At Home with Bounty

There's something about the dawning of summer that brings out the best in us. We exchange food offerings at garden parties or barbecues, send postcards and notes during vacations, and generally become more expansive in our appreciation of others. Writing thank-you notes is an easy way to show appreciation for favors done or gifts received, and making your own summer stationery is not only very simple, it shows that extra bit of caring. Adult supervision required.

What You'll Need:

• White card stock
• Safety scissors
• A decorative card punch
• Acrylic paint
• Saucers
• A small sponge
• Bounty paper towels for cleanup

Instructions:

1. Fold your white card stock to the size you want for your notelet. The beauty of making your own summer stationery cards is that you can make them any size you like. A tip for sizing handmade cards is to use a bought envelope to measure the size of your card. That way you have the correct size envelope when you're ready to send it.
2. Cut another sheet of card stock into a 4" x 4" square. This will be your stencil. The size isn't critical, but you want it large enough to handle easily and small enough so as not to completely obscure your card while you're working.
3. Punch shapes randomly in the small square of card. Place them close together but not in rows. The aim is to form natural-looking clusters of whatever shape you're using. Butterfly shapes mixed in with flower shapes look good, if you'd like to use more than one punch.
4. Mix your chosen colors of paint in a saucer. Use a different saucer for each color if you're using more than one.
5. Place your stencil over your notelet, positioning the punched holes where you want the painted pattern to appear.
6. Dab the sponge into the paint, blot it on a Bounty paper towel to remove the excess, and gently dab it over the holes of your stencil. Don't push sideways on the sponge--otherwise, the paint may seep under the edges of the hole and blur the image. Make sure you dab vertically, with a light touch. Allow the paint to dry before moving the stencil to a different position.
7. Cover a different area on the card and repeat the dabbing process until you've covered as much, or as little, of the notelet as you like. Maybe you want it completely covered with your pattern, or maybe you prefer just a little color along one edge or over the corners. If you like, make a whole set of notelets using different variations of the pattern or different colors.