"My time has not been my own."

This is what Anne Elliot, the heroine of Jane Austen's 'Persuation' says to a friend to explain her long absence.

This is how I have been feeling for so long- life circling around 3 kids, school, swim, ski, piano lessons, dealing with the whinings around having to do homework every night after a full day at work. It is totally exhausting! So I let my blog and even my stamping falter.

Then my grandmother- who was almost 100 - God bless her soul- passed away and the whole clan came together in Los Angeles. It was the first time I had seen all three of my siblings in one room in almost a decade.

When I asked my older brother Pete- who I think is one of the smartest and nicest guys I have ever met- if there is something I could do for him, he asked for some nice gift envelopes in which to gift money or a check.

So I've been dreaming up a bunch of ideas to do this for him. With Sale-a-bration almost over and since I am totally in love with this paper I wanted to make a whole pack of pretty gift envies for him.

It's a pretty simple design. Take a 9x 7 1/2 inch paper- DSP is preferred. With the 9 inch side across the top, score down at 2 7/8 inches and 6 inch. punch out a half circle from the 3 inch side (on the right in the picture) and corner round the left side. Use sticky tape to adhere the right side to the center panel.

Create a band using a contrasting CS

You can only get one out of a 8 1/2 x 11 CS or 12x12 CS but with plenty of scraps left over.

I stamped the image from Fresh Vintage stamp set from Sale-a-bration ( isn't it delicious that it lines up with the triple layer doily punch so perfectly? ) twice in 2 different colors to coordinate- punched the small circle using 1/2 inch circle punch and layered both using dimensionals on the band.

My plan? is to use up as much of my hoarded (gasp!) DSP as I can. I think he would appreciate some neutral and manly papers so I am making a bunch.

If you are giving a large denomination of cash and want to show it off, you can punch/diecut a large oval in the center of the inside flap to show off the picture instead of the little semi-circle too, BTW.

Lynda