Friday, 6 February 2009

Card Scraps anyone ?











Well as I said yesterday, I am persevering with my craft room clearout and I try to achieve something definite everyday. Yesterday saw me struggling to know what to do with regard to all my C6 and smaller offcuts of card. My A4 and A5 are already taken care of as I have four Magazine holders laid on their back on a shelf ( I have one holder per Stampin Up colour family)

Well last night I had a bit of a brainwave and came up with this idea.

I had one of those little record card plastic boxes ( it had lots of recipes in it that I did years ago but they will be going to a new home with some nice lady who has TIME to cook)

I cut 48 card dividers and attached a tab label to the top of each piece with each colour name written on it( the Stampin Up tab punch is just the bees knees and I am using it sooooo much) I then cut up some plastic cd wallets that were lying around and attached them to the back of each card. So now I have a custom made little storage system for ALL my card scraps. The bigger C6 sort of sized pieces just slot in behind the card dividers but the tiny bits ( I dont part with any off-cuts) are all secure in the attached little plasitc wallet.
The beauty of this is that I can start to check my scraps box now when I am doing a project and go straight to the colour I want to use and see if I have a piece big enough, rather than cut into a larger sheet.
I am so pleased with this and I am convinced it will make me more economic with my cardstock and ultimately it plays an important part in my craft room clean up too.

Thursday, 5 February 2009

Beside the Sea


Well we have even more snow today so a perfect opportunity to stay safely indoors in my craft room.
I have undertaken to completely over-haul my craft room this year and clear out absolutely everything that I no longer use. I have to say that since I became a Stampin Up demonstrator I tend to use nothing else....which means I have drawers full of craft supplies that need to go. I am one of life's hoarders so do not usually find it easy to part with things but I am being really ruthless in my quest for a clean and tidy craft space.
Because I find all this sorting stuff so boring and tedious I have decided I am going to just do it at a snails pace and craft too as I go along. So I have made a couple of cards this morning and a little box/bag.

I am now back sorting out my cardstock scraps. I have the A4 /A5 stored in magazine binders on a shelf so I can see every colour. The C6 sized pieces are in a Index card box. My problem is how should I store the smallest bits that range from 1/2" strips up to 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 pieces. I have a couple of those origami style boxes with the pieces stood in at the moment but I don't think this is the best way for a permanent solution.
I would be grateful if ANYONE has any suggestions

Here is the card

Wednesday, 4 February 2009

Loads of Love Just Moved Card


Thought I would just share with you a card I made last night. Anyone who knows me would see that this card is a mile away from my usual style and colours. I was really amused that I went with such rich colours but I do like the end result so will use the combination again.


Monday, 2 February 2009

1st Class




Well even though the weather was against me in a big way today, my first Stampin Up class went ahead as planned, albeit with only 3 ladies instead of the expected 5.

The first picture shows the three projects we made and the picture above shows the classroom set up before creativity began.

If anyone is interested in actually doing this particular class, I am willing to re-schedule a further date for before the end of this month to suit individuals needs. Please email if you have a particular date in mind.

My next class will involve making a folder containing four cards and envelopes to give as a gift set( Stampin Up sets Garden Whimsy / Loads of Love will be used). The first date scheduled for this class is Friday 20th February. This is an evening class from 6pm to 9pm approximately.

Again, if you are interested in this class but would like a different date and/or time then please do email me to ask.

1st Class brings Snow, snow and more SNOW




Well today was the day of my 1st scheduled Stampin Up cardmaking class at home.

When I picked this date little did I know that we would have THIS much snowfall overnight.
Unfortunately 2 ladies were unable to get here due to the weather conditions but the other 3 ladies were more local and all managed to walk here.

Thursday, 29 January 2009

Stampin Up Sale-A-Bration







Just a quick reminder that Stampin Up's Sale-A-Bration promotion is still running and will continue until 28th February. For every £45 you spend ( before P+P) you will qualify for one of the four free stamp sets available.

I had a play with my sets yesterday and here are a few cards that I came up with. All four sets can be used in different ways and I know I will use them time after time.
If you are interested in placing an order please email me.

Thursday, 22 January 2009

Live your Dream







It is my Mother in Law's Birthday on Saturday and I just thought I would share with you the gift bag, box and card that I made for her yesterday.

The box is the Origami Box with cover from Splitcoast and it was so simple to make. I will be making a few more of those as they look lovely and are really quite sturdy when completed.

All three items use the Stampin Up "Live your Dream" which will always be one of my favourite sets I think.

Tuesday, 20 January 2009

A Little Bit of Happiness




I have not had a lot of time for stamping in the past month as we have been busy finishing off our decorating ( we started this in May....but it was always going to be a long job as we totally gutted our lounge and dining room and also had a whole wall taken down in the lounge)
It is now finally finished and I had the carpets fitted on Thursday. The house has been in total uproar for the past two weeks especially, as we had to virtually empty the downstairs area so I have spent the weekend trying to get it all straight.


I have also started my major Craft Room clearout so it actually looks horrendous at present as I have soooooooo many sheves / boxes with things out whilst I sort which things are going.


In amongst this total madness I have actually made a couple of cards using the Hostess Level 1 set "A Little bit of Happiness. I have had this set for a couple of months at least and only mounted it this week. As in the previous post.....I have only managed to make two very simple cards so far but I just know I will keep coming back to this set as it is really so lovely. There are 4 stamps in total and I love this long, horizontal look. The one with the hearts will be so good to use for Valentines or Anniversary cards.

Well I need to get some more of these boxes sorted out now as I have no room to move in here until I remove some stuff.

Fun and Fast Notes



I thought I would share with you a couple of cards I made yesterday with my christmas gift from my sister.

The stamps are from the gorgeous Stampin Up set " Fun and Fast Notes. I love this set as there are 8 stamps in the set ( or 16 if you count the sentiment with each image as a seperate stamp) and you would be hard pushed to find a set of stamps that are as comprehensive as this collection. The set includes 8 images and sentiments for : Christmas, Wedding, Get Well, Birthday, Congrats, New Baby, and Thanks.


These cards are just simple little cards as I have been pushed for time this past fortnight. I can't wait until next week when I will definitely have a bit more time for stamping as I want to play some more with this stamp set .

Wednesday, 7 January 2009

Altered box for Cuttlebug embossing folders








Hi there I just thought I would share with you my very first craft project of 2009.

I altered this 6 x 6 box ( I have been hoarding it for about 5 years)

I received the Christmas Card from a fellow card maker ( thank you so much Kath) and it totally inspired me to get crafting in 2009


I was so taken with her card design I had to use it to brighten up my little box. And I now have a little custom decorated box in which to store all of my Cuttlebug Embossing folders.
Now where to find some more little 6 x 6 boxes . . . . . . . . . .

Sunday, 4 January 2009

Stampin Up Sale-A-Bration is here


Happy New Year

I have been missing for a couple of weeks but am now back and with some exciting news.

Stampin Up are giving us all an opportunity to join in their amazing promotion for the New Year.

From now until 28th February everyone can take advantage of their "Sale-A-Bration" offer and earn free stamp sets.


  • As a customer you can earn a free stamp set for each £45 you spend( there are 4 great sets available)

  • As a hostess you can also earn a free set for any workshop order value over £300 (before postage).

  • If you are interested in becoming a demonstrator yourself during the Sale-A-Bration period you will also be able to claim a free stamp ( to the value of £38.95) from the main Idea Book and Catalogue

You can view the online Sale-A-Bration leaflet HERE

If you have any questions or would like to order from me during this exciting time then please email me ( link on the right hand side of my blog)

Tuesday, 16 December 2008

Test tube gifts




I have another little gift idea to share with you today. These are little plastic test tubes which I have filled with Hot Chocolate Drink and Marshmallows in the double holder and Raspberry Flavoured " Millions" chewy sweets in the Pink single one.




I made a simple acetate box with card top and bottom for the pink one. For the double one I used a template from over at Lisa Somerville's blog ( her work is incredible, go take a look at her creations here )

Monday, 8 December 2008

Christmas Welcome gift


Hi there

I thought I would share with you a little gift and card that I have made this morning. It is a very simple gift to make but I like the idea of matching card and bag.


Stampin'Up! makes this soooo easy with all the matching cardstock, ink pads and ribbons and it's one of the reasons I love their products.

Sunday, 7 December 2008

Christmas Day table


I am feeling so pleased with myself today.


I hit upon the idea of these mini pillow boxes for on my dinner table on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. They are just the perfect size to hold an After Eight mint. I shall be having these instead of crackers this year.

Mini matchbox storage


I have seen lots of these matchbox storage towers used as advent calendars and set out to make one of my own. However once I had the basic tower built I decided that it was too nice to only use as an advent one so I have decided I am going to have it on my shelf in my craft room to store mini embellishments.


I made a folded origami box for the top ( I made the bottom of the box smaller than I usually do when I am making a gift box as I need the lid to lift off very easily so it does not pull the bottom of the box up off of the platform bit) This gives me an additional storage area for other little bits and bobs. Obviously I still have a few extra embellishments to add to the side panels for decoration but I just wanted to share it with you asap.


If anyone knows of a REALLY CHEAP blank and empty matchbox supplier here in the UK I would be thrilled if you would let me know. I paid £2.10 for the 24 matchboxes I needed and although this is not massively expensive for such a cute finished article, I am at a loss as to what to do with the 960 matches that were inside lol. I just know that I am going to want to make lots of these little drawer sets so any advice would be gratefully received.

Saturday, 6 December 2008

Season of Joy Red version


And here is the Red version

Season of Joy


Hi there

I thought I would share this morning's creations with you . I fancied making some Z - Fold cards so have made 7 so far today.

I think these will all be for my neighbours ( I try to make all of my neighbours cards using the same stamp set and each year I make a note of which image I have used so the designs change every year)

I have got a couple of calendars to put together this afternoon so I am determined to have a productive day today.


Thursday, 4 December 2008

Season of Joy


Well I have been on a roll again today. I made 12 Christmas cards (mainly just one design but different colourways) before lunchtime and then this evening I have made a further 8 Christmas cards in this design ( with added extra of white ribbon on the left side). Can you tell that I am now feeling quite desperate in my bid to get my cards made lol.


The only drawback of being a card maker is that everyone expects a handmade creation these days. I just KNOW that I would get looks of horror if I were to try and palm people off with shop bought cards now.


Oh well 20 cards completed today to go with my 10 mug gift sets I made yesterday.....now that is not a bad achievement for just two days


How many days do I have left ha ha ha.............................

Stocking filler gifts


Here is a picture of what I got up to last night. The inspiration came from various blogs and galleries on the Internet.

I went out yesterday and bought a selection of mugs in Asda. Last night I made 10 of these gift sets with chocolate drink, marshmallows, bar of chocolate and scallop covered Elizabeth Shaw chocolates. They are for my family and friends as stocking filler pressies but they would also be perfect as standby gifts for unexpected visitors.




Bright, white world today




Well we certainly have snow today. It all looks rather beautiful and I am just glad I don't need to go anywhere today.

I now have a perfect opportunity to get cracking with my christmas cards. I made some lovely stocking filler christmas gifts yesterday and will upload a picture later.

Wednesday, 3 December 2008

Silent Night


Thought I had better get a move on with some Christmas cards.......otherwise I can see I will be the one and only card maker who hasn't sent any handmade creations this year. I usually have ALL my 100+ cards made and posted by the end of November but time has got the better of me this year. This is a quickie card to start me off, using one of my all time favourite SU sets "Silent Night"

So for the rest of this week I will be frantically making all those that need posting and getting them in the mail by Monday next week. And then I will have to concentrate on the more intricate "Family and Close Friends" cards and gifts that are just ideas buzzing around in my brain at the moment.

Guess who is going to be up til midnight or later on Christmas Eve this year ?

Friday, 21 November 2008

Plain and Simple


Another red and white simple colour combination card.


The Z card design is one from a class I attended with Jenny over at Stamping Moments. I just changed the colours and the stamp set used. Her work always inspires me and her blog is full of great ideas, tips etc

A new creation at last


It has been a while since I last made a card but I have finally managed to put one together tonight. Hooray..... I thought my creativity had deserted me for good. This may not be the best card I have ever made but I am still pleased to have made it lol.


The border is the Stampin' Up! So Swirly wheel. I bought an un-inked cartridge and inked it using versamark liquid. I then stamped the design and embossed the design using white embossing powder. I am loving the "crisp" look of red and white at the moment so will certainly be using those colours on a few of my christmas cards this year.


Tuesday, 18 November 2008

Back from hols







Hi there

Sorry for my lack of posts in the last couple of weeks or so.

I have been away on holiday in Cornwall. I will hopefully get some time towards the end of this week to be creative and will post my creations as soon as I can. I need to get a move on with my christmas cards and to play around with some natty ideas I have for stocking filler pressies. Watch this space !

Monday, 3 November 2008

Halloween


Well 2008 has seen a 1st for me. I dressed up in fancy dress and went trick or treating with my Great Niece Jessica and lots of other kiddies. My friend Vikki arranged the trick or treating with a party to followand we all had a lovely time. Here is a picture of Jessica and I .

Sunday, 12 October 2008

U Stamp Holidays 08

I am delighted to say that UStamp have now opened for their Holidays 08 online classes.

For amazing inspiration, fun projects, video tutorials, chat and to join in with other like minded crafters head off over to Ustamp (Just click on the UStamp banner to the right of my blog)

Wednesday, 1 October 2008

New Catalogue


Wow it's here....and it's gorgeous.
I am of course talking about the NEW Stampin' Up 2008/9 Ideas book and Catalogue which launched today.
There are lots of brand new stamp sets, designer papers and accessories. The ideas book is packed with so many beautiful samples, I guarantee your wish list will be as long as mine.
I am looking towards starting a Stampers 10 club shortly so if you want to know more about how this works and how you can qualify for Hostess Benefits AND Free Catalogue goodies please email me using the link on the right hand side of this page.
If you would like to purchase the New Catalogue please see my earlier post about the free gift I will send out as a special welcome from me to you.

Monday, 29 September 2008

Old Fashioned Christmas
















I have been having a play today with Stampin' Up! Old Fashioned Christmas stamp set. I am pleased with how they look and I am even more pleased that I now have my FIRST 5 Christmas cards made for this year........I really do need to get myself more organised lol

Saturday, 27 September 2008

New Catalogues...


Did I mention that the new Stampin'Up! catalogues are here ? I think I may have mentioned it lol.


My copy of the catalogue is already looking a wee bit dog eared as I have been through it soooo many times since it arrived. There are just so many things that you have to go back and look at again and my wish list grows bigger every day.


Well I thought I would share a sneaky peek of the goody bag I have put together for anyone who purchases the new catalogue from me. For £4.95 plus postage you get the scrummy new catalogue, the bag and gifts you see in the picture ( plus I do believe there are 2 or three other items still inside the bag which are a secret) All in all great value for money and your pack is just waiting for you.
Can you tell I am still loving the colour combination of Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla ?
Ooh I almost forgot to mention I got the goody bag template from the wonderful one I received on my birthday from Jenny over at Stamping Moments. I will post a picture of that one very soon....it was lovely.

Bashful Blue and Chocolate Chip


Well ......

I have always had a soft spot for brown and pink together but my new favourite combination has got to be Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla....could this be something to do with the new catalogue inspiring me ?


This is a mini card I put together just to see how the colours worked together......and the answer is YES.


Well THEY DO for me !

Birthday Cards for Father in Law


I thought I would share with you the two cards I made for my Father in Law's birthday which was yesterday.

Friday, 26 September 2008

Heart to Heart Blog Candy


I have been blog browsing and wanted to tell you about the amazing thing that is going on over at this Cammies blog.


This lady lost her Grandmother to Alzheimers and as a way of marking National Alzheimer's Day she started a small blog candy giveaway. This small thing she started has now grown huge with donations from individual card makers and huge companies alike.


I have only just heard about this great thing she is achieving but it has truly moved me. I have my card made and as I personally do not know of anyone with this illness, my card will be in the mail today to the care home where Cammi's Grandmother was cared for.


There is not long left for you to do your bit but please take time out from your busy day to go and take a look. I am so glad I did that small thing today.


Here is my card.




Wednesday, 24 September 2008

New Catalogues are Right here waiting for YOU

Just a very quick post to let you know that I now have the new Stampin' Up! catalogues. I am very busy making up catalogue goody bags. The cost is £5 plus postage and for that you will receive the scruptious new catalogue plus additional gifts from me.

Please email me mariamitchell64@yahoo.co.uk and reserve your copy now. I have a limited number of the new catalogue until my next order arrives so act now to avoid delays. (I will email confirmation of your reserved catalogue on a first come first served basis)

I will be placing an order on 1st October so please feel free to contact me if you wish to place an order. Please remember that I am more than happy to take individual small orders too.

Thursday, 4 September 2008

Ribbon Flower


Here is my creation from Jenny's technique tutorial . You can see her gorgeous version using the new "True Friend" stamp set over on her blog Here

Thank you again Jenny for sharing this technique
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