Stampin Up! have a new look!

Stampin' Up! have a new look website and it's fab!  Take a look  here, www.stampinup.co.uk. 

While you're there also have a look at the all new trimmer.  It's gone straight to the top of my wish list. No more having to remove the scoring blade if I want to cut 12 x 12 papers, a nice clear extending ruler and scale and storage for spare blades, my bone folder and more underneath; definitely a cut above! 

Another product featured on the new look front page of the website is the Everyday Happenings calendar. Showcasing some of the lovely paper designs this desk calendar makes a great gift. 

Top Tag Tip

No card to share today, sorry. I do however, have a top tip that I picked up at convention this year.  
Need a nice, even chevron cut end to a banner on your card or tag? Use your square punch to get it nice and central!  How easy is that and why hadn't I thought of it ages ago?!!
Another way of making sure the cut is nice and even is to snip from the bottom edge to the centre point and then cut from each corner to the centre. 

Triple Stamped Snowflakes

I am loving this technique and it works so well with the Snowflake Soiree stamp set. I used the traditional Christmas colours of Cherry cobbler and Old olive and added some bling with Dazzling Details glitter glue. The greeting is from the Greetings of the Season stamp set.

Razzleberry snowflakes

Phew! I'm exhausted!  I've spent all week at the theatre helping out with Spotlight's latest show, The Drowsy Chaperone.  It was great! Audience reaction was fantastic to this very funny show and we played to pretty much a full house every night.

So, I haven't had much time for making cards this week but I do have another card from last months training day to share with you.

The papers are once again from the Razzleberry Splash Simply Scrappin kit, these kits really are not just for scrapbooks!  The snowflake die has been put to great use, the tiniest snowflake is cut from glimmer paper which adds a lovely bit of sparkle.
A simple design but perfect for when you have loads of Christmas cards to make.

Razzleberry Clockworks

Clockworks has to be one of my favourite stamp sets at the moment, I love the collage effect. This is a really quick card for when you're in a hurry; the base card is crumb cake then the images are stamped in razzleberry and navy inks to build up the collage.  Finally the watch image has been punched out and 3d mounted.

Elegant Butterfly

Everyone loves a butterfly and this card has three of them made using the new elegant butterfly punch. The papers are from the Razzleberry splash scrapping kit; the razzleberry layer has been embossed using the beautiful petals a plenty folder another new addition to this years catalogue. To complete the card add accents in the form of striped grosgrain ribbon and a greeting punched with coordinating punches.

Breaking News! New FREE app from itunes

Stampin up have a great new card making app available from itunes. It allows to create an e-card from a template or by yourself and email it or share it on facebook.
AND best of all it's FREE!!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/simply-sent/id577263957?mt=8

Petite Pocket

We made these cute little pockets at our last quarterly training day, they will be perfect for enclosing a monetary gift with your card don't you think?  They are also just the right size for one of those gift cards so I think I will be makikng a few of these decorated with Christmas papers. The Petite Pocket big shot die makes these so easy to cut out then just decorate as you choose.  This one is covered in papers from the Razzleberry Splash simply Scrappin kit and the flower is made using the floral fusion sizzlets.

The Drowsy Chaperone

I don't have a card for you today, I am going to be in the theatre all this week helping out at Spotlight Musical Theatre Company's latest show, The Drowsy Chaperone. Never heard of it?  Neither had I but it's a great story about a musical theatre fan, there are dream sequences and a few guilty pleasures along the way.  So, if you have a yearning for an evening out this week there may be a final few tickets available at the Compass theatre in Ickenham, Middlesex.  
My daughter, Alice filmed this trailer for the company to help advertise the show. Take a look and get a flavour of what lies ahead.

Christmas Joy

Are you feeling Christmassy yet? Are ya?  Even just a little bit? I am!  I have made a start on my Christmas shopping at last and Christmas card making is well under way. 
This card is quick and easy when you have to make a lot of cards quickly.  The new textured impressions embossing folder is perfect for Christmas and coordinates so well with the Joyous Celebrations stamp set, it has various images which fit perfectly into the centre oval space. Of course being Stampin up there is a coordinating oval punch which makes it even easier.

Anchor's Away!

This card is CAS'ed from my convention roomie Elaine Harding, you can see her blog here, I received it in a swap at a team training event earlier this year, it uses a technique called faux tearing which makes use of some copier paper and a sponge dauber. The stamp set is Open Sea and is stamped in Soft Suede ink; the anchor image is punched using the tag punch and attached to the card with linen thread.

Snowy Friends

I have another Christmas card to share today.  The snowmen were stamped and coloured with marker pens and mounted onto early espresso card.  The edge of the card has a scallop edge echoed on the base card.  A pretty bow completes the look.

Ink-redible Stampin' Up! promotions!!

WOW!!

I have just returned from an A-MAZ-ING annual Stampin' Up! convention in Mainz, Germany. It was fabulous, I met so many lovely demonstrators from right across Europe.  I have lots of photos to share with you and photos of all the lovely swaps I received too but they will have to wait for another day as I need to bring you up to date with Stampin' Up! news.

The first promotion is an unbelievable offer for new demonstrators. If you sign up as a demonstrator before the end of November then you will receive a free pack of designer series paper every month for 6 months! That's a great deal on top of the usual demonstrator benefits, give me a shout if you would like to discuss the opportunity.

The second offer is like Christmas come early! Get a FREE Festive Paper-Piercing Pack when you purchase the Ornament Keepsakes Stamp set and Candlelight Speciality Designer Series paper bundle before the end of November. 
There are four options available depending on whether you would like to add in the matching framelits you can view the different options here.

Finally, for our hostesses (or indeed customers who place an individual order) during November and until December 16. Host a party with sales totalling a minimum £325 and get a FREE collection of ink pads valued at £44.50. Choose from Subtle, Bright or Regals thats 10 FREE inkpads! 

This offer is in addition to the usual hostess benefits so in addition to your free inkpads you will receive £50 to spend in the catalogue AND one item half price! 

Boo!!!!

How cute is this?! These gorgeous little trick or treat bags form part of one of Stampin up's new bundles available in the Autumn and Winter seasonal catalogue.  
The stamp set, Googly Ghouls, is available separately but is best value when purchased as part of a bundle complete with googly eyes, treat bags, bakers twine and tags.
I used a staz-on inkpad to stamp onto the bag and marker pens to colour my witch image. Just pop a treat inside and you're ready for all those ghouls and goblins.

More Winter Memories

An image from Christmas of yesteryear, wouldn't you have loved a sledge like this one?  Or maybe just enough snow to have used it :/  
I stamped and coloured, with marker pens, this image twice so that I could 3d mount it and then added some dazzling details glitter.  A double mat of early espresso and cherry cobbler sets it off nicely. 

Snowflake

Did I show you this one? I was helping out at the Stampin Up stand at the Sandown craft show last month and this card was one that we demonstrated during the day.
It makes great use of the Bigshot as we have not only a dotty embossed background but also the beautiful snowflake die.  The greeting is from Greetings of the Season, each of the stamps in this set is a different font and all are perfect for your Christmas cards. Add a little bling with some rhinestones and 3d mount your snowflake.

Winter Memories

Once again I am in a Welsh hotel and I am getting excited as it is almost time for the Stampin Up convention in Mainz, Germany and I am busy making card fronts to swap with my fellow demonstrators.

I do have a card for you, Christmas again! :)

This stamp set, Winter Memories was one of the first to catch my eye from the Autumn and Winter seasonal catalogue.  I think the designs lend themselves perfectly to muted tones and watercolours and this is exactly what I have done with this lovely image of ice skates. Rather than watercolour I used a blender pen picking up the ink from the lid of my inkpads.  I stamped and coloured the image twice so that I could cut part of it out and 3d mount it.  Here's a closer look.

The dotty background paper is from the neutrals designer paper pattern stack and I added some dazzling details glitter for sparkle and some real red ribbon.

Evergreen

Yep, Night of Navy is definitely my colour for Christmas this year.  I used the Evergreen stamps again for this one; using navy ink to stamp the background trees and then heat embossing the central image. I used my small circle punch to create the cut out corners.

Silent Night

Another Christmas card for you today.  This is a small square card, approx 3x3".  I stamped the Silent Night image from the Evergreen stamp set in versamark ink and then heat embossed it in gold. 

Blogoversary and Blog Candy!

I'm 5 !!!!!

Today is the 5th anniversary of the day that I entered blogland, it's also my 2nd Stampin Up anniversary this week too.  Wow, that's gone quickly.

So, to celebrate I have some blog candy to give away. All you have to do is leave me a comment and then link back to this post from your own blog. The winner will be selected using a random generator after I get back from convention on 5 November. 

I may even add a goodie or two from Convention ;)

Winter Memories

I don't know about you but I think it's time that I began making a serious start on Christmas! I have already made a few cards but now it's time to knuckle down I think.
Night of Navy seems to be my colour of choice this year and this card is no exception.  The stamp set is Winter Memories from the Autumn and Winter seasonal catalogue, I coloured it using marker pens and a blender pen to soften it a little.  The background snowflakes from Snowflake Soiree are stamped in white craft ink and of course no Christmas card would be complete without a little bling, in this case added using Dazzling details glitter glue.

Clockwork

Today's card is the make and take from the Stampin Up leadership training day last month. 
I'm quite liking the collage effect and this stamp set lends itself perfectly. The pocket watch is built up using several different stamps so you definitely need your stamp-a-ma-jig if you want to line it up perfectly.

Zigzag butterflies

Once more this card was designed by Hayley Gillie, I am never sure where to start with a card structured like this so I am very glad of the template.
The stamp set is Bordering on Romance, coloured with marker pens and blender pens. The flowers have been enhanced with pearls and embossed butterflies complete the card.

Bordering on Romance gift box

Another gift box courtesy of Hayley, don't forget you can visit her blog here. 
The image taking pride of place is from Bordering on Romance and is enhanced using marker pens, blender pens and pearls. The various layers of the box have been die cut using the framelits, one has been embossed with a coordinating folder and another is cut from Twitterpated designer paper.