#Simple Stamping

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year.  Now is just the right time to start a new past-time, don't you think?

How did you get started in your crafty life?  Were you someone who came from a craft family and have crafted all your life - a variety of crafts and skills no doubt.  I stumbled across crafting - papercraft mainly - when I was on maternity leave with my second child and I wanted something to do that wasn't baby or work related.  Making cards, scrap-booking and papercrafts in general looked straight forward and easy!  In essence they are.....we just make it more complicated!

#simplestamping is an initiative to encourage new people to the card-making and scrap booking world by making it simple and straight forward using just card, ink and stamps.  Do you know how difficult it is to design a simple card that will wow newcomers and doesn't use all the paraphernalia collected over the past 6 years.

However this weeks video tries to do this.  The card was designed for a challenge that Stampin' Up! issued to us for December, make a  card using the note-cards, ink and one stamp set from the Annual Catalogue.  You can catch up with the video from last week here:

Keep an eye out on my You Tube channel on the 3rd Jan for a quick flick through the Spring/Summer and Sale-A-Bration catalogues that go live on Thursday.

Remember you have until the 2nd January to grab any bargains from the Year-end Closeout sale.  

Product List

146911

£8.75

143681

£24.00

147092

£7.00

Happy Christmas and New Year

This isn't a long post, just wanted to with you a Merry Christmas and New Year.

I love my Customers

This video shows my Customer Christmas cards that will be sent out with a copy of Spring/Summer Catalogue and the Sale-A-Bration Catalogue, all ready for post-turkey reading!

I really appreciate my customers, and many have them have grown to be fabulous friends that have been a rock in my business as well as personally.

I hope you like the video - I enjoyed making it!

https://youtu.be/RWTByD-4QXU


Product List

Dashing Deer Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[147728]

£20.00

Festive Farmhouse 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[147820]

£10.25

Gray Granite Classic Stampin' Pad

[147118]

£7.00

Very Vanilla A4 Card Stock

[106550]

£9.00

Neutrals A4 Cardstock

[146999]

£8.00

The mad dash before Christmas

I hope you have your fingers crossed for me, I finally may be ready to get all my cards posted for Christmas.  I am sure I have probably missed the cut off for overseas posting, but nevertheless I will post them - I spent a long time making a getting all the cards ready!

Every year I say I am going to make one or two Christmas cards each week and be prepared, but it never happens.

I really wanted to complete my 2018 monthly (At the moment I am at June) - *sigh* - who else just runs out of time!  But this is something I will finish as it is important to me and I have saved all the photos on my desktop.

The last task I had was to make nearly 50 cards for the Little Present Project.  This is a local project that gives presents to residents in local care homes both in Berkshire and Kent.  I did this last year as well and I think it is important that they get a card with their present as well.

Remember that the Year-end Closeout continues to the 2nd January if you want to make some savings over the Christmas period.  This will be my last blog for the year, so Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and I will see you when the Spring/Summer Catalogue and Sale-A-bration Catalogue comes out.  Eeek!

Get tagging! The finishing touches for Christmas

AAHHHHH well that was a bit of a disaster! I forget to upload the video!.  Its live now, so please enjoy.
Please note that the kit and stamp set are on the Year-end Closeout sale at a reduced price, but will disappear by the 3rd January.


Order this kit now - it is on the Year-end Closeout sale, you can get the kit and stamps for less than £25 - that's less than £1 per tag.  You will 30 stunning tags that will really finish of your wrapping - particularly if you are going for the brown paper look this year (we have - can I say Brown Paper, ribbon and tag - understated and beautiful).

This video shows you how to make the tags (don't worry I do one of each design, not all 30).  This would be a great project with a group of friends during these cold evenings.


Product List

Sincerely Santa Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[148929]

£15.00

Sincerely Santa Project Kit

[148029]

£20.00

Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad

[147083]

£7.00

Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad

[126973]

£6.00

Getting ready for the post

This week I want to show you a set of cards using Basic Gray as the main colour.  I love gray as a substitute for black, its warmer and not so stark and works lovely with soft colours.  In fact I loved the project so much I extended the scheme to set a tags, which I used in this months class.

The cards used Basic Gray and Petal Pink as the colours.  I also love the tone on tone stamping, it works well and gives the cards a real classic look.

I also love that the Sign's of Santa stamp set has a this cute postage stamp, that is great for decorating envelopes.  

Here are the tags, I decided to change the colours a little as well.

Don't forget that the Year-end Closeout is going on, get some great deals before Christmas.

Product List

Colorful Seasons Photopolymer Stamp Set

[143726]

£25.00

Beautiful Baubles Photopolymer Stamp Set

[147765]

£16.00

Sincerely Santa Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[148929]

£15.00

Signs Of Santa Photopolymer Stamp Set

[147690]

£20.00

Seasonal Layers Thinlits Dies

[143751]

£31.00

Basic Gray A4 Card Stock

[121689]

£8.00

Subtles A4 Cardstock

[147000]

£8.00

Onstage Nov 2018 - 100yrs of Armistice

I know I am a bit late with this video, but here is how I made my swaps for Novembers Onstage Local.  It was held on the 10th November, which coincided with the 100yrs commemoration of Armistice day (well on the Sunday).

I wanted to do something to recognise this important date and that was the starting point of my swap.  I hope you like the video and if you want to order any of the items used, please see the links below.

Product List

106550

£9.00

143940

£21.00

140517

£19.00

141936

£16.00

147117

£7.00

147114

£7.00

147139

£7.00

147140

£7.00

132708

£5.50

147044

£7.50

133773

£4.75

Have you got your Advent Calendar ready?

I have three daughters aged 4,7,and 10 and since my youngest was 2 I have made one advent calendar a year, replacing the previous one that was used.

Isabel (4) has a stack of boxes decorated with the Cookie Cutter Christmas stamp set and punch.  This was created in 2016 and is lasting well!  I love the cute set, you can make several images using the punch - Gingerbread Man, Reindeer, Father Christmas, Bear and an Eskimo.  Next year she will get a fresh advent calendar.

Last year I made Emma's (10) using the mini pizza boxes stacked back-to-back and ontop to try and keep it compact.  The doilies have got a little creased in storage, but still stands well. 

This year I replaced Sophie's (7) old advent calendar, with this one I covered toilet paper tubes with the Santa's Workshop DSP and cut them into three, with one cut into half (No. 25). I used a hot glue gun to adhere them to the card base (DSP packaging, inked around the edge with Merry Merlot and covered in Garden Green 12 x 12 cardstock).  I cut circles out and added the numbered stickers from the Santa's Workshop Memories and More card pack (which has sadly sold out), as well as using the stickers from the pack to decorate the base.

Making the calendars is always a labour of love, I never know what I am going to make until the last minute (each time I say I am going to make it in September, but normally put it off until the last week in November!), but they love them.

We are into December now, and the last ordering date for guaranteed delivery before Christmas (in the UK) is the 13th December.  

If you don't have a demonstrator and based in the UK and would like to get a Spring/Summer Catalogue and Sale-A-Bration catalogue, then comment below.

Product List

142043

£20.00

140396

£17.00

144645

£5.50

147905

£9.25

147809

£13.00

147755

£11.25

If you haven't purchased the November Exclusive Stamp sets for Stampin' Up! yet - why not??

This weeks video showcases the snowflakes from the Snow is Glistening Stamp set, one of the special stamp sets from Stampin' Up! that are only available this month - so you only have 2 days left to make your purchase.

I also love the Festive Farmhouse DSP, such a classic pack of designs, lovely for the cosy feel to Christmas.  However, it should be noted that not many of the designs are specifically Christmas and can be used all year around.

Here is the video:

Product List

149742

£20.00

149620

£7.50

147820

£10.25

121681

£8.00

106550

£9.00

103083

£5.50

102283

£8.25

109132

£4.75

129054

£28.00

147818

£7.00