Four-Panel "Note"

Here's a sneak peek at one of the sets coming out in Stampin' Up!'s new catalog. It is called "Double-line Doodles." I attended one of the Virginia Beach Regionals a little over a month ago and received the set. This little four-panel card was one of the make-and-take style projects we created. The tiny note holder was created by sealing a small envelope, slicing a bit of the end off and using a circle punch to make the semi-circle opening at the top. It's a cute way to hide a tiny message. The colors used to make this card are: Certainly celery, Old Olive, Real Red, More Mustard, Tempting Turquoise. Ribbon: Red gingham, Celery grosgrain & Hemp twine.

Goodbye Balmy Breezes

Here are two simple layouts created with SU!'s "Balmy Breezes" set. The images in this set are great for stamping on top of each other and creating a "weathered" look. For the top sample, I used Really Rust and Always Artichoke craft spots to daub color on the pineapple. I attached the tag with hemp twine onto one of the horizontal stripes of the card. It was an easy way of adding a "layer" without using dimensionals or pop-up glue dots. On the bottom card, I stamped the pineapple on Very Vanilla cardstock and added a layer each of Really Rust and Close to Cocoa. Plain twill tape complements the muted colors and sort of "rugged" feel of the card. The twill tape is secured with Aged Copper brads.

"Balmy Breezes" (along with a vast majority of other sets) will soon retire from Stampin' Up!. It is a bit shocking that some well-designed sets will no longer be offered... but it means that there are more new stamps to look forward to. Stampin' Up! will soon unveil the first of its semi-annual catalogs to customers in July: The Fall-Winter Catalog. I'm looking forward to seeing what's in store then. As it is, SU! offers a great line of stamps and color-coordinated accessories. They are well worth the wait! Check out the SU! site for updates: www.stampinup.com