Shopping, Eating and a Craft Show!

Get yourselves over to the Bluewater Shopping Centre in North Kent sometime during the next 4 days - and you can not only do the usual, shopping, eating, drinking and all the other activites Bluewater offers, but for all crafters this weekend there is the added attraction of a craft show as well.

Downstairs we have a whole floor of Papercrafting, and upstairs is a mecca for the stitchers - so definitely something for everyone!

I have just got back from setting up our stand there, and warmly invite everyone to come along and visit us ! We have a fabulous display of goodies for you to drool over, and a different make and take each day, featuring items from the new Autumn/ Winter catalogue which launched last Saturday. We will be using the Googly Ghouls stamp set and the new Howlstooth and Scaringbone paper to make a 3D item, and Scentsational Season and Perfect Preserves to make cards.We will also be offering packages featuring all of these sets at a 10% discount to those who visit us

We will also have copies of the brand new Seasonal catalogue to share - these will cost £1 each, or if you order a brand new 2012-13 catalogue (launching on 1st October) we will give you one absolutely FREE!

Natalie Kim and I will look forward to seeing you there!

Autumn/ Winter Catalogue

It must be one of the worst kept secrets in the world!

On 1st September, Stampin Up! will launch the brand new Autumn/ Winter catalogue full of lush goodies to help you prepare for a crafty season of holiday celebrations!

Now - I'm not officially allowed to show you a picture of the new UK catalogue, but the second worst kept secret is that the US/ Canada catalogue is already online, and if you whiz over to this link, you will be able to what we have in store for you on September 1st. Please note that the digital products are not available to the European markets yet - so our catalogue will be fractionally smaller than this one, but we will still have 40 A4 pages of goodies to tempt you with.

Want to see some of these new goodies in the flesh? You do?? Well why not come along to the Hobbycraft show at the GLOW arena in Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent from 6-9 September?

I am joining up with Natalie O'Shea and Kim Fee to share the fabulous goodies and fun of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, and we will have a different make and take for visitors to the stand each day. Come along and have a play with the products and chat to us and we will sell you one of the Autumn Winter catalogues for £5 - but a week or so later, you will get a shiny new 2012-13 Stampin' Up! catalogue in the post for no additional cost - so that will be another 200 pages to look forward to!

Bluewater is a fabulous shopping centre with lots for the rest of the family to do while you indulge your craft addiction. They can go to the pictures, go shopping, eat at umpteen restaurants, and if old enough - go to the Young Driver school and learn to drive!

Live too far away to make it - well please get in touch and I will pop a hot off the press Autumn/ Winter catalogue into the post for you. This will cost you £2.50. but is fully refundable on an order of £30.00 or more from the new catalogues. Please send a Paypal payment to StampaholixUK@aol.com, and one will be winging its way to you in the next post!

Hopefully see you at Bluewater shortly!

Carolyn
StampaholixUK@aol.com/  07528 492765

Stampaholix - Upcoming Events!

Well - I've been meaning to do this for some time - but I've finally applied the boot to my own backside, and put together a programme of upcoming events that I am running with my Stampin' Up! business - so here goes!

Please note the terms and conditions at the bottom of this post before booking

August

August 22 – Monthly card class £10

August 31 - Hostesses Autumn/ Winter Catalogue launch (only available to those who have held a party for me during the current catalogue)

September

September 2 – Autumn Winter Catalogue Launch – Open House £5

September 19 – monthly card class £15

September 29/30 – 2013-14 Catalogue Launch - Open House £5

October

October 6 – Christmas crafting day £45

October 17 - Monthly card class £10

October 20/21 Christmas card candy £25

Here are the details of what will be happening at each event

Monthly Card Class - This will be held on the THIRD Wednesday of each month, and you have a choice of two sessions, one at 11:30 am, and the other at 7:30 pm. Each month we will showcase one of the fab SU stamp sets and/ or a technique. Each class costs £10, and you will make 3-4 cards (envelopes not included). All tools and card materials will be supplied - but please bring along your own adhesives (glue stick, double sided tape, adhesive runner etc.) although I will have some available for purchase at class if you forget! If you wish to order your own set of the stamps we use, you can purchase it at a 10% discount.

Open House – These are my launch events for the new catalogues. Come along between 11am – 3pm on the days stated above and stay as long as you need. Price includes an Autumn/ Winter mini catalogue or a  2012-13 catalogue, at least 3 make and takes using products from the new catalogue and refreshments.

I also offer a10% discount on all orders placed at the launch events. 

Christmas Crafting Day - We will be making decorations, cards and scrapbook pages/ mini album ready for your photos of the festivities. All supplies included, but please bring your own adhesives. You will go home with plenty of goodies to use on your other projects, and all refreshments including a light lunch are included.

Christmas Card Candy Class - This class focuses on making 12 lovely "toppers" (2 each of 6 designs) to use on your Christmas cards, using stamps, ribbons and punches. This class includes your choice of punch from a selection.

All classes and events will be held in Horsmonden, Kent – advance booking/ payment essential 07528 492765, or StampaholixUK@aol.com

Booking Terms and Conditions 

1.  All classes (and open houses) MUST be booked and paid for at least 1 week in advance, as I need to order (and pay for) the class supplies in advance. As the materials come from Germany, the final order needs to go in at least a week , and preferably longer, ahead of the class date. If I have not received payment before I place the order, I regret that your booking will be cancelled.

2. Should you need to cancel your paid booking before I have ordered the supplies, I am happy to refund all fees paid less a small admin charge (to cover the lost revenue). Once the supplies have been ordered, no refund is possible, but you will receive a kit containing all your supplies by post, and full instructions for all the projects will be sent to you by email.

I apologise for any inconvenience caused, but as the classes are all competitively priced, I cannot afford to have unsold kits .

3. Prices include all materials to make the projects, and use of necessary tools, however you should bring along your own adhesives (glue runner, double sided tape, foam pads, wet glue, glue stick etc). Refreshments are also supplied, and for all day events a light lunch (salad, jacket potato or sandwiches) will be provided. Please notify me of any dietary needs at time of booking.

4. Due to space restrictions, please do not bring large or bulky craft totes, especially the wheeled variety, with you to make the class more comfortable for all those attending. Lists of required tools and any non included supplies will be issued closer to the events.

Guest Designer at Scrapology this Month!

I was very flattered a few weeks ago to be invited to be the guest designer for July by the Scrapology blog.
Each month the ladies choose a layout to scraplift, and the design team then do exactly that (with the creator's permission of course!), and invite a guest designer to play along - and this month - it's MEEEEEE!
I was sent a picture of the original layout and a sketch, and apart from having to use "yarn" in any shape or form on the page but apart from that - the sky's the limit!
This month we scraplifted this delightful page by Gabrielle Polloco.

This was the sketch I was sent to help me......

And this is my scraplift........

For my background I used Stampin' Up!'s Certainly Celery cardstock which has been distressed with the cutter kit before being inked with Early Espresso, and a sheet of Bashful Blue card whic was trimmed down to 11"x11" before being given the same treatment. The blue card was stamped with the flourish from the Sale-a-Bration freebie stamp set "Fresh Vintage" in Bashful Blue before being mounted on the green.


The photo mounts and the flowers and leaves were all cut from the gorgeous Paisley Petals papers, and a circle of faux stitching in Early Espresso Marker Pen was added round the photo - and a line in the top left corner. I added strips of Victoria lace and Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon below the photo before adding the flowers, using Dimensionals to lift some of them up.


I'm afraid I dug into my non SU stash for the lettering (BasicGrey chipboard letters) and the wood flourishes (Kaisercraft), but i did add a few SU pearls to the wood flourish to finish off.


Why not have a go at scraplifting the original page yourselves and entering the challenge over on Scrapology? If you link to your layout as instructed you may be in the running for a lovely prize courtesy of Jill at Cardinal Colours. I'd be more than happy to help you with any of the SU supplies I used to create mine!


Please get in touch if I can help!
StamapholixUK@aol.com
07528 492765

Party YOUR way!

Do you love Stampin' Up! products?

Do you have crafty friends, or even non crafty friends who admire your hand made cards, or scrapbooks and would like to try their hand at doing it themselves?

Well why not combine your love of crafts and your friends and earn FREE Stampin' Up! stash for yourself by holding a Stampin' up! workshop (aka "party!") at your house,or with your craft group, social group e.g. WI/ TWG/ Mothers Union etc and you can do just that!

Simply get together a group of friends who would like to have a go at papercrafting and get in touch with me to arrange a mutually convenient date, and I can promise you a few hours of creative fun, and best of all - if you and your friends spend a minimum of £150 at the party, you get to have a catalogue shopping spree worth £25! The more you all  spend, the higher the hostess pounds total gets. Go over £300 and not only do you earn a £50 spending spree - you also get to buy any item in the catalogue - even the most expensive(the Sizzix Big Shot!) at HALF PRICE.

You agree to provide

• Friends who are interested in buying high quality craft products - with a chance to "try before they buy"
• A table with space for everyone to sit round
• Light refreshments (you don't need to lay on a bar and buffet - tea and biccies or wine and nibbles is just fine)

I provide

• a demonstration of at least two papercrafted items such as gift packaging, cards,scrapbook pages or small 3d items (and I can tailor them to things you want to see/ do)
• a "make and take" for you and your guests which is usually a hand made card using Stampin' Up!s card, stamps, inks, tools and embellishments
• boards with inspirational ideas for using any SU products you and your guests buy
• a small gift for you as the hostess
• a free catalogue and invitations, and order forms for those friends who might want to order but are unable to come on the night (to get you closer to the £150 threshold!)

Stampin' Up provide

• quality products with a no quibble 90 day money back guarantee
• hostess benefits of free merchandise (subject to a minimum spend of £150)

I don't do a "hard sell" on you or your guests, as I believe the products sell themselves - once people try them out and see and feel the quality for themselves, they can't resist. 

That said, if you don't want to have a "selling party" why not get together a group and I will come and run a private class for you. For £5 each (to cover my expenses), we will make 3-5 cards (exact number is dependent on time available and experience of the group), and if anyone would like to order goods during the class, as long as their order is over £20 they get their class absolutely FREE..... 

We have just launched our new Summer mini catalogue this month so their is lots of lovely NEW product available to tempt you - so go on - pick up the phone or drop me an email now!

We can be crafting together in no time!

StampaholixUK@aol.com or 07973 969153

#Go your own way# Starter kit - YOUR way!

In the words of the old Fleetwood Mac (showing my age here!) song - Stampin' Up! is all about doing everything your own way - and that couldn't be clearer with the new starter kit offer.

SU Head Office have done a lot of market research about what stops potential demos from signing up - and for once - they have actually acted on the results and the outcome is the new signing up promotion.

So what was stopping you signing up? Well let's look at some of the main stumbling blocks....


1. Cost
One of the main concerns was the cost of the starter kit. Well as of the 1st May, the starter kit has dropped in price to just £99. This has got to be one of the cheapest starter kits on offer from any direct selling company in the UK - most of the others will charge you well over £100.


2. Contents
Another concern was the lack of choice in the products offered in the starter kit. For scrapbookers, lots of small stamps  were unnecessary, cardmakers would have liked some more embellishments, for established crafters, they may already have had a big stash of SU product to use, and for most recruits there were items included which would never see the light of day again. 
So now Stampin' Up offer you the chance to choose EVERY SINGLE ITEM which goes into your starter kit. Yes that's right - there are no "set" choices for you like there were before - you get to choose exactly what YOU want, so you know that there isn't any wasted money at all Best of all, you don't get £99 worth of product - you get to choose up to £130 worth of goodies for the price, and it also includes another £45 worth of business supplies like catalogues, order forms, invitations etc.
So - what are you waiting for? 


3. Commitment
So what exactly are you signing up for? Well - would you believe it if i told you that you were just signing up for a bargain box of goodies with no strings attached?
Does that sound too good to be true?
Well, strange though it may seem - that is exactly what you would be doing! Again, unlike a lot of other direct sales companies, you do not have to have hassled your friends and family into having a workshop (party) for you before you sign up, nor do you have to make minimum sales in a certain length of time in order to keep your starter kit.
Your ONLY commitment is to pay that £99 for £130 worth of high quality crafting goodies, and what you do once you have them in your hands, its entirely up to you what you do with them. Take them and run, and just quietly drop once you fail to meet your first quarterly minimum sales (which can be up to 6 months away), or just feed your own stash needs, or sell to your friends and family (at a discount), or make it into a business.


You don't have to give anyone the hard sell - just do everything your way. But if you are like some of my customers... placing an order for £99 worth of goodies is just too easy - so why not just give being a demo a try - you never know what might happen!


Why not get in touch to see what Stampin' Up! has to offer you? I am happy to chat at any time. You can get me on StampaholixUK@aol.com, or on 07973 969153 most times of day, and when you do - ask me about my signing up incentives as well - your starter kit could be worth even more!

Spring Mini Blog Hop

Welcome to the In Love With Stamping blog hop which launches the new Stampin' Up! Summer Mini catalogue which goes live TODAY! IF you haven't got a copy yet, why not click on the pick on the right there and have a peek at the online version - or get in touch and I'll pop a real live copy in the post for you to stroke and drool over!

You may have joined me from the lovely Emily's Blog - didn't she have lovely stuff on there to show you - if you landed here first - please follow the circle to see lots of inspiration with the new goodies. When you get back to me you are done with this circle (but there is another one running today as well - in total there are 40 Demos taking part!)

Anyway let's get down to business.... As most of my readers know - I am a Scrapbooker rather than a cardmaker, so here is a page I made using the gorgeous new Twitterpated papers. At first sight these are a bit "girlie" but I found enough there to make a VERY masculine page of my darling hubby with his two brothers and a couple of nephews at a cousins wedding! Look carefully and you will see that i have embellished the page with some of the new pleated satin ribbon, and a couple of rosettes made with the new scoreboard. I love our scoreboard, as although it is calibrated in inches,  it comes with two optional plates, one of which changes the measurements to metric, the other which allows diagonal folds. Both of these plates just slide into the base and as they fill the space completely, they are really easy to use!

Next up are a couple of cards using the brand new Framelits cutting dies - these are the SU/ Sizzix version of the ever popular Nestabilities and as usual with SU - they come with a beautiful matching stamp set called Apothecary Art.

One of these (the red one) is the Thank you card I included in my Stampers Six packs last months, the other is a card I made for a special lady's 80th birthday last week. They feature the diecuts layerd up with the stamped images  which I i think are very versatile and I'm sure i will use them a LOT!


Last up is another Stampers 6 thank you card - this time featuring the Edgelits dies. I still have this one as I couldn't send it as I managed to knock over a dauber which left that horrible mark in the top left corner..... this one features the lovely bracket edge, and the lovely new embossing folder with the hearts on.

I hope you have liked my projects - and if you would like a free copy of the new mini catalogue, please get in touch and i will pop one in the post to you as soon as I can.


Now - why not hop along to the next blog on the hop the lovely Ally is waiting for you!