Paper Pumpkin Catch Up!

February 2024 Kit--Sweet Springtime

I signed up for my first Paper Pumpkin kit NINE years ago this month! I've been a subscriber ever since!  Even though I've collected a whole bunch of other stamps and materials since then, I still love getting a surprise "class in the mail" each month.  

I used to do a pretty good job at staying on top of my kits each month, but 2023 was the year they got away from me!  I made MOST of the kits, and did a Facebook Live for MOST of them, but I haven't sent the videos or photos to my subscribers for a LONG time.  This post is my attempt to organize and share with my subscribers what I've made with Paper Pumpkin in the past year, along with the video links.  I hope to do better at staying on top of it going forward!

The 2024 January and February Paper Pumpkin kits were AWESOME!  I made the projects for both in THIS VIDEO.  You can see the projects from the Sweet Springtime kit in the photo above.  The kit came with supplies to make three of each project, along with some extra bunnies.  If you haven't made your Easter cards yet, pull that kit out and have fun!

Although I've seen so many cute alternatives on the Paper Pumpkin Fan Club Page for both Sweet Springtime and Lovely Lavender, I stuck to making them as directed since I'm trying to catch up and I loved them "as is".  I did change one of the greetings in the January Lovely Lavender kit since it was originally meant to say "Happy Valentine's Day" and I made it after that holiday was over.  I used the Go to Greetings stamp set to make it a birthday card instead.

January 2024 Kit--Lovely Lavender

I haven't made a video for the December 2023 kit--All the Best--but I did put the projects together one night while I was watching TV.  I LOVE these projects as well.  The colors and font are so lovely!

December 2023 kit--All the Best

These are the links to the Paper Pumpkin Facebook Lives I've done in the past year:

• March 2023 Ten Years of Growth, start at 18:00 minute mark
• April 2023  All the Little Things, start watching at 4:35 minute mark
• May 2023 Exploring in Color--This was a masculine outdoorsy kit that I loved, but I accidentally deleted my photos so you'll have to watch the video to see the alternatives; start at the 19:00 minute mark
• June 2023 Welcome Inn--I deleted or failed to take photos of this one as well
• August 2023 Meaningful Flowers
• October 2023 Home for the Holidays and November 2023 Warm Wishes

Now comes the photo dump of the projects from each month.  I don't have pictures for every kit because I must have deleted them or forgotten to take them, but you can see what I made those months in the video links above.

March 2023 Ten Years of Growth

The front piece is connected to the inside of the card so you can see it
when the card is closed and opened (see next photo).

To open the card, you bend back the sides and untuck them from the
middle panel. Rachel Tessman has a great tutorial for this on her
Stamp Your Art Out site.  You can see me make this card pattern
using non Paper Pumpkin supplies in THIS VIDEO.

April 2023 All the Little Things

These were made according to package directions.

The geese were created out of the negative pieces from the roses die-cuts.

Another great fun fold from Rachel Tessman

Mini 3" x 3" card using the die-cut rose and stamps.

August 2023 Meaningful Flowers

This is the first of three photos showing another fun fold card
cased from Laura Seki.

The lotus flower and leaf are only attached to the right panel that folds
back to open so you can still see those images on the inside.

October 2023 Home for the Holidays & November 2023 Warm Wishes

October 2023 Home for the Holidays

November 2023 Warm Wishes Treat Pouches

Idea cased from Sherry Corvino

Well that's a wrap on 2023 Paper Pumpkin kits.  Hopefully I can get back to doing them monthly in 2024.  I'm going to try to schedule more Paper Pumpkin "playdates" and I encourage you to do so too!  Meet with your friends once a month to work on creating your Paper Pumpkin projects.  I'm holding both a virtual and in-person playdate this month.  Let me know if you want to join us!

August 2020 Paper Pumpkin Kit--World's Greatest

I love the colors in the August Paper Pumpkin kit! It was fun to have a shaker card included.  In addition to the projects that came with the kit, I made a couple of 3D alternatives that I thought I would share the measurements for here.  You can see me make all the projects above on my Facebook Live video, I'll put minute markers for the alternative projects below.

Watch Facebook video of me making these projects HERE.

The miniature pizza box was a really easy alternative.  I plan to put a frosted sugar cookie inside of a few of these to give to my son's teachers from church.  We haven't had church for many months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but my 9-year-old's teachers have dropped off gifts, bookmarks, and other things to let him know they are thinking of him.  I want to return the favor and say thank you! 

Directions for mini-pizza box:

Out of the green argyle card base, cut a piece that is 3-1/4" square.  Attach it to the the front of the box.  Cut a 3-1/4" piece of ribbon and trim the ends into a banner.  Use the die-cuts and stamps from the kit to make the circle piece the same as the one on the card and attach to the pizza box with dimensionals.  Watch the video at the 16:56 minute mark to see me make this project.

 

Directions for 2-4-6-8 Box:

This is one of the first 3D projects I learned to make at a Stampin' Up Convention 15+ years ago.  It's easy to remember the measurements because it's 2-4-6-8.  You start with a 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 piece of cardstock (I used the green argyle card base and ignored the score mark that was already there).  With the 8-1/2" side at the top, score at 2", 4", 6", and 8".  Turn the card so the 5-1/2" side is at the top and score at 2."  Watch the video at the 35:40 minute mark to see how to put the box together.

The three cards above are the card designs included with the kit.  If you don't make alternatives, you can make three of each card with your kit supplies.  

This next card is an alternative I saw from Debbie Henderson on the Paper Pumpkin Fan Club page. I liked it so much, I had to case her work.  This card uses the negative piece from the supplies that go with the shaker card.  You can see me make it at the 22:47 mark.

Thanks for stopping by!  Let me know if you try any of these projects.  Click HERE to become one of my Paper Pumpkin Subscribers. I will send you Tombow Adhesive and a piercing mat as a gift when you subscribe with me.  Placing an online order this month?  Please use the following hostess code: ZBV6AFJM.  Get a free package of envelopes from me on orders of $50 or more!

Happy Stamping!

Marsha

New Obsession--Project Life

I wasn't interested in scrapbooking.  I had decided it was just one of those things I wasn't going to do anymore because I couldn't keep up with it, it was too time-consuming, I had a family blog I printed out, etc.  I didn't think it was necessary and I wasn't interested in adding any additional crafty hobbies to my life, card making was enough.  I ignored everything in the Stampin' Up catalog that was Project Life related.  I was not interested in scrapbooking; thank you very much.  Ha!  It kind of reminds me of how I told myself I wasn't going to get a Big Shot because I really didn't need to emboss or die-cut anything...you should see how much I use that thing!

Well...the December Paper Pumpkin kit had twelve cute calendar pages/cards for each month of the year.  See my post about it HERE.  I spent a lot of time and creative energy embellishing those pages with holiday themes, and I didn't want to just throw those calendar cards away when the month ended.  Those cards just happened to fit perfectly in the Project Life pockets.  I saw the idea of making a two-page spread for each month of the year, using the calendar cards to put in the pockets.  I was intrigued.  Two pages a month?  That sounded really doable.  Maybe I was a little interested after all....

Three months went by and I finally decided I had better get started before I got too overwhelmed.  I purchased an album, some pocket pages, and the Season Snapshots 2015 Project Life kit that was on clearance.  I printed out some photos, added them to pockets, made some title cards and added a few journal cards from the Seasonal Snapshots 2015 kit, and I was on my way.  I LOVED IT!  It was so fun!  The best part was knowing I had created something that wasn't going to end up in the trash in the near future.  I ended up doing more than two pages per month and I really enjoyed it.

Since I found myself enjoying Project Life so much, I thought other people might enjoy it too.  I couldn't sleep at night because my mind was racing with ideas for a Project Life Holiday camp.  I've been working on creating this camp the past week and I have loved designing the layouts and making specialty cards for some of the pockets.  The camp isn't until July 9th, but I'm posting it now because I'm too excited to wait!  Read all about it HERE.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.  I hope to start a monthly club in September where friends can get together to preserve memories in a creative and enjoyable way.  Can't wait!