Better Late than Never?

Congratulations are in order!  To me!  

For finishing my FEBRUARY Paper Pumpkin!  😳

Does anyone else get all excited about the arrival of the monthly box, and then set it aside for ages?  Well, that is often the case with me.  If I don't have an immediate use for the projects the box contains, it can sometimes sit for months.  And then one day, I'll have some free time and nothing to do, and I pull out a box and...

 These were the three cards that were the "planned" projects for February.  There were three of each card.  And they are pretty cute.

Since I have a great-nephew (OMG, that always makes me sound SO old!) with a birthday coming up, I thought one of these cute, whimsical cards would be perfect for him.  

And while I was creating, I decided to make two of each of the cards.  

But then I had some leftover pieces...and I went a little rogue.

Subscribers may remember that the February box had (for the first time ever) an add-on of dies.  There were only two small dies in the pack, but one was for this cute frog, and the other cuts out the trio of flowers (the stamps were the included ones in the kit).  So I decided to have a little fun with the dies.

First I cut the card base with the Mango Melody squares in half, and cut the side with the frame to 4" x 5-1/4".  Then I played with the pieces until I liked what I had.

I watercolored a background on Shimmery White cardstock, using Tahitian Tide and Garden Green inks.  Then I stamped and fussy-cut the sun, and stamped, colored and cut the frog and flowers.  The kite was part of the kit (I love that!).

Pretty cute, right?

But then I had the other half of the Mango squares card base:

And I went totally rogue!  The card base is Mango Melody.  The piece with the squares is mounted to a slightly larger layer of Melon Mambo.  Then I cut up one of the envelopes included in the kit because the inside was gorgeous!  It's the top layer of Mango in a watercolor pattern.  And it's also mounted on Melon Mambo.

I punched three daisies with the medium Daisy Punch, topped it with a Mambo circle and cut two Parakeet Party leaves with a retired die.  

Just goes to show that with a little ingenuity, these Paper Pumpkin kits can be more than the suggested projects.  It's so fun to see what else can be made.  

Did you know that there is a Paper Pumpkin Fan Club page on FaceBook?  Anyone can join, and the projects are always amazing!  So fun to see what others create!

Now if only I could do it in the same month that the box arrived!  😁

But I guess "better late than never", right?

If you haven't yet subscribed to Paper Pumpkin, why not give it a try?  The May box is all about the new In Colors!  It has an "outdoor theme", and includes an ink spot of Copper Clay, one of the brand new In Colors making its debut in the new 2023-24 Annual Catalog.  

Click here for more info and to subscribe.  But do it by May 10th in order to receive the May box!

Product List

Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad

[147051]

$8.00

Mango Melody 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[146989]

$9.25

Melon Mambo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[115320]

$9.25

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159276]

$10.25

Medium Daisy Punch

[149517]

$17.00

Glossy Dots Assortment

[158827]

$8.00

I'm Creating Again!

Well, it's been quite a few weeks!  Three weeks ago I started dismantling my craft room in my California home of 25 years, getting ready for a big move to Oregon.  I was a bit freaked about not being able to create for a few weeks, but with all the move "activities", I really didn't have much time to think about it.

We moved in just two weeks ago, and, naturally the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms became a priority.  Not to mention the garage!  Leaving a 3-car garage and moving into a smaller space caused some consternation trying to figure it all out.  But shelving done, multiple trips to the recycling center completed, I was ready to my next challenge.

The craft room.

It started out like this.  And all I wanted to do was run away, screaming!

But then I got a little more organized.

I moved boxes out of the way and designed a plan.  Although my son (the contractor) wanted to build me my dream room, I declined for the time being, and went with a simple idea.  And a trip to IKEA.

Ready to roll!

After a few days of hard work, I was almost ready.

There are still a number of boxes to unpack, shelving to put up and "settling" to do, but I finally made enough space to create.

Take a look:

I really wanted to use something new!  I had received two orders of "stuff that is coming" in the new Annual Catalog (starting June 4th!), but made myself wait until I actually had space to create.   So now was the time!

This is the large daisy from a new set called Daisy Lane.  The large flower can be punched with the same Daisy Punch we all know and love, that coordinates with Daisy Delight.  But in June, there will also be a smaller daisy punch--can't wait!  I stamped the leaves in Mossy Meadow, then ran the Whisper White cardstock through my embossing machine with the Subtle Embossing Folder.  I ran it through twice, turning the paper 90 degrees the second time through.  This gives an almost linen-like look to the paper.

And look at the center of this flower!  The Perennial Essence Floral Centers are the perfect touch for these daisies.  Can you see this brand new Designer paper?  Perennial Essence is going to be a favorite; it's absolutely beautiful!  And here's a sneak peek at some new ribbon.  The Petal Pink Organdy Striped Ribbon is lovely to work with and ties a beautiful bow (although I only layered a piece with some soon-to-be retired White Cotton ribbon).  The sentiment is from Itty Bitty Greetings, happily carrying over from this year's catalog.

I decorated the inside with a few more daisies, as well as a sentiment from Abstract Impressions, one of my faves!

So now I have Mother's Day cards for my mom and my mother-in-law.  They'll be getting them a little late, but hey, better late than never, right?

A Daisy Collar

Remember my Collar cards?

Well one of my blog readers asked for directions, which I happily sent her, and while I was checking out my our instructions, I made this card, just to be sure I had the dimensions right:

I wrapped the card front in Delightful Daisy Designer Series Paper, and then created a cute focal point in the center.

My flower was made using the Daisy Punch, and I stamped the leaves from Daisy Delight on Old Olive cardstock and fussy-cut them out using my Paper Snips.  There's a beautiful Gold Faceted Gem in the center, catching the light and looking very sparkly!

The daisy is mounted on a Whisper White circle, cut with the Stitched Shapes framelits, which is atop two layers--Night of Navy and Daffodil Delight, both cut using the Layering Circles framelits.

The sentiment is from Eastern Beauty, and is stamped in Night of Navy.

Try wrapping your card in DSP--it makes such a statement!  And maybe it keeps your card warm too!  😁


Product List

Daisy Delight Photopolymer Stamp Set

[143669]

$17.00

Daisy Delight Photopolymer Bundle

[145361]

$31.50

Eastern Beauty Photopolymer Stamp Set

[143675]

$21.00

Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad

[126970]

$6.50

Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad

[126953]

$6.50

Delightful Daisy Designer Series Paper

[144137]

$11.00

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

[100730]

$9.00

Old Olive 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[100702]

$8.00

Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[100867]

$8.00

Daffodil Delight 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[119683]

$8.00

Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies

[145372]

$30.00

Layering Squares Framelits Dies

[141708]

$35.00

Big Shot

[143263]

$110.00

Daisy Punch

[143713]

$18.00

Gold Faceted Gems

[144141]

$5.00

Paper Snips Scissors

[103579]

$10.00

Belated Mother's Day

I have one more Mother's Day card to share today.  I had this card ready to share with you two weeks ago, but got admitted to a hospital for a week, and never got back to it.  Because it uses the Delightful Daisy Suite from the new Annual Catalog, I'm going to let you see it anyway.  Just pretend that it says "happy birthday" or "thinking of you" or "happy anniversary" (any of which COULD be true!).  :)

Isn't this the cutest?  Such a happy card!

Because I created this card before the retiring products were gone, I used the Brights Paper Stack from last year's catalog.  The card base is Daffodil Delight, with alternating layers of Whisper White and the DSP.

I did not use the Daisy Delight stamp set for this card - only the Daisy Punch.  The flowers were punched twice for each one, offset/layered, and I added an old clear embellishment over a circle of Daffodil Delight.

I love the leaves--Pear Pizzazz cut with the Flourish Thinlit dies--such an easy addition.

And of course, a matching envelope:

Everything in the Delightful Daisy Suite of products is now available - EXCEPT for the Daisy Punch, which is backordered until June 26.  If you want the stamps, Designer Series Paper, coordinating ribbon and Faceted Gems embellishments, they can be ordered now.  But wait--if you want the punch, please consider holding your order until the end of June, as the stamp set and punch can be purchased as a bundle, saving you 10% (and who doesn't like saving money?).  I am accepting orders for this bundle, and will hold them until I hear that they are available; if you would like to place your order, please contact me and I will be happy to order for you as soon as I can.

This is a wonderful suite of products; I have other samples here .  And don't let that backorder scare you--the punches are on their way and will be available soon--and they are SO worth the wait!

Product List

Daisy Delight Photopolymer Stamp Set

[143669]

$17.00

Daisy Delight Photopolymer Bundle

[145361]

$31.50

Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad

[131180]

$6.50

Daffodil Delight 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[119683]

$8.00

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

[100730]

$9.00

Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[131201]

$8.00

Daisy Punch

[143713]

$18.00

Flourish Thinlits Dies

[141478]

$29.00

Glue Dots

[103683]

$5.25

Liquid Multipurpose Glue

[110755]

$4.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.00

Medium Whisper White Envelopes

[107301]

$6.50