Happy Tuesday and you know what today is – a tip! We have all heard the expression….if you are given lemons….find away to make Lemonade!
Know you know me by now…I am very honest an up front about how I like products, what products do I not care for and other products than Stampin’ Up! products that I find to make my Stampin’ experience better! The main thing is….to have fun and it is as simple as that!
I am going to be totally upfront….the Paper Pumpkin Kit for December was not my cup of tea….(no nasty mail please) but I found a way to make it work for ME! (I did love and appreciate the black marker…..just saying!) 😛 I like to create my families memories in a different way but I say – WOOT-WOOT as there was a BUNCH of stuff to “re-purpose”
Because we all know that Sale-A-Bration is the sweetest time of the year…..this is also a GREAT time to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin and earn Sale-A-Bration Items!
Now you might be scratching your head and saying – WHY IN THE WORLD would Susan be blogging about this if she was not crazy about what she received for a month! I say EASY ANSWERS….
- We can’t have it “our way” all of the time, people all have different tastes…
- Paper Pumpkin is a solid program that is delivered to your door every month and if you do not like it…there are ways to make it “work for you”…just like I did today.
- Paper Pumpkin is a PERFECT gift to “gift” to someone…anytime! It is a complete kit so you can have some “me time” and have fun!
During Sale-a-Bration is a perfect time to sign up for an extended membership so you can earn FREEBIES! We all love FREEBIES and there is nothing like opening up your mailbox and see that box…and then it happens…..HURRY – GET TO YOUR “SPACE” and take it ALL IN! Trust me, this happens each and every month!
Grab that next cup of coffee and watch this video….
Now is YOUR turn to see a parade of pictures on how I made this work for me. There are ALWAYS ways to make it work for you and I hope that this post not only made you smile….but also when you clicked on and saw the initial card…and then thought = Oh my, where did this come from….
I do not use the “Neutrals a bunch” as a base color (well….naturally I do use white and vanilla) but I will say, I do love Early Espresso. It is a great and solid brown that “just works” – Do you have a favorite color collection? I seem to go back and forth from the Regals to the Brights!
So I guess the moral of this Tuesday Story is…we need to make the best out of what we have.
I hope that you understand where I am coming from as there are ALWAYS ways to look at something and make it work! I am a HUGE proponent of USING WHAT YOU HAVE.…and this is what I did with this specific kit.
I will also give you an idea….IF you a Paper Pumpkin Kit that is “just not you” – donate it to a Girls Club or a Nursing Home…trust me, the joy in your heart and the smile that you will make to someone will make you easily forget that you were not a fan of that certain month….
In my opinion, Stampin’ Up! does a great job with this program and we can’t get it right all of the time….(but I will say – I LOVE JANUARY’S KIT)…..so go for it – get the rewards with the FREEBIES of Sale-A Bration……you will be a happy stamper!
The other great option with Paper Pumpkin is if you need to skip a month because “life/vacation” gets in the way – you can pause it for a month and then when you are ready….get right back where you left off! This program sure has come A LONG WAY and all in all – I say it’s a great glass of Lemonade! 😀
I like My Paper Pumpkin! Sometimes I do not care for the crafty project ,but there is always a bunch of other items in the box that I can use . Love the Photopolymer stamps ! I like the small stamp pads (great for small images and to use with Misti ) There are always glue dots and some embellishments . I NEVER want my surprise spoiled until I get my very own box ….so I stay off The PP Facebook (full of great ideas ) and I won`t look at anyone`s blog if I see that they are using the PP for the month until my box arrives .
It`s fun and I get it every month !
Sonny….I adore the fact that you love that element of a surprise! I am with you about lovin’ that the stamps are all photopolymer and I do keep them all together. I find that many times there are fabulous little stamps that are “just the thing we were looking for” with a card! Have a great day!
Great tip Susan! I was not a huge fan of December paper pumpkin either and put it in my repurpose pile until my niece sent me a picture and she actually used the pp as it was shown for all the “advice” people gave her at her wedding shower….the advice cards fit perfectly. So I told her I would pass my December pp on to her( my repurpose pile is large enough;). I do have a question for you. What do you do with all your pp. boxes? How do you store all of your pp products that you don’t use right away? ( ok that was two questions but my room is being taken over by orange boxes and I need help;)
Thank you! Have a great Tuesday!
Megan
Hi Megan and thanks for the feedback! Now for the boxes…..I LOVE THESE BOXES. What I do is unfold them and stack them flat. When you are in need of a box, simply fold IN the orange side and PRESTO – you have a great box to mail something in. I find them to be perfect for sending a couple of cookies and a card to friends!
What a great idea! Thank you Susan. I can’t wait to get some space back in my craft area when I flatten all my orange boxes. Loved reading everyone’s comments!:) I used to be a creative memories consultant as well and I am still plugging away at it but I have found Shutterfly to be a fast and easy( after the first time;) way to make some digital albums!! Thanks again!
I canceled it because most of the cards are smaller than 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 so they are much smaller than a standard card. To me the point of a kit is you can make it without extra fuss. Why would I spend $21 + and then give it away, my budget is too limited to do that. I prefer kits from the companies where you can see it and decide if you want it
hmmm..good point and I guess that I did not take notice of the smaller cards as I do love the note card size. I do hear from people that they are not fans of the 3-D’s or Home Decor ones…..I “hear you” about other kits from companies and trust me, I have purchased them as well. There are times that when I actually SEE the kit – it gets me super excited! Thanks for the input!
Susan, I think your honesty is terrific! Please keep it up. Many will feel as you do, and when you “re-purpose” it, as you’ve done, it’s only going to look better for the product!
I am smiling! I do think that it is fun to try to re-purpose it. When it becomes a game – I say – GAME ON…..let’s make something FUN! You know that I love what I do but at the same time, I am always wanting to be upfront!
Susan, your card is a great alternative! I was not thrilled when the PP arrived and did use some of the pages for very cute cards! I am one who never gets around to putting pictures in an album because it is an overwhelming process to me. But the idea of this small album had me going. I actually am almost done with putting 2016 into the album and it’s cute! I too am curious how you, the organizing guru, stores your PP. I also would love to know how you create your family memories. I am always looking for ideas!
Well….I am soooo behind in my albums but being that I was a Creative Memories Consultant – I do love that way of scrapbooking…..I guess I am a traditionalist at heart….there is just something magical about seeing pictures and stories together! I would also love to start to do some digitally as I know that they have come a LONG WAY in the fact that you can still keep them classic! If anyone has an idea or suggestion for a great digital one – please share!
Wow lots of feelings! I like PP most of the time. I didn’t care for the memory book, but I forced myself to make quite a few cards from it anyway. Susan I’ll email you some pics. Funny story, my daughter was right next to me watching me open the box. Before I got it out of the tissue paper, she thought it was a 2017 journal and said “Oh, could I have it!” Maybe that would be a good item for 2018, but then maybe I’d have to keep that one. I breakdown the boxes to lie flat and sometimes I have to recycle some of them. I used up my stash at Christmas. Megan S. great idea about the wedding advice, what a nice memory to hold too.
🙂
Oh, one more thing . . . I won’t look at any sneak previews either. I like the surprise!
You are so funny! I look forward to seeing what you did with the contents of this kit – I am sure that they are AMAZING!
stunning mix of the wood grain and die cut sentiment.
Thanks Mary….I thought that it was a great compliment with that paper. I will say that I sometimes have a tough time using that paper….it worked though!
I look forward to the monthly PP, and like you, it isn’t always one I love. There are always ways to use the products included in the kit, even if I don’t intend to follow the examples given in it. SU is such a quality company and I love following blogs from reps that creatively seek alternatives to the PP kits. Always entertained over here ?. Like a lot of you, I wait to get my PP in the mail before I look at any posts that would spoil my surprise!!!
Susan, great topic and talk here today. Thanks for all you do. ?
Thanks Ann for the comment. I agree that there are sooooo many amazing demonstrators out there that have FABULOUS ideas…..we all need to be sponges and soak it all up!
Like everyone else I get excited when my PP comes in the mailbox! I do not mind seeing ahead of time what is coming (I do that with movies and books too…sad) because when I open it up I just get excited all over again. I was not fond of December either but I saw where someone made a perpetual calendar with it to write down birthdays, anniversaries, etc. so they know when and what is coming up for that month. So this is what I am going to do with mine. I love looking at alternative PP projects. The minds are so creative and I love your card!
You make me laugh about the movie and book comment – so true….so true!!!! Great idea about a perpetual calendar!
I love Tuesday Tips 🙂 And I love that you are honest abt not particularly liking something, instead of liking everything just to sell something. But you also give ideas of how to make something work for us. The world of stamping has opened my eyes to colors (I used to not like yellow or polka dots lol). I feel so blessed to have “accidentally” found your blog. I am also blessed with the friendship and acquaintances have made through stamping and crafting.
Oh NO…..how in the world could you not like POLKA DOTS…..they are SMILE MAKERS….but I am thrilled that you like Yellow (happy color and polka dots)….I still have that $2.00 on my desk with your sweet note…..you WILL see it again……you are a blessing…..
Your truthfulness is one of many qualities I love about you, Susan. I like the fact that you review items used for your cards that we may or may not have and give us your honest opinion. I haven’t ever thought the PP was something I wanted to be involved with but now I may have to re-consider. I love your mantra about using what we have. I probably need to keep that in mind before I order PP!! LOL
Awe…you made me smile….and thank you for the kind words! I always try to share it with the way I feel. I have stuck with Paper Pumpkin from the start and I am amazed at how it has come a LONG WAY….I do totally believe in using what we have,…there is always away to make something work – remember, it is HANDMADE….and that in itself is the heart of what we do!
OK group I need to take a sip or two of lemonade. Paper Pumpkin – o.k. it is not for everyone. If you don’t like it, don’t subscribe. If you do and don’t like a certain month, make the best of it like Susan said. I didn’t care for December’s but I needed a present for a friend and that was just the ticket. She loved it and is working on it for a grandkid or her sister or someone. Anyway, she loved it. Granted I would not have spent that much on her but I would much rather give her something she would like rather than just candy or tea. I did keep the marker pen though and I do love it. Thanks SU for not sealing it in the packet. January’s kit, I love and want a refill, are they available yet? I don’t always like the project so I seek out the alternative versions and am having a great time with those. I used 2014’s Christmas card kit for part of my cards this year using alternative ideas. One person didn’t even recognize I had used the pieces from the kit and she gets PP! Last January I think I asked Tricia if Caleb would like the valentine pieces for school and he did. So, that worked out. I have traded a few things back and forth with some others too. If you don’t use all the pieces from the kit, keep them for use in the future or give them to an organization or person who does. Maybe we need to have a PP want list where we can trade stuff? I personally love the little stamps and that, to me, is the most fun out of the box! I am trying to keep all the stamps separate in a Project Life album so I can just use them if I want to. So far so good! The little ink spots have been a godsend since I am one to think I will never use up the ink – hello, they do dry out even it not used! In fact, I am even getting some reinkers just to reink the little cubes! I am trying to figure out the best way of storing those. Boxes, I love the PP boxes and am taking the stuff out, or what is left of the kit, and putting them in big food storage bags and they sit in a milk crate type thing we had not being used. It holds years of them. Boxes, can be flatted and stored in the cube too but I have been reusing them. Refold them so the brown is on the outside for mailing. I used one yesterday to mail the valentines for the children’s hospitals project. Since it was going to the project manager I decorated the part with your name on it. I used the baby bear from the Fa-la-la friends set and the part of the sentiment that says bear hugs to you on it. I used a piece of DSP from another company therefore using up some of my stash to back that piece of the box. You can do all the sides but just that one is enough for me. One of my repurposed boxes is on Donna Kish’s site Stamps Well with Others 12/20/16 post with the bear and it’s sweater on. These boxes were perfect to hold some little goodie holders to mail. One of the mail carriers actually asked me to decorate one for her aunt’s birthday present she was going to mail. The bear is holding a balloon etc. Now, that SU doesn’t tape the tissue paper with the PP label – I can reuse that tissue paper in other gift bags and such. The blue goes great with brown bags too.
Now, I love my fair share of surprises but for some silly reason I cheat and try to find out what is in it before it arrives just so I can plan I guess.
Oh and Mike thinks I destashed and put all the boxes in for recycling now that he can’t see the big pile of them sitting around. So, that is a plus in my favor!
I think I have touched on the basics, now please excuse me as I get down off my soap box or PP box and get some more lemonade!
Chris, I snuck over to Donna’s blog to see your box of goodies….how adorable!!!! Love the theme 🙂
I love getting my Paper Pumpkin every month and can’t tell you how much I look forward to that surprise in the mail. I was not thrilled with December’s kit at first but how perfect for December when we are doing some extra “gift giving”. I gave mine to my daughter who loved it to scrapbook her first year at college. Then when I saw all the cool alternative ideas for cards and a perpetual calendar I ordered 2 more refill kits! LOL I found it ironic that I wasn’t thrilled with the kit initially and then I end up ordering extras! I always find ways to use my kits and love that I have leftovers to use on other projects. I store my leftover embellishments with my other embellishments and love to repurpose the boxes to mail out cards and gifts. I have 1 box that is filled with the little ink spots…they store well in the Paper Pumpkin box! FYI…Use the December kit to make Perpetual Calendars to give as gifts. Getting a gift to give for under $20 sounds great to me!!!! My mom loved her perpetual calendar!
I am going to have a permanent stain of raspberry lemonade on my new jammies from giggling at our comments. Since I gave my PP as a present and then I saw all the fun alternative cards etc. I thought do I hit the buy button on refills or not? I have some paper that have swooshes and blops of color made by a woman locally (she even wrote a book on how to do reproduce papers that she had painted) that I can decorate a box with to hold my ink spots. I don’t think any of the papers go with the PP box colors but the purple/black/white paper would definitely stand out on my shelf. Also, on my list to do is to figure out why your blog doesn’t come to me – I have subscribed 2-3 times and have yet to see it in my in box or even my junk box, heaven forbid!
I’m a total kit addict and had a PP subscription back in the day. Then there were several in a row that weren’t cards and not my cup of tea so I quit (that and I have kits from years ago I haven’t finished off). Since then I’ve learned that there are many many places to find alternate things to do with the non-card ones. I’m definitely thinking about it again… can’t really do it though as I feel guilty about the unfinished kits I already have. I slog away at them from time to time but my free time is soooo limited these days I’d rather play with new fresh stuff.
I hear you…I hear you! One thing that I will say and I bet that some will not agree with is……..look at the ones that you have again….be honest with yourself and say do I want to take the time to figure out how to make this work for me?????
If not…..donate them to a suitable organization…..a girls club, a breast cancer office….a rec center – you will be AMAZED at how many outlets there are out there that would totally LOVE and APPRECIATE them….but the BEST thing – YOUR HEART WILL BE FILLED!