Back with a 'sugar rush' hit!!

Well since I last put my fingers on the keyboard, I have had a bout of the most horrendous cold, spent a lovely day crafting with a friend, assembled more flat pack, had a lovely workshop with the 'Preston Card Club' ladies, had the children's friends for a sleepover and fun swim, and have now got to the last day of the half term holidays .......still with the cold!!!


So my scissors have languished untouched and the computer has sat in darkness, until today when fuelled with the sugar rush of a 'Galaxy- Orange & Shortbread' choccie bar, I have made the an attempt to photograph, the card I made when at my lovely SU friend- Yvonne's, last friday!

Check out her blog here: 'Vonnies world'. Even though I was feeling totally ill, she lent me loo roll for my nose and cooked me the best Chorizo & lentil stew, that helped to perk me up!! Yvonne is addicted to rubber more than me, and has the lovely baby set- 'My Special Day', it isn't a set that I would have 'HAD TO HAVE'!! if you know what I mean?? But I had a little play with it and I am now feeling the urge to get it, and also the Iris set- 'Love & Sympathy' on the same page! Her is what I created.....

I went for a 'Crumb Cake' card base, with a punched Collage of  Stamped images, with a little 'Baja Breeze' Seam Binding, and a little snippet of 'Crochet Trim'.

I inked around the edges with the co-ordinating 'Crumb Cake' ink.

And even over stamped the tags, to add decoration. As Yvonne was so kind to share her stash and her hospitality, I made her one of these too, as a sample for her SU workshops!

Before I left Yvonne, rolled me a couple of sheets of the 'Jumbo Wheel'- 'Baby Tees' Item no. 118621 on pg. 42, here are a couple of quick and easy cards I created with a couple of the cute images...

These are really 'Clean & Simple' and they would make great baby announcements, just with a change of greeting, the dotty background border comes from the mini catalogue set- 'Borderlines'.

I coloured these while feeling ill, using the SU markers, and even did a few extra for a couple of layout ideas, so while the sugar rush is still with me, I will get them done!

xXXx

A bit of Badgar Breeze with the 'Book-A-Thon'!!!

I don't admit to having any great Computer tech abilities and this last week I have been plagued by a week connection, whether I sat next to the broad band thingy ma jig, with the lappy on my knee or tried to hook up with a lead, I weren't getting far, but this morning I seem to have a connection, it may have something to do with several BT vans outside the house- for once I think it may not be down to me or me missing a cable etc! So I will count my blessings as today is Stampin' Up!s worldwide Book-a-thon day!

Demonstrators across the world have been set a challenge to book almost 9000 parties worldwide, in the next 24 hours - if anyone would like to book a workshop between the 10th December and 31st March to help reach the target - If you would like to get a group of friends together and have a FREE demonstration and try a new hobby with our fantastic exclusive products please get in touch with me today, at my demo's we always manage to have fun!!!

One of the things that makes me giggle, when I demo, is that quite often, people get in a muddle over the colour names.......even I do this, often posting them as mixed up combinations!!

Well a good friend always refers to 'Baja Breeze' as BADGER Breeze, and even though she now knows its true name, she still calls it BADGER Breeze, one of those things that stick!!!

Anyway following on from last Tuesdays post, here are a couple of cards I designed, based on a similar layout and colour scheme........ Yes! you have guessed it.... BADGER Breeze with a touch of 'Basic Grey' too.

As you can see, I still have the 'Parisian' theme going too!!

I did some random stamping on the card base to create a look of decorative paper...... and even though the flowers aren't a crisp impression, it added to the chabby chic-ness!! I even added the delightful flourish from 'Creative Elements' on top..... can you ever have too much stamping??

And the sentiment from 'Notably Ornate' fits perfectly in the 'Modern label' punch....

It would have been tricky to cut that out neatly!!!

The little card has a bit more of a collage style to it, again piling on the stamps!!

Even the insides got some stamping too, I find it is so easier than 'faffing' about with inserts, and still gives a tidy finished look to my cards, If i am sending the cards I usually decorate the envelopes in a similar way too!

Right I am off to log my workshops for the 'Book-A-Thon' please do get in touch if you would like me to host you a free demonstration:

sally-johoughton@hotmail.co.uk

And I would love to know your funny name colours too, just send me a comment! xxx

I took some Islands with me!!

Well I am back, in blighty.....I survived flying, what was the most daunting aspect of air travel was the checking in and the weighing of luggage, and it was only me, out of our group that set off the airport alarms...any surprises there though!!

On to the more important stuff..... Spending the day site seeing, in Paris, on the Thursday prior to convention, was fantastic, although I do have to say that the 'Tour De Eiffel' was not at all as romantic, as we expected it to be.....until the light faded and night was upon us....then Paris really came alive, and so did my French....words I had never used since my GCSE days sprang from my lips.....During the day I managed to ask for directions, gel shoe inserts and a cork screw....get me and my metropolitan lifestyle!!

Anyway all to soon we were catching the last train back to the Hotel, and getting ready for 2 action packed days of 'Stampin' Up!' Convention (And wow-sers....they were action packed, full of info on new product lines and top tips...there is so much to cover over the next couple of months!!)As I was attending as part of the 'Julies Jems' team, we all made each other little team swaps, I am still pouring over all the lovely makes I received, but here is my make for the team swap.

And yes, it is a play on words, but I took 19 of these little boxes, made from our delightful 'Island Indigo' card stock with me...get it?? Islands with me!!

The boxes are based, on a cheese wedge style I was taught years ago, but I loved bringing an old idea to life again with modern products. The fab sentiment came from the lovely 'Petite Pairs' Stamp set and was then punched with the modern label punch, with the little flourish from 'Tiny Tags' added for some decoration, and to finish the tag, a bit of SU bling!!

The boxes were given a simple bit of stamping, with the swirl from 'Everything Eleanor'.....and a light misting of the champagne.....well we were in Paris.....shimmer paint, that I had watered down.To hold the box closed and fasten the tag in place, I used a 12cm length of the new crochet trim, and as knotting it, slipped in a short piece of the 'Basic Black- Striped Grosgrain'........I have used 3 rolls of this for my convention makes......Its a good job I get a demo discount!! But I couldn't just give my teamies, an empty box, well the make inside, was something to wear......

A beautiful ring!

I am extremely grateful, that my good friend Deborah, is an avid 'Kirsty Allsop' fan, she saw a gorgeous make similar to this on her craft TV show, well the next day whilst I was out and about Deborah phoned me, to ask had I seen it, well I hadn't, but all she said was...' She just stuck the paper roses, you have been making on to ring backs and Voila....she had made a ring'. It was sort of a serendipity moment, as she rung, I happen to be stood outside a Haberdashery shop, which stocked the ring backs!!

And as soon as I got home, I used all my little scraps of 'Timeless Portrait' Designer Papers to create the roses.....to make them more sturdy, I gave them a couple of coats of 'Crystal Effects' and just before the centre set, popped in a large, sparkly bling......well I couldn't afford real diamonds....sorry girls!!

I hope the girls loved my make, as much as I have loved theirs, swapping was such a special part of convention, only 'Stampin' Up! demonstrators, can attend the convention, so if you don't want to miss out on all the HOT SU news, learn new some new craft skills, and even make new friends, then join my team.......OOOoo and the location for convention next year.......

Mainz, Germany

on November 2 and 3, 2012!

Make plans now to attend this wonderful event!

I can't wait for you- to become a

'Stampin' Up! ' Demonstrator with me!!! XXX