New Spring Summer Kits

Back to sharing more Sneak Peeks from the new Spring Summer (aka Occasions) 2017 catalogue which is due to be released 4th January...

Introducing 2 new kits and a new Project Life collection...

First up, the Birthday Bright kit... 12 super cards & 12 lovely gift tags for birthday gift giving...

All kitted out and ready in a box for you to quickly and easily put together to impress your friends...

Want to see more... here is the product video... just click on the photo below to load...

Second up... the Vertical Garden Kit... a beautiful colourful home decor piece for you...

Again quickly and easily put together from the pieces in the pack...

Want to see more... click on the photo below for the product video...

And finally for today... the new Celebrate Every Day Project Life collection... perfect to decorate and organise your memory keeping for future generations...

Want to see more of the 100 cards and accessories... just click on the photo below for the product video with the quick flick through so you can see all the cards...

In the UK? Want a "hard" copy of the new Catalogue?... just click here to contact me...

Date It stamps & my Monthly Calendar/Planner

Slightly different to the norm... but using my Stampin' Up! stamps in a different way to that initially intended... so Project Life stamps for a Monthly Calendar...

A few of you asked me to show my Monthly Calendar/Planner format in my Bullet Journal (aka BUJO) So seeing as I have just created the pages in my lovely new note book for 2017... it seemed like a timely opportunity to share...

So this is the before version... ie before I start adding my scrawl so that it becomes useful and meaningful to me (and probably only readable by me too!!!)

I use the Project Life Date It stamp set... which  - although intended for Project Life memory keeping use - is SO perfect for this job. Months (in 2 fonts); Days of the Week; Dates and a few others to play with... including the month grid image to the bottom right...

I use a ruler and my Project Life Journalling pens to create my monthly grid over 2 pages in my book.

And Smoky Slate ink to stamp the days and dates as bleed-through is less than with other colours - but I use Bermuda Bay, Real Red and Pear Pizzazz alternately to add colour to the Month header - and washi tape will get added as I go along to create more visual interest...

And as I know someone will ask.... my notebook of choice is the Leuchtturm1917 A5 book with the squared page format. In Emerald colour this year (which is definitely very Bermuda Bay) 

Though look at all the colours you can choose from!!

My favourite features being the squared page format (as so easy to hand draw grids like my monthly calendar format), the numbered pages, the 2 bookmarks and the index pages at the front. 

So there you have it... the start of my 2017 book.... off to scrawl all over it now!

Special Offers... Last week of the Promotion...

 

Last week of the Special Offers promotion... a delight to the Project Lifers...and Layering Ovals dies a must have for you oval lovers!! And don't forget that the Project Life cards can be used  to make your cards too...go here for inspiration for gorgeous cards made with the Hello Lovely cards on this promotion...

Go here for more details and to Shop On Line... and don't forget to check out the newly updated Clearance Rack whilst you are there... though sorry... lots gone already as the products and prices were just too good to miss! You really have to be SO SO quick with the Clearance Rack...

Hello Lovely Project Life Cards not just for Project Life...

A little quartet of Hello Lovely greeting cards & tags...

Made simply from the Hello Lovely Project Life cards and the Time of Year hostess stamp set...

Plus a few ribbon embellishments...

A crafting life can't be simpler...

We made these at our last Quarterly Training... What's not to love... thank you Julie! What a great Project Life card pack for making cards!

And oh look... it's that Martin Miller's gin bottle again.... I wonder if you can you tell what is my my current favourite gin!

Project Life All Year Long & and an update on Baby Bear!

Just thought I would share some more of my early-product-in-the-hands care of Stampin' Up! for my On Stage UK Display Stamper work.... Oh I am loving this collection... and not just for Project Life.... watch this space as the months progress.....

I took this photo of the All Year Long Project Life set at On Stage...

I have to admit that as I had approached the board this collection had actually taken my breath away... it is SO STUNNING... and the graphics in the catalogue -  well they are not... it looks  - well - cough... yuk!!!! Well look again....

Here is a series of photos showing you all the cards in the collection... the accessories should be turning up later today...

 These cards are just perfect for telling your story throughout the year... as the seasons come and go...

And I have to laugh as there a few cards there perfect for adding a little Tardis to!!! Which I know some of you will appreciate!!

Sorry my photos aren't the best.... think I must have been too excited!!! But I am sure you will get the idea...

And oh my word... I have just spotted something unbelievable.... look who has just hit number 10 in My Most Popular Posts down the left hand side of the blog!!! Having got over 2500 blog hits already..... Click on the photo to go to the original post & see him rise further!!! I reckon he might quickly move up a few more positions yet...

Well I never.... That is in less than 60 hours.... I SO SO hope Stampin' Up are on 24 hour Baby Bear production..... he is definitely feeling the LOVE out there on this little ol' blog!!!! #bringingbackthebear ...

Project Life - Sale A Bration Memories in the Making speciality card collection

I was asked what the cards look like in the Memories in the Making Project Life speciality card collection that is free (with  every £45 ordered ) in the Sale A Bration promotion...

There is one thing I will first point out... that I didn't see at all at first glance... the gold foiling you see on the acetate cards when you open the pack... is not just gold... but it is silver on the other side...

How cool is that!!  Unless of course you open the pack the other way round... then you will just see silver... and yes... the gold is then on the flip side!!

Now if you are local to me in the Yorkshire area you are always welcome to come and have a look at them in the flesh....

But I happened upon this video by Stampin Up! which shows you nicely if you are not! Click on the picture to go straight to the video...

So enjoy...it only takes a few minutes... And you get to see all the cards, some layout ideas and a useful technique - or two - too

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10 Tips on Tuesday - Project Life Moments Like These

Well I haven't just got the one tip for you today for my Tuesday Tips, Techniques and Tutorials posts - but 10 instead!!! Hope you find them useful....

Tip no 1 - the Neutrals Paper Stack co-ordinates so perfectly! Top Tip!!

Check out the text on the paper and on the PL cards. It is the same font, spacing and layout - albeit that the words are different... Perfect co-ordination - Thank you Stampin Up!

This is why my Mega Bundle includes half a stack of paper....  Most of the paper stack sheets/colours can be used (just the 3 darker browns that don't co-ordinate  - Chocolate Chip, Early Espresso & Soft Suede)

So you can easily make extra pocket cards...

And you can do this! Just cut up a sheet of paper the size you need to cover a few pockets ( this is 6" wide x 8" high) - mount a photo - decorate as required... cut the sheet to fit in the pockets ...

And as an extra tip... the new In Color Paper Stack also co-ordinates so well in the same way but with the colours - well 3 of the colours  - Mint Macaron, Tip Top Taupe & Watermelon Wonder...

Tip no 2 - Give your pages a colour pop #1 
Colour in random words on the paper/PL cards with your marker pens. You will be amazed at how many words fit the theme of your pocket/page....

Tip no 2 - Give your pages a colour pop #2 
Colour symbols etc on the PL cards with your marker pens

Tip no 3 - Give your journalling a colour pop!
Grab your marker pens and write select words in your journalling in  colour

Or scribble over words instead...

Tip no 4 - How to make those little numbers easy to use! ( My favourite tip!!!)
Set up all 10 number circles on your clear block.
Ink them all up in your first colour eg Black & stamp on a strip of Whisper White card.

Repeat for the length of the strip.

Ink them all up in your 2nd colour eg Mint Macaron. Stamp on a 2nd strip. Repeat for the length.
Same again for 3rd colour eg Tip Top Taupe.
And for 4th eg Watermelon Wonder

When you need a number, grab a pre-stamped strip and a 1/4" circle punch and quickly punch as needed.

Tip no.5  - Need a feature - create it!

I needed a rocket to go next to the Rocket Tower at The Space Centre. No stamp. Could have used Punch Art ...but... a quick look at Build A Birthday and Sprinkles of Life - and all became clear! Blast off! 

Tip no 6 - Neaten up photos with Washi Tape

Got photos with borders at either side. (note that the photo is a collage created by some free software I found - can't remember which one I used now...sorry)

Grab your washi tape and cover up those gaps!

Tip no 7 - Find your logo

Amazing what you can find in a leaflet from the place you visited - or on the web...

Tip no 8 - Index your memories

Make an index card and number your photos too. This index card came in the pack...but I had to cut it in half to fit the page. So my coloured number circles are punches out and popped on top of the pocket....

Tip no 9 - Doodle your art

Label on a photo a bit plain - don't hesitate to doodle around the edge....

Tip no 10 - Leave a clear pocket

Looks great when you can see the next card/photo through a window.

The small square pocket cards in the accessory pack are brilliant for this type of feature.

Do remember that goes for both sides though....

And I could go on and on pointing out tips, features and details on these pages. But I won't or this will become the longest blog post in history!! Needless to say I REALLY enjoyed producing these pages. And now I have a great log of a great day all those years ago...

So where were we? At the National Space Centre in Leicester (UK). A great day out for an 8 year old boy with an inquisitive mind!

But last but not least... I have to show and explain my favourite pages from this day! Precious moments indeed.... especially as he is now 16 and I am lucky if I get one photo a year!

These represent a silly couple of minutes in the cafe... me with my camera out...Joe pulling silly faces and letting me photograph away! 

And then Dad arrived with hot chocolate and Rolos... so there were more silly faces as the Rolo went in... and then finally the face buried into the cup as the hot chocolate became of much more interest...