Stampin’ Up! has posted the 2013 Convention highlight reel! I hope you enjoy while I continue getting my feet back down on the ground after such a fun time at Convention!
And I’m editing this post to add that the theme song singer, who Shelli introduced as “Ryan from The Voice” is Ryan Innes, a contestant on “The Voice” TV show! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIKGHEZzuC0
Not enough time to tell you every last detail right now!
Took a bus ride out to Riverton, UT to the Stampin’ Up! Home Office!
So fun! Some employees were there to greet us as we got off the bus!
In the Atrium
Just one photo of one of the beautiful displays! Got more!
Do you know Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators will stand in line for half an hour to get their picture taken by a rock?? Well, it is the Stampin’ Up! rock! Can’t find the photos now but I’ll catch up later!
First General Session at 5:00 was fabulous! Guess who even won the second Prize Patrol?? Get yourself some of the Modern Medley Designer Series Paper and gold embossing powder! Pam Morgan of SU says it will be the hot thing! She used the “Grunge” stamp set….can’t think of the correct name. Got beautiful backpacks too! Broke the world record for most greeting cards mailed from one location! I stood in line for an hour to mail my card but now I’m part of a world record! Special offer coming on My Paper Pumpkin. Stay tuned! So much going on, so fun, so fun!!!
The schedule for the Stampin’ Up! Convention this year is rather different. I’m not sure I have it all straight in my head yet. But I do know first thing today is a bus tour out to Riverton to see the Stampin’ Up! Home Office! I have been there before several years ago and it is a wonderful place (would Stampin’ Up! have an office that wasn’t wonderful??!) so I’m anxious to see it again. As I remember, there were several rooms to walk through and see stamping ideas and even some Stampin’ Up! history. The first General Session will begin about 5:30 pm tonight. The excitement will be palpable! Just flying in yesterday we were getting more excited the closer we got and when I got to my hotel I thought, “OH, it’s just across the street over there! So close!” So much excitement that will happen and so many memories we will all make! My trip here was fun because I met one demo I already knew a little bit and enjoyed her company, plus we met two other ladies who were fun to be with as we ate lunch together in the Denver airport and rode the shuttle together over to the hotel.
For Convention I always like to take my own notebook, even though they give us a workbook of sorts, but I like to decorate the cover and have plenty of writing and drawing space. So this is what I came up with close to the last minute!
And since all 5800 of us will get the same bag, it’s a good idea to make some kind of tag that hopefully helps you keep track of your own bag. Here’s the one I made, not knowing what the bag will look like!
That’s all I know so far! Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/karenstamps and especially my Facebook business page www.facebook.com/stampingwithkaren. I’ll try to remember to post there now and then.
We have some kind of flowers back along the fence with long stems and lots of small flowers in pinks and whites. This morning they looked especially beautiful blooming in all their glory! And those flowers inspired this card.
Since I couldn’t stamp white flowers on Whisper White card stock, I stamped flowers from the Secret Garden stamp set in Pink Pirouette and Strawberry Slush (with some flowers stamped off once to give a lighter shade) with three flowers cut out with Paper Snips (cuz I forgot we had matching framelits, oh well!!) and popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals. The greeting is from the stamp set Label Love and punched out with the Artisan Label Punch. Actually the greeting is trimmed a bit so I could layer over the punched piece of Baked Brown Sugar card stock. I stamped it twice and cut out the strip with “just for you” so I could pop it up with dimensionals. Three new In Colors were used on this card: Strawberry Slush, Baked Brown Sugar, and Pistachio Pudding.
With so many flowers stamped on my card stock, it’s almost like I made my own designer paper! You can do the same thing!
For any Stampin’ Up! supplies, please visit my Online Store here!
Use the new Stampin’ Up! Modern Medley Designer Series Paper to make a stylish purse with the Big Shot and Petite Purse Die! This is one of the new designer papers in the current Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog. I added an edging of the new Stampin’ Up! Strawberry Slush Ruffle Stretch Ribbon. This is really pretty ribbon in one of the new Stampin’ Up! In Colors and SO easy to work with because of the stretch. You will love it! Before I added the ribbon, I snipped off the little tab that would insert into the slit in the front of the purse in order to fit the ribbon. I also added an embellishment from the In Color Boutique Details package. These look like buttons without the holes! This one is a Strawberry Slush color. I adhered it with a couple of Mini Glue Dots. In order to hold the purse flap closed, I adhered a small piece of velcro on the flap and on the purse so that it can be opened and closed.
This purse is very small but can be used decoratively or to hold a few little favors, perhaps a couple of chocolate nuggets or candies or some other little gift. The die is easy to use. The paper is scored and easy to fold into the purse shape. The little handle is a separate piece on the same die that cuts out at the same time. I have attached it to the purse on the sides with Silver Mini Brads. When designer paper is used, it may be difficult to see the score lines but using the die as a guide as to where the score lines are, you can easily feel them and then fold them. It all works quite nicely.
If you are looking for a way to make cute little gift containers or party favors, this Petite Purse Die will make your job easy and fun!
You can find the Big Shot and all the dies, etc. to use with it as well as beautiful designer series paper at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store. Don’t forget to take advantage of the special offer on Designer Series Paper this month!
Yesterday when I made this card to put on my Facebook Page here I thought it didn’t HAVE to be just for the 4th of July, it could be for anything. Then I decided it would be cute just in a little frame! I found this plain gold one, made a larger Real Red mat to adhere the card to and slid it in the frame. There was room to leave the glass on the front, hence the glare, but I could have framed it without the glass.
The card is made with the single stamp, Five-Way Flower. If you stamp the flower several times, you can use all your scallop circle punches to punch out different size scallops of the flower and then layer them one on top of the other, popping each layer up with a Stampin’ Dimensional.
The greeting is from the Perfectly Penned stamp set.
Think about whether the card you make could also be a piece of art to be framed!
I hope you are having a wonderful 4th of July, celebrating the United States’ independence from Great Britain. Independence Day is filled with great traditions! Picnics, barbeques, family get-togethers, parades, concerts, with everything culminating in a fireworks display!! Back when I was growing up, it was not illegal to shoot off fireworks in our driveway, so all the neighbors could take turns shooting off their fireworks and we could all watch. Shopping centers would often have displays and we could walk to the top of our hill and watch one display. Somehow that is still a great childhood memory with my friend who lived across the street and me and others in our neighborhood, according to their Facebook postings!
This card may be a bit overdone! I obviously ignored the rule of crafting which is “know when to stop!” But that’s okay, I think it represents the “grand finale” of the fireworks display! My favorite part!
Here are some of my other 4th of July decorations!
It’s time for the red, white, and blue and what says 4th of July more than stars and sparkle?! When I got out my red, white, and blue paper I had a completely different idea of a card I was going to make. Then I thought of my new stamp set Simply Stars and this card came together quite nicely. It was just fine with just the Real Red and Night of Navy stamped stars, but who can leave off some bling with Red and Silver Glimmer Paper when you have the opportunity?!
The greeting on the card is stamped with Real Red ink on Whisper White card stock from the stamp set Chalk Talk. It needed a layer, though, and that’s where I was starting with the Glimmer Paper. In order to layer on the Silver Glimmer Paper, I had to hand cut the greeting following the lines around the design. It’s not perfect but it’s fine! Then I cut out the Glimmer Paper using the Chalk Talk Framelits Dies. It still seemed to need something. I adhered the Silver Glimmer Paper to a piece of Night of Navy and hand cut with my Paper Snips (an indispensable tool for cutting like this, in my opinion!), just leaving a small border around the design. The “Happy Big Day” greeting from Chalk Talk is popped up with Stampin’ Dimensionals. They stick well on the Glimmer Paper. I thought “Happy Big Day” can easily cover the 4th of July holiday!
As I said, not to ignore an opportunity for more sparkle and shine, I punched out stars from the Silver and Red Glimmer Paper with my small Star Punch in the Merry Minis Punch Pack #126882. This punch pack was in the Holiday 2012 Catalog. It doesn’t appear in the new Stampin’ Up! Catalog but it is carried over and can be ordered. Just copy that item number into your order. That little star fits perfectly in the center of the Simply Stars stars!
I had fun making this card and I know you will too! I almost wished the card was bigger because it was fun stamping and embellishing with glimmer paper!
Make something, anything, today with red, white, and blue for whatever your 4th of July celebration is. Make a card for a neighbor. Make a party favor for your guests. Make some table decorations for your picnic. Make a scrapbook page for your 4th of July photos. Check out my posts from last year with some 4th of July ideas! Fly your flag, even if it is one of those little ones you can buy at the store on a stick.
This is how I started making an unknown card, just stamping some flowers from the new stamp set Flower Shop, and with a die cut tag using the Chalk Talk Framelits Dies from Basic Black card stock.
I wanted that “chalk” look on this card so I stamped a greeting from the stamp set Chalk Talk on the black tag using Versamark Ink and then embossing with White Stampin’ Emboss Powder and the Heat Tool.
I LOVE the new Pansy Punch that fits the Flower Shop flowers! You can purchase the stamp set and punch in a Flower Shop Clear Bundle (or wood-mount).
After punching out some flowers, stamping the background of the card with Versamark flowers and adding a Paper Doily, this was my final creatiion. If you just PLAY with your stamps, ink and paper a design and creation will come to you!
Today get out some stamps, ink and paper that you haven’t used yet and see what you can create on your own! Send me a photo!
If you need any Stampin’ Up! stamps, ink and paper, you are welcome to visit my Stampin’ Up! Online Store any time or contact me if you have any questions!
Sometimes you don’t have to look far for creative inspiration! Sometimes it is as close as the scraps on your table!
I had stamped the Five-Way Flower several times with my new stamp set and also had some Real Red card stock scraps laying out. The card stock scrap looked pretty close to a 3″ x 6″ strip to trim, fold, and make into a notecard, and the Real Red stamped flower looked good on it since the Very Vanilla edges provided a contrast. Voila! A little notecard just that easy!
The Five-Way Flower is a single stamp in the new catalog. When you look at it closely, you realize it is made for several scallop circle punches, probably already in your collection! Stamp the flower several times and then punch different size scallops to layer to build up the flower. Separate the layers with a Stampin’ Dimensional. Or just stamp the flower and leave it as is! I added a Rhinestone Basic Jewel to the center. You could also punch a different colored center or use a pearl or whatever you like.
I only had room for a small greeting (you wouldn’t have to have one) so I chose one from Itty Bitty Banners and just cut it out by hand (although there are matching framelits you can use!) (and the new Magnetic Platform would be super-duper for these!)
Such a simple little thing to make and yet it was so easy and most importantly, made me happy to make it!
On the one hand, I can’t believe it is officially summer already; on the other hand, here in Houston it has been summer for weeks! Heat and humidity, the standard summer weather forecast: 95 for a high, 75 for a low and 10% chance of rain! So in honor of summer, I decided to try my hand at what I guess most people would call a “sunburst” card. It’s a great way to use scraps of paper, and I’ve seen so many variations of this idea that you can do almost anything with it. There is no right and wrong.
Since it is officially summer, I wanted my sunburst to be mostly yellow. I used the Gingham Garden Designer Series Paper to cut angled strips. You can do this lots of different ways I’m sure and make lots of different sizes. It probably doesn’t matter at all what you do, I started with strips of the Gingham Garden paper about 4 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ and used my Stampin’ Trimmer to cut from one corner to the other diagonal corner. Basically you want one straight edge and one angled side. Then just lay them out in the design you want, with the excess hanging off the card layer. Be sure not to put adhesive ALL over the back of the strip because part will be trimmed off the card later. You can just lay out the strips in one area of the card or all over the top half as I did or over the whole card, whatever you like. Trim off the excess paper hanging off the edge of the card with your Paper Snips and you can also trim the place where all the points meet if you need to. I placed a strip of designer paper across the middle of the card to cover that area but just the punched flower would have done so as well. The flower is punched with the Blossom Punch – one piece of Delightful Daffodil card stock and two pieces of Gingham Garden paper. The center is a piece of Pear Pizzazz that was in my scraps already embossed! I just punched it out with the 7/8″ Scallop Circle Punch.
This was a fun and easy card to make and I’m anxious to try some other versions! Dig out some of your scrap paper and try it!
Do you ever wonder where people get these creative ideas for making cards or any papercrafting projects? There are lots of places, but perhaps the best one is right at your fingertips…..the new Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog! I just barely started paging through the catalog when I saw both a tag and a birthday card at the top of page 15. The birthday card was simple enough although it had some sewing on it……but the tag was also cute.
I made the tag using the stamp set You’re Amazing and embossed with Pool Party Stampin’ Emboss Powder and Versamark Ink. I added two of the new Candy Dots on there (probably my main reason for making the whole card!). One of my favorite framelits dies is the one I used from the Apothecary Accents Framelits collection. I even punched a little hole in each side of the Happy Birthday piece and tied on some Pool Party Baker’s Twine (that color retired).
The card base is Crumb Cake, a great neutral to start with! For this card, I did cut it smaller than usual, 4 1/4″ x 8 1/2″ so when it is folded I have a 4 1/4″ square card. I meant to round the bottom corners of the card but I guess I forgot! After putting a little border on the bottom of the greeting using the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch I used strips of the This And That Epic Designer Series Paper for the layers underneath. Very simple, good use of scraps, and makes a fun card I think!
In the photo below I think you can see the Pool Party embossing a little better!
If you want to purchase any Stampin’ Up! supplies, please visit my Stampin’ Up! Online Store now! Check the categories in the left sidebar when you get there and make sure you see ALL that is available!
This is a fun new product in the new Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog! You can buy just the box, the Tag a Box, which is a sturdy kraft box with an acetate sleeve. Before I opened the package, I thought the acetate was going to be a lid that I would have to assemble. But it is a sleeve that just needs to be made 3D from being folded and then slid right over the box. Love it! The box comes flat and then you easily assemble. Then the fun begins, filling it with whatever treat or gift you want to put in there! Since I was giving this to a stamper, I added three small cello bags of new and old ribbon, buttons and other embellishments….plus a few chocolates! I tied the Summer Starfruit ribbon around and added a tag. You can buy JUST the Tag a Box Gift Boxes, but I recommend purchasing the Tag a Box Bundle, which comes with the boxes and the Tag a Bag Accessory Kit.
* 10 large base tags
* 10 medium builder tags
* Baker’s Twine, 20′ each of 3 colors: Crushed Curry, Tangerine Tango, Bermuda Bay
* 10 mini clothespins
* 5 Smoky Slate self-adhesive
strips, each 12″
* 40 Stampin’ Dimensionals
Here’s a close-up of the tag. As you can see, I used a base tag and builder tag plus punched or cut out two images from stamps to put on the tag. The “K is for Kindness” is from A Round Array, punched out with the new 7/8″ Scallop Circle Punch (I cut out the center by hand). The “Thank You” is stamped with Itty Bitty Banners and just cut out by hand with my Paper Snips, although there are Itty Bitty Framelits you could use.
To purchase these or any other Stampin’ Up! products, please order online at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store or contact me at Karen@KarenStamps.com and I’ll be happy to put your order in for you. These gift boxes would be great to have on hand for those unexpected occasions when you need a cute little gift for someone!
I received an email from Chinet, a company who makes paper table goods, that had a cute idea for folding one of their square paper napkins into a necktie shape for Father’s Day. To finish theirs off, they wrote on a paper tag the menu for Father’s Day. I thought it was a cute idea but used some Stampin’ Up! stamps, ink and paper to make a cute tag and attached it with a paper clip (like a tie clip!) The paper napkin necktie is pretty easy to make (only took me three tries!). You might call it simple origami! It would make a cute table decoration for Father’s Day. You can watch the video below.
For my tag, I stamped the images in Early Espresso, one on Crumb Cake and one on Whisper White with the Chalk Talk stamp set. There are matching Chalk Talk framelits, but I don’t have them yet, so I just cut them out by hand. (There’s also a Chalk Talk Bundle to save you 15%!) I also used the Curly Label Punch to add that extra colorful layer. I used the new In Color, Coastal Cabana.
Father’s Day is this weekend and I thought you might enjoy or be inspired by some sayings and quotes I found about fathers. I hope you will take some time to make a card for your father, grandfather, or husband and/or help your children make something special for their dad. Make a scrapbook page or a mini album. Decorate a picture frame. Make a gift bag for Dad. This is why we all have our stamps, ink and paper! Let’s take the time to use them. It’s faster than going to the card shop!
Any man can be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a dad. — Anne Geddes
The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” — Rev. Theodore Hesburgh
The greatest gift I ever had came from God; I call him Dad! — Author Unknown
A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty. — Unknown
A father carries pictures where his money used to be. — Author Unknown
When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years. ~ Mark Twain
A good father is one of the most unsung, upraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society. ~ Billy Graham
Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope. – Bill Cosby
“We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.” – Henry Ward Beecher
“It is a wise father that knows his own child.” – William Shakespeare