2014 Graduation Card

This year our family has three graduates.  I wanted to make a different card for each one, but alas, time ran out so I designed a card that was appropriate for all of them.  I used the Sister Stamp of a graduate so loaded down with leis you can't tell if it is a boy or girl....LOL!

I started with an 11" x 5-1/4" piece of lightweight watercolor paper. I scored it at 3-1/2" and 7".  Then I folded back the front panel so that the open edge would be on the left side of the card front.  The reason I chose watercolor paper was because I planned to stamp and color directly on the card (thus eliminating fussy cutting) and the watercolors/ink won't bleed through the watercolor paper.  I used watercolor pencils and an aqua pen (the type with a water reservoir). (Oops!  I forgot to show the watercolor set I bought from Ben Franklin Crafts.) I find that the pencils are easier to work with than the tube or palette style of watercolors because the details can be just drawn in and painted over with the aqua pen....no need to even wash the brush between colors.  Also boo-boos can be covered over with just a few strokes of blue pencil....see photo LOL!

The word 'GRADUATION' (from the Dandelion Design set)  and the rainbow side strip were colored with my Splendor Tsukineko pad that is so ancient it may not be for sale any more.  The words 'happy' 'happy' 'happy' proved to be a bit harder to ink as it is very close to the 'GRADUATION' so I used some duo daubers (yes, I still have some of those in my stash too, LOL!).  (If you keep your ink pads sealed in Ziplocs or Iris containers, they will last for years....really!) Finally, for the acetate window I ran a piece through an Darice embossing folder and colored in the recessed design with a gold gel pen (the same one that was used to add gold highlights to the card). The windows on the card front were easily cut with the Spellbinder die (from BFC) and the magnetic platform (which holds the die in the exact place where you want to cut the window).  I used the Dandelion Designs 'congrats' on the inside of the card and photographed some stamps that I did not use on this project...oops! again. Okay, that was it for this graduation card except for repeating the process two times and sending them out with leis and $$$.  YAHOO! YIPEE! HOORAY!