Santa Stache...

When Stampin' UP! first released the Autumn/Winter Catalogue this year and I saw this set I just knew I had to have it and that my Christmas Cards were sorted. 

Growing up in Berlin from a tiny baby the Nutcracker has been a part of my life since I can remember and for me it signifies the start of the festive season. Christmas isn't Christmas with out a trip to the local ChristKindl-Markt and several Gluhwein (mulled wine) to warm the hands and heart while you browse and shop. I try to go every year to one in this country with the one in Birmingham being among the best. 

These Traditional German Nutcrackers were made in Seiffen Germany, in the Erzgebirge Mountains where the wooden nutcracker was first made back in 1872.

Here I stamped him front and centre of my card to give it maximum impact. I love the bright colours of these little guys and had fun with my Blendabilities colouring him in. 

The 'stache' was stamped onto an offcut and then coloured in before being die cut with the matching framelit. It adds a depth to the card and I think brings this little guy to life.

What ever starts the festive season for you I hope you enjoy it and you are on Santa's 'good' list x

Feeling Festive...

Christmas is coming but if you are a crafter you are probably like me and just a little bit over it already. I have been running a Christmas club since April so feel like it has been never ending lol. 

Each month we get together for a couple of hours one eve and make 10 cards. Usually 5 each of two designs to ensure that by the time we get to September we all have 60 hand crafted cards ready to give. At the end of this years club I was asked to run a couple of specials to make larger cards. I am sharing one of those with you today.

Today's card is A5 in size and features plenty of gold! 

I used the Stars Framelits and Star punch to create various sizes and used heat embossing plus embossing folders and Glimmer paper to create texture and interest. Gorgeous Grunge also makes an appearance just providing a little background interest.

Here is a close up showing the texture and shimmer this card has,

If you are interested in joining next years Christmas club or getting your hands on the products used to create this card then please contact me and I will do my best to help you. 

Christmas Is Coming...

I have been absent for a while but as a Mum of 4 and a Forces wife life can sometimes get busy, very busy and keeping up with classes has been a priority while life has been so chaotic. 

Now things have calmed down I hope to get back into my routine and where better to start than with my blog and my lovely readers who are still there. 

I thought I would bring you a little Christmas cheer seeing as the season of all things sparkly and festive is almost upon us. 

All products used are from Stampin' UP! including the fabulous box board used to create this cute little 8cm x 8cm box.

I wanted you to be able to see the gift inside so used window sheets instead of regular cardstock. A gold satin bow and a tag with a bit of bling make any gift look extra special. 

Hidden under the tag is this lovely Chocolate Bauble. After all Christmas isn't complete without baubles and chocolate!

Thank you for your patience and till the next time, happy crafting

Special Day - Special Card

Hello....

Its been a busy few weeks here with new classes being planned and new venues secured. I hope to bring you more details very soon. It's also been a very trying time for the family with my Father in Law to be facing tough times in hospital following a diagnosis of terminal cancer so I hope you will forgive me as I have put family first.

I have still been working while time allows and one of my recent commissions was a Graduation card for a young girl who graduates this week. I didn't realise just how little we celebrate Graduating in this country till I started work on this card. We really should celebrate life's milestones more. 

I found the idea for this card while browsing Pinterest. The original design was by Julie B and you can see it on her blog. I changed up the colour of the ribbon, using Blackberry Bliss, to match the University colours and added some extra detail to the bottom. 

   

The tassle was made using Stampin' Ups! Whisper White Bakers Twine and held in place by a now retired Glimmer Brad

I hope you liked this card and the recipient does too.

Till next time - Happy Crafting

Wave Goodbye...

to our 2013-2014 Catalogue. 

Today is the last day you can order from the 2013-2014 catalogue although not all items are available as some have already sold out!

But don't worry.... Tomorrow we say HELLO to...

Demo's have had the last month to drool over the new catalogue and to try a couple of products ready to inspire and motivate you in your own creativity.

If you don't have a catalogue yet and would like to get your own copy please leave me a comment and I will happily post one out to you.

Stampin' Up! Preview Playtime

How lovely are the blue sky days we are having at the moment? They take me back to childhood summers filled with sunshine and friends.

With the skies for inspiration I had a play with a couple of new products coming to you in just 1 WEEK!!!

So get your wish lists at the ready and if you still don't have a catalogue and would like one then just leave me a message and I will get one in the post to you.

That also means you have just 1 WEEK to order from the current catty those items which are retiring.

Here I have used Bermuda Bay and stamped 3 times without inking. I love that one ink pad can give you so many variations of the same colour. 

Another new product has been used to add some sparkle - a perfectly sized star punch adds just the right amount of detail. Watch out for more stars in the upcoming catalogue!

Can you name the stamp set used to create the background? Leave me a message with your answer underneath and I will pick a winner on Friday to receive a little something from me.

Till next time - Happy Crafting 

Stampin' Up! Dipping my toe....

.... into the new catalogue!!!

I finally got time today to play with the new stuff that will be available to you all on the 1st of July. 

It has been a pretty busy couple of weeks here by the sea and I have had these goodies in my craft room for a couple of weeks and no chance to play. As a Demonstrator we get to pre order some of the goodies from the up coming catalogue a month before it goes live to customers.   

I just fell in love with this Sea Street when I saw it at Telford and what better set for a Mermaid. It also has a matching Designer Series Paper - so cool!!

I always find it takes a couple of 'plays' with a new set to get the feel for it so I have kept this card simple and clean. I used Coastal Cabana and Whisper White with just a hint of Real Red. 

I fussy cut the starfish which takes no time at all and really adds a sense of movement.

I hope you liked today's card and if you would like to find out more about getting your hands on new goodies earlier than the rest then please leave me a comment and I will get back to you.

Till next time - Happy Crafting 

Sign Up to Stampin' UP!

Almost 4 years ago I took a big decision in my life and decided to turn my Papercrafting hobby into my work.

Never did I imagine when I signed up to Stampin' UP! I would not only fulfill this dream but I would help others too and it would also bring some wonderful people into my life. 

Stampin' UP! are offering 2 great ways to join the team. 

Firstly there is the regular £99 kit which gets you £130 of product plus a business starter pack or for a LIMITED TIME  the option to join for just £50. 

With this option you get £55 worth of product which you still get to choose yourself and a business pack.

You don't have to join Stampin' UP! to run a business. There are many options available to you as a Demo.

* Discount Demonstrator – Likes the idea of buying stamps and products for personal use or at a discount and occasionally sells to friends and family
* Short-Term Demonstrator – Sells for a short period of time to earn a specified amount of money and stops when goal is reached
* Hobby Demonstrator – Loves doing workshops (parties) and classes and earning extra money when it’s convenient, works a lot some months and very little or not at all other months.
* Seasonal Demonstrator – Works hard at business during September, October and November doing workshops (parties) for seasonal money. Maintains minimum sales during the rest of the year.
* Stay-at-home Mum (or Dad) Demonstrator – Wants to stay at home with your children and make some extra money working hours around the family
* Career Demonstrator – Views Stampin’ Up! as a viable business with long term career potential. Pursues management and wants to move up the career ladder. Regularly attends Stampin’ Up! events and has developed close social relationships with other demonstrators, works at their business in a consistent manner.

If you would like to know more about how to join my team then please contact me using the Contact me button on the right hand side. 

If you know this is the deal for you then please use the Join Now button at the top right. 

I look forward to hearing from you and answering any questions you may have.

Memories...

This morning I am heading out to share Scrap booking with someone new so I thought I would share a page I did a while ago for a class.  

My new lady asked me the other day if I scrapped to fit a photo or fitted the photo to the page? 

The truth is I do both.... This is a page I loved putting together but it is waiting for it's perfect photo. Somewhere in my future the right photo will come along for this page. Until then I just enjoy it for the creative process it was. 

There is no right or wrong way to scrap!

Here are a few close ups of the details...

Pennants add detail but can also be used to showcase smaller photos or journalling. A little splash of colour too which can easily be changed to suit the photo.

Grouped areas to add your photo or journalling or a bit of both. Here I used Stampin' UP! Hung up cute clips to add a little detail. 

The two smaller mounts are only fixed at the bottom to allow me to slide photos in at a later date.

A few punched hexagons using Stampin' UP! Hexagon punch to bring a little balance to the page

And here you go..... 

The finished page just waiting for it's special memory. 

Till next time - Happy Crafting 

Stampin' Up! training...

Last weekend I was at Stampin' UP! Regional training in Telford with over 300 other Demo's. All as excited as me to be there and all keen to show off their creative side.

With all the lovely weather we have been having recently and a commission to make some pieces to decorate the window of my favourite Cupcakery,  my mind had been firmly fixed on Weddings so it seemed only natural that my swap for the day was in keeping.

So here it is...

I kept the colour scheme light and simple, doing the one above and also one in Crisp Cantaloupe, Baked Brown Sugar and gold... 

Both were a hit and I came home without any of mine but a whole heap of gorgeous swaps and tonnes of inspiration.

A new challenge was set to demo's of a certain level to gain promotion and I am fired up to make that next promotion but I would first like to say a huge THANK YOU to my customers and team for getting me to where I am today.

Till next time - Happy Crafting 

WOYWW - Swap Central...

 

Good morning  WOYWW'ers.... My desk this morning looks a little crowded and for good reason. This Saturday I will be in Telford at a Stampin' Up! training day and joining with loads of other Demo's to swap, share ideas and most importantly catch up with friends. 

On my desk today there is...

150 pieces of card

150 embossed images

50 stamped and die cut images

200 punched flowers

100 pearls

100 rhinestones

All of these will combine together and I will be back to show the finished result on Sunday when I am back from Telford.

Till next time - Happy Crafting 

A challenge or 2...

A new day and a new challenge, well 2 actually. For a long time I have been a paper stroker/hoarder and have always found it difficult to use DSP on my cards. No matter what I do it looks clumsy. 

A good friend and fellow Stampin' Up! Demo Zoe (see her blog HERE) suggested I try a challenge to help me. 

So I had a look and found Freshly Made Sketches whose simple yet challenging sketches appealed to me. Their sketch for this week is the one below

So my card today fits their sketch and my own challenge to use more DSP. As you can see I have started with baby steps incorporating just a touch of  DSP and using the colours to inspire the rest of the card. 

I hope you enjoyed my challenge card. I would love to hear what you think of the end result so please leave a comment and let me know you stopped by.

Till next time - Happy Crafting

80yrs Young....

Good Morning...

Yesterday I shared with you a photo of a very messy desk and promised a photo of the end result. Well here it is! This is a card I was asked to make for a lady who turned 80 years young this week. the brief was keep it simple, blue and floral. I think I hit the brief and am informed that both the giver and recipient were over the moon with the card. 

I used 80 as the focus and teamed it with Stampin' Up!'s  Gorgeous Grunge and Petite Petals. Coastal Cabana and Smokey Slate combined with Whisper White give a fresh yet subtle feel.

A close up of the stamped detail and here you can see the raised flowers with added bling curtesy of Stampin' Up! Rhinestones.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the end product. I would love to hear what you think of the end result so please leave a comment and let me know you stopped by.

Till next time - Happy Crafting

A Messy Desk.....

It's been a while but I'm back into the swing of things and joining in with WOYWW again. For the newbies amongst you this is where we get to have a nosey at the desks of the creative and see the work behind the creations. 

I love to see gorgeous finished projects on blogs but even more I love to see the process that goes on to get the end results. 

Here is my desk, taken at early o'clock, this morning. I was working on a special commission card and this is the storm before the calm. 

I hope you have enjoyed this peep into my world and be sure to leave a comment so I know you have stopped by. Enjoy the rest of the desks.

Pop back tomorrow to see the finished card.

Till next time - Happy Crafting

Amazing You...

A lovely friend of mine has been going through some tough stuff recently and I just wanted to let her know how amazing she is. 

Everything Eleanor is a set I have wanted for a while but until I discovered my 'inner floral' it was one that I passed by. Wow has it had some use recently!! It's also one that requires fussy cutting and those that know me will know I like 'simple'. I'm a simple girl and simple suits me lol.

I used a new colour combination for me of Island Indigo, Pool Party and Rose Red.

A close up of the 'fussy cut' flower image shows just how lovely this set is and the wonderful detail on the stamps.  

Till next time - Happy Crafting

Sneak Peek...

I thought I would share a sneak peek of one of my retreat projects today. This was inspired by the lovely Cal over at He[art]fully yous. At our Annual Convention in Manchester last year Cal showcased the most wonderful projects using the Spiral Flower die. 

I have been wanting to play for ages and the perfect opportunity came from my need to plan a retreat project and to save time I made it one that could be included in a wedding window display at my favourite Cupcakery. 

I combined the Stampin' UP! Spiral Flower Die with hand cut ones using Stampin' UP! Circle Framelits. The circles are much more time consuming but the contrast in sizes between the flowers really enhances the beautiful large flower created using the Spiral Flower Die.

Till next time - Happy Crafting

Monday Muse....

Sometimes when crafting your mojo goes awol and it's always good to know how to give it a kickstart. For me if I have hours to spare (never!!!) I head to Pinterest, but when time is tight and lets face it for most of us that is the case, I head for a quick mooch around the blogs.

With this in mind and the need to get myself back into regular blogging I decided to dedicate Mondays to kickstarting the mojo and also to showcase some of my favourite bloggers. 

This card is a version of one I saw on Sam's Blog. 

As you can see I have simplified it a little but the general feel of the card is the same. I also made this card using 3 of our pink colours.

  

Till next time - Happy Crafting

I'm Back....

It's been a while and to be honest there is no other reason than life just got in the way... With 4 kids, dogs and a partner in the RAF life doesn't always go to plan!

I have been busy behind the scenes with my crafting and building my business slowly. I promoted to Bronze 3 within my first year under a new upline and now have a team of my own with 2 downline and classes are getting busier. However my business took an unexpected turn after a local Cupcakery asked if they could stock a small basket of my cards. I have become fantastic friends with June and Andy who own and run Lady B's Cupcakery  and they have supported this addition to my business unbelievably!

I now supply cards to 3 local businesses which you can imagine keeps me busy.

I have taken some time to look at the management of my day to day business and have structured my working day to allow more efficient working. I have also allowed time for more regular blogging so I hope you will bear with me and I look forward to sharing some recent creations with you over the next few days, weeks and months.

Till then Happy Crafting