Better Late Than Never: Making the April Paper Pumpkin Kit

Paper Pumpkin Kit April 2015

Better late than never!  I finally sat down to do my April 2015 Paper Pumpkin Kit – before my May Kit arrives. Not that it matters WHEN you do your kit, just that you enjoy it!

Check out this special deal HERE going on now for Paper Pumpkin! 50% first two months!

First off, I was excited to see that the little pocket folders already had adhesive tape applied! The first one I folded wrong, with those flaps showing on the outside on the back – not that it matters, but then I figured out that they probably go on the inside and I just needed to fold them to the inside first. I made a few bows and attacked the belly bands.  Glad Stampin’ Up! is supplying some glue dots and dimensionals to use! Everything is right there! Well, I did need scissors to cut the baker’s twine to tie through the little hole at the top!

Then I started stamping my little white cards – great choices in stamps to choose from! I sloppily stamped a few, set an inked stamp down on the colored card, smudged one white card front and back, and dropped my iPhone in the ink pad! Otherwise, it all was great!  It’s always a good idea to clean your photopolymer stamps first, ink them up and stamp several times on scrap paper, just to get them kind of conditioned in case there is any residue on them from manufacturing. If you don’t get a good impression you might be able to use a Stampin’ Write Marker or a  Blender Pen and ink to lightly fill in the less than perfect portions.

Paper Pumpkin Kit April 2015 Love You a Lot

There are some great alternate ideas for making this kit.  I needed “Thank You” cards so I made those. I’ll have to see what materials I have left and see what else I can make.  Stampin’ Up! is pretty generous with supplies in these kits and sometimes you can even use the scraps for making projects!

Go to my Stamping With Karen Facebook page and watch how quick it is to assemble one of these cards! 🙂  Click the “LIKE” button while you are over there!

Making Lullaby Baby Cards for Gifts

Baby Gift 3x3 Cards

This is what I had planned to make the other day, little 3″ x 3″ cards that could be used for a gift enclosure or tag – or even made into a larger card for baby. I used the Lullaby Designer Series Paper, which is retiring and is also on the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals. The papers are just soft colors and patterns that you could use for anything, not strictly baby.  But they are lovely for babies!

The little bunny is my favorite stamp in the Baby We’ve Grown stamp set! This stamp set is also retiring so check it out. The greeting on the other card is from the set Crazy About You.  I think that one is sticking around. Lots of words to choose from to use singly or in combinations.

And I had fun making matching envelopes the correct size with my Envelope Punch Board.  Easy peasy once you use it!

If you need any of these supplies, just visit my Online Store.

Lullaby Paper on a Z-Fold Card

Lullaby Paper Z-Fold Card

I think this is called a Z-Fold card!  It uses the Lullaby Designer Series Paper, which is on the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals this week. In spite of the name, you won’t find anything “baby” about it on any of the patterns unless you could little tiny hearts. If you like the colors –  Baked Brown Sugar, Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Hello Honey, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White – then you should get it!  Don’t pass it up because it is called “Lullaby”.  But it is also soft and pretty for any baby projects!  So very versatile.

I happened to find a piece of card stock in my Coastal Cabana stash, that was already scored in this template. Basically, if you had a regular card base, you would just fold the front back on itself in half!

For a piece of card stock that is 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″, place the card stock horizontally and score at 2 1/8″ and 4 1/4″.  Then fold the card in half the normal way, but then fold the right hand side of the front of the card back toward the fold.  You can see better in the photo below.

Z-Fold Card

Then I used the Deco Label Framelits to die cut the labels on the front and stamped with one of my favorite greetings which is in the Yippee-Skippee Stamp SetThis stamp set is on the Retiring List so get it while you can.  The Lullaby paper is also retiring since it has the outgoing In Colors in it, plus it is on the Weekly Deals.

For a little embellishment, I used a Rhinestone Jewel on each side of the Deco Label. If you are going to stamp a greeting on the inside, you would want to do it so that it is hidden behind that label when the card is closed, if you can.

If you need any of the supplies to make this card, please shop at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store!

Special Note:  When you order, you have the choice to check off whether or not you want to be contacted by Stampin’ Up! or by a Demonstrator. I completely understand the choice some people make to not be contacted because sometimes we want to buy our stuff and not be bothered any further.  But I feel bad when I cannot send you a card thanking you for your order, or now that new catalogs are coming out, I cannot send you a catalog. If you have ordered as “No Contact” from me and are reading this, if you like, just send me an email if you would like a new catalog when I send them out. I promise I won’t bother you otherwise! Some people like to have the hard copy in their hands, but if you prefer to just look at one online, that is fine too!

Deals & Deals!! Paper Pumpkin Deal & Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals

Paper Pumpkin Special May 2015

Paper Pumpkin Special!

Promo Code:  SAVE50

If you haven’t tried Paper Pumpkin, the Stampin’ Up! papercrafting kit that comes to you in the mail, now is a great time to sign up-get 50% off your first two months! If you have passed up previous Paper Pumpkin deals, here is a second chance!

It’s like getting a present for yourself in the mail once a month – or SENDING a present to someone special.

This offer is good May 12 – June 10, 2015.

Offer Details: Use the code SAVE50 to join Paper Pumpkin before June 10, 2015, and get 50% off the first two months! After that, keep the creativity coming for only $19.95 + tax per month (shipping included).

The Fine Print:

  • For new subscribers only.
  • Available for month-to-month subscriptions, not prepaid subscriptions.
  • Discount applied to one kit per month for the first two months of a new subscription. After the first two months, the price for each month’s kit will go to the regular price: $19.95.
  • Visit PaperPumpkin.com to join.
  • Enter the Promo Code, SAVE50 when you sign up.
  • New subscribers must join by Wednesday, June 10, 2015; 11:50 PM (MT).
  • Please add my name, Karen Fontinelle, when it asks for the name of your Demonstrator.

Let me know if you have any questions. Email me at Karen@KarenStamps.com.

Stampin' Up! Weekly Deal May 12 2015

Here are the new Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals for May 12 – 18, 2015.  Lots of variety this week! Two kinds of ribbon, In Colors Markers (the ones that are sticking around another year!), the Hexagon Punch, the handy and fun Kraft Grid Journal (you get two in a package, almost the size of a card 3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″), the pretty Lullaby Designer Series Paper (absolutely not just for babies!), and the outgoing Sticky Strip. Take advantage of these bargains if you see something you like!

Shop at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store HERE!

Easy Sweet Taffy Good Thoughts Card

Sweet Taffy Perfect Pennants Card

Sometimes it is easy to just grab the nearest pack of Stampin’ Up! designer series paper and the coordinating colors of card stock and make a card.  Add a greeting, maybe a few embellishments, and you’ve got a card in minutes!

For this card, I picked the orange pattern out of the Sweet Taffy Designer Series Paper and choose Pumpkin Pie card stock for the card base. Then with a scrap of the polka dot pattern, I backed that with a piece of Tempting Turquoise card stock and then another after I stamped a greeting from Perfect Pennants Stamp Set.

For a little bit of embellishment, I added three stamped and punched Petite Petals flowers, accented with Brights Candy Dots.

The Sweet Taffy Designer Series Paper is available at a discount today for the last day on the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals!  You can add the Weekly Deals to any order with the Retiring products you want to grab.

Check the Retiring List of products  PDF or shop HERE.

Stampin' Up! Weekly Deal May 5 2015

Mini Treat Bag Card or Gift Card Holder for Mother’s Day

Mini Treat Bag

Happy Mother’s Day!  

Maybe you still need a quick card or something in which to put a gift card for your mother or special someone. The Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Die is great for this! It die cuts two pieces with which to make a little bag and comes with plenty of extra die pieces, such as the heart strip on the bottom, the Pumpkin Pie banner piece and the “For You” words.  I went kind of bold with this, choosing a large polka dot pattern from the Sweet Taffy Designer Series PaperIt’s such happy paper, cute patterns and is on sale through tomorrow night on the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals!  Grab some while you can! I added a strip of Melon Mambo across the top with a belly band around the bag with another paper in the Sweet Taffy pack. The little metallic threads are pulled out of the Gold Baker’s Twine! It seems to be the “in” thing to just  adhere some circles of twine or threads behind another element on a card.

You can slip a card inside with a greeting or you put a gift card!  Either way this makes a great unexpected card or gift holder. And you can use it for many occasions!

Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals good through Monday night, May 11th!

Stampin' Up! Weekly Deal May 5 2015

Click to Shop!

Treat Yourself to Paper Pumpkin for $5! 24 Hour Deal! Get the May Kit!

Paper Pumpkin 24 Hour Deal

Click to join!

This is the time, for sure, to try out Paper Pumpkin, the Stampin’ Up! papercrafting kit that comes to you in the mail! Give yourself a Mother’s Day gift for only $5 for the first month! That’s like paying for the shipping and getting the whole kit free!

This offer good NOW through tomorrow, Saturday, May 9 at 6:50 PM (MT).

For new subscribers only, not valid on prepaid subscriptions. Discount applied to one kit per month for the first month of a new subscription. Offer ends May 9, 2015 at 6:50 PM (MT).After the first month, the fun will continue for just $19.95 USD/$24.95 CAD a month (shipping included).

Just click HERE to go to my page to sign up!

Use Promo Code 24HOURS

Watch the recording of the Stampin’ Up! Livestream about Paper Pumpkin HERE.

Make Six Cards With a Sheet of Painted Blooms Paper

Painted Blooms Cards

This beautiful Painted Blooms Designer Series Paper is in the Stampin’ Up! Occasions Catalog, which will be ending soon!  Just so you don’t miss out, I wanted to remind you of how you can make six easy cards with one sheet of Painted Blooms paper! The “beauty” is already done for you, you just add a greeting and maybe an embellishment. This paper came from an actual watercoloring! Since you get two sheets of the same design in the package, you can cut one up and frame the other one for artwork! Don’t be afraid to use it!  Better to be made into cards or in a frame than to be stuck in a plastic package unused! Release it!

Here’s how you do it!

Painted Blooms Cut Apart

Just cut 3/4″ off the top and the bottom of the sheet of paper. At first I wondered why I wouldn’t just cut 1 1/2″ off the bottom or top, it would be the same, but following these directions you are just trimming off the bottom of the grass on the bottom and the white area on the top, leaving almost all of the design intact!  Then cut the middle piece in half at 12″ x 5 1/4″ horizontally and then cut each strip at 4″.  So your card layer pieces will be 4″ wide and 5 1/4″ tall.

Then just add these layers to card bases, stamp a greeting if you like, maybe add some ribbon or a butterfly or whatever you like, maybe some Dazzling Diamonds Glitter on a flower. Keep it simple and you will have six cards made in no time!

Painted Blooms Cards and Paper

If you need some pretty Mother’s Day cards this weekend and you have this paper, try this out! Don’t be afraid to use your designer paper! I know we are all paper hoarders! If you don’t own this paper, look through your stash and see if there is another pattern you can use similarly. It’s easy!

Don’t forget the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals as well!

Shop at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store during May while you can still buy retiring stamps and accessories from the current catalog and Occasions Catalog!

Stampin' Up! Weekly Deal May 5 2015

Click to Shop!

Give the Gift of Paper Pumpkin For Mother’s Day

Give the Gift of Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin for Mother's Day 2015

What a perfect time to order a prepaid subscription to Paper Pumpkin, the Stampin’ Up! papercrafting kit that comes to you in the mail, for Mother’s Day, for your mother, your grandmother, your daughter, your aunt, your niece, your godmother, your granddaughter – whoever that special person is in your life! Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 10th and you won’t even have to shop!

Just place your order with Stampin’ Up! by clicking HERE  and then fill out the Gift Certificate and put it inside a Mother’s Day card! Could not be easier!

***You will receive an email with the special redemption code that you can write on the gift certificate or just email to the recipient. Then they will go to paperpumpkin.com/signup and get their account set up to receive their kit in the mail. (If they do this on May 10th then they should receive the May kit mid-month. If they do it later, they will receive the June kit.)

Anyone can enjoy this papercrafting kit because all supplies (except maybe scissors and adhesive) are included along with directions – and a video online!

And maybe the special person who deserves a Paper Pumpkin Kit is really YOU!!!  Why not?! Order just the prepaid subscription or, if you want other Stampin’ Up! products, just add those to your order as well.

If you like, watch the Paper Pumpkin livestream at YouTube.com/PaperPumpkin this Friday, May 8th, at 7:00 PM (MT).

Watch this video of April’s Paper Pumpkin Kit!

Email me at Karen@KarenStamps.com if you have any questions!

Make a Pretty Box With the Gift Box Punch Board

Gold Soiree Punch Board Gift Box

Make this pretty gift box with some designer series paper and the Gift Box Punch Board in just minutes! I chose the Gold Soiree Designer Series Paper because of the pretty gold pattern and because the patterns inside and out didn’t matter which way they ended up going! The Gift Box Punch Board, although it may look confusing at first, I think after you make one or two boxes you will totally have the hang of it. This is the largest box, 4 inches on each side, and uses a
12″ x 12″ piece of paper. I used designer paper so the inside would also be decorative, but you can also use card stock if you wanted a solid color.

To trim the gift box, I used the White 1 1/4″ Jute Ribbon in the Occasions Catalog. For an extra-special accent I added some Gold Sequin Trim.  This could be for any nice occasion!  Add a tag if you like or a gift card.

And for a special treat, the Gift Box Punch Board happens to be on the new Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals this week!  Save $5!  You can watch a video HERE to see how to use the punch board. Order your punch board by Monday, May 11.

Star Wars in Golden Canyon in Death Valley

Golden Canyon Star Wars MDS

Made in Stampin’ Up! My Digital Studio

May the 4th Be With You!  Apparently to Star Wars lovers everywhere May 4th has become Star Wars Day (#StarWarsDay).  Who knew? And now that I am on the mailing list for Furnace Creek Resort in Death Valley, I received an email the other day highlighting May 4th as a good date to visit Death Valley where some scenes from the original Star Wars movies were shot. The email describes the scenery in Death Valley as “otherworldly”  which is a perfect description. At times you look out and think you are on another planet or the moon or who knows where! While my family thought some of the sites we visited looked like locations for Star Wars, we didn’t know the movie makers had actually shot many scenes there!

Just this past March we took a trip to Death Valley, CA with two of our children. Although I was not enthused about the trip in the first place, Death Valley National Park turned out to be magnificent (as all national parks we have visited have been)! The scenery is awesome and majestic, to say the least, and the setting so isolated and different than most of us ever see. You would certainly want to check the temperatures and weather before you plan a trip as it was hot enough when we were there in mid-March! The wildflowers were in bloom, and of course at higher elevations the temperature was just about perfect!

Any trip with my husband has to involve hiking, nothing major, but just easy hiking. In Death Valley there are plenty of canyons to explore. We went to the ones we could easily reach with our rental car and one of the best is Golden Canyon. It IS “golden” inside and around every corner is another incredible view. Now we wish we had known about the Star Wars filming there so we could have looked for the exact spots. As I looked through my photos again to see if anything matched one particular view we saw online, I thought of making a page in My Digital Studio with this photo of my son and seeing if I could give him a Star Wars light saber! This Stampin’ Up! software is easy to learn and use and with a few punches filled in with color and grouped together, I had a light saber! Then I added a text box and happened to have a Star Wars font I could use for the title! I didn’t attempt the proper clothing, but I’m happy with what I made! I can have this printed out into an 8 1/2″ x 11″ scrapbook page or frame it as a picture.

Stampin’ Up! will no longer be carrying My Digital Studio in about a month, but you can still purchase the software and/or any of the downloads just to have and use yourself. Just because Stampin’ Up! will no longer sell it or support it doesn’t mean we can’t use it!  The software comes with a ton of content plus you can add any downloads that you particularly like from the vast selection. You can even use just the downloads on your computer. It’s not just for scrapbooking so you can get a lot of use out of My Digital Studio in many ways, such as cards, flyers, photo books, party favors, calendars and more. Print projects yourself or take them to any print shop after Stampin’ Up! stops offering printing services.

To check out My Digital Studio, just click HERE.

Only $13.97!!

Extra My Digital Studio Downloads!

All discounted 30%! No shipping!

Wildflower Meadow Butterfly All Occasions Card

Wildflower Meadow Butterfly All Occasions Card

One of the retiring stamps is Wildflower Meadow with a matching embossing folder, Wildflower Meadow Textured Impressions Embossing FolderThey are discounted now on the Stampin’ Up! Retiring List so check them out! Wildflower Meadow is very pretty although I know I didn’t use it as often as I could have. It’s a large background stamp so I actually prefer the wood-mount verson which is a little easier to use I think.

I decided to use the Wildflower Meadow stamp in kind of a monochromatic look on this card, stamping the Crumb Cake card stock with Crumb Cake ink.  You could also use Versamark Ink for the same look. The card base is Soft Suede. I wanted to see a pretty background but I wanted a butterfly to be the focal point.

The butterfly is a piece of paper from the Gold Soiree Specialty Designer Series Paper which is so pretty with its Metallic Gold and is discounted 50% on the Stampin’ Up! Retired List also! The butterfly is die-cut with the Butterflies Thinlits Dies. I added a few Pearl Basic Jewels Embellishments for the butterfly’s body and just adhered it with a Stampin’ Dimensional (a thin scrap from the edge of the Dimensional page to fit) so the butterfly would look 3D. Then for just a little more embellishment I added a strip of Venetian Crochet Trim across the bottom.

This card could be used for almost any occasion so I decided to leave off a greeting until I need to send the card and see what I want to put on it. It certainly could be used for Mother’s Day which is coming up next Sunday, May 10, 2015. It could also be birthday, thinking of you, get well, graduation, sympathy, even a wedding card.

Go to my Stampin’ Up! Online Store now and see all the great products and certainly many discounted prices available!

Petite Petals Top Note Thinking of You Card

Petite Petals Top Note Thinking of You Card

Lots of times when I start out, I don’t know what I will end up with, even when I THINK I know what I am going to make! This card with Petite Petals is another example! I just like this stamp set, and I own the wood-mount set. Although I like all the other kinds of stamps, there is something about holding that wood block in your hand and stamping with it that feels good!

I planned to use some pattern from the Painted Blooms Designer Series Paper so I chose the Daffodil Delight card stock for the card base. Then I found this Whisper White piece cut with the retiring Top Note Die in with the scraps so I decided to use it on this card.  The Top Note Die was one of the things I was totally surprised to see that it was retiring! It seemed to be really popular, but I guess it ran its course. The greeting is from the Four You stamp set and is on the retirement list. I think it is a very useful stamp set so grab it while you can!

And then I had fun just stamping and stamping a bunch of flowers with the Petite Petals in the Brights colors.  I used Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Bermuda BayRich Razzleberry, and Melon Mambo. The Petite Petal Punch made it super easy to get all those flowers cut out perfectly! Some of the flowers I adhered flat with Glue Dots on the Top Note Die and some I popped up with Stampin’ Dimensionals. And for a finishing touch, I added some Brights Candy Dots for centers on some of the flowers. Sometimes you have to know when to stop!

Check out the products that are retiring HERE!

Check out the Stampin’ Up! Retired List HERE.

Check out the Stampin’ Up! Sortable Retired List Excel HERE.

Starburst Sayings Happy Day Card

Starburst Sayings Happy Day Card

Starburst Sayings is one of the stamp sets on the Stampin’ Up! Retired List that I was so surprised to see on there! It’s a fun stamp set to use and can cover many occasions from congratulations, birthdays, anniversaries, new baby, encouragement, and even weddings. All it takes is using the appropriate colors, papers and embellishments.  Dress it up or dress it down, as they say! You can use circle punches with several of the stamps if you don’t mind punching inside the starburst edges.  Use the matching Starburst Framelits Dies to use with these stamps or just paper.

The Starburst Sayings Stamp Set is discounted on the Retired List right now or you can purchase the Bundle with the stamp set and the framelits and save a little money.

Starburst Saying Stamp Set Images

Here’s another card I made awhile back with one of the other sayings:

Starburst Sayings and Retro Fresh

This card is from last year and has retired paper and trim on it, but you can easily change it with something current.  You can read that blog post HERE.

To shop for any of the Stampin’ Up! Retired products, just go to my Stampin’ Up! Online Store HERE.  You can choose Stamps or Accessories. Click the View ALL dropdown box so that you can just scroll through all the products rather than having to go to the next page and the next.

Label Love Happy Birthday Card

Label Love Happy Birthday Card

Is it really going?  Label Love Stamp Set? It’s on the Stampin’ Up! Retired List so I guess it is true. This was a set that even if I wasn’t planning to use it, the greetings were so “usable” that if I couldn’t find quite the right thing, this set would usually fill the bill.

Label Love Stamp Set

As you can see, the sentiments cover just about everything! And even better, this stamp set coordinates with the Artisan Label Punch. This punch is also retiring and is discounted. Of course it is only available while supplies last as are all the accessories. On this card, I actually cut out the stamped label and then punched out a piece of Coastal Cabana card stock for the layer behind it. You could also color the edge of the stamped image and punch out and it would look like a layer. To make the label stand out a little bit, I punched a piece of Tangerine Tango with the 1 3/4″ Circle Punch.

The card base is So Saffron with a Whisper White layer on which I have adhered Retro Fresh This and That Washi Tape for a little background.  I wound up some Coastal Cabana Thick Baker’s Twine to put behind the label, which is kind of “in style” now. For the little bow, I took some White Baker’s Twine and used my Coastal Cabana Stampin’ Write Marker to just put some stripes on the baker’s twine to make it match my project. For a little pizzazz for this birthday card, I punched some stars with the star punch in the Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack out of the Champagne Glimmer Paper.

I think almost everything I used on this card is retiring so be sure to check the list and availability. Don’t wait too long because you never know what or when something will sell out. Stamps, however, will be available throughout most of May.

Here are the lists again. If Stampin’ Up! has updated the availability, you will see an X in the last column meaning it is no longer available.

Stampin’ Up! Retired List PDF

Stampin’ Up! Retired Sortable Excel List

Don’t forget about My Digital Studio!!  You don’t pay shipping on these digital products and you access them right away.  But you do put them on a regular order with any other products you want.  They do not have to go on a separate order just for MDS.

Retired List My Digital Studio PDF

Retired List My Digital Studio Excel

Visit my Stampin’ Up! Online Store today and choose the Retiring Products you can’t live without!