Category Archives: Cards

Christmas Cards Galore!

The last few weeks have been extremely busy and now that the kids are all home plus one girlfriend the days have REALLY been extremely busy!! It's been go, go, go and keeping things running at home…..no time for leisurely addressing of Christmas cards! I did manage to finish these cards, with the help of my son's girlfriend, and when I get off the computer I hope to address them and get them in the mail…..at least they would be sent out before Christmas even if they won't arrive until after! But if I get distracted with fixing breakfast or lunch or one more shopping errand..and did anyone make reservations for dinner tonight? NO!…. if I don't get the cards in the mail, that's okay. They'll either be late or I'll be ready early for next year!!

I always remember one Christmas party the kids and I were invited to at a neighbor's when they were very little on a Saturday morning and I REALLY had other Christmas things to be doing but I HAD to go to this party. Another mother arrived and said that if going to this party meant her Christmas cards didn't get sent out, then so be it. The party was SO lovely and fun and a time to share with the kids we knew and the other mothers, more important than the Christmas rat race we thought we had to keep up with. Now we probably all raced even harder after the party, but at least we enjoyed the calm for a couple of hours!

So here is an assortment of Christmas cards, mostly copied from other cards I've seen here and there on all my sources. If you need a last minute idea, I hope you can use one of these!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

PS: If you live in the Houston TX area and want to see some Christmas lights be sure to go out to Pecan Grove in Richmond where nearly every house is decorated, some spectacularly! Eric's girlfriend and I (the only Christmas-light-lovers in the family!) drove out there last night and really enjoyed it! Wish I'd had my camera, but take my word for it, it is magical to see a whole streetful of lights!

Shimmer Paints Still Available!

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Exciting news!! The Shimmer Paint in the current Holiday Mini Catalog has been so popular that even though the Holiday Mini ends on January 4, 2010 the Shimmer Paint will still be available as a write-in after that!

116806	Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint	$5.95
116854	Frost White Shimmer Paint	$5.95
116807	Platinum Shimmer Paint	$5.95

If you haven't already tried the new Shimmer Paint you will want to in the New Year! There are lots of ways to use it and a little goes a long way!

Here's an easy card I made stamping the snowflakes in the background with the Shimmer Paint. They're very light and yet they add some beautiful interest to the card. I think they show up pretty well in this photo for you to see!

Just use your sponge dauber to apply the Shimmer Paint lightly directly to your stamp!

Quick Christmas Notes

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Need some quick little note cards or gift cards for Christmas? These are so fun to make! Just cut some card stock 3" x 6", fold in half and then decorate with a few stamps, scraps, or punches! Once you start you will hardly be able to stop! Have fun!

It Might Snow….in Houston, TX!!!

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Amazingly, the forecast for Houston tomorrow is for SNOW!!!!!!!!!!! Now it might not ACTUALLY snow, but to even have mention of snow in Houston is beyond spectacular! It even has been pretty chilly here the last couple of days, jacket weather if you're going to be outside for more than a few minutes, so it makes a forecast of snow a little bit believable. Today the sun is shining but yesterday it was very cloudy at times, which made me feel like it could snow. Now the snow might not be any more than a few flakes falling as the rain changes to snow….or it might even be a couple of inches, some computer models say! But two flakes would be exciting down here in the tropics! Thus, I was inspired to make this card with one of my favorite stamp sets, Big on Christmas (#116578). I used Soft Suede for the card base, Real Red for layers, and the beautiful Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Paper (#116770) in the Holiday Mini. The snowflake is made with the Jumbo Snowflake Punch (#116628) with a very small Clear Rhinestone Brad (#113144) in the center. For a little extra dazzle I drew on some icicles with the Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive and then sprinkled with the White Chunky Essentials Stampin' Glitter (#108797).

STAMPIN’ UP! ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA! STARTS TODAY!!

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The holidays are almost upon us and Stampin' Up! is having a Holiday Sale starting today, November 23 through November 30. For one week only, you can get amazing discounts….up to 50% off!….on over 40 products and product bundles! Just click the "Sale" button to the right to see the products on my website or click HERE. You can order online or you can call or email me with your order. Note that the Ultimate Stampers Starter Bundle is only available while supplies last. For online orders, discounts will be shown in the shopping bag at checkout. Contact me with any questions!

This sale is for YOU and for your gift-giving! Don't forget to consult the Holiday Gift Giving Guide as well!

Have fun shopping!!

Product Offering:

Item	Description	Regular Price	Discounted Price
120280	Framed with Love Bundle Framed with Love stamp set Full Heart punch	$43.90	$21.95
120281	Thank You Kindly Bundle Thank You Kindly stamp set Scallop Edge punch	$29.90	$14.95
120976	Thank You Kindly Bundle (French) Tous mes remerciements stamp set Scallop Edge punch	$29.90	$14.95
120282	Animal Crackers Bundle Animal Crackers stamp set Star Designer brads	$25.90	$12.95
120283	Corduroy Button Bundle Kraft Corduroy buttons Pumpkin Pie Corduroy buttons Summer Sun Corduroy buttons Basic Gray Corduroy buttons Chocolate Chip Corduroy buttons	$49.75	$24.88
120284	Game Night Bundle Card Games stamp set Game Night stamp set	$40.90	$20.45
120285	Four Square Bundle Four Square stamp set Scallop Square punch	$30.90	$15.45
120286	Heart to Heart Bundle Love You Much stamp set Heart to Heart punch Pretty in Pink 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon	$49.85	$24.93
120310	Heart to Heart Bundle (Spanish) Te Quiero Mucho stamp set Heart to Heart punch Pretty in Pink 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon	$49.85	$24.93
120311	Heart to Heart Bundle (French) J't'aime beaucoup stamp set Heart to Heart punch Pretty in Pink 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon	$49.85	$24.93
120287	Chipboard Letter Bundle On Board Timeless Type On Board Loads of Letters	$25.90	$12.95
120288	Double-Stitched Ribbon Bundle Bashful Blue 1" double-stitched grosgrain ribbon Rose Red 1" double-stitched grosgrain ribbon	$17.90	$10.74
120289	Ultimate Stampers' Starter Bundle* Best Wishes & More stamp set Eight Great Greetings stamp set On a Pedestal stamp set Earth Elements Stampin' Spots Earth Elements assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11") Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11") Old Olive 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Flower Designer brads	$127.70	$76.62
120290	Build-A-Brad Bundle Calendar Alphabet stamp set Pewter Build-A-Brad Antique Brass Build-A-Brad	$40.85	$24.51
120291	Enjoy Every Moment Bundle Enjoy Every Moment stamp set Circle Designer brads Flower Designer brads	$43.85	$26.31
120312	Enjoy Every Moment Bundle (French) Profiter de chaque instant stamp set Circle Designer brads Flower Designer brads	$43.85	$26.31
120292	Cheep Talk Bundle Cheep Talk stamp set Note cards Pumpkin Pie Corduroy buttons	$42.85	$25.71
120293	Sock Monkey Bundle Sock Monkey stamp set Sock Monkey Accessories stamp set Chocolate Chip Corduroy buttons	$58.85	$35.31
120313	Sock Monkey Bundle (French) Sing-chaussette stamp set Sock Monkey Accessories stamp set Chocolate Chip Corduroy buttons	$58.85	$35.31
120294	Alphabet Bundle Jayne's Type Alphabet stamp set Lovely Letters stamp set	$87.90	$52.74
120295	Simply Said Bundle Simply Said stamp set Old Olive 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Full Heart punch	$52.85	$31.71
120314	Simply Said Bundle (French) Amitié stamp set Old Olive 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Full Heart punch	$52.85	$31.71
120296	On Board Bundle On Board So Tweet On Board Batch of Blooms On Board Essentials	$42.85	$25.71
120927	Christmas Décor Bundle #1 Holly Berry Wreath Décor Elements (Kraft, Real Red) Real Red Vintage Ornaments Décor Elements Chocolate Vintage Ornaments Décor Elements	$74.85	$44.91
120298	Christmas Décor Bundle #2 Holly Beary Wreath Décor Elements (Chocolate, Real Red) Real Red Vintage Ornaments Décor Elements Chocolate Vintage Ornaments Décor Elements	$74.85	$44.91
120299	Christmas Décor Bundle #3 Holly Berry Wreath Décor Elements (Old Olive, Real Red) Real Red Vintage Ornaments Décor Elements Chocolate Vintage Ornaments Décor Elements	$74.85	$44.91
120300	For All You Do Bundle For All You Do stamp set 5/16" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$36.90	$25.83
120315	For All You Do Bundle (French) Merci pour tout stamp set 5/16" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$36.90	$25.83
120316	For All You Do Bundle (Spanish) Por todo lo que haces stamp set 5/16" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$36.90	$25.83
120301	Striped Ribbon Bundle Bashful Blue 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Pumpkin Pie 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Old Olive 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Pretty in Pink 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon So Saffron 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Real Red 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon	$47.73	$33.41
120302	Bling Bundle Sticky Pages Sticky Cuts Sweet Fine Supernova Stampin' Glitter Fine Galaxy Stampin' Glitter	$43.80	$30.66
120303	Fresh-Cut Bundle Fresh Cuts stamp set Fresh-Cut Notes 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$37.85	$26.50
120317	Fresh-Cut Bundle (French) Fraicheur exuise stamp set Fresh-Cut Notes 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$37.85	$26.50
120304	Pendant Note Bundle Pendant Park stamp set Pendant notes 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$39.85	$27.90
120318	Pendant Note Bundle (French) Adorable parc stamp set Pendant notes 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$39.85	$27.90
120319	Pendant Note Bundle (Spanish) Un dia en el parque stamp set Pendant notes 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$39.85	$27.90
120305	Sporting Bundle #1 Large Night of Navy Sporting Décor Elements Night of Navy Just Sports Décor Elements	$67.90	$47.54
120306	Sporting Bundle #2 Large Chocolate Sporting Décor Elements Chocolate Just Sports Décor Elements	$67.90	$47.54
120307	Sporting Bundle #3 Large Black Sporting Décor Elements Black Just Sports Décor Elements	$67.90	$47.54
114864	Ginormous Flowers I Décor Elements	$39.95	$27.97
114863	Ginormous Flowers II Décor Elements	$39.95	$27.97
112534	5/16" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$7.95	$5.57
112533	5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$6.95	$4.87
112081	Scallop Square punch	$15.95	$11.17
113693	Full Heart punch	$15.95	$11.17
113694	Heart to Heart punch	$15.95	$11.17
112091	Scallop Edge punch	$15.95	$11.17
112571	Circle Designer brads	$5.95	$4.17
112579	Flower Designer brads	$5.95	$4.17
112572	Star Designer brads	$5.95	$4.17
114785	Small Wonderful Flowers Décor Elements	$39.95	$27.97
114786	Medium Wonderful Flowers Décor Elements	$69.95	$48.97
114791	Small Wonderful Leaves Décor Elements	$39.95	$27.97
114792	Medium Wonderful Leaves Décor Elements	$64.95	$45.47

*This bundle is only available while supplies last.

Turkey Thanksgiving Card

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With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, I fear we almost forget to think about Thanksgiving. So today I got my creative mind back on Thanksgiving and wanted to use this cute little turkey, "Gobble Gobble" available now in the Holiday Mini (page 31) #116535. You'll be pleased to know it is one of the "Under $10" stamps! Here is the card I made!

My card base is Soft Suede, 4 1/4" x 4 1/4".

Autumn Traditions DSP layered on Ruby Red card stock.

Gobble Gobble Turkey stamped on Very Vanilla and layered on More Mustard and Always Artichoke.

Ribbon Very Vanilla Taffeta.

Christmas Top Note Card

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Here's a fun card we made at a recent workshop. The card base is Real Red and I'm sure you recognize the Top Note Die made with the Big Shot. I stamped the Top Note layer with Old Olive little images in the Delightful Decorations set and stamped and punched out the ornaments with the fabulous new Ornament Punch in the Holiday Mini. I just used a little bit of Gold Cord on the ornaments for a hook and popped them up with Dimensionals.

Don't think that after Christmas you will have to put away the Ornament Punch because it is out of season either!! Some creative gals have used it to make vases or fish (sideways) and other things! Amazing!

If you would like to purchase any of the product used in this card, please email me or use the Shop Online button!

Veterans Day 2009

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This is a swap card I received at the Stampin' Up! Convention this summer, made by Julia G. from California. I thought it would be perfect to showcase today on Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor military veterans.

This card uses the stamp set Courage for the main image, the set Service & Sacrifice for the sentiment, and in the background on the Brilliant Blue the wheel Hero. You can find all of these stamps on page 67 of the Idea Book & Catalog.

You can read all about Veterans Day by clicking HERE.

Robot Gift Card

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It's been awhile since I have used this template…usually I think people put a tea bag or a chocolate candy in the little pocket. But since I needed a quick birthday gift for a young teenage boy, I thought it would be fine to hold cash! I thought of my Lots of Bots stamp set, a good one for boys, and stamped that image for the front. After I had it all colored in and mounted on Brushed Silver card stock, I thought it needed a little more silver…..and since I am apparently into silver glitter these days, why not a little silver glitter, Chunky Essentials, for the robot! I just applied a thin line of Tombow Multi Glue around the edge and sprinkled on the glitter. I think it looks kind of jazzy now! The Designer Paper I used is the retired Jersey Shore, a good set of colors for a boy. You could also use any color of card stock and perhaps embellish it with some designer paper. Lots of opportunity for creativity in this easy project! Email me if you want more information or ideas!

Fun & Fast Notes

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I felt like I needed to get back to some simple, versatile stamping today and decided to pull out my Fun & Fast Notes stamp set. This set covers about every occasion and is easy and fun to use. Here is a birthday card I made, adding some brads on the side and a little Dazzling Diamonds on the cake (flames and middle layer of frosting!). After that I decided to add a little something to the background so I used the Retro Remix wheel and Versamark ink. I used our Stampin' Up! Watercolor Paper for the cake and colored in with In Color Markers and my Aquapainter. If you don't own this set, you can go to my Online Store and order it!

Lots of Bots Birthday Card

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Now that my son's birthday is over I will post the card I made for him. Not that I really think he would be reading his mother's stamping blog, but it seemed better to wait! When this stamp set first came out and Stampin' Up! demonstrators had a chance to preorder it at a discount, I was going to pass on it. But then I remembered my son was going to be working on some robot project at college, so gee, it might come in handy! I've seen lots of cute cards made with it so it is a great set to own!

Here is the card for his 21st birthday…..and he LIKED the card! What more could a stamping mother want??!

I used the In Colors Crushed Curry and Soft Suede, plus some Basic Gray under the 021, only because I couldn't find my Brushed Silver at the moment. That is one of the Sweet Treat Cups holding the screws, etc. from the Holiday Mini.….so the Sweet Treat Cups aren't just for candy! The Sweet Treat Cup is actually mounted to the inside of the card so that the front opens and you can still see the robot in the cup. You use the 1 3/4" Circle Punch to make the holes. After I made the first one, I traced with a pencil where the next one would go so I would get the placement right with the punch and everything would line up. The punches work best with one layer of card stock at a time.

Use some Mini Glue Dots to attach the front of the Treat Cup to the layer you see here, then when you attach the stamped robot layer you will peel away the adhesive strip on the actual Treat Cup to adhere that so it looks like the robot is inside the cup.

I left the right hand corner unstamped so we could sign the card there! Be sure to stamp the images before adhering over the Treat Cup……otherwise it is difficult to stamp near the cup! Duh!

And the finished card again………..

I hope these photos make the assembly process somewhat clear, but if not, email me with any questions!

PS: Since I don't own any number stamps, I used My Digital Studio to print out the numbers I wanted and then adhered them to this card!

My Digital Studio Card

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While I have owned My Digital Studio since it first was available, I haven't been as quick as others to whip out projects in ten minutes! We were out of town for ten days and of course it took probably at least a week to catch up on things at home after returning. Since I'm not one to just "get in there and play" with the software, I have been listening to and watching the training webinars Stampin' Up! has been providing for demonstrators. So while I have been "playing" with My Digital Studio, I also found it valuable to follow some of the training provided. Now that our big trip to New England is long over plus another weekend trip, I've been finding more time to enjoy My Digital Studio. Click HERE for more information.

My Digital Studio provides designer templates that you can use as is, adding your own photos for a photo album or other project, or adding your own embellishments, etc.

Here is the greeting card template I started with:

(I added the black border in my blog as the card is white and it wasn't showing up!)

And now here is my own version:

As you can see, I added some digital red grosgrain ribbon and a bow and a digital layer of Real Red card stock behind the snowflakes. I'm having it printed by the Stampin' Up! professional printer.

Last night I was really going to town working on a multimedia photo album but had to stop to go to bed! It is so much fun to discover what all is included in this program….and there already are some new downloads! Let me know if you have any questions if you are considering purchasing My Digital Studio!

Medallion Halloween Card

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Here are the Stampin' Up! Deals of the Week, good until Monday, Oct. 26 at 9:50 am MT! In looking at this list, I think you would enjoy any and all of these embellishments to use on your cards, scrapbook pages, or any projects.

Week 3 Deals of the Week

Item	Description	Special Price
114348	Basic Jumbo grommets	$4.49
109857	Mini Library clips	$8.99
112571	Circle Designer brads	$3.99
112581	1/2" Library clips	$3.99

I decided to make a card showing the Basic Jumbo grommets. Since I had played around with the "Medallion" stamp this weekend, I was in the mood to use it on this card somehow. The other stamp set is "Eat, Drink & Be Scary". The little strip of designer series paper is called "Cast-A-Spell" in the Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog.

Here's a close-up of the grommet….very easy to use…..just poke it through the paper and fold down the tabs on the other side. Stick a bow in the center just using some mini glue dots.

When you have an order ready to place, be sure to check the Deals of the Week during the month of October!

Autumn Splendor

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I had purchased this stamp set, Autumn Splendor, in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini, thinking about our upcoming (at the time) New England fall foliage trip. I knew it would make beautiful cards and scrapbook pages with fall colored leaves. Here is a card I made. I stamped the leaf with Basic Brown ink so I could watercolor the leaf with my Aquapainter and Watercolor Crayons to give it the fall colors. Then I painted over the leaf with the new Shimmer Paint in the Holiday Mini (Champagne Mist). The shimmer kind of covered the colors of the leaf but I think it still turned out well and I hope you can see the shimmer in the photos. You'll love the new Shimmer Paint! If you need any suggestions or tips on using it, please email me.

The card base is made with Dusty Durango card stock and the Designer Paper layer is Autumn Meadows from the Holiday Mini. Those are actually the two sides of the paper you see in the photo! The ribbon is Dusty Durango polka dot turned around so you just see the solid side. And for a greeting I used Teeny Tiny Wishes punched out with the Oval Punch and layered on the Scallop Oval Punch. You'll notice the leaf layer is sponged on the side, which I do think adds a lot….but just so you know, I decided to do the sponging after somehow getting extra ink from my fingers on the edges of the card. See! There are no mistakes in stamping! You can probably click on the photos to see them enlarged.

Here are some more photos from our trip!

Wouldn't you love to stamp some colored leaves??!

Little Boo Ghost Halloween Card

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Yesterday I told you about the Little Boo ghost stamp on the "Under $10" page in the Stampin' Up! catalog. I decided to stamp my own Halloween Designer Paper for this card using Little Boo! To make the ghost in the center of the card, I used the Wide Oval Punch and just trimmed with a scissors to make the wavy bottom of his body. The arms are made from theModern Label Punch, cut in half. The eyes are punched with the 1/4" circle punch, or you could just color them in with black marker. I drew in the mouth and sponged the edges of the ghost with More Mustard just to make him show up a little better. The "Happy Halloween", from All Holidays, is punched with the Modern Label Punch (gotta have it!). It is separate from the layering under the ghost, I just liked the way it fit right at the bottom of the layered piece.

Time to order your Halloween stamping supplies! Go to my online store HERE and click the "Show Now" button!

Stamping With Karen

Having Fun With Paper, Ink, and Stamps

Category Archives: Cards

Christmas Cards Galore!

Shimmer Paints Still Available!

Quick Christmas Notes

It Might Snow….in Houston, TX!!!

STAMPIN’ UP! ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA! STARTS TODAY!!

Turkey Thanksgiving Card

Christmas Top Note Card

Veterans Day 2009

Robot Gift Card

Fun & Fast Notes

Lots of Bots Birthday Card

My Digital Studio Card

Medallion Halloween Card

Autumn Splendor

Little Boo Ghost Halloween Card