SALE

Unfortunately the scheduled demo we were running instore tomorrow has had to be postponed :(

So instead, we are holding a SALE day :)

Sale starts instore tomorrow at 10am til 4pm. And then we'll open as a special treat on Bank Holiday Monday from 10am - 2pm with more Sale goodies.

The online sale will start on Sunday.

To find us, click here.

Tattered & Torn

At long last, deliveries of the latest product from Tim Holtz are now in stock - the new Sizzix dies. Unfortunately stocks are rather low though as the manufacturers are struggling to keep up with the demand. However, we do have some of all the die designs in at the moment. One of the most popular of these dies has to be the Tattered Floral die. It is just soooo useful.

Here's a pic of the project I did in a class taught by the man himself, Tim Holtz earlier this year.

We used the Tattered Florals die which looks like this:

and all the lovely new colours of distress inks. There must be a good couple of hundred of these pieces of artwork floating around in one format or another as Tim's classes are always bursting at the seams with people eager to attend. I was very impressed with this class and loved every minute of it.
We were also very lucky to receive as part of the class Tim Holtz's new book, and was able to ask him to autograph it for us too. Now we were also lucky enough that both Andy and I attended the class so we have a book each. Or did! We have donated one of our signed books to this month's Sir Stampalot Challenge that Brenda and her inspirational team are organising on our behalf.
This month's challenge (closing date for entries is 28th May) is titled "Butterflies and Blossoms" and you can read all about it and enter your project here, at the Sir Stampalot Challenge Blog.

Congratulations to last month's winner - Claire who entered and won with this lovely entry for our theme of "Fantasy":

Claire won a Cricut Machine and extra Cartridge called Pooh Font and was extremely delighted with it.

If you are the lucky winner of this current Challenge, along with Tim's signed book, you'll also get a Tattered Florals die and a host of other Tim Holtz/Ranger products, just look at all this:

Nearly £200 worth of glorious products.
So what are you waiting for, get stamping and join in the fun.

If you are needing some inspiration, then what better way to come and treat yourself and have fun by popping by Sir Stampalot, Peterborough tomorrow, Saturday 15th May to see the magical Crafty Lou in action.

Here's some of the awesome cards she created for her last demo day with us:

this is just so cute, Crafty Lou has used the big Hero Arts set Whats the Scoop, and coloured in with her very own unique style, using versacolour cubes.

I love the addition of coordinating embellishments like this cooking ribbon attached as a tab with the aid of a brad. We sell that ribbon in shop but haven't got it on the website yet, so just give us a bell is you wish to purchase some. And check out the lovely stitched border Crafty Lou has used on her edging.

This is a lovely idea for a recipe card and such a novel gift:

Now you could be fooled into thinking that Crafty Lou likes owls. No idea what would give you that notion:

Again, using Hero Arts stamp designs:

Now, no card can be a "Crafty Lou card" without the additional of
a) cream shrink plastic and
b) the "it's your day" stamp by Hero Arts code : A4981

I love the way she's used the backing paper to incorporate into her design

and the little finishing touches like the tied ribbon wrapped around the balloon strings:

And some of her more recent designs that you may have already seen on her blog (Crafty Lou's Small World) or on the Sir Stampalot online gallery:

So don't forget, Demo Day Sat 15th May, 10am - 4pm with the talented Crafty Lou, free refreshments, free parking and plenty of inspiration so please feel free to bring your camera.


Click here for our events calendar. We may have an added event on Bank Holiday Monday 31st May, just finalising things as we speak, so watch this space.

Hopefully see you tomrrow, click here for directions.
In the meantime, happy crafting.
- janicex

Metal Magic

Sir Stampalot are currently harbouring a creative lady! We have the lovely Kim Reygate giving a big helping hand around the place, if you pop in store over the next few days you'll find her beavering away at a make shift demo table in the shop - having just way too much fun!

Kim is teaching a class on tomrrow (thursday) using the walnut hallow metal embossing kit among many other cool new mediums and embellishments.

This is one of the cards Kim's prep'd for thursday's class

It uses a magenta stamp called Joyful Daisies Row (37244J), stamped onto metal with staz-on, embossed with the walnut hallow tools, distressed with alcohol inks and acrylic paints. The flower centres have been emphasised with the cup and ball tool, from the walnut hallow creative metal beginners kit:

I think this is just so cool, really gives a different texture to your cards.
And if you look at the flower cluster in the corner of the card, you'll find the very unusual new embellishment from magnolia - chandelier garland. You can see the complete range of gorgeous colours on our website.

You can also see some of the new iridescent pinstripe ribbon wrapped around the centre piece, and the way Kim has coordinated the scalloped punch edge with the black self adhesive pearls.


If you want to come along and play with such cool products like walnut hallow metal embossing tools and the new chandelier garlands and take home plenty of inspiration, then why not give me a ring (01733 324 007) and get yourself booked on one of the classes tomorrow, Thursday (25th march). We are running the same class at 10am, 2pm and 7pm and still have a couple of spaces available on all sessions. It's just £10 including all materials and refreshments and held in our Peterborough store. Click here for store directions and info.

And you can check out more of Kim's work on her blog - "Kim x"

Hope to see you soon.

- janicex

Wonder Woman!

Sir Stampalot are truly fortunate to have such wonderful people helping us out, and one very special lady is our Brenda.

I'm sure you are all following her wonder blog "Floral Fantasies", but for those who haven't succumbed to her daily, inspirational accounts - where have you been!!!??

You may recall last month, the Sir Stampalot Blog Hop and 'Moving' Challenge that the lovely Brenda organised on our behalf.
Well, firstly congratulations to the winner of the Challenge: Emma.
who won this wonderful Hello Kitty Bigshot

Why not visit Emma's blog "MetallicButterfly".
And you can see the rest of the winners here by scrolling down the post.
Along with all the submitted projects by checking out the Mr Linky links here at the bottom of the post.

WELL, due to everyone having such a blast with that event, we've decided to have our very own Sir Stampalot Challenge and run it every month, starting 1st April - no joke!

Now, I say "we" in a very literal sense as it's Brenda's project. She's organising it fantastically with the help of 7 creative young ladies:

Chris
Clare
Francesca
Lorraine
Pinky
Sally
Tracy

As well as cool prizes on the Challenge itself, they'll be a blog award for those that make the Top 3.

The light bulb above Brenda has been shining brightly for the last few weeks as she's been coming up with all wonderful ideas and methodologies. And along the way, Brenda has certainly had to pick up lots of computer and blogging skills with this assignment, from creating logos to getting serious with Mr Linky!

And to keep you all on the edge of your seats while you wait for the first challenge and prize to be announced, Brenda's running weekly Blog Candy giveaways consisting of Hero Arts products donated by us, Sir Stampalot.

All the info about the Blog Candy and the Challenge itself can be found on the special Sir Stampalot Challenge Blog created, organised, updated and lovingly looked after by Brenda herself.
You'll also find info at the blogs of each of the wonderful design team who are assisting Brenda and will be providing lots of inspiration to help you with your Challenge entries. Don't forget, the first Challenge will be announced on April 1st so get your heat gun warmed up, find that button box, replace the blade in your craft knife, reink those inkpads and and roll up your sleeves in readiness.

Good Luck one 'n all


And if you are local to Peterborough and want to see Brenda getting messy and having fun (did I say that?, I meant working hard), then pop along to Sir Stampalot store anytime this Saturday (20th March) from 10am - 4pm when we are holding a free stamping demonstration day. Free refreshments will be available as always on a demo day. And we have a plethora of Brenda's artwork that will be on display, so please feel free to bring your camera.

Hope to see you Saturday.


And remember, a stamp's not just for a challenge, it's for life!

- janicex

Penny Black Treat

We are very lucky to have Elizabeth Allan from Penny Black, in-store tomorrow (thursday) at Sir Stampalot, Peterborough.
Elizabeth will be running a 2 hour class from 3pm - 5pm using the brand new Penny Black designs.

Projects may vary in class tomorrow.


If you fancy coming along, please phone for details and reserve your place. Places are very limited and on a first come first served basis. Rare opportunity to have Elizabeth in the UK and not to be missed if you can make it.

If you want to keep upto date with Elizabeth's artwork, she contributes heavily to the Penny Black Blog.

Additionally all the new designs have arrived instore and we will be filling our shelves with them tomororw along with displaying the sample boards. Card samples will go online on our gallery but probably not for a couple of weeks. View our gallery.

Ring me on 01733 324 007 for booking class spaces
- janicex

More News from CHA

Whilst at CHA, I make the most of the time there by booking up on classes as well as walking the show floor. I'd booked on so many classes, half the time I didn't know whose class I was taking, our tickets we bought only had a class number and a vague title. So I was in the middle of a class "pressed for success" wondering who my crazy tutor was when it dawned on me that it was the one and only Donna Downey.

Now I've got a couple of her books on scrapbooking and there is one in particular I think is probably the best scrapbooking book I've come across.
It's called "Designing Layouts" (ISBN = 9781933516875),

and features layouts where your photos take center stage by using photos-only sketches to make over 100 reusable page designs.
It really is a very, very good book, makes you realise that all the embellishments (although very nice and pretty) aren't really needed to make a stunning page. You'd have to see the book to see what I mean really. Anyhow, after reading this book (or more to the point, flicking through it as it's not really a book you can read!), I found that I just loved this lady's style.
And so it was such a delight to be booked in on one of her classes. She's such a character, she has so much energy and so outgoing, and really knows how to work the crowd!! I now wish I'd taken my book to get signed - oh well, there's always next year. If ever you get a chance to be on a class or event of Donna's, I seriously suggest any of you scrapbookers out there should take the plunge.

The project we started to create was a fabric scrapbook album using iron-transfers. Not the sort of thing I've ever done before or had even contemplated doing but I enjoyed it as far as I had got.

When I eventually get around to finishing it, I'll let you guys know and show pics - hopefully you're still following this blog in a couple of year's time!! I got as far as ironing on the various transfers to my fabric pages and that was about it, basically we were suppose to take our own distress inkpads to ink up and spritz with water, the edges of the pages. Although my lovely neighbour offered me her inkpads to borrow (we are all such a friendly crowd us crafters), I declined after deciding that I'll colour co-ordinate each page with appropriate ink colours rather than do every page brown. I'm looking forward to finishing it off but probably won't be this side of Christmas :(


Anyhow, onto more exciting new products we saw at CHA...

We've been waiting for this a long time, metallic staz-on colours in silver, gold, copper and platinum

unfortunately they won't be cheap.
They'll come packaged - a little like the white staz-on, ie uninked pad and a reinker bottle:

Tattered Angels are expanding their range. As well as adding more colours to their Glimmer Mist collection (including colours inspired by Heidi Swapp), they have also launched a Chalkboard range, Glimmer Glaze and Glimmer Glam:

all new goodies already ordered and just waiting for it all to arrive.
However, the Heritage travel ledge kit is already in stock:

and provides all the goodies needed to create this wonderful project (a brilliant all-inclusive weekend project):

Check out full details here.


Cosmo Cricket goodies should be arriving any day:

And all the brand new Penny Black designs have been ordered and just waiting to arrive now, you can find all the designs in our "What's New" section where you can pre-order them (currently about page 6!!).

And watch out for a very exciting announcement coming soon, regarding a very special Penny Black person!!! Just finalising details and then I'll be able to spill the beans.

And finally, if you have a free Saturday this weekend, and fancy a crafty day, we still have a few spaces spare for Ann's Popcorn Bear class:

these are piccies from her demo day just to give you a little idea of what you could be up to!!
Give me a ring on 01733 324 007 to find out more.

meanwhile, happy stamping
- janicex