Letting the Stampin' Up! website go.....

I'm pleased to announce that this blog will be my only stampin' blog. I'm letting my SU! website go. I rarely get orders through it, most people contact me directly so please make sure to do that if you want to order. I just can't afford to keep the site going if I'm not making any money off it. This blog, however, is a labor of my love of crafting and will remain.

I'll still keep my gallery at Splitcoast for those of you who use it. :-) I haven't added anything to it recently but it's still active.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Karen

Super Mega Rubber Stamp and Stampin' Up! Sale! Don't miss this sale!

Love rubber stamping and Stampin' Up! products? You CANNOT afford to miss this SALE! I've cleaned out the stamping room and I have discounted items 50% to 80% below the retail price. Need Christmas gifts? Many stamp sets have never seen ink! All are premounted for you. Tons of designer patterned paper, retired ink colors and accessories! Lots of hostess sets and Sale-a-bration stamp sets, ribbon, and retired cardstock! Join us on Saturday! You'll love the deals!




Saturday October 29


1:00 pm to 4:00 pm






At 515 East Tyler Street


Eau Claire WI 54701



JOIN US!!!

Magical Reindeer Food



Magical Reindeer Food



Hello there!

I thought I'd publish some reindeer food. The verse is hard to see but says:

"Be sure to take this magic food and sprinkle on the lawn,
On Christmas, Santa's reindeer travel miles before the dawn.
The smell of oats and the glitter path will guide them on their way,
And you'll wake up to Santa's gifts next morn on Christmas Day!"



In the baggie is Quaker Quick Oats cereal.  Instead of glitter make sure you add red and green cookie sugar along with some regular white granulated sugar so if the little guys taste it they won't get sick ... and they will taste it.

Have fun!
Much love and joy,

Feeling a little Fall-ish!

I was feeling a little autumnal today and decided to whip up a quick card using retired stamp sets. The bold leaf image lends itself to the Rock n Roll technique using rust and burgundy. The little squirrel is from an old set called Wildlife Reserve.

I haven't been stamping much lately. Life got in the way but I hope I'll start posting with more frequency as the weather cools and I can't be outside as much.



Thanks for stopping by!
Much love and joy,

ooops! I guess it's summer!

Hello all,

The summer is getting away from us! I haven't posted much but then ... I haven't made much to be posted! I'm busy filling myself with life experiences and summer "stuff" for the day job which is writing. I'll try to post at least a once each month and will shoot for twice each month as soon as I start stamping this fall. Hate to admit to being a seasonal stamper but there it is.

Hope all of you are well!
God bless!
Love and Joy,

Friends Scrap page only one this time...

Here's the final page that I've completed in my Friends Scrapbook.

I was excited to find such an awesome use for the spinner hands. I LOVE using those things.

I've had NO time to scrap and because I'm a card maker it takes me hours to create ONE scrapbook page to say nothing of a two page layout.

I used Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, and Early Espresso on this page. The sentiment is an old SU set from about seven or eight years ago. I love it. You can see that I used the top note to cut designer paper for an accent to the right of the photo. I like the way this book is turning out. HOpe it continues that way!
THanks for stopping by,
Much love and joy,

More friend pages in my Friend Scrapbook

Hi all,

Here's another two -page layout for my friend scrapbook. These were taken by a friend's hubby, just before we attended a good-bye bash for them because he was attending school in the east.

The flower is the daisy 2 die from Stampin' Up! and I put a chocolate chip corduroy button in the center. I like the look of this page.



I hope all is well on your end. I need a scrapping day but haven't had one lately. Maybe I'll have to schedule a retreat ... or convention.

Take care dear friends and see you soon.
Much love and joy,

scrappin' pals page

Here are a couple more pages for my friendship scrapbook. You can see evidence of the Big Shot in the trim and in the lettering as well as the dry embossed letters in PALS. I'm not sure how I feel about the hard flowers in the corners. Everything else has an older, more corduroy feel, like the kraft button, then suddenly, WHAM, here are some hard plastic items. I wanted a pop of color but maybe should have gone with an alternating color of satin flower or even another corduroy button in a bright shade. What do you think?

This time of year is so crazy busy! I'm lucky if I get any scrapping or cardmaking done! I only sent ONE Easter card this year to someone who sent me one. I always have time to send Easter cards! Hmmm. Time to re-evaluate the schedule. A little too much on the hamster wheel it seems.

At any rate, I hope your day is going well.
Much love and joy,

The Friend Photo Album

good morning!
I'm working on a scrapbook and thought I'd share it with you over a the next few posts.

Here's teh first page ... and yes, we were having beers. I'm the one on the right.

I used a variety of items here including some vintage accessories. I have some antique buttons, some lace ribbon, a mini tag and flowers that were punched with a retired punch that I still love and use.

The alphabet for the word Friends is the Go Go Boots alphabet. You can tell the Big Shot was used to die cut the pinked edges near it. I used a tiny touch of peach/orange as my "pop" color.

Hope you enjoy,
See you soon,
Much love and joy,

Mini Backpack

Here's a fun 3D project ... a mini back pack.

There are tons of patterns with SCS so take a look to find one that meets your needs. I used Real Red cardstock and satin ribbon for straps.

I used the Tart and Tangy stamp set and used Crystal Effects to give the apple a glossy finish.

The Top Note and Scallop Envelope were the Big Shot dies I used along with a circle brad for the clasp. The top is kept shut with a velcro dot. I cased the idea of scaling own the envelope so the red piping showed. Thanks backpack gallery person!

Here's a shot of the back. You can see I used the jumbo eyelets. I didn't really like mixing the silver circle brad with the antique eyelets but antique on the front looked funny with the fresh spring colors, and we don't have silver jumbo brads. I should have pulled the straps out so they look more even. ONe must be partially in the pack because it looks so much shorter.Ah well. You get the idea.

Any hoo, I think it turned out cute. The paper is some leftover picnic dsp I had from an old SU! catalog. Hope you enjoy the project!
Much love and joy,

Spring is Blossoming Promotion

Hi everyone,

I've been playing with some of my older supplies lately. I have tons of leftover designer paper and and cardstock that is retired. Well ... River Rock is back! Hope you can use the idea for the paper you have in stock!

Since we're going to be hitting another retirement time I thought I'd use a few items up ... yeah right! Like I'm even CLOSE to using anything up! ;-)





I just purchased some amazing designer paper that is part of a spring promotion. You'll have to see the criteria for the promotion on my website (I've listed it ... roughed out ... below). The paper is gorgeous!! I LOVE it.

Isn't this just beautiful??

I'll post another pic of the other designs but it won't be the greatest since I'm not a professinal photographer.

You can't really see the colors, they are so intense and rich!










Here's a photo of the stamp set in the promo:

I'm so excited to label jars with these! They match the punch of course!

Here's the 411

It's called
Spring is Blossoming Promotion
Promotion dates: April 1-30, 2011



Spring is Blossoming with Sneak Peek products from the upcoming 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog. You can get these brand-new products in one of two ways:


           •Spend $20* on any Stampin' Up! products and become eligible to purchase both the Four Frames Set and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper.

          •Host a $350* workshop and get the Four Frames Set and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper for FREE!

*Net sales before tax and shipping

Customer order option:

     •Orders may be placed on any order type (customer, demonstrator, workshop, or online). •Customers must spend $20 to be eligible to purchase the Four Frames stamp set and/or Paisley Prints Designer Series Paper from the upcoming 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog.

    •Both items can be purchased once the $20 minimum is met; there is a limit of five per product once the $20 minimum is met. Ordering another $20 of Stampin' Up! products resets the limit and allows the customer to purchase another five Designer Series Papers and/or stamp sets.
PRICES
Four Frames Stamp Set

Wood mount: item 123440
$20.95

Clear mount: item 123442
$15.95

Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper

item 122367
$9.95


Hostess option

•Orders must be placed on a workshop, customer, or demonstrator order to qualify. Online orders are not eligible for this part of the promotion.

•Customers will receive the Four Frames and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper FREE if they host a $350 workshop (net sales before tax and shipping).

•There is a limit of one Four Frames Set and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper per workshop.

•Workshop must meet $350 minimum to be eligible for sneak peek products. Reward is for reaching the $350 level and is not incremental.

•Hostess may choose either the wood-mount or clear-mount set. Clear blocks are not included in the clear mount set.


At any rate. My website will have it all cute and button-y come the beginning of April. However, I can't tell you how cute this stuff is!

Also, the Summer Mini will be out soon. You can get an on-line copy of that on my website as well starting May 1.

That's enough for me.
Have a great day,
Much love and joy,

My book is out!!!! Children of Light by Karen J. Olson

Yippee! My book is finally out! I apologize that I haven't been posting as regularly as I was. My bad. I was so busy with work that I couldn't get to it. No excuse ... just that season of my life, I guess.

If you read my column or like my Chicken Soup for the Soul stories you'll love this book too! It's a labor of love.

Here's an excerpt:

Chapter 2
A Child of Light

You may not have experienced the NICU and the roller coaster we were on, but if you have a child with special needs, you've been at the amusement park. We all hang on to the sides of our seats when our child's life, or happiness, hangs in the balance. We can't help but ask "Why?" "Why is this happening to me? What did I do wrong to deserve this?"

If you're interested in seeing more, or ordering a copy, please go to the publisher's website at http://www.casparapublishing.com/ and click on "store" to order a copy ... or two. ;-)

I'll be back with scrapbook pages and cards soon!
Much love and joy,

Sending Sweet Thoughts

I haven't gotten my shipment yet with SAB items so I'm making Valentine's from older stamp sets. This stamp is one of my favorites from last year. I used markers to color the stamp then applied it to whisper white cardstock. The other colors are Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake and Ruby Red. Ruby Red retired but it was one of my favorite reds. I had the leftover DSP so decided to pair them.

The scallop edge is a punch that I love. The ribbon is chocolate chip as well.

Hope you can use the sketch with your new sets. I'm going to use the flamingos and hearts in the new set, Definitely Valentine so redo this cards. Any ideas on a new red. I sooo love Ruby Red that I'm having trouble replacing it. Any ideas are appreciated.

Take care and have a great day,
Much love and joy,

For a Sick Friend

Feeling punk? How about some chicken soup?

This card was made for a sick friend using the Circle Scissors Plus and the word window punch. The colors are Real Red, So Saffron and Night of Navy. I used snow swirls tone on tone to create the steam from the soup.

The bowl was stamped with a background stamp and a mini stamp I had from an old set.

It's a simple card but a fun one. Hope your day is healthy and happy,

Much love and joy,

A Day at the Beach

I really love this set. I've totally been into it lately. Summer by the Sea. I know it's retired but I seem to go back to my retired sets a lot lately. Nostalgia? Who knows?

I must be feeling nostalgic because I'm missing some of the retired colors too! The blues, the purples and the caramel colors. I LOVE the new colors but still can't part with my old stuff.

Hope all is well with you.
Much love and joy,

Peeking Penguins

Hi everyone,


Wow, this one barely shows up! Sorry about that. It's an older set called Wild About You that retired last year. I used a reverse mask technique for the bashful blue squares so that I didn't get my penguins all colored, or the rest of the white card.

I love black gingham, or gingham ribbon in general, so miss it. Hoping that SU will have it again sometime.


This card is soooo cute if you could see the edges. It's a 4 1/4 square size.

Hope your days are warm and toasty!
Love and Joy,

Summer by the Sea

Good morning all!

I apologize for my sadly neglected blog! I just wanted to immerse myself in Christmas and I did! Plus the kitchen was repainted and I've been dealing with book issues sooooooo .... all that to say, I've been so busy I haven't stamped at all! Egads!

No stamping = nothing to post! That's not good. So I'm posting an older cards that I love, made with a set I adore. Wish SU would come out with more of these. By changing skin tone and hair you can make it unique to any person of any culture or race because there are no facial features. I LOVE that. In my family it's important.

I hope to post weekly now so stay tuned!
Much love and joy,
Karen

More Flower Soft

Hi everyone,
Here's another Flower Soft card. It's hard to see it on the stamped image but you can see it on the flower area coming out of the pot.

The pot is curled and raised and the stems are sold by the same company. I was trying for fall weeds but made them too short. The Christmas stmap is obviously SU!

HOpe all is well with you. I've got a stomach bug today so am wrapped in a blanket blogging. One drawback working for yourself ... no going back to bed. The show must go on!

Take care and talk soon!
Much love and joy,

Flower Soft

Hi there,
I don't know if you can see this but I received some Flower Soft as a gift with matching placecards. Aren't they adorable? I added the Stampin' Up! cardstock as a mat and matched the greeting which is also SU!

The flower soft is on the foliage part near the candles.

I can't decide is I should hand write the name, stamp it or script it with our Cricut. What do you think?
Have a great week ladies and I'll see you soon!
Much love and joy,

Free Shipping Weekend!

Good morning,

Happy Black Friday for those of you cyber shopping and figuring out the best deals. This is a free shipping weekend with me so contact me at Karen's Free Shipping so we can get the orders placed by Monday. I'll place the order at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday so please be ready with your order by then.

This card uses an old Sale-a-bration stamp set. It's such a simple card but the punched stars add so much because they tie in with the stamped image. The set was So Many Scallops. If you love it let me know. I have a few extras for sale. They're only $10 for four stamps.

Have a great weekend and good luck with that Christmas shopping!
Much love and joy,

Matchbox Dresser

Hello everyone,

I've posted a little dresser today made using the Big Shot die cut machine.

I had it in a box and it crushed a little (sigh) but it seems okay.

Here is the top of it. The stamp set is Great Friend. I used retired DSP and Cameo Coral cardstock. I cut the DSP Top Note die and then trimmed it at the perforation marks.

The butterfly in cameo coral was a punched butterfly but the the blue stamped one I hand cut. The greetings were punched out using punches and die cuts.

The blue is Baja Breeze by the way. Love it all together.


This is how the little drawers pull out. They're made with the Matchbox die and I put Rhinestone brads through each one for drawer pulls.

I decided to wrap the tic tacs in matching DSP but wanted you to see how it all looked and fit.

This drawer has a pad of post its in it. I used yellow because they were more saffron shaded.

These are Hershey Nugget candies and I wrapped them in matching DSP like I will with the Tic Tacs.
The drawer fits four perfectly. The bowed out front of the drawer is caused by getting somewhat crushed by other projects in my hat box.

The final item I put in was a votive candle in the same coral color (it's one of the reason I went with this color scheme.). I also wrapped paper around the metal portion but will warn the recipient to remove the paper before using it.

Use sticky strip when adhering the drawers and tops on. There will be less chance of it falling apart. You can see there was some impact here but it still held.

And that's it. It's so easy it's criminal! I'm hoping to make some using Christmas paper and colors.  Maybe I'll post those later.

Take care friends,
Much love and joy,

Note Kit

Hello everyone,

Boy, it's been a week since I've blogged and I realized that I may have to do a weekly project instead of a daily one.

I bought a bulk paper pack of this design so I have a ton of it. The colors are Old Olive, So Saffron, Pacific Point, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla.

Here is the inside. It's a Note Kit. There are cards in the back section, 3x3 notes in the front right and tags in the front left pocket. I attached a few yellow post it pad notes but you could certainly add more if you'd like.

This is one of the tags.

This is one of the plain 3x3 note cards.

These are some of the note cards. I got the idea from someone very talented on Split coast but can't remember who ... I'm so sorry I can't give you credit for the note kit design. There may be a pattern on Split coast with directions for it.








That's it for me ladies. Don't forget to get you orders in for Christmas or Hanukkah cards. It takes a little longer around Christmas to get your order.

Have a wonderful weekend and we'll see you soon,
Much love and joy,