Wildflower Birthday Cake Trio For AYSI 350

by Joanne James13. June 2025 13:00

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's a sketch challenge, designed by yours truly:

 

I liked the idea of three 'somethings' overlaid with a sentiment and I think this is a sketch with so many creative options - the team have certainly done a fab job with it! I couldn't resist using it to showcase some pretty designer paper - fussy cut, of course! Take a look at what I came up with:

 

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

Yes, I fussy cut a trio of birthday cakes from the Wildflower Birthday papers and added a simple heat embossed birthday sentiment from the (retired) 'Sending Smiles' stamp set. This paper does have a faint pink background, so I added some Pretty in Pink ink with a blending brush both behind my cakes and on my card base to give a soft, feminine feel:

 

A trio of faceted iridescent dots and a simple gold twine bow to pick up on the gold embossing on the paper complete my pretty birthday card. So what do you think when you see those 3 panels? Why not have a go and add your card to our challenge gallery?

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. 

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

  • Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D or packaging project that fits the challenge.
  • Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your post.
  • Make sure you link the specific post and not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI#(insert challenge number) when uploading to a public gallery
  • Please turn off word verification so that we can send you lots of feedback.
  • You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges. 
  • We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider for Top Pick and Featured Artist, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.
We look forward to seeing your creations in the AYSI gallery.

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

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Perennial Postage Two Ways CCS562

by Joanne James10. June 2025 12:00

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. Shannon is hosting this month this week's challenge is a sketch challenge:

 

Shannon has asked that we create a design featuring 9 rectangles, each of white should be white/plain and pattern-free. Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch when making your card. I don't mind saying that the idea of 9 completely blank rectangles almost threw me for six, but I eventually made 2 cards! 

Here's the first one that I made:

 

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

Perennial Postage - I decided to use the Perennial Postage Dies for my 9 rectangles and whilst a whole panel of DSP is usually a no-no for a CAS C&S card, since it was going to be mostly covered with my white rectangles, I grabbed a piece of (retired) Iconic Celebrations heart-patterned paper and added this to my base.

Greetings For All - I chose a co-ordinating diecut sentiment from the 'Greetings For All' pack and added a couple of punched hearts behind to pick up the colour and design of the paper:

Take Two - Having made this card, I decided to make another one, but this time choosing a piece of (retired) Sunshine & Rainbows designer series paper that featured white in its pattern, to see if this would create a more clean and simple feel:

 

I followed the same design and chose another sentiment in the pack and added a Pool Party heart accent:

 

The monochromatic colour scheme and addition of white in the pattern I think does give this second card a more CAS feel, so this is the one that I used as my challenge card this week, but I thought I'd share both and my thought process. No stamping either! I'm looking forward to see how our challenge participants tackle this challenge this week - why not have a go yourself and come and join us?

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:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Last Few Hours To Take Advantage of Stampin' Up Awesome 35 Joining Offer

by Joanne James31. October 2023 12:32

It's the end of October and I just wanted to remind you that you have until 11.59pm this evening to take advantage of this month's fantastic joining offer:

 

Stampin' Up! wants to celebrate our 35th anniversary in style! From 3 to 31 October, anyone who joins our fun crafting community as a new demonstrator can choose either 35% OFF the cost of their Starter Kit or get 35% MORE product with their Starter Kit! What a deal! 

New demonstrators can choose one of the following options for their Starter Kit:

Option 1: Get 35% OFF the normal cost of a Stampin’ Up! Starter Kit. Those who select this option will receive £130 worth of product for only £64.35!

Option 2: Get 35% MORE product with their Starter Kit. Those who select this option will receive £175.50 worth of product by spending £99!

No matter which option new demonstrators choose for your Starter Kit, both provide you with free business supplies and free shipping on your Starter Kit—not to mention all the fun that comes with being part of Stampin’ Up!

If that wasn't enough - it gets better! Those who sign up for a Starter Kit during this offer will also be automatically registered for FREE to our virtual OnStage@Home event on 11 November—an event that has a £72 value! At this virtual, one-day event, we’ll celebrate our 35th Stampin’ Up! anniversary, watch lots of presentations, and view new products in action from the January–April 2024 Mini Catalogue and Sale-A-Bration Brochure. In fact, attendees will be able to order brand new products for the Craft Along Experience where they’ll follow along and create crafts from the comfort of their own homes!

Joining offers like this one don't come along often, so whether you're looking for friendship, a hobby, a business or lots more besides, there really is no better time to consider joining Stampin' Up! If you would like more information or help in deciding which option suits you best, do get in touch with me - I would love to chat to you about the benefits of being a part of our stamping community. If you've read this far and have already decided you want to be a part of it - click here to join my awesome Stampin' Up! team.

A Fabulous 35 Anniversary Joining Offer And new Christmas Kits

by Joanne James3. October 2023 09:00

It's the start of October and there's lots of news to share with you! A fantastic joining offer and two new Christmas-themed kits launch today. First up:

 

Stampin' Up! wants to celebrate our 35th anniversary in style! From 3 to 31 October, anyone who joins our fun crafting community as a new demonstrator can choose either 35% OFF the cost of their Starter Kit or get 35% MORE product with their Starter Kit! What a deal! 

New demonstrators can choose one of the following options for their Starter Kit:

Option 1: Get 35% OFF the normal cost of a Stampin’ Up! Starter Kit. Those who select this option will receive £130 worth of product for only £64.35!

Option 2: Get 35% MORE product with their Starter Kit. Those who select this option will receive £175.50 worth of product by spending £99!

No matter which option new demonstrators choose for your Starter Kit, both provide you with free business supplies and free shipping on your Starter Kit—not to mention all the fun that comes with being part of Stampin’ Up!

If that wasn't enough - it gets better! Those who sign up for a Starter Kit during this offer will also be automatically registered for FREE to our virtual OnStage@Home event on 11 November—an event that has a £72 value! At this virtual, one-day event, we’ll celebrate our 35th Stampin’ Up! anniversary, watch lots of presentations, and view new products in action from the January–April 2024 Mini Catalogue and Sale-A-Bration Brochure. In fact, attendees will be able to order brand new products for the Craft Along Experience where they’ll follow along and create crafts from the comfort of their own homes!

Joining offers like this one don't come along often, so whether you're looking for friendship, a hobby, a business or lots more besides, there really is no better time to consider joining Stampin' Up! If you would like more information or help in deciding which option suits you best, do get in touch with me - I would love to chat to you about the benefits of being a part of our stamping community. If you've read this far and have already decided you want to be a part of it - click here to join my awesome Stampin' Up! team.

In addition to this month's joining offer, there are also two new kits that are available from today in the online store:

Celebrate Christmas with everyone, everywhere with the Christmas Everywhere Kit by Stampin’ Up! It comes with everything you need to create 9 Christmas cards in 3 festive designs featuring trees from around the world. Get an early start on your Christmas crafting and send some festive cheer to friends and loved ones wherever they are! Here's a couple of additional images of the kit in more detail:

       

Here'a a link to the unboxing video for this kit:

The second kit released today is the Rustic Christmas Countdown Kit. This kit has all you need to make a rustic, 25 day paper advent calendar. What a great way to bring a classic, cosy Christmas feeling to your home this season! 

 

Here's a couple of additional images of the kit in more detail:

   

Here'a a link to the unboxing video too:

Aren't they just great?! Both of these kits are available right now by placing an order with me or in my online store by clicking on either of the links below - remember to add the current host code (see the box on the right hand side of my blog) for a thank you from me:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Lots to think about in this post! Back later with today's creative project - until then, happy shopping - or maybe even joining! 

Pantone-Inspired Pierced Blooms You're Amazing Card CCS 418

by Joanne James4. May 2021 12:00

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. Samantha is hosting for the month of May and our first challenge is a colour challenge: 

         

Samantha's chosen colours this week are very reminiscent of the 2021 Pantone Colour of the Year pairing of grey and yellow so are very contemporary and on point. I wanted the yellow to be my 'white space' on my card as I wanted to use white as part of my design, so I grabbed this week's Global Design Project sketch layout and set to work with my 'In Bloom' stamp set and co-ordinating Pierced Blooms Dies - take a look:

 

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

I used the label from the Pierced Blooms dieset for my sentiment which I stamped in Basic Grey, then added a cluster of diecut flowers and leaves in the challenge colours and white to mimic the circular shape of the sketch. In order to preserve a feeling of CAS and my all-important white (or yellow!) space, I resisted the urge to add any additional embellishments to my card:

 

I had a spare diecut flower leftover so I added that to the inside 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 really love this dieset and am thrilled that it has carried over to the new annual catalogue too so will be with us beyond the end of June when the mini catalogue leaves us. I can see me getting lots more use from it!

As a reminder, for our colour challenges, you must use all of the stated challenge colours. You may also use neutral colours; however, the challenge colours should be the most noticeable ones featured on your card. We use Stampin' Up! color names for reference, but you are welcome to use any other companies' products as long as you match the challenge colours as closely as possible.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Enjoy The Moment CAS Watercolour Sneak Peek

by Joanne James9. November 2020 19:50

 

So here it is - the card that I actually intended to blog today! This card was inspired by a number of challenges: the colours over at CAS Colours and Sketches, along with this week's CAS(E) This Sketch layout. It's also a great example of #SimpleStamping as it uses nothing more than stamps ink and paper which also just happens to be the theme of the challenge over at Just Add Ink this week:

      

What's more, this card is a sneak peek of a brand new Stampin' Up! stamp set that will debut in the 2021 Spring-Summer seasonal catalogue - take a look:

 

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

For those of you that follow me on social media, you will know that I attended the bi-annual Stampin' Up! Onstage event this past weekend, which because of Covid, was held virtually online, with some of my team #OnstageAtHome2020. We had a great time and as always it was still exciting to get a first view of the new catalogue and play with some of the new products. I received a new stamp set called 'Enjoy The Moment' in my Onstage swag bag and whilst I don't usually blog cards with new sets this far in advance of catalogue launch (I don't like to be too much of a tease!) I really like this stamp set and I thought it was perfect for the above challenges. I simply watercoloured 4 ovals using the challenge colours onto some Fluid 100 watercolour paper and then using my Stamparatus, I stamped four of the seed pods over the top of each one, stamping a few times to get them nice and black. I stamped my sentiment in black onto a strip of Bumblebee cardstock and added it to my card with dimensionals to finish. A great example of #SimpleStamping - sometimes stamps, ink and paper is all you need!

 

So what do you think? Have I wet your appetite for the new catalogue?! There are still a couple of months before it launches, so rest assured won't be tempting you too much at this stage. The only way you can get it sooner is to join my team - do get in touch if you really can't wait! Either way, I will be firmly back to Christmas cards tomorrow!

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:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.
 

Freezin' Friends Seal For A Pink Christmas

by Joanne James6. November 2020 12:00

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a colour challenge:

    

I'm also linking up over at Festive Friday where I chose embossing, diecut and sentiment from the inspo list and decided to use our colour palette this week to create an unusually coloured Christmas card - take a look:

 

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

I was rather time-pressed this week, with class prep, in-colour club and I've been attending Stampin' Up!'s Onstage at Home virtual event, so I needed something I could pull together fairly quickly! I thought that the little seal from 'Freezin' Friends' would be perfect in grey, with a stripey pink bobble hat; I sat him on a little slippery patch of ice (hence the sentiment!) which I diecut from cardstock and layered with vellum brushed with clear Wink of Stella for a sparkly shine. The unconventional element to my card was the Flirty Flamingo card that I used for my card base, which I embossed with the Evergreen Forest Embossing Folder and added a sprinkling of adhesive-backed sequins with a pinkish hue to compliment my wintery scene:

 

So what do you think - does the pink tree background work for you? A little girly maybe, but I 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. 

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

  • Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
  • Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can leave you lots of lovely comments. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use #AYSIXXX when uploading to a public gallery.
  • If you’re unsure about ‘the rules’, check the details under the Challenge Guidelines tab on the As You See It Challenge homepage.
  • In a colour challenge, black or other neutral can be used in outlines and sentiments but no other colours should be included. Stampin’ Up colours are used for reference but colours that are a close match are welcome.
We look forward to seeing your creations in the AYSI gallery.

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

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Bird Ballad Suite Onstage Make and Take

by Joanne James19. June 2019 21:00

I have the second of this month's technique classes tomorrow and it features the Bird Ballad suite. As I'm a little pressed for time today, I thought I'd share with you the 'make and take' we made using products from this suite at Stampin' Up!'s Onstage event when the annual catalogue was launched  - take a look:

 

Super pretty papers and a stamp set that is perfect for colouring, this suite is great for everything from super-simple cards through to more complicated creations. My card class is focusing on fancy folds, colouring and fussy cutting and I'll share these creations with you later thi week. For now though, this card shows how easy it is to create something pretty with some DSP, a little colouring and a lacy bow.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

 to follow

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

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

to follow

Bubble Over Thank You Make And Take Card

by Joanne James23. February 2018 21:00

Yay it's Friday! Another fun beer bottle to end the week, this time the make and take card from our Onstage event:

 

This card design is great for showcasing those fabulous bold and bright patterns in the Bubble Over Designer Series Paper Pack - it's also a good way to use up scraps of paper that you may have lying around from other projects. Paired with a mat stamped with bubbles, a bottle and some of those lovely sparkly Glitter and Clear Epoxy Shapes, this thank you card is sure to brighten anyone's day!

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:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Bubble Over - Clean and Simple Birthday Card

by Joanne James16. February 2018 20:00

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:

Image may contain: 5 people, people smiling, people sitting, table and indoor

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:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

2025-26 Annual Catalogue

BROWSE THE CATALOGUE

Click on the image to download your copy of the 2025-26 annual catalogue. For a full list of current SU! supplies, go to my online store. If you would like any help or advice, please drop me a line at joanne@thecraftyowl.co.uk or give me a call on 07773 421446 - I'd be happy to help.

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Join My Team

It's always a great time to join Stampin’ Up! Between 6-31 May, new team members can get £170 worth of products for only £99 + free business supplies + free shipping + all the fun being a part of Stampin’ Up! That's an extra £40 of product - FREE! Stampin' Up! has something for everyone: join my growing team and benefit from my support to enjoy Stampin' Up! however you choose.

If you're interested, call me for a chat to understand how I can help you realise your goals. Alternatively, if you have already decided to sign up and you just can't wait, please click here for the link to the online form where you can sign up and order your starter kit right away! 

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About Me

Hi I'm Joanne and live in Northampton and when I'm not looking after my husband and two beautiful children, am an avid crafter with a passion for all things Stampin' Up!

I must confess that I have never been a big rubber stamper - until I discovered Stampin' Up! that is. I love the fact that I can get such great results with co-ordinating stamps, inks, papers and punches - the possibilities are endless! Join me on my stamping journey as I share the things I love and be inspired to create amazing things yourself!

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This is my personal blog and is not endorsed by Stampin’ Up! Stampin' Up! is a registered trademark of Stampin' up! Inc. I hope you find my blog a plentiful source of ideas and personal inspiration but please don't copy my designs for contest submission or use for classes, publication or sale without express permission.