Going Going....Gone!

The launch date for the new Stampin' Up Catalogue is fast approaching, and sadly that also means we have to say goodbye to some of the wonderful Stampin' Up! products that we have loved from the past year. With so many changes happening with the introduction of this new catalogue the retiring products list is a great chance to get hold of any of these lovely bits before they're gone forever. As always I am more then happy to take your order if you would like to take the chance to buy some or all of these products at a reduced price. For the current list just click on the links below:
Retiring Stamps.
Retiring Accessories

Wishing you a Merry Christmas October Workshop.

 

Preparing for Christmas Workshop:£10.
Saturday 13th October  1.00-3.30pm ( 1 space left!)
Friday 19th October 7.30pm-10pm (4 spaces)
I will be walking you through 4 projects from the new Autumn/Winter Catalogue. 2 Christmas Cards, A gift box and a chance to play with the all new Sweet Pressed Cookies stamp set. The price includes all materials, your own copy of the Autumn/Winter Catalogue, and light refreshments.
To book your space contact me today. I look forward to seeing you there!

Announcing The New Autumn/Winter Catalogue

I almost forgot! Here is the NEW Autumn/Winter Catalogue. No longer a mini; this full size catalogue is packed to bursting with gorgeous products and ideas, to make your Halloween spookier, your Christmas, merrier and your Valentines day even more lovely. I guarantee you won't know where to start there are so many fabulous things inside. I want to make each and every one of the inspirational ideas inside, but where to start! If you want to have your very own copy email me today, for just 85p you can have your own copy delivered to your door in a few days.

Summer Sewing

My family and I are off on a holiday to Italy soon and my Little Miss has been in need of a few summery bits for her wardrobe. Every now and then I have to justify my ever growing hoard of fabrics by making a few things up to keep my husband happy so we had a dig around and picked out a few fabrics to make up some summer clothes. I adore the illustrations of the artist Heather Ross and happily for me she also prints these illustrations on fabric:))) These shorts were made from a pattern in Heather Ross's book Weekend Sewing; the Huck Finn Pants pattern. I shortened the length and added a turn up made from a pink polka dot quilting cotton, they came together really easily in just under an hour. They look so sweet on, there is something so precious about those chubby little knees peeping out from beneath big baggy shorts. Best of all I have a gorgeous model who was more then happy to pose for a few pictures wearing the new addition to her wardrobe, this is her new obsession, every five minutes shge wants to be lifted up onto the window ledge,  sometimes to watch the people walking by, sometimes trying to destroy the butterfly mobile I made for her, but most of all being sat snuggly wedged between all of her stuffed toys that have been carefully sat along the ledge just letting her legs dangle, and daring herself to make the leap back into her cot. She is such a dare devil. And a poser....I have no idea where she gets THAT from....!

Biscuits

I think it was for my 14th birthday it may have been before, I've never been too good with the 'When' in my stories, but I do remember the 'Who' my sweet friend Debbie, turned up at my house with a delicious batch of freshly baked and iced gluten free biscuits for my birthday. I ate them all a little too quickly perhaps so had to get my hands on the recipe and she kindly obliged and it has been my go-to biscuit recipe ever since. I had a great group of friends growing up, they shared my love of all things crafty and baking and so Christmas and birthdays would be a riot of handmade delights. To me that has always been what a present is all about. Something that has taken time, love and thought to create. Anyone can buy a box of chocolates but to take your time to make and decorate those chocolates yourself, surely that's a gift worth giving, and one that I for one would always prefer to receive. My sister Emma had a birthday this week so deciding it was time for a change from all the cakies that I've been baking lately I thought I would try my hand at some iced biscuits. So I cracked open my trusty recipe; once she who wails was safely tucked up in bed, and baked and iced to my heart's content. For a first attempt they weren't too bad, I've learnt a few things and think I will definitely be doing this again, and the most impressive thing was that all but one ( someone had to check them for poison...;) made it to my sister, that was an achievement in itself as I usually take the 'one for me one for you' approach to baking!

Here's the recipe:)

Lemon gluten free biscuits:
4oz butter/ margarine
2oz sieved icing sugar
4oz gluten free flour
2oz corn flour
1/4 tsp salt
1tsp xanthum gum
Finely grated peel 1 lemon

Beat together butter and sugar until light and creamy
Mix in the lemon then add the flour, corn flour, salt and gum mix until it comes together in a dough, wrap in clingfilm and chill for an hour. It is a very soft dough but does roll out fairly easily if you dust well with corn flour. Bake at 170/c until lightly golden on the edges ( check after 15 mins)

You can change the lemon peel for different flavourings like a tsp of vanilla or almond extract or even try orange peel. Enjoy!

For One Month ONLY!!!!!

Those of you who were around for Sale-a-bration may remember the GORGEOUS designer series paper collection Everyday Enchantment. It was one of my favourite paper collections ever. I love the modern vintage patterns,and fresh zesty colours, and so I was sad that I hadn't stocked up on more of it while I had the chance, so you can imagine my excitment when I heard that for the whole month of July we've not only been given a chance to stock up on more of the papers, but for every £45 you spend (before p&p) you can receive a FREE Everyday Enchantment Ribbon and Brad set.  So what does this kit contain I here you ask? Well there are 2 spools of 1/8" Organdy Ribbon in Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral each spool has 10 yards of ribbon, plus there is a Brad Pack containing 30 brads 5 each of 5 designs. So as you can see the value for money is phenominal and it couldnt be easier to get your hands on all of these goodies, once you've put in your order for the papers (126154) for £9.95 the hardest part will be deciding what to pick from the 2011-2012 Catalogue or the Summer Mini to bring your order up to £45 then simply add your Ribbon and Brad (127279) collection for FREE!!!! Postage and packaging for any size order is £4.95 and will ensure your order is carefully and quickly delivered to your door by UPS.

  
There are some exciting bonuses on offer at the moment for Party Hostesses so if you would like to Hostess a Stampin' Up! party in your home, please drop me a line, I will be happy to come a share what I love with you and your friends :) Click here for more details.

Sundae Special.

    Just a quick check in to say 'Yes! I am still alive.' My paper craft projects have been thin on the ground recently but I thought I'd share the card I made for my sister's birthday. A while back we were talking about ice cream as you do, Ben & Jerry's to be precise and she mentioned that her favourite flavour was Oatmeal Cookie Crunch. They only released it here for a limited time, and seeing as I'd just invested in an ice cream maker and the Ben & Jerry's recipe book(LUSH), I thought I'd give it a go for one of her birthday treats.

   To keep with the theme I changed up my Flower Pot Card and turned it into an Ice Cream Cone Card instead. I used the ScorePal to mark the waffle pattern on the cone and then cut out the ice cream balls with the 1 3/4 circle punch in Very Vanilla, Soft Suede and Pink Pirouette. The flake I cut out of Chocolate Chip with the Word Window punch then I put it through the crimper to give it texture. I would have liked to emboss the ice cream balls to make them stand out a bit more but once again I was crafting one handed with a whining child in the other arm!