Oh, So Succulent at Kettering Park

Last weekend I held my first ever Overnight Retreat and at what better place than Kettering Park Hotel & Spa. 

Many of my ladies had pestered me for a while for an overnight crafting session and so I set to work planning and organising ... and our Overnight Retreat was born. 

The ladies had access to the Spa from midday on the Friday and could check into their rooms from 2pm. Many had made use of the pool, some even had booked in for Spa Treatments ... it certainly sounded relaxing. 

We all then met up at 6pm to settle into our Craft Room and set to our first project.

I wanted a fairly relaxed project for the first night. Nothing too precise and certainly no measuring and cutting. 

This Succulent display was what I decided upon. It was lovely to see the various dishes adorning the tables the next day, so they acted as table decorations, which was wonderful. 

Made purely from cardstock, these Succulent flowers are so easy to create and look so very real. 

Once our project was completed, we headed off to our Private Dining Room to enjoy a delicious three course meal and a good few giggles with each other.

The night ended with some special treats and a good night's sleep. 

Celebrating 5 Happy Years with an abundance of Giveaways

Make a Wish and click on the cake to see what's on offer.

Use this Gift Code at Checkout

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Paisley's and Poises Heart Frame

Today on Stampin' Up!s Facebook page, they are talking about the gorgeous Paisley's and Poises Collection. 

It's a gorgeous Paisley set and offers some stunning patterned papers. I was drawn to this set when I first opened the current Seasonal Catalogue and saw a Home Decor piece on page 46, where this suite is showcased. I knew I had to reproduce the framed piece ... and I absolutely love how it turned out. 

I think I am fast developing an addiction for the gorgeous Copper Foil Cardstock, that I've used here as a matting layer. It was this project that had me also loving the colour Delightful Dijon. 

I may just have to make another one of these, in another colour way. I so love the simplicity of it and hope you like it too. 

Creation Station Blog Hop - Giving Thanks

Welcome to this month's Creation Station Blog Hop and with Thanks Giving in America fast approaching, we thought we'd dedicate this month's hop to 'Giving Thanks'. 

I have recently had a dear friend help me out and I wanted to give her a little something to thank her for her kindness. Knowing that she likes wreaths, I decided to make her a little Home Decor item, with coordinating card. 

Firstly I took a Heart Shaped base that had thick hemp twine wrapped around and covered it with leaves from the Leaflets Framelits set and Pretty Pines set. I was tempted to use colour, but I really liked the simplicity and freshness of just using whisper white.

I finished it off with a beautiful Gold Satin Ribbon and the gorgeous Copper Pine Cones that were hanging on Gold Metallic Thread.

I decided to make a coordinating card that again revolved around simplicity of the white leaves. 

One of my favourite colours of recent is Delightful Dijon, which I think couples beautifully with Gold and Copper tones and was why I used it to stamp the word Thankful repeatedly across the larger leaf. I'm not sure that you can see it here, but there is some Gold Metallic Thread looped behind this leaf. 

I'm a firm believer that sometimes less is more and here, less colour, most certainly was more. 

I hope you like what I have shared with you today. Thank you for hopping by, Thank you for supporting me and the Creative Station Design Team and Thank you for your comments and continued following of my Blog. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and of course, the rest of the Blog Hop. 

   

Back to Holly Stene      Next to Jennifer Downey

Bold Butterflies Going Places Box Frame

A Bold, but Beautiful Butterfly that's Going Places in this box Frame.

We Demonstrators receive a bi-monthly publication from the Stampin' Up! Home Office with the odd project idea in. I don't often recreate the suggestions, but this creation on the front page, just had to be CASED (copy and share everything).

I'm quite funny about large Butterflies, as I'm not a lover of moths, but these layered on top of each other, are just beautiful. 

A beautiful way to use what you'd predominantly think of as masculine papers. The entire butterfly is mounted onto an impression of the World Traveler Embossing folder. 

The textures and variation of papers really adds to the interest of this project. I just love it, which was why it had to be shared with you.

Hoping you like it

Mikaela x

Stampin' Creative Blog Hop - Festive Frenzy

Welcome to this month's Stampin' Creative Blog Hop and being on the build up to the Festive Celebrations, we thought we'd theme this month's Hop … Festive Frenzy. 

You may have just hopped over from the lovely Kim, where you'll have been spoilt to an undeniable Festive Frenzy, yes, the big fella himself … well, whether you have hopped over from Kim or have joined the hop here, welcome and enjoy the rest of the hop. 

We don't really celebrate the start of a New Year in this house, although this year, we may well be having some dear, close friends round for a quiet meal … which had me thinking ...

… create a little table setting for a New Year's Eve meal. 

I had seen the Square Pillow Box used to hold cutlery before, so decided to come up with my own embellished version, accompanied by a coordinating cracker and Chocolate table favour.

Firstly I cut the Pillow Box from Smoky Slate Card Stock and cut off the end flaps to one side, before Embossing it using the elegant Softly Falling Textured Embossing Folder. I love both of these products.

I then wrapped the box with the gorgeously soft Silver Satin Ribbon. Stars just seemed so fitting and besides, we have some beautiful silver star charger plates that sparked my inspiration, so I die cut some Stars from some Filter Paper, before creating this beautiful ruffled star flower.

I decided to wrap some silver metallic thread around the flower that I attached tiny stars to, made using the Confetti Star Punch and some Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper. I made the little coordinating mock cracker with a centre of filter paper to hold in the surprise gift.

I'm not sure if you can actually see here, but the tiny stars are literally suspended on the thread and not sticking the thread to the cardstock, as perhaps a little clearer on the chocolate below.

It didn't seem right to leave it at just the cutlery holder and the cracker … a chocolate seemed only right and fitting to add to the table. 

I just love how the little chocolate turned out … so much so, that I'd actually find it hard to unwrap it to eat … now THAT my friends, is the flaw in this design.

Sadly the Square Pillow Box Die is on the Retirement list of the current Autumn/Winter Seasonal Catalogue, so if you are wanting to recreate some Cutler Holders like this of your own, then you'll need to act quickly to avoid disappointment. 

I hope you liked the creations I have shared with you this month and I hope when your New Year's Eve Celebrations come, that they are greeted with a healthy and prosperous year ahead … 

… but for now, hop on over to see what gorgeous work the lovely Louise has in store for you. She never ceases to delight. 

Enjoy the rest of the hop and of course the festive season.

Mikaela x

This months blog hop line up:

Emily - http://stampinmermaid.blogspot.co.uk

Eimear - http://stampincolour.com/stampin-creative-blog-hop-november-blog-hop

Caroline - http://wp.me/p4UAKf-6T

Kim - http://kimfeecrafter.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/santas-pants-stampin-creative blog-hop.html

Mikaela - YOU ARE HERE

Louise - http://stampindelight.co.uk/stampin-creative-blog-hop-festive-frenzy

Emma - http://www.coastalcrafter.com/stampin-creative-nov-blog-hop-festive-frenzy

** To purchase the items used to create these pieces, just click on the images below **

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Winter Wonderland Paper Stars with Free Tutorial

Yesterday I promised to post the instructions on how to make these fabulous Paper Stars that can be seen with the Winter Wonderland suite in the Autumn/Winter Seasonal Catalogue 2015. 

To make these stars, firstly you will need two 6" x 6" squares of your chosen Designer Series Paper. 

1. Fold the square in half diagonally in both directions
2. Fold the square in half horizontally in both directions

3. Along the four horizontal lines, make a mark at 1 1/4" and cut to this mark
4. Fold in from this mark, taking the edge to the diagonal crease line

5. Fold the other edge in to create a point to the corner and repeat on all four corners.

6. Place adhesive on one side of the point flaps as shown

7. Take one flap over the other to create a point and adhere. Repeat all round

8. Repeat on the second square to create two identical flat backed stars

9. Place some glue dots at the points where the other star touches when sat crossed over.

10. Adhere the two stars together using these glue dots. 

You can punch a tiny hole to the top of one point and thread cording through to hang it.

I hope you find this tutorial easy to follow and you enjoy making your own hanging stars. 

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Mikaela x