Occasions Mini Carry Over!!

Evening All,
I am very excited to be able to post the Occasions Mini Carry Over List! Check it out and see if your favorites are going to be in the upcoming catalog! If not, don't worry, you can order your favorites until midnight tonight!

Just Click Here and you will go on over to my store to place your order.
Have a great night!
Karin

Staying on Track...or trying to!

Hi All,
Well I have been very productive today! I have done a bunch of paperwork and then I spent a little time stamping and was able to complete two challenges with one card!! I had gone on over to Freshly Made Sketches and they, as usual, had a great sketch:

Then I had checked out the Paper Players this morning and I loved the challenge! It was to complete their "Tic Tac Toe" grid:

                                            

I have seen this periodically come up on challenges but am always overwhelmed with the possibilities. Today I thought I should give it a try. Here is what I came up with:

I chose to go "diagonally" and used the Designer Paper "Beyond the Garden", added a flower from "Flower Fancy" and finally my choice was to add brads and buttons from the Brights collections. I think I will be having my stamp club make this card in May as it highlights many of the items soon to retire.

Thanks so stopping by!

Karin

Getting Back on Track!

Morning All,
I have been missing my card making time the past few weeks. I was in Florida during April vacation and did have a few posts prepared but have had zero time once I came home between horses, work and PT sessions. While it was nice to not do very much while in Florida except read I cant believe how many things are now on the "to do" list! Yikes! Well before I plunge into more house cleaning I wanted to share one of my cards for my upcoming May stamp club. I was fresh out of ideas for a layout so I went on over to Stamping 411 Blogspot and as usual they had a great sketch to get me started:

Here is what I came up with:

I am once again having issues with the camera. **Edited with better photo after I borrowed my significant others camera!** For the life of me I cant imagine what went wrong now! Anyway, this was the best of many many shots. I knew I wanted to share the Herb Expressions stamp set with my group as it retiring May 31st! Such a beautiful set! I also wanted one more chance to play with Concord Crush as that In Color will also be retiring. I used the blender pen to get the different shades of Concord Crush on the Flowers and used Pear Pizzazz on the leaves.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karin

Stampin Up! Retiring Accessories List

Evening All,
I wanted to pass on the Stampin Up! Retiring Accessories List. Get them before they are gone! The retired accessories and Definitely Decorative (including Décor Elements) lists are now available and won't stay around for long--these items are only available while supplies last!

When you look at the retired accessories list, you'll note that all of our Stampin' Pads are listed. This is for two reasons: (1) Craft Stampin' Pads will now only be available in black and white; and (2) we are introducing a new Firm Foam pad in our Classic Stampin' Pads with the 2012-2013 annual catalog.

The Firm Foam pads offer better ink coverage and, in turn, better stamped images. They will be available for customer order on June 1.

In addition, please note the following changes in the new catalog, which explanation some of the products being on the retired list:

• Only select Stampin' Write Markers will be available individually (Stampin' Write Markers in color collections will continue to be offered)
• 12" x 12" Textured Card Stock will no longer be offered.
• 12" x 12" Smooth Card Stock will only be available in select individual colors and color collections.
• Any item with an asterisk next to it is being reconfigured.  An example of this could be repackaging, as in the example above of the markers.
• Craft Ink Pads (other than black or white per above) and Craft Refills will no longer be offered.
• Classic Ink Refills (other than the retiring 2010-2012 In Colors) will still be available.
• Stampin' Spots are being discontinued.  Stampin' Up! may possibly reconfigure & sell some of the Classic Ink Spots.
• Other than the retiring 2010-2012 In Colors, the Stampin' Up! colors are NOT retiring.

IMPORTANT CORRECTION:
Two items that were included on the Retiring Accessories List are not actually retiring. We have updated the lists to remove these items.

208	108360	Craft Scissors
208	103579	Paper Snips

You can view the lists by clicking on the following links:
 STAMPIN' UP! RETIRING ACCESSORIES LIST BY CATALOG PAGE NUMBER
STAMPIN' UP! RETIRING DEFINITIVELY DECORATIVE LIST

Now is a great time to book your workshop to get some of these products before they are gone! Book now and be guaranteed a new 2012-2013 Idea Book and Catalog!!
Karin

Note Cards 5 & 6

Hi Again,
Here are the last two note cards that we will be making during my Note Card Tin class.

I just love Flower Fancy! If you do as well then snap it up before it retires on May 31st!
Thanks for stopping by!
Karin

Simply Less is More

Hi All,
I made this card a few days ago and am just getting a chance to post it. I had gone on over to Simply Less is More blog and their challenge of the week was to make a one layer card with "Doodling". Now I tried adding additional elements to the card free hand as it were, but I wasn't happy with the result so I went with coloring different shades to give a faded water coloring look to it as my "doodling" effect. Check it out:

I used Staz On ink and stamped repeatedly to get the falling flower look and then chose different colors to shade the leaves and flowers. I actually made this is a smaller 3x3 1/2 card for a gift I need to make. Anyway, hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by!
Karin

Note Cards 3 & 4

Hi All,
I wanted to share the second and third note cards that I made for my Note Card Tin class.

Again, I went to the Pewter Embossing. Love the stuff! Contact me to reserve your spot in the class!
Have a great day!
Karin

Note Cards 1 & 2

Hi All,
I wanted to share some of the note cards that I created for my Note Card Tin Class. I just love making up 3x3 mini cards, as they are super easy and can pack a big "WOW" on a gift. Without further ado here are my first two (rhyming an added bonus!):

Hopefully you can tell that I embossed the Triple Treat Flower in Pewter. Very cool effect if I say so myself! Email or call for more details!
Thanks for stopping by!
Karin

Freshly Made Sketches

Morning All,
Had a few minutes yesterday to start a card and a few minutes this morning to finish it! Crazy when that happens! Anyway I am trying to put the finishing touches on the box of cards for my sisters birthday. The last card I wanted to add was something for Fathers Day. I knew I wanted to use Lovely as a Tree to celebrate the fact that it made it to the 2012-2013 catalog, but I needed a layout. So I went on over to Freshly Made Sketches and they had another awesome sketch:

And here is what I came up with:

Its a bit hard to tell but I used the Pewter Embossing powder on both the tree and the sentiment. Great stuff! I just love the First Edition Paper as it is so versatile!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karin

Retirement List is here!

Hi All,
Well the retirement list went live last night at Midnight and no I did not stay up for it!! :)
Its definitely a long one so check through carefully for your favorites before they are gone! Click here to see the list of over 300 sets that are going to "move on". If your ordering online than don't forget to check out the Clearance Rack as they have added more then 50 new products at 60% off!!
With all the stamp sets retiring you will want to make sure and check back on June 1st, as that is when the new 2012-2013 catalog will go live and it promises to be fantastic!!
Have a great day and feel free to call or email with any questions!
Karin

Note Card Class

Hi All,
If you read my blog you know I have been having "issues" with the camera on my phone (course that was after I dropped and broke my digital camera! Ugh!). Well the Camera app went "blue" the other night when I tried to turn it on so I thought "oh crap, I have killed another piece of technology!". Limped on over to the Apple Store and they showed me that I had everything on my phone I have ever touched "open"! Seriously, I had no idea! What a surprise...not so much if you know me! So now I think its "fixed" and I can post again! Yeah!! So I am finally offering a few classes and I wanted to share some of the items we will be making. I am offering a Note Card Tin Class. You will make six 3x3 note cards and decorate a tin. Here is a picture of the finished tin:

I thought this was a perfect "Thank you" gift for teachers, friends or a nice birthday gift. Make sure you check back this week as I will be posting the pictures of the individual cards!
Thanks! Karin
ps Make sure you check in tomorrow as Stampin Up's retirement list is coming up and I know its going to be a long one!! You want to make sure you snap up your favorites before they are gone!!

Things you have to do....

Hi Everyone,
I have a bunch of cards that I need to send out for a few different occasions, but the most important one is a sympathy card for a wonderful co-worker. I think these are the most important ones you send, as it really shows you care and that your thinking about them. I find these the most difficult to come up with so I went on over to Try Stamping on Tuesday and they had another great sketch:

Now I needed a color palette. I had gone on over to the Paper Players and they had just the thing:

                     

I thought this mix was perfect for the tone I wanted. Here is what I came up with:

I had rotated it onto its side so I could set up the sentiment the way I wanted. I used the Loving Thoughts set and colored each word separately so I could set the words above each other versus next two each other. I had also used the Thoughts and Prayers set for the floral piece behind the sentiment.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Karin

Clearance Rack!!

Morning All,
Quick note to let you all know that Stampin Up has added 55 new items to their clearance rack! They include punches, diez, accessories, etc.. They can only be ordered on an on-line order or feel free to call me if you need some help. Make sure you check out these deals as I don't expect them to last long!
Click here to go to my online store.
Have a great day!
Karin

Summer Smooches!

Evening All,
I wanted to make sure everyone knew about the great "Sneak Peek" promotion that Stampin Up is doing this month! They are offering everyone a chance to get their hands on new products before the catalog officially comes out in June! These products are available until April 30th!

  

 

Item	Description	Price
125495	Bright Blossoms Wood-Mount Set	$16.95
125497	Bright Blossoms Clear-Mount Set	$12.95
125409	Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper	$10.95
125583	Daffodil Delight 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon	$6.95
125411	Summer Smooches Designer Fabric	$9.95
125589	Summer Smooches Fabric Designer Brads*	$6.95
125626	Summer Smooches Décor Stencil*	$7.95
125606	Petite Purse Bigz L Die	$32.95
129919	Summer Smooches Photobook Template	$17.95
129601	Summer Smooches Digital Kit	$9.95

*Exclusive to the Summer Smooches Special Offer; will not be available in the 2012-2013 catalog

Product Details:

• Designer Series Paper coordinating colors: Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango, Rich Razzleberry.
• Designer Fabric coordinating colors: Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango.
• Fabric Designer Brads: 24 pieces, 8 ea. of 3 designs.
• Summer Smooches Photobook Template and Digital Kit are My Digital Studio downloads.

Click here if you would like to see the flyer.
Have a great night!
Karin

Another "two for one"!

Happy Easter Everyone!
Decided to relax a bit this morning instead of running to the gym and complete at least one card. My sister's birthday is mid April and I am meeting up with her at my fathers place in Florida and thought I would replenish her "card box". I need to add some birthday cards to the mix and I had gone on over to Pals Paper Arts and they had a beautiful color challenge:

Perfect colors for Spring! Now that I had my color palette I needed a sketch so I went on over to Stamping 411 and this was their Saturday Sketch Challenge for the week:

So I combined the two and here is what I came up with:

Here is what I used:

Stamps: Well Scripted (sadly retired) and Elements of Style (hope it never retires!)

Ink: Chocolate Chip Craft ink, Certainly Celery and Pretty in Pink

Punches: Decorative Label and 2 1/2 Circle punch

Embellishments Clear Embossing Powder, Beautiful Wings Emosslits, Vintage Wall paper folder, Pretty In Pink Satin Ribbon and Pearls

Tools: Blender Pen, Big Shot and Heat Tool

I had actually heat embossed the flowers with the chocolate chip craft ink so I could color the flowers with the blender pen and give it different tones.

Have a great Easter!

Karin

Happy Easter!!! Well Almost!

Evening All!
Had a great but busy day today and just got a chance to complete my last Easter card for Glen. Again, I had a rough idea of what I wanted to have on the card but needed a little "spark" for the layout. So! Hopped on over to Create with Connie and Mary and they had a wonderful sketch:

Here is what I came up with:

Now, some explaining may be in order! I used his tail and leg to signify the "bow" in the sketch and the leaves as a stand in for the filigree. I used the sticky back pearls and colored them with my chocolate chip marker. I did shift the placement of the bakers twine and rotated the sketch and I am really happy with the result! I have been seeing the "bunny butt" all over the place and wanted to make it my own and this sketch helped me do that!
Hope he likes it! Have a fantastic Easter!
Karin



Try Stamping...take 2

Hi All,
I had a chance to get into my stamping room tonight, which is always quite nice! I had to make two cards for my cousins twin daughters birthday party. They are turning 2 tomorrow and are so stinkin cute! As I needed a little inspiration for the layout I had gone on over to Try Stamping on Tuesday and they had another great sketch!

I thought it leant itself very nicely to the colors that I wanted to use. Here is what I came up with:

Of course, since there are two of them they need their own cards! I took some liberties with the shapes as I knew I wanted to use the owl. There is a little story behind the owls. I had made Halloween cards for them this year with the owl punch used to make ghosts, cats and bats and they loved walking around with the cards. So of course I used the owl punch to make reindeer in December, and a bunny for Easter! Gotta love the flexibility of this little punch! I figured it was about time I used the punch for purposes intended on their birthday card! Thanks for stopping by!
Karin

April Thank You cards

Morning All,
Thought I would share the cute April thank you cards I made for my stamp club members!

I have seen a lot of "chicks" made with the Bird punch and thought I would use that inspiration for my thank you's! I used Inspired by Nature for the grass back ground and punched out the egg with a circle and cut the top off to look like the chick was hatching. Easy and fun!

Have a great day!

Karin

Another great Saturday Sketch Challenge!

Hi All,
I finally finished all the Easter cards that I needed to mail out today!! I was definitely helped by the great sketch over at Stamping 411:

Here is what I came up with:

I couldn't help but add another bunny! I really love this version with the "flopped" over ear! I took a little liberty with the sketch so that I could add him in but am very pleased with the results! I continue to use some of the scraps that I have saved from the Tea Party DP. It works so nicely for Easter! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Karin

Just Add Bunnies!

Morning All,
Still trying to get up and running or limping as the case may be!! However, the one silver lining to being somewhat restricted is being able to enjoy more crafting! I had gone on over to Just Add Ink and their challenge of the week is to :

JAI #111 Just Add Easter

I had a cute idea of what I could do with the Match box die for Easter:

I am planning on heading on over to Winfreys Candy Shop this week to get some Easter basket "goodies" and want to pick up something special to put into the bunny! I am going to make a few for my niece and nephews for Easter. I just love what you can do with punches and dies! Have a great day!
Karin