More Retiring Favorites!

Aloha, all!

     If it's Tuesday, it's likely to be time for a Stampin' Up! Only Challenge! I love having this challenge every two weeks because it forces me to make something specific. Most of the time, I walk into my craft room, look around, and say, "Let's try (something that I happen to see) today!" Today's project is a case in point.

     When I saw that the theme for this challenge was for us to focus on our favorite retiring papers, I knew I had to start with papers. Rarely do I start with the paper and work from there. Most of the time the starting point is the purpose for the card – Birthday, Hello, Anniversary, and so forth. This time, though, I first had to select the paper and build on that. So what did I choose?

     For this project I did NOT choose my favorite paper. I have been hoarding my real favorite paper sets. I live in my husband's gorgeous Botanical Garden, and the paper set. Botanical Gardens is my absolute favorite, now and for a long time. And I'm not just hoarding 1 pack. I have a box of 5 packs and am using it sparingly. It's now sold out at Stampin' Up!, so what I now have will have to do.

     So now for my NEXT favorite paper set – Birthday Bouquet Designer Series Paper. Not only do I have a favorite set, I have favorite sheets, and the sheet I've used today is one of them. I picked this specific paper for this project to show off the currently popular Drapery Fold Technique. I had half a sheet of paper left, and this design only used half of that. I've seen this way of making the drapery fold in several projects online, but couldn't find directions for exactly what I wanted to accomplish. Now that I've figured it out, I've starting writing a quick tutorial, and I'll publish it in my newsletter later this week.

     There are other products in this project that are going to retire at the end of the month, too. Candy Dots! What, no more Candy Dots? That right. But they're going to be replaced by something that looks like it might be even more fun that the single-sized Candy Dots! And that beautiful Pool Party 3/8" Glitter Ribbon. Why can't we have more of that? Who knows, maybe we will. But it's not in the upcoming Annual Catalog, so we have to say goodbye to this, too.

     Finally, one of my all-time favorite stamp sets, Sassy Salutations, is leaving the catalog. This is one of those sets that I'm considering keeping around. Hmmm.

     OK – now let's hear about YOUR favorite retiring paper! Just head on over the the SU Only Challenges blog and enter your project in the challenge. I can hardly wait to see what it might be!!!