Reflections...

With all the festive feasting done and as another year draws to a close I thought it might be fun to take a quick look back at my personal favourite projects... So with one per month here are my perosnal favourites in 2012

January...  and this progressive scrapbook page was clear favourite. This was so much fun and the picture here shows it at A4 stage...










February... I made bookmarks for team swaps and this is the one I kept for myself. It is still on my night stand and has been in every book I have read this year... and it still looks as good today as when it was first made.

 March...and my clear favourite was this EASTER banner I made when I got together with some crafting buddies on a trip to the USA I have made lots of these since with names and other greetings but my first will always be my favourite.

April's ...choice is easily this framed layout for 2012 ...a year of celebration with the Royal Jubilee and the London Olympics all to look forward to...

May.... and an 80th Birthday card for a very special Mum using  framelits and the lovely  Bordering on Romance stamp set

June... and it has to be this Tea Shoppe card  made for my special Mum on her 75th birthday...the day we went for Tea at The Ritz!





   



                                                                                                                 

And July was just a MONSTER month for kid's birthdays...





                                                 



August brought The Elements of Style stamp set into my life and it remains one of my all time favourites
















September saw this cute little fellow appear as part of a Halloween set...but used here for a caught a bug? get well card.

For October I have chosen as my fvaourite a card that I never featured here on the blog, but it was part of a techniques class. It was a pretty and fun card to make and included stamping. embossing, punches and a faux pinwheel effect.

November's favourites were these cute little mini treat bags made using the fabulous petite purses die

And finally December.... elf legs... these were a huge hit at the local craft fairs and were such fun to make...



Looking back, 2012 was a year of celebrations and fun....and one in which we were lucky enough to experience the inspirational  London 2012 Paralympics.

So as 2012 draws to a close I would like to say Thank You ... and wish you all good things for the coming New Year 2013.

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Its Frosty...

Well the weather outside is frightful....  and so I have been staying indoors in the warm, making lots of Frosty inspired projects.

On the left is a card for posting so the layers are simply ink edged and matted on the other to keep postage costs and in transit damage potential to a minimum. I took the picture before I added the personal message to the front of the card. This was a really fun card to make using punches, dies and embossing folders.

To the right is this really cute little decorated Frosty tea light. I have seen a few these pop up on blogs today as pendants and brooches and it is really simple to add the fixings of your choice to the back of the tea light unit, but this one is intended as a table decoration. The tea lights are battery operated and the ones I bought have a flickering flame effect.  This one was made using punched shapes and some gems and ribbon and was really fun to do.



I have some more frosty themed items in progress and once they are all finished I will share them here. They are destined for the Festive Feast at Stoke Newington Town Hall this weekend. If you are in the area please do pop in and say hello.

Until next time, take care


Christa   xx

Dear Santa...

I just LOVE this new poster from Stampin' Up!  It' s just perfect ...

and if you are still looking for those last minute Christmas present ideas for the crafters in your life...and the would be crafters and even the non crafters who don't know what they are missing, there is still time to get some fabulous Stampin' Up! goodies ...

but did you know you can also get gift vouchers for products or even for vouchers for classes. You can choose how much to spend and the recipient can choose how and when to spend them. Gift vouchers come in a beautiful hand made presentation holder with a hand made card to match.

Time is running out and Christmas will soon be here. If you would like to surprise someone or even treat yourself, just contact me today

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Deck the halls

With the Season of Goodwill almost upon us, here is a little something different from me this time...a Festive wreath.

I built each of the flowers by layering up punched or die flower shapes that had each been cut from cardstock or designer paper and then  inked and folded, rolled or pinched  into shape and sealing them with crystal effects and adding some dazzling details for a little extra sparkle. The new large pearls were perfect for the centres of the open blooms.

The finished flowers were nestled in among the tulle bows...the photo really doesn't do it justice, but I am delighted with the end result and just had to share it.

If you would like to get your hands on the goodies needed to make a wreath like this one then please contact me. Place an order with me before Christmas and I will send you the detailed instructions for making the wreath.

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Peek - a - Boo

Today I would like to share a couple of cards I have made for Christmas using the fantastic new Peekboo Frames die from Stampin' Up!

This die is a Bigz L and cuts five different aperture frames with one pass through your Big Shot  (or other die cutter) machine.


There are three square apertures of different sizes and in three different designs, one circle aperture and one rectangle with "double doors" 

The card above shows the largest square frame closed, and to the right is the same frame opened to show the stamped image and message inside.

The frames were cut from cherry cobbler card and card front and frame decorated with Festival of Prints designer series paper stack. On the outside I used  the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set and matching die and on the inside of the frame I stamped images from the Happy Hour Stamp set. I also used a sentiment from the same set on the inside of the card itself.

For the card on the left I used the same frame again in cherry cobbler card and again used the Festival of Prints Designer series paper stack.

I also used the Mixed Medley (hostess exclusive) stamp set  and the 1.25 inch scallop circle &  3/4inch circle punch for the layered sentiment





                                                                               





The sample on the right shows the same card with the aperture opened to reveal the stamped image from the Greeting Card Kids stamp set  which was coloured with  marker pens.

 The Peekaboo frames die is perfect for making Advent calendars and I hope to have a sample to share soon, but it is also great for adding extra interest to cards and scrap pages, boxes and gift tags...and the peekaboo panel can hide or reveal an image or a secret message...the choices are endless.

If you would like to get your hands on any of the products featured here, or you would like to know more about Stampin' Up promotional offers and opportunities please do get in touch

Until next time, take care.

Christa   xx

Autumn accents

Just wanted to share this card I made tonight using the fabulous Woodgrain background stamp and the Autumn Accents bigz die from Stampin' Up!

Run the die through the big shot to cut the leaf assortment in a range of card colours and then the fun begins...a little spritz and a lot of crumpling, some inkiness around the edges and voila!...autumnal leaves.

This one is a birthday card so I added the Perfectly Penned sentiment in Pumpkin Pie ink and finished the card with a little twine and some pearls. Tomorrow the card will be on its way to an autumn colours fan with a birthday this week.

If you would like to order the items needed to make this card or if you'd like to know more about any of the Stampin' Up! products or promotional offers then please do contact me.

Until next time, Take care

Christa   xx

Petite Purses

I just LOVE  the new petite purse bigz die from Stampin' Up! and have been busy making lots of these cute little bags using assorted designer papers.

These few examples are just simple straight forward versions and I hope to bring some adaptations in the next day or so...  but one things is sure, these make really cute treat holders and would be fabulous for wedding or party favours with a difference.

If you would like to make these and would like to get your hands on this fabulous new die or any of the gorgeous designer papers, please contact me and I will be happy to help.

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Three offers of the special kind

Stampin' Up! have three great promotional offers right now...

First one 

FREE PAPER PROMOTION

That’s right! Get FREE Designer Series Paper for SIX MONTHS when you become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator during October or November.

As a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, you’ll enjoy exclusive benefits such as

• A 20 percent product discount!
• A free subscription to Stampin’ Up!’s demonstrator magazine!
• Access to a thriving online community of stampers and paper crafters from around the world!
• An open invitation to fabulous Stampin’ Up! events!

This is in addition to the great sign up offer which sees you getting £130 worth of product plus your business starter kit all for just £99. If you would like to know more about joining my team please contact me or if you are ready to join now and would like to do it online please go to the online sign up here

Second One 

FREE CHRISTMAS GIFT SPECIAL OFFER Merry Christmas from Stampin’ Up! It’s only November, but Stampin’ Claus is giving you an early Christmas present: a FREE Festive Paper-Piercing Pack when you buy the Ornament Keepsakes Stamp Set and Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper Bundle.  Choose from the following options: Item Description Retail Value Special Price 132260 Christmas Gift (wood-mount) Includes Ornament Keepsakes Stamp Set (wood-mount), Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper, Festive Paper-Piercing Pack £49.70 £42.45 132261 Christmas Gift (clear-mount) Includes Ornament Keepsakes Stamp Set (clear-mount), Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper, Festive Paper-Piercing Pack £43.70 £36.45 132262 Christmas Gift (wood-mount bundle) Includes Ornament Keepsakes Bundle (wood-mount), Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper, and Festive Paper-Piercing Pack £62.70 £55.45 132263 Christmas Gift (clear-mount bundle) Includes Ornament Keepsakes Bundle (clear-mount), Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper, and Festive Paper-Piercing Pack £57.70 £50.45 This special offer is only good until 30 November 2012, so contact me to place your order today!  and finally...the Third One INK-REDIBLE HOSTESS PROMOTION Dates: 1 November  – 16 December 2012 Promotion Details: Hostesses who hold a minimum£325 party during the promotion period will receive a FREE collection of Classic Stampin Pads—they can choose from Brights, Subtles, or Regals—a £44.50 value!  Plus, the free ink is in addition to the regular hostess benefits—INK-redible! Your Party Sales** Free Ink Collection Hostess Credit Items at 50% Off £325 Yes! £50 1 item £400 Yes! £65 2 items £500 Yes! £80 3 items £750+ Yes! £120 4 items The Fine Print To get free ink, the order total must be at least £325 before shipping and handling. *Neutrals Collection not eligible **Does not include shipping & handling All of these fabulous offers run for a short time only so please do not miss out, contact me to discuss how you can take advantage of the great deals being offered right now.

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx  

55 days and counting

 It hardly seems possible but there are just 55 days until Christmas !!!

I have a two day Festive event booked in mid December and need to make lots of lovely goodies to sell ...and so I really have to start thinking about things Festive...

I have also been asked to provide some cards for Headway North London - the local branch of the  charity supporting those affected by brain injury.

With that in mind I grabbed my new Delicate Designs embossing folders and picked the snowflake option (there are two folders in this set and the  other one is a gorgeous lace effect) which I
used on both of these cards.

For the blue snowflake card I used the fabulous Bigz Snow Flurry to cut the snowflakes and punched circles of glimmer paper for the centre of each. The merry Christmas sentiment was stamped in tempting turquoise ink (to match the cardstock) and highlighted with rhinestones.

The Santa card was made using a border from the simply scrappin kit ( these kits have lots of uses and are definitely not just for scrapbooking). The Santa stamp is one from the Christmas Wishes hostess exclusive set from the Autumn Winter Seasonal catalogue. I used the itty bitty punch and some of the lush glimmer paper for the pom pom on the end of Santa's hat. The glimmer paper was also used for the decorative corner (Ssh...naughty me, the corner die used is not from SU)

I have a desk covered in stamped Santa's...I love this image it is such fun and there will be more cards and projects using this stamp in in the days that follow.  If you would like to learn how you can earn hostess stamps for yourself please do drop me a line

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Happy Hour

I am back.... after two weeks in 90 degree sunshine the grey and damp UK is a real delight to come home to...

Jet lag has been brutal but tomorrow I am off to Peterborough for a fun training day with other demonstrators in the team. I am really looking forward to a creative day...I just hope I can stay awake all through it!

Swaps are a big part of all our get-togethers and  because I have been home less than 48 hours, I was really short on time. Still I hope that my simple swaps will be well received.

For these I used  whisper white and the new in colours...the examples in the photo are Primrose Petals. I used two embossing folders top and bottom of the coloured panels and the Happy Hour stamp set. I also used three punches -the postage stamp punch, oval punch and one of the itty bitty punches (for the glimmer paper flower in the centre)

I have some new projects planned for next week and will resume regular posting as soon as I am fully awake and have mind and body on the same planet and time zone.

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

The NEW catalogue

Here it is...the new and much improved catalogue with over 200 pages of absolute gorgeousness. You can find the Online version of the new catalogue HERE and you can choose to save a copy to your PC



Nowseems like the perfect time  for a quick whistle-stop guide to the new catalogue and to share a few important things

• Stamp sets:  There are over 200 exclusive stamps sets over 147 pages, with something to suit all occasions, styles and tastes
• Cutting and embossing: There are 10 pages dedicated to the Big Shot with lots of fabulous exclusive dies & embossing folders, fabulous die storage options &  pages of  fabulous punches too.
• Designer Papers:  There are 14 collections of beautiful designer series papers
• Fabric & Ribbon: There are more designer fabrics than ever, including  the very popular Spice Cake fabric and some beautiful ribbons, included some gorgeous new stitched style
• Scrapbooking: There are 4 brand new simply scrappin' kits (and these are not just for scrapping, they work beautifully for cards and other projects too) and new ring bound scrapbook albums and divided page protectors
• Colour families: There are the ranges of co-ordinating products in the usual colour families, plus the launch of the new 2012-20914 in-colour collection
• Storage & Tools: And then there is the practical side., fabulous new storage options for papers, card and dies, packaging options,  a new bigger stampin' scrub, larger mat packs and bigger piercing templates and a fabulous new trimmer and table top cutter.

Important stuff : Prices

•  Great news! Some things have come down in price by over 10%
•  In the new catalogue you will see there are two prices listed. The first higher number is in Euros for customers in the wider European market, the second price is in £ sterling.. UK customers will pay the second price in £ sterling.

If you would like your own copy of the new catalogue , have any questions or would like to order any of the products please contact me


Important stuff (number 2) : SPECIAL OFFER from Stampin' Up!

If you have a product wish list a mile long and you love patterned paper this could be the perfect time for you to join my team. For just £99 you get a fully customisable starter kit of products to the value of  £130, plus a business tools kit worth £45 to help you get started.  As a Stampin' Up! demonstrator you will become part of a friendly creative team sharing our love of crafting, you will get as much support as you need along the way and will enjoy great product discounts.... and if you join Stampin' Up! during October or November 2012 you will  receive a pack of designer series patterned papers every month for six months for FREE!

If you would like to discuss becoming part of my team please contact me and we can have a no obligation chat. If you are ready to get started right away you can use the online sign up here

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx  

• 
  

It's here

The new annual catalogue goes live today and it is over 200 pages of gorgeousness..So to help a little,  a group of demonstrators decided to get together and do a blog hop featuring projects made using some of the fabulous new products.

If you are already on the hop then you should have come from Vronnie's blog . If you landed here without hopping, you may want to go to the very start which is Laura's blog and hop all the way along. 

Elements of Style stamp set using some of the new in-colours

 As demonstrators we are lucky enough to get advance copies of the catalogue and my wishlist is huge and grows every time  I look through the book...which is often!  There are just so many fabulous goodies inside.


There is just so much that I love and it was hard to know  which ones to feature.  Elements of Style is a real favourite of mine and so seems a natural place to begin. For these samples I have used some of the gorgeous new in-colours.

Patterned Party Stamp Set

                                                                                             
                                                                                        Another new favourite is Patterned Party with banners, balloons, pretty packages and cake it is a super set and perfect for direct to stamp inking with markers. It will be an absolute winner when it comes to making party invitations

Although I am primarily a card maker I thought it might be fun to include a scrap page  to fit the new 8x8 scrapbooks.
For this I used primrose petals and gumball green card from the new in-colours, layered two kinds of the new scallop edge tulle and topped with designer paper, stickers and borders form the Merry Moments simply scrapping kit. The image I used instead of a photo was stamped with the new Kindness Matters stamp set.

Christmas Tree 

       

                                                                                   
                                                                                    And since it is now October it doesn't seem right to leave out Christmas altogether... The Tree card on the left is made from whisper white card embossed using the big shot  and card  and strips torn and layered at the base and covered with dazzling details. The tree itself was made from designer papers diagonally cut from the Merry Moments simply scrappin' kit.

And the little tree shaped cards below are made using the new perfect pennants die and covered back and front with strips of the festival of prints designer series paper stack which is a handy size for card making or matting on scrap pages.





Finally to end, this is one of a set of quick and easy cards made using note cards and envelopes set with the festival of prints DSP  and Snow Festival Designer printed tags and Owl Occasions stamp set and some dazzling details to finish.

Well that's it from me for now. There will be more of my favourites in the coming days but now it is time to say goodbye as you hop on over to see what delights Ruth has in store for you next...you will find Ruth's blog  here


In case you have missed a step or have lost your way or hit a roadblock, here is a full list of the stops along the blog hop.

1 - CreativeIdeas_Laura http://laura-creativeideas.blogspot.com 
2 - Margaretk21 - http://makingpapercrafts.blogspot.com 
3 - Angela www.sparklycards.blogspot.co.uk 
4 - Leanie - www.beautifulimpressions.co.uk 
5 - Alison - www.craftingalison.blogspot.com 
6 - Beckie - www.bextiesandstickytape.blogspot.com 
7 - Gill - http://lilybygilly.wordpress.com 
8 - Diane - http://craftwithstyle.blogspot.com 
9 - Dawn - www.tartanstamper.blogspot.com 
10- Zoë http://www.stampingscene.blogspot.com 
11- Fiona W - http://oakfieldcrafts.blogspot.com 
12- Elaina - http://moulinrougestamps.blogspot.co.uk
13- Anne-Marie - http://classycrafters.blogspot.co.uk 
14- Sarah - http://esellek.blogspot.co.uk 
15- Vronnie - http://vronstampin.blogspot.co.uk
16- Christa - http://serendipity-stamping.blogspot.co.uk   *you are here
17- RuthE - http://pearsonifiedcrafting.blogspot.co.uk 
18- CarolynUK - http://stampaholix.blogspot.co.uk/
19- Amanda - http://thecraftspa.blogspot.com
20- Patricia - http://stampinbeckscraft.blogspot.com
21- Tara - http://ihaventgotacleverblogname.blogspot.co.uk
22- Emma (Citaborca) - http://cocktailofcard.blogspot.co.uk/
23- Emma H - http://www.emma-letsstamp.blogspot.co.u
24- Sarah Scribbles - http://card-delights.blogspot.com
25- Sarnie - http://www.kraftybiker.blogspot.com/
26- Sharon - http://all-inked-up-sharon.blogspot.co.uk
27- Lynn - http://www.heavenlycrafts.com/stampinheaven/
28- Emma - http://www.emma-daye.blogspot.com
29- Erika - http://twintroublescreations.blogspot.co.uk/
30- Elaine - http://thesassystampers.blogspot.co.uk/
31- Nicky - http://nickyjohncock.blogspot.com
32- Jane - http://cheshiredesignhouse.blogspot.com/
33- Kara - http://karascraftycorner.blogspot.com/
34- Ally - http://www.serendipitypapercuts.blogspot.com
35- Clare (Sparkle) - http://www.sparklecrafts.blogspot.com
36- Julie H (craftybug) - http://www.the-crafty-bug.blogspot.com
37- Jane (browniow) - http://www.janeiowcraftycreations.blogspot.com/



 Have fun hopping and please do drop by again.

Until next time

Christa   xx 

Last chance alert

There are only a few days left to order products from the
2011-12 catalogue and then its gone...  to place an order all you need to do is contact me


After next week you will be able to order from the brand new 2013 catalogue . I'm not allowed to post a picture or links to it  until it goes live on Monday, but it is fantastic and packed with page after page of gorgeousness.

To find out how to get your personal copy of the new catalogue  or to learn more about how Stampin' Up! could enhance your crafting please just drop me a line here.

Over the next few days I will post a few projects...using products that we are saying bye bye to soon alongside sneaky peeks of products we will welcome in next week.

Until next time, take care
             Christa   xx 

Stampin' Day

I am off tomorrow for a fun stampin' day with my extended team members. I am really looking forward to it, apart from the early start and the train journey that is...but once I get there, it will all be worth it. Since I stopped working outside the home I am definitely not a morning person!

As part of our team meet ups we swap samples for our inspiration boards and this time round the suggested theme is winter...and so in addition to making a dozen tree cards, I have used the fabulous new snow flurry bigz die from the Autumn Winter Seasonal Catalogue to make some really simple but pretty hanging snowflake ornaments. The die itself is so pretty that all was needed was a little glitz with dazzling details and a rhinestone in the centre, but you could add far more decoration if you wanted or you could cut the whole thing out of the glimmer paper for extra sparkle.

The photo isn't the best as the swaps are all bagged up and ready to go so I popped one into the scanner for quickness, but I hope you get the general idea of how pretty this die is...




My bag is all packed up and ready for the morning and now its time for me to head to bed if I want to be able to move when the alarm goes off tomorrow. Who knew there was a 7.30 in the morning too?

Until next time, take care
       

Christa   xx  

95 days and counting

Oh my goodness did you know that there are just 95 days until Christmas???

 YIKES!!!!

 I have a couple of festive events planned and need to do a lot of prep for those and with that in mind I have been trying out a few festive projects.

This cute little tree card is inspired by something I saw online a while ago. Unfortunately I did not save the project link and so had to figure out the dimensions etc myself...which meant this one took way longer than any future cards will take, but it really is simple and it fits nicely inside a standard envelope.

This very basic sample was made using the new Festival of Prints designer series paper stack from the new Autumn Winter Seasonal catalogue and the trim was made using the scallop ribbon border punch. I plan to try a few others using the ruffled edge ribbon that came with the 2011-13 in-colour collection too.

Once the card is assembled as in the picture you can then go ahead and decorate it as you wish... even  really bling it up if you wanted to...  The punched square base can be stamped or embossed (or both) you can add a tag or label, or a ribbon, tulle or twine. The gorgeous glimmer paper (also in the A/W seasonal) would make a perfect star for the top of the tree. You could also use some of the mini punches or even the smaller framelits to add decoration to the tree and of course it would not be the festive season without a glitz and glitter....

And of course you can use up all the offcuts to make smaller versions  as  really cute matching gift tags...

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx 

Happy Stampin'

Today our niece turned eighteen and family members turned to me to make cards for her special day... by the time I had made six different designs and had delivered them to various family members, I realised I had yet to make a card from us ...

So this card  includes her favourite pink, uses some of my favourites from the summer mini catalogue and provides a sneaky peek of something very new.

The stamped flowers were coloured with watercolour wonder crayons,cut out by hand, fixed to the card using dimensionals and then highlighted with crystal effects and to finish I popped a rhinestone in the centre of each. The end result was quite pretty...and sadly lost in the rather poor quality photo.

I am off to join other team members for a stampin' day out this weekend and will be busy making swaps -starting tomorrow. I have yet to decide on the design for my swaps,  but once I have it figured out I will post a sample...or two...  since I am known for not being able to stick to just one design

Until next time


Christa   xx