One In a Melon Paper Pumpkin Alternative

Getting a Paper Pumpkin kit in the mail once a month is so much fun.  Though I may not get the kits made immediately, I do open them right away.  It's a fun surprise at the end of the day with my stack of bills and junk mail. But this month's kit arrived yesterday, and I started putting it together today!  I made the gift bag just as it was designed.  I just love the watermelon tissue paper tucked into that watermelon striped bag. But just for fun, I made some changes to the note cards.  I added a layer of Emerald Envy and Whisper White to the preprinted note card before stamping another watermelon and my own sentiment.  To learn more about Paper Pumpkin, click here.  If you'd like to purchase a one month subscription for yourself or for a gift, visit my online store.  

To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!

Summer Stationary

At the end of the school year, I make note cards with my students so they can practice their writing skills by writing letters in the summer.  I stamp and address one to me, and I encourage the kids to write me a letter with the promise that I'll write back.  It's so much fun to go to the mailbox and find one of their letters.  Last year was my first year to do this, and they trickled in throughout the summer.

Some year I will be organized and will have a stack of cards ready to send back as soon as I get a letter from one of my students, but for now, I am creating as they come in.  So today I had fun making a teacherish card to send back to two of my kids.  I want some bigger words and have my eye on the hostess set You're Delightful for future cards.

I used some retired products with the kids and on my own cards, but I did use the new Crafting Forever stamp set and masked the stamp with the 3 pens so only one stamped on the card.  Such a fun set!

To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!  Please use hostess code T9UZWNWG when placing an online order to receive a thank you gift from me.  

Gluing Made Easy

In yesterday's post, I promised a great tip for gluing those intricate die cuts that was neat and easy.  As I was putting 30 of these together, it was especially handy and made for quicker work!

Put a little Multipurpose Liquid Glue (green lid glue)  in an empty container lid and dab it on using a small piece of a Stamping Sponge.  Be sure to work with a Silicone Craft Sheet under it to avoid sticking to your workspace.

If you are someone who has a heavy hand with the glues, I recommend you give it a try.

To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!

Life is Beautiful Adirondack Chair Card

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen a couple of pictures of this work in progress.  (And if you don't, please hop over there and start)!  I was getting it ready for a demonstrator swap and it was one of the first projects I did for the new catalog.  I made 28 of these and got 28 different cards back from my demonstrator friends - so much fun to get that package in the mail!

The Colorful Seasons Bundle is going to be a regular in my rotation because it is so versatile.  It includes beach chairs, leaves, flowers and snowflakes so each season, it will be new again!  

To create the sand and water, I tore the top edge of cardstock and Color Theory Designer Series Paper.  Our cardstock has color throughout so you get a colored edge even after tearing.  But if you tear towards yourself on the Designer Series Paper, you get the white edge for whitecaps on the waves.  I did borrow some stamps from High Tide for the sand, grass, and birds.  Check back later this week for my best tip for gluing all of those chairs on neatly!

To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!

Just Breath Adirondack Chairs

This new thinlit is hands down my favorite in the new catalog. I've always loved Adirondack chairs, and this set is so versatile because it represents all of the seasons.  Colorful Seasons stamp set and Seasonal Layers Thinlits will be in my regular rotation.

The combination of 3 of the new In Colors for the chairs is really what made the card.  Berry Burst, Fresh Fig and Powder Pink look so great together.  To create the sand, I use the water stamp from the High Tide stamp set and tore the top edge of my cardstock.   I finished it off with the birds.  Who wouldn't want to be sitting in one of those chair right now?