fun graduation card

fun graduation card

Shape cards are oh so fun and what says graduation more than a cap and gown right?
This shape card is a bit of scoring but not difficult at all and you can create a cap or mortar board in no time!

Base: Match the color to the graduating school! I did this card as a special order request and the school colors were green and white!
9 3/4″ x 4 1/4″
Basic white CS: (1) 3″ x 4″
(1) 2 3/4″ square
Silver Foil scrap for die cut

Score the cardstock at 5 1/2″

There will be a longer side and a shorter side.
Using the Simply Scored scoring tool mark the shorter side at 2 1/8″ in the top center of the cardstock.
Then mark the paper 2 1/8″ above the 5 1/2″ score line and 2 1/8″ mark below the score line on both sides of the paper.
Place the middle 2 1/8″ mark in one track in the Simply Scoring tool and pivot the paper so the top mark on the left hand side of the paper appears in the middle of the same track. Score diagonally between the top middle and the 2 1/8″ mark on the left side of the cardstock. Twist the paper and do the opposite diagonal line strating from the top 2 1/8″ mark in the middle to the 2 1/8″ mark above the 5 1/2″ score line on the right side of the paper. This will make a point at the top middle of the shorter side.
Place a ruler on the top 2 1/8″ mark on the left side of the paper across to the 2 1/8″ mark below the 5 1/2″ score line on the right side of the paper and score a diagonal line from the top left mark to the bottom right mark.
Do the same diagonal score mark in the opposite direction from the top right hand mark to the bottom left hand mark.
When complete your lines will intersect in an X over the middle of the 5 1/2″ score line and look like the photo below!
Cut off the top two triangles on the short side of the card.
Fold the score lines in creating a valley fold on the two horizontal lines at the 5 1/2″ original score line and mountain folds for the diagonal score lines so that the card will start to look like the photo below.
Finish folding the card so that it comes completely together. Reopen the card and after stamping the sentiments (I used two from the Beautiful Balloons stamp set in coordinating Shaded Spruce ink)
Adhere the 4″ x 3″ cardstock with glue or Stampin’ Seal on all three outside edges DO NOT PUT GLUE Or ADHESIVE ON THE TOP EDGE!
Adhere down with an even border on the card inside bottom. Stamp the sentiment for the 2 3/4″ square on a diagonal and adhere to the inside diamond of the card as shown below.
I die cut the balloon tassels for the mortar board tassel out of Silver foil and adhered it to the center of the outside diamond. I attached a medium Iridescent Rhinestone Basic Jewel to the top of the tassel and the card is done except for the money to the graduate!
Here are some photos of the card front!
Make your graduates a cute shape card this year and impress everyone. Go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

2021-2023 in color shimmer vellum embossed vellum card

2021-2023 in color shimmer vellum embossed vellum card

I love vellum translucent paper you can barely see through – for me it conjures up a feeling of romance – I don’t know why exactly but it does! I especially love dry embossing on it! On plain vellum the embossing pushes an impression into the sheer paper and create a whiter image that truely pops! We have a product which I have had for a while but haven’t played with much yet and got a chance this past weekend! The 2021-2023 In Color Shimmer Vellum has a lovely subtle shimmer to it in Sweet Sorbet, Fresh Freesia, Pale Papaya, Soft Succulent and Evening Evergreen hues. I wondered how it would take to being dry embossed and today’s blog post is the card that resulted from that wondering!

Measurements:
BASE: Orchid Oasis 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Shimmer Vellum 5 1/2″ x 4″
Silver Foil 5 1/2″ x 1/4″ x2
Scrap Basic White for the sentiment circle die

TIP:
When scoring and cutting your cardstock if you take a full sheet of cardstock and score across the entire piece at 4 1/4″ and then rotate and cut at 5 1/2″ you will save time and both pieces will be scored!

Take the Shimmer Vellum piece and insert into the snowflakes embossing folder from the Wintry 3D embossing folders pack. Run through the Stampin’ Cut and Emboss.
This is the finished embossed product – so pretty!
Cut a 1/4″ strip from the Silver Foil 12 x 12 pack and cut the strip into two 5 1/2″ segments.
Vellum because of it’s translucency is notoriously difficult to adhere without seeing the adhesive below the strips are a sneaky way to cover the adhesive strips! I attached the 1/4″ strips on the left and right sides of the Shimmer Vellum leaving a small border. Adhere Stampin’ Seal on the back of the Shimmer Vellum directly behind the strips and attach it to the cardfront.
Die cut the largest circle from the Stylish Shapes die set and stamp in Orchid Oasis ink a sentiment from the Framed and Festive stamp set, this is a limited time set and I love it! Want it? order it soon before it goes away and use the current hostess code FA3VX7JQ.
Pop the sentiment die up on Stampin’ Dimensionals and adhere to the card front.
Adhere Rhinestone basic jewels to the card front to finish off the card with a little sparkle! Try your hand at embossing vellum today and make some art of your own – one stamp at a time.

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

watercolor snowflakes 3 ways – barn door card

watercolor snowflakes 3 ways – barn door card

The next three blog posts this week are going to start with the same technique but I am going to show the finished product on three types of cards. I love to watercolor – it’s fluid and fun and looks great every time – even if you think it looks messy sometimes those make the best pieces of cardstock to use! I started with Shimmery White cardstock (#101910) not only does this cardstock have a glorious shimmer to it but it is thick enough to stand up to watercoloring on it! (and the finished product sparkles!!!) I smoosh the top of our Classic Stampin’ Ink Pads down onto the ink pad inside tranferring some ink to the case top making a palette inside the cover like a paint tray! I watercolored in two ink colors Pacific Point (#147098) and Starry Sky (#159212) adding extra water to the ink in the lid with a waterpainter brush (#151298) and applying it to prewettened Shimmery White cardstock – apply color until happy with the coverage and depth of color – add more color to make the hue darker and richer in tone.
Using the snowflake dies from the Chic Die Set (#158815) I cut multiple snowflakes from one 4″ x 5 1/2″ sheet of watercolored Shimmer White cardstock. This will be the same starting process for all the cards this week.
The card today is called a barn door card, because it swings open from the bottom.

You start with a standard A2 card base. I used a Orchid Oasis cardstock measuring 5 1/2″ x
8 1/2″ scored at 4 1/4″.

Cut the card base front starting at the top of the card’s score line and slicing with the Stampin’ Trimmer to halfway down the card to 2 3/4″. Rotate the card 90 degrees and cut at the 2 3/4″ across to the score line where the cut will intersect with your first cut, and the piece should detach easily from the card base.

Save the cut piece of Orchid Oasis cardstock and cut two more pieces of cardstock for the front focal point.
Take a piece of Snowflake Specialty Vellum I used the silver foiled dotted vellum for this card cut to 2 1/2″ x 4″.
Take a piece of Silver Foil cardstock and cut this to a 3″ x 4 1/2″ section.
Adhere them largest to smallest with Stampin’ Seal adhesive for the first two layers silver foil to the Orchid Oasis cardstock and then adhere the snowflake vellum using mini glue dots behind the largest silver foil dots on the vellum.
Adhere the lower half of this focal piece to the bottom center of the “barn door” flap of the card front.

I decorated the card with the netting die cut in silver foil and the watercolor snowflake dies as well as a few silver foil snowflake die cut accent pieces.

I stamped on a solid snowflake die cut a sentiment and then stamped off twice to make a very light snowflake impression on this sentiment piece and popped it up on mini Stampin’ Dimensionals in the upper middle of the card’s focal piece.

I added a 4″ x 5 1/4″ piece of Basic White cardstock to the inside of the base card to finish the card.

This is what the card looks like opened up! Isn’t that so fun and easy!

The supplies below are for all three versions of the card so some supplies may not be used on today’s card but all the supplies will be used at some point this week!

Give it a try! Now go and create some art of your own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’

Natalie