Monthly Archives: April 2012

Summer Smooches Petite Vellum Purse

Today is the last day to purchase any of the Summer Smooches products, including this Petite Purse Die #125606, It will be available in the new catalog in June…..IF you want to wait that long!!

I made this purse out of White Vellum card stock #101856 and then embossed just the flap with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder #117355. A few little punched flowers, rhinestones and a bow make it a cute little gift or favor or decoration. You could put a little gift inside or make small little notecards or tags! Very cute and so easy!

To place an order today for any Summer Smooches items, just go to my online store HERE.

Upset About Stampin’ Up! Retirement Lists? My Digital Studio Doesn’t Retire!

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No worries about retirement lists with your My Digital Studio software or downloads…because it doesn’t retire! My Digital Studio is the software for Stampin’ Up! digital design, which uses Stampin’ Up! exclusive artwork, colors and templates. It’s easy to learn…I know because I learned with NO knowledge of digital papercrafting….and fun to use. Best of all, no need to worry about your favorite digital paper or stamp brush set retiring because it doesn’t ….and if something in traditional stamping retires and you missed it, perhaps you will find it as a digital download now or in the future that you can use forever.

Why not try My Digital Studio Express FREE for 30 days to see if you like it? My Digital Studio Express is the full software plus enough artwork to keep you busy. Anytime you want more, you can purchase downloads or you can purchase the program and add more content.

Click on the image above to go to the Stampin’ Up! video about

My Digital Studio!!

When you are ready, just go to my Online Store HERE and add My Digital Studio Express Free Trial to your shopping bag!

Let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy!

Summer Smooches Bright Blossoms Card

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Don't forget….if you can't live with the Summer Smooches Collection of products, you've got to get them by April 30th….or you'll have to wait until the new catalog comes out! This is such a bright, happy suite I'm sure you will love it!

On this card I just used the beautiful red dotted paper in the Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper, cut a square with the Bigz Scallop Squares Duo Die for the Big Shot, and stamped a vase with the Bright Blossoms Stamp Set. The flowers are punched with the Boho Blossoms Punch #119858 to give a little 3-D effect to the card. And why not add some bling with the Rhinestone Jewels?!

You can find all the Summer Smooches products HERE in my Online Store!

Lace Ribbon Border Punch Birthday Card

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I've been wanting to make a card similar to this for awhile. With the release of the Stampin' Up! Retired Accessories list yesterday, I saw the beautiful Lace Ribbon Border Punch #122362 on it and decided it was time to make this card! I incorporated the retiring 2010-2012 In Colors as well…at least four of them: Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait, and Poppy Parade. The First Edition Specialty Paper #121878 is not retiring. I made the flower out of that and the Blossom Punch #125603 (in the Occasions Mini), secured with a retiring Circle Fire Rhinestone Brad #109110. The brads are one of the discounted items on the retirement list. The ribbon on my card is the Pear Pizzazz 1/2" Stitched-Poly Ribbon #119265, also retiring.

Be sure to check the list of retiring Stampin' Up! Accessories HERE as soon as possible because they are only available while supplies last!

Also, check this list of Definitely Decorative items retiring HERE.

Retiring List of Stampin’ Up! Accessories Is Here! Wow!

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Oh my GOODNESS!!! Grab your cup of coffee and SIT DOWN! The Stampin' Up! list of retiring accessories is out today and it is a long one!! It's quite the surprise for all of us! Be sure to remember the accessories are WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! And some will go fast!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RETIRING ACCESSORIES LIST!

Some are even discounted at the beginning of the list!!

Correction: Paper Snips and Craft Scissors are not retiring and were on the list earlier…so therefore are not discounted. If you have or have seen a list with those scissors, it is incorrect and Stampin' Up! has corrected the list.

Click HERE to go directly to my Online Store to see the retiring products!

When you check the list, you will see that all the ink pads are listed! Holy Cow! BUT…..

Craft Stampin' Pads will now only be available in black and white.
Stampin' Up! is introducing a new Firm Foam ink pad in the new catalog! These new pads will provide better ink coverage and therefore better stamped images. More information later!

Remember, Definitely Decorative and Simply Adorned Jewelry and Charms are also retiring!

Click here to see the Definitely Decorative Retiring List.

More to Remember!

The Occasions Mini Catalog ends Monday, April 30! (next week)
The Summer Smooches preview ends April 30! After that, all the products, except two, (the stencil and the Fabric Brads) will be available in the new catalog. Get that Petite Purse Die so you don't have to wait!! AND…the Fabric Brads are running low! If you want some (they are really cute!) order them right away. Stampin' Up! will not restock them.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RETIRING STAMPS LIST ! (I know the print is small….you can zoom in with your computer.)
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RETIRING STAMPS IN MY ONLINE STORE! ( After you choose wood or clear, click the "SHOW: ALL" drop-down box on the right under the banner….that way you can just scroll through all of them and not miss any pages!)

***Be sure you are on my Mailing List (sign up in the upper-left corner of my blog!) to keep up with all the exciting news and details from Stampin' Up! coming out over the next weeks and months!!

I told you to sit down, didn't I!! 🙂

Leave comments below if you want and/or email me with any questions! You can place your order online or contact me and I'll do it for you or guide you through the online ordering.

New My Digital Studio Downloads! Some For Dad!

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Click on images above to enlarge.

Tuesday is the day Stampin' Up! releases new downloads for My Digital Studio. My Digital Studio is the Stampin' Up! digital design software with exclusive Stampin' Up! artwork, colors and templates. It's easy to learn and easy to do….and you really get hooked! These downloads also work with my other design programs if you do not have My Digital Studio.

Right now you can try My Digital Studio Express FREE for 30 days!

Check out everything available for digital design with Stampin' Up! HERE.

Join My “Stamping With Karen” Newsletter!

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Please join me for lots of stamping and papercrafting projects, news and fun by signing up for my monthly "Stamping With Karen" newsletter! The sign-up box is in the upper left corner of my blog.

I send out a main newsletter close to the beginning of the month with the latest news or specials from Stampin' Up! plus several projects and stamping tips I think that you will enjoy or find useful. Mid-month I usually send out a very short newsletter to update you or remind you of any specials or deadlines. It's my way to have a little stamping visit with you!

Right now is a great time to sign up with the Stampin' Up! retiring lists coming out and the new catalog coming in….soon!! Be sure you stay on top of all things Stampin' Up! You won't want to miss a thing!

Inspired By Nature Card

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The Inspired By Nature #111656 stamp set by Stampin' Up! is one of the many retiring stamp sets come May 31st. It was quite a popular stamp set and you can see why….so versatile for many occasions. Just change the greeting to convey your message. Two sentiments come with it, but of course you can add one from any other stamp set….or leave it plain. Can you see this stamp set being used for a graduation, birthday, get well, or just a note card?

*******

Stamps: Inspired By Nature

Ink: Old Olive, Baja Breeze, Early Espresso

Paper: Early Espresso Card Stock, Confetti White Card Stock #102028

Accessories: Stampin' Write Markers: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Early Espresso; Aquapainter #103954, Jumbo Brads 5/16" Neutrals #112534

Begin with a card base of Early Espresso. Use Confetti White Card Stock for the layer….a beautiful paper we don't use often enough.
Ink up grassy side of stamp (this one comes double-mounted on each side of one wood block) with Old Olive ink and stamp off lightly on scrap paper, then stamp on Confetti White.
Ink up the flower side of stamp using markers to color in the flowers, stems, and grass. Stamp over the grass on Confetti White. If any of it comes out too light, use your Aquapainter or Blender Pen to add some extra ink from markers or an ink pad or refill. Don't add directly with markers or it will be too dark.
Stamp greeting with Early Espresso Ink.
Use Aquapainter to add some Baja Breeze ink for the sky in the background, being careful not to get into the already stamped images or the ink will run. Just color lightly and without thinking too hard!
Add two Jumbo Brads to the top and adhere to card front.
Stamp and add inside page to write on.

Check the Retiring Stamps List HERE.

And then shop online HERE!

How to Be Sure You Have Enough Stampin’ Up! Papers and Accessories

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I came across a funny little write-up about creating a stash of fabric, but I have modified it to suit our stamping habit! I think it is REALLY good advice!!! This will come in handy in a few days when the Stampin' Up! retiring accessories list is released on April 25th! Print it out now so you will know the right way to order!

Buy designer papers that you like.
Buy enough to do anything you might potentially think you want to do with it.
Buy a little more, because you know by the time you use it what you have won't be enough and you will need more.
Choose designs you know you family will simply love.
Always buy extra.
Did I mention you should buy more than you think you will need?
Look over your paper often and think about what colors/patterns/designs you need to compliment and contrast what you already have.
Buy the contrasting paper.
Buy the coordinating paper.
Buy extra of all of them because when you sit down to make your project, you still won't have enough.
Always buy some accessories (ribbon, brads, glitter, markers) to coordinate with that paper.
Add a few more accessories just to make sure you have enough for your projects.
If you see a paper you think you might like in the future, buy it now before it disappears forever.
Buy a little extra just in case to be sure you have enough for what you haven't decided to make yet.
Repeat above steps until there is no room left in the house for the family….but know your children will move out someday and you can turn their bedrooms into craft rooms.
If your children are already grown, tell them whatever is left of your stash when you grow old to please bring to the nursing home when they visit so you can touch it.

Hope that helps in your purchasing decisions!!

Shop Stampin' Up! Online HERE at my store.

If you would like to share this with your crafting friends, just click one of the share buttons below the post….or send them a link to this post!

Fabulous Florets All-Occasion Card

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Fabulous Florets (p. 107) is one of those sets in my collection that has been a little bit neglected, but with springtime here it was time to pull it out! It coordinates with the Beyond the Garden Designer Series Paper #122342, which you can see I used as a strip near the bottom of my card. I imagine most of the designer paper will be retired soon so I wanted to use some of this before it is gone. The colors and designs of flowers are so bright and cheerful!

I stamped the flower stem on my Whisper White card stock and a flower or two, but then I also stamped three flowers on scrap paper and cut them out. Then I adhered to my stamped stems, popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals #104430 (who could live without Stampin' Dimensionals??!). The center flower used one of the new Summer Smooches Fabric Brads #125589. They add so much…..but be careful, they are only available during April and will NOT be in the next new catalog in June.

And here are photos of some real flowers from the Houston Azalea Trail in March that I don't think I posted yet. After touring this garden along the bayou, the rains came and we got soaked! Glad we went to this garden first!

Have a great weekend! Don't forget to check out the retiring stamp set list!

A Gate-Fold Circus Big Top Birthday Card for a Boy

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Often times we think it is difficult to come up with a card for a boy or a man, but once you put your mind to it, it's really not impossible! And nothing says this card couldn't be for a girl, but I did need a card for a young boy.

This is a gate-fold card, which is very easy to make. Once you have the idea, you could vary the size to whatever you need. I started with a 5 1/4" x 12" piece of card stock for the base. It is scored at 2", 4", 8" and 10". That gives you a 4" center with each side (4") folded in half.

Here is the inside decorated with the Big Top Birthday Designer Series Paper #122348. Besides just using the paper, I cut out some images to place on the card. Also, another fun thing is to add die-cuts from the Big Top Birthday Quick Accents #122368.

You can do various things with the front of the card. I chose to make a belly band around, cut out a medallion from the Perfect Pennants Die #123126 and stuck on a self-adhesive accent from the Quick Accents. You can find the designer paper and the Quick Accents on the main catalog on pages 186-7. All of these papers and Quick Accents are great for scrapbooking, but you can use them for any kind of project!

To shop for any Stampin' Up! products, just click HERE. Be sure to check the Clearance Rack if you are doing an online order (last week Stampin' Up! added a lot of new items to the Clearance Rack but inventory can change rapidly depending on demand)….and don't forget about the Retired List of stamp sets! (this is an updated list to print in black and white if you choose).

For Your Tax Day Enjoyment! Stampin’ Up! Convention Highlights!

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Registration for the 2012 Stampin' Up! Convention opened today and Stampin' Up! shared this video of the 2011 Convention highlights! Since I had just posted about considering becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, I thought I would share this video right away so you can get a taste of the indescribable experience of attending Convention! (Believe me, this is only a taste….you can't imagine the real fun and creativity you will experience there.) You might want to go press that "Join Now" button right away! Use your tax refund to pay for your kit!

Two Ways to Make Your Papercrafting Less “Taxing”

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Today is Tax Day! Hopefully you got your taxes done over the weekend or even earlier so by now you are relaxed knowing that horrible task is over! I think it is time to stamp in celebration!

Here are two ways to make your papercrafting less taxing:

1. Become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator! Own your own business and your supplies and business-related expenses become tax deductions! If you work hard, you can earn money for yourself and your family by doing something that you love…..stamping! You can focus on the aspect you like the most if you want…..scrapbooking, having workshops, digital papercrafting with My Digital Studio, selling finished product….or do it all. For more information on becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, click HERE. Some more information HERE, too. You can sign up online in minutes HERE. Let me know if you have questions!

2. Go digital with My Digital Studio! New downloads were released today as they are most Tuesdays! Go digital in your papercrafting with Stampin' Up!'s own software….it's not just about scrapbooks either! No paper scraps, no mess to clean up….just your computer! Easy peasy! It's not hard to learn at all and you will have plenty of resources at www.mydigitalstudio.net…..plus me!

Click on the image above to go to the Online Store for more information and pricing!

Stampin’ Up! Retiring Ornate Blossom Card

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Since the Stampin' Up! retiring stamp sets list came out yesterday, I thought it would be fun to pick a stamp set on that list to make a card. Ornate Blossom #117094 is just a single stamp that I bought because I saw a demonstrator at the Stampin' Up! Convention making some cute and easy cards with it. I'd have to go back and look at my Convention photos to remember exactly what she made, but this card today is copied from the example in the Stampin' Up! catalog. I may have added a little too much "bling", but who knows, maybe some of you will like it this way!

The greeting on the card is from Grateful Greetings #116511, another retiring stamp set and one that I will miss!

To see the Stampin' Up! Retiring Stamps List, click HERE. The print will be small but it is a pdf file so click on your computer setting to zoom in to see it larger! Lots of stamp sets on there! Stamps will be available until May 31st.

The retiring Accessories List will be revealed April 25th. Definitely Decorative and Simply Adorned are already known to be going away…so if you want any of those pieces, go ahead and order ahead of the announcement!

Stampin’ Up! Retiring Stamp Sets List

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Here it is! The list of Stampin' Up! retiring stamp sets that will make room for NEW in the new Stampin' Up! Catalog in June! These retiring stamp sets will be available until May 31st. It's a long list, as you will see, but that is because of the new catalog transition this year.

So click on these links and enjoy perusing this list and making out your wish list. Be sure to check back again on April 25th when retiring Accessories and Definitely Decorative items will be revealed!

For the PDF list, click HERE.

For retiring Wood-mount stamps, click HERE.

(On the store page, at the top right, click on the drop down box for Show: ALL . It's much easier to see all the sets than to have to go to the next page.)

For retiring Clear-Mount stamps, click HERE.

Email me at Karen@Karenstamps.com with any questions!

Enjoy your day!!