Hello crafty friends, 

I hope you are all well and managed to bag some of the special offers Stampin’ Up! had available last month. 

I’ve no freebies from Stampin’ Up! This month but I do have other really exciting news…
 Today 1st November 2017, Stampin’ Up! launch their new alcohol markers (drumroll please)
STAMPIN’ BLENDS!

Check out the flyer here: Stampin’ Blends Catalogue

Stampin’ Blends Flyer
 Stampin’ Blends are high-quality, dual-tip markers which come in twelve exclusive Stampin’ Up! colours. 

They each have a light and a dark shade, which will give you the utmost blending experience!

To help you get started, we’re also happy to introduce the Colour Me Happy Project Kit and coordinating stamp, which include beautiful line-art imagery that will give you ample opportunity to test these markers’ superior blending abilities. 
You’ll see that you don’t have to be a Van Gogh to achieve great results with these products!
Would you like to know more about our alcohol markers? If so watch this YouTube video Basics of Blending by Stampin’ Up!

Basics of Stampin’ Blends

If you are ordering from me online this month and your order is under £150 please use the hostess code below. You will get a little surprise from me at the end of the month!
6FEBJZDT
If you are ordering over £150 you are the hostess and get all the benefits for yourself. 
 CLASSES

November classes are on the following dates:
Friday 3rd November 2pm

Sunday 5th November 12 noon (hearts come home project class)

Tuesday 7th November 7pm

Tuesday 21st November 7pm

Friday 24th November 2pm

Saturday 25th November (various times at Grandshaw Presbyterian Church, Comber)

Sunday 26th November at 1pm (project class) 
Please contact me ASAP if you’d like to book yourself a space.

This is one of the cards we made during one of the October crafting sessions… 

 I’m very excited to be going to Stampin’ Up! On stage event in Solihull next weekend… apart from all the swaps and crafting fun we get a sneak peek at products from the next catalogue…. eeeek.
That’s all for now. Happy crafting!
Gillian ❤️

How often whilst we are waiting for that BIG moment do we miss the little moments?

The little things that pass by unnoticed and then suddenly looking back we realise all those little things that in the moment passed us by without realising…

Like me and my children, sometimes we are so busy being Mummy the time just passes and before we know it are babies are grown.

My son barely pauses for a photo with his old mum anymore but I managed to capture one this week at my awards ceremony… doesn’t he look wonderful…

And my daughter seemed to suddenly changed from my inquisitive little princess into a young lady… how did that happen? Did I fall asleep? 

To get them both in the same photograph is like catching a flying pig, so I’m honoured!

When I was trying to think of a name for this wee craft thing I’ve got going on, all these jumbled thoughts were in my mind and I realised that all the BIG moments in life are made up by all the little things. Little things matter and I love making little things and sharing little things that might just bring a smile to someone’s face, or comfort when they need it.

I still love what I do, I love to share what I do and I love to just stop and take notice of all the little things and enjoy them before they are gone forever…
Happy weekend peeps ❤️

Yesterday we held our first Northern Belles get together in Belfast #creativityinNorthernIreland.

This was an event organised by Stampin’ Up! demonstrators in Northern Ireland for Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators.

For our debut event we met at the Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast and we had guest speaker Paula Gorry the Stampin’ Up! UK business development manager who gave a motivating talk about self belief and told us about her personal journey. 

We had groups activities, make and takes, inspiration stations and swaps. I’m honoured to have been part of the organising committee and a demonstrator panel… I even managed to speak in front of a room feel of people! 

It was great to have two of downline with me, Carol and Louise. Carol even brought another friend Carole who isn’t a demonstrator (yet)! 

The lovely Helen who is is in the same downline team as me was also there. 

(L-R Helen, Carol, Me, Carole and Louise)

It really was a fun filled day! My lovely friend Lilian and I co ordinated one of the make and takes and we made a beautiful box using the Christmas Carols suite. It was a real hit! 

(L-R Jeanette, Lilian, Me, Clare and Lyris)

Below is the beautiful box we showcased, full design credit to Lilian @craicandcrafting. 

These events and others like it are such a big part of the Stampin’ Up! Community. If you would like to join the fun and my stampin’ Up family please get in touch. I would love to welcome you and share creativity with you ❤️

Until next time, keep crafting!

Love Gillian x

It’s Friday 13th October, which means it’s my niece Alana’s birthday! It also means it’s Friday crafternoon!

Today’s class theme is Hearts come Home. We are making six cards and six matching tags! There was a lot of prep involved yesterday!

I’ll share the projects later but for now I wanted to remind you that time is running it for our fabulous October offers. Whilst the world card making day offers have expired there is still time buy three get one free on selected Designer series paper (DSP), and don’t forget if you spend £250 or host a class to that value you get a totally free Merry Patterns stamp set in addition to the usual hostess benefits! 
Catch you later!

Gillian x

Wow doesn’t time fly… hump day already which means the weekend is coming! 

Wednesday is the day I take my mum to parchment craft class at her church. I didn’t think I would enjoy it to be honest but I find it really therapeutic. I started earlier this year and took to it like a duck to water. 

I even managed to work it in with my first craft love… Stampin’ Up! of course. I rarely do any at home just the two and a half hours on a Wednesday with my mum… who goes as a way of getting out with me. She isn’t a natural bless but loves to get out and have a coffee whilst stabbing at parchment!

Today was super busy, with the class and then hairdresser so new do! It’s hard work covering all the greys! 

Sadly no crafting for me today but I thought I’d share a project I made earlier… 

This is a ‘wish I’d bought the orchid builder’ moment! It’s all made from Stampin’ Up! supplies but I had to cut out the orchid shape from a template online. The buds are actually the wings from the retired bird builder punch!

So guess what is now on my must buy list!

It does go to show you though that you don’t need to have everything… it’s OK to want but we don’t always need! Even if we feel we do. 

Anyway I’ll say good night and get on with unpacking a few more boxes!

Happy crafting, until next time…
Gillian x

Hello again

I’ve missed a couple of days as I’ve been so busy with life getting in the way! But anyway here I am on a lazy Sunday afternoon just chill axing and talking to myself.

Yesterday saw the first of my Christmas project classes, it was a marathon crafting day and as usual a lot of chatter and laughter. Everyone made ten cards using the Carols of Christmas. There was glitter everywhere… absolutely everywhere! But then you can’t do Christmas without glitter!

This first card was so simple, it utilised cherry Cobbler one of my seasonal favourites, I paired it with very vanilla to give a softer look than whisper white. The inside is stamped simply with some Christmas baubles. 

For my second card I went monotone with black and white with a flash of silver glitter. The music sheet die isn’t stamping up but without it there was a white space on the Dsp which I just couldn’t live with! 

The third card took me back to cherry cobbler, matched this time with tranquil Tide and whisper white. 

I added some gold sequin and little tiny pearls for the centres of then poinsettia. I won’t lie the inside of this card was fiddly, it’s stunning and pretty but definitely fiddly, laying in those fiddly bits of green, for me it’s worth it!

Next up I went for night of navy matched with tranquil Tide. Can you tell I’m loving tranquil Tide as a festive green? This was the really messy card… I reckon I’ll be finding glitter much past Christmas! 

I can’t take design credit for this card, it’s adapted from one I found on Pinterest and I simply love it! I used my stampin’ markers to colour the stamp so it’s two tone. Just remember to ‘huff’ on the stamp after colouring to remoistened the ink

Inside I coloured  the hanging baubles Stamp with markers again but if you want a quick make you could just stamp this in night of navy to contrast with the tranquil Tide card.

The final card was also cased from Pinterest. I love the rustic feel of this card. I used crumb cake as the base. 

You would never think that the DSP was white. It’s been sponged to give an aged look. Also in crumb cake. Inside I stamped the baubles in cherry cobbler to tie it all in. 

Everyone loved all the cards and I had an added option for this class which they all took… so they went home with fully prepped kits to make another ten.

If you would be interested in a kit for this class ten cards plus the stamp set, dies and a quarter pack of DSP costs only £60 and you will be sent a PDF instruction sheet. The kit comes prepped with all card stock cut to sizes you need. You will need dies for doing squares etc. If you don’t have them let me know and I will do these for you. If you want to add an extra ten cards on to this kit for the special price of £15 please let me know. Again they will be cut and prepped. 

So for the rest of today I’ll be tidying the craft room and putting my feet up with lovely chilled tin of Pepsi Max!

Enjoy the rest of your day whatever you are doing and thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to follow my log by signing up for email updates!

Love Gillian x

Happy Thursday 

Also known as throw back Thursday! Today I’m Sharing a project I designed a while back for class. It was a beautiful box containing four cards all using the beautiful you stamp set. 

The box opens up and has a sleeve at each side. To be fair it could probably hold eight cards comfortably. I have created this in so many different colours and it makes a beautiful present. 

I used my favourite colours for this set… well my favourite for that day anyway! Sweet sugar plum and rich razzleberry and as always a generous splattering of rhinestones. 

I’m not sure about you but I am such a particular person when it comes to colouring. For me you shouldn’t see the pen lines, it takes the professional look away (but then I am amloytle OCD when it comes to my crafting). I achieve this look by colouring it twice this seems to work like a blender and makes the colouring smooth and flawless.:: give it a try and let me know what you think. 

The card above also uses a little paper piecing. If you haven’t done this before it’s so simple. Just stamp onto DSP and fussy cut before adhering to the image on your card front. I particularly liked this pattern for the middle ladies dress, classy! 

For the third card I sketched a longer dress and instead of long sleeves I made a strappy dress and gloves just with a few clever lines. I can’t take credit for this idea though I saw it on Pinterest! I used the itty bitty punches bird builder for the floral detail and I know hey are retired but sometimes you just gotta keep old stuff! There are lots of new alternatives you could swap in. 

And the final card… lots of torn edges, ribbon and LOTS of bling! What’s not to love?

If you would like the pdf tutorial for this project simply place an order for Beautiful You through my online shop. I’ll then send you the tutorial free of charge. That’s on top of the free gift I’m already offering this month for all orders! 

If you would like the tutorial and already have the stamp set it is available to purchase for £3. Just click buy now below. 

Buy now 

That’s all for now. In the words of a famous character… I’ll be back!
Love Gillian