More Graduation Cards

We had another fun weekend of graduation openhouses.  Graduation cards are one of my favorite to design!

I really like the feeling of motion in this card.  The contemporary style of the Bright Blossoms stamps seemed to fit this sentiment so well.  This uses all the new in-color inks and the lovely Comfort Cafe DSP.

  

Midnight Muse is such a rich color of blue and is fast becoming my new go-to color.  I used it for the sentiment in the above card and in this second card it is the main focus.   

Products used:

Imagine the Possibilities card:

Raspberry Ripple base- 4-1/4" X 11", scored at 5-1/2"

Comfort Cafe layer- 4" X 5-1/4"

Whisper White layer - 3-3/4" X 5"

Inks- Summer Starfruit, Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green, Primrose Petals, Midnight Muse

Stamps- Bright Blossoms, Word Play

Go Confidently card:

Midnight Muse base- 4-1/4"X 11", scored at 5-1/2"

Comfort Cafe layer-  3" X 5-1/4"

Very Vanilla layer - 3-3/4" X 5"

Ink: Midnight Muse

Stamps: Open Sea, Word Play

Graduation Card Variations

We have so many openhouses to attend this year!  It is delightful to see so many of the kids we have known since they were babies graduating.   I made two cards for the ones we attending this weekend.

Both use a base layer with a verse printed using My Digital Studio which I stamped on to make the variations.

The daisy outline stamp on the girl version is from the Reason to Smile set.

And the ship and compass on the guy version is from the Open Sea set.

The My Digital Studio layout is one that I made last year and saved so I was easily able add a duplicate page, changed the color of the text and put a border stamp at the bottom.  (The border stamp, called Torn Edges is one of my favorites and comes with My Digital Studio.)  This is what the page looked like when I printed it.

I have tips for aligning the text on the page in this post from last year.  You can see the first version of the card there as well.

Imagine the New Colors and Blog Candy Winner

Stampin' Up releases five new trendy colors each year.   This years colors are Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit, Gumball Green and Midnight Muse.  Fun names for fun colors!

I used the new Bitty Banners Framelits pack to die cut the In-colored flags and the Cupcake Builder punch for the clouds.  The sentiment is from the Word Play set and is stamped in Midnight Muse ink on a Marina Mist cardstock base.

Also today I have the winner of the blog candy from the UStamp Blog Hop.  I used random.org to generate choose.  The winner is.... Jeanne Nielson!!  Congratulations Jeanne... please email me with your address.
 

UStamp 3rd Anniversary Blog Hop





Welcome to the Ustamp with Dawn and Friends!! 3rd AnniversaryBlog Hop.

If you have been following the Blog Hop from the beginning, you have just been wowed by Rachel Ricks' Travel Journal, wasn't that an AMAZING way to preserve your family travel photos and adventures?? Rachel is a FABULOUS Designer and always shares something special for UStamp with Dawn and Friends!! events!!

 


If you are just joining the Blog Hop, no problem, as you can start at any point. All the Designer's Blogs are linked together so you will be able to see ALL the FANTASTIC projects we have for you.

 


TINY and BIG are all the rage now and since it is National Scrapbooking Month, I couldn't resist creating a fun
"mini-mini" scrapbook.

The accordion style base adds a interesting & functional element to the Big Shot Petite Purse.

How cute is the tiny purse on the card??!! It opens out with the greeting and a picture inside...what a memorable surprise!!

 



   

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 JOIN US NOW for "KEEP CALM AND USTAMP ON!

Inspired by the upcoming 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London,


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Ready to get hopping again??!!

Of course YOU are!!

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FABULOUSNESS

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Thanks again for the opportunity to share

my creativity with you!!

 


Introducing Floral District DSP

One of the new Designer Series Papers that will be available (June 1st!) in the new Stampin' Up catalog is the pretty Floral District paper.   My first project with it is a large card and matching wrapped Godiva chocolate bar.

When the papers have larger scale designs I like to make bigger cards to show them off.   This one fits in a business size envelope.  

The base is a 8 inch by 9 inch piece of Lucky Limeade cardstock, folded in half to make a 4" X  9" card.  The Floral District paper is cut at 3-1/2" X 8-1/2".  I added the Tangerine Tango ribbon before adhering it to the card base.

The covered chocolate bar has shapes cut with the new Apothecary Accents Framelits.

The Framelits work so well when cutting a shape with a design because you can see exactly where to place them for the best layouts.  That is how I was able to perfectly align the center image.  The image is from the Just Believe stamp set and was heat embossed with clear embossing powder before being cut with the Framelit.

Retiring Stamps Blog Hop

Welcome to Stampin' Addicts Retiring Stamps Blog Hop.  Many wonderful stamps are retiring the end of May and we are showcasing some of our favorites.  I chose the set Nature's Nest.  The intricate details are well suited to a variety of techniques.

My first project is a turtle pin.  Seeing it in person it is hard to believe it made of paper.  It looks like it belongs in an art boutique!

To make this I stamped the image three times on Shimmery White cardstock and used re-inkers to watercolor one of them.  I layered them on top of each other with Mod-Podge and while it was still wet shaped the turtle into a life-like pose.    Finally I covered it with Crystal Effects and added a pin back.

The gift box is made with the retiring Matchbox Big Shot die.  For the seashell I stamped the image on vellum cardstock,  lightly washed it with three colors of reinkers and coated it with Crystal Effects.  While it was still wet I sprinkled on a light dusting of blue SuperNova Glitter (also retiring).  The grass is green SuperNova glitter too.   (You can click on the photo to make it larger to see the details.)

Next are dragonfly window decorations.  These remind me of the oodles of homeschool projects we did when the kids were younger; we always decorated the house with art work related to what we were studying.   

I have these on the windows of my craft room and they look so life-like.   Again I used staz-on ink  stamped on vellum cardstock and colored them with markers.  Markers blend beautifully on the vellum.  

Lastly I used the feather stamp for a clean and simple card.    I applied Sticky Strip vertically on the card front and sprinkled it with more blue SuperNova glitter.   Glitter also accents the circles on the feather.  A glimmer brad and punches mimicking the feather finish it off.

Thank you for stopping by and now it is time to hop along to the next blog.  You may go forward or backward as we are all linked in a circle.

Click on the Previous button to see Kim's lovely Upsy Daisy projects.

or click on the Next button to go to Krystal's terrific Extreme Elements projects.

Happy Hopping!

Amazing Hybrid Cards

These cards are a-maze-ing!

The bases are done on My Digital Studio and printed through Stampin' Up's professional print service.   Then I just added the plastic Maze Game embellishment (from the Occasions Mini catalog), two extra circles of DSP and a small piece of ribbon.  

Once I had this designed on MDS it was super quick to change the colors for a second card.  For both cards I used the color scheme from Designer Series Paper packs so the hybrid pieces are a perfect color match.  

To make these cards.  

1. Start with a 5 X 7 blank landscape card.

2.  Add circle punches of various sizes.  The circle where the maze will be should be 2-1/2".

3.  Fill in the circles with colors that match your chosen DSP.

4.  Add a text box and type a sentiment.

5.  Change colors for another card.

6. To make a coordinated writing area on the inside of the cards, insert a duplicate page,  use the mirror image button to flip it and then reduce the opacity.

7.  Once the card is printed, punch a 2-1/2" circle of cardstock to fit in the maze so the colors match the card.   Apply Sticky Strip to the back.   Tuck a piece of folded ribbon behind before adhering it to the card front. 

8.  Punch two circles of coordinating DSP.   Use Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere to the card front.