Tulips in the spotlight

Tulips are one of my favorite flowers, so I couldn't pass up the Love Is Kindness stamp in the 2015 Occasions catalog from Stampin' Up! I used the stamp to make a few non-traditional valentines, and I love the yellow tulips. But for my next card, I wanted to leave the image mostly black and white, with just a pop of color.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Love Is Kindness
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad; Old Olive, Real Red Stampin' Write markers
Accessories: Sweet Sadie washi tape, Brights Candy Dots, 1-3/8" circle punch, corner rounder, Dimensionals

What do you think? I used the tried-and-true spotlight technique to highlight just a few of the tulips and add a bit of Real Red and Old Olive to this clean layout.

The spotlight technique has been around for as long as I can remember, but I haven't tried it in ages. It's easy to do:
1. Using a line art image, stamp your focal image on your project.
2. Re-ink your stamp and stamp the image again on a separate sheet of card stock.
3. On the second image, choose what area you want to highlight and add color with markers, colored pencils, etc.
4. Punch out the colored area with a circle punch and use Dimensionals to adhere it over the original image.

That's really all there is to it. You could also try a variation, such as having more than one spotlight, using a different shape punch for the spotlight (imagine a heart for a wedding or anniversary card), or even solid images instead of line art. With solid images, you could stamp the first image using one color, then chose a different color for the spotlight portion.

Thanks for stopping by!

A pair of lotus blossoms

Stampin' Up!'s annual Sale-a-Bration (SAB) promotion ends in just a few days, so I wanted to share two cards I've made with one of the popular SAB sets, Lotus Blossom.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Lotus Blossom
Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Whisper White card stock; gold paper
Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Fancy Fan embossing folder, Itty Bitty Accents punch pack, 1/8" gold ribbon, pearls, Dimensionals

The flower part of the Lotus Blossom set is actually a three-step image. You can stamp the flower with one, two, or three different colors. I used just one color of ink for the flower: Blackberry Bliss. I chose this color because it's dark enough to get three different tones. The first, most detailed, stamp is stamped with "full strength" ink. The second image is stamped once on scratch paper, then over the first image. The third, largest, image is stamped twice on scratch paper and then over the first two images. I think this deep purple looks great with gold, so I embellished the card with a piece of 1/8" gold ribbon tied around the card front and three gold flowers made with the Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Lotus Blossom
Paper: Lost Lagoon, Whisper White card stock
Ink: Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow
Accessories: Simply Scored tool, rhinestones

The lotus blossom is definitely the focal point of this clean and simple card. I again used just one color for the flower, this time Lost Lagoon. I wanted the flower to lean in from the right side of the card, so when I placed the stamp for the stem on the clear block, I shaped it into a curve.

The embossed border adds an elegant touch to this card, and it's easy to do. I just flipped over the stamped panel and used a stylus to score on the back of the card stock 1/4" away from each edge. (You also can make the border with the stamped panel facing up. In that case the border will be indented, or debossed, instead of raised.) For an extra detail, I stopped the embossed border from crossing over the flower stem. To do this, I used a pencil to lightly mark on the back of the card stock where the stem was. Then I simply skipped over that part when embossing.

The Lotus Blossom stamp set is perfect for making elegant but unfussy cards. These are actually the only two cards I've made with the set so far, so I'm looking forward to using it -- maybe with different greetings or different-colored flowers -- to make a set of note cards. Thanks for stopping by!

Bunny basket tutorial

A few weeks ago I was out shopping, and I came across an adorable burlap bunny basket. I picked it up immediately and was sorely tempted to put it in my shopping basket. But then I thought about it: It was basically a fabric box with features stitched on. Pretty simple. Now, I haven't had enough practice with my sewing machine to attempt a fabric basket, but I could make something just as fun with paper, right? Of course!

I don't know about you, but I think they're pretty stinking cute. I used the Berry Basket die and Bow Builder punch from Stampin' Up! and just added a few extra details. They won't last as long as a fabric basket, but I'm okay with that. And this way I can have as many bunny baskets as I want.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! except "Other items"):
Paper: Naturals White, Crumb Cake, Smoky Slate, Pink Pirouette card stock; Designer Series Paper (DSP) Patterns Stack - Brights (I used the retired version, but any DSP will work)
Ink: Project Life journaling pens
Accessories: Berry Basket die, Bow Builder punch, extra-large oval punch, Itty Bitty Accents punch pack, Ovals Collection Framelits dies, 1/16" hole punch, Neutrals Candy Dots, mini silver brads, Glue Dots, Mono Multi liquid glue, bone folder
Other items: Cotton balls, ruler, Easter grass or other basket filler

Ready to make your own bunny basket? Here are the steps I followed:
(Note: I did not include step-by-step instructions for assembling the basic basket or the bow. Check out the basket and bow videos from Stampin' Up! for more information.)

Step 1. Cut a 1/2" strip off the long side of an 8-1/2" x 11" piece of Crumb Cake card stock. Save the strip for the handle of the basket. (You can also use the extra strips from the Berry Basket die, but I wanted a longer handle.) Cut the remaining piece of card stock in half to 8" x 5-1/2". This is just big enough for the Berry Basket die.

Step 2. Die cut each 8" x 5-1/2" piece of card stock with the Berry Basket die. You will use either the scalloped strips or the straight strips for the top edge of the basket; you can use one of the remaining strips as a handle (if you didn't cut the extra strip in Step 1) or set them aside for another project.

Step 3. On one of the basket pieces, use a black marker to make a small dot about 5/16" above the middle slot. Using the dot as the center, draw three whiskers on each side. You can use a ruler or draw them freehand.

Step 4. Use the Itty Bitty Accents punch pack to punch a heart out of Pink Pirouette card stock. Use Glue Dots to adhere the heart to the center of the whiskers. Add two Candy Dots for eyes.

Step 5. Assemble the Berry Basket. I used Mono Multi liquid glue, but you could also use a strong, permanent tape, such as Sticky Strip, or a mini stapler.

Step 6. Use the second-smallest oval from the Ovals Collection Framelits dies to cut out two Crumb Cake ovals. Use the extra-large oval punch to punch out two Pink Pirouette ovals. Glue the smaller ovals onto the larger ones, aligning them near the bottom, to make the ears.

Step 7. With a bone folder, use a motion similar to curling ribbon to slightly curl up the tops of the ears.

Step 8. Glue the ears to the basket behind the face. Use the slots in the basket as a guide for spacing the ears; I centered each ear over the outer slots.

Step 9. Make a bow with the Bow Builder punch and DSP. Use Glue Dots to adhere the bow to the basket either by the ears (for a girl) or under the nose (for a boy).

Step 10. Punch a 1/16" hole in each end of the handle and near the top of the left and right sides of the basket.

Step 11. Use mini silver brads to attach the handle to the basket. If you do not want the handle to be moveable, you can attach it with strong adhesive or a mini stapler instead of using brads.

Step 12. Glue a cotton ball to the back of the basket for a tail.

And there you have it! I added some Easter grass to my basket, but you could use a fringe scissors to make your own filler or crumple pieces of tissue paper. I will be filling my baskets with mini seed-growing kits and a few pieces of candy. For heavier items, you could make your baskets with coaster board or chipboard so they are sturdier.

Here are my twelve baskets:

This must be what you get when you leave two bunny baskets alone for too long!

I want to make tags for my baskets, too, but I'll have to share those later. I was too excited to post this tutorial to wait for the tags. Thanks for stopping by!

Make-your-own-card kits

Do you need a quick little gift for a crafty friend, family member or coworker? What about a make-your-own-card kit?

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Crumb Cake note cards and envelopes, All Abloom Designer Series Paper (DSP) Stack, Crumb Cake card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Daffodil Delight and Strawberry Slush ink refills
Accessories: Simply Pressed Clay, Buttons & Blossoms Simply Pressed Clay molds, Note Tag punch, mini clothespins, Blushing Bride 1/4" cotton ribbon, Island Indigo 1/4" cotton ribbon, Daffodil Delight seam binding ribbon, Mossy Meadow stitched satin ribbon, Mono Multi liquid glue, 6" x 8" cellophane bags

These card kits were easy to assemble with supplies I already had on hand. Each kit includes:

• Four 3-1/2" x 5" Crumb Cake note cards and envelopes
• Four pieces of 3" x 4-1/2" All Abloom DSP. I used the leftover 1/2" strips to decorate the tags and clothespins.
• Six buttons/flowers made with Simply Pressed Clay
• Two pieces of coordinating ribbon (I think I measured two feet of each ribbon). I wrapped the ribbons around a small scrap of white card stock rolled into a tube.

I arranged all the items in a cellophane bag and closed it with a coordinating tag and clothespin. The recipient just needs to provide adhesive and a scissors. What a fun little gift! To make it more personal, you could write a greeting or the recipient's name on the tag; I chose to leave the tags generic so the recipients could adhere them to one of the cards if they desired.

Thanks for stopping by!

Oh, hello there

I ordered the stamp set To Thine Own Shelf a few weeks ago from Simon Says Stamp, and the day it arrived I had to make a card:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: To Thine Own Shelf (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper: Whisper White card stock
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Baked Brown Sugar, Lost Lagoon, Gumball Green, Hello Honey, Real Red
Accessories: Dimensionals

This card makes me so happy, and I smile every time I look at it. (I also start singing "Baby Got Back," but that's a topic for another post.) I'm really pleased with how this card turned out -- except for the stray ink around the picture frames; I must have had some fuzzies stuck on the stamps -- and since the images and colors provide plenty of visual interest, I decided not to include any embellishments.

I had the perfect recipient in mind as I made this card, so it was off in the mail a few days later. Thanks for stopping by!

Banners, balloons and cake

A couple of nights ago I went through my card stash and did some updating. I had piles of new cards that I hadn't sorted into the appropriate categories in my card boxes, and I also had quite a few cards in the boxes that I decided to recycle (some were pretty dated -- five to ten years old -- and some I just didn't really care for). When all was said and done, I discovered that I have plenty of birthday and thank-you cards (thanks to the Hooray It's Your Day Project Kit and the February 2015 Paper Pumpkin Kit), but I'm short on baby, get-well, anniversary, and sympathy cards. I don't usually keep too many of those types on hand, but I like to have a few, just in case. So one of my next projects will be to stock up on those cards. But for today, I thought I'd share three of my many birthday cards.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Picture Perfect (Unity Stamp Co.), Distressed Dots
Paper: Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Old Olive, Whisper White card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Old Olive
Accessories: Ovals Collection Framelits dies, Balloon Framelits dies, Banner punch, Pool Party ruffled ribbon, Mono Multi liquid glue

I like the graphic style of this birthday stamp with the different patterns in the chunky letters. It's a quick and easy way to add color, and you can stamp a pattern on the background, like I did here with Distressed Dots, to play off a pattern in the letters.

After I stamped and colored the focal image, I cut it out with an oval die then drew a faux stitched border around the edge. I used the Banner punch to create two pennants and glued them to the back of the focal image, then I adhered the whole piece to the card base. I wanted to bring in a little more Pool Party, so I added a die-cut banner in the upper left corner and a piece of ruffled ribbon along the bottom.

Supplies (all Stampin' up!):
Stamps: Celebrate Today
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red card stick
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Real Red, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Gold sequin trim, corner rounder, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

I love these big bold balloons and the different elements you can add to them. For this card I stamped two of the balloons on a panel of Whisper White card stock. I stamped the third balloon on a separate piece and cut it out. (There are coordinating Framelits dies for this stamp set, and I own them, but it was just as fast for me to cut this balloon out by hand. I actually like to hand-cut items.) I stamped the string in black between the first two balloons -- because this set is photopolymer, I was able to curve the stamp on the clear block rather than having just a straight string -- and then adhered the third with Dimensionals. I rounded the corners of the layer, added a few sequins and adhered the panel to a Real Red card base.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Big Day
Paper: Smoky Slate, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White card stock; All Abloom Designer Series Paper (DSP) Stack
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad, Smoky Slate and Daffodil Delight markers
Accessories: Large Polka Dot embossing folder, Smoky Slate chevron ribbon, rhinestones, Dimensionals

Gray and yellow is always a fun color combination, and I think it's perfect for this card. For the focal layer, I stamped three of the images (sentiment, cake and candle) on Whisper White card stock. I also stamped the sentiment again on Daffodil Delight. I cut out just the banner part of the Daffodil Delight image and used Dimensionals to adhere it to the focal image. Then I used markers to color in a few details on the rest of the image.

To assemble the card, I embossed the card base with polka dots and added a layer of patterned paper (I used one of the non-floral prints from the All Abloom DSP Stack). Then I adhered a piece of chevron ribbon across the card and used Dimensionals to adhere the focal layer over the ribbon. A few rhinestones add just a little sparkle.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a happy birthday you will

On Saturday one of my cousins celebrated his seventh birthday. His latest interest is Star Wars -- the party featured Star Wars decorations and a Darth Vader cake -- so instead of giving him one of the already-made cards in my stash, I decided to create a special card for the occasion.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Card stock: Midnight Muse, Basic Gray, Smoky Slate, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip (smooth and textured), Basic Black, Green Galore, Whisper White
Ink: Old Olive, Memento Tuxedo Black, Whisper White craft, chalk marker
Punches: 1-1/4" circle, large tag, Word Window, Boho Blossoms, Bird Builder, Build a Blossom, Itty Bitty Shapes pack, 1/4" circle, Crop-A-Dile (We R Memory Keepers)
Other accessories: Circles Collection Framelits dies, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Ice White Pearl Pen (Viva Decor), scoring stylus, foam mat, sponge, bone folder, Mono Multi liquid glue, Dimensionals, free Star Wars font from fontspace.com

I've seen Star Wars plenty of times, but I wouldn't consider myself an expert. And I'm definitely not a pro with punch art, so I turned to the old reliable Internet for some ideas. I did a few online searches for Star Wars-themed cards and found a fun punch-art yoda card by a fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I used her card as my main inspiration and also studied several online images of Yoda and the Death Star.


Unfortunately, I didn't have time to take step-by-step pictures (I made the card the day of the party), but here is a quick run-down of the punches I used and additional tips:

Face and head
Head - 1-1/4" circle (Pear Pizzazz)
Ears - Wing from Bird Builder (Pear Pizzazz) and smallest leaf/petal shape from Build a Blossom (Old Olive)
Eyes - 1/4" circle (Whisper White); Crop-A-Dile : 3/16" (smooth Chocolate Chip), 1/8" (Basic Black)
Eyelids and mouth - Circle from Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack (Pear Pizzazz), trimmed
Nose - Mini scalloped circle from Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack (Pear Pizzazz), trimmed

I used a sponge to apply Old Olive ink to all the pieces (except the eyes) to add depth. I rubbed my bone folder around the edges of the head and ear shapes to distress them a bit, and I added in a few of Yoda's wrinkles with a stylus.

Body
Robe - Large tag (textured Chocolate Chip and Sahara Sand)
Arms - Word Window (Sahara Sand), trimmed
Hands - Smallest flower from Boho Blossoms (Pear Pizzazz), trimmed
Feet - Largest flower from Boho Blossoms (Pear Pizzazz), trimmed

I cut the Sahara Sand tag shape in half vertically and then folded back the inside edge on each piece. To add texture to Yoda's robe I spritzed the Sahara Sand pieces with water, crumpled them, then unfolded them and let them dry.

Light saber
I made the strips for the light saber with my paper trimmer (Basic Black, Green Galore) and then hand-cut them to the appropriate lengths. To give the light saber a little glow, I applied Frost White Shimmer Paint to the Green Galore card stock.

To make the Death Star I used the Circles Collection Framelits dies (the second-largest circle) and Basic Gray card stock. Using a ruler and a chalk marker I drew a line across the middle of the circle. The next step was to make the smaller circle, which I would have called a crater but I discovered is actually the Superlaser Focus Lens. I punched a 1-1/4" circle out of a piece of scrap card stock, placed the card stock over the large circle, and used a sponge to apply white and black ink inside the punched-out circle. To add a bit more detail I used a stylus to make vertical and horizontal lines on the rest of the circle and lightly sponged on more white and black ink.

For the sentiment I downloaded a free Star Wars font from fontspace.com and printed "May the Force be with you" and "Have a happy birthday you will" on a piece of Smoky Slate card stock. I spaced them far enough apart that I could cut out the birthday sentiment in a 3-3/4" x 5" piece to layer inside the card. Then I trimmed down the first sentiment and adhered it to the bottom of the card, added the Death Star in the upper right corner and used Dimensionals to adhere Yoda over the sentiment.


I was really pleased with the way this card turned out, and my cousin loved it, too. May the Force be with you! Thanks for stopping by!

Sweet and simple celebration card

We're enjoying a little "heat wave" this week, and while I'm sure we'll get more snow before all is said and done, it's nice to get a hint of spring. I think that calls for a little celebration ... or at least a celebratory card.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Strokes of Wisdom (Raisin Boat)
Card stock: Whisper White
Ink: Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Bitty Butterfly punch, corner rounder, rhinestones, Dimensionals

I love the clean, crisp look of this card, and I really love that it only required a few supplies: one stamp set, one piece of card stock, one ink pad, a couple of punches and one embellishment (you could replace the rhinestones with pearls, sequins, or baker's twine). It's a good reminder that I don't need to have a lot of "stuff" to create a beautiful card.

To make the ombré graphic behind the sentiment, I inked the stamp with Bermuda Bay. Then I stamped the image three times without re-applying any ink. I added a birthday sentiment inside the card, but this design would work for many other occasions, too: graduation, anniversary, first communion, confirmation, or even a wedding. You could switch the ink to the recipient's favorite color or ones that coordinate with the occasion, such as school or wedding colors.

Thanks for stopping by!

February 2015 Paper Pumpkin: Mini cards and envelopes

In my previous two posts I shared the thank-you cards and accordion birthday cards I made from the supplies in the February 2015 Paper Pumpkin kit. Today I'm going to show you the last group of projects: sets of four mini cards (made with the accordion cards) and coordinating envelopes in the kraft boxes.

Each of the accordion cards in the Paper Pumpkin kit had eight panels. By cutting a card at every other score line, you can get four cards that are 2-3/4" x 3-3/4" -- the perfect size for adding to a gift or  tucking in a lunch box or briefcase.

To create envelopes I used coordinating Designer Series Paper (DSP) and the Envelope Punch Board. The punch board didn't have this card size listed on the chart, so I tried making an envelope for a 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" card. As long as the cards are pretty flat and not too embellished, they fit just fine in this size envelope. And the envelopes fit in the box too. Perfect! Here are the four card sets I created:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Kit: February 2015 Paper Pumpkin (Layers of Gratitude)
Stamps: Layers of Gratitude
Paper: DSP Patterns Stack - Brights
Ink: Basic Gray, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Pool Party
Accessories: Envelope Punch Board, Dots and Stripes Decorative Masks, orange baker's twine

This card set I made using the stamps from the kit ("thanks" is stamped inside each card). The baker's twine, Pool Party ink and Daffodil Delight ink also come with the kit, so I just added a couple of extra ink colors and the DSP for envelopes. I also used the dots mask to line up the polka dots in the card on the right.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Kit: February 2015 Paper Pumpkin (Layers of Gratitude)
Stamps: Fourteen Phrases, Perfect Match (demonstrator incentive stamp sets)
Paper: Everyday Enchantment DSP
Ink: Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, Soft Suede
Accessories: Envelope Punch Board, rhinestones, Blossom Builders, 5/8" neutrals brads

For this set and the next two I used a DSP belly band instead of ribbon to close the box. After making the envelopes I had a strip of DSP left over that was 1" x 12", so I wrapped it around the box to make the belly band and decorated it with flowers and a large brad.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Kit: February 2015 Paper Pumpkin (Layers of Gratitude)
Stamps: Think Happy Thoughts
Paper: Pawsitively Prints DSP, Whisper White card stock
Ink: So Saffron, Pink Pirouette, Ballet Blue, Old Olive
Accessories: Envelope Punch Board, 1-1/4" and 1-3/8" circle punches, Itty Bitty Accents punch pack, pearls, Mono Multi liquid glue, Flower Fusion Too, 5/8" neutrals brads

This set used a more pastel color combo, and it definitely makes me think of spring. I ran into one problem with this set: After I stamped the sentiments on Whisper White card stock and punched them out, I realized that they did not match the white of the card bases. So I punched slightly larger circles out of the DSP and used them to mat the sentiments. You can still tell the whites are different, but at least they're not right next to each other.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Kit: February 2015 Paper Pumpkin (Layers of Gratitude)
Stamps: Small Sayings
Paper: Blue foral print from Friends and Flowers Simply Scrappin' kit
Ink: Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Old Olive, Tuxedo Memento Black
Accessories: Envelope Punch Board, gold sequin trim, washi tape (from the Hooray It's Your Day card kit, Retro Fresh, Beach House, and Season of Style), Fleurettes II Accents and Elements, In Color printed brads, Glue Dots

Washi tape was a fast and easy way to add color and pattern to these cards without the extra weight or thickness of card stock or DSP. The gold sequins were an afterthought, but I think they finish off the designs nicely. (I apologize that this photo is a little blurry. I didn't realize that my camera auto-focused on the envelopes and read the cards as the background. The sentiment on the second card reads: "Friends are the family you choose yourself.")

I definitely had a lot of fun with this Paper Pumpkin kit. I can't wait to see what this month's kit brings. Thanks for stopping by!

February 2015 Paper Pumpkin: Accordion birthday cards

In my last post I shared the thank-you cards I made with the felt letters from the February 2015 Paper Pumpkin kit. Today I'm going to show you four birthday cards I made with half of the accordion cards and boxes.

This picture is a little teaser because it shows all of the finished boxes with their projects inside, but I'm only going to show you what's inside four of the boxes in this post -- the four boxes that are standing. The boxes lying on the table contain sets of four mini cards and envelopes, which I'll share in my next post.

I think these boxes are so cute; I even traced one of them to have a template so I can make more of my own. The unassembled box fits on a sheet of 8-1/2" x 11" card stock, and with straight cuts and a few score lines it shouldn't be too difficult.

I stamped the boxes for the accordion cards using Crumb Cake ink and tied them closed with various ribbons and trims. The ribbon can be untied or just slid off to open the box. And what a surprise for the recipient to pull out a card like this:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted):
Kit: February 2015 Paper Pumpkin (Layers of Gratitude)
Stamps: Layers of Gratitude, Endless Birthday Wishes
Paper: Top card: Strawberry Slush, So Saffron, Pink Pirouette card stock; Bottom card: Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight card stock
Ink: Top card: Memento Tuxedo Black, Strawberry Slush, So Saffron, Pink Pirouette; Bottom card: Memento Tuxedo Black, Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Top card: Pink sequins (from August 2014 Paper Pumpkin kit), Sherbet and Button Latte Designer Buttons, white and Blushing Bride baker's twine, Dimensionals, Glue Dots; Bottom card: Bermuda Bay sequins, Pool Party baker's twine, Dimensionals, Glue Dots
Other: Cricut machine and Jubilee cartridge for letters (Provo Craft)

I love how these cards turned out! I followed the same idea as in the kit instructions but changed the sentiment and made the designs a little more elaborate. Some of the stamped images -- the stripe, large polka dot, and "I just wanted to say ..." -- are from the Layers of Gratitude set from the Paper Pumpkin kit. The rest of the images are from the Endless Birthday Wishes set.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Kit: February 2015 Paper Pumpkin (Layers of Gratitude)
Stamps: Layers of Gratitude, Endless Birthday Wishes
Paper: Top card: All Abloom Designer Series Paper (DSP) Stack; Bottom card: Summer Smooches DSP, gold glimmer paper
Ink: Top card: Memento Tuxedo Black, Daffodil Delight, Blushing Bride, Mossy Meadow, Strawberry Slush, Island Indigo; Bottom card: Memento Tuxedo Black, Real Red, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Top card: Wooden stars (from Hooray It's Your Day card kit), Mono Multi liquid glue, Dimensionals; Bottom card: Gold sequin trim, Brights Designer Buttons, Banner punch, white baker's twine, Glue Dots, Dimensionals
Other: Cricut machine and Jubilee cartridge for letters (Provo Craft)

For the previous two cards I used a patterned background with solid-colored letters. For these two I decided to try the opposite: I stamped a large circular image (from the Paper Pumpkin kit) for the background and cut the letters out of DSP. Which style do you like better?

Come back tomorrow to see the last group of projects I made with this Paper Pumpkin kit: boxes of four mini cards and envelopes. Thanks for stopping by!