From Your Editor

let your creativity bloom!

Hurrah! Summer is finally here, and it's time to experience crafting and the great outdoors! In celebration, we bring you our biggest garden crafting issue ever packed with creative decorating and gift-giving ideas. Create captivating décor for your porch, deck, patio or garden, bringing beauty and charm to your outdoor living space. Also included are garden-inspired indoor ideas you'll enjoy throughout the year. From garden-fresh salsa to seed packet gift envelopes, you'll find the season's best gifts.

Planning this special garden issue was especially fun for me as I adore gardening, but am a condo-dweller with very limited planting space. So when spring arrives, I visit the Chicago Botanic Gardens for a leisurely walk through their glorious gardens. I also enjoy volunteering at the Lincoln Park Conservatory, doing a variety of odd jobs like pruning trees and cleaning greenhouses. I find that gardening, like crafting, is a wonderful way to de-stress while adding a little beauty to our world. Combining these two activities makes perfect sense.

And because you've asked for more card-making inspiration, check out our new 30-Minute Card Ideas on pages 36-37. There you'll find a variety of super-quick cards to spark your creativity. Complete instructions and material lists for any of the featured cards are available at www.craftsnthings.com.

As always, your feedback is important to us. Please e-mail your thoughts about 30-Minute Card Ideas or any feedback about Crafts 'n Things® to us at comments@craftsnthings.com.

Create and Celebrate!

P.S. Treat yourself to some Minty Green Tea Lemonade — it's especially refreshing after working in the garden.