G is for graduation card

I have a list of graduation cards my sister has asked me to make for her fellow medical students when they graduate this summer. For some reason I have struggled finding inspiration, but today I decided to bite the bullet and cross off another card on the list. I went in search of inspiration and found this week's Retro sketch. And it is just amazing! I really loved the sketch, I love sketches with elements with rounded corners, I think it just makes everything look so much more serene and peaceful and friendly. I immediately knew I wanted my top layer to be vellum, it gives such a cool look, but at the same time it's quite challenging to create with as you have to figure out ways of attaching it in place without leaving visible glue marks anywhere. 

I have also had The Card Concept challenge on my mind for a few days, it is so far outside my comfort zone I knew I just had to give it a shot. It's a colour challenge with yellow, black, white and grey. I am so bad with yellow. Seriously, I rarely use it on my cards unless I'm doing a colour challenge with yellow included. And this time, only yellow and neutrals? I had no idea what to do with it. But I think in the end it turned out quite elegant. Unfortunately it doesn't quite come across as good on the photo as it does in real life, photographing cards with vellum can sometimes be a bit tricky, and this was certainly one of those times. The Card Concept asks you to classify your card into one of their categories, I think this is "Clean and Layering". 

I also found a great new challenge blog called The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers (how great is that) and their current challenge is "R is for ribbon", so I'm entering my card in their challenge as well. Particularly as I finally managed to tie a bow that doesn't point in all possible different directions. And I won't tell anyone I actually used quite a few glue dots to make it look like that, as I'm incapable of tying a bow...

I started by picking out card in Smoky Slate for my background, and a DSP from the xx set for the background panel. I stamped the pretty flower stamp from So Very Grateful in black ink and heat embossed using clear embossing powder and coloured with markers, adding a few layers of yellow to make it bright enough. I die cut the letters using Tim Holtz alterations die. Then I attached everything into place, making sure the adhesive for the vellum panel went under where the ribbon was going to be, as well as under the die cut letters. I then tied the yellow ribbon and secured in a few places with glue dots. As a finishing touch, I added a few adhesive gems which also help keep the vellum in place. I also stamped, heat embossed and coloured the flowers in yellow and grey onto the envelope and inside the card. I really like how the card turned out and hope that my Sister's friend will like it too.

Card: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate, Basic Grey, Basic Black, Dovecraft 110 gsm Premium Vellum

Paper: Stampin' Up Sunshine and Sprinkles and Patterns Stack - Brights collection

Ink: Hobbycraft black pigment ink, Stampin' Up markers in Daffodil Delight, So Saffron and Smoky Slate

Stamps: Stampin' Up So Very Grateful

Other: Tim Holtz alterations inside out alphabet die, Papermania adhesive gems in Capsule Sunshine, Dovecraft Tea Party grosgrain ribbon