Blog Awards

Hi all,

Hope you had a lovely weekend and you were wrapped up warm inside :) Just a quick post to say that I received a Blog Award from both Sally and Nicci, which I am thrilled to receive - thanks ladies. Okay, I've been rather naughty and have received Sally's for quite sometime, but
haven't done anything about it as one, it came at the beginning of October which is a busy time for me and the Stampin' Up! year and two, I have to reveal seven things about myself! For Nicci's it's not so bad, I only have to reveal three things about myself, so perhaps you'll forgive me for combining the two? :D

Blog Award One - from Sally


Blog Award Two - from Nicci


Okay, so I'll combine the two Blog Award rules together and will reveal seven things about me:

1) I eat crisps with chopsticks when I'm crafting so that I don't get greasy fingers!

2) My favourite colour is pale blue.

3) I am very competitive when it comes to playing games.

4) My dream country to visit is New Zealand.

5) I enjoy watching medical tv dramas.

6) I love the smell of Yankee Candles - Clean Cotton.

7) I love Cadbury's hot chocolate when it's cold outside.

Hope you've enjoyed reading a few things about me :) Now for the hard part, sending on these Blog Awards to seven people:

In no particular order, I would like to pass on the Blog Awards to:

1) Aimes
2) Steph
3) Amanda
4) Aimes, Caryn & Kate
5) Sarah
6) Caryn
7) Sara

Thanks for stopping by, check out the blogs above and see you soon.

Alex

Card Storage Tote (Red, White & Blue).

Morning all,

Hope your week is going well and you haven't been hit by the winter viruses/bugs that's been going around at the moment.

Remember I showed you a sneak peek of the Card Storage Tote recently? Well, I finished making it for a lady that saw the one I gave as a raffle prize for the MacMillan Coffee morning back at the end of September. She loved the original one and asked if I could make one to match her kitchen but requested that it be big enough to fit both A5 and A6 cards inside so I had some tweaking to do!

Below is the finished project which I'm really pleased with. She requested that it be royal blue, red and white, so I used both current colours and the retired Brilliant Blue as it was a perfect colour to match her requirements to complete the Card Storage Tote below:

Large Card Storage Tote



Here's another picture with an insert on show. These monthly card inserts are bigger than the original ones that I have templates for, so I made new matching monthly inserts for the recipient to add special dates for upcoming birthdays and anniversaries to go with the tabs in the same font. With the new Christmas Gift-Giving Bundle Promotion this month, I was fortunate enough to be able to use the new Mistletoe Original Ribbons which match perfectly with her colour scheme :)



Inkpad: Versamark Stamp Pad.
Cardstock: Real Red, Confetti White and Brilliant Blue (retired). Patterns Designer Series Paper - Brilliant Blue (retired).
Accessories: Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Round Tab Extra-Large Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Crop-A-Dile, Big Bite, 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon - Real Red, Mistletoe Originals Ribbon, Jumbo Eyelets - Pewter, Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Emboss - Clear, Heat Tool, Bone Folder and Paper Snips.
Card Storage Tote Size: 8" x 8" x 4".

Hope you like. Have a good day.

Bye for now,

Alex

Monday Morning

Morning all :)

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend and managed to spend some time crafting :) I haven't managed to do much personal crafting this weekend, but I have got really organised and have prepped for my next Stampin' Up! Class which takes place on Saturday 4 December which is just under two weeks away.

I normally email out the projects that will be made by the ladies the weekend before the class, so for those of you attending, look out for an email with a picture attachment from me this Friday and sneak peeks here in due course :)

I have a full class for December, so depending on the interest/response I may be holding another session in the afternoon to accommodate more crafters wanting to join in on my Christmas themed class!

Please let me know if you're local and would like to join in making a couple of Christmas related goodies.

Take care,

Bye for now,

Alex

Season of Joy Card

Evening everyone,

Hope your Friday has been a good one and you're planning some crafting over the weekend :)

Just wanted to pop by with a quick upload of the second card the ladies made at my recent Evening Session. Below is a card that has been inspired and tweaked from a card I saw online:

Season of Joy


Stamps: Season of Joy and Polka Dot Background stamp (retired).
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Night of Navy and Whisper White.
Inkpad: Night of Navy and Whisper White.
Accessories: 1" Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, 5/8" Satin Ribbon - Whisper White, Bone Folder, Paper Snips and 3D Dimensionals.
Card Size: A6.

Have a great weekend!

Bye for now,

Alex

Season of Joy Card

Morning all,

Hope your week is going well and you're looking forward to the remaining few days before the weekend :) I don't know about you, but November seems to be flying by too quickly and before I know it, I'll blink and it'll be December already!

Last night I had my monthly Wednesday Evening Session. The ladies came and crafted, making two Christmas cards based on the Season of Joy stamp set. As promised, below is one of the cards made last night. Sorry for the poor picture, but with the early dark nights, it's hard to take photos in natural daylight until the weekends. The card below was inspired by a card I saw online, with a few changes here and there. I used my new Scallop Trim Border Punch and the lovely new ribbon which is free as part of the Christmas Gift-Giving Bundle promotion this month.

Season of Joy


Stamps: Season of Joy.
Cardstock: Real Red, Old Olive and Whisper White. Pattterns Designer Series Paper - Old Olive (retired).
Inkpad: Old Olive and Real Red.
Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Stampin' Write Markers - Daffodil Delight and Chocolate Chip, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, Mistletoe Ribbons Original, Bone Folder, Paper Snips and 3D Dimensionals.
Card Size: A6.

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a good day and pop back tomorrow for the second card that the ladies made from the Wednesday Evening Session.

Bye for now,

Alex

Monday Morning

Hi all,

Hope you've had a good weekend and were busy crafting or staying warm inside :)

These past few days I haven't done as much crafting as I would have liked, but I did have some great crafty news which brightened and started my Sunday off to a good start. I entered Sally's blog candy competition. Like so many of you, I entered without thinking I'd ever be picked.... but guess what.... I was! What a lovely start to my Sunday morning, to open up my email to find that I had been randomly picked to win the Hougie Board. I've not used or had a proper look at one of these boards in real life before, but it's winging it's way to me very soon - how cool is that?!? I was thrilled to say the least - thank you Sally for your generousity. Please check out Sally's blog here as she creates wonderful cards and does a lot for a good cause.

So, this week is another busy week for me. This Wednesday I will be holding my next monthly Evening Session where crafters local to me come over and craft for a couple of hours in the company of others without the distractions at home. Yesterday I was busy prepping for the card kits that the ladies can choose to make and so check back on Thursday to reveal the cards made :)

Hope you're getting on with your Christmas cards. I'm slowly but surely getting there and I'm loving Contempo Christmas with the matching co-ordinating punch to create numerous Christmas cards along with my new stamp set that I've recently purchased called Delightful Decorations which is part of the Christmas Gift-Giving Bundle on offer this month.

If you'd like to join in my Christmas Wish List Service, purchase a Gift Voucher, or order any products from the Idea Book & Catalogues, please let me know :)

Take care.

Bye for now,

Alex

Sneak Peek - Project

Yeah, it's nearly the weekend everyone :) Happy Friday people.

I have been playing with my new ribbon - Mistletoe which is part of the current November/December Promotion of the Christmas Gift-Giving Bundle, see here. I joined in a bundle with one of my ladies so that we could both benefit from the promotion and so we both were able to share this ribbon between us :)

I can't reveal the whole picture yet (it's not quite complete), but I just wanted to show you a sneak peek of what I've been working on for a commission lately. The colour combo that I was asked to do just so happens to co-incide with the Mistletoe ribbon, how could I not use this gorgeous ribbon for the project then! :) Enjoy the sneak peek and be back early next week for the picture in full.

Sneak Peak


If you'd like to take me up on the Christmas Gift-Giving Bundle and earn yourself a FREE spool of ribbon or two, please email me soon.

Have a good day and weekend!

Bye for now,

Alex

Happy 40th Birthday

Morning all,

Hope your week is going well and you're getting used to the dark mornings and the nights drawing in.

Recently was asked to make a birthday card for a daughter celebrating her 40th birthday and seeing as it was on Monday, I think it's safe to post here now. This is what I came up with after being told a few things she'd like:

40th Birthday Card


Cardstock: Real Red and Whisper White. Grooms Speciality Paper (retired).
Accessories: 5/8" Satin Ribbon - Real Red, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Bone Folder, Paper Snips and 3D Dimensionals.
Card Size: A5.

Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy your day.

Alex

Happy Birthday!

Hi all,

Well hope you're all keeping well and looking forward to what today may bring :)

Today is a special lady's birthday and one of her favourite colours is Melon Mambo (I couldn't agree more). Towards the end of last month I was really organised and made a couple of birthday cards in advance for a few birthdays I have this month, so here's one I made earlier:

Birthday Card


Stamps: Playful Pieces (Level 3 Hostess Set) and Afterthoughts (Level 1 Hostess Set).
Cardstock: Melon Mambo and Whisper White.
Inkpad: Melon Mambo and Daffodil Delight.
Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, 1/2" Polka Dot Ribbon - Melon Mambo (retired), Bone Folder, Paper Snips, 3D Dimensionals and Cross Stitch Thread - White.
Card Size: A6.

Have a great day Janet and hope all your wishes come true.

Alex

Stampin' Up! Class - earlier today

Afternoon everyone,

Had a lovely morning with my ladies making things for Christmas in my monthly Stampin' Up! Class. Using Contempo Christmas stamp set and the co-ordinating punch and the lovely Jolly Holiday DSP, the ladies created the following card and box:

Contempo Christmas Card


Stamps: Contempo Christmas (set of 4 stamps, P25).
Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive and Very Vanilla . Designer Series Paper - Jolly Holiday (P.90).
Inkpad: Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive.
Accessories: Ornament Extra-Large Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Linen Thread, 5/8" Satin Ribbon - Old Olive, Bone Folder, Paper Snips and 3D Dimensionals.
Card Size: A6.

3D Ornament Box


Cardstock: Old Olive and Very Vanilla. Designer Series Paper - Jolly Holiday.
Inkpad: Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive.
Accessories: Ornament Extra-Large Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Linen Thread, Window Sheets, Sponge Dauber, Bone Folder, Paper Snips, Mini Glue Dots, 3D Dimensionals.
Box Size: 3-5/8" x 2-1/2" x 2-1/2".

Here are the projects side by side:


Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your weekend. I am placing orders this weekend, so please let me know if you'd like anything.

Bye for now,

Alex

Contempo Christmas Card - Blues Part 2

Morning all,

Yipee, it's Friday, and as some of you know, Stampin' Up! European Convention held here in the UK today and tomorrow! Unfortunately, I am unable to attend, but I'll be sure to find out all what's going on from my fellow demonstrators via their iPhones minute by minute :) lol.

As promised, here's the negative of yesterday's card in Night of Navy with Marina Mist. Enjoy!

Contempo Christmas


* Sorry for the photo quality, will take a better one late afternoon.

Stamps: Contempo Christmas and Season of Joy.
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Marina Mist and Whisper White.
Inkpad: Night of Navy.
Accessories: 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon - Night of Navy, Linen Thread, Ornament Extra-Large Punch, Stampin' Write Marker - Marina Mist, Shimmer Paint - Champagne Mist, Sponge Dauber, Bone Folder, Paper Snips and 3D Dimensionals.
Card Size: A6.

Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow with the sneak peeks revealed from my Stampin' Up! Card Class held this weekend.

Until then,

Bye for now.

Alex

Contempo Christmas Card - Blues.

Morning all,

Can't get enough of Contempo Christmas and I'm in the swing of making Christmas cards at the moment, so here's one I made recently in non-traditional Christmas colours: Marina Mist with Night of Navy. Enjoy!

Contempo Christmas


Stamps: Contempo Christmas and Season of Joy.
Cardstock: Marina Mist, Night of Navy and Whisper White.
Inkpad: Marina Mist and Night of Navy.
Accessories: 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon - Marina Mist, Linen Thread, Ornament Extra-Large Punch, Stampin' Write Marker - Marina Mist, Shimmer Paint - Champagne Mist, Sponge Dauber, Bone Folder, Paper Snips and 3D Dimensionals.
Card Size: A6.

Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow with the negative of this card above.

Bye for now,

Alex

Happy 1st Birthday George

Morning all,

Today is a special little boy's 1st birthday so I knew I had to use the much neglected Choo Choo stamp set. I had a look online and saw a great card that I just had to CASE, put my own little spin on a few things and hey presto, here it is below:

Choo Choo Birthday Card


Choo Choo Birthday Card - Inside


Stamps: Choo Choo, All In The Family (Dog), Heard From The Heart (Inside sentiment), Right On Track (wheel) and Wild About You (retired).
Cardstock: Pacific Point, Real Red and Whisper White.
Inkpad: Pacific Point, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede and Basic Grey.
Accessories: Stampin' Around Handle, Colour Spritzer Tool, Stampin' Write Markers - Bashful Blue and Wild Wasabi, Bone Folder, Paper Snips and 3D Dimensionals.
Card Size: A5.

George's Grandparents have a golden retriever dog, so I made sure he was driving the train!

Here's the sentiment stamp set, Heard From The Heart, as seen in the Idea Book & Catalogue on P.74:


Thanks for stopping by,

Bye for now.

Alex

Make A Monster - Girl Birthday Card

Hi everyone,

Here's a recent card I made using Make A Monster stamp set. I changed the colours and made a card suitable for a little girl - afterall, I'm sure not only boys are little monsters!

Make A Monster


Stamps: Make A Monster and Afterthoughts (Level 1 Hostess stamp set).
Cardstock: Pretty In Pink, Rose Red and Whisper White.
Inkpad: Pretty In Pink, Rose Red and Regal Rose.
Accessories: Scallop Trim Punch, 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon - Pretty In Pink, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, Bone Folder, Paper Snips and 3D Dimensionals.
Card Size: A6.

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your day.

Bye for now,

Alex

November Promotion - Bundling Up For Christmas

This post will stay at the top till 29 December

Please scroll down for new posts

Good morning, and wow, welcome to the 1st of November and an exciting offer from Stampin' Up! to get you in the festive spirit.

From today until 29 December, you can purchase any of the following Christmas Gift-Giving Bundles and get a spool of exclusive ribbon for FREE!


Here are the details below:

Gifted Bundle
Gifted Stamp Set (P.23) and Jolly Holiday Designer Series Papers (P.90).
Wood-Mount: 124051 (£35.70) or Clear-Mount: 124052 (£30.70)

Welcome Christmas Bundle
Welcome Christmas Stamp Set (P.27) and Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Paper.
Wood-Mount: 124063 (£36.90) or Clear-Mount: 124064 (£31.90).

Season of Joy Bundle
Season of Joy Stamp Set (P22) and So Swirly Stampin' Around Jumbo Wheel (P.22).
Wood-Mount: 124055 (£36.45).

Delightful Decorations Bundle
Delightful Decorations Stamp Set (P.26) and Sparkle & Shine Jumbo Wheel (P.26).
Wood-Mount: 124058 (£30.45).
Please Note: This bundle has changed from the promotion at the beginning of November. The Extra-Large Ornament Punch (P.105) has been replaced by the Sparkle & Shine jumbo wheel.

Choose from these ribbons for FREE:

Mistletoe Ribbon Originals

Item: 116792. Retail Value £11.50.

Sleigh Bells Ribbon

Item: 116795. Retail Value £8.50.

Riding Hood Red: 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon

Item: 113099. Retail Value £10.25.

Real Red 3/4" Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon

Item: 115608. Retail Value £10.25.


How's that for an offer? Aren't these ribbons just gorgeous!!! Click here if you'd like to see the original pdf file of the samples of the Christmas Cocoa Speciality Papers and spools of ribbons.

Please drop me an email if you'd like to take me up on any of these Christmas Gift-Giving Bundles or if you'd like to place an order with me. You have till 29 December for this offer, so perhaps you'll want to add this to your Wish List? Remember, this promotion is only available until supplies last - so be quick!

Bye for now,

Alex