Paper Pumpkin - July 2020 - Summer Nights Alternatives

Here are a couple of cute projects I made with the July Paper Pumpkin Kit - Summer Nights.

I immediately thought of backyard fun with fireflies, campfires and glow sticks when I saw this kit.

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So I made a little folder to hold some glow stick bracelets I bought at the Dollar Tree.

•  the folder  was made from one piece of Blackberry Bliss 8 1/2" X 11" Card Stock. 
•  Score 2 3/4" from either side and 3/4" from the bottom. 
•  I cut off the two 3/4" rectangles on both side flaps and only left the center with a bottom flap.  
•  I measured up 1 3/4" from the bottom of the side and cut it at a diagonal to the score line at the top for each side.

I hope this photo helps!

• I stamped the starburst with Versamark and then used the White embossing powder and my heat gun to emboss the bursts oh the outside flap. (see construction instructions  below to understand how it will be folded)
•  I also took some diluted Whisper White ink and splattered it on the paper using my Water Painter (although this doesn't seem to really show up in these photos) for just a sprinkling of white dots.

To constructed the holder:

• I folded the bottom flap up first 
•  then folded in the right hand flap and used Tear and Tape to adhere the the bottom of the side flap to the bottom flap.  
• lastly, folded in the left side using Tear and Tape to adhere the left side flap at the bottom and edges.

Making the tag:

• I used one of the shaded color cards that are included in the kit for the tag-  cut it in half and then just rounded the corners to match the other corners. 
•  I used the Versamark and embossing powder again to emboss two starbursts on each tag. 
• The sentiment from the kit is stamped in Blackberry Bliss ink.
•  I added the firefly punch outs included in the kit with dimensionals - two on the tag and one on the holder.  
• I tied the tag on using a hole punch and the new Metallic Mesh Ribbon that is in the Mini Holiday Catalog.

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Firefly Luminary Tea Light Bag

•  I traced the outline of the velum jar  provided in the kit on the back side of the luminary bag.
• using paper snips, I cut the bag about a half an inch inside the outline of the jar - not cutting the lid portion of the jar.
• I free hand cut a piece of dark cardstock to fit behind the lid of the velum jar and adhered it to the back of the velum jar piece with small amounts of liquid glue.
• attaching the jar to the bag - I applied small amounts of liquid glue on the back side of the velum jar following the outline of the jar and adhered it to the bag over the spot cut out.
• I cut a scrap piece of white cardstock 3/4" by 2 3/4" 
• Using six of the punch out fireflies and some gold metallic thread - I used Tear and Tape to adhere the string and the fireflies together and hung them from the scrap of white cardstock.

• I adhered this strip to the inside of the jar side of the bag - just above the lid.  You want to adhere this to the jar side - because it they get too close to the cut side with the starburst - they get all tangled up in the slits!  ( I found out the hard way!)
• Using one of the supplied labels - I stamped out the sentiment with the Blackberry Bliss Ink and added a few of the stars in the punch outs.
• I placed a battery operated luminary light in the bottom of the bag.
• Punching two holes in the top of the bag and one in the label - I attached the tag with the Metallic Mesh Ribbon.  

I hope you enjoyed these little projects for your Paper Pumpkin Kit!

If you haven't heard about Paper Pumpkin  - it is an all inclusive monthly card and paper crafting kit that is shipped right to your home!

If you are interested in subscribing to Paper Pumpkin 

Click here:

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Here is a preview photo of next month's Paper Pumpkin Kit - for the champions and every day heroes in your world - an easy way to show appreciation for some wonderful people in your lives.

Stampin' Dreams Blog Hop - July 2020 - Masculine Card

Welcome to the Stampin' Dreams July Blog Hop where the theme this month is a card for the men.

I am Ann Krucek, from Malvern, Ohio, and I am happy to share the masculine card I made with the Game On Stamp Set.

I thought of my boys (28 and 32) when I designed this card.  We all play cards when everyone is home, we laugh, we joke, we just have a good time around the table. My card is a bit of a no fuss card, no extra rhinestones or twine - just the way my guys would want it.

• Starting with a  Basic Gray cardstock card base - I used a die from the Stitched Triangles  and made the cut out down the outside edge of the card by just laying it about 1/4" from the edge.
• The Smoky Slate cardstock layer is 3 1/2"  X 5 1/4"
• Then I used the backside of some beautiful Peony DSP that has what I think looks has little herringbone pattern to it for the next layer - it is 3" X 4 3/4"
• I cut 4 Basic Black Triangles from the Stitched Triangle dies and adhered them to the corners of the DSP layer.
• The playing cards are stamped in black ink on Whisper White cardstock and fussy cut out and adhered with dimensionals.
• The sentiment is stamped with black ink on Smoky Slate cardstock and cut with a die from the All Dressed Up  dies - I seem to use that one a lot for sentiments - sometime running it through twice to shorten it a bit - as was the case fro this card. This was put on with dimensionals as well.
• I put a strip of black down the side of the inside edge of the card so that black would show through the cut outs going down the front of the card.
• And added a piece of white for the inside sentiment.

Here are the supplies I used:

This is a great time to order supplies since Bonus Days are happening during the month of June!!

for every $50 you spend (not including tax and shipping) you get a $5 coupon to spend in August- just in time for the new Holiday Catalog coming out soon!

You can shop with me 24/7 -just click on the store front in the right hand column!

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Now that you have checked out my card - it is time to see what everyone else is has made for a masculine card.  Just click on the InLinkz button to see all the other blogger's posts.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Tropical Nights Color Challenge - July 2020 Kre8tors Blog Hop

Welcome to our July Kre8tors Blog Hop where we are doing a Topical Nights Color Challenge this month.

I am Ann Krucek, from Ohio, USA where I am far from anything tropical!
The photo below is our inspiration, along with the color chart. It will be interesting to see what everyone comes up with.

  I struggled with the idea of palm trees and sand, so I chose to do the closest thing I can find to a tropical night around us and that is -  tropical cocktails from the Nothing's Better Than stamp set!

I had purchased the new Water Painters and decided to try my hand at watercoloring.
First I stamped the cocktail glass image with Gray Granite ink all over on Shimmery White Cardstock.  The shimmer paper takes the water a bit better than regular card stock.  There is less warping, although I did not soak the paper - I did not wash the paper with water as some people show - this would have smeared my gray ink.

I used my Clear Block as a pallet for mixing my inks.  You can see the different colors on the block and then I just mixed them lighter and darker.  I used the colors for the challenge - Rococo Rose, Night of Navy, So Safron - and I also added Pear Pizazz.  This was a fun process to gently paint each drink, squeezing out a bit more water on to my block with the Water painters when I felt I needed it.  Then when I had too much water on the piece, I just blotted it off with a paper towel.

I cut a few palm leaves from the Boho Indigo set from Pear Pizazz and Soft Seafoam scraps.
The sentiment was cut with the Ornate Frames Dies and stamped with the word Enjoy from the Pampered Pets stamp set. Like any good carmaker - I placed the sentiment over the top of what I felt was the least appealing drink!! I matted the water colored Shimmer White with a layer of Basic Black card stock and then a Pear Pizzaz card base.  I finished off the card with a few rhinestones from the Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels.

I hope you enjoyed my version of Tropical Nights!
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For more tropical fun check out all of the other talented card makers to see what they came up with!!
Anastasia is the next person up!

Here is the whole line up for you to enjoy!

Roll Call List

Melissa Tennison (USA)

Tricia Butts

Sandra Roberts (UK)

Nicole Mahler

Libby Fens

Tracie St-Louis - Ottawa, Canada

Jo Blackman

Su Mohr

Annette Elias - De kijkkast - NL

Jacqui Lawrence UK

Susan Simpson

Annette Ball - Canada

Ximena Morales

Cheryl Taylor(UK)

Jan Musselman - USA

Laura Mackie (UK)

Michelle Bryant

Janey Backer (USA)

Sharon Dalton

Ann Krucek - USA ** You are Here

Anastasia Radloff

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Here are the supplies I used for my card:

This was my first time water coloring - so don't be intimidated by it.  If you have an image you can stamp and water color in - and using our Water Painters made it pretty easy!!  

July is a great time to pick up some of your basic supplies or that set you saw in the new Annual Catalog that you found you just can't do without  - because Stampin' Up! is celebrating Bonus Days.

You will receive a code for $5.00 off in August for every $50 you spend in July.  This is just in time for the new Mini Holiday Catalog that will be coming out with new fall, Halloween and Christmas products for August ordering.

If you place an order from my online store over $35, I will send you a sampler collection of 6X6 Designer Series Papers when you use my Host Code for July/Aug E7EWR94D.  If you spend over $50 you will get the paper sampler along with the Bonus Days coupons for August.  Once you spend over $150.00 - do not use my Host Code and you get to pick your own Stampin' Rewards of 10% of your order in free products. 

Paper Piecing Quilt Stars Treat Tote and Card

Here is a fun way to add some red, white and blue touches to your home for the 4th with some paper pieced quilt stars!

 I have had several requests for the directions on my Patriotic Treat Totes from my last tablescape.

Plus I made  a card version for those who can't make it to your home this year.

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Here are the Tote directions:

•  Cut  one 10 1/4" X 5" for base, one 3/4" X 11"strip and one 3/8" X 11" strip for handle.
• Score the base at 3 1/2", 5", 8 1/2" and at 10" on the long side  -which will be your sides
• Score at 1 1/2" on the short side - for the bottom
• Cut on the score lines up to the fold line for your bottom flaps and cut out the one corner piece - see this photo I have with those directions.

• Stamp and Cut 32 of the smallest triangle from The Right Triangle Bundle.  I would suggest finding a quilt pattern that you like on Pinterest and copying that with your colors and layout of the quilt block you would like to create. I stamped a couple of different patterns out with both Read Red and     - for the pattern I chose, I also cut plain white triangles as well.
• Layout your triangles on the second large square on your scored base piece.  This can be very tedious, just remember 2 pieces of the triangles long sides together form a block - if you follow the block pattern - it is a bit easier to layout your pattern.  I used liquid adhesive to glue down all of my squares so that I could shift them into place and get them as straight as possible.
• Once your quilt square is finished, then build your tote simply by folding each side to form a box, then fold your back bottom flap down first, then the bottom side flaps in, and lastly your front flap down so that your the front of your tote has a nice smooth finish.  Once you have all of your folds made and see how it goes together than you can put some glue or score tape down along the 1/4" side flap and stick it so that the sides of your box are complete and then work on adhering the bottom flaps together.  I always like to see how the whole thing comes together before I use any adhesive!!
• Now for the handle.  Adhere the smaller strip down the middle of the bigger strip.
• Once the stripe is adhered - take your bone folder and run it along the handle to condition your paper to curve a bit for a nice smooth handle.  
• Attached the handle using liquid glue about 1 1/4"  from the bottom of the bag and the same on the opposite side.

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The square in the middle of the wood here was made the same way, only with the next size up of the triangle in The Right Triangle Bundle.

If you like quilting or putting together puzzles you will really like playing with this and making all sorts of patterns - like the pinwheel version on the left.

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Now on to the card version of this paper piecing quilt project!

• Basic card base - 8 1/2"  X 5 1/2" , scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half- mine is in Night of Navy.
• Whisper White cardstock 4" X 4 "  Run through the new Dainty Diamonds 3D embossing folder
• Real Red cardstock 2" X 4" Run through the the same Dainty Diamonds 3D embossing folder
• Adhere the white embossed piece to the red embossed piece by overlapping by 3/4" so that your finished piece is 5 1/4" long.
• Add some ribbon across the width over the line where the two papers meet and adhere the ends to the back using Stampin' Seal.  The ribbon I used is from the Boho Indigo Product medley - Night of Navy 1/2" frayed Grosgrain Ribbon but the Denim Ribbon would look just as good.
• Cut a Red square 3 1/4" X 3 1/4" for you quilt block background.
• It takes 32 small triangles to make a  block to fit this square.  Stamp and cut these in a variety of colors and patterns with The Right Triangle Bundle - using the smallest triangle - again, the easiest way I found to do this was to make a quilt square was to find a quilt I liked on Pinterest and copy the quilt by breaking it down to smaller squares.  Once I found that the two long sides of the triangles had to to together to form this pattern, it was much easier.  Like above, I used liquid glue to adhere all of the triangles so I could adjust them as I laid each on into place.
• I adhered the red backed quilt square to the red and white piece and then the red and white piece with the ribbon to the navy card base.
• Using the Celebrate Sunflowers, I put washi tape over the word you in the sentiment - Let's celebrate you and inked it up with the tape on - took the tape off then and stamped the sentiment so that I only got Let's celebrate.  
• I cut the sentiment out with a die from the All Dressed Up Dies and adhered it with dimensionals.
• Lastly, I added two red rhinestones for a little flair!
  

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Stampin' Up! will be celebrating Bonus Days in the Month of July.  So starting July 1st for every $50 you spend (not counting tax and shipping) you will get a $5 coupon to be redeemed in August.

So if there is something you have had your eye on in the new catalog, this will be the time to order so you can take advantage of this promotion! 

Have a wonderful 4th of July!!

Red White and Blue Patriotic Tablescape

Welcome to my 4th of July Table!

I am joining my talented friends for a Patriotic Tablescape Blog Hop.

Thank you to Chloe and Andrea for pulling us all together for this spectacular display of pride for our countries.

We will have lots of inspiration for your holiday fun and all the links will be at the bottom of my post.

 I got the inspiration for my table from some beautiful patriotic quilts I had seen on Pinterest.  While I am a sewer and love fabric, I have never been much of a quilter - mostly because of the time.  There are only so many hobbies(and money) a girl can have!!  So while I did not sew anything for this table,  I tried to choose from the dishes I had on hand, some that reminded me of fabric in old quilts.

 I made some  paper pieced quilt like designs for my little favor totes bags!

 I used the new Stampin' Up! The Right Triangle Bundle for these little star and pinwheel quilt designs on the little tote boxes. I stamped and cut a million little triangles and had fun piecing them all together in different quilt block designs - I think glue is a bit easier than if I had had to sew them all together!!  I also made a larger pieced project for the center of my wood frame wall art on the mantel.

This pitcher filled with waving flags was a must on the table since the design has a quilt square look to it.

I love this red tray because it reminds me of a little red wagon!  

We normally have a huge shindig here over the 4th because our little lake usually has such a spectacular fireworks show.  Unfortunately - that has been pushed back to Labor Day Weekend if all goes well with the pandemic numbers in this area.  We have scaled back out party to just include our immediate family - but I am thrilled to have them over and spend some time with them! 

 Now, as promised - here are all of the links to some wonderful table stylists, showing off each of their patriotic tables.  Have fun looking through all of them!!

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Celebrate and Decorate

Design Morsels

Simple Nature Decor Blog

White Arrows Home

Calypso In The Country

Panoply

Decorate and More with Tip

The Little Yellow Corner Store

Corner of Plaid and Paisley  ** You are HERE!

Home Is Where The Boat Is

My Thrift Store Addiction

Every Day Living

Our Crafty Mom

Life and Linda

Living with Thanksgiving

The Painted Apron

Belle Bleu Interiors

Zucchinisisters

Create With Cynthia

My Family Thyme

Follow The Yellow Brick Home

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I hope you enjoyed my Patriotic Table

and I hope you are able to celebrate pride for your country, even in the difficult times. I pray that we all can all be a kinder and gentler people.

Nothing's Better Than - Stampin' Dreams June Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stampin' Dreams June Blog Hop!

I am Ann Krucek, from Malvern, Ohio, USA. 

I have created some fun projects from the Nothing's  Better Than Stamp Set. Since I am a Chocolate lover, this bundle was a no brainer for me- it went on my list  of must haves immediately.

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The first card uses the In Good Taste DSP along with the Mason Jar Shaker Domes to hold some of those adorable chocolate chip cookies from the Nothing's Better Than Bundle.

I added a bit of ribbon on the jar from the Playful Pets Trim Combo Pack.

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The mini pizza boxes are perfect for a single cookie favor,

I found these Mrs. Fields Cookies at the Dollar Tree - they come individually wrapped with three in the box.

This is where I got my color inspiration from as well. 

The red stripe paper is from the Play Pets DSP.  I am loving the new In Color - Cinnamon Cider - I used both the ink and the Stampin' Blends for the tag. 

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The last card I made is the window of a Chocolate Store.

I used the Brick & Mortar 3D embossing folder and then brushed a little Whisper White ink over the Read Red Cardstock for the building wall.  The shelves are lined with the a little strip of the Square Vellum Doilies.  The awning is a piece of retired DSP.  

I hope you enjoyed my cards and favor!

Now on to the links for the hop - just click on the InLinkz below and they will all pop up!

You will be able to check out all of the other clever ideas from everyone else.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Kre8tors Blog Hop - June Masculine Card

Welcome to Corner of Plaid and Paisley, I am Ann Krucek from Malvern, Ohio, USA - where today I am taking part in the  Kre8tors June Blog Hop.  We are an international group focusing on sharing our creative Stampin' Up! ideas and projects. This month the theme is a Masculine Card.

I made two different cards using the Campology stamp set.

The first cards sets a camping scene on the outside,
and a little pop up action on the inside!

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This masculine joy fold card has a fun little surprise inside!

When opening up the card you start to reveal more camping equipment,

Then fully open, reveals your camping nemesis!

 I hope you enjoyed my cards - now on to more inspiration for masculine cards.
Rochelle is up next!

Roll Call List

Melissa Tennison (USA)

Libby Fens

Sandra Roberts (UK)

Jacqui Lawrence (UK)

Laura Mackie (UK)

Anastasia Radloff

Jo Blackman (UK)

Cheryl Taylor (UK)

Sue Allen - Australia

Kristie Wilson

Susan Simpson

Kirsteen Gill (USA)

Su Mohr

Ann Krucek - Corner of Plaid and Paisley * you are here!

Rochelle Laird-Smith (Australia)

Cheryl Hamilton

Dana Sullivan

Nicole Mahler

Jan Musselman - USA

Angie McKenzie - USA

Tricia Butts

Rebecca-Jo Unwin- Australia

Here are the supplies I used for each of today's cards:

For the joy fold card - I used the tiny buttons from the All Dressed Up Dies and two mini dimensionals to make my closure on the front.  I also cut a larger circle of Crumb Cake to stamp and color the tent and coffee pot on and placed it on top of the card base so that the color bleed of the Stampin' Blends did not show on the back side of the cardstock.

If you don't already have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator - I would love to be your coach!  You can shop with me 24/7 here.  Ask me about becoming a Demonstrator!!