Happy August!

I cannot believe it is August! It certainly doesn't feel like August. This weather we've been having this summer is more like Spring! Anyway with August this year brings the Stampin' Up! convention and I'm counting the days until I leave! I'll be flying out on Tuesday and returning on Sunday. I'm so excited! Woo Hoo!

So needless to say I've been busy preparing samples for my August newsletter and my swaps for convention.

I've been seeing many, many variations of a flower pot card floating around on the internet these days. I truly love the idea but I don't have flower punches or dies that would work wth that project. Looking at the flower pot I got an inspiration…being that its summertime, how about a beach pail!

Here is my altered version of the flower pot into a summertime favorite, a beach pail and shovel! Remember all the fun you had playing in the sand and making all those sand castles?! I used to make mine with moats and then fill them with water!

For those of you who get my newsletter you'll find the instructions in the August issue.

I've used the new Bermuda Bay card stock, ribbon and ink. I even colored the butterfly stamp with our new In Colors Stampin' Write markers to create the cool two color effect you see!

Stamp sets:
Circle Circus
Garden Whimsy

So I've altered the flower pot base card and the insert to make my beach pail and shovel. I do hope you like it!

I always look for ways of altering popular projects to work with items I have on hand!

I used the square punch for the handle of the shovel. You could even add some dimension by shading the insides of the handle.

You can dress this up anyway you choose!

Use some water or other summertime stamp sets you have it home!

Here is the shovel insert! You could even add another image on the insert…

The handle can be folded so that the card fits in a medium sized envelope!

Have fun!