been away all week so the four of us have spent the day doing fun family things - a little more on that on Sunday's post though! Today I'm sharing a little card that I made for this week's challenge over at Less Is More where the challenge is for a one layer card featuring opposites that also works for the current CASology challenge too:

I haven't managed to play along with the LIM ladies for a while but as they are celebrating their birthday this month I was determined to squeeze in an entry at some point. I toyed with 'rain and shine' but decided to allow the ideas percolate in the back of my mind as I went about my jobs this week and as I was flicking through my Stampin' Up! catalogue last night I was suddenly inspired - take a look:

Cute eh?! Here's the low-down on today's card:

Love You Lots - I happened across the hostess set 'Love You Lots' and realised it had the perfect pair of opposites with the massive elephant and the teeny tiny mouse. I decided they would be perfect for a little love note ready for one of my James Juniors next week. 

Another Way With Watercolour Pencils - I wanted to try something a little different in terms of technique on this card too: I stamped my pair and sentiment in Archival Grey ink and coloured them with my Basic Grey and Whisper White watercolour pencils and my aquapainter onto a Crumb Cake (kraft) cardstock notelet. The lovely Darnell Kraus of NBUS fame used this as an optional theme on one of her recent challenges (check out Darnell's creations and the wonderful gallery on her blog here) and it intrigued me; I decided today's card would be the perfect opportunity to try it out; I must say I really like the effect.

A quick heads up for any of you with Watercolour Pencils on your wish lists; they have been incredibly popular with demand outstripping supply. Current stocks are likely to last only another few weeks before ordering will be suspended temporarily in order for stock levels to be replenished, so if you want to get your hands on them in the short term order now; once current stock has run out, they are estimated to be re-orderable mid- to late April.

And Finally A Love Heart - I finished my card with a tiny Blushing Bride enamel heart to add just a pop of colour to my otherwise neutral card. I toyed with adding some Blushing Bride baker's twine but decided against it - after all, sometimes less is more!

A sweet notelet using minimal supplies and perfect to send a few words of love!

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'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Love You Lots Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Basic Gray Archival Stampin’ Pad

Crumb Cake Note Cards & Envelopes

Watercolor Pencils

2016-2018 In Color Enamel Shapes

Aqua Painters

It's time to shake off the January blues, today is THE day - yes, the highlight of the Stampin' Up! calendar, Sale-A-Bration is here! No more sneak peeks - the catalogue is available, the shop is live and from now until 31st March the benefits are yours for the taking. You can click on the icon above or the catalogue on the right hand side of my blog page to access the Sale-A-Bration leaflet to download a copy or go directly to my online shop to place an order - we are LIVE!

So what is Sale-A-Bration? 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:

Earn a free Sale-A-Bration product for every £45 you spend between 4 January and 31 March. It's the perfect time to purchase those products you've had on your wish list and earn more products for free! 

It’s the best time of year to join Stampin’ Up! During Sale-A-Bration, you can become a demonstrator for just £99 and choose £30 more of FREE products for your Starter Kit. Plus, the 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. In addition, you can choose two free stamp sets of your choice - that could be worth as much as another £93 to you!

Earn an additional £20 in hostess credits when you host a party and have party sales of £200 or more (this also applies to individual orders). So for party sales of £200, that makes a whopping £40 of Stampin' Rewards - more freebies! 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 party, real or virtual, please do get in touch; my diary is filling up but there are still lots of slots available and I would love to share these great benefits with you. 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.

As if that wasn't enough, today also sees the launch of the new Spring-Summer catalogue - full of gorgeous new products:

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. 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!

Thanks so much for popping by today - it's always nice to share good news! Back tomorrow with a project showcasing some of the products from the new catalogue. Until then, happy shopping!