Retiring List of Stampin’ Up! Accessories Is Here! Wow!

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Oh my GOODNESS!!! Grab your cup of coffee and SIT DOWN! The Stampin' Up! list of retiring accessories is out today and it is a long one!! It's quite the surprise for all of us! Be sure to remember the accessories are WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! And some will go fast!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RETIRING ACCESSORIES LIST!

Some are even discounted at the beginning of the list!!

Correction: Paper Snips and Craft Scissors are not retiring and were on the list earlier…so therefore are not discounted. If you have or have seen a list with those scissors, it is incorrect and Stampin' Up! has corrected the list.

Click HERE to go directly to my Online Store to see the retiring products!

When you check the list, you will see that all the ink pads are listed! Holy Cow! BUT…..

Craft Stampin' Pads will now only be available in black and white.
Stampin' Up! is introducing a new Firm Foam ink pad in the new catalog! These new pads will provide better ink coverage and therefore better stamped images. More information later!

Remember, Definitely Decorative and Simply Adorned Jewelry and Charms are also retiring!

Click here to see the Definitely Decorative Retiring List.

More to Remember!

The Occasions Mini Catalog ends Monday, April 30! (next week)
The Summer Smooches preview ends April 30! After that, all the products, except two, (the stencil and the Fabric Brads) will be available in the new catalog. Get that Petite Purse Die so you don't have to wait!! AND…the Fabric Brads are running low! If you want some (they are really cute!) order them right away. Stampin' Up! will not restock them.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RETIRING STAMPS LIST ! (I know the print is small….you can zoom in with your computer.)
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RETIRING STAMPS IN MY ONLINE STORE! ( After you choose wood or clear, click the "SHOW: ALL" drop-down box on the right under the banner….that way you can just scroll through all of them and not miss any pages!)

***Be sure you are on my Mailing List (sign up in the upper-left corner of my blog!) to keep up with all the exciting news and details from Stampin' Up! coming out over the next weeks and months!!

I told you to sit down, didn't I!! 🙂

Leave comments below if you want and/or email me with any questions! You can place your order online or contact me and I'll do it for you or guide you through the online ordering.

Join My “Stamping With Karen” Newsletter!

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Please join me for lots of stamping and papercrafting projects, news and fun by signing up for my monthly "Stamping With Karen" newsletter! The sign-up box is in the upper left corner of my blog.

I send out a main newsletter close to the beginning of the month with the latest news or specials from Stampin' Up! plus several projects and stamping tips I think that you will enjoy or find useful. Mid-month I usually send out a very short newsletter to update you or remind you of any specials or deadlines. It's my way to have a little stamping visit with you!

Right now is a great time to sign up with the Stampin' Up! retiring lists coming out and the new catalog coming in….soon!! Be sure you stay on top of all things Stampin' Up! You won't want to miss a thing!

Inspired By Nature Card

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The Inspired By Nature #111656 stamp set by Stampin' Up! is one of the many retiring stamp sets come May 31st. It was quite a popular stamp set and you can see why….so versatile for many occasions. Just change the greeting to convey your message. Two sentiments come with it, but of course you can add one from any other stamp set….or leave it plain. Can you see this stamp set being used for a graduation, birthday, get well, or just a note card?

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Stamps: Inspired By Nature

Ink: Old Olive, Baja Breeze, Early Espresso

Paper: Early Espresso Card Stock, Confetti White Card Stock #102028

Accessories: Stampin' Write Markers: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Early Espresso; Aquapainter #103954, Jumbo Brads 5/16" Neutrals #112534

Begin with a card base of Early Espresso. Use Confetti White Card Stock for the layer….a beautiful paper we don't use often enough.
Ink up grassy side of stamp (this one comes double-mounted on each side of one wood block) with Old Olive ink and stamp off lightly on scrap paper, then stamp on Confetti White.
Ink up the flower side of stamp using markers to color in the flowers, stems, and grass. Stamp over the grass on Confetti White. If any of it comes out too light, use your Aquapainter or Blender Pen to add some extra ink from markers or an ink pad or refill. Don't add directly with markers or it will be too dark.
Stamp greeting with Early Espresso Ink.
Use Aquapainter to add some Baja Breeze ink for the sky in the background, being careful not to get into the already stamped images or the ink will run. Just color lightly and without thinking too hard!
Add two Jumbo Brads to the top and adhere to card front.
Stamp and add inside page to write on.

Check the Retiring Stamps List HERE.

And then shop online HERE!

How to Be Sure You Have Enough Stampin’ Up! Papers and Accessories

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I came across a funny little write-up about creating a stash of fabric, but I have modified it to suit our stamping habit! I think it is REALLY good advice!!! This will come in handy in a few days when the Stampin' Up! retiring accessories list is released on April 25th! Print it out now so you will know the right way to order!

Buy designer papers that you like.
Buy enough to do anything you might potentially think you want to do with it.
Buy a little more, because you know by the time you use it what you have won't be enough and you will need more.
Choose designs you know you family will simply love.
Always buy extra.
Did I mention you should buy more than you think you will need?
Look over your paper often and think about what colors/patterns/designs you need to compliment and contrast what you already have.
Buy the contrasting paper.
Buy the coordinating paper.
Buy extra of all of them because when you sit down to make your project, you still won't have enough.
Always buy some accessories (ribbon, brads, glitter, markers) to coordinate with that paper.
Add a few more accessories just to make sure you have enough for your projects.
If you see a paper you think you might like in the future, buy it now before it disappears forever.
Buy a little extra just in case to be sure you have enough for what you haven't decided to make yet.
Repeat above steps until there is no room left in the house for the family….but know your children will move out someday and you can turn their bedrooms into craft rooms.
If your children are already grown, tell them whatever is left of your stash when you grow old to please bring to the nursing home when they visit so you can touch it.

Hope that helps in your purchasing decisions!!

Shop Stampin' Up! Online HERE at my store.

If you would like to share this with your crafting friends, just click one of the share buttons below the post….or send them a link to this post!

Fabulous Florets All-Occasion Card

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Fabulous Florets (p. 107) is one of those sets in my collection that has been a little bit neglected, but with springtime here it was time to pull it out! It coordinates with the Beyond the Garden Designer Series Paper #122342, which you can see I used as a strip near the bottom of my card. I imagine most of the designer paper will be retired soon so I wanted to use some of this before it is gone. The colors and designs of flowers are so bright and cheerful!

I stamped the flower stem on my Whisper White card stock and a flower or two, but then I also stamped three flowers on scrap paper and cut them out. Then I adhered to my stamped stems, popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals #104430 (who could live without Stampin' Dimensionals??!). The center flower used one of the new Summer Smooches Fabric Brads #125589. They add so much…..but be careful, they are only available during April and will NOT be in the next new catalog in June.

And here are photos of some real flowers from the Houston Azalea Trail in March that I don't think I posted yet. After touring this garden along the bayou, the rains came and we got soaked! Glad we went to this garden first!

Have a great weekend! Don't forget to check out the retiring stamp set list!

A Gate-Fold Circus Big Top Birthday Card for a Boy

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Often times we think it is difficult to come up with a card for a boy or a man, but once you put your mind to it, it's really not impossible! And nothing says this card couldn't be for a girl, but I did need a card for a young boy.

This is a gate-fold card, which is very easy to make. Once you have the idea, you could vary the size to whatever you need. I started with a 5 1/4" x 12" piece of card stock for the base. It is scored at 2", 4", 8" and 10". That gives you a 4" center with each side (4") folded in half.

Here is the inside decorated with the Big Top Birthday Designer Series Paper #122348. Besides just using the paper, I cut out some images to place on the card. Also, another fun thing is to add die-cuts from the Big Top Birthday Quick Accents #122368.

You can do various things with the front of the card. I chose to make a belly band around, cut out a medallion from the Perfect Pennants Die #123126 and stuck on a self-adhesive accent from the Quick Accents. You can find the designer paper and the Quick Accents on the main catalog on pages 186-7. All of these papers and Quick Accents are great for scrapbooking, but you can use them for any kind of project!

To shop for any Stampin' Up! products, just click HERE. Be sure to check the Clearance Rack if you are doing an online order (last week Stampin' Up! added a lot of new items to the Clearance Rack but inventory can change rapidly depending on demand)….and don't forget about the Retired List of stamp sets! (this is an updated list to print in black and white if you choose).

For Your Tax Day Enjoyment! Stampin’ Up! Convention Highlights!

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Registration for the 2012 Stampin' Up! Convention opened today and Stampin' Up! shared this video of the 2011 Convention highlights! Since I had just posted about considering becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, I thought I would share this video right away so you can get a taste of the indescribable experience of attending Convention! (Believe me, this is only a taste….you can't imagine the real fun and creativity you will experience there.) You might want to go press that "Join Now" button right away! Use your tax refund to pay for your kit!

Stampin’ Up! Retiring Ornate Blossom Card

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Since the Stampin' Up! retiring stamp sets list came out yesterday, I thought it would be fun to pick a stamp set on that list to make a card. Ornate Blossom #117094 is just a single stamp that I bought because I saw a demonstrator at the Stampin' Up! Convention making some cute and easy cards with it. I'd have to go back and look at my Convention photos to remember exactly what she made, but this card today is copied from the example in the Stampin' Up! catalog. I may have added a little too much "bling", but who knows, maybe some of you will like it this way!

The greeting on the card is from Grateful Greetings #116511, another retiring stamp set and one that I will miss!

To see the Stampin' Up! Retiring Stamps List, click HERE. The print will be small but it is a pdf file so click on your computer setting to zoom in to see it larger! Lots of stamp sets on there! Stamps will be available until May 31st.

The retiring Accessories List will be revealed April 25th. Definitely Decorative and Simply Adorned are already known to be going away…so if you want any of those pieces, go ahead and order ahead of the announcement!

Stampin’ Up! Retiring Stamp Sets List

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Here it is! The list of Stampin' Up! retiring stamp sets that will make room for NEW in the new Stampin' Up! Catalog in June! These retiring stamp sets will be available until May 31st. It's a long list, as you will see, but that is because of the new catalog transition this year.

So click on these links and enjoy perusing this list and making out your wish list. Be sure to check back again on April 25th when retiring Accessories and Definitely Decorative items will be revealed!

For the PDF list, click HERE.

For retiring Wood-mount stamps, click HERE.

(On the store page, at the top right, click on the drop down box for Show: ALL . It's much easier to see all the sets than to have to go to the next page.)

For retiring Clear-Mount stamps, click HERE.

Email me at Karen@Karenstamps.com with any questions!

Enjoy your day!!

Stampin’ Up! Occasions Mini Catalog….The Clock is Ticking!

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Don't forget! With all the past excitement over Sale-A-Bration and now the anticipation of the retired list of stamps coming out April 15th, it is easy to overlook the Occasions Mini Catalog. But this catalog only lasts until the end of April, so you just have about two weeks to go! I imagine some of the products will be carried over, but until we know for sure, be sure to order your "must haves" from this mini catalog before April 30th!

Did you know you can get the "recipe" for each project pictured in the Occasions Mini? Just click HERE. This will give you a list of the supplies used in each project and that usually is enough for you to figure out how to make the project. If not, just ask me!

To shop for any Occasions Mini products or any other great Stampin' Up! products, just click HERE to shop at my online store anytime. Then click on whatever category you want on the left. Don't forget to check the Clearance Rack as well!

Graduation All-Occasion Card

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We're all going to be needing graduation and other all-occasion cards soon so it's time to get started so you will be ready! I got the idea for this card in the Occasions Mini Catalog. This card is 3 1/2" x 4 1/4" so it's kind of a cute smaller size! After I cut it at 7" length, I realize that the piece I had cut off would make a good size pouch on the inside to hold a check, cash or gift card….so I made another one, cutting my paper at 4 1/4" x 8 1/2". I scored at 3 1/2" from one end and 1 1/2" from the other…or you could say 3 1/2" and 7". The top is embossed with the Stripes Embossing Folder #123128. Since the paper is shorter you have to line it up carefully in the embossing folder up to the fold and straight on the sides.

Other supplies:

Stamps: Elements of Style, Rue Des Fleurs

Ink: Cajun Craze, Stazon Black

Accessories: Labels Collection Framelits Die #125598, 1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punch #119854, Hemp Twine #100982

Here is the inside:

Very simple and yet so versatile! Just embellish for whatever person or occasion you need a card for with a little gift inside!

To shop for any stamping supplies, just click HERE.

Petite Purse Die Scored Design

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Here is a fancy little purse made with the Petite Purse Die #125606 in the Summer Smooches Suite, available during April. I wanted to make it extra jazzy so I experimented with scoring it like some fabric you see and I used the Simply Scored Scoring Tool #122334 with the Simply Scored Diagonal Plate #125586. Now my first try didn't come out perfect and it is a little tricky because you can't just lay the paper down flush with the sides….but if you place the card stock die cut down on the scoring tool, you can make it work.

Next I will try scoring the paper first, although I think you would have to lay it in the same direction of the die to the score lines are going the way you like. Anyway, this little purse turned out cute and has a little "bling" with the punched flowers accented with a Basic Rhinestone #119246 in the center and the little Rhinestone Brads #113144 attaching the handle to the sides of the purse.

There is so much you can do with this little purse! Put one on your next order and have fun with it!

Shop Stampin' Up! Online 24/7 HERE or contact me any time.

Summer Smooches Bright Blossoms Cherries Card

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The stamp set, paper and fabric brad used on this card are all from the Summer Smooches Suite by Stampin' Up! It's a sneak peek of what will be in the new Stampin' Up! catalog in June….yes June! But you can purchase any of the items in the suite during the month of April! (The fabric brads will not be available in the catalog, so get them while you can!)

Mostly people are using the stem I stamped as flowers, but I thought they could look like cherries on a stem! It reminds me of Mary Englebreit, an artist from St. Louis…surely you know who Mary Englebreit is! I've always loved her illustrations and colors…and being from St. Louis doesn't hurt either since that is where I grew up!

To add some dimension, I added a bit of Crystal Effects #101055 to each cherry. If you look at the photo again, you can probably notice the shininess (is that a word?) of the cherries. It takes a few minutes to dry and then it becomes a high-gloss image. Crystal Effects is also useful as an adhesive….sometimes around the house! No stamper should be without it, so put it on your next order…with the Summer Smooches!

Go Shop Today at the Stampin’ Up! Clearance Rack!

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This plain Stampin' Card Keeper is on the Stampin' Up! Clearance Rack at this moment! It is one of many new products Stampin' Up! added yesterday afternoon so be sure to take a peek! Products are only available while supplies last so you have to act when you see something you want!

This box we decorated as a Make & Take at Convention last summer, but it comes plain white with the silver label holder and six dividers inside to organize your cards…or whatever you want to store in there after you have decorated your box!

There are many of the old style punches, fabric, buttons, ribbon, pom pom trim, designer paper, albums, Mica Flakes, dies…..all kinds of things! You just have to see for yourself!

Go to my Online Store, sign in or create an account (you'll see that in the brown banner across the page), click on the item you want and then click the box below to "Add to Cart". The Clearance Rack is listed in the left-hand column of categories. You can mix and match Clearance Rack items and current items on any order…even My Digital Studio downloads!

For easy viewing of the Clearance Rack, just under the banner on the right on the Clearance Rack page, click the "Show: ALL" drop-down box so all the items will come up, making it easier for you to just scroll through rather than click to the next page….and you won't miss any pages that don't come up.

If you have any questions or problems, just let me know.

Learned From the Easter Bunny

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Learned From The Easter Bunny

                                All I need to know I learned from the Easter Bunny
                                Don't put all your eggs in one basket
                                Walk softly and carry a big carrot
                                Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.
                                There's no such thing as too much candy.
                                All work and no play can make you a basket case.
                                A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention.
                                Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.
                                Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.
                                Some body parts should be floppy.
                                Keep your paws off other people's jelly beans.
                                Good things come in small sugar-coated packages.
                                The grass is always greener in someone else's basket.
                                An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare.
                                To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell!

~ Author Unknown