30/8/26 Kindred Greetings Paper Pumpkin alternatives

Alison Culliver

Aug 30

10 min read

Lovely alternative ways to use the supplies in your Paper Pumpkin kit.

Paper Pumpkin kits have been around for a long time in the North American market but have only been available to the rest of the world since April this year. The Paper Pumpkin kits are very similar to the kits available in the online shop but they are marketed as a subscription. You can purchase a one off kit to check them out each month to see if you like it but most people subscribe for either 3, 6 or 12 months. I have shared a number of posts since April, featuring cards made as per the instructions & also some alternative designs. There are lots of inspirational videos & pics online to help you use the supplies in the kits in a different way.

In my post last Sunday I created the August kit cards from Kindred Greetings. The kit features lovely soft colours - White, Gray Granite, Petal Pink, Pool Party & Lost Lagoon & the cards are soft & very pretty. This week I have two different cards with bolder colours made using just two main pieces of the kit, some DSP & focussing on more earthy colours.

Here are the cards...

The first card I will share is on the left & uses the diecut frame & the sentiment shapes from the original card #2 which is coloured but this time I flipped them & used the plain white sides.

It starts as a Basic White base & is covered with a piece of Country Woods DSP in bold brown colours which helps to show up the beautiful pattern of the frame.

On the sentiment pieces I inked up the back shape with Early Espresso using an ink dauber & stamped a sentiment from Playful Packaging as well (there's a little bit of over inking around the word but sometimes that happens right?)

I adhered the floral section to the sentiment & twisted some Linen Thread behind it before adding it to the card with dimensionals. Super quick & easy.

The second card also has earthy tones but has some added colour with some of the foliage pieces from the kit. It uses pieces from card #1 plus the frame that is left when you take out all of the sentiment banners.

I again started with a Basic White base but added a matte of Pebbled Path (I miss that colour & hope Stampin' Up!® will bring it back one day). I then added a different pattern from the same DSP pack, Country Woods, behind the frame & trimmed it snug. It was attached to the front of the card & some foliage was stamped with the spotty image from the kit in Lost Lagoon & Gray Granite before adding them to the frame.

For the sentiment I chose the Words & Wishes stamp set, picking out 3 phrases & words & stamping them in Pretty Peacock on a leftover strip of white. These were trimmed into individual words & staggered across the front of the card at angles.

The final element are some Adhesive Backed Sparkle sequins that will be available in the new September to December catalogue on Tuesday!

That's it for this post. I loved playing around with the supplies from the kit to create totally new cards. I haven't even made a dent in the different elements in the kit & will be able to make loads more cards just with adding a few extras from my stash.

I hope you enjoyed seeing other possibilities for the kits. If you would like to see what the kits are like, there will be a link below to subscribe via my online shop.

Now, let's check in with what else is happening in the Stampin' Up® crafting world.

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 Catalogues have a 3 step 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 information on various ways to use colour combinations plus free 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.

Remember, the current catalogue is only live until Tuesday when the new catalogue is launched. Some products will continue on but there will be loads of new goodies to browse through & lots of Christmas things to get excited about.

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 feature a different kit in each Sunday blog so that you can see the range.

This week the feature kit is called Banner Botanicals, one of the kits on the Last Chance list. It has 3 different designs in blues, greens, pinks & yellows & enough supplies to make 3 of each design. It is a stamping kit so you also get an ink spot, stamp set & block. The ink spot will be a new, larger version of the previous blocks.

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

Put your love front and centre with the Banner Botanicals Kit. Each card design features a unique botanical motif, complete with a heartfelt sentiment displayed across a banner. This all-inclusive kit creates nine thoughtful cards to brighten someone’s day.

If you feel that you need to add this to your list then click here to purchase one from my online store.

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

Ready for the latest news?

1.Stampin' Up® has a range of Online Craft Classes that allow you to craft along with some of the staff from the head office in Utah, or create at your own pace by watching the recorded videos from classes that have already been held.

The current classes that are available are Lovely Blossoms, Paper Mixer, Scenic Coast & Pretty Poinsettia with a new Christmas class coming out on September 1st with the release of the new catalogue. It's called Advent-ures in Christmas & creates a cute Advent Calendar (of boxes). More details & links will be available next week.

The other exciting new craft class, Metallic Magic, is designed to use with their brand new Hot Foil system. More info on that further on in this section.

All of the classes are 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.

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.

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 before the new item will be released so you can plan your shopping. 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 which have DSPs, stamp sets, a gorgeous background die with a pretty eyelet pattern, stunning printed Vellum DSP, a whimsical animal themed stamp set, a floral stamp set & the August product is some more lovely DSP, this time with a Autumnal or harvest theme. Next month's product is also DSP - stunning foiled design in bold colours & will be available soon.

If you would like to add any of these products (that are still available) 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. Each product requires a minimum spend to be able to purchase them & it is only while there is stock available.

The May - Aug '26 catalogue 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 have be introduced in the new In Colours & more colours will be changed over gradually. This catalogue will retire in September when the new catalogue is launched & demonstrators have been able to purchase items from the new catalogue which is one of the great perks of being a demonstrator. I will play around with the items that I have ordered & share them with you in the coming weeks.
Paper Pumpkin is now 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.
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 - the 10th of the month - that's tomorrow!!

The latest Scrapbook Virtual Retreat has 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.
As last years was so successful, Stampin' Up!® are having a second Advent Calendar this year. It is like your regular advent calendar with windows you open to see what surprises & treats are inside, but this one is exclusively for crafters. Last year it sold out in record time so you'll need to be quick to purchase one. Once they're sold out that's it. No second batch. The calendars will be available from 1st September also. Hopefully there will be more calendars available this year as I missed out last year!
Metallic Magic Hot Foil system!! Stampin' Up!® have now released their brand new Hot Foil system that is used in conjunction with the Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine. There are specific dies to use with the system as well as 3 foil rolls - Gold, Silver & Hot Pink & new ones set for release in the Sept - Dec catalogue. If you purchase the system you will also receive the Metallic Magic craft class for FREE! To find out more, head over to my store to check it all out. I have the system and now the foils & have had a little play but intend to experiement with more of the dies & colours & will share what I make in upcoming posts.

Stampin' Up!® has 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.
This month Stampin' Up!® are having a DSP sale with 15% off select DSP packs & cardstocks. Check out what's reduced in my shop here. But be quick as it ends on 31st August!

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.

My next post will be on Wednesday with a card sketch inspired by a Stampin' Up!® hot foil card.

Next Sunday's post is all about embossing folders.

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

Til next time, take care & keep creating.

XX Alison

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

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Stamps, Dies, Embossing folders & punches