Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Catherine Carroll

Slim Matchbox Swap

A couple of weeks ago, we had an amazing team weekend in Birmingham. As ever, swaps were a big part of meeting all the new people! I wanted to do something a bit more than a card, and as it was close to Easter a chocolate-containing gift seemed appropriate. Who am I kidding? Chocolate is always appropriate!

Here's what I came up with:

It was really easy to make a slim matchbox tray using the envelope punch board. The sleeve took a couple of attempts to get it right, mainly as I misjudged the thinkness of the naturals ivory cardstock I decided to use.

I kept the decoration quite simple, and the Crumb Cake and Coastal Cabana colour scheme is straight from my favourite Fresh Prints DSP stack. It was just as well I didn't go too over-the-top as I did have to make 22 of them. When will I learn that a card swap is fine?

 

 

 

 

Thank You Candle Box with Sweet Sorbet

Have you got your hands on some Sweet Sorbet DSP yet? I used my absolute favourite pattern from the set to make these lovely candle boxes as thank you gifts for my class ladies.

The scallop tag, stamped with such a useful sentiment from the Simply Celebrate set, fits perfectly into the folded pocket to the right of the box (which contains three scented tealights!).

The ladies all loved the rose created with the scallop flower die - although I think I got more glue on my hands than anywhere else when I was making them!

 

 

 

 

Spring Summer Catalogue Pinkies Blog Hop

Thank you for joining us on another Pinkies Blog Hop! We're showcasing lots of gorgeous projects using products from the new Stampin' Up!® Spring/Summer Catalogue. Simply use the buttons at the end of each post to keep hopping!

I can't believe we are blog hopping again! Haven't the projects so far been amazing? I get to see them all before they are posted, so I always know what inspiration is in store.

The Spring Summer catalogue is so jam-packed with beautiful new products and ideas that I was spoilt for choice when it came to picking just a couple of things to focus on. But.... I managed it in the end and decided on the Just Sayin' stamp set and the coordinating Word Bubbles framelits dies. I'm a sucker for a bundle and a bargain!

I like playing around with negative space, and I knew that the Word Bubbles would be perfect.

The Fresh Prints DSP stack gives a nice burst of colour. The small scale patterns and 5"x7" size make these paper stacks ideal for cardmaking. It means you don't have to cut into a 12"x12" piece just for a card!

I also wanted to see if I could create a texture using the Word Bubbles shapes in a clean white-on-white design. I think I like the effect - do you?

I picked up my Cherry Cobbler cardstock to add some contrast. The teeny tiny heart is in the Just Sayin' set too. These add a Valentine's theme to the card, but use another colour and I think it could work for any occasion.

Next stop on the blog hop is Michelle - if you haven't hopped through all of the blogs yet, I really hope you do and you get to see all the great projects my fellow demonstrators are showing!

 

 

 

 

Sale-a-Bration is here!

It's the most wonderful time of the Stampin' Up! year and everyone can join the party!

From today, each and every £45 earns you a free gift from the Sale-a-Bration catalogue. Not sure what to get? This year they are really helping us out with suggested bundles hitting the magic £45 mark at the start of the brochure. £45 earns you one free gift, £90 earns you two... how many do you want?

If you have a wish list as long as your arm (or even longer!), then have you considered joining Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator? The £99 starter kit allows you to choose £150 worth of catalogue products - that's a whole £20 extra during Sale-a-Bration. I would love to welcome you to my team of demonstrators, whether you want to fund your own SU addiction or start a profitable business.

Hostesses are not left out either - you can earn an extra £25 hostess pounds to spend when you host a qualifying workshop. Get in touch today to book your slot and start inviting friends to spend a lovely evening crafting with amazing products.

Oh, did I forget to mention? The Spring Summer Seasonal catalogue launches today too! So you can earn all the Sale-a-Bration benefits on brand new products!

If you need your very own copy of the catalogue, just email me and I'll post it straight to you. You'll get a Sale-a-Bration booklet too, or how else are you going to choose your free gifts?

 

 

 

 

Love You More!

Today is the last day to get your hands on some wonderful Valentine's sets from Stampin' Up!

My class ladies made this on Friday night, and we agreed that it isn't necessarily a Valentine's card - the cute bird could be used for many ocassions.

I have to say that I surprised myself with the colour combination of Pool Party and Cherry Cobbler, and they do set each other off rather well.

Don't forget to put your order in if you can't be without these stamps! Click here to see the Valentine's sets, just to check...