Online Shopping – Offline!

Sadly, due to a few technical issues, Stampin’ Up! have had to temporarily take down the Online Store.  They are not sure how long for at this stage, but I will be sure to tell you when you can start shopping for your Stampin’ Up! goodies online again.  Sorry for any inconvienience.  You can still place your orders through me in the usual way though – by phoning me on 07970 876670 or by emailing me at: stampingwithval@moodyfamily.plus.com

A couple of quick reminders for you:

• The 15% off bundle of This & That products ends on Friday 31st May too.  You’ll still be able to buy all the individual products after that, but the reduced bundle offer will be gone, so order yours now!

• Watch out for the Retired List due out on Friday 31st May.  Be sure to grab those retiring goodies before they are gone.  I’ll post it here on the blog as soon as I can.

Happy Bank Holiday Weekend everyone!

Crafty Hugs, Val. XX

Up, Up & Away…

Hello and Happy Thursday!  I hope you are well and looking forward to the weekend.  I’m hoping to spend some quality time with my family and a bit of a rest after the hectic months of moving.  I’m looking to getting back into a normal routine in the coming weeks, and some more time to catch up on my crafting.  I’ve managed a couple of cards today, which was lovely, and I’m here to share one of them with you now.

 

• Up, Up & Away is a great stamp set to use whoever the recipient.  This one is for a boy, but you could make it for anyone by changing the colour scheme or layout.

 

• I’ve taken my colour scheme from the This & That paper I’ve used behind the image panel.
• The Chervon Embossing Folder reflects the chervon pattern in the paper

 

• The This & That DSP is only available currently until 30th May.  It will be back with the new catalogue on 2nd July though.

 

Supplies:

Stamps: Up, Up & Away (122757)  Cardstock: Daffodil Delight (121680), Very Vanilla (106550)  Ink: Calypso Coral (122939), Gumball Green (126861), Basic Grey (126981), Pool Party (122938)  DSP: This & That (130814)  Tools: Big Shot (113439), Chevron Embossing Folder (127749)

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  See you soon with another fun project.

Hugs, Val. XX

Order Stampin’ Up! Online!!!

Marvelous news from Stampin’ Up! this morning.  As of today, you can now order Stampin’ Up! products online – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!  Seen a project you love and want to order the supplies right now?  No problem!  Fancy a little midnight shopping?  No problem!  Whatever you want, whenever you want it!

And I would love it if you would like to order your Stampin’ Up! supplies through me.

You can now order your Stampin’ Up! supplies directly from my online store:

Simply click the ‘Shop Now’ link above to go directly to my online store and start shopping.  Fill your shopping cart with all your chosen goodies and then check out.

There is a delivery charge of £4.95 for every order and your goodies will be delivered directly to you via UPS.  Delivery takes approx. 3-5 working days but please allow a little longer at busy times, like the first day of Special Offers or the launch of a  New Catalogue.

If your order total reaches £150+ you will qualify for Stampin’ Rewards (Hostess Benefits) and you are able to spend the reward pounds on any items of your choice in any of the current catalogues.  To reach this sales total, why not gather orders from your friends and family and put them together to reach that magic amount.

Products from Stampin’ Up! are fabulous in both design and quality and I am confident you will not be disappointed with your new goodies.  If you do have any problems though, please don’t hesitate to get it touch.

Placing your order online is certainly the quickest and easiest way, however if you want to discuss your order beforehand, or ask a question about any product, you can call me (01788) 812066 or email me at: stampingwithval@moodyfamily.plus.com and I will be glad to help you with your order.

Long Break…

Just a quick one with an apology for not explaining my long absence sooner.  I’m in the process of moving house and am currently surrounded by boxes and crates.  My craft room has been completely packed and dismantled as that has become the room to store the rest of our stuff once it’s been packed.  So, the break will go on a little longer I’m afraid.  We move a week on Monday (just up the road!) and then it’ll be a couple of weeks before I’m sorted into my new craft room.  I’m hoping after that though, my crafting time and mojo will come back with a vengeance- I miss it!  Til then, Hugs, Val. XX

Oh, Hello Mini Cards…

Hi There!  Thanks for stopping by today.  I have another little project for you today, using the Oh, Hello stamp set to create a cute set of mini cards:

I’ve used the ‘patchwork’ style paper in the Tea for Two collection and matted a piece simply onto a 3″ square Espresso base.  I’ve then added a length of Calypso Coral twine around the card and finished with the Oh Hello sentiment stamped in Lucky Limeade and punched out using the Curly Label Punch.

The box is made using the Fancy Favour die, cut from Espresso card and with the top decoration trimmed off.  I then decorated the front of the box the same way, but also added one of the flowers from the Flower Trim ribbon – love that ribbon!

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s project.  It’s half term here so I’m going to be short on crafting and blogging time, but hope to be back soon with something new. Hugs, Val. XX

Oval Gift Box – Free Tutorial…

Hi Everyone.  I hope you enjoyed the blog hop last weekend?  I loved seeing everyone’s projects, and my wish list has definitely grown!  Vicky was kind enough to CASE a project I had shown at team training back in January, and I know there have been several requests for tutorials, so I thought it was time to share with you the original and a FREE Tutorial so you can create your own.

So here is the original box I showed at Peterborough training.  I had made a slightly smaller version too, which I gave to my upline Monica.  I had a small Mother’s Day gift in mind when I made this one, or perhaps to keep my little one’s teeth in now they keep loosing them!

I was showcasing the Tea for Two Suite for this event, so I’ve used the DSP to cover the lid and added a sentiment from Loving Thoughts.

The Flower Trim to the edge of the lid was my absolute favourite part, and it seemed to be Vicky’s too!  It gives it a really lush feel.

And so you can make your own, I’m pleased to share with you a full step-by-step tutorial on how to create this gorgeous little Oval Gift Box, just click the link below:

Oval Gift Box Instructions

I hope you enjoy the tutorial and making your own boxes.  Please share your thoughts on this tutorial in the comments if you have time, or share a link to your own creations once you’ve had a go – I’d love to see them.

Thanks for stopping by today.  See you back here again soon, Hugs, Val. XX

Stampin’ Up! Spring/Summer Catalogue – Passionette’s Blog Hop…

Welcome to the Passionette’s Blog Hop – showcasing for you today the WHOLE of the new Stampin’ Up! Spring/Summer catalogue.  You will be able to hop from blog to blog following the pages in your Spring/Summer catalogue, hopefully leaving you inspired for all the products it contains!  You should have joined me from Vicky’s blog, where she started the hop with some fabulous projects using products on pages 3-5.  The blog hop starts at 10am, so if you’re stopping by before that time, please check back again later when it should be all up and running.

I’m going to be sharing some projects with you using products from pages 6-7.  And since the new Honeycomb Embossing Folder is on page 6, I can indulge my Hexagon love with you a bit further today!  First up is a fun card that I enjoyed playing around with a few techniques to create:

I started by embossing a piece of Very Vanilla card stock with the new Honeycomb embossing folder.  However, to give it a little something extra, I brayered the folder with Crumb Cake ink before embossing, so the grooves around the hexagons has a little ink in them, making the pattern really stand out.  The main image panel is stamped using ink applied to a clear block, which just gives an edge of ink to the panel.  I then stamped the rose image from Oh, Hello onto the panel using my markers.  The large hexagon shape is actually a piece of the Tea for Two Designer fabric.  I stuck a piece of fabric onto a circle of card and then cut a hexagon shape from it.

Now before you go mad thinking there are hexagon dies and you missed them, I’m sorry to disappoint you.  However, I do have a quick tutorial below of how you can create your own hexagon shapes without too much effort.

You will need the above supplies – card, ruler, pencil, compass and something to cut a circle with.  I used a punch, but dies would work too, or even by hand.

So start by cutting a circle from your card.  Now measure the diameter of the circle – that’s all the way across.  I used a 2.5″ punch, so the diameter is 2.5″.  The measurement you actually need though is the radius, which is from the centre to the edge, or half the diameter.  In this case, the radius is 1.25″.  Set your compass to the same width as the radius.

Putting the point of the compass at any point along the outer edge, make a mark around the edge using the compass.

Now put the point of the compass on the mark you just made and then make another further round from that point.  Repeat all the way around the circle, moving the compass point to the last mark and then making the next.

You should end up with 6 marks around the edge of your circle.

Use your ruler to join up the marks to create a hexagon shape.

Use your scissors to cut along along the lines and you should have created a hexagon shape!  To get different sizes, just start with different sizes of circles.

Back to the card, I added the fabric hexagon, the flower image and the embossing to a Baja Breeze case card.  I swiped an ink pad around the base card.  Then to finish off, I added a few little strips of DSP to the flower panel to create a sort of washi tape look.

For my second project, I created a little gift box and matching card, again using the Hexagon Embossing Folder:

I’ve shown the folder quite differently this time though.  I started by embossing a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock (for the gift bag, I die cut the Label shape first, then embossed).  I embossed 3 pieces of patterned paper from the Tea for Two range.  I then (patiently!) sat and snipped out the inner hexagon shapes from the paper to create little piles of hexagon shaped paper.  You then just add a little glue to each of the hexagons in the embossed panel and add the little paper hexagons over the top to get this great patchwork quilt effect.

A little time consuming, but well worth it, I’m sure you’ll agree.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my projects for you today.  Off you hop now to Teri’s blog who is showcasing for you pages 8-9.  I can’t wait to see everyone’s projects, so I hope you enjoy the hop too.  I hope you’ll stop by and visit me again soon.  Hugs, Val. XX

Flower Hexagon Card

Products used: All Stampin’Up! unless otherwise stated

Stamps: Oh, Hello

Inks: Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze,  Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade (markers)

Card stock: Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Tea for Two DSP, Tea for Two Fabric, Honeycomb Embossing Folder

Happy Birthday Hexagon Card and Gift Bag

Products used: All Stampin’Up! unless otherwise stated

Stamps: Curly Cute

Inks: Early Espresso

Card stock: Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Tea for Two DSP,  Honeycomb Embossing Folder, Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon, Window Frames Collection Framelits

New Stampin’ Up! Spring/Summer Catalogue Launches Today…

And it’s a beauty!  Lots of fabulous new products – stamps, papers, and the embellishments are gorgeous!  Here’s another card I whipped up using products from my favourite suite – Tea for Two:

The new Oval Framelits are fabulous, aren’t they?  And there’s another flower from that Flower Trim – yummy!  And the stamps and paper – oh well, just all of it!

Why not check out this suite and the rest of the catalogue here:

Don’t forget the Passionette’s Blog Hop on Sunday 3rd Feb, 10am.  Til then, Val. XX

Stampin’ Up! Spring/Summer Catalogue Sneak Peek…

Tomorrow sees the launch of the Stampin’ Up! Spring/Summer Catalogue in Europe and so I thought I’d share a sneak peek with you today, to whet your appetite, so to speak!

Items on this card are from the new Tea for Two Suite.  I’m in love with the Flower Trim.  I’ve snipped off just one flower to use on this card and used it with a little twine to embellish.  The papers in this suite are lovely too, especially this hexagon patterned one!  Who’s not in love with the current hexagon trend???

Check back with me tomorrow for another card, and again on Sunday when I’m taking part in a Passionette’s Blog Hop to showcase the whole catalogue to you – and I’ll be indulging my Hexagon love for you again then.  Hugs, Val. XX

SALE-A-BRATION 2013 Starts Here…

The biggest event on the Stampin’ Up! calander starts right here, right now!  And with 17 different products available for FREE (choose one for every £45 order placed during 22nd January-22nd March 2013), there is only one question to ask?

Sale-A-Bration +  Stampin’ Up!’s 25th anniversary = the best time to host a Stampin’ Up! party!

• Get FREE Silver Glimmer Paper when you host a £150 workshop!*
• Get a FREE hostess bundle when you host a £300 workshop!*

Hostess Bundle Details:
The Hostess Bundle includes

• Madison Avenue stamp set (wood- or clear-mount)
• Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper
• Sycamore Street Ribbon & Button Pack

Love to shop? How about shopping and getting rewarded? Welcome to Sale-A-Bration!

Customers may choose any one product from the Sale-A-Bration brochure for every £45 they spend. This year’s offering includes exclusive stamp sets and accessories, as well as a selection of catalogue stamp sets, ribbon, buttons, and even an embossing folder! Now, more than ever, there’s something for everyone!

View the Sale-A-Bration brochure here – Click the ‘Shop’ Logo!

Sale-A-Bration + Stampin’ Up!’s 25th anniversary = 25% more Starter Kit products for FREE!

That means you choose a whopping £162.50 worth of products for just £99.  Plus you receive £45 worth of business products for free for you to get your own Stampin’ Up! business started – if you choose to.  You don’t have to join to run it as business though, you can just join for the amazingly priced kit.  If you would like to join my fun team, please click here.

Enjoy browsing all the products and possibilities Sale-a-bration can offer you.  If you have any questions about purchasing products or about joining, please don’t hesitate to contact me on: stampingwithval@moodyfamily.plus.com or call me on 07970 876670 for a chat.

I’ll be back later with a special offer just from me and a project using some of the SAB freebies. Hugs, Val. XX