Monster Hugs

Hi! 

Sorry its been a little while, its been super busy around here - invigillating lots of exams, and sewing and baking like a crazy lady to get things done in time of Christmas. I feel like I've been walking through quick sand, slow progress and a never ending list of things that NEED doing NOW!! Thankfully its almost Christmas and then all this madness will be over. We can all relax and enjoy the day! 

I just had to share the Monster Hugs with you today because I totally LOVE them! 

These are part of the Whole Lot of Love promotion Stampin' Up! has running for Valentine's Day. The products are available from 1 December til 28th January. 

Now I know that Valentine's isn't as big a deal over here as it is State side but I assure you its worth checking out as there are a couple of super sweet stamp sets and accessories that can be used for other occassions as well as Valentine's projects! I have several things coming up for you to check out in the days to come but today I just HAD to share with you my favourite new product - Monster Hugs. 

These little cuties come already cut nd with a sticky strip on the tummy - just peel off the covering and stick on whatever treat you'd like your little monster to hug. The arms wrap around and slot together. You also get googlie eyes and sticky hearts to accent your monster. 

The back has a little to and from label plus a cute little butt which is sure to tickle and kid! 

I just couldn't wait to use these and thought they'd make fun holder for a candy cane, so I've made a bunch to give to all my friends and families' kids. 

These come in packs of 18 for £5.50 (Boys and Girls sold seperately) which works out at 30p each! Such a steal! They took literally minutes to whip up a whole bunch and I think the kids are going to love these!

These would make a fantastic favour for a kid's party, or Valentine's, Easter....or any other occassion you can think of that you just want to give out some sweeties to kids but want them a little more dolled up than just a handful of plain sweets. 

Do you love these as much as I do? I really hope you do! Stock up and buy a pack or three, I know you won't regret - they're only available until January 28th  or while stocks last so you need to catch them while you can! 

Have a great evening and I promise I'll be back again soon with more creative goodness! 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda xx

Watercolours & Sneak Peek!

Good afternoon! 

What a pleasant day it is! The house is finally decorated - we'd had our tree sitting bare in the living room for a week so it felt really good to get some light and decorations on it! Don't you just find having a Christmassy house really helps get you in the Christmas spirit? It does for me! 

This morning I have been baking cookies - well, to be more exact I've made a few batches of cookie dough that are chilling in the fridge while I take a wee lunch break, sort out an order that arrived today and write this little post. 

Today I have a card I made a week or so ago for my lovely friend Vicky. This stamp set is a new one which will be in the Spring-Summer Seasonal catalogue which launches on January 28th! I was the lucky winner of this set, So Very Grateful, at Convention during Prize Patrol - I always knew I loved Pool Party (that was my winning colour wrist band)!!

Stamp Set: So Very Grateful, Label Love, Chalk Talk

Ink: Black Stazon, Crisp Canteloupe, Perfect Plum, Pischio Pudding, Gumball Green, Daffodil Delight, Versamark

Cardstock: Watercolour Paper, Crisp Canteloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Gumball Green, Perfect Plum

Punch: Artisan Label

Big Shot: Chalk Talk Framelits

Other: White Emboss Powder, Aquapainters 

This was quite a simple card really as I really wanted to showcase the beautiful flowers and some nice watercolouring! I shall be adding a short little video (from a new series of videos) on how to do this watercolouring with the awesome aquapainters! Have you tried them? They're wonderful! 

I'd origionally stamped the chalk talk and the sentiment in the centre just in White Craft ink but it just didn't have that pop and clarity that I was really after so I did go back and re stamp, get out the heat too, embossing powder etc. I've got to admit, I don't do much embossing, not because I don't like it but it is a bit of a faff. Having said that I am SO glad I did re-do this element as it really did give it that extra little touch the card was needing. 

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek. I am in LOVE with this set so you'll be sure to see more creative inspiration with it in the coming days! 

Have a beautiful Monday,

Happy Stampin, 

Amanda xx

Everyone Loves a Surprise!

Hello, 

I recently got a couple of new downline members and I wanted to give them something nice to say welcome to the team. My friend Esther who signed up lives quite a distance away and as she's starting out I thought it'd be nice to send her a few swaps from Convention plus a welcome card and gift. Here's what I made her!

Decorated Monogram Notebook & Matching Pen

Stamp: Beautifully Baroque

Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe

Card: Crisp Cantaloupe, Silver Glimmer

DSP: Venetian Romance

Punch: Bitty Butterfly, Elegant Butterfly

Big Shot: Typeset Alphabet

Ribbon: Pistachio Pudding Ruffle, Whisper White Baker's Twine

Accessories: Pearls

 And of course there's always a card to accompany a gift...

Flip Card!!!

Stamp Set: Petite Pairs, Beautifully Baroque

Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe, Baked Brown Sugar

Card: Whisper White, Crisp Cantaloupe, Baked Brown Sugar, Vellum

Punch: Small Heart, Owl Builder

Big Shot: Label Card Thinlits, Label Framelits

The Label Card Thinlit is a new-ish product for Stampin' Up! but its new to me. As I'd only just recieved it I just HAD to have a play and a card for Esther was the perfect opportunity! If you're wondering what is so special about the thinlit card dies, let me tell you, it makes FLIP cards!!! Its so easy to run through the big shot and out comes a cut and scored flip card. LOVE IT!

I stamped the Beautifully Baroque stamp on the Vellum - I wanted a frosty lacy look and being the impatient person I am I didn't wait long enough for the ink to dry and got it smudged a bit so it ended up looking a little worn and vintage. The banner is one of the accessories the thinlit card comes with - how awesome!! A few little hearts just completed it nicely!

If you're inteerested in joining the Stampin' Up! family and my team, you'll not only get a little welcome gift from me but you'll get all the joys of being a demo too!! Sneak peeks, pre-order, ability to make some extra income and possibly the best of all DISCOUNT on all your crafty goodies! Oh yes, I LOVE being a demo!! Contact me today for more info on signing up!

I hope you enjoyed seeing Esther's special things today. Come back soon for some more pretty makes! 

Amanda xx

Feeling Thankful

Hello there!

Sorry I've been quiet a few days. Things are getting really busy around here. Christmas is only a couple weeks away, there are presents and ornaments to finish making, cookies to bake, the house to decorate, classes to organise...

Not to mention wedding stationary to finish (actually I have just finished the invites today! One huge item to tick off my ever growing to-do list!). And now MOCK GCSEs have begun at the school so I am busy invigillating pretty much every day this week and next. 

Anyway, this past weekend was Thanksgiving - the American folk get Thursday off for it but as we don't here in England we have to hold off and wait a couple extra days to celebrate on the Saturday. Its always as my parents but I do the decorating and bake a couple dishes too. I just thought I'd share a little of our celebrations with you!

The Table - flowers, pumpkins, squashes, dried corn, cranberries and leaves were the centre piece. Oh and of course the pilgrim and american indian.

Place Setting

I used Stampin' Up!'s place setting kit which is in the Autumn-Winter Seasonal Catalogue. It gave everything I needed to make some beautiful and quick settings. All the peices came pre-cut and scored so it was a sinch really. 

Inside the pocket was space for a napkin and a pretty lined sheet of paper to write down all the thing we were thankful for. 

Table favours for everyone. 

I deviated slightly from the kits suggestion here. Included were little cards to write what food it was but the table gets pretty crowded and everything gets passed around I decided I didn't want them. Also I really wanted something nice to pop a few choccies in for after dinner/to take home, so I did a little adapting and whipped these up. 

I did add a couple things that weren't included in the kit - a little Vanilla and Crushed Curry cardstock, a stamp from Trust God, Espresso and Tangerine Tango ink and a bit of doily, plus I used the Artisan Label and Chalk Talk framelits. 

There was LOADS of linen thread in the kit and there were a few other bits that I didn't use so will probably make them into cards when I find a spare moment. 

I LOVED the chalk style banners and the precut flowers were just fantastic! A real time saver and great for the professional look for someone who might not have lots of fancy tools like the big shot! We'll be seeing a lot more of these kits from Stampin' Up! in the future and I personally love it! 

Pretty flowers!!

Pie!!!  Pumpkin (baked by my lovely mummy), Chocolate Orange, and Pecan!! Yum! 

I hope you enjoyed a little taste of Thanksgiving! 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda xx

European Convention 2013! (Part 3)

Hey!

So, my craft room has made more progress. I have to say, and I hate to admit it because I really HATE cleaning and tidying but it feels so good when things are tidied. I just don't enjoy the process of getting there! 

Pretty cards and scrapbook pages <3

Love, love, love this page using gingham garden designer paper

Didn't realise this was a bit blurry but just loved the chevron style done with strips of washi tape!

Simple and elegant

More inspiration!

<3

Some gorgeous 3D items!

Beautiful paper beads made with designer paper and crystal effects - so easy and just gorgeous!!! 

I think that's enough for you today! Check back tomorrow for another installment of photos. Sorry some of the pics are a bit blurry. 

Stampin' Hugs,

Amanda xx

European Convention 2013! (Part 2)

Hi! 

I'm back today with some more photos from convention today. Enjoy!

Isn't this such a stunning wreath? Its made using the Posy Punch and the Flower Shop stamp set!! 

General inspiration board

Love this!! Such a clever idea having the Apothecary Accents framelit split in half so the two sides meet in the middle! 

Inspiration board using the stamp set Gorgeous Grunge (another of the free sets we received)

Gorgeous Grunge

Love this card! The splatters look so fun and fresh in the bright colours! 

Love the watercolour type splodges

More bright fresh and colourful Gorgeous Grunge splodges

Gorgeous Grunge

Cute flower wreath!!

Another inspiration board

I'll be back tomorrow with some more photos of convention! Hope you're enjoying all this inspiration! I am certainly inspired but trying to be good and get some boring stuff (tidying the craft room) out of the way first. I made a good start on the craft room yesterday afternoon - there's floor and work top visible now but there is still a long way to go! It will feel so good when it is done though! 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda xoxo

European Convention 2013! (Part 1)

Hi there!

I've just returned from Manchester for European Convention. This was my first time at convention and all I can say is WOW!! I had such a great time, despite being ill (really awful spinning head, migranes etc...yuk). You'll be pleased to know I am feeling a LOT better today.

So today I wanted to share a few photos of the awesomness! Enjoy!

So excited for what was to come!!

There were boards and boards of gorgeous samples to spark our creativity. I took LOTS of photos...

Tag It

Such a sweet gift box using the RMHC stamp set, Tag It.

Tag It

Tag It

Isn't this just a great idea for using the pennant punch to do a scrapbook page...that isn't banners or bunting!?

More samples using the Tag It stamp set. 

Tag It

Tag It

Tag It

Tag It

Cute get well card.

Another gorgeous lay out combining punched shapes and stitching! 

And I could continue showing you photos and swaps all day but I'll finish my photos here for today. I'll have more for you tomorrow!

Happy Stampin',

Amanda xx