Monthly Archives: September 2015

Just a Few Hours Left Until the 12 Weeks of Christmas Begins!

Today I will be starting the 12 Weeks of Christmas campaign as a free gift for my mailing list subscribers. Each week, subscribers will receive an e-mail containing a project idea for a holiday card, gift, tag or wrapping, along with the steps necessary to assemble it! This is ONLY for my mailing list subscribers, and you have just a few hours left before the first e-mail goes out (today at 1:00 p.m. Central time). If you are not on my mailing list, you will not receive this holiday idea, this first email. Just fill in the box in the upper right corner of my blog with your name and email. Then be sure to check your email to look for the confirmation email giving your permission to actually send you email. You will also get a free gift always offered to new subscribers! But be sure to click the link to confirm in the confirmation email.

Sign up now for my Stamping With Karen newsletter and watch for the 12 Weeks of Christmas emails over the next 12 weeks! Christmas is coming!

Airplane Punch Art Birthday Card

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Now that my brother’s birthday has come and gone, I can post the Airplane Punch Art Birthday Card I made for him. The background layer of the card is made with the Cloudy Day Embossing Folder (retired), but an alternative thing you can do is just sponge some White Craft Ink onto a blue background to make some wispy clouds in the sky. I even have one “cloud” in the sky made with one of the Scallop Circle Punches, depending on which size you want to use.

The airplane is made with the Word Window Punch for the wings and the tail. The front of the plane is made with one of the circle punches. I forget which size! But you can experiment and see which size works for your airplane! For the windshield, use a smaller circle punch and cut it in quarters. Use two of the quarters for the window. Then, of course, the plane nose and jet engines are made with two small circle punches, I probably used the 1/2″ circle or so. For the body of the plane, I used some retired Silver cardstock but you could use Silver Foil for a shiny plane or one of the gray colors. I “tied” on a banner like an airplane pulls for advertising for the birthday greeting and just cut the banner by freehand.

A fun and easy birthday card to make. You could use a design like this for a birthday party theme. Try the Airplane Punch Art Birthday Card and customize it!

If you want to make a card like this and need some papercrafting supplies, just shop at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store.

New Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals

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Here are the new Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals for Tuesday, September 29, 2015 through Monday, October 5. Lots of good accessories on here! Get punchy with the Gift Box Punch Board (handy to have for Christmas wrapping) and the Envelope Punch Board if you want to make pretty envelopes or some custom sized ones. You can actually make other cute things with the Envelope Punch Board, not just envelopes! If you are a gardener or know a gardener, you might like the Handpicked Framelits Dies. Even those I’ve seen used for other things, like the label dies used for labels to tie on a gift bag or candy treat. Use your imagination! The Floral Frames Collections Framelits Dies can make beautiful layered flowers. And if you want to get a head start on Valentine’s Day (of course hearts are good, like stars, for LOTS of things!) get the Happy Heart Embossing Folder. And don’t forget the Hearts Border Punch if you like hearts!

Do you have a Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog? I have a few extras if you would like one mailed to you if you do not already work with a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. Or just click the link to view it online.

Are you on my mailing list? Please join us so you will start receiving my special holiday gift!

To shop for the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals and other amazing Stampin’ Up! products, please visit my Stampin’ Up! Online Store HERE.

The Twelve Weeks of Christmas Is Coming! Get on My Mailing List! Hurry!

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I’ll be starting the 12 Weeks of Christmas campaign as a free gift for my mailing list subscribers. Each week, subscribers will receive an e-mail containing a project idea for a holiday card, gift, tag or wrapping, along with the steps necessary to assemble it! This is ONLY for mailing list subscribers and these projects won’t appear on my blog or anywhere else. You have 48 hours before the first e-mail goes out on Wednesday, so be sure you are on my list!!

You’ll see the sign up box in the upper right corner of my blog!

After you submit your name and email address, BE SURE to click the link in the Confirmation email you will receive shortly. This tells us yes, you really want to receive the emails from me. At that point you will receive my free gift for signing up plus be ready to receive the 12 Weeks of Christmas emails.

If you are already on my mailing list there is no need to do anything! You will be receiving the 12 Weeks of Christmas emails from me!

Layered Letters Alphabet Thanks Halloween Card

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This is a thank you card I made for some of my customers who placed orders recently, made with the fun Layered Letters Alphabet Stamp Set with a little witch’s hat from the Howl-O-Ween Treat Stamp Set. I love the colors and wanted to add a little Halloween touch for fun! I love the Black Glimmer Paper and added a small strip to the witch’s hat for some sparkle. I trimmed out the hat with Paper Snips rather than the matching framelits just because I had to make it fit on my card and needed to do a little more snipping! Then I colored in the stars on the hat with a Stampin’ Write Marker. For a little more sparkle I punched out a star from Gold Glimmer Paper with the star punch in the Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack.

I love the Layered Letters Alphabet Stamp Set! It is so versatile and modern. Use the rectangles for a background for each letter or by themselves, or use the letters by themselves! Spell out a word you want or a name on a card or tag. So many possibilities.

Be sure to try the Whisper White THICK Cardstock on your next order. If you want to do very simple and no layers, the Whisper White Thick Cardstock can stand up itself in a card better than the regular Whisper White, which is a little thinner.

Don’t forget to double-check the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals which end tonight! If there is anything you want, add them to your order. We all love bargains!

As you make your thank you and other cards, maybe you might want to add a little Halloween touch to your cards with color or stamp images! Might as well have a little fun in the fall! Use the Layered Letters Alphabet to make a Thank You Card with a Halloween touch!

Shop Stampin’ Up! HERE any time!

Join my Stamping With Karen Mailing List and Get a Gift for the Holidays

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It’s almost time! The holidays are getting closer, and my valued mailing list subscribers will be getting a special gift soon!

If you are receiving my newsletters already, you don’t have to do anything. You are ON my list already! And to show my appreciation, I will be sending you something fun very soon!

If you are NOT on my Stamping With Karen mailing list, you probably better sign up! If you are reading this on my blog, then perhaps you have found something interesting on my blog. Why not join my list of subscribers and get a monthly newsletter filled with projects and Stampin’ Up! news and latest offers? As a bonus, you get a FREE GIFT for signing up. And as an extra bonus for the holidays, you will be getting something else, too!

Stay tuned and find out! But first you MUST sign up in the red box in the upper right of my blog or the fun pop-up box on your screen! All I need is your first name and your email address. You can always unsubscribe if you are not pleased. I send out a newsletter at the beginning of the month and a short one mid-month with any updates and usually an extra project idea for fun. And something my customers and mailing list subscribers tell me they enjoy once a year is coming soon and you will receive it too IF you are on my list! Don’t miss out!

When you do sign up, you will receive a “Confirmation Email‘ almost immediately to be clear that you do want to receive the newsletter. This is a customary thing with email to protect you. PLEASE be sure to check your email and spam folder to find this Confirmation Email and CLICK the link inside to confirm. Only then will you be added and receive your free gift from me!

I hope I see your name magically appear on my list so that you will be set to receive my special gift! Be sure to tell your friends, too!

Join Paper Pumpkin and Help Fight Breast Cancer

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Here’s the current September 2015 Paper Pumpkin Kit from Stampin’ Up! Don’t you wish it would have showed up in YOUR mailbox?! Every Paper Pumpkin Kit that comes to you in your mailbox has all the supplies you need for the project (except basic adhesive and scissors, possibly). You get a cute little photopolymer stamp set, a little ink spot, and then the supplies you need, instructions, and a link to a video, like this one above that you can watch for a little extra direction in making your project. You can follow along or make up your own design! Sometimes there are extra supplies leftover that you can use on other projects you make.

And from now until October 10th, you can help fight breast cancer while you have fun with your Paper Pumpkin Kit! Stampin’ Up! will donate $1 for every new subscriber to Paper Pumpkin plus $1 for every active subscriber to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Be sure not to pause your subscription for October so your subscription will be counted!

Remember, those who get the October kit will not only be donating to a good cause, but they will also get a one-time only, pretty pink Paper Pumpkin box! No one will want to miss it. Promise.

New subscribers are those who signed up between September 11 and October 10, 2015 and have not been a Paper Pumpkin subscriber at any time in the past.
All funds will be donated in US dollars.
Mini spoiler alert! The October project inside the pink box is just as awesome as always, but we should probably let you know that it is not a pink project. That’s all we’re saying. 😉
Funds will be donated based on number of subscribers instead of boxes shipped. But, if you want more than one pink box, you can always increase your subscription quantity by logging into your account at PaperPumpkin.com before October 10.

To join Paper Pumpkin beginning in October, please click HERE to go to my Paper Pumpkin site!

Just click on the “Join” when you get to the page in the upper right!

Paper Pumpkin costs $19.95 per month and that includes shipping! No risk – pause or cancel any time you want to. But please don’t pause your subscription during October so that you can help donate to the BCRF. Join Paper Pumpkin and help fight breast cancer!

Embellished Ornaments Picture Frame Ornament

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We go from the first day of autumn to an Embellished Ornaments picture frame ornament! Believe me, pretty quickly time will seem to go that fast when we get rolling here! I saw something resembling this idea on some non-stamping website and it reminded me of this stamp set.

I stamped two ornaments in Versamark Ink and embossed with Gold Embossing Powder using the Stampin’ Up! Heat Tool. I also stamped the ornament hangers and embossed with Silver Embossing Powder. Then I glued the hanger on to the ornament with either a bit of Fast Fuse Adhesive or Multipurpose Liquid Glue.

To make this pretty ornament into a picture frame, I used the 1″ Circle Punch to punch a hole in the center of one ornament to fit a photo. You might punch the hole and then make sure the photo you choose will fit in the area nicely, Cut the photo a little larger than the hole so it can be adhered on the backside of the ornament. Then glue together the two ornaments so you have a front with the photo and the plain back of the ornament. Tie a bow around the hanger, perhaps with the Real Red 1/8″ Striped Ribbon.

There you have it! I nice little photo ornament that you could hang on the tree, tie on a package for a tag, or even attach to a Christmas card. Very easy to make! You could make it even simpler by just stamping with ink and not embossing.

You can do a lot with this Embellished Ornaments Stamp Set. Make some ornaments fancy or plainer. No matter which you do, they will still look elegant on your projects and cards!

Sheltering Tree First Day of Fall Card

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Here is a card made with the Sheltering Tree Stamp Set for the first day of fall. Can you believe today is the first day of autumn? It’s still plenty hot where I live with no signs of fall at all unless you look at the calendar. I would love it if I thought we were getting colored leaves soon and jacket weather! But I doubt that is in the cards until about November here in Houston!

I thought I would pull out a stamp set NOT in the Holiday Catalog for a change. This stamp set can be changed for any season of the year by just coloring the leaves different colors. To color the leaves stamp, I just took several Stampin’ Write Markers and colored randomly on the stamp. I think I chose Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Crushed Curry, and Old Olive. If you start with the lightest color and get darker, you won’t get a dark color on your light markers. The grass is made up of two different stamps. One makes the hilly area and the smaller grass blade stamp can be stamped over for more detail.

I decided to change things up a bit and make a 4 1/4″ square card for a change! It’s okay to make different sizes of cards away from the standard size!

Don’t forget to look back at the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog because there are still great new things in there!

I hope this Sheltering Tree First Day of Fall Card will get you in the mood for fall, if autumn is coming soon to your part of the country!

Stampin’ Up! Deals

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Here are the new Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals for September 22 – 28, 2015. All great items on the deals this week, whether you want some embellishments or framelits (everybody needs stars in their arsenal!) or a flower stamp set. Sequins are “hot” now. Be sure to order the new Fine-Tip Glue Pen for adhering the sequins easily.

Stamp Out Breast Cancer with Paper Pumpkin

Stampin’ Up! is supporting the fight against breast cancer by donating $1 for every Paper Pumpkin subscriber and $1 for every NEW Paper Pumpkin subscriber to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation if you subscribe by October 10th! Subscribers will receive their papercrafting kit in a limited-edition pink box!

Mini spoiler alert! The October project inside the pink box is just as awesome as always, but we should probably let you know that it is not a pink project. That’s all we’re saying. 😉

Paper Pumpkin is a papercrafting kit from Stampin’ Up! that comes to you in the mail once a month! All stamps, ink, and supplies are included except possibly adhesive and scissors. You will be excited for your kit to show up in your mailbox each month and see what project is inside! No risk, no obligation – you can “pause” or cancel your subscription at any time, just do it before the 10th of any month before the kits ship out. You will not be billed until your kit ships. And then you get a cute email from Paper Pumpkin telling you your kit is on its way!

JOIN Paper Pumpkin HERE, especially now, to help people while you have fun stamping!

Sign up before October 10th! The cost of each kit is $19.95 which INCLUDES shipping! And once you are a subscriber, you can purchase any available full kits or refills from the past.

Paper Pumpkin is FUN! Just sign up and try it out! Give yourself a treat! You deserve it!

If you are interested in this Witching Decor Project Kit, order it right away! Stampin’ Up! says demand is growing the closer we get to fall and Halloween and once they run out there will not be time to order more. I LOVE this kit and made my witch’s hat in probably about two hours, if that. It is not difficult. The most time-consuming part is punching out the die-cut leaves, stamping a little texture (nothing exact) on them, crumpling and stringing. You will also need the Witches’ Night Stamp Set if you want to stamp the Halloween label on the front. But if you want, you can make up something with whatever stamps you have. But I do love that label as is!

If you like Halloween like I do, you DO want this kit! But I strongly suggest you order it as soon as possible so you can get one! I think it is one of the best kits Stampin’ Up! has done.

Shop Stampin’ UP! Online HERE!

A Punch Art Fire Truck

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I made this punch art fire truck card awhile back for a fireman I knew who got a promotion. Of course I never would come up with an idea like this myself, but I found samples on Pinterest and on the internet. I’m not sure who the original creator of this example is, but you’ll find lots of ideas. It seems like fire trucks are quite popular themes for birthday parties – for invitations, favors or decorations.

There were no directions for this fire truck so I had to make it up as I went along. I no longer have the card and the measurements or anything but I can give you the basics and you will make what works with your creative idea.

For the body of the fire truck, I just cut a rectangle that would fit on my card with the upper piece for the cab of the truck. Cut the “windshield” at a slight angle. The bottom edge of the truck I cut from the retired Brushed Silver Cardstock, but you could use Silver Foil Sheets or Basic Gray card stock and the I rounded the ends. Use a punch you have or scissors. The tires, of course, are circle punches as are the headlight and tail light. The ladder is just strips cut and glued before adhering to the truck. There is an orange light at the top. Depending on your window size you might be able to use an old square punch or just cut squares the right size. I sponged a tiny bit of Smoky Slate ink on the “windows” and sponged a few clouds in the sky with White Craft Ink. The greeting comes from the And Many More Stamp Set.

Just experiment and play and you will come up with your own version of a punch art fire truck!

For any stamping and papercrafting supplies, please visit my Stampin’ Up! Online Store HERE.

Howl-O-Ween Candy Treat Bag Topper

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Make a Howl-O-Ween Candy Treat Bag Topper for an easy way to package a treat of some kind for Halloween. Maybe you will need some favors for a Halloween party or class parties at school or maybe just some special treat bags for your family.

Stampin’ Up! has 4″ x 6″ Cello Bags (102757) that are just the right size for a little treat. Not too small but not too big! Make a topper of any size you like. Mine is 4 1/4″ wide x 3 1/2″ and then folded in half. The designer paper from Happy Haunting Designer Series Paper makes a great background on the topper and you will probably have scraps just the right size once you start using it.

I stamped the owl from the Howl-O-Ween Stamp Set in Blackberry Bliss and cut him out with the Boo To You Framelits Dies. The pumpkin is stamped in Tangelo Twist, the coordinating color with the Happy Haunting DSP. The “Boo” is one of the framelits die. I saw a tip recently saying to use parchment paper in between an intricate die and the card stock and it sure worked well cutting out the Boo word! Try it if you have some Parchment paper.

Just make a topper for any little treat bag and then decorate it for the occasion! It’s really fun!

If you want to get an early start on Halloween, shop around in the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog.

When you are ready to order, just go to my Stampin’ Up! Online Store! If you are new, you will see “Create Your Account”. Get all that set up and you’re ready to shop! Plan to make a Howl-O-Ween Candy Treat Bag Topper this weekend and be ready to give someone a treat!

Don’t forget the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals! Last day for these is Monday, September 21.

Embellished Ornaments Christmas Card with Gold Glitter

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Yesterday I made a super simple, easy Christmas card for my stamping newsletter with this same stamp set, and today I made this more elegant Embellished Ornaments Christmas card with gold glitter. I was actually copying a sample card in the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog on page 15. I used the Embellished Ornaments Stamp Set for the whole card. It also has a nice sentiment to stamp inside the card.

I stamped the holly leaves on the Whisper White card front layer overlapping in the center , which I knew would be underneath the ornament and not show. I inked up the leaves in Old Olive and then used a Blender Pen to remove the green ink from the berries and colored the berries with Real Red marker. Then I went back with the Blender Pen and colored the holly leaves in lightly with Old Olive ink.

The ornament is stamped with Real Red ink and cut out with the Delicate Ornament Thinlits Dies and the Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine. The little ornament hanger/topper piece is also die cut after being stamped with Smoky Slate ink. You could also stamp this piece with Versamark ink and emboss with Silver Embossing powder. The sample in the catalog used the very thin, fine Gold Metallic Thread behind the ornament. I own it, but have lost it! So instead, I used the Gold Cording Trim. I’d prefer the Gold Metallic Thread for a lighter look. The cording is just gathered haphazardly behind the ornament and stuck down with Stampin’ Dimensionals which then adhere the ornament to the card.

For a finishing touch, I used the splatter technique with the Multipurpose Liquid Glue diluted with water from my Aqua Painter as I did in THIS POST. Since I didn’t look very closely to see my splatters, I kept splattering and got a little carried away!! If I had it to do over, I wouldn’t do quite so much splattering; but oh well, a lot of glitter on a festive Christmas card never hurt anybody! Once you have splattered with the watered down glue, shake on Gold Glitter to cover, then dump off the excess. Voila! You have a glittered splattered card!

Use your Holiday Catalog to shop but also to get ideas! Copy the projects exactly or just take part of the idea for inspiration and make up your own creative idea! That’s why lots of samples are provided in the Holiday Catalog as well as the Annual Stampin’ Up! Catalog. Enjoy!

Here is a close-up so you can see the glitter better.

If you need any supplies to make my Embellished Ornaments Christmas card, please click this link to shop online at Stampin’ Up!

Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals and Paper Pumpkin Breast Cancer Support

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Here are the new Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals for September 15-21, 2015. In my opinion, there are a couple of GREAT deals on here: the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies (one of my favorites!) and the beautiful Butterflies Thinlits Dies. If you don’t own these already, I really think you will like them and get a lot of use out of them. You can use the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits for Halloween coming up for treats, even for Christmas for candy treats, small gifts or gift cards. The sizes of the treat bags can even be varied. Also, you get so many other pieces to use with the basic treat bag die. And of course I’m sure you’ve seen beautiful cards and projects made with the die cut butterflies. The other items are the buttons, ribbons and Fringe Scissors, all things you can use to enhance the look of your creations! Get the discount while it is available!

Don’t forget to check the Clearance Rack, too, for more bargains!

SHOP STAMPIN’ UP!

Stamp Out Breast Cancer with Paper Pumpkin

To show our support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re going PINK . . . or at least our October boxes are! And because we know our subscribers want to share the love too, we will be making a donation on their behalf to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

To find out about Paper Pumpkin, the Stampin’ Up! papercrafting monthly kit that comes in the mail, click HERE.

Stampin’ Up! will donate:
$1 for every active Paper Pumpkin subscriber.
Plus, an additional $1 for every new subscriber.

Together, we will make a difference!

Here’s how you can help:

Subscribe! If you’re new to Paper Pumpkin, click here to get started. Your first kit will arrive in a limited-edition pink box that you’ll want to hold onto forever-and we’ll donate $2 because you’re new!
Stay active if you’re a subscriber so we can donate $1 for you. Only those who receive the October shipment will be counted for the donation.
Spread the word! Help us get as many new subscribers as possible. Every current subscriber adds $1 and for new subscribers it’s doubled, so let’s get the word out and raise as much as possible.
Remember, those who get the October kit will not only be donating to a good cause, but they will also get a one-time only, pretty pink Paper Pumpkin box! No one will want to miss it. Promise.

More About BCRF

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) advances the world’s most promising research to eradicate breast cancer. Founded by Evelyn H. Lauder in 1993, BCRF has raised more than $550 million to fuel discoveries in tumor biology, genetics, prevention, treatment, survivorship and metastasis, making it one of the largest non-governmental funders of breast cancer research in the world. This year BCRF has invested $58.6 million in research, to support over 235 researchers at leading medical institutions across six continents, including $11.6 million to the international Evelyn H. Lauder Founder’s Fund focused on metastasis. By spending 91 cents of every dollar on research and public awareness programs, BCRF remains one of the nation’s most fiscally responsible nonprofits. BCRF is the only breast cancer organization with an “A+” from CharityWatch, and has been awarded Charity Navigator’s highest rating of four stars 13 times since 2002. For more information, please visit: www.bcrfcure.org.

Additional Details:

New subscribers are those who signed up between September 11 and October 10, 2015 and have not been a Paper Pumpkin subscriber at any time in the past.
All funds will be donated in US dollars.
Mini spoiler alert! The October project inside the pink box is just as awesome as always, but we should probably let you know that it is not a pink project. That’s all we’re saying. 😉
Funds will be donated based on number of subscribers instead of boxes shipped. But, if you want more than one pink box, you can always increase your subscription quantity by logging into your account at PaperPumpkin.com before October 10.

JOIN PAPER PUMPKIN TODAY AND HELP OTHERS!

Writing Notes Thank You Card

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To make this Writing Notes Thank You card, I used the stamp that looks like a piece of notebook paper! It might be one you have completely overlooked in the new Annual Stampin’ Up! Catalog, Writing Notes. It is one I ordered yet barely used. I recommend purchasing the wood-mount since this stamp is a background stamp, and I think they are easier to use with a wood block. I didn’t think of that when I ordered it so I have the clear-mount.

After stamping with Writing Notes on Whisper White with Soft Sky ink, I trimmed it down and adhered it to a Soft Sky card base. I also stamped with flowers and leaves from the Crazy about You Stamp Set. This stamp set mostly has words, but there are a few flowers to use, too! And you can even get this stamp set in a Bundle with the Hello You Thinlits Dies.

The sentiment on the card is from the stamp set One Big Meaning, a useful stamp set when you are looking for the perfect “Thank You” wording.

With all the excitement over the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog, take a look through the Annual Stampin’ Up! Catalog and see if you have overlooked something in there!