Category Archives: Cards

De-Stress on Tax Day—Make a Pop-Up Posies Card!

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!

All Dressed Up Belated Birthday Card

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Do you have trouble getting birthday cards sent out on time? I can know a birthday is coming up for weeks and then still not get the card mailed on time or in enoughtime! That's why I like the greeting in the stamp set All Dressed Up. That's not exactly what it says, but I used parts of it to make the greeting I wanted. The stamp set All Dressed Up is really fun to play with, especially to use the Dress Up Framelits Dies with it and save yourself all that cutting time. There are lots of ways to play with these dresses,whether you are using the stamped dress or making your own with the Dress Up Framelits DIes.

To make the necklace, I just used a piece of Baker's Twine and a Rhinestone Jewel.

For any stamping supplies you may need, please visit my Stampin' Up! Online Store!

Scallop Envelope Baby Gift Card

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This is the little card I made with the Scallop Envelope Die to go with my baby shower gift in this post. I didn’t photograph the back of it, unfortunately, but the scalloped flap of the envelope in folded in and the bottom up and the side flap in to form the pocket. The other side flap is left open, as you can see.

The little window is punched with the cute Petite Curly Label Punch. The little greeting is stamped with the Ciao, Baby! stamp in the Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog. The pink ribbon is Melon Mambo 3/8″ Striped Organdy Ribbon. The blue is the 1/8″ Taffeta ribbon in Marina Mist.

Shelli Gardner, Founder and CEO of Stampin’ Up!, made this project on a local TV show! You can buy this Scallop Envelope Die at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store! It’s one of those cute and useful ones!

Baby Shower Gifts Handmade!

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A few weeks ago I needed a baby shower gift and kind of reverted back to something that was popular to do when I first started stamping. It was popular way back when (and still a good idea!) to buy a new paint can, decorate it and attach a certain poem someone made up. The idea was the new parents would be busy with the new baby and might not have time to write everything down they wanted to record in the baby book, so perhaps they would jot a quick note and throw it in this can and enter it in the baby book later.

Instead of a paint can, I used a white tin I had in my stash. It's decorated with Twitterpated Designer Series Paper and also a strip of Patio Party Designer Series Paper. It's easy enough to wrap two sheets of paper around the bottom of the tin (start at the back first). I like to use Stampin' Up! Anywhere Glue Sticks for a project like this, but you could also use the Multipurpose Glue or some like Sticky Strip tape. Rather than work around the handle at the top, I chose to just make some flowers with punched and distressed scallop punches and Glimmer Brads.

I also covered a little notebook with some Patio Party Designer Paper and inserted some matching paper into an RSVP pen to decorate it.

And a few baby thank you cards for the new mom to use (using a retired baby stamp set, but one of my favorites!)

And here's everything on the inside of the tin. You can read the poem I attached to the inside of the tin. Just click on the photo to enlarge. I used the Labels Collection Framelits Dies.

I also made a card with a picture of the "real" gift that the expectant mom would receive but I will post that another day!

Don't forget, today is the last day for FREE SHIPPING from Stampin' Up! That doesn't come around everyday, so if you need some stamping supplies, please browse through your catalogs and online and see what you need! We all know we "need" more!!

Order TODAY at my Online Store for FREE SHIPPING! TODAY ONLY!! LAST DAY!

Cross-Stitch & Papercrafting: Sweet Threads Simply Sent Card

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If you like making cards and papercrafting, and you also like cross-stitching, then this cute Sweet Threads Simply Sent Kit from Stampin' Up! is for you! My friend Sally was visiting recently and ordered this kit when she was here. The kit makes 8 printed cards, each of 2 colors. The needle holes are prepierced and the kit comes with embroidery floss and needles. It was a really pleasant surprise to receive this card in the mail from her the other day! She had also ordered the Scallop Trim Border Punch after playing with mine here and you can see her punching on this card! The greeting is from the Friendly Phrases stamp set.

Sally said there was plenty of thread for the designs and that even though she pulled her stitches tight, she didn't break any of the pierced holes! So she thought it was fun to make!

If you want to add something extra to your card-making, please try this kit! You can also purchase the Essentials stamp set with the words "Thank You" and "Happy Birthday" to go with it….better yet, purchase the Sweet Threads Bundle (the stamp set and the kit) for a 15% savings!

Order it this weekend when Stampin' Up! is offering FREE SHIPPING April 6-8, 2013! Everything is available for FREE SHIPPING so take advantage of this great deal!! Just click that link to go directly to my Stampin' Up! Online Store!

Free Shipping at Stampin’ Up! April 6-8, 2013

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Images copyright Stampin' Up! 2013

Click picture to enlarge

Stampin' Up! announced a "Color Refresh" the other day, and I made this display above in My Digital Studio of all the retiring colors! As you can see, the discontinued Stampin' Up! colors are:

Regal Rose
Pretty in Pink
Bashful Blue
Certainly Celery
Baja Breeze
Riding Hood Red
Bravo Burgundy
Not Quite Navy
More Mustard
River Rock

Stampin' Up! is also having FREE SHIPPING starting NOW and going until Monday night at 11:50 MT. I'm guessing that a lot of people will be wanting to stock up on these retiring colors….but not just the card stock and ink…..think about refills for each one, ribbon, buttons, markers, designer paper…whatever has these colors in it!

Of course the FREE SHIPPING is on EVERYTHING Stampin' Up! sells….so take advantage of it! It's rare that Stampin' Up! offers free shipping! Check the annual catalog, the Spring catalog, all the specials….the clear stamps, the Dude You're Welcome Kit, the new preview stamp set A Round Array, the new Petite Curly Label Punch,…especially the new This and That line in the bundle at a 15% discount!

Also, remember Watercolor Crayons are being discontinued, due to problems with the supplier, so the Neutrals, Subtles, and Regals are available while supplies last! Watercolor Pencils are no longer available either.

Once you are ready to order, go to my Online Store here! Sign in or Create an Account. You can see all the New Arrivals, Specials, Clearance Rack…all on the left sidebar.

If you prefer, you can email your order to me although you will have to give me your payment information. Email me at Karen@KarenStamps.com.

"Like Me" on Facebook or check back here on my blog and I'll try to keep you up-to-date if anything sells out or if there is any new information!

Let me know if you have any problems or questions! The retiring colors are only available while supplies last!

Check my blog post here for more information, if you want.

Just be sure to go directly to my Online Store here…don't start at Stampinup.com…especially if you have a large order so you get the best prices, etc.

Have fun shopping!!

Make an Easy Black and White Card to Make

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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!

Happy Easter to You!

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Here’s an Easter card that just popped into my head to make. I know years and years and years ago someone made these little individual wooden crosses to stand on wooden bases for our family with an artificial flower stuck on the middle. Perhaps one had little white flowers all over the cross, I don’t quite remember, but it is the image I had in my mind when I made this card. I just punched out some white flowers with the Itty Bitty Punch Pack, poked them with my bone folder to get them to curl up a bit, and put a rhinestone in the middle.

I hope you are spending a wonderful Easter Sunday with your family; and if you have little ones, really treasure this time!

Here are some Texas Bluebonnets in our yard that always make me think of Easter time!

And some of the last of the azaleas for the season!

Make a Card for Easter with an Easter Bunny

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It’s not too late to make a card for Easter! This one is easy to make and you can do it with whatever supplies you have. The bunny is from the Stampin’ Up! stamp set Everybunny in the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog. Just stamp in Black Stazon Ink…or even any color of ink (and don’t necessarily color in). If you stamp in Black Stazon, you can watercolor with markers, ink, Blender Pen, brush, or Aqua Painter. I used my Watercolor Crayons and Aqua Painter. Love using those! The Easter bunny is then die cut with the Labels Collection Framelits and put on a layer of Melon Mambo. If you don’t have those framelits, use some other shape or even just layer rectangles. That’s how we did it before framelits! I used a strip of Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series Paper….I love how “Eastery” and “springy” those colors look!…. and tied a piece of 5/8″ Whisper White Organza Ribbon around the middle of the card. The greeting is already included in the Everybunny set, punched out with the Large Oval Punch and layered on the Scallop Oval Punch.

If it is too late to mail, hand it to a friend, a neighbor, or someone at church on Easter Sunday!

You can find all of these supplies in my Stampin’ Up! Online Store here!

If you don’t have the bunnies, stamp a flower instead and a greeting, add a pretty strip of designer paper, or not, and you can make a card you can be proud to give someone for Easter!

Make a Card for the First Day of Spring!

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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!

How to Make Stampin’ Up! Creped Filter Paper Flowers

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If you have wondered how to make some of the beautiful paper flowers you see around, here’s how to use the Stampin’ Up! Creped Filter Paper to make lovely paper flowers. Our azaleas are blooming beautifully outside this week so my mind is on flowers!

You can use punches or the Big Shot to cut out your flower shapes. On this flower, I used the Floral Frames Framelits. I cut out four layers of filter paper at one time!

You may leave the filter paper plain white and still make a beautiful poofy flower, but if you like a colored one, there are several ways to do it. The first one I made in this post here, I brayered each piece of filter paper. I suppose you could also sponge the ink on the paper.

Today, though, I’ve seen other people online spritzing their filter paper! If you have the empty Stampin’ Spritzer #126185 (you get two in a package for only $2.95), just add some 70% rubbing alcohol and some drops of reinker in the color you want. You could combine colors if you wanted. I filled the spritzer tube about halfway with alcohol and put in about six drops of reinker. It came out pretty light although you can respray or add more drops. Better to want to add some than to wish you had made it lighter! I made two colors, one Daffodil Delight and one Calypso Coral. Shake them up and spray! The alcohol will dry pretty quickly.

When dry, layer the flowers one on top of the other, even offsetting them so they look more like a real flower. Insert any brad in the center to hold them together (it will barely show, if at all, so no need to use a good one).

Next, pull up each layer, starting in the center and scrunch it up in the center. Don’t worry, it’s not supposed to look good while you do it! After you do all the layers, pull them all back down slightly to make your flower look how you want. I also sponged some ink around the edges of the whole flower that really added a nice accent.

Try it! It’s easy and probably like paper flowers you made as a child!

Don’t forget, Sale-A-Bration is ending March 22 so be sure to order and earn your free Sale-A-Bration product from Stampin’ Up! with every $50 purchase! Just go to my Online Store here or email me.

If you like this post and want to share it, please click on one of the buttons at the very, very bottom of this post!

Patio Party All-Occasion Card

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An all-occasion card is one that we can all make and would be handy to have in our stash. Sometimes I don’t put a greeting on the front of the card so that I can add whatever I want later for whatever occasion I need.

If you remember in this post the other day, it was like I rediscovered the Patio Party Designer Series Paper and loved it! I knew I loved it when I first saw it at Stampin’ Up! Convention or Leadership awhile back, but then I never used it much. Right now it really appeals to me. One of the sheets in the pack has the multi-pattern design as you see on the bottom of the card….so no work! Just cut off a piece and adhere it to your card and it will look like you spent time adding various patterns in strips!

I loved making a flower with the Flower Folds Die and the Big Shot out of several different patterns of the paper. Maybe a real flower wouldn’t have the lines of a banner going across it, but I liked the colorful look.

Play with what you have and I bet you will be inspired too!

Don’t forget, Sale-A-Bration is going on but not for too much longer! With every $50 purchase you get a free Sale-a-Bration product! Shop Online HERE!

When is Daylight Savings Time? Change Your Alarm Clock Tonight!

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When is daylight savings time? Change your alarm clock, and all your clocks, tonight when you go to bed….unless you are up around 2 am and want to change your clocks then! Spring forward an hour in the spring…..that's the easy way to remember which way the clock goes for daylight savings time! It's hard to get up an hour earlier, but at least we will have more sun and sunshine and longer days.

Don't forget to check your smoke alarm batteries tonight too! It's a good way to remember to do it, to tie it in with changing your clocks for daylight savings time.

This card was make easily in My Digital Studio, the digital papercrafting solution from Stampin' Up! You can choose a template already designed, you can choose a template but change anything you want on it to make your own design, or you can start from scratch and make your own project! It's great and easy to learn….lots of fun, too!

Try My Digital Studio FREE for 30 days and see how you like it! Make some projects, buy some downloads of your choice, have your projects printed! No risk, no obligation. You keep the downloads you purchase even if you do not buy the software. Just go to my Online Store and try it out for 30 days! I can direct to you lots of videos that will get you started….if you need it.

Four Leaf Clover Smooch Spritzed with Gold

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Soon it will be St. Patrick's Day, March 17th! Did you know you can make a four-leaf clover with hearts? And why not a touch of Gold Smooch Spritz to your four-leaf clover for good luck?! The hearts are die cut with the Hearts Framelits Dies, the white hearts being stamped with the Hearts a Flutter stamp set in Gumball Green. As I looked at my desk, I spied a Paper Doily and thought maybe that would work as a background for the clover. It fit perfectly on my 4 1/4" square card. The greeting is stamped with the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and punched out with the Modern Label Punch. I don't know if four-leaf clovers come with a rhinestone in the middle, but mine does! Love those Rhinestone Jewels!

If you need to make a shamrock or four-leaf clover for a St. Patrick's Day card or treat, don't despair if you don't have an appropriate stamp…..just use hearts!

Shop Stampin' Up! Online here for all your stamping supplies!

Celebrate Easter with My Digital Studio

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Let the Stampin' Up! digital papercrafting download for My Digital Studio help you make your Easter celebration a little easier!

This download, Celebrate Easter Ensemble, includes:

* 5-page décor designer template (8-1/2" x 11")
* Double-sided postcard template (5" x 3-1/2")
* 14-piece SVG stamp brush set
* 7 Designer Series Papers
* 8 embellishments

Get these downloads printed and make your own egg holders, napkin rings, mini baskets, cupcake holders, name cards, table tents, invitations and whatever your Easter imagination comes up with!

Colors:
Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Lucky Limeade, Melon Mambo, Pool Party, Sahara Sand, Taken with Teal, Whisper White

Click here to purchase this download or to look at each element more closely. AND view the other downloads for this week!

Click on the download to bring up the single download. Right below you will see "More Images". Click on those words, which brings up a closer view. Then click on each image and finally the word "next" to see even more in that download.

If you don't own My Digital Studio already, take the 30-day FREE Trial of My Digital Studio! Buy the Celebrate Easter download, if you like, play around with it, print your projects, and get the full My Digital Studio experience! No obligation! My Digital Studio is pretty intuitive, even for the beginner, but if you need more resources, I can help!

Go to my store now to check out My Digital Studio and all the downloads!

Stamping With Karen

Having Fun With Paper, Ink, and Stamps

Category Archives: Cards

De-Stress on Tax Day—Make a Pop-Up Posies Card!

All Dressed Up Belated Birthday Card

Scallop Envelope Baby Gift Card

Baby Shower Gifts Handmade!

Cross-Stitch & Papercrafting: Sweet Threads Simply Sent Card

Free Shipping at Stampin’ Up! April 6-8, 2013

Make an Easy Black and White Card to Make

Happy Easter to You!

Make a Card for Easter with an Easter Bunny

Make a Card for the First Day of Spring!

How to Make Stampin’ Up! Creped Filter Paper Flowers

Patio Party All-Occasion Card

When is Daylight Savings Time? Change Your Alarm Clock Tonight!

Four Leaf Clover Smooch Spritzed with Gold

Celebrate Easter with My Digital Studio