Category Archives: Tools and Accessories

New Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals Aug 11 2015

Here are the new Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals for August 11 – 17, 2015. The main item I would point out is the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch! If you don’t already have this punch, I would put this on my order for sure! Not only does it make a cute tag with that decorative edge at the top, but you can make longer ones, punch both ends and make a cute favor or belly band or —- ??! Always lots of cute ideas out there!

And then for fun, there are these good embellishments, the Seam Binding, Clothespins, Buttons and Washi Tape! And who doesn’t need more washi tape?? And if you would like to make your own filing system or organizing system or just some cute cards and projects, then the File Tabs Edgelits Dies are for you!

Be sure to check the Clearance Rack for any additional bargains you might find to add to your order!

Here is a birthday tag you could make with the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch and just the Whisper White Thick Cardstock with a little Watermelon Wonder Dotted Lace Trim tied with a piece of Metallic Gold Baker’s Twine. I used several of the new In Color Markers to color right on the stamp.

Just in case you know someone whose birthday is today! 🙂

Shop at Stampin’ Up! Online HERE or ask me, I’m happy to put in your order for you!

How To Store Your Ink Pads and Refills

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How do you store your ink pads and ink refills? I use the Stampin’ Up! Color Caddy and have for years. Since I do all my stamping at my kitchen table rather than in a “studio” at a real stamping-designated desk, this works great for me. The Color Caddy is portable, which means I can have it on the floor and out of the way, or I can have it on the kitchen table when I am stamping (although I usually leave it on the floor!) or I can carry it into the dining room if I am stamping at the dining room table with a group. For me, if I had all my ink pads in a different kind of holder on a desk, I wouldn’t have the portability.

The Color Caddy as pictured in my photograph does have an extra extension on it that Stampin’ Up! used to sell. So the Color Caddy you can buy now, does not hold as many ink pads as mine. But it does hold 48 ink pads and 48 ink refill bottles so you have plenty of room.

I also love the trays at the top to hold the ink refill bottles. They are right there, handy, and grouped by color family so they are easy to find. The In Color refills I usually keep separately. Yes, occasionally I might need to dust everything – but that’s pretty “occasionally”! Now, being in the kitchen, if you spill sugar all over the place and it lands on your Color Caddy as I did one time, then you do need to do a little extra cleaning!!

Here is the Color Caddy by Stampin’ Up!

If you would like to purchase this Color Caddy, just visit my Stampin’ Up! Online Store.

Deals Going On at Stampin’ Up!

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Here are the new Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals for August 4 – Monday, August 10. Be sure to check them out! Not too many this week, though. If you don’t have the 1/16″ and 1/8″ Circle Punches, you might be interested in those. Good for making tags and other projects, The In Color Blossom Accents are brand new in the new catalog and very cute! Not so good for mailing on a normal card, but if you are enclosing a card in a package or giving the card in person, it makes a cute accent. Just attach with a glue dot. I love the Venetian Crochet Trim, it makes a pretty embellishment on certain projects. And of course, if you need more items to add to your ribbon collection, any color of Baker’s Twine is always handy and we all love the Seam Binding Ribbon. Remember, these products are only available at these discounted prices while quantities last, then they go back to regular price.

Also, Stampin’ Up! has announced they will add more items to the Clearance Rack tomorrow!

Today is the big day for Demonstrators! We can start ordering from the Holiday Catalog which comes out for customers September 1st. But if YOU want to preorder from the Holiday Catalog right away, just sign up to be a Demonstrator! To become a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator, you just need to purchase the Starter Kit, $99 for $125 worth of products plus business supplies to get you started in your new business! Beginning today you can even choose Holiday Catalog pre-order products for your Starter Kit! It’s fun having your own business selling Stampin’ Up! products and can be very rewarding if you work hard at it, like any business endeavor.

Want to join the Stampin’ Up! family? Just click HERE for information and to sign up!

Email me at Karen@KarenStamps.com if you have questions or want more information!

Paper Pumpkin 50 off July 2015

Don’t forget about trying out Paper Pumpkin, the papercrafting kit that comes in your mailbox once a month from Stampin’ Up! Right now new subscribers can sign up and get the first two months for 50% off, using the Promo Code HALFOFF. After the first two months, your subscription will continue at the regular price of $19.95 per month which includes shipping. But no obligation! If Paper Pumpkin is not for you, you can just cancel before the 10th of the month after you receive your two kits. If one month isn’t good for you, just “Pause” your subscription and then activate it again when you are ready! No obligation, no risk, just FUN!

Join Paper Pumpkin HERE!

If you are not familiar with Stampin’ Up! products because you do not have a Demonstrator, I would love to be yours! Please sign up for my Mailing List to get a monthly newsletter in your inbox with the latest Stampin’ Up! news and offers plus many project ideas! Email me if you do not have a Stampin’ Up! Catalog and are interested in our products, because you are missing some great reading and inspiration!

Sales Tax Holiday Coming!

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Happy August!! Is today really the first day of August?! What happened to July?? At least it is almost my birthday!

Since it is August, thoughts turn to the start of school! And with that, some states have a Sales Tax Holiday to help families with back to school expenses. Twelve states are having a sales-tax holiday for school supplies on certain dates in August. The states typically define school supplies as “any items normally used by students in a standard classroom for educational purposes.” Stampin’ Up! is, therefore, limiting our exemptions per the state statute based on item description and price.

Here is a chart Stampin’ Up! provided with the states and dates and links to more information. Check and see if your state is listed. Some products that Stampin’ Up! sells can be considered school supplies and therefore, you may be able to save the sales tax. Even though a state is listed, not all communities may be participating. The dates are very limited to be sure to order during that time if you are able to take advantage of your state’s sales tax holiday.

Each state has specific rules they consider to be school supplies–this may be by description or by price. The table below shows the items that are included per state statute definitions. The list of items below will be state tax-free during the holiday period. Please note that you must place your order with Stampin’ Up!^® during the tax holiday period (which is midnight on the first day to midnight on the last day of the tax holiday) in order to receive these items tax-free . Also, keep in mind that this is a state sales-tax holiday and may not apply to additional county, city, and special-jurisdiction taxes.

Here’s a specific chart of which Stampin’ Up! items apply in each state. You’ll have to click to enlarge.

Click to View

Many of my crafting supplies through the years when my kids were in school often came in handy for school projects, even the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby! So make sure you are stocked up with your papercrafting supplies before school starts!

Shop Stampin’ Up! Online for all your papercrafting and school supply needs!

You’ve Got This Flower Card with Glitter Splatter

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I’m still trying to catch up after vacation, but I watched some of the livestreaming recordings from the Stampin’ Up! Convention and saw this neat technique, splattering with Multipurpose Liquid Glue and adhering Gold Glitter. I used the You’ve Got This Stamp Set to stamp and watercolor the beautiful flower and add a little pizzazz with splatters of gold glitter! I can still add a greeting to this card and I forgot to color the center flower parts, so maybe it is not completely finished!

Someone from the Stampin’ Up! Home Office at Convention demonstrated this glittering technique. You need an Aqua Painter (or a small paintbrush) (but you really should own an Aqua Painter! I love mine!) and some Multipurpose LIquid Glue. Squeeze out a little glue, you don’t need much. Then dilute it with some water from your Aqua Painter. You don’t want it too thin and not too thick, but different consistencies will give you different size splatters. Then with the diluted glue on the Aqua Painter, splatter it on the card, however little or much you want. Sprinkle the card with Gold Stampin’ Glitter and dump off the excess. The glitter, of course, will stick to the glue splatters!

In my painting days, I learned to splatter by tapping the splattering brush onto another brush handle or pencil or Aqua Painter held in your other hand over the project. It gives you a little more control.

You could also splatter some color on to your card with a matching ink if you wanted.

I love watercoloring with my Aqua Painter! To color in this flower, stamped with Stazon Ink, I just put a dab of reinker in the lid of the ink pad and picked some of that up, diluted with a little water with my Aqua Painter. If you want a darker shade, either pick up a bit of reinker that hasn’t been diluted OR touch your Aqua Painter to the corner of the ink pad itself to pick up ink.

Experiment with this splattering technique using Multipurpose Liquid Glue, the Aqua Painter, and some glitter!

If you need any supplies for your cardmaking and other papercrafting or scrapbooking projects, please visit my Stampin’ Up! Online Store!

Stampin’ Up! Deals For You!

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Basic Black 3/8″ Stitched Satin Ribbon
$6.75

Happy Patterns Decorative Masks
$4.20

Hearts Border Punch
$11.20

Lost Lagoon 5/8″ Striped Cotton Ribbon
$5.25

Melon Mambo 1/4″ Cotton Ribbon
$4.50

Melon Mambo 3/8″ Stitched Satin Ribbon
$6.75

Metallic Foil Doilies
$2.80

Pacific Point 3/8″ Stitched Satin Ribbon
$6.75

Sweet Li’l Things Designer Washi Tape
$3.75

Very Vanilla Thick Baker’S Twine
$2.63

Here are the new Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals! Quantities at these prices are limited so don’t delay if you see something you want to order! Lots of ribbon, for sure! Think about the black for Halloween coming up, not to mention just some elegant looks with black on your projects! All of the Stitched Satin ribbons are beautiful!

Also, be sure to check the Clearance Rack for more bargains!

And don’t forget Paper Pumpkin!! Take advantage of this special deal now through September 10th!

Click Here!

Offer Dates: July 23-September 10, 2015

Offer Details: Use the code HALFOFF to join Paper Pumpkin before September 10, 2015, and get 50% off the first two months! After that, keep the creativity coming for only $19.95 + tax per month (shipping included).

What Is Paper Pumpkin?? Each month a papercrafting kit arrives in your mailbox! Everything is included – stamps, ink, and paper – and is ready for you to put together. Follow the directions or do your own thing! Each month is a surprise! And once you are a subscriber, you can order any available past kits or refills. No obligation. Pause your subscription for a month or two if you want, and cancel any time if Paper Pumpkin is not for you. You can even order extra kits any month for gifts or for friends and family.

The Fine Print:

For new subscribers only.
Available for month-to-month subscriptions, not prepaid subscriptions.
Discount applied to one kit per month for the first two months of a new subscription. After the first two months, the price for each month’s kit will go to the regular price: $19.95.
Enter the Promo Code, HALFOFF when you sign up.
New subscribers must join by Thursday, September 10, 2015; 11:50 PM (MT).

Just contact me if you have any questions! I love getting my Paper Pumpkin Kit each month!

Check out the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals and the other wonderful Stampin’ Up! products in my Stampin’ Up! Online Store!

Great Deals for Papercrafters!

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Paper Pumpkin 50 off July 2015

A great deal is back for Paper Pumpkin, the Stampin’ Up! papercrafting kit that comes to you in the mail once a month! New subscribers can sign up for 50% off the first two months. Use Promo Code: HALFOFF .

Join Paper Pumpkin and receive a kit in the mail. Follow the directions and watch the video to see how to make your project! If you want to make something completely different or even just a little bit different, you can! With your first kit, you will receive a clear block to use with your stamps. New stamps included and an ink spot. Everything you need except maybe adhesive.

No obligation! You can try it and pause your subscription any month or cancel if you must. But it is a treat to receive that bright box in the mail, just for you! Or give as a gift to someone! Call some friends and get together to make your kits!

To join Paper Pumpkin, just click HERE to go to my Paper Pumpkin site. Read more about it and sign up! Let me know if you have any questions. The kits are not always cards, it’s always a surprise!

PLUS: Here are the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals for July 21 – 27. Supplies at this price are limited and will go back to regular price. See something you want? Order it soon!

Click on the link or photo above to go to my store and see the Weekly Deals page in regular size!

Have fun shopping for Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals and try out the Paper Pumpkin 50% off deal if you are a new subscriber!

Crystal Effects Water Drops

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This is a portion of a card I made with the Gift From the Garden Stamp Set. The sprinkling can and the flower stems come from this stamp set but the water drops are a stamp from the Sprinkles of Life Stamp Set. In order to make the water drops look real, I put dabs of Crystal Effects on the water drops. They are wet in this photo and I tried to draw them out a little bit to look more like a drop of water. Then dry, the Crystal Effects will be clear.

Crystal Effects can be used as an adhesive or as a glossy, lacquer finish to objects. It gives a raised, embossed look to stamped images. There are actually many techniques you can use with Crystal Effects.

Don’t forget to check the Weekly Deals! These are good through Monday night, July 20.

For fun papercrafting shopping, just visit the Stampin’ Up! Online Store this weekend!

Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deal July 14 2015

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Here are the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals for July 14 – Monday July 20. Click the link or photo above to view in the Store. If you see something you really want, better grab it because once a quantity sells out, that deal is gone. Also check the Clearance Rack for any new things they might add. Honestly, I can’t remember what was on there before each time I look at it, so just remember to check when you are ordering to see if there are any bargains on there that you want!

The Color Me Irresistible Designer Paper is on the Weekly Deals. This is similar to the embossed paper that was free during Sale-A-Bration but BETTER because you also get paper that is already colored. Use the white paper plain or color it with sponging or spritzing or whatever method you like! You also might really like the other designer papers available on the “deals” as well as the new pearls, washi tape and sequins, plus twine for embellishing. And if you like an easy way to make gift boxes, then the discounted Gift Box Punch Board is for you!

The Watercolor Wishes Card Kit was not available until this month, and now it is so popular that it is nearly on backorder. If you are thinking about ordering this kit, I would do it today! More kits are on the way but there might be a backorder situation for a little while, unfortunately. It really is a cute kit and easy to make some beautiful cards! AND a very nice stamp set comes with it! What a deal! You can see it displayed on page 80 of the Stampin’ Up! Catalog. Order several kits (if they are available) and get your friends together for a cardmaking day or evening! And the stamp set is one you will be able to use a lot!

Have fun choosing or get it all!! Check my Stampin’ Up! Online Store for the Weekly Deals, the Clearance Rack, the Watercolor Wishes Card Kit, and all the other Stampin’ Up! goodies!

New Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals July 7 2015

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Here are the new Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals for July 7 through Monday, July 13. Remember, these products will only be available at these prices while supplies last. Last week two of the items sold out the first day. There are more items so it is harder to get one big picture to post here! Just click the link or the photo to go to the store page where you can see each product and get the information!

Also check the Clearance Rack before you finalize your order, just in case you find a bargain you want!

Something new on the Online Store: Project Ideas from Stampin’ Up! in the left sidebar! Click on that link when you are in the store (or the photo below!) to see some of the catalog projects and the materials you need for them.

Today is July 7th so if you would like to join Paper Pumpkin and get the July kit in your mailbox in just a little over a week, be sure to subscribe HERE on my page! If you would like to add a month or more to your regular Stampin’ Up! order, you can get a prepaid subscription HERE.

Paper Pumpkin Box

Are you on my Mailing List?? If you are reading this blog post, or any of my other ones, I would love to have you sign up for my Mailing List to receive my monthly newsletter plus one other mid-month with the latest Stampin’ Up! news and offers plus exclusive projects you won’t find on my blog or Facebook Page. Occasionally I send out an extra email if there is BIG NEWS or something urgent I wouldn’t want you to miss. But you won’t be bombarded by emails from me! Just sign up in the box in the top right or the pop up box and you will receive a FREE gift! Do it today so you will be set to get my July newsletter soon!

Stampin’ Up! Deals! Check Them Out!

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Check out these new Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals for June 30, 2015 through Monday, July 6. Click on the photos to see the page in my Online Store. I see several products I want! For sure you want the 2″ Circle Punch to fit in with some others you might have. If you don’t have the new In Color ink pads yet, get the In Color Markers and you can “marker up” your stamps if you want to use a new In Color. Sequins, ribbon, button and twine – always good for embellishing! Sometimes it is the little bit of embellishment that makes the card. The Fast Fuse Adhesive, I admit is a little tricky to use, but now that I have the hang of it, I LOVE it. Very good adhesive. Sometimes I have to advance the tape myself a little bit in the dispenser, but otherwise it works great. (Not on the Weekly Deals, but I also love the new Tear & Tape Adhesive. You should put that on your next order for sure!)

Also check out the Stampin’ Up! Clearance Rack. There are new items on the Clearance Rack, while supplies last. Not quite what I was expecting and I don’t know what they did with the previous stuff, but there you have it. Check it out!

***Apparently Stampin’ Up! is working on some corrections to the Clearance Rack right now! We’ll see! Check back a little later on.

Making Mini Treat Bags with the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits

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Watch Donna Griffith from the Stampin’ Up! Home Office make cute mini treat bags with the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies! She shows some really cute ideas, plus watch for the tip about the little heart embellishment! I never heard that one before!

The Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies are on sale during the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals through Monday June 29, 2015. I also love the Silver Glimmer Paper and the embossing folders on this deal, not to mention the buttons and the ribbon! It’s all good!

Smaller Mini Treat Bags

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I’ve let go of Christmas today and have another way to use the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies I think you will find useful! The die pieces include one large one which forms the front of the bag, and we used two of them to make the larger gusseted bags. Today we will use the smaller die piece which normally forms the back of the bag and cut two of those to make these Smaller Mini Treat Bags!

Cut two of the small bag die pieces.

Fold the score lines made by the die to form the bag. Since the bottom edges of these pieces are just straight, trim off a little bit, maybe 1/2″ from the bottom of one that will be the back piece of the bag. On the other piece, make a 1/2″ score line and fold (maybe even trimming the corners off as shown. This piece will be the front piece of the mini treat bag.

Apply adhesive of your choice as shown. I used the new Tear & Tape Adhesive.

The Mini Treat Bag on the left is made with the Cherry on Top Designer Series Paper Stack. Such a cute stack of colorful papers! As you can see the front and back top edges are the same length. The heart and words are die cuts in the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies. Not only do you get the mini treat bag dies but you get extra dies that cut embellishments for your projects.

The treat bag on the right is made from the new In Color Envelope Paper. On this bag, the front piece is folded down a bit and I tied a string of the Burlap Ribbon around the top edge. The star is a die cut in the set of thinlits dies.

Remember, the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies are on the Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals through Monday night, June 29. You can save $10 when you purchase these dies! To see some other altered Mini Treat Bags I have made, check out this post and this post. To see some of the “regular” mini treat bags you can make with the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies, please click HERE.

Place your order at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store!

Fantastic Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals!

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I am SO excited about these Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals for YOU! I just did a blog post yesterday about the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies and now today they are on the Weekly Deals! Save $!0 on the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits! What’s really great about these thinlits is that not only do you get the ones for cutting the bag, but you get all the other fun pieces that you can use with the bags or any other cards and projects. Love both of the embossing folders, and need I say anything about the two kinds of Glimmer Paper??! Love it! And then you also have two kinds of ribbon to stock up on and the Vintage Faceted Buttons! I think you need everything on the Deals this week!

Here are a few other Mini Treat Bags I have made. You can use them as bags to hold a treat or maybe a gift card or cash or just use them as a card. And you can even alter the sizes of the bag. Some people are clever enough to figure all that out!

And a few more:

And only a week left if you would like to join Stampin’ Up! and get two stamp sets in the new catalog FREE! The Starter Kit is enough of a good deal in itself, but to get to choose two extra stamp sets as well is just icing on the cake! Join by June 30, 2015! (You can go to the link above, click the Melon Mambo “Join Now” bar, the check off the acknowledgements and THEN you can see what is involved in choosing the Starter Kit. This way you can get in there and then make up your mind if you want to go through with joining. No obligation. And there’s never any pressure from Stampin’ Up! (or me) to take your business to any certain level.

ABOUT THE STARTER KIT:

$125 Retail Value

The choice is yours. When you join Stampin’ Up!, what you want is what you get! You choose what goes in your Starter Kit so you know you’ll love each product. And don’t worry about shipping and handling on your kit—it’s on us!Pick your products, pick your pack. It’s so easy: choose the catalog products you want (up to $125 worth) and one business supply pack so you can start sharing Stampin’ Up! your way with friends and family.

Stampin’ Up! has plenty of resources to help you get started in your new stamping business, at whatever level you would like to take it, plus I will be there to help you every step of the way. Email me if you have any questions about becoming a demonstrator at Karen@KarenStamps.com. I’d be happy to talk to you about it!

Let me know what questions you have!

Cherry on Top Cotton Paper Mini Treat Bag

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When I broke out my new Cherry on Top Cotton Paper in the new Stampin’ Up! Catalog I decided to make a treat bag with it using the Big Shot and the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies. I love the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits because you get so many pieces with it, and of course other people have figured out ways to alter the size of the treat bags and things you can make with the bag die. So it is a little pricey but you get a lot with this set.

But back to the Cotton Paper! It’s a little heavier, I would say, than tissue paper. It is lightweight but sturdy. I love my treat bag I made with the Cucumber Crush color, but I did find it a little difficult to work with in making the bag. It was a little bit difficult to fold on the score lines since the paper is lightweight. I found using SNAIL adhesive to not work with it at all – seems the paper was too slick for the SNAIL to catch on to. But the Fast Fuse worked great and I imagine the new Tear & Tape Adhesive would work great. After making the treat bag, I cut a piece of Whisper White card stock to fit inside and stamped it with Watermelon Wonder ink with a birthday greeting from the Amazing Birthday Stamp Set. (You can also buy a Bundle with the matching Banners Framelits if you like and save 15%.)

To decorate the bag, I punched ten flowers with the Pansy Punch from the Watermelon Wonder Cotton Paper. I could also have used the Floral Frames Collection Framelits Dies. Just stack the flowers together, staple in the center with the Stampin’ Up! Handheld Stapler. Then just smoosh each layer up and toward the center to make the flower! The Cotton Paper works well for this! Just smoosh and fool with it and get it to your liking. If you are mailing it, you can flatten the flower and tell the recipient to fluff up the flower when they receive it! I also stamped a banner from the Amazing Birthday stamp set to decorate and applied a piece of Cherry on Top Washi Tape over a strip of Whisper White card stock since the tape is transparent. Then I just adhered it to the bottom of the treat bag. And since I had an already stamped and die-cut leafy image from the other day, I stuck that on behind the flower. So cute!

If you need any of these supplies, you can find them at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store HERE.

Stamping With Karen

Having Fun With Paper, Ink, and Stamps

Category Archives: Tools and Accessories

New Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals Aug 11 2015

Shop at Stampin’ Up! Online HERE or ask me, I’m happy to put in your order for you!

How To Store Your Ink Pads and Refills

Deals Going On at Stampin’ Up!

Want to join the Stampin’ Up! family? Just click HERE for information and to sign up!

Join Paper Pumpkin HERE!

Sales Tax Holiday Coming!

Shop Stampin’ Up! Online for all your papercrafting and school supply needs!

You’ve Got This Flower Card with Glitter Splatter

Stampin’ Up! Deals For You!

Great Deals for Papercrafters!

Crystal Effects Water Drops

Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deal July 14 2015

New Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals July 7 2015

Stampin’ Up! Deals! Check Them Out!

Making Mini Treat Bags with the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits

Smaller Mini Treat Bags

Place your order at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store!

Fantastic Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals!

Cherry on Top Cotton Paper Mini Treat Bag