Monthly Archives: May 2013

New Stampin’ Up! Catalog Day is Here!

The NEW STAMPIN’ UP! ANNUAL CATALOG BEGINS TODAY AT NOON MT!!

This is the day we’ve all been looking forward to! Stampin’ Up! will be transitioning the website over to the new catalog until noon MT today You can also order any retiring items, as well as from the Spring Catalog, while supplies last! People are calling it the “trifecta of ordering” because you can order from all three catalogs at once…the old, the new, and the Spring Catalog! Have patience because there will be a LOT of people ordering and sometimes there are glitches when everything is new!

Stampin’ Up! New Catalog goes live at:

11:00 am Pacific Time
Noon Mountain Time (Stampin’ Up! Home Office Time)
1:00 pm Central Time
2:00 pm Eastern TIme

I always like the see the time written in my own time zone so I don’t have to keep figuring it out!

And that’s not all!!!!

Three greeting stamp sets are on sale for 25% off starting today and going through June 30! We always need another greeting set! This is an easy add-on to your order!

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The Bracket Stamp personalized name stamp with 5 lines (item 131138) will not be available in time for the May 31 catalog launch, but we anticipate that it will be available soon. However, the other versions of Bracket Stamp, with 1-4 lines, will be available to order once the catalog is live.

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Remember……Ordering begins today at Noon MT (Stampin’ Up! Time!)

Current Catalog NEW CATALOG Spring Catalog

The Spring Catalog will END tonight at 11:50 pm MT!!!!!!!!!!!

Just go to my Online Store after Noon MT today and you can start placing your order! If you have any questions, please contact me at Karen@KarenStamps.com or call at 713-981-7662.

If you plan to shop for your Stampin’ Up! supplies with me and want a brand new catalog to hold in your hands (even though it is online!) please email me or call with your contact information and phone number.

Close to the End for the Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog

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I’m really sad to see the end of the Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog, even with the excitement of the upcoming new catalog! You have today and tomorrow, May 31st, to order from the Spring Catalog.

This card I pretty much CASED (copied) right from the sample in the Spring Catalog. I think all the rain and storms around the country inspired me to do a cloud and umbrella card. The card base is Pacific Point with a layer of Vellum Card Stock which is scored just around the edges at about 1/4″. I used the Labels Collection Framelits to cut the shape out of Whisper White and embossed it with the Cloudy Day Embossing Folder. The umbrella and greeting is stamped with the Rain or Shine stamp set. The little strip of striped paper is from Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series Paper. I love that colorful stripe!

Shop Stampin’ Up! Online all day today until midnight Mountain Time tonight!

At midnight Mountain Time tonight Stampin’ Up! will shut down ordering until Noon tomorrow May 31 Mountain Time when the NEW STAMPIN’ UP! CATALOG will go live!!!

When you have your order ready, just go to my Online Store HERE or contact me with your order and I’ll be happy to put it in for you!

Going to Miss the Two Tags Die

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One of the many Stampin’ Up! products that I will miss when it retires next week is the Two Tags Die. You can make cards, tags, even little bags and boxes for treats and little gifts. Today I have used my Two Tags Die for two projects as well as two retiring stamp sets, retiring designer paper, and retiring colors, Regal Rose and Baja Breeze.

There are actually two tag shapes on the Two Tags Die. This one pictured above had a score line so can be folded in half and tucked under the little slit, which the die also makes. I cut out the Twitterpated Designer Paper at the same time as the card stock so it fit perfectly. I stamped the cupcake image from the retiring Easy Events stamp set (a great set for all-occasions, especially for the beginning stamper!) and colored it in with Stampin’ Write Markers. For a little pizzazz I had to add some Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to the frosting with my 2-Way Glue Pen. And for a little trim above and below the stamped image, I used the versatile Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch with only the scallop edge showing. The little flower on the edge is made with the Boho Blossoms Punch.

This card I made using the discontinued Regal Rose card stock (admittedly not one of my favorite colors in all these years, but it’s okay) and embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots Folder. The Two Tags Die is stamped with a greeting from the Word Play stamp set (another stamp set I hate to see retire) and decorated with a couple of Subtles Collection Designer Buttons tied with
White Baker’s Twine. I made a similar card back in this post.

The Two Tags Die is a fun and handy die to own if you also own the Big Shot. If it is still available, I would add it to your list of must-haves before the retirement period is over.

Remember, the new Stampin’ Up! catalog goes live at Noon Mountain Time on Friday, May 31. Ordering will be down that morning and the night before so they can make the change to the new catalog. You will still be able to order from the old catalog until June 3. The Spring Catalog ends May 31.

Place your order today before time runs out at my Online Store or email me with your order at Karen@KarenStamps.com if you prefer.

Stampin’ Up! Retiring Products Going, Going…..!

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May has flown by so fast I can’t believe we are nearly at the end. This is the LAST week of May!! And it’s already Tuesday after the holiday weekend! If you haven’t already, it’s time to get serious about the Stampin’ Up! retirement lists! Although the end of the month is May 31, you do have a little grace period with Stampin’ Up! holding open the ordering from the outgoing catalog through June 3, 2013. But remember accessories are only available while supplies last!

Some accessories are even discounted so be sure to check these out! You can see the discounted products here in my Online Store. Some are already sold out.

Click on this link for the Stampin’ Up! List of Retiring Stamps

Click on this link for the Stampin’ Up! List of Retiring Accessories

Also, remember the Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog will be ending on May 31.

Stampin’ Up! announced this morning that Online Ordering (and ordering through demonstrators) will be down from midnight MDT on Friday, May 31 through noon May 31 MDT (that will be 1:00 pm Central Daylight Time) so that they may switch their ordering systems over to the new catalog!!

Go to my Online Store where you can see all the retiring stamps, paper, ink, accessories….everything….which ones are discounted, which ones are still available for purchase.

Celebrate Memorial Day

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Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States to honor men and women who died while in the military. I remember when it originally was called Decoration Day. At many national cemetaries there are ceremonies and volunteers who place small American flags on all the graves. Amidst all the sales at the mall that seem to take over our holidays and the unofficial beginning of summer as many people use this weekend for traveling and summer fun, we should all pause to remember the real meaning of this holiday.

If you have family members who served in the military, you might want to check out www.Ancestry.com which is giving free access to draft, enlistment and service records through May 27th. It is SO fascinating to look up these records. You just have to sign up for a free account. I just looked up my grandfather’s World War I registration card. He was just my youngest son’s age. It’s amazing to read his physical description, address, and see his signature in his own handwriting. These records might be something you can use in your scrapbooking.

Enjoy your day!

Another Birthday Purse Card

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I think these purse-shaped cards make great birthday cards for young girls! They could also be more than a birthday card. Instead of just putting a greeting on the inside, make a pocket of some sort and turn it into a gift-card holder. It is graduation time and I read that cash is the most welcome gift! Make a pocket inside the card and insert cash or a gift card or check. My grandmother used to always say you can’t give someone a purse without putting a penny in it! Must be bad luck or something! Even though I made these purse cards for birthdays, think of all the other fun occasions you could make them for and the ways you could change them out! Make it super-fancy with some Glimmer Paper or a sparkly closure or flower on the front! Make party invitations out of this idea! It’s one of those projects that once you make one, you want to make more!

You can barely see the fuzzy thing underneath the closure. That’s a piece of velcro which will hold the card closed.

Shop for Stampin’ Up! supplies at my Online Store! Be sure to check the Clearance Rack, too!

Make a Purse Card

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When I needed to make birthday cards for my twin nieces I found this idea of making purse cards for them. My cards just fold completely flat, but you could make yours more 3-D. I used a piece of designer series paper for the purse shape so that there would be a nice design on the inside when it was opened. You could just as easily use card stock. The Top Note Die folded in half is used for the top closure of the purse. What would we do without the Top Note Die?! I’m glad it is not retiring next week!

Cut out the Top Note Die with the Big Shot. Score and fold in half lengthwise.
Cut a piece of designer series paper (DSP) 6″ x 6″. Score at 3″ and fold in half. Be mindful of which way the pattern is going and which side you want on the outside.
Now you will need to trim the sides of the purse from the bottom to the top edge on a diagonal. To do this, measure in on the top open edges about 5/8″ from each side. Use your paper trimmer to cut from that point on each side to the bottom edge of the folded side. You know, make it look like a purse shape!
Adhere the Top Note Die to the back of the “purse”. Make some sort of decoration for the front closure. Adhere to front of Top Note Die on the front of the purse. Use a small piece of velcro in order to hold the purse closed.
Depending on your DSP design, you’ll probably need to stamp the greeting on a plain piece of card stock and adhere to inside of purse card.
If you want, you could make some ribbon handles for the top of the purse.

Here is the inside of the card.

To order any card-making supplies, just visit my Stampin’ Up! Online Store here. Remember, some stamps and accessories are only available for about one more week!

Using the Stampin’ Up! Owl Punch for a Baby Card

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The Stampin’ Up! Owl Builder Punch can be used for way more than owls! If you need to make a baby card, just get out your Owl Punch and get to work.

On this card, I made cute little baby clothes hanging on the clothesline with the Owl Punch. Use the piece that would be the front part of the owl. Then make a little triangle snip in the bottom with your Paper Snips to make the piece look like legs. Add some thin strips of card stock for the outfit straps (or pieces of ribbon) and secure with Mini Brads. Thread some Linen Thread through the outfits to “hang” on the clothesline. Adhere the outfit to the card using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

For the background, I used the Cloudy Day Embossing Folder and Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine to make it look like the sky. The greeting is from Sweet Essentials stamp set.

If you don’t already own the Stampin’ Up! Owl Punch, you’ll want to add it to your order! You can order online at any time at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store here. Big discounts on some retiring products right now!

Word Play Graduation Card

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If you are looking for an easy graduation card to make in just a few minutes, here’s one! You can design it using the school colors if you like or any colors you know the recipient will like. I started with a card base of Midnight Muse and stamped the greeting from Word Play in Midnight Muse ink on the Whisper White card layer. You could use any appropriate greeting you had on a design like this. I adhered two strips of 3/8″ Stitched Satin Ribbon to the Whisper White, adhering the ends under the Whisper White and tied the knots with separate pieces of ribbon. Since the colors of my high school were blue and gold, I chose these two colors of ribbon for my sample…Island Indigo and Summer Starfruit!

I love the stamp set Word Play with so many great sayings in it….but it is retiring in a couple weeks, so don’t miss out!

Check the selection of retiring stamps and accessories here in my Online Store and place your order today!

Working on My New Blog!

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My blog has been moved over to this new WordPress site and now the work begins! I’m slowly trying to get it set up how I want it, and so far, so good! This is my first post to see how it works. I’ve added my Mailing List sign-up box, my Online Ordering button, and fixed the link for the catalogs. I heard of another demonstrator who worked all day and stayed up ALL NIGHT to work on hers! I don’t think I will be doing that, but I am having fun so far!

If you are new to my blog, please join us by signing up for my Mailing List and I’ll keep you posted about these last couple of weeks of the current Stampin’ Up! catalog and the transition to the brand-new Stampin’ Up! Catalog! Hopefully you will see the Mailing List Sign Up Box in the right sidebar!

Feel free to email me at Karen@KarenStamps.com or if you have any trouble with that, use my regular email KSFontinelle@gmail.com.

It will probably take me a little while to get this all figured out, but thanks for your patience in the meantime!

Doing Some Remodeling

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Spring seems to be the best season for remodeling and sprucing things up. We just had the outside of our house painted and next is some dirt to fill in the low spots in the yard. Then maybe some repairs to our wood floor in the kitchen…and maybe I’ll get my kitchen table and chairs all painted up instead of looking at the old chipped paint. There’s always something else to be done in a house!

Likewise, it is time to do some remodeling on my blog! It’s time for a fresher, more modern look and that’s going to be happening. So if things look a little messed up and out of the ordinary, don’t worry! I’ll get it figured out! Another new learning curve, I’m sure!

Sign up for my Mailing List in the form here on my blog in the upper right and you’ll be kept up to date on all the latest news and information from Stampin’ Up!

And I can’t believe I missed this yesterday!! In telling you about the new MDS Downloads, I completely missed that one download, Packed For You, is FREE!!!

Just go HERE to my Stampin’ Up! Online Store and “purchase” this download as you would any Stampin’ Up! product….but the price will be FREE! And no shipping on MDS downloads!! Then you’ll be able to download it to your computer and use it!

Download includes:
* 2-page décor template (8-1/2″ x 11″)
* 7 punches

Features:
* Digital exclusive
* Show all the teachers in your life that you care and appreciate them
* Fill the backpack with their favorite treats or a gift card
* Coordinates with the You Are So Nice Kit

Colors:
Apricot Appeal, Blushing Bride, Dusty Durango, Island Indigo, Pool Party, Rich Razzleberry, Wisteria Wonder

And now when you click on “Digital Downloads” in my Online Store, you’ll be able to shop by “Occasions” to find the downloads you want or need to purchase!

See you on “the other side” if my blog remodeling goes as planned! Feel free to email me at Karen@KarenStamps.com if you have any questions or anything! You can still order anytime at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store HERE.

Don’t Forget! Stampin’ Up! Is Having a My Digital Studio Sale!

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Don't forget! Stampin' Up! is having a My Digital Studio Sale!

The Sale
Get 25 percent off select My Digital Studio content and print products.

Digital content includes: ALL ensemble, calendar, photobook, and swatchbook digital content. See it here.
Print products include: ALL photobooks, swatchbooks, cards, tags, individual pages, and calendars. See it here.

If you want to see what you can make with My Digital Studio and learn more, watch this video:

Today is Tuesday and that means NEW DOWNLOADS!

Here's a great one you can use for Father's Day or lots of other occasions! We are always looking for great masculine card and project ideas and this one will be very useful! Because I'm The Dad Greeting Card Templates #134685

Check them all out HERE in my Stampin' Up! Online Store!

Tip: When you look at each download, underneath the picture of the download you will see the words "More Images". Click on those words and you'll be able to see larger images of each download. Over to the right you'll see the words "Next" and "Previous". You can click on Next to see the next images to view.

Making a Star Jasmine Card

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We have some beautiful star jasmine blooming in our front yard. I only wish the blog had "smell-o-vision" so you could smell the beautiful fragrance from these flowers! I wish it bloomed all year! Sometimes we smell it the most heavily in the back of the driveway. What a treat!

This card demonstrates how you can get inspiration from lots of places…even some flowers blooming in the yard. The Garden Green card base is 3 1/4" x 3 1/4" and the Whisper White layer 3" x 3". I punched the flowers with the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack. To give them a little dimension, I placed them on the Stampin' Pierce Mat and poked them in the center with my Bone Folder! The stems and leaves are punched from the Bird Builder Punch. I just put a dab of glue on the back of each flower and placed them on the stems and dotted a little Daffodil Delight marker in the center of each flower. The greeting is from the stamp set "A Little Greeting" in the Spring Catalog.

And here is a photo of our blooming jasmine! There used to be a pine tree in the center of it years ago. It's just gorgeous and the fragrance is wonderful!

If you want to play a little "I Spy" can you find the bumble bee and two other orange-ish insects in the photo??

Shop now at my Stampin' Up! Online Store for any of your stamping supplies!

Make a Mother’s Day Card in My Digital Studio

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My Digital Studio by Stampin' Up! is always a fun place to go to make a card quickly. So if you need a Mother's Day card at the last minute, digital might be the way to go! You can even download the free 30-day trial of My Digital Studio, make your card, print it on your own computer or at a store, and have it in hand in minutes. Better yet, purchase the full MDS version for only $19.95 and take advantage of ALL the content that comes with it! I can't begin to tell you what a bargain that is!! Digital papercrafting is so big right now!

Even better, if your kids and husband don't know what to get you for Mother's Day, give them THIS LINK and let them order you the download for My Digital Studio. You'll have it instantaneously and after breakfast in bed you can play on the computer all day with MDS while they go to the park or a movie and give you peace and quiet!

This MDS Mother's Day card was made starting with a card template, already designed. It was a thank you card, so I deleted the words and found a Mother's Day greeting instead! Because I preferred the flower on the other side of the card, I moved it over. And since I preferred it to be another color, I used the coloring tool (so fun!) and colored the flowers Melon Mambo and the leaves Gumball Green. That's all it took! I could have made it even simpler by only changing the "Thank You" to something for Mother's Day and left everything else as is. And if I wanted to I could have started with a blank screen and created my own card because I actually had a page torn out of a magazine I planned to recreate….then I looked at the designer templates first…and here's the result!

Whatever you decide to do……my boys made it home for the weekend so I plan on lots of hugging on them and catching up on their busy lives…. I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Make a Gift Bag for Mother’s Day!

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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 Collection. Each 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!

Stamping With Karen

Having Fun With Paper, Ink, and Stamps

Monthly Archives: May 2013

New Stampin’ Up! Catalog Day is Here!

Close to the End for the Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog

Going to Miss the Two Tags Die

Stampin’ Up! Retiring Products Going, Going…..!

Celebrate Memorial Day

Another Birthday Purse Card

Make a Purse Card

Using the Stampin’ Up! Owl Punch for a Baby Card

Word Play Graduation Card

Working on My New Blog!

Doing Some Remodeling

Don’t Forget! Stampin’ Up! Is Having a My Digital Studio Sale!

Making a Star Jasmine Card

Make a Mother’s Day Card in My Digital Studio

Make a Gift Bag for Mother’s Day!