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'!

After all the excitement of yesterday's pop-up card, today I'm sharing another of the projects I made at my recent quarterly training. The new annual catalogue has some great new packaging options; today's project is a great way to dress up one of the bags from the 'Tag a Bag Gift Bag' kits for a quick gift:

A simple outer open fronted box adds some structure and the addition of a bright Chalk Talk gift tag, with a flower punched from one of the tags in the gift bag kit, finished with a Strawberry Slush embellishment and a showy bow of Crushed Curry Chevron Ribbon; a simple bag is turned into something truly gift-worthy with little effort. Great for a small thank you or hostess gift.

Back tomorrow with another project featuring the Tag-a-Bags; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Chalk Talk

Cardstock: Bermuda Bay, Whisper White

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Strawberry Slush

Tools: Chalk Talk, Pansy Punch

Finishing Touches: Tag A Bag Gift Bag, Tag A Bag Accessory Kit, Crushed Curry 3/4" Chevron Ribbon, Strawberry Slush, In Colour Boutique Details

Today's card is one I made at my recent quarterly team training and features lots of new items from the 2013-14 annual catalogue: new colours, a new stamp set, new embellishments. Take a look a the finished card:

It features three of the lovely flower stamps from the Flower Shop stamp set, including one that has been punched out with the co-ordinating punch. This is one of the many great value bundles available in this year's catalogue: there are a number of items which when purchased together, such as the Flower Shop stamp set and co-ordinating Pansy Punch, will receive a 15% discount.  The main card is in the new in-colour Coastal Cabana, and the punched flower is finished with one of the new in-colour embellishments in Baked Brown Sugar, which is echoed in the border edging. The rich yellow is the new Regal Crushed Curry, which is also the colour of the chevron ribbon bow - the star of the show as far as this card is concerned; I LOVE this ribbon!

This ribbon was one of my 'must haves' from the new catalogue; my only dilemma was exactly which colour I should purchase first! If you've now had a chance to look at the new annual catalogue and you too have a long wishlist of products you would like, why not get together with some friends and host a party? This is a great way to earn free products and you could make a version of the above card and have an evening of fun into the bargain. If you would like to host a party, please contact me today to book a date in the diary.

Back tomorrow with another project - a very special birthday card for a very special little boy. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Flower Shop, Perfectly Penned

Cardstock: Coastal Cabana, Baked Brown Sugar, Whisper White

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Baked Brown Sugar

Tools: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Pansy Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch

Finishing Touches: Crushed Curry 3/4" Chevron Ribbon, Baked Brown Sugar In Colour Boutique Details

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).

A quick post from me today to share some of the thank you cards I made recently to pop into bags with my customer's orders. I used another retiring stamp set: the hostess set "Happy You", available to hostesses when they host a Stampin' Up! party. This is a great set for making 3x3" cards - the perfect size for little note cards or gift tags.

Here are my cards:

I mounted these on a piece of Brights DSP just to give a sharper edge to the design and spent a pleasurable few minutes colouring in the images with my markers and blender pen. A little tip for you when stamping images like this with a view to colouring in - I often stamp my image outlines in Basic Grey as opposed to Black, as I think it makes the image appear less harsh.

These cards are a great example of how no matter how little time you have, a few minutes is all it takes to stamp a quick card. This stamp set has lots of little stamps perfect for every occasion - but you're running out of time to own it! If you would like a fun evening in crafting with friends, please contact me to book a date to host your own party. With the new catalogue launching on July 2nd, be one of the first to play with all the great new products and colours - there's never been a better time to be a Stampin' Up! hostess.

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Happy You (Hostess set)

Cardstock: Whisper White, Pacific Point Brights DSP

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Basic Grey, Pacific Point, Marina Mist, More Mustard, Real Red, Sahara Sand

Tools: Blender Pen

Today I'm back with the birthday card I promised yesterday: this time the card I made from her little brother. I saw a great card by Wendy Cranford on Pinterest a while ago and whilst this was for a LaLa Loopsy doll, I thought I could make a great likeness of Rebecca from it. Here's the link to Wendy's original card where she also provides a great video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on how she created her version. Now for my card:

I made my hair blonde and cut in a fringe - don't you just love the hair tied in bunches?! Also, instead of buttons for eyes, I used some punched navy circles and painted with Crystal Effects to make them shiny. Another sentiment courtesy of 'For My Family', this time pairing 'sister' with the 'Happy Birthday' from Wacky Wishes. Another set I'll be sorry to see go; if you would like to own this set, you need to host a party before the end of the month so get in touch!

Here's a close up of the little girl's face again:

I know, totally impractical for putting in an envelope, but I love the hair! So simple to recreate - just cut the card using paper snips into thin strands, then curl around a pencil - but so effective. The perfect card for little girls and I love that you can make them individual to look like the recipient. To be fair, this photo looks more like 'baby Rebecca' than my now 8 year-old - this is the photo that inspired my version of this card:

I guess in my mind's eye she will always look this way to me - beautiful!

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

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: For My Family, Wacky Wishes

Cardstock: Whisper White, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Rich Razzleberry, Night of Navy, Blushing Bride, Summer Smooches Parade Designer Series Paper

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Real Red, Melon Mambo, Whisper White Kraft Ink

Tools: Circles #2 Originals Die, Small Heart Punch, Corner Punch, Dress Up Framelits, Itty Bitty Punches (circle), Small Oval Punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig

Finishing Touches: Basics Rhinestones

No stamping today! I have another Dress Up project from last month's quarterly training session: this time a lovely set of gift tags in a nice little pocket holder made using the Pop n' Cuts base again. Here's the outside of the box, decorated with its own dress on a Cute Clip hanger and another of those little filter paper flowers:

Open up the box to reveal a lovely set of dressed mannequin gift tags, each one with its own outfit:

This kind of holder is so easy to make just by adding in a couple of central score lines and box section to hold the tags; it would also make a nice notelet holder. As for the tags - what better way to ensure a gift for someone special is 'all dressed up'? My particular favourite outfit combo is the embossed filter paper sundress with the hot pink patterned bolero cardigan; leave me a comment and let me know which one you prefer, or better still how you would dress yours?

If you would like to get your hands on a gift tag set like the one above, you can do one of three things:

host a party during the month of May - this will be my hostess gift to thank you for booking a party and if you have party sales totally £300 or more, you could use your hostess credits to obtain the Pop 'n' Cuts Card base, Pop 'n' Cuts Dress Form and All Dressed Up framelit and stamps bundle ABSOLUTELY FREE!*

ask me about a class - if I have enough interested crafters, I will run a class featuring the Dress Up framelits and Pop 'n' Cuts base and you can learn how to make this set and more

contact me via joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk to place your order today

So many choices - I hope one of them tick's your box and I look forward to hearing from you. Back tomorrow with anohter project - until then, happy stampin'!

*Hostess credits for party sales of £300 totalling £75 (£50 plus £25 bonus if you host a party before May 30th) with one item purchased at 50% discount price

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Cardstock: Marina Mist, Sunshine and Sprinkles DSP

Ink: Basic Grey

Tools: Dress Up Framelits, Big Shot, Itty Bitty Punches, Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Heart Punch

Finishing Touches: Basics Rhinestones, 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon Basic Grey, Creped Filter Paper, Cute Clips

Lots to share today: new Stampin' Up! offers, some lovely makes and a 'sneak peek' of tomorrow's post - but you'll have to read everything else first!

Stampin' Up! has announced two great offers that will run from April 15th-May 30th: If you host a £250 party, you will earn an additional £25 in hostess credits to spend on any items you like from the current annual and Spring-Summer catalogues - that's a whopping £65 worth of product absolutely free, just for hosting a party. All you need to do is contact me to arrange a date, invite your friends round and pop the kettle on - I'll take care of the rest.

If you've ever thought about becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, there's another great offer that will be of interest to you: if you sign up before 30th May, you will receive an extra £25 worth of product of your choice in your starter kit - that's a total of £155 worth of product for £99 cost - bargain! You will also receive a business supplies pack worth £45, which brings the total value of the starter pack to £200 - a great deal at half the price. Whether you want to be a hobby demonstrator and simply take advantage of the opportunity to purchase your craft supplies at a discount, supplement your existing income or work with a specific financial goal in mind, or build a business out of your love of crafting that has endless opportunities and the flexibility to work the hours of your choice and do a much or as little as you like, Stampin' Up! has something for everyone. In addition to the extensive resources that Stampin' Up! offers, I like to give my team members something 'extra'. In addition to my personal support in helping you make the most of everything that Stampin' Up! has to offer, I like to share my enthusiasm and passion and inspire them to create great things. Here's the welcome card and gift I made for new members of my team during Sale-A-Bration earlier this year, inspired by something similar I had seen on the SU corporate blog:

A lovely decorated notebook for those all important moments when inspiration strikes and a co-ordinating welcome card. I used the Vine Embossing Folder and co-ordinating stamp from the Madison Avenue stamp set, highlighting with some hearts from my Owl Punch and the 'Oh Hello' stamp set from the stamp set of the same name. Here's a close-up of the notebook:

And here's a close-up of the co-ordinating welcome card: 

So if you would like to say 'Oh Hello' and join my team of Crafty Owls, do get in touch with me here if you'd like more information. Alternatively, if you've already decided and are ready to order your starter pack, just click here to complete the form online - it's really straightforward.

Lastly, I promised a 'sneak peek' of tomorrow's post, which will feature one of the cards from my class tomorrow evening - so here it is:

You'll have to come back tomorrow to see the whole thing though - until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Oh Hello, Madison Avenue (Sale-A-Bration - retired)

Cardstock: Island Indigo, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Poppy Parade (retired)

Inks: Crumb Cake, Island Indigo

Tools: Vine Embossing Folder (Sale-A-Bration - retired), Stamp-a-ma-jig, Owl Punch

A short departure from my love affair with my Spring Sampler set today to bring you a card made with the Spring stamp in the Four Seasons set. I know it's already officially British Summer Time, but the weather seems to have only reached Spring-like proportions this week, so I don't think I'm too tardy:

I used a So Saffron card base and used a section of one of the Print Poetry Designer Paper sheets as a background for interest, but only across half of the card so that it didn't overwhelm or detract from the stamp whihc is the focal point. The Print Poetry papers in the Spring-Summer catalogue are great value: 48 sheets of 11.4 x 16.5 cm paper, 4 each of 12 designs for just £6.25 and the perfect size for card making. To add depth to the Spring stamp, I firstly inked the centre circle with my marker pens and cut out using a 1 1/4" punch. Then I inked the stamp in Gumball Green and punched out with the Scalloped Circle punch, then removed the centre with the 1" punch and overlaid on the original nesting bird using Dimensionals.

I coloured this little bird blue as I'm hoping he will be a good omen: last year we had a family of blue tits nesting in the cavity wall of our house and as blue tits are known to return to nesting sites year after year, this year we mounted a nest box with bird cam over the hole in the wall. This week we have seen definite signs that the bird box has been visited, so here's hoping we get to see a blue tit family in the making - I'll keep you posted!

I'll be featuring the other stamps in the Four Seasons set in coming months; this set is exclusive to hostesses and is one of a number of products that can be yours free* if you host a party. So if you'd like to get you're hands on one, simply give me a call or contact me at joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk and invite your friends round for a night of creativity, shopping and fun!

Back tomorrow with another card - until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Four Seasons: Spring (hostess set)

Cardstock: So Saffron, Whisper White, Print Poetry Designer Series Paper

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Gumball Green, Easrly Espresso, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi

Tools: 1" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch

*Hostess sets are products available exclusively to party hostesses. Hostess credits are awarded on a sliding scale based on overall party sales. See online catalogue for more details.

I've been out a wedding fair all day today but as I haven't blogged for a few days, thought I'd do a quick post to share with you some thank you cards I made for the lovely ladies who placed orders at the last party I ran. I wanted something simple as I had several to make and decided to use the Sale-A-Bration Bloomin' Marvelous stamp set as many of them had chosen it as their free gift with a £45 order and I wanted to give them a little inspiration. So this is what I came up with:

I love the effect you can get by using a frame within your picture to add focus, and by stamping the third butterfly and punching out it looks like the butterflies are almost flying off the page. A little sparkle adds a finishing touch. I also used the precut notelet and envelope sets to make these (card measures 12.7 x 8.9cm), so I didn't even need to cut and score the basic cardstock - super quick. If you would like this stamp set, Sale-A-Bration is running for another 19 days so drop me a line if you would like to place an order. That's it for today - I'm off to soak my aching feet!

Until next time, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Bloomin' Marvelous

Cardstock: Pool Party, Whisper White

Ink: Pool Party, Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple, Island Indigo

Tools: Bitty Butterfly Punch

Finishing Touches: Dazzling Details, Whisper White Notelets and Envelopes