Pinkies New Annual Catalogue Blog Hop

We're so glad you could join us on our Blog Hop. We'll be showcasing lots of gorgeous projects using products from the new Stampin' Up!® Annual Catalogue. Simply use the buttons at the end of each post to keep hopping. We love comments, so please do tell us what you think!

Hopefully you have arrived from the lovely Catherine's blog. I love what she has done with the Papillion Potpourri stamp set and isn't the matching punch just fabulous? No fiddly cutting out required!

So let's get "hopping" - the stamp set I chose to use is Fine Feathers. I think I have said previously I love birds so this was an stamp set I had to have! The clear mount set retails at £11.95 for 5 stamps - bargain! 

I have made a selection of cards using all the stamps from the set. The first card uses the pheasant feather image - I wanted to make it look like I had written the sentiment with the quill.  Have you spotted the card used for the top and card base? This is Naturals White which is new! It is fabulous for the "aged and distressed" look as it is flecked in appearance rather than a brilliant white. The sentiment from Curly Cute was stamped in Early Espresso ink and then the feather lined up using the Stamp-a-ma-jig and stamped in the same ink.  A piece of Victoria Crochet Trim was wrapped round the card and topped with a piece of the new Stitched Grosgrain ribbon in Early Espresso and a button from the new Natural Designer Buttons tied on with Linen Thread. The Early Espresso mat was punched at the bottom using the Scallop Edge Border punch.

Card number two uses the Naturals White card again. The feather images were stamped using Cajun Craze, Soft Suede and Summer Starfruit inks. The Designer Series Paper is from Comfort Cafe - isn't it lush? It is probably my favourite pack in the new catalogue. The sentiment is from Curly Cute again, stamped in Cajun Craze ink (using the Stamp-a-ma-jig again to get it straight!). A Cajun Craze button from the Regals Designer Buttons was tied on with a piece of Linen Thread. The mat is a piece of Soft Suede card which was run through the Big Shot using the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder. The edges were all sponged with Crumb Cake ink using the new Stamping Sponges.

My final card uses the peacock feather image - it was also tricky to get a decent photo! The feather image was stamped in VersaMark ink onto the Naturals White card and then embossing using Gold Stampin' Emboss® Powder and the new Heat Tool. Colour was then added to the feathers using Island Indigo, Soft Suede and Gumball Green Inks and an Aqua Painter. The edges were sponged with Pool Party ink. A piece of Island Indigo Ruffled Ribbon was wrapped round and the tags added. I love these little tags - they are from the Tiny Tags stamp set and punched out with the Jewelry Tag Punch and tied with Linen Thread. This piece was then matted onto a piece of Pool Party card and a Pacific Point card base.

 Here is a close-up of the embossed feathers and tags - aren't they pretty?

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

Stamp Sets: Fine Feathers (£11.95), Tiny Tags, Curly Cute

Inks: Versamark, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Soft Suede, Summer Starfruit, Pacific Point, Gumball Green

Cardstock: Naturals White (£6.75) Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Pacific Point, Pool Party

DSP: Comfort Cafe (£9.95)

Punches: Jewelry Tag, Scallop Edge Border

Big Shot: Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder 

Other: Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (£4.50), Ruffled Ribbon, Linen Thread, Crochet Trim, Naturals Designer Buttons (£5.50), Regals Designer Buttons, Stampin Emboss Powder, Aqua Painter, Stamping Sponges (£3.25), Stamp-a-ma-jig, Heat Tool

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. I would love to hear what you think so please leave me a comment!

The next stop is Paula who has used the Serene Silhouettes stamp set - which happens to be one of my favourites from the new catalogue. She has some fabulous ideas for you.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the hop and have a crafty weekend!

Simply Scrappin' with Merry Moments!

Good grief! Where has October gone?  Sorry I haven't been around much but I'm back!

I wanted to show you how versatile the Simply Scrappin'® kits are. Each kit contains 8 sheets of 12" x 12" card stock (in four different colours), 6 sheets of double-sided 12x12" paper (3 of each design) and 3 sheets of card stock stickers.  

There are four kits in the Annual Catalogue and one in the Autumn / Winter Catalogue. 

Today I am using the Merry Moments Simply Scrappin'® kit from the Autumn / Winter Catalogue pictured below:

Merry Moments Simply Scrappin'® by Stampin' Up!

Aren't the colours lush? They are Basic Grey, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla  Fantastic for Christmas crafting but also lovely for male cards.

I wanted to show a couple of projects using this kit so I split it into two and today's post shows the 6" x 6" Scrapbook I made with one half.

Four sheets of plain cardstock (one of each colour) were cut down into 6" x 6" squares to give sixteen pieces.  A "spine" was then scored down each piece at 1/2" using the Simply Scored™ Scoring Tool and two holes punched through the cardstock.  The scrapbook was tied together using a length of 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Old Olive.  

The pages inside were all decorated just using the papers (3 sheets) and card stock stickers from the kit. The stickers are fabulous quality and the adhesive is initially respositionable (for about an hour) so if you change your mind and want to move a sticker - you can! 

The corners were rounded using the Corner punch. I added photo mats in Very Vanilla card but you don't need to do that.  Here are some of the pages, 

And the back!

This would make a fabulous gift for Christmas - either as an empty scrapbook or complete with pictures. The kits cost £18.95 and you could make two complete scrapbooks this size by just adding some ribbon.

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

Merry Moments Simply Scrappin' Kit

Cardstock: Very Vanilla

Punches: Corner

Other: 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon

If you would like to order any of these products please either email me or give me a call on 07530 368466     and I will be happy to help. 

In with the New Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue

It's here! At last I can share the new 2012/13 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue with you! When I first saw it I couldn't believe how BIG it was - a massive 204 pages packed full of crafty loveliness. Does anyone remember the first Stampin' Up! Catalogue in 2007 - it only contained 96 pages! Hasn't Stampin' Up! come so far in that time - I love being part of such a successful company!

So, how do you get your own copy of the fabulous new Annual Catalogue?  If you host a party then you’ll be given a copy when you confirm your booking. If you've ordered more than £50 worth of products from me in the last three months then I’ll also pop a copy in the post to you with my compliments. 

If you’re not in either of these groups but you’d still like your own copy of the new Annual Catalogue (and let's face it you NEED it!), then all you need to do is email me and let me know. For just £4.95 I’ll post one out to you, along with a £5 voucher towards your first order worth £30 or more (excluding shipping). 

If you can't wait for the postman to arrive then the link in the sidebar will take you directly to an online copy of the new Annual Catalogue - make yourself a cup of tea - you may be some time!

And if that wasn't enough excitement for one day Stampin' Up! have given us a fantastic promotion for October and November. If you join my team of Dexterous Designers in October or November, not only will you get the brilliant value starter kit worth £175 for only £99, BUT you will also receive a FREE pack of Designer Series Paper every month for SIX months! To find out more click here.

I will be back over the next few days with some of the projects I have been making with the new products, but for now I suggest you grab that cup of cup of tea and have a browse through the new Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue!