Convention is amazing, there will be around 300 demonstrators from the UK, France and Germany all together for 2 full days of stamping, swapping, learning and laughing and on Friday evening an awards dinner.

I am so pleased that 16 of my team will be going me this year and we will be kicking off on Thursday evening with a team dinner, I have a few surprises in store for them but you will have to wait until later on in the week to see them……..

I think I better explain “swaps” when ever Stampin’ Up! demonstrators get together we swap cards, 3d items, business tools all sorts of things.  Sometimes these swaps are organised in teams or on forums we also always have general swaps where we are all gathered together in one place and we swap cards.

I love swaps because I can get so many ideas from them, they help with my planning of classes Yes indeed I copy cards, there are so many wonderful ideas “case”ing ( Copy And Share Everything) is to be encouraged !

This year I have 120 general swaps which you will see tomorrow, my team goodies which I will share on Friday and 10 business swaps which I will share on Saturday.  Today’s share is a cmc swap, I think cmc stands for Convention Memory Card.

These are 9cm square cards, decorated on the front and they have contact details and a photo on the back, Now I have made 90 of these………..Actually I do need to say a big thank you to Kelly and Steph who where a great help with my business, cmc and general swaps, they are amazing!!!!

A couple of close ups of the front and back, you may see a theme emerging…………Pirates who said Pirates……….?

I think this swap is a great idea as I will receive another 89 all with pictures of my fellow demonstrators, it’s such fun!

I’m off now to pack, paint my nails and practise my presentation, yes I’m on main stage again this year on Friday with the lovely Charlotte Harding running a class on Customer service for all the UK demonstrators.  Since I have the best customers in the world, it was a joy to write !

Happy Stampin’

I love the colour combination of Tempting Turquoise and Pacific Point, it’s not traditional Christmas but I think the colours are a bit frosty !   The sentiment in this set is lovely too don’t you think?

Well I need to dash and get ready for my In-laws to come and visit, best get the hoover out!

See you tomorrow!

Happy Stampin’

I know Poppies aren’t traditionally pink, but I think this one works!

Do you like the little bit of paper piercing at the bottom, it’s using a great tool called a mat pack, which has a grid in it for prefect positioned holes everytime!

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

It’s still glorious here and has been for days, the garden is struggling and the water butts are empty, so it’s lots of watering cans full………!

I’ve been really busy this week, Saturday was Eclipse the Twilight movie with Kimberley, then off to London to take Connor and his friend to an Ozzy Osborne concert.

Sunday was wonderful I saw so many people old and new friends, Hayley had organised a stand at the Newbury show, it was a great event, check out her blog here to see pictures of the stand and some of the projects.

Monday I was with Rachel and her friends for a workshop and the card below was their make and take, this will be the basis for all my July make and takes so if you are coming to to workshop with me in the next month and don’t want to know what the card is shut your eyes and scroll down a bit !!!

Now it was Rachel’s friend Steph’s idea to use a card on page  18 of the mini catalogue, so the first one I made looked like this, it was a bit too straightforward for me so I jazzed it up a bit.

The card below is the one they made as their make and take, I do have a few dates in July and August if you would like to book a workshop, do contact me.

With an insert too.

Tuesday was Kimberley’s Netball club’s AGM.

On Wednesday I ran a party for Izzy who was 9 and her 12 friends, more details of that over the weekend.

Phew……. busy week,  and today I’ve just been catching up……..!

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

I can’t claim this as all my own work, it was definitely a team effort, we made it at our the Stampin’ Up! training in Reading, using a new stamp set and wheel, Vintage Vogue and Very Vintage.

If you would like to get a close up look book a workshop with me during April and I will demonstrate it for you.

All of my customers have now been sent a copy of the Mini catalogue and my latest newsletter, if you would like to get your own copy please email me your name, address and phone number and I will pop one in the post to you straight away.

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

All the samples on this blog hop are featuring Sale-a-abration stamp sets available for free with a £45 Stampin’ Up! order.  I have used the Whimsical Words stamp set for my cards today and at the end there is a mini tutorial.  The colour combination for my cards is Close to Cocoa and Pretty in Pink, I have embellished the cards with the Pretties kit.

This first card uses the heart from Love you Much stamp set, stamped in Rose Red onto Whisper White card and coloured with markers before cutting out and raised up on dimensionals. A little paper piercing in the corners and the heart is cut through using a hat pin studded with pearls and a little Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon.

The card below is using Fresh cuts and decorated with 2 flowers from the pretties kit, the first flower is coloured using a Close to Cocoa marker and the second is seriously glittered……I love, love glitter!

This is a pretties white fabric flower, transformed with Stampin’ Up! Fine Cosmo glitter, here it is in close up! Very Sparkly !!

Glitter flower tutorial

You will need

Fine Cosmo Glitter
Pretties kit
Crystal effects
A small dish to hold the glitter

Squeeze the crystal effects all over the flower, it needs to be well covered as shown in the next 2 pictures.

Put the flower crystal effects side down, this is messy, press down hard into the glitter check for any bald spots and press down again, do use tweezers if you don’t like to be gluey and sparkly……..me I love it!

Then put it to one side to dry, make sure it’s a non-stick surface, I use a teflon sheet, but baking parchment will work too, you will know when it’s ready the flower will feel a little crispy!!

Below are 5 flowers coated using each of the colours in the Fine Cosmo glitter kit aren’t they beautiful, a little glitter goes a very long way brilliant value at £12.95.

Thank you for spending time with my, do come back again soon, and now off to your next stop   Jo’s Blog have fun!

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

Last week I ran a home workshop for the lovely Rachel and her friends, she asked for a Christmas card similar to the Reindeer one on page  24.  This is my version, I’m pleased to say she loved it and we had a great evening.

Stamps : Sparkly and Bright
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Real Red, Whisper White
Accessories: Star punch, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Markers, Ribbon

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

For my blog candy you have 2 ways to enter, leave a comment on my blog and tell me what your favourite product from the new catalogue is, or for 2 entries link this post on your blog or website and leave a comment too.

To leave a comment, look above to the title and to the right of the date is “comments” click on that link and it will take you to a screen where you can read what other people have said and you can add your own comments.  Remember to link your blog or website too, that will get you an extra entry into the draw.

So what am I giving away?  Well a fantastic new stamp set  Circle Circus

and the most useful accessory of them all, the mat pack and paper piercer.

And  a mixed A4 cardstock pack, you choose the colour family and an ink pad of your choice.

The draw will take place on Sunday evening at 8pm UK time. Good luck.

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

Karen asked for a Christmas theme and this is the card we made., the tree is both water coloured  and highlighted with the gel pen, and the little white thread on the button is the white gel pen too!  A little tip I learnt from one of my lovely downlines, Amy.

The sentiment if from Seasonal wishes, another set on the last chance list, don’t delay!

Stamps : Scandinavian Season and Wheel, Seasonal Wishes
Inks: Bashful Blue Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Versamark, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: White embossing powder, button,white gel pen

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

I am very blessed to have a wonderful husband who is my best friend, he is supportive, kind, loving, strong and gorgeous!

I made Brian a couple of cards the first one is below the second one you will have to wait until next week to see……it might have something new on it………….!

I’m really into this Sage Shadow, Kraft and Chocolate Chip, clean and simple combination at the moment, I hope you love it too!

Stamps : Mr and Mrs, Sanded
Inks: Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Kraft, Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

They always went to school with holes in their shoes, basically because the cobbler was too busy mending everyone elses shoes to tend to his own children’s shoes!

Well some weeks it feels a bit like that here! I’m so busy preparing cards for classes, magazine articles and workshops, you would think I would have loads of cards ready for family occasions, however I don’t!  It was my lovely in-laws wedding anniversary last week, and the card below was a little late……Oops !

So I have set myself a challenge to make the September and October cards by the end of the week, I’ll let you know how I’m doing.

I have used Summer by the Sea, it’s on the last chance list, and only available until the end of September or until stocks are gone!

Stamps : Summer by the Sea, Paisley, Best Yet.
Inks: Sage Shadow
Cardstock: Kraft, Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon

Last Chance update ! No longer available

Page 91 No. 107009 Be Happy
Page 92 No. 105755 Mixed Bouquet

Happy Stampin’

Amanda