Catalogue Launch 2012 at Bromley Hall ........

.................. It is the beginning of another Stampin' Up! year with the launch of the fabulous new catalogue - and amazing 205 pages - yes girls it's what we have been waiting for - we have the American catalogue.

Please come along to the launch of this new catalogue at my usual venue of Bromley Hall, Pode Hole on Saturday 6 October between 3.00pm - 5.00pm - there will be coffee and biscuits, door prizes and raffle prizes, make and takes and the not to be missed Retiring Table - my retired stamp sets and products at greatly reduced prices - a great opportunity to add a little something extra to your own Stampin' Up! stash.

Hope to see you there.

Bridgette

September is a busy month ...........................

................ Stampin' Up! is offering its Retiring List throughout the month of September - there are bargains to be had but you may need to move quickly to secure them - take a look in the side bar and click on the image to reveal the full list of items that we are saying goodbye to in order to be ready for the launch of the new catalogue at the beginning of October.

Amazingly we have a wonderful new look Autumn/Winter mini catalogue which complements the main catalogue brilliantly with on trend and up to the minute designs for you to chose from all the way through to the end of January 2012.  Look in the side bar and click on the image to be taken to the full catalogue where you can browse the pages at your leisure.

Please let me know if you would like a copy of the mini catalogue - I will be endeavouring to get copies to all my regular customers over the next week or so - but if I've missed you don't hesitate let me know and I will make sure that I get one to you as soon as possible

Bridgette

Need a reason to smile? ...............

........ well it's raining outside and there is a distant rumble of thunder so it's important to find something that makes us smile.  Well, I may just have the solution for you particularly if, like me, you love your Stampin' Up! products.

For the month of August, and only for August, there are two ways in which you can get your hands on a beautiful new stamp set called Reason to Smile - and it's daisies and I simply love daisies.

Firstly, you could buy the clear-mount version for just £14.95 to use with your clearmount blocks or, for the traditional girls like me, you can pay £18.95 and have them wood-mounted - remember this stamp set will just be available for the month of August.

How about getting it for FREE? - yes, that's right, for FREE!!  Spend £60 on Stampin' Up!product (not including p & p) during the month of August and it's yours for free in either clear-mount or wood-mount, you choose.

There, have I made you smile? - I do hope so. 

Bridgette

Green Views ......

...... I often wondered, seeing summer foliage unfurled,

why it was that God chose green in which to dress the world. 

I tried to picture to myself a background pink or gold,

and wondered if a dell of blue would thrill me to behold.

And, thinking thus, I knew that nothing could be so serene,

so calm, so fresh, so restful as the myriad tones of green. 

No other colour could appear so fragrant and so sweet,

so cool and so refreshing in the summer's sultry heat. 

So soothing in the evening when a spirit needs release. 

And in a world of turmoil so completely swathed with peace.

Kathleeen Partridge 1942

July Promotion

Hello again - my apologies for the absence, I am clearly 'pants' at blogging although here I am again having another go - so the best thing for me to do is share the July promo from Stampin' Up!

For a qualifying spend of £45.00 you can receive yummy brads and gorgeous organza ribbon in Limeade and Coral - and there's more - if you missed out, or have now run out, of the beautiful Saleabration designer papers then hurry, because there is limited stock to purchase at £9.95 per pack - so you can enjoy fab co-ordination, just what we Stamp-a-uppers love about Stampin' Up's products!!

I loved this set from our Saleabration Promotion this year so these have definitely got my name on them.

Bridgette

I am sailing, I am sailing ..................

................... I love this stamp set - and for this card used one of Julie's card layouts, check her blog Julie's Japes, and loved her clever anchor detail down the side of the card.

In order to try a new colour combination I checked my handy Colour Coach - and discovered the Cherry Cobbler/Marina Mist/River Rock mix and isn't the result nice?  I moved away from the traditional red,white and navy blue, patriotic I know, for a softer hue and was very pleased with the result. 

Seriously, if you haven't as yet discovered the joy of the Colour Coach you ought to take a look, it helps me to be a little more adventurous and tackle a colour combo that I wouldn't normally think of doing - why not give it a go?

Bridgette

Starting the Day ..................

...................... in a gentler way through the words of Kathleen Partridge (1942)

Wasted Worth

I wouldn't be a miser with a lonely

secret hoard and nobody to join with me in

spending what I'd stored. I wouldn't care

for treasures just to count what I possessed,

if nobody enjoyed them too and shared no

interest. For lovely things are lonely things

if wasted and unused, just tucked away in

cotton-wool for fear they should be bruised.

Not in having, but in sharing, does the

spice of life depend. The richest person in

the world is poor without a friend.

........having reconnected with two friends this week the words were very apt, it is so easy to let the weeks slip by and I am guilty of that and I'm working on it - and now seeing  a lovely group of crafters tomorrow makes our shared interests and time together so brilliant.

Have a lovely weekend, it promises to be a sunny one.

Bridgette

I've got the whole wide world ..................

.......................... in my hand - well, to be more precise, in my wonderful Open Sea stamp set !!!! to be found in the gorgeous new mini - remember you can take a peek just by clicking on the image in my sidebar.

This is a lovely stamp set and so many ways to use it - this is not my original design it was a layout I saw on Splitcoast Stampers from a fellow demonstrator - I simply changed papers, colourway and moved the embellishment to an alternative position - but it acted as a wonderful springboard for me.

Well Worn Designer Papers, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Lattice Embossing Folder, nice compass detail enhanced by a central black brad - the card base was Basic Grey - nice and masculine.

Bridgette

Slip sliding away ............................

.................... and that's just what the weekend has done!!!

I found a lovely little box for 99p - yes, 99p!! - and thought what a lovely little holder it would make for some 4" x 4" cards and envelopes - not quite sure how I'm going to decorate it but found one of my previous cards that fitted just perfectly - I particularly like the Sweetheart stamp set and it works in conjunction with the heart shaped treat cups - more of those mid-week - and such a springtime colour theme that I thought it was just what I needed to help demonstrate my point.

See you mid week - Bridgette



Wild Thing ...........

.......................... I think I love you - no doubt about it I love my scrapbooking - I am sharing one of the double page layouts that we made a little while ago at our monthly scrapbook group. 

The pages are 6" x 6" and are placed in one of Stampin' Up!'s adorable albums - the sentiment on the front cover expresses perfectly, for me, the reasoning behind scrapbooking our precious memories -

We do not remember days, we remember moments.

Cesare Pevese

I would read Where The Wild Things Are with John at home never dreaming that we would one day be able to visit an area dedicated to the book, a classic with American children, whilst visiting San Francisco - such lovely memories captured using rich warm tones from the Well Worn Designer Papers, Crumb Cake and Chocolate Chip cardstock, Twill Tape and the gorgeous retired large eyelets - I even used my own handwriting, something I advocate alot, to explain where we are - and I know not many of us are happy with our own writing but it is precious to our children - and even more so as the years race by.

Playing with a couple of crafty bits from the mini catalogue, I should have something ready to show you at the weekend.

Bridgette