InkyPinkies: Hello! I must be going! Fun with retiring stamps {HSS184}

I spent a portion of my morning going through all my stamps sets and marking my retiring stamps. It's always bittersweet. Is it silly to feel an attachment to stamp sets? This fun fringe card was made with two retiring sets - Storybook Friends and Happy Day.

The layout of the card is from our latest sketch challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments. I flipped the sketch, and took the liberty of leaving it upside down so that you can see how "right on" I was! Haha. You are welcome to turn it back upright for your card, or sideways if that floats yer boat.

If you haven't tried using Stampin' Up!'s Fringe Scissors, you absolutely must! They are SO fun and easy to use. What a great dimensional effect, and it gives the card an ombre look with the graduated shades of pink.

Here are a few tips on creating an ombre fringe card:

1) It looks best if the card base is long ways, i.e. opens from the bottom and not the side.

2) The strip of cardstock I used to layer this card are 4-1/4" x 1-1/2", and scored at 1" to mark where to stop cutting with the fringe scissors.

3) It helps to open the scissors wide to make your cuts, and not to cut until the scissors close. This prevents unnecessary twisting and tearing of the cardstock.

4) The fringe cuts in the scissors seem to be spaced so that your 4-1/4" pieces will have perfectly spaced fringes, right up to both ends! Neat!

I was tempted to color the little critters with an aqua painter, but let it go black and white, like an old cartoon.

If you decide you can't live without Storybook Friends, there's time to order it before it's gone! Contact me today to order! Happy Day, too - available while supplies last! Below are links to the retired lists.