My favourite Detailed Gates Christmas Card!

So I remade my Christmas Gates card that I shared here (with the Tutorial for you...) as I wanted to use the Boxwood Wreaths... and make it a quicker and simpler card in a class with lots of other projects going on...

Though luckily my brain kicked into gear before I attached the Boxwood Wreath as...with all that dimension... it would never have fit in a standard C6 envelope if I had... so the Christmas Around the World papers came out again... and a simple die-cut but flat wreath & bow was added instead...

And of course... luckily the Halloween Night papers are still in the Clearance Rack for us in Europe.. so the brick sheet in there made the gate posts really easy! I have to admit that more on their way to me and that I have bought a lot of these papers since they have been in the Clearance Rack...

Rest of the details are the same as the original ... apart from the Lanterns which are also care of the Christmas Lamppost dies... which are retiring (sniff! I am so gutted!)... but they are reduced in the Year End Sale by nearly £4...

Though the Full Bundle with the co-ordinating Brightly Lit Christmas stamps is still marginally cheaper if you want the stamps too...

And I will dash a few more of these off prior to my Christmas post... quicker to create than they look... and some already prepped and ready to go ...

Hang your Very Glittery Gold Stocking...

Just as quick to create as yesterdays silver stocking card... but again very striking and effective in the flesh... 

Garden Green stamped pine boughs and greeting from Christmas Pines... 

Gold Glimmer Christmas Stocking die cut stocking popped up using Stampin Dimensionals... 

Finished off with a holly sprig from the Hang Your Stockings stamps (that co-ordinate with the Stockings dies)

Hang Your Silver Foil Stocking...

Something simple and shiny today ... using a couple of my ladies favourite christmas stamps and dies (both featuring in the Annual Catalogue in case you were wondering)

This is one to quickly get christmas cards made if you haven't quite finished...

Die cut aperture in a small square card (10.5cm/US Letter 4 1/4")... with die cut silver foil filigree stocking popped through and stuck down... both care of Christmas Stockings Thinlits dies... (which has co-ordinating Hang Your Stocking stamps)

Silver embossed greeting care of Christmas Pines and a little silver ribbon bow to finish...

Just A Little Note...

 

So this is what I was actually making when I shared this christmas version earlier...  a little note card to send to my online customers last month with their gift to say thank you...

But... first of all... a little apology for my late posting today... but I did need to say these words to you... at the right moment! The second reservation window for the Stamparatus is now open!! 

Nothing to pay now... shipping from mid March 2018. Click here to go straight to my Online Store and reserve yours...

Or click here for the background information on this amazing stamp placement tool and/or click here for all the details on the reservation system (though note there is now no 3rd window to reserve)

So back to my little card... the wreath is from Hello Friend, berries from Hang your Stocking and the greeting and flourish on the envelopes are from Flourishing Phrases...

Though the stamps etc were actually out to make another even quicker project but more on that another day!

And here are the 2 versions together...

Stampin Up Products Used
Stamps - Hello Friend; Hang Your Stocking & Flourishing Phrases
Ribbon - 1/8" Solid Real Red
Inks - Real Red; Versamark
Other - Gold Embossing powder; Very Vanilla notecards & envelopes;

Stamparatus Reservation Window opens 5th December 9pm UK time...

Don't miss yours... the last window was over subscribed and shut in less than 15 minutes... so things will be different this time...

This second reservation window will remain open from 5–31 December; however, during this reservation period Stampin' Up! will take as many orders as they receive and not close the window until 31 December. But reserve as early as possible... you want to be at the front of the queue!

• The reservation window will open at 9:00 p.m. (GMT) on 5 December.
• Beginning 19 March, Stamparatuses will ship in the order the reservations were received (first in, first out) and continue through the next few months and beyond as product arrives in the warehouse. Because shipment dates are based on manufacturing lead times, not all of the reservations made during the 5–31 December window will ship on 19 March 
• One reservation per customer 
• There will not be a third window. This is the last chance for you to reserve a Stamparatus before it becomes available in the 2018–2019 annual catalogue from June 2018...
• If you reserved one or more stamping tool(s) during the first reservation period, you may still order during the second window.

I can’t wait for you to get your hands on your very own Stamparatus and look forward to seeing the projects you’ll make with this incredible stamping tool. 

For full details on the Stamparatus product... just click here...

Autumn Winter Catalogue Carryover List

You asked me for it... so here it is...

Click on the picture below to load up the Carryover List from the Autumn Winter Catalogue... these are the products that are not retiring and will still be available after 3rd January... until 31 May 2018... and maybe even longer for some if they carryover into the new 2018-19 Annual Catalogue come 1st June!

As for the rest that are retiring... Some are discounted in the Year End Sale here (so check there first!) and the rest (without discount) are here... but all only available while supplies last... or 2nd January latest...

Honeycomb Bauble Ornamernt for Christmas Decorations Blog Hop...

Hello and welcome to the Jems monthly Blog Hop from Amanda Bates at The Craft Spa ... featuring Christmas Decorations... so you are in for some lovely and inspiring projects when you hop around today...

I for one have already shared my main Christmas Decorations class projects already... so I thought I would share a new and simpler project ... but also give you a quick recap of the larger class Christmas Decorations projects... which have duly filled my house with very large boxes of the component parts!!

So first up...  I have a Merry Music honeycomb bauble or ornament to share... these are such fun to make!

Visit the lovely and talented Kim Oliver here for a step by step to help you along your way... though I have done a couple of  things differently with mine... including punching my circles for speed....

I coloured my Mini Ornament with the Dark Cherry Cobbler Stampin Blends pen as shown here... though crafter beware... as mine is lovely and solid... but my ladies ended up with a partially coloured ornament for some reason as it "split" (we reckoned maybe greasy hands on the ornament as it was an after lunch project!)

And before final assembly... I also coloured the edges with the same pen... added Versamark...and chucked red glitter embossing powder (retired) all over and heated it... subtle enough to not show in these photos... but lovely and glittery...

And I have to admit that I loved these so much I ended up with a list of about 20 other ideas to try... but sadly that list will have to carryover to next year!

And here are my "Golden Balls" or "Red Balls" Topiary... and Christmas Lantern that are being made in classes this month... just click on the photo to go to the original post...

Though I really must photograph and share my updated Christmas Lantern... I finally got the desired lights which changed a couple of things in the details... but more on that another day...

Thank you for visiting me today... and now it is time to pass you onto the lovely Samantha... just click on the arrow pic below to go straight there...

Festive Celebrations for Global Stamping Friends Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our monthly blog hop from Amanda Bates at The Craft Spa in the UK... featuring Festive Celebrations...

Now I do like to celebrate the Festive period with a special advent calendar and a 12 Days of Christmas project each year... and although I have creations from through the years that get re-used... this year was time for a new 12 Days of Christmas project... or as it is known in my house... my 12 Gins of Christmas treat! And boy is it a treat each year!

I also like to make these for friends and family as a special treat to open and savour through the next 12 days of the festive period... so it also becomes the 12 Drinks of Christmas treat for the menfolk... featuring Port and/or Whiskies mainly! Or just 12 Treats of Christmas for the younger ones... featuring mainly chocolate! They always go down very well!

So take 12 test tubes... fill with whatever the recipient will most fancy... and pop in beautifully but simply decorated packaging... care of the Treat Tubes, Acetate C6 Card Boxes, Christmas Around the World paper, Stitched Felt embellishments and Jute Twine with numbers 1-12 care of my PC and a 1/2" circle punch...

Love how those back tubes appear to be floating in mid air....

And now it is time to say goodbye from me and thank you for visiting me today... and pass you onto the lovely Kristie in the USA ... just click on the arrow below to go straight there...

And here is the Blog Roll List if you prefer to hop that way - or in the event of any broken links...:

1. Anita Wifladt

2. Rebecca Urban

3. Libby Dyson

4. Jan Musselman

5. Lisa Ann Bernard

6. Karie Beglau

7. Amanda Farlinger

8. Kimberley Anne Morris

9. Tricia Butts

10. Amanda Bates (YOU ARE HERE!!)

11. Kristie Neal Walthall

12. Anastasia Radloff

13. Erica Jones

14. Jenn Charles Curtis

15. Marieke Bart

16. Courtenay Heuston

17. Angelique Stempelkeuken

18. Sarah McDermott

Year End Close Out Sale...

We're wishing 2017 a fond farewell by throwing a Year-End Sales Event in its honour! Here are some special deals on select retiring and surplus items while supplies last.

The Year-End Sales Event will run from today, 1 December 2017 to 2 January 2018, but supplies are limited. So get in early and be sure to get your favourite items before they’re gone! As once they're gone... they're gone!

Just click here to go straight to the Sale items in my Online Store... Please remember to add this month's Stampin Rewards Host Code DFQ37G9G (if your order is under £150) for a gift and the new catalogues to be sent separately in the post from me...

Or click the picture below to quickly see a list of the discounted products...

Talking of those new catalogues... Spring Summer Catalogue and Sale A Bration promotion (you know the one... a freebie for every £45 ordered) start 3 January...

In the meantime... if you are in the UK and wanting a crafting gift - for you or for a friend- for Christmas... then click here to contact me for my Christmas Wish List service or to arrange a Gift Voucher for Christmas... Both can be used for Stampin' Up! product, classes and/or classes in the mail from The Craft Spa...

Another Congratulations card... Flourish & Floral Phrases...

And the final card of my Celebratory Trio... thanks to Kate (another of my lovely Stampin' Up! sisters)...

Kate used Floral Phrases and the Flourish dies to create this beautiful Berry Burst & White card...

Thank you so much for your lovely cards Julie, Kate and Julie... you really know how to make someone feel special & even happier!