Stampin’ Up! Baby Card – Animal Stories

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Stampin' Up! Baby Card Animal Stories

Time to check that Stampin' Up! retiring list of stamp sets and accessories!  If you do, you will see that this cute Animal Stories stamp set #116716 is on the list, and that's a shame because it is so useful for baby cards, children's cards, scrapbooking, and gifts.  The stamp set has images of an owl, a whale, an elephant, and this giraffe.

I got the idea for this baby card from the Stampin' Up! catalog on page 94.  You should also consider the Photo Corners Punch #119878, a retiring accessory…which at this moment was still available to order online, but accessories can run out at any time.  This punch is good for making a focal point on a card or scrapbook page or as an embellishment and of course good for framing photos.

Stamps:  Animal Stories, Tiny Tags

Ink:  Baja Breeze

Paper:  Baja Breeze, Peach Parfait, Whisper White, Designer Series Paper Pack – In Color (Hostess – Level 1)

Accessories:  Gold Brads #104337, Linen Thread #104199, uni-ball Signo Gel Pen #105021, Stampin' Dimensionals #104430, SNAIL Adhesive #104332, Scallop Edge Border Punch #119882. Color Coach #121620


 

Stampin’ Up! Pretty Postage Braided Ribbon Card

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Pretty Postage Sweet Card

Here's a pretty simple card I made with the Pretty Postage stamp set in the Summer Mini Catalog on page 11 and also a piece of braided ribbon I had made a week or two ago! Once I decided I wanted to use Rich Razzleberry card stock to match the berries on the stamp, I got out my Color Coach to see what color suggestions it made.  That turned out to be Old Olive!  A week or so ago I had played around with cutting the wide 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Old Olive Ribbon (retiring!) into three strips and braiding it.  Then I taped it onto my table until I decided what to do with it!  Today seemed to be the day to use it on this card! Since the ribbon is cut, the edges are fraying a little bit.  It is just wrapped around the Razzleberry layer and taped on the back.  I used Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere that layer to the Old Olive base since the ribbon was a little thicker than normal.  I adhered the little postage stamp over the ribbon using dimensionals on either side to allow for the thickness of the braided ribbon.  And finally I added some Square Ice Rhinestone Brads (retiring and sold out…sorry!)  As you can see, the Rich Razzleberry layer is embossed with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder.

Be sure to check out my Stampin' Up! Online Store if you need some stamping products!

Stampin’ Up! Idea for a Father’s Day Card

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Father's Day Sail Away Card

Father's Day is June 19th so it is time to be making Father's Day cards.  There are plenty of Stampin' Up! ideas for Father's Day cards…just look through your Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog and you'll find a great resource of ideas, even if you change the paper or color or saying.  Sometimes I am surprised myself at how easy it is to be inspired by looking through the catalog.

I had so much fun making this card!  The clouds are made by punching out the solid piece on the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch #122464 (the first image on the left of the punch), laying it on your paper and then sponging off the edges a little bit with a little bit of ink.  I used Bashful Blue.  Just move it around until you have your sky how you like it!  You just want to be a little more careful than I was and not get much ink on your sails!  For the water I just sponged on some Night of Navy ink.  To emphasize the waves, I used my White Gel Pen #105021 so my sea may look a little stormy!  Everyone should order this Sail Away stamp #123013…great for masculine cards and gifts, summertime themes, nautical themes, general occasions.

You will want to order the Baker's Twine in the Summer Mini (page 10) because it is really trendy right now and certainly easy to use.

And to finish off my card I stamped a greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes, punched with the Modern Label Punch.  With the two little gold brads on it, it seemed to just "make" the card when I attached it!

This was a simple card to make (and my eyes were dilated from the eye doctor so I could barely see what I was doing!) and just one of those that I LOVED when I got finished!  Isn't rubber stamping grand??!

Order your retiring stamps and accessories today at my Online Store!

Stampin’ Up! Big on Christmas Stamp Set Retiring! Oh no!

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Big on Christmas #116578 is one of those Christmas stamp sets I have had for several years and always liked and enjoyed stamping with. Sadly, it is on the Stampin' Up! Last Chance List. So on this hot day in June, I thought I would make a few Christmas cards a little early!  This is a great stamp set that you can use simply as I have, or you can jazz up if you want.

Big on Christmas Happy Holidays Card

I used the Ticket Corner Punch #119867 to snip the corners of the image and the layer.  I also used the brand new Lacy Ribbon Border Punch #122362 coming in the new Stampin' Up! Catalog July 1st.  You could add Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to this card, rhinestones, or decorate the letter in "Happy" with Crystal Effects.


Big on Christmas Snow Card

This card I sort of used the monochromatic look….a method to use if you don't want to do all that coloring in!  You could also restamp the snowman on a scrap paper, cut him out, and pop him up right over the stamped image in the word.  You could stamp a few snowflakes on the main image and add some glitter.  On this card I used the new Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch #122464 in the Summer Mini Catalog to look a little bit like snowflakes behind the layer or just decorate the card.  The little snowflake stamped on the Marina Mist card base is from Snow Swirled, which is not retiring (another favorite Christmas stamp set!).


Big on Christmas Noel Card

This Christmas card uses the third image in the Big On Christmas stamp set.  I used the Scallop Trim Border Punch #118402 on the Garden Green layer. The card base in Real Red is embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder #117335

Don't let this stamp set pass you by for making some very cute Christmas cards this year! To check the retiring Stampin' Up! stamp sets, accessories, and Decor Elements, please click HERE.

Stampin’ Up! New Lace Ribbon Border Punch Card

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Stampin' Up! New Lace Ribbon Border Card

It's great to be a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator right now because we all got to order a few Sneak Peek products from the upcoming new catalog, available July 1st.  When my order arrived, I immediately tried out the new Lace Ribbon Border Punch!  I was thrilled to pieces with the scrap I punched, and here it is on this card!  Isn't it beautiful?? (the punch!)  The designer paper on the Baja Breeze card base is also some new designer series paper, called "Just Add Cake".  The opposite side of this paper looks like notebook paper!  The So Saffron flower is made with our current 5-Petal Flower Punch #119880, as are the Wild Wasabi leaves (the flower petals cut apart!). In the center of my flower is one of the 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo Brads #112533, this one in Chocolate Chip.  Recognize the greeting???  Probably not, because it is in a new stamp set called My Friend.

If you are interested in becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, starting your own business, becoming part of the Stampin' Up! family, and enjoying these special perks and benefits please contact me with any questions you may have OR click HERE to read more about the Stampin' Up! business opportunity.

Thank You Kindly Thank You Card

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Thank You Thank You Kindly

Thank you cards are always handy to have around, and especially for an important occasion, such as graduation, when many graduation thank you cards will need to be sent.  Online thank you notes or thank you emails might be better than no thank you at all, but, in my opinion, this is when a handwritten note is definitely in order.  And if you really want to make it special, a Stampin' Up! card that you made is always special!

This card uses a retiring stamp For You Flower #118726, one of the a la carte stamps in the Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog. I punched the flower out of So Saffron card stock with the Fancy Flower Punch #118073.  With some Stampin' Write Markers, I colored in the center of the For You Flower stamp and stamped on Whisper White, punched out with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch #119861, mounted it over a 1 3/8" Circle Punch #119860 of Pear Pizzazz card stock using a Stampin' Dimensional, and adhered that to the flower punch piece.  

I was actually copying a sample in the catalog (I think sometimes we forget to simply look in the catalog for ideas!) but instead of doing paper piercing, I punched two strips of Rose Red card stock with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch #119275.  For extra emphasis, being a thank you note, I stamped the bottom of the card with a stamp from Thank You Kindly #111700.

When you are looking for thank you card wording, there are so many great stamps to choose from at Stampin' Up!.

If you were doing this card as a graduation thank you card, just choose either school colors for your papers and ink or whatever colors suited your personality.  I'm sure the recipient would appreciate something that you put your personal touch on.

For any stamping supplies that you need, please go to my Online Store HERE. (In fact, go take a peek now as Stampin' Up! has updated the look!) Feel free to contact me with any questions!

Pun Fun Thank You Card

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Pun Fun Thank You Card

Another Stampin' Up! retiring stamp set is Pun Fun #115054.  What a shame since it is such a versatile fun set with images and words…which you can omit if you want just the image…or just the words.  It is one of those good sets for beginning stampers since you get a lot in the set for many occasions.  The DSP on my card is a bit of the Love Letter Designer Series Paper #117162, which will also be retiring.

You can view all the retiring stamps and accessories HERE. Do your shopping this weekend to be assured of best selection! And if you are ordering online, be sure to look at the Clearance Rack…..lots of good deals there!

Great Friend Butterfly Card

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Great Friend Butterfly Card

The stamp set Great Friend #113792 is one of the many Stampin' Up! stamp sets retiring the end of this month.  I like this stamp set because it is very simple but lovely and versatile for many occasions.  It also has a "for you" greeting which can be used for most anything.  You could even color just the word "friend" on the stamp I used with a Stampin' Write Marker if you wanted to stamp just that word.  The frame, the leaves, the butterfly are all so easy to use.  To make this card, I used the sample card in the Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog on page 122 as inspiration and changed it a little.  I really like this simple card.

Be sure to check the Stampin' Up! Last Chance Lists HERE and place your order soon!  Go to my Online Store when you have your order ready!

Retiring Stampin’ Up! Stamps and Accessories

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Retiring Stampin' Up! Products 2011

Image copyright Stampin' Up! 2011

Stampin' Up! has released the lists of retiring stamps, accessories and Definitely Decorative items!  These are items that are being discontinued after June 30, 2011 to make room for new products.  Stamp sets will be available all month because Stampin' Up! manufactures their own stamp sets.  However, accessories are available only while supplies last…..and sometimes they don't last very long!  Either submit your order to me soon (you can email me at Karen@Karenstamps.com)  or preferably place your order at my Online Store so you will know right away if the accessories you want are available.

Start checking and start shopping!!

Stampin' Up! Retiring Stamps:  Click HERE.

Stampin' Up! Retiring Accessories:  Click HERE.

Stampin' Up! Retiring Definitely Decorative:  Click HERE.

To see separate lists:  Click HERE.

Be sure to notice some products are discounted!!

Last Day of May Stampin’ Up! Reminders

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What happened to May?  It went by way too fast for me and maybe it did for you, too, so here are some reminders since this is the last day of May!!

  • Last day of National Scrapbooking Month!  Stampin' Up! has a list of specials related to scrapbooking, but if you're not into scrapbooking, it still is beneficial to you…regular stamp sets discounted, digital bundles discounted, MDS printing discounted, Stampin' Up! Digital+ Starter Kit discounted!  Beome a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator in minutes (and there is still time to sign up for Convention if you want to go!). Click HERE to go to the page of specials!
  • If you want to find out more about being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, there is a chance to call in to Stampin' Up! TODAY and listen to someone from the home office talk about the business opportunity and answer questions. The call is free and takes place at 11:00 AM (MT) and 4:00 PM (MT) today, Tuesday, May 31. To attend this call,  dial 1-866-640-4044 and, when prompted, enter the access code 500284#. After you state your name, you will be added to the call.            
  • New My Digital Studio downloads come out this afternoon! I spent a lot of my weekend working in My Digital Studio!  The more you work with it, the more you learn! Click HERE to see the downloads! Click HERE to learn about My Digital Studio…..it's not just for scrapbooking!
  • Last but not least…..tomorrow, June 1st the Stampin' Up! Last Chance Retirement List comes out!  See what stamp sets will be leaving us to make room for new and start making your list of must-haves! Check back tomorrow and sign up for my monthly newsletter in the upper left corner of this page!  Thanks!

Memorial Day

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Arlington

Memorial Day is a national holiday celebrated on the last Monday of May. It was originally a day to honor the dead of the Civil War by decorating their graves and was known as Decoration Day. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson designated Waterloo, NY as the birthplace of Memorial Day because starting back in 1866 the town had made the day an annual event where businesses closed and soldiers' graves were decorated with flags and flowers.  Memorial Day is a day to honor all veterans who have given their lives in America's wars. At Arlington National Cemetary, a certain unit called The Old Guard place American flags one foot and centered, in front of the gravestones and columbarium niches of every service member. This tradition is called "Flags-In".

Each one of us can participate in a "National Moment of Remembrance" at 3:00 PM local time wherever you are to reflect on the true meaning of the day, a congressional resolution passed in 2000.  We might also think about our ancestry and family history as we perhaps gather with relatives for a family picnic or a Memorial Day parade. And be sure to fly your American flag, although it should be at half-staff until noon.

More Baby Scrapbook Pages 6×6

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Here are some more pages from the baby scrapbook I made.  Some materials and stamps may be retired but you can easily substitute something similar.  You can copy the layout ideas or just get your creative juices flowing! These smaller albums are so much fun to make! Just slip the pages you make into the clear page protectors in the album.

Baby Scrapbook Page 6

Use the Pinking Hearts Corner Punch #118072 to make a decorative corner.

Baby Scrapbook Page 7

Make your own designer paper by stamping…and this stamp even comes from what could be considered a Valentine stamp set! (I think it is a retired stamp set)

Baby Scrapbook Page 8

Designer paper from Nursery Suite Specialty #117165.  I don't remember where I got the punch art giraffe idea, but you can google it and probably find one to your liking.

Baby Scrapbook Page 9

These are die-cuts from an old Simply Scrappin' Kit but you can find something similar in the current catalog.  Love the Simply Scrappin' Kits!

Baby Scrapbook Page 10

Might be retired stamp sets but you can use the idea!  The hearts are cut with the Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslits Die #117332 and the Full Heart Punch #119883.

Baby Scrapbook Last Page

I usually like to make the last page in a baby album something about sleeping!

Even though this is a 6×6 album, to make a larger page, just take the same layout ideas and make them larger!  There's probably always a little something extra you can add, too!  Have fun with it!

Contact me if you have any questions!

Stampin’ Up! Baby Scrapbook Album

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Baby scrapbook albums are so much fun to make!  I've made them for gifts and as special orders for other people. Whether you start with just a generic baby theme or choose something special, such as nursery colors, you just need to start, and as you play around with your pages and layouts, creativity will come! You can get many Stampin' Up! ideas for layouts just by looking at the Idea Book & Catalog. This scrapbook is made with the 6×6 Natural Linen Post Album #104515 (it also comes in a Ring album if you prefer). Some stamp sets and materials I used are retired, but you can easily substitute something similar.

Baby Scrapbook Cover

For the album cover decoration I usually like to just tie some ribbon around the cover and attach a tag of some kind.  This one is the 1/2" Stitched-Poly Ribbon laid over 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon.

BabySBp1

I used the Scallop Trim Corner and Scallop Trim Border Punches to this photo mat….best to just start with a piece of paper and punch, not expecting a certain size.  I added tiny Pearls in between the scallops.  The flower is made with the Daisies #2 Die and the Big Shot.

Baby Scrapbook Page 2

I think these pieces are from a retired Simply Scrappin' Kit (which are fabulous for making scrapbooks!).

Baby Scrapbook Page 3

Stamps from Animal Stories #116716 and designer paper from Nursery Suite Specialty #117165.

Baby Scrapbook Page 4

I made my own designer paper by stamping randomly on Whisper White card stock with Fox & Friends.

Baby Scrapbook Page 5

The baby's name is stamped with the Broadsheet Alphabet set.

More pages tomorrow! Click on the photos to enlarge.

Stampin’ Up! Gift Box With Bling!

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Rhinestone Box side

Do you need a gift box with bling?  You can make one yourself!  I saw some little boxes at a nice store covered with pearls and rhinestones and I thought, "I could make something like that!"  (Isn't that what always gets us crafters in trouble??!)  I envisioned using a small paper mache box I was sure I had multiples of but of course I could not find one in my stash….so an extra box that held a Simply Adorned charm worked just fine!  I cut the center out in order to put a little window in the lid (with a piece of window sheet or transparency) and to save on rhinestones!  I planned to use pearls to cover the box with a few rhinestones mixed in, but since I didn't have enough pearls, I had to use mostly rhinestones.

It is so easy to use the Stampin' Up! Basic Rhinestones #119246 and Basic Pearls #119247 on any project.  I used my Paper-Piercing Tool #116631 to pick up each jewel and with the adhesive on the back they were easy to apply where I wanted them.  Some even come attached in a close string so it made it easy to do the edges of the box. And if I wanted just a few rhinestones out of that string, I just cut in between two rhinestones with my Paper-Piercer and got what I wanted. The pearls and rhinestones are so pretty!

Rhinestone Box

Rhinestone Box 2

Rhinestone Box 3
Rhinestone Box 4

Rhinestone Box Covered

If need a couple packages of Stampin' Up! rhinestones or pearls, just go to my Online Store and place your order!  Try making your own trinket box or jewelry box by covering a plain box with bling and your own decoration!  Let me know if you make one!