November Paper Pumpkin in a Tablescape

While I was away at OnStage Local, my November Paper Pumpkin arrived! Can I confess something? I love to sit and put together my Paper Pumpkin each month, when I get a chance. I've been a stamper and a scrapbooker for many years and design most of my own cards, but I eagerly look forward to a chance to just sit down and craft and let someone else make all the design decisions. I know people like to come up with alternatives, but even though I could, I really don't want to. There is something so soothing about pulling out the directions and following them. And the projects are all so high quality and so well designed, that I like them just the way they are. Once in a while, I'll have an Ah-ha! moment and come up with something original, but mostly I just put them together and enjoy myself immensely!

Here's all the stuff you get with this month's kit:

There's enough material to make 10 Christmas cards and still have some of the materials left over. You also get a Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Spot, but I already have a Cherry Cobbler ink pad and so put the Spot in my Door Prize container.

Here's what the two designs for the cards look like if you put them together following the directions:

Aren't they well-designed? I love the mistletoe and the holly and the little red pearls! I also love the mini-Dimensionals that came with the kit! I'd love to have the option of buying those as well! So useful!

Have you signed up for Paper Pumpkin yet? For just $24.95 a month (which includes shipping) you could have this nifty little creative break once a month! You don't need a ton of equipment - just some adhesive. Everything else is included and look at what you can craft! Just go to My Paper Pumpkin and click on Subscribe, and I'd be honoured if you would select me as your demonstrator!

My Ah-hah!! moment involved using the cards as cutlery and napkin holders for a Christmas dinner tablescape. I added names with the Rotary Alphabet stamp and some Tea Lace Paper Doilies and they look great. With 10 of them and the possibility of ordering more next month when they become available, you would have enough for most moderately sized dinner parties.

The cards are the perfect size for holding cutlery!

I think next time I would leave out the stamped holly leaves so as to have more room for the name.

This one is my favourite! I used the Bitty Banners Framelits for the name label.

Prepaid Subscriptions

Did you know that you could purchase from me Prepaid Paper Pumpkin subscriptions for one month, 3 months, 6 months and a year? They make wonderful gifts for older kids and anyone who likes to craft but is short on time, money and/or space. Or anyone really, even yourself!

You can shop online at my On-Line Store. Click on that link then click on Paper Pumpkin and then Prepaid Subscriptions. With the 6 month prepaid subscription you save $1 every month and with the One Year subscription you save $2 a month which is like getting one kit free.

Enjoy your crafty get-away!

Twelve Weeks of Christmas Week 7

How was your Black Friday?  Hope you didn't take part in any of these kinds of crazy scenarios!

When we start giving higher value to getting a good deal over a human life, we should all give our heads a shake!  Really???  I mean, these people didn't even skip a beat when they heard someone had been killed!  It sure made me wonder about where we've come.  We get all hot and bothered over someone saying, "Merry Christmas!" or professing to be a Christian, but we think nothing of trampling someone to death, just to get a bargain on some piece of inanimate junk!!?!  I know that's a huge generalization and not everyone is like that, but I see more and more evidence of twisted values these days.  I wish we could all see ourselves from a different perspective from time to time.

Sorry for the rant, but this article really threw me.  Let's get on to a more pleasant subject.  If you remember, I shared the Thankful Tablescape Simply Created Kit with you at Thanksgiving, but a little too late for you to do anything with it.  I told you then that I could see it being used, with a few modifications, for a lovely Christmas table setting as well.

So today, I got the kit out again and this time created a Christmas table scape, using the same kit, but adding some Christmas touches.  Here's how it looked:

Would you like to receive instructions for making all these elements for this festive table setting?   It's as easy as sending me an email, with your email address, and I will send you a copy of the tutorial.  It's all complete and ready to send out in two parts:  one, with the napkin holders and table tents; and the other with the candles.  Let me know if you would like me to add you to my mailing list for more projects like this one.

And if you would like to do some crafty Christmas shopping but want to avoid the zoos of the stores and malls at this time of year, why not sit back in the comfort of your own home and browse my On-Line Store.  There's huge sale going on now, but only until Monday night, so it's a great time to satisfy your stamping cravings and save up to 50% off.

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think of the incident I linked you to at the beginning of my post.