Back from Zihuatanejo with February's Paper Pumpkin and Alternatives

Well, I am back home again after a wonderful vacation in Zihuatanejo, Mexico! It was probably one of my all time most relaxing weeks ever and I have come back really refreshed and looking forward to sharing more papercrafting projects with you, including today's projects brought to you by February's Paper Pumpkin.  Thanks for sticking with me after a quiet couple of weeks.  

Here are some photos of my wonderful week in Mexico:

Downtown Zihuatanejo

Our Club Intrawest Resort

Me and the hubby on the beach

Looking down on the pool area.

Another view of downtown Zihua!

Here's what awaited me on my return home:

So I decided that my project to share with you would be February's Paper Pumpkin and my variations on it.

This is the project as Stampin' Up! intended, and it was easy to complete using the handy directions in the box:

The kit comes with the kraft envelopes that you assemble yourself!

I decided to try and do a different theme besides "Thank You", so I chose birthdays:

• For this design, I added Retro Fresh washi tape for a bottom border and got out the Sale-A-Bration Stamp set called Big Day for the birthday images and sentiments.  I used the same colour scheme of Daffodil Delight, Pool Party and Tangerine Tango.
• By the way, the H is for Happy Birthday and the I is for ice cream.  I made the I from one the the Ts by cutting off the edges. I was pushing it, I know.  I was trying to come up with birthday words using the felted letters from the kit, which are all the letters in the word 'THANKS'. I was drawing blanks, big time!  What words can you come up with using those letters? I decided I would just used single letters that would have some significance, however slight, hence the H and I.

Here's the final design I came up with last night:
                                                                                 

This one is a wedding card design, with the additions of Something Borrowed Designer Series Paper, the Something Borrowed Embellishments, and Your Perfect Day stamp set. I used Sahara Sand and Pool Party for the simple colour palette.

Here is the envelope I designed for this card:

This uses the paper doilies and Pearls from the Artisan Embellishments Kits, and some Sahara Sand Lace Trim.

Now, I want to let you know that buying a 3 month prepaid subscription to Paper Pumpkin, which is 

on sale right now for $68.85, will not only get you the delight of creating some great papercrafting projects for the next 3 months, it will be enough to earn you a Sale-A-Bration reward as well. You can order this through me.

                        

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the Stampin' Up! products used to make this card today!

Product List

Big Day Clear Stamp Set [139112]	Big Day Wood Stamp Set [139109]	Retro Fresh This And That Washi Tape [133001]	Your Perfect Day Clear Stamp Set [138853]	Your Perfect Day Wood Stamp Set [138850]
Your Perfect Day Photopolymer Stamp Set [137160]	Something Borrowed Designer Series Paper [137785]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad [126944]	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [126982]
Tangerine Tango Classic Stampin' Pad [126946]	Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad [126976]	Something Borrowed Embellishments [137855]	Sahara Sand 7/8" (2.2 Cm) Lace Trim [137866]	Glue Dots [103683]

I Lived Through The Sixties and Seventies!

I did live through the sixties and seventies.  I AM retro!  I tend to have a different view of the colours and styles of that era than the newer generations who are all into retro.  I actually remember the seventies especially, with dismay - not the planet's best decade! Polyester bellbottoms!  Avocado and harvest gold appliances!  And don't get me started on disco music.  In my memory, the colours and hairstyles all look like the yellowed photos that we took back then.

But I was ready to wade back into the 70s just for you, to create a retro Valentine card.  And in case you haven't guessed by now, I'm using the Retro Fresh products and colour scheme.

Get ready to go back in time:

• I used Washi Tape again! (Little dance, patting myself on the back)  It's the Retro Fresh washi tape which coordinates with the Retro Fresh DSP which you see on the bottom panel.  I'm kind of warming up to this colour palette of Baked Brown Sugar, So Saffron, Coastal Cabana, Tangerine Tango and Very Vanilla.
• I didn't actually have a lava lamp back then, but I think one of my boyfriends did, if I remember correctly.  In the days before Facebook, it was quite entertaining to watch the globs of "lava" change and transmutate!  This image is from the Crazy, Mixed Up Love stamp set, and I'm planning a couple more quirky Valentines using this set.  Keep tuned.

• The Coastal Cabana panel was embossed using the new Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and the Big Shot.  Wow!  That's quite a deep texture!
• The circle was created by laying strips of washi tape over an area about 2 3/4" square, then using the 2 1/2" Circle Punch to punch it out, tape and all.  It works very well and you still get nice crisp cuts.  The So Saffron starburst shape behind it was die cut with a Starburst Framelit die.

• I just finally took delivery of the Just Sayin' stamp set and Word Bubbles framelits.  I ordered them as a bundle and saved 15%.  This one is just perfect for this card.  I'm going to have some real fun with these, I can see. 

What was your favourite decade?  How about your least favourite?  And the most important question of all - what do YOU think about disco music?  Let me know in a comment below!

To purchase any of the products listed below used to make this project, simply click on the links which will take you directly to my On-Line Stampin' Up!  Store, where you can view the products and make a purchase if you like.  You can have it delivered right to your door!

• Crazy, Mixed-Up Love Wood-mount Stamp Set
• Crazy, Mixed-Up Love Clear-mount Stamp Set
• Just Sayin' [english, wood]
• Just Sayin' [english, clear]
• Retro Fresh Designer Series Paper
• Baked Brown Sugar 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
• Coastal Cabana 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
• So Saffron 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Very Vanilla 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad
• Tangerine Tango Classic Stampin' Pad
• Retro Fresh This And That Designer Washi Tape
• Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
• 2-1/2 Inch Circle Punch
• Starburst Framelits Dies
• Word Bubbles Framelits Dies
• Just Sayin' Wood-Mount Bundle
• Just Sayin' Clear-Mount Bundle
• Hung Up Cute Clips