TOP TIP TUESDAY

Today's is an embarrassing one .... but I need to warn you .......

At my last Stamford all-day class I was concentrating on the punchart piece I was holding for yet another OWL CLASS and, holding too close to my body, it nipped me !!

Now, to do this once was painful enough and you would think 'once bitten, twice shy' but no ....... I did it again later in the day, much to the amusement of the class.

You have been warned !

:-)

RETREAT WEEKENDS

The news is out ..................

16th - 18th September, 2011

or

4th - 6th November 2011

Emily and I are really excited to confirm we have been busy planning our first RETREAT WEEKENDS in Mablethorpe !!!

Due to the interest showed initially from our customers, we had to quickly add a second repeat date. The dates have now been shared with those attending our classes and also at the Sincerely Yours show last Sunday. With outline details well underway, we will confirm the final details Mid-May when Emily will be visiting Norfolk for the weekend so we can plan all the projects for the entire weekend.

The reaction at the show was tremendous and therefore indications are that spaces will go very fast. If you are seriously interested in joining us on either of the above dates, please let us know to avoid disappointment.

We will be asking for non-refundable deposits to secure places once we confirm exact details.

Please reserve these dates in your diary and watch this blog for further details in the forthcoming weeks.

Happy craftin'

Sandra

ANDRE RIEU CONCERT

David and I both enjoy the music and rapport that Andre Rieu and His Johann Strauss Orchestra have with the audience. When we said last year we were booking tickets for Birmingham LG Arena for Good Friday, David's sister Mandy and her husband Glyn wanted to join us.

Returning from staying with them for a couple of days in Bridgnorth, catching up with housework, gardening and now my emails, I am sitting typing this evening for my blog, David turned on the TV to find Andre Rieu in Concert on Sky !!!

What a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend and still one day left to go .......... hopefully a bit of crafting in there somewhere tomorrow. However, if it is hot and sunny the Goldwing Trike will no doubt be out for a spin somewhere. Since last season, I need a bit of a refresher before we drive it to the south of France on holiday.

Sandra

SINCERELY YOURS - THETFORD SHOW

Last Sunday, Angie and I attended the Sincerely Yours event in Thetford again, ably assisted my crafting friend Sarah who visited for the weekend to help out. Another fab show and we were pleased to meet lots of new faces.

We had 100 people join us during the day to Make & Take the card below using a stamp Set called Strength & Hope which is featured in the new Mini 2011 catalogue, released on 1st April 2011.

Stampin' Up! are donating £1 for each set sold to Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Angie and I both matched this for the show, deducting a further £1 from both the Clear and Wood mount sets.

The card was made in Melon Mambo and Pink Pirouette card stock and matching ink. The background was stamped repeatedly using the words from the stamp set in the same Melon Mambo ink. The Pink Pirouette card stock was stamped again using the same matching Pink Pirouette ink and the swirl stamp three times as a gentle background (sorry the photo doesn't pick this up very well). The butterfly image was then stamped over the background and edges sponged edges in Melon Mambo ink. The Hope topper and mat layer were both punched with the 1 3/8" and 1 1/4" square punches. When I purchased these, I did think it was a bit of a luxury as I could cut with trimmer however, I have no regrets, the precision, speed and ability to punch image in centre of square, makes them well worth it.

If you wish to purchase any of the items listed, please do not hesitate to contact me.

My Owl Extravaganza all-day workshops have proved extremely popular and my next repeat class has once again sold out, within a few days of the show. I am currently re-scheduling yet another date and will be contacting those on the waiting list shortly. If you have missed out and would still like to attend, please email me or give me a call on 07806 616704.

Finally a warm welcome to all our new visitors from the show. I look forward to seeing you again in the near future.

Please pop back here for some more updates soon.

In the meantime, Happy Craftin'.

Sandra

TUESDAY TOP TIP

Well, today's Top Tip is following an idea from my downline Emily.

When buying the CLEAR MOUNT stamp sets, if not using the waste rubber for one of my previous Top Tips, in true crafting style, don't throw it away !! Remove the backing and mount into the plastic case.

Having mounted all your stamps, they will fit neatly into the shapes and easily show if any are missing ........ heaven forbid !!!!

Happy craftin' everyone !!

Sandra

CATCHING UP !!!!

I need to apologise to all my followers, I have been extremely busy lately so my blog posting has suffered.

For those who know me well, I have been busy with several classes, lots and lots of OWLS flying around, playing in the orchestra pit for a week long production of Crazy For You' in Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, visitors (both crafting and non-crafting), and of course all this on top of working full time. I am so grateful for all the Bank Holidays coming up.

The blog hop post below shares with you some of my OWL creations and also fantastic ideas from lots of my fellow demonstrators, using products from the NEW MINI CATALOGUE.

There are more exciting things on the horizon too that are taking a lot of my planning time. The first one being SINCERELY YOURS - SUNDAY 17th APRIL @ THETFORD. Angie, Sarah and myself will once again be at this regular crafting event so please do pop by and say hello and join us for a Make & Take project.

The second one will be released formally mid-May however guaging initial reaction from last Saturdays class and word of mouth, it looks like a further repeat date will be announced at the same time. It is very exciting and the suspense will be worth waiting for. If you are attedning any classes in the near future, you will find out first hand. And ......... if the suspense is just too much, give me a call 07806 616704 to find out more !!.

Please pop back soon and I hope to have caught up with all the Tuesday Top Tips which are in my head but just not made it to computer.

Bye for now and Happy Craftin'

Sandra

2011 MINI CATALOGUE BLOG HOP

Welcome to our 2011 Mini Catalogue Blog Hop. Today we have over 50 Stampin' Up Demonstrators who have sceduled posts of projects on their blogs for 10am this morning, using items available from the New 2011 Mini catalogue which was released yesterday.

You may have just joined today from Amanda http://thecraftspa.blogspot.com. I have an all day class but can't wait to have time to 'hop' round myself. So make a cuppa, grab a pen and paper for your Wish List and enjoy surfing.

I think this is the best Mini Catalogue we have had so far. The BIG news being that Stampin' Up! have released the BIG-SHOT Die-Cutting Machine. Together with this there are 27 Dies and Embossing folders, 21 of which are UNIQUE TO STAMPIN' UP!

Today I am featuring the new OWL PUNCH. I first fell in love with this little fellow when it was first released in USA and was so pleased to hear he was joining the UK Mini 2011 catalogue. There is just so much that can be made from him. I've already held my first OWL EXTRAVAGANZA ALL-DAY CLASS which Emily attended and has now also become totOWLly obsessed with this little fella. Together we have lots more ideas planned for a sequel so, if you are interested in attending repeat classes currently being added to my scheduled 2011 class list or purchasing a kit and/or owl punch to make yourself, please give me a call on 07806 616704 or email sroberts07@btinternet.com.

The tree template is totally unique, having started myself I enlisted the help of Pat, one of my lovely downlines, to finish. The leaves were made using the Sizzlits Little Leaves Die. The small owls were made by inking the owl image from Punch Bunch (Sale-A Bration set - now sadly retired) and stamping onto shrink plastic and heated which shrinks images to 1/7th of their original size and worked perfectly for this project.

I was pleased to be able to share the clouds and bushes technique with my downline. These are made by punching some scallop ovals and circles and making a template to sponge against.

This would make a lovely 'welcome new home card'.

My next project has been in my head for some time but didn't quite know how I was going to make ! It is a slider card, using the word window punch to cut slit and a 1p each side of a foam dot to fix the penguin on. The penguins are also made from the owl punch - simply cut off his ear and feet for his body, punch feet from a scrap of pumpkin pie card for feet and beak.

My next project was inspired by a video I saw from Valita's fresh folds, demonstrating how to punch the owl body to make tulips. She made a single purple bloom with glitter and mounted onto a nestability frame.

Here I have used the new Square Lattice Textured Embossing folder to create a basket work effect for the background.

The 'Twoo-lips' have been punched in Daffodil Delight cardstock and sponged edges in Real Red ink. The centres are made from the Small Oval punch.

I couldn't let you leave today without seeing the NEW MOTORBIKE stamp. I've had several people say to me they think of me everytime they see the Motorbike stamp in the Mini catalogue ! I can't imagine why. Hubby is away tomorrow, taking our beautiful Honda Goldwing Trike to Wootton Bassett. I'm sure you will see it on the news tomorrow - they are expecting 10,000 motorbikes and David will actually be one of the 45 Trikes taking soldiers on the back.

Here I have stamped one image in Basic Black towards the right hand edge of the card and stamped repeatedly, each time moving approximately 1/2cm to the left. The background is stamped with the Sanded Background stamp and embossed with the Square Lattice Textured Embossing folder to give a tyre tread effect.

For your next 'hop' click this link to see the lovely projects that my lovely downline Emily is sharing with you today - http://stampinmermaid.blogspot.com/

If you wish to take a 'hop' round the other groups, I have added the links below.

Group 1 - http://twintroublescreations.blogspot.com/

Group 2 - http://sparklycards.blogspot.com/

Group 3 - http://ritasstampinblog.blogspot.com/

Group 4 - http://seriousstamper.blogspot.com/

Happy crafting, hope to see you back here soon.

Sandra