The wait is over - it's May 4th and the new 2021-22 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 - ordering systems have now fully transitioned from the old stock items to the new so you are good to go! Also, remember to add the current hostess code for May 6N4HU7SN 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.

There are also a couple of promotions that go live today to coincide with the launch of the new catalogue:

The first is the hostess promotion that I talked about in this post. As a reminder, you can earn an additional £20 of hostess rewards when you have party sales of £200 or more between May 4th - June 14th: 

Just because we are still experiencing some social distancing, doesn't mean we can't get together. If you would like to organise a virtual party with me, just let me know - numbers are unlimited and it can be a great way to connect with friends far and wide for a session of crafty fun! 

If your wishlist is long, you might also want to consider a cracking good join promotion that is running through the month of May too: 

It’s a fabulous time to join Stampin’ Up! From 4–31 May, new team members get even MORE FREE products in their customisable Starter Kit: new team members can get £130 £154 worth of products for only £99 + free business supplies + free shipping + all the fun being a part of Stampin’ Up! 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!

I also have a number of classes lined up in coming months featuring products from the new catalogue - the first of which are detailed below:

• May 10th: Paper Pumpkin Bouquet of Hope Craft Along
• May 24th: Monthly Class: Dragonfly Garden
• June 21st: Monthly Class: Pansy Patch

Full details for these classes can be found on my Facebook Events Page  or alternatively under the 'Events/classes' tab on my website.

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 later this morning with today's creative post; until then, happy shopping!

The brand new 2021–2022 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalogue goes live tomorrow on 4 May 2021, and Stampin’ Up! is having a celebration!

Stampin' Up! is all about connecting with others and sharing our love of crafting. Now when you connect and craft, you'll also collect the rewards! Anyone who places an order of £200+ or holds a party with £200+ in sales between May 4 - June 14 will receive £20 in extra Stampin’ Rewards!!  So that means that you’ll earn £44 at least in Stampin’ Rewards with any order or party of £200+ that is submitted between these dates! Yay!!

Here are the details:

• Customer, workshop and online order types all qualify for this promotion.
• Starter Kit orders do not qualify for this promotion.  But you CAN use your host cash toward the purchase of your Starter Kit, ask me for details!
• The qualifying amount must be reached with merchandise prior to shipping and tax.
• The £20 additional Stampin’ Rewards for this promotion will only be awarded once per order/party.
• Order Deadline:  June 14, 2021; 10:50 PM (BST)

Here is a flyer with the details:

Want to host a catalogue party?

Just because we are still social distancing, doesn't mean you can't still host a Stampin' up! party! If you would like to gather virtually with some friends, I can set up a host code for you and you can have your stamping friends place orders with your host code online.  If your party reaches £200 in sales, you’ll get that extra £20 in host cash when we close out your party! If you’re interested, ask me for details!

What is Paper Pumpkin? For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, Paper Pumpkin is a monthly subscription service that offers a unique variety of paper projects for crafters of any skill level to enjoy! These all-inclusive craft kits encourage Stampin’ Up! customers to explore their creativity, try new techniques, and discover their potential in paper-crafting. For now, Paper Pumpkin is only available as a subscription in North America. But, every now and then, Stampin' Up! offers a Paper Pumpkin kit to customers across the globe!

The Bouquet of Hope Paper Pumpkin Kit is the latest kit that has been made available to all markets. It provides a way to offer comfort, care, and condolences to those enduring life’s challenges. With beautiful blooms and supportive sentiments, this kind-hearted kit will allow you to soothe others’ sorrow and share your sympathy in a heartfelt, handmade way! While you can create nine comforting cards—three each of three designs, plus coordinating envelopes—with the kit’s components, the versatile stamp set included in the kit can be used to uplift loved ones during trying times, any time. And, if you snagged a stack of Flower & Field Designer Series Paper during Sale-A-Bration, you can combine it with the kit’s extra elements and enjoy even more coordinated cardmaking!

The kit contains the following items:

• The Bouquet of Hope Stamp Set, an exclusive stamp set not available anywhere else!
• A Stampin’ Spot
• Enough materials to create nine cards, including patterned card bases, decorative die-cut pieces, embellishments, and more!
• Nine coordinating envelopes
• Adhesive

A clear block is not included. Would you like to take a closer look? Here's the video that was released in the USA to promote this kit earlier in the year:

I will be running an online craft-along with this kit on Monday 10th May, to both craft, chat and make the kit and look at alternative ways to use the contents and leftovers too. Anyone who has purchased a kit is welcome to join me - just get in touch for the details. If you would like to order one, the Bouquet of Hope Paper Pumpkin kit is available in my online store for £20, whilst supplies last. Get yours today!

BOUQUET OF HOPE PAPER PUMPKIN KIT (ENGLISH) (£20.00)

I promised you a second post today and here it is! For 24 hours only, starting at 11pm UK time this evening, Stampin' Up! are offering FREE shipping on orders of £35 or more.

The key information is as follows:

• Free shipping applies after the qualifying order amount has been met.
• The minimum qualifying amount to receive free shipping is £35 or more.
• Free shipping only applies during the 24-hour period the promotion is live in each market; this means that the order must be opened and closed between 16 March 2021, at 11 p.m. and 17 March 2021, at 11:00 p.m (UK).

This is a great time to stock up on soon to be retiring in-colours, pick up a bundle that you've had your eye on and more! So start making those lists and head off to the online Stampin' Up! store or message me with your order.

Happy shopping!

Today was one of those days that did not go to plan - do you ever have days like that?! So I'm late squeezing in a quick post for this week's Inspired By Challenge and another entry for the birthday celebrations over at Time Out:

I used both the sketch layout and number inspiration over at Inspired By for my fun birthday card today - take a look:

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

I created a custom sentiment using my Playful Alphabet Dies, flanked by some happy-go-lucky party chicks from the Hey Birthday Chicks bundle. I used some of the Ice Cream Corner designer paper for my background base and carried through the colours of the stripes for the other elements of my card:

Some quick stamping to the inside completes 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. 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

HEY BIRTHDAY CHICK BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£40.50)	RECTANGLE STITCHED DIES (£33.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£7.75)	PLAYFUL ALPHABET DIES (£32.00)	ICE CREAM CORNER 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£10.75)
FOAM ADHESIVE SHEETS (£7.50)	SO SAFFRON A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	BERMUDA BAY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	BLACKBERRY BLISS A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	BLACKBERRY BLISS CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)
TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.50)

Sale-A-Bration may be over for another year, but that's no reason for the excitement to end! From today you can get blooming with an exclusive early release from our new annual catalogue that is due to launch at the beginning of May - the Butterfly Brilliance Suite. Bring in the beauty of nature with the artistic designs of the Butterfly Brilliance Bundle and coordinating designer series paper, along with textured specialty paper that will put a pop of brilliance on every project. 

The suite consists of the following products: 

Prepare yourself for a burst of butterflies with the Butterfly Brilliance Background Stamp. Use this stamp to create projects for Mother's Day, weddings, and more. Pair this stamp with greetings of your choice to customize it for the season or occasion. Stamp the line-art image and add color with your choice of coloring technique, or apply different colors of ink to the stamp before stamping to create a unique look. Whatever you do with it, the results will be glorious.  Create beautifully detailed butterflies for all of your paper crafting projects with the Brilliant Wings Dies. Once you've cut out a swarm of butterflies, you can create a background, make a focal point, or use them as accents. There's so much you can do with these dies - and there's a saving when you but stamps and dies as a bundle - bonus!

Add lovely texture to your creations with the Natural Touch Specialty Paper. The pale woodgrain is versatile enough for any project and any time of year. You can stamp on it, emboss it, and use it with dies. Use large pieces of it as a background or cut out pieces to use as accents. 

This is an exclusive specialty paper that will only be available during the Butterfly Bouquet promotion and while supplies last.

Some people call a group of butterflies a kaleidoscope, and that's what you'll get with the Butterfly Bijou 6" x 6" (15.2 x 15.2 cm) Designer Series Paper. Choose from glorious butterfly patterns in shades of aqua, pink, and yellow or watercolored patterns that coordinate beautifully. You can't go wrong with these unforgettable patterns.   

This is also an exclusive Designer Series Paper that will be available only during the Butterfly Bouquet promotion and while supplies last.

Love it all? Why not treat yourself to the Butterfly Brilliance Collection and get butterflies galore! This is also only available for the duration of the current promotion and won't carry over into the annual catalogue when it launches.

So what do you think? Have these butterflies got your heart all a-flutter today? If you can't wait to get your hands on yours, click on the links below to order from my online store:

BUTTERFLY BRILLIANCE CLING STAMP SET (£16.00)	BRILLIANT WINGS DIES (£41.00)	BUTTERFLY BRILLIANCE BUNDLE (£51.25)
BUTTERFLY BIJOU 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£10.75)	NATURAL TOUCH SPECIALTY PAPER (£4.75)	BUTTERFLY BRILLIANCE COLLECTION (£66.75)

I'll be back shortly with today's post for our new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. In the meantime, happy shopping! 

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

So many options for today's sketch! The weather is slowly warming up as Spring approaches and whilst we may not be experiencing beach vacations for some time to come still, I decided to break out my Sand and Sea Suite and recreate that feeling with a card or two instead. So this is the first card I came up with:

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

Sand and Sea - So much to love about the Sand & Sea Suite! One of the most unique aspects is the way that the dies contain a whole joined sheet of shells and sea fronds that can be both stamped and embossed then either used as a single piece or the individual pieces can be cut away as I've done on my card. I stamped, embossed and diecut the panel in both pink, yellow and pearlescent cardstock and mixed the various elements on my card, with that large, pink circular shell as the centrepiece. I gave it a pearlescent finish by sponging with frost white shimmer paint before adding to my card - just check out the amazing texture and detail:

I added some pearls and braided trim to finish. This stamp really does have the most lovely sentiments too; one the front of my card I used the one that forms the basis of the name for this stamp set - here's a peek at the inside of my card with the second part of my greeting:

This card is headed to one of my oldest and most dear friends for her birthday - I know she will love it! I'm also linking it up with the team over at Time Out Challenges, who are also celebrating their 7th birthday this week and challenging us to make birthday cards too - way to go Time Out!

A Pearlescent Alternative - I had another piece of the Sand & Sea DSP left after making the above card, so I decided to flip it and make another card using the reverse pattern, with the same layout but changing out some of the elements and colours and going for a slightly softer look:

I actually had something of a happy accident with this pearlescent shell. I had intended to simply emboss it, but having embossed the pink shell on the card above first, I hadn't realised that some of the pink ink had rubbed off onto the embossing folder so when I removed my pearly shell from the embossing folder, it had traces of pink ink on the indents. I wiped some of it away but then decided to go with it and instead rubbed the raised areas with Blushing Bride ink to accentuate them. I decided I actually quite liked the detail so no harm done - what do you think?

So which of these cards do you prefer? This one: 

Or this one:

Do leave me a comment below - I'd love to hear your thoughts. I am using this suite for my next monthly online stamp class and am looking forward to creating more fabulous cards with it - get in touch if you'd like more information.

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:

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; the weather has been unseasonally mild here this week, so I will be spending some time in the garden today and probably heading out on my bike for a long cycle ride with the other members of the James household to take advantage of the warmer temparatures in case winter decides to make a return! I will also be placing my last Sale-A-Bration order as the current Sale-A-Bration promotion ends today - last call for orders if you would like to earn one of the amazing free gifts that are available as part of the promotion. I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

FRIENDS ARE LIKE SEASHELLS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£50.25)	SEASHELLS 3D EMBOSSING FOLDER (£8.25)	SAND & SEA 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£10.75)	TASTEFUL LABELS DIES (£29.00)	SEASIDE SHELLS (£5.50)
PEARLESCENT SPECIALTY PAPER (£3.75)	BLUSHING BRIDE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	MELON MAMBO A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	SO SAFFRON A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	FLIRTY FLAMINGO A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)
VERSAMARK PAD (£8.75)	WHITE STAMPIN’ EMBOSS POWDER (£5.50)	3/16" (4.8 MM) BRAIDED LINEN TRIM (£6.50)	BLUSHING BRIDE 3/8" (1 CM) METALLIC RIBBON (£5.50)	MELON MAMBO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)
FLIRTY FLAMINGO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	VELLUM A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.25)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)	PEARL BASIC JEWELS (£4.75)
FROST WHITE SHIMMER PAINT (£7.50)

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

I went down the first column with thinking of you/stitching/flowers for my card today, that also makes the most of one of the Sale-A-Bration freebies that can still be yours for a few more days so is perfect to play along with the team over at TGIF Challenges too - take a look:

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

Flower and Field - Although I didn't eventually choose it, I was considering 'shades of green' as one of my board options and I immediately thought of this paper in the Flower and Field Sale-A-Bration DSP pack as it makes such a beautiful use of Just Jade as its background colour. I decided to use this paper anyway as it's so pretty and the green, pink and yellow combo give me three colours to play with the peeps over at Paper Craft Crew this week too! It's also a great reminder that there are just 3 days to go until the end of the current Sale-A-Bration promotion. If you are a regular Stampin' Up! customer, don't be caught out - the current promotion ends a whole month earlier than it has in previous years. That's no bad thing, as it means we will get a second Sale-A-Bration promotion later in the year, but if you still have things on your current SAB wishlist, you need to earn them whilst you still can!

Thinking of You - The sentiment I chose for my card today comes from the 'Happy Thoughts' stamp set, inspired by the Million Sales Achiever Jackie Bolhuis. This is a sentiment-only set, designed with beginner crafters in mind. It has great basic sentiments for every occasion, along with some longer ones that work perfectly as a feature or on the insdie of a card. What's more, this set was designed to co-ordinate with a number of our basic punches, so is really versatile and a great way to build on a beginner's collection of basic items. 

Pierced Blooms - I added a few Pierced Blooms to decorate my card - another long-awaited addition to my collection - although as I went to finishe my card with some black enamel dots on those itty bitty pink flowers I realised ... yes, I've run out! So use your imagination as I go off to order more of these craft room staples!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

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

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

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

PIERCED BLOOMS DIES (£34.00)	HAPPY THOUGHTS CLING STAMP SET (£20.00)	FLOWER & FIELD 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£0.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)	BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)
JUST JADE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	BUMBLEBEE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	FLIRTY FLAMINGO A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	STITCHED SO SWEETLY DIES (£30.00)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.50)
MATTE BLACK DOTS (£6.50)	FLOWERS FOR EVERY SEASON RIBBON COMBO PACK (£9.25)

Today I'm sharing another card using that oh-so-pretty floral die, this time using this week's Global Design Project #GDP278 sketch. Those pretty pink stripes and florals were also inspired by the pastel-striped biscuits in the good-enough-to-eat inspiration photo over at Time Out this week and I'm also having a second entry over at Addicted to CAS where the theme is hearts:

My card is all heart for sure with my white floral version - take a look:

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

I used a few narrow strips cut from some left over pieces of Oh So Ombre DSP (gotta love a Sale-A-Bration freebie!) I decided to make this card a clean and simple anniversary card, so added a silver heat-embossed sentiment to the banner that also comes in the Floral Heart Dies set. I've not used this before but I really like the way it folds and the stitched detailing. A sprinking of Rococco Rose sequins separated from my Woven Threads sequin assortment complete my card:

 I love the clean and delicate appearance of this card, with the soft pinks against the white. Very romantic, don't you think?!

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:

ALWAYS IN MY HEART BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£46.75)

OH SO OMBRE 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£0.00)

WOVEN THREADS SEQUIN ASSORTMENT (£4.75)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£7.75)

VERSAMARK PAD (£8.75)

SILVER STAMPIN’ EMBOSS POWDER (£5.50)