Have You Heard the Good News?

If you've never tried Paper Pumpkin, now is a great time- get 50% off your first two months. With a deal like this, you'll want to invite everyone you know to give it a try too!

Offer Dates: July 23 - September 10, 2015

If you are a subscriber already, then you know how great it is! Make sure you spread the joy of Creativity in a Box delivered right to your door every month :)

Here all the details you need to know:

• Use the code HALFOFF to join Paper Pumpkin before September 10, 2015, and get 50% off the first two months! After that, keep the creativity coming for only $19.95 + tax per month (shipping included).
• For new subscribers only
• Available for month-to-month subscriptions, not prepaid subscriptions
• Discount applied to one kit per month for the first two months of a new subscription.

Ready to give it a try? Just go to MyPaperPumpkin to sign up!

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Creative Inking Blog Hop: New Accessories

Welcome to the July Creative Inking Blog Hop! Come learn about new and beautiful products to accessorize your creations.

In picking my favorite new accessory, I puzzled over what is exactly an accessory... so I went with both a very general usage of the word and a more specific one ;)

If I'm allowed to stay on the more general side, I would say hands down that my favorite new accessory is the new Bold Butterflies framelits. It is lacy and full of butterflies so what is not to love! And it matches my favorite new stamp set from last month's hop- Watercolor Wings. Such a beautiful combination.

But just in case by accessory one wants to talk about non-paper products that you actually use on the card (instead of to make the card) then I'm thinking this beautiful metallic string is going to be awesome! I am just getting into this trend of looping string on the back of things. It scared me at first, but I'm really starting to like it now :)

Hope that inspires you to try out some of the new fun stuff in this year's catalog.

Now hop on over to Kristine to see what she has in store for us this month.

Or head backwards and see what BJ's favorite new accessory is!

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Apple Tree

As if ice cream, cupcakes, and trees weren't enough- we can also use this stamp to make clouds!

This card is also a creation from my Mom. To get the bigger sized tree the trunk is stamped 4 times. Once upside down (so the branches are like the roots going into the ground) and then three times on top to get all the branches. Then just cover the whole thing is covered with the leaf stamp repeatedly.

I'm loving the cute little basket filled to the brim with apples. That stamp is also the cupcake base :)

I hope you liked all the Sprinkles of Life samples. Remember- if you purchase this set Stampin' Up! donates $3 of the proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House. That means you are crafting for a good cause.

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Cherry Tree

So now we've made both ice cream and cupcakes with the puffy punch. How about a tree top next (score three for versatility!).

My mom made this adorable little cherry tree card for me (we had our own little mini swap with the Sprinkles of Life stamp set). I love the use of the leaf stamp for a background along the left hand side of the card. So creative!

And did you see the little cherries on her tree? She punched the tiny circles out using the 1/16" hole punch and then glued them on using dots of Tombow. Talk about attention to detail!

So are you tired of Sprinkles of life yet? I hope not cause I love it! I've got one more tree to share...

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More Cupcakes

I love baked goods... so it is no surprise that cupcakes are a yummy treat. Alas, once again they don't go so well in the mail though, so why not send a card with a little cash for a cupcake instead :)

Once again this card uses the Sprinkles of Life stamps, matching punch, and the Cherry on Top DSP. To get the sprinkled look on my cupcake I just tapped the small end of the InColor markers on the stamped frosting. I really like the look of the mini sprinkles that it gives.

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Yum... Cupcakes!

Here is some more Sprinkles of Life fun for you. This time instead of using the punched out image as a scoop of ice cream it is the frosting for a cupcake! I love it when an image or punch can be used for multiple things. Versatility rules :)

This card also features the Cherry on Top DSP stack. This little pack of paper is just packed full of bright colors and images- perfect for a party!

When I first put this card together I had the Watermelon Cardstock base naked... but I don't do well with bare space! So I added the little sprinkle stamp all over and love how it dressed up the card.

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Ice Cream by Mail

What is better than an ice cream cone on a hot day! Well, I suppose if you don't like the cone a bowl is preferable :)

Since I can't send ice cream in the mail (sounds sticky!) I'll settle for this cute card instead :) It is made using the new Sprinkles of Life stamp set and matching punch. I am loving this set- and I haven't even been able to get it yet (p.s. thanks Mom for letting me use yours!). And do you see that fun washi tape- that is from the Cherry on Top collection. It is perfect for birthdays- or even just bright, cheery summer fun!

Check out how I attached the ice cream scoops to the card. I added a dimensional at the bottom and attached the tops down flat. That gave each 'scoop' the nice full feeling of being plopped on the one before. Give it a try!

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June Paper Pumpkin: Xtra Ideas for the Pennants

I was really excited to play around with the pennant pieces and see what other ideas I could come up with. Hope you like the inspiration too!

For the first alternate sample I made the smaller pennant per the directions. However, I used a half sheet of Tip Top Taupe cardstock for the base instead. I really like how it turned out with the darker background- I think it made the flags pop out even more than on the original (which I already loved!).

And of course when given pennants who can resist making a banner for a card :) This one was super simple- I used part of the envelope liner for a base (attached to some white cardstock). Then I placed my pennants in the curve I wanted. After that all I had to do was glue down a little twine, add some knots on top to the joints, and stamp the little flag. I cut the points of the flag by hand, but was wishing I had the new Triple Flag Punch to make the job even easier!

Did you love this month's Paper Pumpkin as much as I did? I'm for sure ordering extras!!

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June Paper Pumpkin: Xtra Ideas for the Flowers

After making two sets of the cards as per directions (one with my kiddos and one on my own) I was inspired by the pieces to play around and try out other designs.

My first alternate is very similar to the original for the sticker layout. However, this time instead of using the square they provided I cut the tip off of one of the pennant shaped cards to use for my layer. Also, instead of using the twine bunching idea I decided to use it wrapped around the layer.

Also, I was inspired by some of the samples I saw popping up on Pinterest to add a little punched butterfly to my card. I thought it was fun to use the twine for the body and antenna too :)

For this second sample I used one of the little pennants for the top layer. I cut out one of the border pieces left on the sticker sheet to use as a frame for the flower. Also, instead of the button I put the white circle on top of the flower- stamped with the dots from the center of the big flower stamp- and then placed the circle that punches out of the center of the flower on the very top. I thought the dimension of it turned out real nice :)

I also used some of the paper from the envelope liners in the background. I find that you don't really need it to go all the way into the envelope, so it is fun to use the extra length to play with!

I've got more ideas for the pennant card layout coming up.

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