Author Archives: Karen Fontinelle

Last Day! Join Paper Pumpkin Today to Get This Spooky-Cute Kit!

It’s September and time to sign up for the September Paper Pumpkin Kit and get a Halloween papercrafting kit! If you love Halloween, don’t miss this kit! Usually we don’t know what will be in the monthly kit, but this time…..based on the time of year, the ad you see above, and a little hint from Stampin’ Up! about the quantity being 24 treat holders…..I think we have a good idea it’s Halloween!

You must sign up by September 10th which is today! I can’t wait to get my kit! They will ship out soon after the 10th of the month so you will receive your kit around the 15th. You can skip a month or cancel any time, just go into your account by the 10th of any month and update it. But if you like Halloween, go ahead and try Paper Pumpkin right away!

I have used past Halloween Paper Pumpkin kits for trick-or-treaters or to give to friends or maybe the office staff at a doctor’s office. Almost any treat holder you know is going to be fun to make and give away!

Kits are $19.95 + tax, but that includes shipping. You get an acrylic block with your first kit, an exclusive stamp set you can use again later, a Stampin’ Ink Spot (it’s great to use with your Stamparatus!), and all the materials you need for the project, even adhesives. Most pieces are die cut so you just punch them out. There is a video online if you like to watch the whole process and also printed directions, of course, in the kit. Make any kit exactly like the directions, or do something different on your own. You will find alternate ideas online a little while after the kits have been received and people have started creating! So you do get a lot for your money and the value of the crafting fun you will have is immeasurable!

Sign up today for the Paper Pumpkin Halloween papercrafting kit that anyone can make!

JOIN PAPER PUMPKIN TODAY!

Don’t Miss Out on the Spooky Paper Pumpkin Kit

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October is on its way, and that means you creatively-minded people will be searching in every spooky nook and cranny for a bit of papercrafting fun. Paper Pumpkin has just what you need—a frightfully delightful kit in a scary-cute, special edition box.

So if you love Halloween, like I do, now’s the time to join Paper Pumpkin or even sign up again if you’ve tried it before.

You’ll get the handmade Halloween look without the fuss. This exclusive Halloween kit and special box will give you a fun crafting opportunity to get you in the mood for fall and have something to show for it and USE when you are finished! I’m sure this will be a fun kit! Try it! You deserve it! You’ll be glad you did!

Click HERE to join Paper Pumpkin and get the

September Kit mid-month!

Toil & Trouble Witch’s Broomstick Halloween Card

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How fun is it to use this designer paper with the witches’ brooms all over it and then put a Halloween witch holding a broomstick on the front of the card as in this Toil & Trouble Witch’s Broomstick Halloween Card!

This Halloween designer paper from Stampin’ Up! in the new Holiday Catalog is called Toil & Trouble Designer Series Paper. It has lots of cute images for all kinds of Halloween cards, bags, tags, and other projects! You will have fun making all kinds of cards and things out of it! I just started with a card base of Pumpkin Pie and a layer of Basic Black. Next comes the designer paper pattern with the broomsticks.

For the focal point of the card, I cut out the witch by hand from the Toil & Trouble DSP and mounted her on two ovals, one using Crushed Curry. You know you can find out the coordinating colors of any designer paper by looking on the back of the paper.

To finish off the card I tied on a piece of Crumb Cake twine from the Nature’s Twine package of 4 colors. After that, I realized I didn’t really have a good place to put a greeting, so I left it off. I can stamp something on the inside or just a personal note. It’s not a rule that every single card has to have a greeting on the front!

I hope you will check out this Toil & Trouble Designer Series Paper and see if it gets your Halloween spirit moving! Here’s another card I made with this designer paper by cutting out the witch and a cauldron! Don’t forget to join Paper Pumpkin, too and get a spooky cute box this month!

Shop Stampin’ Up! Online HERE!

Are You On My Stamping With Karen Mailing List??

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Are you on my Stamping With Karen Mailing List? I do love to invite anyone who is interested in stamping, papercrafting, memory-keeping, and Stampin’ Up! to join my Mailing List and keep up with any Stampin’ Up! news and get exclusive detailed tutorials. I love to have new subscribers at any time!

But I’m going to give you a hint that you REALLY want to sign up soon so that you will receive my annual free gift to my subscribers, The 12 Weeks of Christmas weekly newsletters! Believe it or not, we will be starting that pretty soon! Each week you will receive a special email with one holiday project. We will do cards, gift ideas, and gift bag & tag ideas. You won’t find these ideas on my blog or Facebook, they will only be for my subscribers! If you are not on my list, you will miss out!

Feel free to invite your friends to sign up, too! The more the merrier! I always have a great response to these holiday emails and I enjoy sending them out!

It’s not time yet, but it won’t be long! And in the meantime, you will want to keep up with any news about the new Holiday Catalog or any other offers and news from Stampin’ Up!

Current subscribers do not need to sign up again to get the 12 Weeks of Christmas! You are already on my list! And my Holiday List!

Just put your name and email in the red box on the right side of this blog page or click HERE.

Thanks for joining us! Be sure you get your FREE Gift for signing up!

Making Christmas Bright Christmas Card

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This Making Christmas Bright Christmas Card is one copied from a sample in the new Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog. Look at the sample on page 6. Those cards on that page and this Making Christmas Bright Stamp Set were some that really caught my eye the first time I looked through the catalog! One of the things that says “Christmas” the most are pretty Christmas lights!

Don’t let all those little bulbs scare you off! It just took me a minute with my Stampin’ Blends markers to color those in. They practically only take a dot of marker! I’m not sure what it is that is SO relaxing about coloring with those Stampin’ Blends but I love it! You can also use the regular Stampin’ Write Markers, like Real Red and Crushed Curry. The Stampin’ Up! sample colors in the white bulbs with the Wink of Stella Brush. I colored with the Call Me Clover green.

I used Call Me Clover Cardstock for the card base and used Real Red plus Whisper White and a piece of Sparkle Glimmer Paper. The circle around the greeting is Crushed Curry.

There are lots of possibilities with this stamp set. You can purchase the Bundle, which adds the Christmas Bulb Builder Punch. Bundles save you 10% over the full price!

When you are stamping the strings of lights, if one is too long and going to run into an area where you don’t want it, just put down a piece of scrap paper where you do not want it to stamp. If you don’t want to do the coloring of the bulbs, you could make a monochromatic card by just stamping everything in red or green. I might try that!

This is a good time to get started on holiday cards while we are so enthused with the new products and stamping will be so much fun, instead of rushing at the last minute! But I say that every year! Maybe this year I will really get an earlier start!

Remember to use your Bonus Coupon Codes if you have one or more! Directions are in this post of how to add your Coupon Codes.

If you are a kid at heart with Christmas lights, I think you will enjoy this stamp set or Bundle when you make a card like my Making Christmas Bright Card!

Today Is the Day! The Holiday Catalog Is Here!

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Today marks the official start of the holiday season (for crafters!) with the release of the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog 2018!

You can view the Holiday Catalog Online HERE!

Enjoy a few Stampin’ Up! videos that will really get you “in the mood” if you aren’t already!

SHOP THE HOLIDAY CATALOG ONLINE TODAY! USE YOUR BONUS COUPON CODES!

Sign Up For Paper Pumpkin and Get a Halloween Papercrafting Kit!

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You must sign up by September 10th, 6 days from now! But do it today because in a couple of days you will be distracted with the new Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog! I can’t wait to get my kit! They will ship out soon after the 10th of the month so you will receive your kit around the 15th. You can skip a month or cancel any time, just go into your account by the 10th of any month and update it. But if you like Halloween, go ahead and try Paper Pumpkin right away!

JOIN PAPER PUMPKIN TODAY!

How to Redeem Your Stampin’ Up! Bonus Codes

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If you had fun ordering from Stampin’ Up! in August, it is now September so you can redeem any Bonus Codes you earned with every $50 purchase! Be sure to redeem them during the month of September. You can use all of them at once or space them out. Hopefully, you still have your email from Stampin’ Up! with your codes!

It’s easy! Just put in your order in the Online Store as usual, then click the “Manage Coupon Codes” button and add your codes! You will see your discount applied on the Order Review Screen. Be sure to check!

Here is a little tutorial from Stampin’ Up! (Click to view better!) Or click HERE to view the PDF!

You might want to wait until the Holiday Catalog goes live in just two more days, September 5th!!

Remember, if you are trying to reach an amount for a Hostess order, like $150, your total order must be $150 after the coupon codes are applied.

HAVE FUN SHOPPING WITH YOUR COUPON CODES!

A Quick and Easy Halloween Card With Ghosts

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Want to make a quick and easy Halloween card with ghosts? I can show you how! In fact, a card like this one is partially responsible for me becoming a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator! I was visiting my friend who was a Demonstrator and she took me along to a team meeting. There was a card on a display board with a ghost or two. When I found out the ghost was made by cutting a heart in half I was just thrilled with how creative people could be with this thing called stamping! I was so inspired by all the creativity I saw at the meeting plus everything my friend had at her house! I think I signed up while I was visiting her that weekend!

When I made another Halloween card in THIS POST with this new paper coming in the Holiday Catalog September 5th, Toil & Trouble, I remembered the idea of making ghosts out of hearts! Just punch out, die cut, or hand cut out a heart of whatever size you want. Then cut the heart in half! That’s all there is to it! Draw on some eyes with a marker. Adhere it to the side of the card layout! Sometimes it doesn’t take much to thrill me to pieces!

This card starts with a Basic Black card base with a layer of Granny Apple Green Cardstock. I let that have a wider margin than usual and cut a smaller piece of Highland Heather Cardstock for another layer. Then I added the ghost patterned paper in the Toil & Trouble Designer Series Paper for the background layer. The half-hearts/ghosts were adhered to the card on the sides. The greeting is from the Trick or Tweet Stamp Set in the Holiday Catalog.

This Toil & Trouble paper makes Halloween cardmaking so much fun! Especially when you can cut a heart in half and make a ghost poking out from a spooky place! You, too, can make a quick and easy Halloween card with ghosts!

SHOP STAMPIN’ UP! ONLINE HERE!

Santa’s Workshop 2-4-6-8 Treat Box

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This little Santa’s Workshop 2-4-6-8 Treat Box with a little elf on the front is easy and basic to make. We will need lots of basic and easy holiday cards and items to make in the coming months because you know how fast the holidays sneak up on us! Happy September!

I think the 2-4-6-8 box is one of the first things a stamper learns to make. You can vary the height of the bag or make a lid and make it a box. Or make tabs on both ends and make it a small box. This little box is made with just a half sheet of cardstock, 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″. Just score it at 2″, 4″, 6″ and 8″ going across. Turn the paper lengthwise and score at 2″. That short area will be the bottom of the box. Cut on the score lines just up to the 2″ score line going across. Cut off the narrow little tab area. Apply a strong adhesive, like the Multipurpose Liquid Glue or the Tear & Tape, to the narrow tab on the end, then fold the other side of the box over to adhere. It’s easier to do this flat than to try to hold the box. Fold in the flaps for the bottom and add a little glue to hold them in place. Leave the top open or pinch to close, whatever you like.

For my little box, I just pinched the top closed by pushing in on the sides a little bit and punching holes in the top for a bow made with the Garden Green Baker’s Twine, coming in the Holiday Catalog. Be sure you put your treat inside first! You could also use a clip of one kind or another to hold it closed.

To decorate my box, before tying it closed, I added a small banner of the Santa’s Workshop Specialty Designer Series Paper. Maybe I had read it and forgot, but several sheets in this package of paper have white flocking on some of the areas! Very nice! Mind you, it was very difficult to cut into any part of this lovely new paper to make this banner and punch out the little elf! But it had to be done! The little greeting is from Itty Bitty Greetings, a suitable replacement for the retired Teeny Tiny Wishes, one of my favorites.

Here is another 2-4-6-8 box I made that is taller. It’s a fun project to know how to make!

Beginning today, September 1st, Stampin’ Up! has a new promotion, and it goes along nicely with the advent of the Holiday Catalog on September 5th. If you gather some orders together with some friends or go crazy with the Holiday Catalog (it doesn’t take much effort, I assure you!) and have your own large order of $250 or more before shipping and tax, of course, you will get FREE this Dashing Along Designer Series Paper!

Stampin’ Up! decided to use a mix of old favorites and new patterns to bring you beautiful, traditional Christmas paper. This collection of patterns has an eclectic feel and is perfect for layering, and while the newsprint design isn’t Christmas-themed, was selected for its versatility and popularity with customers. This promotion ends on September 30. This paper is in addition to your Stampin’ Rewards. Do remember that if you use any Bonus Coupons you earned in August, that reduces your order total (so you get to order a couple more things to reach $250!).

September 5th is the date the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog goes live! After you receive your order (or should I say your FIRST order because you won’t be able to resist more than one!), you can start on your holiday cards and projects. I urge you to try something like this Santa’s Workshop 2-4-6-8 Treat Box for one of your holiday projects as it may come in handy!

Quick and Easy Frankenstein Halloween Card

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You’ve got to try this Quick and Easy Frankenstein Halloween Card if you like Halloween! It will only take you two seconds to make. You can even vary the design to put on tags or treat bag toppers or a Halloween piece of home decor – whatever you like.

The card base is Old Olive Cardstock. The hair is Basic Black just cut in a jagged way. Just figure out how long you want his hair to hang down and cut off the top portion.

Otherwise, you just need a 3/4″ Circle Punch and a 1 1/4″ Circle Punch to make his eyes and nose. Punch two 1 1/4″ circles of Old Olive and cut in half with Paper Snips. Sponge some Old Olive Ink on three of the pieces for the two eyelids and nose. You could also make a circle nose if you like or an oval. The Whisper White eyes are punched with the 1 1/4″ Circle Punch and Basic Black with the 3/4″ Circle Punch. I used the White Stampin’ Chalk Marker to just draw in those little whites of his eyes. You can put them at crazy angles or whatever you want if you want to have some fun with it!

Draw in a few scars and Frankenstein’s mouth with a Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker or Journaling Pens . Once you get your supplies out, making the card goes very quickly! Halloween is so much fun!

Here is a closeup of Frankenstein’s face. Have fun making your Frankenstein!

Don’t forget!! Today is the last day for Stampin’ Up! Bonus Days and also the Color Your Season Suite of special products! Don’t miss out!

Frosted Floral Hello Card For Someone

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In the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog you will find the prettiest designer paper called Frosted Floral. It has a beautiful shimmery look to it, so even a quick and easy card like this Frosted Floral Hello Card For Someone will look elegant and special to anyone you give it to.

The card base is Mint Macaron, one of the coordinating colors of the designer paper. Then I just layered on this paper with the vine design on top. I actually had another idea of adhering several stamped flowers from the First Frost Stamp Set onto the paper, but when I played with placing the flowers, I just didn’t care for it.

I considered several different greetings for this card but in the end, the “Hello” greeting from the Accented Blooms Stamp Set seemed just right. I stamped it in Mint Macaron and punched with the Tailored Tag Punch. I also applied Mint Macaron twine from the Nature’s Twine multi-pack. I like the way it looks on this card!

The new Holiday Catalog is getting close! It goes live Wednesday, September 5th – that’s a week from today! To help you out with costs you will WANT to incur in September with the Holiday Catalog, don’t forget about Bonus Days in August! Before Friday, order some basics to stock up in $50 increments and maybe some items from the new annual Stampi’ Up! Catalog and get your $5 Bonus coupons to use in September! Bonus Days end Friday, August 31!

Here’s a similar card made with the Frosted Floral Designer Series Paper I made about ten days ago. It’s really about the same style. All you have to do is change the greeting on either card and they can serve for many occasions. Try the Frosted Floral Hello Card For Someone and mail it to someone special!

Color Your Season Flower Card

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This Color Your Season Flower Card is just one beautiful card you can make with the Color Your Season Suite of products, a limited-time offer! And you know what, Friday, August 31 will be the last day to purchase the stamp set, framelit dies, or the Bundle. There is also a new selection of Watercolor Pencils that may (or may not) be available in a future publication. These are separate from the Bundle, but you will want them in your collection because they are the real Stampin’ Up! colors!

Get in the mood to create something full of colors and seasons! Introducing the all-new, limited-time Color Your Season products:

Blended Seasons Stamp Set, an exclusive 10-piece wood- or clear-mount stamp set with images for every season!
Stitched Season Framelits Dies, a coordinating stitched die that includes stitching on both the positive and negative images!
Watercolor Pencils in 10 new colors! Note: These Watercolor Pencils may be available in a future publication.
Please note: The Bundle includes the stamp set and dies only. It does not include the Watercolor Pencils.

I’ve seen so many beautiful samples created with this set. And it covers all four seasons! You could be making Christmas cards right now with this Suite!

Just be sure to purchase by August 31 or it will be gone!

SHOP THE COLOR YOUR SEASONS SUITE HERE!

Remember, it’s Bonus Days still going on this week at Stampin’ Up! With every $50 you spend during August, you will receive a $5 Bonus Coupon to use in September! And in September, you will be shopping the Holiday Catalog after Sept. 5th so those coupons will come in handy!

Be sure to add these limited-time products to your order through Friday, August 31 so you can have fun and color your season with many pretty cards and projects.

Cardmaking With the Paper Pumpkin August 2018 Kit

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Wouldn’t you love to receive this cute red box in the mail once a month? This is the August 2018 Kit from Paper Pumpkin, the papercrafting kit that comes in the mail from Stampin’ Up! Each month is a different project and almost always a surprise. The majority of kits are for making cards, but sometimes a different kind of project is in store, like party favors or a piece of home decor.

Open the box and it’s like a gift just for you! Each kit comes with an exclusive stamp set, an ink spot, and all the materials you need for the project, even little glue dots and dimensionals if you need them. Your first kit comes with an acrylic block on which to mount the stamps.

Unwrap the tissue paper and find the package containing your new project!

It’s fun to open up the box and take out all the materials and see how many things you get in a kit. Sometimes there are extras leftover for more projects on your own. There are directions and even a video you can watch.

Make the project exactly as designed or if you don’t care for it, make something else! Within a few days of people receiving their kits, there are alternative ideas online you can find if you need suggestions. I very often make part of the kit as designed and then make a few things differently. That’s what I did with this kit. But if you are someone with no other craft supplies, just make the kit as designed and you will have everything you need!

All kits are easy enough for non-crafters, never-crafters, friends, grandchildren, college students, sons, daughters, little ones, big ones, professional crafters who like a break from designing and gathering materials. Just open the box and skip to the fun, as Paper Pumpkin says!

Here is the August 2018 Paper Pumpkin Kit video:

Usually Paper Pumpkin is a complete surprise, but the upcoming kit for September 2018 is obviously going to have a Halloween theme! And I love Halloween!

JOIN PAPER PUMPKIN HERE TO GET THE SEPTEMBER KIT BY SEPT. 10TH!

Cookie Cutter Christmas Gingerbread Man Card

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I thought this Cookie Cutter Christmas Gingerbread Man Card would be appropriate today since it is just four months until Christmas! We better get busy making our cards and projects! Hard to believe, isn’t it, especially while it is still nearly 100 degrees outside here in Houston.

I thought I would just use a set from last year, which is in the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog. It’s the Cookie Cutter Christmas Stamp Set and has the coordinating Cookie Cutter Builder Punch. The green print paper is new in the Holiday Catalog, though, the All Is Bright Designer Series Paper. One side of the paper has those photographic images, really pretty! The card base is Crumb Cake. The red designer paper is just the background for the card for the photo, not part of the card although I originally planned to use half green and half red. The red ribbon on this card is retired, but I have the new stuff on the way (I think!).

Of course, I also used the Big Shot and the Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies for the background of the gingerbread man. And then the scalloped dies in the Layering Circle Framelits Dies are always nice to finish off the Stitched Shapes Dies as a layer.

I had planned to put the Gingerbread Man and circle over to the right side of the card, but somehow I put him in the center and thought that was just right!

The Cookie Cutter Christmas Stamp Set was a fun one last year and can be used even for baby cards with the bear! Here are some bear Christmas cards I made last year.

Don’t forget that Bonus Days are going on during August at Stampin’ Up! For every $50 you spend in August, you will get a $5 coupon code to use on your order(s) in September! As soon as you place your order, you will receive an email from Stampin’ Up! with your code(s). I printed mine out right away in case something happens to my email. Stampin’ Up! cannot replace lost coupon codes. And you know how technology is!

SHOP STAMPIN’ UP! ONLINE DURING AUGUST BONUS DAYS!

And Merry Christmas from the Cookie Cutter Christmas Gingerbread Man in four months!