Category Archives: Tools and Accessories

Would You Like to Buy Single Stamps from Stampin’ Up!?

Stampin' Up! just announced a Single Stamp pilot program! Apparently they received a positive response when they asked on Facebook if customers would be interested.They received 8,698 "likes" on their recent Facebook post!

To test this option, Stampin' Up! is offering the chance to buy single pieces from three stamp sets: Word Play, Perfectly Penned, and Seasonal Sayings. These are all greeting stamp sets so if you saw a stamp or two in the set that you really wanted but didn't want to pay the full price for the set, now you have the option to choose a single stamp!

*Note that these single stamps will only be offered in clear-mount, they'll come without a block, and they'll be packaged in cello bags versus the plastic cases we're used to. Also, since this is a pilot program, Spanish and French stamp sets are not included in this offer.

This offer is available now through January 2, 2013.

Download the Word Play flyer.

Download the Perfectly Penned flyer.

Download the Seasonal Sayings flyer.

I'm very curious what everyone will think of this option! Do you think you will like it or not? Leave me a comment or email me and let me know what you think! You will have to do the math and see how buying just select stamps compares with buying the set. It will be an interesting experiment I think!

Note from Stampin’ Up! Peppermint Embossing Powder

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Stampin' Up! has updated us about the Peppermint Sticks Scented Stampin' Emboss Powder (Item 127830):

Due to quality issues, this Peppermint Embossing Powder from the Holiday Catalog will no longer be available for purchase. The product will still emboss and you can continue to use it; however, the peppermint scent does not last as long as indicated in the catalog. The supplier will not be able to reformulate the powder in time for use during the holidays, so Stampin' Up! has decided to stop selling the product.

If you have already ordered this item and are unsatisfied with it, please contact me (or your Demonstrator) or Stampin' Up! for a refund or to exchange it for a different scented Stampin' Emboss Powder.

You’ve GOT to See This Embellishing Video from Stampin’ Up!!

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Stampin' Up! went a little crazy (to say the least!!) in embellishing with the 3/8" Stitched Satin In Color Ribbon that you can get FREE in September with every $40 purchase.

Watch this video!!

So make up your order of at least $40 worth of Stampin' Up! products…maybe $80 would be better…for TWO rolls of Free ribbon! Who wouldn't like FREE ribbon?!

You can shop at my Online Store or contact me by email with your order!

Click here to Choose from these ribbons:

Item 126848	Description Gumball Green 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon	Retail Value $ 8.95
Item 126848	Description Gumball Green 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon	Retail Value $ 8.95
126847	Midnight Muse 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon	$ 8.95
126844	Primrose Petals 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon	$ 8.95
126845	Raspberry Ripple 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon	$ 8.95
126846	Summer Starfruit 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon	$ 8.95

What do YOU want to embellish with your free ribbon???!

Free Ribbon from Stampin’ Up! in September!

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Can you believe September is here? And now that summer is over, kids are back in school, we're all back to regular schedules….it's time to start embellishing with free ribbon from Stampin' Up! With every $40 you spend during September, you get a FREE package of 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon (an $8.95 value)!

How's that for "Back to 'Spool' "?!!

This ribbon is available in the newest In Colors! I have the Gumball Green and can't wait to get some other colors as I use the Gumball Green ribbon often.

This offer has no limits! So go crazy ordering! The only thing is Hostess Dollars can not be used for this offer.

Check out the Back-to-Spool Free Ribbon Offer from Stampin' Up!

Then make out your shopping list and visit my Stampin' Up! Online Store today!

Stampin’ Up! Silicone Craft Sheet

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The Stampin' Up! Silicone Craft Sheet #127853 in the 2012-13 Holiday Catalog is one of the great new products you will use over and over again. It's a 6"x 6" sheet of silicone which makes it nonstick, heat resistant, easy to clean and a convenient size for storage, use, and portability.

We all know what a "sticky" situation it is when you get adhesive on your work surface, but with the Silicone Craft Sheet, your work surface is protected from adhesives and can be easily cleaned off with a baby wipe or wet paper towel.

The Silicone Craft Sheet is translucent (you can see my messy stamping on my Grid Paper showing through the craft sheet) so if you ever want to see what size to make your embellishment or how it will be placed, you can see through the craft sheet while you work to get your item just right.

Use it to assemble your flower or whatever project right into the hot glue or adhesive on the craft sheet so that you don't have to try to hold it in one hand and glue with the other. Put the glue on the craft sheet and then assemble your project.

To add the Silicone Craft Sheet to your next order, just go to my Online Store here.

Texas Sales Tax Holiday–Make Your Stampin’ Up! Shopping List!

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The Texas Sales Tax Holiday is coming on Friday, August 17 and lasting through Sunday, August 19. You might not think of Stampin' Up! when you think of school supplies, but we really do have some supplies and accessories that might be useful for your students…and you!

Any Texas customers can take advantage of this savings during those dates only…and we know moms need a stash of scissors, glue, markers, etc. for those last-minute projects when it's too late to run out to the store! I probably STILL have a few things in my closet! Neighbors used to call me to see if I had an extra notebook or folder or construction paper…and I usually did!

You can email me your order or you can order at your convenience online here.

Here is the Stampin' Up! Catalog if you would like to check the items…or you can just do a search in the Online Store.

Check this list and be ready to order on Friday, August 17 and get at least a little bit in savings on items you or anyone in your family can really use!

Number	Description	Price
100425	2-Way Glue Pen	$4.50 (new price)
104332	Snail^® Adhesive	$6.95
104331	Snail Refill	$4.50
104294	Sticky Strip	$6.95
104430	Stampin' Dimensionals^®	$3.95
103683	Mini Glue Dots	$4.95
103579	Paper Snips	$9.95
103179	Craft & Rubber Scissors	$19.95
108360	Craft & Paper Scissors	$29.95
101879	Watercolor Pencils	$19.95
105021	uni-ball Signo^® Gel Pen	$3.95
102845	Blender Pens	$9.95
various	Stampin' Write^® Markers	$3.50
119700	Subtles (10) Markers	$28.95
119701	Regals (10) Markers	$28.95
119702	Brights (10) Markers	$28.95
119703	Neutrals (8) Markers	$22.95
119802	Subtles (10) Watercolor Crayons	$16.95
119803	Regals (10) Watercolor Crayons	$16.95
119804	Brights (10) Watercolor Crayons	$16.95
119805	Neutrals (10) Watercolor Crayons	$16.95
110755	Multipurpose Liquid Glue	$3.95
104045	Anywhere Glue Sticks	$3.95
123002	2011-2013 In Color Stampin' Write Markers	$14.95
128978	Silver Stampin' Dazzle Marker	$3.50
128979	Gold Stampin' Dazzle Marker	$3.50

The Texas sales tax holiday is for school supplies up to $100.00 per item Aug. 17-19. Because school supply items are included in this sales tax holiday, the list of items above provided by Stampin' Up! will be state sales tax-free during the holiday period. You must place your order with Stampin' Up! during those dates only.

Order your stamping school supplies online at my Stampin' Up! Online Store here or email me your order and I'll be happy to put it in for you!

New Stampin’ Up! Foam Ink Pad Labels

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I knew that the new Stampin' Up! foam ink pads were coming with labels to use on the bottom of the case..but when I got mine I kind of forgot about it. Finally one day I remembered the labels were there as a new feature and I actually stopped and took time to adhere them!

If you haven't applied the labels to your new foam ink pads yet, maybe this will remind you! And if you haven't ordered your new foam ink pads yet, maybe this will help you in applying the labels.

This is how the labels come on the bottom of your ink pad in English and three languages.

Look for that little corner on the label that indicates where you peel back the label.

You want to grab all the pieces of the label down to what you see here.

Peel off the label in the language that you want and apply it in this position on the ink pad case. It will be self-adhesive.

This is optional, but if you want to cut the solid ends off of another language label, you can stick the two pieces INSIDE your ink pad, which sometimes help identify what color you are using when the top of the ink pads are just dark.

There you go! Easy to do, handy to use, and you are ready to stamp with the new labeled foam ink pads from Stampin' Up!

Beat the Summer Heat in Houston with a Paper Fan!

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It's always hot, humid and miserable in the summer time in Houston, TX…and summer here goes from about May until….who knows….maybe October or November! But this is the third day of record-breaking heat here! The temperature rarely gets to 100 degrees (although you might argue how much better is it at 95??). But even Galveston, right on the coast, broke a long time record the other day at 100. Of course it all depends on where you live and where they read the temperature, but yesterday it was 102 here. And the temperature didn't drop much late in the evening either. The night before when I checked it was still 99 into the evening.

So with this awful, record-breaking summer heat in Houston, I thought I would make a paper fan! Even in a comfortable, air-conditioned house with the shades partially drawn to keep the heat out, one can still use a little breeze now and then….and heaven forbid if the power went off for whatever reason! Yikes!

I started with a 12"x12" piece of designer paper (in this case I used a piece of the Sale-A-Bration paper Everyday Enchantment) which I cut in half (check your pattern to see which way it goes on both sides before you cut!). I found two popsicle sticks in my craft closet which were 3/8" wide so I scored every 3/8" inch across the paper using the Stampin' Up! Simply Scored Scoring Tool. Score both halves of the paper so you have two pieces.

There's a lot of folding to do, back and forth! I glued the two halves of designer paper together using Tombow Multipurpose Glue. Sad to say the Crop-A-Dile is retired, but I got mine out and punched the holes in small groups across the bottom of the fan. You could use a small hole punch. I also covered the front of my popsicle sticks with matching paper and even colored the edges with a Stampin' Write Marker and glued one to each end of the paper. This just adds a little sturdiness.

I used Stampin' Up! Linen Thread to run through the holes and tie tightly underneath. You could use ribbon or string or even dental floss!

And just to jazz it up I added a pretty paper flower with my Blossom Punch to the front!

I hope I can just LOOK at my pretty fan and NOT have to use it!!!

For any designer paper, card stock, stamps, punches or any other great Stampin' Up! products, please just click HERE to order online!

Stampin’ Up! Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack

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If you thought you liked the old Paper-Piercing Tool and Mat Pack with the one paper-piercing template, you will LOVE the new bigger and better Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack #126187. This pack has 3 templates, each 6"x6". There is also the new Paper-Piercing Tool #126189 and the Stampin' Pierce Mat #126199 You can find all these great new stamping tools on page 181 of the new Stampin' Up! Catalog.

In making this card, first I cut the edge with the new Large Scallop Edgelits Die #127019.

Next I matched up my scallop edge with the proper scallop template.

Then I used the new Paper-Piercing Tool, which is much more comfortable to hold and use due to the ergonomic design of the handle. It even comes with a protective tip and storage tube.

Isn't that lovely?!! And so easy to do now with the larger template. With this finished card being 3"x6" I did have to move the template over to finish off the scallop but that wasn't difficult.

Put these accessories on your order today! You will love them! To order any Stampin' Up! products, please click HERE to go directly to my Online Store! And anytime you would rather I put your order in for you, please just contact me at Karen@KarenStamps.com. I'm happy to help in whatever way makes it easy for you!

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!

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!

Last Week for Stampin’ Up! Sale-A-Bration: Petite Purse

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Something old and something new! This is the last week for Stampin' Up!'s biggest promotion, Sale-A-Bration, and I have used a piece of the Sale-A-Bration "Everyday Enchantment" Designer Series Paper #126154 on this NEW Petite Purse Die for the Big Shot, coming April 1st!

It's a cute little purse, perfect for parties and favors…and just a fun thing to make! Then embellish like crazy or leave it fairly plain….your choice! Besides adding a bit of designer paper on the top of the purse flap, I took some Poppy Parade card stock and punched a strip with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch #119275. I cut the punched strip in half lengthwise so I could just use the scalloped edge, snipped it a little to get it to bend around the curve and glued under the purse flap. Then I added a little Twitterpated Designer Button #125579 from the Occasions Mini Catalog. The purse handle comes with the die or you could make your own with some ribbon or another punch or something.

You'll have to wait until April for the Petite Purse Die but DON'T wait for Sale-A-Bration because that ends Saturday, March 31st. Spend $50 in merchandise from any of the current Stampin' Up! catalogs and earn a free product of your choice from the Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration Catalog! For every $50 you spend, you earn a free product, so there is no limit! If nothing else, you might as well stock up on paper or adhesives or whatever basic supplies you use a lot so that you benefit by getting FREE merchandise. You can add My Digital Studio downloads to your order as well, if you want (as long as you are ordering online).

Don't miss Sale-A-Bration! It is the biggest promotional event of the year for Stampin' Up! Get your order in by March 31st. Order at my Online Store HERE or contact me with your order!

St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Treat Bag

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Are you looking for a St. Patrick's Day shamrock treat bag idea? This one was easy to make with the new Stampin' Up! Labels Collection Framelits Dies #125598 and the Small Heart Punch #117193. I used the Framelits Die to cut the Pear Pizzazz label and folded it in half to cover the small cello bag. Then I used the next smaller size Framelit Die to cut the Whisper White card stock and stamped with a greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

The shamrock is made with the Hearts Collection Framelits Dies #125599, the smallest heart, cut out of the Twitterpated Designer Series Paper #125406 and then smaller hearts from the Small Heart Punch. The Designer Printed Brad #122940 adds a cute decorative touch!

If you need any of these new fun dies to use with your Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine for future projects, you can order online at my Stampin' Up! Store.

Stampin’ Up! Twitterpated Designer Buttons

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I love these Twitterpated Designer Buttons in the Occasions Mini Catalog! You get two different colors and two different designs…..but I wonder if you realize how small and cute they are! Here is a card on display at the Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference back in January, of course made even cuter by the whole container of buttons all scattered around it!

Here is another example of cute ways to use these little buttons! The card on the left actually has stitching on it and real thread through the buttons, but if you weren't so inclined (I wouldn't be!) to get out your sewing machine, you would draw diagonal lines with your white Gel Pen or even score diagonally now that we have the Simply Scored Diagonal Plate. Then just stick adhere the little buttons with Glue Dots.

And if you wanted to, you could even jazz up these buttons further by adding some bling on top!

Little embellishments like these often add a lot to your project! Be sure to add these Twitterpated Buttons #125579 or something similar to your next order!

Shop Stampin' Up! Online any time here at my Online Store.

Stampin’ Up! Simply Scored Diagonal Plate for Simply Scored Scoring Tool

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The new Stampin' Up! Simply Scored Diagonal Plate #125586 is available TODAY to use with your Simply Scored Scoring Tool #122334. Put it on your order with some other items to reach $50 or more and earn a free Sale-a-Bration product as well!

You'll love this new diagonal plate for scoring to use with your Simply Scored! Just place it in the base and use it to make envelopes, boxes, and any number of projects.

Click to watch the video below by Donna Griffith who works in the Stampin' Up! Home Office. She'll tell you the features of the Diagonal Plate and give your instructions on how to make envelopes or add texture to your cards!

Item	Description	Price
125586	Simply Scored Diagonal Plate	$11.95

Product Features

Sits on top of the Simply Scored base
Held securely in place by rubber pads on back of the plate
Has etched grooves every 1/8"
Can score any size card stock up to 12" x 12"
Includes instructions for creating common envelope size

Be sure you put this on your next order HERE.

Coordinating products you might be interested in:

Simply Scored (item 122334)
Simply Scored Place Markers (item 125625)
Simply Scored Stylus (item 125624)
Bone Folder (item 102300)

Stamping With Karen

Having Fun With Paper, Ink, and Stamps

Category Archives: Tools and Accessories

Would You Like to Buy Single Stamps from Stampin’ Up!?

Note from Stampin’ Up! Peppermint Embossing Powder

You’ve GOT to See This Embellishing Video from Stampin’ Up!!

Free Ribbon from Stampin’ Up! in September!

Stampin’ Up! Silicone Craft Sheet

Texas Sales Tax Holiday–Make Your Stampin’ Up! Shopping List!

New Stampin’ Up! Foam Ink Pad Labels

Beat the Summer Heat in Houston with a Paper Fan!

Stampin’ Up! Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack

Marking Clear-Mount Stamp Positions

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

Last Week for Stampin’ Up! Sale-A-Bration: Petite Purse

St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Treat Bag

Stampin’ Up! Twitterpated Designer Buttons

Stampin’ Up! Simply Scored Diagonal Plate for Simply Scored Scoring Tool