Paper Pumpkin October 2015 Stampin’Up Subscription Review

Paper Pumpkin is probably one of the best ways to get into making your own cards, increasing your stamp collection and just practicing being artsy. I’m loving it! I’m not super creative but I’m kind of creative so this is perfect for me. I don’t have to think of it all by myself but I can modify their instructions so I feel like I’m still doing it “my” way.

You’ll receive everything you need in your Paper Pumpkin kit to do about three different crafts (usually cards). The only thing you’ll need may be scissors or a glue stick. Maybe.

The Cost: $19.99/month

What You Get: Everything you need to create the perfect craft including ink and a stamp set.
Here’s my favorite part of this whole thing. If you’ve ever been out buying stamps, you know they’re expensive. The reason I don’t have a ton of stamps already is because I croak at spending $10 on one stamp. Paper Pumpkin provides you with a clear plastic block and clear plastic rubber stamps that you peel off of hard plastic and place on the block when you want to use them. It’s basically genius. It also saves a TON of space. I’m getting a nice collection now and soon I’ll be able to make my cards say whatever I want, whenever I want! Woohoo!

Besides the stamps, you’ll also get a little inkpad (or two). I don’t think these Inkspots are very good. I never feel like I get a really firm clear ink impression out of them. I might need to invest in something more serious but for now, they do the job. This one is Basic Gray.
Of course if you have stamps and ink, you need something to stamp them on! Paper Pumpkin provides all the paper, envelopes, puffy stickers, glue dots and cutouts that you need to complete the projects. It’s basically magic. There’s no cutting, no need for a special cutter. No needing to find a special size of paper or matching color. No. Everything you need…. it’s there for you. All you have to do is Assemble!
Assembling is the best part, of course. The nitty gritty of the whole enterprise. The final result and the area where you get to pretend (if you’re like me) that you are super creative. The instructions are included both in photos and in writing. I’ll be honest… they aren’t the most clearly worded instructions so it’s a good thing there are pictures!
I started with stamping everything like the instructions say. I put a couple of the clear stamps on the clear block and put ink on only the stamp I wanted to use for the particular card I was making. It’s so easy!
Then I stamped the banners. I didn’t even mess up once doing this! Normally I do. Maybe I’m getting better with all the practice. haha!
After that, I stamped one of the cards with flowers and leaves. There are a lot of stamps included in this months box. I like all the little flowers, too, so those will be fun to reuse on my own. When I’m brave enough to be creative all by myself.

There were some gold foil stickers to apply to the cards, some string to wrap around for texture and what they call “dimensionals.” Dimensionals are little puffy five sided stickers that lift parts of your project off the page. So the banner on the card above is raised up off of the paper. I like that!
I got very focused and didn’t take any photos of more assemblage. So here are my final products! Now I just need to mail them to someone.

VERDICT: Honestly, is there anything more fun than Paper Pumpkin? Maybe but it’s still a LOT of fun and there’s a certain sense of satisfaction when the job is done. I usually screw up a card or two but hey, I did it! Now I just try to find all the opportunities I can to use them. After making one of each card, I can see areas where my creative license could be improved so my next ones won’t look exactly the same.

If you would like to sign up for Paper Pumpkin, you can sign up here. These boxes are by StampinUp, which I *think* is sort of like a Tupperware party for stamps. If I remember correctly, I think it asked me if I wanted a sponsor or something and I said no. When I went to buy extras in their shop, though, it assigned me someone in my area. So weird. However, no one will bother you.

You can also Skip A Month whenever you want! I’m hoping for some good Christmas goodies in the November box (and/or December) so I’m not skipping these but I probably will in January.

What do you think? Are you a stamp fan? I think if you’re already super good and creative and can make your own things, this might not be worth it (except maybe for the stamps?) but I’m not so I need all the help I can get.