May 2015 Paper Pumpkin: Alternate card designs

I was pretty excited about the May 2015 Paper Pumpkin kit, Birthday Bundle. Who couldn't use a few extra gift bags and birthday cards to have on hand, right? I sat down yesterday to assemble my kit, and I put the bags together following the instructions. I liked them as-is, and it was easy to decorate them and then leave them folded flat to store with my other gift bags until I need them.

When it came to the cards, though, I wanted to play around a little. The suggested card design was fine: It coordinated with the bags, was suitable for any age or gender, and would be easy to create for a last-minute card. But it was a little plain for me. I thought about just adding a few simple embellishments, like ribbon, rhinestones, or sequins, but instead I decided to change up the layout and create some new designs.

Below are pictures of the individual cards as well as the supplies used for each. In general I used the three other coordinating ink colors (Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, and Crushed Curry) in addition to the Island Indigo included in the kit, I added embellishments, and I used a few different punches. The only extra paper I used was silver glimmer paper and vellum card stock.

Note: All of the following cards were made with the May 2015 Paper Pumpkin kit, Birthday Bundle. Additional supplies used are listed for each card. All materials are from Stampin' Up!

Additional supplies:
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Rhinestones

This layout is the most similar to the design in the kit instructions. I cut 1/2" off one end of the patterned strip of card stock and then trimmed each end into banner points. I stamped the three balloons on one of the white circles included in the kit (I had an extra because I didn't use the circle on one of my cards) and cut them out. I stamped the balloon strings on the card base and used Dimensionals to adhere the balloons and sentiment layer on the card. I added a few rhinestones for a little sparkle.

Additional supplies:
Accessories: Daffodil Delight pompom trim, Calypso Coral baker's twine, Bermuda Bay sequin trim, Best Year Ever buttons, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, paper-piercing tool, Glue Dots

This layout is also similar to the suggested design; it's simply turned on its side. This time I trimmed just one end of the patterned strip into banner points, and I placed the straight end right at the top of the card. To add some interest to the focal point, I pierced a border around the circle and added pompom trim around it. (Tip: It helps to use a double layer of Dimensionals to adhere the focal point to the card because of the thickness of the pompom trim.)  For extra embellishment, I added a Calypso Coral button tied with a bow of Calypso Coral baker's twine and a few Bermuda Bay sequins.

Additional supplies:
Stamps: All Shook Up (December 2014 Paper Pumpkin kit)
Ink: Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Calypso Coral baker's twine, Bermuda Bay sequin trim, Glue Dots

I love that this card looks like a fun present. To achieve this look, cut the patterned strip into three strips 1/2" wide. Adhere two of them to the card, one horizontally and one vertically, to look like ribbon on a gift box. You can use the third strip to create a bow, which I did, or adhere it inside the card for a fun pop of color. For stamping I used one of the extra tags from the kit instead of the white circle. (The circle was used on the first card above.) I did have to find a different birthday stamp to fit on the tag; this one happens to be from the December 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit, All Shook Up. If you don't have another stamp handy, you could use the "To:/From:" image from this kit and fill it out like a gift tag. Then you could tuck a gift card inside the card, and there you go: card and present in one. To embellish this card I added Calypso Coral baker's twine and Bermuda Bay sequins.

Additional supplies:
Paper: Vellum card stock
Ink: Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Banner punch, white baker's twine, Bermuda Bay sequin trim, Glue Dots, Mono Multi liquid glue

For this card I punched twelve banner shapes out of the patterned strip from the kit. (I used six on the card front and six for a banner inside the card.) But the little banners were overpowered by the bold stripes of the card base, so to soften the stripes I used a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of vellum. (Tip: Adhere all the pieces onto the vellum first. Then apply the adhesive on the back of the vellum so it is hidden by the balloons and banners.) The balloons were stamped on the white card stock circle and then cut out. I adhered baker's twine to the back of each balloon and then placed a tiny drop of glue at the bottom of the vellum to keep the twine straight. I finished the layout with a few sequins (I love those things!).

Additional supplies:
Paper: Silver glimmer paper
Accessories: Island Indigo cotton ribbon, large star punch, Itty Bitty Accents punch pack, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, paper-piercing tool, Glue Dots

For this card and the next one, I didn't stamp any birthday sentiments. These cards could be used for celebrating a variety of different occasions, such as graduation, a new job, or another milestone or accomplishment. For this card I wrapped Island Indigo ribbon around the card base and tied it in a knot. Then I cut the patterned strip of card stock in half and adhered the two pieces to the card base so they formed a block of color. I pierced holes along the edge of the white card stock circle and then punched a large star in the center. I adhered the circle to the patterned layer with Dimensionals and added a small silver star in the center. A cluster of three silver stars in the upper right corner finishes the card.

Additional supplies:
Paper: Silver glimmer paper
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Daffodil Delight pompom trim, Itty Bitty Accents punch pack, Glue Dots

This card definitely has a cheerful, celebratory feel to it, doesn't it? I started by cutting the patterned strip in two strips each 3/4" wide. Then I trimmed 3/8" off the long edge of the card front -- I saved that strip and used it inside the card -- and adhered one of the patterned strips to the back of the card front. I cut the second strip in half and trimmed one end of each piece into banner points. I glued the pieces to the card front so they look like the tails on a blue-ribbon award. For the focal image I stamped the "celebrate" sentiment several times in different colors on the white circle and then adhered pom pom trim around it. I used a double layer of Dimensionals to adhere the circle over the top of the "tails" and added a few silver glimmer stars as embellishment.

I'm excited to add these cards to my stash, and I hope the recipients enjoy them. Thanks for stopping by!