Hi everyone! My best friend, Emily, recently graduated from university. She has studied diligently while also juggling everything that comes with being a wife, a mother of four children (and a dog), and a small business owner. She has been a role model, not only to her children, but also to me. We have a saying, “I can do hard things”, and she demonstrates this daily. I couldn’t let this milestone go unrecognised, and had to create a graduation congratulations card to celebrate her achievement. I am enormously proud of her!
Where to begin?
Before I created this card, I had two thoughts: first, which stamp set had a graduation cap, and second, I needed to use purple, as the school colours included purple (albeit a more vibrant purple than I chose to use here). The first stamp set I came across in my stash that included a graduation cap was the Capybaras! stamp set from Lawn Fawn. I had also recently purchased Lawn Fawn’s Giant Hooray die, so that was the next addition to the design. From there, it was simply a matter of working out how to pull everything together.
The Design Process for this Graduation Congratulations Card
I started by creating a card base from Neenah Solar White 110lb cardstock. I then cut a piece of white cardstock to 4.25″ x 5.5″ and, using Highland Heather and Gorgeous Grape inks (Stampin’ Up!®) along with the Draped Ribbons stencil from Lawn Fawn, created the background for the card front.
Next, I smooshed Highland Heather and just a touch of Gorgeous Grape ink (Stampin’ Up!®) onto a Ranger Craft Sheet and spritzed it with a little water. I pounced another piece of white cardstock into this ink and then put it aside to dry. I repeated this process with Peeled Paint Distress Ink to create a soft green panel, which was also set aside to dry.
I then stamped, coloured, and die-cut all the pieces I needed from the Capybaras! and Capybaras! Add-On stamp sets from Lawn Fawn. I always create a few extra images…just in case. This gives me the flexibility to change my mind, and anything I don’t use gets stored with the stamp set so it can be used on future projects.
I die-cut the Giant Hooray die (Lawn Fawn) from grey, white, and the inked purple cardstock, as I wanted to layer the pieces for dimension. I also always apply large adhesive sheets to the cardstock before die-cutting. This makes layering a breeze. The inked green cardstock was die-cut using Lawn Fawn’s Grassy Border die.
Once everything was prepared, it was simply a matter of assembling the card. I added a little Wink of Stella to the top “Hooray!” die-cut to give it a bit of sparkle.
Here’s the card…
Here’s the inside of the card…
I don’t usually show the inside of my card, but I know people are curious as to how, or indeed, IF, the insides are decorated. If I am creating a card featuring critters, I usually make a mini scene, as I have done here, or I stamp directly onto the middle panel in a grey ink as a subtle embellishment.
Unfortunately, the card didn’t photograph quite as well as I had hoped. It really does look much better in person. Regardless, it was fun making this graduation congratulations card, and it’s a small way to show just how proud I am of Emily’s accomplishments.
Hope you have a wonderful day! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Supplies
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