Wow almost half the weekend gone already! Here's today's post which follows a busy day of sport and culture: Rebecca and I went to see the St Petersburg Ballet perform 'The Nutcracker Suite' this afternoon, then Rebecca swam in a pentathlon gala swimming event this evening. I did squeeze in a little crafting time this morning, but not enough to blog too, hence the even later than usual post! Today's card is for the current challenge over at Addicted to CAS where the theme is 'Cake':

I used the slice from the new 'Party With Cake' set along with a tricolour sentiment to create both the focal point of my label and some tone-on-tone custom designer series paper for my card base for today's card:

A trio of candy dots, a punched candle with a little gold Wink of Stella for the flame complete my super quick card today with no more explanation required!

Back tomorrow with this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players, when the lovely Sandy has a fun theme challenge for you. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Party With Cake Wood-Mount Stamp Set	It's My Party Enamel Dots	Lots Of Labels Framelits Dies	Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad
Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad	Melon Mambo A4 Cardstock	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad	Party Punch Pack	Gold Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush
Big Shot

Today it's time for a new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary and this week we have a great sketch for you:

This week's sketch is perfect to showcase the Bloomin' Heart thinlit die. Take a look:

For my card I added some of the co-ordinating stamped flowers, also cut with the flower thinlits that come with the heart, and a sentiment from the 'Bloomin' Love' stamp set that can be purchased with the dies in a bundle for 15% off - add in a Big Shot Die Brush and you could get a free Sale-A-Bration gift too - I love this time of year!! I took my Blushing Bride/Rose Red/Whisper White colour combo from the Love Blossoms designer series paper stack in the same product suite. I added a few pearls and a strip of the new Blushing Bride glimmer paper across the bottom of my card for an added touch of sparkle!

Do visit the other Design Team members to see how they interpreted this week's sketch; there's lots of inspiration over on their blogs too!

Enjoy your day; I'm hosting an open house with my customers today so that they can see and touch lots of lovely new product from the Sale-A-Bration and Spring-Summer catalogues. There will be tea and cake too of course!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

As promised on Sunday, I have another card today using this week's colour over at The Paper Players:

I decided to use one of my favourite Sale-A-Bration sets, 'Hello', for my bold and bright, clean and simple birthday card today:

Some simple layers, a banner and a fun party hat topped with a cute Melon Mambo enamel dot - well, hello birthday girl!

I've used this set a couple of times already and I just know I am going to get a lot more use out of it as it's perfect for quick birthday and 'any day' cards. It's a limited time offer though, so if it's on your wish list then don't leave it too late - you have until 15th February to pop it in your shopping basket for free with a £45 spend!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Hello Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red A4 Cardstock
Tempting Turquoise A4 Cardstock	Melon Mambo A4 Cardstock	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	White Stampin' Emboss Powder
Heat Tool (Uk)	It's My Party Enamel Dots

It's Wednesday and you know what that means: a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! These offers are valid for one week only. As always, a new collection of deals will be announced next Wednesday.

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 January W2ZHBH2D 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:

2015-2017 In Color Envelope Paper	Balloon Framelits Dies	Calypso Coral Thick Baker’s Twine	I Think You're Great Clear-Mount Stamp Set
You're Sublime Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Some great bargains to be had, including the 'You're Sublime' stamp set that I used on my card for The Paper Players on Sunday - if you missed it, you can see it here. Also the Balloon Framelits Dies - a good time to purchase, balloons are very 'on trend' at the moment!

Back later with today's creative project; until then, happy shopping!

Good morning everyone! Today I'm sharing a card for this week's sketch over at Pals Paper Arts - I can't resist a good sketch! 

I decided to use the Rose Garden Thinlits for the focal point on my card today, but having used lots of pink on my cards lately I decided to veer away from Valentines and make a card for one of my January birthdays whilst trying something a little different - take a look:

I lightly sponged a piece of the rose-patterned Timeless Elegance designer series paper in So Saffron and Daffodil Delight, then in addition to my panel, I took one rose and ran it through the Big Shot with my Rose Garden Thinlits Die and paper-pieced the negative pieces into an outline die cut in Basic Black, having first adhered this to a piece of cardstock to hold everything in place. I then cut the outline out by hand. I stamped my birthday sentiment from the accompanying Rose Wonder set onto Very Vanilla to complete my card. I had originally intended to make a sympathy card, but decided that the paper made this card a little too 'flowery' for the intended male recipient, so instead switched to birthday at the last minute. I think the paper-pieced rose works quite well - whilst the petals don't line up, I think it adds an interesting depth and illusion of texture to this otherwise post-friendly card. What do you think? One thing is for sure, this framelit set is gorgeous and I can see me using it lots more this season for all kinds of cards!

That's all from me today; I'm off to work through more annual accounts (my least favourite job!) and do more preparation for my open house event later this week. Back tomorrow with Wednesday Weekly Deals and a new project. until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:

Rose Wonder Photopolymer Bundle	Timeless Elegance Designer Series Paper	Basic Black A4 Cardstock	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	Sponge Daubers
Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad	So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad	So Saffron A4 Cardstock	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

It's Monday and I'm sharing a card for this week's challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches featuring one of the lovely designer series papers in the 'Wildflower Fields' pack, available for free during Sale-A-Bration with a £45 order. Here's the FMS sketch this week:

This is another of these sketches that is great to showcase designer series paper - here's my rather monochromatic Calypso Coral card:

I love all of the patterns in the Wildflower Fields DSP pack and this one is no exception. I matted my card with Basic Black and Whisper White as these are the only neutrals used with the lovely Calypso Coral on this patterned paper and I love the way the dandelion seeds have been highlighted with the white behind. I decided to add a similar effect to my 'Happy Birthday' sentiment, which I stamped in Memento Black and then went over the stamped shadow loosely with my white gel pen to highlight it. This sentiment is also from one of the Sale-A-Bration sets, 'Perfect Pairings', also available free with a £45 order. 

To finish, I added a little black ribbon bow made from some retired ribbon in my scrap bow; I turned it on its side as it wouldn't fit crossways without interfering with the sentiment. Rather jaunty, but I I think I like it!

That's all from me today; back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Wildflower Fields Designer Series Paper	Perfect Pairings Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Calypso Coral A4 Cardstock	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	White Signo Uni-Ball Gel Pen
Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Basic Black A4 Cardstock

It's Sunday and time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players! This week it is the turn of my sweet friend Claire to host and she has a great colour palette for you to play along with:

I love this bold and bright colour palette and actually created a couple of cards with it. One is very 'me' so I saved that for another day; today's card uses this week's sketch over at Mojo Monday and has a rather different feel to it - I think it's the marbled paper! - take a look:

I paired a piece of the Tempting Turquoise Perfectly Artistic marbled patterned paper with some retired heart-patterned DSP, as a backdrop for my colourful little caravan from 'You're Sublime', which I coloured with my inks and an aquapainter (the body is paper-pieced with a piece of the marbled paper on the reverse). A punched heart, some ribbon, sequins and another pink heart topped with an epoxy sticker for added dimension finish my card. 

I love the rather subtle colouring that the marbled paper adds; I am looking forward to experimenting with this paper further. It's available free with a £45 spend until £15th February as one of the Sale-A-Bration 'limited time' offers, so if it's on your list it's one to get sooner rather than later. As for that little caravan - how cute! This card is destined for Gail, one of my team, who is often holidaying to interesting destinations in her caravan. She is about to become an official warden for The Caravan Club so this image is so appropriate and the sentiment perfect.

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

I look forward to seeing what you create with this week's colours. We have a day of sport today, with basketball and hockey in store as we fully get back into the new season. I'm hoping to squeeze in a little craft time too.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

You're Sublime Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Perfectly Artistic Designer Series Paper	Melon Mambo A4 Cardstock	Real Red A4 Cardstock
Metallics Sequin Assortment	Many Marvelous Markers	Sweetheart Punch	Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack	Itty Bitty Accents Epoxy Stickers
Aqua Painters

The days have been running away from me this week, with no-where near enough crafting or blogging time! The nice thing about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator though is that as my own boss I can work my hours around my family commitments and flex my diary accordingly - it really is the best job!

So a quick share from me today with the cards I sent out last week to my customers with their new Spring-Summer seasonal catalogues and Sale-A-Bration brochures:

I used the 'Hello' stamp from the stamp set of the same name in the Sale-A-Bration catalogue, stamped in Blackberry Bliss on Whisper White and cut out with my oval framelits, along with a banner and a variety of patterns of Wildflower Fields Designer Series Paper for my card. Here's a view of a few of the others too:

All my customers have now have received their catalogues; if you are reading this and you would like your own copy and you don't already have a demonstrator, then get in touch and I will pop one in the post to you. 

Back tomorrow with a new challenge over at The Paper Players; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Hello Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Wildflower Fields Designer Series Paper	Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes	Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad	Hello Honey A4 Cardstock
Lost Lagoon A4 Cardstock	Old Olive A4 Cardstock	Calypso Coral A4 Cardstock	Banner Triple Punch	Ovals Collection Framelits Dies
Big Shot	Whisper White A4 Cardstock

Today it's time for a new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary and this week we have a great colour combination for you:

My card this week is all about flowers - and Sale-A-Bration flowers at that! Take a look:

I used one of the Sale-A-Bration sets, 'What I Love', for my card today. This is a triple-time stamp set featuring this blousy large layered flower that I stamped in Blackberry Bliss, leaves stamped in Pear Pizzazz, a small flower stamped on my card with Bermuda Bay and this wonderful sentiment that I chose to highlight on my split layered panels. I think this adds a nice touch of detail to an otherwise simple one layered card.

This is a set with lots of design possibilities and there is much to love about it; as in my blog post title today though, the thing I love most would have to be the fact that you can get this set for FREE! Yes, it is one of the Sale-A-Bration products that you can choose to receive free with every £45 spend. Free product? Yes please! Just in case you missed my earlier blog post, you can get the full low down on all of the benefits of Sale-A-Bration here.

Do visit the other Design Team members to see what they did with this week's colours; there's lots of inspiration over on their blogs too!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

I can't quite believe that it's Wednesday already - this week is just zipping by! I've had two days of classes and a great start to Sale-A-Bration. So a quick post from me today sharing another of the cards from my technique card this week using the 'Awesomely Artistic' stamp set:

This time with a Mint Macaron base, a little Timeless Elegance Designer Series Paper and a double flagged banner across the centre to draw the eye to the collage panel and trio of dragonflies and add interest to the overall design. More Wink of Stella on the dragonfly wings (clear this time) and a coloured enamel dot to highlight the sentiment completes my card. Oh and a co-ordinated envelope too!

Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush	Awesomely Artistic Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Metallics Sequin Assortment	Big Shot	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad
Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad	Sahara Sand A4 Cardstock	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad	Mint Macaron A4 Cardstock
White Perfect Accents	Banner Triple Punch