Instructions

1. Cut flowers from Old Olive and Riding Hood Red textured card stock using Big Shot and Birds & Blooms die.
2. Stamp joy circle image in Chocolate Chip and Riding Hood Red ink on Very Vanilla card stock. Punch out images using 1" Circle punch, and adhere to centers of flowers using Stampin' Dimensionals.
3. Adhere flowers to magnets, and adhere lightly to Very Vanilla textured card stock. Insert into cello bag.
4. Cut topper image from Riding Hood Red textured card stock using Big Shot and Top Note die. Rub greeting onto topper using wooden applicator included in packaging. Tie ribbon around topper, and fold over bag. Staple to secure topper.

(Instructions ©Stampin' Up! 1990-2008)

Happy Holiday Stamping!
- Kari

I wanted to share some really cute projects we made at my recent down line meeting*.

This first project is a cute "Snowman Poop" cello bag and topper designed by Tracy B.:

We added mini marshmallows to the small cello bag and attached a packet of cocoa mix to the back. We covered both with some Ballet Blue card stock (this would be a great place to use the Top Note die – hmm, may have to make these again using my homemade cocoa and the Top Note!), decorated with the swirl from Season of Joy and Whisper White Craft ink. Tracy printed off the saying for each of us which I sponged the edges and stamped some snowflakes. We stamped the little snowman from Merry & Bright with Ballet Blue on Whisper White and punched it out with the 1 1/4" circle punch. We matted that with a 1 3/8" Ballet Blue circle and again with a black scallop circle (which we "dotted" the scallops with the white gel pen). We then added a piece of black gingham ribbon behind the scallop circle and attached that to the topper with a dimensional. Aren't these adorable?!

This next project was an impromptu make & take, but the girls were interested in how to make these open-end envelope cards that I demonstrated at my workshops last month and we had the time:

These are very fun and easy to make. Simply take a small open-end envelope and fold it in half. Fold the flap inside the envelope (you don't need to seal it). Decorate the front as desired – here we used the beautiful Holiday Treasures DSP and the double-sided Kiwi Kiss/Vanilla satin edge ribbon (yummy!).

For the inside we scalloped the edge of a piece of Riding Hood Red card stock and slipped that underneath a piece of Kiwi Kiss DSP. Inside the envelope (on the open end) we slipped another piece of Riding Hood Red card stock that has a Chocolate Chip round-tab punch (so it's easy to pull out). We added some stamped images and some ribbon and voila!

We made 2 more projects – a Box in a Bag and a double-slider card, but I forgot to take a picture of the actual Box in a Bag project we made, but they basically looked like the ones from this post (which also contains my second video tutorial!). The double-slider card was an experiment so we made a "draft version" that we all have to finish at home (and I haven't finished mine yet – oops!). So I'll have to share this one later.

I hope you enjoyed a little peek into our Stampin' Up! team meeting!

*What's a down line meeting you ask – it's a meeting/gathering for members of my Stampin' Up! team, where we share ideas, tips, tricks and stamping! Have you ever thought about doing what I do? I'd love to tell you more. Please contact me for more information – we have a blast!

Happy stamping!
- Kari

Happy Friday, Stampers! In this post I shared some of these cute Box-in-a-Bag creations I made for Halloween treats. Some people requested that I share more details on how to make them, so I created my second video tutorial! For the original bag I shared, I made it in Halloween-themed colors. For this video tutorial I was thinking Christmas, so I used our beautiful Holiday Treasures DSP!

So grab your 12" paper trimmer, bone folder, Sticky Strip, a couple of punches and join in to create these fun bags!

I hope you enjoyed this. Please let me know if you like these video tutorials, and if the response is positive, I'll start work on creating some more (I think the next one will have to be how to make the gift card holders out of an envelope – love those!).

Happy stamping!

I saw a similar card somewhere (wish I could remember where to give the designer appropriate credit), and just had to tweak it to make it my own. I really love how these turned out! So much so, that I used them for my swaps for my downline team meeting last weekend. Hopefully my team liked them as much as I do.

These are also one of the cards we will be making at this month's Christmas Card Stamp-a-Stack. There is still some room left, so be sure to register before it's full!

Here's a close up of the card – not sure if the picture does justice to the Liquid Applique and Dazzling Diamonds glitter:

These would make great cards for your Christmas wishes. Simply stamp the sentiment on the Whisper White card stock (4" x 5.25") in Real Red. I used a Jumbo wheel on the Old Olive card stock and then distressed the edges by tearing. The hats are made using the 1 3/8" square punch, cut in half on the diagonal. The pom-pom and hat brim are made from the 1/2" circle and Word Window punches respectively. I did a trick with the Word Window punch to make the brim smaller – I'll try to take some pictures (or perhaps a new video?!) later. I attached them to the red hat, then added white Liquid Appliqué and sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds glitter. You are "supposed" to wait 24 hours for the Liquid Applique to set, but I am never quite patient enough (LOL!), so I just used my heat tool after I squirted it on. I'm sure they would have better "puff-i-ness" if I waited, but who will know besides me? (Oh, and now you too.)

I hope you can join me for this month's stamp-a-stack! We are going to have a lot of fun!!

Happy holiday stamping!

For those of you who aren't aware, Shelli Gardner is the CEO of Stampin' Up! She is an amazing lady and is very inspirational. Recently she was on a TV station (Studio 5) in Utah and demonstrated these cute table place settings made from one package of Ski Slope DSP (#112994). Basically, you create 1 table setting, change out the colors and re-use it for 3 different holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's! How cool is that?

Check out the video of how to create these table settings here. (Note: there is a short commercial at the beginning of the video – it doesn't last very long.)

At the bottom of the page, after the video, you will see pictures of all of the place settings and the supplies and instructions used to make them.

Enjoy!

Editor's note: I will be placing DSP orders on Nov 6 and then again on Nov 21.  Kits (or completed organizers) will ship out starting on Nov 14 for orders received before Nov 6.  I will leave this post at the top for the week, scroll down to see newer posts.

I really enjoy making these card organizers/portfolios. They are a 12-pocket portfolio, 1 pocket for every month of the year (Jan-Dec). They are designed to hold your cards for any given month – e.g. birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

These organizers are very easy to make – you just need a package of designer series paper (DSP), some extra card stock for printing the months and cover detail (if you want) and a way to bind the whole thing. (You can even get 2 organizers out of 1 pack of DSP - if you add in some additional card stock). The only "downside" is that you need a way to bind the organizers – I love my Bind It All for that! I use the 1" coils so that you have plenty of room to put cards in for every month of the year.

I am holding a class this month where we will be making these organizers. They make fabulous Christmas gifts, especially if you give the recipient some handmade cards to go with your organizer! There is still room left in the class, so please sign up soon (I have to order the DSP, so registration ends on Thursday, Nov 6^th).

Not in the Northern Colorado area, or the timing isn't right, but you'd still like to make these organizers? I have a class to go kit available! For only $20 (includes shipping), you will receive an organizer (already bound), with the months and cover decoration ready to assemble at your house. Please indicate your choice of DSP (pgs 168-171 in the main catalog, or you can also choose papers from the Holiday Mini Catalog). I will be taking orders through Nov 6^th and shipping all orders out within 3 days after I receive the DSP order.

Or, would you prefer to have your organizer finished, without any work needed on your part? I will be happy to make the organizer for you! For just another $5, I will fully assemble your card organizer and ship it direct to your house.

I prefer to use the 1" coil binding so you can easily fill your organizer with lots of cards for every month – here's a side view:

Do you have your own Bind It All?  Then you will love how easy these are to make!  Simply fold your 12x12" DSP at 4" (leaving a piece that is 8" x 12") - this will create the "pockets".  Then fold that in half - at 6" - the other way (so the pockets are on the outside).  Make 6 of these, one for 2 months (e.g. January & February).  I use the chipboard that comes in the package of DSP to create the covers - cut 2 covers 6"x8" and cover with another piece of DSP if desired.  Bind with your Bind It All.  Print and add the months (you can create your own as I did, or use the one from SCS here.)

Happy stamping!

Our neighborhood is participating in a "Neighborhood Phantom" program where you anonymously leave treats on the doorstep of your neighbors (the little poem is below in case you want to play along). We were just "tagged" last night, so I decided that I needed some stamping time just for me and created these treat bags for my neighbors so we could continue the "game".

I have see these adorable bags lots of places, in fact we are supposed to be having a demonstration on them this weekend at my downline meeting (but I couldn't wait!). If you've never seen these before, let me know and I'll post a tutorial – they are quite easy and quick to make.

I used some retired paper – Vintage Violet (this was one of my favorite In Colors from 2 years ago and it's hard to part with). I also used Pumpkin Pie DSP and some retired organdy ribbon. I did have to use the new Jumbo wheel – Haunting (#112480). I used Lovely Lilac because I sold my Vintage Violet ink pad – so the colors are bit off, but I still think my neighbors will like them.

For the treats, I decided to use my York Peppermint Patties some more and created scallop circle "covers" using a retired Stampin' Up! stamp set – Fright Night (love this set – it's one I doubt I will ever part with).

I hope you will enjoy my treats as much as my neighbors!

Happy (quick) stamping!

This is the time of goblins and bats,

Halloween spirits, ghosts & and black cats,

Weird happenings and witches brew,

Here are the things I wish for you…

May the only spirit you chance to meet

Be the spirit of love & warm friends sweet.

May the only goblin that comes your way,

Be the 'Neighborhood Phantom',

Whom you'll want to give away!

So by tomorrow, pick three friends With spirits sweet,

And give them all a special Halloween treat!

You only have one day so you'd better hurry!

Secretly leave the treat on the doorstep,

Then "spirit away" in a flurry.

To pass on the "neighborhood phantom",

These things you must do,

Or he will come back to haunt you!

Make 3 copies of both this letter and the phantom ghost.

Post a copy of the ghost in your window, or he will return to haunt you the most!

Take 3 letters, ghosts and treats; deliver them to 3 neighbors sweet!

Be sure in the window there is a phantom not! For we want to share the phantom a lot!

"Tis better to give than to receive", we all know it's true, so here's your chance to "treat" your neighbors for now the phantom is you!

I took a cue from our Décor Elements Spooky Spider we are offering this month and created my own set of (not so) spooky spiders with yummy York Peppermint Patties!

I used the Scallop Circle punch for the body (front & back) and used the 1 3/8" square punch for the legs. After punching all of these out (and cutting out the middle of the square to make the legs) I think it would be much easier to use the Photo Corner punch (guess that's another item to add to my list!). The eyes are 1/2" white circles with 1/4" black pupils, which I highlighted using my white gel pen. The nose is also a 1/4" black circle. The card stock is out Baja Breeze which I sponged with Basic Black ink. I attached the legs and facial features using SNAIL and then used glue dots to attach the body to the peppermint patty. See, not so scary – but definitely yummy!

I made this menagerie of arachnids for my Stampin' Up! party tomorrow at my Mom's house (don't you wish you were coming?!). I think we are going to have a great time!

Happy stamping!
 

I mentioned in this post that I was participating in a Christmas Card swap (I sent in the cards from that post). Well I was excited to get the swaps back in the mail today and had to share them with you!

Unfortunately I don't have names of everyone who participated, so I cannot give them credit, but I think you'll agree that everyone did a great job!

This card uses the Frosty Day DSP (#113057) from the Holiday Mini Catalog:

I love the untraditional colors used in this card (of course I am already partial to purple!):

This card uses the deer from the Winter Post stamp set (also in the Holiday Mini Catalog - #111780) – I really like this set and I think I'm going to regret not getting it. It may just have to "migrate" onto my next order! LOL. The ribbon is from the mini as well and comes with 3 spools of 2 felt and 1 striped (the designer used the striped on this card and it's beautiful).  This card is also a non-traditional size at 5 1/2" x 6":

Last but not least is this adorable snowman card with lots of texture. Not sure if you can see it in the picture, but the Old Olive card stock is dry embossed (probably with a Cuttlebug embossing folder) and she used our new Wide Oval punch (that's another item that will just have to jump on my next order!):

I hope you enjoyed seeing these swaps – they were fun to receive and it's neat to have different cards to send out this year. Have you ever thought about participating in a swap? It's a great way to get different designs without having to do all of the work yourself! If you are interested, contact me and I will look at putting a swap together (something simple like 5 cards only).

Happy holiday stamping!

  I was invited to participate in a Christmas card swap and these are the cards I designed for it. They use our new To You & Yours stamp set (#11706), which has a coordinating Simply Sent Card Elements kit – Handmade Holidays (#112016). Unfortunately the picture doesn't do justice to the card because I've used a lot of Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the house to give it some sparkle. I also dry embossed the Whisper White card using a chipboard cut out of the Top Note Bigz die (using my Big Shot).

I stamped with Basic Gray then used Riding Hood Red as an accent color on both one of the mats and on the front door of the house. It's a simple, elegant card and I'm looking forward to getting cards back from the swap. I'll share once I do.

Here's a close up of a single card – hopefully this shows the glitter a bit better (you may need to click on the picture to bring up a larger view):

So how are your Christmas cards coming along? Don't wait until the last minute! Take some time now to stamp a few cards here and there and you'll be finished in no time!

Happy holiday stamping!