Category Archives: Birthday

Make a Gift Bag for Mother’s Day!

Mother's Day Twitterpated Paper Gift Bag

Do you need a pretty gift bag for your Mother's Day gift…or really any occasion? You can use this design and just change out the paper for whatever person or occasion you want a gift bag for. If it's for a man, maybe leave off the paper flower but add a stamped image or greeting instead. You'll think of something!

I just found one of those small brown handled bags that you get now and then at the store.  If you save them, you'll always have a stash to go to when you need a nice gift bag.  Just choose 3 patterns from a pack of Stampin' Up! designer paper and cut one larger piece for the bottom section, one smaller piece for the top and  a piece to go across and cover up that line where the two papers meet and make a cute border. You could leave it as is or you could cut or punch a scalloped edge or whatever to jazz it up.

For my bag, I used three patterns out of the Twitterpated Designer Series Paper. For a pretty accent I added three buttons from the  Designer Buttons Subtles CollectionEach is tied with a small piece of White Baker's Twine. For something at the bottom corner of the bag, I chose to make a flower with the Flower Folds Die and the Big Shot using a pattern from the Twitterpated DSP.

Some of these items are on the Stampin' Up! Retired List so better do your shopping soon!  Anything on the list can sell out at any time so you don't want to be disappointed. Just click that link to go to my store with the retiring products and shop to your heart's content!

New Dolled Up Birthday Kit from Stampin’ Up!

Dolled Up Birthday Kit

Images copyright Stampin' Up! 2013

If you like kits, I'm sure you will love this brand new Dolled Up Birthday Kit Stampin' Up! just released today! It was designed by another demonstrator and then Stampin' Up! made it into a kit! You know anything with the Vanilla Flower Trim is going to be gorgeous!

The Dolled-Up Birthday kit includes the following:

  • Dolled-Up Birthday Clear-Mount Stamp (1)
  • 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" Crumb Cake Cardstock (6 pieces)
  • 2" x 4-1/4" Very Vanilla Cardstock (6 pieces)
  • Very Vanilla Medium Envelopes (6)
  • Tea Lace Paper Doilies (6)
  • Dress Up die-cuts (6)
  • Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Spot (1)
  • Vanilla 5/8" Flower Trim (6 pieces)
  • Sponge Dauber (1)

Get everything you need to make six cards for only $15.95 (item 133913)!*

*Adhesive not included.

To assemble one card, follow these simple instructions:
1. Place the stamp rubber side up and ink with the Soft Suede Classic Stampin’ Spot.
2. Stamp “Happy Birthday” at the bottom of the card front.
3. Ink the Sponge Dauber with Soft Suede ink and gently antique the doily and the edges of the dress form.
4. Adhere the pieces to the card front in this order:
1. Doily
2. Very Vanilla Cardstock
3. Dress form
4. Flower

I think this one is a winner if you like kits and a "girlie" one at that! And nothing says you can't change it up a bit to follow your own creativity!

Find the Dolled Up Birthday Kit in my Stampin' Up! Online Store.

 


All Dressed Up Belated Birthday Card

All Dressed Up Belated Birthday Card

Do you have trouble getting birthday cards sent out on time? I can know a birthday is coming up for weeks and then still not get the card mailed on time or in enoughtime! That's why I like the greeting in the stamp set All Dressed Up. That's not exactly what it says, but I used parts of it to make the greeting I wanted. The stamp set All Dressed Up is really fun to play with, especially to use the Dress Up Framelits Dies with it and save yourself all that cutting time.  There are lots of ways to play with these dresses,whether you are using the stamped dress or making your own with the Dress Up Framelits DIes.

To make the necklace, I just used a piece of Baker's Twine and a Rhinestone Jewel.

For any stamping supplies you may need, please visit my Stampin' Up! Online Store!

New Bombs Away Birthday! Photopolymer Stamp Set Available

New Photopolymer Stamp Set
Stampin' Up! has released a new photopolymer stamp set called Bombs Away Birthday! Photopolymer means they are completely clear and are to be mounted on the clear blocks. They're very sticky so they stay put on your block.
Bombs Away Birthday! Stamps
Click here for more information!


Click here to see the first Stampin' Up! photopolymer stamp set, Designer Typeset.

Stampin’ Up! Kraft Gift Box Decorated with Patio Party Paper

Stampin' Up! Kraft Gift Box Decorated with Patio Party Paper

The Kraft Gift Boxes offered by Stampin' Up! are so much fun to decorate! On this one I used the Patio Party Designer Series Paper, which I admit I haven't used very much, but wow, I really loved how this turned out with this paper! I just measured the sides and top of the box, cut pieces of the Patio Party DSP and adhered them. With our double-sided designer paper it's so much fun to choose which side to use….well, even difficult at times since they both often look good!  I tied a Primrose Petals Stitched Satin Ribbon around the box and put a paper flower on top.  The paper flower is made with pieces cut from the Flower Folds Die. I punched a 1 1/4" circle for the flower center and put a Subtles Designer Button in the middle to top it off.

All very easy to do with a Stampin' Up! Kraft Gift Box and some designer paper…and my friend loved it!

If I were you, I would stock up on a couple packages of these Kraft Gift Boxes #124106 to use for those small gifts we often have. You get 4 boxes in a package for only $2.95. The boxes are 3.5" x 3.5" x 2.5"

You can order anything you want from Stampin' Up! online here!

Tea for Two Flower Folds Birthday Card

Tea for Two Flower Folds Birthday Card

Recently I had a customer order the Flower Folds Die and it made me realize I hadn't used mine in a while. Maybe it has something to do with spring coming, but I've been having a ball making flower cards with this die. I'm not even making fancy flowers, just die-cutting the flowers out of designer series paper and layering them one on top of the other. I randomly picked the Tea for Two Designer Series Paper and am enjoying the pretty colors that coordinate (although I did use Pool Party which isn't one of the listed colors!).

You can just glue down each flower…but I put glue only in the center of each flower so that I could fold the petals up. Of course when you are mailing, unless you use a special padded envelope, you can't get too dimensional, but the recipient can "poof up" the petals after they receive it! I used a few Mini Glue Dots to adhere the button, tied with a White Baker's Twine bow, to the center of the flower.  The greeting is from the stamp set Perfectly Penned (a very useful set!). Remember, most any of our stamps you can purchase in wood-mount or clear-mount.  The rubber is the same in either case, it's just a matter of personal preference.

Don't forget….you could also cut out fabric flowers with this die!  It's not just for paper! And you can cut several layers at once!

Why not get out something you haven't played with in awhile like I did today with the Flower Folds Die? You might find a new streak of inspiration!

A Birthday Card with the Chalkboard Technique

Birthday Card Chalkboard Technique

Some of us can't seem to get enough of the chalkboard technique! Here is a birthday card using a banner and the chalkboard technique

In case you are new to this chalkboard craze, the black card stock is stamped with Versamark ink and embossed with white embossing powder. You could also stamp with white craft ink. Then for me, the fun part is taking a small cloth or sponge or even your finger and smearing a little of that white craft ink onto the card to make it look like an old dusty chalkboard!  The look is not restricted to black card stock…lots of chalk boards were a dark green. Do whatever you want!  It's your piece of art!

On this card, I used the More Amore Specialty Designer Series Paper in the Stampin' Up! Spring Catalog, stamped with the Hearts A Flutter stamp set and cut out the banner pieces with the Hearts a Flutter Framelits Dies. Be sure to check out the Bundle if you are interested before you purchase!

Try out this technique!  It's really fun and I love the look!  Once you are aware of it, you will see it in lots of advertising and lots of places!  Be trendy!  Try the chalkboard technique!

A Framed Birthday Collage for a Friend

Framed Birthday Collage for a Friend
I love how this framed collage turned out for a dear friend's birthday gift! I often pick up frames that I like just in case I come up with a stamping project I can use them for. This white frame intrigued me because of the extra space at the bottom. I thought maybe I could stamp something in that area or do something with it. There were lots of possibilities, but it took having every ribbon I owned out on the table until I came up with this ribbon design that I liked! Of course, the frame would have been fine even plain.
When I need a gift for someone, I often try to see if there is something I can make. With stamping I can make a personalized gift. It saves a trip to the mall for the same old/same old kind of gifts, and I can make something I hope they will like and will be a unique gift that no one else will give them. Rubber stamping opens so many creative opportunities to you and it is an easy skill to learn and do.
To make this I just measured the frame opening and did a little math…and just cutting some scrap paper samples…to see what size to make my squares. Then I just decorated each one with whatever idea I found or thought of. Don't ever let not having an idea stop you….once you sit down and play a bit, your creative juices will start flowing! And often, they overflow once you get going!!
Here is a close-up of the collage.
Framed Birthday Collage for a Friend Close-up
And here is a close-up of all the little tags I made to go in the tiny envelope.
Framed Birthday Collage Tags
Making collages like this to frame is a great gift idea because it is a personalized gift and can be as large or small as you like. Try one!
You can find any supplies you need at my Stampin' Up! Online Store here!

Valentines for Boys (or Robot-Loving Girls!)

Robot Valentines for Boys

Valentines are sometimes all "mushy" but here is a cute idea for valentines for boys! Not that they can't be for girls, too, of course…but in the craft world, it's often more difficult to find "boy" things. Anybody who loves robots will like these valentines…and not just for Valentine's Day either!  They would be just as cute for birthday cards or some kind of birthday party favors. The only bad thing is that the chocolate candy making up the body is pretty tempting and then the robot is kind of destroyed! But that's okay…we have to remember, it is only paper!

Of course I copied the idea from a couple I saw online a long time ago and then made them up my own way. On two, I embossed aluminum foil (the heavy duty kitchen kind) in an embossing folder in the Big Shot.

Embossed Foil

Here are close-ups of the robot valentines. The glare of the foil makes it a little difficult to take photos!

Robot Valentine
Here you can see the two chocolate nuggets forming the body (stuck together with one mini glue dot near the bottom of the candy and some Sticky Strip on the back.

Holding nuggets

Robot Valentine 2

Robot Valentine 3

Use your imagination and make some fun valentines like these! Once you get started, it is hard to stop!

Shop Stampin' Up! Online here at my Online Store!

Chalkboard Technique Birthday Card for a Friend

Chalkboard Technique Birthday Card

I've loved chalkboards (I called them blackboards) since I was a girl, so I can't get enough of making these chalkboard cards! This chalkboard birthday card I made for my friend (and now that I know she received it, I can show it to you!). I got the idea of using the beautiful Framed Tulips Embossing Folder #121809 as a frame for the "chalkboard" online but the card I personalized for my friend. Just stamp with Versamark Ink #102283, emboss with White Stampin' Emboss Powder #109132 using the new Heat Tool #129053, and my favorite part, rub a little White Craft Ink #101731 on the background with a soft cloth or a sponge (lightly) to give it the look of a real chalkboard with dust!! If you want, you can draw some border lines around the edges with a white Watercolor Crayon or one of the Stampin' Up! Watercolor Pencils or any white pencil.

I used several stamp sets on this card!

The cute Pool Party button is from a Ribbon & Button Pack (Sycamore Street) #130812 in the Sale-A-Bration Brochure, which you can get FREE with a $50 purchase! The tiny little paper banner is also available FREE from Sale-A-Bration in the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper pack #127540. You can even get both the designer paper and the Ribbon & Button Pack, plus the coordinating Madison Avenue Stamp Set FREE in a BUNDLE if you host a $400 party! Just get some friends to order with you and you might be able to take advantage of that bundle and lots more for being a hostess!

Just go to my Stampin' Up! Online Store and place your order at your convenience! Or email me at Karen@KarenStamps.com if you need any help or would prefer me to place your order!

Another “You Are Loved” All-Occasion Card

You Are Loved All Occasions Card

This was just too easy, so I had to make another card with the You Are Loved stamp set! I chose Perfect Plum card stock and ink to give it the monochromatic look, stamped on Shimmery White card stock.  If you enlarge the photo, you might even be able to see the “shimmer” of the paper. Very subtle, very elegant, very pretty! I just used the greeting that was in the stamp set, or you could any other one, and tied a little Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon around the middle.  Beautiful card and couldn’t be simpler to make!

You could make a little package with this stamp set, colored card stock, Whisper White card stock and ribbon to spend $50 and then be eligible to choose a FREE product from the Sale-A-Bration Brochure!

  • You Are Loved Stamp Set (clear) #123779   $23.95
  • Assorted card stock #120954 or a single color  $6.95
  • Whisper White Card Stock  #100730   $6.95
  • Classic Stampin’ Pad (choose a color)  $5.95
  • 3/8″ Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon  #109070   $6.95

Total:  $50.75

Now if you wanted to add on some more items, like adhesive, envelopes, some bling (rhinestones, pearls, glitter, 2-Way Glue Pen), another greeting set, other ink colors, etc. you could spend another $50 and choose a second Sale-A-Bration FREE product!

Shop HERE at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store or contact me if you have any questions!

Patterned Occasions Cupcake Birthday Card

Patterned Occasions Birthday Cupcake Card

Here’s another sample of a card using the Sale-A-Bration stamp set Patterned Occasions. I found this polka-dot embossed card base in my “scraps” and I decided it would be perfect to use with the cute little cupcake in the Patterned Occasions stamp set. I could have stamped the cupcake in just one color and it would have been nice. To get the different colors on the one stamp, I used our Stampin’ Write Markers to color in the stamp. Then it is punched out with the 1 3/4″ Circle Punch and layered on the 2 3/8″ Scallop Circle Punch.  That is popped up on the 2 1/2″ Circle Punch with Stampin’ Dimensionals. The pretty new ribbon is found in the Spring Catalog on page 30, Melon Mambo 3/8″ Striped Organdy Ribbon.

You can get this fun stamp set FREE with a Sale-A-Bration purchase of $50 or more! Just spend $50 or more during Sale-A-Bration (Jan. 22 thru March 22) and choose one of the products in the Sale-A-Bration brochure.  For every $50 you spend, you can choose one product! Spend $150 and get a free pack of Silver Glimmer Paper, in honor of Stampin’ Up! 25th Anniversary year!

Go to my Online Store right now and do some window-shopping!  When you are ready, just place your order online and choose your free Sale-A-Bration item(s) for every $50 you spend before tax and shipping!  Let me know if I can help!

Stampin’ Up! Best of 25 Years…..Special Stamp Sets: Best of Birthdays!

Best of 25 Years January Birthday Stamps

As part of the 25-year anniversary celebration, Stampin' Up! is bringing back some of their favorite stamp images from the last quarter century and combining them into 12 sets, which they will release-one set per month-during 2013. For January 2013, the stamp set available NOW is Best of Birthdays #132929  Price $14.95  You can order it now in my Online Store.

Even better, along with some great classic images, each "Best of" set will also include a never-before-seen image!

Some things to remember from Stampin' Up!:

  • All Best of stamp sets will include 3-5 images, including a never-before seen image, and will be priced at $14.95.
  • While we are releasing just one Best of stamp set per month (with a new theme each month), all of the Best of sets will be available until March 31, 2014.
  • A new flyer will be released every month for each new Best of set.
  • All Best of stamp sets are available in Clear-Mount only.

While we are releasing just one Best of stamp set per month, all of the Best of sets will be available until March 31, 2014.

***** As a special incentive to collect the Best of stamps, starting in February Stampin' Up is including a collector's card and 25-year proof of purchase sticker with every Best of set. Collect six stickers, and send it in to redeem a FREE set of your choice valued up to $14.95! Free sets must be redeemed no later than April 30, 2014.

Download the Collector's Card here!

Order your Best of Birthdays Stamp Set at my Online Store right here!

 

Stampin’ Up! Video of the Distribution Center & Stampin’ Up! Achievements

Stampin' Up! produced this video for Leadership 2013 giving us a peek at the Distribution Center in Riverton, Utah and how our orders are packed up and shipped out! I'd like to see even more but maybe they don't want to give away their secrets! I always like to know the "behind the scenes" stuff! This year kicks off the 25th anniversary of Stampin' Up! so you will see the achievements and growth of Stampin' Up! during that time in the video also!  Enjoy!

Hearts a Flutter Just for You Card

Hearts a Flutter Just for You Card

I’m trying to do some stamping today with my “new stuff” from the new Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog that just came out yesterday, so I copied a card that was in our demonstrator magazine, Stampin’ Success. I love the cute little banner made with the Hearts a Flutter stamp set and Hearts a Flutter Framelits Dies.  The center panel of the card is embossed with the Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. These products come in a bundle, the Hearts a Flutter Bundle, which saves you 15%! You might as well get both….I’m sure they will be a big hit!  Remember, hearts aren’t just for Valentine’s Day.  This card could be a valentine, a birthday card, an all-occasion card, even home decor! Be sure to check out the really cute little chalkboard in a frame on page 11 of the Spring Catalog showing a little banner using these stamps and framelits. If you need a Spring Catalog, please email me if you don’t have your own demonstrator. I’d be happy to mail one to you…and the Sale-A-Bration brochure, too!

My stamping supplies are still scattered around in different locations due to Christmas decorating so stamping today is more like a scavenger hunt!  What should I get organized first??!

Use this banner idea on a scrapbook page as well!  Just think of a card as a small scrapbook page!

Making a Paper Bow and a Gift Box

Paper Bow Gift Box

Stampin' Up! announced recently that they would be putting little flyers in the order boxes, so this is the one I got in my most recent order. I think it is a great idea, a little bonus for our customers (and us!). Mine was about how to make those paper bows that we often buy in gigantic bags.  I've seen directions around the internet on how to make them, but until I got these directions from Stampin' Up! I didn't really stop and make one myself.

Amazing that you can make a pretty bow just out of several strips of paper and glue! My first one is a tiny bit wonky but it's not very noticeable…probably just to me.

I also took one of the Kraft Gift Boxes #124106 and decorated it with the brightly colored International Bazaar Designer Series Paper #126920. I measured the sides of the box and cut my pieces of paper just 1/8" smaller on two sides, allowing for a narrow margin of the Kraft Box to show.  Since all the paper coordinates, I could choose anything I wanted to.  The box was the perfect size for a bracelet I was giving my friend. It's good to keep some of these Kraft Gift Boxes on hand for all those gift-giving occasions!  Be sure to add them to your next Stampin' Up! order!

You can get anything you need at my Online Store here….and maybe you will get a bonus flyer in your package from Stampin' Up!

Paper Bow Strips

Kraft Gift Box and Paper Bow

Owl Punch Three Monsters Male Birthday Card

Owl Punch Three Monsters Male Birthday Card

In trying to think of a birthday card to make for my son-in-law, I was a little stumped this year.  Last year I got an idea for a Star Wars card that I probably mostly copied from an idea I saw online.  I thought it turned out great and he liked it!  Right up his alley! But this year, the other things I knew he liked were a little harder to come up with in a card. When I saw an idea of using the Owl Punch somewhat like this, I decided to go with a "generic" monster/sci fi/comic character/whatever card for him. This is what materialized and I like it!

The Owl Punch is one of the greatest tools you can own! Not that I think of these things, but other stampers come up with a multitude of ways to use our Stampin' Up! punches and make them worth their weight in gold for crafting! To make my little monsters (or whatever they are!) I punched the owl, drew on his mouth and teeth with a Stampin' Write Black Marker and colored in the teeth with the Signo Gel Pen. For the arms I stuck a little strip of paper in to punch just the feet of the owl and then cut the strips to make arms. I punched out the white eye circles with the Owl Punch although I colored them in with black around my Googly Eyes.

The sentiment is from the stamp set You're Amazing and die-cut with the Big Shot and the Apothecary Accents Framelits Dies.  The brads are the  3/8" Designer Printed Brads.

If you are looking for a male birthday card, for child or adult, this is a good one and fun to make!  If you prefer just stamping your monsters, there is the Make a Monster stamp set!

You can order any and all of these products and more from my Stampin' Up! Online Store.  Go there today….and also check the Clearance Rack if you are doing an online order!

Button Buddies Summer Starfruit Birthday Card

Button Buddies Summer Starfruit Flower Birthday Card

Just playing with the stamp set Button Buddies….and my Color Coach!  I started off thinking I would make this stamp look like fall flowers…and then I looked at my Stampin' Up! Color Coach which gives you color suggestions of combinations.  Usually you feel like you wouldn't have thought of that combination on your own, but lo and behold, the Color Coach usually is right! Once I chose Summer Starfruit, the Color Coach suggested Real Red and Marina Mist….so that's what I used for my card. After stamping my flowers, I added the new Naturals Designer Buttons in the Stampin' Up! Catalog, tied with a bit of Real Red and Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon.

The greeting is stamped with stamps from the Hostess stamp set Wacky Wishes. See a trick I used for stamping the greeting over on my Facebook page here.

 

Male Birthday Card…or Any Occasion Card!

You're Amazing Birthday Card

Twenty-four years ago today I was driving my daughter home from Sunday School and had to practically stop the car while I let a contraction pass. When I got home I called my parents in St. Louis to say probably something was happening. We four all ate lunch and in the afternoon I baked cupcakes for the cake walk at the Halloween carnival that would be down the street the next night. Naturally I had some licks of the batter and frosting! Since we would be at the carnival and trick-or-treating the next night, I decided to cook a special Halloween dinner that night. In the midst of batter-licking and frosting-eating and dinner prep, I decided maybe I needed to quit eating and go sit down and time the contractions. By half-time of the televised Sunday night football game (my husband always appreciated the timing!), it was time to calmly call my friend and ask her to come get the kids since we'd be going to the hospital sometime that night. She rushed over and by the time my husband helped get the kids buckled in their seats in her car I was more than ready to be going to the hospital. The nurse taking my information laughed when I told her my last meal was cupcake batter and frosting!  In just a couple of hours, Steven was born, just about 45 minutes short of being a Halloween baby! How can that be so long ago??!!

We think making a masculine card is hard since we crafters seem to often be using flowers and colors and other images that don't seem to be appropriate for a man or boy. I actually started off thinking I would copy a card I'd seen online, but once I changed the shape of my stamped greeting from "You're Amazing" by cutting it out with one of the Apothecary Accents Framelits, I came up with this design instead. Great way to use up paper scraps, great way to make a card for a male birthday, great way to make a card for ANY occasion! The background of the card is embossed with the Stripes Embossing Folder. And a couple of Glimmer Brads add some pizzazz without being too much bling for a boy!

The paper strips (Summer Smooches…and you wouldn't think that paper would work for a masculine card but it does!) are just cut to varying lengths and widths, no big deal, just whatever you want.  And then cut a little "v" out of the end or use a square punch to punch it out. (I think it is easiest to just snip).

Have fun stamping today!

Apothecary Art Birthday Card

Apothecary Art Birthday Card

This Apothecary Art birthday card is a nice one to send to someone and easy to make! Surprisingly, it is not what I intended to make today, but it's what turned out! Sometimes you just have to go with what creativity deals you and not force anything else!

The card base is Soft Suede which goes with the Comfort Cafe Designer Series Paper #126898.  I stamped the images from Apothecary Art (page 102) and cut out with the Apothecary Accents Framelits Dies #127003. The layer is the new In Color, Midnight Muse.

Just enjoy when you are stamping and creating and see what comes of it!