A Paper Pumpkin Thing Blog Hop

Happy Monday!

I'm just back from working at a show in Boston this past weekend, and while I was there, my friend Pam asked me if I wanted to be part of a blog hop today featuring the Paper Pumpkin Kit for April, designed by Sara Douglass.

I actually had my kits with me on that trip - I love doing those in hotels to wind down from crazy days at shows - it is fun and relaxing to just CRAFT, without having to design anything, and also to come home from a trip with some cards I can mail.

This kit was really fun and different. It came in a super sassy black and white box, with accents of our new ink color - Lemon Lime Twist - that will be in the catalog in June. It was so punchy and high contrast and all the things I love. There was also a little watercolor and a lot of black and white - seriously - all my favorite things. Well - minus cats. Not sure if Sara is a cat person, despite the numerous cats I've photoshopped onto her during her #catvention presentations.

But I wanted to do something using the AMAZING envelopes that came in the kit. I love it when they give us fun envies, which is happening more and more often in these kits. This month takes the cake. Black and white and splattered with a fun striped inside.

I wanted to highlight Sara's adorable color choice with a card that popped into my head as soon as I saw the sneak peek of the box.

It just cried out for a little T-rex. :)

InLinkz.com

Isn't he the cutest??

I did a couple fun tricks to make this card.

First - I cut down the envelope to 4" x 5.25" so I could fit it on a card front, and put glue on the two open sides to seal it closed. Then, I lined up the "wild about you" sentiment in my MISTI until the edge of the white section went between the I and the L.

I stamped the sentiment first in black ink - so half the image shows in the white part - the other half doesn't show on the black envelope. I made sure the ink on the black side was dry, and then used my embossing buddy to be sure it wouldn't pick up stray embossing powder.

I used Post-It masking tape to mask the right side of the white rectangle which would normally be for your address, where the black part of my sentiment was. Then I re-inked the stamp in white ink, and embossed with white embossing to have the second half of the sentiment pop in white.

The T-Rex and the sentiment are from a set that will be in the new catalog called Pieces & Patterns - not available until June 1. It's completely adorable and perfect for this kit! (If you do not already have a demonstrator and would like a catalog when it comes out - fill out my catalog request form.)

To color the T-Rex, I just scribbled the blue and yellow pencils on top of each other on a scrap of watercolor paper, picked some up with a wet Aquapainter, and painted him. This is an easy way to get quick, blended color. Since I was fussy cutting him, I didn't even have to stay in the lines.

Here's what the card kit looks like without a T-Rex. So fun. It came with four mini watercolor pencils and a little paintbrush as a gift.



I really hope we have more Sara-inspired card kits - this one was certainly a home run.

Paper Pumpkin is a monthly kit, featuring both cards and some 3D items - you can pre-pay for a kit, or get a subscription - just note that you have to be subscribed by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit. Each kit comes with paper, adhesive, stamps, ink and accessories - and your first kit comes with a clear block. It's $19.95 per month/kit - with free shipping.

Once the kit has shipped, refills become available while supplies last which contain all of that month's consumables (no stamp set or ink will be included).

So if you want to see some incredibly creative projects that are really outside of the Paper Pumpkin box, visit these lovely ladies to see what they've done with it.

Andrea Tracy-Tucker 

Pam Staples  

Dena Rekow  

Melissa Davies  

Kim Smith  

Kimberley Morris  

Sara Levin  

Cindy Schuster  

Maria Willis  

Jennifer Hill  

Rick Adkins  

Lori Mueller  

Carolynn Sander  

Cathy Caines  

Monika Davis  

Sue Plote  

Megan Thompson  

Tina Riddle  

Cindee Wilkinson  

Rachel Tessman  

Lydia Fiedler  

We are giving away a very special prize to one visitor today - one of your very own Sara Thing Paper Pumpkin kits! If you leave a comment on all these designers' blogs, you will be entered to win this kit and put your own T-Rex on it :). Drawing closes on Saturday, April 29th at 9 PM EST. The winner will be announced on Monday, May 1, 2017.

The next blog on the hop is Andrea's! Hop on over!

Thanks for stopping by today. 

loveyameanitbye.