Graduation Congratulations!

          I am going to be the proud mother of a graduate of East Carolina University’s Graduate School.  Our daughter will be receiving her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy this weekend and will be a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist.  AND, she already has a job!  GOD is sooooo GOOD!  Anyway, I had to make her a special card to celebrate the occasion!  She likes daffodils but I don’t have any stamps of these that she hasn’t already seen in a card from me.  I choose to use the Daffodil Delight CS because it is soooo cheerful.  It matched fairly well with the yellows in Graphic 45’s French Country Collection.  Midnight Muse matched with the blue in this collection, too.  I had my inks & my paper!  That’s always a great start!  I used the MOJO Monday 291 sketch for this card and rotated it 90°.  Go to:  http://mojomonday.blogspot.com for the sketch!   

• Stamp set(s): All by Heartfelt Creations – HCPC 3468 Tattered Blossoms, HCPC 3471 Tattered Collage, HCPC 3363 Inspire Me, and HCPC 3449 Door to My Heart

• Ink(s):  Memento Tuxedo Black; SU inks:  Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Midnight Muse, and Crumb Cake

• Paper:  Graphic 45 French Country Collection Déjà vu; watercolor paper; SU cardstock – Daffodil Delight & Midnight Muse 


• Dies & Embossing folders:  Dies:  Spellbinders Labels 8 & Fancy Tags; Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Ovals; and Heartfelt Creations Tattered Blossoms Die(HCD 722).  Embossing folder:  Sizzix for SU Vintage Wallpaper  


• Embellishments/Other things of note:  Kaiser Craft Pearl Brads-Ice Green, SU Basic Jewels Pearl Large, Mark Richards’ Mosaic Mosaique 5mm Cream tiles, SU ribbon seam binding Very Vanilla, sponge daubers, sponge, and SU Blender Pens

I stamped the Tattered Collage with the Memento Ink and used blender pens to color the blossoms and leaves.  I distressed the background of the image with a sponge and Crumb Cake ink.  I stamped the Tattered Blossoms on Daffodil Delight and cut them out with the coordinating dies from Heartfelt Creations.  I cut out the stamped image and matted it on the Daffodil Delight CS – both cut with Labels 8.  I distressed the yellow mat and the 3 pieces of coordinating strips of paper with the EF and distressed the raised images with Crumb Cake using a piece of sponge.  All paper was edged with Crumb Cake and a sponge dauber.  The two Tattered Blossoms were attached over a flower on the collage piece with a pearl brad.  The Tattered Collage pieced was popped up with Stampin’ Dimensionals and pearls were added to the 2 smaller flowers.  I placed the 3 tiles on the right side of the card to move the eye across the card front and add balance.  The inside of the card’s lower left corner was stamped and sentiment added to complete the card.

I absolutely love the companies that are working with the die making companies to coordinate stamps with dies.  It is one of the best trends the industry is doing, and Heartfelt Creations tops the list with their teamwork with Spellbinders in my humble opinion.  Brilliant, simply brilliant!  I’d love to see Stampin’ Up! do a lot more of this to keep themselves competitive in the market.  They have great stamps & inks but not enough coordinated with Sizzix to cut out their images.  I don’t buy many punches due to their weight and size.  SU has so many beautiful stamps that are crying out for a die!  Let them know what you want – I do!!

As always, thank you for stopping by and taking a look.  Let me know what you think and join my site!  Many blessings!

Donna

PS:  Here is a peek at the inside of the card!