Retirement

The end of a school year brings a whole new way of life to our teaching colleagues, especially if they are retiring as we did three years ago now. My husband has four friends retiring this year from teaching, as well as his sister retiring from the health field.  Great chance to make some fun cards!

I treated myself to an order from PTI, Simon Says and Paper Smooches and with it lots of fun new stamps and dies! And I already have a want list growing for my next order...

First I tried the PTI Happiness in Bloom set. I did not get the dies that coordinate (on my want list)!  This is a one layer card, with the center masked and sponged with Distress ink (mowed lawn) to give it a layered look. Then stamped the outside of the flower with SU blushing bride, melon mambo over that with the inside of the flower, and the very center with another melon mambo which appears lighter because it has one less layer of stamping. How cool is that? 

I masked the flowers to add the leaves in SU gumball green and some smaller blossoms in the pinks. The sentiment is from SSS Tilted Banner Sayings with Staz-on black ink. I love that I can manipulate the stamp to tilt or wave!

Then I got the brilliant idea to do the same card, and "fussy cut" the center blossom to add dimension to the card. So I cut each layer of the center flower and added dimensionals to give it depth. Love it and tried to photograph it to show the result... I did forget to round the corners though!

 The inside sentiment ... The best is yet to come! And with retirement I do believe that- especially when it comes to enjoying another quiet, relaxing cup of coffee.

 The next card is PTI's Fly Away stamp set with coordinating dies. Just love this little plane which I did in SU Real Red and Gumball Green. I used masking to sponge color the center of the card with Distress Broken China and stamped the birds from SU's Up, Up and Away and DSP for the bottom of the masked section. 

The plane and banner are stamped on another piece. The banner sentiment was heat embossed with white and added with dimensionals to give some depth. It is being dragged by the plane with baker's twine. I didn't attach the twine to the paper, rather left it on its own! The plane is also attached to the base with dimensionals, so it gives the twine a little "wiggle room!"

I did another plane in SU's gumball green, using the same idea as above. The added Distress ink is Wild Honey.

 This side view picture gives a better idea of the plane and banner, although not the best :)

I also have gotten into a little envelope art to decorate - matching the card. The sentiment is from SU's Up, Up and Away stamp set. 

Off to do my first volunteer stint at the elementary school. I am reading one of my favorite children's books, a Steve Jenkin's,  to a first grade class, extending comprehension ideas and prediction into "about the text" examples. I love the thought of giving back to the profession from my literacy coach position, but mostly I am just looking forward to enjoying the kids!