A four day blogging break - that has to be the longest in a while! Did you miss me? Last week went by in something of a whirlwind as I was exhibiting at the Great British Craft Show in Stoneleigh Park with my good friend and fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator Louise Sims, so my time was taken up with last minute preparations for the show and then attending the show itself. Here's a picture of us in front of our stand on Saturday morning raring to go:

We had a great couple of days and it was lovely to meet so many wonderful crafters who we were able to introduce to Stampin' Up! and I am very much looking forward to seeing them again in the future at an event, class or online. 

Whilst I have lots of wonderful projects to share with you here in the coming days and months, today I'm sharing two special offers that you definitely need to know about. The first is one that ends tomorrow, so get in quick!

To celebrate World Card Making Day last Saturday, there are a limited number of products on offer until 5th October:

Lots of great card making staples in there, including great deals on Fast Fuse and in-colour cardstock and envelope paper. Best of all though has to be the offer price on the Envelope Punch Board and the Designer Tin of Cards Kit - you know what a fan I am of Stampin' Up! kits, well this one really doesn't disappoint. A great product for a fun crafty night in with friends or it would make a lovely early Christmas gift. Do get in touch if you'd like to purchase; I will be putting in an order tomorrow night and if you are local to me you are welcome to add to my order and save on postage.

As if that wasn't enough, there is also an amazing 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 are the full details of the paper collections that are included: 

I will be sharing lots of samples using these papers - in fact, pop back tomorrow and you will see the first of many!

Until then, happy stampin'!

Just popping by with a quick post to let you know that the clearance rack has updated. Lots of bargains to be had, some items with up to 60% off. You can see the full range of items by clicking here.

Don't forget there are still a range of special offers including main catalogue products. The current items will be on offer until 11pm tomorrow, when they will change to the last week of special offers. You can see the current list here.

Back tomorrow with some stamping; until then, happy shopping!

I've been enjoying a nice couple of days of rest and relaxation but today am back to it from my sun lounger! I have a nice and easy Foxy Friends card for you, featuring the cute fox! Take a look:

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

Take One Fox - I stamped the fox in Calypso Coral directly onto a circle of Whisper White, then stamped his head again onto a piece of scrap paper, punched it out and popped it over the main image on dimensionals. 

Spots and Chevrons - I paired the fox with a couple of pieces of patterned paper: the chevron pattern is from the A Little Foxy DSP Stack and the polka dot banner from the Subtles stack (my paper is actually the old design as I was using up some of my stash, but there is an almost identical pattern in the current Subtles DSP stack - the dots are just slightly bigger).

Add A Happy Hello - I finished my card with a sentiment from one of my 'go to' sentiment sets, Tin of Cards, stamped in Archival Black. I love the sentiments in this set - the font seems to go with everything and they are a great size for most cards.

I also added a piece of retired Basic Grey stitched ribbon, as this was all that I had to hand when I made this card; the new Smoky Slate stitched Ribbon would work beautifully for this card though - I've included the link for this in the supplies table below.

This is the card that I made at my last Coffee and Card session at Bell of Northampton before we broke up for the summer and this little chap proved very popular. The Foxy Friends bundle just has so many creative possibilities! If you haven't bought yours yet, this month would be the perfect time to do so; if you purchase the bundle and a pack of the 'A Little Foxy' Designer Series Paper Stack together you will have spent £45 and so you will earn yourself a £4.50 money-off coupon any purchases next month too - bargain! Just click on the links below to hop on over to my online store to order yours today - and don't forget to add this month's hostess code 63RNATE3 to get a little thank you in the post from me 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. 

Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Foxy Friends Photopolymer Bundle	A Little Foxy Designer Series Paper Stack	Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad
Layering Circle Framelits Dies	Smoky Slate 1/8" (3.2 Mm) Stitched Ribbon	Pool Party A4 Cardstock	Tin Of Cards Photopolymer Stamp Set

This is my second post for today; you can see my earlier post with my card for this week's Connie and Mary challenge here. Today I have exciting news of a Stampin' Up! promotion that is due to run for the rest of July - Bonus Days! 

Did you get everything you want from the new annual catalogue yet? Since it came out only a month ago, you probably still have some items on your wish list, and I have some great news for you! For every £45.00 you spend between today, 7 July and 31 July (before delivery), you’ll get a £4.50 Bonus Days coupon that you can use between 2 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, whether you buy your favourite products now or later 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: 7–31 July 2016 
• Redemption period: 2–31 August 2016 
• 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.

I'm so excited about this promotion - it really is the first of its kind, as Stampin' Up! has never offered money-off coupons before. Furthermore, there is also going to be a new exclusive bundle for sale from 2 August until 31 August called Thoughtful Branches, so you could get this limited-time product 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 63RNATE3 to receive a free thank you gift from me too!

Here is a sneak peak of the exclusive bundle available from 2nd August - you can choose to spend your coupon on this bundle or any other items of your choice!

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

The retiring lists are here! Discover what stamps and accessories, including the 2014-16 In Colours, are retiring at the beginning of June this year. Retiring products are only available WHILE STOCKS LAST, so if you've still items on your wish list from this year's annual or spring-summer seasonal catalogues, you need to check the retiring lists and if they're on it put an order in pronto!

Please click on the images below to see the complete lists in the online store:

                               STAMPS                                  EVERYTHING ELSE

You can click on this link to access and download the complete Retiring List (in pdf format):

Retiring Stamps & Accessories - available April 18-May 31 (while stocks last)

You have just 6 weeks left to shop from the current annual and seasonal catalogues. Some of the items on these lists will sell out quickly and once they're gone, they're gone. So what are you waiting for? Don't delay, shop today! Click here to go straight to my online store - remember to include this month's hostess code UD3KDWM4 to receive a special thank you from me. If you live in or around Northampton, if you would like to save on postage and collect your order on delivery, please email me on joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk or phone me with your order.

I'll be back tomorrow with a creative post; until then, happy shopping!

It's Wednesday and time for the last week of Wednesday Weekly Deals! As I mentioned last week, improvements in stock control at Stampin' Up! mean that this is the last week that they will be offered. They will be replaced with less frequent but better 'Specials' promotions on an adhoc basis - please make sure you're checking my blog regularly for details. So for the final week, there really are some great deals - as always, these offers are valid for one week only. 

If you want to take advantage of any of the deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person. Don't forget to add the new Hostess Code for April UD3KDWM4 if your order is under £150 and be sure to make sure that you don't check the 'no contact' box if you'd like to be kept updated with the progress of you order and receive a little thank you in the post from me. If you are local, then give me a call to place your order if you'd like to save on P&P.

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

1" Square Punch	Bear Hugs Framelits Dies	Brights Sequin Assortment	Calypso Coral Thick Baker’s Twine	Classy Designer Buttons
Celebrate Today Photopolymer Stamp Set	Essence De Rose Photopolymer Stamp Set (French)	Crazy About You Photopolymer Stamp Set	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad	Peaceful Pines Photopolymer Stamp Set
Rose Wonder Photopolymer Stamp Set	Rosenzauber Photopolymer Stamp Set (German)	Suite Sayings Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Watercolor Words Photopolymer Stamp Set	White Perfect Accents

Some great bargains to be had this week: my favourite sentiment set of the moment, 'Suite Sayings', the always-useful 1" square punch, the Bear Hugs framelits (I will be using these on tomorrow's blog card so look out for that!) and the Rose Wonder stamp set which you can see on today's creative post. And last but certainly not least, the White Perfect Accents - I will be buying these up in bulk this week!

Back shortly with today's creative post; until then, happy shopping!

It's the weekend and mine has started as busily as ever! I have a quick post today to share some of my customer thank you cards this month that also feature this week's colours over at Color Throwdown:

I just loved this collection of brights with a dash of Mint Macaron thrown in and the fun door wreath in the inspiration picture, so decided to create a  collection of bright spring flowers for my notecards:

This card really doesn't need much explanation: I used the challenge colours and the Endless Thanks stamp set, available at a discount as part of this week's Weekly Deals. I stamped a simple collage of flowers and leaves onto a Whisper White notecard, added a banner that I fussy cut and popped up on dimensionals for extra height and a trio of rhinestones to finish my card.

Endless Thanks is a great stamp set for mass production of thank you cards, so one I turn to frequently when I want to make customer thank you cards to pop in with their orders for example. It has a variety of sentiment combinations and will work in lots of different colour combinations 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. 

I'll be back tomorrow with a a card for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players. It's a colour challenge and I'm the hostess this week, so you wont want to miss it! Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Endless Thanks Photopolymer Stamp Set	Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes	Rhinestone Basic Jewels	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad
Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad

It's Wednesday and time for this week's new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! There are changes afoot as far as Weekly Deals are concerned - due to improvements in stock control, this week and next are the last weeks that they will be offered. They will however be replaced with less frequent but better 'Specials' promotions on an adhoc basis - please make sure you're checking my blog regularly for details. So for the final two weeks, there really are some great deals - as always, these offers are valid for one week only. 

If you want to take advantage of any of the deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person. Don't forget to add the new Hostess Code for April UD3KDWM4 if your order is under £150 and be sure to make sure that you don't check the 'no contact' box if you'd like to be kept updated with the progress of you order and receive a little thank you in the post from me. If you are local, then give me a call to place your order if you'd like to save on P&P.

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

Bermuda Bay Thick Baker’s Twine	Endless Thanks Photopolymer Stamp Set	Flurry Of Wishes Photopolymer Stamp Set	Gold 1/8" Ribbon	Christmas Greetings Thinlits Dies
Leaflets Framelits Dies	Metal Rimmed Pearls	Confetti Hearts Border Punch	Greatest Greetings Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Metallics Sequin Assortment
Sonnengruß Clear-Mount Stamp Set (German)	Souhaits Rayonnants Clear-Mount Stamp Set (French)	Sunburst Sayings Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Wild About Flowers Photopolymer Stamp Set

If you're tempted to place an order, do check out the clearance rack online too - additional items have been added this week and there are some good bargains to be had!

It just so happens that I've used two of the products on this week's deals on my card today - check it out here!

That's all from me; back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy shopping!

Today I have another clean and simple card for you, the second one this week using the sketch challenge over at CAS(E) This Sketch. As I mentioned yesterday, I love playing along with their sketches, which can sometimes leave me lost at first glance but then often take me in an unexpected direction. This week's sketch is definitely one of those! Here is the sketch:

I spent considerable time thinking about how I was going to interpret this sketch; the Design Team have some great takes on this sketch and I was fascinated by Michelle's Design Team card in particular and the way she created the channel for her airplane. In a similar vein I created my second card:

How cute is this?!! Here's the low-down on today's card:

See Ya Later Alligator - My alligator is from the 'Zoo Babies' stamp set. Super cute on a baby card but also works for a fun 'hello' style card too. His open jaws were just crying out to be used with this sketch! I added a tiny punched heart from the Confetti Hearts Border Punch for a little pop of colour too.

Chomp Chomp - What to use to create the teeth marks I needed for my alligator's bite? I used the scalloped thinlit in the Cutie Pie Thinlit set; this enabled me to create a mirrored border to reveal my sentiment beneath, which is from the 'Greatest Greetings' set. Don't all alligators look like they are smiling - before they open their mouths at least?!

'White' Space - Like Monday's card, today's features plenty of true 'white space' - or in this case 'green' space! You can read all about white space and its function of clean and simple cards here. Today is another example that fits with this week's challenge over at Less is More, so I will be linking up for the second time this week.

This is one of those cards that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside - I just love it!

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. 

What's more, two of the products I've used on today's card - The Confetti Hearts Border Punch and Greatest Greetings set - are available at a knock-down bargain price on Weekly Deals today - get the full details here. 

Back tomorrow with a card for this week's new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Zoo Babies Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Greatest Greetings Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Baker's Box Thinlits Dies	Calypso Coral A4 Cardstock	Pear Pizzazz A4 Cardstock
Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad	Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Confetti Hearts Border Punch

It's Wednesday and you know what that means: not only a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals - today it's only 2 days until the end of Sale-A-Bration!

If you missed it or need a reminder, you can get the full low-down on Sale-A-Bration here; I've had lots of lovely ladies join my team during Sale-A-Bration and I've always room for more, so if you're undecided about whether or not Stampin' Up! is for you, give me a call - this is the best time to give it a try. 

It's also your last opportunity to benefit from extra Stampin' Rewards for orders over £200 and a free gift with every £45 spend; I will be placing my final order tomorrow at 6pm, so if you live local to me and would like to save postage, then call me or email me with the details. That is also when I will be ordering anything from this week's Weekly Deals.

If you want to take advantage of Sale-A-Bration or any of the weekly deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person. Don't forget to add the new Hostess Code for April UD3KDWM4 if your order is under £150 and be sure to make sure that you don't check the 'no contact' box if you'd like to be kept updated with the progress of you order and receive a little thank you in the post from me. 

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

2014-2016 In Color Designer Washi Tape

Go Wild Designer Series Paper Stack

Metallic Foil Doilies

Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

You can see today's creative project here; until tomorrow, happy shopping!