Try it Tuesday - Scrapbooking Stampin' Up! Style

Some 8/9 years ago I used to attend a local craft group.  I was the youngest there by at least one, possibly two, decades and a complete rookie in comparison to the other ladies there.

I used to sit in awe marvelling over their intricate craft projects, particularly the scrapbooking crafters in the group.  It seemed such a brilliant idea to savour memories in such a lovely, crafty way.  I just saw it a bit of a faff and too time consuming to attempt it at the time as I was just starting out on my crafting adventure.

Having two small children, we try and capture moments as often as we can, on our phones, tablet or camera.  It just seems then that nothing is done with them.  They're downloaded onto the computer where they just stay.  They hardly get printed off.  Not like when I was younger and my mum would regularly go and get film and disposable cameras developed to then sit and put them in albums with little notes below them.  It must have taken her ages to do and I take great comfort in those albums now she's not here.

When I was searching for things to put in my Stampin' Up! Starter Kit I came across their Project Life products and had a light bulb moment.  Here was my opportunity to do scrapbooking without having to make the actual scrapbook.

It is sooooo easy to do.  You can basically make it as fancy or as basic as you like.  You just buy an album, the pockets you would like, the project cards and accessory packs you might like and away you go!

Researching online it would appear a lot of people do an album per year and do something week on week.  That is not really practical for us at the moment so we tend to do something when we have had a day out or for holidays.  Even our toddler George loves it as all the tickets and bits and bobs he has collected we can keep and document.  I have even bought the framelits for my Big Shot so once his nursery paintings have been on the wall for a bit, I can take them down and crop bits to put in the album to show him when he's older.

So simple, so much fun and really therapeutic!  Why not have a go?

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Try it Tuesday - Something to be Thankful for cards

As my mum in law has been so supportive since I lost my mum, I wanted to make her a card to give her on Mother's Day to thank her for everything she has done and continues to do for me.

The card is really easy to make.  I chose Calypso Coral as I wanted to steer away from the usual pink and purples tone of Mother's Day.  However, it can be made in any colour you fancy and ready to hand out whenever you need to.  You can get two cards from an A4 sheet of card stock.  Simply cut in half vertically and then score horizontally half way - a perfect A6 card.

The sentiment is taken from the You Brighten My Day stamp set which is currently free with every £45 spend during Sale-A-Bration which ends at the end of this month *sad face*.  It co-ordinates with the Note Tag punch, so I decided to offset it with a couple of backing layers of card stock and Dazzling Diamonds paper for a hint of sparkle!

Rather than using embellishments or traditional ribbon on the tag, I decided to use a piece of the Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper (also currently free during Sale-A-Bration) and make a bow instead with the fabulous Bow Builder Punch so it really stood out against the Whisper White card stock.

The love heart sentiment at the top is also from the same stamp set and co-ordinates with the heart in the Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack. (currently a gift from me if you join my team during Sale-A-Bration)  This was then topped with one of the cute Epoxy Stickers to give an added dimension.

So, what do you think? My mum in law loved it anyway and was very touched *happy face*

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You're a Fabulous Work of Art Giveaway

So today is my second Mother's Day without my mum.

My mum passed away suddenly on New Year's Eve 2013.  She passed away surrounded only by the medical staff trying to save her.  I never got to say goodbye.

Mum never wanted a fuss on Mother's Day.  A handmade card and a bunch of daffodils picked from the garden were all she used to ask for.  In her eyes, you shouldn't need a commercialised day to make you tell someone how special they are, you should tell them that all the year through, whenever you felt like it.

Remembering this has brought up today's project and a little giveaway.  It got me thinking, I know I cannot send mum a card any more, but I could brighten someone's day and make them feel special whenever I feel like it.

I've made a batch of cards and covered notebooks similar to these in a variety of colours.  I have people in mind who to send some too, but would like to send some random acts of kindness out too, hence today's little giveaway.

Anyone who shops with me between now and the end of Sale-A-Bration (so the end of this month) will receive one of these sets in addition to my usual thank you gift (please ensure you choose to be contacted when ordering so I can send you these!)  However, I would like to giveaway a set to three lovely people who either read this blog or follow me on Facebook.

If you'd like to be in with a chance of receiving one of these at some point soon, just leave me a comment saying why you think you're a fabulous work of art (because of course you are!) and your favourite colour.  I'll then put all the names into my son George's trilby hat and get him to pick three out.  Closing Date next Sunday 22 March.

Good luck!

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Try it Tuesday - Craft Room Overhaul Halts Play!

Last Thursday for our monthly munchkin free date day, my husband and I went for a trip out to Ikea - meatballs and masses of flat-pack furniture - romantic eh?!

Let's just say I got a bit giddy with all the craft storage on offer and as a result, my Little Paper Playground is in the midst of an overhaul meaning play has been halted for a short while *sad face*.

Who knew that everything you buy at the blue and yellow shop of dreams you have to put together?  Even the cute little boxes I bought to put embellishments and Big Shot dies in I've had to sit putting little screws in them.  This is all fine if you didn't have toddler hands everywhere claiming things for tidying his playroom or for using as suitcases!  It's taking a bit longer than anticipated let's put it that way!

As a result, there is no Try it Tuesday project today.  Normal service will be resumed next week.

If in the meantime you have any tips on how to speed things up to save my sanity, do drop me a line below!

Big Shot Bonanza - Balloon Framelit Bookmarks

Bedtime stories with a toddler can be quite eventful.  You start the book, they want to make shadow puppets with their reading lamp.  You continue the book, apparently Postman Pat is stuck in the delivery train and it is imperative he is rescued before lights out.  After said toddler is back in bed, the book is now boring and Peppa Pig books are best as they have more pictures!

Endless books on the shelf and most not fully read.  So I decided to have a play and make some bookmarks so my husband and I know where we got up to in each story that sounded interesting but we've as yet not finished.  Hence we have today's project - bookmarks with a twist

I purchased my Big Shot with my first Stampin' Up! order as my half price product.  The first thing I put in my basket to go with it was the Balloon framelit dies.  From a very early age I have loved balloons.  Which is quite strange when I don't like loud noises and we all no they can make an almighty bang when they burst.  My little boy is a bit of a balloon fiend too so it made complete sense to make balloon bookmarks!  These can either be clipped to the page using the paper clip on the back of the balloon.  Or, alternatively, leave the balloon inside the page and then let the ribbons dangle outside of the book so you can see what page you are up too.

As I was using the Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper (currently free with a £45 spend during Sale-A-Bration) I needed a bit more depth to the balloon really so it didn't end up a squished mess.  With all Stampin' Up! DSP packages, you get a sheet of heavy card at the back to keep the paper straight.  Just right for the job I thought!  I merely stuck the DSP onto the backing card with Snail adhesive then ran it through the Big Shot with the relevant framelit on it.

The measurements for all the different pieces are as follows:

Balloon - a piece of DSP/Card measuring 7cm x 7cm
Bow - a piece of DSP/Card measuring 3cm x 3cm
Banner - a piece of DSP/Card measuring 7cm x 3cm

I adhered the bow and banner to the balloon with dimensionals.

The ribbons and buttons are from the Best Year Ever Accessory Pack (also currently free with every £45 spend during Sale-A-Bration)  Each length of ribbon is 30cm, looped in half and then stuck onto the back of the bottom of the balloon with Glue Dots.  The balloons are optional of course.  I just personally thought they'd help weigh the ribbon down and be easier to find while looking for the page with only a dim night light on!

Fun for young and old to make!

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Try it Tuesday - Stacked With Love Gift Tags

After having a great play around with the fabulous different stamps on offer within the Perpetual Birthday Calendar set on my thank you cards here, I decided they'd also be great to use on gift tags too.

I don't know about you, but in our house it always seems to be that we wrap the gift and then cannot seem to find the gift tag.  With this week's Try It Tuesday project this will no longer be a problems!

I had so Stacked With Love Designer Series Paper left over from projects I made for Valentine's Day and though the papers on it are so lovely and could easily be adapted for other occasions.

The tags are so easy to make.  You can easily make a large batch to store away and then just grab whenever you need one.

Measurements are just a piece of both the DSP and Whisper White card stock trimmed to 5cm x 10cm.

I stamped on and stamped off the white card stock with the chosen stamp and ink I wanted to coordinate with the DSP and put both through the Ornate Tag Topper Punch.

I used the 'Thank You' sentiment from the Lotus Blossom stamp set which is currently free with any £45 spend during Sale-A-Bration and punched it out using the 1' circle punch.  I punched a circle out of the corresponding DSP and stuck the sentiment onto the punched DSP with Snail adhesive at an angle so the DSP could be seen.  The sentiment was then layered onto the tag with dimensionals.

A couple of tags I have put mini pegs on as these could be pinned to a gift bag.  The other, I have attached some ribbon which could either be used to stick to a present or hung round the neck of a jar or bottle.

The great thing about the Perpetual Birthday Calendar stamp set is that there are so many different stamps you could use that you could basically match them to any scraps of DSP you have in whatever colour inks you have.  So many choices!

I just best put the batch I have made somewhere safe so I know where they are when I need them!

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New Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration Products!

NEW FREE STUFF!!!

Ok, did I perhaps shout that a bit too loudly?

Seriously though, it's a big whoop and a deep breath...(cue drum roll, or should that be fanfare?)

For the remainder of the Sale-A-Bration promotion (so for the next 4 weeks or 31 days) Stampin' Up! are introducing not just one, but FOUR new free products to choose from with every £45 spend.  I know! To quote Craig Revel Horwood, they are a-maz-ing and fab-u-lous.

Don't believe me?  Then allow me to introduce them to you via the promotional flyer here

See? Fabulous right?

So, that's for this month only with every £45 spend (or £90, £135 etc, whichever increment your order comes to) you could have one of these for FREE!  Plus, if you were to join my team this month, you could choose to get 2 of these products for free a longer with your starter kit.

Problem is, which to choose as I love them all!