Today is National Ice Cream Day so why not celebrate by making a card about ice cream! Last year’s Ronald McDonald House Charities stamp set by Stampin’ Up! was carried over to the new catalog this year (which I think is a first, that I can remember) and is perfect to use to celebrate National Ice Cream Day! The Sprinkles of Life Stamp Set, with which you can make ice cream cones, also comes with a coordinating punch, the Tree Builder Punch by Stampin’ Up!,

I made the card with a card base of Crumb Cake card stock and a layer of the new In Color Flirty Flamingo. The background layer of the card is Very Vanilla embossed with the Polka Dot Embossing Folder.  The ice cream cone is stamped with Delightful Dijon Ink on Delightful Dijon Card Stock and just cut out with Paper Snips.  The ice cream scoops are punched with the Tree Builder Punch.  I made the flavors out of Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla, Mint Macaron, Flirty Flamingo and Soft Suede.  The punch even has a little cherry (or in some cases it could be an apple!) to put on top of the ice cream! I added a little glimmer with the Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Brush to the cherry.  So fun to play with the Wink of Stella Glitter Brush!

The greeting comes in the stamp set and I layered it on the new Layering Squares Framelits Dies. Since I had a little space at the top, I added a little knot tied with the Gold 1/8″ Ribbon. This ribbon has been around for awhile and it is so useful.  It also comes in silver so be sure you have both!

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?  Be sure to celebrate National Ice Cream Day by eating a big bowl of ice cream with all your favorite toppings!  And if you must save calories, then make an ice cream card instead!

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Sometimes an occasions calls for an extra-special card and the new detailed thinlits in the new Stampin’ Up! Catalog sure make it easy as with this Anniversary Card with Floral Thinlits and Floral Phrases. This was basically an easy card to make, just use your Big Shot and one of the new pretty framelits.

The card base is just Whisper White with a layer of Silver Glimmer Paper. You can cheat and cut out the center of the layer of glimmer paper to save and no one will be the wiser! Then another layer of Whisper White on top of that, although I recommend doing your stamping and gluing before adhering to the actual card. I used the beautiful new Detailed Floral Thinlits Dies, just the larger piece, cut off with the little curvy piece that goes across the top. I’m not sure it is necessary, but I did peel off the backing of the glimmer paper before die-cutting just in case it made it easier.  Be sure to roll through at least twice, forward and back, with the Big Shot. Then use the Big Shot Die Brush to get the die cut to release from the framelit and then to get the itty bitty pieces out of the glimmer paper.  Love that tool! If you don’t have that but you have a clean vegetable brush, someone told me that works too. But then you wouldn’t have the foam pad, too. I also used the new Big Shot Platform by Stampin’ Up! that comes with an adapter to use with the thin dies.

I found the “Happy Anniversary” greeting in the Number of Years Photopolymer Stamp Set. And I couldn’t resist stamping part of the flower that comes in the Floral Phrases Stamp Set in Blushing Bride ink to match the flower.

Today is our 39th wedding anniversary so I will give this card to my husband, who will look at it, put it down, and later I will rescue it for my collection of samples! He never gets to keep his cards! Honestly, it is hard to believe we are even 39 years old, much less married for 39 years and if you add on the extra few years we dated beforehand, wow! Where does the time go??!

If you need a special anniversary card, wedding card, any kind of special card, you need these Floral Thinlits in your collection! You don’t have to die cut glimmer paper, any color paper will be beautiful and with embellishments you can dress it up even more or probably even dress it down. It is an impressive set to own, along with the Floral Phrases Stamp Set. Get them all in a Floral Phrases Bundle and save 10%! That will be just under $50, though, so add something else to your order so you can take advantage of Stampin’ Up! Bonus Days and receive a $5 coupon to use in August on another order!

Shop Bonus Days at Stampin’ Up! During July!

Not sure why I decided on this Flourishing Phrases Monochromatic Card, but it’s what I came up with while playing with the new Flourishing Phrases Stamp Set and the Flourish Thinlits Dies. I really thought I would stamp something randomly all over the background of the card, but then I ended up just stamping the two flower stems.  I actually the thinlit was going to cut out the stamped flower stem, but I was wrong! Which only makes sense since it would be very difficult to match up all those  flowers and stems inside the thinlit! That would have taken a “framelit” not a “thinlit”!

Anyway, when I die cut the flower stem, I was blown away by how beautiful and intricate it was! I have to say, with the new platform, the Precision Base Plate and rolling it through twice, the die came out perfect!  Then I used my Die Brush to get all the pieces out, and it was all very easy and quick!

I used Daffodil Delight for the card base with a Whisper White layer on the front.  I could have embellished the card further, maybe with pearls or rhinestones or glitter, but for today I just kept it simple. I think this will be a beautiful stamp set to work with along with the Flourish Thinlits Dies.

You can purchase the stamp set and thinlits dies in a Bundle HERE.

You, too, can make a beautiful card like this easy Flourishing Phrases Monochromatic Card.

I was really anxious to play with the Detailed Floral Thinlits Dies and my Big Shot as soon as I got them, and this Floral Thinlits Thank You Card in Peekaboo Peach is one of the results. I actually started using the Floral Thinlits with the Floral Boutique Designer Series Paper, but of course these Floral Thinlits are beautiful with other colors as well, such as this new In Color Peekaboo Peach.  The Peekaboo Peach 3/8″ Ruched Ribbon is gorgeous to use on the card!  In fact, the ribbon is so gorgeous, that it is on backorder at the moment.  As I write this, it is due to be back in stock around July 11th. You really do have to get your hands on this beautiful ribbon as soon as it is available! The thank you greeting is stamped with the Floral Phrases Stamp Set.  Right now the Clear-mount version is backordered but you can purchase the Floral Phrases Clear-Mount Bundle and get both the stamp set and the Thinlits – and save 10%. You can also buy the stamp set in wood-mount.  While it is inconvenient and disappointing to have backordered products, it shows that Stampin’ Up! has some real hits in the new catalog!

If you would like a copy of the new Stampin’ Up! Catalog, please email me at Karen@KarenStamps.com with your contact information. Or you can view it HERE online.

With these new really intricate dies, if nothing else I would suggest you purchase the Big Shot Die Brush to help get out those little pieces from both the die and the die cut. And if you can take it another step, the Precision Base Plate might be beneficial to you. There is also the new Big Shot Platform that has a special adapter that comes with it and has a raised center portion to work better with these new dies. It probably all depends on your personal Big Shot and how it works for you. If it works on these fancy dies and you’re happy, then no need to purchase any of the newer accessories (except maybe the Big Shot Die Brush!). You can go from there and see what you need.

If you want to be able to make some really elegant cards, these Detailed Floral Thinlits Dies are for you for sure!  Check out the Floral Boutique Suite in the new catalog on pages 76-77 and the products online HERE.  You will be able to make cards like my Floral Thinlits Thank You Card in Peekaboo Peach and many other variations!

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I think one of the most amazing collections of products in the new Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog is the Floral Boutique Suite, and this Floral Boutique Thank You Card is one of my first creations from that suite. This new Stampin’ Up! Catalog, I think, has the most amazing products and display of samples and products on its pages. In this suite are a stamp set, intricate thinlits for die-cutting, Baker’s Twine, Washi Tape, and designer series paper. Everything you need to make amazing projects! Not that you have to stick with the colors shown. Do your own thing!  But the inspiration is there on pages 76-77 for the taking to get you started!

This card is just a piece of Whisper White Cardstock with the fold at the top (it would have been better to use the Whisper White Thick Cardstock if I would have thought of it!), so it is cut lengthwise at 4 1/4″ instead of horizontally.  Then I scored it at 5 1/2″.

After getting my first big order (of course, not counting my pre-order!) the night before, I spent yesterday afternoon experimenting with the new Detailed Floral Thinlits Dies. On this card, I only used the one large die cut on the bottom of the card and stamped with the Floral Phrases Stamp Set. When you stamp with this big flowery stamp, you may think it is not stamping properly, but it actually is designed to have lighter and darker areas, so don’t worry! It’s that “denim” look. After stamping the flower in the top center, I stamped the ends of the stamp on each side so that it would go all the way across the top of the card.

I used the new Big Shot Platform that comes with a Thin Die Adapter, kind of like a shim. If I didn’t use that piece, it didn’t come close to cutting. I also used the Precision Base Plate which is very helpful in cutting these intricate dies. I find the Die Brush to be indispensable! It’s not very expensive, so I would put that on your next order for sure. I tried to do various combinations of old and new platforms, Precision Plate, etc. but I got myself mixed up so I have no conclusions to share right now! I did find, that with MY Big Shot, cutting both the larger and smaller dies on cardstock on the same run through the Big Shot was VERY hard to go through the Big Shot but each one separately worked fine.  With all of these things, you will have to see what works best with YOUR Big Shot!  But these dies are beautiful and will make gorgeous cards and projects. If you don’t own a Big Shot yet, I would put that on your Wish List because I use my Big Shot all the time and you will want to get in on using these fancy new dies!

On the bottom of the inside of the card, I just adhered a strip of the Floral Boutique Designer Series Paper. I could have used a piece of Washi Tape or added some Rhinestones to the front of the card. Lots of possibilities!

You will want to put this whole Floral Boutique Suite on your next order, if you haven’t already, so you can make a card like this Floral Boutique Thank You Card.

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Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2016

As you look through the new Stampin’ Up! Catalog, if you have one, or see the products online on June 1st, you might skip over the Swirly Bird Stamp Set (141749) and the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits Dies (141497), but now that I have played with them a little bit, I think these both are going to become favorites. I made the Swirly Scribbles Die Cut Flowers card mostly with just the die cuts .  I didn’t even have a real plan in my mind, just thought I would try out the Thinlits. I used the new In Colors – Sweet Sugarplum, Peekaboo Peach, Flirty Flamingo, and Emerald Envy for the leaves. I used one stamp to stamp the center in the Flirty Flamingo flower center piece (which probably technically is a scrap from the die cut!) and added a couple of white sequins from the Metallics Sequin Assortment. I had to choose a small size greeting so I just went with the Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set (one of my favorites!) and choose the generic “thinking of you” greeting.  I’m so happy that stamp set is carrying over to the new catalog!

You will be able to purchase the Swirly Bird Photopolymer Stamp Set and the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits in a Bundle page 152 (in the new catalog) and save 10% in the new catalog!

If you are interested in these wonderful products from Stampin’ Up! and do not have a Demonstrator yet, I would be happy to be yours!  Contact me if you would like a hard copy of the catalog. If you prefer looking at the catalog online, it will be up on Wednesday, June 1st! That’s less than a week!

Just a few days left to get any of the retiring products from the current catalog AND the Occasions Catalog!  Be sure to check out the Retiring Products List HERE or shop the Retiring Category in my Online Store HERE.  When the new catalog comes out June 1st you will be able to order the Swirly Bird Bundle and have your own fun making all kinds of creations, like this simple Swirly Scribbles Die Cut Flowers Card!

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