Today I want to share with you news of another special kit that will be coming to the UK for the first time this month: Paper Pumpkin! For those of you that may not be aware, Paper Pumpkin is a monthly papercrafting kit offered by Stampin’ Up! that is currently only available in the United States and parts of Canada. This month's kit is a particularly special one as it was inspired and co-created by the founder of Stampin' Up! herself, Shelli Gardner. Because the 'Hugs from Shelli' kit is so special, Stampin' Up! has decided to give demonstrators and customers everywhere the chance to experience it. As such, the Shelli kit will be available as an exclusive, limited release in all of our global (Europe, South Pacific, Japan, and Quebec, Canada) markets starting 15 May.

The exact contents of the kit are as always a closely guarded secret, but here's a short video by Shelli herself that gives a flavour of what the kit has in store: 

Part of what makes a Paper Pumpkin kit special is that Stampin' Up! don’t reveal the projects inside the box ahead of time so when it arrives there's always a sense of excitement and anticipation for the good things inside. Shelli describes the kit as “A touch of earthy and elegant spring with lots of layers and texture.” I was lucky enough at Stampin' up!'s recent Onstage event to make one of the cards in the kit - here's a picture of what that card looks like:

Isn't that so pretty? Even the envelope is beautifully decorated inside and out. No more sneak peeks, but I can confirm the Shelli kit from Paper Pumpkin includes the following:

• An exclusive stamp set not available anywhere else
• One Classic Stampin’ Spot® from our Classic ink collection
• Paper and crafting materials to create 12 cards (3 cards of 4 unique designs)
• 12 exclusive, coordinating envelopes
• Adhesives and embellishments for all 12 cards
• NOTE: A clear block is NOT included with this kit.

In addition, the kit will coordinate with the following Stampin’ Up! colours: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Old Olive, Petal Pink, Pool Party, Pretty Peacock, Soft Suede, and Very Vanilla.

So how can you get your hands on one? The 'Hugs From Shelli' kit goes on sale on 15 May and will be available only whilst supplies last. Kits are expected to be popular and to sell out quickly, so either be ready to put your order in online or contact me in advance in order that I can arrange to order your kit for you; you won't want to miss it!

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

Just a quick post to let you know that the Everything Is Rosy Product Medley is now available to order. You can read all about this kit in my earlier post here; also here's a quick reminder of what is included:

Contact me to order yours or alternatively click on the link below that will take you directly to my online store to purchase:

Everything Is Rosy Product Medley (£74.00)

Today I'm sharing a card for this week's colour challenge over at Just Add Ink:

I've not managed to play along with this lovely group for a couple of weeks but when I saw this week's fabulous bright colour palette I couldn't resist! I decided to go for a bold design to really make the most of all that colour and used my Butterfly Beauty Thinlits Dies for the very first time - take a look:

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

A Blended Background - I wanted something with lots of colour for my background but not too much detail so as to detract from the butterflies, so decided to use the two lightest colours and apply them using a sponge dauber in a circular motion until the colours were blended and covered the whole layer. I used Shimmery White cardstock for my base; I find this helps the colours blend better and I also love the subtle shimmer it adds to the card. 

Butterfly Beauties Indeed - I loved these butterflies the moment I saw them and I've had them for months, so I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get them out of the packet as they really are gorgeous and the star of the show for sure on today's card. I used both of the large dies and layered them together, with a smaller layered butterfly to anchor my sentiment; the set rally is choc-full of butterflies in all shapes and sizes though - lots of creative possibilities. I'm so glad these are carrying over into the main catalogue as it will give me lots more opportunities to play with them. Just a quick reminder that whilst both the Beauty Abounds stamp set and the Butterfly Beauty Thinlits Dies are carrying over, the 10% bundle discount price will not, so if you want to take advantage of that you need to order before the new catalogue goes live on 4th June.

Friendship Abounds - The dies in the Beauty Abounds bundle are rather spectacular, but the stamp set is rather special too: alongside some generic sentiments, it has two great pairs of sentiments that are just perfect for that special friend in you life. The one I used on my card today finishes on the inside with '...out of a whole world of people' (I forgot to take a photo so you'll have to take my word for it!!) How lovely is that?

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. I'm early posting for a change and mine is shaping up to be a busy one. and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Beauty Abounds Cling Bundle (£51.25)	Blueberry Bushel A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Blueberry Bushel Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Coastal Cabana A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)
Pineapple Punch A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Pineapple Punch Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Sponge Daubers (£4.75)	Shimmery White A4 Cardstock (£8.25)

Today I've been battling a mountain of ironing and watching one of the James Juniors playing back-to-back hockey games in storm-grade winds (a dedicated sportswoman indeed!) so I'm late with today's post but wanted to share a quick card I made for the current challenge over at Inspire.Create where they have a great sketch to work with:

My card features stamp, papers, ribbon and a sentiment from the Memories and More kit from the Happiness Blooms Suite  - take a look:

I just love this suite and am so sad it is going to retire as it's one of my favourites from the Spring-Summer catalogue - i love the contemporary design and bright colours and the Bitty Blooms punch pack is super-useful 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. 

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with my post for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Bloom By Bloom Photopolymer Stamp Set (£16.00)	Happiness Blooms 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper (£10.25)	Calypso Coral 3/8" (1 Cm) Satin Ribbon (£5.50)	Happiness Blooms Enamel Dots (£6.50)	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Calypso Coral A4 Cardstock (£8.00)
Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Night Of Navy A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Call Me Clover Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)	Happiness Blooms Memories & More Card Pack (£9.25)

What a great start to a Tuesday - I logged on this morning to find a surprise update to the Clearance Rack. There are now lots of new items available, some with as much as 60% off. As is always the case, popular items will sell out quickly, so don't spend too long deliberating - get in there quick! There are some great paper bargains, including many designer series papers, accessories, kits, framelits and even a few punches. 

Click here to go the clearance rack in my online store and grab a bargain whilst stocks last! Don't forget to include the current hostess code FRRF6WRW make sure that 'allow your demonstrator to contact you' is ticked in order that you receive your special 'thank you' in the post from me. 

Race you to the shop - first one there gets the bargains! Happy shopping! 

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's Laurie's turn to host this week and as it's the fifth Sunday of the month we have a tic-tac-toe challenge for you to work with:

I really struggled with my card today - too many options to choose from on Laurie's fabulous board! I was also under a little time pressure having left my card to the last minute, which is never good for creativity! I also used this week's sketch over at Stamp Ink Paper which is great for a blank canvas with a central focal sentiment and my card also happens to use the colours over at Color Throwdown this week (as close as I have to them). So after much deliberating, I went down the left hand row of Laurie's TicTacToe board to create an Easter card (I've just realised it works for the diagonal too!) - take a look:

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

Sale-A-Bration Shades of Purple - I chose to feature this pretty floral paper from the Sale-A-Bration Botanical Butterfly paper pack as the background for my card today. Such a pretty pattern - if you like it as much as I do, then you only have today to still snap it up as this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion is finally coming to an end. I softened it with a piece of vellum, so that it didn't distract from my main design yet still adds a delicate pattern detail.

Cross Of Hope - Today's Easter card features a layered cross as the basis for the centre piece: a simple cross cut from Wood Textures DSP and overlaid with a simple silver one at its centre. There are some beautiful cross dies in this framelit set (check out my fellow paper Player LeAnne's card for an example of one of my favourites) however simple was my choice for today to allow my florals to shine. 

Easter Greetings - I inked my floral stem with my Stampin' Write markers and overlaid the whole thing with an uplifting sentiment from the 'Hold on To Hope' stamp set, which I heat embossed in silver onto white - I think this is a lovely banner for Easter. A linen twine bow and some glitter enamel dots finish my card. 

So what do you think? In hindsight I think my card might have needed to be smaller in size or with a few extra layers behind, as the centre still seems a little overwhelmed by the background, but in the end I just decided to go with it! Feel free to let me know what you think in a comment below - it may prompt a rework!

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:

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

It's Mother's Day here in the UK and we still have our German exchange student staying with us, so having experienced the delights of traditional British fish and chips yesterday, we are out to afternoon tea today. I'll try and remember to take a picture to share with you tomorrow! I'll be back tomorrow with another project and news of the fabulous new range of Stampin' Up! storage that will be on sale from April 1st - and that's no joke! Until then, enjoy your day and happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Cross Of Hope Framelits Dies (£25.00)	Hold On To Hope Clear-Mount Stamp Set (£20.00)	Highland Heather A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Vellum A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Many Marvelous Markers (£112.75)
Embossing Buddy (£5.50)	Versamark Pad (£8.25)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)	Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder (£4.75)	Glitter Enamel Dots (£6.50)
Wood Textures Designer Series Paper Stack (£10.25)	Silver Foil Sheets (£3.75)	Old Olive Linen Thread (£4.75)	Botanical Butterfly Designer Series Paper (£0.00)

Today I've just got time for a quick post to share another card made using the Sale-A-Bration stamp set 'By The Bay' that I made a while ago but haven't got around to blogging. Here's my card:

A simple scene watercoloured on shimmery white paper with inks and an aquapainter, layered with a tone-on-tone panel of Balmy Blue embossed with the Stripes embossing folder and paired with some burlap and leaves and a sentiment with stitched edge detail. Easy as that! You have only 4 more days to snap it up for free with a £45 order so if it's on your list, get your order in before the weekend. 

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:

By The Bay Cling Stamp Set (£0.00)	Simple Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (£8.00)	Rectangle Stitched Framelits Dies (£33.00)	Shimmery White A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Balmy Blue A4 Cardstock (£8.00)
Soft Sea Foam A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	5/8" (1.6 Cm) Burlap Ribbon (£6.50)	Mossy Meadow A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Wonderful Floral Framelits Dies (£32.00)

It's Tuesday and I have another animal card for you - actually the first one that I created out of the three I've shared with you in the last few days! This is my main card for this week's challenge over at Just Add Ink where the lovely ladies are all about the letter 'J' :

I am also using Julee's Mojo Monday sketch layout and the colours over at As You See It for my card today.

I love these letter challenges from the JAI team as they really challenge the old grey matter! When having my personal brainstorm of things beginning with J, just like a number of the DT members I immediately thought of the 'Jar of Love' stamp set and 'jigsaw' (check out Lou Kitzlemann's fabulous take on this theme via the link above). I did go with their 'joey' suggestion yesterday, but also came up with a few more of my own (journalling, joined, just because and Joanne to name but a few!) I decided to go with my favourite though, which was 'jumping' and decided it was a great opportunity for a fun interactive card using my free Sale-A-Bration stamp set 'So Hoppy Together' - take a look:

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

J is For Jumping - So whilst the interactive element is not immediately obvious from the flat lay of my photo, my frog is definitely jumping! I've used the frog that is actually riding a unicycle on the stamp, having selectively masked off the unicycle before stamping (I know, I could have just cut my stamp in half and lots of demo friends have, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it!!) Hop Around Framelits Dies to cut him out easily. I coloured him in Granny Apple Green Blends and then attached him to my card with a spring to give him a wobble so that he really way jumping for joy - you can see that in the short video clip below that I shared on my Facebook page today:

The spring simply attaches to the back of the frog with tape, with the other end pushed through the sentiment circle and secured in place on the reverse. Such fun!

Hop To It - I paired my frog with a piece of the Animal Expedition designer series paper that featured frogs on branches as I thought he would make the perfect friend for my jumping frog. I cut my paper carefully to make sure that my frog was both looking in the right direction and positioned in the centre of my square to compliment the overall layout. 

A Creative Sentiment - There are some great additional sentiments in the limited edition 'More Than Words' stamp set that is available this month that co-ordinate with the 'So happy together' frog set, including one that says "leaping for joy is easy to do" - I needed mine to say 'jumping for joy' though to truly fit with the 'J' theme, so I masked out the word 'leaping' and replaced it with 'JUMPING' which features on another stamp in this set, stamping my main sentiment in Soft Suede and my 'JUMPING' in Shaded Spruce for emphasis. The sentiment resolves with the other half on the inside of the card, which I decorated with another jumping frog:

I'm not sure whether it was my excitement at finding my 'J' solution or the fact that this card has a really simple interactive element, but this is one of those cards that is pure fun and I just couldn't wait to share with you! 

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. I have a busy day at my desk and am out visiting the lovely Jane and her crafty friends for a Stampin' Up! party this evening, so mine will be a long but productive one! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Animal Expedition Designer Series Paper (£10.25)	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock (£7.25)	Shaded Spruce Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Shaded Spruce A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Granny Apple Green A4 Cardstock (£8.00)
Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Layering Circle Framelits Dies (£33.00)	So Hoppy Together Cling Stamp Set (£0.00)	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)