Author Archives: Karen Fontinelle

A Mardi Gras Scrapbook Page

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Mardi Gras Scrapbook Page

Today is Mardi Gras…. French for “Fat Tuesday”, which refers to the last night for eating rich foods before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is really a period of time, varying between cities, for festivities. We usually think of Mardi Gras in New Orleans but it is celebrated in many other places.  Galveston, TX has Mardi Gras festivities, parties, and parades, and they celebrated the past two weeks.

Beads are a big part of Mardi Gras….everyone wants beads, the fancier the better!  Usually they are thrown during the parade into the crowd but you’ll find them at parties and lots of places.  King cakes are popular decorated cakes with a tiny plastic baby baked inside.  Usually the person who gets the piece with the baby has a special privilege or obligation….like maybe they have to bring a king cake into the office the next day! The grocery stores are full of king cakes right now.

So if you were lucky enough to celebrate Mardi Gras, perhaps you would like to scrap your photos!  There is no faster way than to use My Digital Studio from Stampin’ Up! To make the page pictured above, I just started with a template, changed the color of the background paper and the punches along the side, added a photo box, added the crown “stamps” (known as brushes) and added a little text.

Stampin’ Up! is offering a free 30-day trial of My Digital Studio Express! This is the perfect opportunity to try your hand at digital papercrafting….and it’s not just scrapbooking!

Go ahead…..take the 30-day free trial and see what digital papercrafting is all about!  You just download it in minutes and you are ready to use it!

John Glenn: An American Space Hero

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Fifty years ago today John Glenn orbited the earth and became the first American to do so. He was a member of the first group of astronauts, “Mercury Seven”. John Glenn was selected for this group in part for being known as one of the best test pilots in the country. After three years of training, on February 20, 1962 John Glenn climbed into his Mercury capsule Friendship 7, named after the group of seven astronauts, and orbited the earth three times in four hours and 56 minutes reaching speeds of more than 17,000 miles per hour. At the end of his successful mission, he splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, 800 miles southeast of Bermuda.

Space exploration back then was an amazing thing and not something taken for granted.  Everyone knew the names of those first astronauts. I probably even watched the launch on a big black and white TV at school. I’ve grown up with the space program and have always been fascinated with it. My mother would always say she felt bad for Alan Shepard, who was the first American to go up in space but did not orbit the earth, so it was John Glenn who got more of the glory. So many inventions and things we use and take for granted in our lives came from these space missions.

Here is a newsreel video of the event. The sinister music is a bit alarming but it is amazing to watch this old video!  Enjoy!

Funny Valentine Cards for Wushu Fans

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If you are looking for a funny valentine card for the wushu fan in your life, here are some my son made for his friends in the Texas Wushu Club! Apparently I am not the only card-maker in the family!  

Wushu Valentine Cards

Wushu Valentines

 

Steven explained the funny meaning behind each of these but of course I don't remember.  Obviously there is some wushu humor involved here and inside jokes!  He just made them on his computer and printed on photo paper. One of the girls who was here showed me some he gave her and they were very cute!  So there is art and creativity in wushu martial arts besides the physical effort!

A Mixed Bunch Card

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Mixed Bunch

We received this Mixed Bunch stamp set free at the Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference.  I admit I wasn't crazy about it in the Occasions Mini Catalog, but as soon as we did some Make & Takes with it and saw other samples on display I loved it!

Steven is home this weekend with several friends to participate in a wushu competition today and Carolina thought she'd like to try some stamping. After all she was staying in my craft room, which can be a scary proposition with all that is in there!  So we sat down at the kitchen table and made this card so she could try out some stamps and ink and add some embellishments with the seam binding, a punched out flower with the Blossom Punch #125603 and even a little rhinestone!  We had a great time!

And then so she could try out a little bit of coloring, we stamped with Easy Events and just made a little 3×3 card…and had to add a little Dazzling Diamonds!

Easy Events 3x3 Card

It's so much fun to stamp with someone else….especially someone new who enjoys it!

Use Stampin’ Up! Fabric in Many Ways!

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Here are a few more examples of how to use your Stampin' Up! fabric! These photos were taken at the Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference where we saw samples of so many creative ideas!

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Decorate your pillows with Stampin' Up! fabric!

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Make a flower with the Dresden Designs Die.

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A cute cozy or decoration for your coffe cup!
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You can even decorate your digital printed photo albums with Stampin' Up! fabric!
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Just tie some fabric around an album cover!

If you are ready to order some of the beautiful Stampin' Up! fabric for your projects, you can order anytime from my Online Store HERE.

 

Beautiful Stampin’ Up! Fabric Projects

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At the Leadership Conference in San Antonio last month there were some beautiful Stampin' Up! fabric projects on display.  Stampin' Up! doesn't JUST do stamps, ink, and paper right!  They do fabric, too!

Quilt at Leadership
Dresden Designs Die #125597 and Twitterpated Designer Fabric #125412

Using Dresden Die

Dresden Die and Twitterpated Fabric Pillows

Quilted Pillow using Dresden Die

Close-up of Ribbon

Using the Pleated Satin Ribbon on a quilted pillow

Twitterpated Designer Fabric
Love these little Twitterpated Designer Buttons #125579

Twitterpated Fabric wall hanging

Using the Elegant Bird Bigz Die on a quilted wall hanging

Riding Hood Red Pleated Satin Ribbon

Riding Hood Red Pleated Satin Ribbon for fringe on pillow

Stampin' Up! Twitterpated Fabric quilted wall hanging


Using Dreden Designs Big Shot Die

Use the Dresden Designs Die for the Big Shot with fabric or with paper!

My Digital Studio New Heights Kit….New Digital Downloads!

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MDS Dwnlds 02 14 12

 

MDS Dwnlds 02 14 12 prices

Here are the latest My Digital Studio downloads by Stampin' Up!, and I think they are really great ones! When you purchase My Digital Studio you will have plenty of images to play with for your projects….but rest assured that there will always be something new coming out to inspire and delight you! Click HERE or on the images above for a better look.  Then you can zoom in a bit with your computer to see them even better or go to my Online Store and check them out there.

And for a BONUS…..you can get a 30-day FREE trial with My Digital Studio Express! For more information, read my posts HERE and HERE.

What can you do with a digital program?  More than you think…..almost anything!  Contact me at Karen@Karenstamps.com if you have questions!

You’re My Type Valentine Card

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You're My Type Valentine Card

I love this "You're My Type" stamp set and thought it would make a good Valentine card for my husband.  Then I saw a sample online where someone used the Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper along with the typewriter since it looks a little like typewriter keys!  I thought it was brilliant and wondered why I didn't think of that!  So here is the paper as a background for my card, plus bits of the "notebook" paper also in that pack, plus the First Edition Specialty Paper.

Here's the inside….just going crazy with my valentine stamps!

You're My Type Valentine Card inside

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Valentine Petal Cone Die Candy Holder Gift

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Petal Cone Valentine Candy Holder Gift

The Petal Cone Die #121810 can make a beautiful Valentine gift, holding candy or whatever treat you want to put in it.  I felt like a school girl decorating this one for Valentine's Day! I just kept sticking on more stuff and hoping I would know when to stop!  Isn't that what you remember when you were little and decorating a valentine shoebox for school or making your own valentines?  We had our scissors, probably that school paste stuff, construction paper, doilies, and maybe some stickers or those little stars that teachers would put on your paper. Aren't those some of the best memories, making our own cards and gifts for our parents and family?!

I hope you will take some time to have some old-fashioned Valentine fun! Make a Valentine or gift for someone.

Valentine Petal Cone Die Candy Holder Gift

A Valentine Card

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Valentine Card

You may be looking for more valentine card ideas this weekend so here is a valentine I made while ago and don't think I ever posted. You could make the card base Whisper White as I did or you could just make it Real Red.  I embossed some scraps of paper and cut into squares for the focal point, plus stamped a heart and added a bit of Dazzling Diamonds Glitter. Everything is better with a little Dazzling Diamonds, isn't it?! The cupid stamped on the background is from the Occasions Mini Catalog stamp set P.S. I Love You. Just stamp the cupid with either Versamark ink for that watermark look or the same color ink, Real Red, to provide that same light monochromatic look.

Just get out some colored paper and your stamping accessories and see what you come up with!

Fashionable Hearts Valentine Card

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I noticed I had a few stacks of die cut hearts from the Fashionable Hearts Embosslit Die #125596 in the Occasions Mini just sitting on my table….

Fashionable Hearts Sizzlit

so of course I thought "I should make something with those!"

Fashionable Hearts Card

So here's a simple card you could make for Valentine's Day or really any occasion!  This is a 4 1/4"x 4 1/4" card and I just glued on some of the smallest and next size up hearts on to the card.  At the end I had to use a little bling by putting on some basic Rhinestones.  This would even be cute as a very small 3"x 3" gift card or note card. So here is one!

Fashionable Hearts 3x3 Gift Card

Isn't that fun??!  You could do the same with a heart punch….but what a versatile idea!

Check my Online Store and place your order so you, too, can make hearts!


New My Digital Studio Downloads—and Free 30-Day Trial! Try It!

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MDS Downloads_Feb_07_2012

 

More new My Digital Studio downloads for this week! To see them, click HERE or on the image above. My Digital Studio is the Stampin' Up! digital papercrafting program that you can learn to use easily to make digital scrapbook pages, albums, calendars, cards, gifts…anything you can come up with!  Use either a predesigned template that you only have to add a photo to or print out as is or delete and change anything you want to and make it your own!

Don't worry that you've never done digital scrapbooking or cardmaking before…or didn't have success with it.  This program is intuitive and easy to learn.  For additional help and ideas, check out www.mydigitalstudio.net, a website for both customers and Stampin' Up! demonstrators alike.

Try the My Digital Studio Express FREE 30-Day Trial right now!

Here's a little bit of information about it:

  • At the end of the 30-day trial period, you can purchase either My Digital Studio or My Digital Studio Express to continue using the software. You will not need to re-download the program, but will simply enter the product key you receive after purchasing the software. (If you purchase the disc version you'll find it along with the shipped software, and if you purchase the downloadable My Digital Studio Express, you'll receive the product key via e-mail.)
  • You will be able to keep any downloads you purchase during the 30-day trial period. 
  • To get the free trial version, add My Digital Studio Express Trial (item 129600) to your online shopping cart, and then download and install it from your Download Manager.

One of the best parts of My Digital Studio….no charge for shipping for My Digital Studio Express or the extra downloads!  And you can download and install right away!

Click HERE to go to my Online Store and order the Free Trial today!



Stampin’ Up! Sale-A-Bration Everyday Enchantment Card

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Everyday Enchantment Card

One of my two favorite products you can earn for free during the Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration promotion is the beautiful Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper.  With just a $50 Stampin' Up! purchase, you can choose one free product in the special Sale-A-Bration Catalog…spend more, earn more! For more details about Sale-A-Bration, click HERE.

I originally planned to make a valentine, but I think it turned into more of an all-occasion card…..not that it can't BE a valentine!

Here is the inside of the card.

Everyday Enchantment Card inside

And if you noticed, I used the new Adorning Accents Edgelit Die #125595 to cut the beautiful edge on the front of the card.  The Big Shot does make a little bit of a horrible noise as it goes over that die, but don't worry. I already had my designer paper attached to the Very Vanilla card base.  

AFTER cutting, I then embossed with the Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder #125601 that matches the Edgelit Die.  This is a regular embossing folder but narrow to place exactly where you want it.  

Remember to cut first, emboss second! This keeps the embossing from getting smooshed when you cut.

The greeting inside my card was stamped with the Sale-A-Bration stamp set Elementary Elegance stamp set.

If you need some valentine card ideas, just get out your paper, ink and stamps and play….you'll come up with something, perhaps unexpected!

Need a Valentine Gift?

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Valentine Gift Simply Adorned Charm

Need a Valentine gift? This is the Stampin' Up! Simply Adorned Charm and Chain and the valentine insert that I designed myself. It is so much fun to design your own jewelry by making a little insert for each side of the Simply Adorned Charm.

I just stamped a little flower from Tiny Tags, tore a little piece of First Edition Designer Series Paper, punched two hearts with my Small Heart Punch, made a tiny little border with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch and added a cute little Rhinestone Jewel.

Simply Adorned Charm Open

And you can also design something on the backside of your insert or make another one to show through on the other side of the charm.

Valentine Charm insert back

Here's the other side using the same Dotted Scallop Ribbon Punch, a string of rhinestones and an embossed heart from the Fashionable Hearts Embosslits Die.

The Simply Adorned line from Stampin' Up! is going to be discontinued so if you are interested in owning this unique jewelry, be sure to get the pieces you want.  My charm is the 1"x1 1/4" Charm #116798 with the Simply Adorned 24" Chain #116800.

You can find this Simply Adorned line in the Stampin' Up! 2011-12 Idea Book & Catalog on page 189.