10/5/26 - Lakeside Retreat Paper Pumpkin alternatives

Alison Culliver
May 10
13 min read

Learn how to stretch your Paper Pumpkin supplies to make even more cards

Hello & welcome to my blog. I hope you are all well.

My name is Alison & I live in beautiful Melbourne, Australia & I am an independent Stampin' Up® demonstrator.

I love to create beautiful things to share with people that I love but I also sell me creations. I have been creating things in one way or another for most of my life - knitting, sewing, cooking, card making, gardening, scrap booking & hand made gifts & in 2020 after joining Stampin' Up® I decided to share my passion in a blog (craftedbyalison@blogspot.com).

In 2025 I retired & decided to spread my creative wings a little more by combining my blog, products that I had been selling on FaceBook & launching a newsletter. Some of these things I had already been doing but this time they are all in the one place. (All previous posts can be found at my blogspot address above if you would to read any of them.)

And here we are at my new site!

First of all, I'd like to wish all mothers, grandmothers, steps, in-laws & furbaby mothers (and any others that I may have missed) a very happy Mother's day. I hope you are able to see or talk to your 'babies' wherever you & they are & I hope you are spoilt.

My time away in Shepparton has been a lovely break, exploring this lovely country town, watching my husband & brother-in-law bowl & enjoying some lovely meals without having to cook for 4 whole days! Loved it. My husband made it through in the singles to the knock out which is played today so I've scheduled this post so I can watch him & cheer him on. Not sure we'll be making it home for Mother's day though.

If you would like to hear more about my trip I'll be sharing the story & lots of fun pics of the painted cows (part of the MOOOVing art exhibition) in my newsletter on Thursday as well as on FaceBook. It was loads of fun following the map & finding so many gorgeous & creatively decorated cows.

But now, lets talk about the cards I have to share with you in this post.

In my midweek post on Wednesday I shared some masculine cards made with the first Paper Pumpkin kit that was released in the South Pacific called Lakeside Retreat. Stunning kit & stunning cards. Many of the people who have already been able to purchase the kits in the North American market create alternatives with supplies from the kits so that's what I have done myself. I made one set of cards as per the instructions in the kit & then made three more alternative creations with the materials from the kit & a few extra supplies from my stash.

Here are the three cards...

I love that I have used the same supplies with some additional materials & techniques & I've got three completely different cards for my stash!

Here's how I made each one & also the inspiration that got me started.

CARD #1

This card was inspired by Maz at aMAZing designs. I started with a Basic White base & used one of the Misty Moonlight layers from the kit. Before diecutting it with an Everyday Arches die I added two scraps of Crumb Cake two tone cardstock approx. 1cm from the bottom of the layer. The sentiment is heat embossed using clear embossing powder over Pecan Pie ink. I added the lakeside scene piece behind the arch & adhered it to the base. I stamped a few birds in Misty Moonlight at the top then added the pre cut bike with dimensionals. The final touch was to add some retired Pebbles enamel shapes around the image & below the bike as they went so well with this card.

CARD #2

For my second card I chose a new (to me) technique called Double Vision that I saw on Youtube at Stamp Your Art Out with Rachel Tessman.

It's a little more intricate than the first card but still quite easy to achieve.

The base is Basic White & I cut a matte of Peaceful Pine for the image to go on.

The image is from one of the card bases in the kit but trimmed to be smaller than the Peaceful Pine matte.

A few birds were stamped in Gray Granite & some grasses in Basic Beige, both first & second generation.

The image is then cut into 1.5cm strips, keeping the pattern in order.

I layered the pieces without adhering, starting from the right side, each piece flush against the next.

Once I was happy with the placement, I glued the first section onto the Peaceful Pine matte on the right hand side. Some dimensionals were to the next piece & adhered to the card, flush with the first piece. I continued adding each piece, alternating between liquid glue & dimensionals, finishing with a raised section on the left.

This layer was then added to the card base.

For the sentiment I used one of the white rectangles, stamping a pattern in Pecan Pie & the greeting in Peaceful Pine then adding this to the Pecan Pie 'shingle'. This was adhered with a tiny bit of glue to the green banner.

I then aligned the shingle with the DSP strips & applied liquid glue where it touched the raised strips & dimensionals where it hung over the gap.

I repeated the glueing & dimensions when placing one of the oars at the bottom of the card.

The card was finished with some Fauz Bronze Pentagons on the green banner.

This technique gives a lovely, unique finish.

CARD #3

For my final card I chose a Floating Tier Pop Up funfold found on Susan Campfield's Youtube channel. This was fun to make.

Starting with a regular base I scored it at 6.5cm, 9cm, 11.5cm & 14cm, folding them into Mountain, Valley, Mountain & Valley folds then burnishing each one.

The front & first inside panel were created with one of the card fronts, cut down to 6cm x 1`4.35cm and 2cm x 14.35cm & adhered. I also cut a 6.5cm x 14.35cm matte of Misty Moonlight for the back panel & a 6cm x 13.85cm Basic White matte for writing. To co-ordinate I used a Misty Moonlight blend to add some stripes to the edge of the Basic White matte. These were then adhered to the back panel of the card.

Now for the cutting & scoring to create the pop up panels.

The card was folded so that I had the 11.5cm mountain fold facing me with the rest of the card folded away from me.

Next I scored then trimmed down to the first score line with sharp scissors at 2.5cm, 4cm, 6.5cm, 9cm, 10.5cm & 12cm.

I could also have placed the card horizontally in the trimmer & cut down to the score line but preferred the control of using scissors.

By popping out the larger sections & pushing in the smaller sections these cut lines helped to create the little pop up boxes & valleys that you see in the picture.

After cutting a small strip from the side of one of the envelopes from the kit I cut 4 x 2.5cm squares of the pretty sky blue paper as well as 4 x 2.5cm squares from the remains of the panel from card #1 & adhered them to alternate pop up panels.

On the home stretch now!

Using a Pecan Pie circle and a scenic circle with Happy Birthday stamped in Pecan Pie I created a focal point for the card.

(Did you notice that there are also two small birds stamped above the trees in Gray Granite?)

By placing this circle in the position I wanted it to finish & carefully marking on the back of it where the card front finished with a grey lead, I was then able to apply glue only to the area that I wanted to adhere.

Final step - add some Loose Frosted dots & it's completed!

Yay! Love how it turned out.

So that's it for my alternative creations made with supplies from the kit plus a few extras AND I still have lots of material left to create even more cards!

I hope you enjoyed seeing how they came together & how easy it is to create beautiful projects as well as the original cards.

Now for some news from Stampin' Up®

Stampin' Up® have many ways of shopping with a physical catalogue, online shopping & in person events. When items are about to be retired or are running low they are put on the 'Last Chance' list which means that there is limited stock & when it runs out, it's gone.

Stampin' Up® 's Annual Catalogue has now retired! Stampin' Up® used to have a large annual catalogue & then release two mini catalogues during the year. As of the 5th May, they have launched a new system of presenting their products & will have 3 catalogues a year but they will all be of similar size. They will still be a similar format - sectioned to have beginners, which is a step by step collection of materials in kits, then there is quick & easy where you select base materials & packs of pre-printed or diecut materials plus some stamp sets then there is create your way where you choose all the materials, stamps etc yourself & Create Your Way! In the quick & easy section Stampin' Up® have also provided some inspiration with a colour wheel & information of various ways to use colour combinations. I explored this in a bit more detail in some of my previous blogs on Blogspot. The other cool feature is that they provide card sketch & scrapbook layout ideas for you. This is great for any times that you need a little inspiration.

If you'd like to browse the catalogue online then click here. If you'd like a copy to hold in your hands, leaf through & put little notes all over it of what's on your wish list then shoot me an email at craftedbyalison@gmail.com or message me on my facebook page at craftedbyalison.

Stampin' Up® also have loads of additional products available only online. These are called Online exclusives & have no end date, when the stock is sold out, that's the end of it.

Stampin' Up® have a great range of Kits including crafting, card making & gift giving. There are brand new kits added to the collection every month. Click here to check them all out in my online shop. As Stampin' Up® have so many beautiful kits available I usually feature a different kit in each

Sunday blog so that you can see the range.

This week the feature kit is called Pretty Party & has some truly stunning birthday cards with lots of balloons & gold elements. It's a stamping kit with a block & ink spot as well as everything you need to create 9 gorgeous cards. Perfect for getting your birthday or celebration card stash sorted.

Here's how Stampin' Up® describe it...

Make your celebrations feel extra special with the Pretty Party Kit! This kit comes with everything you need to create nine cheerful handmade cards. The large coral, pink, and purple balloon designs—accented with sparkling gold foil confetti for a party-ready finish—are perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, and celebrations of all kinds.

If you feel that you need to add this to your list then click here to purchase one from my online store, but be quick as this kit is on the last chance list!

If you shop with me then there are some changes last year to the rewards program that you should know about. In the past we were able to create a host code & group together individual orders & pass on the 'hostess' benefits to customers with qualifying orders. This has now been replaced with a 'Rewards' program that gives all customers who place an order with a qualifying amount a credit of 10% of their order to use on future orders. This will be displayed during the checkout process or your order. Stampin' Up® feel that this is a fairer way of rewarding all customers.

There are some great ways to craft on offer at the moment which I will go through one at a time.

Ready?

1.Stampin' Up® has now held 3 Online Craft Classes with the Traditions of Christmas craftalong & Brushed with Beauty class. The current classes that are available are Lovely Blossoms & the brand new Paper Mixer craft class has just been released. They are both available in my shop by clicking here or on the links above. They are a great way for you to learn from the professionals & a load of fun.

The Paper Mixer class is designed to show you how to mix in the new Paper Medley DSP with other Designer Papers.

Once you purchase any of the Craft Classes you will receive an email with a link to an exclusive Facebook group when the event is hosted. Can't wait to craft along again & see what designs the team come up with!

2. Stampin' Up® held their first ever Virtual Card Making Retreat over two days earlier this year. It was designed for experienced or advanced crafters in mind but also had a heap of tips & ideas for those wanting to explore more detailed card designing. You can still be a part of this event! But be quick as it is on the 'Last Chance' list. To participate you just need to purchase the Retreat kit ($288AU) & this provides you with all of the materials you need & access to an exclusive FaceBook group where the videos from the event are stored. It sounds like a bit of expense but from past experience, what you take away from these type of events is well worth it. You can also download & print the pre event cutting instructions as well as having a cutting video & recordings of all of the cards that were made.

Here's some more info on how to join this retreat.

To craft along with the Stampin' Up® presenters and make 15 beautiful, all-occasion cards, you’ll want to purchase the 2026 Virtual Card Making Retreat kit. Everyone who purchases a kit will receive a link to the exclusive Facebook group where the live event will stream. We only have a limited number of kits, so make sure to order yours ASAP!

3. Starting last December, Stampin' Up® introduced a special 'Product of the Month' item that is only available with eligible purchases. There is a new item every month with details released just before the new item will be released. Each month it's a surprise what it could be - stamps, dies, papers - a complete surprise every month. You will be able to receive each month's product for just $9 when you spend $125 in one order. I have been able to order all of the products so far. December was some lovely blue toned DSP & January was a very versatile stamp set. February was a stunning DSP pack filled with Beautiful water coloured patterns and whimsical designs that make beautiful projects. I featured some creations in one of my midweek post earlier this year. The March Product of the Month was a lovely, whimsical stamp set & April's offering is a gorgeous background die with a pretty eyelet pattern. For May they are offering some Vellum DSP which looks gorgeous. Mine hasn't arrived as yet but I can't wait to play around with it!

If you would like to add this Vellum DSP to your collection, get your shopping list out & place a qualifying order & you will be prompted before checkout to add it to your shopping trolley.

The new May - Aug '26 catalogue is now available & is full of lots of gorgeous new product along with some carry over items. One of the major changes that will be rolled in is that the stamp pads are being changed from fabric pads with a fold out opening to a felt pad & magnetic case. The new pads will be introduced with the new In Colours & more colours will be changed over gradually.
Paper Pumpkin! It's officially available to order in the South Pacific after only be available in the North American market. Paper Pumpkin kits are similar to the crafting kits available in the shop but are a surprise each month & come with everything you need to complete the kit. There are also add ons that can be used to stretch the supplies in the kit. Many people also make the suggested projects with half of the supplies then use the remaining products with some extra supplies to create alternative projects just as I did today.
You can purchase the kits as an individual order or subscribe for 3, 6 or 12 months. Subscriptions are dispatched from the 11th day of each month & you can change or cancel your subscription at any time as long as it is done before the cut off date.

Last year Stampin' Up® held their first Virtual Album Retreat - a 3 day online event that showed you how to curate 10 scrapbook spreads. It was such a success that they are holding another one in 10 days time! This time the title is "Happiness is here" & if you can't attend it online (April 29th - May 1st) you can watch the recorded sessions. All you need to do is purchase the Happiness Is Here Virtual Album Retreat 2026 kit; then once you receive the kit, scan the kit’s QR code to join the private Facebook group. The kit is $435 & comes complete with all the supplies you need - stamp sets, one of the new shimmer brushes, a white gel pen, DSP, printed precut images and stickers, Linen Thread, Moody Palette Glossy Dots, Photo Placeholders, 12" x 12" (30.5 x 30.5 cm) Top-Load Memory Protectors™ & 4" x 4" (10.2 x 10.2 cm) Flip Flaps™. If you are interested you can purchase it here.
The latest Scrapbook Virtual Retreat has just wrapped up. It is called Happiness is Here & has supplies to create 10 double page spreads (20 pages in total) including inks, stamps, papers, gel & shimmer pens, embellishments, flip flaps & page protectors. There are also detailed instructions & recorded videos that you can access for at least a year. To access the videos there is a private FaceBook group that you can access via a QR code when your kit arrives.
If you are interested you can purchase your own kit by clicking on this link.

Lastly, there have been lots of great items added to the clearance rack which is now called Last Chance items so make sure you check them out using this link to my online store as there are some great discounts.

If you would like to purchase any of my creations that I feature in my blogs they can be found in my shop along with lots of different designs including feminine, masculine, special occasions, everyday events, something for the juniors or you can order something unique.

I hope you've enjoyed today's post.

My next post will be on Wednesday & will feature cards made with the April Product of the Month - the Eyelet Blooms die.

In next Sunday's post I will be using one of the new embossing folders - Floral Spray.

I hope you can join me for both of them & come back for more.

Til next take, take care & keep creating.

XX Alison

Here are some links to the products that I used today & some craft room essentials.

Shop with me

Stamps, Dies, Embossing folders & punches