Stampin Up Demonstrator Michelle Last

Tuesday's Tip - How to heat emboss with Stampin' Up! dye ink...

Today I have a video for you which I made with the Elements of Style stamp set from Stampin' Up!  I was originally inspired by a card by Teneale Williams check out her blog here.. and we made this card yesterday at my monthly technique class.

I loved how Teneale used part of the top note die for the layering on the card.  The stamped image of the flowers begs to be coloured in so we stamped and embossed the image onto watercolour paper ready for colouring in with various techniques.  I know stazon is a typical ink to use when watercolouring as it does not bleed when using blender pens or aqua painters but I did not have a brown stazon and felt that black ink would look out of place on this card so we created our own coloured pigment ink using Stampin' Up! dye inks... check out my video to show you how.

 

I hope you are having a great day, the sun is shining here and it's Pip's birthday (she is 3) so she is outside with a bone as a treat.  She also seemed to think it was OK to steal a pack of dried rice noodles from the pantry and scoff them all as it was her birthday!! I think we should rename her Piggy not Pippi! Here she is in her party hat :0)

Love

 

Pinkies team weekender in Birmingham

Afternoon!  I promised you this post earlier in the week, really, I don't know where the days go at the moment!  I am off to Holland today so I really want to get this post loaded before I leave so fingers crossed it goes to plan!!

Last weekend some of our team spent the whole weekend together in Birmingham.  It is something I have been wanting to organise for quite some time and with some help from my lovely downline we found the perfect venue right slap bang in the centre of Birmingham.  We had two days planned or business classes, crafting, games, and lots of lots of fun.  3 of my team flew in from The Netherlands and I also had a donwline from Northern Ireland which was the first time we had met so it was wonderful to spend some time with everyone who came.

It was SO much fun, I had some reservations about how would work out and if the venue was going to be OK but honestly it could not have gone better!!  Everyone did their bit to make it a collective effort and I can honestly tell you my face hurt from laughing so hard :0)

What a wonderful bunch of people that I am blessed to know....

Here is Martin's Inspiration Table which is filled with ideas using the Neutrals colour family, he is such a talented crafter and we loved spending the weekend with both Anthony and Martin, yes we have male members of our team too!!

The lovely Louise and Calli, these ladies created fun games for us to play and I loved spending time with them both and getting to know them better.

This photo was taken right at the end of the event, this is me and Clare from Northern Ireland, I look shattered, not from hard work but late nights, early morning and far too much talking!!  This was the first time I had met Clare and I love it when you get along right away on the first meeting, that is certainly the case with Clare

These are the beautiful name badges and place cards that Laura made, she is such a talented crafter and I don't see nearly enough of her so it was great to see her.

Michelle was busy crafting and made great use of the time over the weekend and even got some crafting done!

This was Anel's Inspiration table, it was huge, she had worked so hard and created some beautiful samples to share with the group....

And some close ups all using the bordering with romance set and matching items.

Caro and Erna from The Netherlands, it was great to spend the weekend with them and to introduce them to the rest of the Pinkies.

The Dutchies loved Martin! He is so funny.....

This is one of the 4 WOW make and takes we made, I don't have pics of the other 3 as I was too busy chatting to take photo's!

This was one of the classes we did that was created by Catherine, we learned lots of techniques and got to try them out too whiih means I am far more likely to remember them!

And our venue location was so central that lunch breaks were spent in Selfridges and I had my eye on a watch from Muji which we decided would be the team watch and several of us bought one in various colours.

Happy memories, I will post my swaps etc, but I must dash, I have to leave in half an hour and need to walk the pooch before I leave for the airport.  Think of me this weekend spending time at a training event in Almere with my lovely Ducth team, can't wait!!

Have a good one x

Tuesday's Tip - How to assemble your clear mount stamps...

Today's tip is to show you the easiest way to add the stickers to your clear mount stamps from Stampin' Up! and how I secure them inside the box.

The video is approx 5 mins long and I really hope it helps someone when they first receive their clear mount stamps.

Don't forget I have lots of other videos to watch on my Youtube channel and have more to come most Tuesdays.

I could resist sharing a bit of eye candy with you so have loaded a photo of a card I made for my mum-in-laws birthday.  It is using the Elements of Style stamp set again, I really cannot stop using this set!!

Photo's of the Pinkies Birmingham Weekend to follow...

See you soon

More rewards from Stampin' Up! - Extra hostess benefits & extra products if you join my team

I hope you had a great weekend.  I had the most wonderful weekend as my team of demo's met in Birmingham for a whole weekend of crafting, fun and learning.  It was fantastic and so much fun and I cannot wait to share photo's from the weekend in the coming days.

But I have some lovely news for you today. Stampin' Up! have launched TWO new promotions!!

Would you like even more money to spend on Stampin’ Up! products? Consider it done!

Between 15 April and 30 May just host a party where orders total more than £250+ and earn an additional £25 in FREE products! That’s on top of the hostess £££'s and benefits you already get!

You can get the benefits with your own order too, just contact me with your wish list and if it totals more than £250+ (excl p&p)  you will receive the extra £25 in hostess benefits on top of all the usual benefits including a free catalogue!

Just to outline the difference in benefits by reaching £250+ I have shown the benefits of different spends below -

Everyone placing an order for £150+ or hosting a party and the sales reach £150+ will receive a free copy of the current catalogues.

Value of goods ordered (exc p&p) £150 = £25 hostess £££'s

 

Value of goods ordered (exc p&p) £200 = £30 hostess £££’s

Value of goods ordered (exc p&p) £250+ = £65 hostess £££’s

Value of goods ordered (exc p&p) £300+ = £75 hostess £££’s + one half price item

More details on hosting your own party can be found on the 'have a party' tab above.

But those lovely people at Stampin' Up! did not stop there! If you were thinking of joining Stampin' Up! and buying the starter kit for £99 they have made it even more appealing by giving you and extra £25/35€ of any goods of your choice to add to your kit.  That means you can choose £155 worth of any current stampin up goodies of your choice and pay just £99.  You will also receive a business kit including catalogues.

So if you kicked yourself for not joining during sale-a-bration you have another chance to benefit and you also have ages to reach you first quarterly minimum.  Join now and your first quarterly minimum of £270 (catalogue priced product) does not have to be reached until the end of September 2013.  We have a new Annual catalogue coming too which means you will see the new catalogue and the products on offer a whole month before everyone else and have the chance to place an order or two :0)

I would really love you to join me and Stampin' Up! and am here to help if you have questions or would like a chat, just drop me a line....

Be back tomorrow x

 

Mr & Mrs Wedding Card using Stampin' Up! supplies

When you see this post I will be sharing a very special day with Sarah and Tom as they are getting married today.  I am so excited and wanted to make and extra special card for them both.  I have had this stamp since it was launched on 1st October and I had yet to use it (story of my life!!) and whilst out walking Pip I thought about how I would use it.  I had to emboss it and the die in the Apothecary Accents framelits was the perfect fit.  I used the matching piercing template and inked the edges with whisper white ink.

The crumb cake background was stamped and clear embossed using the Elements of style stamp set and the flowers coloured in with whisper white ink using an aqua painter.  I tied a seam binding bow and added some early espresso leaves using the sizzlits little leaves die.

Finally I punched out several 7/8" scallop circles from the creped filter paper and dyed it pink with a pink pirouette ink refill and some water.  I left it to dry over night and secured the middle with a brad and then just scrunched the filter paper to create a flower!

And I just love this stamp which I used on the inside.  I hope the sun shines today in Morecombe, hope you are having a great weekend.....

PS Dom is home - safe and sound, more grey hairs for me but wonderful memories for Dom :0)

Confetti for a very special Wedding

I am so excited to be attending a wedding of one of my Pinkies (team of demo's) this weekend.  I have not been to a Wedding for ages and it has been such great fun to create something pretty for a wedding.  I have made little pouches for the confetti using the bags from the Halloween kits in the old Autumn/Winter seasonal.  I adored these little bags and saw their potential so stock piled a few and I am so glad I did!!

I stamped them using the polka dot background stamp in whisper white ink, added a doily to form a closure and stuck one half to the back of the bag.  Stamped a pretty sentiment from the wedding stamp set 'Love & Laughter' and added some butterfly punch outs.  All finished off with the sizzlit little leaves die in paper from the sunshine and sprinkles paper pack and all done!!  So pretty and off to make the card now, will post photo's soon.

Have a great day x

Colour Refresh and Petite Curly Label Punch

I have some 'refreshing news'! Today Stampin' Up! have announced that they will be refreshing the four colour famillies from 1st July when the new Annual catalogue is released.

Before you panic (which I did) only 10 colours will be leaving us and will be replaced with some new colours but also some of your favourite colours from past In Colour collections. Check out the comprehensive list below which includes all the new colours as well as the discontinued colours.

We will be keeping the colour family names Brights, Subtles, Regals and Neutrals but just refreshing the pallete and replacing the less popular colours with some favourites from past In Colour collections and some new ones too. 

That makes me very excited as I had already begun to stock pile Pool party and Island Indigo cardstock etc.

All the new colours will be available from 1st July.

As from today, colours that will be leaving us will only be available WHILST STOCKS LAST so if you want to stock up on any of the following in the current colour ranges or discontinued colours you need to get in touch to place your order now.....

Do you need....??

INK REFILLS

CARDSTOCK

RIBBONS

EMBELLISHMENTS SUCH AS BRADS OR BUTTONS

MARKERS

PATTERNED PAPER STACKS

Great news I think you will agree and lots to look forward to when the new Annual Catalogue is launched. 

And a little something else to share, if you did not get your hands on the petite curly label punch during sale-a-bration it is now available to purchase and will go into the new Annual catalogue too so its a keeper!!

It is £11.50 and can be added to your order anytime from today!

Thanks for stopping by, stop back tomorrow for some ideas for confetti for weddings

Just a quickie and giveaway winner announced......

Just wanted to drop in to say 'hello' and hope you are having a great Easter weekend.  We have been decorating my sons room.  He is away diving on a school trip to Egypt whilst  Simon, Amy and me are all changing/decorating his room!!  Definitely something wrong there, whilst he is having a wonderful holiday in warm and sunny Egypt we are here in cold England, working far too hard ;0)  He is having a great time though, just wish he would text me every half an hour to tell me he is safe though!!

I made this quick card a while back and had almost decided not to post it but I hardly had any photos ready to upload so I thought I would share it today. 

I did a giveaway of the Vintage Verses stamp set and I wanted to announce the winner.  I did a random number generator again and this time the lucky number was

7

Well done Lorraine, you are my winner, I have emailed you and asked for your address so I can send your stamp set to you. Hope you are enjoying your long Easter weekend, think I may need another one very very soon!!

Take care

April Technique Class Sneak Peek using Elements of Style from Stampin' Up! and another GIVEAWAY!!

For once in my life I am ahead of the game, only slightly and of course that could change any minute but I have actually designed and posted sneak peek photo's of the April technique class!!  I adored playing with this stamp set and could not stop using the blossom stamp, it is so detailed and so pretty!

So if you are free on April 22nd I have my Technique Class, there is a daytime and evening class and if you are free I would love to spend a few hours with you.  More details can be found on my classes/events tab at the top of my blog or feel free to drop me an email on michelle@cbdesign.org.uk to book your place or ask any questions you may have.

I promised a giveaway and thank you for coming back to see who won.  I randomly generated a number based on the comments received on my blog (and two sent via email) and the winning number was -

15

Congratulations Justine Grainger  please get in touch to tell me your address so that I can post your stamp set to you.

And for any of you who did not win I have another giveaway using another of my used stamp sets from sale-a-bration, this time it is the Vintage Verses stamp set in wood (shown below) and if you leave me a comment by Monday at 10am telling me your favourite stamp set in the current Annual catalogue you will be entered to win the next stamp set.  Thanks for joining in the fun and hope you are having a great Easter!!

Best of luck!

Sympathy card using Fabulous Florets from Stampin' Up! and a GIVEAWAY!!

One of my friends had some sad news and I wanted to send her a card to let her know I was thinking of her.  I made this card using the Fabulous Florets Stamp set which I have had since October and not had the chance to use yet!!

I stamped the flowers onto vellum and heat embossed them.  I then used my watercolour wonder crayons to colour the underside.  I hardly ever use my crayons and really enjoyed dusting them off and using them again, I think they make be making an appearance an next months card class!

I simply cut the flowers out and stuck them around my oval aperture and found the perfect sentiment.

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I have had a chance to have a tidy and realised I have far too much stuff left over from sale-a-bration so am going to be sharing it with you all.  The stamp sets have been used, some more heavily than others but they are still perfect for stamping.  I will do different giveaways and prize draw on different days so make sure you come back to make sure you don't miss out.

Todays giveaway is simple. all you need to do is leave me a comment on this blog post.  Deadline for comments is Saturday 30th March at 10am.  I will then create a random number generator and the number that tallys with the comment will win the prize...

But what is the prize I hear you ask??  It is one of the bloomin marvellous stamp sets in wood, used but perfectly good for stamping and one of my favourite sets - here is what the stamp set looks like

Have a great day, the sun is shining here and it feels good....

Happy Good Friday x