A busy day yesterday with a class and a Stampin' Up! party with a lovely bunch of ladies yesterday evening so no time to blog but I'm back with you this evening with another Bubble Over card - take a look:

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

Bubbles and Fizz - Today's card features two of the bottle patterns in the bright and colourful Bubbles and Fizz Designer Series Paper. This can be yours free during the current Sale-A-Bration promotion with an order of £45 or more. I just love the modern patterns and colours that have a universal appeal and work particularly well on cards for teenagers I think (sometimes a tricky crowd!)

Bottles and Bubbles - You can see the bottles again, this time they've been cut out though with the co-ordinating Bottles and Bubbles Framelits, along with some bubbles and a bottle top. Here's a sheet showing all of the framelit shapes - as you can see, there are two of some shapes to speed up your crafting as you can cut multiples of the same shape at the same time - super useful. Lots of little bits and pieces though, so you are definitely going to want to attache them to a magnetic sheet for storage to avoid losing any.

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:

Bubbles & Fizz Designer Series Paper	Bubble Over Photopolymer Bundle	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad	Layering Circle Framelits Dies	Banner Triple Punch
Lemon Lime Twist A4 Cardstock	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad	Bermuda Bay A4 Cardstock	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad	Whisper White A4 Cardstock
Basic Gray A4 Cardstock

A new week and a new blog post! Today I'm sharing a card that uses this week's challenge over at Color Throwdown and also fits the current challenge over at SUO Challenges, where the team are CASing the Stampin' Up! catalogue:

I decided to CASE the card on page 223 of the Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue - take a look:

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

Lots Of Lavender - The lilac of the inspiration photo looked so fresh I decided I would stick with the florals too and use my Lots of Lavender stamp set. Love this set - and it didn't cost me anything either as it's one of the sets you can get free with an order of £45 or more during Sale-A-Bration - bonus! Whilst we have some new Sale-A-Bration free item options available as of last week (you can read all about them here) the original items, including this lovely lavender, are still available too. So much to choose from! I stamped my lavender in Sweet Sugarplum for a more pinky-lilac and after stamping went back in with my marker pen and blender pen to add a little extra colour here and there. I stamped my stems in Wild Wasabi and added a few tiny pearls in between the floral stems too. 

Shades Of Grey - I incorporated some soft grey tones with my background paper, choosing one of the grey-coloured wood patterns from the Wood Textures DSP Stack and a bow of grey and white gingham. Maybe not quite 50 shades on today's card, but grey is there nonetheless!

CASE: Copy and Share With Everyone - There are lots of definitions for this acronym, this is the one the team at SUO Challenges are using for their challenge. My card bears a number of similarities to the card on page 223 of the annual catalogue: I used a floral image, stamped onto a central panel cut with the Lots of Labels Framelits, and popped this up on a DSP background. I also added a sprinkle of sequins to embellish, although I substituted the sentiment banner with my gingham bow as I wanted my card to be sentiment-free. As you can see there are some distinct similarities, yet my card is distinctly individual to me. All of the catalogues are a great source of inspiration with lots of cards and samples that you can use as a starting point to create your own work - especially good if you are short on time or in a creative rut! Give it a try - I'd love 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 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

I love this colour combination and actually thought of lots of ways I could use it so it's definitely one I will keep. 

Enjoy your day; mine will be spent preparing for classes and my upcoming weekend craft retreat. Barring technical disasters, I will be back tomorrow with another project though. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Lots Of Lavender Photopolymer Stamp Set	Wood Textures Designer Series Paper Stack	Lots Of Labels Framelits Dies	Smoky Slate 1/2" Gingham Ribbon	Pearl Basic Jewels
Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Sweet Sugarplum Classic Stampin' Pad	Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad	Basic Gray Archival Stampin’ Pad

It's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's my fabulous friend LeAnne's turn to host this week and she has a clean and simple challenge for you to work with:

This week's challenge was indeed 'sew' much fun and I have not one but two super clean-and-simple cards to share with you this week! This is also something of a 'something old, something new' post for me and perfect for the current challenge over at As You See It where they are asking us to remember the first tool or stamp set we bought or the one that made us fall in love with stamping, so I have a story for you today! First things first though - here is card number one:

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

Take A Hoop - I've been wanting to use these cute little mini embroidery hoops in the seasonal catalogue and today gave me the perfect opportunity. Perfect for framing miniature works of art, they are just like the real thing. 

Cross Stitch With Hoop La La - The stamp set I've used today is an old set called 'Hoop La La'. It isn't the first stamp set I ever bought (that was called 'Sweetheart' I think and you could make treat cup cards with it - I still have it somewhere but couldn't find it anywhere when I looked this week!) but this was one of the first. I chose it because it combined two of my favourite hobbies: my love of cross stitch and my new passion for card making - I just had to have it and haven't been able to part with it since. On this card I used the house, coloured with my Stampin' Write markers in Pool Party and Bermuda Bay and added a red enamel heart. Another 'new home' card - I seem to be needing a lot of these lately! The stamp set includes a stamp of an embroidery hoop, but I love the dimension that the little wooden hoops give to the card.

Get Stitching - To continue the stitching theme, I used my stitched circle framelits to cut out my circle to sit inside the hoop (I popped it up on dimensionals). I also added a diecut needle from last season's Quilt Builder Framelits and threaded it with some Pool Party baker's twine. I also added a twine bow to the top of my hoop for decoration. 

Here's the second of my cards, this time using the smaller size embroidery hoop and adhering my stitched circle to the top of the frame for an alternative mount:

This one shows up a little better with the darker purple colour against the white - here is a close up of the hoop so that you can see the alternative mount on the smaller embroidery hoop:

I like this mix of old and new so much I think I'm going to have to get another pack of hoops and make up some more of these cards! 

Here is the visual summaries 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:

Don't forget the theme is clean and simple this week - so minimal layers and embellishments and lots of white space. I can't wait to see what you create and look forward to visiting your blogs this week! Enjoy the rest of your weekend as it will be over all too quickly. I'll be back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Mini Embroidery Hoops	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Brights Enamel Shapes	Pool Party Solid Baker’S Twine	Silver Foil Sheets
Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad	Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies

Today I'm sharing one of my Onstage stamper projects from last November when I had the pleasure of presenting the Bubble Over Bundle to the demonstrators that attended the UK event in Solihull. Onstage events are such fun and I love having the opportunity to create with new sets and share the possibilities with other like-minded demonstrators. Here are a couple of photos of me in action, courtesy of my lovely downline Helen - this is me as I took the stage (as you can see we are sat a long way back!): 

Then a slightly better shot of me in action, talking through the features of this suite:

Lastly, one more of me sharing the first of my projects - the one I'm going to share with you today:

The Bubble Over Bundle is great fun, with lots of bits and pieces and is also a set with universal appeal - a great set for teens and adults alike with a mix of sentiments for lots of different occasions. 

Here's the first of my cards, a clean and simple card that requires minimal stamping and no diecutting - take a look:

I simply stamped the bottles in a variety of bold, bright colours across the bottom of my card front - the stamps are photopolymer, so super easy to align (I used the edges of the labels as a guide) then filled the upper portion of my card with bubbles stamped in co-ordinating colours. I added a simple sentiment banner which I cut by hand and stepped up the decoration slightly by adding a sprinkling of the Glitter & Clear Epoxy Shapes to the bubbles on my card - they are quite difficult to see on my card as they fit the stamped bubbles exactly, but add a lovely hint of sparkle to the bubbles - if you look really closely you can see them more easily in this close-up shot:

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. 

A super simple card to start off my Bubble Over suite of projects. So one last photo to share with you - this one is of me and just some of my lovely team who attended Onstage with me:

Love these girls! Onstage events are just one of the ways that we spend time together enjoying everything that we love about Stampin' Up!. If you love to craft or are looking for a business opportunity that offers fun, friendship and the ability to earn an income doing something you love, then I would love to chat to you about joining my team and sharing these experiences with you too. If you would like to understand more, there's no better time than during Sale-A-Bration to consider joining. You can read more about the current offer here, call me for a chat or if you are reading this and know it's for you, then simply click here to complete the paperwork.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Bubble Over Photopolymer Stamp Set	Glitter & Clear Epoxy Shapes	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad
Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock

So much for a back to normal week of blogging! I had all good intentions this week, then had issues with my blog for the past few days that left me unable to access it at all. With the kids off on their half-term break too, I was a little limited in what I All sorted now (fingers crossed!) so hopefully I will be back on track from today.

I know how much you've all been enjoying the benefits of the Sale-A-Bration promotion; as if it couldn't get any better I just wanted to let you know that there are some new items being added to the selection of products that can be earned free, both with a £45 order and a bundle that can be earned free with a purchase of £90 or more, take a look:

A fun stamp set and some of the most gorgeous foil-embossed paper, and then a stamp set and embossing folder bundle:

The lovely team at the Stampin' Up! head office have also put together a short video that shows you the bundle items in more detail - you can see that by clicking on the link below:

Like the other items in the Sale-A-Bration catalogue, these items will be available from now until the end of the Sale-A-Bration period, 31st March. You can see full details for each of the new product on the new Sale-A-Bration flyer here.

If you would like more information or to place an order, either go here to purchase from my online store (don't forget to add this month's hostess code 64XZCB29) or you can email me or telephone me if you would prefer. Back shortly with a new creative project; until then, happy shopping!

Today I'm sharing a card that I made in one of my February card classes that I haven't yet shared here on my blog - take a look:

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

What's Better Than Free? - What's better than free? Not a lot in my book, especially when it's free Stampin' Up! goodies too! Sale-A-Bration is all about giving you more - whether you spend, host a party or join as a demonstrator with Stampin' Up! during this awesome promotion. You can read more about it here. Today's card features 2 free Sale-A-Bration items: the first is the 'Amazing You' stamp set, which I used to decorate the sentiment label, inside panel and envelope of my card. As with the other stamp sets that can be yours free with a £45 purchase, these stamp sets will only be available during Sale-A-Bration - once the promotion is over, we will say goodbye to them forever, so it's important you place your order before the end of March in order to benefit.

Amazing You - The second free item on today's card is the 'amazing' die cut from the 'Celebrate You' thinlits dies; these can be yours with a £90 purchase. These thinlits co-ordinate with the 'Amazing You' stampset - but will also be available beyond the end of Sale-A-Bration as they are going to be in the new 2018-19 annual catalogue. I am so thrilled that these thinlits are carrying over - they really are a great size and style to work on lots of different projects. 

Touches of Texture - The gold glimmer sentiment diecut is definitely the star of this card - all that sparkle and shine, along with some texture that makes this a rather tactile card. There are lots of other elements that add texture to this card too - the banner embossed with the hexagonal embossing folder, some twine, along with the leaves and the cutout background panel.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Amazing You Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Celebrate You Thinlit Dies	Eclectic Layers Thinlits Dies	Hexagons Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Banner Triple Punch
Lots Of Labels Framelits Dies	Gold Glimmer Paper	Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Pick A Pattern A4 Cardstock Pack	Fresh Fig A4 Cardstock
Whisper White Uninked Craft Stampin’ Pad & Refill	Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Pad	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad	Fresh Fig Classic Stampin' Pad

Happy Monday everyone! The James Juniors are on their half-term holiday from school this week so whilst they are likely to be enjoying some much-needed R&R, I will be juggling as usual! I did manage to grab some time over the weekend to write up a ton of blog posts, so hopefully a more regular blogging service is about to resume. Today I'm sharing a card for this week's challenge over at CAS(E) This Sketch - take a look:

I haven't managed to play along here for a little while, so was super-happy to see this sketch as I immediately knew how I was going to tackle it! Now clean and simple my card might be, but it does include a fair bit of fussy cutting - take a look:

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

Bubbles And Fizz - When I saw the sketch, I immediately thought of those mini bottles on the Bubbles and Fizz Designer Series Paper that can be yours free with a purchase of £45 or more during the current Sale-A-Bration promotion. These papers are designed to co-ordinate with the Bubble Over bundle in the seasonal catalogue - more on that another day! Whilst the paper really makes the most of the stamp set, it also stands up on its own: fabulous bright colours, with both bottle and alternative patterns in the set. 

To Fussy Cut Or Not - Three of the papers in the Bubbles and Fizz pack have patterns that can be cut out using the co-ordinating Bottles and Bubbles Framelit dies - the design I chose to use for my card is not one of them though! Undeterred, I grabbed my paper snips and set to work. I love a bit of fussy cutting, I actually find it quite theraputic - but I know it's not everyone's thing. We had a lively debate on my Facebook page where I shared my work-in-progress at the weekend; the jury was split 50:50 between the lovers and the haters - which side of the fence would you be on? Do leave me a comment below - I'd love to know! 

A Custom Banner - I played about with lots of backgrounds, colours and sentiment banners before finally deciding in white embossed on a Bermuda Bay banner for a bright pop of colour, courtesy of the Large Number Framelits. The sentiment is from the 'Colour Me Happy' stamp set.

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 haven't featured the 'Bubble Over' stamp set on my blog yet, despite having a ton of projects made with it as I was lucky enough to present this set at Onstage last November. I think this may be the week I put that right - look out for a ton of bottle projects to follow, including some 3D pieces.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Bubbles & Fizz Designer Series Paper	Lemon Lime Twist A4 Cardstock	Bermuda Bay A4 Cardstock	Large Numbers Framelits Dies	Embossing Buddy
Versamark Pad	White Stampin' Emboss Powder	Whisper White A4 Cardstock

I hope you are all enjoying browsing your new Spring-Summer catalogues and making your Sale-A-Bration wishlists! I have had a fun 'planning and playing' day today with one of my downline team members (more on that soon!) but I also have a quick post to share with you a pretty little card that was one of the 'make&takes' at our Stampin' Up! UK Onstage event in Solihull last November that features some of the gorgeous new products from the 'Petal Passion' suite - take a look:

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

Express Your Inner Artist - The Petal Passion Suite comprises a stamp set with gorgeous, brushstroke-style imagery, with a varied saturation in the design that creates realistic watercolour effects. If you would like to discover your inner artist without even needing to pick up a paintbrush, this set is for you!

Black and White Watercolour - This brushstroke style carries through into the co-ordinating designer series paper, which contains watercolour designs in shades of black and white that can be used as they are or customised with your favourite colouring techniques, such as adding a little Calypso Coral ink with a blender pen to the flowers as I've done on the central panel on my card for an added touch of colour.

Petal Passion Embellishments - There are some great acessories in this suite too: a pair of textured embossing folders, along with some beautiful soft and sheer white organza ribbon and flower and leaf metal embellishments, the latter two of which add a little detail to the focal point of 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. 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Petal Palette Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Petal Passion Designer Series Paper	Whisper White 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Organza Ribbon	Petal Passion Embellishments	Blender Pens
Calypso Coral A4 Cardstock	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad	Smoky Slate A4 Cardstock	Shimmery White A4 Cardstock	2" (5.1 Cm) Circle Punch

It's time to shake off the January blues, today is THE day - yes, the highlight of the Stampin' Up! calendar, Sale-A-Bration is here! No more sneak peeks - the catalogue is available, the shop is live and from now until 31st March the benefits are yours for the taking. You can click on the catalogue on the right hand side of my blog page to access the Sale-A-Bration leaflet to download a copy or click on the icon above or on the right to go directly to my online shop to place an order - we are LIVE!

So what is Sale-A-Bration? 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:

Earn a free Sale-A-Bration product for every £45 you spend between 3 January and 31 March. This year for the first time there is also the opportunity to earn even bigger rewards with a £90 purchase. It's the perfect time to purchase those products you've had on your wish list and earn more products for free! 

It’s the best time of year to join Stampin’ Up! During Sale-A-Bration, you can become a demonstrator for just £99 and choose £30 more of FREE products for your Starter Kit. Plus, the kit ships for free! 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. In addition, you can choose two free stamp sets of your choice (except for bundles, kits or Sale-A-Bration items) - that could be worth as much as another £90 to you!

Earn an additional £20 in hostess credits when you host a party and have party sales of £200 or more (this also applies to individual orders). So for party sales of £200, that makes a whopping £40 of Stampin' Rewards - more freebies! What's more, you can even apply your Stampin' Rewards to a Starter Kit and become a demonstrator yourself - I would love to welcome you to my team!

If you would like to host a party, real or virtual, please do get in touch; my diary is filling up but there are still lots of slots available and I would love to share these great benefits with you. 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 Spring-Summer 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. 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!

Here's a fun little video too that showcases some of the excitement that lies within:

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 tomorrow with a project showcasing some of the products from the new catalogue. Until then, happy shopping!

Hello lovely readers - and a happy new year to you all! Today I'm sharing a card that I made for some friends with whom welcomed in the new year - I was still enjoying the 'morning after the night before' yesterday so from a blog perspective today heralds the beginning of the end of my festive blog break! I'm also linking up with a couple of challenges - the current challenge over at Global Design Project where the theme is all about celebrating at home and the lovely ladies over at As You See It who are all about the sparkle for their first challenge of the year:

My card was inspired by my 2017 new year card, minus the owl of course (you can see that card in a previous post here) and has a little 'something old ... and lots new' about it - take a look:

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

A Window Into 2018 - I used my much-loved Large Numbers Framelits to create fun shaker-card windows in the front of my card. This is so easy to do; you just need to remember to keep the middle of the 0 and 8 to complete the negative image. If you place the numbers that you've cut out over the window sheet without sticking them down, they will allow you to position the negative pieces in just the right position when you remove the numbers again. 

All That Glitters - My decision to create a shaker card was largely because I was looking for an opportunity to use these amazing gold glitter flakes from the new Spring-Summer catalogue that launches tomorrow. Check out the close-up below - aren't they gorgeous? So sparkly! 

Celebrate ... Amazing You - The main front panel of my card features a stamp from a new Sale-A-Bration set, Amazing You (stamped in Versamark and heat embossed in gold and silver) and the word 'celebrate' cut from silver glimmer paper using another of this year's Sale-A-Bration free items - a set of thinlits dies called 'Celebrate You' that co-ordinate with the stamp set and are available free with a £90 purchase. More news on Sale-A-Bration tomorrow, but I hope these sneak-peeks have got you all excited about the fabulous things that are to come!

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'll be back tomorrow with all of the news and information on the 2018 Sale-A-Bration promotion and the launch of the new Spring-Summer seasonal catalogue. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Large Numbers Framelits Dies	Amazing You Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Celebrate You Thinlit Dies	Gold Glitter Flakes	Silver Foil Sheets
Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder
Silver Glimmer Paper	Window Sheets	Foam Adhesive Strips