Loving my Stampin’ Up! business is an ongoing thing.  Why am I so passionate about it? There are many reasons, with the main one being the people that I meet along the way.

Sometimes it’s just happenstance, sometimes it’s planned and sometimes it’s an unexpected pleasure.

For instance, I was introduced to some stampers at my Christmas Card Class, in turn, these stampers introduced me to other stampers at the Birthday Card class.  My circle expanded exponentially and because I love to be around people and share my passion for my Stampin’ Up! business.

Here is a picture of the stampers that I attended my Birthday class.  Everyone is busy creating, sharing and having fun.

Here are a couple of cards that new found friends created from their gifts.

You too can have the joy of running your own business and meeting new people that will become more than just acquaintances.

How, you ask?

Currently in conjunction with Sale-a-Bration, Stampin Up has an awesome business opportunity for you.  Join the Stampin’ Up family for $125 and there is more…you get $190 worth of products instead of the normal $155 worth of products.  Plus, you receive 20% discount on product order.

This offer ends the same day as Sale-a-Bration ends, March 31, 2014.

Don’t delay.  Go over to this LINK and watch the videos and read the information and then JOIN my team.  Yeah!!!

If you have questions, you can always contact me by email at karen@simplysaidwithkaren.com

I will get back to you with the answers.

Happy Stamping

The post Loving My Stampin’ Up! Business appeared first on .

Hooray for birthdays,  because that means we are still experiencing life.  In my last post, I talked about some people now wanting to celebrate their birthdays, however, on this day you came to be in the world to leave your mark no matter how big or how small.  You can celebrate it quietly or flamboyantly depending upon your personality and that again makes you unique.

This birthday card uses a lot of the new products in the 2014 Occasions Catalogue.  I am loving this catalogue.  It has offered up some interesting products and not only that it coincides with Sale-a-Bration.  Only 31 more days to make sure that you get in on the FREE products for Sale-a-Bration.

Recipe:

Stamps: Geometrical (c-133161, w- 133158, p26 2014 Occasions Catalogue).

Paper: Smokey Slate, Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Basic Black, Kaleidoscope DSP.

Ink: Versamark, Crushed Curry, Strawberry Slush, Bermuda Bay.

Accessories: Big Shot,  Arrows Embossing Folder, Triangle Punch, Chevron Border Punch, Angled Tag Punch, Black Embossing Powder, Gold Sequin Trim, Bermuda Bay 1/8” Taffeta Ribbon, Whisper White Bakers Twine, Fringe Scissors.

Some of the new products used in this card are the Fringe Scissors.  Now if you want to make a fringe, you can make several cuts at once rather than one cut many times.  These scissors are good for making those fringe flowers that have become so popular the last little while.

The other new product on this card is the Angle Tag punch.  Love it because you can have a tag any length, tags at both ends and it also punches the hole for you.  You can also get the tag punch with a scallop top.

Want these products? Order them HERE.

Remember “Hooray for Birthdays” and go celebrate one

Happy Stamping

The post Hooray for Birthdays – Celebrate the Day appeared first on .

From time to time we all have ups and downs and it’s been that kind of week for me.

It started of great with the Birthday card classes and having wonderful ladies craft their hearts out.  But it went downhill from there.  I did something to my back and spent 3 days in bed, feeling sorry for my self and in a great deal of pain.

On Monday, it was off to see Dr. Rob at the Inspire Chiropractic and Wellness Studio and with his help I am back on track.  Thank goodness.

Check out their website and if you ever need a great place to get healthy and back on track, this is the place to go.  Both Dr. Rob and Dr. Lisa really care about their clients and the staff, Hannah, Marissa and Angela always have a smile for you and warm words.  It’s a wonderful place with a feeling of family.

Inspire Chiropractic and Wellness Studio

So now to the Birthday card class.  This was an up part of my week.  Over several posts, I will show you the cards that the ladies created.

This card uses the Starburst Saying from the Occasions catalogue and the You’re Lovely from the Sale-a-Bration catalogue which is FREE with a $60.00 order.

Recipe

Stamps: Another Great Year (c-133041, w- 133038, p34 2014 Occasions Catalogue), You’re Lovely (c-133578, w- 133575, 2014 Sale-a-Bration Catalogue)

Paper: Basic Black, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, Pistachio Pudding, Sweet Sorbet DSP

Ink: Black Stazon

Accessories: Big Shot, Circles Collection Framelits, Deco Labels Collection, Markers: Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black, Versamark, Black Embossing Powder, Basic Black Scallop Dots Ribbon, 1-3/8” Circle Punch.

To create this card,

1. Stamp the large stamp from the Another Great Year stamp set using versamark onto Whisper White card stock.  Heat emboss with Black Embossing Powder.
2. Color the candle stamp with various markers and stamp on Whisper White card stock.
3. Stamp the words “Happy” and “To You” onto a piece of the DSP using versamark.  Emboss with Black Embossing Powder and cut out with your Paper Snips.
4. Stamp the words “wish big” on DSP using Black Stazon ink and cut out.
5. Attach the words that are cut from the DSP to the over the Black Embossed words and the Black Stazon stamped words.
6. The frame from the You’re Lovely SAB stamp set is stamped on Whisper White card stock, embossed with Black Emboss Powder, heat set and then cut with the smallest Deco Label.
7. Cut a piece a circle from Coastal Cabana with 1-3/8″ punch and apply to the banner and cut the candles and wish big using the Circles Collection (2nd smallest)
8. All that is left is to attach your panels together, attach the ribbon and layer on the label.

VOILA!!!

Looking for the Weekly Deals?

So even though I have my ups and downs days, I have my creations and Dr. Rob to get me going again.

What do you do to get through the ups and downs days?  Leave me a comment.

Happy Stamping

The post Ups and Downs – Being Healthy is So Important appeared first on .

The Sochi 2014 Olympics officially get underway today with many athletes pursuing the ultimate goal – GO FOR GOLD.  All over the world, people are supporting their favourite teams in a multitude of events.  Many new events have opened up for these 22nd Winter Olympics.

Controversy prevails at these Olympics with threats of terrorism, human rights violations, venues not completed, and dangerous conditions on some of the event runs. Despite the controversie, the athletes are there, ready to go, after many years of preparation and sacrifice to get to the ultimate pinnacle in sport – the gold metal.

We, that sit on the sidelines, need to support the endeavors of the athletes and appreciate the time, effort and tenacity that they have shown to “GO FOR GOLD”

In support of the athletes, I have created a card and box using the appropriately named card kit “Good as Gold”.  This card kit is one of the Sale-a-Bration Free items that you can receive when you place a $60.00 Stampin Up order.

This “Good as Gold” kit come with everything you need to complete 8 cards or whateveryou choose to make.  I created a gift box from one of the card bases (idea came from Dawn Olchefske) and it will hold a couple of treats.  What a great way to say “thank you” or perhaps a “thinking of you”.

Order your Stampin’ Up! products from my ONLINE STORE (minimum order $60.00) to receive your FREE Sale-a-Bration products.

Good luck to our Canadian Sochi 2014 Olympic athletes as they go for GOLD.

Happy Stamping

The post Sochi 2014 Olympic Athletes Go For Gold appeared first on .

There are so many ideas that you can incorporate for the front of the card and then it’s easy to also decorate the inside of the card.  So often we forget about the inside.  So for display purposes, the recipient of the card has the choice to either display the front or the inside.

Flowers are always a favourite gift for Mother’s Day and so why not put them on the front of the card. They will last for a very long time and bring back the memories of the gift and the celebrations of Mother’s Day.  What about Easter?  There is a lily image in this set that would be perfect for an Easter card and then there is the daisy to celebrate Spring.  The possibilities are endless with this stamp set.

Card Front

I used a great technique on this card to make the flowers appear to be delicate and airy.  First the flower images were stamped with Versamark on Sahara Sand and embossed with White Embossing Powder.  After the flowers were cut using the Secret Garden Die Cuts, the petals were painted with Whisper White Craft ink and the Aqua Painter.  You will need to let the craft ink dry but if you are impatient, use your Heat Gun.

Next, using the markers and the Blender Pens to color the petals.  It is fairly easy to shade the petals where the shadows may lie.  Start with the dark colour and then blend out to the middle and end of the petal.

Card Inside

The sweater was cut using the All Dressed Up Framelit and cropping the bottom part of the dress and cutting down the middle and adhering to the dress.  Rhinestones were added for some bling and of course a flower punched with the Itty Bitty Punch Pack and a rhinestone in the middle sets off the full outfit.  Ohhlala!!

Stamps: Secret Garden (c – 129144, w- 129141, p17 2013 Spring Catalogue),

Paper: Whisper White, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Sahara Sand, Lucky Limeade, Sycamore Street DSP

Ink: Whisper White Craft, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade

Accessories: Big Shot, Secret Garden Framelit Dies, Card Base Pop ‘n Cuts , Dress Form Pop ‘n Cuts, Dress Up Framelits, Lattice Bigz Die, Little Leave Sizzlits, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder,  Versamark, White Embossing Powder, Markers: Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Summer Starfruit, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Rhinestones, Blender Pen, Aqua Painter.

Don’t forget, the count down to the end of Sale-a-Bration is approaching.  Visit my online store to see what free products you may be going without.  You can find my Online Store HERE

Thanks for stopping by.

The post Pop ‘n Cuts for Mother’s Day appeared first on .

This is week 8 for the projects created with products from the Spring 2013 Catalogue and the Sale-a-Bration flyer.

This week, I have combined 2 stamp sets that go very nicely together to create a whimsical card, the  Rain and Shine stamp set and the Bootiful Occasions stamp set.  Ever since I saw the Bootiful Occasions stamp set, I knew I had to have it because there are 4 really cute stamps for several different occasions and you can just have fun creating with them.

This project also used the Masking Technique on the boots

Supplies

Stamps: Bootiful Occasions (c – 126597, w- 126595, p50 2012/13 Annual Catalogue), Rain or Shine (c – 126777, w- 1266775 p30 2013 Spring Catalogue

Paper: Marina Mist, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Sunshine and Sprinkles DSP, Vellum

Ink: Marina Mist, Early Espresso, Mellon Mambo

Accessories: Big Shot, Cloudy Day Embossing Folder, Labels Collection Framelits Marina Mist Striped Organdy Ribbon, Lucky Limeade Marker

Tools: Dimensionals, Multipurpose Glue, Glue Dots, Paper Snips

Other: Post-it Note

Instructions:

1. Cut Marina Mist card stock 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″.  Score at 4-1/4″
2. Cut Daffodil Delight card stock – 5″ x 3-3/4″
3. Cut Vellum piece – 4-3/4″ x 3-1/2
4. Ink the rubber boot image with Melon Mambo and stamp on Whisper White card stock
5. Ink the rubber boot image with Melon Mambo and stamp on the Post-it Note.  Cut out the boot using your Paper Snips
6. Align the Post-it Note image so that it overlaps the boot stamped on the Whisper White.  Off-set the image a bit and stamp over the Post-it Note and along side the first boot with Melon Mambo.
7. Remove the Post-it Note and you can see two boots, one behind the other.
8. Stamp one of the umbrellas from the Rain or Shine stamp set on Whisper White card stock using Marina Mist ink and stamp the umbrella handle using Early Espresso ink.  Fussy cut both with your Paper Snips.
9. Using the Labels Collection Framelits and the Big Shot, cut out the 3rd largest label from Whisper White card stock.  Emboss using the Cloudy Day Embossing Folder and the Big Shot.
10. Cut a 4-3/4″ piece of the Marina Mist Striped Organdy Ribbon
    
11. Cut a strip of the Sunny and Sprinkles DSP – 1″ x 4″.  Cut the ends into a V shape.

Tip: An easy way to cut the V shape is to cut up the center of end to where you want you V shape to end and then cut from each corner, diagonally to the first cut.  In this way, you will get each side identical.

To Assemble Card

1. Build the Vellum panel first so you know where to put your adhesive
2. Attach the embossed framelit to the center of the Vellum panel.
3. Attach the DSP strip to the bottom of the Cloudy Day embossed framelit
4. Lay the Marina Mist Ribbon over the DSP strip
5. Attach the boots using Dimensionals
6. Using adhesive, glue the umbrella handle just underneath the boots
7. Attach the umbrella using Dimensionals
8. Attach the Vellum panel to the Daffodil Delight panel.  Apply the adhesive to areas that will not be seen.
9. Color the “rain and shine” words with the Lucky Limeade marker, huff and stamp on a piece of Whisper White.  Trim to make a flag and attach to the card.
10. Attach all panels to Marina Mist card base.

Send your card off to someone that needs a “Pick Me Up”

Get your Free Products – Only 2 weeks left.  Click HERE to order.

Happy Stamping

The post Rain or Shine – Sale-a-Bration Ends Soon appeared first on .

Today is International Women’s Day and what better way to celebrate than starting your own business.  What business?  Becoming a demonstrator with Stampin’ Up! has so many rewards.

What are the rewards of being CEO of your own business?

• Earn money to meet the needs of you and your family.  Maybe it’s that vacation you have been longing for, or paying off your house mortgage, or helping your child with their education.
• Minimum 20% product discount on all orders or sales
• Meet new people and show them the wonderful world of paper crafting, rubber stamping and scrapbooking
• Teaching your friends and family how to make beautiful cards, scrapbook their memories and make beautiful home decor items and gifts.
• You can also make a difference in so many people’s lives by taking an interest in what they do and teaching them that creativity is not hard.
• Working your business into your own schedule.
• Working your business as you want – Doing it My Way

As well, I support you in your business with training, meetings and being there to answer your questions and encourage you.

Stampin’ Up! supports you as well:

• training through videos and webinars
• a demonstrator website that keeps you up to date with all that is happening in the business
• Stampin’ Success magazine that comes to you every two months packed full of ideas, business topics, how tos and answers and questions from other demonstrators.
• Online ordering for all your demonstrator orders, workshop, class and other stamping events
• Reports to see how well you are doing
• Ability to move up levels as you achieve sales and recruiting levels.

Right now in conjunction with Sale-a-Bration, Stampin’ Up! is offering 25% more in your starter kit.  That’s $194 worth of products and you pay only $125.00, plus there is not shipping charges or taxes and your kit is delivered straight to your front door.  Not only that, but you get to choose which products you would like in your kit.

So, how do you get started being a CEO?

It’s so easy.

Go to my Stampin’ Up! website HERE.  You will find information on Demonstrator benefits, the Career Plan and Stampin’ Up.

Click the JOIN THE FUN tab and you will be taken to a page where you can watch various videos.

Click the JOIN NOW button on your left.  You will be taken to the Online Independent Demonstrators Agreement (IDA) form and you are on your way to becoming your own CEO and running your own business.

Within moments of submitting your IDA and kit order, you will receive your demonstrator # and you now have a business.

What are you waiting for? Have you signed up?

The post Want to be CEO of Your Own Business? appeared first on .

What is that you love about crafting?  Is the ability to get creative, or  wanting to preserve your memories, or creating something with a purpose in mind, or it is just because you like crafting.  There are tons more reasons to craft and I will leave it up to you to use your imagination and come up with a few of your own reasons.

Crafting for me is a wonderful pastime and I don’t know where I would be without it.  I have crafted for years in various forms from embroidery, sewing, knitting, crocheting, cross stitching, scrapbooking, Artex painting (remember that craze?), jewelry making, ceramics, and now stamping.  I think I may have missed a few.  Some of them I learned from my Mother (much to her chagrin at times) and others are self taught and some I took classes.

We know that “Chicken Soup” is good for the soul and maybe someone needs to write a book on “Crafting is Good for the Soul”.  Hmmm, do I hear an idea?

I do have a craft to show today and of course it’s a card.  The card is one that I did for my DIL and as she is a crafter too, she understood the passion that went into her card and the package that her gift was in.

Birthday Card

Stamps: Best of Birthdays (c – 132929 25^th Anniversary Stamps), Memorable Moments (c – 1266982, w- 126680, p.139 2012/2013 Annual Catalogue) 

Check out the link so you can see the stamps that Stampin’ Up! has released so far this year for their 25th Anniversary.

Paper: Naturals White, Sahara Sand, Tea for Two DSP, Vellum

Ink: Calypso Coral, So Saffron, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White Craft

Accessories: Big Shot, Ovals Collection Framelits, Early Espresso Bakers Twine, Tea Time Trinkets, Versamark, Tangerine Tango Embossing Powder, Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Vanilla Flower Trim, Crystal Effects, Markers: Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral,  Other: White Acrylic Paint

The front panel was sponged in a few spots with Calypso Coral and a mixture of the White Acrylic Paint and some Crystal Effects was smeared in places with a sponge brush.  The jury is still out on that treatment.

I also decorated in inside of the card (yes, went all out this time) and created the package for her gift using the Petite Purse Die (125606)

Inside

As you can see it was a Memorable Moments birthday.

Petite Purse

I used a piece of the DSP to create the purse and added an embossed piece of Calypso Coral card stock.  I the flower is from the Very Vanilla Flower trim that I sprayed with So Saffron and then sponged the tips with Calypso Coral.  The leaves were cut using the BIg Shot and the Little Leaves Sizzlit Die.

I know that the packaging was small but the gift was huge in her eyes.

So that is my tribute to International Craft Month. 

Leave me a comment and tell me what types of crafts you do or have done.

Happy Stamping

The post International Craft Month appeared first on .

What are you waiting for? Shop on line Here

You only have until March 22, 2013 to take advantage of the sale!

The stamp set I am using today has 3 stamps that can be used for so many occasions.  I featured one of them in a blog post (check it out HERE) a few weeks back and I will be doing a 3rd card with this set before the end of this series.

The image of the telephone booth reminds me of 2 things, first – I want to break out in song and sing “Bobbies on Bicycles two by  two” and then there are the Pink Panther series with Peter Sellars.

I know some of you may be asking and so what is the song and who is Peter Sellars, but I am sure that some of you reading this post will remember.

Enough reminiscing and get to the card.

Supplies:

Stamps: Feeling Sentimental (c – 129630 w- 129627, 2013 Sale-a Bration), Just Believe (c-120453, w- 116948 p.77 2012/2013 Annual Catalogue, Collage Curios (c – 129102, w – 129099 p.24 2013 Spring Catalogue

Paper: Naturals White, Riding Hood Red, Sahara Sand, Print, Summer Starfruit, Poetry DSP

Ink: Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red, Midnight Muse

Accessories: Big Shot, Chevron Embossing Folder, Ovals Collection Framelits, Natural 7/16” Trim Ribbon, Soda Pop Tops, 3/4” Circle Punch, Multi-purpose Glue, Dimensionals, Glue Dots.

Directions:

1. Cut Naturals White card stock – 4-1/4″ X 11″ and score at 5-1/2″
2. Cut the Poetry DSP 4″ x 2-1/4″
3. Cut the Summer Starfruit card stock – 4″ x 3-1/2″
4. With the Big Shot and the Chevron Embossing Folder, emboss the Summer Starfruit card stock
5. Using Multipurpose Glue, attach the Poetry DSP and the Summer Starfruit card stock to form a 4″ x 5-1/4″ panel
6. With the Big Shot and the Ovals Collection framelits, cut an oval in the panel just created.  – # 3 from the inside
7. Cut a piece of Riding Hood Red a little larger than the oval just cut and attach to the underside of the panel
8. Cut a 5″ piece of the Natural Trim and attach over the seam where the Poetry DSP and the Summer Starfruit card stock are attached.  This piece will go across the Riding Hood Red card stock insert.
9. With the Big Shot and the next size smaller Oval Collection Framelits, cut an oval from Summer Starfruit
10. Using Red Riding Hood Red ink, stamp the telephone booth image on a piece of Naturals White card stock.
11. With the Big Shot and the next size smaller Oval Collection Framelit, cut an oval with the image centered.
12. Attach the image oval to the Riding Hood Red oval using Multipurpose Glue and then attach to Riding Hood Red panel with dimensionals.
13. Using the Big Shot, place a Soda Pop Top on 1 cutting plate and cover with 2nd cutting plate,  Place on platform on Tab 1 and run through Big Shot
14. Using Soft Suede ink, ink up the writing image stamp from the Collage Curios stamp set, stamp off on a scrap of paper and stamp on a piece of Naturals White card stock.  Ink up the Eiffel Tower image with Soft Suede ink and stamp on top of the writing.
15. Punch out using the 3/4″ Circle punch and layer into Soda Pop Top using Glue Dots.
16. Stamp the “Thank You” image from the Just Believe stamp set onto a piece of Naturals White card stock with Midnight Muse ink
17. Trim into a flag shape.
18. Attach to bottom of Soda Pop Top with Glue Dots and then attach all to card front.

Your card is now finished.  Send it out for someone to enjoy.

See you next week for Sale-a-Bration Week #8

Happy Stamping

The post Celebrate Sale-a-Bration Week 7 appeared first on .

We are always looking for sentiments for our cards and scrapbook pages and this one fits the bill.  You can even get this stamp set for FREE!, Order $60.00 worth of products from the current catalogue or the clearance rack and you can pick this stamp set from the Sale-a-Bration brochure.

The Vintage Verses stamp set is a set of four sentiments that can be used for a variety of cards…”Thank You”, “Anniversary”,  “Thinking of You”, “Birthday”, “Random Act of Kindness”, and probably a few more that you can think of.

Vintage Verses- (w-12963, c-129636)

Supplies

Stamps: Vintage Verses ( c – 129636, w- 129633, 2013 Sale-a-Bration), Madison Avenue  (c – 129660, w-129657 2013 Sale-a-Bration)

Paper: Naturals White, Rich Razzleberry, Pool Party, Sycamore Street DSP

Ink: Rich Razzleberry

Accessories: Big Shot, Large Scallop Edgelit, Versamark, Pearl Jewels, Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Sycamore Ribbon & Button Pack, Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets, Multipurpose Glue, 1/2” Punch, 3/4” Punch

Directions:

1. Cut Naturals White card stock – 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ and score at 4-1/4″
2. Cut Razzleberry card stock – 3″ x 3″
3. Cut Sycamore Street DSP panel – 2-1/2″ x 4″
4. Cut Pool Party card stock – 5-1/4″ x 3/4″
5. Using Versamark and the the stamp from Sycamore Street Stamp set, stamp down the Rich Razzleberry panel – evenly spaced
6. Fold Tea Lace Paper Doily in half and stamp “Just Because” with Rich Razzleberry ink
7. Run the Pool Party strip through the Big Shoot using the Large Scallop Edgelit.
8. Assemble card using Multipurpose Glue .
9. Place Pearls along the bottom of the Pool Party strip.

To Make Ribbon Flowers

Tip: Do 1 flower at a time and cut your ribbon when you have completed the flower

1. Punch out 2 pieces from the Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets using the 3/4″ punch
2. Punch out 1 piece from the Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets using the 1/2″ punch
3. Do 1 flower at a time
4. Peel backing off the circles to reveal the sticky surface
5. Tie a knot at the end of the ribbon and adhere to center of the adhesive circle.
6. Start going in a circle around the knot and twist your ribbon as you go.  Make sure that the ribbon is being attached to the adhesive.
7. When your flower is as large as you want, trim the end of the ribbon and tuck under the flower to adhere the end to the adhesive.
8. Trim any adhesive sheet that shows beyond your flower and place flowers on the card in a group of three.
9. Place a small pearl in the center of the flower.
10. If some of the ribbon in the circles did not touch the adhesive sheet, use a glue dot to hold it down.

A reminder that Sale-a-Bration ends March 22, 2013.

Order Now

Email me – karen@simplysaidwithkaren.com or visit My Online Store

See you next Saturday for Week #7

Happy Stamping

Karen

The post Just Because It’s Sale-a-Bration Week 6 appeared first on .