Graduation Cards Made Easy

Spring brings a LOT of graduations - it seems pretty much April to June someone is celebrating a milestone achievement. Today I have two graduation designs that are easy to make with the help of some fabulous dies, and beautiful papers.

First up is this blue beauty. Every school but one that I have attended has had the colors of blue and gold. From elementary school to my university (in another state), and ALL of the schools in the town where I currently live - blue and gold are popular choices. This classy card uses amazing papers and two sets available from Stamp Simply:

I cut a piece of the beautiful Ink Drops Candy 6x6 by Craft Consortium for my background, and stamped one of the Graduation Sentiments twice along the bottom. I used another small piece of the paper and stamped "To the graduate" -- both are with VersaFine Onyx Black ink. All edges were distressed with a distress tool. I cut the cap and diploma from gold shimmer cardstock, and popped them up with foam tape on their matted panels. For a little extra shimmer, I tied metallic thread around the center of the card, fanning it out for interest.

Supplies from Stamp Simply:

• Graduation Sentiments
• Congrats Grad Steel Dies
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Candy 6x6
• VersaFine Ink Pad - Onyx Black

Other Supplies:

• distress tool (for card edges)
• gold shimmer, dark blue, light blue cardstock
• metallic blue thread
• foam tape

Next up is a classic black and gold design, with some fabulous star paper and a glitzy tassel!

I cut the graduation cap twice with the die, and then fussy cut the tassel out of gold glitter paper to have it stand out. An embossing folder for texture, the gorgeous Pearlescent cardstock again, and the addition of that starry paper delight (grab it while you can!), a few sequins -- this 15 minute card has it all! (The 15 minutes does not count the hour thinking up the layout....ha!)

I love those fishtail dies for sentiments and banners!

Supplies from Stamp Simply:

• Graduation Sentiments
• Congrats Grad Steel Dies
• Fishtail Sentiment Banners Dies
• Reminisce Graduation Paper 6x6
• Luxury Pearlescent Metallic Gold Cardstock
• VersaFine Ink Pad - Onyx Black

Other Supplies:

• gold sequins
• black, white, gold glitter cardstock
• embossing folder (Darice)
• foam tape

You can see more of the details of these cards on the Stamp Simply blog today! Happy Palm Sunday!

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - April - Anything Goes with Patterned Paper
• Do-Al(l) Kreatives - #64 - Embossing Folders
• Happy Little Stampers - April - Anything Goes with Dies
• Let's Squash It - #18 - Emboss/Deboss