Thursday 12th May: Wedding Card Class Sneak Peek

Hi there!

This month's card-making class is taking place this Thursday (12th May) at my home in Eastbourne and we'll be making wedding/anniversary/engagement cards. We'll be using the new Wedding Wheels single stamp from the Mini Catalogue (£6.95), along with sentiment stamps from Tiny Tags, Baroque Motifs and Always Elegant stamp sets.

Here are the cards we'll be making...

 

These cards were made using Confetti White cardstock, a hand-made style of cardstock containing tiny flecks of flower petals.. beautiful for wedding cards! The third card was inspired by a lovely one I spotted on Julie Kettlewell's blog, it's here if you'd like to see.

If you fancy coming along to this class, please let me know by Tuesday. Details about classes are on this page.

Thanks for visiting!

Sarah x

Supplies

Card 1:

Colours - Confetti White, Concord Crush, Blushing Bride
Stamps - Baroque Motifs
Punch - Scallop Oval, Scallop Trim Border
Die - Beautiful Wings Embosslit
Accessories - Adhesive Pearls

Card 2:

Colours - Confetti White, Baja Breeze, Soft Suede
Stamps - Wedding Wheels, Always Elegant
Punch - Scallop Oval, Oval
Accessories - Baja Breeze Seam Binding

Card 3:

Colours - Confetti White, Rose Red, Crumb Cake
Stamps - Wedding Wheels, Tiny Tags, So Swirly Wheel
Punch - Jewelry Tag, Scallop Trim Border
Accessories - Linen Thread

March cardmaking class - Flight of the Butterfly

Thank you ladies for coming to today's class - I loved seeing how you interpreted the cards and really made them your own!

I have to admit, having said we'd use Flight of the Butterfly last month I struggled for a while to come up with anything I was really pleased with.. so I turned to some trusty sources of inspiration to help me out! (Sometimes the mojo takes a little holiday, you know?) ;o)

So here are the cards we made today...

This one (above) was cased from the Idea Book & Catalogue (have I mentioned it's full of wonderful card and scrapbook ideas for you to 'borrow' and adapt as you like..?). The colours I used were Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Tangerine Tango and Pumpkin Pie.

 

This one (above) was inspired by a card I spotted on SplitCoast Stampers (another valuable source of inspiration when your mojo fails you!) by justbehappy.. love the different shades of pink all together - they are Melon Mambo and Regal Rose with a bit of Pretty in Pink satin ribbon!

And finally, this last one was totally inspired by another one I found on SplitCoast Stampers - although I changed the colour scheme and added the yellow punched strip across the middle. The colours are Tempting Turquoise, Real Red and Daffodil Delight.

All of today's cards were made using colours from the Brights Collection, along with Flight of the Butterfly stamp set, the Butterfly punch and the Scallop Trim Border punch. The Boho Blossoms punch was also used on the second card.

Did you know you can buy cardstock in a Brights assortment... 20 sheets of A4 smooth cardstock (2 each in 10 colours) for £6.25? Let me know if you'd like me to order some.. or any of the products used in this class.. and I'll be very happy to help!

See you soon,

Sarah x

February's Card Class

Thank you to the lovely ladies who attended my card-making class today and last Thursday.. it's always so rewarding to see how you get on with the projects I've planned for you!

So here's what we got up to this month:

First, a vintage-style card made using the Bliss Sale-a-bration stamp set (I love this set so much!), inspired by the Sale-a-bration flyer...

Second, a Valentine card (inspired by one I spotted on ILWS by Sarah-Jane) and treat box made using the gorgeous Love You Much set...

And finally... a quick and easy card (totally inspired by Julie Kettlewell) made using papers from the Brights Designer Series Paper stack and the adorable owl from Punch Bunch (another Sale-a-bration stamp set)..

Yes, we had a busy time making FOUR fabulous items in two-and-a-half hours and having lots of fun in the process! If you'd like to join in next month, do get in touch.. we'll be making more cards on Thursday 10th and Saturday 12th March. Check out this page for booking information.

January Prize Draw winner!

A BIG HUGE THANK YOU to all my lovely customers who have attended my classes and bought some fabulous Stampin' Up! products this past month. I so love this job! :o) I get to meet lots of lovely crafty ladies.. play around for hours dreaming up cards and scrapbook ideas for classes.. and do plenty of shopping for stash! (Even if I'm ordering for you, it's still exciting!)

I would love to see what you make with your new SU! purchases.. and I'd also really like to see your finished scrapbook projects too! If you'd like me to feature any of your cards, scrapbook pages or other projects made using SU! products that you've bought from me.. bring them along to your next class and I'll photograph them for the blog!

Now before I forget... the winner of the January Prize Draw is...

Helen Green!!

Congratulations, Helen - your prize will be included with your current order which is on its way!

The cards at the top of this post were commissioned by one of the parents at Charlie's school. They had to be quick and simple to make, so I used some scraps of Elegant Soiree DSP, along with strips of cardstock punched with the Scallop Trim Border punch, then added the greeting from So Happy For You (Sale-a-Bration set), punched out with the Word Window punch. The colour scheme is Baja Breeze, Soft Suede and Very Vanilla.

And finally... if you'd like to sign up for one of my February card-making classes (Thurs 10th and Sat 12th Feb), I'm holding the price at £8 until the end of Wednesday 2nd Feb (that's tomorrow night!) - so if you fancy coming, get in quick to secure your place at the discount rate!

Thanks for visiting!

Sarah x

Come and join me in February!

Hi there!

Fancy joining me for a card-making class or scrapbooking session in February? If so, now's the time to book your place.. I've just updated the Class Dates and Details page so you can see what's happening from now til June.

February's Card-making Classes take place on Thursday 10th and Saturday 12th February. These classes will be showcasing two more of the Sale-a-bration stamp sets - Bliss and Punch Bunch - along with the chance to make a Valentine card using the very sweet Love You Much stamp set!

Scrapbook Club this month takes place on Thursday 24th and Saturday 26th February.. and we'll be continuing with the Love theme by making a chipboard album dedicated to someone (or something) special. You will be able to customise your kit using any of the colours from the delicious Subtles Collection - and use the fabulous Stampin' Up! Colour Coach to help you devise your perfect colour scheme!

Just a quick reminder, too, that Sale-a-Bration is now half-way through! You have til 28th February to earn yourself a FREE stamp set.. if you'd like more information, please check out my previous post here - and then click on the Sale-a-Bration label in the side-bar to see plenty of projects made using the sets on offer. If you would like a Sale-a-Bration leaflet, email me with your address and I'll send you a copy!

I'll be back tomorrow to announce the winner of January's Prize Draw.. good luck everyone!

And finally...

A birthday card for a friend's little girl.. happy birthday Rosie!

Colours: Pear Pizazz, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Pretty in Pink.
Stamps: Punch Bunch (Sale-a-Bration), Party This Way, Just Perfect alphabet
DSP: Brights Designer Series Paper Pattern Stack (Daffodil Delight)

Thanks for your visit!

Sarah x

Scrapbook Club - undaunted by snow!

Well, it was touch and go this morning... should I call off Scrapbook Club or carry on regardless of the white stuff? In the end, thanks to a few quick phone calls, we decided to go ahead. Thank you ladies for braving the elements - we had snow, hailstones like marbles and the occasional blizzard, but nobody batted an eyelid!

So this month's project was a Birthday Planner, to help us keep on top of all those birthdays and other occasions throughout the year which call for a hand-crafted card to be made and sent with love. Here's my creation:

It took me a good couple of weeks to get this project finished.. and a lot of trial and error.. but I'm pleased with how it turned out - and even more thrilled with how the ladies managed to create theirs today in under three hours! It was pretty intense work but worth the effort I think.

Here's a peek at the first two inside pages, showing the calendar for January on the left and a pocket for holding a couple of cards on the right...

 

...and the little pocket at the back - for storing envelopes or maybe a little address book..?

I've made a few changes to the class schedule from January onwards... full details can be found on the Card-making Classes and Scrapbook Club pages in the side-bar... take a look and do book early to benefit from early-bird discounts and to secure your place!

Details of class projects for the next few months will be available soon.. or at least as soon as I've finished my Christmas cards and thought about what we're eating one week from today..!

Merry Christmas everyone.. and I hope to see you soon! :o)

11th December Class Sneaky Peek

Here's a little peek at one of the cards we'll be making on Saturday morning using the Notably Ornate stamp set and Love Letter/Newsprint Designer Series Papers. If you'd like to come, please let me know by Thursday afternoon as I'll be preparing resources for the class tomorrow evening.

A Stampin' Up! Christmas

Fancy some gorgeous Stampin' Up! goodies under the tree this year? The very last date for Christmas orders is Monday 13th December - so please don't delay in sending me your Wish List and giving your loved ones my contact details!

If you'd prefer to choose your own goodies after Christmas, you could always opt for Gift Vouchers instead. Please check out the Gift Vouchers page in the side-bar for full details - including information on a couple of very special offers!

A Christmas Planner with Jolly Holiday DSP

Yesterday at Scrapbook Club we made Christmas Planners.. and appropriately enough, within half an hour the snowflakes had started to fall! Undaunted we carried on..

 (L-R: Becky, Teresa and Janette)

...work in progress..

..and here's one I made earlier!

Here's what we used:

2 pieces of thin chipboard
6 small square envelopes (113 x 113mm)
Jolly Holiday Designer Series Papers
Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive and Very Vanilla cardstock

Stamps:

Just Perfect alphabet
Contempo Christmas
Serene Snowflakes
Just Believe
Basic Phrases
Dasher
Punch Potpourri


The planner was bound together using the Bind-it-All and 5/8" white O-wires.

Next Classes:
Saturday 11th December: Card-making with Notably Ornate stamps and Love Letter/Newsprint Designer Series Papers (non-Christmassy cards!).
As this is the rescheduled class from Friday 10th Dec, I'm holding the price at £5.

Saturday 18th December: Scrapbook Club - Making a Birthday Planner - get organised for 2011 with this handy birthday book and never forget anyone's special day again!
Price £10 - includes full kit and instructions (sneak preview of project and kit coming soon - it's in progress!).

I'm taking bookings for both of these classes now.
If you'd like to come, please let me know by 5th December.
I will need payment in advance please, so that I can purchase and prepare resources for your project kit.
 You can pay by Paypal (email address: slpiggott73@gmail.com - mark it as a 'Personal Payment Owed') or cheque (payable to Sarah Piggott - email me for my address).

Many thanks.. I hope to see you soon!

Sarah x

Just Believe... cards from Saturday's class

Here's a very quick post to share the cards we made in yesterday's class using Stampin' Up's 'Just Believe' stamp set.

 

The watercolour effect was achieved by inking up the stamp with Old Olive and Not Quite Navy ink pads, then lightly spraying the stamp with water, before stamping on to watercolour paper. I was a bit anxious about demonstrating this card - the technique can be rather hit-and-miss, depending on how much water lands on your stamp from the spray bottle! The results are also very subjective - some might prefer a less watery look but I rather liked this one!

The background was created with the same flower stamp using Baja Breeze ink on matching cardstock for a tone-on-tone effect. The Old Olive ribbon was pleated and laid down on a line of Sticky Strip tape, with tiny pieces of tape holding down the pleats.

In the second card, the two flower stamps were stamped using VersaMark ink, then embossed with black embossing powder. We then used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to align the flowery frame (stamped in Baja Breeze ink) and the sentiment inside it.

Thank you ladies for coming - I really enjoyed the class and it was a pleasure to see how you interpreted the projects!

Next Classes: 

Saturday 27th Nov - Scrapbook Club (Bookings now closed)
Either Friday 10th or Saturday 11th December - Card-making Class (see previous post for details)
Saturday 18th December - Scrapbook Club (kit and project details coming soon!)

Important: Changes to Class Times and Dates!

Hello ladies!

Just a quick post to let you know of some important changes to forthcoming class timings and dates.

Saturday 27th November - Scrapbook Club: 

Will start at 9.30am so that anyone who wants to visit the Art Exhibition at Community Wise (on until 1pm) will have time to go after the session. I can be flexible on the finish time - we'll say 12 to 12.30pm.

Friday 10th December - Card-making Class:

Unfortunately this is going to clash with my son's Nativity play.. so I'm offering two alternatives:
Friday 10th December - 1pm to 3pm
or
Saturday 11th December - 10am to 12noon.

Please let me know as soon as you can if you would like to attend either of the above sessions... if there's enough demand I'm happy to run the class on both days.

I anticipate the class will involve making a set of Thank You cards using the Notably Ornate stamp set and a play with the new Colour Spritzer Tool!

Apologies for these changes.. and I hope you can join me soon.

Sarah x

Bundle Up with Delightful Decorations!

In a change to the advertised programme, I decided to use the gorgeous Delightful Decorations stamp set, along with its coordinating Ornament punch, in my class today. Why? Well for two reasons... first, it's a fun and versatile set - and the punch makes it SO easy to create fabulous cards in minutes... and second, it's part of the Bundle Up for Christmas promotion - on now and until the end of December.

So here are the first three cards we made today:

 

Recipe:
Stamps: Delightful Decorations, So Swirly Wheel, Basic Phrases, Contempo Christmas
Cardstock: Old Olive,Whisper White,Crumb Cake
Ink: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Platinum Shimmer Paint
Punches: Ornament, Word Window
Other: Sponge Daubers, Silver Elastic Thread, Crystal Effects, Diamond Stickles (non-SU!)

And here are the last two cards we made:

 

Recipe:
Stamps: Delightful Decorations, Contempo Christmas (for the greeting)
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler
Designer Series Paper: Jolly Holiday
Ink: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler
Punches: Ornament, Eyelet Border, Scallop Edge, Boho Blossoms
Other: Linen Thread, Pretty In Pink 3mm Taffeta Ribbon, Old Olive 1.6cm Grosgrain Ribbon, Basic Rhinestones

In case you're wondering about the Bundle Up for Christmas promotion.. you can get your hands on an exclusive package of ribbon for FREE when you purchase a Christmas gift-giving bundle. For example, you could buy the Delightful Decorations stamp set and Ornament punch for £37.45 and choose a ribbon package with a value of up to £11.50 for free!

If you're interested, please check out my previous post for further details.. and remember the bundles and ribbons are only available while supplies last. Do let me know if you'd like to take advantage of this deal and I'll be only too happy to help you!

By the way... stay tuned for information on the kit I'm putting together for Scrapbook Club on 27th November.. and a sneak peek at the project we'll be making!

Be super-quick for a chance to win a prize!

Are you feeling lucky? I hope so, because I'm about to let you know about some exciting opportunities for you to win a prize!

First of all.. I'll be putting an order in to Stampin' Up! this afternoon. If there's anything you'd like to add to the order, just let me know by 2pm today and – providing you can collect from me, or I can deliver to you - Shipping & Handling will be FREE OF CHARGE. Click on the link in the side-bar to download the Idea Book & Catalogue... or let me know if you'd like your own copy for a discounted price of £5.

What's more, I'll be doing a little PRIZE DRAW for everyone who joins in on this order! {The prize will consist of samples of one of the new Designer Series Paper packs, Greenhouse Gala, along with matching cardstock and ribbon... definitely worth going for!} So far I have three ladies in with a chance for this lovely prize.. would you like to join them?

Secondly, I've been thinking about ways in which I can reward my regular class-goers and catalogue customers to show you my appreciation... and I've decided to start a MONTHLY PRIZE DRAW! Every time you make a purchase – either for a class or for goods from the catalogue, you will receive a numbered, dated receipt. On the first of each month, I will draw one number from the receipts of the previous month – if your receipt has that number on it, you'll win a prize!

I am currently in the process of writing receipts for ALL purchases made during October.. if you're due a receipt (or receipts) , you'll receive them soon! So the first monthly Prize Draw will be held on 1^st November. The results will be posted here on my blog, along with details of the prize – and if you're the lucky winner, you'll get an email too!

Finally.... as you may be aware, Saturday was the first of my monthly Scrapbooking Club sessions. Thank you Linda, Janette, Nicola, Becky and Michelle for coming along and making such a beautiful start on your journals.. I really look forward to seeing how they progress. 

{These photos are from my journal.. I'll post more on the Scrapbooking Club page as they are completed!}

 Next month's Scrapbooking Club is on Saturday 27^th November and we'll be making a Christmas Planner using Jolly Holiday Designer Series Papers. Full details of the kit and project will be available soon – if you'd like to book a place, please let me know by email or phone by Friday 12^th November. Payment (£10 to include the kit) is required at the time of booking.. I can accept Paypal (you need my email address - slpiggott73@gmail.com - and mark it as a personal payment) or cheques payable to Sarah Piggott.

Next card-making class is on Friday 12th November.. followed by Saturday 20th November... please see the Class Dates and Details page for information... again, booking in advance is essential and payment in advance much appreciated!

Thanks for reading.. and I hope to see you soon!


Sarah x

The New Idea Book & Catalogue is Here!

At last... we can unveil the new and wonderful Idea Book & Catalogue 2010-2011!

• If you'd like to download a copy, please click on the picture on the left (beware, it's a big file - 22MB!).
• If you'd prefer to order a real-life paper copy, just let me know and I will send you one for a special price of £5 (including postage or delivery to your door if you're local).
• What's more, I will refund your £5 if you make an order from the Idea Book & Catalogue of £35 or more!

Remember, it's not just a catalogue! This beautiful book runs to 113 pages and is crammed full of inspirational ideas for card-making, scrapbooking and home decoration projects that will have you itching to get crafty!

Host a Workshop!
Fancy trying out some of the wonderful new products before you buy? Why not book a home workshop with me! Get a few friends together and I will come to you, share with you what I love about Stampin' Up! and help you all make a beautiful card to be proud of. As a 'thank you' for being a workshop hostess, you will receive a FREE Idea Book & Catalogue and a special gift from me.

What's more, if your workshop product sales reach £150 or over, you will be able to choose FREE exclusive hostess products, along with more FREE products from the catalogue. For full details on the benefits of being a hostess, please click on the Host a Workshop tab to the left.

Come to a Class!

Would you like to learn new techniques, use some fabulous new products and make some new crafty friends? If you, why not join one of my classes? I currently run two monthly card-making classes on a Friday and a Saturday morning - see the Card-making Classes tab on the left for more information.

If you're more into scrapbooking - or would like to find out what scrapbooking is all about - I'm starting a new Scrapbooking Club starting on Saturday 23rd October. This will also be a monthly club, running on the fourth Saturday of each month from 10am to 12.30pm. Check out the NEW Scrapbooking Club tab for more information.

Finally, for dates and information on what each class will cover, please go to the Class Dates and Details tab on the left.

Become a Demonstrator!
I really enjoy being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator - if you'd like to find out more about what this involves, please get in touch with me and I will happily give you all the details!


Contact Me!
If you need to contact me about any of the above, please click on the Contact Me tab. I hope to speak to you soon!

Open House - here's how it went!

I had my Open House event at Community Wise on Saturday morning and, to my relief, it went well.. I can't thank Pat enough for coming down from Bromley to help me - she was absolutely brilliant! We set up our displays in the large hall upstairs and soon began to receive visitors from the Farmers' Market which was on in the car-park and inside the centre. Seven ladies took part in my Make & Take - a Christmas card featuring Dasher and the Spiral punch - and all of them produced some really lovely cards.

 At 11.30, Pat did a fantastic Make & Take, again to seven ladies, using the Vintage Vogue stamp set and Very Vintage wheel. Some of the ladies were toally new to stamping, yet they still managed to create beautiful cards.

I didn't manage to take many photos on the day - and forgot to take any of the cards we made.. so I will post pictures of those soon. Thank you to all the ladies who participated in our Make & Takes, and to those who came upstairs just to see what we were up to.. it was a lovely day and we really enjoyed meeting you!

For those of you who completed a Door Prize Entry Form - the winner of the Darling Dots stamp set was Janette - congratulations, I have emailed you and will get your prize to you very soon!

If you're interested in joining my card-making classes and NEW scrapbooking club - full details on the 'Classes - Cardmaking and Scrapbooking' page - click the tab for full details. Please contact me by email or by phone to reserve your place at least one week prior to the class date.

Hope to see you soon!


 Sarah x

September Card-making Class Update

Here are a few examples of the cards made today at my monthly Friday 'Five for a Fiver' class...

Yes, that's only four! My other sample card unfortunately fell into an ink pad and is looking a little sorry for itself.. but you get the general idea I expect!

The ladies were given 4x4" card blanks in the following colours: Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, Rose Red, Kraft and Chocolate Chip, along with smaller squares of cardstock in the same colours and pieces of Very Vanilla for stamping on.

We used the Cuttlebug and embossing folders for the middle layer and used various greetings stamps along with Dasher to create our cards. Although each lady had the same materials, every card they produced was quite unique! After a little practice, everyone got to grips with using the Stamp-a-ma-jig to align their images, using Sponge Daubers to ink the edges, and using punches in conjunction with the coordinating stamp sets.

Stamps:

• Dasher
• Punches Three
• Sincere Salutations
• Basic Phrases
• Tiny Tags

Punches:

• Scallop Square
• Scallop Oval
• Oval
• Jewellery Tag

My next class is on Saturday 18th September - 10am to 12noon and  we will be using 'Serene Snowflakes' to make two to three really special Christmas cards for your very favourite people! The price for this class is £10 and includes all tuition, materials and refreshments. To book a place, don't hesitate to call me or email me without delay.

For all the details on my classes, please check out the Cardmaking Classes page.

Thanks for reading,


Sarah x