New Stampin' Up! catalogue - It's launching tomorrow!

I am so excited, I have a wish list already and waiting for the new goodies I cannot wait to order from the new catalogue tomorrow.  The catalogue will be available to browse online from the usual place here or alternatively if you would prefer, you can browse and purchase through the online store by clicking the 'Shop online with Suzanne' logo at the top right of my page.

July is another big birthday month in our family, mine included, and a special big birthday for my Mum, so I am busy working through the birthday card makes and making lots of new projects to show you all. 

I will be providing details shortly of new classes and events to reveal all so please keep coming by to check on details. 

If you cannot wait to get your eyes on the new products, prefer a paper copy for your coffee table, and are local to me in GU52 then please do get in touch and let me know.

Not forgetting too, TODAY is the last opportunity to order those Spring/Summer catalogue items which may not carryover or anything from the Retired List that may still be available.

Suzanne

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To place an order, book a workshop in your home or come to a class, just drop me an email at craftyinkbuds@sky.com. Remember you can now order online at anytime too.

Last Week of Retired List

Just one more week to go of the retired list products and then a new annual catalogue will be with us! Don't forget too that the Spring Summer catalogue will also be coming to an end on the 30th June as the new catalogue launches on 1st July.

Some items from the Spring/Summer catalogue may carry over, but not everything will. If there is something you would like to get before the end of the retired list or from the Spring Summer catalogue then you can just order online using the link on the top of this page or if you'd prefer you can just get in touch.

A little more Papillon Potpourri and grunge style for your inspiration for you today.......

We are so fortunate the previous owners of our house planted well for butterfly visitors at this time of the year.  I love to see them fluttering past whilst out in the garden.  

Well I am off to play with my new Project Life products as I cannot wait to put some of our recent family days out into memory pages.  Not to mention a few birthday cards I need to produce for our second busy birthday month!

Suzanne

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Birthday Cake Basic Celebration Tag Pocket

Who doesn't love celebrating a birthday with a little cake?  This card is one I have made using the Birthday Cake single stamp. I have used it here with white emboss powder on the Vellum card stock.  I discovered this worked so well recently and now I cannot believe I did not emboss onto the vellum sooner!

You can see that my previous post on the vellum scallop tag spurned on the inspiration for this pocket made with the Scallop Tag Topper Punch. Inside my cake pocket I have slipped in some birthday confetti in the shape of punched card stock in co-ordinating colours and also the Silver foil cardstock from the catalogue to add something special.

I love the Birthday Basics designer papers used here as they provide instant birthday designs for wrapping or making birthday cards!  I have layered the various cut sizes for my montage birthday background.  The 'Blow Out Your Candles' wording you can see on the card is from the Happy Birthday stamp in the Delightful Dozen stamp set - yep, it's retiring too remember!

Of course my favourites too, rhinstones and organza ribbon are on hand to finish the card with some sparkle and glamour.  The designer papers card background gave me the idea to use the Summer Starfruit from the retiring In Colours 2012-2014.  This colour collection is retiring and this means there is discounted card stock on the retired list so go grab a bargain pack of card! It matches perfectly with the Birthday Basics designer papers so the perfect pair to add to your Retired List shopping list!

Birthday Basics Designer Papers (130145)
Birthday Cake Stamp (130390)
Delightful Dozen (128547) - Discounted in clear version
Emboss Powder (White) (109132)
Scalloped Tag Topper Punch (133324)
Vellum Cardstock (106584)
Organza Ribbon (114319)
Basic Rhinestones (119246)
Brights Collection Stampin' Write Markers (131259)

Tool:  Heat Tool - * New Dual Heat Setting* (129054)

Suzanne
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To place an order, book a workshop in your home or come to a class, just drop me an email at craftyinkbuds@sky.com. Remember you can now order online at anytime too.

Simply a Star! The Greatest Daddy!

It's Father's Day and although I have already shown you a couple of cards, I thought I would just show you the card my little one gave to his Daddy.  We really do have the greatest Daddy in our house so I have borrowed some retired products I have not been able to part with from last year for this one.

 The card is made of a background layer of the Natural Ivory cardstock. A lovely textured card with a fleck in it which works so well with the neutral collection colours and also the Baked Brown Sugar card I have matched it with here.  I have used some of the First Edition designer paper we had from the last catalogue for my card, but I could have just as easily stamped my own background with the Dictionary background stamp or used My Digital Studio for this element of the card.

It is so hard to find the right mix of papers for masculine cards, but I have used the Epic Day designer papers again for this card.  It has such a variety of prints on it in muted tones.  This one has the grid paper design which I have then directly stamped onto with my 'World's Greatest' stamp.

See the Stars on the card? Now these are current, but will be retiring soon.  With a little boy in the house and perfect for celebrating every success or special occasion for all ages or genders this stamp set was one I just had to have from the current catalogue.  I love my stars embossed in Gold to give a top reward to our top Daddy!  Now, as I mentioned, the Simply Stars set is on the retired list, so don't let it go before you get yours!

For another simple card with the Simply Stars stamp set I made this card for a team member to celebrate her own first team member joining!  A proud Stampin' Up! moment for me as not only do I have my own team, I now have a second line team member!  My Stampin' Up! business is growing as the team shares the great products and offers from Stampin' Up! with others.

There is a combination of the current In Colours 2013-12015 for this one, Strawberry Slush and Crisp Cantelope and embossed stars in Silver this time.  A simple 'For You' borrowed from the Chalk Talk set which gives the card mutiple possible occasions to be used.  The button on this card is one of the Boutique Details buttons which are retiring too, these are gorgeous and come in the In Colours collection - it is all so so easy with colour co-ordinating products!

The offer to join Stampin' Up! for just £50 is still valid so why not take a look at what benefits you can enjoy by joining our team now too!

Products I used:

This and That Epic Day Designer Papers (130814)

Simply Stars (130892)

In Colour Boutique Details (130938)

Chalk Talk (130631)

Banners Framelits (132173)

Now, I received my pre-order goodies on Friday and I have been unable to touch them all weekend due to a visit to family so I am really trying to contain my excitement for playing with them tomorrow.  My goodies included the Project Life items already available on pre-order so I feel some scrapbook memories springing up.  The same pre-order items for the Project Life are now available to customers too, so if you are just starting out in scrapbooking or looking for new product ideas then make sure you take a look at what is available already.  I have added a link on my blog page to take you straight to the products page.

The retired products listed will only be available for a limited time and until stocks last. To place an order for anything you would like, book a workshop in your home or come to a class, just drop me an email at craftyinkbuds@sky.com. Remember you can now order online at anytime too by using the link from my blog page.

Suzanne

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Father's Day Cards - Go Grunge!

Father's Day is on Sunday and whilst preparing for a workshop with the Gorgeous Grunge (see previous post) I had a little play with the stamp set and how you can make it look different with different colours and layouts.  You still have a few days left to make a lovely Father's Day card if you haven't done so already or just change the sentiment here for a masculine birthday.

The first card here to show you is one which I have CASE'd (Copy and Shared) from my wonderful upline Amanda Fowler  who had made a card with the magically cute hanger from the Hung Up Cute Clips collection.  She had then made it super great with some designer ties wrapped over the hanger which were made with the same stamps.  Now I didn't have the same stamps exactly so I used the Gorgeous Grunge to make my own version.  I think I might have over-stamped my grunge, if there is such a thing when going with the relaxed style of this stamp set!

I have used a mixture of Bermuda Bay (Brights), Coastal Cabana (In Colours) and Crumb Cake (Neutrals) for my card and I have crossed over one of the stamp images to make a grid style.  The stamp set has a stamp of the diagonal lines so I just used this to stamp and then cut my tie shapes along with the 'retro' splat tie design.

This card is a fabulous show of the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set, but also not to be missed is the Hung Up Cute Clips which are on discount on the retired list.  There are 24 pieces in the pot; 8 each of 3 designs and they are up from grabs whilst stocks last!  They are perfect for scrapbook pages too!

In case you are wondering where the 'Happy Father's Day' on this card is from, it is part of the Delightful Dozen set.  After telling you about it all year and using it for just about every occasion, it is now being retired.  It really is a fantastic selection of sayings, but you know that already I am sure. Take a look at the retired list for your chance to buy this one, it really is a sound investment.

My second card design for Father's Day is one using the Washi Tape.  I had bought this for my This and That journal, but have not used it for cards until I started to have a little play recently.  It is so quick to give texture and a different style to cards.  I love the rustic feel to this card too.

The Gorgeous Grunge is there in the background again and then I have simply added stripes of the This and That Epic Day Washi Tape.  The label shape at the bottom layer is Hardwood stamped and then cut into a label with the Chalk Talk dies.  

In the Coastal Cobana is an Artisan Label which has been split to sit either side of the small Chalk Talk label.  There again, is the Father's Day stamp from the Delightful Dozen.  I also used some small metallic brads and linen thread.  This was a quick make, but I think it is my favourite.

Products used:

Gorgeous Grunge
Hung Up Cute Clips
Delightful Dozen
Chalk Talk Framelit Dies
Epic Day Washi Tape
Silver Mini Brads
Linen Thread
Artisan Label Punch


All of these items can be ordered direct through my online store through the link at the top of my blog page or you can get in touch to order if you prefer.  To get in touch, my email is craftyinkbuds@sky.com or just give me a call.

Suzanne
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Gorgeous Grunge with vellum

What another fabulous week enjoying the Stampin' Up! products with customers.  I held a workshop with a group and this was the card we made.  I was a little unsure whether the Gorgeous Grunge set was going to be liked so when I saw this card design online which used it in a feminine way and colour scheme I just knew it was the right one to show it off to them. 

I teamed up the stamps with some vellum cardstock which I embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots emboss folder before punching with the Scallop Tag Topper Punch.  We even used the Envelope Punch Board to round off the bottom corners of the tag too. 

I just love the bright Bermuda Bay background combined with the Coastal Cabana and Strawberry Slush of the grunge.  The Ruffled stretch ribbon is one of the retiring accessories this time round and this ribbon is fabulous.  It adds instant feminine to a project and you can use it in straight strips or even roll it up to make a lovely ruffled flower.

The tags layered onto the vellum for the birthday wishes are of course from the Chalk Talk set.  This set is in the current catalogue as a bundle deal with 15% discount when the stamps and dies are bought together so are a sound investment with several useful sayings for non-specific occasions.

Another card to spoil you today.  A quick stamp with the Gorgeous Grunge again in a similar design. This time with Daffodil Delight for the background colour.  I have added a tag though made to custom size by trimming the edges off in Summer Starfruit, from our retiring 2012-2014 In Colour collection.

This one has the doily wrap round the tag and the embossing is the Mosaic emboss folder to give the card a more feminine feel.  I thought I would just have a play with the colours for this card and added to it as I went along.  The 'For You' is from the Chalk Talk set again.

I hope you like.  I have some more cards to show with the Gorgeous Grunge, including some Father's Day card ideas where we switch colours and designs to a more masculine feel.

Come back and visit again soon

Suzanne
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To place an order, book a workshop in your home or come to a class, just drop me an email at craftyinkbuds@sky.com. Remember you can now order online at anytime too.

Join Stampin' Up! for £50

All this excitement about the Retired List and I nearly forgot to tell you that for now until the 30th June 2014 you can join Stampin’ Up! as a Demonstrator, like me, by buying the starter kit for just £50! You can choose any items from the catalogues to the value of £55, but you only pay £50! It is a fantastic time to join with the opportunity to Pre-order items from the new annual catalogue meaning you can be one of the first to get your hands on the new catalogue and brand new products.

Demonstrators can build a business carrying out hostess parties and/or workshops and classes, or if that is not for you, you can just distribute catalogues and collate orders adding to your own orders.  There is no pressure to join, no pressure selling, and no pressure to meet sales targets, it is entirely up to you how much you want to take part and for how long, you just get to stay a demonstrator as long as you meet the quarterly minimum.  

The new catalogue will be bringing exciting new products to Stampin’ Up! including Project Life and Blendabilities. If you have lots of Stampin’ Up! already then this smaller starter kit price means less additional investment whilst you get on your feet and see if you like being a demonstrator.  Love our stuff?  If you are tempted by more of the current deals and retired list than the £55 spend allowance, you can still buy the regular priced starter kit for £99 and choose £130 worth of products – more for your money! 

  

If you join during this promotional period, you have an extended first target period as your first quarterly minimum is not due till the end of September 2014.  Don’t forget, another good reason to join, your first order within 45 days of £150 or more will receive a whopping 30% discount and all your purchases after that have a 20% discount!

Join my team and you will be supported with initial additional guidance on start-up and regular meetings and crafting sessions to try out new products and techniques. You will also have the fantastic opportunity to take part in regular training days with the larger team  full of crafting and chat with other experienced demonstrators and receive guidance on the business aspects too from one of the leading UK demonstrators. 

If you are interested, I am a friendly call away where I can chat with you to answer any questions you may have.  There is no pressure to join from me, I would just love to share the experience and products with you, but please drop me an email me and I will happily give you a call. 

Of course, if you are ready to join right now, then just go ahead and click to Join The Fun  

Suzanne
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Blast Off! Retiring Producs

Today I am blasting off early on a space adventure with another retiring stamp set.  The Blast Off! set. I love my little spaceman and rocket!  We have used him for Birthday wishes this time and in a lovely pop-up card.  This is the single card layout which you have seen me use before.  I had seen the planets layered with dimensionals online (sorry I cannot remember the demo name) and I thought they were fantastic.  I simply punched my circles (twice), punch one circle with smaller circle and hole punches, daubed with some ink round the holes and then layered them with the dimensional foam pads.

The stars are made from the stars in the set and a bit of a cheat, I used some yellow card punched with a hole punch to make the small star-specks.  The spaceship in this set looks lovely embossed in silver.  

Now for my proudest moment, I made my space man literally 'pop' out of his space rocket to go on his lunar adventures!

He is attached to a strip of window sheet that I cut to size and I then fed this through a strip of folded card attached to the underside of the card base.  I am not sure if you can see this from the photos clearly.

I added a 'Lift Off!' finish to the bottom of the strip to operate the space expedition.  Just push it up and the window sheet strip slides in the card placeholder to push the spaceman out of his rocket.  I even added some baker's twine to him to look like his lifeline back to the craft.

This set is a fantastic purchase for mummies with little ones, but who is to say it is just for the kid's.  I certainly loved playing with it for this card. I think you can tell with my push-up design creative moment! It is staying in my collection for more birthday wishes, invitations and celebrations to come.   It is also going to be a great set to play with during our mummy stamping sessions.......when I let little one get his hands on it that is!

As a retiring item, it will be available until stocks last.  To place an order, book a workshop in your home or come to a class, just drop me an email at craftyinkbuds@sky.com or give me a call. Remember you can now order online for immediate confirmation of your items and your own specified delivery.

I hope you like the spaceman and the pop-up idea.  If you do have any comments or queries then I would love to help answer them.

Suzanne

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Card Products:

Blast Off! stamp set

Silver emboss powder

Versamark

Brights Collection markers

Baker's Twine (whisper white)

Circles punches 

Circles Collection Framelits dies

Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black, Whisper White cardstock

Mr & Mrs.........This Day Forward

Wow!  What a beautiful wedding yesterday for my cousin in Winchester at the Guildhall.  The weather was certainly shining on their day as we enjoyed the ceremony and the post-wedding photos in the park amongst the beautiful roses there.  Winchester is certainly full of history and beautiful architecture.  I only got a brief glance of the shops there,  but had not realised what I was missing so there is definitely a repeat trip required - one with comfortable shoes!

For the lovely couple I used the Mr & Mrs stamp from Stampin' Up!  A simple, single stamp which I have used for a number of wedding acceptance, wedding celebration and anniversary cards now.   This one is so easy to ink separately, emboss, cut and play around with to get different looks.  The stamp is on the retired list so make sure you place an order whilst stocks last!

The colour is Coastal Cabana and I have used the Scallop Tag Topper Punch for the two labels on the front of the card.  I just simply stamped across the two labels for my simple layout.  Behind the card front is a mat layer of Crumb Cake which I have used the Very Vintage jumbo wheel over.  Two wheels across and the background was created.  I love the vintage style of this and will miss it terribly when it retires at the end of the month.  In fact, all of the wheel stamps are retired and the wheel accessories.  I have loved creating backgrounds, gift wrap and scrapbook elements with all my wheel designs.

For embellishments I fed a loop of the Organza ribbon through the tag holes and secured with glue dots. My bow was then just created by making a larger loop of ribbon and then creating a small wrap round the middle, slightly pinching in the sides of the larger loop as I secured it all with glue dots.

We are in the Retired List time and whilst sorting through my craft room I came across the gorgeous Frosted Finishes.  So sad that they had been left since the Autumn/Winter seasonal finished so I used one here to top my bow.  I thought the sparkle and the vintage style shape suited the occasion perfectly.

Now, we had wedding guests with us and they arrived only to realise they had forgotten the card for the couple.  No matter, I soon found them one from my collection so the lucky couple have two lovely SU cards for their day.

This card is from the perfect wedding stamp set, This Day Forward.  It has the gorgeous two birds stamp and a number of sentiments with it to mark a happy wedding or anniversary occasion.  I have simply embossed the design in Silver - the embossing is stylish and simple for this card.  The card front is on mat layers with a layer of the Mosaic emboss folder to give it some added texture.

Although both this set and the Mr&Mrs are wedding sets there are plenty of other occasions you can use them for. This one I have seen the bird design be used as partridges for a Christmas theme too! Another set which is on the retired list and for this one there is a 30% discount.  It is only £13.27, so I expect stocks will run low soon, especially with the wedding season upon us.

To place an order, book a workshop in your home or come to a class, just drop me an email at craftyinkbuds@sky.com or give me a call, I am placing orders on a regular basis.

Remember you can now order online at anytime too. To ensure availability of items on the weekly deals, clearance rack or the retired list this is the guaranteed way to get your order completed.

Suzanne
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Card Products:

Mr and Mrs Card
Very Vintage Stamp Wheel
Mr&Mrs Stamp
Scalloped Tag Topper Punch
Organza Ribbon
Coastal Cabana, Whispher White and Crumb Cake Cardstock and inks

This Day Fordward Card:
This Day Forward stamps
Silver emboss powder
Organza Ribbon
In Colour Boutique Details
Mosaic Emboss Folder
Coastal Cabana and Whispher White Cardstock and inks