Yesterday was my Inspiring Inkin’ Stampin’ Up! quarterly team training, and it was Christmas !

36 of my team and guests had a wonderful day, of stamping, crafting, chatting, training, sharing business tips and tricks and of course eating cake too!  A big thank you to Kerry, Michele and Elizabeth who did some fantastic demonstrations and projects to wow us!

We made 6 projects, using a goody bag of products, Chipboard alphabets, satin ribbon and yummy Jolly Holiday designer series paper. We always make a technique card too for our 6×6 album, you can see some of them here.

The first 2 projects are quick and easy cards, perfect for mass production.

The 3rd card takes a bit longer as you cover the chipboard with designer paper, to get a nice finish use an emery board to distress the edge of the paper, always sand downwards or you will lift the paper off the chipboard.

We made a cute snowman box, using the topnote die.

A gift card holder again using the Topnote die, you really need this one……….!

I will be demonstrating this at my workshops in the next few weeks.

and finally a NOEL bunting, I love this and it will be part of my Christmas decorations and gift class on the 29th October.

Here are a few close up shots, I tied that bow !!!!!!

We decorated the back too

So if this sounds like fun, I’d love you to join us next time!  My next quarterly meeting is on the 15th October at Locks Heath, Hampshire, email me to find out more!

Happy Stampin’

More from my team training yesterday, it was a wonderful day.

These are the 3 cards they made, all showcasing our fabulous buttons.

And a close up of each one.

And the final 3D item they made was a button bracelet, I have been making these for a long time as a friend and store owner Anna has been designing and making button jewellery forever and has shown me lots of tips and tricks!  I haven’t made much jewellery for a while and when I decided to focus the training on buttons I knew I just had to make some jewellery with the team.

I was then reminded of the bracelet idea via a post from an American Stampin’ Up! demonstrator Patty Bennett here, she in turn got the idea from Jill Olson, isn’t this so great we all share from one another!

The buttons Patty uses are bigger than the ones we have currently in the UK, but we just used a few more ! These are modelled by the lovely Kimberley.

I have used a clear stretchy thread as I wanted the buttons to be the star of the show, but you could easily use our stretchy silver or gold thread.  You could put rhinestones or pearls in the centre of the flower buttons too, that would make it very sparkly!

I’ll be back tomorrow with the mini scrapbook details.

Happy Stampin’

or card by it’s cover !

A very simple card front, hiding a lovely surprise !

Anna-Marie asked me to showcase this type of card at her workshop this week, she had seen this card and wanted to learn how to make it.  So I tweaked and made it all girly and full of sunshine!

The mechanism is straightforward, you just have to be brave with your cutting.

I know I have been quiet with my posts this week, I have been busy though, this is what i have been doing….

It might look messy but there is organisation in there, I have my quarterly team training tomorrow and those pictures how just some of the boxes I’m taking with me, I am getting a little concerned that I won’t fit it all in the car!

We are making 7 projects tomorrow, swapping cards, business training and lots of fun, laughter and stamping! I’ll be posting the projects over the next couple of days so do pop back.  I have to go shopping for cake!

Happy Stampin’

A couple of weeks ago I did a workshop for the wonderful Susan and her friends, It was a huge workshop with 15 people, we had lots of fun, stamping and laughter !  I was a little nervous because they were all very talented crafters, but they loved the Stampin’ Up! products.

When I spoke with Susan about the type of projects she was interested in, she explained she liked Giraffes………..Having been to Susan’s house ‘liking Giraffes’ is a bit of an understatement, the most wonderful display of Giraffes of every type, size and material adorn her home.

I made some cards for her as her hostess gift using the Giraffe from the Fox and Friends Stamp set, but I wanted to make her something using punch art.

I found this card here on Splitcoast Stampers forum and it inspired my Chocolate bar cover below!

I am very pleased to say she loved it !

I would love to come and do a workshop for you and your friends and family, do get in touch and book one soon!

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

Today’s card is using one of the most versatile stamp sets in the catalogue, Season of Joy.  I have combined it with the five petal punch to make a large poinsettia.  It is very dimensional so a card to hand to those special people at Christmas, or put a large letter stamp on it!

Stamps : Season of Joy
Inks: Old Olive, Real Red
Cardstock: Whisper White, Real Red, Old Olive
Accessories: Square fire rhinestone brad

I’m off to Colbury, Southampton today to a craft show with 2 of my lovely team, Stella and Michele do come along and say hi! We will be running a prize draw and make and takes all day.

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

Today’s card is a variation of the cards published in the last issue of Making Cards magazine and the one I did as a make and take at the Eternal Maker yesterday.  This is a Stampin’ Up! imperial one for all my lovely ladies who prefer inches to cm.  I’ll give you the measurements, it is very straightforward.  If you don’t have a fiskars trimmer use a craft knife and a metal edged ruler.

Cardstock at 6″ x 12″  scored at 2″, 4″,6″,8″ and 10″ Cut 2 lines between the 2″ and 10″ score lines, each line needs to be 2″ from the top and bottom edge.  This will give you 2 rectangular sections for the front and back of the card, and 12 2″ square boxes to decorate.

I have lain the card down for this shot to explain the way to fold the card.  The top and bottom score lines for the squares go Mountain, Valley, Mountain.  The middle section is Valley, Mountain, Valley, it really does sound and look far more complicated than it is!!!

Give it a try.

Stamps : Best Yet, Touch of Nature
Inks: Old Olive
Cardstock: Old Olive, Haiku Designer Series Paper
Accessories: Fire Rhinestone Brads, Designer Buttons

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

Some more cards using the Fresh Cut stamp set today, it has seen so much ink recently, but it is so versatile!

This is a really simple one using an Old Olive standard card blank I have stamped the main image in Chocolate Chip ink, onto Whisper White and blended the Stampin’ pastels over the top using Sponge Daubers, So Saffron, Rose Red and a little Chocolate Chip.  A mat of Rose Red with a little bit of paper piercing, Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon and a Scallop oval stamped and chalked as before.

Again starting with an Old Olive card blank, a mat of Night of Navy and the large stamp, inked in Old Olive on Whisper White card.  The large stamp is a little bit bigger than 3″ square, so to make it easy to cut I trimmed it to 3″ square so I could cut 3 x 1″ strips and then 9 x 1″ squares.  At a recent class Christine had the idea to put numbers on the back in pencil so it was less like a jigsaw puzzle!  Very handy tip, thanks Christine!  The card is finished with a strip of Whisper White with a rather wonky “for you” stamped on it, Straight is sooooooooo over rated!  With a scalloped edge and some Night of Navy Grosgrain ribbon.

And the last one for today a Rose Red card blank, a Pretty in Pink 3 3/4″ mat with the large stamp inked with Rose Red onto the centre.  Taking the front only of a Fresh Cut Notes card trim it to 3 1/2″, Use a piece of scrap paper so you can ink up the centre petals, using Pretty in Pink ink and a sponge dauber, just tuck the scrap paper under the petal but above the front of the card.  Then pop a 5 petal flower punch of Rose red under the inked petals and a Rose Red flower from Flower Fusion secure with a silver brad.  Attach the Whisper White card to the Pretty in pink card with brads and then stick to the front of the card.  Finally “Thank You” is stamped at the top and bottom in Rose Red.

I have a couple of places left on my new Stampers 10 club, details are below as soon as it is full we can get started, it’s a great way to get your goodies a little at a time and receive hostess benefits for a workshop without having to clean your house and make tea!

Stampers 10 Club

Would you like free stamps and free products?

Would you like to build up your Stampin’ Up! stash a little bit at a time?

Would you like to earn hostess benefits, but can’t or don’t want to host a home workshop?

Then joining my Stamper’s Ten club is a wonderful solution.

What do I have to do?

You would commit to a ten month membership, agreeing to spend £15 per month from the current catalogue including any current mini catalogues. (That’s £3.75 per week – the price of a magazine!) You can place larger orders, and if you know that you will want to spend at least £30 per month, then you can take two spaces in the club. If you can collect your products from me there will be no postage to pay, if not you will need to pay postage at cost.

What are the benefits?

You will receive a free catalogue from me and a new catalogue when it’s launched in October, a free mini project kit each month with instructions, and for one month (two if you take two slots) during your ten month membership you will receive a minimum of,  a free level one hostess set, and £15 worth of free products from the catalogue.

When does it start?

As soon as I have enough members, the club can start – so if you know anyone who would be interested please tell them.

If you are interested in signing up, or would like more details please email me.

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

I apologise right now for this post sounding a bit like an Oscar ceremony winners thank you, but that is exactly how I feel today!

You all know I have the best Stampin’ Up! team of demonstrators my Inspiring Inkees and of course the most wonderful friends who are also my customers.

Well yesterday through a combined effort of sales and recruiting and lots of hard work by both me and my team, I achieved an all expenses, yes all expenses paid trip to Monaco during June 2010 !

Wow, I am thrilled, it is the first ever European incentive trip for Stampin’ Up! and will be very special. The location is wonderful, ever since I was a little girl I have dreamt of going to Monaco, I am a ‘Formula 1 Grand Prix nut’ and one of my ambitions is to walk the Grand Prix track because I don’t think an F1 team will lend me a car…………..!

If you would like to see the venue please click here.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

to every one who has been part of my Stampin’ Up! story!

So now onto some cards…………….Fresh Cuts

This is a card using my favourite Chocolate Lime combo, I love it! I have used the Fresh Cuts diecut note cards ( 15 in a pack and they are 4″ square) Pop out the diecut petals and stamp the background stamp in Chocolate Chip. Stamp the small flower image also in Chocolate Chip onto a piece of scrap Whisper white cardstock and cut out. Put a Certainly Celery Brad through the centre of the small flower and pop onto a dimensional foam pad and stick to the centre of the card. Back the diecut petals with a 3 3/4″ square piece of Certainly Celery.

For this card I took the petals from the previous card and stamped over them with the background stamp in Night of Navy, then using a sponge dauber covered the whole of each petal with Bashful Blue ink. I cut a 4″ square card blank from Whisper White and stamped the leaf stamp in Night of Navy all around the edge and then sponged Bashful Blue. Now to the slightly more fidly bit! Punch out a 5 petal flower from Night of Navy card and stick each diecut petal onto the flower, I found the tombow wet glue the best for this. When it’s dry attach to the front of the card and top with a Bashful Blue button with a bit of Linen thread tied in a knot to finish.

If you would like to become a demonstrator and have the opportunity to earn an income whilst having fun and even earn trips like this please email me. Stampin’ Up! has a generous reward package for all it’s demonstrators with discounts, free stamp sets and other incentives.

Another big thank you to Brett who took my new photo, do you like my top? Chocolate Chip, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie!!!

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

Happy Easter, I hope you are enjoying your weekend, it’s been really rainy here so plenty of time for crafting, which is great since I have several deadlines looming………..My parents are visiting with us this weekend and as always are busy helping out, Mum is doing a grand job helping me with my crafting projects and my Dad and Brian are both ripping up carpets, painting skirting, door frames, fitting a new door bell, rehanging doors and goodness knows what!  Fabulous work!

The Easter bunny visited the children too…………..There is far too much chocolate in this house now!

So onto a Chocolate based card, well what else today……..

These are 2 cards sent to wonderful team members who have promoted recently.  The flower pots are Chocolate Chip cardstock with the lip punched with the scallop edge punch.  The flowers are made with two of the 5 petal punch using Designer Series Paper from the Love Stories Simply Scrappin’ kit and the smallest flower from the Boho Blossoms punch and stuck together with a Bashful Blue brad.  The sentiment is from Oval All and punched using both the Oval punch and the Scallop Oval punch.

My share for today are two wonderful forums with a huge amount of Stampin’ Up! inspiration in the galleries

This one is a USA based forum, not all of the stamps shown are available in the UK ( at the moment) Splitcoast Stampers 

The second one is based here in the UK and is very friendly  In Love With Stamping   

You will find me on both of these sites, my forum name is Emerald Tigger.

Happy Stampin’

Amanda