Sneek Peek 2. Stampin' Up! Sale-a-Bration

Well here is another lovely card made with a stamp set which will be coming soon in Stampin' Up! Sale-a-Bration

It is a gorgeous hand drawn penny farthing and the detail on the stamp is just stunning as  every little detail shows up perfectly.  I used the designer series paper Fan Fair which is my favourite as it is subtle but with a vintage look to it which complimented the penny farthing perfectly.

If you'd like to be one of the first to see these fantastic new products from Stampin' Up! and order this new brochure when it comes out then just contact me allmark.j@sky.com Stampin' Up! products can only be bought from independent demonstrators like myself so please get in touch.

Thanks for looking.

Sneek Peek Sale-A-Bration

Well I couldn't resist putting this up as a sneek peek of what is to be coming soon in Stampin' Up! Sale-a-Bration.  Soo excited as some of these stamp sets are just beautiful.  As you know I really love the vintage look and shabby chic and it is so current in the shops in everything that is out there.  I always find it interesting that everything seems to go in cycles and will come in and out of fashion.  So I am really pleased that one of the great iconic things that we associate with Britain is the red telephone box.  With the advent of mobile phones there are very few telephone boxes left and there are (as far as I am aware) no traditional old red telephone boxes.

I really love this image as it has been line drawn so is easy to colour in with water colours (which is what I did)  The background is a designer series paper called 'Fan Fair' which I really like as it has a lot of subtle colour matches which work well to compliment a busy print/main stamp rather than overwhelm it.

So this gorgeous telephone box is part of a stamp set which will be launched as part of Stampin' Up! Sale-a-Bration coming soon.  If you would like to be one of the first to see these new products when the catalogue is launched then please get in touch and I would be happy to send you one allmark.j@sky.com

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year

Well I have been a bit quiet here as have been enjoying the festivities with my family and friends & taking a well deserved rest.  There is something quite refreshing in sometimes just sitting doing nothing but eating, drinking & generally vegging out.

However there is only so much vegging you can do so I am now back to my crafting and can't wait to show you some of the beautiful things that I have made.  Ooo and very exciting I was made a beautiful native american double flute for my Yule gift by my exceptionally talented boyfriend and it has the most beautifully hand carved hare totem as the sound piece. 

So I have to get the camera out and start snapping so I can put lots of posts up for the New Year.

In the meantime I would like to thank everyone who has been watching my blog and hope that it will be as entertaining in the New Year.

Wishing everyone peace and love for 2013 and don't forget if you need to contact me regarding anything to do with Stampin' Up! and their products, need to order a catalogue? or just want some information then please email me allmark.j@sky.com

Baby Naming Ceremony Card

Was asked to make a baby naming ceremony card for someone who was attending one for a lovely little baby called Edward or Ted as they like to call him.  She had scanned all the shops and could only find christening cards.  As this little fellow was going to be allowed to make his own decision about his religious path when he was old enough to understand, the family were having a baby naming ceremony.

So I made a beautiful personalised card using the fantastic Stampin' Up products

Don't forget if you would like any of the Stampin' Up products or would like a catalogue please just get in touch b email allmark.j@sky.com

Thanks for looking

Up! Up! Up!

Well what an exciting few days!  It started really badly with my poor old car 1998 Honda HRV going in for it's MOT & failing miserably. £400 later it passed but is now driving like a bag of spanners so it was time to say goodbye & look for something else.  I have taken the route of old bangers for my last two cars & each year they cost me a small fortune to get through the MOT so I decided to bite the bullet and look at newer.

I have always had a passion for VW as my boyfriend has a 1956 splitscreen called Rusty & I was quite impressed with the new VW Up!  It has had rave reviews and been voted world car 2012 so off to my local garage to have a look.  I couldn't stretch to brand new but they had a lovely 9 month old one (so almost brand new) in red and it is gorgeous.  Took it for a test drive & then got my eldest son to come and give me his opinion as he knows about cars & I just like the colour.  Well to cut a long story short I bought it.  Sooooooo exciting & I pick it up on Wednesday.  To be the proud owner of a 2012 car which is red is just a fantastic feeling.  The cutest thing out is that the tyres have flower patterns on, such a girlie thing & I am so a girlie :))))

So to celebrate here is a cute decoration made from one piece of 7" x 7" designer series paper.

Humming bird delight

I love the versatility of Stampin' Up products and just enjoying putting different ideas together to create something beautiful.  This card just comes to life with the lovely smooch spritz.  Just spray a little on any card to give it a lovely shimmery shine.  It is becoming one of my favourite accesories and at £4.50 for a big 11ml spray applicator it is great value too as a little goes a long way.

 

 

 

I have used the vanilla shimmer but there are two other great shades, gold glow & silver foil.  They add such a lovely finish.

 

If you would like a catalogue or to buy any of the Stampin' Up products you can't buy them in the shops or online but only through a Stampin' Up demonstrator, which I am so please get in touch my email at allmark.j@sky.com

Thank you for looking.

Never too old to craft.

I have the great privilege of working at a day centre for the elderly and their inspiration and wisdom makes me humble every day.  This week I have had the opportunity to bring some crafting into their lives.  Many of them used to work with their hands doing crafts and homemade projects but that was  for most over 20/30 years ago. Failing eyesight, arthritis and in some cases dementia has taken it's toll so the idea of crafting was met with "We can't do this anymore as it is far too difficult" then the fun began.

With some paper, stamps, punches and a few ideas (a calendar for 2013) (simple chocolate tree ornaments) we began. "Choose a colour of paper?" and everyone chose a different colour. Each design was unique and different as their imaginations took hold. Sprinkly glitter, sploshing on some glue, getting sticky and messy and smiling and laughing as each calendar took on their own unique designs. Sure I helped a bit when fingers wouldn't work or eyes couldn't see to place an item on the page but each person created something of their own.  The finished works were held proudly aloft and pictures were taken, then they were loving carried out to adorn their homes and give them a smile and a little confidence in the year to come that actually.................you are never too old to craft or achieve anything else that you set your mind to.

Peace

Especially at this time of year thoughts are turned to our loved ones, home & getting together for the festive season.  It is easy to get swept up in the commercialism of the holidays and the pressure of spending far too much on gifts, pressies and lots of over indulgent food.  For me it is the simple things that mean the most to me.  The smiles and laughter of children, the hugs and love from my family and having time to relax and generally chill. 

If there is one word which sums up what I would hope for now and eternity it is PEACE in every sense of the word.  Peace around the world, peace in my mind & body, and peace for every man, woman and child wherever they may be.

With this in mind my card for today is PEACE

This card was made using Stampin' Up products and as an independent stampin' up demonstrator I would be happy to send you a catalogue to choose your own products or help you with workshops & classes to make cards like the one above.  Please get in touch allmark.j@sky.com and we can start your Stampin' Up journey together.

Thanks for looking.

Stampin' Up Daydream medallions

Just loving the Stampin' Up Daydream Medallions stamp set.The stamps are really good for using as backgrounds to build on and look great whether on plain card stock or designer series paper.

This time I used Wisteria Wonder ink pad with Wisteria Wonder & Pretty In Pink card stock. Sponging the edge of the card gives that lovely aged look and helps to blend it into the card stock.
Complete products used : -

• Glimmer paper silver - for the gorgeous butterfly a real wow sparkler of glitter on a sheet which won't rub off. 2 sheets of 12" x 12" for £4.50
• Card stock  216gsm weight 24 sheets 12" x 12" for £6.25 50+ colours to choose from
• Blossom punch £15.50 really super punches that give such clear detailing & clip closed for easy storage.
• Daydream Medallions stamp set clear £25.95 wood £32.95.  You get 5 lovely stamps in the set & again the detailing is exceptional.  I used 2 of the stamps for the above card.
• Ink pads - £4.95 each.  I love the way every co-ordinates together to get that really professional look & with 50+ ink pads there is so much to choose from.

You can only buy Stampin' Up products through an independent stampin' up demonstrator so if you would like to order any of the above items, browse through a catalogue or learn more about becoming a demonstrator then please email me allmark.j@sky.com

Thanks for looking

Stampin' Up - Daydream Medallions

Well what an exciting day! A lovely great big box full of Stampin' Up goodies arrived today and I have been playing like crazy.  There is nothing like opening up a new stamp set, mounting it on the gorgeous wooden mounts and then beginning to create.  This stamp set is Daydream Medallions and I chose the Fan Fair designer series paper as it creates a beautiful vintage look.

I used the blossom punch with some of the gorgeous smooch spray to give a subtle shimmer, toned it with some rich razzleberry ink pad sponged on  & then topped it with the bird builder punch bird in the glittery glamorous glimmer paper which gives such a sparkly bird.

Unfortunately the photo really doesn't do it justice but I hope you get the idea of creating a really gorgeous shimmery, glitzy card.

Stampin' Up products are so yummy and versatile it is really easy to create some beautiful cards & half the fun for me is being able to make something totally unique.

Please get in touch if you would like to receive a catalogue packed full of gorgeousness or would like to learn how to create your own beautiful cards.  As an independent stampin' up demonstrator I am happy to do classes for you and your friends. Just get in touch by email at allmark.j@sky.com

Thanks for looking.

Butterfly birthday card

Well today I thought I would have some fun with embellishments.  As I have only just become a Stampin' Up demonstrator there are sooo many lovely things I would like to buy but as usual I have millionaires tastes with shirt button budget.  So with shirt buttons in mind I thought I would embellish a card with a shirt button.  I used some of Stampin' Up lovely ribbon to tie a bow threw the button & then put it in the centre of a butterfly punched using their punch from a scrap of designer series paper.  The range of designer series paper is huge & cleverly is designed in the colours of the card stock & ink pads so you can co-ordinate things perfectly.  It is a very simple design but with the embellishment of the buterfly turns it into a really pretty card.

Please get in touch allmark.j@sky.com as I would be happy to send you Stampin' Up current catalogue so you can start your own adventure with these great products.

Thanks for looking :))

Bird Builder punch - Stampin' Up

Well this is a new technique I just learned.  Behind the pretty little bird are rays making the bird seem as if it is enjoying the early morning sun.  This was done using masking & sponging & although this card was done with pool party ink pad (a subtle pale blue) it could be done with various shade to give sunsets, meadows or even rainbows.

Will be trying this using different colours over the coming weeks but really pleased at my first attempt.

If you are a crafty person like me & would like to know more about Stampin' Up & their fantastic product range then please get in touch allmark.j@sky.com

Bird Builder punch - Stampin' Up

Well I have been having so much fun with the bird builder punch so decided to have a go at this sweet little trio of birds. I made a mummy bird, daddy bird and then with the wing & a little piece of the leaf for the beak created a little baby bird.  For the eyes I used some leftovers from a decorative border punch which were just small enough and perfect for eyes.  Mounted on some pretty designer series paper with a flowery background it finished it off perfectly.  The sentiment is from the teeny tiny sentiments stamp set punched out with the word window punch.  Really pleased with this card & I will be making some more using different colour combinations.

Don't forget all my cards are for sale (just ask) and if you would like to make your own cards with the fantastic Stampin' Up products I am now an independent Stampin' Up demonstrator.  You can only buy Stampin' Up products through a demonstrator so why not have a browse through the 205 page catalogue which I am happy to send to you and get started. Also if you would like to know more about becoming a demonstrator & all the great benefits it offer then just get in touch allmark.j@sky.com

Yule Blessings

I have been working on some cards with Yule greetings on for all of us out there who celebrate Yule.  This was created using the new simply serif mini alphabet Stampin' Up set to create the YULE sentiment.  I mounted this on a small heart with the full heart using punches & then embossed them with silver to give it a festive feel.  Using soft suede card stock & stamping using soft suede ink for added texture.

Bird Builder punch

These are a pair of cards using the bird builder punch and some of the great designer series papers that Stampin' Up do.  As I have two birthdays coming up for a couple of girlie friends I wanted to make a pretty feminine card.  I used complimenting pinks & the teeny tiny sentiments which have become my favourite sentiments as once punched out using the word window punch they are small & discreet but really set a card off nicely.

Please get in touch on allmark.j@sky.com if you would like to know more about Stampin' Up & their great product range or would like to order a catalogue.

 

 

 

Bird Builder punch

The great thing about all of the Stampin' Up products is their versatility.  As the bird builder punch is my latest acquisition I have been thinking of other ways to use this punch so I used the wing from the bird builder punch to create leaves.  I started with a single circle but decided it looked a little sparse so built it up a bit with another layer, added some pearls & put a birthday sentiment using the teeny tiny wishes and the word window punch.  This has now made a fun card using some pretty co-ordinating colours.

If you would like to buy any of the Stampin' Up products, order a catalogue then please get in touch allmark.j@sky.com

Thank you for looking.

Bird builder punch

This is a lovely Christmas card using the Stampin' Up bird builder punch.  I sponged the bird to create a lovely pair of robins and used Snow festival DSP for the Christmas tree background.  I love this series of papers as for £9.95 you make make 32 cute little cards & have lots of papers for plenty of other cards.  Such good value and I really love the versatility of this pack.

Stampin' Up products used : -

• bird builder punch
• soft suede & more mustard card stock
• Snow festival DSP
• soft suede, poppy parade, early espresso ink pads
• Sassy salutations sentiment

If you would like to order any of the Stampin' Up products or would like a catalogue please get in touch allmark.j@sky.com

Thanks for looking.

My birthday

Well what a fantastic weekend I've just had culminating with my birthday today. The start of christmas shopping with all the towns lit up with twinkly lights and festivities.

Today was my birthday and I was thoroughly spoilt. Flowers, yummy cake & pressies from my wonderful partner, family & friends. Thank you everyone for your kind wishes, cards & pressies it was a fantastic birthday & it is such a joy to be loved by so many.

Photos of Mauritius

Some pictures I took while on holiday for my son & daughter in law's wedding.  I just love the turquoise sea, really makes me think think of warm sunshine & even warmer sea.

Stampin' Up! bird builder punch & Take Care stamp set

Have been having so much fun with my new stamp sets & punches.  There is nothing nicer on these freezing cold, dark nights than sitting at my craft table surrounded by all my lovely new things getting inspirational.  Some things work and some don't quite but part of the fun is learning and each time I make something I don't quite I'm learning.

So, what have I started with :-

• bird builder punch
• New Take Care stamp set
• Teeny tiny sentiments stamp set
• word window punch
• Pumpkin pie & old olive card stock
• soft suede, lucky limeade, early espresso & calypso coral ink pads

The card stock I bought came in 12 different colours (great value starter pack at £6.25 for 24 large sheets) so I can create lots of different cards & decide which are my favourite colours before I buy whole packs of same colour. Brilliant.

I have already bought a variety of ink pads & because everything really mixes & matches again I can experiment working out what colours blend and go together the best.

I used a sponging technicque on the bird to create a red breast & body & just sponged a little heavier on the beak.  I did the same on the little leaves & twig.  The blessings sentiment I stamped out using the word window punch.

Second card is really simple but I kinda like it. Simply stamped tree with 2 little decorations taken from  christmas deer set to just set it off.

Now for one that didn't work! Reckon its good to sometimes put things that don't work so here it is. Thought as I was using quite bright card stock with the pumpkin pie I would just use brown & green for the bird & the little eggs for the border.  Unfortunately I think it looks a little drab & probably would have looked better if I had mounted the bird on a white or light coloured backgound. I do like using the little eggs as a border though so that is something to use on another card.

Stampin' Up! starter kit

How exciting I came home from work yesterday to have a huge parcel waiting. My Stampin' Up! starter kit.  Well it just happens to be my birthday this weekend and I always try and treat myself to something and what a treat.  I have become so enthralled with Stampin' Up! and all their great products choosing the items to make up my starter kit was a bit like a kid in a candy store, 'I want it all'

There was sooo much that it covered my dining table.  It is so cool that you can choose whatever you like to make up your starter set & as I had already bought quite a bit from my dear friend Lauren I chose some items that would really work together.

If you are interested in becoming a demonstrator, want a catalogue or just want to know more about Stampin' Up! and their great range of top notch crafting please email me allmark.j@sky.com  The journey begins and it is time to share, share, share :))))

hanging chocolate tree decorations

Have been having some fun today making this yummy little tree decoration using some chocolate coins (thanks goes to Lauren for coin idea)  Well I  got some gold chocolate coins the ones that come in a little bag & decided to make individual tree decorations.  I stuck a circle of card stock to cover the gold coin on both sides, put a heart & a little sentiment on top & then added some twine to hang on the tree.  As the bag contains 9 coins I now can make 9 decorations to co-ordinate with my red & green theme on my tree.  Can't wait to get my tree in from the garden & the decorations down from the loft, but a bit early yet so time to make the other 7 decorations.

 
 

 
Stampin' Up products used : -

• lucky limeade card stock
• Festival of Prints - Designer series paper
• full heart punch
• decorative label punch
• sentiment stamp is a retired set but there are lots of yummy ones in current catalogue

If you want to buy any of these products then please get in touch allmark.j@sky.com

Christmas robin card

As I wait for my Stampin' Up starter kit to arrive with all the goodies, I have been busy practising techniques and creating more cards.  Robins are such a christmasy bird with their bright red breasts & chirpy happy faces & christmas to me is all about love so the heart just complimented the card perfectly.  I used a sponging technique for the robin's body & red breast & then sponged round the outside of the punched shape to give it some depth.

The Stampin' Up products I used were : -

• owl punch - (such a versatile punch as you can make so much more than just an owl)
• poppy parade & soft suede & early espresso ink pads
• lucky limeade card stock
• full hearat punch
• decorative label punch - (again one punch & you can create a variety of different sized labels)

If you would like any of the above products then please don't hesitate to contact me at allmark.j@sky.com

Thank you for looking

Independent Stampin' Up Demonstrator

As you know I am someone who loves crafting & especially card making. Well I have been buying a variety of different stamps, punches & paper to do this but one particular product stands head and shoulders above the rest.  This company is Stampin' Up.  What I really like about the products is that they are the best quality I have found. When I stamp an image onto my card stock I want it to be clean & crisp with plenty of detail. The card stock is of a great weight & so smooth that the stamped images again are crisp & clean.  Homemade/handmade cards are great but I still want them to look professional and the best I can make.

So where do I get Stampin' Up products from?  Well the good thing is that you can't buy them in the shops, so the cards you make can be a little more exclusive, you buy them through a Stampin' Up demonstrator.  Luckily one of my closest friends became a Stampin' Up demonstrator a while ago & she started running workshops teaching & showing off this great range.  It is so much fun as each class you get to learn another technique & to use different stamps & punches.  It really is a 'try before you buy' method.  This was so good for me as it allowed me to grow in confidence and ability to where I was able to make a range of cards & start selling them locally.  There really is a market for individual high quality cards out there.

Well turn the clock forward a few months and I wanted to become more involved with Stampin' Up products and give more people out there the opportunity to buy some of their great range. Stampin' Up offer new demonstrators a fantastic  start up incentive.  Buy £130 worth of stock (absolutely anything from the catalogue, you mix & match to create your own package, the stamp sets you want, the punches, the card stock, ink pads & pretty embellishments like rhinestones, pearls & ribbons, and you pay only £99.  So excitedly I put my order together & on Friday placed it.

Over the next few days I will receive a huge bundle of craftiness to allow me to continue to make some fabulous cards and most importantly continue my passion for everything homemade.  It is very exciting and I can't wait.

I really want to share all of this and Stampin' Up products with all of you out there so I will be starting my own workshops to share techniques & show you all these great ideas & pass on this passion. Remember you can only buy Stampin' Up products through a demonstrator. So please get in touch allmark.j@sky.com & be one of the first to join me on this great Stampin' Up craftiness adventure. Wheeeeeeee!

Bespoke cabinets

Here are a couple of pictures of bespoke cabinets made for customers.  These were made for the bathroom to house different styles of wash basins.  If you are looking for something individual & unique beautifully made to your own personal specifications then please get in touch allmark.j@sky.com

 

Thank you for looking

Unique Mirror

This is a beautiful mirror handcrafted and totally unique.  Each mirror that is made is an original in design & made sympathetically with the curves of the natural wood used.

If you would like to have a mirror to adorn your home please contact allmark.j@sky.com

Hare Card

Working on trying to make a card with a hare on it.  This cheeky little chappie was created using the owl punch (for the body) the heart punch (for the ears) & the owl punch (for the eyes). I do love hares & so will be working on a few more ideas during the coming weeks so keep looking to see what I come up with.

 

 

Have made this a christmas card, but could easily be any other sentiment.

 

Dont forget if you wish to buy any of my cards just email by allmark.j@sky.com

 

 

Sun, sea & surf

I recently had the opportunity of spending some time in Newquay a real surf capital and was able to watch lots of people surfing and enjoying the big waves in this part of the country.  I decided that if ever I was to have a go at surfing it would be somewhere really warm as the idea of donning a wetsuite and running into our freezing sea made my toes curl and my teeth chatter.  So I thought I would make take this idea and do a couple of summery cards.  One is with surfboards & the other shells which stamping everything in blue & using blue cardstock has given them a real seaside feel.

5th birthday

Exciting day today it is my grandson's 5th birthday so day a day filled with laughter & fun. So I have made him a birthday card with 5 little turtles on in shades of blue.  He has a love of turtles & tortoises as he got to ride on the back of a giant tortoise  on holiday in Mauritius when he was only two years old.  He still has great memories of that event and can tell you exactly what noise a giant tortoise makes ( its a sort of deep grunting noise).  I have been invited to his party to be held in an adventure ball park with lots of his friends so I get a chance to climb around & launch myself down slides, which is one of the benefits of being a crazy granny.

Four calling birds

A subtle christmas card with four calling birds sitting in the trees, just right for the run up to christmas.  It is that lovely time of year when everything starts to feel like christmas & for me I love spending time making cards & gifts for my loved ones.  As this always takes a good few weeks, by the time I have finished it is almost christmas eve.  What better way to spend  time in the dark winter evenings than sitting at my craft table being creative.

Unique Mirror

Have you ever wanted something totally unique & individual to hang on your wall?  Well take a look at this mirror.  It is beautifully made from natural wood, hand crafted & finished and totally individual.  This mirror has been finished with some lovely stained glass lead work in the corner which really sets it off and catches the light.

Commissioned pieces to order so just get in touch allmark.j@sky.com