This month, we met for a make-up VIP session, since VIP Club was cancelled in April due to the coronavirus.  The Saturday and Sunday groups were combined for an optional Club, plus I opened this club up to guests wanting to check out the technique of the month: Northern Lights.  You can check out this technique by searching on YouTube, but really it's quite easy!  Just use daubers or sponges to add color and then apply a dark color over the ink, leaving streaks peeking out.  I like to apply the streaks with the daubers and then use the sponges to apply the dark layer over top, applying with a good deal of pressure in a circular motion.  Don't forget to add stars!  I used Wink of Stella, drops of water with Water Painters, or a white pen.  Here are the three cards we made and the supplies we used listed under each card:

If you are interested in joining the next VIP Club, message me to let me know!  The Club meets either Saturday mornings or Sunday afternoons, the last weekend of the month.  The Club starts in September and goes through April (taking off the busy months of November and December).  VIP members get the chance to try advanced techniques and get their turn at being the hostess for a month, earning free Stampin' Rewards!  

By now, you've probably heard of Paper Pumpkin, the monthly subscription kit by Stampin' Up! where every month you'll receive a surprise kit in your mailbox with everything included to complete a crafty project!  I've been a subscriber since inception in 2013, so I wanted to try to summarize everything you need to know into one blog post.  Here's how it works:

Love A Particular Kit and Want More?
If you are a current Paper Pumpin subscriber, you are able to purchase past kits.  These are based on availability so some months there will be no leftover kits, some months there will be refills only (kit without the stamp set & ink), and some months there will be full kits.  See what's currently available here on my website!

Gifting Paper Pumpkin:
​Paper Pumpkin also makes a great gift!  Consider buying a pre-paid subscription and then printing out this gift certificate.  Just write the code in the blank (which will come in your email after you purchase).

1. New Die Cut & Embossing Machines!  Yes, you read that right, plural!  Stampin' Up! will have two sizes of machines in the new catalog, but neither will be available to order in June.  Stay tuned for more information.  Think more compact for traveling & easier to understand the plates!
2. New adhesives!  I am excited about a replacement for Fast Fuse and love how two strengths of tape will fit in the same dispenser.  But I am also excited for adhesive sheets and foam sheets (to use before die cutting)!
3. Beautiful Designer Series Paper:  I think I plan to order every pack of DSP!  Think wood, maps, and ferns, cats, dogs, and whales!
4. Fun Alphabet Dies: Think uppercase modern font with duplicates of more common letters for less die cutting!  
5. Bundles: Think birds' nests, sunflowers, chocolate, plaids, jars, the list goes on!

Did you know if you join Stampin' Up! during May, you can choose any $125 worth of products for $99 (and free shipping)?  But what's better, you can choose from 88 new products from the upcoming catalog!  

During the month of April 2020, while the world was on lockdown for the COVID-19 crisis, I decided to use my time by using up my scraps!  I had originally scheduled a Scrap-A-Thon, but when I had to cancel that, I decided to do it on my own and challenge myself.  

Here is the BEFORE and AFTER of my scraps!  I started keeping them in this IKEA bin which is great, but they were getting buried.  So I used them all month and now plan to organize them by category in these drawers from Amazon.  I plan to share more when I get around to recording a video of my craft room.  

During the month of April 2020, while we were locked down from the COVID-19 crisis, I decided to use my time to CASE some cards that I had saved from Facebook and Pinterest.  To see the original design I CASEd, you can find them in the photos of my Facebook page.  See my creations below and comment which number is your favorite!  Click on the image and see the main product used when making the card.  
​Many of the products are retiring May 31, 2020, so get them while supplies last!  

Who doesn't love the idea of making 14 cards using up only one sheet of patterned paper?  We are trying this oldie but goodie One Sheet Wonder technique in VIP Club this month.  

1. First, choose a sheet of 12 x 12 Designer Series Paper.  I chose the See a Silhouette DSP.  
2. You can find lots of different templates online, but I used this template by Michele Boyer.  I converted the template into a pdf which is easier if you plan to print.  
3. After you cut the DSP, add the pieces to thick Whisper White card bases.
4. Once your piece of DSP is cut, then you'll want to mat the DSP on solid cardstock.  Check the colors used in the pack of DSP to know what colors of cardstock to use. See a Silhouette DSP is Blackberry Bliss, Crushed Curry, Daffodil Delight, Flirty Flamingo, Mango Melody, Mossy Meadow, Night of Navy, Old Olive, Pacific Point, Poppy Parade, Real Red, and Rich Razzleberry.
5. You can use any sentiments you want, but we used the Thank You die, Word Wishes dies, Good Morning Magnolia stamp set,  Well Said stamp set, and the Band Together stamp set.  Here are the 14 finished cards, numbered 1-14!

This month in VIP, we made Fancy Fold Cards.  I have a board on Pinterest of ideas I want to try...when I have time to get around to them.  I always like to follow YouTube videos since I am a visual learner and it helps figure out if I am folding the right way!  Here are the three cards we made with the tutorials we followed.

Beware, this card uses a lot of paper!  And instead of stamping and die cutting like in the video, we just fussy cut out the images from the Birthday Bonanza DSP.  I also skipped all the presents on the front and went with a (retired) simpler Happy Birthday die cut. For this card, the Birthday Bonanza stamp set works great, but also make sure to have some liquid glue!

This card requires 12 x 12 cardstock, but you can make two cards out of one sheet.  Stampin' Up! sells 12x12 cardstock in variety packs, by color family.  The only colors we sell individually are Whisper White and Very Vanilla, which I realized I was out of when I started prepping this card!  So we went with a Flirty Flamingo base to coordinate with the Lily Impressions DSP, free right now with a $50 order during Sale-A-Bration.  The fun of this fold is having butterflies "fly off the card."  So make sure you have some butterflies to add!

For this fun fold, we pulled out retired coffee stamps and paper to make a fun design.  Once again, you need 12x12 cardstock for this, so we used Early Espresso.  Just make sure you have a trimmer, tear & tape, and a ruler for this card!