Images copyright Stampin' Up! 2012
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance and appreciation for those who have died in the service of our country.
Please remember to fly your flag today.
Memorial Day 2012
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Category Archives: My Digital Studio
My Digital Studio Newest Downloads!
Who can resist these downloads??! Just in time for summer travels is the World Traveler Photobook Template! Gotta have the Soft Blooms flowers! Be sure to check out this week's downloads for My Digital Studio either by clicking on the images above or by going HERE to view the latest downloads for digital papercrafters!
Try out My Digital Studio Express FREE for 30-days! No obligation, no risk, nothing to lose….but a new opportunity! Go there now and get it!
Graduation Photography Tips From a Mom
When you have a child graduating as we did this past weekend, it will be a momentous occasion, and if you are the family photographer you will undoubtedly be taking photos to document every second. Perhaps you will want to make a traditional scrapbook for the graduate or even a digital album or swatchbook with My Digital Studio for a quick and easy way to save and share your memories. Check out my graduation photography tips below.
Here are my photography tips for graduation to ensure you HAVE those photos!
- Think ahead about taking pictures at graduation, preferably at least a day ahead. Four or five years of college tend to sneak up on you and even with a year's notice you may find yourself unprepared for picture-taking at graduation.
- Search your battery stash for a package of extra AA batteries, making sure you don't grab AAA batteries.
- If there is no new package of AA batteries in your battery stash, stop all tasks and go to the store immediately to purchase at least one if not two (and maybe three) packages of batteries. It's really more important than having laundry done or the right pair of shoes packed.
- Have an extra package of new batteries for your camera easily accessible in your purse before the big event.
- If no new package of batteries is available in your stash and you don't really stop to think through how important it is to go out and buy new batteries right now, then grab a ziploc bag of loose batteries which perhaps are new ones taken along, but not used, on vacation or something recently. Surely they are brand new and will work.
- If you suspect that your camera batteries may be close to wearing out during the graduation event, change the batteries in your camera during a boring speech while seated. Do not wait until your camera flashes "Change Your Batteries" during the singing of the school song and moments before the fireworks display to conclude the fabulous graduation ceremony.
- If you are forced to change batteries in your camera, in the dark, while standing during the grand finale of the whole graduation ceremony, quickly take notice of which ends of the batteries are up and which are down before taking out the old batteries, then quickly insert the new batteries from the ziploc bag trying not to mix up the two groups of batteries.
- If it turns out these spare batteries were indeed brand new, hooray for you! If not, just the act of changing the batteries will probably make your camera work for a few shots.
- If after a few shots, these replacement batteries do not work because they weren't actually new batteries after all, quickly remove at least two and rub each end vigorously on your clothes and be assured that you will probably be able to get a few more shots out of this technique.
- Always keep an extra package of batteries for your camera on hand because you never know when you might have a child graduate from college.
- If you are over the age of 30, (and you probably are), during the graduation speeches learn how to find and use the camera function on your cell phone, just in case. Did you know you can take video?? Learn how to slide the thing back for still shots so not everything is video.
- Hope that someone with a better lens on their camera got a clear shot of your child receiving their diploma on stage because even if every other photo you took is perfect, that one will be blurry and unrecognizable.
Graduation Framelit Card
It certainly is graduation time, and here is one card I made with the Labels Collection Framelits Die. I've been pulling out a lot of retired stamps and paper for just the right things I needed for this graduation project. This "Happy Graduation" stamp is one of the a la carte ones we had called "Happy Grad". If you don't own the stamp, you can purchase the download in My Digital Studio and print it out! I just did that with a few other graduation projects going on with another graduation stamp brush set! The background is embossed with the polka dot embossing folder on the Big Shot, and I also used the Big Shot to cut out the letters. I love the Antique Brads on this card! The paper is Shimmery White…perhaps if you click on the photo to enlarge it you will be able to notice the shimmer! Love that paper!
I hope this gives you some ideas if you are making some cards for those special graduates! If you need any stamping supplies or digital downloads, you can shop at my Online Store HERE!
New My Digital Studio Downloads!
Click on the images above to see a closer view of the new downloads offered this week by Stampin' Up! for My Digital Studio. On the pdf you may want to zoom in or enlarge your page to see them a little better. You can also look at them in my Online Store HERE. Just click on "Newest Downloads" and then choose the date you want to look at.
Don't forget the 30-Day Free Trial of My Digital Studio Express! There is nothing to lose! Just try it….after 30 days it will just shut down. If you want to purchase it, you can do that! Let me know if you have any questions. You don't always have to be making scrapbooks and albums…sometimes it is handy to use My Digital Studio just to print out a sentiment for a traditional card or scrapbook page you are making if you don't own the proper stamp set….as in the "Seriously Awesome" stamp brush set above!
Stampin' Up! has developed a fantastic digital papercrafting program in My Digital Studio and I hate for you to be missing out!
New Version of My Digital Studio Coming!
My Digital Studio just keeps getting more and more exciting! Stampin' Up! has announced that they will be releasing a new version, MDS 2, later this year! It will have some great new features to make this digital papercrafting software even more magnificent!
Watch the video below to hear Sara Douglass (Shelli Gardner's daughter) tell us about MDS 2! Think about starting with the free 30-day trial offer of My Digital Studio Express going on right now….and then purchase the software! From May 8th forward, if you purchase the current version of My Digital Studio, you will receive the upgrade for free! No reason to wait! Listen to Sara!
Summer Smooches My Digital Studio Mother’s Day Card
Copyright Stampin' Up! 2012
Believe me when I say you can make a card in in two minutes! This card is a template already made up in My Digital Studio, and I just changed what I wanted! This one is from the Summer Smooches collection. I changed the greeting from "Thank You" to the stamp brush that you see here… "wonderful Mother". I added the three brads on the side and I added rhinestones to the flowers.
If you had My Digital Studio and needed a card in a hurry, even to email, this is how you could make one so easily and quickly!
Have a wonderful Mother's Day!!
A Box From Stampin’ Up!
I was so excited to get this box from Stampin' Up! Is there really very much that is as exciting as getting a box from Stampin' Up! delivered by UPS??! Especially when it is new catalog season?? I can't really tell you yet what was in my box except to say there was a new Stampin' Up! catalog, a new Celebrando Creatividad Catalog, and a bunch of new paper, ink pads, stamp sets and embellishments! What fun!!
If you were a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, you might be getting a box like this delivered! There's still time to sign up to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, receive your new $99 Starter Kit made "Your Way", AND place a preorder if you wanted to of a few new products coming in the new catalog. Or you could sign up to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator now and be all settled in and ready to pass out brand-new Stampin' Up! catalogs at your first Stampin' Up! party! You could start up your new business just that easy!
Where else can you start an exciting business of your own for only $99? With the new Stampin' Up! Starter Kit you may choose up to $125 worth of products for only $99, choosing either traditional stamping and scrapbooking products or digital papercrafting. You will also receive a business supply pack valued at $65 to get your business started off right!
Just click HERE to get more information and then click HERE to sign up online in minutes!
The Beginnings of a Graduation Announcement
Here are the beginnings of the graduation announcements I am making for my son. Of course they should be in the mail by now, but that's okay! These are such a combination of elements….from a retired graduation stamp, to paper from the college bookstore, to the frame and name of school made in My Digital Studio, retired Really Rust card stock to the current Naturally Serif Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die (but retiring) #113453 and the Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder #123128. They're all assembled now…just have to adhere the actual announcement to the inside and get them in the mail! Nothing like the last minute!
If you need ideas for graduation cards or announcements, just check the "Graduation" category over in the right sidebar. And then if you need some stamping supplies (or My Digital Studio downloads) just go shop at my Stampin' Up! Online Store HERE.
Cinco de Mayo Guacamole Recipe in My Digital Studio
Images copyright Stampin' Up! 2012
The holiday of Cinco De Mayo, The 5th Of May, commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. But it's also an opportunity to eat a lot of Mexican food! Of course in Houston we eat a lot of Mexican food all the time! This is my favorite guacamole recipe (even better than what some restaurants serve, I think!) and I made a page in My Digital Studio for the recipe. I just started with a template (already designed page), took off some elements, and added the flowers, the title and the text box with the recipe.
Would you think about making a recipe album in My Digital Studio? You can, and what a great idea to collect your relatives' favorite recipes or even just your own in one place and make a fun digital album with My Digital Studio!
Try the My Digital Studio Express FREE 30-Day Trial today!
If you are looking for Spanish stamps, Stampin' Up! has them in their Celebrando Creatividad Catalog! This catalog is good until May 31st and then there will be a new catalog available June 1st. Let me knows if you need one.
Check the list of retiring Spanish stamps HERE. These will make room for NEW stamps in June!
Do You Like Pirates??
This was one of the many new downloads for My Digital Studio yesterday…the Ahoy Matey Ensemble! We used to have a pirate stamp set from Stampin' Up!
This is what you receive in this pirate download: 5" x 3-1/2" greeting card template, 5" x 3-1/2" double-sided postcard template, 5-page 8-1/2" x 11" décor template, 12-piece stamp brush set, 12 DSP patterns, 17 embellishments, 1 punch
If only I would have had something like this (and everything else Stampin' Up!) when my children were little! One year for the Cub Scout Blue & Gold banquet we had a pirate theme and I shopped and shopped for all things "pirate" to decorate the table with and crafts for the boys to make. Think of the birthday party invitations or favors or little albums you could make with this set!
And nothing says you can't use this download for things other than pirates! Use the polka dot paper for cards or scrapbook pages, use the pennant flags, use the template but change all the colors and design on it. That's the beauty of My Digital Studio….you can change anything you want or make a project with the template in minutes.
Try the My Digital Studio Express 30-Day Free Trial and see for yourself how easy it is to learn and how much fun you can have with it!
Here are the rest of the downloads that came out yestserday: MDS Downloads for May 1st And if you like camping, you will love the Happy Camper Memories Stamp Brush Set below.
Upset About Stampin’ Up! Retirement Lists? My Digital Studio Doesn’t Retire!
No worries about retirement lists with your My Digital Studio software or downloads…because it doesn’t retire! My Digital Studio is the software for Stampin’ Up! digital design, which uses Stampin’ Up! exclusive artwork, colors and templates. It’s easy to learn…I know because I learned with NO knowledge of digital papercrafting….and fun to use. Best of all, no need to worry about your favorite digital paper or stamp brush set retiring because it doesn’t ….and if something in traditional stamping retires and you missed it, perhaps you will find it as a digital download now or in the future that you can use forever.
Why not try My Digital Studio Express FREE for 30 days to see if you like it? My Digital Studio Express is the full software plus enough artwork to keep you busy. Anytime you want more, you can purchase downloads or you can purchase the program and add more content.
Click on the image above to go to the Stampin’ Up! video about
My Digital Studio!!
When you are ready, just go to my Online Store HERE and add My Digital Studio Express Free Trial to your shopping bag!
Let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy!
New My Digital Studio Downloads! Some For Dad!
Click on images above to enlarge.
Tuesday is the day Stampin' Up! releases new downloads for My Digital Studio. My Digital Studio is the Stampin' Up! digital design software with exclusive Stampin' Up! artwork, colors and templates. It's easy to learn and easy to do….and you really get hooked! These downloads also work with my other design programs if you do not have My Digital Studio.
Right now you can try My Digital Studio Express FREE for 30 days!
Check out everything available for digital design with Stampin' Up! HERE.
Join My “Stamping With Karen” Newsletter!
Please join me for lots of stamping and papercrafting projects, news and fun by signing up for my monthly "Stamping With Karen" newsletter! The sign-up box is in the upper left corner of my blog.
I send out a main newsletter close to the beginning of the month with the latest news or specials from Stampin' Up! plus several projects and stamping tips I think that you will enjoy or find useful. Mid-month I usually send out a very short newsletter to update you or remind you of any specials or deadlines. It's my way to have a little stamping visit with you!
Right now is a great time to sign up with the Stampin' Up! retiring lists coming out and the new catalog coming in….soon!! Be sure you stay on top of all things Stampin' Up! You won't want to miss a thing!
Two Ways to Make Your Papercrafting Less “Taxing”
Today is Tax Day! Hopefully you got your taxes done over the weekend or even earlier so by now you are relaxed knowing that horrible task is over! I think it is time to stamp in celebration!
Here are two ways to make your papercrafting less taxing:
1. Become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator! Own your own business and your supplies and business-related expenses become tax deductions! If you work hard, you can earn money for yourself and your family by doing something that you love…..stamping! You can focus on the aspect you like the most if you want…..scrapbooking, having workshops, digital papercrafting with My Digital Studio, selling finished product….or do it all. For more information on becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, click HERE. Some more information HERE, too. You can sign up online in minutes HERE. Let me know if you have questions!
2. Go digital with My Digital Studio! New downloads were released today as they are most Tuesdays! Go digital in your papercrafting with Stampin' Up!'s own software….it's not just about scrapbooks either! No paper scraps, no mess to clean up….just your computer! Easy peasy! It's not hard to learn at all and you will have plenty of resources at www.mydigitalstudio.net…..plus me!
Click on the image above to go to the Online Store for more information and pricing!