Peonies and Paper Chains

PPA 202: Paper Pumpkin Pretties

Hello friends. So happy to share today's projects with you...it is been so hard to keep them under wraps the last few days!

Earlier this week I had a chance to play with the April Paper Pumpkin kit and came up with all the projects you are about to see. The day that I worked on the kit just so happened to be the day when I needed to submit my design team project for Pals Paper Arts. For PPA 202, we are focussing on a very contemporary color combo:

What a fabulous combo! I love the bright pops of color and the Crumb Cake provides beautiful grounding to it all.

For those of you who are Paper Pumpkin subscribers, you may have already realized that the April kit does not contain these colors. To create the projects I am sharing, I "converted" the Calypso Coral elements to Real Red and grabbed my ink pads in the combo colors. Details on that conversion and the other secrets behind the projects will be shared the next few days.

What I'm most excited to share with you today is the entire collection that I created...enjoy!

Hope you've enjoyed seeing all these projects! As I said I'll be revealing the secrets behind these creations the next few days. Which of the projects would you like to hear more about first? The framed art, the stand up tags, or the card holder...please let me know by leaving a comment! (And fingers are crossed that my comments are working since they were not for a few days).

If you have yet to visit the Pals Paper Arts site today, please be sure to head over and see what the other design team members have created!

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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Simply Swallowtail for PPA 199

Hey there friends! It has been ages since I pulled out my Swallowtail stamp and I finally did so to create today's project. The colors use for the challenge were inspired by the latest Pals Paper Arts color challenge (PPA199) and I used the watercoloring technique that I shared yesterday. Take a look:

In a moment you'll see me pull away the piece of cardstock on the right, however I first wanted you to see the difference that spritzing some water on the stamp can make, the Swallowtail's left wing was spritzed with water and has a muted effect and a solid effect on some lines. The right wing was not spritzed and you see far more of the detail from the stamp.

The colors? 

The Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz, and So Saffron make for a very lovely and sophisticated spring color palette!

 As a result of the spritzing and stamping on Natural White card stock, I found that the Swallowtail took on a beautifulnatural curve when snipped out. So pretty that I simply could not glue it down flat. So, on went a few Stampin' Dimensionals and now here it sits...

The bag is from the February Paper Pumpkin kit. To say I like these bags is an understatement -- they are fabulous! I love the tickness of the bag, their size (8-1/2" long x 3" deep x 5-1/2" high), and it was so much when we dyed the ribbons! Right now, Stampin' Up! is piloting a program where Paper Pumpkin subscribers can order past kits (or parts thereof) and this opportunity is only available to subscribers! The bags are available now...I am sure they won't last long!

Today is the last day to join Paper Pumpkin and receive your Welcome Kit in April. The Welcome Kit includes the delightful "hey there friend" and splotches stamps. See my favorite project with the Welcome Kit stamps here -- it just so happens to feature the Swallowtail stamp!

As a perk for Paper Pumpkin subscribers who list me as their demonstrator, I send a clear mount stamp case during the second month of the subscription and every 6 months thereafter. Perfect for storing the exclusive Paper Pumpkin stamps. Join Paper Pumpkin today and if you need a demonstrator, I'm happy to assist you -- Kerry Bray in NH.

What will you create with this color combo? Please share it with us this week over at Pals Paper Arts! And get ready for next week when we have something really special in store for the 200th PPA Challenge!

Wishing you a creative day!

 

 

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More Paper Pumpkin, More Sale-a-bration

Hello friends...let's call this Mega Post Monday! Six projects for you to see today. Yes, you read that right - six projects!

I've been itching to finish using the supplies from the amazing March Paper Pumpkin kit and with the free markers promotion ending today, I figured that now was the time to do so! I wanted some fresh inspiration when doing so and I turned to several sketch challenges when doing so. Take a look...

Everything you see above is in addition to the Paper Pumpkin Pretties that I shared last week! Can't wait for you to have a closer look at everything...   

The thank you card was inspired by the Pixel Maven's DigiChallenge (PMDC-042):

 

 

This bold birthday card was inspired by the Catherine & Cathy Create: March Cards Challenge (CCC #026) that asked participants to "digital-ize" and use a number. We have plenty of 5 year old birthday parties in our future, so this was a safe bet! 

 

The "love ya" tag was inspired by the Catherine & Cathy Create March Tags Challege (CCC #027) that encourages the use of negative space. 

 

Congrats cards are always good to have on hand and this color scheme works well for any recipient! Freshly Made Sketches 129 (FMS129) inspired the layout for this card you just saw:

 

 

The final Paper Pumpkin project incorporated one of the stamps that came with the set -- that's where that graphic pattern comes! I used a 1-/4" punch for all the circles and the gold that you see is from one of the envelope liners.

 

I'm thinking that you just may want to see all the projects that I created with the March kit...here you go:

While I did add in some cardstock, ink, and embellishments, the kit contained plenty of supplies to make 8 fabulous cards. Stampin' Up! has definitely stepped up the kits and I think they are an incredible value!

March 31 is the last day to receive a free set of 2012-2014 In Color Markers when you subscribe to Paper Pumpkin. Sign-up today and receive your welcome kit in April! Whether you live near or far, if you do not have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I'd be happy to serve in that capacity -- Kerry Bray in NH.

 

Remember I mentioned a sixth project? It is a big one and the whole family was involved in one way or another...even the dogs who walked on it when the girls had it down on the floor. It is my very last Sale-a-bration project and it features the Sweet Sorbet Designer Series Paper. You get a look at it now and I'll be sharing more about it Tuesday.

The colors of the project are fabulous, however, my jaw dropped open when I applied the black & white filter to the image and I just had to let you see that today along with a sliver of the full color version. There are two project elements that you don't see in this photo -- you'll see them soon! 

The Sweet Sorbet Designer Series Paper worked incredibly well for the calendar. If you don't yet have the paper, please remember that Sale-a-bration ends today!  Up until 11:50 pm Mountain time on 3/31, when you place a $50 product order you can select the paper for FREE!

 

I should probably congratulate you for getting to the bottom of the post! There was so much to see! If you enjoyed the projects, please be sure to leave a quick comment to let me know.

Thanks so much for stopping by and allowing me to share these ideas with you! Happy creating.

 

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The Stampin' Up! Sale-a-bration Stroll

Hello friends. Hope you've been having a fabulous weekend! With Sale-a-bration ending tomorrow (March 31), I thought it might be fun to stroll on through some of the projects I've shared this year that feature Sale-a-bration exclusive items. Enjoy!

Visit the original post for the Heartfelt Banner kit cards

 

Take a closer look at this project using the Decorative Dots Embossing Folder and Heartfelt Banner Kit 

 

Get the details behind this Decorative Dots card and coordinating box

 

Watch the video and download the free PDF tutorial for these Petal Parade boxes

 

See a series of cards by attendees at my monthly stamp class that feature 3 Sale-a-bration exclusives -- Sweet Sorbet Designer Series Paper, the Banner punch, and Petal Parade

 

Visit the original post to download a free PDF tutorial for this Sweet Sorbet framed art

 

Take a closer look at this card featuring the Banner punch, Decorative Dots embossing folder, and the Good as Gold card kit

 

One Paper Pumpkin Pretties makes use of 2 Sale-a-bration items...can you spy which one it is? Speaking of Paper Pumpkin, tomorrow is also the last day to get a free set of 2012-2014 In Color Markers when you subscribe -- don't miss out because these kits keep getting better and better!

 

Re-visit this framed Easter art that makes good use of the banner punch

 

Of all these projects you've seen today, which one is your favorite? Please sure sure to leave a comment...I'd love to know which one appeals to you most.

Tomorrow you will get to see my final Sale-a-bration project and I'm very excited to share it with you! Stay tuned!

 

Have a wonderful day and thanks so much for visiting!

 

 

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Paper Pumpkin Pretties!

Hello friends! As some of you know, I've been a Paper Pumpkin subscriber from the very beginning...and it dawns on me that Paper Pumpkin turns one this month! Happy Birthday, Paper Pumpkin!

As someone who has now received a full year of Paper Pumpkin, I can tell you that Stampin' Up! has serioiusly stepped it up when it comes to this product! The projects are getting better and better and the contents of the kit have grown significantly. I made everything you see above and still have oodles of supplies left! Need the evidence? Here you go...

That's five full card bases, several woodcut embellishments, and plenty of gold glimmer stickers to go! Plus there are the gorgeous shimmery envelope liners and the envelopes, too. I can't wait to create more with the March kit!

Here's a closer look at what I created:

The Bermuda Bay and Crushed Curry card stock were added into the mix as were all the Framelits cuts, the embossing, banner punches, and the stamps. The little gold glimmer stickers, the wood cut congrats and the striped paper all come in the kit. 

The card on the right was inspired by the latest Mojo Monday challenge -- such a fun sketch!

The tags show off the photopoymer stamps from the March Paper Pumpkin kit so well! The Stampin' Spots in the kit are Island Indigo and Calypso Coral -- you'll notice that I used Basic Gray for the tag on the right. The woodcuts come plain and I then colored them were with my metallic Encore ink pads...

Both the silver and the gold worked so well! Metallics are very popular these days and adding the ink to the woodcuts was an easy way to incorporate a little more shine and shimmer!

These little treat holder tents show off the gold and silver side by side...which metallic shade is your favorite?

If you are a current Paper Pumpkin subscriber, I hope you are having as much fun with this kit as I am!

If you are not receiving Paper Pumpkin each month, consider giving it a try! 

 

ONLY 5 DAYS REMAINING! The last day to receive a FREE set of 2012-2014 In Color Markers is March 31 -- receive the markers free when you become a new Paper Pumpkin subscriber! If you do not currently have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I'm happy to have you join Paper Pumpkin with me as your demonstrator (Kerry Bray in New Hampshire).

 

BONUS: All of my Paper Pumpkin customers receive an empty clear mount stamp box from me during their second month of the subscription and a new box every 6 months thereafter. The box is the perfect place to store your exclusive Paper Pumpkin stamps!

 

POST UPDATE:  I've already tapped into the remaining stash for the March kit! I saw a card my fellow Stampin' Pretty Pal Diane Roberts created for the Friday Mash Up challenge (FM152) and it inspired me to pull out my Undefined turtle/honu  and wave stamps and pair those with the Paper Pumpkin card base. The stripes on the card make me think of a beach towel! Here's my latest Paper Pumpkin creation:

 

 

This card is such a stark contrast to the Frameltis Dress Up card above and shows you how you can create very different looks from the same set of supplies!

  

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Stampin' Up! News and a Sneak Peek!

Hello friends! So much great news from Stampin' Up! this week and I'm delighted to share it with you. I've also got a sneak peek of my last Pals Paper Arts design team project. Let me get started...

All are amazing deals! My hot picks: Crisp Cantalouple Ruffle Stretch Trim, Pewter Stampin' Emboss Powder, and the Scallop Trim Border Punch. Order your Stampin' Up! weekly deals today! 

 

I'm drooling over the download of the Gold Sequin Trim! Get your new MDS downloads.

 

 

Free markers with My Paper Pumpkin Subscription Ends on March 31! Paper Pumpkin just keeps getting better and better! Subscribe to Paper Pumpkin today! 

 

SALE-A-BRATION IS WINDING DOWN!  Earn a FREE Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration exclusive product for every $50 you spend during Sale-A-Bration.  ENDS MARCH 31.  Learn more about Sale-a-bration!

 

Want to attend a giant stamping party?! You can register to attend the Stampin' Up! Convention for FREE! This offer is good for anyone who purchases a starter kit from July 1, 2014 until convention registration closes. This is a value of $295! Learn about becoming Paper Chain Pal today!

 

Ready for that sneak peek?

 

Not one, not two, but three cards! And frankly, you'll be seeing even more than that!

 

Wishing you a fabulous day! Happy creating!

 

 

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Five on Friday: A Pastel Palette!

 

Happy Friday, friends! So thrilled to be sharing today's Five on Friday post with you...you get a color combo and a project all in one! You actually had a peek at it earlier this week. Remember the photo that looked like the girls and I were dyeing Easter eggs? 

 

We had so much fun using ink refills and water for our DIY colored ribbon! Our color palette: 

Quite the rainbow -- Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, and Coastal Cabana! This combo is a true blending of Brights and Subtles shades...our end result was definitely on the subtle side. Take a peek and the process and end result (including where these fun ribbons landed).

Small glass cooking/measuring cups were perfect for the project. I filled to the 50 ml line (just shy of a 1/2 cup) and the added a healthy squirt of re-inker. A quick stir and then in went the ribbon cuts. 

 Little hands can definitely get a bit ink covered! Love that it looks like Brooklyn is signing the letter "e" here. When it came time to remove the ribbons I put on a pair of gloves and rinsed between colors.

 The ribbons were all added to the towel on the counter and off we went to play outside...it was a 50 something degree day!

The girls stayed busy climbing up and down the North Mountain (from the movie Frozen) again and again and again while the ribbons dried.

The colors definitely toned down a good bit once dry. In hindsight to achieve more vibrant color, we should have let the colors sit while we were outside...lesson learned!

Where did they land? On five bags from the February Paper Pumpkin Kit! We actually colored ribbons for a full dozen bags since I received 6 bags in each of the two kits that came my way last month.

These are two fully decorated bags. They will be used for the end-of-year teacher gifts that Brooklyn will give. Six letter words are definitely the limit on these...five would be much better!

This is by far my favorite Paper Pumpkin kit today, however, I just received a sneak peek of the March kit and I cannot wait for it to arrive at my house! That one may soon de-throne the bags for favorite!

Something else I love about Paper Pumpkin is that new subscribers receive a FREE set of In Color Markers until March 31! Don't miss out! Sign-up today!

Wishing you a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by and happy creating!

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The Whole Kit and Caboodle!

Right after typing the title for this post I had to Google it to be sure that there was nothing derogatory behind...thankfully there is not! As we wrap up the weekend, I wanted to take a minute to talk with you about Stampin' Up! kits because I am positively hooked on them and think that you will be too if you give them a try!

On Friday, I held my monthly papercrafting gathering and everyone assembled the Hip Hip Hooray card kit. What an amazing value! Twenty cards, three fabulous stamps, and a Stampin' Up! The only thing you need to assemble the kit is a pair of Paper Snips and sticky note to do some masking (alternately a Stampin' Write Marker works). I think everyone had fun assembling these and I also gave a live demo of how to make the boxes with lids that I shared last weekend. In my book, this kit is a great investment and can easily yield a couple fabulous gufts for teachers, colleagues, or friends.

Look at those incredible contents! What you see above is the contents of the February Paper Pumpkin kit. Six sweet little gift bags to make. When is the last time you saw adorable six gift bags with embellishments for $19.95 plus tax? I'll be sharing what I've done with this kit later in the week! 

As I said at my gathering on Friday, I really believe Stampin' Up! has really increased the quality and value of kits these last several months. I've been thrilled with every kit that I purchased from the Occassions catalog and think there is only one that I have yet to purchase!

Now you may be saying to yourself, "Of course Kerry is going to tell us the Stampin' Up! kits are great...she stands to benefit if we buy them." And, yes, it is true, I do receive a small commission when you purchase your Stampin' Up! supplies from me...I'd be lying if I didn't. What I can tell you, though, is that I use and promote the products that I love and think you will too. Stampin' Up! is not the only thing I do -- I work outside the home three days week and do my best to focus my time and attention on family as possible while still juggling things like laundry, cooking, and with my blogging and other aspects of my Stampin' Up! business the rest of the week. Kits allow me to quickly and easily create fun projects to share with you...and that is just one more thing to love about them!

If you have yet to purchase a kit from the Occasions catalog or to become a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, I encourage you to give one or both of these options a try! If you subscribe to Paper Pumpkin by March 10, you'll get your welcome kit this month and you'll also receive a FREE set of 2012-2014 InColor Markers!

Happy crafting, friends! Thanks for stopping by!

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Sneak Peek and Stampin' Up! Specials!

Here's a little Sepia tone sneak peek for you! The next Pals Paper Arts color challenge kicks of on Thursday morning and I absolutely cannot wait to see what the rest of the design team has cooked up. While I can't reveal the colors to you, I'll tell you that I think it is a very sleek and sophisticated palette! Anyone care to take a guess at what it might be? 

Did you happen to stop over at the Stampin' Up! blog yesterday to see the latest digital downloads and the weekly specials?

Here are my hot picks for the week:

Coastal Cabana Ruffle Stretch Trim -- this weekly deal is just $6.71!

 

Everything Easter Ensemble -- 40% off bringing it to $8.71!  Take a look at some of the fun Easter projects we created last year at my house with this ensemble!

And my hot pick for the new digital downloads is:

 

Another Great Year stamp brush set -- can't you see getting lots and lots of use from this?!

 

On top of all that, there are several other incredible Stampin' Up! specials right now:

 

Free markers with your new My Paper Pumpkin Subscription - sign-up today! And, if you don't have a demonstrator, I'd be happy to be yours!

  

WHICH FREE GIFTS WILL YOU CHOOSE?  Earn a FREE Stampin' Up! product gift for every $50 you spend during Sale-A-Bration (Jan. 28 - March 31).  Get all the details!

Thanks for stopping by...be sure to come on back for the big color reveal for the Pals Paper Arts Challenge!

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Five on Friday: A Color Combo to Get You Creating!

Hello friends! Happy Friday!

You love color combos and I love sharing them! Today's Five on Friday is a new color combo that I hope will get you creating! 

Most weeks I simply pull out supplies or look at a photo I've taken and these actions generally inspire the color combos I share. Not so this week. Today I really must give credit to Stampin' Up! My Hip Hip Hooray designer card kit arrived on Wednesday (in the midst of a big snow store...thank you UPS) and I am loving it! I love the the papers, the stamps, the embellishments, the price point, and the colors! Today's combo was pulled straight from the kit.

This color combo is...

fresh

and spring-y

and a little bit dreamy. 

Pull out the colors and you'll see what I mean!

And, as for the Hip Hip Hooray Kit, I think it is an incredible value -- $19.95 for 20 cards! I can't wait to sit down and put all the cards together!

Would you like one of the Hip Hip Hooray cards to see this kit for yourself? Place an order*, subscribe to Paper Pumpkin, or purchase a Starter Kit through me by  Monday, February 10 and I will send you one of the assembled Hip Hip Hooray cards as a thank you! 

* Fine Print: An order solely for the free MDS softwaretrial and/or other free downloads will not count.

For those who love a great value and want to create quickly and easily, be sure to take advantage the current Paper Pumpkin promotion! 

The FREE Marker offer ends on Monday, February 10! Join Paper Pumpkin here and be sure to choose me as your demonstrator -- Kerry Bray in New Hampshire.

Happy crafting friends! Thanks so much for stopping by and do be sure to come back soon!

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