Today will be two years since our son died aged 31 of complications arising from his Type 1 diabetes. It’s been tough, but with the support of family and friends we’re coming to terms with it. The last time Russell visited us he spent time at Peggy’s Cove so I now I always associate him with lighthouses and sailing. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for my blog today, but crafting is my therapy. In the end I came up with a decorated notebook using products from the new Come Sail Away suite.

NOTEBOOK COVER

I purchased this 5″ x 7″ notebook in Walmart. It has a rounded stitched spine which made covering it a breeze. I simply cut a piece of Come Sail Away Designer Series Paper (DSP) and attached it to the notebook cover with Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow).

For the sentiment I pulled out one of the 3′ x 4″ cards from the Come Sail Away Memories & More Card Pack. Then using liquid glue I mounted it onto Whisper White Card.

For a little additional decoration I chose Crumb Cake twine from the Nature’s Twine pack. I cut 2 pieces, each 6″ long and tied them into a decorative Carrick Bend knot. I found a great little video from Why Knot that shows how to tie this knot. To keep it in its decorative form, don’t pull the single ends as shown right at the end of the video, adjust the knot by gently pulling the two strands on each side.

With my knot tied, I wrapped it around the layered sentiment and secured it on the back with Tear & Tape Adhesive. Then I attached the completed piece to the notebook cover with liquid glue.

SAILING IMAGERY

Now I needed the Sailing Home Stamp Set. Using Night of Navy ink I stamped the two yacht images onto Whisper White Card.

Then using my retiring Big Shot and Magnetic Platform I cut out the images using the coordinating Smooth Sailing Dies.

While I was there I also cut out the ship’s wheel from Copper Foil Sheet.

To complete the notebook cover I used liquid glue to attach the small yacht and ship’s wheel. Then the final yacht was added using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

I’m really happy with how this notebook turned out. It’s interesting without being too fussy, and with Father’s Day just around the corner it’s perfect for all the guys out there.

LAST CHANCE FOR RETIRING PRODUCTS

Today is your last chance to bag some of those retiring products in the Last Chance section of my store. If you’ve been holding out to see if any of the items will appear on the Clearance Rack, be warned. I can’t remember the last time I saw stamp sets there, and there’s no guarantee any of the other retiring items will be available after today. Stampin’ Up! regularly donates retired product to good causes so this could be your last opportunity to buy these items.

IT’S CATALOGUE EVE!

If today’s the last day for retiring items it means that the new Stampin’ Up! catalogue goes live tomorrow. Yay!

Changing over from the outgoing Annual and Occasions Catalogues and getting everything done for the new one is a big job. Stampin’ Up! have advised us that they will begin the process at midnight Mountain Time. Obviously they’ll get the work done as soon as they can, however they’ve said it could be noon MT before everything is complete. If they can get it done sooner you can be sure the website will be back online immediately they’re ready.

I’ll spend tomorrow morning adding product lists and links to all my sneak peek blog posts. That way you’ll be able to click on the items you like and be able to add them to your order without any fuss. I’ll also add a link to the new catalogue PDF so you can download it directly to your device if you wish.

Well I’m going to have a quiet day today, with perhaps a little more crafting therapy. I do hope you’ll join me again tomorrow.

PRODUCT LIST

The Sailing Home Stamp Set and coordinating Smooth Sailing Dies can be purchased by themselves. However if you want both, make sure you order them together as a bundle so you can get them at a 20% discount. I’ve included both options in the product list below.