I don’t know if I’ve told you before, so I’m going to disclose that I’m a total black thumb. I have tried many times over decades to have plants and I just kill them all the time. I know that one issue is that I tend to forget about them, but I’ve been able to kill plants that supposedly thrive on neglect. So I’ve pretty much given up on live plants. The only plants that survive in my house are fake ones or ones like this that I create for cards. Thank goodness for stamps, ink and paper!

Aside from my lack of skill with plants, this card reminds me of an old craft that I tried in my teen years. Does anyone remember the heyday of macrame? I remember that my aunt got me started when I visited on a school vacation, and I made a bunch of plant hangers, wall hangings and even a purse. I especially remember an owl wall hanging with glass eyes – and I have absolutely no idea where it is now. I do have fond memories of shopping in the craft store with her and finding very interesting beads and shapes to incorporate into our creations. I still have a plant hanger (that holds a fake plant) that has large beads that are Holstein cows. This card reminds me of all those various plant hangers created over the years 😉.

This current sketch challenge was the inspiration for my card. The hanging planter seemed just the right size for the focal image on the sketch, and I was happy to pull out something different than floral stamps. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not sure that there is a flower image that I don’t love, but sometimes it’s nice to get a break. I added a small greeting from the Friends Are Like Seashells because I needed a thank you card.

It’s also the time of year where I’m starting to speculate in my mind which sets I’m betting will be on the retirement list at the end of the month. So I’m trying to get some creating in with the sets that I haven’t used a lot and that I think are likely on the chopping block. It’s easier to say goodbye when I’ve given them some extra inky love.

Plentiful Plants Photopolymer Stamp Set [155693] $21.00	Friends Are Like Seashells Photopolymer Stamp Set [154368] $26.00	Perfect Plants Dies [155562] $32.00	Linen Thread [104199] $5.00
Cane Weave 3 D Embossing Folder [160580] $10.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.25	Mini Glue Dots [103683] $5.25	Country Gingham 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [160388] $12.00
Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [120953] $9.25	Evening Evergreen 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [155574] $9.25	Mint Macaron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [138337] $9.25	Cajun Craze 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119684] $9.25
Soft Suede 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [115318] $9.25	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276] $10.25	Evening Evergreen Classic Stampin' Pad [155576] $8.00	Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad [147106] $8.00