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It's Sale-A-Bration time again at Stampin' Up! and friends, fresh ideas, and FREE PRODUCT is what it's all about !

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Every year Stampin' Up! gives customers, hostesses, and new demonstrators the opporutnity to earn fantastic, limited-edition products they'll enjoy for years to come. Double click on the catalogue at the top left to view the 4 stamp sets available.

Get FREE stamp sets by doing any of the following :

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SPEND

You'll receive a free Sale-A-Bration stamp set when you spend £45 on Stampin' Up! merchandise (product sales before handling and shipping). There's no limit - for every £45 you spend, you can select another FREE Sale-A-Bration reward!

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HOST

You'll receive a free Sale-A-Bration stamp set when you host a workshop of at least £300 (product sales before handling and shipping) - this is in addition to all of the regular hostess benefits!

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JOIN

During Sale-A-Bration, anyone who joins as a demonstrator can choose any stamp set - a value of up to £44.95 - from our current Idea Book and Catalogue.

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The Sale-A-Bration promotion starts today and runs through 28 February 2011, so don't miss your chance to earn free products! Give me a call on 01366 728407 or 07806 616704 to place an order, book a workshop or find out more about joining my team.

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Happy Crafting !!

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Sandra

BEAUTIFUL ROSES

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Here are some of the cards I made with my lovely ladies at Weeting on Saturday. I had been asked to incorporate a couple of Easter cards into our day so decided on a Spring theme. Using the Occasional Greetings #110520, my customers had a choice of greetings for each of the 8 cards which gave them all the variety they needed and incorporated Mothers Day, Easter Wishes, Thank You, For You and Happy Birthday.

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The cards below used the Happiness Shared stamp set #117038 (W) / 120534 (C) which available from Stampin' Up! and can be ordered from me at any time.

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After the initial fear of inking the stamp with the marker pens, the whole group made this technique look effortless and all enjoyed creating these three cards with only one inking !

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Here is the 2nd generation of stamping after a light 'misting'.

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This is the 3rd generation stamped after another 'misting'. While I was demonstrating, we proved that when using Watercolour Paper you could stamp even more images. Why not give it a try !
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Hope you like these samples today.

Happy craftin'
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Sandra

TUESDAY TOP TIP

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Lots of people use their stamps to ink in black or grey and then colour in with their preferred colouring medium eg watercolour pencils, markers etc.

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Here are my supplies for today's TUESDAY TOP TIP.

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As you can see, we have a clear stamp mounted onto an acrylic block. I have Stampin' Write Markers in Rose Rose, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip. The stamp in the photo has already been inked and ready to stamp.

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These are the 4 images I have stamped from that one inked image. For best results you will need to use Watercolour Paper #105019. In between each one, I have held the stamp, face upwards, mid air (away from the table) and spritzed lightly with a very fine water spray. Stamp again and repeat.

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Once you have finished stamping, take your Aqua Painter #103954 and gently pull in the colour already on your image. There is no need to add further ink. Take care to clean your brush on kitchen paper in between sections and when changing colours.

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Pop back later and I will post samples made at Saturdays Workshop using these images.

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Happy craftin'

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Sandra

TUESDAY TOP TIP

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When you are embossing, there are special little Embossing Buddies you can buy via me from Stampin' Up! They are neat little pouch that fits into a corner of your crafting caddy and do just the perfect job for preventing little speckles of embossing powder sticking to your project where you don't want it. They last for a very long time !!

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Simply wipe the little pouch over cardstock and a very fine layer of fine powder will be left on card. Stamp and emboss in the usual way and you will have a perfect image.

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If you haven't got round to getting one yet, as a temporary measure tip some talcum powder into a dish and use a paintbrush to dust powder over card instead. Not an ideal way but will help you get buy under you get the proper item !

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Pop back next week for another Top Tip Tuesday !!

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Happy craftin'

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Sandra

WHAT A SURPRISE !!!!!!

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Well I was chuffed to have had a visit from the lovely Peg who I met through Stampin Up training events. She left me this award at the weekend and I've had fun reading everyones 8 random facts. .

Well here are my random facts :-.

1. 
   
   I think, live and breathe CRAFTING and love every minute of it. When hubby puts TV onto the sport channel or boring documentaries, I am more than happy to go upstairs to my craft room. I enjoy getting inspiration from everyday moments in life. (Yes Grace, I am currently re-creating the decoration on your jumper from Saturday, LOL). Creating and sharing with my lovely class ladies (and gent) is a great way to spend an evening or Saturday.


2. 
   
   I am a GRADE VIII musician . I play Clarinet and Saxophone and whilst I do not play regularly any more (choosing to let craft take up more time), I still enjoy playing for amateur dramatic productions in Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal and will be playing in the pit for 'Crazy For You' from 21st-26th March.


3. 
   
   DAVID & I have both been married before and both used to play in RAF Honington and RAF Wyton Voluntary Band. He claims he only went out with me because Wyton needed another Clarinet player !!!! We kept our wedding secret at Cambridgshire Registry office and as, we got married a week before my birthday, we planned a birthday BBQ at home with 70 of our family and friends. It was lovely to see their faces as the penny gradually dropped !!


4. 
   
   I ride a HONDA GOLDWING 1800 TRIKE - well some of you will have noticed the picture on my Blog, but that is David driving. My first solo trip was last year whilst down in Cornwall for the Goldwing Treffen and I took off on my own to visit fellow demonstrator Abi for a few hours 'crafting fix'. Who would have thought that a motorbike would have a towbar .... yes, we tow a trailer making the outfit much bigger than a car. I also am now a seasoned camper ........ Cornwall in the wet, with broken tent zip, that was fun !!!!! We've bought a new one now.


5. 
   
   Sad I know but I check the Premium Bond website every 3rd working day of the month (or thereabouts) just to see if uncle E.R.N.I.E. has been kind to me this month. I would really like to pay off the mortgage so I can go part time and craft more ......... I keep dreaming !!


6. 
   
   I worked for Barclays Bank PLC for just under 25yrs before being made redundant in 2004. I now work for Priory Group, working in a school for children with challenging behaviours, still doing finance and budgets etc. My work life balance has been totally restored, working just 1 mile from home is simply wonderful.


7. 
   
   I have an adopted MUM ........... well unofficially. Pat worked for me in my team at Barclays Bank PLC and became a very close and dear friend and agony aunt, seeing me through many of lives troubles including divorce, moving house etc. She is also a talented crafter and we love spending time together whenever I have a day off work. I adopted her as my 'Mum' many years ago.


8. 
   
   I have a TWIN .......... well unofficially too. My latest downline Emily is so like me it is uncanny. There are so many things we do, think and share that are the same, I think we must be twins. (In real life I have one sister who is a Detective Sergeant for Norfolk Constabulary).

I would like to pass this lovely award on to the following :-

• Peg - http://pegcraftalot.com


• Abi - http://cornwallcraftystamper.blogspot.com


• Natalie - http://www.natalieoshea.co.uk/blog.html


• Zoe - http://stampingscene.blogspot.com


• Monica - http://monicas-passions.blogspot.com


• Kirsteen - http://www.creatinwithkirsteen.com


• Valita - http://valitasfreshfolds.blogspot.com


• Andrea - http://creatingcardswithandrea.blogspot.com

Sorry but I've added a bonus honary award to Emily at - http://www.stampinmermaid.blogspot.com/. As a new demo she has only just started her blog but, not being a PC whizz, I am proud that she has mastered posting a photo and entry on her own. Keep an eye on more exciting things happening on here in the future.
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Well I've had fun creatin this post and hope you enjoyed reading.

Take care and happy crafting. I'm waiting some more crafting goodies to arrive which I cannot wait to try out.

Sandra

TUESDAY TOP TIP

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Hi crafters !
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Seems there has been a bit of a blip with my Top Tips - the dates have gone silly and one not posted. I had picked up a draft email I'd saved but was empty and typed one and of course, it dated the post on the date it had originally saved ! It wasn't really January's.

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Anyway, I've re-typed last Tuesday 8th February here and also got Tuesday 15th February scheduled for 7am!! Well hope it works OK.

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TOP TIP TUESDAY

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When I began crafting many years ago, I used to 'wipe' the ink pad along the edge of the card. For some time now I have been using a sponging technique which has become one of my favourites. It allows a small 'smoky' effect round the edge of cards.

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When I get home from holding classes, I have a bag of sponges and sponge daubers, sometimes in a variety of colours, which need cleaning ready for the next class.

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Up to now I have squeezed them through in the sink with a bit of washing up liquid. Recently one of my fellow crafters shared with me that they put in a net bag in the washing machine !!! I would just say, make sure it is a dark load and I would also just rinse excess out under the tap first.

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Here is a card that we made yesterday with the lovely ladies in Stamford.

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We have used the sponges to accent round edge of the Very Vanilla mat layer and also round the greeting. Everyone had fun creating the centre image, again sponging over our embossed image and then polishing off with kitchen roll which made our image 'pop'.

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My Bury St Edmunds and Norwich classes will be making a variation on this card as one of their card selection on 26th and 27th February respectively whilst crafting with Just Believe stamp set #116948 (W) and 120453 (C). The colour choice this month is the Neutrals collection and all attendees will receive half a pack of Neutrals cardstock #121699, a stash of wonderful Designer Series Paper in the Neutrals #117157 and a selection of ribbons and accesories in the same colour theme.

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Please contact me to reserve your place on 01366 728407 / 07806 616704.

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Please pop back soon.

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Happy crafting.

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Sandra

BIRTHDAY INSPIRATION

This weekend we have had my sister-in-law and her husband visiting from Shropshire for her birthday. David had asked some female colleagues what to buy a 'woman who has everything' and was suggested some Jo Malone perfume (he also got me some for my Valentine gift).

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As soon as I saw the clean and simple lines of the packaging, I knew I wanted to make her card along the same lines.

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He read all the write-ups about each fragrance and went with one of the most popular ones Pomegranate Noir. Not only did he choose a range she really liked, but also chose her favourite fragrance in the collection. Didn't he do well !!

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Here I have used Basic Black 5/8" Satin Ribbon with the Happy Birthday greeting from Party This Way stamp set on Basic Black and Very Vanilla cardstock. I hope you like my interpretation.

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Hope to see you back soon.

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Sandra