The great outdoors

We are still in Wales, cant say the weather has been as good the last few days. In the early hours of Tuesday morning we were woken by the loudest rain you have ever heard, together with wind, thunder and lightning (very very frightening!!!)

Taken lots of photos of the boys on this holiday as they have spent so much time outside so thought I would share a few with you!

Mum, no more photos please!!

Messing about with my eldest, I love this one, shows off how many freckles he gets in the summer!!


On the rope swing on the lane behind the cottage we are staying in!. We have stayed here 4 times now and I have photos of Ross on this rope swing each time we have been, can really see how he has grown!!

First time Evan has been big enough to go on the rope swing, last time we were here he was only 2 and a half!

The cottage really is a little piece of heaven, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and the boys have played out without us watching their every move, has been nice to allow them a little more freedom, even if only for one week.

They are desperate to come back again for our 5th visit!

Jules

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More cards from Wales!

Today I did a lovely Stampin Up workshop, 4 lovely ladies attended and it was great to share the products with such keen crafters!!!

Here are a couple of cards I made yesterday just to fill up my sample board

This one is very bright for me but I have to force myself to use different colours and I am very pleased with how it has turned out and it got a couple of comments today which is great

• Colour combo is Only Orange, Pink Passion and Pixie Pink
• Background is Polka Dot background stamped in Pink Passion
• Cupcake is stamped with the Birthday Best set
• Pixie Pink card stamped with spots from Seeing Spots set
• Sentiment from Circle of Friendship
• Ribbon is actually Pumpkin Pie so I cheated a bit but it seems to match the Only Orange very well

This next card is a Joy Fold Card (I think thats what it is called)

2 card blanks (one 15cm and one 12cm) stuck together with some of the 15cm one trimmed off.

Colour combo is Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue and Brocade Blue

• Stamps are from Seeing Spots set
• Chocolate chip ribbon
• Sentiment from Sincere Salutations
  
  Hope you like.

I still need a couple of people for my stamp club. I will be running a Stampers 8 club which you commit to spending £20 per month for 8 months (plus postage each month)

Each month one of the 8 members becomes the hostess, which is like having a virtual party and will receive the hostess benefits that month.

If you sign up you will receive a free SU catalogue (worth 5.95) plus I will also send you a new catalogue when it comes out in October (also 5.95).

If you want more information please contact me at julie.kettlewell@ntlworld.com

Happy Stamping!

J

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Cards made in Wales!!

Greetings from a very sunny Wales!!!

We arrived in our favorite holiday cottage on Saturday and I must say the weather has been superb so far. We have been to the beach and the boys were in the sea for ages, had to drag them out!! There is also a lake you can swim and canoe in at the cottage we are at so they have had loads of fun there too!!

Will post some piccies soon!!

On Sunday night I did some colouring and made some cards as I have brought loads of craft stuff with me!

• Card colour combo is SU Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery
• Magnolia coloured with SU markers
• Frame from Craftwork Cards
• Stamped frame with extra flowers from Simply Said SU set
• Sentiment Circle of Friendship SU set
  

• Colour combo is Lavender Lace and Certainly Celery
• Image coloured with SU markers
• Frame from Craftwork Cards
• SU Grosgrain Ribbon in Certainly Celery
• Sentiment as before

This card is made for a friends little girl who is 2 on Saturday and I didnt want to use pink!! I am hoping that I can use this card for my blogging friend Michelle's Blog Candy Monotone challenge.

• Colour combo is Pumpkin Pie, Apricot Appeal
• Image coloured with SU markers
• Name stamped with SU Big Deal alphabet set
• Frame from Craftwork Cards
• Ribbon and flowers from stash

Hope you like these. I have been very busy with my SU sample boards and am hosting a workshop at my house next Wednesday. So if you are in the Leeds/Bradford area drop me a mail at julie.kettlewell@ntlworld.com and we can arrange for you to come along!!! Makes and takes to do and you can place orders on the night!!

Back soon

Jx

P.S By the time I finished typing all this the weather has changed. It is now chucking it down!!

Stampin Up cards

I have been making a few cards for my Stampin Up sample board as I have my first couple of workshops in the next couple of weeks.

Both cards were made for a colour challenge on the website http://www.inlovewithstamping.com/. Its a fab site decicated to Stampin up products.

The first card is using Chocolate Chop, Creamy Caramel and Real Red. The stamps used are from a gorgeous set called Simply Said, which is the first set I ever bought as it is so versatile!!

Next card was made for a friend who has had an operation recently. The challenge was to use, Mellow Moss, Elegant Eggplant and Whisper White. The stamps used are from the Heartfelt Hostess set and wording from Sincere Salutations. You can just see a little bit where I have added a line of the Elegant Eggplant colour to the edge of the Whisper White ribbon!

Not really my colours but it is worth doing to experiment with colour combos if nothing else!!

If you are wanting to order any Stampin Up products or join My Stampers 10 club (please see earlier posts) then please mail me at julie.kettlewell@ntlworld.com

THanks for looking

JUles

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The end of an era!

The last few days have been very emotional for me. I finished my teaching job that I have had for the last 4 years. I have beem teaching pre-school music classes 3 mornings a week but have got too busy with my own business to carry on. I knew it was going to be hard to say goodbye to the children but it was much worse than I ever thought.

Over the years I have taught hundreds of children and babies and met some lovely families, it has been a pleasure to watch them grow up!!

I was overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of the families and have added some pictures below of a selection of the goodies I received

In all I had 17 lots of flowers, 4 bottles of wine, 7 boxes of chocolates, some other gifts, but best of all was a solid silver mirror compact from Links of London which one class had bought me and had engraved with a special message for me. I will treasure this forever.

Some of the flowers and about a third of the cards!

More flowers on my kitchen table, had to drag out some old vases for these!!

This is my favourite arrangement, some gorgeous orange and pink roses in a metal pot all tied up beautifully, I LOVE it!!

I have felt a bit fed up this week but I know its only because I will miss all the children. I am sure I will soon be OK when I can spend 5 days a week at home from September

Jules
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Has it really been over a week.....

....since I blogged!! Oops!

I cannot believe how quickly time runs away with us. The boys only have another 7 days at school before the summer break and I finish teaching my music classes forever!!!!!! I will have more time then to get my crafting projects and Stampin Up business up and running.

So here is a little card for you. I made this for my eldest Son's teacher. First time we have had a male teacher so had to buy a new Bella stamp!!

The cardstock is Ballet Blue, Pumpkin Pie and Close to Cocoa.
Stamp is Professabella (I think!)
Background Stamp is Stampin Up "Seeing Spots"
Thank You wording is Stampin Up "Seeing Spots"

As you can see I have coloured the Teacher in with the same colour as the card stock. This is the beauty of Stampin Up, everything co-ordinates making it very easy to put your colours together.

I am able to place orders for goodies for anyone, anywhere in the country, please mail me on julie.kettlewell@ntlworld.com for more info.

Also if you live in the Leeds/Bradford area I am hosting a workshop in my home on Wed 6th August, please mail me for more details on e mail above

Jules

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Birthday pressies

Well yesterday was my 35th Birthday! Arrghhh

I had a great day (except when the school rang me to tell me to come and collect Ross as he wasnt feeling well!!!)

I got a few pressies but not many as I had asked for money to fund my new Stampin Up goodies!!!

My craft buddy Natalie got me 3 gorgeous Tilda stamps and my mate Anna got me a cute Monkey Stamp especially made!!!!!

Got some lovely handmade cards from Natalie, Anna, Tara, Michelle(and loads of images) and Sue. So thanks for those girls, my fireplace is full!!!!

I also got some lovely cards from my friends at Craftwork Cards.

I thought I would post a picture of the stash I bought from Stampin Up with my birthday money.

I got some cardstock, the full set of markers, Three for You Punch Set, Hodgepodge Hardware, 2 circle punches, Cutter Kit and Circle of Friendship set.

If you would like some SU goodies then mail me on julie.kettlewell@ntlworld.com

Jules

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Oh what a night!

We had a great time at the Stampin Up Roadshow in Leeds on Monday night.

Got to meet the Co-founder of Stampin up, Shelli Gardiner and lots of other ladies and SU demos.

Shelli did 3 make and takes with us so I will show you what we did.

The first one was a little goodie bag to hold sweets or choccies. Using the Big Bold Birthday set.

This next one was my favourite and has convinced me to buy this set

It is made using the Bundle of Joy set and is a birth announcement and the tag pulls out.

And finally a little scrapbook page.

What I liked about the makes and takes was that Shelli herself did all the demoing, she could of easily got someone else to do this but she seems very hands on and was going round chatting to everyone like she had known them for years.

She also used Colour Combinations that I wouldnt have tried until Monday

Hope you like, have more cards for you but you will have to wait until tomorrow

Jules
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You ready for more?

I DID IT!!

I managed to make something in different colours!!

So below is a cute little box with 3 cards inside that I found on Jenny's blog.

The colour combo is Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Ruby Red, yum yum!!!

I have had to use a piece of 12x12 white card from my stash as I didnt have any SU 12x12 yet!!(Must ad that to the huge want list!!)

Here is the box, stamped the Hostess set "Heartfelt" which is one of my favourites. All the cards and box are made using one A4 sheet of stamped flowers

First card using Choc Chip card stock, old olive grosgrain ribbon

Second card, Ruby Red card stock, sentiment is from "Sincere Salutations", old olive ribbon threaded through a buckle from the Hodgepodge Hardware set.

Final card is Old Olive card stock, brown ribbon from my stash and sentiment from "Cheers and Wishes"

And here are the little beauties all together!

Hope you like!!!

Last night I went to a Stampin Up Roadshow in Leeds, what a fab night. I got to meet the Co-founder of Stampin Up, Shelli, what a great woman!!

We made 3 projects so I will be back later with full news and piccies

Jules

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