Come Sale-a-Brate a great deal

If you love Stampin’ Up! products and have a long wish-list, why not check out the fantastic Sale-a-Bration offer for new demonstrators?  The starter kit normally costs £99 and for that you get £130 worth of products of your choice ,plus the £45 value business starter kit ...which is a great bargain whichever way you look at it....BUT join my team before  22 March 2013 and you can choose £162.50 worth of products from any current Stampin’ Up! Catalogue and still pay just £99. ... and of course you also get your business starter kit (£45 value) for free too. 

Becoming a demonstrator is a wonderful opportunity to share what you love and earn money or products from sharing your passion for crafting. Once you sign up you are in control, it is up to you how, or even if, you run your Stampin' Up! business  Maybe  you simply want to take advantage of this great offer and get some fabulous products at a bargain price? Whether  you'd like to get this fabulous deal and then earn yourself some discounts (including a whopping 30% off your first demonstrator order) , or  be a hobby demo selling to friends and family or you want to make money from running your own Stampin Up! Business, the choice is yours. There is no pressure and you can do as much or as little as you like.

The options and reasons for becoming a demonstrator are as individual as each of us. The benefits of being an active demonstrator are the same no matter what your long term goals. This new demonstrator offer is too good to miss,  but the deadline for sign up is 22 March.  If you have any questions please do Contact me today to discuss your options or join the team via the online sign up. All you have to do is choose the products (up to £162.50 value) you would like in your starter kit from any of the current catalogues, then when you have your list, grab your credit or debit card details and go to the sign up page and follow the on screen instructions. In just a few minutes you could be a part of my team and on the start of your very own Stampin' Up! Adventures.

So what are you waiting for? Come Sale-a-Brate with me...

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Still time to Sale-a-Brate

This year I am totally in love with a couple of the Sale-a-bration stamp sets that I got for FREE!!! (my absolute favourite price!)

One of my new favourites is the gorgeous Bloomin' Marvellous  stamp set. I used it for this friend birthday card which I teamed with a couple of sentiments stamps, some basic pearls and some of the beautiful striped organdy ribbon from page 30 of the new spring summer catalogue (this one is melon mambo item 129293 and it also comes in equally lovely Marina Mist  and Old Olive )

The Sale-a -bration promotion offer runs until 22 March 2013 so there is still time to place an order and get this or other free exclusive Stampin Up! products...there are 17 options to choose from and you get to pick one free product for every £45 you spend. If you would like to know more or are ready to Sale-a-Brate right now please contact me today and your fabulous Sale-a-Bration freebies could be with you sooner than you think.

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Boutique Boxes and bags

So yesterday I posted a card made with a stamp set I have had for a while (even though I didn't really use it until this week) and promised I would be sharing old favourites and highlighting some new products too...so today I thought I would quickly share with you something I made using the new Boutique Boxes Designer Printed Kit  (item no 129306) which is on page 25 of the 2013 Spring & Summer Seasonal Catlaogue.

This kit comes with everything you need to make some really cute gift boxes. In the pack there are 8 die cut boxes which are pre scored and printed on one side with a cute mini polka dot design, 8 printed mini note cards,a sheet of die cut decorations which includes leaves, paper
 buttons, gorgeous doilies and some borders, 16 buttons, 4.6m crumb cake & very vanilla bakers twine and some stampin' dimensionals....all you need  to add is a little adhesive and some imagination.

The catalogue picture shows a sample of a decorated box so I thought  I would share with you this quick and simple project I made. Instead of  closing the box I took the longest flap and turned it over  and adhered it to the outside to leave one end of the box open and  I added a handle which I secured with mini brads.  I  decorated the turned down flap with some co-ordinating cardstock and designer series paper and added the doily, button, bakers twine and leaf  decorations from the kit. The just for you is from the A Little Greeting stamp set which I bought with the boxes as part of the money saving bundle (bundle item 131104  at £11.95)

All that was left to do was to pop the gift inside the bag and it was ready to go.

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Do you ever find....

Do you ever find yourself drawn to the same stamp set over and over again?  It seems I am really making the most of the Clockworks stamp set...which is a little strange when I realised that I actually got this set last year -  but never used it until this past week...and now I have started, I just can't stop!

I used it again on this card that I made for my Dad whose birthday is at the end of this week. This time
 I used black card as the base and used whisper white card  stamped  with basic grey and midnight muse ink for the background...and of course because the base card was black I repeated the stamped background for the inside of the card too.

The sentiments used were from the fabulous Perfectly Penned stamp set (another huge favourite of mine)  and the DAD was stamped using Morning Post Alphabet set...which also includes the pointy fingers.  I originally resisted this stamp set because I didn't think I would ever use the pointy fingers...and again I have used them three times in the past two days...so it just goes to show how wrong first impressions can be.

I promised a friend who is a bit of a secret stamper (you know who you are), that I would re-visit some old favourites this week and also highlight some of my newer products too...so this is a revisit day...the next post will feature at least one of my favourite new products...

Until then, take care

Christa   xx

Just for fun

I have seen several cards for men using clothing as the basic design  and  decided to give it a try for the card for my nephew's birthday. I didn't have a template or guide so it took me a little while to figure out the exact dimensions for each layer but I was quite pleased with the end result...and hope that when Jonathan opens his card today it will make him smile.

For this project I used  the following cardstock: sahara sand ( for the base card) whisper white ( for the tee shirt - the detail was made using the 2" circle punch), basic grey (for the jacket...which I edged with basic grey ink and gave it the distressed treatment using the distressing tool in the spring & summer seasonal catalogue) The shirt and collar I made using designer series paper (retired and no longer available but suited my project perfectly). The badge was created using the Blue Ribbon stamp set with not quite navy ink.

With a little imagination, some card and designer paper, almost any card can be made to reflect the style of the recipient... I have a few other ideas along similar lines that I plan to try in the near future... but for today I wanted to share this one and to wish my lovely nephew Jonathan a very Happy Birthday!

Until next time, take care,

Christa   xx

Grungy Birthday

While the whole world goes hearts and roses crazy, I have been enjoying some inky fun of the more grungy kind using sets I own that I have not used as often I as should.

I have seen a  few designs lately using basic grey and various shades of yellow and I really liked the idea of combining the traditional drab and the bright and summery...

So for these two cards I opted for basic grey and summer starfruit and I choose to use the Clockworks and Blue Ribbon stamp sets.

For the card above I used the small background stamp from clockworks set , greeting from Blue Ribbon set, basic grey and summer starfruit ink, sponges, bakers twine, mini silver brads, dimensionals and the paper piercing kit and piercing tool.


For the card on the right I used the large and small background stamps from the clock works set, the blue ribbon stamp set, basic grey and summer starfruit ink, sponges, scallop and plain circle punches and dimensionals.








I carried on the same design for the inside of the cards too.




So that is what I have been up to while the world went romance crazy... now that the madness is over I plan to take a look at some of the newer products this week...and also take a look back at some old favourites too.

Until next time, take care


Christa   xx

Ta- Dah!

It is HERE the fabulous new Spring Summer Seasonal Catalogue. Forty pages filled with gorgeous new products that really do include something for everyone...


I will be back later with some of my own personal favourites but in the meantime you can download your copy right here . If you would prefer a paper copy please contact me today and I will pop one in the post for you.


Until later,

Christa   xx

Feeling Sentimental

Here I am with a  more of the fabulous free
Sale-a-bration products...this time I have used  the Feeling Sentimental stamp set. This has  four stamps in the set, three images and one sentiment and has a definite vintage feel.

The card on the right was made using two of the images  - the wheel and the penny farthing bicycle -  and the Celebrate sentiment. The Happy Birthday is stamped direct to the backing  and is from the Blue Ribbon stamp set (p33 main catalogue), circle and label punches and the essentials paper piercing pack (p181 main catalogue)

The simple card on the left uses the third image from the set along with the Celebrate wording. Oh Happy Day is from the Bloomin' marvellous stamp set, another  SAB free set.  I think I may have unintentially been influenced by or drawn inspiration from the driving rain outside when I decided to use the colour spritzer tool (p179 main cat) on this one.





As we begin the slow count down to the release of the new Spring & Summer seasonal catalogue I will be posting sneaky peeks of some of the fabulous new products every day next week.

If you would like to know how you can get any of the fabulous Stampin' Up! products, including the fabulous free products on offer during sale-a-bration or  you would like to join my team and take advantage of the fabulous S-A-B offer to new demonstrators then please contact me

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Bloomin' Marvelous

Sale-a-bration is here and one of the many  fabulous
 free products available during this promotion is
 the rather  gorgeous  and aptly named  Bloomin' Marvellous stamp set.


It has 8 stamps in the set with a mix of  images which include a flower, leaves, a butterfly and humming bird &  four sentiments in pretty fonts. It is a really versatile set  and already becoming  a firm favourite of mine. I can see so many uses for this stamp set.                                                                              


This is just one of the cards I made last night using the Bloomin' Marvellous stamp set that I got for free!

Until next time, take care,

Christa   xx

Its time to Sale-a-Brate!

Sale-a-Bration is here..come join in the fun!

Sale-a Bration is one of the highlights of the Stampin' Up! Calendar and this year, the  25th Anniversary Year,  is extra special with something for everyone.

For Customers... - For every £45 spent (exc p&p), choose a fantastic Sale-A-Bration FREE gift from a fantastic range of 17 items, including stamp sets, designer papers, embellishments and tools. There are 11 exclusive Sale-a-Bration products and six popular products from the main annual catalogue for you to choose from.

For Hostesses Invite friends and family for a fun evening crafting. Host a party or workshop, collect orders of £150 or more and you will earn a FREE pack of Silver Glimmer paper in addition to the usual hostess benefits….and of course for every £45 you spend you earn the free products as well.

For New Demonstrators – If you love Stampin’ Up! products and have a long wish-list, why not sign up during Sale-a-Bration?  Join my team between 22 January and 22 March 2013 and you can choose £162.50 worth of products from any current Stampin’ Up! Catalogue and pay just £99.  You also get your business starter kit (£45 value) for free too. Becoming a demonstrator is a wonderful opportunity to share what you love and earn money or products from sharing your passion for crafting. Whether you want to earn discounts just for yourself (including a whopping 30% off your first demonstrator order) , be a hobby demo selling to friends and family or you want to make money from running your Stampin up! Business, the choice is yours. The options and reasons for becoming a demonstrator are as individual as each of us. The benefits of being an active demonstrator are the same no matter what your long term goals. This new demonstrator offer is too good to miss… Contact me today to discuss your options or join via the online sign up. In just a few minutes you could be a part of my team.

What do you have to lose? Join in the Sale-a-Bration fun today!

Click on the picture at the top of this post to go to the online Sale-a-Bration brochure where you will find all the fabulous products you can earn for free. Please note it is a pull out publication and you may need to adjust the size on your screen. If you would prefer a paper copy please contact me and I will pop one in the post to you.

I will be back later to share some samples made with some of the fabulous free SAB products.

Until then, take care

Christa   xx

Sweet....

We are just in the first week of January and already I can tell you about a great promotional offer from Stampin' Up!....but it is time limited and so you'll have to be quick...

MY LITTLE VALENTINE PROMOTION

From 3rd - 21st of January only , Stampin' Up! has got a super sweet and exclusive special offer.

For a limited time only buy this adorable My Little Valentine stamp set for £9.95 and Stampin' Up! will send you the Sealed With Love Simply Sent Kit  absolutely FREE!

The Sealed with Love Simply Sent Kit on its own  is worth £8.25 and can be found on page 35 of the Autumn Winter Catalogue.  In each kit you get the following:

•  10 beautiful Notecards and double sided envelopes

•  20 printed paper buttons

•  10 pieces of Real Red/Whisper White Bakers Twine (this colour twine is only currently available in this kit) 

• 24 Stampin' Dimensionals

If you want to get this super offer contact me today. Remember this is only available between 3rd -21st January 2013 so dont miss out!

Until next time, Take care

Christa   xx

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