Join Stampin' Up! for just £50, choose £55 free craft products & get 30% off your first Stampin' Up! order!


Join Stampin' Up! from 28th May - 30th June 2014 for just £50! (normal price £99) & choose £55 worth free 
Stampin' Up! products for your stash!

If you love DIY crafting projects such as card making, scrapbooking, Project Life, art journalling or papercrafting and would love a chance to buy Stampin' Up! products at a BIG discount then this offer is just perfect for you!

Once you've joined Stampin' Up! you get a whopping 30% discount on your first order as well as generous 20% discounts on all future orders which is redeemable on all new & current catalogue products like the brand new Blendabilities colouring pens (just like Copics!) and the new Becky Higgins Project Life journalling range!



AND you'll also be among the first to be able to get to order from the new 2014/15 Stampin' Up! catalogue due out soon as well as being able to pre-order for the brand new autumn/winter (starting August 1st)!

If you've any questions, queries, concerns or worries whatsoever about joining Stampin' Up!, or want to know more about the fabulous benefits you'll automatically get then take a look at my FAQ's or feel free to email me directly at lisa.barton@hotmail.co.uk.

I've been with Stampin' Up! for over 3 years now and can honestly say there is ABSOLUTELY NO CATCH with anything they offer - you don't have to do anything, sell anything, attend anything or buy anything you don't want to - I promise you it's simply a great way to buy fabulous craft products at a discount :)

Lisa

Going, going, gone! Stampin' Up's annual retiring product sale is now on!

Going, going, gone! Stampin' Up's annual retiring product sale is now on! 




Here's a link to the full list of retiring stamp sets & here's the full list of retiring accessories - don't forget you can shop anytime in my online Stampin Up shop at http://bit.ly/1olYH9B to get your bargains whilst stocks last!

Lisa

Is having it all achievable in your creative craft business?

We all dream of having a great business, fabulous life, being successful, famous & wealthy. 

 But is 'having it all" really achievable? 
juggle balls

 We've already looked at business planning and goal setting this week to help you realise your business dreams. 

 You also need to pay attention to how how realistic it is to keep all your business, family, work, play, relaxation, health balls in the air, at the same time. 

 Be realistic with how much time you really have to devote to each area of your work & life. 

 Use the time you do have to focus on the best use of that time, how much you take on, what's achievable, areas to focus on, what brings you the greatest fulfilment. 

 Practice mindfulness and being in the present. Look into meditation for instilling a sense of serenity, calm and silencing your mind. 

 Be grateful for what you already have. 

 You're fit for no-one if you're always stressed, rushed, distracted, not present and overwhelmed. 
#40 Assess how much time you really have and spend it according to your priorities

Introducing Jane Goldman & Petite Fleur Paperie

Jane is one of my favourite UK Stampin' Up! demonstrators and I love her vintage, quintessential English style. Her eye for detail, colour and composition is fabulous and I often pin her creations for inspiration!

My Photo

Trained as a textiles teacher, Jane ran her own small business making bespoke silk wedding and christening gowns. She now works from home and runs a business making bespoke cards, embellished wedding photographs and stationary which are limited edition or individually designed : most of her work is commissioned. 

She also teaches paper crafting to small groups offering design courses in altered art, home decor, card making and scrap booking. Jane is an animal lover & has two lovely little Springer Spaniels - Lottie and Lilly. 

Here's a recent creation Jane published in my favourite colour schemes of yellow & grey. 



Pop over to Jane's blog at Petite Fleur Paperie to see more of her gorgeous creations!

Lisa

Stampin' Up! craft savings for card makers, scrapbookers, art journallers & paper crafters


The latest Stampin' Up! weekly deals are here offering great savings on craft products perfect for card makers, scrapbookers, project lifers, art journallers & paper crafters! 

Grab these savings before they disappear on Tuesday 3rd June 2014! All products are available to buy in my online Stampin' Up! shop 



Lisa

2 words on how to deal with cyber bully haters

You're written some content for your site or blog. You've posted a helpful comment on a social platform. You've reached out to the community to serve. 

 And in return you receive cruel, ignorant, insulting, hurtful, damaging & negative feedback, comments or verbal attacks. 
c. Pixabay


 My 2 word tip? IGNORE THEM.

 If you moderate your blog or website comments, simply mark them as spam. 

 If it's on a social media platform, simply block the user and report them. 

 But above all, remember not to take it personally. 

 By putting yourself out in the world you're bound to attract some negative attention. It often comes with the territory of being noticed. 

 But outweigh that with all the positive attention you receive. Put it into perspective and move forward. 

 And always remember ... even Mother Teresa had critics.


#39 Ignore the cyber haters

Introducing one of my Stampin' Up! favourites Sam Sweetlove & Crafty Little Bling!

I've something new for you over the next week or so!

I'm going to be introducing you to some of my favourite fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrators and their work - I've handpicked them all personally for their Stampin' Up! style, flair, composition, ideas, creativity & general all round craftiness ;)

First up is my fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator from Deanshanger, Northants - Sam Sweetlove. Sam's been happily stamping and scrapbooking with Stampin' Up! since 2012 with many crafty years preceding that! 

Sam's also a scrapbooking superstar with her creations gracing magazine pages as Design Team member of the infamous Scrapbooking Magazine. 

Sam also runs craft classes in  Deanshanger and works her crafting magic around her husband, two children & day job! Phew!


View Easter - me at ancient Village.jpeg in slide show

I've admired Sam's scrapbooking style for a while now and particularly love her interesting and creative use of Stampin' Up! materials and products and 

Here's a few of Sam's recent creations that have made my favourites list ... 



All images c. Sam Sweetman 2014


Sam has hundreds of other card making and scrapbooking projects over on her own blog at Crafty Little Bling - why not pop over and say hi!



Lisa

3 easy steps on how to reach your creative craft business goals

You've got a dream, an ambition, an end goal. You know how you want to get there. And by when. 
Business Growth 1

 So schedule it. Write it down. Make it a reality. When it's written - it's real. 

 1. Make your goals SMART. Specific, Measurable, Achieveable, Realistic & Timed/Targeted
 
2. Take each goal & break in down into SMART steps - what do you need to do to get there
3.  Write the actions down. Diarise them. Schedule them. Then work at making them happen.
#38 Write down your business goals, schedule them & action!



Click here to claim your free '50 free marketing tips' e-book to 
save you time & money whilst increasing your business growth, success & visibility!

Quick tip to shortening URL links

We're in a world where time and space is precious. 

 You have just "less than two-tenths of a second for an online visitor to form a first opinion of your brand once they've perused your company's website, according to researchers at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. And it takes just another 2.6 seconds for that viewer's eyes to concentrate in a way that reinforces that first impression." *
Realistic clock. Vintage.
You therefore wouldn't want to be wasting a readers precious time (or characters if you're on Twitter!) with a URL link that looks like this http://www.creativecraftmarketing.blogspot.co.uk/p/online-courses.html

 Wouldn't a link that take less time & space & effort be better - like this? http://bit.ly/1jadIvW

 Go ahead, try them both out - they both point to the same page on this site. 

 I've used Bit.ly to shorten the URL links - you can use it for free here ..  https://bitly.com
#37  Use a ULR shortener to reduce the length of your site links to save time & space


Claim your FREE '50 high impact, zero budget, no stress marketing tips 
for creative business success' e-book here!

*Source: Entrepreneur

Stampin' Up! Video tutorial on how to create celebrations banners using the Celebrations Basics Kit

A few days ago I wrote about the baby mobile I made from the Stampin' Up! celebrations add on kit ...and have had lots of messages wanting more information on the Celebrations Basics Kit to make your celebrations banners creations quick, simple, easy & affordable! 

Here's a quick video tutorial from Stampin' Up! showing how to create your banners ... kick back, relax & enjoy!


All products are available for purchase in my online Stampin Up shop 



For free daily marketing tips for craft & creative business growth & success click here!


Lisa

Christmas Craft product savings in the Stampin' Up! Clearance Rack!


Clearance Rack - Up to 80% Off!
I'm so excited to tell you that you can now pick up some pre-Christmas crafting bargains from today's latest Clearance Rack sale product releases!

From Christmas gift tag sets, christmas craft papers, washi tape, journalling kits, embellishments, embossing folders, christmas stocking dies. There's also Halloween & Autumn themed craft products too as well as some great ideas for crafty gifts!

Here's a selection of the Christmas savings you can order via my online Stampin Up shop 



Pop over to my online Stampin Up shop & grab your Christmas bargains today whilst stocks last!
 
Happy shopping!

Lisa

How to make quick & easy GIANT tissue paper pom poms perfect for parties, girls decor, weddings & baby celebrations step by step tutorial


I've been making these giant paper tissue paper pom poms for years now to decorate the girls birthdays & bedrooms and as an affordable, easy to make, simple decoration to brighten up other celebratory occasions such as weddings, baby showers, parties, garden parties & bbq's. 

How to make them is one of my most frequently asked questions so here's your step by step guide on how to make GIANT tissue paper pom poms!



1. Start off with at least 6 sheets of tissue paper in your chosen colour measuring approx 70cms x 50 cms or near enough. You'll also need a pair of scissors & some twine.


2. Keeping the sheets together, fold them into a concertina 



3. Tie the concertina in the middle with the twine leaving a length of twine to hang the pom pom by



4. Round off each of the concertina ends with the scissors



5. Start to fold out the concertina from the centre point.



6. Once folded out, start to gently pull apart each tissue layer and mould upwards.



7. Keep going until all the layers of tissue paper are de-layered on both sides. Fluff up!


8. Make lots more and hang together!


Enjoy your pom poms!



 For even more behind-the-scenes news, tips & techniques, Stampin Up special offers 

For free daily marketing tips for craft & creative business growth & success click here!




Lisa

The 3 key marketing words for designing your creative craft website, blog or online shop

Clean, Clear, Un-cluttered.
c. Freepik.com
Take a long hard look at your own website or blog. 

 See it through your readers eyes. 

 Where is your attention drawn? 

 Is the point of your site obvious? 

 Is it clear what you're trying to achieve with your site? 

 Is it inspiring, emotive, interesting, engaging?  

 Is it a good representation of you and your values?

 Or does it confuse, clutter, baffle, frustrate, mystify, perturb your readers?

 Ask a friend. Undertake a free user test with Peek. Get a professional critique. Just don't let your efforts be wasted.
#36 Ensure your website & blog is clean, clear & uncluttered. 
If it's not - change it. Your readers will thank you for it.


Click here to claim your free '50 free marketing tips' e-book to 
save you time & money whilst increasing your business growth, success & visibility!



Latest Stampin' Up! saving deals only available until 27th May 2014


More fabulous savings in the Stampin' Up! weekly deals available until 27th May 2014  ... 


All Stampin' Up! weekly deals are available from my online Stampin' Up! store by clicking here!

Lisa

Vintage style re-purposed sewing tin crafted using Stampin' Up! craft products


What do you do with empty tins? Being a classic stash-hoarder I keep old altoids tins to re-purpose & recycle them into gifts - it's amazing what a lick of paint or paper can do! 

This project was actually inspired by Stampin' Up!'s Etcetera designer series paper which is a great mix of pattern and sewing inspired images.


Today's project uses an old Marks & Spencers mint tin and I started by covering it with Stampin' Up! retro fresh designer series paper.


I then stamped crumb cake card with the Stampin' Up! Shop around jumbo wheel stamp which is a gorgeous vintage style of eclectic apparel & haberdashery images. Don't forget you don't have to use all the the stamp at the same time - you can mask off areas or just use your Stampin Write markers to ink up the parts of the stamp you want. 
Shop Around Jumbo wheel stamp 



For the flower embellishment in the corner I used one of the essentials wooden elements with a vanilla seam binding hand rolled flower on top with banners cut from Retro fresh designer series papers underneath and finished with a gold bakers twine bow. 

 

All products are available in my online Stampin Up shop 






For free daily marketing tips for craft & creative business growth & success click here!



Lisa

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