Hello everyone! I've had a busy start to my week: barely recovered from my weekend of exhibiting at the Crafting Live Show in Stoneleigh Park at the weekend, then two days of classes and today a wisdom tooth removal. The latter has at least resulted in an enforced day of quiet today for a change as I am to take it easy - dentists orders!  

So I thought I would take the time to catch up and share with you some news of some fantastic promotions that Stampin' Up! has for this week and month. Firstly, for papercrafters everywhere, to celebrate World Card Making Day on 7th October we have a number of products that are available on offer from 1st-10th October:

Lots of great card making staples in there, including great deals on Fast Fuse and notelets and envelopes and some fabulous stamp sets. 

As if that wasn't enough, there is also an amazing 'buy three, get one free' offer on designer papers for the entire month of October:

This sale includes Designer Series Paper from both the annual catalogue and the recently released autumn/winter catalogue (not including Specialty Designer Series Paper or Designer Series Paper Stacks). Here is a close up of some of the paper collections that are included in this offer: 

You can already find lots of samples using these papers on my blog and I will continue to share lots more inspiration in the coming months. 

Before I go I have one last piece of exciting news to share with you: Stampin' Up! is getting ready to launch its new range of alcohol-based marker pens:

Stampin’ Blends as they will be known, are high-quality, dual-tip markers that come in twelve exclusive Stampin’ Up! colours. They each have a light and a dark shade, which will give you the utmost blending experience! The range also includes an ivory, bronze and colour lifter marker. These are currently only available to demonstrators until 15th October and the exact customer launch date is still to be confirmed. I have a great reason to be sharing them with you now though: if you, like me, love to colour and have been hotly anticipating the arrival of these markers, you might want to consider joining Stampin' up! as a demonstrator before the 15th October, as you are able to get the whole set as part of your starter kit, and still have room for a few other goodies too! If this is something you would like to chat with me about, then do get in touch for more information.

That's all from me; I'll be back tomorrow with a project to share with you. 

Until then, happy stampin'!

Happy 1st September everyone! Yes, this day has finally arrived! The new Autumn-Winter Seasonal Catalogue is here - you can download an electronic copy by clicking on the image below:

Physical catalogues have gone out in the post to my existing customers and anyone else who requested a copy; there will of course be a permanent link to the catalogue in the box on the right side of my blog page until 2nd January 2018 when the sales period ends. I've already shared a few sneak peeks and there is so much more to come! For today, put your feet up and browse the new catalogue in all its glory.

And there's more good news! Between now and the end of October, we have a fabulous promotion too - host a party with qualifying sales and you can earn the Merry Patterns stamp set for FREE in addition to your standard Stampin' Rewards that you will receive. Check it out here:

The Merry Patterns Stamp Set is a two-step stamp set exclusive to this promotion and, with its candles, holly, jolly deer and classic sentiments, reflects all the cosiness and warmth you associate with the season. As a party host you will get this set for free if your party sales reach the qualifying amount of £250. So why not gather some friends, get creative and earn rewards and a free stamp set into the bargain! I have both daytime and evening party slots available - either call me on 07773 421446 or email me via [email protected] to book yours.

The lovely people at Stampin' Up!'s home office have also produced a short video that shows the Merry Patterns stamp set in action along with some great samples - check it out:

Isn't that great?! Lots of creative possibilities for sure with this set. 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or queries. Don't forget to use this month's current hostess code KJ9FSDMS if you are placing an order online to receive an extra thank you from me. Back soon with more creative inspiration for you. Until then, happy browsing and get writing that wish list! 

Today I'm sharing a card for the current colour challenge over at As you See It:

Continuing with my run of Christmas cards, I decided it was time to finally ink up my new Carols of Christmas bundle - take a look:

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

Carols of Christmas - Carols of Christmas is a bundle that features in the new forthcoming Autumn-Winter seasonal catalogue. Christmas has come early at Stampin' Up! though and it has been available to all customers to purchase since the beginning of August, a whole month early. It features two large focal sentiments and a range of accompanying pieces, with everything from baubles to poinsettias and a sweet deer. Here I've inked the sentiment in Elegant Eggplant and Real Red, using the rock 'n' roll ink technique to blend the colour across the centre of the stamp for a two-tone effect.

Frame Your Card - The Carols Of Christmas bundle also includes some great card front builder thinlits that can be used to create frames and decorative borders to your cards. I used the patterned edge frame on my card today. It adds a nice decorative border to your card without being too fussy. 

Hanging Baubles - I also cut out my ornaments individually using the co-ordinating thinlits; this is useful as it means you can be lazy when stamping the baubles and strings and stamp them in the colour that you want for your strings (here I stamped them in black) then stamp them again on some scrap paper in your chosen colours, then just cut out the baubles and pop them on top of the original stamped ones, enabling you to combine colours with ease. If you look at your card at an angle (see my thumb nail at the top of this post), you will be able to see the original stamps underneath if you pop you ornaments onto mini dimensionals - which are perfect for this by the way! - but they can't be seen from the front, so worth the time saved I think. I also used a few leftover baubles to decorate the inside of 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. 

So I have something of a confession to make: this is actually the second card I made for this week's As You See It challenge - I had an idea that I used for the first one but when finished I wasn't sure that I liked the finished result. I might share that one with you tomorrow to see what you think!

I have the second of my technique classes this month tomorrow morning so am looking forward to working with the Color Theory Suite, which is our bundle of choice. I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Carols Of Christmas Clear-Mount Bundle	Carols Of Christmas Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Card Front Builder Thinlits Dies	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Elegant Eggplant A4 Cardstock
Elegant Eggplant Classic Stampin' Pad	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad

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. The gorgeous Affectionately Yours DSP is there along with the Jolly Hat Builder Punch too at 50% off - perfect for Christmas makes. I could go on, but the best thing you can do is hop on over and take a look.

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 3HFYNMYT 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! 

Have you ever thought about becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and having your own business? As my regular readers will know, we have a great joining offer on this month at Stampin' Up! and with a little under a week to go, I thought this would be a good opportunity to remind you of my top 3 reasons why it's the perfect time to start a Stampin' Up! business:

Free Essentials Gift Pack To Get Your Business Off To A Flying Start - This month's recruiting offer is perfect for anyone wanting to build a business. Between 1 and 31 July, every new recruit gets an Essentials Gift Pack (worth £47/63,50€) plus the Carols of Christmas Stamp Set (worth £18/24€) from the upcoming autumn/winter catalogue added to your starter kit for free! This means that you will get products and business supplies worth a whopping £195/262,50€ for just £99/129€ with free shipping!

Benefit From The Seasonal Catalogue Pre-Order And Get Organised - As a new Stampin' Up! Demonstrator signing up in July, you will be able to take advantage of the pre-order period for the new Autumn-Winter Seasonal Catalogue that starts on August 1st and order seasonal and Christmas Stampin' Up! products before anyone else - and a whole month before customers. This will give you lots of opportunities to plan for any parties, classes or events that you may like to host or arrange in the run up to the Christmas period.

A Full 6 Months To Make Your First Sales Minimum - Your first quarterly minimum isn't due until the end of December - so you have a whole 6 months to build a profitable Stampin' Up! business and start reaping the rewards of programmes such as Quick Start, designed specifically to incentivise those who make regular, consistent sales. Alternatively it's six months to simply take advantage of your demonstrator discount and purchase Stampin' Up! supplies at a reduced price and increase your own own stash of craft supplies; either way, it's a win-win!

All this and so much more besides: the opportunity to work with me and other equally motivated and high-performing individuals on my team and be part of the wider Stampin' Up! demonstrator community who live by Stampin' Up!'s Statement of The Heart every day - why not join us at Stampin' Up!, voted Papercraft brand and Retailer of the Year, and love what you do and share what you love and make a difference to your life and the lives of others today? Contact me if you would like to discuss further or alternatively if your mind is made up, sign up by clicking here and filling in your details.

Here's another Oh So Eclectic card from my technique class last week. One of the things we looked at was the different ways you can use the diamond-patterned die in the Eclectic Layers Thinlits to create backgrounds in a number of different ways. As such, I'm going to do a series of posts that each show an alternative example. Here's the first one: 

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

Colour Below - The diamond-patterned thinlit in the Eclectic Layers Thinlits set, like the flower and diamond dies, can be used with or without the outline piece. Used with the outline it creates a delicate cutout, perfect for layering. Used without, it adds interest to the mat layer of the card and can be used to add detail to a background from which to add additional detail. On today's card I cut it out of a mat of Extra Thick Whisper White and placed a piece of the lovely faux watercoloured paper in Night of Navy from the Naturally Eclectic designer series paper pack behind it, allowing the graduated colour to show through.

Naturally Eclectic - The Naturally Eclectic designer series paper really is one of my favourites - I love the colour combinations and whilst some of the patterns are rather bold, the watercolour washes on the reverse are gorgeous. Here's a shot of these papers in all their glory:

Mini Sequins For Maxi Impact - The last thing that I want to highlight on my card today is the addition of some of the new gold mini sequins. Perfect for embellishing cards without adding a lot of bulk, these add a touch of glamour to any project and are the perfect addition to a collage-style card such as this one. I just love these and think I might be addicted to them! 

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. 

Just a reminder too about this month's Bonus Days promotion: If the Oh So Eclectic bundle is on your shopping list, or any of the great bundles that Stampin' Up! has to offer, July is a great time to purchase; not only will you save 10% off the individual item prices by purchasing as a bundle, for every £45 you spend you will also receive a £4.50 coupon that can be used against next month's purchases too. A win-win! Furthermore, remember to add this month's hostess code JG7PHQKR to your order if shopping with me online to receive an extra little thank you in the post from me. 

I'll be back soon with another card that uses the Oh So Eclectic product suite. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Oh So Eclectic Clear-Mount Bundle	Naturally Eclectic Designer Series Paper	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Gold Mini Sequin Trim	Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Pad
Night Of Navy A4 Cardstock	Berry Burst A4 Cardstock	Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad	Powder Pink Classic Stampin' Pad	Powder Pink 1/2" Finely Woven Ribbon
Fresh Fig A4 Cardstock	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	White Stampin' Emboss Powder	Happy Birthday Gorgeous Photopolymer Stamp Set

Today I'm here with a post that should have gone live on Saturday but appears to have had some scheduling issues - but it's news that's too good not to share! First things first: BONUS DAYS ARE BACK! Do you remember this promotion from last year? It was so successful, Stampin' Up! have decided to repeat it this year.

For every £45.00 you spend between 1 July and 31 July (before delivery), you’ll get a £4.50 Bonus Days coupon that you can use between 1 and 31 August . Since our new annual catalogue has only been out a month ago, you will probably still have some items on your wish list and this is a great opportunity to shop from it and make savings when you shop again in August with your coupons!

There are some details in terms of small print that you need to take note of, as follows: 

• Promotion period: 1–31 July 2017
• Redemption period: 1–31 August 2017
• An email address is required to participate in this promotion; Bonus Days coupon codes can only be delivered via email.
• It is strongly recommended that you both save emails containing their Bonus Days coupon codes AND write down the coupon codes in a safe place. Codes cannot be resent if the email is lost, and lost codes cannot be recovered.
• Bonus Days coupon codes can be redeemed for any product, excluding Starter Kits.
• There is no limit to the number of coupons you can receive per order or throughout the duration of the promotion.
• There is no limit on the number of coupons you can use on an order during redemption.

This is such a great promotion - I get to buy even more from my wishlist, then as a demonstrator I can use my coupons in August against my pre-order from the new Autumn-Winter catalogue - woohoo!  For customers there is also going to be the early release of a new exclusive Christmas bundle called 'Carols Of Christmas' for sale from 1 August, so you could get started early with some  and use your coupons to get a great deal!

Don't forget if you are placing an order online to also include this month's hostess code JG7PHQKR to receive a free thank you gift from me too!

Here is a sneak peak of the exclusive bundle available from 1st August - you can choose to spend your coupon on this bundle or any other items of your choice!

Can't wait until 1st August to get your hands on this great new stamp set? Well, there's more! All of us at Stampin' Up! miss Christmas so much that we decided to have another one right now with a fantastic offer for anyone out there who would like to join my team this month! 

Between 1 and 31 July, every new recruit gets an Essentials Gift Pack (worth 63,50 € / £47) plus the Carols of Christmas Stamp Set (worth 24 € / £18) from the upcoming autumn/winter catalogue added to their starter kit for free! This means that new recruits will get products and business supplies worth a whopping 262,50 € / £195 for just 129 € / £99 with free shipping!

Here's what's included in the Essentials Gift Pack:

This is a great collection of basic items that along with your starter kit will enable you to hit the ground running and easily run your first event and share your love of stamping with a friend or two. 

Here's a close-up of the Carols of Christmas stamp set:

There has never been a better time to join Stampin' Up!: we are at the beginning of a new quarter, so you will have a full 6 months before you need to meet your first quarterly minimum, and the run up to Christmas is a great time to build a business if you're looking to earn or boost your income doing something that you love. I am always keen to hear from people thinking about joining my team - why not give me a call to discuss what it could mean for you?

That's all from me today; happy shopping, knowing that you get a spending spree next month too!

Welcome to my second post of the day! You can read my earlier regular Paper Players post here. I was invited by the lovely Janet Wakeland of Remarkably Created to participate in her We Love Hosts Blog Tour and jumped at the chance. This month's 'We <3 Hosts' promotion, where you can earn an additional £30 in Stampin' Rewards when you place an individual order for or reach qualifying party sales of £300 or more during the month of June, is a great opportunity to make a dent on your wishlist and pick up extra host rewards into the bargain. You can use these rewards to buy anything you like, including exclusive hostess-only stamp sets. There are six fabulous new sets just for hosts in the new annual Stampin' Up! catalogue: Background Bits, Dare To Dream, Feathery Friends, In The City, Tranquil Tulips and You're Delightful. You can see each of them below:

Background Bits Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Dare To Dream Photopolymer Stamp Set	Feathery Friends Clear-Mount Stamp Set
In The City Photopolymer Stamp Set	Tranquil Tulips Photopolymer Stamp Set	You're Delightful Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Today's blog hop features these exclusive hostess sets and contains a ton of creative inspiration and ideas of how they can be used on your papercrafting projects. I am using the Feathery Friends set today, a delightful combination of line drawn folk-art inspired birds and flowers. This set is perfect for colouring, so I decided to use it to create a little kit for 'colouring on the go', similar to one shared with us at Onstage Live in Amsterdam back in April - take a look:

I took a full-size wood mount stamp case and firstly created a custom cover insert, using a piece of Whisper White cardstock measuring 11 1/4" by 7 1/2" and scored on the landscape side 5" in from each side:

I stamped a whole bunch of Stampin' Up! notelets in varying designs using the Feathery Friends stamps and Archival black ink, then simply put them in the box with a pack of Stampin' Up! Watercolour Pencils and a blender pen to complete my kit:

This is just perfect to keep in my handbag or the car, so that I have something creative to do in those precious free minutes when I'm sat in the school carpark at pickup time or when I'm sat in the waiting room at the doctors or dentists. I find colouring so relaxing and having pre-stamped all my cards, I can both enjoy the time out and do something productive at the same time. The sentiment in this set is great for little notes to send to my team and the cards I left sentiment-free will work for all kinds of occasions.

The blender pen is a must-have to give a smooth finish to your colouring - I took a quick picture of one of the cards that I coloured already just to show you what a lovely finish you get when you use it with the watercolour pencils:

I hope you like my project showing just one of the ways you can use the Feathery Friends hostess set. There is still time to host a party or place a qualifying order to take advantage of this promotion - either place your order online via the product links below or alternatively call me or drop me a line - I would be happy to help. In addition, remember you also have the option to use hostess rewards earned towards the purchase of a Stampin' Up! starter kit; if this is something you'd like to know more about, I'd love to have a no-obligation chat with you about joining my team and the benefits of becoming a demonstrator.

To see more great projects using Stampin' Up's exclusive host reward sets, you can click forward to go to the next post in the hop, Stacy Lane, or if you missed it you can click backward to visit the previous blog, belonging to Laura Milligan:

If you lose your place, the complete list of participants can be found below: 

Exclusive Host Rewards Stamp Set Blog Tour

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Feathery Friends Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Watercolor Pencils	Blender Pens	Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes	Full Wide Stamp Cases
Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad	Whisper White A4 Cardstock

The wait is over - it's June 1st and the new 2016-17 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue is here! I have updated my links on the right hand side of my blog and you will find a permanent link to the new catalogue there, but for today you need look no further than the picture below which will take you straight to the new catalogue:

The catalogue is fantastic, with so many great new products to choose from. The new catalogue is posted above and 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. Don't forget to add the hostess code for June B3C3DUB6 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.

I'll be sharing my favourite items in a blog post later this week, but for now I have news of another very important promotion to share with you:

• Earn Additional Stampin' Rewards with a single order or qualifying party sales  You can earn an additional £30 in Stampin' Rewards when you place an individual order for or reach qualifying party sales of £300 or more during the month of June. Here is a reminder of the rewards you can earn when you host a party, along with the details of the promotion:

Don't forget these Stampin' Rewards can also be used towards a starter kit if you choose to join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator - making the starter kit even better value! I still have some calendar dates free in June so if you would like to host your own Stampin' Up! party and take full advantage of the extra rewards, then please do get in touch! 

• Want To Get Hands On With New Products? Save The Date - I will be holding my Annual Catalogue Open House Launch next week on Thursday 8th June - if you live in or around Northampton this is a great opportunity for you to see some of the products up close, take advantage of my BOGOF sale of retired stamp sets, do a make and take and more! If you would like to put your name down for this exclusive event then do get in touch!

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 new project; until then, happy shopping!

Public service announcements first today - bear with me, there will be a creative post below for those that are here for the pretty stuff!

Counting down now - only 1 day to go until the new 2017-18 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 one, 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: 

Today is the last day that you can order from the 2016-17 Stampin' Up! catalogue - this includes any of the 'Bundle and Save 10%' bundles. Even though many of the products they contain are being carried over to the new annual catalogue, they will not be available as a discounted bundle.

Today is the last day that you can order from the 2017 Spring-Summer Seasonal Stampin' Up! catalogue - a number of the products in this brochure are being carried over to the new annual catalogue, however we willbe saying goodbye to many items. There are still a number of stamp sets and accessories available at a discount on the Retiring List here - today is your last chance to grab a bargain!  they will not be available as a discounted bundle.

Today is also the final day to purchase either of the special Eastern Palace Suite bundles. You can read more about these fabulous bundles in my blog post here which also contains the link to the store should you wish to purchase either bundle. Whilst all of the items contained in each bundle will be available to purchase individually once the new annual catalogue launches, the bundles along with the free gifts won't. So if you have been swept up in the Eastern Palace craze, get yours today!

If you are placing an order online today, don't forget to use this month's online hostess code DXFJQZPN to receive a little thank you from me. This code will close this afternoon at 2pm, so be sure to have placed your orders online before this to benefit. If you are local to me and wish to save on postage, please ensure you have your order to me by midday to be included on this order.

That's the announcements and reminders done - now for the pretty! Today I'm sharing a card for this week's challenge over at Less Is More:

I haven't managed to play along with the lovely ladies over at LIM for a little while but having been perusing my depleted collection of stamp sets I came across another uninked one that I thought would be perfect for this week's challenge - take a look:

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

Fluttering Fairies - As with yesterday's card, I'm rediscovering sets that have been sitting unused on my shelf as we transition from one catalogue to another. The 'Fairy Celebration' stamp set is new to me - I love the little whimsical fairies that are perfect for colouring and as someone who often creates with and for children, I knew this set would have lots of appeal. I also love how for the fairy that I featured on my card today you can punch out the wings with the retiring Bitty Butterfly punch for a 3D effect. 

Shimmer, Shimmer - When I thought about the word 'shimmer', I immediately thought Shimmery White cardstock, clear Wink of Stella and Dazzling Diamonds glitter - and fairy wings of course! I used all of the above products on my fairy card, heat embossing the stardust trail and glittery fairy wings and adding additional Wink of Stella to the vellum wings to add further iridescence. Along with the Shimmery White card base, I must confess this is one of those cards where it is difficult to capture how very pretty and shimmery this card is in real life - you will just have to take my word for it!

No Line Watercolouring - I stamped the fairy in Powder Pink and watercoloured her using the no-line watercolouring technique as I wanted her to be rather undefined and allow the shimmer to take centre stage. 

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. 

We are off for a picnic in the park today with friends; the weather hasn't been as warm this last few days, but if it stays dry I'm sure plenty of fun will be had by all. Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with the official launch of the new 2017-18 Stampin' up! Annual Catalogue - how exciting! Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Fairy Celebration Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Shimmery White A4 Cardstock	Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter	Versamark Pad	Embossing Buddy
Berry Burst A4 Cardstock	Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad	Powder Pink Classic Stampin' Pad	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad	Aqua Painters
Vellum A4 Cardstock	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush