I sincerely hope you experienced a most joyous Christmas!

Christmastime can be a very special ending of the year, but it can also be quite a disconcerting time as well for many folks. Having lost close family members this year and experiencing my brothers continuing battle against cancer has made this holiday a particular sobering one for sure.

I wanted to keep our family Christmas card focused on the true meaning of Christmas this year.   Drawing back into my collection of Stampin’ UP! images, the one that kept coming back over and over again was the Stampin’ UP! Holy Triptych  Stamp Set from several years past.

Using all three images on fold out panels makes this ‘unconventional’ Stampin’ UP! Christmas Card a mini vignette for family & friends to enjoy.

I included our brief family update letter along with a snapshot of the family from our August wedding of eldest son, Jack and his lovely bride Emily to make our Christmas greeting complete.

If you have any questions or would like more of the details about this project drop me a quick note and I’ll be happy to fill you in on the particulars.

Merry Christmas everyone, thanks for stopping by!

Katherine

Nothing gets the ‘juices’ flowing for my sweet hubby like admiring an old pickup. . .

The Stampin’ UP! Loads of Love Stamp Set fills the bill nicely and teamed with the man’s best friends image from our Loads of Love Accessories Stamp Set, my card is complete.

How easy is that?  Your masculine cards will  be better and easier if you keep a minimalist design approach.

The Birthday Greeting is a tad ‘off kilter’ . . . as  would be appropriate for my darling man since he is too!   Placing the greeting on a pair of Stampin’ UP! Extra Large and Large Tag punches makes this card all the more easier.  It doesn’t take all morning to create a great card!

Other Stampin’ UP! supplies:

Linen Thread, Large Pewter Grommets (sorry, they’ve been discontinued for the time being , and two scraps of Stampin’ UP! Designer Series Paper on a Whisper White panel on a Going Gray card stock standard size card.  Stampin’ Write Markers were used to color the focal image of the card.

Lots of folks, like myself and my dear husband, have birthday’s around and during the holiday season.  Making a card to celebrate their special day will help them feel appreciated and remembered.

I hope you are able to enjoy your family’s change of pace this month while s pending time together in celebrating the birth of our LORD!

Merry Christmas!  Katherine

So, that’s all the encouragement this new mother-in-law needed!  We got busy in my craft room, made some substitutions and modifications to suite her style…and Voila!

Brighter colors and a fresh selection of Stampin’ UP! Designer Series Paper makes it very personal for she and Jack.

We had a fantastic afternoon! Cutting, stamping, using the indispensable Stampin’ UP! Big Shot.  I love the fact that she and I could spend the afternoon creating something for their new home.

We followed the same basic layout and formula as the original which helped to make the process less complicated.

Don’t be afraid to step out and try something a little different! You’ll be glad you did.

Hope you’re having a good month thanks for stopping by!

Katherine

Think of those sour cream containers at buffets and in cafeterias…and here’s one of the quickest Holiday Treat items ever!

Use your favorite Stampin’ UP! Designer Series Paper for the current holiday season:

After cutting a rectangle  secure into an elongated tube with Stampin’ UP! Sticky Tape on one end.  Fill the tube with your favorite Holiday Season Treats and secure the other end OPPOSITE the first one. It is very important to use the Stampin’ UP! Sticky Tape on this project.

Dig out that Stampin UP! Paper Crimper you bought way back when from the bottom of your craft drawer or closet and crimp both ends.

Tie with the perfectly coordinating color from your Stampin’ UP! ribbon supply with a top knot and it’s ready to go!

HOW CUTE IS THAT?

I hope you’re enjoying this wonderful season of fun and thankfulness by sharing what you love with those you love.  That’s what Stampin’ UP! is all about and that’s why I love this company and their great creative products!  You can enjoy fantastic Stampin UP! products at a discount by becoming a demonstrator and if you sign up before midnight Monday October 31st you will receive  the Stampin’ UP! Big Shot FREE!

Don’t wait to start getting your discounted products.  Signing up is easy on-line 24-7 just visit me at:  katherinepritchard.stampinup.net and get started!

Have a Blessed weekend…Katherine

A little bit of Stampin’ UP! Designer Series Paper such as the Newsprint pattern shown here goes a long way.  A few stamped images, some distressing, a scalloped edge, a tag, and a few snips of ribbon to finish the project off!

All supplies are by Stampin’ UP!:

Speciatly Designer Series Paper, First Edition IBC pg 181; #121878

Basic Black Card Stock, IBC pg 180; #121045

Mini Vintage Tags, IBC pg 198; #118763

1/8″ Taffeta Ribbon in Basic Black, IBC pg 195; #119261

3/8″ Taffeta Ribbon in Whisper White, IBC 195; # 109070

Color Spritzer Tool, IBC pg 203; #107066

Stampin’ Write Marker in Basic Black, IBC pg 180; # 100082

Tiny Tags Stamp Set, IBC pg 136; #118091

(Retired) Watercolor Trio Stamp Set, #120084

Heat Embossing with Stampin’ Emboss Powder in White, IBC pg 201; # 109132

With Stampin’ UP! Creative Altered Journals are a fun gift for anyone, I hope you remember how quick and easy they are next time you’re on the spot for a gift!

That’s RIGHT!  You can have the coveted Big Shot FREE!. . .Just give me a call or email and say “Sign me up!”

Only through the month of October and just in time for those Christmas and Holiday projects!

I used one of our Stampin’ UP! Patterns Packs of 6 x 6 Designer Series Paper on my card project to help it come together quickly.  They are one of those design elements that help set your creations apart and since they have coordinating colors and hues with patterns on both sides it makes a card project like this fast and easy fun!

I incorporated a sheet of alphabet ready-to-punch letters I created with Stampin’ UP! My Digital Studio. I would love to set up a time to show you just how easy it is to use the Stampin’ UP! My Digital Studio Suite and what a great adjunct it can be for all of your projects, just give me a call and we’ll set up a time to get together!

I used the Stampin’ UP! bright and sunny Daffodil Delight for the card base and the Black Lace is a piece of leftover from the Stampin’ UP! 2010 Holiday Mini Spooky Halloween Suite of elements and I am so glad that I still have plenty to use!

Speaking of which, September 1 will be here before you know it and with it comes the release of the 2011 Stampin’ UP! Holiday Mini.  It was rolled out for us at convention a couple of weeks ago and I can’t wait to share it with you!   The creative folks at Stampin’ UP! have put together another wonderful publication full of special edition stamp sets and decorative items for the coming holiday season that are sure to excite and WOW you!  If you are not currently on my mailing list you will want to sign up quick so I can get it mailed directly to you; just drop me a note with your mailing address and look for it in your mailbox soon!

I hope, as July passes into August, that you have had a wonderful Summer Season this year and that you will cherish this year’s memories for many years to come.  Everyday matters, so make the most of it with your loved ones and family.

Thanks for taking time to stop by and catch up!

Katherine

I discovered these beautifully creative elements to add to my flower garden over on Stampin’ Connection (a private sight exclusively for Stampin’ UP! Demonstrators to share their creative projects).

The Stampin’ UP! Sizzix Big Shot is the tool to go to for this project.  Of course, the product information states proudly that you can die-cut a variety of materials with your Stampin’ UP! Sizzix Big Shot, but who’d have thought of thin pieces of aluminum roof flashing?  There must be a Super Demonstrator out there somewhere who sits around all day and dreams these things up, because this is fantastic!  They are so easy and unbelievably FUN to create.

Not only can you use the regular Stampin’ UP! Bigz XL and L die’s on this material but running it through your Stampin’ UP! Sizzix Big Shot with one of the Stampin’ UP! Embossing Folders prior to die cutting it will ‘impress’ the lovely background for your Garden Marker.

Most hardware stores will carry ALUMINUM ROOF FLASHING and the sheets I purchased were actually an angled piece that I cut the angle off of.  I was reluctant to purchase a ‘roll’ of the material because I was not convinced that the roll was as thin as the angled pieces.  ( I was able to accomplish what I wanted to with the sheets anyway!)

It’s easy to allow your creativity to soar with the many wonderful products available from Stampin’ UP! As a demonstrator you enjoy a discount on all of your purchases for Scrapbooking, Paper Crafting, Party Ideas, and so much more, plus the added benefit of inspiration from fellow Stampin’ UP! Demonstrators who are a great group of super talented gals!

I’d love to have you join me as a Stampin’ UP! Demonstrator and signing up is easy.  The Demonstrator Starter Kit is a super bargain of $300 value for only $175 and customizable to suit your tastes and needs.   Just follow the link here to sign up today!

Happy Stamping!

Katherine

The bright tropical colors of summertime are a fantastic way to show off the lovely circle patterns in the set.

Mixing and matching  go together as sweet as a summer’s breeze.

For the card base I used the rich Stampin’ UP! Soft Suede layered with Daffodil Delight to set off the crisp Whisper White card front.  The Stampin’ UP! Circle Circus Stamp Set images are stamped using Stampin’ UP! Classic inks in Rich Razzleberry, Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Soft Suede.  The retired ribbon scraps lend a flirty element and hold the Stampin’ UP! Teeny Tiny Wishes ‘thank you’ sentiment nicely.

A last little touch of the sparking Stampin’ UP! Dazzling Diamonds gives the project the perfect finishing touches.  The culmination of small details employed in this project bring the card together nicely.  Thankfully, with the many coordinated Stampin’ UP! products, it’s easy to be creative!

Elements used:

Stampin’ UP! Stamp Sets used: Circle Circus (115778), Teeny Tiny Wishes (115370)

Card stock:  Soft Suede, Daffodil Delight, and Whisper White

Classic Ink Colors:  Rich Razzleberry, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, Soft Suede

Embellishments:  Retired Polka Dot 1/2″ Grosgrain Ribbon in Tempting Turquoise and Melon Mambo, Jewelry Tag Punch (117190), Dazzling Diamonds (102023), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

I hope you are having a great summer, thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

Katherine

The Stampin’ UP Two-Step Bird Punch is the easiest punch ever for adorable little popular birdies to adorn your cards and projects with!   It’s easy to give your paper crafting projects that extra “Punch” when you have the handy Stampin’ UP! accoutrements to help you with your creativity ! Projects such as this lovely “For the Newlyweds” card go together in a snap!

Here’s what you’ll need on hand to complete this project:

Stamp set: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Punches: Two-Step Bird , 1-3/8” Circle , 1-3/4  Scallop Circle , Word Window, Modern Label, Heart to Heart
Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Soft Suede (Don’t forget all the card stock is available in assortment packs by color collections! Great way to get a variety of cardstock to have on hand.)
Ink: Cajun Craze & Pacific Point, and Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink
Big Shot: Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder
Accessories: Stampin’ Dimensionals, Tombo Liquid Glue, White Gel Pen , misc. black pen, Crimper

A little birdie told me that now is a great time of year to become a

Stampin’ UP! Demonstrator

As a Stampin UP! Demonstrator you can purchase many of the fabulous new exclusive stamp sets and accessories BEFORE the next catalog hits the market and take advantage of your demonstrator discounted price + you get 4 of the current catalogs(the 2010-2011) AND 8 of the new 2011-2012 catalogs with your Starter Kit!

Did I mention that your Demonstrator Starter Kit is completely customizable?  You are getting $300+ of exclusive Stampin’ UP! merchandise and supplies and the Demonstrator Starter Kit is only $175.00?  Even if you never sold any scrapbooking friend, a crafty relative, or creative neighbor a single thing, you have a fabulous bargain in the Demonstrator Starter Kit that is yours to keep!

I’d love to talk to you about this awesome opportunity to help save you money on your paper crafting projects and supplies; or if you’re ready to go,  just  sign-up with me on-line 24-7 HERE!  Even if you ONLY wanted to take advantage of the Demonstrator Discount, it’s definitely worth it!

Happy Stamping!

Katherine