by Jackie Bultje | May 16, 2019 | anniversary, Birthday, Paper Pumpkin |
Hello stampers. Yesterday I had two sympathy card classes and the base for these was Paper Pumpkin. I wanted to show the versatility of Paper Pumpkin. At the end of the class I unpacked my least favourite Paper Pumpkin of the year. It had been moldering in my basement for six months!! I wanted to show that you could still use a Paper Pumpkin that you really disliked and then totally change your mind by using it in a different way. Why am I telling you this? It is because I think Paper Pumpkin is awesome and the price is going up in June by three dollars per month so I am encouraging everyone to sign up now for a 12 month prepaid subscription. If you do that you get one month for free based on what you would pay if you were just paying month by month. You also get $27.50 in host credits which you can use not only on our beautiful, exclusive host sets but on any product in the catalogue or on the clearance rack. We are going to revisit Paper Pumpkin!
The original Paper Pumpkin kit was for a 24 month calendar in a cute box. Now some people might find something like this super cute and useful but I wasn’t of that mindset. I do however love the saying in the stamp set “Every day is a fresh start” so I thought it would be perfect for a birthday, for the start of a new job, graduation or even after some life-changing event. The ribbon in the kit is sumptuous, so that was another bonus. This kit also came with two ink spots, grapefruit grove and pool party. Let’s take a look at the kit.
Do you see the stamp set? Lots of geometric shapes. That is not my forté. Some people look at stamps like this and see all kinds of possibilities, but for me it is more of a challenge. What is a girl to do? Well, ink up those stamps and start playing on some grid paper and see what happens. I was really pleased with how my card turned out and it totally changed my mind about the kit. There were also ten cute gift tags in the kit which would have been very handy in December!
Here are my two cards side by side. You could also do a pool party card base to give yourself another alternative. These were literally a five minute card, only because I had to run some cardstock through the Big Shot with the stitched rectangle framelits. I think it is a great idea to get a personalized card with the significant date circled. The circle is also one of the stamps in the kit. You could use the sturdy box to hold your extra cards that you could give away as a thoughtful gift. I am so happy that I rescued this kit from my basement and turned into fun cards.
Why would I want to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin? I have a room full of stamps! I will tell you a story. You probably know that I really like to cook and bake, but sometimes it is still a real treat to order takeout and have some delicious food dropped off at my house. Paper Pumpkin is a monthly crafting surprise of instant gratification. No fuss, no muss, everything included! It is also nice that it is a surprise. I have found that it can be a lot fun to not look at the kit right away. The stamp set is always sitting on top of the kit so I take that out right away and play with it. If you run stuck for ideas there is a great online community for Paper Pumpkin on Facebook but also on Pinterest. Remember, Google is your friend. Paper Pumpkin is also compact and portable, so you can take it with you anywhere and surprise and delight your friends and family members with a great rainy day activity or to help you get through a lengthy wait in a doctor’s office or other waiting room. You can also skip a month whenever you want so that is a great feature that most craft box subscriptions do not offer. Crafting together is a great way to spend meaningful time with your children or aging parents. Creativity is therapeutic!
If you live in Canada, I would love for you to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin through me. Here is the link, or click on the image below.
Thanks for stopping by and have a super day!
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by Jackie Bultje | May 3, 2019 | making a difference, Paper Pumpkin, sympathy, thinking of you |
Hello stampers. You have heard me talk a lot about Paper Pumpkin. One of the many things I love about Paper Pumpkin is that it makes it easy for me to help charities like Hospice. Our Chatham-Kent Hospice has a beautiful program where they send a handmade card on the one year anniversary of the death of a loved one. This is such a thoughtful thing to do and when I heard about it I knew it was the right fit for me. What a great way to use my business to bless others. Studies have shown that the one year mark in grieving is a tough one. Most people have forgotten your loss and moved on, so it can be very touching to receive a card on that anniversary. Paper Pumpkin is different every month but every once in a while it is perfect for my Hospice cards. That means I can make beautiful cards with my team of volunteers with very little prep time involved. It is also wonderful for the volunteers because the cards are easy and beautiful. Here are some of the cards we made today.
All the sentiments that we used came from different Paper Pumpkin kits. Paper Pumpkin is a monthly subscription that comes in the mail and includes a stamp set, a mini ink pad and all the supplies you need to make great cards. All you need is a tape runner. Glue dots and dimensionals are included as well. Paper Pumpkin is going up in price in June, so if you want to lock in the savings you would be wise to get a 12 month prepaid subscription. This will not only save you $3 per month (when the price goes up) it also gives you a free month as well as $27.50 in host benefits. You can skip a month at any time with no penalty and you can activate your subscription whenever you like. Don’t you think it would be a wonderful Mother’s Day gift?
See all the details in this card? Everything was included in the kit. Lovely colour coordination and such great textures too.
Do you see the sentiment on this card? It is from next month’s Paper Pumpkin! How on earth did I get my hands on that so early? It was my prize at OnStage in Quebec City where one of our make and takes was a Paper Pumpkin card from the May kit designed by Shelli herself. You are not going to want to miss out on this beautiful Paper Pumpkin kit.
After I took the picture of this third card I realized it would be fun to daub a little daffodil delight in the centre of this grey granite rose. It really did look great, so I took another picture to show you. I just changed this card up a little from the original in the kit. I centred the middle panel and added some baker’s twine. So simple and so pretty.
Don’t you think these cards will be perfect for Hospice? I love the soft spring colours, just like a bit of sunshine after a long dark winter. I thought you might like a glimpse of my table as I was prepping for the Hospice card making class. I pre-stamped the sentiments to make it easier and faster to get more cards finished.
I took one more picture to show you a little trick of mine. Whenever you are trying to adhere something to a surface that is not smooth such as ribbon or corrugated paper or glimmer paper it is a good idea to have your dimensionals on a smooth surface, not on the other stuff. Take a look:
Do you see how I placed the dimensionals above the corrugated banner? That way the sentiment will not only be offset, it will also be on firm footing and not fall off in a few days. I hope you enjoyed these cards and that you were also inspired to either come and help out with making cards for Hospice or starting some kind of community service in your area. Share what you love and spread joy with your hobby or your business. Together we can make the world a better place. Have a super day and thanks for dropping by.
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by Jackie Bultje | Apr 19, 2019 | Paper Pumpkin, Sentimental Rose |
Hello stampers! This month’s Paper Pumpkin was promised to feature a DistINKtive stamp set and it sure does: a beautiful rose and leaf stamp with lots of great sayings. I didn’t even make the cards that came in the kit, I just opened up my set and inked it up and started playing knowing that I was creating cards for my Tuesday coffee and a card class and also knowing that one of the people wanting to come loves vintage. I would consider these Sentimental Rose cards to be fresh vintage. The Sentimental Rose Paper Pumpkin is sure to please. Did you know that next month we already have a sneak peek from OnStage? It is also a vintage set that was designed by Shelli Gardner herself. You are going to want this one for sure. You can just get a one month Paper Pumpkin subscription if you don’t want to subscribe. Let’s take a look and see what I made.
The first card I made was the middle one, using Flirty Flamingo and Pear Pizzazz. I also used the Country Floral embossing folder and the Delicate Lace edgelits. The lemon lime twist ombre ribbon is a nice touch and I think for the next cards I made I will do the leaves in that colour to have it all coordinate. I was in a card-making frenzy and didn’t really notice the discrepancy until I looked at my own photo of the cards!!! Crazy squirrel.
When making a vintage style card it is all about the layers and the details. Vintage doesn’t have to mean earthy. You could up the vintage meter by sponging your edges as well. I like this fresh vintage look. Remember, the lemon lime twist colour is retiring so get it before it’s gone!
Oh, how I love navy and white and once again this combination doesn’t disappoint. I used night of navy cardstock, navy gingham ribbon, the country floral embossing folder and stitched label framelits. Now don’t go out and get your eyes checked, I do think this photo is just a smidge out of focus. Time is of the essence so no time for a redo, I know you will forgive me!!
The last card I made uses only the leaf stamp and the congratulations sentiment for a more masculine card. Now whenever I label a card to be masculine does not mean that it would not also be perfect for a woman. Sometimes I wonder why we even bother categorizing a card. Guys like flowers too right? And women like cars, boats, trains, sports….
I really enjoyed inking up this Paper Pumpkin set from April. If you want the May one be sure to subscribe by May 10 at the absolute latest. Shelli Gardner has designed this vintage beauty, even the box is gorgeous.
Here is a video with Shelli introducing the kit:
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=96&v=9LGvGoYcOTA
I hope you enjoyed my alternative samples to this month’s Paper Pumpkin. If you want to see more Paper Pumpkin videos be sure to check out the Paper Pumpkin YouTube channel here. We will be making these cards at coffee and a card class on Tuesday. Let me know if you can come. Thanks for stopping by and I wish you a very blessed Easter weekend.
Product List
Night Of Navy Classic Stampin’ Pad
[126970]
$8.50
by Jackie Bultje | Mar 21, 2019 | Paper Pumpkin, sympathy |
Hello stampers. Do you like to treat yourself once in a while? I know I do. Sometimes it is a lovely bunch of tulips or a fun magazine or takeout sushi. You all know that I stamp and make cards as my business. Not many days go by without ink on my fingers. And yet who would think that I would want to treat myself to more stamps, ink and paper! Well….meet Paper Pumpkin!
You would be surprised that I very much look forward to getting my Paper Pumpkin every month. Do you know why? It is called “instant gratification”. Inside that little red box is a surprise. There is a stamp set, an ink spot (mini ink pad) and whatever paper and embellishments I need to make a stack of cards. Once in a while it might be some other paper crafting option. A mini calendar, treat bags or a framed art piece. I don’t have to think, I don’t have to decide, I just follow the instructions and create.
Paper Pumpkin Blissful Blooms is a beautiful kit with lovely cards, embellishments and stamps. I have created a class for you to introduce you to the beauty and simplicity of Paper Pumpkin. There will also be door prizes and great food. There is no need to be a Paper Pumpkin subscriber to come to the class and there will be no pressure to become one either. It is just a fun class that shines the spotlight on this wonderful product. The benefit of me telling you this now is that if you do choose to get a three month prepaid Paper Pumpkin subscription before March 31, then you will also qualify for a free saleabration item. How wonderful is that? Let’s take a look at what I did with Paper Pumpkin Blissful Blooms.
I love the vivid colours of the flowers but mostly I love this sentiment. What a wonderful thing to say on a sympathy card. We want to acknowledge the pain and the loss but also celebrate the good memories and the love that was shared. The sentiment was stamped in Blackberry Bliss. The pink twine and the vellum leaves as well as the beautiful embossed label are all included in the Paper Pumpkin kit.
For this card I took one of the cards in the Blissful Blooms Paper Pumpkin kit and I cut it in half. Then I again cut the card front in half and made an old olive and a blackberry bliss mat to make it stand out. I popped this panel up with dimensionals. Once again the label and the vellum leaves are part of the kit.
I love the stitched rectangle framelits. I once again cut a card in half and used the card front to make two cards. I did this by using the rectangle stitched framelits. This is the inside of the rectangle piece. I mounted it on a piece of pineapple punch cardstock embossed with the Country Floral embossing folder. This beautiful folder is only available as a free item with a $60 purchase until March 31.
If you look closely at this card you will see that this is the larger stitched rectangle piece that I cut for the previous card. I layered it on an old olive card and then I used the back of the card that I had cut off to make this focal point. Both the sentiment and the flower stamp are part of the Blissful Blooms stamp set in this Paper Pumpkin. See the vellum leaf and the pretty pink metallic twine? Yup, all from the kit.
This is the last card for the class and it used the other half of the card front that I had cut in half for the second card I showed you. This part had more pink in it so I layered it with melon mambo and old olive for a brighter look. Just the right card to cheer someone up!
My Blissful Blooms Paper Pumpkin party will be on Wednesday April 10 at 1pm or 7pm. Class is $20 and you will make five cards. You will also get a door prize ticket and if you bring someone new, you will get an extra door prize ticket. You could win this stamp set or a different Paper Pumpkin kit. If I have extras left over I will offer them as classes by mail. Prepayment is required now for all my classes except Tuesday coffee and a card. E-transfer is preferred to [email protected]
Remember that saleabration ends in just ten days!! Message me if you have any questions. As always I appreciate you so much. Thanks for taking the time to stop by today. If you are interested in subscribing to Paper Pumpkin, here is the link. Click on the images below if you want to purchase a prepaid subscription and please do use the host code as that really helps me to keep class costs down. I will happily send you a card to thank you for taking this extra step. The current host code can be found in the sidebar of each blog post. I hope you have a super day.
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by Jackie Bultje | Nov 23, 2017 | Christmas, crinkled seam binding ribbon, Paper Pumpkin |
Hello stampers. It is always so very exciting when unusual combinations turn out well. I love our crinkled seam binding ribbon but it has been in the house now since May and I haven’t used it yet!! I looked at the colours and thought that yes, I could make this work for Christmas. This is how my mind worked. I also wanted to use the stamp sets from the last two Paper Pumpkins. A snowflake card for my next coffee and a card class was at the top of my agenda and I usually use shades of blue for my snowflake cards. It was a perfect match for the night of navy crinkled seam binding ribbon. I also wanted to keep the cards clean and simple since I was still in recovery from the detailed, fussy cards we made at the last coffee and a card class. Here is my snowflake card:
For this snowflake card I used night of navy, pool party and dapper denim as well as the stamp set Colourful Season. The white layer is 3 3/4″ by 5″. Dapper denim layer is 4″ by 5 1/4″. The Everyday Label punch coordinates perfectly with the Back in Plaid November Paper Pumpkin. A Paper Pumpkin subscription would make a great Christmas gift for the crafter on your list, maybe even you! I always compare it with the analogy of cooking. While I love to cook, I also very much enjoy a take-out meal or a pizza delivered to my door. That is what Paper Pumpkin is for the person who already has all kinds of stamps. This is a surprise box of instant gratification with very little thought required and lots of satisfaction. I really like that you can see what other people in the stamping community have done with their kits. It’s like a global design challenge. If you are interested, just click on this link. You can choose a one month, three month or six month prepaid subscription, or you can subscribe month by month and cancel or skip at any time.
This next card uses Berry Burst ribbon. Do you also see how this card is not necessarily limited to Christmas time? It could be a baby congratulations card or a New Year card too, or even a birthday card.
I love how this card looks like a present with the pretty ribbon. The Year of Cheer specialty paper and the scattering of rhinestones make this card simply elegant. The white strip with “joy” is 1″ by 3 3/4″. The final card in this trio uses the emerald envy crinkled seam binding ribbon.
The best part about this ribbon is how textured it is and how surprisingly light, so it is very easy to tie, doesn’t take much room in an envelope and it really has nice volume too. It gets the two thumbs up from me. It also comes in Peekaboo Peach, but there is no way I could turn that into a Christmas card!
I find it rather amusing that these cards all use the Back in Plaid Paper Pumpkin and there isn’t an iota of plaid to be found. What I really do love is that the stamp sets live on long after you have used up your adorable kit. Here is the actual project that was in the kit, I am looking forward to surprising random people with one of these cute stockings full of Lindor chocolates. I also love how the stocking turned out when run through the Big Shot with the cable knit embossing folder. This folder just happens to be on sale now too! Quick tip: I just sprayed it with ironing starch and then ironed it before embossing it.
Take a look at the crinkled seam binding ribbon up close. I love how this picture turned out. You can really see the shimmer and the texture and the glorious richness of the colours.
The last thing I made with this Paper Pumpkin was a cute little tag. I couldn’t resist using our embellishments from last year. Unfortunately they are no longer available, but maybe you also have some leftover in your stash from last year. This tag is the only project that I didn’t use the crinkled seam binding ribbon on, but it looks cute with the twine too.
I hope that you have been inspired by these clean and simple cards. If you have any questions or feedback, please comment below and I would be happy to help. Have a super day!
by Jackie Bultje | Sep 19, 2017 | Paper Pumpkin, retiform technique, Thanksgiving |
Gold Maple Leaves, Cajun Craze Ink and Thankful Sentiments
Hello stampers! When I opened this month’s Paper Pumpkin I literally squealed with delight. I love absolutely everything about it, from the the intricate gold foil maple leaves to the beautiful leaf stamps and the pretty thankful sayings. The embossed cards and pillow boxes are just beautiful. I made up the samples right away and when my 18 year old daughter Rachel saw them she asked if she could make some too. Then you know you have a winner. Take a look how beautiful they are:
I sponged over the embossed surface of the pillow box and the card so that you could see the pattern even better. These will look so nice on the Thanksgiving table at each place setting. Here is a look at all the pieces that came in the kit:
I just love how easy it is to make beautiful things. I noticed that the gold foil maple leaves are exactly the same as the ones in the Colourful Seasons Bundle, but it is a lot more work to make those than to use the ones that are already done. To make them first put an adhesive sheet on the copper foil paper (or gold or champagne) Then run it through the BIg Shot with the Precision base plate. If you don’t have this amazing product yet, you definitely want it to use with all your intricate thinlets. It makes an incredible difference, not nearly as much poking to get all the little bits out.
Alternate Projects with Paper Pumpkin
I love joy-fold cards. They are striking yet simple to make. I thought the leaves would really pop if they were put on a black card. What do you think?
The black card base is 4 1/4″ by 8 1/4″ and scored at 5 1/2″. The cajun craze piece is 8″ by 3″ scored at 4″. The white panel with the leaves is 2 1/2″ by 4″. I sponged the edges with cajun craze and stamped the leaves with crushed curry, cajun craze and old olive. I used sponge daubers to add some colour to the large maple leaf. The birthday panel has a black layer that is 2 3/4″ by 3 3/4″. The white panel is 2 1/2″ by 3 1/2″. Here is another look:
The front panel of this card uses “birthday wishes” from Happiest of Days and the border is done using Timeless Textures. I used a blender pen to colour in the flower and the leaves using old olive and crushed curry. I finished my playtime with this set by making another retiform card.
Now is the perfect time to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin because Stampin’Up! is doing something brand new. They are coordinating the October and November Pumpkins so that you get more bang for your buck in your Christmas preparations. Here is the link if you want to sign up for Paper Pumpkin with me. You can cancel your subscription at any time.
Blog Candy Giveaway
Here is one last card using the September Paper Pumpkin, Layered Leaves. I used an emboss resist technique which means I stamped the leaves in versamark and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder. Then I sponged on crushed curry, cherry cobbler, old olive and cajun craze. The thank you sentiment was stamped in early espresso. The sequins are from last year’s Paper Pumpkin. I am giving away a Paper Pumpkin refill kit that includes these great fall coloured sequins in two sizes. Everyone who comments on this blog post and pins one of the cards featured in this post will be entered into the draw. Tell me which card you pinned in your comment.
Here is a close-up of those gorgeous sequins from last year’s Paper Pumpkin, Season of Gratitude.
Here is a picture of the refill kit that you can win as blog candy if you comment on this blog post and pin one of the cards to Pinterest. How much fun is that?!
Comment on this blog post and pin one of the cards and you will be entered into a draw to win this Paper Pumpkin refill. Thanks everyone for joining me today, I hope you have a great rest of your day! Happy stamping.
