Oh my goodness do I have exciting news

Oh my goodness do I have some exciting news for you all today.

Stampin'Up! have decided they are renovating their whole colour structure. This means we are set to lose quite a number of our current colours but boy are they giving us some gorgeous ones to compensate. For the first time ever we will see USA colours here in the UK, like Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze and they will be part of the new 40 Core Colours so will be here to stay.

In addition, just like in the States we will also be getting 5 NEW "In Colours" each year and they will stay for 2 years at a time. So after this first year( when we will just get the first 5 in colours) we will always have 40 core colours plus 10 In Colours at any one time.



Some of you will no doubt see colours on the retiring list that you absolutely love so I would encourage you to gradually build up your own little stockpile. The new colours collections will be available from the 2010/2011 new catalogue which doesn't come out until October so you all have a good 6 months to collect your retiring colours.

As much as there are a couple of colours that I will miss, I am really excited about the changeand I will be first in the queue for getting all those delicious colours we have only dreamedabout until now. How many of you have looked at the USA "In Colours" over the years and wished we had even one set ? Just imagine....from October we will have 15 NEW BASIC / CORE COLOURS which will include those colours we have drooled over AND a brand new set of 5 "In Colours". I think I will be in heaven with all the new colours to choose from.

Pretties Flower and Bride Papers

Happy Easter weekend to everyone.

I am sharing this card with you today to showcase how easy it is to alter the colours of SU goodies. This card uses the gorgeous Bride Speciality papers and one of the Pretties Kit flowers and both have been coloured with SU inks. I used the brayer and the Chocolate Chip ink pad for the striped paper and Close to Cocoa for the swirly top section. I then used sponge daubers and the Close to Cocoa inkpad to lightly ink the large flower and then stamped onto it with the En Francais background stamp using the same inkpad. I then simply added a button from the Latte set and some of the beautiful new Chocolate Chip satin ribbon from the mini catalogue. All in all I like this card and I know I could reproduce it in any one of the 48 Stampin'Up! colours which is fantastic.



I hope you like it too.

Woooohhhhhhhoooooooooooooooooooooo

The Stampin'Up! 2010 Mini Catalogue went live today so you can now order your goodies from me. Please email me if you require your own copy of this catalogue or view the online version HERE

I am totally in love with all the new products that Stampin'Up have given us, believe me I want ALL of it and I guarantee there is something for all tastes this year.

I will endeavour to make samples to share with you next week to showcase some of those gorgeous new items. Bear in mind though that there is an awful lot to choose from so it may take me a little while.

Team Challenge

This box set of cards uses Stampin' Up! tiny 3" x 3" Love Notes and envelopes. A fellow SU demonstrator (Amanda) showcased the box at the recent training day held in Reading. My upline challenged her team members to give it a try and this is my take on that box.

I have used a fabulous brand new Stampin' Up! stamp set which will be available in the mini catalogue which goes live on 1st April. The second I knew this set was coming I HAD to have it as it is such a striking set of images and so versatile. The set is called "Bird on a Branch" and if you NEED to have this set then just email me with your order asap ready to be added to the order I am placing on the 1st April.

I hope you like this teeny tiny cards as much as I do.

Whiteboard class

I have been really busy this past 2 weeks and have therefore been very behind with my blogging so big apologies for the lack of posts again. The reason I have been missing in action is because I have been busy setting up my new craft club and it has been a lot of hard work. I first had the idea about 6 months ago but I finally took the plunge and booked a venue and my very first meeting was on Monday evening. I am only holding the club once a month but I am hoping it will be a success as we have nothing like this in our area and crafter's like nothing better than to craft together and natter as they do it.

I have to say that my regular class ladies supported me fully and without them I would never have been able to give it a go. You know who you are ladies so THANK YOU.

I was thrilled to welcome 5 brand new ladies and even more pleased when they said they enjoyed themselves and will be back next month when we meet again.

I also have a class tomorrow and my ladies will be making this whiteboard. I made this as an experiment after a little chat with my upline Jenny and was thrilled when it turned out so well. I showed it to my class ladies and they all decided they would like to have a go and before I knew it I was planning the class for tomorrow. I hope they enjoy making them and also using them in all of their own craft rooms/ offices.

Well I had better fly again as I am still getting the materials ready for class and it will NOT look good if the teacher is late will it ? lol

Friday class

Hi there

I have recently started a new class by request of 3 of my ladies. They wanted a regular class whereby we do a variety of more basic cards and projects that they choose each week and which we then do the following week.The ideas for these classes come from either my demonstrator display boards or from stamp sets featured in the Stampin' Up! current catalogue that they fancy. This gives me time to plan a project and them the chance to play with certain products or stamp sets before they buy and so far it is going to plan.

This week I was asked by Jennifer to come up with an idea using the ever beautiful "Rose is a Rose" stamp set. I haven't used this set in ages and I am soooooooooo pleased she requested this as I have been reminded again just how gorgeous this one is to use. I decided that we will make a large A5 card as I haven't made enough of these lately. DH also reminded me that we need a Wedding Anniversary card for his brother and sister in law for the end of the week so the Red and Yellow combination is for them. I will probably come up with another little project for my class girls to go with the card but for now I am just going to share the cards with you.

Tomorrow I will share with you a picture of my Whiteboard Class for my regular monthly class. This class will take place next Thursday 25th March.

If you would like the opportunity to join any of my classes please email me to check if I have any places left available. The link is on the side toolbar.

Birthday Card for my downline Jill

Sorry for the lack of posts this week but I have been busy with classes and a Stampin' Up Training Day in Sheffield ( I attended this with my downline Jill and we had a brilliant day with fellow demonstrators from around the region)

So now, on to the card I am sharing with you today....

This little creation is for my downline Jill for her birthday which is tomorrow. Jill has already opened the card as I gave it to her earlier today so I am safely able to share it with you. The card uses a brand new Stampin' Up set of stamps which will be available to purchase from next month ( email me if you would like to order this set, trust me it is gorgeous)

Jill was pleased with her card and even more pleased that I didn't use pink ! ! ! ! !

Anyway I will hopefully be back tomorrow with pictures of my mini pizza box class that I did on Friday for 3 of my special class ladies.

Perfect Pairs

We have a fantastic new offer from Stampin'Up! for the month of March.

During this month get 20% off selected punches when you buy the coordinating stamp set. The qualifying stamp sets and punches are as follows

(Punches shown at discount price)

111564 Flight of the Butterfly £23.95

117404 Coordinating Butterfly Punch £10

111502 In the Stars £24.95

113652 Large Star Punch £10

111678 Say it with Scallops £14.95

113653 Scallop Square Punch £10

113790 Oval All £14.95

115429 Scallop Oval Punch £10

106598 Simply Said £22.95

113693 Full Heart Punch £10**

**Full Heart Punch is also available separately at the full price of £12.50 **

(This is a sneak peek 1 month only opportunity to own this full heart punch, as it will not be available again until the new 2010-2011 catalogue release)

So as now is the ideal time to get your hands on these wonderful stamp sets and punches, contact me today to order yours.

Sale-a-Bration is here (this post will remain at the top until 28/2 please scroll down for more recent posts)

Please note that this post will remain at the top of my blog

until 28/01/10.

Please scroll down for newer posts.

I am so excited to be able to share with you the fantastic news that Stampin' Up's Sale-a-Bration event starts today through until 28th February 2010.

You can view the Sale-a-Bration leaflet

Sale-a-Bration gives you the opportunity to earn FREE stamp sets in one of three different ways

As a Customer

During Sale-a-Bration every customer can earn FREE stamp sets (choose any one of 4 different sets). All you need to do is place a minimum order of £45 ( net sales before P&P) and you will gain your first free set. There is no limit as to the number of free sets you can earn. For EVERY £45 you spend you will earn another set of your choice.

The stamp sets are unique and exclusive to this event and therefore will not be available for general purchase at any time. If you would like to own these very special sets you will need to place a qualifying order before 28th February.

As a Hostess

Host a workshop either in your home or at mine during this period and as long as your total order value reaches £300 ( net sales before P&P) you will earn one FREE Sale-a-Bration stamp set. ( Bear in mind this stamp set will be in addition to the usual Hostess benefits that you would gain from a workshop at this level).

As a Recruit

If you are already thinking of joining Stampin' Up as a demonstrator there can be no better time than during this Sale-a-Bration event.

Sign up during Sale-a-Bration and you will not only receive the already amazing value for money starter kit, you will also earn

FREE stamp set of your own choice to a value of £38.95

( from the current Idea Book and Catalogue excluding Hostess sets)

Please contact me if you require any more information or if you wish to place an order.

Live Your Dream

Following on from my previous post I thought I would share another class creation with you. This selection is what my sister made yesterday. We had a whole day crafting during which she made this Live your Dream class followed by the Mini Memory Book and Card Class. She was really pleased with her finished projects and this format of a whole day of craft worked well for her too. (She works night shifts and sometimes struggles to make all the classes

I love how this bag and cards set looks in So Saffron and Chocolate Chip.

Greenhouse Garden Class cards

Hi there

I had my Greenhouse Garden classes yesterday and all my ladies enjoyed making the mini album and the card. I wanted to share a couple of their creations with you today and these are the cards that Cathy and Jenny created.

Cathy has just moved house and hasn't been able to craft for a while as all her stash is packed away(so glad you enjoyed your crafting morning) and Jenny is the newest lady to join my classes and has only just started making cards ( I am so pleased that you are loving the experience so far)

Both ladies opted to make their cards into Mother's Day creations and I am sure the respective "Mum's" will love the cards.

Isn't it lovely how each lady choose a completely different layout for the 3-D flowers ? I hope all of you enjoy seeing my ladies creations for a change.

Circle Circus Thanks

I thought I would share these little 4x4 cards with you. They are the cards for my Stampers 10 ladies to say thank you for their orders. I wanted them to all be the same theme but in colours to suit each individual member of the group. I picked the 10 colours and then, using my markers I coloured the pieces of Whisper White to match the colour of the stamped images . They are certainly a little bit different from my usual style as they are quite bright and modern looking but all of my ladies loved them. I do need to use this Circle Circus stamp set more as it's gorgeous.

Well I am going to do my 1st demonstration and mini card making session with the Ladies Guild on Thursday evening so I have a busy morning ahead preparing their little make and take packets and getting my display boards ready. I also have two classes tomorrow so all my Thursday preparation has to be finished by the end of today so I had better go and get myself moving.

Hope you like these cards for today.

Live Your Dream Carousel Notes Class

Yet again I have missed a few days between my posts. This is mainly because I have been busy crafting for a few days and have been busy arranging a venue for my first all day craft event on Saturday 8th May. ( Call back after the weekend for all the finer details)

I have also made a little birthday gift for a crafting friend and fellow demo, cut and prepared all the materials for my mini memory book class which is next Wednesday and for the past two days I have been getting my NEXT class ready, the first class for this is for the 25th February....... I cannot believe that I am managing to get this class done so far in advance I am usually frantically typing up notes etc at the last minute.

It never ceases to amaze me just how quickly the time goes when I am in the creative mood in my little craft room, I am sure I only blinked on Monday and it is now Friday already. Anyway I thought I would share the pictures of the next class with you to prove I haven't been idle whilst I have been missing in action.

The Carousel Notes bag template comes from the lovely Jenny Moors over at Stamping Moments. She did a gorgeous tutorial with little tiny love note sized cards but I have made mine bigger at 10cm square. I hope you like them..................

Don't forget to call back next week if you would like more details of my Crafting Event on 8th May ( regular ladies please email me asap if you wish to book as places are limited)

Greenhouse Garden Class

Thought I would share pictures of my next class with you. This class features my favourite stamp set Greenhouse Garden. I am combining the card design I made for my Mother in Law's birthday along with a decorated chipboard mini book to match. The colours are Almost Amethyst, Pretty in Pink and Whisper White which match perfectly with the Tea Party designer papers which we will be using to cover the chipboard books.

This class seems to be proving popular, with the result being that my regular ladies have all booked their places very quickly. If you like the look of this class and would like to make the projects yourself please feel free to email me to see if I can fit you in the existing classes or make a date for an additional class just for you.

Bridesmaid Papers Lace punch flower

I'm back after a couple of extremely busy days of classes, craft trip and an evening out to watch my little Great-Niece in her first performance with her dance school. She is learning Ballet and Tap and loves it. It was the first time she has been on stage and she is only 6 so she made us proud that she didn't lose her nerve.

So all in all I have had no time to craft until today. I have made a little gift box and card this morning with no stamping apart from the sentiment. The flower is one I have seen at a blog called Stampin with Tami. To make the flower you use strips of cardstock punched out along one edge and then you attach those strips to a punched out circle. I love the vintage style look to these and made them in two different sizes, one for the card and one for the box. The cardstock is Chocolate Chip and the gorgeous "bridesmaid" designer paper which I have sponged with Close to Cocoa ink and then rubbed off the excess ( the shiny part of the design resists the ink) This makes a nice standby gift set for a last minute birthday present if needed.

I have my craft club here tomorrow so I'm off to work on a small project idea for them to play with at the meeting.

Happy Moments

Hi there

Very quick post AND card today as I have been beavering away all day in my craft room in preparation for my Flight of the Butterfly class tomorrow. I have two brand new ladies joining me tomorrow and I am thrilled to be welcoming them to my class.

I had planned to show you the birthday card I made for my SU Upline Jenny but I was in such a rush to get it mailed to her that I posted it and then realised I had forgotten to photograph it. Duhhhhhhhhhhh

So instead I get to share a plain and simple pink and black card using the Happy Moments Sale-a-Bration set. This set was not my favourite of the sale a bration stamps at first but having used it a fair bit over the past week I have rapidly warmed to its versatility. This set will be staying in my collection now as I am loving using it.

I will be busy tomorrow with a morning class and an evening one so won't get time to create a new card....hope to have something nice to share with you on Friday though.

Greenhouse Garden card for Mother in Laws Birthday

Hi there

Didn't think I was going to get on here to post today as I have been so busy trying to prepare my packs for my class ladies for Thursday. I have been trying to get more organised so that I am not rushing about at the last minute but this class has crept up on me without me noticing.

Anyway my blog post today is to show you the card I made for my Mother in Laws Birthday which was yesterday. I used virtually the same colours as I used on the covered chipboard book I shared with you yesterday as I knew she would love the combination. I also added a Birthday sentiment punched out with the scallop oval punch. I absolutely love this Greenhouse Garden stamp set as there are just so many different ways you can use the seperate images. I think this set was a perfect choice for SU to pick as the set to raise funds for Haiti as it is so versatile.

Anyway quick post tonight as I have another birthday card to make and time is running out.

Lets make a difference to the people of Haiti

On 12th January 2010 a huge earthquake struck Haiti, leaving in its wake massive devastation that the Haitian people and their leaders are unable to deal with unless they receive help from the outside world.

Stampin' Up! Demonstrators have a long history of trying to make a difference in the lives of others, most especially when disasters strike and aid is needed the most. Many demonstrators have contacted Stampin' Up! this past week to ask what is being done to help and the company have come up with a plan that will enable every individual to help contribute to the relief effort.

The plan is this

From now until the 28th February, Stampin' Up! will donate £1 from the sale of each "Greenhouse Garden" stamp set to the Red Cross International Response Fund. The Red Cross is already well established in Haiti and will use any money raised for both immediate relief and long term support for those suffering from the aftermath of this disaster.

Along with many other demonstrators I will match that £1 donation for every stamp set that is purchased through me. These £1 donations may not be the biggest but for those poor people left with nothing it could make a huge difference.

Please join me in trying to make a difference.

Here is just one of my projects using the flowers from this beautiful Greenhouse Garden stamp set. I made this project before we learnt about the Stampin' Up! donation plan but I am glad I can showcase just a couple of the flower images to show you how stunning this stamp set can be.

Circle Circus Trio

Well I am amazed that I am still succeeding in my New Year's Resolution to update my blog daily. Long may it continue ! ! !

My friend Vikki celebrated her birthday this week and I had to make a much more simple design than usual as she does not like "fussy" cards. I know her favourite colours are earth tones and I also know she loves the wide striped Stampin' Up ribbon so I went with plain and simple Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip. I used my Circle Circus stamp set which all demonstrators received as a free gift when we attended SU Convention in Germany in November (How bad is it that this is the first time I have used this set since November ?) Let me tell you though, I will certainly be using it a lot more in the future as it is gorgeous to work with. As you can see once I had made Vikki's shades of brown card I went on to make a couple more cards, this time using Chocolate Chip and Brocade Blue. I also made a further 8 cards using this set but cannot show you those until early next month as they are for my Stampers 10 ladies when they receive their February orders ( they are really funky for me)

I have been making something really lovely today and will post that project tomorrow when I also show you the card I made for my Mother -in-Law whose birthday it is on Sunday.

Back to my craft room clearout now

Love you (very)Much

I thought I would share something a little different with you today and that little something is a 6x6 scrapbook page of my Great Niece and a tiny pocket filled with sweets (pocket idea from the very talented Monica)

Both of these projects came about came about as a result of my lovely upline Jenny challenging the rest of the members of our team to make something using a heart image. I made the little pocket first (using the Love you Much stamp set) as my entry for Jenny's challenge and then because I loved how that turned out I used two other images from the set and made this page about how much my little niece means to me.

I used the triple heart image and punch to make the flowers on the right of the page. You use 5 or 6 heart punches for each flower and they are just held together with a brad at the pointed end of the heart. I know this is quite a plain scrapbook page but I do like the clean cut look to pages especially when they are only 6x6. I save my "busy" look for my 12x12 pages lol.

Well hope you like today's offering, please leave me a comment if you do

Happy Moments Card Box set

Here is my creative offering for today. This little box is called a Mini Pizza box and it easily holds up to six little cards and envelopes. I have made this matching set using the Happy Moments stamp set. This is just one of the four "Sale-a-Bration" sets you can choose from to earn for free if you place a qualifying order with me before the 28th of February (£45 minimum spend before P&P for each free stamp set)

I stamped the images in black stazon and simply water-coloured using my ink pads and an aqua painter brush.I hope you like this set as much as I do.

More Bella Toile

Hope you are not fed up of Bella Toile yet as I have another idea to share with you using that same stamp.

This time I have actually used it to create decorative panels to use in place of Designer paper on this little card box. The box template comes from a class by the lovely Jenny Moors and is available to purchase on her blog HERE I love that you can make such a detailed patterned paper from just one stamp and as I said before you can choose many different looks dependant on the colour ink you use. I stamped in black stazon and then just highlighted a couple of the flowers using my pretty in pink ink pad and waterbrush as before. I then made the three thank you cards to match with the Bella Toile stamped in Pretty in Pink and also using the Flight of the Butterfly stamp set. (You can fit more cards and envelopes inside the box if you wish).

I love this striking colour effect of the black, with the pretty in pink and very vanilla. This would make a lovely useful gift for a non crafter and I'm sure it wouldn't take long to make a batch of them.

Bella Toile Background Stamp

I keep meaning to upload one new card each day to share with you but somehow it doesn't seem to happen. Today however I have not one but TWO cards to share with you, the reason being I want to show you how one simple background stamp can look so different depending how you use it.

For the simpler of the two cards I just inked my new Bella Toile stamp( I am already loving this stamp) with Close to Cocoa, layered the stamped image onto Chocolate Chip, then Very Vanilla cardstock. I simply added a ribbon and sentiment and it was done. I think this makes for an elegant card and with 48 matching Stampin' Up cardstock and Ink Pad colours available there is a colour to suit everyone. ( ohhhhhhhhhhh and I must tell you that I have just taken delivery of all 48 re-inkers so will now be able to easily dye any of my Whisper White ribbons to create a perfect match )

For the other card I stamped the Bella Toile in Stazon Black onto Whisper White cardstock and then coloured it all in using my ink pads as a colour palette ( squeeze your SU ink pads before opening and this will transfer a little ink onto the inner lid of the pad and you can then pick up this colour with a water brush as I have done) I then just used cardstock and brads to match the ink colours I had used. This card seems much "busier" to me but I still quite like the effect.

My hubby said the two cards reminded him of the difference between black and white and coloured photography and I thought that was a brilliant description. I'm amazed at how different the two cards look.

Almost forgot to share this masterpiece

Hi there

I have been uploading some pictures from my camera this evening and discovered this picture that I meant to share with you last week. This is the Christmas card that my hubby made for all our family members this year. I was a wee bit bogged down with preparations leading up to Christmas so he offered to make ALL of the family cards for me ( think it was just the excuse he needed to play with my SU stash really)

The upshot of all of this is that this is the card design he came up with(5 weeks or so ago) so I think he is to blame for all our snowfall as it only started after theses cards were made. Little did we know that our landscape would so closely resemble the scene on his creations. Anyway we finally now have rain so hopefully all the snow will melt over the weekend and we will be able to get back to normal, so thought I would share this last snowy scen with you all.

I will be back tomorrow to post one of my new creations, my first of 2010.

We still have snow

Just thought I would share another snow picture with you. This is how my rear garden still looks, three weeks after it was first covered with snow and all the roads on our estate look the same. Luckily hubby's car does have snow tires so we have been able to get out for essential food shopping etc but my little car has not moved since the Sunday after boxing day.

I usually love snow but being housebound for virtually 3 weeks and having been suffering with a nasty hacking cough seems to have had an extremely negative effect on my creativity. I do feel more positiveand creative today however (maybe because I have my Stampin Up! Sale-a-Bration order due to be delivered) so I am making a start on a special birthday card for my Mother-in-Law. Her birthday is on 24th January so I shall be very pleased to get it completed today ready for posting in plenty of time to reach her.

Tomorrow I will be working on my card making class for Thursday 28th of this month. We will be making a lovely box with matching 4"x4" cards using the gorgeous Bella Bleu designer papers. If you would like more information or wish to join me for this class please contact me as places are limited.

And we have yet more snow !!!!!!!

This is the view from my window this morning.

We have had a few heavy falls of snow for over a fortnight now (which have not cleared) but with this blizzard that is falling right now I have a feeling we are definitely going to be snowed in by tonight. It's a wee bit worrying in that hubby is actually 30 miles away at work in Manchester until later this afternoon and could easily get snowed "out" whilst I will be snowed in. Ummmmmmmmmm think I will leave it another hour or so and decide if I need to let him know just how bad it is getting.

Stampers 10 Gift Bags

I have been very busy this week making my Christmas cards and gifts for my Stampers 10 ladies. I wanted to give each of these special ladies a little extra Christmas present from me to show how much I appreciate them being a member of my monthly Stampin' Up groups. Do you think they will like their little gift bags ?

I have also made cards for each of my customers and have delivered most of them this afternoon. I have to say I am thrilled at just how many more cards I have had to make this year as my crafty circle of friends has grown steadily during 2009. I will post a picture of the card tomorrow when I have delivered the last couple.

I will be starting a Stampers 10 and a Stampers 6 group in January so if you have a wish list as long as your arm and would like to spread the cost over 6 or 10 months please email me for further details. In addition to being able to spread the cost of your purchases you will also qualify for free hostess benefits and a free stamp set. The places on these two new groups are limited so if you do wish to sign up in January please book your place asap.

Missing in Action

Please accept my apologies for a total lack of blog posts in the past month. Since getting back from Convention I have had the most manic time ever with very little spare time to spend on my computer. I have been busy getting christmas gifts made for my crafting ladies, I have done two craft stalls at local events AND this last Monday I have held my first new Craft Club meeting.

My new "Bee Crafty" club meets on alternate Mondays at my home in Bacup. Bring along your own projects and work on them in the company of other crafty ladies or purchase a project kit from me on the day. We have choccies, home made cake, coffee and crafts.....what more could you ask for ?

My group is small and friendly so if you would like more details please email me. I look forward to welcoming you to my club.

Convention Swaps

I thought I would share with you today a couple of pictures of a couple of the organised swaps I signed up for at Convention. My offering for the 3-D Swap was this one with the Pheasant from the Autumn Days stamp set (I love the versatility of this set) This is a covered photo album with space for 36 photos. I thought they would be a great idea for my swap buddies to have a lasting keepsake of our amazing experience in Bad Homburg. They can use them for either photos or even pop some of their received swaps inside.

The other organised swaps I joined were for Card Candy and these are my two offerings for those. I was amazed at the card candy sets I received and so glad that I took the time to join the swap.

If you too would like to be able to join in the fun at our next European Convention which will be held in London AND if you would like to become part of my Stampin' Up team then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Back from Convention

Hi everyone

I am back from my trip to our FIRST ever European Stampin' Up Convention in Bad Homburg Germany.Before I say anything else I want to say the hospitality I received in Germany was second to none. I travelled with my husband and nephew and we all had a wonderful time. We did not stay in the actual Convention hotel but the one we did stay in , the Park Hotel was lovely and the staff there were brilliant.

I have been counting down the days to Convention for months and it was EVERYTHING I expected it to be and so much more. So many different things made this an experience that I will remember for a long long time.

• The sample boards which were filled with some awesome projects


• Workshop WOW demonstrations on stage


• Gorgeous make and take projects packs


• That unique special feeling of being part of an amazing event in our European SU journey


• Seeing the pride on the faces of every one of those demonstrators as they were welcomed on stage to receive the awards for their hard work

There were two other things that made MY Convention experience for me...........

The first is the many swaps I received from all the other demonstrators who attended Convention, their work is awesome and I will be aiming to share many of those swaps with you here on my blog.

And finally.................

the joy of spending two whole days in the company of some lovely people who I hope will become real friends as we continue our Stampin' Up journey together. I hope we will all get to meet again at the next Convention in 2010 and that by then we will be joined by many more. Here is a picture of just one of the groups of existing internet friends I have made since joing Stampin' Up! It was so wonderful to be able to meet these people in real life and put faces to names at last. Also present here were my Upline Jenny and my Downline Jill.

SU Convention Bad Homburg, Germany 2009

Hi Everyone

Just a quick post to say "hello" from Bad Homburg in Germany, where I am attending the first ever European Stampin' Up Convention. I met up with my Upline Jenny and another Demonstrator Jo for a quiet drink this evening and here is a picture of us just relaxing in the bar at their hotel.

I must get off to bed now as I have an early start tomorrow morning and don't want to miss a single thing. I will try and get online tomorrow night to share some Convention pictures with you.

New Catalogue Launch Party

Apologies to all for being such a bad blogger this past 2 weeks. As a result of my rather nasty bout of flu it took me all my time to get everything ready for my launch party so I just wasn't organised enough to update my blog.

I am thrilled to say that my party went like a dream on Tuesday and everyone had a great time.

Congratulations to Maureen who won first prize in my raffle. Your big basket of goodies is on its way to you and I am sure you will enjoy all of it. Other congrats go to Jen W, Suzy, Sheila, Vikki, Jenny S, Gillian and Cathy who all won prizes too.

My thanks go to all my ladies who attended and who made the day such a wonderful success. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Here are a few pictures of my samples to share.

Bella Bleu NEW designer papers

Just had to share this card with you to showcase just one of the NEW Bella Bleu papers from Stampin' Up!. ( I used Night of Navy rather than Not Quite Navy on this particular card) I have also used the brand new Eyelet Border Punch which is gorgeous.

I got my first order from the brand new catalogue yesterday and I am blown away by this paper. It co-ordinates perfectly with Kraft, Very Vanilla and Not Quite Navy cardstock and inks. It is such an elegant and stunning set of papers and I already know I will be ordering loads of it over the next year. I am already in the process of creating a concertina box and six cards with this set so class ladies watch out for more details and the samples at my launch party on Tuesday.

Launch Party Invite

Sorry for the lack of posts this past fortnight. I have a few days away on holiday and brought the flu back with me as a souvenir which wasn't good.

On top of that we have just started work on our new kitchen so I had to empty it all which took forever. I am now without a "working" kitchen for a few days whilst the main work is done so it's all a wee bit chaotic here, however it is going to be gorgeous once it is completed.

So all in all I am a wee bit behind with my prep for my launch party on the 13th so will now be spending the next 9 days frantically creating lots of nice samples for all my guests to enjoy on the day. I thought I would share with you the invite I made for all my existing customers and extend that same invite to any of you who would like to pop in on the 13th. Just email me me for further details.

Happy New Year

No I haven't gone completely mad, REALLY I haven't.

I am of course referring to a new Stampin' Up! catalogue year.

Today is the day that the brand new 2009/2010 catalogue is launched and I am thrilled with the goodies it has in store for you. I personally already have a whole new wish list with "must have" new stamp sets, gorgeous ribbons, accessories, punches and Designer Papers.

I have just placed my first "New Year's" order and as soon as my parcel arrives I will be busy beavering away to make all new samples for you to view at my Catalogue launch party on the 13th October.

I have a nice stock of the new catalogue ( Stampers 10 copies are already reserved for you) so if you are not yet in my Stampers 10 group but would like to purchase your own copy then please contact me. The on-line catalogue will be available shortly and I will post a link as soon as I am able to do so. Please feel free to email me if you wish to place and order.