Craft club butterflies

I started going to a fab craft club recently, because I wanted to get out and meet some local, like-minded, crafting ladies, and what a fab morning it is!  I took some very minimal supplies along, as I wanted to make Stampin Up cards to feature here on my blog.  I did use some sequins that were non-Stampin' Up, because I really wanted to make a shaker card (very much back in vogue at the mo).

I had such a great time! There is nothing like getting together with others to craft.  If this is something that appeals to you, why not get in touch with me to talk about a workshop or class with some crafty friends?  I'd love to bring along some items from the new catalogue for you to have a play with.  You can email me for details HERE

If you'd like to order any of the supplies I use, there's a link to my 24/7 online shop HERE.  

And so to my cards! Hope you like them!

It's here! Gorgeous new catalogue time!

So the wait is over, the fabulous new Stampin' Up Annual Catalogue is now available.  You can click the link HERE to see a PDF version, but if you would like to get one in your hands, drop me a message and I will happily send one out to you!

Today I am sharing a project we made at our Stampin' Up Regional training, using a gorgeous brand new stamp set from the new catalogue, called Awesomely Artistic, which is full of beautiful layering images, perfect for collage-style cards.  This is so different from yesterday's bright projects - Stampin' Up has something for everyone!  Thanks for stopping by...I will be back with more projects tomorrow.

One more sleep!

Hello and welcome to my Spring cleaned and newly relaunched blog!  I have had an extended blogging hiatus, since we had a rather unexpected new arrival in our household, which turned my life upside down.  Zac is now two and at Preschool, so I'm delighted to be back to crafting and blogging!

So, one more sleep till the biggest event of the Stampin Up year - the launch of the new Annual Catalogue!  Well, technically it goes live at 1am if you are too excited to sleep ;)

Today I am sharing a sneak peek at a fun new 6 x 6 paper pack from the new catalogue, called Cherry on Top.  I've made some simple cards where this bold, bright paper takes centre stage.  You will notice a couple of the new In Colours for 2015-2016, which also launch tomorrow.  The ones used here are Watermelom Wonder and Cucumber Crush. 

I will be back tomorrow with a link to the new catalogue online.  If you would like your own "paper" copy, drop me an email at alliejolliffe@hotmail.com and I will be happy to send you one.

And if you don't have a demonstrator, I would be delighted to help you out with ordering, by phone, email or via my 24/7 online shop at www.alliej.stampinup.net.  Click the ordering tab above for more details.

Thanks for dropping by!

Silver swallowtail

My good friend Lesley loved the rolled flower art frame I made her so much, she asked me to make a companion piece, and this is what I came up with.  I have silver embossed the swallowtail stamp and watercoloured it in pool party, coastal cabana and Bermuda bay.  The background piece uses En Francais stamped onto very vanilla and distressed with sponging and gorgeous grunge ink splatters.   I just love this stunning butterfly stamp!  Hope she likes it, and I hope you do too. Xx

Flower art!

Today I am sharing a gift I made for a good friend who recently redecorated her lounge. She was struggling to find artwork to fit in with her colour scheme, so I decided to make her some :)

I used a piece of Retro Fresh DSP to back the aperture in the box frame, and then made roses using card stock and the spiral flower die from the spring mini.  I created a trendy ombré effect by graduating the colour from Pool Party to Coastal Cabana and then Bermuda Bay.  I spritzed the flowers with smooch spritz and added a rhinestone to the centre for extra glitz.  I used Tombow adhesive and the excellent and oft overlooked rubber craft mat for my glueing.

My friend loved her gift, and has ordered another one.  I hope you like it too.

Thanks for stopping by. Please do leave a comment, I love to read them.

Hugs, Allie x

Happy Mother's Day to One in a Million!

I have a quick one layer clean and simple card to share with you, using the Simple Stems stamp set and the gorgeous sentiment set, Million and One.  My colours are real red, costal cabana and pear pizzazz.  I didn't have a suitable leaf stamp, so I made a stencil with the wing if the bird punch and sponged through.  I finished off with a trio of rhinestones and flower centres stamped with a pencil eraser to tie in the black from the sentiment.

Hope you like it!

Stampin Allie x

New catalogue goodies!

I can't believe it's February already!  In fact, I can't believe it's 2014...I don't know where the last year went.  It was a year of massive upheaval and change for me, but an exciting one, as I am now full-time guardian to my wonderful year-old grandson Zachary.  It's taken a bit of getting used to, but I'm getting there!  I had let my dreams of a Stampin' Up business go on the back burner, but the new year has seen the ambition to work toward my own business start to burn again, so I have re-signed with Stampin' Up this week!  I'm so excited for this fresh start and I hope that people will support me in this new phase of my life.

So, this week saw the launch of the gorgeous new Stampin' Up seasonal catalogue, packed full of fresh products and ideas for Spring.  It was also the launch of this year's Sale-a-Bration promotion, which is so exciting.....a choice of free products with every £45 spent...who doesn't love FREE???  And the goodies up for grabs this year are awesome.....I'll be showcasing them over the coming days and weeks.

So, on to today's card.  We often use a different sentiment to change up a card, but I thought it would be interesting to make two cards with the same layout and sentiment, but change the images to make the card suit different occaisions.  Here's my first one:

The lovely flower image is from the Simple Stems stamp set, new in the seasonal catalogue.  I love how the fresh colours (Crisp Cantaloupe, Strawberry Slush and Costal Cabana) pop against the background of Baked Brown Sugar.and the crisp clean white of the tea lace doily, banner and baker's twine.  Did you wonder where the little scallop under the sentiment came from?  It's one of the sides of the pennant from the pennant builder punch!  Just the perfect little pop of colour.  With the flowers and sentiment, I think this card works well for any occasion for a best girlfriend, or even Mum.

In this second version, all I've changed is the image, swapping the flowers for the hearts from the Language of Love stamp set, also from the seasonal catalogue, stamped in Strawberry Slush and Raspberry Ripple classic inks (mmmm, sounds like an ice cream sundae!)  And now it's a valentine card!

I hope you enjoyed my makes for today.  Look out for daily posts and a blog redesign coming soon.  If you don't have a Stampin' Up demonstrator, and are interested in any of the items I've used, or would like me to send you copies of our catalogues, please contact me...details above!  My online shop should be up and running again soon!  And if you'd like to have a go at playing with some of the goodies and making projects like those above, I can show you how! Get in touch for a chat :)

Thanks for looking, and jolly crafting!

Allie x

Julie's Jems Sale-a-Bration Blog Hop!

It's almost time for Sale-a-bration (SAB), one of the most exciting times in the Stampin' Up calendar!  During Sale-a-bration, for every £45 you order, you can choose a product from an exclusive SAB range, ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!!  What a deal!

Sale-a-bration runs from January 28 to March 31, and there is no limit to the number of free items you can snag in that time.

To celebrate the start of this fantastic annual promotion, the ladies in our team, Julie's Jems, are running a blog hop today, showcasing projects made with SAB goodies.

If you've found your way to me from my fabulous Stampin' Up Mummy Julie Kettlewell's blog, welcome!  I know she will have wowed you with her creations.  Please follow the link the the next blog in the blog hop, which should be the fantastic Sharon Glynn.  I'll add a full list at the end in case you get lost!

So here are my two Sale-a-bration makes, using a SAB exclusive sentiment stamp set called See Ya Later. (Excuse the quality of the later photos, it was very late and I couldn't get the light right!)

This is a box card I made for my grandson Zachary's first birthday...the sentiment from the See Ya Later set really captures how I feel about my special little man...."Once in a lifetime you meet someone who changes everything"  The box card was made following a fab tutorial by Monica Gale, you can find it here.  The little animals are from the Zoo Babies stamp set and I've cut them out with my paper snips.  I added some highlights of red glimmer paper for sparkle.

My second project is a simple card using another of the sentiments..I love the little alligator!  You may have noticed another little sneak peek...the papers are from a gorgeous new pack called Fresh Prints, from the new seasonal catalogue which also launches on Tuesday.  Please get in touch if you would like a copy of any of our catalogues.

Karyn Davies  http://kdcrafts.blogspot.co.uk

Debbi Taylor http://beecraftyandstamp.blogspot.co.uk/

Rebekah Cornford http://craftingbecky.blogspot.co.uk

Julie McCartney - http://crafty-angelwings.blogspot.co.uk

Amanda Bates   http://thecraftspa.blogspot.co.uk

Julie Kettlewell - http://juliesjapes.blogspot.co.uk/

Allie Jolliffe - http://jollicrafts.blogspot.co.uk/

Sharon Glynn http://shari-anne-happycrafter.blogspot.co.uk/

Angie Hutton - http://feathertassel.blogspot.co.uk/

Kate Martin     http://kraftsbykatemartin.blogspot.co.uk/

Liz Youd http://stampinandcreatin.blogspot.co.uk

Fiona Cullen - http://www.the-create-escape.blogspot.co.uk/

Caroline Lovett http://carolinescraftsandmore.blogspot.co.uk

Kylie Henshaw - http://hellostamper.blogspot.co.uk

Paper bow tutorial

A few people have asked me how I made the little paper  bow on my last card, so I thought I'd make a video tutorial....it's my first one, so be gentle with me!  I hope you find it useful.

Wild about Washi

It's been such a long time since I blogged, I wonder if anyone will read this!  If you do, I thank you for bearing with me....adapting to being a full time carer to an unexpected new baby at the age of 48, whilst coping with ME and Fibromyalgia, has been tough, but I finally think I'm getting a handle on things!  I've set up a new craft space in a tiny quiet corner of my bedroom and I'm here to share the fruits of my first bit of "me time" in ages.

I've completely fallen in love with washi tape..I'm so glad that Stampin' Up has released some this year, to match a couple of the wonderful new paper collections.  Washi is so easy to use, and inexpensive, I think it's a must-have in your craft stash.  Here I'm trying to hang on to the last gasp of Summer by using the beautifully bright Gingham Garden DSP and matching washi tape.  I've paired them with simple white cardstock, a bit of bling, and clean and simple sentiments from the Happy Day stamp set.

I've used the large oval punch to make the little paper bows, they are so easy to do and so effective.  I found a tutorial on YouTube by US demo Dee Slater, and a similar one by the fabulous Sam at www.pootles.co.uk

The colours are Island Indigo, Pear Pizzazz, Melon Mambo and Daffodil Delight.  I made a simple mat of Whisper White cardstock and added lines of washi tape...stamped the greeting using my Stamp-a-Majig to get perfect placement, and added the paper bow and some basic rhinestones.  I added the panel onto a plain white card base using stamping dimensionals for a clean, white on white look.

I thought they would make a cute gift set, so I'm going to spend this evening making some gift packaging for them, and that will be my first Christmas present made lol!

I hope you like my washi tape makes, and I hope to be back again soon with another project.

If you'd like to order some washi tape, or any other Stampin' Up products, you can now visit my online store and order 24/7, and have your order delivered straight to your door...how cool is that?  You can access my store via the link on the "Order Stampin' Up"  tab at the top of the page.

Until next time....Jolly crafting!

The Retirement Lists are here!!!

It's that time of year again!  In getting ready for the new annual catalogue launch in July, Stampin' Up publishes the retirement lists....lists of products that will no longer be available after 1 July.  In fact, these products are only available while stocks last, and may sell out way before then, so if there's something you can't live without, please contact me ASAP to place your order, as I'd hate for you to  be disappointed!  Some of the huge variety of stamps, inks, papers, ribbons and tools are discounted by up to 50 per cent so get browsing.

The retiring stamp sets can be found here.

And the retiring accessories list is here.

There are some fabulous bargains to be had, including designer paper packs at up to 50 per cent off, and bakers' twine for £1.88 a pack!  I'll be back over the coming days to spotlight some of the fab products that will soon be disappearing forever!

New Arrival!

Yes, we have an exciting and beautiful new arrival in our house!  Am I talking about my gorgeous new grandson Zachary...or the new Stampin' Up Spring/Summer Mini Catalogue?  All I can say is that both are exquisite and set my heart fluttering :)

Here's the new catalogue...it's jam packed with on-trend craft stash for the Spring and Summer months....check out the gorgeously  trendy honeycomb embossing folder - a snip at just £7.50 - and the hearts a flutter stamp set with matching framelits, perfect for valentine's day and beyond.  I'm loving the new flower trim and the Artisan embellishment kit, full of wonderful vintage lace, buttons, doilies and other beautiful adornments.

If you'd like to have a browse of the catalogue, click the link in the sidebar, or contact me if you'd like me to send you a paper copy.  If you'd like to place an order, I'd love to help you out...check out the "Order Stampin' Up" tab above for details.

We've been incredibly busy taking care of Zac, who was born unexpectedly on 23 January, but I should be back soon with some samples using the beautiful things from the Spring/Summer catalogue, and of course, Sale-a-bration is still in full swing, so you can earn FREE items with every £45 spent in both the main and seasonal catalogues!

How about ordering £162.50 worth of products of your choice....for just £99?  Join my team during Sale-a-bration and you can do just that!  You can run your Stampin' Up business YOUR way, whether you just want to get discounted products for you, your family and friends, or if you want to take advantage of the exciting new business and earning possibilities with Stampin' Up!  Feel free to contact me for an informal chat if you'd like to check out what being an Independent Stampin' Up Demonstrator is all about.

And now, I'll leave you with a picture of our other exciting new arrival...baby Zac...born by Caesarean on 23 January, weighing 5lb 14.

Until next time, 

Jolly stamping!

Allie x

Sale-a-Brate good times, come on!

Sale-a-bration, the most exciting time of the Stampin' Up year (apart from new catalogue launches of course) is here!

First of all, I hope you like my new blog redesign, in honour of this exciting promotion!  And here's how you can benefit during Sale-a-bration.

Between now and 22 March, for every £45 you spend on Stampin' Up products (before shipping), you get to choose from an exclusive range of goodies for FREE!  Yes, that's one for EVERY £45 spent, so if you spend £90, you get two, etc.  How amazing a deal is that??? 

And wait til you see the products you can choose...exclusive stamp sets in both clear and wood mount, designer series paper, ribbon and buttons, punches and embossing folders and a host of other fabulous items.

Click HERE to see the Sale-a-bration flyer.

Stampin' Up hasn't forgotten its hostesses either...if you hold a workshop of more than £150 during Sale-a-bration, you will get a pack of silver glimmer paper FREE, in addition to any Sale-a-bration items you earn from your own purchases.  If your workshop reaches £300 in sales, you'll get the glimmer paper, AND an entire matching bundle of products, including a stamp set, buttons, three spools of ribbon and a pack of designer series paper!

And if you would like to join my growing team and run your own Stampin' Up business (whether as a hobby or business demo), during Sale-a-bration you can choose £162.50 worth of products of your choice for only £99!  I would love you to call or email me for an informal, no obligation chat about what being a Stampin' Up demonstrator is all about and what it could do for you.  You don't have to hold workshops or classes if you don't want to - you can just get discount on purchases for yourself, your friends and family.

If you'd like a copy of the current catalogue or Sale-a-bration leaflet, or would like to make an order, give me a call or drop me a line, I'll be happy to help.  You can also access the catalogue on line by clicking on the link in the sidebar.

Just to whet your appetite, here's a sample I've made with one of the gorgeous FREE Sale-a-bration stamp sets, Bloomin Marvellous.

 This is a card I created for my swap at our upcoming team training.  I just love the sentiments in this set!

I think when you see what Sale-a-bration has to offer, you'll be as excited as I am!

Squeeeeee! The new annual catalogue is here!

I am so excited that Stampin' Up's new annual catalogue goes live today!  What's even more exciting is that the new book is 70 pages bigger and has ALMOST ALL the same goodies as the US catalogue!  It's so gorgeous, my wish list is already as long as my arm and I'm sure once you've seen it, yours will be too.

Drop me a line or give me a call if  you'd like a copy at a special price of £4.50 (rrp £5.95).

Better still, why not join my virtual hostess club and get a copy FREE!  This is the perfect way to spread the cost of your stamping supplies and get FREE goodies without having to host a workshop.  You simply sign up to make an order of at least £25 per month (plus P&P) for 6 months and on one of the months, you are the virtual hostess and get to spend the hostess benefits (at least £25) on anything you like in the catalogue!  Members of the club also get free copies of any catalogues and mini catalogues launched during their membership, and inspiring projects and free product to make them every month!  What could be better than to receive a fabulous package of crafting loveliness in the post every month!

I will be looking forward to sharing some projects from the new catalgue with you!

Butterflies...flying away

One of the retiring stamp sets I'll miss the most is Butterfly Prints, it's such an inexpensive and versatile little set that co ordinates with the butterfly punch, which is also retiring.  Both items are still available if you hurry! Items on the retired list are only available while stocks last, or until the end of the month, so if there's anything on the list you can't live without, please give me a call ASAP, before it's too late!

Here's a card I made using an elegant colour combo of River Rock and Basic Black...RR isn't a colour I'd normally reach for, but I used it in a challenge over at Stamp Nation.

Stamp sets:  Butterfly Prints, Curly Cute
Cardstock: River Rock, Basic Black
Ink: Basic Black
Tools: Butterfly punch, Scallop Trim Border
Embellishments: Linen thread

Next time, I'll be back with some new items from the seasonal catalogue.  Until then, jolly stamping!

Allie x

Proud Mum moment

I'm proud to share a card with you today that my daughter Daisy designed and made while we crafted together yesterday.  One of the things I love about working for Stampin' Up is that it gives us a chance to spend time together, and that she can share my passion for papercrafting.

Daisy's striking card uses the eyelet border punch, which is on the retired list and only available this month, or while stocks last!  They are selling out fast!  And if you want a wide selection of birthday sentiments, you can't do better than the Happiest Birthday Wishes hostess stamp set, also on the retired list.

She also used the boho blossoms punch and antique brads to create the feature flowers and the modern label punch for her sentiment.  Her colours are real red and basic black.  For the final touch, she's added some basic jewels rhinestones.

Thanks for visiting today.  Back tomorrow with another project!

Do mummies cartwheel? They do now!

I've been having such fun playing with the Googlie Ghouls stamp set from the new Autumn/Winter catalogue!  I love it!  These images are so cute, and are designed to be used with Stampin' Up's new self adhesive googlie eyes!  I don't know how, but Stampin' Up has managed to make them even googlier than usual...just looking at the package of eyes makes me smile :)

This idea popped into my head and I had to give it a go....the idea of the little mummy cartwheeling across the card going boooooooooooooo and popping up behind the windows with his little eye rolling made me crack up!  I've finished the card with a scrap of brand new striped satin ribbon stapled to the side.  That ribbon is so lush and the understated colours make it ideal for man cards too.

Hope you like my ghoulish make today.  Back soon with some more projects from the fabulous holiday catalogue!

Something old, something new

Exciting times in the world of Stampin' Up!  The new Autumn/Winter catalogue is now live.  It's full of gorgeous new products for your Autumn and Christmas crafting.  Click here to view the catalogue online, or contact me for a copy.

Also, the retirement list is now available.  Our new annual catalogue will be launched on 1 October, and those products that won't make it into the new book will be retired, never to be seen again!   Some are being offered at discounts of 25, 40 or even 70 per cent!  So if you'd like to grab a bargain, or if there's anything in the current catalogue you MUST have, check out the retirement list, it could be your last chance.

Retiring stamp sets are listed here
Retiring accessories are listed here

Drop me a line or give me a call if you have any questions, or if you'd like to make an order.

Until next time, jolly stamping!

Allie x

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, winter is coming

Today I'd like to share a beautiful project we made at our recent Julie's Jems shoebox swap.  This stunning wall hanging was created by my uber-talented Stampin' Up sister Sally Jo.  I love everything about this project and it was such fun to make.  Ever since I made it, my head has been buzzing with other ideas using this format, so I am sure you will see projects inspired by this one in the future.

NOTE: The gorgeous mixed bunch stamp set (and matching punch) that I've used in the background on this project (cunningly disguised as a snowflake) is from the Summer Mini catalogue, which finishes tomorrow!  If you would like to get your hands on this set, or anything else from the mini, give me a call before it's too late!

Stamp sets:  Letter it, Mixed bunch
Inks: Soft suede, early espresso, crumb cake
Cardstock: Very vanilla, pear pizzazz, early espresso, cherry cobbler
Tools: Big shot, top note die, bird builder punch, itty bitty punch pack.
Embellies: Basic rhinestones, linen thread


The next day or two will be unbearably exciting for me!  Firstly, the new Autumn/Winter mini catalogue goes live on Saturday!  It is packed full of gorgeous brand new seasonal products for Autumn and Christmas.  It's so good,  I can't wait to show it to you, and I'll be sharing some super fun projects I've been making over the next few days. If you'd like a copy of the seasonal catalogue, drop me an email or give me a call!

Also on Saturday, the Stampin' Up retired list is going to be published...our new main catalogue is published on 1st October, and we will find out which items are not going to be carried over into the new book.  So you have one month to order those products, and then they will be gone forever!  Some might even be discounted!  Exciting!!!!

Back tomorrow with a  seasonal sneak peek!

Allie xx

The return of an old friend

A friend of mine commissioned me to make a special card for a two year old this week and I decided an easel card using the Fox and Friends stamp set would be just the ticket.  I haven't inked up Fox and Friends for a long while...I'd forgotten how much I love the cheeky little monkey!  Sometimes we get so caught up in the excitement of new designs that we forget old favourites!

I was inspired by this card by Monica Gale.  Part of the brief was that there had to be lots of pink, so I decided to make the most of some Blushing Bride before it retires next month  I've teamed it with rose red and pear pizzaz, which is sadly also a retiring in colour.  I've made a flat bow with the retiring blushing bride stitched poly ribbon.  The branches are made with the bird builder punch and the little flowers are from the itty bitty punch pack.  I've used my timeless type alpha sizzlit dies with my big shot for the name and number 2.

This picture shows the easel.  It's a simple but effective style of card.  I've added some basic rhinestones for a bit of bling!

I hope you like my make today!  I'm very excited because there is a LOT going on in the Stampin' Up world at the moment.  Firstly, there are only three more sleeps before the new Stampin' Up Autumn/Winter mini catalogue is published!  It's full of gorgeous seasonal products for the coming Autumn and Christmas season.  On the same day, the Retired List is published!  Our new annual catalogue goes live on October 1, and on September 1 we get a list of what products will not make it into the new book.  Many of these products will be discounted, so it could be time to grab a bargain.

As a demonstrator, I get my hands on the new catalogues early, and get the privilege of ordering some of the new products before anyone else can...it's one of the best perks of being a demo!  In the next few days I'll be giving some sneak peeks of gorgeous new stuff from the "Mini".  I look forward to sharing them with you!

In the meantime, if you'd like to order any of the products you've seen here, please get in touch and I would be happy to help!

Until next time....jolly crafting!

Allie xx