
It’s the last Thursday of the month and time for another A Paper Pumpkin Thing blog hop. This month we’ve been playing with the January kit called Sending Hearts. While it might appear to be a ‘Valentines’ kit, I have three alternate projects that can be used all year round.

TWO FOR ONE
My first two projects were created from one card base, the Poppy Parade one in fact. And it was the square pattern that inspired my design.
First though I cut a 2″ strip off the front of the card base using my paper Trimmer and set it aside. Then I folded the card along the pre-scored line and sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder.
Next I cut a 1/4″ x 5-1/2″ strip of Poppy Parade Card and used Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow) to fix it along the cut edge. ThenI wrapped 24″ of black ribbon from the Sending Hearts kit around the card front and tied it in a simple bow.
For the main panel I cut a 3-1/8″ x 3-3/8″ piece of Poppy Parade Card and glued the heart panel from the kit onto it. Then I fixed two small self-adhesive resin hearts from the kit over the hearts printed on the panel.

To add even more interest I used Stampin’ Dimensionals to add the die-cut “Love” from the kit along one edge of the heart. Then with more Stampin’ Dimensionals under just the left side, I fixed the panel to the card base. Project one was complete.
Do you remember the 2″ strip I cut off the card base? Well this is where things started to take on a life of their own…
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
I decided to use the 2″ x 5-1/2″ strip of card to make a bookmark. So I shaped the top and added the hole using the Delightful Tag Topper Punch. Then I cut two 6″ pieces of black ribbon from the kit. After folding them in half, I threaded the loops through the hole, and passed the ends through the loops to tighten them.
As well as the original Paper Pumpkin kit, I also got the separate Little Love Boxes Add-on Kit. This has the same cute snail image from the kit stamp set but already printed and die-cut. So I could have done the next part by stamping and colouring, but I was feeling lazy. I simply popped out the snail with the blue shell and glued it at the bottom of the bookmark.
Next I decided to accentuate the snail’s eye’s with some Shimmery Crystal Effects. And that’s when I saw it. The snail’s bulging eyes and the diamond pattern made me think of 60’s psychedelic designs. Then that made me think of The Beatles. Suddenly I had an earworm and there was only one thing I could do.

Using Tuxedo Black ink I inked up just the word “love” from the “Sending love your way” sentiment. Just to be sure I covered the rest of the stamp surface with sellotape and stamped onto some white card. Then I removed the sellotape and repeated the process twice more. Finally using my Paper Snips I cut out the three words and glued them to the bookmark.
Then I put the bookmark aside to let the Shimmery Crystal Effects dry completely.
TIP – you’ll find an example of masking part of a stamp in my blog post Don’t overlook those darling donkeys.
SHARING THE LOVE
So then I thought about sharing the love, and for that I’d need to put them in the mail. That brought me to my third and final project, a notebook to keep addresses and stamps together.

In my stash I found a 4″ x 5-1/2″ notepad that had no front cover, it was perfect for what I had in mind.
First I cut a 4-1/8″ x 7-1/2″ piece of Poppy Parade Card and with the long side at the top I scored it at 5-5/8″ and 5-7/8″. Then I folded it along the scored lines and sharpened the creases with a Bone Folder. To cover the notepad I wrapped the card over the top edge and used liquid glue to fix the small section to the back.

It was only at this point that I thought about adding somewhere to keep my stamps. So I cut a 2″ x 4-1/8″ piece of Poppy Parade Card and with liquid glue attached a long black scalloped strip along one edge. After trimming off the excess black strip I used liquid glue down each side to fix the layers inside the notepad cover. Stamp booklets seem to come in a variety of sizes so I to help me get the positioning right I took the largest one I could find and used that as a guide.
That just left the front cover to decorate, and for that I went back to the Sending Hearts kit. I needed the printed mailbox image and the stamp set.
First using VersaMark ink I stamped “Sending love your way” towards the bottom of the printed panel. Next I sprinkled the sticky ink with Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder and tapped off the excess. Then after removing a few stray specks I melted the rest with my Heat Tool set on 2 (high).
With that done I used liquid glue to mount the panel onto a 3-3/8″ x 4-5/8″ piece of Basic Black Card. Then using Stampin’ Dimensionals I fixed the assembled layers to the front of the notepad and my final project was complete.
FEBRUARY KIT
Not a subscriber yet? You still have time to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin and get the February kit called Bouquet of Hope.

The February kit will contain everything you need to create nine A2 cards (3 each of 3 designs).Ā The kitās exclusive photopolymer stamp set features supportive sentiments centred around comfort, care, hope, and love.Ā Ā In addition to all the prepared pieces needed to complete the cards and coordinating envelopes, the kit will also include instructions, a mini ink spot and adhesives. Ā
The kit also coordinates with the Flower & Field Designer Series Paper thatās available for free during Sale-A-Bration.
The colours used in the February kit will be Basic Black, Bumblebee, Just Jade, Merry Merlot, Mossy Meadow and Rococo Rose.
To get this kit make sure you subscribe by February 10th, but be aware popular kits occasionally sell out before the deadline.
SENDING MORE HEARTS
If you’re looking for more alternate ideas using the Sending Hearts kit, check out the projects created by other members of the team. You are currently at number 3 – Tracy Elsom.
PRODUCT LIST
Sadly the full Sending Hearts kit is no longer available. However I’ve included links to all the other Stampin’ Up! products used for my alternate projects.
At the time of writing this blog Paper Pumpkin subscribers can still order the Sending Hearts Refill Kit. This kit contains just the consumable pieces in the kit, that means no ink spot or stamp set. Also still in stock is the Little Love Boxes Add-On Kit. Both these items are only available while stocks last.
Hahaha…I love how you made the snail’s eyes look all googly with the Crystal Effects! Brilliant, thanks for sharing these great project ideas š
Thank you Kimberley. I could have used self-adhesive googly eyes from the craft store, but I just felt that this option would be more permanent.