ILWS New catalogue Blog Hop

Hello - and a warm welcome to my part of the In Love with Stamping Blog Hop which we are doing to mark the fabulous new 2011-12 Idea Book and Catalogue which launches today.

You may be starting with me - or you may have hopped here from Sally's blog. However you got here - please check out my samples before moving on to Tina for even more ideas.

OK let's cut the cackle and get on with what you have come for

First up is this card made using the new Triple Treat Flower stamp and one of the new Hostess stamp sets called Precious Butterflies (priceless as you can only get this one by having a workshop for me!). I have also used two of the fab new In Colours (Island Indigo and Pool Party) for the card and also check out that brand new spotty ribbon with scalloped edges!

Second up is another card featuring one of the A La Carte stamps - this one is called Elizabeth - and I couldn't wait to get this one - its just beautiful! I added some of the new Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding ribbon to finish off!

This is one of the make and takes for the new catty launch party I am throwing today and tomorrow!

 Here is the second and third M&T we will be doing!

This card and mini milk carton are made with the new Halloween Paper - Frightful Sight, and the new Jack of All Trades stamp set - the black spotty ribbon is gorgeous with this type of project!

If you would like to come along - there are still a few slots available - just give me a ring on 01892 724030 to check when to pop in!

Now as most people know - I am a scrapbooker rather than a cardmaker - so here are a couple of pages I made with one of the new Designer Series Papers! This one is called Paisley Petals - and I can't wait to get my paws on the matching stamp set later today!

I am doing a scrapbbok about my late brother in law for my sister and these are two of the pages from it - this first one is of Nigel the day he became a Dad - on the 23rd September 1978 - that tiny scrap in his arms grew up to become one of his best friends as well as his daughter!

This second page is a rush finish just this morning. As I have been sorting through photos of Nigel - the one thing I have noticed in almost all of them is his wonderful smile - RIP Nige - we all miss you very much!

Anyway - I had better go - I have people arriving shortly to start creating! I hope you have enjoyed your visit - and if I can place an order for you for any of the lovely new products - please get in touch.

Tel 07973 969153 or email on StampaholixUK@aol.com

In the meantime I will hand you on to the lovely Tina for her offerings today!

New Catalogue Open House 1st/ 2nd October 2011

Hello all!!

As mentioned in my last post, the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue (IB&C) for 2011/12 launches on the 1st October, and to mark this - I am holding not one but TWO open houses that weekend.

The doors will be open from 10am - until 2pm both days, and you and your friends are warmly invited to come along to check out the new goodies - and as I picked up an order whilst in the US on holiday - I have a few more sets to play with than have been made available to the UK demos in the pre order!

Entry will cost you £5, and for that you will get

A copy of the brand new IB&C (worth £5.95)
At least TWO make and takes featuring new products
A chance to try out Stampin' Up goodies like punches/ inkpads/ cardstock etc.
Refreshments
A free raffle ticket with some wonderful product prizes.
The opportunity to sign up for a Stamper's 6 group starting in November (also known as the virtual party - you sign up to spend £25/ months for 6 months and for one of those months you will be the hostess getting a guaranteed £25 worth of freebies from the catalogue).

and for those who come along.....

A 10% discount on any orders you make on the day

I will also be offering my retiring stamp sets - some of them brand new and most only lightly used - at 50% (or less) of their original prices - and this includes Level 3 hostess sets which you would normally have to hold a £500 party to get hold of! If you will be paying for your new catalogue order by credit card, these will need to be paid for separately from any order you make by either cash or cheque.

Book a workshop with me on the day - and choose one of the retiring sets(exclding the hostess sets)  for FREE (I will bring it along on the day of your party!)

If you would like to come along, please let me know what date you would like to come and what time you would like to come along at (just so I can avoid the log jam we had last year!) so i have enough goody bags made up for everyone!

See you there!

Stampaholix@aol.com
07973 969153

It's that time again - New Catalogue launches 1st October!

Well, where did this year go - I've just about learnt where each item is featured in the catalogue - and in 2 weeks time I will have to start it all again as the 2011-12 catalogue goes live on October 1st!

I'm not allowed to show you a pic of the new catalogue until then, but if you drop me a line, I will be happy to pop one in the post to you for £5.95, fully refundable with an order of £60 or more. However - i can drop you some hints to tempt you in the meantime....

• Its got a completely different look to last years' Idea Book and Catalogue
• There are 136 pages of lushness to drool over....
• There are 5 new In Colours (Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party and Wisteria Wonder) to add to the collection.
• There are FOUR brand new punches to be had
• There are FOURTEEN new Designer Patterned paper packs - and a stack featuring the new In Colours
• There are new ribbons, new brads and lots of new stamp sets

So - lots to look forward to - I have my wish list written and its so long already!

BUT......... All that new stuff means that some of last years favourites have to go so check out the Last Chance List on the SU website to see if one of your faves is going and grab it quick! When SU retire something it really has gone forever - there is no way of buying it after 30th September - and some items have already sold out - say goodbye forever to

Jolly Holiday DSP
Red Riding Hood and Wild Wasabi 12x12 cardstock
Jumbo Eyelets in both colours
Star Punch
Spiral Border Punch
2010-2012 In Color Classic Stampin' Ink Refills (set)
Silver Elastic Cord
Gold Elastic Cord



Stamps no longer available
Sense of Time
Tart and Tangy
Sanded
Choo Choo
Right on Track Wheel
Afterthoughts [w] hostess set
Cute by the Inch [w] hostess set
 
Let me know if I can place an order for you before the clock stops ticking!
 
Watch this space for details of the Open House Event I am running on the 1st and 2nd October in Horsmonden! All info should be ready by the weekend!

The versatile tri-shutter album!

Now that the lovely bride concerned has received her album, I can share another version of the tri- shutter album that we did at Christmas in July!


We received an invitation to the wedding of one of Roger's team way back in May - and the minute I opened the envelope and saw the beautiful dark purple ribbon on the front - I thought "Concord Crush!" (yes I KNOW I'm sad when I am thinking in SU colours when it comes to anything......) I thought then that one of these little albums would be a lovely little personal gift to Liza for asking us to share her big day on the 3rd July.


The next problem was just getting some decent photos of the happy couple on the day - a difficult task for someone not particularly close to either of them, but thanks to the huge photos my camera takes and editing software - I was able to get enough to make it so here it is.....

The front cover features 3 roses made from Concord Crush cardstock, and Elegant Eggplant DSP from the Regals stack. The main album is made with Concord Crush cardstock, the gorgeous shimmery white cardstock, and on the front cover - Concord Crush DSP from the Level 1 hostess gift paper pad. Add some vines cut from Old Olive cardstock, Concord Crush Ribbon and a couple of rhinestones and there we have it......

Open the front covers and you get.......

Photos of the happy couple just after the wedding, with the journalling blocks embellished with layered 5 petal flowers with rhinestone centres, and small photos of the gorgeous flower arrangements which decorated the Chuppah!


Open the centre out fully - and there are more photos - a large one of the couple cutting their cake, and two small ones of the Chuppah where Liza and Gavin were married, and the prayer shawl (belonging to Liza's late grandfather) which was hanging inside! An interesting fact the rabbi shared with us us was that Lisa and Gavin were the seventh couple to be married under it, as Liza's sister and cousins had also had it at their weddings!



It was a lovely day out for both of us - although we were roundly told off for leaving the reception early (at midnight!!!) - but Roger had to be up at 5:50am the next morning to go to work!!

I am in the process of making another one of these albums for the other wedding we went to last week - for Roger's cousin Charlotte - watch this space (Bashful Blue and Crumb Cake if you are interested!)!

The advantage of this little album is that the basic album is VERY quick and easy to run up so if you have a picture mate, and you know the colour scheme you can have one made up and just print off photos on the day and present it there and then!

Christmas in July projects

Well finally I can share the projects we completed on the Christmas in July  crafting days I ran yesterday and a couple of weeks ago. A total of  nine ladies signed up to a day of getting a head start on their Christmas cards and decorations on a sunny July day when snow, turkey and mince pies are still a very long way away!


The projects on offer were Andrea Walford's Christmas Jingle tri shutter album, 30 Christmas cards (six each of five different designs with decorated envelopes), six table favours, six place cards and an origami Christmas tree. Here is a pic of all the projects we made!

Here is the origami Christmas tree we made using 5 squares of Christmas paper (the ladies kits contained Jolly Holiday papers - mine was made using Christmas Jingle leftovers!). Much as I would love to say this was my own design - its actually by Jon Akashima and a fab video on how to make one can be found HERE. The great thing about this tree is that it folds flat for posting or storage

This versatile little album was designed by Andrea Walford and if you would like the instructions for it, you can get them at her website http://www.andreawalford.com/ for a reasonable fee (please don't ask me for them as the copyright for this particular album belongs to her, and while I can teach it to a live class, I can't rewrite her instructions and sell them to you). It really is one of those projects with the WOW! factor - and I think the ladies now believe me when I say that it really is a LOT easier than it looks to make.


It uses half of a Christmas Jingle kit with an extra sheet of red card and a piece of A4 chocolate chip. The lush red spotty ribbon was a limited edition available to customers last December and it was just perfect for this project! This is the cover.....

Which opens to give this inner page......

 and then pulls out again to give this great accordion effect.....

There are spaces for 3 large photos and several smaller ones - or spaces can be filled with other embellishments instead. I made another version of this album with another kit - and I added stamped baubles to the long inner panels on the first inner page, and had two more dangling fromthe top of the second inner pages. I can guarantee that once you get the measurements and techniques off pat - you can rustle up the basic album in around 20 minutes!!


We also made 5 different cards - each using a different technique. The 3D bauble on the top left is a variation on we made as a make & take at the SU training last September, and the origami tree I found on the internet HERE. Those who were at the SU convention last year may recognise the little dove card - although for this class it had grown from a 4x4 card to a full size A6 card!

Everybody got a set of the Contempo Christmas stamps to take home as well as loads of leftovers in the form of ribbon, brads and gold cord as well as papers and cardstock, so they can make more when they got home!


Our last project was a set of table favour boxes and place cards - again using the Contemp Christmas bauble stamp. Everyone got pre cut boxes to decorate and make up - and getting the twisting technique for the ends of the cracker just right was a great source of laughter for all of us. Its actually made using a contraband SU exclusive die - the candy wrapper, which will hopefully be available in the new 2011/12 catalogue - so watch this space for details of it.

So here is what greeted the ladies as they arrived.... every seat had a big bag full of stash on it. The bags were decorated with a jumbo wheel, and a die cut snowflake as well as a big 3D snowflake and a label.....

And inside the bag were lots of interesting brown paper packages containing all the supplies needed for each project....

And here is what the table looked like before everyone got there....

And here was a seat - with everyone's personal mini milk carton full of sweeties (to keep the energy levels up)

And here are Joan and Sue beqavering away on their  albums.....

We enjoyed a lovely salad lunch with ham home baked in our local village shop (yummy !), pork pie and a selection of salds with a roll and butter. Unfortuantely yesterday it was too cold to eat in the garden - but we did manage it two weeks ago!!

Anyway - I am now off for a well deserved holiday and while I'm away I will be collecting some goodies from the new US catalogue which launched on 1st July. I hope I have guessed right as to what may be coming in our new one in October as I am already planning the next class which will be an all day scrapbooking event featuring new patterned papers and embellishments. There will be two prices - one including an album (at a discounted price) and one without. I can't go firm yet until I see exactly what is in our catalogue, and what the prices will be - but if you would be interested - please let me know so i can plan dates accordingly.

Going, Going - not Gone (quite yet)!

Well - its almost the 1st of July - and that means that the new Stampin' Up! catalogue goes live in the US and Canada.

Here in the UK - me and my fellow demos have been poring over the retiring list from the US catalogue and wondering if these are also going from ours. It doesn't always follow that they do - there are a couple of sets that we have that are retired in the US - and vice versa, and of course - the US catalogue is nearly THREE times the size of the European ones - but here is the list of the sets which are retiring in the US which we have in our catalogue.....

So Many Thanks 120173 -  £12.95 - p112
Autumn Harvest 110372 - £17.95 - p20
Gifted 116982/120480 - £26.95/21.95 - p23
Sparkly and Bright 115346 - £16.95 - p24
Holiday Hoopla 116912/120450 £20.95/16.95 - p25
Love you Much 113756 £24.95 - p19
A Good Egg 114974 £22.95 - p20
On a Pedestal 113814 - £16.95 - p30
Cheers to You 111037 - £14.95 - p32
Kimono Kids 117000/120498 - £21.95/16.95 - p46
Simply Said 106598 - £25.95 - p47
Fun & Fast Notes 113500 - £33.95 - p40
Choo Choo 113982 - £16.95 - p34
Beware Pirates 115187 - £24.95 - p41
Forest Friends 113478 - £14.95 - p35
Animal Stories 116716 - £14.95 - p36
A Flower for all Seasons 111592 - £12.95 - p53
Hello Again 113780 - £10.95 - p44
Razzle Dazzle 116714 - £18.95 - p45
Sense of Time 113804 - £22.95 - p63
Compliments to the Chef 114397 - £18.95 - p74
Fresh Cuts 111634 - £21.95 - p67
Pick a Petal 109445 - £26.95 - p67
Tart and Tangy 111514 - £12.95 - p68
Bella Toile 111598 - £16.95 - p61
Sanded 109294 - £16.95 - p61
Art by Design 109339 - £16.95 - p78
Occasional Greetings 110520 - £30.95 - p21
Schoolboook Serif Alphabet 113510 - £44.95 - p77
Schoolbook Serif Numbers 111680 - £24.95 - p77
Engraved Greetings 117116 - £12.95 - p86
Hello You 117118- £8.95 - p86
Tag Alongs 117018/120513 - £17.95/14.95 - p33

Now as I said - there is no guarantee that these will actually go in October - and we won't know for sure until September 1st - but if there are any of these on your wish list - I would think about ordering them before the last chance list comes out in September.

There is always a mad rush for retiring stamps - as with the SU stamps - once they are gone - that's it - they are gone forever, the only way to get hold of them is via eBay or through a demo sourcing a set from another demo - and believe me we are still getting requests for sets which retired last October - even now!

Why not be ahead of the game and see if any of those are on your wish lists - and if they are - get an order in now.

As an incentive - anyone who places an order over £50 with me will get free shipping and handling (worth £4.95) from today until the 15th July.

Get in touch now StampaholixUK@aol.com / 07973 969153

Christmas in July - Crafting Day

I have done the costings and here are the details of the Stampin' Up! crafting day(s) I am running at my house in July!


Due to numbers requesting places and also an alternative date - I am running this day twice - first on Saturday 9th July, and again on Saturday 23rd. Kick off will be at 10:00 and we will finish when we finish!

The price will be £50 for the day.

This will include all materials you need for the day, as much tea, coffee and squash/ water as you like and a salad lunch (with local cooked ham, quiche and pork pie), bread roll and fresh fruit. Sorry - but mince pies and mulled wine will not be on offer!!! LOL!

Your kits will include a whole reel of ribbon, gold elastic, brads and die cut snowflakes and swirls - and you will also get the Contempo Christmas Stamp set in clear mount to take home with you (if you have already got this stamp set - you may substitute it for another one of equal or lesser value (£12.95) eg tree trimmings - just let me know when booking - and don't forget to bring it with you on the day!)

Unfortunately - this time you will not get a printed set of instructions as the cost is prohibitive - but I will email you a PDF of the full step by step instructions beforehand so you may print off your own if desired.

To reserve your place, please let me know as soon as possible, stating which day you wish to come. Payment is required in full on booking (either by bank transfer or by paypal gift to StampaholixUK@aol.com) as I need to order (and pay for!) the supplies up front.

If for any reason you are unable to come, you will receive all the class materials through the post with any stamping using other stamp sets already done for you.

Please feel free to pass these details on to your friends if you think they would like to come along too

I hope to see you here!