Aloha, all!
Over the past few years, Stampin’ Up!’s monthly kit, Paper Pumpkin, has had what I consider its best kits during the winter holiday season. While not everyone celebrates Christmas, most people in the Paper Pumpkin world (North America) celebrate other fall and winter holidays. And Paper Pumpkin has come to our rescue right in the middle of the holiday season with great little stamp sets that seem to complement my holiday collections perfectly.
Last Month’s Kit for Halloween/Autumn
The September 2020 Paper Pumpkin Stamp Set was the first stamp set this year that felt as if the Paper Pumpkin folks really knew was was missing in the Stampin’ Up! catalog. And they gave it to us! Nowhere in Stampin’ Up! this year was there a witch’s hat. And, while there is a pumpkin that you can make into a jack-o-lantern in the Banner Year stamp set, that’s it. Here we have this gorgeous line art pumpkin and can stand by itself – or become a jack-o-lantern. That, along with the variety of sentiments, means this stamp set is great for the entire fall season.
October’s Kit – The First Christmas Kit
October’s Paper Pumpkin kit arrived in the mail on Sunday (yes, Sunday!) and I spent Tuesday morning putting together all the gorgeous cards from two kits. That alone – 16 cards added to my stash of Christmas cards – would have made this kit a success. But I’ll be using the sentiments from that kit for the rest of the season.
I’m just leaving this stamp set out on my work table for as long as I’m making Christmas cards. Not only is that Merry Christmas over on the left perfect for a card front, there’s also another stamp the same size as the “Merry” that says, “To You and Yours.” It would have been hard to use with the labels in this kit as they were stitched around the edges. To add the second part of the sentiment would have meant words being stamped over stitches. It’s not a great look.
For the card on the right, the wreath is a perfect size for a card front with fir and some little leaves. I can stamp the wreath in one color green and fill in the leaves with another. And of course there is a stamp with little red dots to fill the wreath in with berries. That will be fun!
The Other “Merry Christmas”
Those of you who may have seen pictures of this month’s cards (or you’ve made your own!) might not recognize the sentiment on the card at the right. That’s because I wasn’t thrilled with the “Joy to the World” and other sentiments for this card design. I really do like Merry Christmas. If I hadn’t had the A Wish for Everything Stamp Set and the Word Wishes Dies in my stash, I would have been fine with the kit’s offerings. But I do have both in my stash, so I die-cut the word “Merry” in gold foil (as the kit’s “Joy” and “Love” and “Peace” were) and stamped the word “Christmas.”
What’s Coming Next Month?
While the October Paper Pumpkin Kit had cards with a floral flair, November’s kit is going to exude cuteness! The theme is Gingerbread, as in Gingerbread houses and candy elements. While I loved making some cards that I imagine an adult might like, I’m really thrilled to be making cards that kids might like. I do have to admit, though, that most adults I know really like the kid stuff better!
If the timing works for me as it has the past few months, my kit will arrive at the beginning of Thanksgiving week. By then I’ll have mailed out all of my Thanksgiving cards and will be ready for the final push to get my Christmas cards done. I can hardly wait!
The Bottom Line
I’m anticipating that the December 2020 Paper Pumpkin Kit will have some sentiments that will go well with the products that will be in the January – June 2021 Mini Catalog. And I’m really crossing my fingers for some hearts and such that will help with my Valentine’s Cards. Even if the kit products are meant to make something other than a card, you can be sure that I’ll be making cards with whatever is in the kit. I highly recommend that you consider a Paper Pumpkin Kit subscription! And here’s a sneak peek idea: just order the next two kits. Then, when Sale-a-Bration starts in January, buy a big subscription and get FREE SALE-A-BRATION products! It’s a win-win!
Happy Stamping!
