Let the Commencements Begin

Graduation season is upon us so today's post will be of a few examples of invites I have made for family and friends. The first one was for my son's high school graduation...GO FALCONS GO!! He is a proud member of the first Pure Falcon Class 2009 of  John Paul Stevens High School. These were a labor of love and worth evey minute of it. The best way I can describe it is a Matchbook Double Pocket with inserts?!? All I know is it turned out realllllly cool. 

The black and white paper is textured cardstock. The initials are clear stamped images on smooth white cardstock layered on a small shadow of black and then blocked on red. The angle cut outs of the blocked letters had two purposes, one they made the images large enough to be the front closure of the card and two it gave that extra pizazz. The intials are adhered with double layered  foam squares.

When you open the invite you first see a miniature piece of notebook paper stamped with vocabulary sentiment at the top followed by a handwritten list of my sons achievements, ending with another stamped sentiment. The way I did this was by cutting an index card in half and punched holes down the side with a hand punch. The black side contains the party details inserted into the first pocket of the invite. On the outside of the pocket is is another embellishment of a stamped image with ribbon attached by a staple.

Now on to the full view of the inside. On the left side panel,  printed off the computer, is the info for the ceremony and other info, typed out on top of the school seal faded into the background. The info and red matting circle were cut the same size and shifted just slightly for depth. The middle panel was reserved for my son's photo which is not permenately adhered. It is held in place by stamped images that were handcut out and pop dotted to the red matting. Notice the half circle punch...that is where the second pocket is. It held an updated family photo. The card base was made by cutting a black and white 12x12 sheets in half.  The black sheet was overlapped onto the whiteand adhered with doublestick tape. This whole invite was 6"x6" in size.

We have ALOT of  family and friends and the post office made a pretty penny off of us when we mailed them out...your welcome Uncle Sam =0) There were a total of 100 made all PRE-CRICUT!!  It took me awhile, but I wouldn't change anything because of the smile they brought to my son's face as well as my family and friends.

Now we move on too the graduation invites AAC(After Acquiring Cricut)...I was challenged by a friends daughter to make several examples of invites that consisted of every shade of purple, as many as possible. The card base is the Scallop card image off the Wildcard cartridge cut from a deep purple bazzil cardstock {pg. 32 in the handbook}. The cover embellishments are cut from the Storybook cartridge; the base in lavender is a Marquee image using the fancy corner feature, cuttlebugged with the textile folder and inked with a plum inkpad. The  initials of E, M, are from the fancy corner feature and the F is regular cut layered with a shadow cut adhered with foam squares cut to fit. The corners have miniature silver brads and the whole embellishment is adhered with foam squares.

                                            

One to the next two...the one on the left is a cut from the Wildcard Cartridge, the Booklet card on pg. 38 of the handbook using the blackout feature.  The 2010 cuts are from the Storybook cartridge using these layers; base is cut in shadow feature, middle layer is regular cut, and the top layer is the accent frame feature. Card # 2 on the right is a save the date/ invite combo with magnet on the back. It has a two layer base with the top layer cuttlebugged using diamond back folder, inked with plum ink.  The hat is the Graduatn card from the Wildcard cartridge {pg.73}, accented with the liner feature for the tassle.  The cascade of stars is an icon feature from the #1 card from the same cartridge {pg 69} using metallic lavender paper. Other embellishments include a brad to hold the tassle, star wire paper clips, and handwritten quote and initials in white gel pen on the hat.  The info block paper was inked and torn on the edges.

Her choice was the save the date/ invite combo. The info is written on the inside of the hat.  On the scroll cut out {the frame feature pg.73 Wildcard cartridge} is handwritten her favorite quote.  I ended up using lavender and deep purple glitter paper for the star cascades. The example pictured is her special copy for her scrapbook. The others behind it are the actual invites. I love being challenged by people on designing one of a kind invites...it makes my God given creative talent grow!!

Well that's all for today's posting...on to my next project of making programs for one wedding and invites for another. Hope you enjoy seeing my my original inspirations. I love feedback, so please take time to comment and let me know whatcha think ;o)