Monday 25 July 2016

Oh Happy Day Card Kit Review - Stampin' Up! UK‏

 It's the Summer holidays and crafting time is limited, however, this perfect craft kit 'Oh Happy Day card kit from Stampin' Up! UK' is perfect for a quick crafting fix as everything you could possibly need to create a card from scratch is contained within the box.  All very nicely organised too....


BACKGROUND ON THE COMPANY:The company was set up in 1988 by two sisters looking for a way to express creativity.  Stampin' Up! was a result of that.  More than two decades later there are thousands of demonstrators around the world using Stampin' Up! products to make beautiful cards and craft projects.

CONTENTS: Everything comes in a very sturdy cardboard box.  You can see all the contents from the above photo. The pre-folded cards come in an array of delightful designs; I adore the contrast between the floral and bright colours and the spotty designs juxtaposed with the pastel.  You also get pre-cut dies, 3d stars and hearts, string, envelopes, stamps and ink.  The resulting cards that you can make from this kit look like a card you would purchase from a high-end boutique shop.

HELP AND GUIDANCE: The accompanying leaflet which comes in the kit illustrates all the various cards you can make using the kit.  All the card parts are clearly labelled by number and so the leaflet features a diagram of the part numbers you need to make up the various cards.  This idea worked very well as it meant I didn't have to spend too long tracking down the needed pieces.

GREAT QUALITY STAMPS: 
The range of stamps included in this pack allows for much versatility; if you want to tweak a design then you are more than able.  

HIGH QUALITY DIE-CUTS:  The die-cuts were made out of very high-quality card and when pressed simply popped out (and had none of those horrible bumpy perforation marks that die-cuts sometimes have).

IDEAL FOR NEWBIES: I haven't done any rubber stamping for years and so these cards were my first attempt for many years and I was very pleased with the results.  The fact that the mounted cards were ready cut meant that I didn't have to worry about cutting the card accurately.  It just made crafting the cards so much easier.

In terms of design, the cards have a unique blend of pattern, contrast, shape and boldness to really create a high-impact card.  Anyone receiving one of these cards are sure to be delighted!


 GREAT VALUE: The kit is exceptional value at £31.50, as that would work out that each card would be less than £1.60.  For a hand-crafted card that is extremely good value.  With over 20 designs to make, this kit will be providing me with lots of fun for some time yet....

If you'd like to learn a little more about the kit, there's a great video on YouTube produced by the company themselves:

For more information on the card kit visit: http://www2.stampinup.com/ECWeb/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=142725
Disclosure: I was sent this product to review but all thoughts are my own.

Oh Happy Day Card Kit Review - Stampin' Up! UK‏

 It's the Summer holidays and crafting time is limited, however, this perfect craft kit 'Oh Happy Day card kit from Stampin' Up! UK' is perfect for a quick crafting fix as everything you could possibly need to create a card from scratch is contained within the box.  All very nicely organised too....


BACKGROUND ON THE COMPANY:The company was set up in 1988 by two sisters looking for a way to express creativity.  Stampin' Up! was result of that.  More than two decades later there are thousands of demonstrators around the world using Stampin' Up! products to make beautiful cards and craft projects.

CONTENTS: Everything comes in a very sturdy cardboard box.  You can see all the contents from the above photo. The pre-folded cards come in an array of delightful designs; I adore the contrast between the floral and the bright colours and the spotty designs juxtaposed with the pastel.  You also get pre-cut dies, 3d stars and hearts, string, envelopes, stamps and ink.  The resulting cards that you can make from this kit look like a card you would purchase from a high-end boutique shop.

HELP AND GUIDANCE: The accompanying leaflet which comes in the kit illustrates all the various cards you can make using the kit.  All the card parts are clearly labelled by number and so the leaflet features a diagram of the part numbers you need to make up the various cards.  This idea worked very well as it meant I didn't have to spend too long tracking down the needed pieces.

GREAT QUALITY STAMPS: 
The range of stamps included in this pack allows for much versatility; if you want to tweak a design then you are more than able.  


 HIGH QUALITY DIE-CUTS:  The die-cuts were made out of very high-quality card and when pressed simply popped out (and had none of those horrible bumpy perforation marks that die-cuts sometimes have).

IDEAL FOR NEWBIES: I haven't done any rubber stamping for years and so these cards were my first attempt for many years and I was very pleased with the results.  The fact that the mounted cards were ready cut meant that I didn't have to worry about cutting the card accurately.  It just made crafting the cards so much easier.

In terms of design, the cards have a unique blend of pattern, contrast, shape and boldness to really create a high-impact card.  Anyone receiving one of these cards are sure to be delighted!


 GREAT VALUE: The kit is exceptional value at £31.50 as that would work out that each card would be less than £1.60.  For a hand-crafted card that is extremely good value.  With over 20 designs to make this kit will be providing me with lots of fun for some time yet....

If you'd like to learn a little more about the kit, there's a great video on YouTube produced by the company themselves:

For more information on the card kit visit: http://www2.stampinup.com/ECWeb/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=142725
Disclosure: I was sent this product to review but all thoughts are my own.

Tuesday 5 July 2016

Review and Giveaway: Mini Makers

 I was hugely excited about this book.  If you are a follower of my blog, you will know just how much I love 'Mollie Makes' magazine.  I have created many projects from the magazine and they have always been a huge success.  Even the floral wreath next to this book is a front cover project from the mag.  So when I found out that regular contributors to the mag Laura Minter and Tia Williams were the designers of the lovely projects I couldn't wait to see what was inside...

The projects illustrate exactly what is so great about crafting; the chance to put your stamp on something totally individual and unique.  All the projects are super colourful and vibrant and are wow-factor pieces.  Unlike lots of children's books most of the projects are things that you could keep for a long time.  The projects are not only attractive but are highly educational - offering ways to help learn the time, count and keep track of the weather for example.  I think my favourite project is the pirate ship featured below as 'Pirates' has been the topic of the school term this year.  I imagine this would be great for playing with over the Summer holidays.
 In this book you will find tons of inspiration and ideas to explore the immensely exciting world of crafting together.  I liked the fact that the book doesn't stick to one type of craft too; baking, sewing, stitching, drawing, painting; there is something for everyone.
The book features a blend of projects; some which are using the average craft supplies you will find lying around the house and others require more specific items such as air-drying clay.  I liked this because it meant even I could try out new crafts that I hadn't tried before.
This isn't a book featuring projects which children can solely complete by themselves, but one which encourages a parental bond and a firm love of crafting together.  Grown-ups can enjoy creating the basic structures and children can do the really fun task of embellishing and decorating.

Such a fun book!

You can win a copy by entering my Rafflecopter giveaway below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This book was sent to me as a review copy but all thoughts are my own.