Welcome to my ABC Card Series! Throughout this series I’ll be sharing a variety of cards for every occasion from A to Z! Today’s card shows my idea of retirement… salt air, an ocean breeze, and my toes in the sand (with a book in my hand)! I feel relaxed already!

To create this card I began by sponging the whisper white layer with Pool Party. Then I placed a sticky note across the top half so I would have a nice straight horizon when I stamped the ocean. I used the High Tide Stamp Set and Balmy Blue Ink then sponged over it lightly and added some Wink of Stella for a little sparkle. (It’s hard to see in the photo.) I stamped the sand in Crumb Cake ink and die cut the white chair with the die from Seasonal Layers. I love Balmy Blue and Crumb Cake together with white! So crisp! The Well Written Dies and Well Said Stamp Set have just about any saying you could ever want! If you are looking for great sentiments for the front and inside of your cards these are top on my list! I love all the combinations you can make with the word dies! They are the perfect size and the font is just lovely!

I’ve mentioned before that I like to play around with different possibilities when I create. After I made the card above I was thinking it might look better as a vertical card rather than horizontal. So I made another one.
This proved to be more work than I bargained for! I didn’t stamp my sentiment straight so rather than redo it again I decided to cover it up. I stamped it on a strip of white and I wasn’t happy with that so I sponged it in pool party like the background. What do you think…vertical or horizontal?
You know I love to give cards and gifts that coordinate. Here’s the perfect bottle of wine to go with this card! I’d love to retire to a beach house!

Guess who just decided to retire??? ME! After 33 years of teaching I will not be heading back to school later this month. It was a tough decision but I am looking forward to new adventures ahead. I’m thinking about all the extra time I will have to create and share!
My friend Margie stopped by the other day and brought me this sign…

I love it! I had to clean off my desk to showcase my new sign!
Let’s get some chatter going…I’d love to hear from you! Are you retired? What do you like to do besides stamping? Leave a comment below and I’ll pick a random winner to send some blog candy! I have some retired goodies looking for a new home! And don’t forget to leave me a comment as to which card you prefer, vertical or horizontal?
Have a Really Great Day!
Just Stampin”
Jeanie
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Paper Pumpkin is a monthly subscription service by Stampin’ Up! It is the perfect way to jump into the world of papercrafting and get your creative “me-time” every month. The kit includes all the stamps, ink, and paper you need to create a fun project, without any stress. Everything is precut and ready to go so you can skip to the fun part of crafting! Subscribers always have cards and cute gifts on hand for every occasion. Your first kit includes a free gift —a clear stamping block. You’ll also build a collection of stamps and ink to use on other projects. There’s no pressure—you can cancel or suspend at any time. Subscribe by the 10th of the month to get started!
Here’s some details about the August kit.
- The August kit includes 6 gift bags and 12 gift tags. To receive this kit you must subscribe by August 10.
- The Gift of Fall Add-On Bundle is a separate purchase for those who would like to convert their August Paper Pumpkin kit into cards.
- Once you have completed the August kit, you will have extra kit components so you can easily combine them with the add-on without having to purchase additional kits.
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