Merry Christmas Everyone !

Dear all,

I know it's been an age !! I'm so sorry - I don't have a valid excuse really just general  things getting in the way and once you get out of the habit it is easy to put it on tomorrows 'to do' list.

I HAVE been crafting, in fact I've been sooo busy crafting I haven't had time to talk about it lol !
Unfortunately most of the items have now been distributed and in the mad rush I haven't taken photos. I don't know how Santa does it , getting all the right toys to all the right boys (and girls )

I think I am nearly ready now other than I have lost one of Hubbys presents. It's only something silly and is obviously in a very safe place.  Oh well, it will turn up eventually !

I do have something to show you. At one of my recent classes we spent a lovely Christmassy  morning making a box frame picture...............

The ladies really enjoyed this one and it kept them quiet for ages !

That just leaves me to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ! Thank you to everyone who reads, I really appreciate your lovely comments and I promise I will be back in the New Year on a more regular basis.

Enjoy !    xxx

Owl Occasions

Evening all, hope you are well.

I am hoping I haven't shown you todays cards before as they aren't the ones I'd planned to show you but I was home too late to get a decent picture so this is a 'one I made earlier version' lol. Colours are Real Red and Island Indigo and the stamps are mainly from the very useful Owl Occasions set.....

Short and sweet tonight as I have had one of those days. Didn't start well as we all overslept as the alarm didn't go off -  no actually Hubby didn't set the alarm !!! It's like a military operation in the mornings and everyone has their own shower, hairdryer slot etc so the fact that we didn't start til after Hubby should have been on his way to work caused chaos !

Have now explained to him that he can set his phone alarm to come on every day (or even just weekdays) without having to set it EVERY night !    Thought I was bad with technology !

Christmas Organiser

Saturday again, and only 40 something days til Christmas , or so my girls keep telling me.

December is always hectic in our house as as well as all the Christmas related activities and school plays etc , they also BOTH celebrate their birthday ! I know what you are thinking, that wasn't very well planned and my mind was obviously elsewhere ,but in my defence we were expecting arrivals in November and January but one was early and one was late !!! Anyway I wouldn't change my ' special Christmas presents'  but it does mean I need to be organised and have already done quite a bit of my Christmas shopping.


Todays project is perfect for those needing a bit of help getting organised.........

We made this at my class on Wednesday and all the ladies seemed to be pleased with it. I have popped mine in the post as a little thank you gift for a friend so I hope she likes it too !

I will include one of these planners with all orders over £50 (before postage) during the month of November so contact me at mrsjuliewade@sky.com to place an order and request your organiser.

Does anyone have a planner that works out how much I need to save ready for the year that the girls are 18 and 21 in the same fortnight as Christmas too lol ? Better start now !

Halloween Layout

Brrrrr it was a chilly one here this morning ! Back to the school run and ice on the car ! Still later on there was some gorgeous sunshine and a perfect blue sky- - looked lovely as long as you were inside in the warm lol.

Todays project is an 8x8 scrapbook page. Whilst at the Stampin Up Convention in Germany Jules arranged a challenge for the team members that didnt go so I decided to join in, although the others were so good I nearly didnt enter mine............

This was a Halloween themed floral arrangement I had made previously, can you just see the little ghost peeking out and the ribbon bats ?
Got to get my use out of the Googly Ghouls set !  I know I always say it but I must do more scrapbooking because I do enjoy it and the 8x8 size is much quicker. I even looked at the catalogue again today to check out the albums in this size ! I showed my girls the page and was told Halloween was 'very last week ' lol ! Forgot it's Bonfire Night tonight so if you are off out -  Follow the Firework Code !!! Keep safe x

Happy Halloween !

 Spooky Greetings everyone !

I must admit I don't really bother with Halloween much but when I saw the Googly Ghouls set in the Autumn/Winter catalogue I had to have it just because it's so much fun. I can't use it without smiling to myself ! Also the Stampin Up googly eyes are fantastic too, not only are they very convenient as they're self adhesive but they seem EXTRA googly lol !

Anyway onto the cards.......

Love the effect of the new chevron embossing folder

This was a gatefold card, fastened with a paper band and inside....

and the final one I put a get well sentiment on as I thought it would be suitable for someone recovering from an operation

We also made a very cute pumpkin basket complete with chocolate pumpkins of course

Better go and dust off my broomstick ready for its annual outing !

All things Melon Mambo

Morning all,

I'm sorry I've been 'missing'- I don't have any particular excuse just been busy with a mixture of things.

Last weekend ( has another week really passed already ! ) I went 'up North' to visit Jules for the Jems training day. It was a long day as we left home just after 7.30am and got back at 8pm but it was worth it and there were some amazing displays, ideas and swaps. So thank you Jules and all the other girls. Also a big thank you to Jane who very kindly gave Isabel and I a lift to Huddersfield to meet Hubby and Sophie who had gone to the football. Sorry about the traffic Jane !

This was my swap....

I used the Ornament Keepsake stamps and Framelits and then just cut across to turn them into perfume bottles - definitely not just for Christmas !

On Friday I spent a lovely day with one of my downline, Anne, talking things Stampin Up (amongst other things lol ) and Anne very kindly brought me these beautiful flowers....

Thank you Anne and I hope it was useful to get together. Now I must rush because I am off to meet my friend, and another downline Angie, to return her inkpad I borrowed.  Stampin Up demos are definitely a very friendly bunch and I'm so glad I took that daunting first step to join up ( eventually , Jules lol ! )

If you are thinking about it, the free paper is still on during November so feel free to email me mrsjuliewade@sky.com for more details.

Back next time to show you some Halloween things - better not leave it 2 weeks this time then !!!

Comfort Cafe

Evening all,

Hasn't it been a beautiful autumnal day ? Frost first thing and then beautiful bright sunshine but still a bit nippy. I have spent most of it tidying my craft space (again ! ) but I did have a break outside and put a few pansies in.
After I had finished tidying , I asked my girls to come for the 'grand reveal '. When I asked what they thought ,Sophie replied that she was wondering how long it would stay like that ,to which Isabel replied 'Maybe til after X Factor ' Lol ! They know me so well !


Todays cards fit well with the autumnal theme as they use rich colours and have a 'cosy' feel to them...

The card base is Midnight Muse with a little bit of Summer Starfruit as an accent colour. The designer paper is from the Comfort Cafe pack. Love the fact that there are templates to pierce holes to match the framelits.

French Foliage this time- a very autumnal set and great for male and female cards.

• Still on my mission to make something Christmassy in each colour combination ! Like that new Midnight Muse ribbon ? By using the ribbon border punch, you can be more economical with the actual ribbon !

We also made a little treat box to hold a couple of chocolates, more Comfort Cafe  paper.

Right, going to get ready to watch Stricly and X Factor - and no I haven't made a mess - YET lol !

Tell me what you want , really,really want !

Evening all,

Wednesday and class day again today, the weeks just seem to be getting faster and faster !

I had intended to show you what we've been up to today but by the time I'd realised I hadn't taken the photos, it was too dark so I will show you next time.

Instead todays offering is a door hanger we made a few weeks ago  with a certain bearded gentleman in mind .......

Like most punch art I'm not sure who is the original designer but I saw it on the blog of US demo Kirsteen Gill and really enjoyed making it.

It wont be long now til the real version will be visiting ( assuming you've been good of course lol ) so if you would like him to bring you some Stampin Up goodies just register your wish list with me, point your nearest and dearest in my direction, and I'll make sure you get what you (really, really ) want !!

Off to give Rudolph his tea lol !

Betsy's Blossoms

Evening all, hope you are well.

Just a quick post tonight to show you some of the new products we played with at my class on Wednesday.  Betsy's Blossoms was the new stamp set and it coordinates with the Floral District papers which are fab and also lend themselves to various colour combinations.

My colour choice this time was Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron and Lucky Limeade which I really liked..........

The Blossom punch works fantastically with the large round stamp.

My class ladies know I love my scrunched up flowers and the new smaller scalloped circle punch makes such cute flowers. Sentiment is from Itty Bitty Banners.

We also made a CD holder as a suggestion for gift wrapping those popular Christmas gifts.

I'm still on a mission to do Christmas in each colour combination lol !

 Hope you like ?

Must dash I'm off for an all singing, all dancing Saturday night - even if it is only the Saturday night telly version anyway lol !!

Happy New Catalogue !

Happy Monday to you and a very happy one it is too !

Todays is the launch day of the new Annual Catalogue and I was up bright and early to process my order for my lovely class ladies ( and a few things happened to creep in for me too, dont know how that happened lol ). I was ready for the school run in record time for a Monday morning and we even remembered it was 'dress up as a Roald Dahl character day ' which caught out a few parents this morning !

Stampin Up have also come up with another fantastic offer, anyone who joins as a demonstrator during October or November will qualify for a free pack of £9.95 Designer paper each month for SIX months - how good is that ? As the Starter Kit only costs £99 and contains products of YOUR choice up to £130 this could be a perfect way of working your way down your new catalogue wish list. Remember you get a discount too, what are you waiting for lol ? If you would like any more information please email me on mrsjuliewade@sky.com and I will be happy to answer your questions.


Todays project is a mini pizza box I made for the Shoebox Swap a few weeks ago but it includes lots of new products  - another perk of being a demo, you get to play with some goodies in advance and some can be earned for free too !

Butterflies are from Make a Cake p44, sentiment from Itty Bitty Banners p134 and paper is from Patio Party p165, oh and the ribbon is new too !

I also made a matching giftcard holder too.

Why not clink on the link on the right and have a good look at all the fab new goodies. Remember Santa will be coming all too soon and I am offering a Gift List service so register your Wish List and get the pressies you really want !

Back with more new items next time x

Evening all,

How's the weather by you ? On Monday here it was very windy with torrential rain  all day so what did I do ? Cosy inside crafting ? No - we had new windows  fitted at the back of our house so I was huddled round the fire with a gale blowing through and 3 dripping men trekking in and out !!!
Still,bless them, they battled the elements and all is finished.


Todays cards are male orientated for a change.

The balloon card is CASED from one I made at the shoebox swap but I'm sorry I can't remember who's design it was but please let me know so I can give credit. The other card is made using The Open Sea stamp set.
I have also challenged myself to make something Christmassy with the colour combination, however untraditional so here goes ............

Love that new snowflake set, turquoise Christmas card I'm not sure but I like experimenting. What do you think ?

Thank you for the lovely comments for Isabel. Having started her final year at primary school just  3 weeks ago, tomorrow evening we are going to the High School open evening !  I will be so sad when our primary school days are over, especially as my two girls have been to the same school that my sister and I went to. They grow up much too quickly once they start High School !

Proud Mom moment

Evening all,

One of the main reasons I love making cards is the fact that you can make something really personal and todays card is to celebrate a 'proud Mom moment'.

Last week Isabel was appointed Deputy Head Girl of her primary school and the local MP visited the school for a special assembly to present the badges.
She did really well as she had had to send in a letter of application and also attend an interview- a daunting task when you're only 10 !

Anyway I set to work so it would be ready for when she got home......

Letter It is a fantastic set for personalisation. Colours are to match school colours.

As it was a special occasion I even used some new ribbon, coming soon to a catalogue near you lol !
Did you also spot the new Gumball Green designer paper ? There are also some retired products but it just shows you need to get your favourites quick before they are gone forever - you never know when you will need them !

I'm so proud of my 'baby' and although the shops cater for most occasions these days you can't buy a card like this - and she loved it even more 'cos Mom made it !

Christmas class

Evening all,

I did plan to update my blog last night but best laid plans and all that ...
Sophie injured her foot playing netball after school and we ended up spending the evening at A & E. Several hours, and 2 lots of x rays later it was decided there were no broken bones and we got home about 10pm. Think her recovery will be swift as she has a school trip to London this week to see Shrek the musical and she really wants to go!  It was definitely a 'people -watching' experience in the casualty dept- the staff working there have my utmost respect.

Back to the cards, I warned you last time that Christmas is not too far away and so have some cards we made at my Wednesday class last week.

Combining the old with the new, sentiment is from the retiring Contempo Christmas set but the paper is from the new Autumn/Winter catalogue. Flourish is from Everything Eleanor and the cute little hearts are from the Owl punch.

Cute little robin this time.

This one definitely seemed to be everyones favourite ! I found it easier to build the wreath by putting a small amount of glue around the edge of a punched scallop circle and then attaching the leaves.this helped to keep the shape and stopped the glue getting onto the door. Love how the embossing folder and a few swipes with an inkpad makes a nice wooden door.

Hope you like ? A couple of the ladies said this week it had inspired them to make a start on their Christmas cards, need to make a start on mine but it won't be tonight - I need to go and refresh the bag of frozen peas lol !

Bye Bye Beau Chateau

Evening all,

Can't believe how autumnal it has been today- was it really only Sunday that we were having a barbecue in the sunshine !
I apologise in advance for the quality of the photos today but it is getting to the time of year where the light disappears much too quickly.


Todays cards all use the lovely Beau Chateau papers. I love this colour combination and will be very sad to see them retire.

This one has been stamped with The Simply Soft hostess set. I must confess the original design didn't have the diagonal strips but it fell onto an inkpad during my class so I practised my belief that there are no mistakes- just add another layer lol !

Baroque motifs this time, was my favourite set a while ago.  The gorgeous new products mean I have regular new favourites !

Flight Of The Butterfly, one of my earliest Stampin Up purchases and where I learned the art of 2 step stamping although this card was done using the 'kissing' technique.

I also made a little basket using the Two Tags die, just the right size for some Ghiardelli chocolates.

Thank crunchie it's Friday tomorrow, another week has flown by. I went to the local garden centre at the weekend, the sun was blazing and as I stepped through the door I was greeted by 4 snow covered Christmas trees and Boots have got their gift sets in too ! Be warned Christmas is coming !

Cheerful Treat

Evening all,

Hasn't it been a beautiful day again ? It almost feels like summer lol !

Todays items have been made using the very bright and cheery hostess paper Cheerful Treat. If you want any of this paper you need to be really quick as it is only available to hostesses (or with an order of £150) until the end of the month or while stocks last. If you like what you see get in touch as soon as possible and I will arrange a crafty party for you.

This cupcake set is sadly retiring too but is still available at the moment.

The balloon little owl is holding has been 'paper pieced ' using a stamp from this set too.
The gorgeous teabag dispenser is inspired by one that Karen brought for us to make at the recent Shoebox Swap so thank you Karen !
You may just be able to see my teabags peeping out of the bottom. After spending ages studying all the various teabag boxes in Holland and Barrett the assistant came over and asked if he could help me. I explained I needed to know which teabags were packaged in individual sachets and he asked which flavour I would like. I got a very strange look when I replied it didnt matter about the flavour I was only concerned about the colour of the sachet lol !!!

Enjoy your weekend x

Must try harder..

Evening all,

Well one daughter back to school and the other one is back tomorrow and it seems to have been the fastest summer holidays I can remember. My blogging report would definitely read 'must try harder' and I am hoping to get back to a more 'normal' routine across the next few days and talk to you on a more regular basis.

It is a very exciting time in the Stampin Up world, the new Autumn Winter catalogue launched on Saturday and I have added a link to the right so have a look through at some of the lovely goodies inside.
The retired list was also announced and it is definitely a case of going,going, gone and some things have sold out already ! So if you want something get in touch ASAP as you may be disappointed if you leave it too long.
One of the perks of being a demonstrator is that I have also had a peek at the new main catalogue and have also been able to pre order a few items to play with. If you would like to know about the other benefits of joining Stampin Up please email me to arrange a chat.




Today I have a gift bag to show you that I decorated with the gorgeous ( and hopefully still available at a bargain price ) Mocha Morning papers .............

Thiswas to be a retirement gift from an office collection so there was a piece of card for everyone to sign and I stamped some wrapping paper for the jewellery to be wrapped in.

Can you see the texture of this flocked paper -its definitely one to keep for stroking lol !

Last Wednesday I turned into 'domestic goddess' for the day, I had my card class in the morning and then in the afternoon I made a bouquet for a birthday at work and also made some cupcakes. What a fab day !

Anne (and any other sugarcraft experts) please look away now because, expert I'm not, but I did enjoy myself and they were well received.

Inspired by Pool Party and Pretty in Pink colour combination. Back soon x

Morning all,

Happy Bank Holiday to you ! Typical Bank Holiday weather too but good for crafting !

I mentioned I was up in Leeds last weekend and although I don't get to see my Stampin Up mommy Jules as often as I'd like, when I do visit I like to take her a little gift.


 This time I made a chest type box which I bought from the talented Jenny Moors.

The papers are from the gorgeous Attic Boutique set which is in the Summer mini catalogue and therefore only available til Friday - if you'd like a reminder of the other goodies that are in there click on the image on the right sidebar.

I also found some Poppy Parade coloured items to go inside..........

I will be placing an order at the end of this week so if you would like some of these papers or anthing else please let me know .

Off to do the preparation for my Wednesday class x

Reason to smile...........

Evening all,

Sorry about my absence again, with Hubby at home as well as the girls my routine has gone completely haywire. Must improve my time management skills lol !

Last weekend we had a few days away with a shopping trip to the Trafford Centre and then Isabel and I spent the day with Jules and the Jems at a shoebox swap while Hubby and Sophie went to see Wolves lose against Leeds- I know who had the better day !! I will share more from the shoebox swap next time but first I will show you some cards from the Reason to Smile set.

Colours are Lucky Limeade, So Saffron and Soft Suede with the background stamped with Versamark ink.

This card uses the triple stamping technique and seems very popular in blogland at the moment. My class ladies really enjoyed this and were amazed how simple it was to make a card tha looks more complicated.

We also made a daisy using the Big Shot die that I found still in its packaging on my shelf - oops!

This is a beautiful stamp set and is currently FREE with an order of £60 but only until the end of the month so if you would like to brighten up your Bank Holiday weekend please get in touch.

This afternoon I have been very good and tidied up my desk so am hoping to get to 'play' over the weekend as I had a nice parcel of goodies from the upcoming Autumn/Winter catalogue delivered earlier in the week- including some new colours!

Happy Stampin !