My daughter’s boyfriend is graduating from high school tomorrow and I realized that I didn’t have any appropriate stamps to make a card with.  So I started playing around and came up with this card, which I think turned out rather cute:

I wanted to use the school colors – black and gold, so I chose Basic Black (duh) and Summer Sun.  I was trying to make the black look sort of like a chalk board (though I’m not sure the kids graduating even know what a chalkboard looks like!).  I used the Congrats set from Sale-a-Bration and the new Jumble alphabet which will be coming out in the new 2009-10 Idea Book and Catalog (and you can still purchase until the end of this month as a sneak peek!), and stamped with Whisper White Craft ink.

I also texturized the Summer Sun card using the Texturz plates and the Big Shot, but I just couldn’t get a camera angle that shows the texture (dang it!).

I used my Basic Black marker to create the pupils, and then added a highlight from my white gel pen.

I was really struggling trying to decide between cute and more serious, but I think cute just won out!  And to complete my card, I made my own envelope using the Sale-a-Bration designer paper.  I love using the double-sided designer paper for making envelopes, because your envelope has an instant “liner”!

Now I wasn’t originally certain about giving this type of card to an 18-year old boy, but considering his graduation invitations were from the movie Madagascar – I figure he’s got to be game!

Don’t forget there are only a couple of days left to take advantage of this month’s specials – Buy 3 Get 1 Free on designer papers and 20% of the sneak preview of the new Jumble alphabet.  Head on over to my online store to order now.

Lee Conrey is an incredibly talented demonstrator and she shared these adorable Easter chicks that she sent to her grandchildren. They were just so cute I had to share them with all of you, and Lee was gracious enough to give me permission. Aren't they too cute?!

I believe she used the Big Shot to cut the large scallop circles, then used a number of circle punches for the eyes and the 5-petal flower punch for the feet and top knot. She used a sponge dauber with some pink ink to color the cheeks.

I'm not exactly sure how large they are, but she said she mailed them, so obviously fit into an envelope (probably a large or square envelope). I like how she used the pink and blue grosgrain ribbon so the kids could easily tell whose is whose.  Thanks again for sharing, Lee!

  I have a wonderful group of ladies in my downline (these are ladies who signed up to become Stampin' Up! demonstrators in my group) and I learn from them constantly. I have a new recruit, Karlene, who signed up and already hosted her first party and I couldn't be more proud of her!

She was kind enough to bring over the projects she had her stampers make at this first party and she was gracious enough to let me share them all with you. So without further ado, check out her creative work!

This card is very clever and I am going to have to CASE it. It's actually a buckle card, but that is difficult to see in this picture. The Old Olive DSP wraps from the front of the card around to the back, and then slides into the front again underneath the scallop edge punch – how cool is that?! I tried to fan out the words she used on the tags, but unfortunately didn't catch anything more than the front one (isn't that the way it typically goes?!), but she has all sorts of words punched from the So Saffron card stock using the Wonderful Favorites stamp set. She also used the flower pot from the Wagon Full of Fun stamp set that is available in the Occasions Mini Catalog.

This bucket is just too cute! It uses the Under the Stars stamp set: and a cute little bucket. She filled the buckets with a small cello bag and jelly beans. Adorable!

Last, but not least, is another card made with the Wagon Full of Fun stamp set and our new scallop oval punch (this punch rocks!) – both are available in the Occasions Mini Catalog (available April 1^st). That duck is so cute. Karlene also showed me one more card she made with this set, and it is beyond cute. I didn't take a picture of it, so I'll have to share it at a later date.

So what do you think? Didn't she do a great job for her first work shop (or even her 100^th)! Way to go, Karlene!

- Kari

I've seen a card similar to this on a couple of different blogs and loved it so much that I had to try my hand at one. Here's what I came up with:

Can you keep a secret? There is almost no stamping on this card at all (well, the inside is stamped with Easter Wishes and I stamped the back with my name). Only the egg has some polka dots from Itty Bitty Backgrounds – stamped in Barely Banana, so I'm not even sure you can see it in the picture. J I also finally received my backordered Texturz Silicone Rubber mat and Texturz Backgrounds 1, so I could play with dry embossing my card stock using the Big Shot! Unfortunately you can't really see the dots on the yellow card stock (if you click on the picture to bring up a larger view, you might be able to see it better). In real life, it is really just too darn cute! Even Chuck (my husband) commented on how cute this card was (yea!).

This was a lot of fun to make, and it makes me want to try some other "critters". Want to know how I made it? Here you go:

Stamps: Itty Bitty Backgrounds, All Holidays (for the Easter greeting on the inside)

Ink: Barely Banana, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard, Pretty in Pink marker

Paper: Delicate Dots DSP (Sale-a-Bration), Yoyo Yellow, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango

Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note, SU Backgrounds 1 Texturz plates (dots), Scallop Circle punch, 5-Petal Flower punch, Spring Blossoms punch (retired) Wide Oval punch, Small Oval punch, Eyelet Border punch, Blue Gingham Ribbon (retired), Crystal Effects, Fine Supernova glitter, sponge dauber

Instructions

1. Fold Whisper White card stock (8.5 x 5.5") in half to form card.
2. Tear Delicate Dots DSP (4x6") approximately 1/3 of the way, and attach the blue side to the top of the card (like the sky), and then turn over the paper and attach the green side to the bottom of the card, overlapping in the middle.
3. Using the Big Shot and Texturz plates (dots), dry emboss a piece of Yoyo Yellow card stock (5x6").
4. Using the Big Shot, cut a Top Note die using the dry embossed piece of Yoyo Yellow card stock. Note: I cut the Top Note from one end of the card stock leaving the other end to punch out the wings and eyelids.
5. Punches:
   1. Yoyo Yellow scraps: punch out 1 Scallop Circle and then cut it in half and 1 small oval and cut it in half
   2. Whisper White: punch 1 small oval (cut in half) and 1 wide oval
   3. Tangerine Tango: 1 5-petal flower punch (cut off one petal for the nose); use another punch of choice – I used the retired Spring Blossoms punch – to punch out the feet
6. Decorate the Easter egg (white wide oval punch) as desired. I used more of the Delicate Dots DSP and punched using the new Eyelet Border punch along both sides. I also stamped the egg using Barely Banana and the dots in Itty Bitty Backgrounds (to mirror the dry embossed dots on the chick). I drew a simple line with the Pretty in Pink marker, echoing the lines of the border punch. To add some glitz (that the picture doesn't show well), I used Crystal Effects and extra fine glitter to outline the edge of the eyelet border.
7. Sponge the edges of all of the Yoyo Yellow pieces (Top Note, Scallop Circle, Small Oval punch) with More Mustard ink to help define the edges.
8. Attach the Tangerine Tango feet to the back of the Chick body (Top Note).
9. Attach the chick (Top Note) to the front of the card.
10. Punch and attach or draw eyeballs on the Whisper White eyes (small ovals) then attach the eyelids over the top. Attach to the face of the chick.
11. Attach the nose to the chick's face.
12. Attach the egg and wings in the desired position.
13. Use a sponge dauber and Pumpkin Pie ink to create the cheeks.
14. Tie a bow in the blue gingham ribbon and attach to the top of the chick using your favorite method (glue dots are nice to use, though I used the Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive).

Thanks for the inspiration Sharon Field!

- Kari

Well, I meant to share this card with you before the last catalog ended (along with the retired items), but alas, life got in the way. (Does that ever happen to anyone else?)

Regardless, here is a card that I made for my brother-in-law's birthday and I was so pleased with how it turned out that we made it at my January club meetings.

I chose the colors from the (now retired) Prestwick DSP – Basic Gray and Night of Navy. I cut a piece of DSP 3 ¾" x 5", then tore the paper approximately 2/3 of the way down (1/3 to 2/3 ratio). Since the paper is double-sided, I flipped over one piece and put them back together on my Night of Navy mat.

I created a monogram using Lovely Letters and Night of Navy ink and punched it out with my new wide oval punch. I used the same punch to punch a navy oval as a "shadow". I attached the white oval using dimensional to give it some depth.

You can't really see it in the picture, but I also used the Canvas background stamp (sadly also retired now) on the Basic Gray card base.

For the inside, my husband and I had fun using different stamps from Smarty Pants (not retired –woo hoo!) to create a greeting on Whisper White card stock with navy ink. My brother-in-law really enjoyed the card and said that it matched his personality perfectly!

Stamps: Lovely Letters, Canvas, Smarty Pants, It's Your Birthday

Ink: Night of Navy, Basic Gray

Paper: Whisper White, Night of Navy, Basic Gray, Prestwick DSP

Accessories: Wide Oval Punch, dimensionals, sponge

- Kari

"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

We are having my family and Chuck's family over for dinner today, so I decided to play around a little and created these cute (if I do say so myself) placecards so everyone knows where to sit:

Here's a close-up of the one I made for my husband:

These were fun to make and didn't really take that much time. I used the scallop circle punch for the "feathers", a 1 3/8" circle for the body, 3/4" for the head and I free-hand cut the hat and hat brim (using the 3/4" square punch would have been easier, but I don't own it). I'm into recycling/re-use, so I used my leftover scraps of last year's In Colors. I am really tickled with how they came out. I hope you enjoy them as well.

I hope you all have a wonderful, warm, plentiful Thanksgiving holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

• Kari

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 took a cue from my Easter card here and decided to use the bunny to decorate some chocolate treats that I am going to give as gifts to my family. I followed the same basic instructions in that original post – using the 1 3/8" circle punch for the head, the large and small oval punches for the ears, but I added the ½" circle punch for the cheeks and added a half-pearl from the Pretties Kit for the nose. Too cute, don't you think? I liked the contrast of the white and brown card stock (personally, I thought the brown should be a pun for chocolate bunnies, but my husband thought that was stretching it a bit – oh well, it made me smile anyway).

For the candy bar wrapper, I used our Wild Wasabi textured card stock (which is on special right now!). I cut the card stock in half, so I got 2 wrappers out of each piece of pre-cut card stock. I then used our new Chocolate twill ribbon (you can find this in the Occasions Mini Collection along with Old Olive twill ribbon) to tie around the wrapper. This twill ribbon is so soft and wonderful to work with. I was very pleased when I opened the package that I decided I had to get the Olive ribbon as well. Oh yea, don't forget to use your Sticky Strip to adhere the wrapper! Regular SNAIL just isn't strong enough.

These treats were also a make & take at my workshops this month. I really liked seeing all of the different faces that the ladies came up with. Very expressionistic!

The Wild Wasabi paper special is only available while supplies last, so contact me soon to order yours (only $3.95 for 16 sheets!).

Happy Easter!
- Kari

So I don't wow myself very often, but I have to say that I am totally enamored with this card that I made for yesterday's Technique Lover's Challenge - TLC122.  The challenge was to use something that is retiring and to create a card for a business-sized envelope.  I make these "long" cards occassionally and it's a nice change of pace (like the 3x6" cards I love to make).

I wish you could all see this one in person - though only one other person gets to see this (the wonderful hostess I sent it to - Julie if you're reading this, you're getting a sneak preview!).  I used MicroPearl Pearl Ex, so it is very sparkly, and the scan just doesn't do it justice.  Click the picture to see a larger view, but you still cannot quite see the "sparkliness" of the Pearl Ex.

I used a lot of retiring products on this card.  The card itself is 9 1/4" x 3 7/8" (so I cut the Vintage Violet cardstock at 9 1/4" x 7 3/4" and scored at 3 7/8").  I stamped the French Script background stamp with Versamark on the Basic Black layer.  I then brushed MicroPearl Pearl Ex over the top using the flat brush.  I added some Vintage Violet stitched grosgrain ribbon and Silver cord on angles on the front of this black layer and then layered this whole piece onto Brushed Silver cardstock.  This piece was layered onto the Vintage Violet card.

For the greeting I used the retiring set - Elegant Greetings.  I stamped it on Basic Black using Versamark and then brushed on the Micropearl Pearl Ex again.  I punched the corners with the Ticket Corner punch and layerd it onto Brushed Silver cardstock that I also punched with the Ticket Corner punch.  This was then layered onto Vintage Violet and I added silver brads to the 4 corners.  I popped this element up with dimensionals to layer onto the card.

I hope my hostess likes it as much I do, and I hope you enjoy it too!

I needed a baby card for a dear friend and out of all of the stamp sets I own, I was shocked to find I didn't have any "real" baby stamps!  Can you believe it?  Well, I couldn't.  Of course Chuck just smiled and said I guess I should get some (he's such a keeper!).

So here's my take at a non-traditional baby card using Fishy Friends and Riveting (both of which are being discontinued this month).  I decided since I was going non-traditional that I would also incorporate this week's SCS color challenge - Barely Banana, Creamy Caramel and Real Red.  And I almost used the sketch challenge - SC126 (I tweaked it a bit, so it probably doesn't count for the challenge).

Here's what I did: I stamped the crab in Black Staz-On on watercolor paper and used the colors I just mentioned to color him in with the Aqua Painter.  I sponged the edges with Creamy Caramel and then matted it with Real Red and Creamy Caramel (both pieces are 1/8" bigger on all sides). 

You can't see it, but I stamped the starfish in Banana on the Banana cardstock.  I also stamped the circles from Riveting on the Creamy Caramel, and on the Real Red I stamped the bottom of the jellyfish.  I stamped this upside down, so it looks like seaweed (well, I thought it did).

After I layered the caramel and red piece on the card and added the crab (raising with dimensionals), I punched a 1 3/8" circle from the bottom of the card and in that I layered a piece of Real Red punched with the same size circle.  I then used Caramel to stamp the Welcome Little One saying on Banana - punched it out with the 1 1/4" circle and last but not least, I stamped in Banana on Whisper White and punched with the 1/2" circle punch just the center of the stamp (with the diaper pin on it).  I raised the White circle and Banana circle with Stampin' Dimensionals.  I don't know if it shows through well in the picture, but it's really cute, because when you open the card, there's a hole in the front and the little rivet is adhere to the inside of the card.

I hope you like my non-traditional card.  (Also, don't forget about the retired accessories list posted to the left - many items are selling out quickly - don't miss out on the items you want!).