It's taken me awhile to get my alternatives done and ready to share from the August 2023 Meaningful Flowers Kit.  I loved the pretty flowers in this kit.  I'm a sucker for flowers so this one was easy to work with. 

As always, I started with cutting one of each card base in half to create alternatives.  Because these had writing on the back they didn't necessarily give me double the pieces to work with but I liked having the fronts to create with. 

This was such an easy card to put together but so pretty! 

I was inspired to create this one from one of the alternatives that Stampin' Up! offered in the instruction booklet.  They always showcase a few optional designs in the back of the instructions. I stamped the flowers in the background and then adhered the die cut piece on top.  I stamped flowers in the background on the sentiment piece as well. 

Do you like to create alternatives or enjoy the fact that a Paper Pumpkin kit makes card making SO easy?

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The April 2023 Paper Pumpkin kit "All the Little Things" did not disappoint.  The foil accents on the main pieces were beautiful. 

As usual, I created one of each card and then began playing around with the pieces to create alternatives.  This one did not have pieces that were well suited for stencils and most of the bases were one sided and pretty plain however, I did find some fun ways to create. 

These next two each use the same focal piece but look very different depending on the background I paired them with.  I used these for my weekly "this or that" on social media.  

Which would you pick?

This leafy piece is beautiful and I thought quite a bit about how I wanted to use it.  I ended up cutting one of them into two pieces which created a pretty area on the card and left a perfect spot at the top for a large sentiment. 

Still wondering about these kits?  Each  month is a new kit with an exclusive stamp set, a mini ink pad (colors never repeat in a calendar year), all the paper and embellishments needed to complete the projects and instructions. The only thing you might need...scissors! Everything else is included even the glue dots and dimensionals. 

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I can not believe that Paper Pumpkin has been around for 10 years already. I've been subscribing from the beginning and can tell you from experience that the kits have gotten so much cooler as time has gone by.  Have I loved every single one over the 10 years? No, but I've loved most of them.!  Even the ones I didn't care for I was able to make alternatives with that I did love.  Plus, did you know that Stampin' Up! offers a guarantee on the kits?  If you truly hate a kit contact them and they will help make it right. 

When I get my kits I usually make one of each project as intended and then I create alternatives. I have a few things I tend to do right away:
1. Cut the card bases into two 4 x 5.25 pieces and keep the strips that are left
2. Cut up an envelope or two if they are printed 
Doing this gives me even more to work with.

For this first card I used Crumb Cake card stock and ink. I blended a little Fresh Freesia with a blending brush and then stamped the leaves over it. The gold leaves are punched from the leftover gold from the happy die cuts. I added a die cut with a sentiment, some linen thread and sequins. 

I stuck with Crumb Cake and again stamped with the same color ink for the background. I did add some Fresh Freesia with my blending brush to the pot for some added color. The polka dot background is cut from one of the original card bases. 

It's pretty light in the photo but I did add some Fresh Freesia to the white base before I stamped the leaves.  These butterfly embellishments were the perfect compliment to these cards.  You'll notice I used them on quite a few! 

Did you catch that we have Small Blending Brushes now?  I love the small size when I'm working with a small space or item. 

Two more very simple alternatives.  Again, the butterflies are a perfect accent. 

Don't forget about using the negative space on the die cut pieces as stencils. It creates a gorgeous background on the card stock. 

I trimmed the bookshelves down for both of these cards.  I thought the vellum was a great coordinating item! I also like the bookshelves matted on color rather than all white. 

A simple but pretty Easter card was the last project I made with the kit. 

If you prefer video you can catch all these on Instagram or Pinterest. 

Interested in getting your own Paper Pumpkin kit?  Check it out here! Be sure to sign up by the 10th of the month to get the next kit.  You can cancel or pause anytime. Contact me with any questions. 

Looking for more alternatives for your Paper Pumpkin kits?  I have a board on Pinterest where I share my designs and pin others. 

The Sunshine and Smiles Paper Pumpkin kit is such a cute kit! I haven't had a lot of time to play with it but I've had a chance to make a few alternatives. 

The Cloud Punch is a perfect compliment for this kit. I added some lines with my black Stampin' Write marker. 

I think this will make a perfect baby shower card! I love these umbrellas. 

Remember to cut down your bases to give yourself a lot more options! 

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Better yet, get a pre-paid now through Tuesday and you could earn a FREE Sale a Bration reward and possible host rewards as well.  Check out this graphic for details. You can order on an online store order or contact me.  You will receive an emailed code after purchasing. 

Here are some of my alternatives with the Ho Ho Ho Paper Pumpkin kit from October.  As usual St! created a wonderful kit.  Originally designed to create nine cards but I chose to make alternatives. 

I love when they include a die cut that works as a stencil.  This snowflake design was perfect! Grab your Blending Brush and a ink of choice and you can create this background too.  I chose the back side of the piece to apply color to so that I could still use the intended side on a card when I was done. 

Here is a closer look.  

The Real Red Pearlized Enamel Effects were a great addition to the middle of the snowflakes.  

This Santa stamp is so cute.  I stamped him and fussy cut him out. I paired him with a piece from the Celebrate Everything Host DSP pack. 

If you've seen my designs in the past you know I like to cut up the printed envelopes as well.  This card was one I created with pieces of some of the envelopes after I had cut them. 

This is another card using part of the envelope as well as a leftover piece of the card bases I cut down. I cut apart the hohoho die to create three separate pieces as well. 

This is one of my favorites and it's such a simple design! I adore the fonts in the new Framed & Festive stamp set. 

One final alternative. 

If you are not a subscriber you can sign up here.  The November kit is tags that coordinate with this kit! 

I had a lot of fun with this kit! I loved the boxes it was designed to create but it was easy to use the pieces for cards as well.  

For this first card I paired it with the Scary Cute stamp set from the July-December mini catalog. The line of trick or treaters makes such a cute background. 

When I cut apart one of the lids to use it had score marks already so I added more to create a fun background.  A little splatter with a marker and some of the various elements from the kit makes a simple but festive card. 

Here I cut the web section from the box lid and then layered it on another piece of the white lid. A few web stamps and it's a quick and easy card!

The plaid design in all the fun colors might be my favorite part of the kit.  This is another very simple card layout that is easy to recreate. 

When I cut apart the lids I ended up with the flap pieces leftover but I didn't want to throw them away.  I decided to try layering them and thought it turned out pretty cute! The Glitter Washi tape has quickly become a favorite. Anything that adds sparkle without mess!

I had this piece of Designer Series Paper from the Host paper pack Celebrate Everything sitting on my desk and thought it was perfect to pair with the purples! 

Which is your favorite?  Do you send Halloween cards? 

If you enjoy seeing my alternatives each month consider subscribing to get your own kit! I love them, both for the projects as intended and for the fun alternatives I manage to create. New for my customers is an exclusive set of PDF instructions for alternative projects emailed to them each month.  These are designed by a number of different demonstrators so you get lots of styles of projects.  The PDF's are emailed typically by the end of the first week of the month. Sign up for Paper Pumpkin here. 

This is one of my top five kits of all time! It is so beautiful.

I thought I'd share a visual of how I cut down my card bases to create extras. I take each one and trim on the long edge to make it 5 1/4 in and then rotate and trim to create two 4 in pieces. If the strips are of varying colors I'll keep them to create a card using only strips. 

With the sunflower water color piece I cut it in 1/2 again to create two focal pieces I could use. 

The larger piece on this card is actually from an envelope. I cut out main design with a circle die (which you can see on the last card). I layered the other pieces so they would cover the area that I had cut out. I also tied the ribbon through the edge of the circle so it did not go all the way around the layered base piece. 

Stamping on a printed piece of paper can create a fun look. 

Another technique I used on some of the cards was to make the included gold honeycomb pieces a mask.  Using a blending brush I was able to add a subtle pattern to my card stock. These are very simple single layer cards! 

This is another very simple card that lets the beautiful watercolor do the work. Cards don't have to be complicated to be amazing!

Another card where I used the honeycomb as a mask. 

This is the card I created with the cut out piece from the envelope. I stamped the leaves behind it and layered it on a scallop circle. The Solid Faceted Gems are one of my favorite embellishments. 

Which is your favorite?  You can sign up for Paper Pumpkin here or email me with questions. 

I've been behind sharing all my Paper Pumpkin alternatives but I finally got all of these done and ready! I love all the new In Colors so this was a fun kit to use.  I appreciate that they gave us a sample of all five colors! 

The big Happy stamp was perfect for creating a focal point on my background. I figure this card can be used for a birthday or any other milestone celebration.  

Simple card designs at their best.  Sometimes we don't need a lot to create a great look. 

This card was created using part of an envelope.  I love to cut up envelopes with pretty patterns inside and use them to create more cards. 

You can't go wrong with circles! 

If you are interested in getting a kit delivered to your door each month you can sign up or get more information here. I'm always happy to answer questions as well. 

The cheese and bread images did not speak to me with this kit but I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to create alternatives when I sat down to work with it!

I didn't want to use the  panel with the pink blanket type image in the middle so I cut around it and loved how it created the pieces that lined up nicely in the corners. 

Cutting this card in two pieces allowed me to get even more use out of it. I typically cut the front and back pieces to 4 x 5 1/4 and then layer on cardstock. 

The Brushed Brass Butterflies were the perfect accent to add. 

Don't forget about cutting apart the envelopes to use the inside design. 

Cutting this card front in four pieces created a different look.  Very simple! 

I love how this one turned out! I used Calypso Coral as the additional color for this monochromatic look.  

Which is your favorite?

,Once again, Stampin' Up! provided us with a wonderful creative kit.  As I like to do, I made up one of each as shown in the directions and then proceeded to create my alternatives. 

The negative space from the die cuts are great to use as stencils. Here I used part of an envelope, ink and the blending brush to create the leaf image and then stamped my sentiment over it. A truly simple card! 

The pre printed cards were beautiful but I didn't find ways to cut them up.  Instead I simplified this one. 

The envelopes, though, were perfect this month! They were printed on both the inside and the outside giving me even more ways to use them. 

Although I didn't find ways to cut up the front of the pre printed cards this was a fun way to create an alternative. I flipped the card inside out, die cut an opening and then closed it back up.  It provides a cool opening and look to the card! 

This one uses both the inside and the outside of an envelope.  Add a few punched pieces and you've got a card! 

All of these use parts of envelopes! 

If you're interested in getting your own Paper Pumpkin kit go here to learn more or sign up.  Be sure to be signed up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit.