Today is my favorite blog hop of the month. I just love playing with the Paper Pumpkin kits to see what else I can do with them. I sorta ran out of time with this month’s kit and only made three alternates. This was a special month for Paper Pumpkin. It’s the ten-year anniversary and I can only that the kits are getting better and better. If you’re not yet a subscriber, you really should consider subscribing. It’s a lot of fun. And, now it’s time to take a peek at my March 2023 Paper Pumpkin alternates.
Today’s Projects – mARCH 2023 pAPER pUMPKIN
This month’s kit is all about plants with different backgrounds and lots of leaves to add to pots. The die cuts are beautiful and the backgrounds are stunning. This is one kit where it was hard to make alternates because the cards as designed are gorgeous! Read on to see how I made each of these.
Today’s Color Palette
The color palette for today’s cards comes from the kit itself. One of the things I like about Stampin’ Up! and Paper Pumpkin is the awesome coordination between products. The Paper Pumpkin kits coordinate with the Stampin’ Up! supplies and it makes it so easy to create alternates.
Alternate #1 – March 2023 Paper Pumpkin
For this alternate, I colored the window with Orchid Oasis and Fresh Freesia blends to make it look like stained glass. Next, I put the pot in front of the window using a dimensional towards the bottom to allow room for the leaves. I finished the pot by adding a selection of leaves from the kit. I stamped the sentiment using Polished Pink ink which came with the kit and embellished it with some Opaque Adhesive Backed Gems.
For the inside, I stamped another sentiment from the kit. I also lined the left panel to hide where the blends bled through. If I had more time would have stamped a few leaves on the inside to make it a little more special.
alternate #2 – March 2023 Paper Pumpkin
A few weeks ago I saw a blog post by Terri Gaines where she made an accordion fold card. I wanted to try it and this was a perfect opportunity. Basically, you score the code and then fold it so that it fits in the envelope. When I saw the bookcase image in the kit, I thought this fold would be perfect. I had to trim the card down to 5″ to make the proportions with the bookcase work. For the ‘DSP’ on panels, I cut up two envelopes to use the pattern on the flaps. As with Alternate #1, I attached the pot with a dimensional on the bottom and then filled it with leaves. This time I stamped the sentiment using Orchid Oasis ink but used the same Opaque Adhesive Backed Gems.
On the back panel, there is room for a greeting between the sentiment and the leaf.
Alternate #3 – March 2023 Paper Pumpkin
This alternate is a little much, but I wanted a gatefold card. Again, I used the envelope flaps for the ‘DSP’. They weren’t quite long enough so I cut them in half and attached them to the top and bottom leaving a gap that is covered by the belly band. The belly band is constructed from a strip of Orchid Oasis cardstock topped with an element from the kit. The gold Happy is also from the kit. And finally, I tucked various leaves under the band. The front sentiment is embellished with two Opaque Adhesive Gems.
The bookcase image fits perfectly into the center of the gatefold card with a pot constructed similarly to the other two alternates. If I had more time, I would have lined the two sides and stamped more pots and leaves.
I hope my cards inspire you to look at the March 2023 Paper Pumpkin in a different creative way. Now it’s time to see what the others have done with this kit. So, grab a beverage, sit back and relax, and enjoy the hop!
