Secret Projects!

These are the 'secret' projects that I made for Stampin' Up! OnStage at Telford recently.

I'll share them individually eventually and as the new products get introduced.

I was lucky enough to get some new products to play with and have also used a few current items to highlight the new additions.

This card uses the Detailed Floral Thinlits already in the catalogue but uses a new Peekaboo Peach ombre ink pad that will be available in January.

More Swaps and order info

I will be putting in an order at the weekend - possibly the last one from the current catalogue and spring/summer brochure which both end on 2nd June.

Don't forget you can beat the price increases - ink pads are going up to £6.  Not everything is going up, if you want to check any items let me know.

This is the rather nice pile of swaps I got at the weekend.

It's great to get lots of ideas and also to chat to new people - swapping is rather a good ice breaker.

The pictures below are smaller groups of everything above, apologies the top picture is still rather crowded!

Hopefully it gives you an idea of what I got and if you want a closer look of anything let me know.

I will also be trying out a few things though.  The eagle-eyed amongst you might of spotted one or two new 'things' in the stash!

Telford Swaps

Back from a great day yesterday at the Stampin' Up! regional event in Telford - I went up on Friday, it's a bit of a way!!

We got to play with some new products and see cards made with some of the new kits and sets that are coming - they always look better in the flesh.

In case you haven't seen my crazy pictures on Facebook this is the Bloomin' Buds team that made it with 'Chris the super catalogue'!!

Chris works in SU HQ and has answered many queries for me so it was great to meet him 'for real' - even if he was a catalogue for the day - bless him.







More importantly, these are the swaps I made for the day.

They are all made from a 6" strip, cut to fit the tag topper punch and scored 4 times to make a little 'holder'.

I've used 4 of the 5 in colours for 2014-2016 and the stamp set Kinda Eclectic.

This is the front view also showing what each little gift contains.

This is the back view.

This is a side view when they were carrying their goodies!

I've added some of the matching in colour satin ribbon and some linen thread to finish them and a gem on the front butterflies - which of course were both punched out with matching punches.

I had 60 swaps so have now replaced these with 60 more super ideas which I will share next time.

Thanks for looking.

My swaps

Lots going on with Stampin' Up! at the moment -
Don't forget the tempting Weekly Deals.
The Clearance Rack has some very good discounts on some Christmas goodies in particular.
I can order you a new catalogue from this Friday!
The retirement list goes live on Friday - watch this space and get those pennies ready.
Remember that over £60 this month and you can get a free photopolymer set too (although the font set has sold out).

My last post about Telford today (I think).  I finally took a picture of my swaps.

Several posts ago I showed you the card that I made 50 of with the Spiral Spins set.  It was a tad too labour intensive but I got there and in return the following 2 pics show all the goodies I got in return for my swaps.  Rather a good stash and lots of good ideas and new contacts.

More Telford swaps

It was great to meet up with my upline Jenny and lots of the Bloomin' Buds in Telford last weekend.

As well as doing a shoebox swap we were tasked with making a 3D gift for the rest of the group - whatever we wanted, however simple or complicated we wanted to make it.

You can tell when I started browsing the internet for inspiration:

I just had to do these!!  The link for you to make them is here.

I chose this because it appealed to me and I thought it was different to making a box.  I also thought it seemed fairly straightforward - which it is - but making 15 took a small amount of time!!!

I stocked up with creme eggs before Easter to make sure I had some - they have been tempting my husband ever since!

Materials used:

Crushed Curry card & ink

Pumpkin Pie card

Elegant Eggplant ink

Whisper White & Black card

Pansy punch

1" square punch

1 1/4" circle punch

1 3/4" circle punch

3/8" circle punch

3/4" circle punch

Extra-large oval punch

Itty Bitty Banners stamp set & Framelits

This is what 15 look like:

Thanks to Amanda at the Craft Spa for the tutorial - I love them!

Jill

Telford Swaps

It was my first Stampin' Up! event at the weekend at the Regional Event in Telford.  I've heard much talk of swaps at these events - it's a way of sharing your creativity and ideas with others.

You don't have to participate and there is no quantity of swaps that you are required to make if you do join in.
The idea being though if you have some swaps you do just that and 'swap' with another demonstrator so you come home with lots more inspiration.

This was my swap:

It was based on some cards I had seen on line but I played with the set - Spiral Spins - to space out the spirals and have a mix of them on the card (luckily it's just a card front, not a complete card).

It wasn't until I was happy with the design that my idea to use something different rather than just punch some flowers seemed a rather bad one!  As I started stamping all the circles I needed to punch out I realised what I had done and nearly went for a plan b but being the nutter I am I persevered.

It was bonkers, yet many people that got a swap had very pleasing comments and responses so it made it all worthwhile.  Also being nuts I was determined to make 50 to come away with a haul of swaps so I do now have a box of 50 new ideas which I will share in the coming days (one lady had 400!!).

Materials used for this swap were:
Spiral Spins stamp set
Label something stamp set
Whisper White card & craft ink
Smoky Slate card & ink
Island Indigo card & ink
Crushed Curry ink
Dazzling Details
Rhinestone Basic Jewels
Lots of circle punches: Itty Bitty Circle, 1/2", 1", 1 1/4", 1 3/8",  1 3/4" and 7/8" scallop circle punch.

Shoebox card

Friday night I met up with another 13 Bloomin' Bud ladies and we all took a shoebox card - basically a card we had made with a box full of all the necessary for everyone else to recreate it.  The restaurant were very good to use, letting us have the table all evening - between courses!

This was my card:

Colours used are basic black, whisper white and bermuda bay.

I've used the stamp set Spiral Spins as I wanted to do something different.

The card also utilises 3 different circle punches.

Sentiment is from Wetlands stamped in black Stazon and a lovely little bow.
These bows are really simple and I've used paper from the Bright Designer Series Paper pack, click here to watch a YouTube on making the bow.

Jill

Owl badge

Hello - I have returned (and am still rather exhausted).

A quick post today just to share my name badge which I made to take to the Telford Stampin' Up training day yesterday.

The badges had to be no smaller than A7 size (mine is a teensy bit bigger) and have a hole punched for the lanyard we got on registration.

The base card is naturals white and has been overlaid with some baked brown sugar with the hardwood stamp stamped in early espresso.

I've used a circle punch & scallop circle punch to make the 'hole' for the very cute owl to peer out of - so cute!  His chest has a bit of in colour DSP.

I printed my name on the base card and have used the word window and modern label to make a window feature of this too.

Pistachio pudding leaves from the bird punch and some more gorgeous petite petals in crisp cantaloupe & strawberry slush - finished with pearls.

I was quite pleased with it and it's always nice when someone likes it so much they want to take a picture!

Loads more to share another day (what I am allowed to share anyway - I can't show you my lovely free gifts yet, hee hee).