Missing Mojo

Don't you just hate it when your mojo ups and leaves with no warning? It's a total blank from me just now - hope it comes back soon, I'm in need a something to get over the past two stressful weeks at work. I won't bore you with too much of the details but if I mention banks and utitilies I'm sure you'll appreciate how frustrating these necessities in life can be and how difficult they make our lives when they can't do the most simple of tasks resulting in hours on the phone and time wasted. Grrr... Anyway, sorry for that little rant. So one measley little card to show today. Very quick and simple using the Funky Forest wheel and Sweet Pea papers.

We were supposed to be going away for the weekend to the Isle of Wight. Pesky weather has put a stop to that now as the wind and rain will be coming in over the next few days. And it's been so lovely over the last few weeks too. I'm disappointed to say the least, we're all in need of a break but hopefully we can make the most of it at home.

Have a great weekend though whatever you're doing!

I nearly slipped off the radar again..

Blimey, how the days seem to merge into one big blurr at the moment. It's wonderful to be so busy but I'm so sorry I've slightly neglected my blog - I do appreciate you all visiting. Anyway, I'm feeling much better now after a wobbly start to the week. I reckon it was tiredness that was making me feel so lowsy plus I had a trapped nerve or something in my shoulder which had given me a dead arm, but I'm all fine now and looking forward to a warm and sunny weekend. Right, onto a card and back into my monochromatic phase with Vintage Vogue and, dare I say it, a bit of shimmer paint which can be seen better on the close up. I mixed the Champagne Mist with the Old Olive re-inker this time then daubed it onto the stamp. I also made this little box to house 3 tea lights to show as a gift. Boy do they smell delish. I have another of these sets in chocolate chip which is just as scrumptious. Especially as the tealights are vanilla flavoured - love that smell. One last thing before I go.... There is a PROMOTION on at the mo until the 7th May to purchase the STARTER KIT for 10% OFF the usual price so it's now down to £125. If you've been thinking of becoming a demonstrator yourself and you'd like to join my team, now's probably the best time to do it. You'd get £240 worth of product for a bargain price of £125 - not bad eh? I've a small team that's rapidly growing (another lady joined my team today) which is rewarding, fun and the best job in the world! It can be as relaxed or carreer orientated as you like, no pressure but all the help and advice you need and best of all some great friendships, not only with customers but the whole Stampin'Up! community. If you'd like more info please feel free to contact me at jodumbleton@aol.co.uk Have a fantastic weekend!

Shimmer Paint rules!

I think this is the last one for now using the Platinum Shimmer Paint and Vintage Vogue but I thought I'd show you it while I'm on the theme of black, white and red which is following on from yesterday's post.It's actually a modified version of a make 'n' take I did last week. One of my customers, Carol, added extra's too it which I thought looked lovely (and I told her so too) so I've pinched your adaptation Carol, thank you. In addition I've daubed the Platinum Shimmer paint onto the centres of the flowers. Right, off for an early night tonight as I'm not feeling too good. Hope it's just a good nights sleep I need. See you tomorrow.

I'm still here

It's been awhile hasn't it? I'm soo sorry to all you wonderful followers out there, hectic is a bit of an understatement but I'm alive and well and now Jake is back to school I hope to get back into a routine. In future I'll have to call a halt to blogging when there's school holidays, nothing gets done fast and unfortunately blogging came bottom of the to-do-list this past two weeks. It's not that I didn't want to blog, it was finding the time being the problem. Anyway, lots has been happening in my absence and the main thing for me was my Mini Catalogue Open House last Friday. Thank you to everyone who came along! I always enjoy these events and plan to have another in October for the launch of the New Idea Book and Catalogue so if you were anable to attend last weeks, you're more than welcome to come to the next. It should be very exciting too especially with the announcement that's been made about the new Colour Renovation! I'm really pleased about the changes and looking forward to more lovely colours to play with, but I won't go into that now, I'm sure you've heard all about it through other blogs and it's old news now so I'll save my excitement for nearer the time with lots of lovely samples. So, fancy something to look at? It's a scrapbook page for a change, one that I'd made for my Open House. I am really a scrapbooker but since SU! I've gone back to card making. This page came together so easy and I'm really pleased with the results. It was nice to do something different - I need to get back into my scrapbooking really, I've missed it. I've used my 'sacred' black spotty acetate from the 'Night and Day' papers, 'Vintage Vogue' stamp set with the 'Platinum Shimmer paint', 'Framed with love' for the journalling blocks, the gorgeous 'Real Red satin ribbon' and the 'Tiny Tags' set and matching 'Medium Jewelery Tag' punch. All from the New Mini Catalogue. Not bad going huh? I've also used the scallop border punch, Schoolbook Serif Alphabet for the title and the hat pin and beads from my most precious Pretties Kit. The mug shot is of myself and my hubs on our wedding day...aaaah bless...lol I can't get enough of the fantastic Platinum Shimmer paint lately. I'm daubing everything with it as you can see from these Vintage Vogue flowers.... More daubed flowers.... ...and the lush satin ribbon and hat pin. I demonstrated a few techniques with the shimmer paints at my Open House, they're so lovely and a must have now in my craft box. Especially as you can make shimmer mist with the Champagne Mist Paint. It's the sparkliest shimmer I've ever seen! Just like fairy dust.... Right I'm going to have to stop there as I've a newsletter to write and 'hopefully' I will see you tomorrow. Tfl and thanks for bearing with me.

Birdhouse Tutorial and Template

Hope you're all having a lovely Easter! I've had a wonderful day and even managed to spare an hour to do a tutorial and template for this little Birdhouse after receiving quite a few emails and requests for the ones I made on this post here. I realise it's a bit late to make for Easter but it is pretty cute and to be honest can be used any time of year as a gift. Now I know this is not MY original idea but you can see where my inspiration came from here. All the measurements, template and photo's ARE my own and I'm quite happy for you to use them for your own personal use. So firstly the template. Your cardstock needs to be 8 1/4" x 6 1/2" and scored as above at 2, 4, 6 & 8 along the long edge and 2, 4 & 6 along the short edge. Cut along the score lines as indicated by the red lines and cut out the grey area. Use the 1 3/8" circle punch and cut out from a post it note. Position the post it note onto the cardstock so you know exactly where the hole needs to go.Position the punch over the note and punch out.Fold all the score lines inwards but the top score line needs to be folded the other way.Add tombow glue to the 1/4" side edge and glue the box together.Cut a piece of window sheet (acetate) just slightly smaller than 2" square. I very bravely cut into the black spotty sheet that's in the NEW 'NIGHT AND DAY' DSP, and added a glue dot to each corner and stuck to the inside of the box.Using Tombow again, glue the bottom flaps together.You'll now have your box shape so all that's needed is to pinch the top part together as shown in the picture. Make sure you have the hole to the side when you do this so when it is pinched together, you'll have the gable end over the hole.So your box will then look like this...SU! sell these cute little clips in an assortment for £6.95 which are perfect for holding the top together. Finally it's the roof to decorate. I cut a piece of co-ordinating cardstock at 2"x 5" and scored at 2", 2 1/2" and 3". Folded as a valley and mountain fold which sits over the top part of the box opening.Cut a long strip of DSP at 2" wide and then scalloped one end, cut at 1 1/2" and continued until I had 6 pieces which I then inked the edges with a dauber.Glue these to the roof, 3 to each side equally spaced... ...and voila!

Finished off with the magnificent NEW 'EXTRA LARGE TWO-STEP BIRD PUNCH. So that's me done. It is very simple so have a go and if you do, please leave me a comment so I can visit and then I know my time doing these tuts has been put to good use. Enjoy the rest of your Easter break and see ya real soon!

Happy Easter!

HAPPY EASTER!

Sorry I've nothing to show you today. It's all in preparation for my Open House on the 16th April and I don't want to spoil the surprise. What I do have is a little sneak peek of my special offer which is coming up later in the week and will coincide with my Open House Event. Want a clue??

And this is only the first part of it, more to follow in the week!

Jake will have his traditional Easter Egg Hunt at his Nana's today - fingers crossed the rain stays away.

Enjoy your day and hope you get lots of chocolate!

It's here!

The NEW MINI CATALOGUE that is. If you haven't got a hardcopy and you'd like to see all the new products, you can download it here. There's lots of brill products to tempt you, I'm sure you've seen quite a few that've caught your eye over the last few weeks so have your wishlists at the ready! That's the beauty of blog hopping, we all have so many different ideas and I love the fact we all share with each other - can't beat it. Today though I have, at long last, a card to show you - it's been all 3D projects lately. This is for Cathy who's birthday it is today. She's been to a couple of workshops lately and I'll be delivering her goodies to her so I couldn't let that go without send a card now could I?! It's back to VINTAGE VOGUE (Oooo I love it!) along with VERY VINTAGE (the matching wheel) AND some of the NEW SHIMMER PAINT which comes in 3 flavours - PLATINUM, CHAMPAGNE MIST and FROST WHITE. I've used PLATINUM with a Finger Dauber to add to the edges of the flower on this card. You don't need much either, infact barely anything so this bottle will last me a lifetime! lol I'm not sure if the shimmer has come out that well on the photo but trust me, it's gorgeous. Whilst typing this I'm going to try something else with it, infact I'd better write it down or I'll forget (that's an age thing - huh!). Hope you like and I'll be back soon!