Paper Pumpkin March 2015 Sew You

Its HERE!! March Paper Pumpkin kits are arriving this week nationwide, have you opened yours up??

The kit is a little different this month. Sew You is the title, and yes - there is SEWING! Here is the Paper Pumpkin video that shows you the kit and has a couple tips on the creation of this months project:


I'd love to see some alternate projects you come up with!! I'll be busy working on some personal projects this month, so I was happy just to follow the instructions as-is! :-D Sometimes, keeping it simple is easiest!

Some things you CAN take away from this months project to use in other endeavors:

Simple can be so striking. The bold black and white patterns with the simple greeting would work well in other cards. There are several papers that come to mind, but basically any bold monochromatic pattern will work to swap in here.

The beauty in the detailing of the sewing, and the little accents in the stamps show us that the greeting can be the focal point all by itself.

A splash of color really adds some pop. The way the yellow stands out, or those little blue epoxy stickers glistening as you open the card. Simple layout that you can easily swap pieces into.

Be sure to check out other ideas for using this months project on my Pinterest board!

Happy Crafting!
 -Angie

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Moonlight Lotus Blossom Bloom

An Assortment of Occasions with Moonlight DSP
Lotus Blossom and Bloom with Hope stamp sets

 Moonlight Designer Series Paper has such a great color pallet. I love the mix of gentle patterns with the bold and fun ones. It's got a nice mix of backgrounds and accent patterns that you can use for a variety of cards.

On these cards, I used the Bloom With Hope stamp set, a Hostess Set from the 2014-15 Catalog, and the wildly popular Lotus Blossom from the Occasions 2015 catalog. These cards don't have too much stamping, but let me just say, the layouts are deceptively simple! The patterns and angles on a couple really challenged me, and thus, I paired them with some simple but decidedly easier cards! 

Challenging but fun layout!
Works with different patterns in color matched sets,
or you could use it for One-Sheet Wonder cards too.

First, this layout seemed simple enough, but when you get down to the angles and cutting, mixed with the busy patterns I picked... Well, thank goodness for my math skills!! 

After all the patterns, and angles, and measuring, oh my! I went back to the tried and true rectangular layers. A nice soothingly calm color scheme, tranquil layered stamping. This was Much Better!! 

Back to busy, this layout was so easy! Except. I chose a shape that is not easily free-hand cut. Punching the smaller honeycomb shapes & layering was the nice, easy, part of this card. The stamped sentiment shape took more than one try. More. Than. One. 

And lastly, this panel layout is actually very easy. The tricky part is in spacing & sticking those floaters on! But all's well that ends well! 

Happy Crafting! 

-Angie 

The annual catalog items are here through June, 

but don't miss out on the FREE 

Sale-A-Bration Rewards with purchase! 

Those special offers end March 31, 2015!! 

Shop Here in my Online Stampin' Up! Store

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St Patrick's Day Digital Downloads

St. Patrick's Day is just wee bit off, you might want to be gettin' yourself a little Luck o' The Irish - without paying a Pot o' Gold!!  :: St. Patty's Day Downloads HERE ::

Luckily, you can print all the Pinch-Proof decor and accessories at home, to make sure those Irish Eyes are Smilin'! 

:: St. Patty's Day Digital Downloads HERE  ::

Click. Print. Pinch Proof!! 

Visit Stampin' Up! Digital Downloads today and get your St Patty's party started! 

:: St. Patty's Day Digital Downloads HERE :: 

See ALL the Stampin' Up! digital downloads 

available in my online store HERE

Perfect for gift giving, cardmaking, invitations and party decor! Stamp brushes and SVG files for your eCutter, customize and create with all your favorite Stampin' Up! sets and color coordinated prints and patterns. 

Happy Crafting!

-Angie

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Birthday Bash - Not Just for Birthdays

Occasions and Sale-A-Bration items combined for a fun card!
What would you give this one for?

Just a quick card today, lots going on with the kiddos!
Lots Going on with this card!! LOL

Birthday Bash Specialty Designer Series Paper
has that glint of gold that catches your eye

I love the Specialty Designer Series Paper Birthday Bash from the Occasions catalog, its NOT just for Birthdays! I paired it with a snippet of the Sale-A-Bration Sheer Perfection Paper Stack, colored with my Stampin' Write Markers, and tied them up with some #SAB2015 Ribbon from the Best Year Ever Accessory Pack. Accented with a Gold Metallic Button, and button from the Sweet Dreams Designer Button pack (Occasions Catalog) - all "sewn" on with Gold Bakers Twine.

Whew! Lots of different elements into such a simple looking card!
Sparkly and bright though, perfect for any occasion you want a little Woo-hoo!!

The bigger the bow, the better the greeting! LOL

Make it a Great weekend!
Happy Crafting!
-Angie

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Natures Simply Wonderful Celebration

Natures Celebration and Simply Wonderful Sale-A-Bration stamp sets  

Sale-A-Bration ends this month! Did you get all the items you wanted? They'll be gone for good once March 31st arrives!! You can browse and shop in my online store HERE

Today I'm sharing two sets of cards using Sale-A-Bration sets, Natures Celebration and Simply Wonderful. I used the Cut and Ready Card Bases in Crumb Cake, and scraps from All Abloom Designer Series Paper Stack and the Something Borrowed Designer Series Paper set.

Natures Celebration and Simply Wonderful Sale-A-Bration stamp sets
Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive 

The Something Borrowed DSP works really well with bright bold colors, and I added some Thick Gold Bakers Twine and a Gold Metallic Button for accent. The butterfly from the Natures Celebration set, stamped in Cherry Cobbler, punches with the Elegant Butterfly Punch, and I layered a Cherry Cobbler Card Stock Bitty Butterfly Punch over it. I colored pearls with my Daffodil Delight Blendabilities marker, and added some touches of the yellow to the flowers. Sadly, the Blendabilities Line is suddenly Discontinued due to some manufacturing issues.

On the second card in red, I used  a Gold Metallic Button on the butterfly. 

For the second set of cards, I used the scraps from the All Abloom Designer Series Paper Stack in Daffodil Delight. I stamped the Butterflies in yellow, and colored them a bit with the Blendabilities. Might as well use them up! ;-) 

Natures Celebration and Simply Wonderful
Daffodil Delight and Wild Wasabi

The green on this card is Wild Wasabi. I also used a little Crumb Cake Seam Binding to accent the flower. I colored the jewels with my Old Olive Blendabilites marker. Lots of dabs of color, but not too much blending, those markers really work better on a less absorbent paper. 

The last card has Gold 1/4" Ribbon and more jewels, colored in Daffodil Delight. 

A little touch of spring, this March day! Today we've got some rain - YAY!! - so I'll be cozy at home, hopefully getting some more craft time in!

Happy Crafting! 

~Angie 

SHOP NOW: 

Sale-A-Bration ends March 31st! 

You can earn FREE, Limited Edition Sale-A-Bration items for every $50 purchase, 

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Big Moonlight News

Custom Cards? In a jiffy? Yep. I Can Do It!!
The beauty of card and challenge sketches! Ideas galore, and that's half the battle. Color combos and embellishment, well thats the other half! My friend asked me to make a wedding card, and a card for a sweet 16 birthday card for a girl who loves purple. ASAP! ::OYIC:: (Oh Yes I Can)
I used the stamp set Big News from the Annual 2014-15 Catalog, and Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack, also from the Annual Catalog. Both include gold accents, because I am loving them right now! Gold goes with almost everything.

I did the birthday card first, since it was more specific. I used 2 layers of the Moonlight DSP for the background, on a Blackberry Bliss card base. The greeting is stamped on Whisper White in Blackberry ink. The sweet 16 across the middle is stamped on Hello Honey card stock, using the challenging yet amazing Alphabet Rotary Stamp. Learning curve is steep on this deceptively simple stamp, don't ask how many attempts were made to achieve one stinkin' good one! I DO love that stamp though, nothing like super custom to make me smile. And scream.

I used Thick Gold Bakers Twine, and stamped a greeting from Big News inside as well. The inside is accented with strips of the Moonlight DSP, and, while I was at it, I decorated the envelope as well. Easy Peasy!! (but for the Rotary Stamp portion! LoL) I like how this stamp set incorporates some stamps that easily go inside as complementary sentiments, but can still be used as focal points on the front of the card. Kind of versatile, love that!

The wedding card was a little harder,the sketch I used just didn't work with the stamp set as is, so I built off of it and ended up with this! Came together well after all!

The card base is Lost Lagoon, and on top of that I used a sheet of the Gold Foil, and Whisper White for the stamped layer. The sentiment is stamped in Lagoon ink. I added a strip of Moonlight DSP, and then to coordinate and add more gold, I tried a trick I saw on Instagram and punched gold circles to accent the DSP. I added the gold heart, and topped that heart with one of the really fun Itty Bitty Accents Epoxy Stickers. Love the dimension and shine!

I also stamped the inside of the card, using some simple punched gold hearts for accent.

A somewhat clean and simple card, but I think it has a certain elegance, and is pretty striking.
I think so, anyhow! Hoping the Bride and Groom, and the customer agree! . :-)

Last chance weekend for joining Paper Pumpkin! March Kits will start shipping late next week, so make sure yours is on that mailing list by signing up by the 10th. Have your friends join too, and get together to make your projects! FUN Girls Night In. Great also for church or youth groups. #justsayin'
More info and your subscription options HERE
When you see this months cool new kit, don't say I didn't remind you! Good Stuff!

Happy Crafting!
-Angie

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Layers of Gratitude - Alternate Project - Message Frame

Dry Erase Message Boards for some Family Gratitude

At home, even the little things deserve gratitude! Enter the February Paper Pumpkin kit, Layers of Gratitude! I used the extra pieces to make a couple Gratitude Dry Erase message boards. They came out great! (If I do say so myself! lol)

ALTERNATE IDEA : You could do a nice retirement or team party message sheet, and have everyone sign the paper before you frame it. Teacher Appreciation? It would make a nice remembrance of fun times and the people you shared them with!
ALTERNATE IDEA: How substantial would a framed Thank You be for a special event - business donors to school fundraising, sponsors of a team, sponsors of a local event? Frame up some photos, have the participants or coordinators sign and/or put notes, and give your benefactors a really memorable Thank You!! You might get even more support next time! ;-)

To hold the dry erase markers to the frame - I don't know about you, but my kids would loose their heads if they weren't attached to their necks! - I cut one of the boxes in half and stuck it to the frame. I used Sticky Tape, but any strong adhesive will work. I used some of the bakers twine from the kit to tie the lids onto the back of the frame.

To get the pens on the same side, I just flipped the left side of the box
over and stamped the "back." Folded the same way, and attached to the frame.

I stamped the borders and the 'I just wanted to say...' onto an 8.5 x 11 piece of card stock. I used coordinating card stock to the kit - Daffodil Delight and Pool Party so I could use everything in the kit, but you could easily change up your color scheme to match your decor!

Framed in extra document frames I have (don't ask) these will make a nice reminder at our front entry for the kids - and myself - to show a little gratitude to each other for everyday kindness. Thanks for helping me with my homework. Thanks for doing yard work with me. Thanks for helping me with my chores. Thanks for being Awesome! ;-)

Totally fun, and the giant letters in the kit worked really well for this project!
Happy Crafting!
-Angie 

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Stacked with Mother's Love

Stacked with Love Designer Series Paper Stack and Mother's Love Stamp Set
in Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe, and Basic Black

Isn't it kind of cool that they made the Stacked with Love Designer Series Paper Stack a seasonal yet versatile paper set?! It's in the Spring Occasions 2015 Catalog, like the Mothers Love stamp set. You can use the papers all year for your love cards, for anniversary or wedding cards, or even just add a modern pop of black and white to any occasion. If you have any of that stack left, the scraps make bright little accents for cards. I might even get another stack to have on hand, the love patterns are pretty classic!

This card has a Crisp Cantaloupe base with the Mothers Love stamps in Real Red, Calypso Coral and Cantaloupe. The contrast between the black layer and the DSP and stamps is pretty, yet bold! Just like Mom, right?

The second card I used the same layout, but swapped the colors. I was able to use more of the stamps on this, and I tried a technique Patty Bennett mentioned was shown at Leadership: I stamped the BACK side of the polymer stamp (the one that you usually stick to the block) in Crisp Cantaloupe and then used the FRONT side to stamp over it in Real Red. It creates a nice background for the darker color. If you didn't have a 2-step stamp, this would let you get that effect. It does NOT work well with the clear stamps!! Don't ask how I know - and don't look at my terribly inked up hands, table, and paper in the circular file... Just trust me when I say: They are talking about the POLYMER stamps for this technique! LOL

I also added some of the Stacked with Love paper to the inside of the Black base for a writing spot. A card as pretty inside as it is outside. Just like Mom, right?!

For this third card, you can see I took a break from the stamping. (I had to wash my hands several times during that previous card session!) I got to use a good chunk of my scraps to create the background of this card. I like how it came out, its so hard for me to DO random, but using the paper sets really helps with a random yet matching layout! Woven and stacked layers, accented with Candy Dots and a few rhinestones give a really eye catching backdrop for the simple sentiment. The Calypso Coral base and the Crisp Cantaloupe layer have only two corners rounded, to add to the eclectic look. Behind the sentiment layer, I have a Tea Lace Paper Doily, some Crisp Cantaloupe Thick Bakers Twine, and Real Red 1/4" Cotton Ribbon. Woven together with vibrant love, eye-catching soft and sharp layers. Just like Mom, right?!

And then there is the last card.

Washi Tape. I am trying to use it on more than envelopes and my calendar!! The Black, Grey, Coral and Cantaloupe fit my color scheme of the day, and let me try the eclectic layered look with a different feel. I used tape from the Sweet Sadie, and Epic Day, Designer Washi Tape sets. I colored those little strips of Rhinestones with Cherry Cobbler and Pumpkin Pie Blendabilities and scattered little trios around the card. Fun, coordinated, yet a little crazy in its own way. Just like Mom, right?!

Just Like Mom. There is a card to fit every Mom, and every mom deserves a card - even if its NOT on Mothers Day! I like this set because you will use the flower images all year, and you can also send Mom notes through the year, because

Nobody loves like a Mom.
#Truth

Happy Crafting!
-Angie

Paper Pump-kin, Paper Pump-kin, Pa-per Pump-kin, Paper Pumpkin!! 

(Sung to Ride of the Valkyries ((forgot that one? You know it - listen HERE)) for emphasis)

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