Author Archives: Karen Fontinelle

Fun with Build-A-Bear!

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Yesterday I played around with Build-A-Bear…..and I mean "played"!  It was so much fun, just like being a little girl and playing with paper dolls!  You can just cut out the bears with the Big Shot (Stampin' Up! Bear Bigz Die #117977) and then make any kinds of outfits and embellishments you want, either from the additional dies (see Occasions Mini pages 38-40) or using your own creativity!  Here are my two bears, and in a few days I will post the finished projects!

Build-a-Bear Birthday Girl 

This bear uses some rhinestones from the Eggscellent Eggs Kit in the Occasions Mini (but no longer available), a half pearl from the Pretties Kit (#109114), some Soft Subtles Brads (#106954), the cake from Bitty Birthday (#114934), and her chic hat is made from two oval punches, an idea I got from another demo, Mary Fish.

Build-a-Bear Cupcake Girl 

This bear has a total rhinestone necklace and matching bracelet!  The cupcake is from the stamp set "Sock Monkey" (#111550).


REMEMBER…..the Occasions Mini is only good one more day!  The last day to order is April 30!  A few items will carry over!  Ask me!
 
 

Wish You Were on a Free Cruise…..and Stamping??

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If you ever thought it would be wonderful to go on a Caribbean cruise on a beautiful ship and take a guest…..all for free……would you believe it could really happen??  Well, it really can happen as hundreds of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators would testify this week…..because all those who earned the Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip are on a Royal Caribbean Adventures of the Seas ship right now sailing to Barbados….and then St. Lucia….and several other islands before returning to San Juan, Puerto Rico after a week's cruise.  They all worked very hard in their Stampin' Up! businesses to earn this trip, but many of them say if they could do it, anyone could do it.  It's a matter of setting goals and working hard to achieve them.  And it is not "just a cruise"…..Stampin' Up! always does things right with a gifts, prizes, parties, not to mention stamping!

So if you would like to be a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and possibly work toward a future cruise or incentive trip, this is a great time to sign up!  You can choose your Starter Kit and even get free gifts:  Check out this offer for FREE DVDs from Stampin' Up! Regionals!

Here is a card I made with My Digital Studio in honor of those who earned the Stampin' Up! cruise.

All images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2010My Digital Studio Cruise Card

Yes, that is my own handmade ship….with punches…and brads for portholes!  It's just fun to play around in My Digital Studio #118108 and see what you can do!

And here in the inside (cover) page:

All images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2010My Digital Studio Cruise Card inside 

And the second inside page where you would write your greeting:

All images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2010My Digital Studio Cruise Card inside

Please contact me if you would like more information about becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator or have any questions!  There is so much fun to be had with Stampin' Up!, not to mention a great way to have your own business!

 

  


Awash with Flowers Two-Step Stamping

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When my latest Stampin' Up! order arrived, this was the first set I wanted to play with. Awash with Flowers allows you to do "two-step stamping" where first you stamp the outline and then you stamp the "inside".  You can either just "eyeball" where you need to stamp or you can use the Stamp-a-ma-Jig for perfect placement.  It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!  Awash with Flowers will be in the next new Idea Book & Catalog in July, but you can get it this month until April 30 and have a brand new set ahead of other people who don't know or don't take advantage of this offer!!

Check out this Two-Step into Spring offer, good only until April 30th, right now!  If you would enjoy owning this stamp set or any of the others on sale for 20% off, please email me or use the Online Ordering Button in the upper right corner.

Awash with Flowers Lovely Lilac card
 


Awash with Flowers Spring Card

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Today is a drizzly, gloomy day but this card has brightened my morning!  I knew I wanted to make a card with this "two-step stamping" set, Awash with Flowers, but not do the two-step stamping!  I just wanted to stamp the outline in Stazon Black ink and then color in.  It's nice to have the option with this set!  Two different looks!

I thought I would use some of the Sweet Pea Designer Paper #117161 in the Occasions Mini, so then pulled out some Pretty in Pink card stock to coordinate.  But I also found a scrap of Whisper White, already embossed with the Stampin' Up! Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder #117335.  Both scraps were rather narrow so I decided to make a 6"x3" card.  I stamped the flower from "Awash with Flowers", colored in with Watercolor Crayons, and cut out with my Paper Snips scissors #103579.  I added a little sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes #115370.  I considered some other embellishments, but had to stop myself!  The card looked fine being simple. Sometimes you have to know when to stop!

Awash with Flowers Spring Card 

 

This stamp set, Awash with Flowers, is a new set that will be in the next Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog, but you have a chance to purchase it during April in either wood-mount or clear-mount.  Be sure to get it this month or you will have to wait until July!  Check out this Two-Step into Spring Promotion!

 

My Digital Studio UT Honors Day Pages

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Today I watched a training webinar for My Digital Studio presented by Stampin' Up! for demonstrators.  The presenter on the webinar was a Stampin' Up! demonstrator who did a fantastic job showing how to use My Digital Studio to make a calendar.  Even though I had already planned to make these pages, watching the webinar today inspired me to get these done!  One of her best tips was to get in the program and see what ALL is included in the software plus all the extra downloads we can purchase.  My Digital Studio is really a goldmine of fun things to use in all kinds of projects!

Here is what came of my playing tonight!

UT Honors Day 2010 

UT Honors Day 2010
 

Even the star metal brads are digital!  I thought they went well with the Texas page!  But if I had wanted to, I could leave those off and add real brads after I had the pages printed. That is called hybrid scrapbooking!

My Digital Studio is easy enough even for us beginners to use.  So don't think you have to be an expert to use it!  If I can do it, you can learn too!  And if you are already familiar with digital scrapbooking, you can enjoy using fabulous Stampin' Up! designs and products in your projects.

Learn more about My Digital Studio!  Click on the link!  Let me know if you have any questions or want to know more about using this product.


Roses, Roses, Roses…..Fifth Avenue Floral

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We've had a beautiful red rose bush blooming back against the fence in the backyard which inspired me to make this card with Fifth Avenue Floral (#113734).  This set and technique were quite popular awhile back after someone demonstrated it at a Stampin' Up! event.  Just stamp the flower with White Craft Ink on Shimmery White card stock, emboss with White Embossing Powder and use your Aqua Painter (#103954) to moisten the flower petals.  Pick up some reinker with your Aqua Painter and let it just float and fill in the spaces!  In the past I used various colors and lots of lighter and darker areas, but on this flower I wanted it to be deep red.

Here are the real roses:

Real Red Rosebush 

Roses

And here are my stamped roses!

Fifth Avenue Floral embossing
Fifth Avenue Floral Rose on Shimmery White 

For the leaves I just used the new Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch (#117191).  First I was going to use the little branch with leaves but then realized the bird wing looked like a leaf and for today, I liked that better!  I used my Aqua Painter to pick up some Old Olive ink and draw on some leaf veins and sponged the edges a little.

You can use the stamp set Well Scripted (wood or clear) for the sentiment.

Don't tell anybody, but I wobbled a little with my stamp, if you can pick out the mistake.  But all I had to do was grab my Real Red Stampin' Write Marker and smooth out the rough spots.

I think you might even be able to pick up the shimmer of the Shimmery White card stock in the photo, especially if you click on it and enlarge.

And the best part of all is that this stamp set is part of the Stampin' Up! Two-Step Into Spring Promotion going on right now!  You can get Fifth Avenue Floral and others for 20% off!  Order today at my Online Store!

Plus, get 20% off a selection of springy Two-Step Stampin' sets:

Item Page Description Regular Price Sale Price
113824 94 Greenhouse Garden $25.95 $20.76
113734 98 Fifth Avenue Floral $24.95 $19.96
111578 101 Flower Fancy $36.95 $29.56
113258 112 Trendy Trees $17.95 $14.36

 

Medallion Wedding Card

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MedallionWedding 

When I saw this card online, made by Lynn Weiss, I thought it was beautiful.  I decided to make it for a neighbor getting married today and incorporated purple since I think she is using that in her wedding.  The card base is Elegant Eggplant (#105126) and the white paper is the beautiful  Shimmery White (#101910).  I stamped the Medallion stamp (#115223) with Versamark (#102283) on the Shimmery White card stock and embossed with White Embossing Powder (#109132).  I also did a second one so I could punch out the center circle with the 1 3/4" Circle Punch (#112004) to pop up with Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)  in the center of my card.  The bottom portion is made using the Big Shot (#113439) and the Perfect Details Texturz Plate (#115962), just a separate little piece of paper to fit there.  The sentiment is stamped with Teeny Tiny Wishes (#115370), punched out with the Word Window Punch (#105090) and mounted on a piece punched out with the Modern Label Punch (#116630).  I popped that up with Dimensionals too and sponged a little ink around the words.

Before I assembled the card, I sponged Elegant Eggplant ink around and on top of the embossed Medallion, and then took a paper towel and rubbed off some of the excess ink over the Medallion.  I even very lightly rubbed the sponge over the diagonal embossing on the bottom portion just to highlight the embossing.  I tied some Whisper White Organza Ribbon (#114319) around the card layer and glued a little half pearl from the Pretties Kit (#109114) with a dot of Tombow Multi (#110755) in the center of the Medalliion.

And there you have it!  Of course all you have to do is change the sentiment to have a beautiful birthday card or any other occasion.

 

Simply Adorned Charms… Mother’s Day Gift Idea!

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Enjoy this video from a local TV station in Utah featuring Annie Traynor of the Stampin' Up! home office demonstrating the Simply Adorned Charms.  She is using the Vintage Vogue stamp set and the Simply Adorned Chains and Charms, both found in the current Occasions Mini Catalog.  You can order your Simply Adorned jewelry by clicking on the red "Order Online button" in the upper right corner of my blog.

Lots of Bots Birthday

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Sometimes it is hard to think of what to stamp for boys, but Lots of Bots stamp set (#115293) is a great set to use.  Certainly it can be used for girls too, but it seems there are always more choices for girls in crafting.

Lots of Bots birthday card boy 

I started with Bordering Blue card stock for the base and embossed the little screws and such from Lots of Bots  with Silver Embossing Powder (109131) and my Heat Tool (#100005).  That makes a great background and it is always fun to emboss!  After stamping on Whisper White with Black Stazon ink, I layered that on Brushed Silver and Brilliant Blue and then Real Red.  I made the Real Red layer longer and used the Scallop Edge Punch (#112091) for the design at the bottom.  

For a last touch I used my Paper-Piercing Tool (#116631) and foam mat in the Mat Pack (#105826) to poke holes in the scallops and inserted Silver Brads (#104336).  Just leave the card stock on the mat after poking the hole and poke your brads into the holes…then pick up your paper and unfold the little brad legs on the back.  Very easy!

 Shop my Online Store for these supplies and many more!

Join the Fun! Be a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator! Free Gift!

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FREE TECHNIQUE DVDS SPECIAL OFFER

Special Offer Dates: April 1-May 31, 2010 (or while supplies last)

Special Offer Details
From April 1-May 31, join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator and receive two FREE technique DVDs.

Free Technique DVD Details

  Item  Description  Retail Value 
  118082 

Workshop Wow DVD 2008-2009 (140 min.)

Includes 19 demonstrator presentations of "WOW" techniques.
 

 $24.95 
  113106 

Workshop Wow 2007-2008 DVD (117 min.)

Includes 18 demonstrator presentations of "WOW" techniques for use in preparing for workshops. 

 $17.47 
Total Value   

Over 250 minutes of stamping and paper crafting ideas! 

 $42.42 

*DVDs are in English only


I own both of these and they are great!  You will learn a lot and enjoy the presentations!  And that is only the beginning of the fun you will have being part of Stampin' Up!  I'd be happy to have you on my team!  This is a great time to join Stampin' Up! and put a little extra cash in your pocket!

For more information, just click HERE and look around!  Then contact me at KSFontinelle@gmail.com with your questions and comments.

Sweet Pea Bird Punch Card

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Since I was playing with the Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Pack (Occasions Mini #117161) I decided to make some cards with it.  This is not just a package of designer paper, it is a big stack of coordinating paper, 2 each of 24 double-sided designs 12×12.  The bird is made with the fun new Extra-Large Two-Step Bird Punch (#117191), also in the Occasions Mini Catalog.  The "thank you" is from "Thank You Kindly" (#111700) in the Idea Book & Catalog.

Bird Punch Thank You Card
 

You can order any of these supplies to make this card at my 

Online Store!

Stampin’ Up!’s New Color Renovation!

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WOW!  Stampin' Up! really knows how to knock our socks off!  They have surprised us with a "Color Renovation" which is a new updated color palette comprised of 25 current colors, 10 returning In Colors, plus 5 new Core Colors!!!!  AND there will be 5 more new In Colors in July!  They have put two years of study and research into this using focus groups of demonstrators, Stampin' Up! artists, other color professionals, and sales data. Consideration and concern for every demonstrator and customer is behind all the decisions Stampin' Up! makes so you can be assured that a lot of thought and research went into this color change.  This Color Renovation will take effect July 1st with the new Idea book & Catalog.  Stampin' Up! Demonstrators will be able to get our hands on the new colors in June with preorders, so there's a tip……if you want to get in on this early, you should become a Demonstrator right now!!  It only takes minutes, so contact me if you are interested!

Here is a chart of the new color palette!

SUColorRenovationChart 

There will be lots more information coming out about these changes so stay tuned!

We'll all have LOTS to be excited about as these color changes will lead to new products as well!

 

My Digital Studio Azalea Page

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My Digital Studio Azalea Page

Just playing around with My Digital Studio and my azalea pictures from the other day! This is the azalea bush in our front yard which has burst into bloom this week!  For the background I selected a photo of the azaleas but changed the opacity down to 40.  Then I added photo boxes and chose the photos to go in them, added a mat and a drop shadow to each.  For the mat color, I decided to use the "Color Picker" with which you can select a color from your photo to use as your mat. I did that for the first photo but then wondered how I would get the exact same color for the other mats.  I was able to do that by putting that color in my Favorites and then choose that color for the other photos! The words came from the Designer Kit "Sunny Day".  And then I added some digital Garden Green Grosgrain Ribbon and Knots.  To make this a hybrid scrapbook page I could leave off the ribbon and knots, print out the page and then attach my own real ribbon!  

You can do so much with this My Digital Studio software!Every time I use it is a new adventure to see what I will find!  SHOP NOW and see whether you would like the My Digital Studio software or just the downloads if you already have a digital program.  Just think how easy it would be to scrapbook your Easter pictures if you had My Digital Studio!