January My Paper Pumpkin kit

Last month's Paper Pumpkin kit has everything you need to make 24 (!) Valentine treat bags!

I'm not kidding! Here's what you get:

So much stuff and, it's really cute too!

But sadly, I no longer have use for 24 treat bags. When my kids were younger and I used to do class treats, I would need that. Not now.

Now, I only need a few of the treat bags that the kit was intended for. I still give my boys surprises on holidays and this year, I've been sending some surprise holiday goodies to some of Joseph's friends that went away to college. Everybody likes to get a surprise in the mail! Especially these days when kids rely on their phones so much, they hardly know what "snail mail" is. 

True story! 

You should have seen the addresses they gave to me when I asked - bits and pieces of information - not in any way resembling correct address form. Holy cow! Times have changed, huh?

They are so not used to checking their mailbox on a daily basis. Proof? One boy told me that he gets an email sent to him that says "you've got mail in your mailbox"! Isn't that funny? 

 When I asked my son to address his graduation "thank yous" this past summer, he did a poor job of addressing. Some comments I heard were, "It's not a useful skill anymore"...  "The post office is going to be obsolete anyway soon. No one sends mail". 

Ha! He hasn't experienced the grown-up responsibility of bills yet! He'll have those college loans to pay too… 

Maybe he is right - you can even pay bills online now... Hmmpf! Technology!

I used the kit to make as many treat bags as I would need:

Then I had tons of leftovers! I still have some more, different, treats to do so I'm sure they will come in handy!

In the meantime though, I put them to use in some things that I found on the Internet....

A card....

See, you can even use the leftover "negative space" scraps! After punching out the hearts, don't throw away what's left over - you can use it like I did here. Even the arrow was made by cutting the "negative space" of one of the tag sheets! - All I did was add a gold foil heart.

Rachel Tessman has two videos out with projects she made with the leftovers:

http://youtu.be/OFrwV2y8xQM

(LOVE THE FROG CARD!)

I copied her rendition of Project Life page inserts. I have just about everything we offer with our new Project Life line, but haven't used it yet. So, by copying her example, I felt a safe "first fora"y into this new, faster way of scrapbooking:

This was so easy! 

I can only imagine that with the actual Project Life components it will be even easier! All the inserts are cut to size and decorated - and you get fun embellishments in the accessory kits. You really just need to pop pictures into the spaces provided. There is minimal trimming involved and we even offer framelits to do the cutting for you!

** On the top right insert, the arrow was made by cutting one of the red banners from the Paper Pumpkin kit in half and trimming the end:

You just place it behind the other hearts. By doing this, you can make the arrow appear as long as you want!

I had so much fun doing this Project Life page that I just had to finish it with old pictures that I hadn't put in a scrapbook...

More on Project Life in future posts...

For now, do you see how I added an extra Paper Pumpkin kit embellishment in the middle (with our wedding picture)? Again, I used the "negative space" from a tag to frame a portion of our wedding picture. I also added two banners from the kit and added my own gold foil hearts.

Moral of the story...

You can't go wrong by subscribing to our monthly Paper Pumpkin kits! This kit was primarily made for treat bags, but I show here that you can use the kit for other items if you have no need for treat bags.

A 3 month pre-subscription to MPP is on sale during Sale-a-Bration (until March 31)! 

http://su-media.s3.amazonaws.com/media/docs/paper_pumkin_flyer/flyer_PaperPumpkin_demo_5.12.2014_US%20%281%29.pdf

You save $5 and will qualify for a  FREE Sale-a-Bration gift!

Visit my website today to get in on the Paper Pumpkin 3-month subscription special! http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/dandyspandy/

My Paper Pumpkin (revisited)

Usually, when my monthly MPP kit arrives I do a couple of the projects - enough to take some photos and blog about it - I don't finish the whole kit.

The last couple of months though, I have been getting together with friends to work on the kit (so much more fun!). In doing so, I have been able to finish a couple of the MPP kits. I do the projects exactly how they are described in the instructions - no thinking outside the box.

But there is so much left over! You are almost forced to create!

It is at this time I consult my Pinterest boards to see what other people have done with their leftover supplies.

The January MPP kit "All Shook Up" is a prime example of this.  We made all nine cards that the kit intended to make, but there was so much left over and I couldn't throw it away!

I followed some examples that I saw and wanted to share them with you to show you that you really do get a lot for your money with these monthly kits!

In a previous post I showed you a few of  the nine cards you could make with the "All Shook Up" kit:

http://dandyspandy.blogspot.com/2014/12/m-monday-is-for-mpp.html?m=1

Here's what I did with the leftover pieces from which the "confetti" stars were punched:

 The used coordinating card stock and ink for the kit stamps. Behind each of the star cut-out strips were pieces of metallic (gold or silver) foil paper. I finished it off with either gold or silver ribbon.

This set will make it cute gift for someone after I include envelopes (perhaps lined with the metallic foil paper like I used on the cards ) and put it in a pretty package!

Similar to the ones above, but I really liked this color combo of the pistachio and wisteria! Matching wisteria baker's twine completes the card.

The following sample was shown on the Stampin' Up! blog. I just made my own:

A Clean And Simple card made with the kit stamps . That little heart you see is actually a sequin from last year's in-color embellishments.

 Here is a similar card, but this time I used a new trick with heart punches (that I will explain in a different post):

The greeting stamps included in this kit are so versatile. I'm sure I will get a lot of use out of them.

And finally, another card using the star punch-out strips, one of the stamps, and some of the sequins from the kit:

Wow! Believe it or not, I still have more "leftovers" sitting on my stamp room desk! I put them aside for a rainy (or snowy day). Next week we are getting together to do the January kit, which is little Valentine packages  - I can't wait!

Right now during Sale-a-Bration, which ends March 31, you can save $5 on a 3 month pre-paid subscription AND qualify for a free gift from the Sale-a-Bration brochure !!

Click on this link to find out more!

http://su-media.s3.amazonaws.com/media/docs/paper_pumkin_flyer/flyer_PaperPumpkin_demo_5.12.2014_US%20%281%29.pdf

Sign up to receive my paper pumpkin kids each month! Then, come over my house to enjoy the company of others wow putting together the kit. Or, get together with your own group of friends for a great time!

M (Monday) is for.... MPP!

I am always in awe of the ladies who blog every single day!

Each day of the week seems to have an alliterative theme... You know like, "Wacky Wednesday", "Freebie Friday" etc.

I wish I had the gumption to do the blog every day... I just don't! 

I started blogging about this time last year because I was no longer working and I was B-O-R-E-D at home. I do it because I enjoy cooking and sharing yummy recipes! I blog because I like showing off what we have made with Stampin' Up! supplies, and show that YOU can make it too!

I'm not technologically advanced enough to add all of those fancy doo-dads to my blog. 

All in all, it's a pretty simple and straightforward endeavor! 

I write on there to share with everyone and to "keep in touch" with those that are far away. If I get a new reader or Stampin' Up! customer along the way - that is wonderful! But really, I just do it to keep busy.

So, as I get ready to begin a second year of this blog, thank you for being a loyal reader/customer/friend!

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So what does "M" in Monday stand for?

Today it stands for MPP - My Paper Pumpkin! MPP is a monthly craft kit that Stamping Up offers. Sometimes you make cards. Other times you get to try your hand at various paper projects!

Each monthly kit cost $19.95, shipping and handling fee included.

The kit contains everything you need: paper, ink, rubber stamps, embellishments, etc. You'll receive a clear block with your first kit so that you can use it and all subsequent kits.

You can buy a pre-paid subscription or pay by the month! You can stop your subscription anytime, and you can even pause the  monthly delivery (for whatever reason).

I have been very pleased with all kits that I have received since I subscribed back in June. What is even more fun these days is, the last two months I have assembled my kit with a friend (or friends)! I'm hoping that our MPP group continues to grow, because it is so much fun to get together to assemble your kits!

For more information, to subscribe, or to purchase a pre-paid subscription (it makes a great gift!) please follow this link:

https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/

If you choose to subscribe, I would be thrilled if you listed me as your demonstrator!

What I like about MPP is that you don't have to be a rubberstamper or even a crafter to complete each kit! Everything you need is in that little red box! SU! even has a video online if you prefer watching over reading instructions.

Anyhoo... the kit that arrived in December was called "All Shook Up":

The kit included everything you need to make nine of the really cute shaker cards shown!

Upon opening the box, before I even removed the supplies for the shaker cards, I saw that Stampin' Up! included a free gift!  I guess, because it was Christmas time? Aren't they wonderful?!

Cool beans! Essentials Paper Piercing pack!

Nancy, Patty, and I had lots of fun putting these cards together!

I even have some stars and sequins left over so I can embellish a little more if I so choose!

There is a card we found on Pinterest made with the leftover "negative space" of the confetti stars:

This card was made by Demonstrator  Carrie Rhoads. She even used the star sheet as a stencil and sponged coordinating ink colors through the open spaces! See those samples by visiting her website:

http://www.carriestamps.com/

Patty even sent me this picture once she got home:

Look closely, and you will see that she used her extras to embellish the outsides a little more. Also, she cut the star sheet down and added a piece to the inside of each card. LOVE IT!

Besides these nine cards, I know I will get plenty of use for the stamp set that came with the kit:

Can't wait to see what we get next month!

Whatever it may be I'm sure it will be delightful!

Hope you join our little get together!