Out with the Old ....

So we have said farewell to the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalogue. Did you manage to bag yourself a bargain from the Retired List?

What are you going to miss most? I think mine will be Sincere Salutations, Fox and Friends, The Timeless Type Junior Alphabet, Textured card, the 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and Pear Pizzazz from the retired In-colors.

But fear not - the New 2012-2013 Annual Catalogue is PACKED with over 200 pages of new and exciting products which I can't wait to share with you.

There is a huge range of Clear and Wood mount stamp sets - over 200 in all - where will you put them all! New Ribbon to coordinate with the 2012-14 In-Color Collection, gorgeous new Embellishments, new Designer Series Papers, new Designer Fabrics, fabulous Linen Albums and Divided Page Protectors for the scrapbookers out there, lots of new Embossing Folders and Dies for the Big Shot, the new Classic Ink Pads, plus redesigns of old favourites like the Stampin' Scrub and Heat Tool.

Excited?! Well you will have to wait until tomorrow before I can show you but I promise it will be worth the wait!

Hop this way with the Pinkies

Welcome to our first ever Pinkies Blog Hop. We'll be showcasing lots of gorgeous projects using products from the new Stampin' Up!® Autumn/Winter Catalogue. Our blog hop buttons will help guide you on your way. We love comments so please do tell us what you think!

Hopefully you have arrived from the lovely Michelle's blog. Isn't her project just stunning? I do love the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set - and the bundle which include the framelits is fantastic value.

So let's get "hopping" - the stamp set I chose to focus on is Tweet Leaves. I have a thing about birds and at £8.95 this stamp is a complete bargain! 

I decided to make a card folder and 4 cards. This is the outside of the folder. The scalloped rectangle was made using the Scallop Edge Border punch (and a steady hand!). The leaf image was stamped on Old Olive card in Versamark and I used White Stampin' Emboss® Powder and the Heat Tool to emboss the image.  I then cut out a leaf image from a piece of acetate using the Autumn Accents Bigz Die and Big Shot, and using this as a mask, sponged Old Olive ink round the edge to define the leaf shape.  The Designer Series Paper is from Orchard Harvest.  Have you spied the ribbon? It is the Scalloped Tulle Ribbon in Cherry Cobbler and ties in a bow beautifully!

And a close up of the gorgeous Flourish Designer Frame - aren't they beautiful? As you would expect with Stampin' Up! they coordinate with the Decorative Label Punch. Here I have punched a piece of Core'dinations Card Stock, run it through the Big Shot with the Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and sanded the top layer using the Stampin' Sanding System. I love these little tags - they are from the Tiny Tags stamp set and punched out with the Jewelry Tag Punch.

And so to the inside! The folder is a cinch to make using a piece of Crumb Cake card and the Simply Scored Scoring Tool. The card pockets are 2 simple boxes attached with Sticky Strip.  I sponged the leaf shape on the pockets to give it a bit of definition.

And to the cards! I wanted to show that this set wasn't just for autumn so made 4 "seasonal" cards to go inside the folder.  The Tweet Leaves image was stamped, embossed and sponged as on the front of the folder. You can get a better idea of the Core'dinations Card Stock in these pictures, I just love the effect you get with the Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and sanding the top layer just makes the whole texture "pop". The Taffeta Ribbon fits the Designer Ribbon Slides perfectly - aren't they a cute accent? The tags are again from the Tiny Tags stamp set, punched out with the Jewelry Tag Punch and tied to the slides with Linen Thread.

The colour combinations I used are as follows: Spring - Daffodil Delight and Certainly Celery, Summer - Perfect Plum & Melon Mambo,  Autumn - Old Olive and Riding Hood Red and Winter - Not Quite Navy and Pumpkin Pie. The card bases are all Crumb Cake card and I rounded the corners with the Corner Punch.

Here is a list of the Stampin' Up! products used to make today's project:

Stamp Sets: Tweet Leaves (£7.95)

Inks: Versamark, Early Espresso

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight, Certainly Celery, Perfect Plum, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Riding Hood Red,Not Quite Navy, Early Espresso Core'dinations (£6.25)

DSP: Orchard Harvest

Punches: Jewelry Tag, Scallop Edge Border, Corner, Decorative Label

Big Shot: Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (£7.50), Autumn Accents Bigz Die (£18.95)

Other: Taffeta Ribbon, Scalloped Tulle Ribbon  (£6.25), Linen Thread, Flourish Designer Frame (£5.50), Emboss Powder, Designer Ribbon Slides (£4.50)

If you would like to order any of these products please either email me or give me a call on07530 368466    and I will be happy to help. 

I am really pleased with how the cards came out - and hopefully their new owner will also like them. I would love to hear what you think of my project so please leave me a comment!

And so now it is time to "Hop" on over to Catherine's blog where I know she has a lovely project for you using another bundle - this time it is the Scentsational Season bundle which has the cutest images! I hope you enjoy the rest of the hop and have a crafty weekend!

2013 Everyday Happenings Designer Calendar

Well I thought I would continue my quest to help everyone have a hand crafted Christmas! Today features the 2013 Everyday Happening Designer Calendar from the Autumn/Winter Catalogue which is just gorgeous and will make a great gift for family, friends or teachers! And the bonus is you don't have to do anything to it - although you could add significant dates to it if you are giving it to a family member!

Each month shows the days and also has a large area to keep a note of special dates and occasions which is a nice feature on a desktop calendar. On the reverse of the January page is the year at a glance - the other months feature a variety of coordinating designs on the reverse. You can purchase just the pages for £6.25 or the smart idea is to buy them in a bundle with the Desktop Display Calendar Case (as seen above) for £6.95 which is a bargain for such a pretty calendar.

Aren't the designs on the reverse of the calendar pages lovely? And an added bonus - once the year is over don't throw the calendar away - you will have some pretty background papers to use on cards! How cool is that - I like recycling!

I can see the Everyday Happenings Designer Calendar featuring as part of my Christmas gifts this year - how about you?

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the Pinkies Blog Hop - you will be pleased to know I have done some "proper" crafting for that one!

Here is a list of the Stampin' Up!® Products used today:

Everyday Happenings Bundle (£6.95) - this contains the Designer Calendar and Display Case

If you would like to order this or any other Stampin' Up! products please either email me or give me a call on07530 368466       and I will be happy to help. 

Noel Notes Simply Sent with Stampin' Up!

Someone told me today it was less than 100 days till Christmas - eeeek! Where has this year gone?  In the spirit of helping you get organised today's post gives you a wonderful solution if you want a "handcrafted" Christmas card, without having to do too much work!

The New Autumn/Winter Catalogue from Stampin' Up!® has some fantastic products if you aren't yet convinced that you are a crafter. One of those is the Noel Notes Simply Sent®. In the set you get everything to make 8 cards for £12.50: 8 die-cut cards in Cherry Cobbler, 8 Scalloped Card liners, 8 Envelopes, 8 Envelope Liners and 8 pieces of Gumball Green Taffeta Ribbon - all shown below:

Noel Notes Simply Sent® by Stampin' Up!®

This is what I did with one of the cards.  I found this picture I had taken of snowdrops in our garden - I love the way the green of the ribbon and envelope liner emphasise the green in the flowers.

These cards really are easy to assemble. The picture was attached using SNAIL Adhesive. The ribbon was then tied in a bow round the card and I used a Mini Glue Dot just to stop it slipping down.  The liner fits perfectly into the envelope and again is held in place with SNAIL.  The scalloped liner is held in place inside the card with a piece of Sticky Strip. Voila!  The hardest decision will probably be which picture should you use?

I have some exciting news for you! I belong to a fantastic Stampin' Up!® Team led by Michelle Last and on Saturday we are holding our first ever "Pinkies" Blog Hop to showcase some of the gorgeous products from the Autumn/Winter Catalogue. You will be able to "hop" from blog to blog to see what we have all been up to so make sure you come back for a look! 

Here is a list of the Stampin' Up!® Products used to make today's cards:

Noel Notes Simply Sent® (£12.50)

Other: Mini Glue Dots, SNAIL, Sticky Strip

If you would like to order any of these products please either email me or give me a call on07530 368466       and I will be happy to help. 

Don't forget my offer. Just place and order of £45 or more in September and I will send you a copy of the New Annual Catalogue for FREE (this offer is from me - not Stampin' Up!).

Greenhouse Garden One Sheet Wonder

Well I am continuing in my quest to use some of my stamp sets on the Retired List one last time. I thought I would have a play with the Greenhouse Garden stamp set which was one of the sets I got in my starter kit when I joined Stampin' Up! in 2010!

I decided to do a "One Sheet Wonder" and make a set of cards. The idea is that you stamp a sheet of card to make a background paper and then cut it up in a variety of ways to use on your cards. 

I started with a sheet of A4 Confetti White (retired) and stamped all over it using images from Greenhouse Garden (retired). The inks used were Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride (both retired), Perfect Plum and Early Espresso - another combination from the Color Coach.

I then cut the sheet of card into various shapes - there are loads of templates to follow but I had a bit of a play and didn't do anything too fancy!  The cards I made are all below:

The card bases and mats are Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride and Perfect Plum Textured Card Stock which is sadly retired. The sentiments are all from the Sincere Salutations stamp set (retired) and were stamped in Early Espresso ink on Confetti White card. The punches used on the cards were Large Oval, Extra-Large Oval, Scallop Oval, Scallop Circle & Scallop Edge Border. The ribbon used was Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding (retired) and Pear Pizzazz Stitched Poly Ribbon (retired).

How amazing has the summer of sport been? I have loved it all! Now we just need Andy Murray to win the US Open Tennis tonight to round it off nicely!

Have you had a look at the Autumn/Winter Catalogue yet? It is packed full of fabulous products to inspire you over the next few months. You can view it online here or drop me an email and I will pop a copy in the post to you.

Here is a list of the Stampin' Up! Products used to make today's cards:

Stamp Sets: Greenhouse Garden (Retired), Sincere Salutations (Retired)

Inks: Early Espresso, Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride, Perfect Plum

Cardstock: Confetti White, Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride, Perfect Plum

Punches: Large Oval, Extra-Large Oval, Scallop Oval, Scallop Circle & Scallop Edge Border

Other: Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding (Retired), Pear Pizzazz Stitched Poly Ribbon (Retired).

If you would like to order any of these products please either email me or give me a call on07530 368466       and I will be happy to help. Retired List items are only available while stocks last.

Don't forget my offer. Just place and order of £45 or more in September and I will send you a copy of the New Annual Catalogue for FREE (this offer is from me - not Stampin' Up!).

Butterfly Flying Away with Clearly for You!

I have been continuing my quest to use some of my retired stamp sets one last time, so today's card features the Clearly for You stamp set. I love this set with its tiny images, especially the swallows on the wire (or are they swifts?)

The background image from the stamp set was stamped on Whisper White card and then punched out using the Butterfly Punch. Sadly this punch is retired and sold out, but do not worry Stampin' Up! have not left us without a butterfly - wait till you see the new punch in the Annual Catalogue 2012/13! This was then popped onto a Scallop Circle which had been punched from Early Espresso Card and run through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder - you can see the detail better in the picture below.

A piece of Rich Razzleberry paper from the Brights Paper Stack was mounted onto a square of Early Espresso card and a bow tied round using the gorgeous Whisper White Organza Ribbon.  This was then all popped onto a Rich Razzleberry card base.  The sentiment is from the Love & Laughter stamp set which we first saw in the Summer Mini Catalogue and you will see it back in the new Annual Catalogue! It was stamped in Early Espresso ink onto Whisper White card and punched out using the Modern Label Punch and edged with Early Espresso.  The card and butterfly were finished off using Rhinestone Jewels.

Here is a list of the Stampin' Up! Products used to make today's card:

Stamp Sets: Clearly for You (retired), Love & Laughter (available again from October)

Inks: Early Espresso

Cardstock: Early Espresso, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White

DSP: Brights Paper Stack

Punches: Scallop Circle, Butterfly (Retired & Sold out), Modern Label

Big Shot: Square Lattice Embossing Folder

Other: Whisper White Organza Ribbon, Rhinestone Jewels

If you would like to order any of these products please either email me or give me a call on07530 368466       and I will be happy to help. Retired List items are only available while stocks last.

Don't forget my offer. Just place and order of £45 or more in September and I will send you a copy of the New Annual Catalogue for FREE (this offer is from me - not Stampin' Up!).

Party this Way with Stampin' Up!

Good grief - the Retired Lists only went live on Saturday and lots of items have already sold out - including most of the punches, the textured card stock, some of the ink pads and certain stamp sets including Fox and Friends. If there is anything you would like from the lists then please order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. You can view the retired lists here.

Today's card uses lots of retiring products. The stamp set is the fabulous Party This Way. I am sad this is retiring - it has been my "go to" set for children's birthday cards for the past couple of years. Having said that I have used it here to make a card for my brother's 40th last weekend - so hardly a child!  Luckily there are loads of new sets for me to console myself with in the new Annual Catalogue 2012/13.

The colour scheme is Pear Pizzazz, More Mustard and Cajun Craze - chosen from the Color Coach. Honestly if you don't own this then you should! 

The images were stamped in Pear Pizzazz (retiring), More Mustard and Cajun Craze inks onto Confetti Cream card (retiring - so I will have to swap my allegiances to a different card). The Designer Series Paper at the bottom is from Nursery Nest (retiring). A border was punched in Cajun Craze using the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch.  The "40" was cut from Pear Pizzazz card using the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet (retiring and sold out) and popped onto a Decorative Label punch edged with More Mustard card. The "party this way" arrow and candle images were cut out using the Paper Snips and popped onto the card using Stampin' Dimensionals. The card front was matted onto More Mustard card and a Cajun Craze card base.  I also decorated the inside but forgot to take a picture of that!

Here is a list of the Stampin' Up! Products used to make today's card:

Stamp Sets: Party This Way

Inks: Pear Pizzazz, More Mustard, Cajun Craze

Cardstock: Confetti Cream, Pear Pizzazz, More Mustard, Cajun Craze

DSP: Nursery Nest

Punches: Decorative Label, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border

Big Shot: Timeless Type Junior Alphabet

If you would like to order any of these products please either email me or give me a call on07530 368466       and I will be happy to help. Retired List items are only available while stocks last.

Don't forget my offer. Just place and order of £45 or more in September and I will send you a copy of the New Annual Catalogue for FREE (this offer is from me - not Stampin' Up!).