Peonies and Paper Chains

Peek Away!

Happy Tuesday, friends! Hope those of you who had a long holiday weekend enjoyed it! While we did not travel or do anything particularly special, it was a great weekend. Part of what made it wonderful was family time and part of it was that I managed to carve out a few nbig chunks of time for creating! And I am sneak peeking a few projects today!

Before we get to those projects, I want to show you a peek at the September 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit:

The sentiment stamp is NOT part of the kit...I did not make my bag up at the Stampin' Up! Inspire. Create. Share. gathering in July so I had to substitue with another. Want to see the stamps that are in it? Open a new browser and Google "September 2014 Paper Pumpkin" and look at the images that come up. 

For those who are curious, the kit contains 6 of the adorable burlap bags and based on the images I found in my Google search, I suspect that 3 are striped and 3 are polka dotted. Don't hold me to the mix of patterns in case my guess is wrong!

 

Paper Pumpkin provides a fast, fun, and easy way to be creative! And now is a fabulous time to give Paper Pumpkin a try!

Get 50% off* your first two months when you sign up by September 10. Go to MyPaperPumpkin.com and use promo code: HALFOFF2. 

After your first two months, keep the creativity coming for just $19.95 + tax per month (shipping included). Each month a fully designed project kit will arrive at your door with stamps, ink, and paper—everything cut and ready to go.

It’s commitment-free! You can cancel or suspend your membership at any time—really! So, go on, give it a try. What do you have to lose? (Except some boredom.)

*For new subscribers only, not valid on prepaid subscriptions. Discount applied to one kit per month for the first two months of a new subscription.

To say I am excited for the September kit to arrive is an understatement! Can't wait!

 

Yes, friends, that would be Old Olive!

Today I owe both an apology and a thank you. An apology to all for the big oops in my most recent Five on Friday color combo and a thank you to Lynn G and Katie J for noticing this an point it out to me. Here's the corrected graphic for you to pin away...

If you missed it, Old Olive was originally labelled as Elegant Eggplant...forgot to change over that name from my last combo!

 

Ready for the peeks of some projects you'll soon see here on Peonies and Paper Chains?

Here you go:

Which one are you most excited to see? Be sure to let me know by leaving a comment and you just might influence the order in which I share them.

Thanks for so much for stopping by -- have a creative day!

 

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$51 of FREE Stampin' Up! Products and a Frightful Sneak Peek!

 

Happy Friday, friends! lots of things to share with you today!

From August 21 to 28 only, Stampin' Up! is giving you a chance to receive up to $51 in FREE products when you purchase a starter kit! Select up to $150 in products and pay just $99 plus tax! How cool is that?! This is the perfect time to stock up your craft room!

Oh, and one more thing, you'll enjoy a discount on your Stampin' Up! purchases until the end of January 2015! Very cool, indeed!

Click here to learn more or to purchase a kit today!

 

These completely cool bags will be in the September Paper Pumpkin Kit! And, when you join by September 10, you'll receive your first two kits for 1/2 price! This offer applies only to Paper Pumpkin subscriptions that you order through the My Paper Pumpkin site. Sign-up today!

Note: The sentiment stamp shown is not included; purchase it in the Kinda Eclectic stamp set.

 

It is Friday and that means it is time for a brand new fie on Friday color combo! This one is Halloween inspired:

 

See the combo in action on this sneak peek at the Frightful Wreath Simply Created Kit (available Aug. 28 to customers and available today to demonstrators and that includes brand new ones who are just purchasing a starter kit)...

The spider was so much fun to assemble and I promise that it was easy! You'll see the rest of the wreath on Monday! What do you think so far? 

 

 

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Just can't put this stamp down!

Seriously having a hard time putting down the "Make today ridiculously amazing" stamp from the Amazing Birthday stamp set. It is one that I received at the Stampin' Up! Inspire. Create. Share. event back in July -- thank you, thank you, thank you Stampin' Up!

This stamp makes for the perfect birthday sentiment and I've been thinking about other opportunities for using it as well. Here are a few ideas:

• first day of school...how sweet for your special little one to find in their lunch?
• college move in day...who wouldn't smile to find this tucked in their suitcase?
• wedding day...what bride or groom wouldn't be happy to see this as they get ready for the day?
• first day on a new job...wouldn't this make for a nice little welcome card for a new colleague?

These are just a few examples! I'm also thinking this could work for retirement, a vacation, going skydiving or rock climbing or scube diving or some other fun activity.

The possibilities are endless.

What other ideas do you have?  Please be sure to share them in the comments! Reading this in your email? Click the post title above to be taken to my blog.

And I'm thinking you just may want to see the rest of this project. Here you go!

It was a fun card to make and to achieve the background, bryaer up a piece of Whisper White  cardstock with some ink (I used Daffodil Delight), and, once dry, emboss with the Honeycomb textured impressions embossing folder.

Looking for a fast, fun, and easy way to be creative?

Now is the time to give Paper Pumpkin a try! Get 50% off* your first two months when you sign up by September 10. Go to MyPaperPumpkin.com and use promo code: HALFOFF2. 

After your first two months, keep the creativity coming for just $19.95 US/$24.95 CAN + tax per month (shipping included). Each month a fully designed project kit will arrive at your door with stamps, ink, and paper—everything cut and ready to go.

It’s commitment-free! You can cancel or suspend your membership at any time—really! So, go on, give it a try. What do you have to lose? (Except some boredom.)

*For new subscribers only, not valid on prepaid subscriptions. Discount applied to one kit per month for the first two months of a new subscription.
 

Have a creative day!

 

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It's a Pumpkin Party! Stampin' Up!

While I was away in Salt Lake City, the July Paper Pumpkin Kit arrived at my home. I've had a chance to crack it open and start playing...

I'm not done yet and will be sharing the finished projects with you soon! 

And, while I was in Salt Lake City, I had a chance to play with the September 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit.

SPOILER ALERT!

 

For those who love surprises, close your eyes and start to scroll down. 

For those who want a peek at the September kit, keep those eyes open...

Adorable, right? The sentiment comes from the Kinda Eclectic stamp set and shows that while the kits has a clear Halloween feel, that you can create non-Halloween projects with it too. I think these little canvas bags would make sweet place settings at Thanksgiving time.

 

Loving the pumpkin projects you see? Now is the perfect time to subscribe!

Now is the time to give Paper Pumpkin a try! Get 50% off* your first two months when you sign up by September 10. Go to MyPaperPumpkin.com and use promo code: HALFOFF2. 

After your first two months, keep the creativity coming for just $19.95 US/$24.95 CAN + tax per month (shipping included). Each month a fully designed project kit will arrive at your door with stamps, ink, and paper—everything cut and ready to go.

It’s commitment-free! You can cancel or suspend your membership at any time—really! So, go on, give it a try. What do you have to lose? (Except some boredom.)

*For new subscribers only, not valid on prepaid subscriptions. Discount applied to one kit per month for the first two months of a new subscription.
 

Why subscribe to Paper Pumpkin through me?

You'll receive a wood mount case for string your stamps and stamping spots...in fact, you'll receive a new case every six months.

Monthly Paper Pumpkin Pretties to show you more possibilities for your Paper Pumpkin contents.

Subscribe* in the next 24 hours (by July 30) and I will have a special surprise for you! Don't you just love the idea of a surprise landing on your doorstep next week?

* US customers only and must choose Kerry Bray in NH as you demonstrator when subscribing.

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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Pinwheels...let us count the ways!

Friends, put on your thinking caps! As we count down to the reveal of my tutorial for creating super easy pinwheels, let's put together a list of the fun ways that you can use pinwheels.

Here are some ideas to get us started:

1. Place a pinwheel on a card or tag

 

2. String up some pinwheels to create a banner

 

3. Add some pinwheels to a home decor piece

click here for this original post back in spring 2013

 

3. Stick a pinwheel (or two or three) onto the front of a gift bag (you'll see this idea in action tomorrow)

 

4. Attach a pinwheel to a headband or barette 

 

Let's get together some more ideas! Please leave a comment with an idea you have on another way to use a pinwheel! 

 

The June Paper Pumpkin Kit is what got me so completely hooked on pinwheels! Can't wait to see what July has in store for subscribers! Don't miss out on the Paper Pumpkin fun... subscribe today!

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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Paper Pumpkin Pretties June 2014

Thanks to the June 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit, my Celebration Basics Banner got a facelift!

And the girls will be completed decked out for the Fourth of July...pinwheel pops, necklace, pinwheels, and...

pinwheel headbands!

And, as much as this little model was all for having her picture taken with the Paper Pumpkin Pretties, she did not want to stay still long enough for me to get a slew of photos!

A few tips for these projects...

For pinwheel pops, use a 1/8" handheld punch to make the pre-cut holes from the Paper Pumpkin kit larger before you got to insert a lollipop...skip this step and you are likely to simply tear up your pop.

For the "Fourth of July necklace", cut a single straw into 5 or six pieces and then string onto some White Baker's Twine. Add ribbon between some or all of the "straw beads" to add more interest and color. You could also alternate the "staw beads" with buttons and/or colorful wooden beads.

For the pinwheel head band, cut a strip of scrap cardstock approximately 1/2" x 2" - adhere the strip to the underside of the headband and then use several Mini Glue Dots (in the kit) to attach pinwheel.

For the banner, use some cuts from your 1-1/4" circle punch and several glue dots to attach the pinwheels to Baker's Twine. Alternately, you cold punch holes in your pinwheels and mount them right along your celebrate banner pennants...since my banner has been up since Januaruy and we have no plans to take it down, I went for the option of a seperate sting just for the pinwheels. 

FUN FACT: Stampin' Up! is currently making past Paper Pumpkin Kits and refills available to subscribers only. These items are only available while supplies last. If you are not yet a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, subscribe so that you can take advantage of getting some of the amazing past Paper Pumpkin kits! See what is available here, subscribe today, and then contact me to purchase past kits or refills.

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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P.S. Hands down the Celebration Basics Kit is the product from the spring Occassions catalog that I was most excited to see carried over in the new annual catalog. The banner has been hanging in our home since Januaryu and we enjoy looking at it daily and finiding things to celebrate each and every month! Order your Celebration Basics Kit today!

Pinwheel Pops and More!

It has been so much fun creating with the June Paper Pumpkin kit! The girls are most excited about the Pinwheel Pops that you see above. So festive and sweet! I'll be sharing the full set of Paper Pumpkin Pretties tomorrow...be ready for some red, white, and blue goodness!

If you simply can't wait until tomorrow to see the full kit contents, check out this video direct from Stampin' Up!:

 

Also from Stampin' Up! are some new sweet weekly deals, including 3 sets of Framelits...

What a perfect time to add some Framelits to your paper crafting supplies! 

And, as we near the end of June, I want to be sure you are aware two Stampin' Up! offers...one that ends real soon!

GIVE OR RECEIVE PAPER PUMPKIN in 3, 6, or 12 month pre-paid subscriptions! What an incredible way to share creativity with others or to enjoy it yourself! More details (and my May Paper Pumpkin Pretties) here.

LOVE TO PAPER CRAFT OR WANT TO GIVE IT A TRY? Test drive the incredible benefits of Stampin' Up! being a demonstrator! You get a fabulous deal on the kit and a discount on your Stampin' Up! purchases through at least October 2014. There's no obligation to purchase anything beyond the kit and no penalty to drop.  

Until June 30th, select up to $55 in products for $50 plus local tax OR select up to $125 in Stampin' Up! products for just $99 plus local tax when you buy a starter kit. Both options are perfect for the hobby crafter! Learn more about the benefits here!

 

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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Paper Pumpkin Pretties - May 2014

Finally got a chance to open up my May Paper Pumpkin kit on Sunday night and play! When I opened it up and thought about the upcoming birthdays and all the people to whom we can wish a happy father's day, I decided to simply roll with the idea of father's day and birthday cards. If you have the kit, I challenge you to find a single card that looks just like mine as I only briefly glanced at the instructions and instead worked freestyle!

Be sure to scroll on down for a closer look and then I want to talk about how to make the most from a Paper Pumpkin subscription...it is definitely something you'll want to hear!

For both of the horizontal cards you see, I trimmed down the blue and green adhesive die cuts...love that they are already sticky! Cuts down on gluing time! For the card on the right, I also sliced up the "flag" into three pieces and think it looks like an emblem resting under the sentiment!

It is tough to see (it was incredibly sunny when I snapped these pics) but the card ont he left has a "bro" tag on it. Truth be called I don't ever refer to my brother as "bro", however, I decided to use it on the father's day card we send to him this year. Our dad passed away about 10 years ago so none of these are destined for him, but my brother is a dad and clearly deserving of some father's day wishes. He has two girls and they are Brooklyn and Britt's only girls as first cousins.

For the card on the left, I spliced up both the blue and green pieces from the left overs from others that I trimmed down for the prior set of cards. You can't even tell the green is in two pieces given the placement of the double pointed flag, but I promise it is! And I take it back...I think the card on the right looks very similar to one of the ones in the Paper Pumpkin instructions. I do like the mini cards in this kit...there's just something about little 3 x 3" cards.

This is the only project I created that called for other supplies this month! With the help of my Paper Snips, a couple buttons, some Marina Mist card stock, and a bit of Smoky Slate Chevron ribbon, this looks like a shirt and tie all tied together for a father's day gift! Super quick and easy to make and very fun!

Britt was helping out when I took these Paper Pumpkin images and I snapped the following photo of her:

She got a little caught up in a fit of laughter about putting an play phone in the box to give to Erik for father's day. Lots and lots of laughter! 

Now let's talk Paper Pumpkin...

Did you know that Stampin' Up! now offers pre-paid subscriptions?

And, that when you purchase these, that the full price you pay counts towards Stampin' Rewards/hostess dollars? (Yes, counts towards FREE merchandise...count me in!)

And, that when you do a six-month pre-paid subscription that you save $1 a month? Order this at the same time as some other paper crafting supplies and you'll quickly reach the $150 minimum sales to receive hostess dollars.

And with a 12-month pre-paid subscription you save $2 per month PLUS you are eligible for a $30 in hostess dollars? That is one sweet deal!

Here's how it works...

• Go online and purchase your pre-paid Paper Pumpkin Kit(s).
• After you order, you’ll receive a code via e-mail, which you can use to redeem your subscription at www.mypaperpumpkin.com.

If you’re interested in a month-to-month subscription, visit www.mypaperpumpkin.com to sign up there. I'm happy to be your Stampin' Up! demonstrator if you need one...Kerry Bray in New Hampshire.

Here are all of your pre-paid options:

12-Month Prepaid Paper Pumpkin Subscription

$215.40

6-Month Prepaid Paper Pumpkin Subscription

$113.70

3-Month Prepaid Paper Pumpkin Subscription

$59.85

1-Month Prepaid Paper Pumpkin Subscription

$19.95

 

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

 

I'm a big fan of Paper Pumpkin and have switched over from a month-to-month subscription to pre-paid...how about you? Will you be joining me?!

LAST DAY TO SIGN-UP FOR THE JUNE PAPER PUMPKIN KIT! Purchase today to receive your first Paper Pumpkin kit this month!

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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Creating the Card Holder

On Thursday, you had a chance to see the Paper Pumpkin Pretties that I created with the April 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit. One of the projects was the card holder that you see above. It was made using the sleeve that was intended to get wrapped around the frame. Here;s how I did it:

1. Added score lines creating the accordian folds for the sides -- this was only a matter of adding two lines because the paper was already scored for making a sleeve around the frame. You ultimately end up with score lines at 7/8", 1-3/4", 2-5/8", 7-3/4", 8-5/8", and 9-1/2". 

2. Applied Sticky Strip along about 2/3 of the bottom edge and (not show) up along the one side where the holder would seal together.

3. Carefully sealed the holder making sure that accordian folds were together and the bottom was securely sealed.

Part of what I love about this holder is that it will stand up on its own vertically and also rests nicely on its side! While mine was decorated to be displayed standing up, you could easily change things up and have it horizontal.

The flat card inside the holder measures approximately 4-3/4" x 5-1/2"...and while simply a flat card, it is not a problem becuase it can be displayed in the holder.

Would you like to see instructions for making a similar holder using 8-1/2" x 11" cardstock? Please let me know by leaving a comment and I'd be happy to design something for you!

If you missed the entire collection on Thursday, here it is: 

Framed art, a custom card and holder, and 6 little tags (not including the ones on the frame and card holder)...all so much fun to make! And there's one other detail that you may or maynot have noticed so I will point it out to you...

Notice that the two tags on the left and the two tags on the right appear to be freestanding? They are! I simply place a small score where the tag begins to taper downs and then carefully glued two tags together. This result is 4 freestanding tags and 2 traditional hanging tags.

Project Life by Stampin' Up! products are now available and I'm offering a product share for those who want to give them a try! Get details on the new #PLxSU products and the share!

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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A Five Minute Paper Crafting Fix!

Yesterday I shared the projects that I created using the April Paper Pumpkin kit and you heard that I had to change the colors that I used with the kit. Trading out ink pads for stamping on the white tags was no trouble at all and frankly, changing the Calypso Coral die cut pieces to Real Red was no trouble either! For this week's Five on Friday installment, I am sharing the "five minute fix" that allowed me to to easily "convert" from the coral to the red!

As you just saw, the fix was simply a matter of using my brayer to layer the Real Red ink right onto the die cut images. Originally I was thinking I would lay the hear piueces directly on the ink pad to do the re-coloring and it dawned on me that it would be way too messy! The brayer was a much better option!

Of course, I also realized there was an even easier way to go...

Leaving the die cuts within the large piece meant less mess and rolling around while adding the color!

This "five minute fix" would certainly not work for everything, however, it definitely worked for this project! When else can you imagine using this technique? Please leave a comment to let everyone know!

Project Life by Stampin' Up! products are now available and I'm offering a product share for those who want to give them a try! Get details on the new #PLxSU products and the share!

Wishing you a creative day!

 

Get inspiration in your inbox 

Shop on-line 24/7 for paper crafting supplies