Use Your Eensy Weensy Paper Scraps to Decorate Wooden Clothespins!

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If you happen to be a scrap hoarder, even down to the smallest ones…because you never know when you might need that small piece….then get out your paper scraps along with some old-fashioned wooden clothespins (or maybe some craft clothespins) and play! I don't really know if these are clothespins I bought at the craft store a long time ago or if they are real clothespins that my mom or grandmothers used way back in the day….but either way, instead of BUYING decorated clothespins like these, you can make them in three seconds. You can also purchase round magnets to stick on the back and then you can stick the clothespin to your refrigerator door to hold your shopping list.

Just measure the width of your clothespin (probably pretty small!) and cut a strip of designer paper. You can also measure the length and cut, but after the first one I realized I could just glue on the paper and cut off the end with my Paper Snips. I just used my Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue to adhere the paper. Then tie some bows, use two kinds of paper, bling them out with Basic Rhinestones….or whatever you want to do!

Check your craft closet for those wooden clothespins….or should I say "vintage wooden clothespins"?

Christmas Milk Carton Gift Box

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Summer may be here but the other day I made this cute Christmas milk carton with the Big Shot and wanted to show you. And it never hurts to start thinking about Christmas crafts way ahead of time! Of course you can make this for any occasion, just change the colors and papers.

While you can make just the usual milk carton box, I punched a hole in the center of one side (figure it out before you glue!) and added a piece of window sheet behind the hole. Now you can put some colorful candies or a sneak peek of the gift and it will show through!

For this project some of the supplies you will need:

Mini Milk Carton Bigz L Die #117310

Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine #113439

Chock-Full of Cheer Stamp Set (p. 10)

I used a mini Library Clip on the top, but you could perhaps use a Vintage Trinket #118764, just to add a little interest and then hang the candy cane with some Baker's Twine or even Linen Thread.

I'm sure you can imagine lots more ways to embellish this project!

For any stamping supplies, please visit my online store HERE. (Especially if you have a large order…$150 or more….be SURE to go to my direct link to my store…not through Stampin' Up! first…to be able to get your Hostess Rewards!) If you have any questions, just ask me first!

Betsy’s Blossoms Pocket Card

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For the second day of summer, I thought a bright and cheery pocket card might be fun! Pocket cards are really easy to make and I think often take your card-making up a notch.

Supplies

Stamps: Betsy's Blossoms (p. 72), Perfectly Penned (p. 132)

Ink: Daffodil Delight #126944, Tangerine Tango #126946, Baja Breeze #126960

Paper: Daffodil Delight #119683, Tangerine Tango #111349, Baja Breeze #111352, Whisper White #100730, Floral District Designer Series Paper #126919

Accessories: 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon #126872, 1 1/4" Circle Punch #119861 (for tab), 1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punch #119854, Boho Blossoms Punch #119858, 1" Circle Punch #119868, 3/16" Corner Punch #119871, 3/16" Metallic Brads #119741, 3/8" Designer Printed Brads #122940

Directions

1. Cut pocket card 4 1/4" x 11". Score at 5 1/2" and 1 1/4". Cut the insert 3 1/4" x 5" (if you want a layer cut 3" x 4 3/4").

2. Fold the card stock into a pocket, using adhesive along the sides.

3. Round the corners of top, flap, and insert with punch.

4. Stamp the front of the pocket card.

5. Adhere the designer paper to the flap, trimming if necessary. Tie ribbon around flap and adhere flap down.

6. Stamp the insert. Punch the 1 1/4" circle, fold in half and push brad through front of circle and insert. Apply adhesive to back of half circle and adhere to back covering back of brad.

7. Stamp and punch out layers for flower on front, inserting Designer Printed Brad in center. Adhere flower to front of pocket.

Mouthwatering Popsicle First Day of Summer Card

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Today, June 20th, is the first day of summer….at least it will be by 7:09 PM (EDT). What better way to celebrate the first day of summer than with mouthwatering popsicles! In this case, the popsicles are stamped with the cute Mouthwatering stamp set!

If we had "smell-o-vision", maybe you could smell the Cherry Scented Stampin' Emboss Powder #127035 embossed into the center popsicle! Yum! Stampin' Up! says the scent should last up to 2 weeks.

After tying on the Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine #125572 with a Pumpkin Pie Brights Designer Button #119747, the card still needed something. I chose the little heart stamp in the new Make a Cake stamp set, using the same ink colors I used for the popsicles, but "stamping off" first for a lighter shade. I think it made the card look fun and cute! The popsicle colors are Wild Wasabi, Melon Mambo, and Tangerine Tango.

Why not make a bright and fun card today to celebrate the first day of summer?!

It's a rainy, cooler day in Houston, TX today so not our typical hot, hot, hot summer day….but I'll take it….because tomorrow the summertime heat could return!

Join My “Stamping With Karen” Newsletter!

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If you are reading my blog and enjoy what you see, please sign up for my "Stamping With Karen" email newsletter mailing list! You will see the box in the upper left corner of my blog! I send out a monthly newsletter full of the latest Stampin' Up! news and many stamping projects, plus another short note around mid-month of reminders or newest updates.

Make an Easy Father’s Day Card!

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This easy Father's Day card will take just minutes to make! To add some texture to the background, I used the new Chevron Embossing Folder #127749…of course you could use most any folder you have…or none at all. Then I just cut strips of designer paper into little banners to decorate the front. This paper is the beautiful new International Bazaar Designer Series Paper #126920, but you could use any that you have on hand. The "DAD" is stamped with the Broadsheet Alphabet (p. 144). I kept it super simple and didn't even use layers! The card base and ink color is one of the new In Colors, Midnight Muse.

Stampin' Up! products make coordination easy and simple. Now get busy and make an easy card for the father in your life today!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads!

Handmade Father’s Day Gift Idea: Stamped Picture Frame

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It's getting down to the wire! Do you have a Father's Day gift yet? Here's a very easy handmade Father's Day gift idea….just make a stamped picture frame! I bet you have a picture frame of some sort around the house or they are inexpensive to buy. Either using the mat that comes with it or cutting your own from Whisper White card stock, so some stamping on the mat and insert your photo! On this one I used the My Friend stamp set. The leafy image was easy to stamp and good for a Father's Day gift.

Just to fancy it up a bit, I first inked up the stamp a bit with the new In Color Summer Starfruit, then the Gumball Green and finally some tapping with Old Olive. As long as you start with the lightest color first it won't affect your ink pads. It just gave a little bit of a varigated look to the leaves. If you had some leaf stamps, you could stamp those randomly around the mat.

Make a matching little gift card by stamping the leaves on a small card.

An easy gift for the kids to help with, and you probably have the supplies around the house! And Dad will treasure it!

Father’s Day Scrapbook Page in My Digital Studio

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How about using My Digital Studio to make a Father's Day scrapbook page for photos of Dad and the children? You can put it in a scrapbook (if you print it out) OR you can print it and frame it! You most likely can find any size frame these days, particularly one made for scrapbook pages. Add the photos where you see the black boxes. Or if you prefer, just use this design for a starting point and make it the traditional way with paper, ink and stamps! Add your embellishments and you have a great Father's Day gift. Personalize however you like!

For more information on My Digital Studio, click HERE.

It's very easy to either completely design your own page…or do like I did and start with a template in My Digital Studio and change it up how you like it!

Handmade Father’s Day Card Idea

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There are a lot of these Father's Day card ideas out there with the shirt and tie. Usually the tie, and sometimes the shirt, is an origami technique, but I wanted something easier for a handmade Father's Day card idea.

For the shirt, I started with a piece of designer paper (this one is Summer Smooches #125409 from Stampin' Up! cut 4" x 5 7/8". At the top score at 5/8" and again at 1 1/4"….that is, if you want the collar to match the shirt (so that your designer paper is folded over twice). Otherwise, just score at 5/8" if you want the other side of the paper to show for the collar. Either is great! Where you want the collar to fold in, cut in at the sides one inch. That gives you the collar separated from the shirt so you can fold that much in toward the center. Find the center of your paper (2") and fold those top tips to that mark making the collar. Use Stampin' Dimensionals #104430 under the collar edges to hold it down.

Before glueing down the collar, make the necktie. I just used a piece of the new 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon in Gumball Green #126848 (p. 172), tied a little knot at the top and snipped off the bottom to make a point. Then I stuck it down with a Mini Glue Dot at the top and one lower down. You could also use a little mini brad for a "tie tac". After you have the tie in place you can stick down the collar edges.

Here is what the necktie looks like:

Adhere the Father's Day shirt to a card base and add a greeting and you are done! So cute and relatively easy!

A Father’s Day Gift Idea for the Gardening/Yard Dad

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And what dad isn't involved in at least a little bit of gardening or yard work? This is a Father's Day gift the children can make with some adult supervision by Mom. Buy some roof flashing at a home improvement store, cut it out with your big shot and an appropriate die and then hang on a stake of some sort.

This is one of my photos from the San Antonio Regional back in January where I learned to make these. As you can see, you can cut out most anything with your Big Shot and then punch a hole and hang it and stick it in the yard or in a pot of flowers or a plant. Perhaps it will even scare off the squirrels from the garden….that's what we're trying to do in our garden! But it is pretty and eye-catching no matter what! The flashing has sharp edges until you run it through the Big Shot so you do need to be careful if children make this for Dad. Use your imagination! Once you make one I bet you'll have to make more!

Lovely As a Tree Father’s Day Card

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Father's Day is sneaking up on us! It's Sunday, June 17th….this Sunday!! As you have heard time and time again, this stamp set, Lovely As a Tree (p. 84) (now available in clear-mount!) is so versatile and well-loved….and perfectly suited for those difficult masculine/manly cards for any occasion.

I think the simplicity of this card will suit a father or any man in your life. You can use any background paper, layer the tree and add a greeting for whichever occasion. Teeny Tiny Wishes is perfect for most occasions!

Just stamp the tree in Black Stazon ink and color in however you like. I used a Blender Pen and various inks straight from the ink pad. I started with a little yellow (the new Summer Starfruit) because someone used to always say use a little yellow with any green. Then I colored in with the new Gumball Green and Old Olive. And there is nothing "artistic" about coloring in the greenery on the tree….just scribble on some color…really! It will look fine! The tree trunk is Soft Suede to match the card base and layers. The designer paper background layer is the new Comfort Cafe #126898. If you don't have the new papers yet, I'm sure you will be able to find something suitable in your stash. Well Worn from last year would be great…and don't overlook the subtle patterns on the back of the more dramatic sides of any designer paper.

To order Lovely As a Tree in either wood-mount or clear-mount or any other stamping supplies, please go to my Stampin' Up! Online Store HERE. Or contact me if you prefer and I'll put in your order for you!

Get started on your Father's Day cards right now if they need to be mailed..and check back this week for more Father's Day papercrafting ideas.

Cascade Mixed Bunch Birthday Card

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Maybe this will be my last Cascade Card for awhile…especially with the stamp set Mixed Bunch and the matching Blossom Punch #125603 ….but then it makes such a great card, you never know! When you are making a special card for someone, it's fun to go as over the top as you want. I added some bling with Basic Pearls and Rhinestones plus the pink rhinestones that came in the (now retired) package of Blossom Builders die cuts. I punched the leaves with the Blossom Petals Builder Punch #121808. The greeting on the front is from the stamp set Bring on the Cake. The banner in the background (that you can hardly see) is "Happiest Birthday" (and I can't remember the stamp set it is from!!).

Try a Cascade Card this weekend!

If you want to place an order, just go to my Online Store HERE!

Here is the card folded flat for mailing. I did use a larger envelope that I just had in my stash. Of course now you can make your own envelopes with the Simply Scored Scoring Tool #122334 and Simply Scored Diagonal Plate #125586.

Layered Labels Create Card

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Still playing with the new In Colors! The card base is Primrose Petals and the layer is Summer Starfruit. Then Whisper White is embossed with the Polka Dot folder for a little interest. The ribbon is the new 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon in Gumball Green #126848. (p. 172) Really cute!

I used two stamp sets: Layered Labels (p.103) for the "Create" at the bottom, cut out with the Apothecary Accents Framelits Die (p.191) (#127003). I stamped it again in Gumball Green so I could use the 1" Circle Punch for the word "Create" and popped it up with a Dimensional. The flowers are from Everything Eleanor (p. 112), a free stamp set we got at Stampin' Up! Leadership! It's been a long wait until we could use it! But it is a beautiful stamp set with a little bit of lots of stuff….a label, a flourish, flowers, a little bird and a lovely circle design….well, you have to look at it yourself HERE. The flowers I stamped in different colors and cut out by hand….it wasn't too bad! Paper Snips #103579 make all the difference if you are cutting little things.

You could put some other greeting on this card and have something for almost any occasion!

Betsy’s Blossoms 3×3 Note Cards

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Which card do you like better? I couldn't decide so I made each one different….perhaps each label goes better with the color of the bird! The bird, flowers and stem are stamped with Betsy's Blossoms (p. 72). The label is from Layered Labels (p. 103), but I only punched out the center greeting with the Large Oval Punch #119855. On the first card I mounted the label on the Scallop Oval Punch #119856. On the second card I just mounted the oval straight onto the card. I think maybe the second one goes better with the lighter colored bird, and maybe the Raspberry Ripple Scallop Oval goes better with the darker Midnight Muse bird!

These are little 3"x3" cards that can be used for little notes or a gift tag. Once you make one it's easy to keep making more and you should because they are handy to have on hand!

Want to get your hands on these new Stampin' Up! In Colors? Shop Online HERE!

Marking Clear-Mount Stamp Positions

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As I was going through my new stamps, I realized certain stamps are difficult to tell which way they fit back in to the rubber. I don't know if you maintain your stamps this way, but I keep the rubber that I punch out the stamps from in the stamp case, and that way I can tell if I am missing any stamp in that set. You can just have the individual stamps in your case….this was just a tip I heard when the clear-mount stamps came out and I thought it was worth trying.

Some stamps that aren't a distinct shape….like the bird in this stamp set…make it difficult to know which way it fits the best in the empty shape. (Somehow this is very difficult to explain!) So I will just show you some photos now!

I decided to just mark one spot on the stamp and the excess rubber with a permanent marker so that when I put the stamp back I will match up the lines and it will fit perfectly back into the shape without having to twist and turn it to get it right. Does that make sense??! If you look at the little bird stamp in this set, you can see that it will be easy to put back so no need for marking.

It's probabaly easiest to recognize which stamps you might want to mark this way before you even pop them out of the rubber, that way you don't have to fidget with getting them back in the empty space properly.

Try it and see if it works for you!