A Graduation Card, All Things Unity and CAS-ual Fridays

Seems like forever since I made and posted a card! A bad cold does nothing for your creativity, I've decided. Plus, it seems to be dreary and rainy so much lately, and I like natural light for crafting. However, I'm almost over the cold, and there was just barely enough bright(ish) weather today to make a graduation card that I need for next week. 

I don't have any graduation-specific stamps, but owls are often used to symbolize graduating, so I inked up this little guy from Unity's Mix-Up of Cuteness set. It's the first time he's seen ink, so this card qualifies for the current All Things Unity challenge (ATU #31) to break out Unity stamps that haven't been used before. The graduation theme means this also fits the current theme challenge at CAS-ual Fridays (CFC4). I took advantage of the ten minutes of sunshine today to colour him with Prismacolor pencils. I drew the mortarboard and cut it out of a paintchip -- it provided the right amount of gloss for the look I wanted. Besides, how can I resist a Mickey's head paintchip called "Mickey's Pants"? I used maraschino baker's twine for the tassel and to tie the rice paper diploma, since McGill's colours are red and white. The recipient of this card is graduating with a degree in English and Drama, so I used a page from A Midsummer Night's Dream as the background. (Thanks, Google Books!) It's a simple card, but it makes me smile!

Supplies: white & Stampin' Up real red cardstock, Disney paintchip, rice paper, Unity Mix-Up of Cuteness, Versafine onyx black ink, Prismacolor pencils, Twinery maraschino baker's twine, black brad, dimensionals

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All Things Unity Trifecta Challenge

In honour of Unity Stamp Company's third anniversary, the All Things Unity blog has a trifecta challenge: make a three inch square anniversary or birthday card with three types of embellishment. Here's mine:

I used the Unity August 2010 Kit of the Month, All You Need. I stamped one of the heart images to make a faux brad for one embellishment, with silver half-pearls and red ribbon as the other two.
Happy Friday the thirteenth!

Supplies: white, red & black cardstock, Unity August 2010 Kit of the Month, "All You Need", Brilliance graphite black & VersaMagic red magic chalk inks, Glossy Accents, Recollections silver half-pearls, red ribbon Pin It Now!

Oops...

... I thought I was all done with Easter posts. I wasn't expecting these two beautiful cards in the mail!

What a totally cute bunny, and don't you love that scalloped patterned paper element? Emily blogged all about this and her coordinating cards here.

And look at this gorgeous card from Angela, with the fabulous patterned paper! I had to show off the envelope, too -- see that seal on the back? Angela made it with washi tape!
(No, I didn't really just receive them. I really did just get around to posting them.) Pin It Now!

Mother's Day in Mauve

This week's Do You Stack Up? (DYSU) challenge is to use purple. No problem! And since it's a colour my mother-in-law also likes, this is a Mother's Day card for her.

(Just to clarify: purple's not my FAVOURITE colour; that's red. But I do like purple.)
This card allowed me to try something I picked up recently that I'm now in love with: Twinkling H2Os. WOW. They really are as glimmery and shimmery as everyone says they are! I was able to find a store that sold individual pots; I didn't really want to drop funds on a multi-pack before I knew if I would like them or not. One thing I now know is that what the paint looks like in the pot is not exactly what it will look like when you use it. In the lidded pot under fluorescent store lights, this Stargazer shade looked like a light blue. When you use it, it's a lovely blue/mauve sparkly mix, perfect with this Almost Amethyst cardstock. The shimmer refuses to show up properly in the photo, as do the two score lines on the white panel. What you can see a bit of is the decorated inside of the card, something I rarely do, but which worked perfectly with this card.
If you're a scrapbooker (I'm NOT), happy national scrapbooking day; if you're a mom, happy Mother's Day tomorrow... otherwise, happy weekend! ☺

Supplies: white & Stampin' Up almost amethyst textured cardstock, Stampin' Up Fifth Avenue Floral stamp, Brilliance moonlight white and Stampin' Up almost amethyst inks, white embossing powder, Stargazer Twinkling H2Os, Martha Stewart border punch, pop dot tape Pin It Now!

Friends with Flair + Two Challenges

I haven't had a card for Unity Friends with Flair for a long time! And it just happens to fit two Unity challenges, too. ☺

For the new Unity Kit of the Month sketch challenge, you have to follow the given sketch and use any one kit of the month. I chose to use my August 2010 KOM, "All You Need...". I picked the owl image for the focal circle, then decided I wanted to embellish it with a few simple flowers. Except the August kit doesn't have any flowers! What it does have is trees. I used two of the treetops as flowers. I liked how the tissue tape echoed the text, and the border punch echoed the flowers, in the patterned paper.
Using the owl also qualifies this card for the monthly Unity challenge to incorporate a bird in your project.

Supplies: white & yellow cardstock, Daisy D's patterned paper, Unity August Kit of the Month, Brilliance coffee bean and Colorbox chalk inks, clear embossing powder, sharpies, Tim Holtz symphony tissue tape, green Divine twine, Martha Stewart border punch, dimensionals Pin It Now!

Musical Thank You

I haven't made a lot of black and white cards (I'm generally a colour kinda girl) but doesn't the dramatic look suit this Hero Arts cling set, Musical Clef? I was hesitant to try the white clef on black, because I'm prone to embossing powder speckles, but look, no spots for once! I tweaked a sketch from The Hero Arts April challenge for my layout.

I stamped the music score half of the set twice on white so I could get the long vertical strip. Then I created the focal circle using something else new for me: Glossy Accents! Yes, I really am often the last person to try what is second nature to every other crafter. :P I layered the cardstock on chipboard and shaped the circle just a bit using a stylus and an old mousepad. (And yes, when I say chipboard, I really mean cardboard from an empty cereal box. Chipboard makes me sound like a real crafter, though.) I also edged the circle with a black sharpie for a little more definition. The sentiment uses a Hero Arts stamp I've had for ages, stamped and clear embossed on vellum.
As well as the Hero Arts April challenge, this card fits this week's Simon Says Stamp challenge (not too hard, since it's "anything goes") and this week's Less is More challenge (my first time playing there) to create a congratulations or thank you card.
Have a great Monday, and if you're Canadian -- don't forget to vote!

Supplies: white & black cardstock, vellum, chipboard, Hero Arts Musical Clef & Thank You, Brilliance moonlight white & graphite black inks, white & clear embossing powder, Glossy Accents, black sharpie Pin It Now!