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Clearance Rack has been stocked with new items!

Hello Stamping Friends,

The clearance rack has been stocked with new items – up to 60% off on some!  Click on the red to visit!


    Hey, Karen, I thought Paper Pumpkin was always a surprise?! 

That is generally true, Sal, but the home office wanted our customers to know about the coordinating kits so they are letting the cat out of the bag- or puppies out of the box in this case!  Click on the Paper Pumpkin image to go to the site and sign up!

Stampin’ Up! is also offering special grid paper for Paper Pumpkin coordinating with their new slogan that Paper Pumpkin is “better than a box full of puppies” !   Click to see the video .

And while supplies last we have a smaller grid sheet with a holiday tone:

Click on either image to learn more.

Don’t forget the paper special through the end of this month:

Last but not least in our plethora of announcements – we have an upgraded website!  If you have bookmarked my website – not the blog – you will get an error message when you try to access it and it will say it is not secure.  That is not true – it is actually more secure than before.  The new link eliminates the “www” on the front but the rest remains the same, so click here and take a look at the new website:  karendecker.stampinup.net 

    But then they won’t see me. 🙁

That is true.  That link goes directly to my Stampin’ Up site but our stamping friends may have bookmarked the old one with the “www” before you were introduced!  So friends, if you are following my blog and access the website through it, you shouldn’t have a problem.

SAL,  Sending Announcements Lovingly

Karen

 

 

 

Vibrant Vases Tri-fold card

Good morning, Stamping Friends,

It probably won’t be morning by the time you get this post in your mailbox but currently it is still morning in Karen’s World!

 

Don’t you mean Stampalosopher?  Karen’s World was your accounting firm.  

Yes, indeed, it is a Stampalosopher World!  Today I have one of two cards to show you that I created for a stint as a guest presenter in Grand Junction.  The first was inspired by Joy Meadows and the very lovely card she sent for my birthday.  Thank you, Joy!

Do you see how the front right hand flap is exactly the same size as the left side white layer with the same size black border?  So cool!   The white flaps inside and out are 3″ X 3 1/2″ with a black border of 3 1/8″  X 3 5/8″.  The paper is from the SAB (Sale A Bration) Botanical Butterfly DSP (Designer Series Paper).  One side had butterflies and the other had black and white designs like the dots Joy used here.  I hope you stocked up on this paper during SAB!  Her base is 9 7/8″ X 5 1/2″ scored at 4 1/8″ and 8 3/8″ .  This leaves a right hand flap of 1 1/2″.  The butterfly is from the Butterfly Gala stamp set which is still current and has a punch to match.  See page 46 of the Annual Catalog.

 

But Karen, you can’t use retired Designer Series Paper!

I know, Sal, so I chose to use the Vibrant Vases and the Pressed Petals DSP with an accent color of Blueberry Bushel, one of the 2018-2020 In Colors that I will definitely need to stock up on before it retires next June.


Don’t you love the Pressed Petals DSP with the Blueberry Bushel?  There is even a sheet of the DSP with plain burlap that I used for the right side little panel to coordinate with the background of the pressed petals.

 

And the Pressed Petals is part of the current “Buy 3 packs of DSP and Get One Free”!

That’s right, Sal, thanks for the input!

I used the Flourishing Phrases stamp set for the sentiments on the flap and the left side of the card and left the inside blank for a birthday, congratulations or just thinking of you sentiment.  I needed a little larger flap than what Joy used for the butterflies so the measurements won’t be the same.  The goal was to have the outside vases a bit plain with the inside vase truly “vibrant” to match the sentiments. The Vibrant Vases stamp set is a two-step stamp set with outline stamps for the vases and then a stamp-to-color for each vase and it even has a punch to match! Check out page 61 of the Annual Catalog. The yellowed images show what images are punchable. (Is that a word?)

 

I stamped the outside vases with the border stamps in Soft Suede and then stamped again with the stamp-to-color stamps after stamping off to lighten the image.  I used the “H” acrylic block and spaced out the three vases and stamped with the outline stamps on a 6 X 3 piece of Whisper White.  I then placed the (clean) stamp-to-color stamps on top of the images and took another “H” acrylic block and pressed it down on the stamps to attach them to the blocks in the perfect position.  The stamparatus would have worked better but it was in use for the other card.  

 

You could order a second one.  I could help, page 184, #146276.

Thanks Sal.  That might be a good idea for the next time. To make the inside vase truly “vibrant”, I stamped it in Blueberry Bushel, colored in the diamonds with Cajun Craze and Daffodil Delight regular markers and then took my Versa Mark ink and inked the entire image.  I applied “Clear Embossing Powder” and then heated it to make the vase look like glass.

Stamp the greenery and flowers directly on the Very Vanilla card stock pieces – the flap for the outside and the Pretty Label punched piece for the left hand side.  Adhere the vases directly to the paper since they are punched out and look 3D without dimensionals.  I adhered the two larger vases close enough together so that I could adhere the middle little vase slightly on top of the larger ones and all three would fit on the 2″ shelf that was cut from Early Espresso card stock to a final size of 2″ X 1/4″ with the “Be Mine” stitched framelits.  Hint:  Start with a larger piece of Early Espresso and cut the scallop edge with the framelit and then place it in the Stampin’ Trimmer to cut to the 1/4″ shelf size. I cut a piece longer than the desired 2″ so I could cut exactly 1/2 of a scallop at each edge of the shelf.

 

She told me she was a “recovering perfectionist”!   Maybe she needs more therapy.  SHHHH……

 

Did you say something, Sal?

The shelf is adhered  with the top of the shelf 1 1/4″ from the bottom of the Very Vanilla layer and 3/8″ over from the left and right sides. Stamp the greeting in Blueberry Bushel under the shelf.

It can be tricky to stamp the greenery at the right spot for the vases so stamp your vases and punch them out then trim off the bottom white edge of the vases.  Punches generally leave a little edge all the way around the image just like what we teach in fussing cutting.  You want the vases to sit directly on the shelf so trim off that bottom edge.

Temporarily place your vases where you want them on the shelf and use a pencil to lightly outline the top of each vase.  Now make three more light pencil marks where you want your stem to attach to the tulip.  The tulip is 3/8″.  Vary the heights of the three tulips.  Use a sticky note to mask the shelf and where the vases will be and stamp the stem and greenery in Old Olive.  Then stamp the tulips in Cajun Craze and stamp-to-color in Daffodil Delight.  I had a shadow on one of my leaves so I just hand drew another leaf to utilize the shadow.

 

Sheri always called that “Design Opportunity”!

That she did!  And that it is! We sometimes use tiny butterflies or hearts to cover our shadows and it adds beauty to the card.  I just ordered erasers from Amazon that are supposed to remove ink without damaging the paper.  I will let you know if they work.

A Stitched Labels Die is used for the little greeting that says “so he made you” and the fancy die in that same set is used for the DSP cutout on the left side.  The Pretty Label punch is used for the vase and flowers on the left side.  This is one of those times when you want to punch first and then stamp so you can align the flowers and vase on the punched piece.  Use the same procedure of placing the vase temporarily on the piece, lightly draw the top of the vase, mask with a sticky note and stamp the flowers with Memento Black ink, then adhere the vase, color the flowers in Daffodil Delight and the greenery in Garden Green.  Adhere rhinestones colored with Cajun Craze Stampin’ Blends.  Sponge the edge of the Pretty Label punched piece and the little rectangle greeting with Blueberry Bushel and pop up both pieces with dimensionals.

Summary:

Stamp sets:  Vibrant Vases, Flourishing Phrases

Inks:  Blueberry Bushel, Soft Suede, Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Daffodil Delight, Tuxedo Memento Black

Markers:  Blueberry Bushel, Garden Green, Daffodil Delight

Stampin’ Blends:  Cajun Craze to color rhinestones

Framelits/Dies:  Be Mine, Stitched Labels

Punches:  Vases Builder, Pretty Label

Embellishments:  Four rhinestones colored with Cajun Craze

Card Base:  Thick Very Vanilla  9 7/8″ X 5 1/2″  Scored at 4 1/8″ and 8 5/16″ ; Fold in the little right side first and then fold in the left side over the middle.

First Layer on left side and middle:  Blueberry Bushel (make 2)  3 7/8″ X 5 1/4″ ,  Cut out the middle of the inside one. I used a retired rectangular framelit that I use to save paper when I am layering. A stitched rectangle framelit would work as well.

Second Layer on left side and middle:  Pressed Petals DSP (make 2) 3 5/8″  X 5″ ; Cut out the center of the inside DSP layer with the Stitched Shapes Die- the fancy one.  Use the cut out for the left side behind the Pretty Label punched piece.

Third Layer on left side and the flap for the front:  Blueberry Bushel (make 2) 3 1/8″ X 4″.  The left side 3rd layer is adhered 1/2″ down from the edge of the DSP and 1/4″ over from the edge of the DSP.

Fourth Layer on left side and the front flap:  Very Vanilla (make 2) 2 7/8″ X 3 3/4″

Little Right side first layer:  Blueberry Bushel, 1 1/4″ X 5 1/4″.

Little Right side second layer:  DSP in plain burlap 1″ X 5″

The Blueberry Bushel Front Flap is adhered 1/2″ down from the burlap DSP on the little right side to exactly match the left side. This is done last!  I put two pieces of tear and tape at the far right of the flap and then matched up the flap to the card’s left side and pressed it in place.

Shelf:  Early Espresso, 4″  X  4″  Cut to 2″ X 1/4″ with the Be Mine Scalloped framelit and the Stampin’ Trimmer

Vases:  Very Vanilla,  Use the leftover from cutting the base or a 6″ X 3″

Punched Label:  Very Vanilla  2″ X 2 3/4″

Left side greeting and the left side vase:  1 1/2″  X  3 3/4″ , you need it large enough to be able to hold it as you punch the vase.  Stamp the greeting on the same piece and cut with the Little Stitched Labels Framelit.

 

I remember you looking at that little Die and saying it was too little to use for anything.

I did say that!  Amazing isn’t it?!  I am glad I have that set.  I used two of the Dies on this card.  I love the one I call the “fancy” Stitched Label Die!

Okay Sal, I am through with this post and it is your turn to guide folks to the store where they can shop to their hearts content!  Don’t forget  to check the Clearance Rack, friends, before you place your order, there are many Christmas sets available at great prices.  I have a post coming up from our first Christmas card Stamp-A-Stack called Clearance Rack meets Stamp-A-Stack.  Stay tuned!

SAL, Stamp A Lot, Smile A Little, Share A Love

Karen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Catalog is Live!

Hello Stamping Friends,

Isn’t it beautiful?  Just click on the image to look inside.  There are snowmen and cardinals and a mini curvy keepsake box like you see here on the front, and inside there are Shimmery Crystal Effects, Snow Glitter, White Puff Paint, a Punch for the Snowman and a Moose Punch and ribbon galore and Penguins and…

Okay, enough Karen, let’s just show some examples. 

 

Thanks, Sal, I do get carried away with all the exciting new products.  Did I tell you about the white satiny ribbon with Merry Christmas printed on it and……

ENOUGH all right all ready!  You need to get down to business.

Well!  The catalog starts today and runs through January 2 of 2020.  It will be in my catalog tab if you are ever out and about without a catalog and someone asks you about those cool penguins or …. oops there I go again.  Contact me if you need a catalog.

Through September 30 you can save on Designer Series Paper in the Annual Catalog:

And for all you Halloween buffs, don’t miss signing up by September 10th for the cool Paper Pumpkin with a spooky box:

Click on the image to go to the Paper Pumpkin site!

Now let’s get in the mood for the holidays with a short video from the home office! (Click ‘cancel’ after it plays or you will be lost for the next hours in youtube videos and I want you to come back and see examples from the catalog!)

There are many products to make halloween fun:

And wreaths for Thanksgiving:

and wreaths for Christmas:

And bells:

And Snowmen (with a punch):

And Elves:

Did I mention penguins?

And gingerbread houses: (come to my club next week on Wednesday or Saturday and we will be making this-details below):

And Santa:

And candles with scripture:

And snow globes:

And moose- with a punch, ahhh…look at that cute raccoon:

And frosted nontraditional colors:

At the inside of the back cover of the catalog is a new set that you can buy to “Make A Difference” in our world.  Stampin’ Up! will give $3 of every purchase to a Mental Health Organization.

And that, my stampin’ friends, is just the tip of the iceberg!

I have club next week on Wednesday and Saturday and guests are always welcome for a $5 fee or $25 order. Just RSVP please.

Wednesday’s hostess code, with Cindy as our hostess,  is:  7SN9PKF9

Saturday’s hostess  code, with Terri as our hostess, is:  YRE36GMT

October 9th and 12th we will have our next Christmas Stamp A Stack starting at 9:30 each day.   You will make six cards, two each of three designs, for $20.  There are snacks and thank you gifts and lots of help if you are a new stamper.  RSVP by October 1st, please.

I forgot to tell you about the fun kits in the catalog and the black dimensionals and……

       TMI, leave something for them to discover!

Okay, Sal.  Click on Sal in the computer to go to the store and order, or click on the calendar to see events.

SAL,  Sayonara At Last

Karen  (Thanks for visiting!)

                     

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