Today was supposed to be a rainy, stormy day here in Houston and we have had a little bit of rain at my house and some people are getting storm warnings, but nothing like I thought we would have. So I thought a card with dark blue clouds,Island Indigo and the Cloudy Day Textured Impression Embossing Folder, using the Rain or Shine stamp set in the Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog would be perfectly appropriate today!

One of the top things people mention as the best thing about Stampin’ Up! is always their coordinating color collections. I used all 2011-13 In Colors plus two neutrals (Whisper White and Soft Suede) so I wouldn’t have to even think about what colors coordinated with what. The card base is Calypso Coral, the cloudy layer Island Indigo and the oval Pool Party.  The umbrellas are stamped in Calypso Coral ink, Wisteria Wonder and Lucky Limeade; the greeting in Island Indigo and the raindrops in Pool Party.

I just hand-cut the umbrellas but it wasn’t very tedious (at least if you have the Stampin’ Up! Paper Snips!) If you wanted to make it even simpler, you could cut straight across the bottom rather than go in and out the scalloped edges of the umbrellas, plus cut off the little top. Only one handle is cut out, the other two are stamped with Soft Suede.  The ovals were easy to cut, of course, with the Ovals Collection Framelits Dies.

For any stamping supplies you may need, Stampin’ Up! has the best! Visit my Online Store or contact me with your order.

Today is known as Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, which refers to the rich, fatty feasting during the carnivals before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent and fasting leading up to Easter Sunday. The colors of Mardi Gras are purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power.

I made this card with the Oh Hello stamp set using Mardi Gras colors to commemorate the day. The Champagne Glimmer Paper stands in nicely for gold. (Champagne Glimmer Paper IS still available #127885). The more I used the Oh Hello stamp set the more I love it!  I colored in the chevrons using Stampin' Write Markers with three different colors: Elegant Eggplant, Gumball Green, and More Mustard. Maybe I should have used Summer Starfruit so I would have ribbon to match, but sometimes colors appear lighter when you stamp with markers. To easily cut out the ovals, use the Ovals Collection Framelits Dies.  Purchase them with the Oh Hello stamp set in a bundle and save 15%!

If you want to scrapbook your Mardi Gras photos and memorabilia, Stampin' Up! has all the stamps, ink, paper, and accessories that you need!  You can shop online here any time! Or email me at Karen@KarenStamps.com.

If you want to read more about Mardi Gras, check out this article from the Times-Picayune of Greater New Orleans.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!!

(Let the good times roll!)

Today is Send a Card to a Friend Day! I don’t know who thinks these “holidays” up, but I do like this one! If what we love to do is make cards, then sending at least one to a friend is a great thing!  I know sometimes we just hoard the cards because we hate to part with our creations.  The solution to that is to make two or three of the same card…one for you to keep, one for you to send, and one for your extra stash for when you need a card right away!

The Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog stamp set “Oh Hello” is just perfect for this type of card!  It’s easy to use and create with, especially if you have the coordinating designer series paper, Tea for Two. You can even purchase the stamp set and the Oval Framelits in a bundle and save 15%!

Shop Online at my store anytime!  Be sure to take advantage of Sale-A-Bration….spend $50 or more and get a free product from the Sale-A-Bration brochure!

Make a card and send it to a friend today!!