Indian Celebration

I hope you are recovering from the excesses of Christmas. We had a very low key Christmas and have enjoyed the peace and quiet.

My husband and I attended a friends 21st birthday party yesterday. It was absolutely amazing, our friend is Indian and everyone was dressed up to the nines including the birthday girl. Here is a picture of her in her beautiful dress.

I'm sure you'll agree she looks stunning - the photo doesn't do her or the dress justice!



I did of course make the birthday card and thought I would share it with you. I used the Fabulous You stamp set and embossed the shoe, and butterfly from Papillon Potpourri, with Irridescent Ice Embossing Powder.

I do hope she loved it - it was nearly as sparkly and beautiful as the birthday girl herself!



I hope you are looking forward to the New Year. We certainly are and I'm hoping the sunshine outside is a harbinger of better weather to come as I am fed up with walking the dogs in the wet and mud! If I am honest a few hard frosts and even snow would be most welcome at the moment!

I am taking bookings for parties in 2013 and I know Stampin' Up! have some great offers in store and I'll be sharing some sneak peaks over the coming days.

E-mail me or give me a call if you would like to book a party or place an order. Details are on my contact page!

Paula xx

Christmas Wishes

I would like to say Happy Christmas to all my customers, friends and followers.

I shall probably be taking advantage of the holidays to craft so will hopefully have some nice cards to share over the Christmas period.

In the meantime here's a Christmas message from Stampin' Up!

I hope you enjoy it!

 



 

I know there are lots of exciting things in store for the New Year from Stampin' Up! and I will bring you all the news as soon as it is released, so watch this space!



 

Happy Christmas!

 

Paula xxx

 

Stampin' Up! Christmas Cards

I cannot believe I have been so lapse in posting. I must admit I had such a heavy schedule last week!

Wednesday we went out for a meal for hubbies birthday, Thursday I went to Wycombe for a comedy club night out, Friday we went to a friends wedding and Saturday we had friends over from Ireland to stay and went out for a meal!

I have hardly had time to craft! I did feel a bit of a fraud at work as it is so quiet - I'm not one for doing nothing so I have booked tomorrow afternoon off! Today I received my last order of the year from Stampin' Up! Some of the goodies have been confiscated by hubby and my Mum as they are going to be wrapped up for Christmas!

I will be able to show you a few sneak peeks of things you will be able to get in January... so remember to pop back soon!

These will probably be the last Christmas cards I will post this year. I must admit I never thought I would get so into Seasonal Crafting and had avoided going mad on the Christmas Stamp sets but I have really enjoyed making cards.

The card below shows that you don't have to invest in things just for Christmas, the Elegant Bouquet Embossing folder works really well with the Punched Ornament stamped using the Delightful Decorations set.

 

 

The second card was a complete fluke... I had one of those moments when I thought "What can I do with...?"

I punched out two large ovals and scored them with my Simply Scored, added 3 blobs of glue with my hot glue gun, that I sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter whilst they were still wet, and BINGO! You have Mistletoe.

The glittery edges of the card and the Die Cut Labels Collection Framelit were done by just putting sticky strip carefully around the edge then removing the backing and dusting with Dazzling Diamonds.

I hope you like my little offerings from today. Hopefully I will have some more things to share with you before the week is out!

If you wish to place an order, join as a demonstrator or have a party, do get in touch!

Paula xx

Stampin' Up! Christmas Punch Art

We're off out shortly to celebrate Chris' birthday with our lovely friends at The Swan Hotel in Thame.

If you haven't been there since it re-opened and had it's wonderful make-over you have to give it a try! The steaks are simply devine!

This card is one I essentially copied from a commercially bought card. Which goes to show how professional you can make things with Stampin' Up! products. I asked a few people to compare the two and they couldn't decide if they were both my creations!

I used all three colours of the gorgeous Glimmer Paper - two of the Circle punches for the moon, the Star and Trees are from Merry Minis - the doors are from the Word Window, the houses and rooves were punched from the same square punch and the sentiment is from Greetings of the Season.

Great fun isn't it. I really enjoyed this one!

I'm also finalising my last order of the year and will be placing it on Friday morning so let me know by 9am Friday if you need anything added.

Pxx

Decorating Candles - With Stampin' Up!

Earlier this week - in between bouts of studying (thank goodness the exam is now over - just 8 weeks until my results), I saw an amazing video by one of my friends and fellow Pinkies Traci. It was a fabulous tutorial of how to decorate candles...

First I'll show you my effort - then the brilliant video Traci did - in case you would like to try the technique yourself.

I chose a non-Christmassy design so I can give it as a gift that will 'outlast' Christmas.

The butterflies are from Papillon Potpourri and punched out with the Butterfly Punch - it is not possible to punch out the Tissue Paper alone, so I stuck it on a Post-It (other brands of adhesive notes are available!) and punched the two layers out together.

The 'Love' image is from the gorgeous You Are Loved set and punched out, using the same technique, with the Decorative Label Punch.

Here is Traci's fabulous Video - don't forget if you want to try any techniques you can always ask me about holding a class at your house for you and your friends - for this type of project there would be a small charge - unless you supply your own candles. Or hold a party!

Thanks Traci for letting me share this video!



Stampin' Up! Four Seasons

Goodness me - we really did have winter today. I awoke to about an inch of gleaming snow outside. Completely unexpected but luckily, as I was working from home, I didn't have to brave the roads!

I did walk the dogs earlier than usual to take advantage of the added benefit... of 2 clean dogs. A rare thing in recent weeks with all the rain we've been having.

Well I am still revising like mad for my exam... this time on Friday it will all be over and I'll have 6-8 weeks to wait for my results.

So in celebration of the snow I thought I would share a card I made a few weeks ago.

 

I used Marina Mist card stock and ink with a Whisper White mat. The background stamp is from Four Seasons, the hostess set in the catalogue. I used my Big Shot and the Snow Flurry Bigz Die to cut out the snowflake and stamped the snowflake from the Four Seasons set in the middle. On the centre and tip of each 'arm' of the snowflake I dabbed some Dazzling Details and finished the card with a sentiment from Greetings of the Season.

I hope you like it! Remember if you want anything from the Autumn/Winter catalogue you only have until the end of January!

Although some of the items may come back in the main catalogue don't bank on it! I would hate for you to miss out.

If you would like a copy of either of the catalogues then please let me know as I have plenty.

Keep warm and watch out for the ice!

Paula xxx

December arrives...

Well here we are, nearly another year over and only 24 days until Christmas. I have had a very busy week revising for my practitioners certificate in Data Protection. I have an exam next Friday and am really nervous.

The depressing thing is, I am so focused on passing my exam, and all the revision that goes with it that I just haven't even thought about crafting. I felt even more depressed when I went to Next today and couldn't fit in a size 12 any more! M&S here I come... hopefully their sizing is more generous!

I thought I would share a card I made a couple of weeks ago... before Data Protection took over my life!

Here I have used the Snow Swirled Stamp Set. Heat embossed the tree with Wild Wasabi embossing powder then punched a star out of Silver Glimmer Paper with the Merry Mini Star Punch.

The sentiment was punched out of Whisper White using the Decorative Label Punch, I then punched the same shape out of Red Glimmer Paper and 'framed' the sentiment. You can see it more clearly below.

 There will be a few more Christmassy offerings in the coming weeks. But please order early for Christmas. Orders will be being taken up to and including the 16th December!

Hope you are enjoying the cold crispy weather!

Paula xx

Stampin' Up! Jolly Bingo Bits.

I have a cracking little set of Stamps called Jolly Bingo Bits. It comprises 24 gorgeous little Christmassy Stamps. I have used them for so many things. I am now thinking I should buy the Peekaboo Frames Die so I can make little advent calendars with them.

I have already made a bingo game with them ready for my next party. I thought it would be a little more exciting than your average raffle. And still a chance to win prizes! Can't wait to try it out. Book a party soon!

For now I thought I would share some Christmas cards I made with it.

 

 



Aren't they sweet. The images also emboss beautifully, you can add some ribbon, brads or jewels to jazz them up. The sentiment is from Greetings of the Season from the Autumn/Winter Catalogue. The scalloped edge was done using the Scallop Edge Border Punch.

The four embossing folders are - Square Lattice, Perfect Polka Dots, Lacy Brocade from the Autumn/Winter Catalogue and the Fancy Fan folder.

Hope you are all staying warm and dry in this rotten weather! Don't forget you don't have to be local to order from the catalogue as Stampin' Up! will deliver direct.

Paula xxx

Stampin' Up! Poinsettia part 2

Well I tried making the Poinsettia with my Ornament Framelit dies, and used the Woodgrain Embossing folder. Pinching each leaf to give it shape...

 



 

A couple of people were unsure of the 'scale. so I took the following picture so you could compare the sizes and see how tiny and cute that little one is.



I have done all my 'jobs' for the weekend so am now trying to decide how to spend the rest of my day. If I'm honest I quite fancy going back to bed! I've been such a busy bunny. But the weather is astoundingly gorgeous so it seems such a waste.

Hope you have had a great weekend.

Paula xxx

Stampin' Up! Poinsettia

I am so proud of myself! I always question my own abilities as a crafter as I really struggle to be creative without borrowing inspiration from others.

Today I created something unique! All by myself and I am so proud!

My very own Poinsettia! So I have done a step by step tutorial for you! All you need are a hot Glue Gun, Stampin Up Silicone Craft Sheet, Merry Minis Ornament Punch, the embossing isn't absolutely necessary but I used the Square Lattice folder, some of the tiny Stampin' Up! Pearls and a black marker pen.

Firstly I embossed some scraps of red and green card.



Then I punched out 2 green and 15 red ornament shapes.



Next I put a blob of hot glue on my Silicone Craft Sheet. Then arranged 2 of the green and 5 of the red ornaments on the hot glue.



Then I added a little more glue and arranged another 5 ornaments.

A little more glue and I added the last 5 ornaments.

Finally I coloured 3 of the tiny SU pearls with a black marker and added them to the centre to finish my flower.

I hope you enjoy experimenting with these lovely Christmas flowers! These small ones make great card candy or embellishments for gifts.

If you check out the Ornament framelits dies there is one the exact same shape so you could also use the larger pearls and add them to napkin rings or larger parcels, or even just as decorations. The possibilities are endless!

I hope you enjoyed my moment of inspiration and I look forward to seeing your versions!

Paula xxx









Wondering Wednesday...

So here I sit, alone (well apart from the menagerie), blogging away and start to think.

Steady! I know a dangerous passtime in itself.

Does anyone actually read my Blog? Am I sitting here in my own little bit of cyberspace blogging to fresh air?

I would like to think someone out there is looking at my creations and maybe feeling just a little bit inspired. Crafting is something we tend to do on our own, which I think is why it is so hard to find other crafters.

I would like to think that there are lots of people, just like me, who squirrel themselves away with their stash of crafting goodies and make beautiful things all over Thame, Haddenham, Chinnor, Princes Risborough, Naphill etc etc.

It's one of the reasons I joined Stampin' Up! I have a purpose and reason to share the things I have learnt on my crafting journey and I can share some of those things with the ladies who have parties.

I like to think the projects I choose to demonstrate and the attendees get to make and take away with them give them a sense of achievement. You don't have to be a crafter to be able to take that feeling away with you.

Today I'm going to share a really simple card to make - and maybe you'll feel inspired to copy and share it with others - or just to make it yourself and feel the sense of satisfaction that comes from creativity. Sometimes a sense of achievement can be a rare thing in our lives. It's just nice to have that boost every now and then.

 



I used the Ornament Keepsake Framelits to cut an aperture in a piece of card stock, embossed it with the Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, then stuck strips of off cuts of Festival of Prints Designer Series paper on a scrap of card mounted behind the aperture. I added the bow using Certainly Celery 1cm Taffeta ribbon and added it to a Whisper White card. Done!!! And so easy.

Don't forget if you buy the Ornament Keepsake Bundle and Candlelight Christmas Speciality Designer Series Paper or the stamp set alone with the Designer Series Paper you get the Festive Paper Piercing pack FREE

Hope someone out there in Cyber Space is reading this and I'll be back with another post soon!

Paula xx

Fabulous You - Stampin' Up!

I can't believe it has been 4 days since my last post! Where has the week gone!

One of my lovely customers bought this stamp set and showed me the lovely heat embossing she had done with it. So of course when you see something stunning in the flesh you just have to give it a go.

Here are some cards I made with the set...

For this one I inked my stamp with Versamark and then added some colour with my Stampin' Write Markers. Stamped the image and then embossed with clear embossing powder.

 



This one was embossed with Melon Mambo embossing powder...

 





I also used my Labels Collection Framelits and a sentiment from Perfectly Penned.

 

Not only do our friends LOVE fabulous shoes but most of them like a bit of bling, so each butterfly has a generous dollop of Dazzling Details. ("Dollop" - what a lovely word! Haven't used that in ages!)

 



 

 

And finally, I do love my wheel stamps - such an awesome way of creating beautiful borders. This stamp is the new Bella Boutique border. I just love the detail in the border and those tiny butterflies.

 

 

The border on the right hand side has been embossed... again in Melon Mambo. I am so loving the embossing powders!

 



I was fortunate enough to meet all my Stampin' Start objectives as a new Demonstrator. This meant I got 6 FREE stamp sets of my choice, a £40 product bonus and a £125 cash bonus, every penny has been invested in products for me to show you so I will have more projects to post in the coming days.

 

I would love your comments so please leave some.

 

Paula xx

 

Pinkies Training

The great thing about joining Stampin' Up! as a Demonstrator is the social aspect.

22 Pinkies have just returned from the Annual European Stampin' Up! Convention in Mainz in Germany. 850 demonstrators from France, Germany and the UK got together to craft and share business ideas as well as some of the highest achievers being recognised during the awards ceremony.

Next year I will be attending too as it will be held in Manchester! Hopefully all the new Dutch and Austrian Demo's will come along too!

Well a few of us Pinkies also got together for our monthly training with the lovely Michelle Last and I thought I would share the creations we made.

The first is a really simple card that was demoed in Germany...

This is a great way of using up little scraps of Designer Series Paper and uses the Pennant Punch, Tiny Tag Punch, Small Oval and the star from the Merry Minis set in the Autumn Winter Catalogue.

Isn't it effective?

 

 



 The second project was this lovely little box - Ideal for small christmas gifts like Jewellery - And it took 10 minutes to make!

 



  Perhaps you would like to make something? If you haven't crafted before then Stampin' Up! products make it easy to co-ordinate. I can come to your house and do a demo for you and your friends and you will all get to make the project to keep.

Paula xxx

Stampin' Up! Harvest Blessings

Now, living in rural Buckinghamshire I know a fair few 'country folk' and lots of the guys I know are into machines and engines.

When I saw this stamp set - I fell in love. What a perfect set for the men in my life. Not romantically of course!

So here is a simple card made using the Harvest Blessings Tractor, the Woodgrain Embossing Folder and the Labels Framelits. The Early Expresso card stock that I have embossed is the special Core'dinations stock that is sanded after embossing to show the lighter core.

I love this rustic look!

Perhaps you would like to make this card at a party? Why not give me a call and see what days I have free! 01844 342494.

Paula xx

Stampin' Up! Offers for November

Firstly I would like to congratulate Stampin' Up! on 5 years in Europe. I am so lucky to be part of the Stampin' Up! family.

This month they are offering two fantastic special offers!

Firstly if you host a party and your party sales reach a minimum of £325 you earn yourself a FREE set of 10 Ink Pads in whichever colour family you like - Subtles, Regals or Brights.

Click the link below or at the side of the page for more info...

 



Secondly, anyone who buys the Ornament Keepsake Stamp set or Bundle and the Candlelight Christmas Speciality Designer Series Paper at the same time, will automatically receive the Festive Paper Piercing Pack.

 



Thank you Stampin' Up! - Very excited! So who is going to book a party???

Pxx

Stampin' Up! Ornament Keepsakes

A quick post today to show you how a simple card can be really effective and to tantalise you with some news I just heard from Stampin' Up!

There is something special happening on the first of November to do with this Stamp Set! So remember to check back in tomorrow.

Many of our Pink Ladies and Pink Lads are off in the early hours of the morning to the European Stampin' Up! Convention. I am a little jealous as I know they will get lots of sneak previews and freebies. But Germany was a little far to go for a weekend and so I am staying home... in the wet!

 

 

This simple little card was made using one of the Ornament Keepsakes Stamps, Embossed with Irridescent Ice, the sentiment is from Greetings of The Season and the zig zag stripy paper is from Festival of Prints. Quick, Simple and Simply gorgeous!

 

 

Here is a close up of the Ornament...

 

I hope you'll pop in tomorrow for the exciting November offer. I can't wait for the details!

Pxx



Stampin' Up! - Christmas Deer

I have tried not to inundate you with Christmas projects but there are so many lovely Christmas items available in the two Stampin' Up! catalogues that I have been crafting away making loads of Christmas cards.

This one is one of my favourites!

 



I stamped the Christmas Deer with Versamark and embossed it using Stampin' Emboss ®
gold powder. Cut it out with one of the Labels Collection Framelits and my Big Shot. I then matted it on another Labels Collection cut out from the new Glimmer card and put it on my card front. The sentiment is from the Greetings of the Season set, also stamped with Versamark and embossed.

Just look at the fantastic detail in his antlers and the 'bling' added by that Glimmer card.

The Christmas Deer set is only £10.95 in Clear or £13.95 in Wood! I am really amazed by how competitive the prices are from Stampin' Up!

Stampin' Up! - Bordering on Romance

Tuesday evening we had a great time at a party - all of the guests were Stamping and Sticking and for many (hopefully) enjoying their first crafting experience.

We really went to town with punches, the Big Shot and glitter. What a fab way to break up the working week.

What is even better is the party sales figure meant the lovely Hostess got £40 off a Big Shot! Bargain.

So here's to something else I made this week. If you remember I was a little dubious of my colouring skills. But Stampin' Up! products do really help you get the hang of new techniques...

Maybe my colouring skills aren't quite as bad as I thought!

For this card I used Pink Pirouette as the main focus colour and the Bordering on Romance Stamp Set. I also used the co-ordinating Adorning Accents Framelits and Edgelits, the Labels Collection Framelits and Fancy Fan embossing folder.

To get the shading just right I actually coloured using ink from my ink pads, painted on with my Blender Pens.

I hope you like it... remember if there is a particular style or technique you would like to try I am just on the end of the phone. I can also demonstrate it at a party or workshop.

Please leave a comment and consider holding a party yourself... you could qualify for at least £25 worth of FREE product!

Paula xxx

Something Stampin Up for the boys...

It's always a challenge making male cards... even harder when they are youngsters!

So I decided to have a play with the new Moving Forward Stamp Set.

For this card I used the Fancy Fan embossing folder to make some 'waves'.

I was really pleased with the result and the little frog just added a bit of humour!

I have used Midnight Muse, Rich Razzleberry and Gumball Green, Using one of my markers to add some colour to the sail.

The sentiment is from the Perfectly Penned set... love it at the quirky angle.

Paula xx

Stampin' Up! Scrapbooking

I hope you enjoyed this weekends Pinkies Blog Hop!

Before I started using Stampin' Up! products I had never heard of Scrapbooking, let alone tried it!

So here I am ten months later and I have created my first Scrapbook page!

One of my dogs won a class at an Agility competition that meant he has been promoted to the next level. He is now Grade 5. The highest is Grade 7. So as you can imagine I was so proud. So I decided my first tentative steps into the scrapbooking world would be to create a page in celebration of Blaze.

 

 

Don't you just love the detail on the Butterfly?

 

 

 

I used -

 

Colours - So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Lucky Limeade

Punches - Elegant Butterfly, Scallop Edge Border, Blossom, 1 3/4" and 1 1/4" Scallop Circles

Stamp Sets - Flowering Flourishes, Papillon Pot Pourri, Mixed Bunch and Lovely Letters Alphabet

Embellishments - Pearl Basic Jewels, Brushed Bronze Designer Buttons and some Bakers Twine

Designer Series Paper - Twitterpated

 

I would love your thoughts on my attempt so please leave a comment!

 

If you would like to buy Stampin' Up! products I can take your order and have it delivered to your door! Just give me a call on 07786 860438

 

Paula xxx

 

 

 



Pinkies Blog Hop - Stampin' Up! Serene Silhouettes



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!® 2012-2013 Annual Catalogue. Simply use the buttons at the bottom of each post to keep on hopping. We love comments so please tell us what you think.

If you arrived here from Nicky Dexter's blog, I hope you enjoyed her beautiful work showcasing Fine Feathers.

For this hop I am focusing on the new Serene Silhouettes Stamp Set. I hope to demonstrate how versatile one set can be by showing you three entirely different cards using this one set.

The first card is very simple with a Whisper White mat, stamped with the Tree from this set, then with three mini brads added the mat is stuck to a Basic Black card that has been embossed with the new Framed Tulips Folder. But it would be just as effective without the Embossing.

 



This second variation is stamped on Vellum Card with Versamark and embossed with Black Stampin' Emboss® Powder, The card stock is Cajun Craze and More Mustard.

The final card in the series uses a different stamp from the set, embossing with the Big Shot, sponging and masking techniques, and a little sparkle from the Basic Jewels. The colour combination is Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder and Elegant Eggplant.

I love the new Fancy Fan embossing folder...

If you would like any more information about the products and techniques used in these projects - please do ask - I am happy to help!

Now I will let you continue on your travels through the Pinkies Blog Hop, your next stop is Sarah Makin's blog, who has been creative using a selection of products from the new catalogue.