Quick apology

Just a quick apology lovely crafters.

Due to technical difficulties and a teething baby my first scrappy embellishment feature Make It Thursday will be making an appearance tomorrow ;0)

Sorry for the day delay.

Happy Crafting ;0)

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A whole new bloggy outlook

Hello and good afternoon to all my crafty readers.

So here we are. The first day of my new blog. A new look and a new outlook. Just in time for all the exciting upcoming promotions with Stampin' Up! (I cannot wait for Sale-A-Bration to start next week! Woo hoo!)

After some careful thought and consideration I have decided to change the Stampin' Up! crafty focus of my blog to focus on scrapbooking with my family. I love all things papercrafty, but my heart belongs to scrapbooking. And especially scrapbooking my lovely little one, Summer. And with a pile of photos that I'm almost too afraid to admit to waiting to be scrapbooked I decided to rebrand Stampin' Sarah with a focus on layouts, embellishments and family photos.

I am often asked about scrapbooking and how to get started. A lot of people I speak to are often daunted by a 12"x12" blank page so in the following weeks and months I am going to share different ways to plan a page and create a beautiful layout, whether that be a colour combination starting point, a sketch challenge or doing justice to your extra special photos. Each Tuesday I will be sharing a layout I have created using Stampin' Up! papers, embellishments, stamps, die-cuts, ribbons (just about anything I can lay my hands on!). And each Thursday I will be sharing a technique for creating your own handmade embellishments for decorating your pages and giving step by step instructions. And in between whiles there will still be odd cardmaking and papercrafting tidbits from my papercrafting world.

I have had a sneak preview of the new Spring Summer catalogue and it is JAM PACKED full of beautiful embellishments and accessories for scrapbooking. Now is the perfect time to start your scrapbooking journey with Stampin' Up! and I would be more than happy to help you get started. I am offering a Monthly Scrapbooking Virtual Club to create special monthly pages (£15 per month + £2.50 postage to include everything you need to create 2 x 12"x12" layouts plus a few extras AND you will receive a free Stampin' Up! album in month 10 to store all your layouts in). I am also offering scrapbook specific workshops throughout the year, so if you book a party with me feel free to request a scrapbooking theme and I will give you and your friends an introduction to scrapbooking and creatively recording your memories.

But enough of the talking and small print. I will be posting more about those changes as and when it comes to it (although should you wish to sign up to my virtual club or book a scrapbooking party, please get in touch directly and we can chat some more on poulton_sarah@yahoo.co.uk or 01983 609249). Lets get on with some Tuesday inspiration scrapbooking.

At this time of year we all have Christmas-y photos on our cameras waiting to be printed. And what better excuse to get them printed than to get started with your scrapbooking journey. I usually use an online print company such as Photobox or Snapfish to print mine, or if I am in a rush to scrapbook something I pop to the instant print Kodak machine in Boots (these are brilliant as you can edit and crop the picture onscreen).

For my first Scrappy Try It Tuesday I decided to use one of the fabulous Simply Scrapping Kits from the Autumn Winter catalogue, Snowflake Season (£8.95 126921 Snowflake Season Simply Scrappin' Layout Kit). As an absolute beginner to scrapbooking these kits are perfect for getting you started as they contain 12"x12" cardstock, plus embellishments, and photos to follow to recreate the layouts. For a more experienced scrapbooker they are also a quick and easy way to scrap pictures with additional embellishments to allow your to change and personalise your pages.

Here is how the layout guidelines look:

And here is my take on the pages:

I used the basic page layout and changed the placement of embellishments to suit the orientation of my photos. I just love the miniature pegs to hang my photo to the ribbon clothesline. These kits contain exclusive papers, die cuts and embellishments, created especially for these scrapbooking pages. So you won't always see these extras included in the main catalogue. They are created with your special pictures in mind.

This kit is only available from the Autumn Winter catalogue until the end of January (last orders are to be placed by 1pm on January 31st) so get in touch asap if you'd like to order one for your Christmas photos.

Pop back on Thursday for the first of my Make It Thursday features and I hope you've enjoyed my new style blog today.

Happy Scrappin' 

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Welcome to 2013

Well what a lot of lovely new offers and products from Stampin' Up! The 25th year anniversary is already shaping up to be a great one. Lots more news to come in the upcoming weeks but in the mean time get in touch to make the most of the fantastic Valentines promotion I outlined in my last post (more info here).

Now for a bit of New Year crafting. Over the festive period there were a grand total of 4 babies born in and around my circle of friends (with a further few due in January!)- Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day. So I have been busy making Congratulatory New Baby cards. The first of which below is for my downline Lorraine (check out her blog here) whose little boy I cannot wait to meet. Due to time restrictions over the festive period I had a quick look on Splitcoast Stampers for a little inspiration and found this fabulous card by Amanda Mertz in the USA. I knew I wanted to stamp with the perfect Two By Two A La Carte stamp from the Annual Catalogue. This was the first stamp I purchased on the release of the new catalogue as it stood out as just so lovely.

I decided to stamp a series of the main image on to Whisper White and make several similar cards. I coloured the image with my Watercolour Pencils and blended with a blender pen and then cut each image using my Window Framelits.

 The Soft Suede card base is embossed with the Woodgrain folder and the strips of DSP are from the Orchard Harvest & Howlstooth and Scaringbone collections.

This second card was a larger square version without the embossing and with wider DSP strips. This is to celebrate my friends Natalie and Will's new arrival on New Years Day. He is a special little boy due to sharing his birthday with me. All the best babies are born on New Years Day ;0)

Thanks for popping by today and changes are still afoot in the Stampin' Sarah camp. I will be back with all the news soon. Please get in touch with any questions you may have or to order products direct: poulton_sarah@yahoo.co.uk or 01983 609249.

Happy Crafting ;0)
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Great New Year promotions from Stampin' Up!

Stampin' Up! are offering a fantastic freebie promotion until January 21st 2013. When you purchase the exclusive Valentines stamp set, My Little Valentine, you will receive the Sealed With Love Simply Sent Kit absolutely FREE!

This set is perfect for Valentines cards and is adaptable for year round occasions. It is only available until January 21st so be sure to get in touch asap to make the most of this fab promotion.

Stampin' Up! have also launched a fantastic new product today called Talking Tag. 

With Talking Tag, you can send a gift that is uniquely you. Talking Tag is a message label you can attach to cards, invitations, gifts . . . anything! Personalise birthday cards, Christmas gifts or even record quick instructions for a recipe. Now your pictures really can say a thousand words!

How to send a voice message:

1. Download the FREE TalkingTag™ App on you smartphone from talkingtag.mobi, iTunes® or Google Play™.
2. Adhere the message tag to your card or gift.
3. Open TalkingTag™ App and scan the code.
4. Record your message (recording starts immediately, so make sure you’re ready!).

You will have the opportunity to listen, re-record, cancel, or confirm your message after you’ve completed recording it. Each label allows up to 60 seconds of a greeting, song, or product message. 

To play the message, recipients will need to download the app and scan the code. Messages are saved for two years, so they can listen to it over and over.

How to Buy Talking Tags:

Buy ‘em by the sheet! You get 10 tags for just 9.50 €/£7.25 (item 129723).

Please get in touch if you have any questions about any of the current promotions and products from Stampin' Up! Contact me on poulton_sarah@yahoo.co.uk or 01983 609249.

Last bit of Christmas Crafting

Well I know it is a little late but I'd like to wish all my blog readers a very Merry Christmas. Thank you all for reading through 2012 and I look forward to sharing more crafty projects with you in the New Year. I have some exciting changes coming up in 2013 and will be structuring my posts so that I update on a regular basis. I have some exciting colour challenges lined up and a regular weekly embellishment tutorial feature planned also. So pop back in early 2013 and I'll have more info to share with you then ;0)

In the mean time, I thought I would share a last bit of Christmas craftiness. I was looking through my computer files and my SD card and thought I would share with you the last crafty projects I found hiding amongst pictures of projects I have already shared with you ;0)

 

This is one of our cards from the December card class. Inspired by an amazing card I saw on Pinterest. I love the stamped background and the white heat embossing over the top. Giving a bit of a swirl with Crumb Cake ink and a dauber over the embossing gives the darkened ink effect.

 

This second card is a stamping only Christmas card that can be adapted for any occasion by changing the greeting and colour (see the original inspiration here on Pinterest). This photo hasn't captured the shadow stamping behind the Garden Green swirls. I stamped the swirls first with my Illuminate Glimmer ink pad to give a bit of glittery bling to the card. The swirls, flowers and label are all stamped from the Everything Eleanor stamp set. The colour scheme is Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler.



 

And lastly, here is a project we made in my December workshops using the fab Season of Sweets Designer Kit from the Autumn Winter catalogue. I provided the gingerbread stars and everyone got to take home a lovely little package with a biscuit and gift label.

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you are all having a fabulous festive season and looking forward to what lies ahead in 2013.

And just a quick reminder, I have my new virtual hostess club starting in the New Year. Click here to find out more and get in touch if you'd be interested in signing up ;0)

Happy Festive Crafting and look forward to more craftiness in 2013

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A bit of Christmas craftiness

Happy Saturday morning to you all ;0)

 

Well first I must apologise for the lack of pictures this week of my workshop projects. They have disappeared. I have searched my craft room from corner to corner (and I know I have seen them somewhere!) and cannot find the gift tag and card we made. I am sure they will turn up. But it'll probably be in the New Year knowing my luck.

So instead I will share with you two of our projects from todays card class.

Firstly our 3D project for the month is this hot chocolate wallet.

 

This was inspired by a similar wallet I had seen on Pinterest. I thought as a festive treat for my craft class ladies this would be a lovely little project to make. It is embellished with images stamped from the Scentsational Season stamp set and mittens punched with the Mitten Punch.

 

Secondly, I cased this card from the super talented Vicky over at Crafting Clare. I loved how she had created these baubles using the Serene Silhouettes stamp set so I had a go myself.

Her tip to use a two way glue pen and white embossing powder for the snowfall is absolutely perfect.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope your Christmas-y preparations are going well. We are super excited to get Summer's first Christmas tree this weekend. Pictures to follow once decorated tomorrow. In the mean time, here is a festive pic of my little monkey taken yesterday to celebrate the season.

 

 

Happy Crafting

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And now for something completely different.....

No papercrafting today I am afraid. My lovely school friend Hannah writes a fab parenting blog and she put a ginger challenge out there about a month or so ago. Inspired by the Great British Bake Off she wanted us all to put our thinking caps on and create a Christmasy gingerbread structure. So I set off to search Pinterest for inspiration (click here for my inspiration board). And inspire me it did. But not in an obvious way. I came across the following pic:

Now this is just a tourist souvenir and not at all gingerbready. But it reminded me of our family Christmas in Hawaii a few years back so I set our recreating it in ginger. And here is the result....

 Now I messaged Hannah a couple of weeks back and promised originality but not a perfect finish and I think I delivered. This was a team effort with my Mum, sister and Summer all pitching in to help and boy did we have fun making it (although who knew gingerbread could be SO tiring!)

I tried to Christmas it up a bit by making the fairy lights around the roof. I had planned a Father Christmas buried in the sand but I forgot my gingerbread man cutter. So it is a surf shack in the morning sun before it is open for the day (without customers!)

Here is the shop part of the surf shack complete with frothy cold beverages ;0)

The porch had a slight issue as it really didn't want to stay standing. So my surf shack has a bit of rickety character (not unlike the rickety house of Blackgang Chine ;0). But I will definitely enjoy eating it as I splashed out on Fabulous Fingers which are my absolute favourite (and remind me of being pregnant as I ate so many packs- sending Sam out at strange hours to buy them for me!)

Thank you for stopping by today. And if you've got a free minute, definitely pop by Hannah's blog for a read (and you've still got time to enter your own gingerbread creation too!)

And should you be popping by today for Stampin' Up! info, normal service will resume tomorrow with some projects for a party I am doing this afternoon. Please get in touch on 01983 609249 or poulton_sarah@yahoo.co.uk to chat about Stampin' Up! products, hosting a party, joining my virtual hostess club or attending a class locally.

Happy Saturday crafting to all

-XXX-