Colorful Graduation cards

Hello friends! With June just around the corner, graduation season is officially on the horizon, which means it's time to make a few special cards. To get a head start, I decided to use the versatile idea-ology Folio Folders as my base. Combining Distress Paint, Spray Stain, and beautiful Collage Paper made personalizing the covers a breeze. 

I added Palette Paper envelopes to the inside so a gift card or money can be easily added! I hope you'll come along with me today as I show you how just a few simple materials can come together to create truly memorable cards.

I started with three large Folio Folders. There are three more smaller folders in the pack, but I'll be saving them for another time.

I used a Blending Tool with a foam pad to add Lost Shadow Distress Paint to the three folders. It takes very little paint to get a great image through the stencil.  So remember, "Less is more"!

TIP: If you don't want to wipe the paint off the stencil immediately, throw it into a tray of water until you have the time to wash it.

I used three different stencils - Deco Feather, Deco Leaf, and Deco Floral. These are some of my favorite stencils!

Spray a few colors of Distress Spray Stain + enough water to help it bead up. I chose Mustard Seed, Speckled Egg, Saltwater Taffy, but many color combinations from the Distress line will work. NOTE: I also gave the Folio Folder a light spritz of water before dipping into the ink.

Here's my first go - I got a lot more yellow than I anticipated but I still like it. 

Love how the three turned out. Each different and unique! The Lost Shadow Distress Paint is perfect with the bright colors.

I'm going to add a few flowers from Collage Paper over the inked folio. I used a water brush to cut out each flower from the background. 

Super easy to add the Collage Paper to the front of the Folio with Collage Medium. Remember, a layer of Collage Medium, then the Collage Paper, then another layer of Collage Medium over the top.

Here are the three images I chose but any from the Serendipity pack would do.

Next up, use the Distress Splatter Tool to flick Picket Fence Distress Paint over the folders. It might be hard to see all the paint flicks but they really add to the overall look.

While the paint is drying, I'm going to stamp on some Cello Tape. You must use StazOn ink so it will be permanent (Archival ink will not work for this). I'm also using the Stampers Anonymous Tidbits stamp set since the size/scale works perfectly. 

#1 TIP: Make sure you are stamping on the right side of the tape that peels off! You might notice that in the upper left hand corner I stamped on the wrong side and had to turn the tape over to continue stamping!

Another tip...If you spray some Isopropyl Alcohol on to a paper towel you can remove bad stamping. Turn the tape over to stamp a new image (Example 3).

I used Collage Medium to add 8x8" Palette paper to the inside of the folders. I used Palette Teal, Palette Yellow, and Palette Pink. 

When I was working on the outside, some ink managed to make its way onto the inside. I decided to just go with it and instead of covering it up with paper, I stamped each folder using my favorite florals and black soot Archival Ink. I also added a few more splatters just to give it more color.

Now a little Gathered Twigs Distress Ink on the edges of the folders.

Now to finish the outside of the folders:

I used Postmarked stamps, Tiny Text Remnant Rubs, the pre-stamped Cello Tape Stickers to decorate each of the Folio Folders. Don't be afraid to cut up the Remnant Rubs to suit what you want it to say. For instance, I changed "Free to Fly" to "Remember to Fly".

I also added a vintage button to each little collage. Any other small embellishment could be substituted if you don't have a button!

To further decorate the folders, I gathered a few charms to hang from some string. I thought the bird would work well with "Remember to fly". I use Speckled Egg Distress Paint to paint the bird and a Picket Fence Crayon to fill the recessed portion of the idea-ology Word Tags.

Just a bit of twine to tie the charms to the folios!

Since I decided to make these cards for upcoming graduates, I thought I better add a pocket on the inside for a gift card or money. I did that by cutting Palette paper (in Teal, Pink, and Yellow) with the envelope die from the Sizzix Collector Thinlit. The size is perfect.

I used tape to add each envelope to the inside of the folder. They really are mix and match envelopes at this point!

One last idea! 

I wanted to add a note as a closure on the envelope so I looked through my stamps to find Note Quotes. It had the perfect saying, "You got this",

I sprayed a piece of Distress Watercolor paper with Antique Linen Spray Stain.

I stamped the circles and the saying using Archival Ink, then cut them out.

I made a puddle of Speckled Egg ink to hand color the circles to give it more depth and interest. The color combo looks so good in person. I wish the photo could do it justice.

I added the circles to the envelope with tape but left the bottom portion open so I could add the gift card or money.

There is enough room to slip a note inside too!

Now carry on,

paula

Yours Truly Display Panel

Hello friends,

Lot's going on behind the scenes here. I just finished up a project for Simon Says Stamp that will post on Sunday the 9th on their blog. I also have a Palette Orange fabric project for next week and it is so fun. Who knew how much I would love orange!

Well anyway, back to todays post...Today I'm sharing a project focused on love, featuring Salvaged Hearts and Typography! Let's get started and I'll show you how I created the Display Panel from scratch.

I chose paper from Backdrops Vol 1 for the front of the 9 x 9" Display Panel. You can also add paper or paint to the sides of the panel - totally up to you. Adhere the paper with Collage Medium, then add a layer over the top to seal the paper. Let it dry while you work on preparing the Collage Paper.

I decided to add a floral from the Collage Paper Serendipity pack to the left side, over the green paper. 

I used two methods of eliminating as much of the background as possible. First, I used small scissors to fussy-cut around the larger areas. For the areas around the small leaves, I used a Detailer Water Brush to draw a waterline and to pull the paper away from the image. Both ways are easy, but it might take a little longer to fussy-cut.

Add Collage Medium over the entire area that the Collage Paper will touch. Lay the floral into the glue. If you palm is clean (glue free) then you can press the paper right into the glue.

Pick up Collage Medium on your brush and immediately start to brush over the paper (I like to work from center out).

I add Collage Medium to my finger tip and repeat the process to embed the Collage Paper into the glue. Again, I work from the center out until it is adhered and transparent.

You can leave it as is if you like a clean look.

Or you can add Distress Ink with your finger to give it some color variation.

Here is the result.

Once the surface was dry, I used a Walnut Stain Distress Crayon to add definition the edges of the Panel and the seam between the two papers. Scribble it on, rub with a damp fingertip, then pounce over the crayon with a wet wipe. If you wipe too much away, just add more crayon.

Paper Embellishments -

This card from the Palette Ephemera Pack was very clean looking so I painted over it with Collage Medium...

And while still wet, dipped it an ink puddle I made on my Tonic Studio Mat.

I pounced over some of the really wet areas with a wet wipe as I was drying the card with a heat tool. Set aside while you work on other embellishments.

Next up, the Photobooth photos. I cut out three I had never used before + a long strip of pink Backdrop paper (about 1 3/4" wide)

Next I colored the Photobooth with Distress Crayons, using both a water brush and a cotton swab to add the crayon.

NOTE: Normally I do not seal Photobooth, Photomatic or Paper Dolls, but because these were going to be handled and sewn over, I decided to spray them with a clear Spray Fixative. You can find it at any craft store in the art department. The crayon is not effected by the spray and will not wick. Once the fixative is dry, the crayon will be permanent. Be sure to spray in a well ventilated area or outside. I put images on a paper plate and once they are sprayed, it's easy to carry them back to my craft room.

I used E-Z Dots (my favorite repositionable tape) to adhere the images to the paper strip.

Then sewed around each photo.

Next, I used a Mini Blending Tool to add ink to the edges of the paper.

I also inked a tag (found in the Palette Ephemera pack) just like the card with the pink roses.  I also added an eyelet and some string. 

Hearts -

I used hot glue to add a couple Salvaged Hearts to craft sticks 

So much easier to paint when its on the stick! And you just pop the heart off the craft stick once the paint is dry. 

I am only going to use one Salvaged Heart for this project, but I just wasn't sure which size was right at this point.

I left them to dry for quite a while, then lightly sanded the edges.

If you want a more aged heart, scribble Distress Crayon over the top and rub it around (a wet wipe will help).

Arrow - 

I used gold Mixative to color the metal arrow. You might ask why gold Mixative instead of Foundry Wax? Well, you could use Foundry Wax, but I wanted an aged looking gold over the metal and that is easily accomplished with Mixative. 

1. Shake the bottle till you hear the mixing ball. 
2. Add the Mixative to a Blending Tool with felt or just pour some over the arrow (I used a combination of both).
3. Use the felt to make sure the arrow is covered.
4. Use a paper towel to rub the arrow removing some of the gold from the arrow (It should reveal some of the metal underneath). The ability to remove some of the gold by rubbing is something you could not do with Foundry wax which is permanent.

TAKE NOTE: This next step is optional. It is dependent on the size heart you use.

Use wire cutters to clip the arrow in half if you want to "extend" the size of arrow under the heart.

Add a DOUBLE STACK of small 3D foam squares to the back of the heart. *The arrow pieces will slip in between the foam.

So let's gather all the pieces that will be added to the Display Panel.

I added a piece of chipboard to the back of the card with the roses to give it more stability before adding it to the panel with 3D foam squares. 

The tag was added with thin 3D foam squares.

I also added a thick chipboard piece to the back of the photobooth strip for stability. Then added 3D foam squares on the right side (so the foam attaches to the panel, not the roses)

Add the photo strip, the stamp from the Postmarked sticker book and the slide frame from the Palette Ephemera pack.

The Salvaged Heart goes on next.

Then slip the arrow pieces under the heart. I used Scor-tape on the tip of the arrow, along with a small 3D foam square where it leaves the photo strip. There are two small 3D foam squares under the feather end.

You can add any kind of sentiment with Typography. I thought Yours Truly was perfect for this piece. It is so easy to use...just glue it in place with Collage Medium. There is plenty of time to adjust the letters before the Collage Medium dries.

Just a couple more steps...

Cello Sticker Tape for the win! Perfect for adding a vintage touch to any project!

And last but not least, cover the photo strip with post-it notes. Then use a Distress Splatter Brush to flick Picket Fence Distress Paint over the panel.

And that's it! Let the paint dry and you're good to go!

I hope you have learned something in today's tutorial. I also hope you'll take what you learned and make something fun for February!

Now carry on,

paula