There are lots of reasons crafters enjoy Stampin' Up!'s Paper Pumpkin program: it delivers a crafting surprise to your mailbox every month, introduces products that sometimes go on to show up in the regular line later, offers color combinations you might never have tried, and so many more. Personally, I particularly appreciate getting a new stamp set every month that often compliments others I already own. And these projects are perfect examples of that.

Both the gift bag and the "Hooray" card came from this month's Paper Pumpkin kit. I was immediately captivated by the bright, fun colors in this kit, and sat down to assemble every element immediately. (June's kit included enough supplies for 4 gift bags, tags & tissues + 6 coordinating cards with envelopes….. and as usual, sufficient extra elements to use on future projects, too.)

I knew right away who would be the first recipient of one of my bag/card combos, but the occasion called for a little bit different sentiment on the tag than those that came with the kit. So a quick exploration of my stamp sets turned up "So excited to see you!" – from "Marquee Messages". 

Visit http://paperpumpkin.yourpaperdreams.com/ and click on "How it works" to learn more about Paper Pumpkin. And if you decide you'd like to try a subscription (either month-to-month or prepaid), please select my name – Lynda Glassmoyer (Post Falls, ID) – if the system asks for the name of a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. (Thank you kindly for choosing me.)

I can't say as I've ever really been captivated by the color Emerald Envy; it reminds me of Glorious Green, from oh, SO many years ago….. which only saw daylight at my place around Christmastime. But when this kit paired Emerald Envy with Melon Mambo for this charming watermelon, well, ok, I had to admit I liked it. In fact I liked it so well I had to keep using it, even after all the elements of this Paper Pumpkin kit had been assembled!

So here's the next thing I made a pile of….. using not only the same colors and watermelon stamp from June's kit, but a sentiment from April's Paper Pumpkin kit, along with a "wreath" die from Santa's Sleigh Thinlits. (The die proved perfect for taking a "bite" out of the watermelon!) And having taken a queue from last year's "Pop of Pink" Designer Series Paper (retired), I've come to really love pairing Melon Mambo with Basic Black. Talk about making a statement! So a strip of each color anchors the bottom of the card, and the watermelon and sentiment elements are then balanced with a set of 3 small rhinestones. A very basic card with a big helping of sass, don'tcha think?

Oh, and did you know that if you're already a subscriber to Paper Pumpkin you can get a refill for the consumable elements of the kit? (While supplies last, that is.)  As of today, the refill for June's kit is still available in my online store here – for only $8 US.