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 as it's the fifth Sunday of the month I have a tic-tac-toe challenge for us to work with:

I made a board filled with the things I love to craft with, so there are plenty of creative combinations to choose from! I chose the middle column of flowers/free/word die and decided to make a colourful rainbow slimline card - take a look:

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

Floral Impressions - Whilst I've used both the stamps and dies from the Online Exclusives Impressions Abloom on previous projects, I had not yet been brave enough to cut into my Floral Impressions paper. As a DSP lover I had considered it several times, but it was just too pretty! In the end, I decided too pretty not to use so chose my favourite sheet, showcasing a rainbow of flowers, and got my paper trimmer ready! I may or may not have already purchased a second pack of this paper this month, as it's one of the ones that has 15% off during this month's in-color sale. Today is the last day when you are able to take advantage of the in-color sale promotion, so if you need a second pack of this paper too, or any of the other in-color products included in the promotion, here's your reminder to click on the link below and place your order!

CASE The Catalogue - The eagle-eyed amongst you might feel like there's something familiar about today's card - and you may well be right. Today's card is a CASE of one on page 41 of the current Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue. To CASE - Copy And Share Everything - is a great way to take a project and use it to inspire something completely different, but where you can still see the source of the inspiration. An unwritten rule is that you should change at least 3 things for your card to be considered original and distinct from the project you are CASEing. So in my CASE, I retained the slimline layout, but I changed out my strips for a rainbow of flowers in a different paper pattern. I changed the stamped banner sentiment for one based around the Sweet Blooms 'Bloom' layered diecut (one of my favourites and the perfect encouraging sentiment to play over at Time Out this week) and whilst I retained the cluster of accent flowers, I incorporated more texture and detail (more on that below). If you compare the projects side by side, it's easy to see how the first card inspired the second one, even though my card today is my original work. 

Try Something New - In CASEing the card in the catalogue, it did cause me to try something new on today's card. The flower accent on the sample consisted of a mix of diecut florals and a flower fussy cut from the Florals In Bloom designer paper. Whilst I ordinarily wouldn't mix in this way, I decided to give it a go and in the end made an accent from a variety of diecuts and florals cut from another of the papers in the Floral Impressions pack, but also added in some large golden yellow enamel dots and a fuzzy flower middle from my stash that I thought worked well, having first coloured the edges of it with my Early Espresso marker pen to tone in with the diecut florals. It's difficult to pick up the detail in the main photograph, especially as the background strips are so busy - the close up below shows a little more of the detail:

This adds more texture and dimension and whilst this is something of a departure for me, I really like the effect - and I wouldn't have tried it if the catalogue sample hadn't inspired me to give it a go. What do you think? Do you ever CASE projects in this way? Leave me a comment below - I'd love to know where you find your inspiration.

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:

Enjoy your day; we are hoping for sunshine here to round off this weekend's second cricket game, but I'm note sure we will be in luck. I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

FLORAL IMPRESSIONS 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£9.99)

SWEET BLOOMS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£48.50)

IMPRESSIONS ABLOOM DIES (£32.00)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£16.00)

EARLY ESPRESSO A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)

EARLY ESPRESSO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)

I'm here today to share news of some exciting product changes that Stampin' Up! has just announced and a roundup of the latest kits and a reminder of this month's in-color promotion. First up there's updates about cling stamps, Stampin' Write markers and new stamp and die packaging:

Stampin' Write Markers

In Addition, we have also decided to discontinue Stampin’ Write Markers. One of the primary techniques unique to Stampin’ Write Markers is colouring directly on cling stamps—a technique that will become less relevant as we transition away from cling. As of today 20 August 2025, all Stampin’ Write Markers will move to Last Chance Products and be available while supplies last.

Here are some images of the new packaging for both stamps and dies Including a sneak peek of a set that will be available in the November Online Exclusives release):

Next up is a quick overview of the latest kits new available that I haven't shared here. Links to each to find out more and purchase n the online store are included below - please note some of these are discounted if you purchase this month as they are included in the current in color promotion:

 Some great kits in there - a lovely home decor kit and fun Halloween kit that would be perfect to make up with children, in addition to some pretty card kits too.

A reminder that the current in-color promotion runs until the end of the month, so you still have time to take advantage of the 15% discount on products featuring this year's in-colors - you can find everything included in this promotion by clicking on the image below: 

Finally, it was recently announced that moving forward there will be no annual Sale-A-Bration promotion; instead there will be a monthly Product of The month promotion. This will begin next month, but in the meantime, if you missed any of this year's Sale-A-Bration items, many of them are available  to purchase currently in the Last Chance section of the online store, whilst supplies last.

That's everything form me today; if you need more information on any of the above, please do get in touch. Back later in the week with a creative post - until then, happy stampin'!

BUNCH OF THANKS KIT (ENGLISH) (£18.70)

BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY KIT (£16.00)

HARVEST HOME GARLAND KIT (£21.00)

BIRTHDAY FANCY KIT (ENGLISH) (£20.40)

SWEET & SPOOKY KIT (£20.00)

It's the beginning of June and there's lots happening here this month so I'll split it into a few separate posts - buckle up!

I'm here with a quick post to let you know that the Last Chance Products section of the online store has updated. There are hundreds of new and discounted products from the mini and annual catalogues and online exclusives. You can check them all out HERE; go take a look, there are some great bargains to be had.

There are also two new kits available in the online store:

 The Pop Up Pals Kit

The second kit this month is the Make A Memory Scrapbooking Kit:

You can find out more information on any of these kits by visiting the Kits Collection section of the online store - links below.

Happy shopping! 

POP-UP PALS KIT (£9.50)

MAKE A MEMORY SCRAPBOOKING KIT (£34.00)

The month of June sees one of the best promotions for this time of year, when wishlists are long and there are lots of new suites to choose from. Starting 3 June, all available suites and suite products from the 2025–2026 Annual Catalogue and Online Exclusives are buy one, get one 50% off! If you’ve had your eye on a new suite from the annual catalogue or you really like the look of a stamp set from an Online Exclusives suite, you don’t have to choose—you can get both!

Details of the promotion are as follows:

• All available suites and suite products from the 2025–2026 Annual Catalogue and Online Exclusives are buy one, get one 50% off.
• When you shop the sale, the 50% off discount will apply to the lower-priced item (for example, if you buy a suite collection and a stamp set from a suite, the suite would be full price, and the stamp set would be 50% off).
• Suite collections are available if all items are in stock; if all items are not in stock, you can still shop the available suite products.
• You don’t have to buy a suite and suite products all from the same suite collection for the discount to apply. You can buy any suite products from any suite.
• The discount will appear in your basket once you’ve added two items within the sale parameters to your basket.
• Products are available only while supplies last.

The suites included in the promotion are as follows: - click on any of the images to be taken to the online store to see the products in more detail:

So much to choose from! The important thing to remember though to maximise your savings is - be strategic:

• The 50% off discount will apply to the lower-priced item.
• Maximize your BOGO savings! Purchase Bundles or Suites together.
• If you are buying two Suites, skip adding individual items like Designer Series Paper from a Suite, since the paper may end up being the item that’s 50% off instead of the higher-priced Suite.
• Place multiple orders to ensure the 50% off is maximized in each transaction - even with multiple P&P it will work out cheaper in the long run.

If you have any questions, do get in touch. Meanwhile, happy shopping!

Buckle up - there's lots happening today! The wait is over - the new 2025-26 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue is here! You will find a permanent link to the new catalogue on the right hand side of my blog but for today you need look no further than the picture below which will take you straight to the new catalogue: 

The new catalogue is fantastic, with so many great new products to choose from. I've sent paper copies to everyone who has shopped with me in the last 6 months; a digital copy of the new catalogue can be accessed via the image above and it 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 - and remember to opt in to take advantage of the new Stampin' Up! Rewards Programme! 

There is also a great joining promotion that goes live today to coincide with the launch of the new catalogue:

It’s always exciting to be able to invite people to join our community of crafters and creators. And right now it’s even more exciting because when you sign up between 6 and 31 May to become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, you can choose £170 worth of products of your choice for only £99 + free business supplies + free shipping + all the fun being a part of Stampin’ Up! - that's an extra £40 more than the standard joining offer!

I would love to chat with you about the benefits of joining my team and being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator; as always, you can always find the link to join my team on the right hand side of my blog page; alternatively it's right here if you fancy jumping right in!

What would you put into your starter kit? There are all those lovely new annual catalogue products for you to choose from, but that's not all: today sees the launch of another wave of Online Exclusive products too! 

There are 2 new suites: the Celebratory Sips Suite and the Floral Impressions Suite, along with lots of other bundles and products too - you can check them out here.

Finally, there are two new kits that have been added to the Kit Collection. The first is the Share A Smile Kit:

This kit makes 8 different uplifting cards (no stamping required) and costs just £14.00. The second is the Beautiful Blues Kit:

This kit makes 9 cards in three different designs and are perfect for sharing messages of friendship, support and sympathy and costs £22 to purchase. You can see more details and order both of these kits in the online store here where you can also access the full range of additional kits available to purchase.

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 creative post featuring some of those lovely new products; until then, happy shopping!

It's the beginning of May and there's lots happening this month so we are starting the month with some announcements! Firstly: we are excited to celebrate National Scrapbooking Day! Starting tomorrow (11pm tonight UK time), for 2 days only (2–3 May) we’re offering DOUBLE Stampin' Rewards on all purchases! What better way to celebrate one of our favourite crafting holidays? And the best part? This offer applies to ALL products, not just scrapbooking items! 

What are Stampin' Rewards and how do you earn them? In summary:

• For every order over £20, you will earn 10% of your entire order in Stampin' Rewards.
• Stampin' Rewards are added to your reward balance and can be spent on a future order (rewards are valid for 12 months). You can treat yourself with your next order, or save up your rewards for something special - you choose
• Log in to your Stampin’ Up! account (at www.stampinup.uk or set one up if you’re new).
• Opt in to the rewards programme.
• Shop and enjoy watching your rewards grow!
  There is also a great video walking you through the steps HERE
• If you don't want to place your own orders, I can generate an order for you and email a link for you to add the payment information. The goods will be delivered direct to you and you will need an account and to have opted in to receive the Stampin’ Rewards.
• You can still ask me to place your order on your behalf and I can have the goods sent to me or you but you will not earn Stampin’ Rewards on these purchases.
• You can select me as your demonstrator so that each time you log in, it will default to shopping with me.  To do this, log in and click ON YOUR NAME on the top right of your account and a drop down menu will appear.  Click on DEMONSTRATOR and search for Joanne James, click in the circle next to my name and I will be selected as your preferred demonstrator.

If you've any further questions about rewards, do give me a call or drop me a line.

Rewards aside, we are officially counting down now - there are only 6 days to go until the new 2025-26 Annual Stampin' Up! catalogue launches!

I have sent out copies to everyone on my catalogue mailing list who has purchased from me in the last 6 months - if you're not on this list but would like to receive a catalogue, then do give me a call on 07773 421446 or drop me an email and I will pop one in the post to you today.

This also means the following: 

You have only a few more days that you can order from the 2024-25 Stampin' Up! catalogue - this includes any of the 'Bundle and Save 10%' bundles. Even though some of the products they contain are being carried over to the new annual catalogue, they will not be available as a discounted bundle. 

You only have a few more days to order from the 2025 January-April Mini Stampin' Up! Catalogue too - a number of the products are being carried over to the new annual catalogue, however we will be saying goodbye to many items and again they will not be available as a discounted bundle. There are still a number of stamp sets and accessories available at a discount on the Last Chance pages - this is the perfect opportunity to grab a bargain!  

That's all from me - back tomorrow with this week's creative post for our new challenge over at As You See It. Until then, happy last-chance shopping!

A second post for today with some hot-off-the-press news! From 23-25 April, there will be free shipping on all orders of £60 or more! Details as follows:

• All order types qualify for this promotion.
• Free shipping is for three days only. Orders must be opened and closed during 23-25 April.*
• Free shipping automatically applies to your basket after the qualifying amount has been met, which is 75 € | £60 (before shipping and handling).
• Coupon codes and product credits are non-commissionable and will lower your order’s retail amount. Orders must meet the qualifying amount to be eligible for free shipping.
• The additional cost for expedited shipping is not covered by this promotion.

*Due to the time difference, this promotion will start on 22 April at 11:00 p.m., for Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Click here to go straight to the online store - happy shopping!

I'm here with a quick post to let you know that the Last Chance Products section of the online store has updated today. There are hundreds of new and discounted products from the mini and annual catalogues and online exclusives. You can check them all out HERE; go take a look, there are some great bargains to be had.

There are also three new kits available in the online store today:

The Paper Bouquet Kit: 

 The Essential Occasions Kit:

The Loveliest Wishes Kit:

You can find out more information on any of these kits by visiting the Kits Collection section of the online store.

Happy shopping! 

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. Nancy is hosting this month and our first challenge is a colour challenge: 

What a great set of fresh and zingy colours! For my card today I'm also playing along with the 'anything CAS' challenge over at AAA Cards with the optional twist of spring/spring colours with a simple thank you card packed with spring floral details - take a look:

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

Thoughtful Moments - I decided to use the Thoughtful Moments Hybrid Embossing Folder and Dies for the sentiment on my card today as I haven't used them for ages! I inked my embossing folder with Berry Burst ink to get the word outline before embossing and diecutting, then used my Berry Burst Blends to create a dip-dyed ombre look, before adding to my card base. It's difficult to see in the photos, but the embossing adds a really nice detail to a clean and simple card.  

Pretty Petals - I decorated my sentiment with clusters of flowers, stamped using the Pretty Petals stamp set. I stamped the stems directly onto the card base, in a mix of the greens, then stamped the petals in Berry Burst and diecut them before adding with dimensionals for a little extra depth:

The Pretty Petals stamps have an almost watercoloured effect, giving them a soft, airy feel - perfect for spring. In addition to individual blooms, you can stamp and diecut larger elements too - check out the set in more detail by clicking on the link to the Online Exclusives section of the store in the product table below. What's more, both the stamps and dies are currently reduced - so you could pick up a bargain too!

Finishing Touches - A white baker's twine bow and trio of white faceted gems complete today's 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. 

As a reminder, for our colour challenges, you must use all of the stated challenge colours. You may also use neutral colours; however, the challenge colours should be the most noticeable ones featured on your card. We use Stampin' Up! color names for reference, but you are welcome to use any other companies' products as long as you match the challenge colours as closely as possible.

Enjoy your day and I'll be back later in the week with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

PRETTY PETALS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (8.50)	PRETTY PETALS DIES (9.60)	THOUGHTFUL MOMENTS HYBRID EMBOSSING FOLDER (ENGLISH) (36.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (10.50)	BAKER'S TWINE ESSENTIALS PACK (10.25)	BERRY BURST CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)
BERRY BURST STAMPIN’ BLENDS COMBO PACK (10.25)	GRANNY APPLE GREEN CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	LEMON LIME TWIST CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)

Happy hump day everyone! Today I'm sharing a super quick card that I made using the current layout over at AAA Cards:

 

I had some seagulls cut and coloured left over from another project, so I decided that a trio of them would work perfectly for that sketch - take a look:

 

I used a sentiment from the set, altering the layout slightly to work better for the sketch:

 

Finally, I added another seagull and some chips to the inside of my card for a final touch of decoration:

 

I think the 'Friendly Seagulls' stamp set is my favourite Sale-A-Bration free item of the whole promotion - so fun! There are just two more days remaining of this year's Sale-A-Bration, so if you have your eye on this set or any other free product, you have just a couple more days to place an order and get your hands on them.

I'm also linking today's card up for a second run over at The Alphabet Challenge Blog where the theme is 'W For Wings'. 

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

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

 

 

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (10.50)

TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (7.50)

SMOKY SLATE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (10.25)

DAFFODIL DELIGHT STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (10.25)

REAL RED STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (10.25)