Pumpkin, pumpkin, who has a pumpkin?

Didja subscribe to My Paper Pumpkin?  Didja?

Well, I did, and it took me way too long to crack it open…I won’t bother you with the reasons because they’re not very good ones.  To be honest, I wasn’t all that thrilled with the idea of a kit anyway.  I am a Bona Fide Stampin’ Up! Independent Demonstrator! I don’t need a kit!!  I MAKE kits!!!

For the record, I was wrong, 100% wrong.  I LOVED MY PUMPKIN!  Loved the stamps, loved the papers, loved their concept card, and loved creating my own variations!  I was giggling and humming when I put these together, and in case you need to ask, the answer is yes, that’s a very good sign.

Here’s the My Paper Pumpkin card that you get when you follow their directions:

Maui Stamper My Paper Pumpkin Welcome Kit

Actually, this is the card you get when you mess up when you are following their directions.  I DROPPED the “hey there, friend” stamp when I was placing it on the card front, and it smudged.  I sat there looking at it as though it had betrayed me (when in fact, I had betrayed it.)  But Stampin’ Up! was clearly a step ahead of me and provided those little random dot things.  They are clearly intended to cover up messes, so that’s how I used them.

I almost never make more than one of the same card and I was curious to see what I could do with the project pieces.  I made three additional cards using some or all of the Paper Pumpkin supplies.

Maui Stamper My Paper Pumpkin Welcome KitA few Basic Grey circles, some Tempting Turqoise ink, my Uniball white gel pen, a snip of 1/8 inch Daffodil taffeta ribbon, some Pewter Embossing Powder (you NEED this) and some bling were all added into the mix for this card.  The stamps are You Rule from the Spring Catalog.

Maui Stamper My Paper Pumpkin Welcome KitI wanted a banner, so I cut the circle die cut like a pizza and layered it on Daffodil Delight.  The letters and the accents on the word birthday are from our new Designer Typeset Polymer stamp set – so easy to use – and the elephant and word Birthday are from You’re Amazing.

I think this card needs a little something, but it was the last card of the evening and I think I was out of mojo.  I’ll stare at it a while and something will come up.

This last one is my favorite:

Maui Stamper My Paper Pumpkin Welcome KitThat “Hey There, Friend” sentiment is going to get a lot of use in my studio!

Maui Stamper My Paper Pumpkin Welcome KitYou can have this same kit – just log into My Paper Pumpkin to sign up.  The Welcome kit is the first month’s kit for every new subscriber, and you can manage your subscription in case you’ll be away for a month and want to put a hold on your kit.  Stampin’ Up! has told us that they will not be previewing the kits, and each kit will be an exclusive offer – meaning if you miss it, it’s gone.  You need to commit by the 10th of each month to receive the current kit – don’t put it off, ok?

Once in a while you need a Manly Card

And oh, do those Manly cards pose a challenge!!

Manly cards are not lacy.  They don’t have bling or pearls.  They don’t have glitter, either – at least not in my house!!  Mr. Maui Stamper Does Not Like Glitter.  In general, they are very lean on embellishment.

What’s a stamper to do?

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Manly Squares Birthday

  • Wacky Wishes (hostess) stamp set
  • Designer Type polymer stamp set
  • My Paper Pumpkin Intro kit stamp
  • Naturals White, River Rock, Not Quite Navy, Lucky Limeade, Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze card stock
  • Not Quite Navy, Lucky Limeade, Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze FFIP
  • Large oval punch
  • Postage stamp punch
  • Scallop Square punch
  • 1 inch square punch
  • 1 1/4 inch square punch
  • Natural 7/16 inch trim
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals

I cased Wendy Weixler, an immensely talented Artisan Award Stampin’Up! demonstrator.  The use of repeating shapes isn’t unusual, but most often I have seen repeated circles and I loved that this was squares.  Talk about using up scraps!

This is one of the cards we’ll make at my Manly Card class on May 5, and if you’re going to be on Maui that day you are very welcome to join us!

Yesterday during the blog tour I was TERRIBLY tempted to share something that had me literally rolling on the floor, but I ultimately decided it was too much of a distraction to the flow of the tour.  However, today I have no such conscientious objections.

Last Wednesday night I stayed up very, very late stamping.  The Fountain of Creative Juices was flowing and I was taking advantage of it!  Crystal and I were texting pictures back and forth – it’s a kind of virtual stamp camp for the two of us.  About 11:30pm I get this weird image with no message…took me forever to realize what it was, but it took about 3 seconds to fall on the floor in hysterical laughter once I got it!  Definitely a moment to savor – and she blogged it, so check THIS out.

You’re welcome.

 

 

 

Best of RemARKable Flowers

Stampin' Up! RemARKable Blog Tour 25 Years with Stampin' Up! April

Welcome to another RemARKable Blog Tour!  If this is your first stop, welcome – and get comfy!  We are exploring the collections being released every month to celebrate 25 years of Stampin’ Up! goodness, and this month we are playing with Best of Flowers.  This set contains some of my favorite images from the archives, and it was a sweet trip down memory lane to ink this one up:

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Best of Flowers 25th AnniversaryI’m indulging my classical style in this card.  This image, originally sold as Upsy Daisy, was almost twice this size when it was initially released.  This “mini me” version is perfect!  It’s stamped in Pretty in Pink (soon to be retired) and Pink Pirouette (which I like better anyway, but don’t tell).  Hey There Friend is the exclusive My Paper Pumpkin image that every new Paper Pumpkin subscriber receives, so you can have one too!  I ran the panel through the Delicate Designs TIEF  and then used the scrumptious 1 1/4 inch Two Tone Ribbon to unite the elements.

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Best of Flowers 25th AnniversaryLet me channel my inner Rachel Ray – can you say YUM-O!! with me?  That ribbon is scrumptious, and I love how the grosgrain lines echo the stems on the flowers, but contrast with the eyelet-like scallops below.

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Best of Flowers 25th AnniversaryI began this card with the masked flower garland stamped in Regal Rose (another color about to start drawing Social Security), and yes, I cut it by hand.  (Late at night, no less.  I had one of those “Fountain of Creative Juices” nights and could have pulled an all-nighter except for the fact that I had to be someplace at 6:30 am the next morning!  Let’s just say that turned into a looong day.)  Once I cut the garland I had some trouble putting it onto a card.  I got the Crumb Cake and the Pink Pirouette going, but it was missing something. However, literally out of nowhere I got a BRILLIANT (in my opinion) idea:

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Best of Flowers 25th AnniversaryCan you see what I did??  I took a doily and shabbied it up with some Crumb Cake Ink and a Stampin’ Sponge.  Then I cut halfway through (as though I were cutting a slice of pie) and cut a circle out of the middle.  After straightening it out, I hit it with a little Champagne Mist Shimmer spray and scrunched it up!  It was damp so it scrunched well, and when it dried it held onto its shape.  I WAS STOKED!!

All righty then!  Back to our regularly scheduled blog tour…The Best of Flowers set, like all the Best of sets, iis available through March 2014.  Each set comes with a sticker, and when you have collected 6 stickers, you can send them in for a free stamp set ($14.95 or less) of your choosing.  Win-win!

Enough Maui Stamper Silliness…time to see what Robin has done!  Click on the link below, or check the RemARKable Best of Blog Tour line-up listed below!  and Stamp On!!

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Best of Flowers 25th AnniversaryNancy Amato  http://stampinallnight.blogspot.com
Linda Bartolucci   http://www.inkstampandscrap.com/
Ingrid Blackburn  http://TheCreativeGrove.com
Melissa Bolinger  http://www.stampinup.net/blog/2089191
Jackie Bottomley  http://www.jackiebottomley.blogspot.com
Susan Carlson http://stampinmomoffour.blogspot.com
Tamra Davis  http://www.thecardladies.com
Connie Deibler  http://www.conniestamps.com
Sherri Eddleblute   http://www.sweetestdesigns.blogspot.com/
Lynn Embrey   http://www.possibilitiestamperstudio.com/
Becky Evans  http://www.alwayshappystampin.com
Kathy Hamrick  http://www.countryroads.typepad.com/
Crystal Kondo  http://www.card-ed.com
Deb Lehigh  http://thestampinhut.typepad.com/
Debbie Lever   http://www.debbiescreativespot.blogspot.com
Anne Matasci  http://www.MauiStamper.wordpress.com
Robin Merriman  http://www.trinitydesignstudio.blogspot.com
Maria Pane  http://www.stampinandscrappinwithriri.blogspot.com
Andi Potler   http://www.absolutekreations.com
Michele Reynolds   http://www.inspirationink.typepad.com
Sharon Tisdale   http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/coveredbridgesstamper/blog
Janet Wakeland http://wp.me/pHIQD-4P4