PPA #312

For this week's PPA, I decided to go into the archives and try to use up some retired designer series paper.  I love the designer series paper that Stampin' Up! has to offer, but find myself so afraid to use it because once I do - it's gone.  I need to get over that fear, but knowing me the way I do, I have to start with baby steps.

So baby step #1 was to use some retired paper that featured retired in colors.  I have all the ink, markers and card stock for the in colors that I have purchased since I started stamping, but I rarely use them because none of the new stuff tends to coordinate.  And especially now that I'm a demonstrator, I feel like I have to focus on new products so I can maybe sell some of this stuff.  Even though I am first and foremost a hobby demonstrator, I do have a few neighborhood customers and the more I can sell to them, the more I can buy for myself.

I stumbled upon this week's design by accident.  I was looking for some old paper that I could use with some Wisteria Wonder ribbon, and found a sheet from the Birds of a Feather DSP that featured flamingos in Primrose Petals.  Flamingos are such a hot item in the new annual catalog.  I have not purchased any of the flamingo-related products, and thought this would be a fun way to get in on the action while conquering my DSP fears.

And here it is... I had to cheat a little and cut out the flamingo using my Cricut machine, but this was such a fun and surprising idea, I couldn't resist.  

I took the "retired" theme so seriously, you would have thought it was the challenge for PPA #312.  Here are the products I used:

• Cardstock: Whisper White, Midnight Muse (retired), Primrose Petals (retired)
• Stampin' Write Marker in Midnight Muse (retired)
• Stampin' Up Very Punny stamp set (retired, from 2007, well before my stamping days began, but gifted to me by my aunt)... I just colored the sentiment part of the stamp with the marker and stamped it onto Whisper White.  The actual stamp had a really cute pig, but didn't quite go with the theme
• Birds of a Feather designer series paper (retired)
• Ribbon is generic white satin ribbon bought from Michael's
• Flamingo was cut out using my Cricut machine
• 1.5" circle punch (not retired!)
• Circle Nesting dies (not retired!)

Thanks for letting me play with the PPA!  I am having so much fun - especially when I love the card I come up with!