One of the Stampin’ Up! retiring stamp sets is Everything Eleanor , which is a set that has been around a long time, it seems, and is good for all-occasion and any occasion cards! It’s an elegant set of stamps that you can make as simple or formal as you like. I’ve always loved the flourishes and the special shaped images to use as a background.

This card has Lost Lagoon, one of the retiring In Colors, as the card base with a Whisper White layer. I stamped the flourishes in Mossy Meadow  and the cute background shape in Lost Lagoon (stamped off once first). The flowers were all stamped in Stazon Ink on a scrap and colored in and cut out.  I used my Aqua Painter and the ink in the lid of the ink pads ( Calypso Coral, So Saffron, Melon Mambo).  The bird is also stamped and cut out.

The greeting is from the stamp set A Dozen Thoughts. It is also on the retiring list.  I noticed that the wood-mount version is discounted so it is only $1.25 more than the clear-mount! For that little price difference, I would rather have the wood-mount! Once you mount the stamps on the wood blocks, the stamps are ready to go all the time! If you don’t mind the extra storage space that the wider case takes up!

Stampin’ Up! Retiring List

Check it out soon because some items have already sold out!  Don’t miss out on what YOU want!

*Due to high demand for retiring stamps, Stampin’ Up! will keep producing retiring stamps until May 22 (not accessories, which are only while supplies last).

Sometimes when you think you are going to copy a card, it doesn’t turn out exactly like what you expected, like this Gorgeous Grunge Timeless Elegance Thank You Card. I was going to copy a card I saw in our Demonstrator magazine although I didn’t have the same stamp set or the same framelits. I substituted nearly everything and am undecided whether or not I even like this card!  What do you think?

The card base is made with Sahara Sand with a pattern from the Timeless Elegance Designer Series Paper layered on the front.  I found the already die cut shape in my package of Very Vanilla cardstock from (oops, maybe that one is already retired!) (I was thinking it was Deco Labels). I stamped the greeting from One Big Meaning. Then I used my Gorgeous Grunge Stamp Set to very lightly stamp to make a textured background.

Behind the die cut I adhered two pieces of the 1/4″ Cotton Ribbon (Melon Mambo and Pool Party) plus a stand of the Silver Sequin Trim. I also pulled off a few sequins from the trim and adhered them to the greeting die cut. It’s easiest to use the Fine Tip Glue Pen for tiny things like sequins.  And then I also used a few small and tiny pearls from the Pearl Basic Jewels.

So sometimes when you go to stamp something, you might surprise yourself with something very different than what you planned.  You just have to go with the flow and see where it takes you!

The Stampin’ Up! Retirement List is due to come out this afternoon at 1:00 pm MT (2:00 pm Central Time).  I will post the link to the list or whatever is available and all information as soon as I can.  That’s as much as I know at the moment!

Sounds like the Stampin’ Up! OnStage 2016 event in Salt Lake City was a big success and that everyone is excited about the new catalog!  The new catalog will go live June 1st. I should be able to give out/mail out catalogs to my customers when I receive them, probably around early to mid-May.  If you do not have a Demonstrator, I would be happy to be yours and mail you a catalog if you are interested in Stampin’ Up! products. Just email me with your contact information at Karen@KarenStamps.com.

If you have ordered from me as  “No Contact” customer, THANK YOU!, but know that I do not have your name or address. If you would like a catalog, just request one from me.

Shop Stampin’ Up! Online!

Watch for the Retirement List later today!

Today is National Beer Day, in case you hadn’t heard so I made a Beer Stein card to celebrate! It’s also a good card for a man in your life who likes beer (or even a woman) for a birthday or other occasion. Very easy to make with some paper trimming and punches.

My stein base of Whisper White is 3″ x 3/4″ with strips of Hello Honey cut to fit inside.  They are about 7/8″ wide and 3 1/2″ long.  I chose to put a piece of Vellum over the top to make it look like a frosted glass like you might get in a restaurant.  The foam bubbles are made with punched circles and I even punched some Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper for some tiny sparkly bubbles.  The handle is the largest oval punch with the Large Oval Punch punching the inside out.  My bubbles don’t show up very well on this photo.  You might like to sponge the edges a bit to make them stand out more.

I was wondering who thinks up all these “days”, but this one is actually rooted in history. National Beer Day is linked to the end of Prohibition and if you would like to read more about National Beer Day, check out this Fortune.com article HERE.

Whether you are a drinker or not, beer drinker or not, you might want to make a beer card to keep in your stash in case you have the perfect person to send one too!

There are some new items on the Clearance Rack so be sure to check that out! And all the Weekly Deals!

I wish you a Happy National Beer Day and I hope you celebrate at least by making a Beer Stein card!