For You, From Stampin' Up!

Thank you Stampin' Up! Thank you for being so generous! Yesterday I showed you the eight cards I made with the Good as Gold Card Kit, and although I used 11  printed die cut banners on those, there was still a mountain of inspiration left over!

So I began to play, this was my first 'free' leftovers card, 

You won't see it in the photos (sorry my skills are lacking there!) but each banner not only has the sentiment in basic black, printed on whisper white, there are also a double coloured border around each one. This 'For You' one has a thin tangerine tango border followed with a thick pistachio pudding border. So, being one of the things I love most about Stampin' Up! - the colour matching - that's where I started. I picked up my Pistachio pudding stampin marker, and the star stamp from the new Perfect Pennants Stamp Set (133230) and stamped onto whisper white cardstock. I then double matted onto pistachio pudding and whisper white card stock and attached my banner using stampin dimensionals. I then had a topper...and needed a base. I looked at my pistachio pudding file..and there was some lovely nice, untouched coordinations card stock! I'm slightly in love with the two new embossing folders that I've acquired, but since this began as a 'free' card I had to use the FREE Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (Item 133520) from the Sale-A-Bration catalogue. Coordinations is an amazing product, on the outside it colour matches our range, in this instance pistachio pudding, but the core is a coordinating shade, so gives a great two toned effect when displayed! I sanded the tops off the dots and voila an amazingly simple but effective background. All that needed to then be done was mount on whisper white and photograph!

Then I though, I should really have used the 'thin' border colour...so here was my next 'free' left over card.

This time, the sentiment and thick border are both basic black, with a thin pistachio pudding border on the whisper white background. So again, I got the pistachio pudding ink and looked at my stamps... This time it was the banners of the Perfect Pennants Stamp Set that were drawing my attention. In my pile of left over inspiration there was still one of the long thin coloured banners in, yup, you guessed it, pistachio pudding! So after debating spotty or stripes, I decided stripes worked best; so i stamped three stripes* on whisper white card, added the thin pistachio pudding banner, added the printed banner using a stampin dimensional and mounted the whole lot on pistachio pudding card. Onto the base I went, i wanted it to be another green on white affair so that it didn't draw attention away from the sentiment. Another thing I love about Stampin' Up! - the packaging of the stamps! I can see every single stamp i own just by glancing across from my kitchen table! It makes it so much easier to mix and match stamps from different sets. I immediately noticed the stripes on the six sided sampler stamp set (130956). Yes, they coordinate perfectly, no it's not a fluke - it's designed this way!! With two small children, I get very little sleep - there is no way i'm risking stamping a tessellating hexagon pattern on a white card base! But then again, I don't need to, a handy coordinating punch means I can stamp away carefree and worry about them all facing the right direction when it comes to sticking! I decided on my pattern, and using anywhere glue stick (it allows you time to wiggle them to make the pattern perfect!!) the card was done. I trimmed the over-hang and admired another 'free' leftover card!

*Now why am I drawing your attention to my three stripes. Because I was lazy and if I were to make this card again, I would not be as lazy and it would be much improved. As I didn't know at the point of stamping, what my card would end up looking like, I didn't really think about getting the banners straight or inline. I didn't bother getting my Stamp-a-ma-jig from the side next to me, and now it annoys me. Yes i've recovered it well, using the thin coloured banner to draw attention away but still I am embarrassed that I didn't use a tool that could have given me three perfectly beautifully placed banners! So why couldn't I just start again? It was at this point I realised i'd run out of whisper white card...so until Mr UPS comes knocking the stripes will have to stay!

Gold is Good!!

I had an absolute ball with the Good as Gold card kit that is available FREE from the Sale-A-Bration catalogue. 

The kit comes with 8 spotty card bases, 8 envelopes, 8 little gold tags with die cut stars, gold elastic cord, bakers twine, 24 die cut printed banners, 8 coloured banners and 8 Gold envelope liners. 

These are the eight cards I made.

The printed banners say 'Thank you' and 'For you' in English, German and French. I love the multilingual twist - but it was difficult to decide which banners to use and which to leave out (for now!).

The only thing I found frustrating, was the right hand orientation a little restricive, so I played about with cutting the banners up and created dimensional two ended banners that fitted everywhere! I love the way they gave three banners in every colour way so you can easily mix and match. 

I couldn't believe when I got to the last card, i'd hardly made a dent in the embellishment pile, let alone the fact that I hadn't touched the gold envelope liners! 

As you'll see over the next few days, the kit seemed to go on and on and on. Next time I get item 133512, and there will be a next time ;) I'll probably split the card bases in half and mount them on whisper white to make it go extra far!

New Products!

Today is the day, yup...my first mini catalogue launch. I can finally, share the products I've been working with for the last 3 weeks!

Our spring summer catalogue is now live! You can click above to view it as pdf, or shop here now.

Also launching today is SALE-A-BRATION

Which means that for every £45 you spend, you get to choose a brand new free product! Click on the picture to view your choices!!

Keep checking back for more updates and details!

Katy x x x

Pinkies Blog Hop Sale-a-Bration Banner Post-it note holder

 Thank you for joining us on another Pinkies Blog Hop! We're showcasing lots of gorgeous projects using new Stampin' Up!® products that you can earn free during Sale-a-Bration. Simply use the buttons at the end of each post to keep hopping!

Welcome to Stamp in Somerset! I am so excited to be taking part in my first Sale-a-Bration, it's been quite difficult to decide which of the beautiful products to showcase - so I cheated and am showing two!

Yes, we have a stamp and coordinating punch available for FREE during Sale-a-Bration 2014! Banners are amazing accents to any project, they work for all occations! Here I have used them with the Yippee-Skippee Stamp set, which are my selected stamps of this month to decorate a post-it note holder.

Using the two-step stamping technique (a stamp-a-ma-jig is definitely a worthy investment if your getting the wood stamps for this one!) I stamped a banner border and star in Tangerine Tango on So Safron Cardstock, before punching the banners out. I also punched out three banners from some stunning designer series paper *Spring/Summer sneak peak* before mounting on stampin' dimensionals onto some bakers twine.

The box has been created using So Saffron cardstock. The "you can never have too much happy" stamp is one of my favorites from the Yippee-Skippee set, and has been stamped again in Tangerine Tango. I punched two holes in the front, creating a tie-closure with bakers twine so that it is safe in the bottom of my handbag. I've finished the project by adding some washi tape *another spring/summer sneak peak* around the box and a pencil that fit's nicely inside with the post-it notes.

If you want more details on creating this post-it note holder and to see some different examples please come back next week. Thanks very much for stopping by, it would make me very happy if you would leave me a comment :)

Enjoy the rest of your journey!

Love Katy x

The first Scrapbook Club layout finally revealed

Scrapbook in Somerset's first club night on January 17th 2014 has come and gone, which means I can finally reveal the layout! 

The kit contained two 12x12" sheets of Very Vanilla Cardstock, 2 sheets of 12x12" Double sided Designer Series Paper from the Afternoon Picnic range and 13" of Wisteria Wonder Ribbon. Also included were the instruction to create this page.

I then used the label love stamp set and coordinating artisan label punch, with our hostess banner greetings stamp set, to create the beautiful title. 

Finally, I added my photo's and included lots of journaling using my stampin markers to explain what the photos are all about. 

What do you think? 

I'd love your opinion on the kit and layout!

This kit is still available for £7 including postage within the uk. If you'd like to order, or find out more about joining my scrapbooking club, contact me here!

What is Scrapbooking?

As you may be aware, during 2014 I'm running a scrapbooking class each month. It includes a kit and full instructions, it can be done on the night, where you also get use of a variety of Stampin up goodies or can be posted for those unable to make it.

But what is scrapbooking? 

Well, essentially, it's using pretty things to record memories, moments, milestones. 

Usually a scrapper would use photos to add impact but there are some great examples out there without any photos. Sometimes postcards, leaflets, letters or other paraphernalia are much more effective at capturing a moment or mood. The thing I love most about scrapbooking is there are no rules, you can use what you like, record anything and importantly it can be any size! I generally work in 12" square but 8" square is fast becoming quite a favorite too! In the past i've scrapped in A4, A5, A6, 8.5" by 11" (America's version of A4!) and squares in a variety of size. I've made whole albums of certain occasions, weddings, holidays, university but generally I scrap page by page. Working on what ever I fancy, fluttering between subjects, and then I just group the pages by years. 

In my latest page (shown above) I've used the Afternoon Picnic Designer Series Paper, with Very Vanilla, Wisteria Wonder and Pear Pizzazz Card. I used the hexagon punch and the apothecary art framelits. I also used the coastal cabana stampin write marker for my journaling, our rhinestones to add some detail and some stampin dimensionals to give the page depth. 

Finally, I stamped the title from this months selected stamps Yippee-Skippy

Remember if you order this set, in digital, wood or clear from me during January 2014 you get a free card making kit.

This months scrapbook class is on Friday 17th January 2014, in Wellington, Somerset at 7:30pm and costs £7. For more details, or to book, please get in touch.

Love Katy x x x

Yippee-Skippy ; January's selected stamps!

Selected stamps?? What does that mean? Well for each month of 2014 I will be highlighting a particular stamp set, starting off this month with the lovely Yippee-Skippy!

Yippee-skippy is a set of 6 stamps, which I have in clear, that have really lovely phrases on them...

Over the next few weeks, I'll be showing you a few projects that I've made with these. Some with the stamps, just as they are, but keep an eye out for projects using just part of the stamps....

Oh and I nearly forgot, not only do you get all this wonderful inspiration...if you order these stamps during January (wood 131341 £16.95, clear 131344 £13.95) you will get a free card making kit to get you going with these 

Stamps!!

This and that seasons of style journal

Christmas is over, 2014 is here, why am I talking about a Christmas journal? Well, I spent the first day of the new year filling in any blank spaces with happy memories!

Here is the cover I of the this and that seasons of style journal (item  132277 £9.95 ) decorated back in November

I'm not really a pockets type of girl (I like to see everything!) so I pulled out the first page and replaced it with one from further in the book. Then I added journaling, photos and embellishments to any blank spaces.

Within it I used the seasons of style range of products, the designed series paper (item 132340 £9.95), the journaling tags (item 132808 £4.50) and the washi tape (item 132155 £4.50).

I used it to record memories of our Christmas craft weekend away,

I used it as a space to record the cards I'd made this year

I added in special cards that had been created for us, 

I journaled about what had made me happy, shopping trips with friends, craft fairs.

Because of our colour coordination, I could use our card stock, ribbon, markers, ink and it all coordinated perfectly.

Oops! I've not filled in what the boys received yet...and this year I wrapped some presents in specific paper so I didn't have to label as I went along...so as well as covering the gift lists from nosey eyes back in December - it's now a record of what lovely (read Christmas tacky!!) paper I used! 

I used it to record the wrapping I'd done this year,

The commissions I'd received,

The creative ideas I'd actually got around to using.

And then it was onto Christmas Day itself

It was the first Christmas all the Freeman's were together, so I wanted to make sure I included everyone.

A recording little moments that might get forgotton,

And mainly being a record for the future for my boys when they are older!

So that was my journal - I'd used it as intended in December - it was my diary, reminder, life - guide. It contains a record of what we did in December as a family, it has lists of the cards we wrote, the cards we received, the gifts we gave. And now I will always be able to see and share what life was like at Christmas 2013.

Remember you can still order from the seasonal catalogue until 1st February, so why not record last years fun or get a head start for this year?

Much love

Katy x