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

Free stuff...a reason to smile

Happy Bank Holiday to you!  It's a very cold grey day here in Cheshire so I'm taking a "crafting in my jammies" day!  I'm sharing some projects today that I made with the beautiful Reason to Smile stamp set, which you can still get your hands on for FREE with an order of £60.  You'll have to be quick though....it disappears forever on 31 August!

This card is a case of this design by Danielle Daws.  I've used whisper white and tempting turquoise and the flowers on the top panel are heat embossed using whisper white embossing powder.  The original card was stitched, but I've paper pierced instead (I don't have a sewing machine yet).  I've finished it off with a lush white satin ribbon bow.

Here's the inside, which I've treated to a little stamping...

And the arty farty angle ;)

My next design is inspired by the wonderful Victoria Rogers at Blue Jelly Stampin. I love her work.  It's the first time I've tried this technique.  I've embossed the flowers in white on Crumb cake cardstock, and then coloured in using whisper white craft ink and a blender pen.  Then I've used coloured ink (squished direct from the ink pad onto an acrylic block) to colour over the top.  I've used the retiring in colours Blushing Bride and Concord Crush.  I really enjoyed the colouring...very therapeutic!  There are a couple of stray spots of embossing powder because I forgot to use my embossing buddy to remove static from the cardstock before I started. Doh!  I'll remember next time!  I've finished off with some of the lovely stitched poly ribbon in blushing bride.

And a very simple one with concord crush...

Hope you liked my makes today.  If you'd like to order any of the supplies used, or any other Stampin' Up supplies, I'd be happy to help.

Back tomorrow with a commissioned card and maybe some more reasons to smile ;)

Until then, jolly crafting!

Allie x

My first ever shoebox swap!

On Saturday I attended my first ever shoebox swap, organised by my Stampin' Up mummy, Julie Kettlewell, and attended by 18 members of our team, Julie's Jems.  Each person had to design a project and put everything to make it into a box.  We were spilt into two tables of 9 and our boxes were passed around our table, so we each got to make 8 other projects!  How cool is that? It was such a great fun and inspiring event, I can't wait for the next one.

I'd like to share with you the project I designed for the swap, which includes an exciting sneak peek!.  It's a very simple card, but, wait for it - it uses ALL THE NEW IN COLOURS!!!!  One of the perks of being a demo is that we get our hands on the new goodies before everyone else!  Not only are these brand new colours, available from 1 October, but they are also a new style firm foam ink pad, and they are AMAZING!   Get saving, because you are going to want to get them.  You won't believe the quality of image you get with the new pads!  Here's my card, using the Aviary stamp set.

I love the cute little owl, and doesn't he look amazing in Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit and Primrose Petals!  It might not show on the photo, but I've made decorative scorelines on either side of the stamped panel using my Simply Scored tool.  An on trend banner for the sentiment completes this simple but cute card.  I hope you like it!  I did provide sparkly gems just in case my fellow Jems wanted to bling it up a little, although I stuck with the clean and simple design which seems to be my style :)  Hope you like my make and I'll try to post some of the other girls' projects soon, but obviously I  don't want to do that until they've posted them on their own blogs!

Back tomorrow with another project using the Reason to Smile stamp set, which is FREE this month with a £60 order!

If you'd like to order any of the supplies I use, I'd be happy to help. Please contact me on 0781 4451627 or 01625 470886, or email me at alliejolliffe@hotmail.com.  The new seasonal mini catalogue goes live on 1 September, and if you'd like a copy, please let me know.  It's chock full of gorgeous new products for Autumn, Halloween, Christmas and beyond!

Until tomorrow, jolly crafting!

Allie xx

Supplies (all Stampin' Up):

Cardstock:  Crumb cake, whisper white
Ink: Crumb cake, midnight muse, raspberry ripple, gumball green, summer starfruit, primrose petals.
Stamps:  Aviary, Petite Pairs
Tools: Scallop border punch, Simply Scored

A Reason to Smile throughout August!

Take a look at the fabulous new offer Stampin' Up has for you throughout August.  The gorgeous exclusive two step stamp set Reason to Smile is FREE with a £60 purchase.  It can also be purchased at the RRP of £14.95 clear mount or £18.95 wood mount.  You'd better hurry though, because it's only available this month and then it's gone forever!

If you'd like to make an order, please email me on alliejolliffe@hotmail.com or call on 0781 4451627/01625 470886.

I'll be posting some projects using this lovel set over the coming days.

Until next time,

Jolly crafting!

I love good news!

eGood morning on this sunny Sunday.  It's been a long while since I've blogged, my health has been a bit of a challenge lately and I've not spent a lot of time in my craft space.  However, some friends of mine from Church shared some wonderful news this week and I wanted to make a card to celebrate.  Becky and Pete are the sort of lovely couple who you know will make amazing parents, so when they announced that they are expecting their first baby, I was over the moon for them.  Here's my card:

I've used the petite pennants builder punch, because let's face it, this is an occasion that calls or bunting!  The paper is the gorgeous, now sadly retired, Everyday Enchantment Sale-a-Bration DSP.  The Celebrate sentiment is from another Sale-a-Bration freebie, Outlined Occasions, which I've coloured with the In Colour markers and blinged up with some Basic Rhinestones.  The second part of the sentiment is from another retired set called So Happy For You, made into a layered banner.

Inside, I've used In colour mats, some more bunting and a beauttiful sentiment from an American US set which fit the occasion perfectly...we very rarely get Christian sentiments in the UK, sadly.  It reads "Sharing with you the miracle of new hope and new life through the glorious gift of Christ the Lord".  Isn't that lovely?

So, I hope you like it (hope they do too!)  I'm having a little break over Easter and then I hope I'll be feeling more able to spend some time in my craft space on a regular basis.  I'll try to pop back with some Easter projects in the meantime :)

Hugs...Allie x

Cardstock:  Whisper white, lucky limeade, pool party, calypso coral
Paper:  Everyday enchantment
Stamps: Outlined Occasions, So Happy for You, God's Blessings
Ink: Stazon black, in colour markers
Tools: Petite Pennants builder punch
Embellishments: Basic Rhinestones, linen thread

I got an award! :)

I'd like to say thank you to the lovely Angela Dawes at http://sparklycards.blogspot.com/ for my first ever blog award.

Leibster is from the German and means "dearest" and the award is passed to people who have inspired and motivated others.  It is specifically for small blogs with less than 200 followers.

I'm now going to check through all my favourite blogs to find five people I can nominate for this award...so many people inspire me, I shall have to see if any of them qualify!

Thanks again Angela...it's nice to know people are looking, enjoying and  being inspired...it's all about sharing what we love!

Cherry Blossom and cupcakes!

St Valentine's Day can be a bit difficult for we single folks, so I decided to make the best of it this year and do something special with the person I love most in the world - my daughter Daisy.  For a special treat, I took her to the wonderful Cherry Blossom Bakery in Church Street, Macclesfield, for afternoon tea.  And when I say a special treat, I mean SPECIAL!

The bakery tea room is chic, but cosy, with a minimalist decor which allows the cakes and the eclectic mix of beautiful vintage china to be the stars of the show.  I had booked ahead, so when we arrived our table was reserved and beautifully set with those extra little touches that make it such a unique place.

We settled in with a pot of tea and I gave Daisy a Valentine card from Mum.  Rather aptly, the card used the cupcake builder punch, but in a different way.  The card was inspired by our Julie's Jems all day team training, although I used the large heart punch for the balloon instead of a circle punch, to go with the valentine theme.  I used a scrap of the glitter dots paper from the Holly Berry Bouquet paper pack, proving it's not just for Christmas! The sentiment reads "Love is in the air..."

Then our tea was served on a gorgeous 3-tier vintage cake stand.  We had dainty finger sandwiches with egg, cheese and ham, followed by yummy scones with jam and clotted cream, slices of buttery Victoria sandwich and lemon drizzle cake, and assorted prettily decorated cupcakes, all washed down with pots of piping hot fresh tea.  It was divine!  Warning:  the following pictures are drool-worthy!

And here's Daisy getting ready to dig in!

When I was a child, I remember they used to do a similar afternoon tea in the posh tea rooms at Bristol zoo.  We weren't very well off, and a trip to the zoo was a real treat, but we always took our own packed lunch to save money.  I remember pressing my nose against the window to watch the people having tea and thinking how very elegant and fine it was and vowing that one day when I was a grown up, I'd have tea there!  Unfortunately, the tea room was converted into a self service cafeteria before I had the chance.  So I love the fact that Cherry Blossom Bakery is bringing back afternoon tea as an event, like a perfect snapshot of byegone days with a modern twist.  The service is exemplary - friendly and attentive without being intrusive, and you never feel hurried.  This is meant to be an indulgent, relaxed treat, a chance to spoil yourself with a leisurely chat while grazing on delicious titbits and watching the world go by.  It's a million miles away from the noise, crowds and plastic wrapped food of the big chain coffee shops.  And at £10 per head it's much better value too.

I'm afraid we didn't finish everything, but they are happy to box what you don't finish to take home.  And as a special touch for Valentine's Day, we were presented with a gorgeous extra box containing two Valentine cupcakes to take home too.  Daisy is cooking dinner for her boyfriend James tonight, so that's their dessert sorted then!

We don't always get to spend as much time with our teenagers as we'd like, so it was a very special time for me, made more special by the lovely people at Cherry Blossom Bakery...thanks guys, it was awesome! I can't recommend it highly enough.  If you are in the area, go check it out, though I'd recommend booking a table in advance, as it gets very busy, especially at weekends.

Hope your Valentine's Day was as lovely as mine and I hope you enjoyed hearing about my Valentine's Day...back to papercrafting with my next post!