Gingerbread Goodness

Have you seen the latest Paper Pumpkin kit? November's PP is called Jolly Gingerbread, and who doesn't LOVE the spicy goodness of gingerbread?! So, what’s in store for this month’s Paper Pumpkin kit? November’s cute, gingerbread-themed kit contains enough supplies to create one-of-a-kind Christmas crafts! Whether it’s a gift card carrier, traditional card, or tasty-looking tag, this sweet and seasonal kit is the key to heartfelt holiday gifting. With curly cutouts, sugary stickers, and delicious die-cut designs in a special-edition box, a jolly holiday will be on its way with this kit!

Details:

• Kit contains enough supplies to create 15 gift card carriers and coordinating envelopes.
• Kit contents can also be used to design traditional holiday cards, gift tags, and other paper projects.
• Contents arrive in a collectible, special-edition box!
• Project size: 2-1/4" x 4"
• Envelope size: 2-3/4" x 4-3/8"
• Coordinating colors: Cinnamon Cider, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Mint Macaron, Shaded Spruce, Blushing Bride, and Whisper White

You must subscribe by November 10th if you want this special kit. Here's a cute, quick video. It doesn't show the kit contents (no surprise spoilers!), but is "sweet" nonetheless.

Popular Paper Pumpkin

This month's Paper Pumpkin kit was so popular that Stampin' Up! is not going to have refills available. BUT......you CAN get the whole kit starting today (while supplies last) if you are a subscriber, or become one!  They will be available starting at 2:00 PM Mountain time today.

UPDATE: The kits sold out in 30 minutes!

The great thing is, not only will you get this adorable kit that makes ten full-size cards, but as a subscriber, you will also get the coordinating kit in November! It's the first time Stampin' Up! has ever done that!

Shaker cards are hot right now, and this kit makes it so easy to make a bunch in a jiffy. The white shaker fronts even have embossed texture for added interest!

If you want this kit, you must become a subscriber first (there are options), and then order this month's kit. Because it is after the cut off date for automatic shipment, it won't be sent like subsequent months will be.

I hope you will consider joining. It's a lot of fun getting the monthly "surprise" in the mail, and you can suspend or cancel at any time.

Here's a short video from Stampin' Up! about this month's kit:

Happy Stampiversary to ME!

Eight years ago today, I took the plunge and became a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I did it because I wanted the demo discount, and had every intention of being a hobby demo until I had acquired all the things I wanted. Who could have predicted that here I'd be, eight years later, a Silver Elite demonstrator with a growing stamping family?! Certainly not me!

I have enjoyed every minute of it, too. Not only because I get that demo discount (and who doesn't like a bargain, right?), but because of the lifelong friendships I've made along the way. People I never would have met, if it weren't for a shared love of stamps, ink, and cardstock! To me, that's the best part. Well that, and getting sneak peeks and preordering things before the general public, and going to Stampin' Up! events like Convention and OnStage. And earning FREE stuff. I like free; free is good!

Now is absolutely the best time to take the same plunge that I did eight years ago. The rewards are so....rewarding! If you've been thinking about placing an order that is close to $100, why not turn that into a starter kit? For $99 w/FREE shipping (free is good, remember?) you can choose $125 in Stampin' Up! products. That's it. THERE IS NO FURTHER OBLIGATION!

But wait, there's more! (Sound familiar? LOL) Act now and you will receive the FREE (still good) Essentials Gift Pack shown below, along with the Carols of Christmas stamp set, that no one else can get yet unless they're a demo. That's $72 in free products!

Essentials Gift Pack includes:

Paper Snips
$10 

Bone Folder
$7 

SNAIL Adhesive
$7 

(2) Clear Block D
$17 

Grid Paper
$11 

Carols of Christmas (Clear-mount)
$20

I really hope you will seriously consider what a great deal this is. If you have any questions or reservations you would like to discuss, please contact me. I am always available to chat! If you are ready to go for it, then I'd love it if you joined my stamping family!

The card above was made with this month's Paper Pumpkin kit - I just added the ribbon and a different greeting. Cute, no?!

Paper Pumpkin One Day Sale

Just putting this up today, because tomorrow's post is already scheduled, and this won't wait! If you've been thinking about trying Paper Pumpkin, this is the perfect time to give it a go. Be sure to use the promo code ONEDAY0717, and I'd be honored if you selected ME as your demonstrator when prompted!

Here's the official Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin Pinterest board. Lots of ideas and inspiration there!

Paper Pumpkin Pretties

This is what my desk looks like today, because my Paper Pumpkin kit came yesterday. This month's kit makes 24 of the sweetest little treat bags! Every month I'm excited to see the bright red box in my mail box, because I never know what fun stuff will be inside!

SO STINKIN' CUTE, NO? CLOSED BAG MEASURES 1" x 2" x 4"

Did you know that during Sale-A-Bration, if you order a 3-month prepaid subscription, that you will save $4 off the regular price AND you'll qualify for a FREE Sale-A-Bration item? It's true! Right now the three-month subscription is $55 (reg. $59), so that means one freebie for you from the items shown below! The shipping is even included in the Paper Pumpkin subscription price, so you'll only pay shipping on the Sale-A-Bration goodie. It's a sweet deal on a sweet product! Here is the video from Stampin' Up! on this month's kit:

One of the best things about P.P. is the community of other (brilliant, talented, and awesomely creative) subscribers, who share alternatives for each month's kit. There's a Facebook group called Paper Pumpkin Fan Club, and lots of alternatives on Pinterest, as well. Seriously, some people just knock my socks off with their creativity! Occasionally a couple of my brains cells bump into each other and spark an idea, but that's a rare occasion. Thank goodness for Pinterest!

If you decide to give the three month Paper Pumpkin a try, please use the Host Code 9ZWPBZKJ if your order is less than $150.00. If it's over $150 then you will earn Hostess Rewards for yourself, so don't use that code!!!

Sale-A-Bration Products
(Note: Clear-Mount stamps are also available in Wood-Mount, if you prefer)

Avant Garden Photopolymer Stamp Set

[143272]

Carried Away Designer Series Paper

[143608]

So Very Much Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[143343]

Delicate Details Photopolymer Stamp Set

[143314]

Inside The Lines Designer Series Paper

[143830]

3/8" Metallic Ribbon Combo Pack

[143601]

Tasty Trucks Photopolymer Stamp Set

[143300]

Any Occasion Photopolymer Stamp Set

[143348]

Card Tin

[143833]

Hey Chick Clear Mount Stamp Set

[143331]

Designer Tee Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[143359]

Pretty Pocket Card Kit

[143832]

Paper Pumpkin Alternative, August 2016

August 2016 Paper Pumpkin "Bold Botanicals"

This month's Paper Pumpkin kit is so cute, with six cards and envelopes, and three note cards with pockets. But as cute as it is, you know I just can't leave things well enough alone....I like to spice things up. Besides, if I add a few pieces of cardstock, I can get more cards out of the kit!

Here is my stepped-up version, made into an A2 size with some added bling.

For the alternative card, I cut down one of the note cards to 3-1/8" x 4-3/8" which gave me two panels (for two A2 cards). It was backed with a piece of Copper Foil Sheet 3-1/2" x 4-3/4" and then adhered to a Very Vanilla card base. Instead of stamping the greeting with the included Early Espresso ink, I heat embossed it with the Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder for added bling. You can see how just adding those two copper elements and a Very Vanilla card base really took the card to the next level. Here is what the original looked like (though I did use the copper embossing powder here, too):

I'm almost certain that this month's kit will be Halloween-themed, if the past couple years are any indication. Why am I mentioning it? Because now through October 10th, Paper Pumpkin is having a BOGO sale. Buy your first month and your second month is free! If you want the September kit, though, you have to sign up by the 10th. 

So if you do sign up now, you'll get the September kit (Halloween, I'd be willing to bet), and the October kit (most likely Thanksgiving) for free! Be sure to enter the code BOGO when you check out!

Product List

Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Copper Foil Sheets

Versamark Pad

Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder

Embossing Buddy

Heat Tool

Alternate Paper Pumpkin

When we got a sneak peek at the sequins that would be included in this month's Paper Pumpkin kit, I thought for sure that we would be making shaker cards, and I was giddy at the prospect. Well, it turns out that the sequins were for clear little banner bags, to use as banners or bags on the cards. Hmmm.... I'm not really into the whole banner mania that's been going on for a while, so I decided to turn my kit components into shaker cards. That's the beauty of it; most of the time I make 'em just as intended, but sometimes I have to color outside the lines, lol.

This one was made for my new Paper Pumpkin subscribers, to show them some alternate uses for their P.P. kits. I do love the sequin colors! Beside gold and white, there are Flirty Flamingo, Peekaboo Peach, and the iridescent ones look like Mint Macaron. So pretty!

There isn't really a recipe for this card. I used the Best Badge punch on a piece of Whisper White, then cut it out with Layering Circles Framelits, making sure there was enough room around the edges for the Foam Adhesive Strip. Cut a slightly larger scalloped circle in Peekaboo Peach, placed the punched circle on and adhered the edges in a couple places, then lined the punch up with the previously punched badge. (I didn't try to punch two layers of cardstock at once - that would have been too much for the punch to handle, I think.)

A piece of Window Sheet was stamped with the bird cage using Basic Black Archival ink. I let it dry completely before cutting and adhering to the back of the badge opening. At this point the baker's twine and bow were adhered to the top of the bird cage.

Another WW circle was cut the same size as the first. The foam strip was added around the edge of this circle, some sequins were placed in the middle, the paper backing was peeled off and the top lined up and pressed down. Handy Hint: When you need to use the foam strips around a curve, make little snips every 1/4" or so, about halfway through the strip. It'll make going around those curves a breeze!

If you are a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, you can get refill kits (without the stamps and ink spots) while supplies last!

Product List

Banner Surprise Refill Kit

Badges & Banners Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Thankful Thoughts Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Peekaboo Peach 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Window Sheets

Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad

Big Shot

Layering Circle Framelits Dies

Best Badge Punch

Fine-Tip Glue Pen

Twine Baker's Whisper White