Discovering Treasures...

 With the approach of the new Annual 2021-22 catalogue, I have been purging & making room for new playthings for my craft room. I came across a roll of Blackberry Bliss striped ribbon that re-kindled my close relationship with Blackberry Bliss. This is a colour in the Regals collection - rich, deep & elegantly purple - kind of well, regal. It inspired me to hunt down paper scraps in that colour & have some fun with the Sweet Ice Cream Bundle.

Scraps of DSP from the Peaceful Poppies (retired) collection, matted with Basic White cardstock then mounted on a Blackberry Bliss card base provide a yummy background for my triple scoop treat. The Sweet Ice Cream Bundle is such fun. It comes with a great stamp set with a super sentiment font (a must for me!) & a matching punch for creating a multi-scoop treat for cards or packaging.

This fun bundle is available in the Jan-Jun Mini catty so check it out in my ONLINE STORE & "scoop" up the 10% discounted bundle.

While you're there be sure to check out the Clearance Rack which was updated this morning. There are some great paper & embellishments marked down considerably.

The Last Chance promotion continues with deep discounts on retiring products  - a great opportunity to add some classic dies & stamp sets to your collection.

Here in Ontario we are back in lockdown so there is lots of time for crafting! Have some fun with your stash of supplies & check out the retiring lists for some bargains to add to your collection

Stay safe everyone.

Cheers,

Arlene

Here's To You

 The March 2021 Paper Pumpkin kit was just what I needed! We have a large male population among our kids & g'kids & many have Spring birthdays. My monthly PP Peeps club met virtually yesterday & we had great fun creating alternative designs from the kit. 

Although the kit contained gender neutral designs I just had to show off the cute floral stamp for this "girly" card.

I used my Stampin' Write markers to colour the stamp, then spritzed the stamp with a wee bit of water before stamping on the Basic White mat. The mat was die-cut using the Stitched So Sweetly dies giving a scalloped edge to the elevated mat. So simple yet pretty on a neutral Crumb Cake card base.

Keeping things simple, I created another neutral card with a wish suitable for a graduate or retiree. The die-cuts included in the kit add a simple statement with their contrast against the neutral woodgrain background.

The Pine Wood Plank embossing folder used here is retiring soon so be sure to check it out while it's still available. The texture that it provides makes it my go-to background for the natural look.

We also tackled an Arrow Fun Fold card using the materials in the kit. A re-purposed envelope liner highlights this card with it's floral contrast. The bold message is from a previous kit so subscribers have quite the stash of stamps & embellishments to work with.

The March kit came with a free gift too! Four different masks & a sponge were tucked into the kit so we went to town creating billowy clouds & sunshine for a scenic card.

These kits are wonderful inspiration. If you are following the directions or going rogue with your own designs using this fun array of stamps & supplies is just what you need during these strange times of isolation.

Here's a sneak peak at the kit to come. Subscribe before April 10th in order to receive this fun kit geared for summer time fun. Subscribe with me as your demonstrator (sorry, Canada only) & you'll receive instructions & inspiration for loads of alternative projects.

Check the details in my online store HERE under Paper Pumpkin & contact me with any questions or concerns.

Thanks for stopping by,

Arlene

Uptown Updates

Tomorrow is St Patrick's Day & Stampin' Up! has a lovely surprise! You don't have to be Irish to enjoy FREE shipping all day tomorrow, March 17. All orders of $65 CAD or more will be shipped free. Think of the possibilities - subscribe to Paper Pumpkin minus the shipping. Collect all the gorgeous retiring coloured papers & ink - minus the shipping. Or just enjoy an already discounted bundle - shipped free! 

And speaking of retiring colours - these lovelies will be retiring with the current annual catty. What a great time to stock up on that deep, rich Pretty Peacock or perhaps the soft & lovely Seaside Spray. be sure you have the re-inkers as well so that you can keep enjoying these luscious long after their retirement!

Shop till you drop tomorrow in my online store or contact me to place your order for you.

Happy Shopping,

Arlene

Fun Fold Fun

I love a card design that is easy to make but looks complicated! Here's a fun fold - I think it's called an Arrow Fold card - that we made at our team meeting a few weeks ago. It's a great design for showing off your fancy DSP & it really highlights a sincere sentiment.

The card base, in this case Bermuda Bay cardstock, is a regular size 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored & folded at 4 1/4". Score lines are then made on the card front, on the diagonal. They fold back on themselves & the resulting triangles are covered with DSP. I used the subtle side of a sheet of the Fine Art Floral DSP.

The sentiment from the Simply Succulents stamp set is perfect & steals the show when mounted on die cuts from the Stitched So Sweetly Dies.

The  white butterfly is cut using the Butterfly Beauty Dies & the one on the inside is stamped with one from the Beauty Abounds stamp set.

Stampin' Up!'s colour coordination makes card making extra easy. Along with matching stamps & dies & sentiments galore I can create & share with family & friends.

Check out all the catalogues & products available from my online store HERE.

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to comment if you love this card & let me know if you'd like to see more fun fold variations.

Cheers,

Arlene

 

Bouquet of Hope - from Paper Pumpkin

 The fourth week of the month is Paper Pumpkin week for me & my P.P. Peeps. We gather (virtually these days) to create from our monthly Paper Pumpkin kits. We rarely follow the directions, we laugh a lot & just generally enjoy our like-minded joy of cardmaking.

This month's kit is called Bouquet of Hope. It is intended to share messages of hope & encouragement with family & friends, As usual the kit is full of beautifully coordinated card bases, ink, stamps & embellishments with plenty of materials to make the 9 cards shown - or a dozen more if you care to think outside the box.

Here are a few of the creations that I'll be sharing with the Peeps.

These first cards highlight the stamp set with the kit. This gorgeous bouquet can be either coloured or heat embossed to bring out the detail of the sweet image.

The kit coordinates with other Stampin' Up! products so this next card uses the Flower & Field DSP from the Sale-a-bration catty to trim this fun fold design.

This last card uses the envelope liner as a background for a message of support. 

Paper Pumpkin is a wonderful way to build a supply of card making supplies with inspiration & instruction to guide you along.

Here's a sneak peak at the March kit.

Subscribe before March 10 to receive this kit that comes with a free gift inside!

All my subscribers get free tutorials & classes every month. Click HERE to sign up & enjoy the benefits of the P.P. Peeps. A 3 month subscription will earn free products from the Sale-a-bration promotion ending February 28.

Contact me with any questions or concerns & be sure to check the details in my online store.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Cheers,

Arlene

Hydrangea Heaven

The moment I opened the January-June Mini Catalogue I knew that the Hydrangea Hill Suite of products would find it's way to my studio. I love hydrangeas. I love blue & I love patterned paper so the decision to add this to my collection was made for me!

This tri-fold card shows off both sides of the gorgeous DSP & adds the wow factor to this card.

A strip of DSP  is cut 11 1/2" x 5 1/4". scored at 3 1/2" & 7 1/2". It is then mounted onto a Highland Heather card base cut 5 1/2" x 4 1/4". A matted liner is added to the inside. The card front has a stamped hydrangea image on a Basic White mat cut with the Stitched So Sweetly dies. Pearl embellishments & Gorgeous Grape ribbon complete this card. Here's a live look at this card in action.

One of the best things about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is the sharing of ideas that goes on. This design was shared by Rachel Traudt, a fellow demonstrator who was in turn inspired by Ronda Wade. Everybody loves to share ideas so that adds to the creative fun. If you'd like to meet like-minded friends & share your creativity, contact me about joining my team. No pressure to sell, just enjoy the camaraderie & the discount!

 

I Heart "Sending Hearts"

 

The January Paper Pumpkin is all about Love. Not just the Valentine's Day kind of love, but all kinds -  anniversary, wedding, even I'm happy to be in lockdown with you kind of love. Included in the kit is a great stamp set, sweet enamel hearts & flowers, die-cuts with an elegant font & of course the snail & mailbox images - so perfect for a "snail-mail" message.

Normally I don't send too many Valentine cards but these aren't normal times so a message of love is in order for all kinds of people. The patterned card bases give the option of pastel Petal Pink or bold Poppy Parade red or a fun combination of both.

The snail stamp is adorable coloured to match his cardstock background, sitting on a mat embossed with the Stitched With Whimsy Dies from the Jan-Jun Mini catty. Here I stamped him, then cut him out & raised him up on Dimensionals.

The heart stamp was stamped on these next cards to send a message to your sweetie in elegant gold or bright red.

This big, bold heart makes a great background stamp on a fresh white mat, bordered with a strip of Poppy Parade & a second strip cut from one of the card bases.

This last card adds some punch to the theme of this wonderful kit. 

 

Lets all send some love - not via text or e-mail but a personal, heartfelt message delivered right to a mailbox.

I hope that I have inspired you to not only create a personal card, but to get it in the mail as well. We could all use some mail during these times of isolation.

Cheers,

Arlene