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Writer's pictureVy Tran

Sunshine & Smiles: A Paper Pumpkin Thing Blog Hop



Hi! I’m Vy with Crafting Daily Dose. Welcome to this month’s A Paper Pumpkin Thing Blog Hop, featuring alternatives for the February 2023 Sunshine & Smiles kit.


This kit included supplies for 9 cards—3 each of 3 different designs. Kits always come with an exclusive stamp set, a mini ink cube, embellishments, and adhesives.


This kit was so popular that it has sold out, but there are coordinating products in the Rain or Shine suite.


I love interactive cards, so I get particularly excited about kits that have images that could represent movement or change.



I used images from 2 different cards, but this could work with the Rain or Shine Designer Series Paper too. As always, links to the supply lists are at the end of this post.


I adapted Srushti Pati's mechanism to look more like a regular card and to fit inside a medium envelope. If you'd like to make one, check out the tutorial:



Measurements:

- Kit cards

  • 5-1/2" (W) x 4-1/4" (H)

  • TWO 3" (W) x 1-1/2" (H), pattern 1

  • TWO 3" (W) x 1-1/2" (H), pattern 2

-Basic White cardstock

  • 5-1/2" (W) x 3" (H); at 1-1/2" along the short side, cut from 0" to 1-1/2"

  • 5-1/2" (W) x 3" (H); at 1-1/2" along the short side, cut from 1-1/2" to 5-1/2"

  • 3" (W) x 4-1/4" (H); at 1-1/2" along the long side, cut from 0" to 1-1/2"

  • 3" (W) x 4-1/4" (H); at 1-1/2" along the long side, cut from 1-1/2" to 3"

-Mango Melody cardstock

  • 3" (W) x 1" (H), scored at 1/2" along the short side



I kept the back simple, with just a stamped sun and plenty of room for a message.



 

My second card is a spiral pop-up using mostly pieces from the kit. I cut apart the hill die cut so that I could use it for both the front and inside of the card. I also cut an envelope to adhere to the inside of the window opening. Next, I moved on to the inside, but after making sure the mechanism worked, I returned to the front and finished decorating it with die cuts and a fussy-cut image of the sun.



The real fun is on the inside! I used a 2" circle punch on a piece of Window Sheet and then cut out a spiral from it. You want to aim for 4-5 turns of the spiral. If there aren't enough, your spiral will be too tight, your card won't open well, and it'll put a lot of stress on the paper. But don't worry if your spiral isn't "perfect"--it'll still work.


I put a glue dot on the underside of the outer tip of the spiral to adhere it to the inside of the card. Then I put a glue dot on the top surface of the spiral, right at the center. After I closed the front of the card onto that exposed adhesive, the spiral popped up when the card was opened again!



I decorated the inside with die cuts to echo the look of the card front. By covering up the tip and center of the spiral with die cuts, I was able to hide the adhesive, while also reinforcing the attachment to the paper. The kites inside were stamped with Mango Melody ink from the kit, as well as Flirty Flamingo. If you've run out of kite die cuts, you can cut some more with the Playing in the Rain dies. I love that product coordination!



 

Thank you so much for visiting! Don’t forget to follow the hop to see other creative projects from our team!


For more ideas using this kit, check out the hexagon pop-up, shutter card, floating easel card, pop-up playset, and rain shaker card I shared previously.


March 10th is the last day to sign up for next month’s kit, called Ten Years of Growth. This kit makes 9 cards, 3 each of 3 designs. We'll get a Polished Pink mini ink cube! This is Paper Pumpkin's 10th anniversary, and they're including the bonus stamp set shown below. If you‘re in the U.S. and would like to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin with me, I’ll send you a handmade thank you card, and I’ll be sure to let you know when I post new ideas!



 

Shoppable Supply List:


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