The retiring lists are here! Discover what stamps and accessories, including the 2013-15 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 links below to see the complete lists:

Retiring Stamps & Accessories - available April 21-June 2 (while stocks last)

My Digital Studio - 30 % off available April 21-June 2

Don't forget - as mentioned previously, the annual catalogue transition takes place on the earlier date of 2nd June, not 30th June as previously communicated. This means that you have just over 5 weeks left to shop from the current catalogue. 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 DBJFM4DG to receive a special thank you from me. if you live in or around Northampton, I will be putting in an order this evening so 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 by 6pm today.

I have a class this morning so will be back later with today's creative post; until then, happy shopping!

It's Wednesday so that means a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced. 

As always, 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 Hostess Code for April DBJFM4DG 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:

Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Artisan Embellishment Kit	Backgrounds Rule Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Basic Metal Buttons	Be The Star Clear-Mount Stamp Set
Birthday Bash Designer Washi Sheets	Bright & Beautiful Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Cannery Set Framelits Dies	Early Espresso 1/4" Cotton Ribbon	From The Garden Photopolymer Stamp Set
Gold Basic Metal Buttons	Silver 5/8" Satin Ribbon	Something Borrowed Embellishments	Zig Zag Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Another bumper week of offers this week, with lots to tempt you and some great bargains to be had.

Right, back soon with a creative post - until then, happy shopping!

It's Sunday and time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players and this week we have a colour challenge for you and I am the hostess! Stampin' Up!'s 2013-15 In Colours will soon retire on the 2nd June, to make way for five new In-Colours in the new annual catalogue. Whilst we still have them though, I thought this week we would showcase three of my personal favourites:

I'd like to take this opportunity to give a big shout-out to the fabulous Nance Leedy, who makes all of our challenge badges and does so much to ensure our weekly challenges run smoothly - Nance, you rock! - didn't she do a great job on my challenge badge this week? I used the sketch layout over at The Challenge for the layout of my card this week, and decided to go floral with my chosen colours - here's my card:

I have had the 'Hey There Buds' stamp set for edges and been dying to ink it up, so decided that today was the day! I used Coastal Cabana for my card base, then created a split mat panel of Strawberry Slush and Coastal Cabana, which I embossed with the large polka dot embossing folder. I matted my central panel of Whisper White on Coastal Cabana too (having rounded the corners of both pieces with my Project Life corner rounder), then on my piece of white I stamped the whole image in Pistachio Pudding, with the exception of the sentiment which I inked up separately with my Coastal Cabana Stampin' Write marker. I then stamped the whole image again on scrap cardstock in Strawberry Slush and fussy cut each of the blooms and stuck these onto the focal panel. I also stamped the central section of the open flower on a scrap of white in Coastal Cabana, and fussy cut around the spiky white section before adhering to the main image. I then added a blob of Crystal Effects to the blue flower centre for some extra dimension. I added a piece of Coastal Cabana ribbon (from the Sale-A-Bration Best Year Ever accessory set) and a white button tied with some split Strawberry Slush thick baker's twine to finish, before popping this panel onto the base using dimensionals.

So a little fussy cutting required, but it enabled me to get a more solid image than selectively colouring the image using markers and I think it was worth it. So before you reach for your paper and inks, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

I hope you like today's project - I'm so looking forward to see what you create with my chosen colour palette - I look forward to seeing your cards and projects in our gallery this week.

I'm off on an all day team training day today, which promises to be fun. I then have two days of classes to look forward to. The James juniors are back to school on Tuesday after the Easter holiday and whilst I will be sorry to see them go, it should at least mean that normal blogging will resume shortly thereafter. This week the call of the warmer weather here in the UK was simply too much and we spent our week outdoors; with the exception of making the samples for next week's classes, my ink pads have remained firmly shut!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Hey There Buds Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Project Life Corner Punch	Strawberry Slush Thick Baker's Twine
Neutrals Designer Buttons	2013-2015 In Color Stampin' Write Markers	Pistachio Pudding Classic Stampin' Pad	Strawberry Slush Classic Stampin' Pad	Card Stock A4 Coastal Cabana
Card Stock A4 Pistachio Pudding	Card Stock A4 Strawberry Slush	Whisper White A4 Card Stock

It's Wednesday so that means a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced. 

As always, 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 Hostess Code for April DBJFM4DG 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:

1" Square Punch	1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon	Banner Punch	Banners Framelits Dies
Big Shot Magnetic Platform	Brights Designer Buttons	Circle card Thinlits Die	Hexagon Hive Thinlits Die
Hexagon Punch	Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series Paper	Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons

So much to choose from - handy punches, framelits and the magnetic platform again. I think the Sunshine & Sprinkles designer series paper should actual be on the clearance rack rather than weekly deals as it is already retired, but for £2.99 a pack who cares where it's posted, right? :-)  

Right, first one to the shop gets the bargains! Happy shopping!

What a great start to a Wednesday - the Clearance Rack has been updated and there are now lots of new items available, some with as much as 80% 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 the lovely kraft wrapping paper (I'll definitely be stocking up on that for next Christmas!) as well as DSP and the Trim The Tree DSP stack. My favourite Autumn Wooden elements embellishments are in there too - 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! You might also want to check out this week's round of new weekly deals too and pop one or two of those in your basket - you can find them here. Don't forget to include the current hostess code DBJFM4DG 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! 

It's Sunday - my favourite day of the blogging week! It's time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players and this week the lovely Jaydee has a fun theme for us:

Use any die cut on your project - boy did I deliberate over this! I use die cuts all the time and my Big Shot is my crafting best friend, but what to share? I made several cards, all trying to showcase different aspects of dies and diecuts, but none of them were working for me; I think I was trying too hard! After much deliberating I decided to share a 3D project instead and since it's Easter Sunday today what better than an Easter basket made with the Berry Basket Bigz Die, along with some cute little tags all ready for today's Easter egg hunt:

The basket itself is really easy to make using the die: I made mine out of So Saffron cardstock with a Pink Pirouette trim and handle, and having stamped some eggs on the basket using my Subtles Stampin' Write markers, I finished my completed basket with a couple of pink bows punched from the Bow Builder punch and a stamped tag tied on with some Marina Mist chevron ribbon. I then used my Big Shot, Handpicked framelit dies and my Alphabet rotary stamp to make a whole bunch of tags ready to place around the garden for our Easter egg hunt today - here are just a selection:

I made them out of coaster board, so that they would be extra-strong and added coloured punched out arrows to some of them to add to the fun.

There are some great projects from the Design Team this week - do pop by their blogs and take a look:

I hope you like today's project - there are so many different dies to choose from, I can't wait to see what you come up with for your cards and projects in our gallery this week. I'm off to play Easter bunny and follow the James juniors around the garden collecting eggs, then attempt to persuade them to not eat them all before lunch! Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Handpicked Framelits Dies	Berry Basket Bigz L Die	For Peeps' Sake Clear Stamp Set	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Bow Builder Punch
What's Up Punch	Scalloped Tag Topper Punch	Candy Dots Brad Bases	Subtles Candy Dots	Marina Mist 3/4" Chevron Ribbon
Vanilla Coaster Board	Alphabet Rotary Stamp	Pink Pirouette A4 Card Stock	So Saffron A4 Card Stock	Subtles Stampin' Write Markers
Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Subtles A4 Card Stock

It's Wednesday so that means a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced. 

As always, 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 Hostess Code for April DBJFM4DG 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:

Blushing Bride 1/4" Cotton Ribbon	Extra-Large Gift Box	File Tabs Edgelits Die	Gift Box Punch Board
Hearts A Flutter Framelits Dies	Squares Collection Framelits Dies	Word Bubbles Framelits Dies

You may be disappointed that Sale-A-Bration has ended, but today's weeky deals have something of a silver lining for sure: framelit offers abound this week, along  with the gift box punch board and the fabulous extra large gift boxes and some Blushing Bride ribbon to tie them up in! This week's framelit offers include some of my most used framelits - come back later to see today's creative post, where I used the Square Framelits to create today's fun card.

Until then, happy shopping!

It's Wednesday so that means a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced.

As always, 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 Hostess Code for March 4AHTZQVW 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:

Card Stock A4 Crisp Cantaloupe	Card Stock A4 Pistachio Pudding	Envelope Punch Board
Gold Soiree Specialty Designer Series Paper	Regals Designer Series Paper Stack	Rich Razzleberry A4 Card Stock

My all-time favourite product in there, the Envelope Punch Board - an absolute bargain at only £13.46 - and also some great offers on paper. I used the Gold Soiree paper on the card I shared on Monday - see it here - and you can stock up on A4 cardstock in two of the soon-to-be-retiring 2013-15 In-colours. Cardstock, along with markers, ink pads and re-inkers in Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe, Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana and Baked Brown Sugar are all set to leave us at the end of May and are usually the first things to run out when the list of retiring products from the current catalogue are announced, so if these colours are favourites of yours, stock up now before it's too late.  

This is the last opportunity you will have this year to place an order where your Weekly Deals purchases can go towards earning a free Sale-A-Bration product with a spend of £45. There are a whole host of catalogue and exclusive products that you can receive free with a £45 order - see them all on the links in the side bar on the right hand side.

Here is a card I made with one of the free Sale-A-Bration stamp sets, called 'A Happy Thing':

This is a card I made a few weeks ago and haven't yet shared with you, which in addition to the lemon stamp also features one of the patterns in the Best Year Ever DSP pack, another exclusive Sale-A-Bration item. If these or any other Sale-A-Bration items are on your wish list, you have only 7 more days to acquire them. So what are you waiting for? I'll be back tomorrow with a card for this week's new challenge over at Create With Connie and Marie. Until then, happy shopping!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

A Happy Thing Clear Stamp Set	Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Ovals Collection Framelits Dies	Whisper White A4 Card Stock
Daffodil Delight A4 Card Stock	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad	Wild Wasabi A4 Card Stock	Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad	Blender Pens

I'm starting my week nice and early with today's post which is a card for this week's challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches:

I decided to stay true to the sketch with my clean and graphic card:

I chose Pistachio Pudding for my base then layered this with a piece of Whisper White down the centre of my card followed by a feature piece of DSP, this time the Gold Soiree Specialty DSP, as the circle pattern echoed my chosen focal point. I stamped the 'Thanks So Much' stamp from the #hello set in Versamark and heat embossed in gold then punched out with my 2" circle punch. I layered this onto a banner of gold foil and popped the whole piece up on dimensionals for added lift. 

This card is conveniently post-friendly and will be heading out to one of my most recent online customers this week to thank them for supporting my Stampin' Up! business. If you would like to receive a card just like this one, all you have to do is place an order in my online store this month and ensure your contact preferences are set to 'contact' and one will be on its way. 

Today is the first day of the Easter holidays for the James Juniors, but for me there is no rest: I am hosting a children's craft class where we are masking Easter treats. I will be sharing photos over on my Facebook page if I remember to take pictures as we go along and will share the projects later in the week. Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

(Hashtag) Hello Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Gold Soiree Specialty Designer Series Paper	Card Stock A4 Pistachio Pudding	Gold Foil Sheets	Whisper White A4 Card Stock
Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool - Uk Plug	2" Circle Punch
Hexagon Punch

It's Wednesday so that means a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced.

As always, 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 Hostess Code for March (you can find this under the 'Shop Online' section on the right) 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:

Argyle Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Card Stock A4 Crushed Curry	Chocolate Chip 3/4" Chevron Ribbon	Crushed Curry 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Modern Mosaic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Very Vanilla 5/8" Satin Ribbon

A feast of embossing folders and ribbons this week - and some cardstock too if Crushed Curry is your thing!

I've had a busy day today with a fabulous group of ladies making spring wreaths which I will share with you later this week so no time for a creative post today. I'll be back tomorrow with this week's new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary so come back then for a new card. Until then, happy shopping!