Stamping with Karen

Memorial Day 2012

Images copyright Stampin' Up! 2012

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance and appreciation for those who have died in the service of our country.

Please remember to fly your flag today.

Stampin' Up! Going...Going....Almost Gone! Check the Retired Lists!

It's hard to believe that our beloved current Stampin' Up! catalog is just about over.....although we all are certainly excited for the brand new Stampin' Up! catalog to make it's debut on Friday, June 1st!

But now is the time to take action, if you have been waiting! This is the last few days of being able to purchase any of the retiring stamps or accessories.  This retired list will come to an end on Thursday, May 31st. You can place your own order online HERE or you can call or email me (Karen@KarenStamps.com) with your order and I can do it for you.

Here are some items to take note of in case they interest you. Remember, anything other than stamps (which Stampin' Up! manufactures themselves) are only available while supplies last.

• All of the Definitely Decorative line is retiring. (click the Show: ALL option to easily view all the items).  This is mainly the vinyl decor elements to put on walls and many other places BUT it also includes products like the Decor Blocks #116829, the Simply Adorned jewelry (but not just for jewelry!) line, some trinkets, and stencils. Be sure to check the whole listing.
• My Digital Studio Content Discs:  These are priced at 60% off so they are a great deal.  If you are considering getting My Digital Studio any time in the future, you should get these now because nothing on My Digital Studio really retires!  You will have tons of extra artwork to play with!  Even at full price, the collection was priced at 10% less than purchasing the downloads separately. Note: Purchase My Digital Studio NOW and when the new version comes out, you will get it FREE!
• The Build a Bear line is retiring! Be sure to get it while you can. Some items are even discounted!
• There are many things at the beginning of the Retired Accessories List that are discounted 25% or more!  Be sure to check those out.

Here are the lists!  Be sure you make them a part of your weekend reading!

Retiring Stamps List

Retiring Accessories (be sure to notice the discounts!)

Retiring Definitely Decorative

Retiring Spanish Stamps

Easiest Way to View All the Retiring Items in My Store! 

Remember, if you have an order of $150 or more, be sure you go to the link above where you will see my name in the upper right corner so that you receive your Hostess Rewards.  The order should prompt you when it is time to enter your free Hostess Rewards.  DON'T go to www.stampinup.com and choose me as your demonstrator...you won't get the same benefits.  Also, if you order online, you can check and order from the Clearance Rack! Don't miss it!

If you have any questions or problems, let me know! Last day to order is Thursday, May 31st!  New catalog starts Friday, June 1st!

Another Cascade Birthday Card

And here's another cascade birthday card like yesterday, this time with cake and ice cream! The cascade design is made the same way....I used Pool Party card stock as the base and added the Sweet Shop Specialty Designer Series Paper (if you have some in your stash!)

The ice cream cones were fun to make.  I punched the cone with the Petite Pennants Builder Punch #122361 and made the ice cream topper with the Cupcake Builder Punch #121807.  The "sprinkles" on the vanilla ice cream cones come from the Cupcake Punch.  The "strawberry" ice cream cones have dots of glitter plus a Red Glimmer Paper cherry punched with the Cupcake Punch (I think that Cupcake Punch is mighty handy!) The greeting is from the stamp set Bring on the Cake.  I used markers to color in the stamp and added my own little squiggles and dots around the border with the thin end of the marker.

If you need any stamping and card-making supplies, just click HERE to go to my Stampin' Up! Online Store!  Be sure to check the Clearance Rack, too, when you are making an online order!!

Cascade Cupcake Birthday Card

 

These cascade cards are really fun to make and hopefully make a great impression with the recipient! Aren't cupcakes great for a birthday card?! They fold flat for mailing but then they can be unfolded and placed on display if the person wants to. I saw a card similar to this one online somewhere and thought it would be so cute to make. I used Pool Party card stock but added the cute Sweet Shop Specialty Designer Series Paper (which I don't think is available any longer since it was in the Occasions Mini Catalog).

The greeting is from Bring on the Cake and the cupcakes are punched with the Cupcake Builder Punch #121807. Doesn't the Silver and Red Glimmer Paper add so much to this card?!

Come back tomorrow to see another birthday cascade card I made!

Don't forget.....lots of Stampin' Up! stamps and accessories are retiring on May 31st....which is next Thursday!  Don't miss out on something you want! Stamps will be available since Stampin' Up! manufactures them; however, accessories  are only available while supplies last and some are gone already! Check your list today before the last minute rush hits!  Order Online HERE!

 

Thank You Note Card

It is graduation time and certainly the new graduates are going to need to write some thank you notes for the gifts they receive. Did you know Stampin' Up! sells Note Cards #107311 that are just the right size and even come with envelopes?  All you have to do is fold them on the scored line and decorate how you wish. The card size is 5" x 3 1/2". 

For this thank you card, I used a scrap of the Twitterpated Designer Series Paper #125406 on the inside and cut the border with the Adorning Accents Edgelits Die #125595 and stamped with the Bordering on Romance stamp set.

Here is the inside:

Plenty of room on the inside to write a nice note to the gift-giver! Or if you don't want to do the fancy edge, you could paste the paper on the front flap of the card.  Then stamp a "thank you" on the front....or a monogram with one of the Stampin' Up! alphabet sets!

My Digital Studio Newest Downloads!

Who can resist these downloads??! Just in time for summer travels is the World Traveler Photobook Template!  Gotta have the Soft Blooms flowers! Be sure to check out this week's downloads for My Digital Studio either by clicking on the images above or by going HERE to view the latest downloads for digital papercrafters!

Try out My Digital Studio Express FREE for 30-days! No obligation, no risk, nothing to lose....but a new opportunity!  Go there now and get it!

Graduation Tri-Shutter Card

When your son is graduating from college and you make cards, you want to make an extra-special graduation card for him!  After thinking about many different designs, I decided on this tri-shutter card.  I love how it opens up yet is simple to make. This card is a combination of current and retired stamps, wheel, paper, and embellishments...even paper from the school bookstore scrapbook package. Oh, and let's not forget using My Digital Studio to print some images for the card!

For the basic card, cut a piece of card stock 5 1/2" x 12". With your Simply Scored Scoring Tool, score the card stock at 2", 4", 8" and 10"with the card stock horizontal (12") in your scoring tool.

Using your Stampin' Up! Paper Cutter (retiring) or a hobby blade, with your card stock long ways (vertical), measure in 1 1/2" and cut a slit between the 2" and 10" score marks.  Do this also on the other side.

Fold as you see in the photo (a little tricky to get it going but it will work!) and then decorate with designer paper, stamping and embellishments to your heart's content!

Graduation Photography Tips From a Mom

When you have a child graduating as we did this past weekend, it will be a momentous occasion, and if you are the family photographer you will undoubtedly be taking photos to document every second. Perhaps you will want to make a traditional scrapbook for the graduate or even a digital album or swatchbook with My Digital Studio for a quick and easy way to save and share your memories. Check out my graduation photography tips below.

Here are my photography tips for graduation to ensure you HAVE those photos!

• Think ahead about taking pictures at graduation, preferably at least a day ahead. Four or five years of college tend to sneak up on you and even with a year's notice you may find yourself unprepared for picture-taking at graduation.
• Search your battery stash for a package of extra AA batteries, making sure you don't grab AAA batteries.
• If there is no new package of AA batteries in your battery stash, stop all tasks and go to the store immediately to purchase at least one if not two (and maybe three) packages of batteries. It's really more important than having laundry done or the right pair of shoes packed.
• Have an extra package of new batteries for your camera easily accessible in your purse before the big event.
• If no new package of batteries is available in your stash and you don't really stop to think through how important it is to go out and buy new batteries right now, then grab a ziploc bag of loose batteries which perhaps are new ones taken along, but not used, on vacation or something recently. Surely they are brand new and will work.
• If you suspect that your camera batteries may be close to wearing out during the graduation event, change the batteries in your camera during a boring speech while seated. Do not wait until your camera flashes "Change Your Batteries" during the singing of the school song and moments before the fireworks display to conclude the fabulous graduation ceremony.
• If you are forced to change batteries in your camera, in the dark, while standing during the grand finale of the whole graduation ceremony, quickly take notice of which ends of the batteries are up and which are down before taking out the old batteries, then quickly insert the new batteries from the ziploc bag trying not to mix up the two groups of batteries.
• If it turns out these spare batteries were indeed brand new, hooray for you! If not, just the act of changing the batteries will probably make your camera work for a few shots.
• If after a few shots, these replacement batteries do not work because they weren't actually new batteries after all, quickly remove at least two and rub each end vigorously on your clothes and be assured that you will probably be able to get a few more shots out of this technique.
• Always keep an extra package of batteries for your camera on hand because you never know when you might have a child graduate from college.  
• If you are over the age of 30, (and you probably are), during the graduation speeches learn how to find and use the camera function on your cell phone, just in case. Did you know you can take video?? Learn how to slide the thing back for still shots so not everything is video.
• Hope that someone with a better lens on their camera got a clear shot of your child receiving their diploma on stage because even if every other photo you took is perfect, that one will be blurry and unrecognizable.

UT Graduation Announcement

And here are all the pieces you saw a few days ago all assembled into a graduation announcement for my youngest son!  The striped paper is from a scrapbook pack I bought in the university bookstore a few years ago....you may notice it on a lot of my graduation projects you've seen! I dug out some retired Really Rust card stock to come close to matching the Burnt Orange for UT.  Our current Cajun Craze is a pretty close match also. I've also been used some retired stamps as well as printing out a few things here and there from My Digital Studio, which is great for LOTS of things other than scrapbooking!  I have some projects in mind on My Digital Studio after all the graduation hoopla is over!

If you are making graduation cards or gift card holders for someone, just google the name of their school and you probably will be able to find out the school colors.  If not, gold, silver, black, and white are always good, as are stars and "Congratulations"!

Graduation Card Ideas

If you are looking for ideas for making handmade graduation cards about now, here are some I have posted in the past!

                                     

http://www.karenstamps.com/2008/05/a-pocket-card-college-graduation-announcement-for-ut.html

http://www.karenstamps.com/2011/05/graduation-gift-box-idea-and-tag.html

                       

http://www.karenstamps.com/2011/05/stampin-up-pocket-card-for-graduation.html

                  

http://www.karenstamps.com/2010/05/extreme-elements-graduation-card.html

http://www.karenstamps.com/2010/05/ut-graduation-easel-card.html

http://www.karenstamps.com/graduation/

 

Just have fun!  You can do it!

To order any Stampin' Up! supplies, you can shop here anytime!

Graduation Framelit Card

It certainly is graduation time, and here is one card I made with the Labels Collection Framelits Die. I've been pulling out a lot of retired stamps and paper for just the right things I needed for this graduation project.  This "Happy Graduation" stamp is one of the a la carte ones we had called "Happy Grad".  If you don't own the stamp, you can purchase the download in My Digital Studio and print it out!  I just did that with a few other graduation projects going on with another graduation stamp brush set! The background is embossed with the polka dot embossing folder on the Big Shot, and I also used the Big Shot to cut out the letters.  I love the Antique Brads on this card!  The paper is Shimmery White...perhaps if you click on the photo to enlarge it you will be able to notice the shimmer!  Love that paper!

I hope this gives you some ideas if you are making some cards for those special graduates! If you need any stamping supplies or digital downloads, you can shop at my Online Store HERE!

New My Digital Studio Downloads!

Click on the images above to see a closer view of the new downloads offered this week by Stampin' Up! for My Digital Studio. On the pdf you may want to zoom in or enlarge your page to see them a little better. You can also look at them in my Online Store HERE.  Just click on "Newest Downloads" and then choose the date you want to look at.

Don't forget the 30-Day Free Trial of My Digital Studio Express! There is nothing to lose!  Just try it....after 30 days it will just shut down. If you want to purchase it, you can do that!  Let me know if you have any questions.  You don't always have to be making scrapbooks and albums...sometimes it is handy to use My Digital Studio just to print out a sentiment for a traditional card or scrapbook page you are making if you don't own the proper stamp set....as in the "Seriously Awesome" stamp brush set above!

Stampin' Up! has developed a fantastic digital papercrafting program in My Digital Studio and I hate for you to be missing out!

Mother's Day Cascade Mixed Bunch Flower Card

These cascade cards seem to be the popular thing right now in the stamping world so I finally gave it a try by making this Mother's Day card using the Mixed Bunch stamp set. This stamp set was in the Occasions Mini but is one that is being carried over to the new catalog and Stampin' Up! is keeping it available in the meantime! So you can order it even now!  It is available in wood-mount or clear. And of course you must have the Blossom Punch to match these Mixed Bunch flowers! The paper I used on this card is Everyday Enchantment (some of the most beautiful paper ever....I hope you got some!), from Sale-A-Bration, as are the brads. I punched the leaves with the Blossom Petals Builder Punch #121808 and stamped the leaves with the Build a Blossom stamp set.

 Here's what the cascade card looks like from the side.

And this is what I stamped on the backside.

And what's great is that the card folds down nicely for mailing....as long as you watch how you place things that stick out on the sides!

New Version of My Digital Studio Coming!

My Digital Studio just keeps getting more and more exciting! Stampin' Up! has announced that they will be releasing a new version, MDS 2, later this year! It will have some great new features to make this digital papercrafting software even more magnificent!

Watch the video below to hear Sara Douglass (Shelli Gardner's daughter) tell us about MDS 2! Think about starting with the free 30-day trial offer of My Digital Studio Express going on right now....and then purchase the software! From May 8th forward, if you purchase the current version of My Digital Studio, you will receive the upgrade for free! No reason to wait! Listen to Sara!

Summer Smooches My Digital Studio Mother's Day Card

Copyright Stampin' Up! 2012

Believe me when I say you can make a card in  in two minutes!  This card is a template already made up in My Digital Studio, and I just changed what I wanted! This one is from the Summer Smooches collection. I changed the greeting from "Thank You" to the stamp brush that you see here... "wonderful Mother".  I added the three brads on the side and I added rhinestones to the flowers.

If you had My Digital Studio and needed a card in a hurry, even to email, this is how you could make one so easily and quickly!

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!!

Betsy's Blossoms New In Colors Card

A new stamp set, new In Colors, and new ink pads from Stampin' Up! I decided to make a card where I used each one of the new In Colors: Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Gumball Green and Raspberry Ripple. The new foam ink pads are wonderful to use as well....I'm afraid I will want to change out all my ink pads to the new ones! This is a new stamp set called Betsy's Blossoms.  I stamped the bird on a scrap of paper in another color and then cut out the wings to add a little 3-D, popped up on a dimensional.  I also stamped a portion of the very large flower on the inside corner of the card.

But don't forget about the retiring stamps and accessories because time is running out to get those! It's Mother's Day tomorrow.....don't you deserve something you "really" want??!  

Go HERE to order your retiring items from my Online Store!

A Box From Stampin' Up!

 

I was so excited to get this box from Stampin' Up! Is there really very much that is as exciting as getting a box from Stampin' Up! delivered by UPS??! Especially when it is new catalog season??  I can't really tell you yet what was in my box except to say there was a new Stampin' Up! catalog, a new Celebrando Creatividad Catalog, and a bunch of new paper, ink pads, stamp sets and embellishments!  What fun!!

If you were a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, you might be getting a box like this delivered! There's still time to sign up to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, receive your new $99 Starter Kit made "Your Way", AND place a preorder if you wanted to of a few new products coming in the new catalog. Or you could sign up to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator now and be all settled in and ready to pass out brand-new Stampin' Up! catalogs at your first Stampin' Up! party! You could start up your new business just that easy!

Where else can you start an exciting business of your own for only $99? With the new Stampin' Up! Starter Kit you may choose up to $125 worth of products for only $99, choosing either traditional stamping and scrapbooking products or digital papercrafting.  You will also receive a business supply pack valued at $65 to get your business started off right!

Just click HERE to get more information and then click HERE to sign up online in minutes!

Mother's Day Nursery Nest Card for Mom

I had such fun playing with this Nursery Nest Designer Series Paper to make another Mother's Day card. I even found this scallop trim scrap in my Whisper White scraps from the Tasteful Trim Die #120893. I pulled out the Broadsheet Alphabet to stamp "Mom".  I thought I might add some bling to the word but decided to just add the pearls at the bottom.  It's just a nice, soft, pretty color scheme in this designer paper.

Be sure you send your mom a beautiful card for Mother's Day this Sunday!

A Mother's Day Purse Card

Mother's Day is coming up on Sunday, May 13th, so here is an idea for a Mother's Day card for you. One time in a stamp camp my stampers made a similar card using the Round Tab punch #119864 (it's retiring!) to make these purses, and I think it is one of the most memorable cards. Everybody liked it and people still remember making that cute card! Just think of the interchangeable purses and designs you can make with this Round Tab Punch! (if you get it before it retires!)

For this card I used Blushing Bride (a retiring In Color) as the card base and Nursery Nest Designer Series Paper #122347 (not necessarily just for babies!) And I made my own little designer paper by stamping a flower from Clearly For You with Blushing Bride ink.

To make the little purses, just punch your paper with the Round Tab Punch.  Either fold in half or cut in half to get the purse shape. For the little purse flap, I punched a portion of the Small Oval Punch #120908. Making the purse strap was a little more difficult since we no longer have the smaller oval punch.  But I punched a portion with the Large Oval Punch #119855 and then punched again with the same punch, just up a little higher (look at the underside of your punch) to make the handle.  It makes very skinny sides of the straps, but that's what I did.  You could also just cut out with scissors.

You could make this card for several other occasions....just change the greeting!

You can check all the Stampin' Up! Retiring Products by clicking the link on the right sidebar!

The Beginnings of a Graduation Announcement

Here are the beginnings of the graduation announcements I am making for my son.  Of course they should be in the mail by now, but that's okay! These are such a combination of elements....from a retired graduation stamp, to paper from the college bookstore, to the frame and name of school made in My Digital Studio, retired Really Rust card stock to the current Naturally Serif Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die (but retiring) #113453 and the Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder #123128. They're all assembled now...just have to adhere the actual announcement to the inside and get them in the mail! Nothing like the last minute!

If you need ideas for graduation cards or announcements, just check the "Graduation" category over in the right sidebar. And then if you need some stamping supplies (or My Digital Studio downloads) just go shop at my Stampin' Up! Online Store HERE.