A Friendly Card

Things are still hectic here as we deal with the aftermath of the  mega-leak (which is thankfully now fixed) and my moving into the new craftroom has been stalled ever so slightly by a couple of small practical considerations...that we had not considered! But while it is not fully operational yet, it is still possible to work on a corner of the standing workstation..which is what I did when I needed to make a card to pop in with something I was sending off to a friend.

I made the background by using a couple of  ink pads direct to whisper white card. The sentiment on the front was from the Feel Goods stamp set. I stamped the butterfly (Best of Butterflies set) in black ink onto the card front,  and again onto vellum and onto the panel for the inside of the card too. I hand-cut the vellum butterfly and fixed it over the stamped image on the card front using sticky strip, with a line of small coloured gems  over the tape line. (gems not SU but they were sitting on top of a box on the counter so I grabbed them for quickness) The fake stitching was done by hand using a fine line black marker and this was repeated on the inside panel too. The stamped greeting inside the card is from the new Perfect Pennants stamp set which is in the Spring Summer seasonal catalogue. Simple and easy card to make but I was quite pleased with the end result.

Hopefully we will have fully considered the outstanding craft room considerations by this week and I will be able to get things fully set up and operational so I can start making lots of pretties again very soon

Until next time, take care


Christa   xx

Sharing the Love

Happy Valentine's Day one and all. I hope that it has been what you wished for... 

Since it is the day of lovers, I thought I would share a couple cards I  made to celebrate the occasion. 

 There hasn't been much of the more traditional romance and flowers type celebrating in our house (well none of that at all if I'm honest) but what I did get was a trip to Ikea yesterday and  today my man with a drill and a screwdriver putting up shelves and rails in my new craftroom...After all these years he knows how to make me smile and his efforts really were appreciated...and  beats chocs and  flowers any day!

Romance does not always have to be traditional and I loved the dramatic black and white and red of this first card (right)... and the contrast with the softer pinks of the card below.

Of course because my craftroom refurb has taken way longer than we expected it has been a challenge to locate the things I needed to make the cards...and this second one has a few more things form my general stash than is usual on this blog....but we do what we have to and these were fun to make and they put a smile on the faces of those who received them.

We are nearing the end of the craft room make over and it will be fabulous when it is finally finished and everything is put away in its rightful place. We have learned some valuable lessons along the way...the first I will share is that if you are ever considering undertaking a major refurb of your craftroom, decide how long you think it will realistically take, double it and then add two weeks for good measure! That will bring you somewhere near the real number of days/weeks/months it will  actually take.

Onwards and upwards...

Until next time, take care


Christa   xx

Lets Celebrate...Sale a Bration

A double whammy of delight...the launch of the new spring summer  seasonal catalogue form Stampin' Up!
Thirty nine colourful  pages packed with fabulous products and creative ideas.

There are some great new stamp sets, punches, embossing folders and the designer papers are just beautiful.

As demonstrators we get the chance to advance order and so I have had time to use many of the new products and I will be back later with some of my favourites and some samples too.

Click on the picture to see the full offering and start building your wish list

 As if a brand new seasonal catalogue wasn't enough, it is also the start of our favourite time of the year

So there is cause to celebrate because for every £45 you spend you can earn free products. Click on the pictures to see the full details of what's on offer for 2014.

To check out the bundles  or to see all the fabulous products you can get for free click on the banners

And of course there is never a better time to join Stampin' Up! than during sale-a-bration where your starter kit gets you so much more. I joined during salebration and have never looked back. Check it out by clicking on the picture below and if you have any questions please do let me know

So that is what you need to know to get you started. Have fun with the catalogue and brochures, if you have any questions about any of the products or the offer details please do get in touch  or  if you would like a paper copy of either the catalogue or the saleabration brochure please drop me a line and I'll pop one in the post to you

I will be back later with some thoughts and ideas on the new products.


Until next time, take care


Christa   xx

A Fresh New Start

Happy New Year...late I know, but things have been hectic since we began the craft room renovation just before Christmas and my husband went down with a severe case of the decorating bug so it has been non stop  renovations here and my craftroom, while all freshly painted, became a stop gap general paint store while he kept going in the other rooms up here.

Crafting time has been minimal because most of my fabulous supplies are packed away and instead of the ten feet of work table I currently have a  small table just two and  half feet square on which to work....and it is in the middle of the room so things keep sliding off the back of it onto the floor. It is not ideal...


All of this is made worse because I have fabulous new goodies and want to make lots of fab samples and projects to share but it is hard going in these conditions.

I love the fabulous fun new retro papers  I used them in the card on the left... and the new stamp sets have so much potential I am going to have hours of fun with them all.

It is hard to find somewhere with decent light at the moment, and that doesn't look like a construction site, but I will  try to get some decent photos taken of what I have done so far... these include further sneak peeks of products from the upcoming Spring & Summer catalogue.

The renovations will soon be finished and my craftroom will become fully operational... Normal service will be resumed very soon.... my stampin' sanity demands it

Until next time, take care


Christa   xx

Merry Happy Everything

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing I wish you a Merry Happy Everything.

May this season  be everything you hoped for and may the coming New Year bring you all that you need.

Until next time, take care


Christa   xx

Building on crazy - the craft room reno project

Just a very quick note to say that of all the crazy ideas we ever had, this has to be right up there...

With less than two weeks to go before Christmas and while in the middle of festive preparations (dare I admit I still haven't finished making all my Christmas cards yet... eek!) we have started a major renovation project at home... involving (GASP!) my craft room.

I am pretty sure there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth (from me) during this process and to that end I have started what will be a temporary blog-ette for the sole purpose of recording the process.
If you are in the least bit interested you can follow my pain...I mean progress,  here and if you couldn't care less you won;t be troubled with any of it here among the inky-papery stuff.

Until next time, take care


Christa   xx

Crazy for Christmas

It is that time again...the run up to the festive season when everything  starts to get a little bit crazy. The traffic is even heavier than usual, the crowds are building and tempers are fraying as queues grow longer...

So instead of joining the commercial craziness  decided to stay indoors in the warm and punch some snowmen...

Now that is not as violent as it may sound..I  am a peaceful soul  at heart and of course I mean that I take some cardstock and my beloved punches and punch out some characters to decorate my remaining Christmas projects.

But sometimes the craziness creeps into crafting too and this particular snowman has a certain look about him...so I thought I would share him with you today.

As the craziness builds, stay sane and punch a snowman...you just know you want to...

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Clearance rack Blitz

Clearance Rack Blitz is HERE

Starting 10th December 2013 Stampin' Up! is having a clearance rack blitz with lots of  fabulous goodies at up to 80% off . Products are only available  while stocks last, so pop over and check it out now to avoid disappointment.  It may be worth pointing  family and friends , or even Santa in that direction too so that you can be sure of getting something fabulous in your stocking on Christmas morning. 

 If you have any questions or need any help or information please do let me know - my contact details are on my DBWS webstore page.

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Oh my...

Convention was a blast! With around 850 demos from five countries all gathered in one place, the creative energy was amazing.

It was just fabulous to have the chance to meet so many new people from places near and far and to catch up with old friends too. It was an action packed few days and I know I was not the only person who fell asleep on the train on the way home from Manchester.

A huge part of Stampin' Up! gatherings is swapping project samples with others. This time I also signed up for and took part in two organised swaps. The first of these was a card candy swap where we each made a set of card candy and packaged it.

I haven't had time to photograph the fabulous candy I received but this was the candy I made. The picture on the left shows the candy pieces and the picture below shows them packaged (with apologies for the glare from the cello bag)







I will try to take pics of some of my general swaps in the next few days, there are so many beautiful projects it will take me a while to process them all.

As demonstrators we get advance information on up-coming products and at convention we got some wonderful sneak peeks of fabulous products coming  in the New Year.  We also got the chance to check out the newly released UNDEFINED kit... This was so much fun and really easy to do. If you ever wished you had a particular stamp, maybe something very personal or super quirky then this could be the answer to your prayers. Undefined is a kit that allows you to carve your own stamp and mount it on to a wood block...and when you run out of rubber to carve and blocks to mount it on there are refill kits available too.  It is available right now and you can check it out here on  my demonstrator website. If you have any questions please do get in touch.

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Hi Ho, hi ho its off to Convention I go...

Can't believe it has come around so fast but tomorrow I, along with  hundreds of other demonstrators from five European countries, will be descending upon Manchester for the Stampin' Up! 2013 European Convention. Three days of crafting and fun catching up with old friends and making new ones too.

I have been super busy making swaps for the event.
As well as general swaps with fellow demos, I signed up for a 3D swap and a card candy swap...those are secret and so not included in the picture.

I have also been making little gifts that I plan to give to people who have been particularly kind and helpful to me in the past year...and those are a intended to be a surprise so I will share pics later.

Now I have the task of getting all the swaps, the gifts and all the personal bits and bobs I need to take with me into a (borrowed from my Mum) small case. At the moment it looks like I will be attempting to pour a gallon into a pint pot... but I am determined not to be carrying loads of heavy bags so I will find a way...

Although I have been a demonstrator for 3 years, this will be my first convention and I am really looking forward to it.

Will be back after the weekend with Convention news

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

I'm back...

For once my absence was not a case of blog neglect...but due to the fact we went on a fabulous holiday in the USA. Of course while I was having fun in the surf at Daytona Beach, lots of fun things and great promotions were happening in the Stampin' Up! World and I missed them... but I am back now and playing catch up

I have just taken delivery of my fabulous new goodies and have an evening of creativity planned for later today. I have a really long list of projects I need to make - not only for Christmas (which is only weeks away now)  but also projects for the Stampin' Up! European Convention which takes place in Manchester in just two weeks time.

But for now and until I have had time to get really inky later on , keeping with the idea of lists and Christmas,  I am going to  share this simple little card using the wonderful Santa's List stamp set...

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

World Card Making Day Contest

Happy World Card Making Day! 

  Today is World Card Making Day and to celebrate the occasion Stampin’ Up! is holding a contest you won’t want to miss. 

It is really simple to enter...all you have to do is

• E-mail a photo of a card, or of you making a card, made with Stampin’ Up! product on World Card Making Day to wcmd2013@stampinup.com

or

• Post a photo of a card, or of you making a card, made with Stampin’ Up! product on World Cardmaking Day on Instagram. Mention Stampin' Up! by typing @stampinup and use the hashtag #wcmd2013 in the description.

This contest is open to everyone— there are just a few conditions:

• The Contest will last all day on 5 October, from 12:01 AM to 12:00 PM

• You can enter as many times as you wish, but each entry must feature a different card and it must be a new card made on World Card Making Day

• You must be over the age of 18 to win a prize                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  The Prize 
• Stampin' Up! will randomly select 50 winners from the European markets to receive the Naughty and Nice Rotary Stamp and Season of Style Designer Washi Tape (valued at  £10).  A selection of pictures will be posted to Stampin’ Up!’s World Card making Day Pinterest Board and the winners will be announced in a later current update.

So...what are you waiting for? Get making ...you could be a winner!
Until next time
take care

Christa   xx     

Things with wings...

I have been busy making cards that will  be going  into card boxes and without realising I seem to have been caught up using things with wings...

Starting with the cute little bird... I used the chalk talk framelits for this card and  deliberately left the central panel plain to give some contrast to the embossing beneath...only once I had fixed it to the card front (and it was stuck firmly because I should hate anything to fall off a card...ever!) I thought it looked a little plain... so I grabbed the new (and totally fabulous) chalk talk marker and I simply doodled - Problem solved!    



  From birds to butterflies and this simple card (left) with random background stamping and  one of the lovely butterflies from Papillion Pot Pourri  stamp set, using matching butterfly punch....




and another card (right) using the butterfly and framelits from Backyard Basics. I punched out a circle form the embossed layer and stamped the greeting on the base card. I used ribbon to draw the eye to the wording panel and framed this with a scallop punch circle.   The butterfly acts as a bow...or at least that was my design intention...
                                               


Hope you like the samples . If you  have any questions, would like to know more about how these cards were made or the products used please drop me a line          

 Until next time

take care


Christa   xx                                           

Love Stampin' Up! and love a Bargain?

Clearance rack is here!  

Bargains galore available on discontinued items, many at less than half original price. Available right now via my online store while stocks last . Just follow the link, hit shop now and select clearance rack to see what bargains are available right now. (Once the clearance page opens, choose show all...it is much easier than flicking through all the pages one by one)

What's in clearance rack? 
Clearance rack is filled with items that are no long featured in the current catalogues. Right now there is a selection of cardstock, designer papers, inks, markers, dies, embossing folders, ribbons , embellishments and more. They are available while stocks last and once gone, they are gone. The clearance rack will be updated as and when items are available and all sales are final (unless of course there was a fault with a product in which case Stampin' Up! will of course provide an exchange)

Clearance rack is not a  time limited promotion and is a full time feature of the webstore so it is worth checking back to see what's available.

And while you are there, if you haven't already done so, why not download the free  My Digital Studio 30 day trial - you do not have to buy anything to be able to download the free trial, its completely free with no obligation to buy.

As if that wasn't enough, anyone who purchases goods via my webstore between now and the end of October 2013 will go into a draw to win a prize... Just make sure that you shop through my webstore or choose me as your demonstrator on the main website and the prize goodies could be heading your way at the beginning of November.

As always if you have any questions please just let me know..

Until next time

take care

Christa   xx

Timeless Talk

Its about time I shared a few cards made with some of the fabulous sets I got this year...and Timeless Talk is one of my new firm favourites ...and seems like a perfect match for the modern medley designer series papers.

 The first sample card  is made with a die cut circle and a circle frame. The phonograph and the black circle frame and both popped on dimensionals and the phonograph has a line of decorative  pearls

 
The second one was made using some papers I found
 lurking under a pile on my desk and since they were
the right colours and matched the vintage style, I figured
 it was easier to use them up than to put them away...

I used some coredinations card for this one and gave it a quick scuff with a sanding block. I stamped the image in red this time and matted it onto black. I liked the contrast.

Back to mainly black for this one with an offset matt on a flash of red.


I was quite pleased with this little set of cards, similar designs but all slightly different and quick and easy to make.


Timeless talk has three fun vintage images and sentiments to match and makes for gorgeous simple note cards too. Definitely a staple in my stamp armoury.

If you would like to get this set or the modern medley papers please contact me today or go direct to my online store

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Online shopping is live!

Delighted to be able to confirm that the online store is now up and running and you can place an order any time day or night here  or simply by clicking on the online SHOP NOW icon in the right hand side bar. This will take to  my online demonstrator website and the store where you can order any Stampin' Up! products

Here's a little reminder about demonstrator websites and online shopping

What does this mean? 
The demonstrator  website provides a central place for you to check out up coming events, book workshops, parties or classes. You can also search project ideas for inspiration and browse or download the online catalogues...but best of all is the online ordering facility...an online shop for Stampin' Up! products that is open 24 hours a day!


How do I order online?

 The simplest way to shop online is go to my demonstrator website (Please bookmark that page so you can find it again later, the online shop page will not remain as bookmarked) and click on one of the SHOP NOW buttons to take you to the online store. As you browse the store you can select items to add to your shipping bag. When you have finished making your selections you simply press the checkout button. At this stage you will be asked to log in or to create an account.  You will be asked to fill in your details and choose your password. You will then be taken to page to process payment for your order.  The next time you visit the online store you will simply need to enter your email address and password to log in.

You can also shop online via the main Stampin’ Up! UK website. If you choose this method please be sure to select me as your Demonstrator so that you can continue to benefit from being one of my Serendipity Stamper cusomers.  The easiest way to do this is to search for my name on the demonstrator directory - just enter Christa and you will find me. There is a SHOP NOW button on my demonstrator details page that will take you direct to the online store.  I am always very grateful for your orders and the opportunity to share what I love with you.

 Does it cost  more to order on line?

No - The product prices are listed in the catalogues and items will cost the same as they do when you order them through me.

What about post and packing ?

Stampin' UP! charges a flat rate £4.95 p&p on all orders. When you order on line  for the goods to be delivered direct to you via UPS there will be a post and packing charge of £4.95 regardless of the size of your order.  

 Can I still order by phoning or emailing you?

Of course you can - on line ordering is  simply an additional option for you to be able to place an order at any time of the day or night. I will still be available by phone and email - the personal  contact and service is very important to me

 Will you still be doing Parties and Classes?

Absolutely!  Parties and Classes are so much fun and you will still be able to order products at them.  They also give you the chance to try the product before you buy and to get hints and tips on how to get the most from your products.  

 Will I still get the same special offers and rewards when I order on line?

Yes you will.  You will be shown the latest offers when you order and if your order goes over £150 you will earn Stampin Rewards to spend on additional products.  Additionally when you order with me you will benefit from any personal promotions I may be running.

Will you still be my demonstrator if I order online?

Yes I will but I will only be linked to  your orders  IF you  shop via my online store or select me as your Demonstrator, so please make sure you do this.  It is by linking online orders this way that will allow me to continue to offer the things I offer to you.

What should I do if I have any questions?

You can still contact me in the usual ways – email me or via my facebook page.  You can also phone me on 07944603433

I hope you find this additional service beneficial and if you have any questions about it please just ask.  

In the online store you will find all the Stampin' Up! product lines including the fabulous new My Digital Studio downloads.

MDS is fabulous digital crafting system from Stampin' Up! . Packed with digital content including designer papers, images, embellishments and templates for scrapbook pages, card and much much more, it is wonderful and super easy to use. You can even download a 30 day trial version for free -  just go to the store and  click on My Digital Studio and select MDS free trial


I am definitely not a digital crafter and I gave away craft CD roms because I hated them, but  when  I tried MDS I was hooked and in  one session I made these  scrapbook layout samples...

                                                 

The photos were uploaded from my pc but everything else is MDS...and if I can do it, anyone can!

So what are you waiting for...download your free trail today and get creating... I would LOVE it if you would upload your projects and link back here so I can see what you have made.

As always if you have any questions please just let me know..

Until next time

take care

Christa   xx

New Seasonal Catalogue is here

Its here...the new seasonal catalogue filled to bursting with fabulous goodies  for all your festive needs.

There are  fun ideas for Halloween  and of course lots of fabulous products to make the Christmas holidays extra special.

You can browse the online catalogue via this link or if you'd prefer a paper copy please contact me and I'll get one off to you right away. However you choose to look at  the catalogue,  there are going to be things inside that you will love.

The front of the catalogue is filled with great project ideas and samples, with details of where to find the items...  and the full details and listings are in the second half of the book.

So put your feet and have a good browse. If you have any questions or  when you are ready to place your order please "just yell."

Until next time

take care

Christa   xx

New Catalogue Blog Hop

A group of demonstrators over at ILWS decided it might be fun to showcase a few of our favourite things from the amazing new 2013 Stampin' Up! annual catalogue ... and so the new catalogue blog hop was born.

I am number four on the hop and you should have landed here from enjoying the fabulous projects on  Margaret's blog.

It was really hard to decide  what to make for this hop. I have to admit that I loved so many of the new products that I just had to have them...  and I am still having such fun playing with them to see what I can make. I have already showcased a few of my favourites here on my blog and wanted to show something a bit different from the projects I have already shared.




One of my  firm favourites from the new catalogue is Gorgeous Grunge  and for the card on the left I used it for the background and paired it with Simply Stars...all stamped using the new in-colours which (in case you hadn't noticed) I love...

                                                             






Bee Happy...
The  slightly 'punny' card on the right was made using Backyard Basics stamp set and matching framelits with crushed curry cardstock run through the big shot with the hexagon embossing folder






Finally I could not resist including this really cute mini card made using the Perfect Blend stamp set, which I stamped onto a piece of folded Baked Brown Sugar cardstock and then cut around the shape by hand to have a coffee cup shaped mini card. I stamped the image again - along with one (of the two) sentiments - in the same ink onto whisper white card and cut the lid and band and fixed them to the front of the mini card using dimensionals. End result, one cute mini card for coffee lovers...
 

Well that's it from me for this hop.. Thanks for dropping by - I hope you have enjoyed my efforts here today and I know you will love the other projects along the hop. The next stop  is Sandra's blog  and you will find her fabulous projects HERE



Until next time,

        Christa   xx

Simply...

I am simply having so much fun trying out the new goodies that arrived this week . The first two cards were made using the Simply Sketched stamp set...this is a hostess exclusive set and is simply lovely. It has six stamps...three images and three sentiments for Birthday, Sympathy and Thank You cards.

I have used the Happy Birthday Wishes sentiment on both of these cards and as you can probably tell, it fits perfectly inside the oval punch.

The card on the right is the floral image in strawberry slush on strawberry slush Designer series paper.

The card on the left is made using  baked brown sugar, pumpkin pie, chocolate chip and whisper white cardstock. I used a tiny piece of the new chevron ribbon in pumpkin pie. This ribbon has a really soft luxurious feel to it that took me a little by surprise.

 The chevrons on the ribbon and the designer series paper have the added bonus of optical illusion which is great if you ever suffer from wonky eyeballs when making up a card or project. This stuff is very forgiving.


If you would like to know more about how you could get hostess exclusive products please drop me a line



That's it for today...I will be back soon with new projects made with new goodies...Remember if you would like to purchase any of the products used here, please just give me a call or send me an email, its really that simple.

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Giggly goodies....

When I very first set eyes on a preview copy of the new annual catalogue my heart was captured by the cute Giggle Greetings stamp set and I knew it would be top of my list...and it was...and it seems only right that the very first cards I make with my new goodies include this wonderful set.

It has four stamped images each with its own cute and funny sentiment.

The birthday card on the right was made using coastal cabana and baked brown sugar from the new in colours selection. I also used the Simply Stars set to form the accent on the top corner.

The card on the left I like to think of an empathy card of encouragement. I used the new in-colours designer series paper  (which I love by the way) in Strawberry Slush  and I also used two of the stamps from the the Tape It stamp set for the additional accents on this card.








I also used Tape It on the card on the right ...but this time I used it  to stamp the background using strawberry slush and baked brown sugar (from the new in colour collection) along with crushed curry (one of the new revamp colours.) I also used an embossed panel of crushed curry matted on to strawberry slush as a base for the 'cheese-cake/cake of cheese'  image. The Happy Birthday banner is from the Hostess set Banner Greetings







Finally for the fourth image in the set I made this cute little card  ...which I plan to send to my niece who just got a new job (a promotion)

For this one I used baked Brown Sugar throughout and I fixed the banner greeting to the card with a new and super cute  candy dots builder brad.


I fell in love with this set the moment I clapped eyes on it and I knew I had to have it...and I was right. These are just my first test cards using this set...I think this will be out on my desk for many months to come...after all we can all use a giggle now and then...



With such a huge variety of gorgeous stamp sets in the new catalogue it can be hard to choose. Do you have a favourite set yet? What is at the top of your wishlist?

I will be back soon with something else mad using my new goodies.

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx