Stamping with Karen

Flower Folds Fabric Flower

I think that is almost a tongue-twister!  I have really been enjoying making these fabric flowers with the Big Shot and the Flower Folds Die!  The Big Shot makes it so easy to cut out your  flowers, so I've been using my Big Shot like crazy!

If you want to purchase the Stampin' Up! supplies to make these lovely flowers, please contact me today!  It's a great deal during Sale-a-Bration! 

Big Shot Die-Cut Machine (#113439)

Extended Cutting Pads (#113478)

Stampin' Up! Flower Folds Die (#115970)

Country Living Cards a la Carte Stationery Kit

COUNTRY LIVING CARDS À LA CARTE This is a special French-Country-style stationery kit from  Stampin' Up! and Country Living Magazine. This kit contains: The exclusive Dinner Party stamp set, which you can see in the foreground A Ballet Blue Stampin' Spot Twenty-four sheets of 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" printed paper for your creative use Twelve Very Vanilla Medium envelopes Click HERE on my website!

New Stampin' Up! Border and Corner Punches

Want to see a Stampin' Up! video of Bonnie Thurber demonstrating how to use the new Border and Corner Punches in the Occasions Mini and Sale-A-Bration catalogs?  I knew you would! 

I know you'll enjoy Bonnie on this video!  I've seen her on stage at Convention and not only does she do a great demonstration, but she can sing also!!  She doesn't sing on this video though!

Sale-A-Bration....Become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator!

Anytime is a good time to become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, but right now is a GREAT time!  Read about it HERE.

Did you know that Sale-A-Bration is in full swing and continues on until March 31? To become a Demonstrator, all you have to do is purchase one of the Starter Kits, a great value in lots of stamping product.  And right now, during Sale-A-Bration you can buy a Starter Kit for 15% off!!  Choose the Standard Starter Kit for 15% off the regular price of $199.....OR if you are interested, the new Digital+ Starter Kit with the new My Digital Studio software for 15% off $185.  Free Shipping on either kit!

AND.....during Sale-A-Bration choose a free stamp set (up to $47.95 value) when you purchase a Starter Kit!

Now that's a deal!  And a fun one at that!  Contact me if you are interested or need more information!  I'd love to tell you how much fun it is to be a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator!  But if you're very spontaneous and want to sign up on your own, just go to my website HERE, click on "Start Your Own Business", watch the video if you like, and then click on "Join Now" on the left.  The password you need is "karenstamps".

"I Heart Hearts" Valentine Treat Bag

Splitcoaststampers puts out a tutorial every week and this treat bag cover was from last week.  It's very easy and you could vary the dimensions according to whatever your own treat is.  I cut the Real Red card stock at 3 3/8" x 10 1/2" and scored at 4", 4 1/2", 5", and 9".  Then just accordion-fold what will be the base of the treat holder and fold the top flap over.  Fill your cello bag with your treat, attach with a little SNAIL to the inside, punch some holes for some ribbon to tie through if you want, decorate the front and you are done!

 

To decorate the front of my Treat Bag I used the I "Heart" Hearts Stamp Set in the Occasions Mini Catalog.  If you want to know you are doing some good while you are stamping, purchase this stamp set and Stampin' Up! will donate $2.00 to the American Red Cross for Haitian Relief. Already 6694 stamp sets have been sold as of a couple days ago.

Star Card for a Star!

Last week my son called to say the results were posted and he had indeed passed his first level CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) exam that he took last December in Houston!  This is a self-study, graduate level program for investment professionals with three levels of exams, and if you do take and pass all three exams and meet the other professional and ethical requirements you will have earned for yourself quite a credential in the investment field.  There is an enormous amount of study required, on your own, for each exam, so it is quite a commitment and we were hoping all the time he had put in had paid off for him.  The results say that 34% of the 44,000+ candidates worldwide who took the test successfully passed it.  Of course, I thought, at a minimum, he deserved a special card of congratulations!

 

 

 

 

Now in Houston if you have an important event coming up, you have to hope that we don't have heavy rains which make the streets flood and become impassable at times....unless it is hurricane season....but flooded streets are much more likely.  As luck would have it, though, we had SNOW!  

 

 

The day before the exam it snowed like crazy, beautiful and fun!  It was great to have him home to share the excitement with (during his study breaks!).  But who would have thought the day of the exam we would have to worry about ice on the roads in Houston, TX?!!  We offered to drive him downtown so he wouldn't get lost or have to worry about parking, etc. since this test was SUCH A BIG DEAL!  We were lucky because we had no trouble, although we saw some accidents from icy spots going the opposite way.  Who would have thought!

 

 

 

 
 

 

Valentine Pencil Bug

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of stamping with a troop of ten Girl Scouts, ages 7-8 and this was one of the projects we did!  I'd seen these around on the internet and thought they were so cute!  The one I first saw was made by another demo, Janet Wakeland.  

These Valentine Pencil Bugs/Caterpillar?? are so easy to make!  Just take a 12" strip of card stock or designer paper, score at 1/2" at the beginning and end, and every inch in between.  You will them punch a hole in the center of each inch space along the strip.  Now no hole punch I had was big enough to fit a pencil through so I punched several times to make the holes larger.  The strip looked pretty messy when I got finished, but once you shove the pencil through, the messy punches don't show!  Perhaps the new Small Heart Punch would work, but the hearts would be sideways unless you could accordion-fold and then punch two layers at a time.  I can't FIND my heart punch at the moment so I can't try it to be sure!  After punching the the holes, accordion-fold on all the score lines and insert the pencil (or you could use a Pixie Stix!)  To make the head, just punch a 1 3/8" circle and make a face however you like....you could use wiggly eyes.  The antennae were made from various swirls from the Tulipe Die for the Big Shot.  Just adhere the head to the 1/2" section at one end of the paper strip.

 

 

Mini Milk Carton Birdhouse

Here is my first attempt at a little birdhouse made from the Mini Milk Carton Die (#117310) for the Big Shot.  It was so fun to make and there's lots of room for creativity!  I punched the hole with the 1" Circle Punch (#109046), the bird and branch with the new Extra-Large Two-Step Bird Punch (#117191), and the little flower with the Trio Flower Punch (#109183).  For the roof you can use any of the new border punches in the Occasions Mini or the Scallop Edge Punch.....or leave it plain.  Try it, you'll love making one!

  

 

Red Mini Milk Carton

Here's the first mini milk carton I made.  So cute for Valentine's Day in red or any time!  You can add any kind of decorations to them that you like!  I used the beautiful Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper, the Butterfly Punch, some flower stems from the Pretties Kit for its antennae and a Library Clip to hold the box closed.  Check out the Mini Milk Carton Die (#117310) in the Occasions Mini Catalog!

 

Valentine Mini Milk Carton

Valentine colors are red and pink, but sometimes it is nice to change it up a little.  I love this Mini Milk Carton Die for the Big Shot (#117310) that is available in the new Occasions Mini Catalog on page 23.  The milk carton is made with Almost Amethyst card stock.  The medallion is a stamp from the set Love You Much (#113756) and punched out with the Scallop Circle Punch (#109043).  The center is stamped twice on Whisper White card stock, the center punched with the 1" Circle Punch and then the little heart colored in and cut out with a scissors.  After mounting the medallion on the side with Dimensionals, run a ribbon around the carton and tie a knot on the side.  Very easy!  Close the top with a Library Clip or maybe a brad so it can be opened by the gift recipient.  You can also open the top like a real milk carton!