It's funny how I don't always end up making what I thought I was going to make!  Since I had fun with the Spring Sampler stamp set in yesterday's post, I decided to make another card with it.  I was going to select an image for a baby card and just stamp it in one color on the Whisper White layer, maybe put a ribbon or strip of designer paper down the side.  Simple, simple.

I got out the Bashful Blue pack of paper and in there was a piece already cut but the front was narrower than the back. Either I cut it wrong the first time or I didn't end up using it. Since I had already pulled out the Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series Paper to possibly use, I decided to adhere a strip of it to the inside edge which would make it show on the front.  I love the colors in the striped pattern of the paper!! That changed the theme of the card from baby to flowers, choosing colors that coordinated with the paper….Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Marina Mist.  On the Color Coach , Marina Mist is the "Dynamic Duo" match with Bashful Blue, if you were doing a monochromatic color scheme.

And since I didn't stamp a couple of the flowers perfectly and since "there are no mistakes in stamping" I decided to stamp some extra flowers, cut them out, and pop them up with Stampin' Dimensionals over the "boo-boo" flowers.  No one would know I didn't plan it this way!

Although it is pretty cool outside today, the sun is out and the weather is gorgeous!  So I think this flowery, spring card is just perfect!

Today I found the Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack on my desk underneath a bunch of stamping stuff, so I thought why not use this somehow? I realized I hadn't used it much, but gee, the paper inside is beautiful! This green print on the bottom of my card is from the other side of the top design!  So easy to coordinate!

If you want to make an easy card, this layout is the simplest ever! The card base is made with a  5.5" x 4.25" piece of Very Vanilla card stock folded in half. Next I cut two pieces of the Print Poetry paper and adhered together.  At that point, I should have wrapped a strip of the ribbon around just the designer paper….but I forgot and glued it down to the card base! Since there are no mistakes in stamping(!), I just wrapped the 3/8" Primrose Petals Stitched Satin Ribbon around the front of the card and attached a separate bow.

For a little greeting, I stamped the word "friends" from the stamp set Sweet Essentials and layered it on the Ticket Duo Punch #126883.  You could use any greeting and any coordinating punch and you have an easy to make card for any occasion!

For these great Stampin' Up! products, visit my Online Store here!

Stay Tuned!!  RETIRED LISTS coming this Wednesday,

April 24!

If you are new, what does that mean?  Each year around this time, Stampin' Up! retires stamp sets and accessories in order to make room for NEW products in the NEW catalog coming out soon! It's an exciting time and a time to stay in touch with me so you can purchase any retiring products you really want but haven't gotten yet. This won't be the time to procrastinate! In fact, I would suggest not waiting for the list, but getting the products you really want NOW before there is a run on them.  No one can predict what will be retired and what won't…or what will sell fast and what won't.  Just fair warning!  

If you have any questions, please email me at Karen@KarenStamps.com…..and make sure you are on my Mailing List here!

Today is Tax Day, so if you have paid your taxes, maybe it is time to de-stress by making a card! Or in my case, maybe I will make another card to de-stress from having my post I just wrote disappear! Anyway….the Pop-Up Posies Designer Kit can make it easy for you! You get all the materials pictured above in your kit PLUS a "Just for You" stamp. Add some card stock and put something together and you will have a beautiful card!

After I took the photo above, my camera decided to act up….maybe it's going to be "one of those days"!! Here is a photo of the card I made, although it's not very good. Maybe I just need new batteries.

To get this Pop-Up Posies Designer Kit in your hands, just go to my Stampin' Up! Online Store and order! It is #131395 and you might like some Very Vanilla, Calypso Coral, Pool Party and Summer Starfruit card stock to coordinate with your flowers and kit!  You can find the Pop-Up Posies Designer Kit in the Stampin' Up! Spring Catalog!

With all the talk about our wonderful Stampin' Up! colors yesterday, I thought I would post an easy card I made with just black ink and white glossy card stock!  There's never anything wrong with just black and white! I remember doing a swap a long, long time ago using just black and white and it was one of my favorites! I like to use Glossy White card stock to add a little something to the card. (although it is difficult to photograph without glare!)  The base of the card is just Whisper White card stock with Basic Black layered on top of that.

Can you guess what stamp set I used on this card??  It might be tricky! Obviously I used lots of circle punches and popped some up with Stampin' Dimensionals.  The greeting is from Perfectly Penned.

Try your hand at just using black and white on a card or scrapbook page! I used the Jet Black StazOn Ink Pad, which is good for that real black…and for stamping on Glossy card stock.

So did you figure out what stamp set I used??  It's from the Holiday Catalog, although still available to order……It's Ornament Keepsakes!  Did you guess I used ornament stamps on this card….and it's not even Christmas?!  Once you alter the shape of the stamped image, it no longer is Christmas-y!  I just used circle punches to punch out the centers of the ornaments!  Get more use out of your "Christmas" stamps!

If you want to order some Christmas ornament stamps this weekend (Ornament Keepsakes!)…remember it is FREE SHIPPING from Stampin' Up! April 6-8…. just go to my Online Store and place your order! Get some Glossy White card stock, too, if you have never tried it!

Today is the first day of spring, so why not make a card for someone to brighten their day even more! On this card I used some Sale-A-Bration products that you can get free with each $50 purchase.  The Whisper White card layer is embossed with the Big Shot and the Vine Street Embossing Folder. For the look of flowers growing, I just punched some of the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper for the flower design and backed it with some card stock colors. Of course I had to add a little Rhinestone Jewel to the center of each flower.  The stems I cut by hand. The greeting is from the Tea Shoppe stamp set.

As you can see from this card, you don’t even need flower stamps to make a flower card!  Use some designer series paper and punch out some designs that can look like pretty flowers!

If you want to place an order before Sale-a-Bration ends on this Friday, March 22, just go to my Online Store here.  Make sure you see my name in the upper right corner and you are set!  Spend $50, get a free Sale-a-Bration Stampin’ Up! product!  Spend $100, get two!  Spend $150, get three SAB products plus Hostess Rewards plus a free pack of Silver Glimmer Paper!!

Let me know if you have any questions! Here are your SAB choices below!