Thankful Garden using Stampin Write Markers PP726

by Joanne James23. February 2025 08:00

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Stef to host this week and she has my favourite, a sketch challenge for us to work with:

    

Full disclosure - I LOVE this sketch - there are so many creative possibilities! So much so, I have not one but three cards to share with you that all have it as the starting point. So first up, my challenge card! I had another idea that I wanted to try with the Thankful Garden stamp set, so I decided to use the blue/mauve colour combination over at Color Dare and set to work - take a look at what I came up with:

 

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

Thankful Garden - I've made no secret of how much I love this bundle, that will launch with the new wave of Online Exclusives on 4th March. For today's card, I put the stencils to one side and used my Stampin' Write markers to outline colour the flower head and stem:

 

If you're not a fan of detailed colouring, this is a great way to use your Stampin' Write markers. You can currently receive not one but TWO colour family sets of Stampin' Write markers in addition to £130 of product for £99 when you join Stampin' Up! during the current Sale-A-Bration promotion. That's also the only way you can receive the Thankful Garden bundle before the 4th March launch date - by adding it to your starter kit. Now there's two reasons to sign up before the promotion ends on Friday :-) I added a couple of white diecut leaves and embossed a panel of Fresh As A Daisy DSP with the (retired) Painted Texture Embossing Folder behind my blossom, a few gems and a sentiment I fussy cut from the Greetings For All Ephemera pack to complete my card. I debated whether or not to use up some ribbon and add a bow and really couldn't decide:

 

I decided on balance I preferred it without, but what do you think? Do leave me a comment and let me know!

Goodbye Boho Blue - Boho Blue and Moody Mauve are the featured blue and purple on today's card; both are 2023-25 In Colours that are due to retire at the end of April. I will be featuring these and the other in-colours in this set in the next couple of months, but take this as your first reminder: now is a great time to stock up on re-inkers and any other 2023-25 in-colour supplies. They often run out before the end of the catalogue sales period, so don't leave it too late. Besides, if you add them to your basket and spend £55 or more before the end of the month, you can add a free product to your basket too - win-win!

Take Two and Three - As I mentioned above, I think this sketch is a keeper and so versatile. Whilst I used the flower as my shape for my PP card, I created two more cards that were more faithful to the circle. The first one was an Easter card using the Frames and Flowers DSP and one of the diecut wreaths, along with a sentiment from one of my favourite retired Easter sets, 'Easter Promise':

 

This paper pack really is the pack that just keeps on giving, I've made so many cards using it. 

My third card was the the current challenge over at The Alphabet Challenge Blog where they are on 'W for Wings' and this time I used a full panel of Lily Pond Lane DSP, overlaid with a panel out of which I diecut a circle to frame and highlight the mama and her brood of ducklings:

 

Aren't they just so cute?! This card is actually for one of my team, to celebrate the addition of the new 'ducklings' that she has welcomed to her Stampin' Up! team during the current Sale-A-Bration promotion - she loves ducks! I could have kept going with this sketch - I'm so looking forward to see what everyone else does with it in the PP gallery this week!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's main 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:

Here's a quick recap of our challenge rules:
 
1.  Create a new paper project
2.  Upload your creation to your blog with a link back to us and provide a direct link to the post featuring your challenge submission.
3.  Please link your card to no more than four challenges, TOTAL.
4.  Have FUN!

Enjoy your day; I am making banoffee pie today - yum! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Thankful Garden Pink Floral Friendship Card

by Joanne James19. February 2025 19:00

I've been playing more with my Thankful Garden bundle and since The Flower Challenge are asking for pink florals this month, I went pink to create a clean and simple card for the current 'friends' challenge over at Addicted to CAS too:

         

I'm also linking up for a second time over at Just Us Girls since 'friend' is also their word of the week and at Festive Friday where I chose pink, glossy dots, ink blending and words of encouragement/kindness from the inspo list. Take a look at what I came up with:

 

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

I kept things simple, this time stamping my flower directly onto my cardbase before stencilling to colour. I paired one of the sentiments in the set with a layered diecut 'friend' from the Friends for Life bundle to change it up a little: 

 

 A trio of enamel dots complete my card. I really like this card - these stencils really are great!

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 evening and I'll be back on Friday with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

More Reasons To Sale-A-Brate 2025 And New Kits Too

by Joanne James5. February 2025 09:00

We are in our second and final month of this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion: you all know that this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion will end on 28th February and in addition to hosting and joining benefits (you can read about those here) you also earn a free product for every £55/110 spend - you can see the existing items here.

Good news: from now until the 28th February, there are more reasons to celebrate! You will also be able to choose from the catalogue items below (you must use the special code as detailed as opposed to the usual item code to get one of these items free with a £55/110 spend):

Boy are there some great additional items available! Two new stamp sets from the mini catalogue and two fantastic sets of dies: Trusty Tools and Alphabet A La Mode. 

Remember, you need to use the special Sale-A-Bration item code for each product - these are different to the standard product codes for these items, which are still available to purchase in the annual and/or mini catalogues. If you have your eye on these or any of the other Sale-A-Bration items, do bear in mind that they will only be available whilst stocks last - it is possible that they could run out before the end of the promotion, so don't leave it too late to place your order. 

We also have 2 new kits available as part of the Kits Collection in the online store too:

So much To Celebrate Kit

SO MUCH TO CELEBRATE KIT

Whether it’s for a graduation, a wedding, or welcoming a new baby, nothing says congratulations quite like a handmade card. With the all-inclusive So Much to Celebrate Kit featuring gold foil details, pre-cut flowers, and puffy stickers, you can make beautiful cards to celebrate any occasion.

DETAILS
- Makes 9 cards: 3 each of 3 designs
- 2 folded card sizes
- 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" (10.5 x 14.9 cm): 6 cards
- 6" x 3" (15.2 x 7.6 cm): 3 cards
- Sentiments printed in Dutch, English, French, and German
- Colours: Balmy Blue, Old Olive, Pecan Pie, Petal Pink, Pumpkin Pie

Kit includes one of each item listed below.
- Step-by-step instructions
- 9 printed envelopes
- Puffy stickers
- Gold foil
- Adhesive
- A 9-7/8" x 6-1/2" x 2-3/4" (25.1 x 16.5 x 7 cm) printed box for storage or crafting on the go

The So Much To Celebrate kit costs £14.

Heirloom Arrangements Kit

HEIRLOOM ARRANGEMENTS KIT (ENGLISH)

Do you love the convenience of crafting with an all-inclusive kit but wish it offered a little more wiggle room for creativity? Then the Heirloom Arrangements Kit is perfect for you! With detailed vintage designs, eight card options, and loosely choreographed instructions, you can let your creativity shine and still have everything you need for your projects right at your fingertips.

DETAILS
- Makes 8 cards: 1 each of 8 designs
- Folded card size: 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" (10.5 x 14.9 cm)
- Colours: Basic Black, Blueberry Bushel, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Old Olive, Pecan Pie, Pretty in Pink, Pretty Peacock
- Also available in French and German

Kit includes one of each item listed below.
- Heirloom Arrangements Photopolymer Stamp Set
- Clear stamp block
- Pecan Pie Classic Stampin’ Spot
- Basic instructions
- 8 printed envelopes
- Pre-cut elements
- Specialty vellum
- Adhesive
- A 9-7/8" x 6-1/2" x 2-3/4" (25.1 x 16.5 x 7 cm) printed box for storage or crafting on the go
 
The Heirloom Arrangements Kit costs £22.

Finally - the Clearance Rack has updated with reductions on last chance products too, so what are you waiting for? Check them out and grab a bargain!

 

I'll be back soon with another project. Until then, happy shopping!

Mixed Florals Berry Burst Thank You Card

by Joanne James10. January 2025 12:00

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our first challenge of the year over at As you See It where we are kicking things off with a colour challenge chosen by Heather C:

    

I used the current sketch layout over at SUO Challenges and grabbed a new stamp set and die bundle and set to work - take a look:

 

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

Mixed Petals is a new Online Exclusives stamp set that I thought would work well with the challenge colours. I used some retired Berry Burst gingham paper for my background panel, then added a diecut in Peach Pie glimmer paper and a second one of the large stamped image in the set, that I coloured with my Stampin' Blends. I liked the idea of created some variegated colour tulips - I love that tulips come in such vibrant colours in real life:

 

I used the greys for my stems and leaves; a little poetic license for sure, however I do love the finished effect as it really allows the petals to stand out. I added a thank you sentiment from 'Thoughtful Wishes' and few coloured pearls and enamel dots to complete my card.

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. 

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

  • Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D or packaging project that fits the challenge.
  • For a Colour Challenge use all of the given colours and only those colours with these exceptions:
    • White and Very Vanilla are free colours.
    • In addition, you may use of ONE of these neutrals: Basic Black, Basic Gray, Crumb Cake, Basic Beige.
  • Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your post.
  • Make sure you link the specific post and not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI#(insert challenge number) when uploading to a public gallery
  • Please turn off word verification so that we can send you lots of feedback.
  • You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges. 
  • We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider for Top Pick and Featured Artist, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.
We look forward to seeing your creations in the AYSI gallery.

Enjoy your day and I'll be back on Sunday with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Reasons to Celebrate: Sale-A-Bration 2025, A New Mini Catalogue And 3 New KitsToo

by Joanne James7. January 2025 10:00

Happy New Year everyone! I took an extended blog break over Christmas to spend time with family and loved every minute of it. That said, it's the 7th January and time for a new mini-catalogue and our 2025 Sale-A-Bration promotion so today I'm back to tell you all about it! Once again this year there will be only one Sale-A-Bration promotion: it runs from today until 28th February. You can click on the catalogue on the right hand side of my blog page or below to access the Sale-A-Bration leaflet or go directly to my online shopto place an order - we are LIVE!

 

So how does Sale-A-Bration work? 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 £55 you spend between 7 January and 28 February. There is also the opportunity to earn even bigger rewards with a £110 purchase. It's the perfect time to purchase those products you've had on your wish list and earn more products for FREE! 

 

If you host a party or place an individual order with purchases of £275 or more, you can choose an additional £27.50 of products in addition to your standard rewards for FREE!

It’s also one of the best times of the year to join Stampin’ Up! There are two fabulous joining options during this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion:  

  • OPTION 1: Spend £99 and receive £130 of product of your choice and your choice of TWO marker sets from our Stampin' Write Marker Assortments (Brights, Neutrals, Regals, Subtles) PLUS a beautiful stamp set exclusively designed to work with them:

 

Or might prefer the following alternative:

  • OPTION 2: Spend £99 and receive £160 of product of your choice - that's an extra £30!

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. Above all else, it's a great opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals united through a common love of crafting.

If you would like to host a virtual or in-person 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.

As if that wasn't enough, today also sees the launch of the new January-April 2025 mini 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; 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!

There's also a new digital scrapbooking brochure out today:

Just click on the image above or in the sidebar on the right to browse the catalogue online and to purchase any of the items, click to go to my online store - everything is available to purchase from today!

There are new Online exclusives available in the online store today too! The following images show just some of the items available - a number of which co-ordinate with items in the above catalogues:

 

 Finally, three new kits have also been added to the online store today:

 

You can get the details on each of the new kits in the online store - click here to go directly to the 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 later with a creative post that uses some exciting new product! That post will go live at noon. Until then, happy shopping!

New Online Exclusives Live and Two New Craft Kits Too

by Joanne James11. November 2024 13:00

I have another post for you today with the details of a whole range of new Online Exclusives that launched last week - and the new kits for November too! Firstly, Online Exclusives! A reminder that you won’t find these products in any catalogue; they are available whilst supplies last - all from the convenience of the online store. 

There are 2 new suites. First up - the Otterly Adorable Suite:

 

This suite collection has otters, otters everywhere: playful otters on stamps, otter-shaped dies, otters frolicking on patterned paper, plus fun embellishments. It’s what you need to create aww-some cards and scrapbook pages.

The Otterly Adorable Suite Collection includes:

OTTERLY AMAZING PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (10% off)
* 10 photopolymer stamps
* Suggested clear blocks (sold separately): b, c, d, e

OTTERLY AMAZING DIES (10% off)
* 15 dies
* Largest die: 3-1/2" x 1-1/2" (8.9 x 3.8 cm)
* Use with a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine
* Compatible with the Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

OTTERLY ADORABLE 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER
* 12 sheets of patterned paper: 2 each of 6 double-sided designs
* Acid free
* Lignin free

LOST LAGOON SOFT CORDING
* Width: 1/8" (3.2 mm)
* Length: 10 yards (9.1 m)

RIVERSIDE IRREGULAR PEARLS
* 120 adhesive-backed pieces
* 40 each of 3 colours
* 5 mm, 6 mm
* Product colours: Gray Granite, Lost Lagoon, white

The second suite is the Marbled Elegance Suite:
 
 
 
Use the Marbled Elegance Suite Collection for all your love-themed craft projects for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, weddings, and birthdays. Also available in French and German.

The designs in this collection are perfect for card making and gift packaging. Colour your cards with marbled paper or heart stamps. Customise the gift bags for each recipient with the sentiment stamps and add the gold thread for a glamorous touch.

The Marbled Elegance Suite Collection includes:

HEARTS OF ELEGANCE PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (10% off)
* 11 photopolymer stamps
* Suggested clear blocks (sold separately): b, c, d

HEARTS OF ELEGANCE DIES (10% off)
* 10 dies
* Largest die: 4-1/2" x 4" (11.4 x 10.2 cm)
* Use with a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

MARBLED ELEGANCE 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) SPECIALTY DESIGNER SERIES PAPER
* 12 sheets of patterned paper: 2 each of 6 double-sided designs
* Acid free
* Lignin free

GOLD TWISTED THREAD
* Length: 10 yards (9.1 m)

ADHESIVE-BACKED HEART SEQUINS
* 120 adhesive-backed pieces
* 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm
* Gold

GIFT BAGS COMBO PACK
* 16 stampable bags, 8 of each colour in 2 sizes
* Large bag: 4-1/2" x 5-3/4" (11.4 x 14.6 cm)
* Small bag: 3-5/16" x 3-11/16" (8.4 x 9.4 cm)
* Food safe

There are 4 new bundles: the Pretty Petals bundle:

 PRETTY PETALS BUNDLE

The Pretty Petals Bundle includes the Pretty Petals Stamp Set and the Pretty Petals Dies.

Stamp, then cut out flowers and more flowers! The Pretty Petals Bundle has stamps and dies for creating small bouquets, big bouquets, and entire landscapes!

PRETTY PETALS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET
How do you like your flowers? One delicate bunch? Or an entire blooming garden? With the Pretty Petals Stamp Set, you can create what you want! Make a mixed bouquet by stamping the greenery in one colour and large and small flowers in multiple colours. Or stamp images repeatedly to create a card background blooming with colour.
* 6 photopolymer stamps
* Suggested clear blocks (sold separately): b, d, e

PRETTY PETALS DIES
Cut out bunches of blooms without scissors! The Pretty Petals Dies cut out one large floral grouping. The smaller dies cut out individual greenery pieces and flower petals. Combine them to create a single flower, a small bouquet, or an entire floralscape.
* 6 dies
* Largest die: 2-5/16" x 3-1/16" (5.9 x 7.8 cm)
* Use with a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine
* Compatible with the Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

Our coordinated craft bundles save you time and money! Buy the bundle and save 10% off the price of buying the stamp and tool separately. Plus, bundles will help you quickly cut out stamped images for a single project or create multiples of the same project with ease.

The Umbrella Days Bundle:

UMBRELLA DAYS CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH)

Send sunny thoughts even on rainy days with the Umbrella Days Stamp Set. This stamp set features rain-themed images and thoughtful sentiments for condolences, thanks, and thinking-of-you cards. Lean into the rain theme and colour the line-art images with watercolours or use your favourite colouring technique.

* 7 cling stamps
* Suggested clear blocks (sold separately): b, d, e, h

Cling stamps from Stampin’ Up!
* Are premium rubber stamps.
* Have deeply etched images for excellent detail.
* Are pre-cut so you don’t have to trim them.
* Cling to clear blocks without slipping.
* Are repositionable—temporarily mount on clear blocks to stamp, then remove to store.
* Save space—one set of blocks (sold separately) works for all your cling and photopolymer stamps.
* Have images on the spine of the case for easy storage and quick reference.

The Cake Celebrations bundle:

CAKE CELEBRATIONS BUNDLE (ENGLISH)

The Cake Celebrations Bundle includes the Cake Celebrations Stamp Set and the Cake Celebrations Dies. Also available in German.

Celebrate any event in style with help from the Cake Celebrations Bundle! Stamp the glaze and floral decorations on your paper, then die cut using the cake tiers. Make the cake the background to your paper crafts and turn your sentiments into a centrepiece. Or stamp the whole cake on your card and add a banner to the top using the banner die. Whatever your decoration strategy, this bundle will help you make a decadent paper crafting dessert.

CAKE CELEBRATIONS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET
Create scrumptious cakes with the Cake Celebrations Stamp Set! Whether you go with a one-tier wonder for a birthday card or dress up a wedding invitation with a two-tiered cake, this stamp set helps you decorate your paper crafts with cakes fit for any celebration. Use the fabulous icing details and decorative flora to detail your cake for an anniversary card. Or turn the celebratory sentiments into the focal point of your crafts. However you use it, this stamp set will help you make a card anyone will love. Just don’t forget the candles!
* 23 photopolymer stamps
* Suggested clear blocks (sold separately): b, c, h

CAKE CELEBRATIONS DIES
The Cake Celebration Dies are a great way to get friends and loved ones excited about birthdays, anniversaries, life milestones, and more. Use these dies to make a sweet cake the focal point on your cards. Or build an epic multitier cake—complete with a frosting glaze!—for major event invitations. The banner, cake stand, and floral decorations can help you add that extra special touch for an extra special paper craft.
* 14 dies
* Largest die: 2-3/16" x 1" (5.6 x 2.5 cm)
* Use with a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine
* Compatible with the Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine
 
The Classic Wedding bundle:
CLASSIC WEDDING BUNDLE (ENGLISH)
 
The Classic Wedding Bundle includes the Classic Wedding Stamp Set and the Classic Wedding Dies. Also available in French and German.

Create your own wedding scene for all the newlyweds in your life with the Classic Wedding Bundle! Stamp the fun vintage images, then precisely cut them out with the coordinating dies. Customise your cards with different colouring techniques or keep things simple by stamping in a single colour. Your recipients are going to love it!

CLASSIC WEDDING PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET
Celebrate the happy couple with the Classic Wedding Stamp Set! Create a paper craft that celebrates weddings and all other love occasions. Try new colouring techniques with the fun vintage images and then pair them with the coordinating sentiments. It’s the perfect set to have on hand for all your card making throughout the year.
* 14 photopolymer stamps
* Suggested clear blocks (sold separately): b, d, e

CLASSIC WEDDING DIES
Put together your own wedding send-off with the Classic Wedding Dies! In this set, one die cut will cut out multiple pieces, allowing more creativity and versatility. Easily put together your own scene to celebrate any love occasion with vintage paper cut-outs.
* 15 dies
* Largest die: 3-1/2" x 2-5/8" (8.9 x 6.7 cm)
* Use with a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

Finally the Happy Hibiscus bundle:

 

The Happy Hibiscus Bundle includes the Happy Hibiscus Stamp Set and the Happy Hibiscus Hybrid Embossing Folder.

Head to paradise with the Happy Hibiscus Bundle! Try different crafting techniques with the coordinating stamp set and hybrid embossing folder. Stamp your image and precisely cut it out with the dies. Add a fun background to your card base and assemble your paper craft that recipients will love!

HAPPY HIBISCUS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET
Create a tropical, colourful paper craft with the Happy Hibiscus Stamp Set! This Two-Step Stampin’ set is perfect for trying out different colouring techniques. Multiple floral and leaf images can easily be layered for an exotic floral arrangement. Or keep things simple with a single stamp, highlighting the elegant line art. Add one of the included sentiments for the final touch!
* 12 photopolymer stamps
* Suggested clear blocks (sold separately): b, d, e

HAPPY HIBISCUS HYBRID EMBOSSING FOLDER
The Happy Hibiscus Hybrid Embossing Folder is an easy way to get tropical flowers into any paper craft. Emboss your card base for a special background or easily cut out individual flowers. Mix and match the paper you use for a vibrant card front that any recipient will love!
* 1 embossing folder
* Embossing folder size: 6" x 6-1/4" (15.2 x 15.9 cm)
* 11 dies
* Largest die: 4" x 2-1/2" (10.2 x 6.4 cm)
* Use with a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

Our coordinated craft bundles save you time and money! Buy the bundle and save 10% off the price of buying the stamp and tool separately. Plus, bundles will help you quickly cut out stamped images for a single project or create multiples of the same project with ease.
 
There are also a number of additional single stamps and accessories - click on 'Online Exclusives' in the online store for more details:
 
 
 
 
AMONG THE SWALLOWS CLING STAMP SET
 
SHARING LOVING CRAFTING PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH)
 
PERFECT PAIRS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH)
 
COLOR COACH™ (ENGLISH)
 
There are 2 new kits that have been added to the online collection for November too:
 
Layered Landscapes Kit
LAYERED LANDSCAPES KIT 
 
 Do you long for the great outdoors but don’t actually want to go outdoors? Then the Layered Landscapes Kit is perfect for you! DIY lovely home decor with this unique kit that includes four 7-1/8" x 7-1/8" x 3/4" (18.1 x 18.1 x 1.9 cm) frames and pre-cut paper pieces. You can either stand the frames up on their included easels or hang them on your wall. Either way, your houseguests are sure to love your new artwork!

Kit includes:
* Pre-designed projects
* Step-by-step instructions
* Pre-cut pieces (No prep work! Get right to crafting)
* 4 white frames
* Frame size: 7-1/8" x 7-1/8" x 3/4" (18.1 x 18.1 x 1.9 cm)
* Enough adhesive to complete projects
* A 9-7/8" x 6-1/2" x 2-3/4" (25.1 x 16.5 x 7 cm) printed designer box for storage or crafting on the go

Product colours: Balmy Blue, Basic Beige, Basic Gray, Berry Burst, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Gray Granite, Lemon Lime Twist, Misty Moonlight, Mossy Meadow, Night of Navy, Old Olive, Pecan Pie, Soft Sea Foam
 
The second kit is the Nature's Paintings Kit:
 
 
 
Embrace your creative side with the Nature’s Paintings Kit. This unique kit includes everything you need for a fun creative experience: a colouring book, Watercolor Pencils, and a Water Painter. All you need is some imagination and water! Create lovely, picturesque images using advanced colouring techniques with this craft kit. Or make something that’s never been seen before—like green flowers with purple leaves. Keep it realistic or colour outside the lines—it’s up to you. And once you’re done, you can use your finished artwork to create a one-of-a-kind card front!

Kit includes:
* Pre-designed projects
* Line art illustrations
* Step-by-step instructions
* 24 watercolour paper pages, 2 each of 12 designs
* 8 Watercolor Pencils
* 1 Water Painter
* Colouring book: 4-1/2" x 6" x 1/2" (11.4 x 15.2 x 1.3 cm)
* A 9-7/8" x 6-1/2" x 1-3/4" (25.1 x 16.5 x 4.4 cm) printed designer box for storage or crafting on the go

Product colours: Berry Burst, Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Flirty Flamingo, Garden Green, Pumpkin Pie, Red
 
Lots to look over here! Check out my online store for more details and to purchase any of the items above.

A Latte Love For My Diecutting Machine AYSI 334

by Joanne James11. October 2024 12:00

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a fun 'fill in the blank' challenge from Deborah:

    

This was a tough one - there are so many things that I love to craft with!! For sheer versatility though, I think my favourite thing to craft with has to be my diecutting machine - it really allows for so much creativity and with such a beautifully crafted finish. In case you thought my choice was going to be designer series paper, it is a very close second - so today's card is a celebration of both! I was inspired by the words of the fun blackboard inspiration over at Time Out and decided to make a coffee-themed card using one of my favourite Online Exclusive Suites, A Little Latte - take a look:

 

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

A Little Latte Love - The A Little Latte Suite is the perfect way to discover your inner barista and create beautiful latte art and today's card contains a little of everything: designer series paper, stamps, dies and adhesive swirl dots all add up to yummy coffee goodness! 

The Diecutting Difference - I used my diecutting machine on today's card in a number of different ways: I used the Latte Love dies to both cut out stamped images (the spoon and coffee beans) and to diecut images directly from the designer series paper (the coffee cup and more coffee beans), as well as standalone dies to create the cafetiere and some additional Spotlight on Nature dies to diecut the stamped sentiment. Each adds another element, but the cafetiere in particular is a standout - if you look at the image below, you can see that it consists of three separate diecut elements to create the finished item:

 

Paper Perfection - A final mention to the gorgeous A Little Latte designer series paper too. I featured a few of the patterns on today's card: two for the background and then I diecut both beans and a latte art-filled coffee cup from a couple of the other sheets - I love it when dies and paper co-ordinate too!

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 must confess I'm more of a tea drinker than coffee connoisseur, but I do enjoy a nice coffee with friends every once in a while - this card will be winging its way to one with an invitation to join me soon.

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

  • Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D or packaging project that fits the challenge.
  • For a Fill In The Blank Challenge you must tell us how you filled in the blank and completed the sentence.
  • Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your post.
  • Make sure you link the specific post and not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI#(insert challenge number) when uploading to a public gallery
  • Please turn off word verification so that we can send you lots of feedback.
  • You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges. 
  • We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider for Top Pick and Featured Artist, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.
We look forward to seeing your creations in the AYSI gallery.

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

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Golden Greenery Christmas Card for PP708

by Joanne James22. September 2024 08:00

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's my turn to host this week and I have my favourite, a sketch challenge for us to work with:

 

I created a sketch with a few layers, that also includes a diagonal, something I generally avoid! I decided that the layering lent itself to showcasing some papers, so I decided to break into a new pack and create a few Christmas cards. Here's the first one:

 

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

Season of Green & Gold - The Season of Green & Gold Specialty Designer Series Paper is the star of today's cards. This paper is part of the Season of Green & Gold Suite Collection that is one of the Online Exclusives, so does not appear in the mini catalogue and can only be viewed online. The paper is a specialty paper featuring festive foliage and one side of each design includes gold foil detailing I can honestly say each of the patterns is truly beautiful. The gold and vanilla pattern I used on my card is my favourite, so that had to be the one I used on my first card. I matted my panel with one of gold foil and did the same to my second layer, onto which I heat embossed a sentiment from the 'Greetings Of The Season' stamp set. 

Golden Greenery - For my 'any shape' element, I decided to add a bunch of coordinating foliage in Very Vanilla and gold foil, cut using the Golden Greenery Dies. It has a beautiful embossed detail and I finished my bunch with a simple gold twine bow:

I left my card base plain so as not to detract from the detail of the paper and foliage; a couple of sparkly gems was all I needed to complete my card.

Three Variations On My Design - I loved my first card so much, I decided to make a few more using other patterns and colour combos. The first one still uses a Very Vanilla card base, but this time with a panel of green and gold designer paper and green diecut foliage, cut straight from another of the sheets in the pack:

 

You could of course stamp the foliage too using hte 'Golden Greenery' stamp set and then diecut it too, but using the pre-printed paper is a great timesaver! My third card uses the same papers, but this time on an Old Olive card base. to pick up on the colour of the papers more:

 

My final card is similar to the one above, but this time with a slightly shorter sentiment layer (I prefer the longer length but this was my first one made and I couldn't bare to see it go to waste!) and a pair of bells nestled in my foliage, also cut from another of the paper sheets:

 

Here's all four of the cards together - which one do you prefer? Do leave me a comment below - I'd love to hear your thoughts.

The reverse of these papers have some fabulous patterns too, but I couldn't resist showcasing the gold foiled side - so elegant! If you haven't already, you should check out the 'Online Exclusives' area of my Stampin' Up! website - there are some fabulous products for your festive crafting. As for my sketch - I hope you'll play along with us over at The Paper Players this week - I can't wait to see what you create!

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:

Here's a quick recap of our challenge rules:
 
1.  Create a new paper project
2.  Upload your creation to your blog with a link back to us and provide a direct link to the post featuring your challenge submission.
3.  Please link your card to no more than four challenges, TOTAL.
4.  Have FUN!

Enjoy your day; no plans here today so I'm hoping to squeeze in a little crafty time at some point. I'll be back later in the week with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

A Little Latte Thank You AYSI326

by Joanne James21. June 2024 08:00

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a sketch challenge designed by Deborah:

 

I knew that I wanted to use two pieces of co-ordinating designer series paper for those layers, so I decided to make another card with the Online Exclusives Latte Love bundle and the A Little Latte designer series papers that I used earlier this week. Here's what I came up with:

 

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

My card really is all about the A Little Latte designer paper: I used it it for both of my layers, with a colourful plaid for my base and a coffee splattered top layer. This provided the perfect base for my pair of coffee cups, fussy cut by hand from another sheet of paper:

I popped these up on dimensionals and added a thank you sentiment from the 'Latte Love' stamp set, anchored with a Calypso Coral-coloured rainbow enamel dot. This turned out to be a really simple card - quick and easy to duplicate so perfect for my customer thank you cards this month.

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. 

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

  • Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
  • Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can leave you lots of lovely comments. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use #AYSIXXX when uploading to a public gallery.
  • If you’re unsure about ‘the rules’, check the details under the Challenge Guidelines tab on the As You See It Challenge homepage.
  • In a sketch challenge, you are welcome to rotate or flip a sketch. You can replace shapes used such as substituting a circle panel for a square panel. However, we must be able to still see the basis of the original sketch in your finished product.
We look forward to seeing your creations in the AYSI gallery.

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

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Latte Love CAS Slimline CCS 539

by Joanne James18. June 2024 13:00

This week's challenge is a sketch challenge and Shannon has asked that we create a slimline card with a banner focal point. Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch when making your card.

    

I haven't made a slimline card in a while so today's card made a pleasant change. Also - what to do with all those circles, whilst still keeping things clean and simple? I decided to showcase a bundle from the Online Exclusives, Latte Love, that is just one of those that you can get with an additional 10% off this month. Take a look at what I came up with:

 

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

I thought that those circles would work really well as coffee cups, so cut a banner from the A Little Latte designer series paper, along with a trio of coffee cups, all showcasing different coffee art, and tucked them around my banner. I stamped some coffee rings and splatters in Pecan Pie and added a few adhesive backed swirl dots, finishing with one of the sentiments in the set:

This would make a great card for a friend you haven't seen in a while - who doesn't love a good coffee and catch up, right? Better still when you can get the bundle to make this card at a total of 20% off this month; why, it's almost rude not to!

I'm also playing along with my good friends over at TicTacToe Challenge this week - I went down the first column of Jeanie's board with layers, diecut and patterned paper.

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 later in the week with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

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About Me

Hi I'm Joanne and live in Northampton and when I'm not looking after my husband and two beautiful children, am an avid crafter with a passion for all things Stampin' Up!

I must confess that I have never been a big rubber stamper - until I discovered Stampin' Up! that is. I love the fact that I can get such great results with co-ordinating stamps, inks, papers and punches - the possibilities are endless! Join me on my stamping journey as I share the things I love and be inspired to create amazing things yourself!

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This is my personal blog and is not endorsed by Stampin’ Up! I hope you find it a plentiful source of ideas and personal inspiration but please don't copy my designs for contest submission or use for classes, publication or sale without express permission.

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