Fast Friday - Week 26

This is the first (belated) Fast Friday post for 2015.

I have some amazing friends who have been helping me out at the moment and I wanted to say thank you to them so turned to the gorgeous Painted Petals stamp set in the Spring/Summer catalogue to come up with this quick and simple but I hope stunning card.

You know how crafters love to use every last scrap? Well you might be wondering where the DSP I have used on the card comes from? Does this photo give you a clue?

Yes that's right I used the inside of the Sale-a-b-ration cover sheet from the Spring/Summer catalogue! Waste not want not!

Click any of the images or products below to visit my online shop.

Don't forget you'll get a FREE Sale-a-bration item for every £45 you spend.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

A la prochaine! Amitiés!

Nicole

Pinkies Stampin' Up! Blog Hop - Spring/Summer Seasonal Catalogue 2015

Thank you for joining us on another Pinkies Blog Hop! We're showcasing lots of gorgeous projects using products from the new Stampin' Up!® Spring/Summer Seasonal Catalogue. Simply use the buttons at the end of each post to keep hopping!

Welcome to those who have joined me from Christa's blog - wasn't her project gorgeous? I just love how she has used the products from the new catalogue!

As Valentine’s Day is just under a month away I decided to make a card you could send to your loved one - although in fact this card could be used all year round (why not put it in their lunch box or briefcase)?!

The stamp set I have used is actually called Crazy About You, but it has loads of different phrases that you can mix and match for lots of occasions.

The card size is 7cm by 14.8cm and you can get 3 out of one sheet of A4 cardstock (cut A4 into three 7cm strips and score half way along the long edge at 14.8cm). As it is a non-standard size you could use the envelope punch board to create a custom envelope.

To add a bit of dimension to the card I used crystal effects on my punched out heart and then mounted with Stampin’ Dimensionals – hopefully you can see the glossy sheen in the photo below:

You could also get the same effect (without any drying time) with the heart by using one of the new Itty Bitty Accents Epoxy Stickers which feature in the new Spring/Summer catalogue, but unfortunately I don't have these (YET!) so used Crystal Effects instead.

I hope this card has inspired you to take a look at the fab new products in the gorgeous new catalogue - you can order from my online shop 24/7 or if you prefer contact me directly. And don't forget until 31 March, for every £45 you spend you a choice of free products from the Sale-a-bration brochure.

Have a great weekend but don't forget to stop by Cobi's blog as I know she has a fab project to share with you. Click on the next button below to take a look....

To make this project you will need:

Cardstock/Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Brushed Gold ♦ Stamps: Pictogram Punches, Crazy About You ♦ Ink: Black Stazon ♦ Tools/Accessories: Stacked with Love Washi Tape, Crystal Effects, Rhinestones, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Heart Punch from Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack

A la prochaine! Amitiés!

Nicole

Double Launch Day - Sale-a-bration and Spring/Summer Seasonal Catalogues

Today is a double whammy with a launch of both the new Spring/Summer Seasonal catalogue as well as Stampin' Up!'s best promotion of the year - Sale-a-bration! Yay!

                    

So what is Sale-a-bration? Well it's the opportunity to earn exclusive FREEBIES for every £45 you spend! And there is no limit, so spend £90 and you choose 2 free products, spend £135 and you get 3 free products and so on and so on! Although if you really want it all you should consider becoming a demonstrator! This chart quickly summarises the 3 ways you can benefit from Sale-a-bration up until 31 March 2015.

You can order online and on the relevant screen the prompt will remind you if you need to add a free item if you have made a qualifying purchase. You can order from either the current main catalogue, or the new Spring/Summer catalogue.

You can order from my online shop 24/7 or if you prefer contact me directly.

Why not come back soon when I will have some inspiration of some of the fab new products!  In the meantime why not check out the Stampin' Up! videos on YouTube so you can see some of the new products in action.

A la prochaine! Amitiés!

Nicole

Last Minute Gift Wrapping

Sorry for not posting for a while, but unfortunately life has thrown a curve ball. The quote by John Lennon springs to mind "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans" - too true!

So because of December's curve ball I have not done much crafting. However this was rectified yesterday as I need to wrap some presents for friends. Time was short so I decorated a couple of bags - I am well known by friends and family for my gift bags! Admittedly this one is quite basic, but I am really pleased with how it has turned out and I am a great believer that less is more.

If you love the stamped image featured on the bag you will need to hurry as the Autumn/Winter catalogue that this stamp is featured in will finish on 5 January 2015. It might be too late for you to use this stamp set for Christmas this year, but you could get it ready for next! The note tag punch though is carrying over into the Spring/Summer Catalogue that comes out on 6 January 2015.

To make this project you will need:

Stamps: Cheerful Christmas ♦ Ink: Cherry Cobbler ♦ Tools/Accessories: Kraft Paper Bag (from craft stash), Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon, Note Tag Punch, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine

You can order from my online shop 24/7 or if you prefer contact me directly.

I hope my gift bag has inspired you for some quick last minute gift wrapping.

I would like to wish all my readers a lovely Christmas. A la prochaine! Amitiés!

Nicole

Fast Friday - Week 23

This week's project is a case (but with my own spin on it!) of one of my favourite card ideas in the current Autumn/Winter seasonal 2014 catalogue. As soon as I saw the card featured on page 8 of the catalogue I knew that I just HAD to get the products to make it!

My version has a modern and (I hope) stylish spin with the black card base and gold embossing, complete with rhinestone accents.

Like last week's project, this card would be perfect for batch production - so necessary when making multiple Christmas cards! Of course as this is a dark card base, don't forget you will need to line the card inside with some white paper.

To make this project you will need:

Cardstock/Paper: Basic Black ♦ Stamps: Cheerful Christmas ♦ Ink: Versamark ♦ Tools/Accessories: Big Shot, Filigree Frame Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Heat gun, Gold Embossing Powder, Basic rhinestones

You can order from my online shop 24/7 or if you prefer contact me directly.

Don't forget I will be at Stamperama on Saturday 25 October - and you will be able to see this simple but stunning card in real life! Hope to meet old friends and make new ones!

Finally why not head over to the clearance rack in my online store as lots new items have been added - lots of retired products from last year's seasonal. When they're gone, they're gone ... so don't miss out!

A la prochaine! Amitiés!

Nicole

Fast Friday - Week 22

Bonjour! I held a class last week to celebrate the new Autumn/Winter Seasonal 2014 catalogue and we made 5 projects - 2 3D items and 3 cards. Here's one of the cards we made.

This was quick and easy to do - just what is needed when making multiple cards to send out at Christmas! And it was super easy using the Endless Wishes photopolymer set. I started off stamping the greeting (love, love, love the mixture of fonts) and then stamped the snowflakes round it. The longest part of the project was probably spent on cleaning the stamps when changing ink colours!

To make this project you will need:

Cardstock/Paper: Whisper White ♦ Stamps: Endless Wishes ♦ Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Elegant Eggplant, Lost Lagoon, Island Indigo, Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate ♦ Tools/Accessories: Basic rhinestones

You can order from my online shop 24/7 or if you prefer contact me directly.

It did seem a bit odd though making Christmas cards whilst we have an Indian summer! If you would like to see this set in action, why not come along to Stamperama's show at The Rufus Centre in Flitwick on Saturday 25 October where I will be having a stand. Stamperama is always a great show and this one is extra special as it will be in aid of the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

A la prochaine! Amitiés!

Nicole

Pinkies Stampin' Up! Blog Hop - Autumn/Winter Seasonal Catalogue 2014

Thank you for joining us on another Pinkies Blog Hop! We're showcasing lots of gorgeous projects using products from the new Stampin' Up!® Autumn/Winter Seasonal Catalogue. Simply use the buttons at the end of each post to keep hopping!

Welcome to those who have joined me from Kim P's blog - wasn't her project gorgeous? I just love how she has used the products from the new catalogue!

My project is my first Christmas card of 2014 - which feels a bit surreal as when I was making this card earlier this week it was a hot and sunny day. One of the first sets I was drawn to in the new seasonal catalogue was the Wondrous Wreath photopolymer set with the matching framelits (as a result there's a bundle with 15% off - don't you just love a bargain?!). I wanted to make my wreath very Christmassy (but modern) so decided my main colours would be just silver and gold.

As Wondrous Wreath is a photopolymer set it makes two-step stamping a breeze by perfectly lining up the coordinating images. I started off my wreath by stamping the main image in Smoky Slate ink. The next layer (which is just a few of the leaves highlighted from the first image) was stamped in versamark and then heat embossed in silver. The final layer is the berries and once again these were stamped in versamark, but this time I heat embossed in gold. The wreath then was cut out with the matching framelits. It could have been really tricky lining this up, but was made super easy with the guides on both the stamps and the framelits. You can see the guides on the framelits in the image below.

I used the "Noel" word die from the framelit set for my greeting, but I wanted to add more depth to this (to match the wreath), so I did several die cuts and layered one on top of the other (the bottom 4 were in Whisper White and the top in gold foil). Btw (by the way) there is also another word die in the framelits set - "Joy" - but of course being a Francophile I just had to go with "Noël" (mais oui bien sûr)!

So what are you waiting for? Do you want to get your hands on some fabulous new product? Well you can order from my online shop 24/7 or if you prefer contact me directly. And if you are local to me why not hold a party and get your friends to come along for some crafting fun!

Have a great weekend but don't forget to stop by Kim H's blog as I know she has a fab project to share with you. Click on the next button below to take a look....

To make this project you will need:

Cardstock/Paper: Whisper White, Naturals Ivory, Gold Foil, Brushed Silver ♦ Stamps: Wondrous Wreath ♦ Ink: Smoky Slate, Versamark ♦ Tools/Accessories: Heat Gun, Silver Embossing Powder, Gold Embossing Powder, Big Shot, Wondrous Wreath Framelits Dies, Rhinestones, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Envelope Punch Board

Have a fantastic weekend!  A la prochaine! Amitiés!

Nicole

Fast Friday - Week 20

Last week I announced the launch of Stampin' Up's new Autumn/Winter Seasonal catalogue and whilst the main emphasis is on Christmas or Halloween I mentioned that many of the products are very versatile and can either be easily adapted or used year round. Here is one such project which is an adorable little box (comme c'est chouette!).

The longest (and most fiddly bit was putting the washi tape on the front panel)! The framelit set even comes with coordinating mini label dies. I used one of the greetings from the exclusive stamp set "Good Greetings" which features in the current hostess promotion.

To finish the project off I used some leftover items from previous projects that were on my desk - namely some punched flowers and a rhinestone which I had already coloured with one of the Blendabilities.

To make this project you will need:

Cardstock/Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Whisper White ♦ Stamps: Good Greetings ♦ Ink: Blackberry Bliss (marker) ♦ Tools/Accessories: Big Shot, Curvy Keepsake Box Framelit, Colour Me Autumn Washi Tape, Petite Petals Punch, Itty Bitty Punches, Whisper White Organza Ribbon, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Rhinestone (coloured in with Rich Razzleberry Blendability (dark)

You can order from my online shop 24/7 or if you prefer contact me directly.

Why not come back tomorrow when I will have some more inspiration for you from the new Autumn/Winter seasonal catalogue as myself and a group of fellow SU demonstrators will be holding a blog hop to showcase more gorgeous products from the new seasonal catalogue.

A demain! Amitiés!

Nicole

Pinkies Stampin' Up! Autumn/Winter Seasonal Catalogue Blog Hop

Thank you for joining us on another Pinkies Blog Hop! We're showcasing lots of gorgeous projects using products from the new Stampin' Up!® Autumn/Winter Seasonal Catalogue. Simply use the buttons at the end of each post to keep hopping!

Welcome to those of you who have joined me from Tracy's blog - wasn't her project gorgeous?

My project is focusing on two stamp sets from the seasonal catalogue – Wishing You and Very Merry Tags.

You will see I have created a Christmas card in non-traditional colours and I have gone for a narrow card (which will still fit into a C6 envelope) using Pool Party as my cardstock base. Pool Party was one of the former in-colours that is now one of the Subtles following the colour refresh earlier in the year. So glad it came back as it is one of my favourite colours!

Recipe
Cardstock/Paper: Pool Party, Whisper White
Stamps: Wishing You, Meadow (hostess), Very Merry Tags
Ink: Island Indigo, Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, Bermuda Bay
Tools/Accessories: Mosaic Punch, Pearls, Island Indigo Baker’s Twine, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Reindeer (not included!)

The Very Merry Tags stamp set coordinates with 7 of Stampin’ Up’s fabulous punches – but I have obviously only shown one stamp image from the set here - the remaining stamps coordinate with different punches.  Although you get the best finish (plus it’s quicker!) if you have the punches, it’s not essential as long as you are prepared to cut by hand!

This card would be good to make in bulk, so if you would like to get started early on your Christmas cards why not contact me to book a party and I will show you how easy it is to make this simple but stunning card! Or why not click on my "shop now" button at the top of my blog to order your supplies straight away?

Have a great weekend huddled up and keeping warm now that the UK’s summery weather appears to be over.  So why not make sure you stop by Michelle Last's blog as I know she has a fab project to share with you. Click on the next button below to take a look....

A la prochaine! Amitiés!

Nicole

Start getting ready for Christmas early ....

... by ordering from the new 2013-14 Autumn/Winter catalogue from Stampin' Up which has launched today!

There are some gorgeous new DSP (Designer Series Paper) as well as ribbon, embellishments and of course stamp sets!  There are also several kits, which will appeal to both the new crafter as well as those of us short of time!

You can look at a copy on-line straight away by clicking here.  Alternatively contact me and I will pop a copy in the post for you.

There are also some items that have carried over from the 2012 catalogue - click here for further details.

Finally there is a new release in the "Best of" - this time it is "Best of Christmas".

I just can't wait to get my own copy of this set and have a play!

A la prochaine! Amitiés!

Nicole

Last day to Sale-a-brate!

Today is the last day of Stampin' Up!'s annual Sale-a-bration event, so I thought I would share with you some projects which use two of the freebies - the Pretty Petites stamp set and the co-ordinating petite curly label punch.  Both of which have been firm favourites with my customers.

Here are some quick cards made with both of these SAB items:

So what items were used:

Item No	Catalogue & Page No	Description	Price
127548	Main p152	In Colours 2012-14 A4 Cardstock	£6.25
106550	Main p156	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	£7.50
126856	Main p152	In Colours 2012-14 Markers	£11.75
119247	Main p175	Pearls	£4.50
129312	Spring p16	Print Poetry DSP stack	£6.25
119851	Main p182	Curly Label Punch	£15.50
129722	Main p180	Stampin' Trimmer	£25.95
104430	Main p177	Stampin' Dimensionals	£3.25
110755	Main p177	Tombow Multi-purpose glue	£3.25
124262	Main p172	Baker's Twine, Whisper White	£2.50
106588	Main p160	Envelopes - Very Vanilla	£5.75
			£92.45
129405	SAB	SAB - Petite Curly Label Punch	FREE
129639 (w)	SAB	SAB - Pretty Petites Stamp Set	FREE
or 129642 (c)

So would you like to get one or both of these freebies?  If so you will need to quick and place an order with me by 6pm (UK time) today.  So why not contact me now?

It's also your last chance to get an extra 25% in your new demonstrator starter kit!  So that's £162.50 worth of products for me only £99 - bargain!  I joined as a demonstrator 2 years ... just for the discount .... and I'm still doing it - having fun, earning some money to pay for my supplies and meeting some amazing crafters!

A la prochaine!  Amitiés!

Nicole

Spring is here with Stampin' Up!

What a great way to welcome in February (which is usually such a dreary month!) - today sees the launch of the 2013 Spring/Summer Season Catalogue and I am sure you will agree it is gorgeous!  Stampin' Up! are really spoiling us for their 25th Anniversary Year!

The catalogue is packed with some lovely new stamp sets, tools, embellishments and stunning paper to brighten up your crafting. And as you have come to expect with Stampin' Up! - it all coordinates.

If you click on the image in my side bar you can browse the catalogue on-line or if you email me I can send you a copy in the post.

Also don't forget that you will also receive FREE Sale-a-bration goodies with any orders of £45 or more (up until 22 March).

Come back next week when I will show some projects as part of the Pinkies blog hop! - Edited to add link to post

A la prochaine! \Amitiés!

Nicole

Pinkie's Blog Hop - Autumn Winter 2012 Seasonal Catalogue

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 Seasonal Catalogue.

Our blog hop buttons will help guide you on your way.  We love comments, so please do tell us what you think!

My projects have focused on the gorgeous new Watercolour Winter stamp set which can be found on page 14 of the the Autumn Winter Seasonal Catalogue.

The basic layout for each of my 3 cards is the same - but you will see how different each card is due to the techniques and colours involved!  There is something for everyone - both new and more experienced crafters.

My first card has used the bleached colouring technique.  Firstly, I stamped the image several times using Versamark on Real Red cardstock.  I then heated embossed the images with white embossing powder.  Then carefully using a old paint brush I dabbed thin household bleach inside the embossed images to lighten the cardstock.  I then used marker pens to colour in the leaves and berries. The final touch was to add Crystal Effects to add dimension - hopefully you can see this from the close-up photo on the right.

Recipe
Cardstock/Paper: SU Real Red
Stamps: SU Watercolour Winter, SU Delightful Dozen
Ink: SU Cherry Cobbler marker pen, SU Garden Green marker pen, Versamark, Black Stazon
Tools/Accessories: Heat Gun, SU White Embossing Powder, Embossing Buddy, SU Crystal Effects, thin bleach

Crystal Effects has also been used on the second card, but more dimension has been given to the layout with the use of an embossing folder as well as strategic use of Stampin' Dimensionals!

The Watercolour Winter stamp set is ideal for 2-step stamping, however on this occasion I used a blender pen to add colour onto the holly leaves.  More dimension is added by the use of Crystal Effects - this time on just the berries.


Recipe
Cardstock/Paper: SU Garden Green SU Whisper White, SU Brushed Silver
Stamps: SU Watercolour Winter, SU Delightful Dozen
Ink: SU Garden Green, SU Real Red marker, Black Stazon, SU Blender Pen
Tools/Accessories: SU Blender Pen, SU Crystal Effects, Big Shot, SU Framelits Labels Collection, SU Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, SU Dimensionals

The last card is much more simple and is ideal for producing in bulk - perfect for Christmas cards!

Once more a blender pen has been used to add colour to the holly leaves.  The berries have been coloured in directly with a Real Red marker.  And once more I have used Crystal Effects - don't you just love it?!  I introduced Crystal Effects to a customer at a recent class and she is now totally addicted - I think she will be applying Crystal Effects to everything (even non craft items)!!!

Recipe
Cardstock/Paper: SU Notecards
Stamps: SU Watercolour Winter, SU Delightful Dozen
Ink: Black Stazon, SU Garden Green, SU Real Red maker
Tools/Accessories: SU Blender Pen, SU Crystal Effects


If you would like to order any of the products I have used to create these projects please contact me and I will be happy to help. Also as a special offer until the end of September, if you place an order of £45 or more I will send you a copy of the New Annual Catalogue for FREE (this offer is from me - not Stampin' Up!).

I hope these cards have inspired you to make a start on your Christmas cards - after all it is only 14 weeks away now (and that time will quickly fly by)! I will admit I also need to practice what I preach - I am very good at making cards for others, but tend to leave my own cards until the latest posting dates - I am very much "last minute dot com"!

Please use the buttons below to visit more fabulous projects created by my fellow Pinkies - enjoy!

A la prochaine! Amitiés!

Nicole