More Simply Soft

Still playing with the Simply Soft stamp set I won in the raffle at training.  I love the look it creates, and how easy it is to make amazing images!  Plus, because it's in the hostess only section of the catalogue, it's incredible value....why not book a workshop with me and get yours!

This is a simple card layout that I go back to again and again and which works particularly well with floral images.  I used rich razzleberry ink and cardstock, on a white base, with accents of black to make the colour pop, and tie in with the black outline ink.  The sentiment is from the Trendy Trees stamp set, punched with the word window punch, and layered onto the modern label punch.  The finishing touch is a couple of sparkly basic rhinestones.

And then I thought, I wonder what it would look like in blue, so I did one in Tempting Turquoise...

And Pumpkin Pie

And Old Olive...

And Melon Mambo...

And here's the gang all together....

Definitely a more modern take on Simply Soft, compared to the vintage feel of the previous design...I love how stamp sets can be so versatile and used to create so many looks.

Hope you like them...please do leave a comment, I love to read them...and until next time...jolly stamping!

Allie xx

Simply soft....simply stunning!

I was at our Jems team quarterly training session at the weekend, and was lucky enough to win a prize in the raffle (Jules, our SU Mummy, always does the best raffle prizes).  I won one of the new hostess stamp sets, Simply Soft.  It's a two-step stamp set with three floral images, made up of a solid outline stamp and a filler stamp, and one is stamped on top of the other.  You can line them up perfectly with a Stamp-a-ma-Jig, or you can stamp them just off centre to create a lovely effect.

We also received a goody bag of products at training (Jules does the best goody bags too!) which included the new First Edition speciality DSP and the gorgeous new vintage brads...and if you think these products look good in the catalogue, wait 'til you see them in the flesh! Oh my!  I was so inspired, I came home and created this set of thank you cards.

I've used Very Vanilla cardstock for the bases of all three cards, and rather than cover the base entirely with DSP and then add a very vanilla top note as a mat, I've been frugal and used the waste from cutting a top note from the DSP to create a frame for the image.  Before I cut the top note on the Big Shot, I trimmed my paper to the right size for the card front, and made sure it was centred on the die before I cut it, so the waste would fit perfectly on the card.  I've saved the top note die cuts for another project!

I've used accents of Rose Red on this card, and some Wild Wasabi and a blender pen to colour the stems and leaves.  Check out the sentiment with my cute new punch...nah, not really...it's a trick with the decorative label punch (thanks again, Jules).

On this shot, you can see I've decorated the inside with a simple strip of matching DSP, and a little stamping....I've "stamped off" the images (stamped first onto scrap paper and then stamped again without re-inking) to create a softer version of the image on the inside.

Here's the Baja Breeze version, this time on a landscape card.

Again, I've decorated the inside in the same way.

Check out my shabby chic bow, made from the gorgeous silky seam binding and beautiful new brads.  I'm hopeless at tying bows, but this is an easy way - Just loop the ribbon around your fingers as many times as you want, pinch it in the centre, and gather up and secure with a brad.  I'm not sure where I picked this tip up from, but I think it might be from my very talented fellow demonstrator Sarah-Jane here as I am always haunting her blog, and she does amazing things with ribbon :)

Here's the final version, with accents in Wild Wasabi.

And here's the set all together....I might make a little wallet for them, so that I can give them as a Christmas present :)  I've just thought, I might stamp a matching stationery set, with writing paper and envelopes too..I know just the person who'd love them!  I'm really pleased with how they came out, hope you like them.

The Simply Soft stamp set is only available to people who host a Stampin' Up workshop, and costs just £12 in clear mount, and £15 in wood mount.  What a bargain!  Hosting is easy...just invite some friends along to craft with you, and I'll bring everything you need to make a super free project.  If you and your friends spend over £150, you get £25 in hostess pounds to spend in the catalogue absolutely FREE!  The more sales you get, the more free stuff you get!  And if your sales reach £300, you get £50 to spend, plus one item from the catalogue at HALF PRICE!  That means you could get a Big Shot for just £43.95!

If you live too far away from me, you could hold a parcel party....I'll send you some goodies to play with, and a copy of the catalogue, and you can collect orders from your friends, and still get hostess rewards!  And if you aren't able to host a party in your own home, you could come to mine!

If you'd like to get some beautiful free stuff, drop me an email at alliejolliffe@hotmail.com.

Until next time...Jolly Stamping!

Allie xx

Boo! Did I scare ya?

I held my first craft class this evening, and the ladies and I had such a lot of fun, creating fab projects using gorgeous Stampin' Up supplies.  But, as is sometimes the case the first time you do something, I made a boo boo....I forgot to take pictures of the girls' projects...doh!  They made some lovely Christmas themed mini milk carton favours, which they plan to fill with chocolate and hang on their Christmas trees, along with some punch art Santas and candy cane mice.  I'll try to get some pictures from them to post later.

In the meantime, here are the projects I made myself....I thought I'd do some Halloween treats, as I had a pack of the fantastic Frightful Sight papers.   I don't have any Halloween stamps, so I had to improvise for embellishments.

This little mummy treat box was made with the super cute pillow box die...I used torn strips of very vanilla cardstock, sponged with crumb cake ink, for his bandages, and punched his eyes with the Owl punch.

This mini milk carton is made from the Frightful Sight designer series paper pack and closed with a little clip from the mini clips selection.  I made a pumpkin embellishment using circle punches, sponged with ink, and added a face with punched cardstock.  Can you guess what's inside? lol

Judging by his face, I think this little ghost is afraid of spiders!  He's made from an upside down Owl punch body...I've stamped his little "boo" tag with the tiny tags stamp set and punched it out with the jewellery tag punch.

And here's all the gang together...with some of the treats I stashed inside....now I just hope some children visit on the night!

If you'd like to make cute projects like these, why not contact me to book a workshop, or come to one of my classes....I'd love to show you how.  Thanks for stopping by!

All I want for Christmas is....Mice...eek!

My house has been overrun with mice!  But don't worry, no need to call pest control, it's just my swaps for next week's Julie's Jems all day training.  I've made 24 of these cute little critters to share with my fellow team members. I thought it would  be nice to do something completely different to the usual card.

They were made using mini candy canes (22 in a pack for £2 from Sainsburys, including the little bits of silver cord).  I've punched the bodies from whisper white cardstock using the large oval punch and stuck one on each side of the candy cane with mini glue dots.  I sponged around each body with basic grey ink, and added a little mouse face with the basic grey marker.   Then I punched two circles using the large eye part of the owl punch, added a bit of pretty in pink marker, pinched them between my fingers at the bottom, and glued them on with Tombow, and voila...ears!

And a close up.....

This is just one of many projects planned for my series of "Allie's Home Made Christmas" classes, starting next Wednesday.  For the next few weeks we will be meeting weekly and making all kinds of hand-made Christmas gifts, cards, wrappings and decor items.  Other projects include stamped candles, stationery sets, table favours, decorated photo frames and gift boxes.

The classes will cost £10 each and will include all supplies, use of my tools, and refreshments (you can expect mince pies, mulled wine and Christmas carols to get you in the festive mood!)  We start on Wednesday 12 October at 7pm.  If you're interested, please email me at alliejolliffe@hotmail.com, or call on 0781 4451627 to reserve a place and make sure I have your goody bag ready for you.  Spaces are limited, so please book early!