Peaceful Christmas

 Hello and welcome back! Here's today's card:

This design is for the challenges at Just Add Ink, Inkspirational Challenge, and Tic Tac Toe Challenge (right column - red or green, patterned paper, die cut).

So right now, I'm in the midst of my Christmas card-making frenzy! I always put it off till the last minute and then lose my mine mid-December! I decided to pull out a couple of old Paper Pumpkin kits from prior years and make some alternatives, along with making the cards just how the kit is meant to be. I love the many alternative ideas on Pinterest, but I came up with this one to match the sketch challenge. Lucky for me, it also fits the other two challenges!

Items from the original kit include the vellum trees, the woodgrain sentiment banner, the sparkly gems, and the solid and gingham Shaded Spruce layers. I got those layers by cutting up an envelope. I added the Basic White Thick Cardstock card base, the Basic Black layer and Nested Essentials die cut, and the black glittery ribbon.

I should have planned the glue dots on the vellum trees to be a bit more random, since I used the gems to cover them up. 

I may try a couple more alternatives, but I'm running out of time, so soon I'll be back to either making kits the way they're intended, or raiding my stash for already completed cards!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy stamping!

--Cindi

Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamp set - Peaceful Christmas (October 2021 Paper Pumpkin)

Paper - Basic White Thick Cardstock; Basic Black Cardstock, elements from PP kit

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories - Black Glittered Organdy Ribbon, sparkly gems from PP kit

Tools - Big Shot, Nested Essentials Dies, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals

Fireworks!

 Hello and welcome back! Here's today's card:

This design was inspired by the fireworks challenge at Inkspirational Challenge and the sketch at Paper Craft Crew.

I was lucky to have this DSP in my current paper stash and I pulled the colors from it to create the other elements in the sketch. The sentiment came from a Paper Pumpkin kit a couple of years ago that had fireworks in it, so it was the perfect choice! The iridescent rhinestones in some of the fireworks centers really pick up the light - they're practically glowing!

I've got a couple of anniversaries coming up, so I think this might be the perfect card for those.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy stamping!

--Cindi

Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamp set - Summer Nights (from July 2020 Paper Pumpkin kit)

Paper - Basic Black, Basic White, Pacific Point, and Poppy Parade Cardstock; Celebrate Everything DSP

Ink - Poppy Parade

Accessories - Iridescent Rhinestones Basic Jewels, Crushed Curry Chevron Ribbon

Tools - Big Shot, Stylish Shapes Dies, Circle Card Framelits, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots

Expressions in Color Birthdays

Hello and welcome back! I've got some catching up to do today to finish up birthday cards for the end of the year. I've also gotten behind on my Paper Pumpkins and other kits, as evidenced by this photo.

 So in order to solve two problems at once, I pulled a kit from the middle of that stack and made all birthday cards with it.

The first two cards are made pretty much exactly as the kit describes. The second card has the birthday sentiment instead of the congratulations in the kit.

This is the card that is really different from the kit. It was originally a thank you note card but I used the parts to make it a full-sized birthday card. The patterned paper and solid card base were trimmed to keep the measurements proportional. I used the Artistic Dies to die cut the large floral motif out of vellum cardstock. I added an Adhesive Sheet to the back before cutting to make it easier to attach the piece to the card front. Even with that, it didn't want to stick so I ran over it several times with an old rubber brayer to help with the adhesion. I added some Evening Evergreen ribbon under the sentiment strip and then a few sequins from the kit to finish it off.

On to another kit! Maybe I can get a bit ahead for January!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy stamping!

--Cindi

Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Kit - Expressions In Color (Paper Pumpkin June 2021)

Stamp sets - Artistically Inked, In Your Words (inside sentiment)

Paper - Basic White Thick Cardstock, Vellum Cardstock

Ink - Bumblebee, Soft Succulent, Fresh Freesia

Accessories - Evening Evergreen Open Weave Ribbon

Tools - Big Shot, Artistic Dies, Adhesive Sheets

November 2021 Paper Pumpkin Alternatives

 Hello and welcome back! I've been so focused on Christmas cards that I've gotten behind on birthday cards again. I found some great Paper Pumpkin alternatives on Facebook, so I made one for Christmas and one for belated winter birthdays.

I CASEd this card from Vy Tran. Her ideas are so creative! I haven't made a pop-up card in a long time!

I got the idea for this belated birthday card from a couple of demonstrators. Tracy Elsom suggested outlining the snowman with a black pen to give him some definition. And Laura's Craft Closet had a card using the cute little wobbles to make a bobblehead snowman! 

I used a mask with some Shimmery White Embossing Paste to create the snowflake background. Because he's so big, I had to trim the snowman a bit to fit the card front.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy stamping!

--Cindi

Supplies used (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise indicated):

Stamp set - from November 2021 Paper Pumpkin kit Gifts Galore

Paper - die cut elements from kit; Basic White Thick Cardstock; Pool Party and Poppy Parade cardstock

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Poppy Parade, Pool Party; Stampin' Write Markers: Basic Black, Poppy Parade

Accessories - Shimmery White Embossing Paste, Clear Wink of Stella, Recollections Mini Craft Springs (from Michaels)

Tools - Big Shot, Stitched Shapes Dies, Adorning Designs Decorative Masks, Palette Knives, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Tear & Tape, Stampin' Dimensionals

What's new for fall?

Hello and Happy Fall! The weather is finally starting to match the calendar, but we still have some warm days to come. The kids are back in school, fall programs are starting up at church, and there are mums at the grocery stores. And you may not want to think about it yet, but Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are right around the corner, and I'd like to help you get ready!

First, the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog is now live, and the products are amazing! I've added lots of classes to my calendar to give you an opportunity to come and play in my stamping studio. September has gotten away from me, so I'll be kicking off my Christmas Stamp-A-Stack classes in October with 2 sessions in that month, with additional sessions in November and December. You can come to any session and make 12 holiday cards - 4 each of 3 different designs. The cost for each session is $25. By the end of the last meeting, you'll have 48 beautiful handmade holiday cards to send to your family and friends. Easy peasy! The next classes will be held on Monday, October 14 at 7 pm and again on Wednesday, October 16 at 12:30 pm. The second session will be held on Monday, October 28 at 7 pm and Wednesday, October 30 at 12:30 pm. Classes in November and December will be held during the second week of the month. You can come on either Monday or Wednesday for any one or all of the sessions. RSVP for October 14 & 16 is October 4, and RSVP for October 28 & 30 is October 18.

Second, if you'd like to be crafty more often, but don't have time to design or shop, I've got a solution for you -- Paper Pumpkin! It's a fully designed project kit that arrives at your door each month with stamps, ink, and paper -- everything you need to create a simple, fun project! If you sign up by October 10, you'll receive the Winter Wonders kit, which will make 10 full-size cards. The coordinating November kit will contain supplies to make 24 beautiful gift tags of various sizes. You can contact me for more information or go to paperpumpkin.com and sign up yourself. Please choose me as your demonstrator during the registration process or use THIS LINK. I also host an open stamp day each month, so you can bring your kit and get some help if you need it, or get some alternative ideas for your kit.

Third, Stampin' Up! has brought back the popular Designer Series Paper Sale! Through September 30, for every three packages you purchase of select Designer Series Paper, you get one more FREE! Our paper is beautiful and versatile, so don't miss this chance to stock up!

As I mentioned above, the Holiday Catalog is now live and available for you to view at the link on the right, but if you'd like a copy of your own, you can pick one up at an Open Stamp Day or class, or have one mailed to you. There are lots of fabulous products, but availability may be limited, so if you see something you love, don't wait!

As always, you can check the calendar on my website or here on my blog for upcoming events. Project sneak peeks may be posted on my Facebook page. The next Open Stamp Day will be held on Saturday, September 21 from 11 am to 4 pm. RSVP by September 18. 

You can find more information about everything I've mentioned above, and more, at my website, which can be reached by clicking HERE. If you are interested in an event that doesn't fit into your schedule, please let me know so we can make it work for you.

I know this is a busy time of year, and I appreciate you taking the time to read this! Hope to hear from you soon!

--Cindi

Christmas cards - part 6

Hello and welcome back! Today's post contains the rest of my Christmas cards for this year. All of these were made with the November Paper Pumpkin kit.  Here's what came in the kit:

And this is what the instructions showed you how to make:

I made two of each of the originally planned designs, but then I discovered Rachel Tessmann! She is so creative and thinks outside the box. By adding some additional cardstock and envelopes, she was able to make 40 cards from this kit! Using her designs (which can be found in a video HERE), I ended up making a total of 20 cards from this kit, in addition to the other 60 cards I made this year. I used to make all of one design but that got boring after awhile, so in recent years I've usually made at least 4 different designs.

Here are my cards from the kit, both originals and Rachel's designs:

Even after making all of these cards, I still have some supplies left to use for other projects. I haven't yet figured out what those are, but I'm sure I could find some ideas on Rachel's blog! Lucky for me that all of these cards used a Crumb Cake or Very Vanilla base, so I could use Very Vanilla envelopes. I'm nearly out of Whisper White envelopes, so I need to put in an order soon!

That's the last post with Christmas cards. Tomorrow I'll be posting another challenge card, and for the last day of the year, I'm finally getting around to posting the swaps I made for On Stage last month in Orlando. Hope to see you back here for those!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

--Cindi

The cobbler's children have no shoes...

It's now 4 days after Christmas and I finished making my Christmas cards last night! Based on a post I saw on Facebook last week, it seems that many stampers I know had not mailed their cards yet just before the 25th - hence, the title of my post. The cobbler's children have no shoes, and the cardmakers have not mailed their cards!

My plan is to get them in the mail today and call them holiday cards. I've written "Happy New Year!" inside, so hopefully, they'll be in time for that holiday. I'd like to share my cards with you. I was inspired to CASE some really clever cards from a couple of demonstrators who used Paper Pumpkin kits.

My first cards were CASEd from Marisa Gunn. She used the kit from November 2013, which originally had only 4 cards, to make 6 cards and 2 tags. I purchased several refills for the kit, and was able to make 30 cards. You can see Marisa's post here. I made very minor changes to her designs.

November 2013 kit cards

Stampin' Up! products used:
November 2013 Paper Pumpkin kit and 4 refill kits
Real Red and Very Vanilla cardstock

The rest of my cards were totally CASEd from Rachel Tessman. She used the kit from November 2014, which originally had 8 cards and 12 tags, to make 80 cards! You can see her post here. This was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. She is soooooo creative in her use of everything, including the negative space from punched objects! 

November 2014 kit cards

Stampin' Up! products used:
November 2014 Paper Pumpkin kit
Cardstock: Whisper White, Crumb Cake
Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake

If you'd like to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin, and receive your own box of creative inspiration every month, click here. Each kit comes with everything you need to create a fabulous project. And you can also find lots more ideas for each kit on Pinterest.

That's it for today. Time to address my "holiday" cards and get them in the mail!

Thanks for stopping by , and have a great day!

Cindi