Category Archives: Big Shot

Make an Easter Chick with the Stampin’ Up! Petal Cone Die

If you want to make an Easter Chick, or an Easter Duck I suppose, it’s easy to make one with the Stampin’ Up! Petal Cone Die. It makes a great treat holder. Just die cut two shapes of the Petal Cone Die with the Big Shot and adhere them together. Cut off all but one of the flaps. Use the same die to cut the orange scalloped tuft for the top of his/her head. The other scalloped pieces of yellow that were cut out with the original cone can be folded in half and made into wings on the side of the body. Make a face and beak using some punches and scraps of card stock and you’ve got a cute little chick!

Punch holes in the sides if you want to add a ribbon hanger. Add some Easter grass and some candy treats! You can use the Petal Cone Die to make all sorts of treat holders for any occasion!

Make a Punch Art Easter Bunny and Basket

Leave a reply

It’s fun to make a punch art Easter Bunny with your Stampin’ Up! punches, and even more fun to put him on a cute basket made with the Fancy Favor Die and the Big Shot! To get the basket look, I also embossed the cut out basket with the Lattice Embossing Folder. The basket is made with Soft Suede card stock and I also sponged some White Craft Ink on to the embossing to make it show up a little more. The Easter eggs were really fun….just punched some Tea for Two Designer Series Paper with the Small Oval Punch.

To make a bunny out of punches, just experiment according to what size you want. This one has a 1 3/4″ circle punch body, 1 1/4″ circle punch head and ears made with the Blossom Petals Punch. I drew in the eyes and mouth and whiskers, punched the heart nose and colored in some cheeks with Watercolor Crayons and an Aqua Painter.

The basket is all ready for some Easter treats! Cut some narrow strips of card stock and crumple or run through your (retired) crimper to make “Easter grass”!

Try your hand at making a punch art bunny!

For any punches, card stock, or any other papercrafting supplies, just check out my Stampin’ Up! Online Store here.

Patio Party All-Occasion Card

Leave a reply

An all-occasion card is one that we can all make and would be handy to have in our stash. Sometimes I don’t put a greeting on the front of the card so that I can add whatever I want later for whatever occasion I need.

If you remember in this post the other day, it was like I rediscovered the Patio Party Designer Series Paper and loved it! I knew I loved it when I first saw it at Stampin’ Up! Convention or Leadership awhile back, but then I never used it much. Right now it really appeals to me. One of the sheets in the pack has the multi-pattern design as you see on the bottom of the card….so no work! Just cut off a piece and adhere it to your card and it will look like you spent time adding various patterns in strips!

I loved making a flower with the Flower Folds Die and the Big Shot out of several different patterns of the paper. Maybe a real flower wouldn’t have the lines of a banner going across it, but I liked the colorful look.

Play with what you have and I bet you will be inspired too!

Don’t forget, Sale-A-Bration is going on but not for too much longer! With every $50 purchase you get a free Sale-a-Bration product! Shop Online HERE!

Four Leaf Clover Smooch Spritzed with Gold

Leave a reply

Soon it will be St. Patrick's Day, March 17th! Did you know you can make a four-leaf clover with hearts? And why not a touch of Gold Smooch Spritz to your four-leaf clover for good luck?! The hearts are die cut with the Hearts Framelits Dies, the white hearts being stamped with the Hearts a Flutter stamp set in Gumball Green. As I looked at my desk, I spied a Paper Doily and thought maybe that would work as a background for the clover. It fit perfectly on my 4 1/4" square card. The greeting is stamped with the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and punched out with the Modern Label Punch. I don't know if four-leaf clovers come with a rhinestone in the middle, but mine does! Love those Rhinestone Jewels!

If you need to make a shamrock or four-leaf clover for a St. Patrick's Day card or treat, don't despair if you don't have an appropriate stamp…..just use hearts!

Shop Stampin' Up! Online here for all your stamping supplies!

Secret Garden Flower Card

Leave a reply

Today is such a beautiful spring day here in Houston. When I saw this green leafy page in the package of Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper, I decided that it might be a nice backdrop for the flowers in the Secret Garden stamp set.

I stamped the flowers with Versamark ink on the color of card stock I wanted them to be and used the new Stampin' Up! Heat Tool to emboss with Clear Embossing Powder. Since we have Secret Garden Framelits Dies I didn't even have to tediously cut out the flowers! I just rolled them through the Big Shot and they were cut out perfectly! The stems I did cut by hand.

The most difficult part of the card was gluing things down in the correct order. And in the end, I glued the designer paper to the Whisper White card stock BEFORE I tied a ribbon around it. But since there are no mistakes in stamping (!), I just made a bow out of the ribbon and stuck it on with a Glue Dot. Who would know that wasn't my intention from the start?!

If you don't have any spring flowers blooming yet where you live, maybe you want to stamp some to enjoy! Get out your bright colored card stock and inks and have fun!

You can also purchase the Secret Garden Stamps and Framelits Dies in a bundle in wood- or clear-mount and save 15%!

Go to my Stampin' Up! Online Store now and take a look around!

Remember, with Sale-A-Bration you get a free product from the Sale-A-Bration brochure with every $50 in product you buy! Only through March 22!

A Birthday Card with the Chalkboard Technique

Leave a reply

Some of us can’t seem to get enough of the chalkboard technique! Here is a birthday card using a banner and the chalkboard technique!

In case you are new to this chalkboard craze, the black card stock is stamped with Versamark ink and embossed with white embossing powder. You could also stamp with white craft ink. Then for me, the fun part is taking a small cloth or sponge or even your finger and smearing a little of that white craft ink onto the card to make it look like an old dusty chalkboard! The look is not restricted to black card stock…lots of chalk boards were a dark green. Do whatever you want! It’s your piece of art!

On this card, I used the More Amore Specialty Designer Series Paper in the Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog, stamped with the Hearts A Flutter stamp set and cut out the banner pieces with the Hearts a Flutter Framelits Dies. Be sure to check out the Bundle if you are interested before you purchase!

Try out this technique! It’s really fun and I love the look! Once you are aware of it, you will see it in lots of advertising and lots of places! Be trendy! Try the chalkboard technique!

Last Minute Valentine’s Day Candy Treat Ideas

Leave a reply

In case you are scrambling for a few last minute Valentine candy treat ideas, here are a few for you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is super easy! Just fill a cello bag with Valentine candy and make a topper for it! I used the Top Note Die (so versatile), folded it in half, and decorated it with punched hearts. You could add a Valentine greeting, too, if you wanted. You can staple the bag inside or use SNAIL adhesive.

The Scallop Envelope Die makes it easy to make a little treat holder. A Ghirardelli chocolate fits just right inside! Wrap a ribbon around the bottom to hold it closed and add a Valentine greeting! This greeting is from Got Treats. If you don't have the Scallop Envelope die you could fold up your own little envelope with paper.

One of the first cute things I ever learned to make when I first heard of Stampin' Up! was a matchbook! We put post-it notes inside then, but candy works well, too! Mine measures 2 1/2" x 7" and is scored at 3", 3 1/4", and 6 1/4" to fold around a Ghirardelli chocolate. It you have some other candy, you might want to make it larger. The stamp on the Whisper White is from Easy Events, a very versatile stamp set for lots of occasions.

I stapled the edge of the candy to the bottom flap or you could use a mini glue dot. The ribbon will hold the front flap closed. Or the flap can go on the outside. However you want!

Matchbook from the side. You can see how the scoring makes a little space to hold the candy.

Have a fun Valentine's Day doing something YOU love!

You Are Loved Valentine for Valentine’s Day

Leave a reply

Valentine's Day is only one day away! Did you make a Valentine for someone special? This one came to mind when I saw something similar online with non-Stampin' Up! materials. I decided to add texture to the Cherry Cobbler base of the card with the very popular Honeycomb Textured Impression Embossing Folder #1293778. (I never remember it is called "Honeycomb"….I think most of us think of it as the 'hexagon' embossing folder!) I used the Labels Collections Framelits Dies #125598 to die-cut the First Edition Specialty Paper #121878. I stamped on it with Cherry Cobbler ink and sponged the edges a bit with Soft Suede to give it a little aged look. Couldn't you also see this as a wedding card?

Originally I stamped the "Love" image directly on the First Edition paper as I did the flower from the stamp set You Are Loved, but the design just didn't do enough for me. So I relented and stamped it on Very Vanilla and cut out with the Decorative Label Punch #120907. I stamped it again and punched out the word "Love" with the Large Oval Punch #119855.

Since I already had the Champagne Glimmer Paper #127885 out on the table, I couldn't resist using it! Once you see that glimmer paper in person, you just can't resist it! The Champagne paper is still available to order even though it is not in the Spring Catalog. I originally tried it as a large Label die-cut behind the First Edition paper but changed my mind. But once I was using the Decorative Label Punch, it was easy to layer it behind that! There is a trick to doing that….just punch out two and cut each in half, one vertically and one horizontally, then layer behind the punch on all four sides. You'll see how they fit. And for a final touch, I wrapped some Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine around the front of the valentine.

We often don't get a peek at the inside of the card, but since this You Are Loved stamp set had a nice saying in the set, I used that as well as stamped the flower on the inside layer.

Now that's another Valentine card ready to go on February 14th! If you make a Stampin' Up! valentine, send me a picture and I'll put it on my blog!

Valentines for Boys (or Robot-Loving Girls!)

Leave a reply

Valentines are sometimes all "mushy" but here is a cute idea for valentines for boys! Not that they can't be for girls, too, of course…but in the craft world, it's often more difficult to find "boy" things. Anybody who loves robots will like these valentines…and not just for Valentine's Day either! They would be just as cute for birthday cards or some kind of birthday party favors. The only bad thing is that the chocolate candy making up the body is pretty tempting and then the robot is kind of destroyed! But that's okay…we have to remember, it is only paper!

Of course I copied the idea from a couple I saw online a long time ago and then made them up my own way. On two, I embossed aluminum foil (the heavy duty kitchen kind) in an embossing folder in the Big Shot.

Here are close-ups of the robot valentines. The glare of the foil makes it a little difficult to take photos!

Here you can see the two chocolate nuggets forming the body (stuck together with one mini glue dot near the bottom of the candy and some Sticky Strip on the back.

Use your imagination and make some fun valentines like these! Once you get started, it is hard to stop!

Shop Stampin' Up! Online here at my Online Store!

More Amore Laser-cut Hearts Valentine Card

Leave a reply

Making valentines just takes me back to my school days! The More Amore Specialty Designer Series Paper makes it so easy to get started! It comes with two laser-cut sheets with hearts, one in Real Red and one in Primrose Petals…and turn them over and you have white! You have to cut the hearts apart to use them individually, but you can create different designs depending on how you cut. Notice on my Primrose Petals heart the extra little arch above the big heart. I used the Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder (carried over from the Holiday Catalog) for the Whisper White layer on top of the Real Red card base to give it an elegant look.

Other stamps and accessories I used on my valentine were the Hearts a Flutter stamp set, Hearts a Flutter Framelits Dies, Polka Dot Embossing Folder, Full Heart Punch, and Real Red 1/4″ Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon.

If you get out some stamps, ink, paper and glue you will find yourself playing like a little school child making valentines! Be sure to stamp a heart on the envelope and mail the cards to your friends!

Remember, Stampin’ Up! is always open for ordering! Shop Online here!

Don’t forget…spend $50 and get a FREE Sale-A-Bration product!

Valentine Fancy Favor Box

Leave a reply

The Fancy Favor Bigz XL Die for the Big Shot is one of those very useful dies to own! I think it was at the Stampin’ Up! Leadership Conference last year that I learned to make a box like this using two die-cut Fancy Favor boxes, one inserted into the other. What a cute idea it was! That idea popped into my head while thinking about a Valentine project. You do need 12″x12″ sheets of card stock to use with the Fancy Favor die. I used Primrose Petals and Pool Party card stock for the boxes. I turned the Primrose Petals Fancy Favor Box upside down and punched a heart with the Full Heart Punch. You could also use one of the Hearts Collections Framelits if you preferred. Then when the Pool Party box is inserted, you can see through. In the end I couldn’t resist adhering a paper heart onto the Pool Party box to show through the punched heart!

The More Amore Specialty Designer Series Paper was perfect for this project. Two of the sheets you get in this package are of laser-cut hearts, one Real Red and one Primrose Petals. All you have to do is trim around the edge of whatever shape you want. Since they are white on the back, I turned the heart over so the white would show and punched the same shape heart out of it to line up with the punched heart in my Fancy Favor box. After that I just added various sizes of hearts from punches and framelits until I was happy with the design.

This was one of those projects where I had to slap my own hand and say “Stop!” Knowing when to stop is sometimes the hardest part of a project you like! Just to cover the top of the box (which would normally be the bottom of the box), I added a piece of More Amore paper to cover the tabs. And then I added a bow made from the new Pink Pirouette/Rose Red 1 1/4″ Two-Tone Ribbon.

Here is what the two boxes look like separated.

Think about what a cute gift you could put inside this box! It really wouldn’t even have to be strictly for Valentine’s Day, hearts are good for most occasions!

Be sure to check out the Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog for the paper and ribbon I used in this Valentine project. The Fancy Favor die, punches and framelits can be found in the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog. Remember, with every $50 you purchase, you can choose a free product from the Sale-a-Bration brochure through March 22. Now is the time to purchase those items you have been wishing for! Just click HERE to go to my Stampin’ Up! Online Store!

Stampin’ Up! On Trend with Window Frames Framelits

Leave a reply

When I saw this photo of mirrors from a 2013 home decor market for store buyers, I immediately thought of the Window Frames Framelits that Stampin’ Up! had in the Holiday Catalog and which are carried over in the new Spring Catalog (page 36). You can see that Stampin’ Up! is on trend with the latest and greatest in design so our cards and projects will look up-to-date and in style!

And what new stamp do we have in the Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog? The Just Thinking single stamp that fits the Window Frames Framelits perfectly!

If you want a Spring Catalog to browse and ooh and aah over, please email me. I’ll also enclose the upcoming Sale-A-Bration brochure. And when you are ready to shop, you can do it at your convenience at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store here.

Make an Easy Pinwheel Card

Leave a reply

It’s fun to make these little pinwheels with the new Stampin’ Up! Pinwheel Sizzlits S Die! You can either use a paper piercer tool to poke through the holes to form the pinwheel or use a Mini Glue Dot to hold them down. Then poke a brad through the center to hold all the corners of the pinwheel. Cut a little stick by hand or with your Paper Trimmer from a scrap and adhere all to your card with a Stampin’ Dimensional or some Glue Dots.

The background is made with the Cloudy Day Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. They didn’t ask me, but I think they could have made up a better name for this embossing folder! To me, it seems like such a happy, pleasant design, but “Cloudy Day” sounds dreary! Maybe if I make some cards with the Rain or Shine stamp set or the Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series Paper about rainy weather, maybe I will change my mind!

Then I needed a greeting of some sort on the card, so I used the Ciao, Baby! stamp set which was just the right size plus a little different. The greeting is punched out with the Petite Curly Label Punch, coming in the Sale-A-Bration promotion, which begins Jan. 22!

The card measures 3 1/2″ square.

If you need any supplies to make this card or any of the other beautiful products in the new Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog, just remember, my Online Store is always open!

Pinwheel Sizzlit Cloudy Day Embossing Folder Card

Leave a reply

I tried out my new Pinwheel Sizzlit Die yesterday and used the Cloudy Day Embossing Folder for the background on my card. Both of these products can be found in the new Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog. If you don’t have a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator and would like a copy of the Spring Catalog, please email me. I’ll be happy to mail one to you. Be sure to scroll down to see my little tutorial on using the Pinwheel die.

The Pinwheel Sizzlit Die was really fun to play with! Just put a little piece of paper over the die, run it through your Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, and you have a pre-cut pinwheel to work with!

I found that if I curled the paper a bit with my Bone Folder, it made it easier to fold the corners over to the center. Just a tiny bit, to loosen up the paper.

Then, using your Stampin’ Pierce Mat and the Paper-Piercing Tool, fold the corners with the little holes in them over to line up with the center hole in the die-cut. You can use the Paper-Piercing Tool to keep them lined up. While holding the corners in place as best you can, remove the piercing tool and insert a brad through the center hole. Unfold the brad on the back and press down securely to flatten.

It’s fun making pinwheels, and won’t they really give your cards and scrapbook pages a feeling of spring….when spring arrives!

The little greeting on my card is a stamp set in the Spring Catalog called Ciao, Baby! It is punched out with a new punch coming during Sale-A-Bration (Jan. 22 – Mar. 22), Petite Curly Label Punch. It seemed to still need something, so I punched a scrap piece of paper with the Word Window Punch, cut out a section for the middle to give me two shorter pieces and used those for the ends.

If you want any of these Stampin’ Up! products, just visit my Online Store here.

Hearts a Flutter Just for You Card

Leave a reply

I’m trying to do some stamping today with my “new stuff” from the new Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog that just came out yesterday, so I copied a card that was in our demonstrator magazine, Stampin’ Success. I love the cute little banner made with the Hearts a Flutter stamp set and Hearts a Flutter Framelits Dies. The center panel of the card is embossed with the Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. These products come in a bundle, the Hearts a Flutter Bundle, which saves you 15%! You might as well get both….I’m sure they will be a big hit! Remember, hearts aren’t just for Valentine’s Day. This card could be a valentine, a birthday card, an all-occasion card, even home decor! Be sure to check out the really cute little chalkboard in a frame on page 11 of the Spring Catalog showing a little banner using these stamps and framelits. If you need a Spring Catalog, please email me if you don’t have your own demonstrator. I’d be happy to mail one to you…and the Sale-A-Bration brochure, too!

My stamping supplies are still scattered around in different locations due to Christmas decorating so stamping today is more like a scavenger hunt! What should I get organized first??!

Use this banner idea on a scrapbook page as well! Just think of a card as a small scrapbook page!

Stamping With Karen

Having Fun With Paper, Ink, and Stamps

Category Archives: Big Shot

Make an Easter Chick with the Stampin’ Up! Petal Cone Die

Make a Punch Art Easter Bunny and Basket

Patio Party All-Occasion Card

Four Leaf Clover Smooch Spritzed with Gold

Secret Garden Flower Card

A Birthday Card with the Chalkboard Technique

Last Minute Valentine’s Day Candy Treat Ideas

You Are Loved Valentine for Valentine’s Day

Valentines for Boys (or Robot-Loving Girls!)

More Amore Laser-cut Hearts Valentine Card

Valentine Fancy Favor Box

Stampin’ Up! On Trend with Window Frames Framelits

Make an Easy Pinwheel Card

Pinwheel Sizzlit Cloudy Day Embossing Folder Card

Hearts a Flutter Just for You Card