Phew - wasn't sure that I would make it today or not!

But yes, just squeezing in a little one.

The last two days have been very busy. I was at High Wycombe yesterday with 25 other lovely ladies from Stampin' Up! at a training session. Just going throug some of the nitty gritty of what is going on over the coming year, although they are very good at not telling you too much! So unfortunately, not too much to share but we were tipped a nod and a wink that there just might be a little addition to this catalogue before we get the new catalogue in October, so watch this space for info on that!

Above is another card that I made for A Daily Inspiration using My Minds Eye Quite Smitten patterned paper pack - very simple again, but hey, that's me!

Today, I have been doing alot of jobs at home and also putting together our fourth peice of flatpack furniture for Ethan's room. We are both useless at DIY and to say that having put one piece together each weekend for the last four weekends, we are very very bored of it and we've still got a desk and a bed to put together yet! Arrgghhh!! Onwards and upwards though, his room is already looking alot better for the storage unit, 2 chest of drawers and wardrobe that we've done so far! Only another two weekends to go!

Anyway, I'm going to go and watch Casualty and I will be back again tomorrow! Got a few cards to make tomorrow as I've got five of my February birthdays this week including my brother's 40th and there are big plans for that that I'll share either tomorrow or Monday.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend,

Have fun!

Natalie x

Just a quick one while I wait for a lift

I'm awaiting another Stampin' Up! Demo to pick me up to take a few of us up to High Wycombe for a meeting, so thought I would quickly jump on here and do a quick post in case I miss you tonight (and I can't have that now I'm on a roll!)

Anyway, I am hoping that today we will find out lots of juicy things about SU and what is ahead for the next year.

There are 25 people going and we all took part in a card swap. A card swap is when I make 25 cards all the same and swap one for one from someone else (who has a different style, different tastes, different stamps etc). I've found them really useful for examples for my demo book as I am fully aware that not everyone has my simplistic contemporary tastes.

Anyway, above is the card I did for the swap, it's so cute - just a little 3" x 3" card using Pumpkin Pie card and patterned paper together with Basic Grey card, tafetta ribbon and ink. The scroll stamp is from the Baroque Motifs set - my new favourite at the moment! Also lovin' the taffeta ribbon too. Just had the whole set delivered yesterday, so watch this space for anyone wanting to join a taffeta ribbon share - it's lush! :-)

Well, better go as I'm sure my lift will be here shortly. Great to see all the piccys coming out of CHA (the US trade show where all the manufacturers show their new products). Wish I'd been there this year - anyhow..........

Catch up with you later with all the SU news!

Natalie x

Ta Da - and I'm doing it again

I'm so proud of myself! Managing to keep it up for four days (I think!) now.

Above is a non-Stampin' Up! card - shock horror! I am still part of the Scrapbook Mate Design Team (http://www.adailyinspiration.blogspot.com/) in 2009 and was lucky to have some of the new My Minds Eye Quite Smitten Valentines range sent to me. I'm all about simple / non-complicated cards and I really like the simplicity and colours of this. It's a tag of the tag sheet that comes with the paper pack with a Heidi Swapp heart and Making Memories cardstock tag all put together on a small white card blank - easy!

Managed to get my hair cut and coloured last night - it is long overdue and I have a very special day coming up next week that I have to look my most gorgeousness for - it's my Brother's 40th birthday and we have one hell of a day booked up to celebrate - I can't wait - posh shoes and dresses, the works!

Well I am off to SU Head Office tomorrow and there is lots of guessing of what we are going to be told - it can only be good and exciting so watch this space and I will share as soon as I can!

Have fun!

Natalie x

You are impressed now, aren't you?

Third day on the trot - I know that I am really spoiling you LOL!!

The above card was lifted from another blog (and when I find out who it was, I will credit them here, please let me know if you know!). Mrs Wonka made this card version using the Stampin' Up! Sale-a-Bration FREE Polka Dot Punches set.

Do you fancy getting this set for FREE? All you need to do is spend £45 on Stampin' Up! goodies between now and the end of February and you get to pick out of four different sets - the Polka Dot Punches being one of them! And judging by how excited some of you get by the catalogue, I know that £45 is not difficult to spend.

It's also a GREAT time to join the Stampin' Up! family if you have a very long wishlist like I had. Stampin' Up! welcomes people that they call "Hobby Demos". You don't have to have a party or anything - you just use the discount for your own orders and you get 30% off your first order! And not only do you get £240 worth of product for £139, if you sign up before February, Stampin' Up and I are giving you two more free sets of stamps (up to a value of £38.95 each set) included in that £139 too - it doesn't get much better than that!

Just let me know if you're a Stampin' Up! addict like me and I can help feed you your fix LOL :-)

Okay, that's it for today - back with another card tomorrow - I've got 10 birthdays in February and I'm determined to make everyone a card - I was so rubbish at Christmas so I'm trying to make up for things now.

I'm also going to SU Head Office on Friday for a meeting to hopefully find out lots of juicy things that SU are up to over the coming year and I've got to make 20 cards to swap with fellow demos for that too - should keep me busy this week.

Have fun!

Natalie x

Ha Ha - told you I'd be back today!

Here is another card that Mrs Wonka made with the Stampin' Up! Sale-a-Bration Polka Dot Punches FREE stamps. Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive are the colours used for this card and just look at that dotty circle - how perfectly does it fit into the scallop circle punch? That's what I love about SU - everything matching and co-ordinating!

Love the look of that ribbon? Have a look at this post here to see how you can get lots of lovely ribbon to match Stampin' Up inks and papers - I've only got enough for about two people left, so if you're thinking about it, then be quick!

Are you local to me and want to come to fun entertaining classes?

I'll be running a Stamp-a-Stack (9 cards) of Boys / Mens cards on Thursday 26th February from 7pm - 10pm in Ifield for £15. Again, there are only a few places left and are confirmed as soon as I receive payment from you.

Or are you a scrapbooker? I run monthly classes in Three Bridges from 7.30pm - 9.30pm. The cost is £12.50 and includes refreshments and a class kit.

Well, that is it for today.

Have fun!

Natalie x

Okay - I'm back!!!

Phew, well it's all been good fun here!

I am so sorry for the lack of updating. To make up for things, I am going to post everyday (for as long as I can cope LOL!). I have made lots of cards and I have LOTS of birthdays in February so will be making lots more too! So I can share lots with you.

So here is the first proper post on the **NEW** computer. Can I just say that I love my new computer - I felt like I'd had my right arm cut off not having a computer at home - sad that we've become so reliant on machines to keep in touch and up to date but I guess that is 2009 for you!

Well, what have you missed? I can't spoil you all at once can I now?

This week could have been so different! I was invited to attend CHA (Craft trade show) in Los Angeles this week but it never came about. Whilst I was a magazine Editor, I was lucky enough to go to a few of these events (Atlanta and Las Vegas!!!!) and although it is sooooo tiring, I have to say that I am missing all the excitement that goes with the show and the new products that all of the manufacturers are showing.

From what I've seen of Day 1 (yesterday) new / continuing trends seem to be:

1. Bling - rhinestones in abundance.

2. Flourishes - still everywhere in 2009 (which I have to say that I'm very pleased about!)

3. Canvas scrapbook album pages - brought to you by Chatterbox and Donna Downey for Prima

4. Lots of black and white wedding ranges this year too!

5. Jewellery and beading - still getting more popular!

6. Home Decor seems to still be growing too.

7. As do crafts aimed at teenagers. Can you believe that Paris Hilton was there yesterday promoting her new craft range?

So, it's all been fun fun fun and I'm sat here scouring the internet for photos, films and sneaky peeks! Are you doing it too?

I had a box arrive today from Scrapbook Mate for the Design Team and it's very lush. I've been treated to some new BasicGrey, some Piggy Tales, some WeR Memory Keepers and Making Memories - yum yum yum. Can't wait to start playing with that - there are some really scrummy bits in it - maybe I'll take a photo and share with you before I start creating!

So on another point, the Stampin' Up! Sale-a-Bration promotion is going really well and lots of people are benefitting from FREE stamps. Are you one of them? They are lovely and here is a card that Mrs Wonka made with the Polka Dot Punches set.

We had a SU party at her house and although she was very poorly, everyone rallied around to have a fun party. Tempting Turquoise and Pink Passion were used together with Whisper White to create this loud and funky card.

Anyway, don't want to run out of things to say, so I'm going to stop here and save something for tomorrow!

Have fun!

Natalie x

If you believe in a dream enough.....

you can achieve things that people say are impossible!