It's Stampin' Up! Sale A Bration Time!! And FREE DELIVERY offer from The Craft Spa

Yes it is that great time of the Stampin' Up! year where we get to SaleABrate and earn free stamp sets. Simply put.......

Spend £45 on Stampin' Up! products and get a free limited-edition stamp set (c£18 value)
Spend £90 for 2 free stamp sets etc.
4 sets to choose from.
Here is the leaflet showing you the 4 sets that you can choose from Sale A Bration Leaflet 2011- but (hopefully) they are also pictured below


In addition...... spend over £70 and you will get free delivery ( normally £4.95) This free delivery offer applies until 24 Jan 2011.  This is an exclusive offer from The Craft Spa and is not associated in any way with Stampin' Up!

I will be placing an order tomorrow (1st Jan and then 25 Jan..... but orders can be placed at any time with delivery direct to you.


Or for those of you thinking about joining my Craft Therapists team and signing up with Stampin' Up!.
Choose an extra stamp set worth up to £44.95 with your starter kit. So that's over £290's worth of goods for just £119
And 20% discount on all you SU! goodies thereafter ( 30% on your 1st order)
Just contact me for more details and an order form......


So here are this years' limited edition stamp sets. Only available until 28 February 2011.

PUNCH BUNCH -

SO HAPPY FOR YOU

BLISS

SWEET SUMMER

(don't know why this image looks more faded!! Isn't in real life!!)



Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year for 2011.....

This was an idea inspired by the beautiful non-Christmas card made by Teneale Williams back in September 2010 - check Teneale's card out for a lovely wedding or anniversary card.

http://www.tenealewilliams.com.au/wp02/2010/09/17/no-longer-an-inkspiration/.

My card is made up using a Craftwork Cards 8" scalloped card blank and the Stampin' Up! Bird Punch and Welcome Christmas stamp set for the greeting.

Santa After Eight Treat Holder - The HOW TO !!!

As promised earlier in the week I am finally posting the details for the Santa After Eight holder.  Sorry for the delay... but snow is still affecting life!!!

So the box is as simple as it comes...... just .....

1. Cut a 10 x 14cm panel of Real Red cardstock
2. Score Landscape at 6 and 8 cm  ( ie 14cm across the top)
3. Score Portrait at 2 and 8 cm ( ie 10cm across the top)
4. Score, cut & adhere to form box

The punches used are detailed in the original post below but I have also attached a Punch Card Sheet for those of you that prefer something visual!!

And just in case you can't see the dimensions on the card - the white scallop trim is 3/4" x 6 1/2" ( then scallop edge punched)  and the ribbon is 6 1/4" long .

May your Christmas table be full of Santas too!!!!

Santa After Eight Treat Holder

Gosh I am getting lots of lovely comments and emails about my little Santa box... thank you one and all... I am well chuffed!! Keep them coming..... lovely comments about things I have made always make me feel SO happy......

So I will aim to get some details on here in the next few days as he really is pretty simple to make!! Though if the 2 -3 hour school runs continue this week it may be the weekend......

Newsprint DSP Mini Books

Just a quick post with quite a lot of photos....

This is the class we are doing this Saturday - though I am afraid that I am fully booked for the session.  So we will be doing 3 mini books using the combination of Newsprint DSP; Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla and  Basic Black cardstocks - with a bit of Baja Breeze on one of the projects.....

Edited to Add 30 March 2011....  I used some basics of this book with a lot of tweaks.... for my Baby Boy Mini Book using the Nursery Suite of papers & Quick Accents  - just see the inner page with the wonderful scalloped border 12x12 page!!!! 

The Notably Ornate Frame book is inspired by a design from Kimberly Van Diepen from the Holiday Helper series that Debbie McNeill offers. This was just perfect for what I had in mind.... so I followed the tutorial and made up my book... and then LOL!!! There was an alternative book at the end of the tutorial... using the Newsprint DSP.... and the similarity of the front cover is SPOOKY!!! Thanks Meg Loven, Kimberly and Debbie  - I like your taste!!

If you are a demonstrator you can sign-up to receive the Holiday Helper series at http://debbiemcneill.com/store/?p=341.

The Fancy Goods book is using a clear DVD case with the insert taken out. I bought a load of these DVD cases for clear stanp storage....and I haven't got around to sorting those clear stamps yet... so thought it was time for an alternative use.  The actual booklet is just made up of clear card protection bags.

The Road Trip book is made using a tutorial for a Scrapbook Wallet to be found in the Resources section of Splitcoast Stampers.  Hopefully a link here. http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/scrapbookwallet/

The travel related stamps I used are not Stampin' Up!

Christmas Sweet Treats

Just finished 3 of the projects we will be doing in next week's session so thought it was time to post something for a change!!

So it is chocolate treats time! We will be making a Xmas Pud punch art holder, an After Eights Santa box punch art holder and a simple wrapped chocolate bar.

So first of all Santa holding 3 After Eight mints - I will be making more of these for my Christmas Eve table!! Check out the new black 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon - I have been waiting for SU! to stock black ribbon since becoming a demo - so I am SO happy to see this! And even better SU! are now carrying all of the ribbons in black.

( apart from the 5  In Color ribbons - of which more details will be coming soon) 

What you can't really see on the photo is that Santa is also wearing small oval black boots!! Yes we finally have the smaller oval punch in the UK new catalogue too..... The arms are also made using this smaller oval punch ( along with the 1/2" circle punch for the hands and the small heart punch for the cuff)  But sadly the 1/4" punch used for the buttons is not available anymore!

And here is my favourite - my little Xmas Pud.... originally designed to hold a Ferrero Rocher but it got even better when I went to Tescos and found.... yes a chocolate Christmas pud! Perfect....

The pud is made from the 1 3/4" circle punch with part of a scalloped circle to represent the white sauce - along with "merry" from the gorgeous Tiny Tags stamp set punched out with the small Jewellery Tag punch and a berry using the 1/4" circle punch. Looks good enough to eat!!

And then finally we have the wrapped chocolate bar. I have purposely kept this VERY simple and I have also used some Christmas papers that are sadly no longer available.

But check out the scallop circle stamp in the new Perfect Punches stamp set ( page 66) - one of my favourite new sets as there are lots of different greetings that co-ordinate with the SU! punches - built for speed!!!

Better go and finish my other project(s) for the class.... My biggest problem now is that I have loads more projects  that I really want to do ( and the chocolate/treats to do them with!!!) .... but we will only be able to complete another 1 or 2 in the 2 1/2hours session....... Maybe I will have to squeeze a Sweet Treats II session in...! Or maybe I just decide which chocolates Joe and I prefer to eat - and just eat them....!!

New Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue 2010-11

Well finally it is the 1st October ..... and I have the new Idea Book and Catalogue to share with you. Lots & lots more stamps, papers, punches, ribbons and embellishments galore.......

Just click the picture of the catalogue on the left hand side to go straight to the on-line copy or email  me to get a copy posted straight out to you for £4.50. ( £3 if you can collect) - or I will give you a free copy if you place an order of more than £50 or join one of my Stampers Clubs..... just email me for more details.....

I intend to post a few projects and more details of new products in this catalogue over the next week - though I am busily finishing off my Christmas Little Treats projects for the class on Monday first.....

But the first news I will share is that Stampin' Up! now do the extra option of CLEAR MOUNT STAMPS for us in the UK. Great price, great packaging and awesome clear stamp blocks...... The Clear Mount option is available for many of the stamp sets...... though not all...

House Box Class Sat 21st August - Home Made

I have just finished the project for the House Box class so thought I'd post a peek here. There are still spaces if anyone would like to join us - or I can easily prepare a Kit to Go for you. Both will be £10 plus any relevant postage.

Slight departure from the norm here - as the template and the main stamp set are both from Papertrey Ink - both of these are called Home Made. Another early birthday present from America.......

I have also used Flowersoft for the first time - both on the window ledges and the topiary bushes at the front door.

The house is made from Stampin' Up! Sahara Sand cardstock; the ribbon is also SU! - Soft Suede polka dot which I love! and I have used the tree from the SU! Forest Friends set on the back - this is double stamped and layered up to make it appear taller than it really is!!!  

Just need to make up a clean & simple card to match - and then we are good to go!

Craft Spa Workout - Stationery

Now don't faint.... yes.. I am actually posting something.... and I am actually posting the projects from this week's session a whole day before I do the first session!!

So this week is Stationery - and we will be doing a mouse mat; a double notebook and pencil holder; a post it note holder  - and a notecards booklet.

So first off is the mousemat. I have used the On A Pedestal stamp set and the gorgeous Night & Day speciality papers along with Real Red and Old Olive. The flower is from the Die Cut Blooms pack ( flowers also in Bashful Blue; Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive) The leaves are punched using the 5 petal flower punch.

Secondly the notebook and pencil holder.  I have used the Sweet Pea paper pack along with Taken with Teal cardstock ( which I will be SO upset to see retire in September) The stamps used on the front are from the Take Note set by Papertrey Ink.. which I was sent as an early birthday present. Mmmmm!

The pencil is wrapped with just a 1" wide strip of the Sweet Pea paper. Our Tombow glue just can't be beaten for gluing stuff like this!!  I didn't even have to use pegs to hold it all together - it really does just take a few seconds for this glue to grab and hold.....

Inside I have used the Trendy Trees stamp set ( which is still one of my most used and favourite Stampin' Up!stamps!!) - along with some more stamps from the PTI Take Note set.

This double notebook and pencil holder was inspired by a similar one posted by Nichole Heady using the PTI Take Note stamp set when it was released in January 2010.  However the sizes are different to her template as the notebooks are a different size and I wanted a higher pencil holder so it kept a tighter fit around the pencil.

And then my handbag post it note holder. I used the Brighton inspired handbag template from Becky Roberts blog. (aka Inking Idaho) This template was a perfect fit for a standard 3" square post it note pad and it is one of a set of 3 of the most gorgeous TRES CHIC handbags for which Becky does a tutorial. So 2 more of these will be appearing on here at some point!! 

The papers are from the Sunny Day Scrappin' Kit.

The Stamp set is Hello Again - which I have used on the bag closure and on every page of the post it note pad.... this set is lovely little useful one ( 5 stamps for just £9.95).  Though the Jot this DOWN wording is another stamp from the PTI Take Note set.

And last but not least - the NoteCard Book - this is just a supermarker bought little booklet containing 4 colours of study cards.

I used various papers from the Tea & Crumpets paper pack to cover the front and back of the book along with the PTI Take Note stamp set again - and the gorgeous All A Flutter butterfly stamp. The Spiral punch was great for this project - the holes lined up perfectly with the rings on the book - making the job of covering the booklet SO easy!!!

A few little flowers using the One of a Kind stamp set and the Boho Blossoms punch - and 4 tabs for each of the colour cards inside - and it was ready!

And lastly - did you notice this gorgeous butterfly...... I have embossed it using the white embossing powder on the vellum cardstock and then just cut it out - very simple but stunning ( and I am not even a butterfly fancier which I know so many of you fellow crafters are!!!)

Spa Workout - Playing with Inks and Brayers

Just a quick posting of the projects we will be working on this week.  I have never been a inky/messing kind of girl.... but I have really enjoyed doing these 4 projects. And I now wouldn't be without my brayer - or my daubers!! I can't believe that I had the finger daubers for 4 years... tried but not really used... and then something clicked.... and now I can't stop using them - so thank goodness Stampin' Up! sells them in packs of a dozen.......

Firstly, a card that I have CASEd from fellow  Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, Jo Dumbleton 

Jo's cards are linked here .http://stampin-n-stuff.blogspot.com/2010/02/brayered-pocket-silhouettes.html   This has to be my all time favourite brayering sample... so I couldn't ignore it when asked to do a brayering class. I just simplified the base and used the 1/2" circle punch to round the edges. So thank you Jo...... a gorgeous card!

The second project uses the Baby Wipe technique to make a custom ink pad. This was then used to ink up the pheasant from the Autumn Days set - I guess I would get about 25 images from this ink pad... saves a lot of time colouring individually with markers.......

The Field of Corn panel was created using the Emboss Resist Technique and applying Soft Suede ink over the top with an applicator. I then overstamped the corn in Soft Suede ink over the moon and the long grass in Elegant Eggplant. DSP from the Sunny Days kit - and some of the beautiful new Soft Suede polka dot ribbon.

And then we have the Background Stamped & Brayered Emboss Resist Technique ( I think I have probably just made up that name!) But I just loved making this card.

 Quick resume... ink up & stamp French Script background; ink up & stamp Baroque in Versamark over the top & add clear embossing powder, heat. Then brayer over the gorgeous new Rich Razzleberry ink & wipe off with a cloth to reveal the Script background within the Baroque shape. Add the Elegant Thank You greeting punched out as a 1 3/4" circle and the Vintage Vogue flower...... 

This is the taken to another level by also stamping Melon Mambo flowers & Old Olive leaves from the Vintage Vogue set over the French Script background before applying the emboss resist Baroque image over the top.

And lastly a simple treat bag with a Trendy Tree on the hills with a sun..... but this one was daubed and not brayered... which still works for me....

And now I need to rush off.... my son needs picking up from school an hour earlier than planned..... so I have to be off!!

Night & Day Cantilever Box

Edited to Add August 2014.... I am now able to sell the tutorial for this Handled Cantilever Box.. just click on the Email Me link to the to RHS to arrange your copy.....

Here is the cantilever box (or sewing or tool box) that we will be doing in next weeks workouts. So this is what you will (or can ...) be making next Monday night and Tuesday morning (24/25 May) This box uses the gorgeous Night and Day speciality papers & Taken with Teal and Basic Black cardstock. Just a little addition of some diecut felt from my stash and a stamped Circle of Friendship greeting - and voila!

A big thanks needs to go to Sarah Bonsell for her fabulous tutorial on this Cantilever Box. Find it here..... http://wwwcardoasis.blogspot.com/

I just love this box - though I added the handles to Sarah's work ( just by scoring and gluing two 9" by 1" pieces of cardstock in half and then scoring at 2 1/2" and 6 1/2")

Here are some other photos to show the box partly open and fully open. What will you put in yours???

BLOG HOP Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue...New Products!

Welcome to The Craft Spa for those of you that have hopped across from Keren's blog and for those of you starting here..... just a few words to explain!!

A group of 15 extremely talented Stampin' Up! demonstrators have got ourselves organised ( via the forum In Love with Stamping) in the form of a blog hop to show you some projects using products from the new Stampin' Up! mini catalogue. These products are available from 1st April.

Firstly I have a little birdcage to show you..... I have used the NEW Solid Stripe background stamp ( Page 23; item code 115707) to stamp the bars... and the fabulous NEW punch - the Extra Large Two Step Bird ( Page 6; item code 117191) to punch the bird and the wings ( there is also a lovely leaf/branch as part of this punch as well....mmm!) I have then stamped the bird and wing using the NEW Fine Flourish background stamp ( page 23; item code 115709) to just give a bit more fine detail.... The cage door is made using the Tag punch and the hook using the 1/2" circle punch and then the Scalloped Oval punched around ( all of these are on pages 88-89 in the main catty) This is all produced using one of the 3x3 Love Note Cards... so cute!!

And now a couple of treats for Easter....

A wrapped large Aero Bubble bar where I have used the leaf from the Bird Punch and the fantastic Jewellery Tag punch. The papers are from the 48 page Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Stack ( page 13; item code 117161) These papers are all wonderful... I think you will be seeing a lot of these......


And lastly a super box using Lauren Meaders In A Pinch Template with the new Vintage Vogue stamp set ( Page 14; item code 117690)

And now it is time to pass you onto the wonderful creations of Hayley - you can either press the Blog Hop icon below

(or in case of any problems with that link......go here..... Hayley's Blog  )

Clippy Photo Bag Revisited

Oh what an exciting week I have had as a result of the photo bags we did a few weeks ago.

Firstly the bag is going to appear soon on the Clippy web site .... WOW!!!!   How exciting!! And I got to speak to Calypso of Clippy bag fame herself......

Also lots of people have asked me to run the workshop again - so I am happy to oblige.....!!  I have managed to secure further supplies of the bags and so I can still charge £25 for a Craft Spa Clippy Photo Bag. I can also supply extra workshop kits for those interested too.

Please press the Email me button at the top right of my blog if you are interested in attending a workshop for these bags.

I have no actual dates scheduled yet... hopefully towards the end of April and beginning of May. I will provide more details in about 10 days time......

Signing off for now

Easter Treats & Cards Workshop

At last a miracle has occurred....!! I have finished all of my samples for next weeks workshop 3 days prior to the first workshop!!

So ladies... here is what you will be doing next week... a couple of cards and 3 treats..... My son says our  house looks like a chocolate shop at the moment... but the worst shop ever....as he can't have any of the stock!!

So you have the choice of a Tent Topper Card either with the cross from the Special Blessings stamp set ( page 29) or the flowers from the Simply Said set ( page 59) with some extra beautiful flowers using the One of a Kind stamp set ( page 56) punched out with the Boho Blossoms punch.

Also a Centre Step Card using A Good Egg stamp set ( page 25) which has to be my favourite set ever for easter cards. I just think that chick is SO sweet!!

And 3 different Easter treats...

..... a good sized box for filling  with loads of chocolate for someone special!!! This is made using Lauren Meaders In A Pinch template... and the Vintage Vogue stamp set (coming soon!!)

..... a pair of caramel bunnies in a Bunny Treat Flap Holder

.... and last but not least.... a large Aero Bubble chocolate bar in a  SWEET wrapper using the Spot On wheel ( page 40) and die-cut wording and felt flowers

The observant amongst you will notice a few new stamp images, punches and papers amongst these samples... these are coming from Stampin' Up! on the 1st April with the launch of the new mini catalogue. But as always I just couldn't wait to play with my new products... and so they just "snuck" into my workshop samples........!