Look Out World: Here Come the Graduates Vintage Style Card with Gift Card Pocket

Hello, Friends! It’s June, and all across the US, young men and women are donning caps and gowns, marching solemnly across the stage, turning their tassels, and grasping their diplomas. Look out World! With this momentous occasion in mind, Petaloo is spending the coming week celebrating Dads & Grads! I dug into one of my favorite retired Graphic 45 collections to create this colorful graduation card with a hidden gift card pocket.

I just love this sentiment from Graphic 45’s retired Come Away With Me Collection. This soft and feminine 6″ x 6″ top fold card gets loads of gorgeous texture, color and dimension from these Penny Lane Sea Green Mini Wild Roses.

My bow cluster is created with Peony Delicate Stitched Satin, burlap string and 2 of the larger Mini Wild Roses. These come 7 to a pack, so I had enough left over to add as embellishments on the ends of luggage tags.

I don’t know about you, but I just love this combination of dots, stripes and florals!

Look Out World Hidden Gift Card Pocket

Although this looks like any other ordinary top fold card, if you remove that teeny tiny brown binder clip on top of the focal image….

…you’ll find a hidden gift card pocket inside. How fun is that? Here’s how to make it:

First, mat the focal image on a piece of brown cardstock that measures 4.25″ tall x 8.5″ long.
Next, score the paper on the long side at 3 1/8″ then again at 6.25″. You will have a 2.25″ piece on the right hand side of the scored paper.
Now, crease on all the score lines and fold the paper strip so that the small piece is on the inside.
Then, line the inside of the panel with designer paper.
Now, glue a contrasting pattern to the small flap and punch a thumb hole with a circle punch.
Next, use 1/8″ Scor-Tape on the top and bottom edge of the short piece.
Remove the liner and press in place. There’s your pocket!
Add a Pocket & Tag to the left hand side.
Now glue the focal image to the front “cover.”
Then add the chipboard piece to the lower left hand corner.
Finally, place adhesive in the center of the gift card holder and glue onto the card.

A Peek Inside

Turn a postcard into a pocket by gluing just the sides and bottom edges to the card. Fill the pocket with 2 tags cut from the 12×12 collection. These are great for holding small photos of the graduate. Photos of the graduation ceremony would also fit nicely into this pocket.

You could also write words of wisdom onto the tags for a real personal touch.

The bottom half of the card is decorated with more pretty papers. Then I created a little folio, tied it with ribbon and added it to the card. This is a great spot to tuck in senior pictures or other special memories from the happy day.

A Fond Farewell

The other reason I chose a travel themed collection for this card is a little bit sad. This is my last post as a member of the Petaloo Design Team. As you know, Petaloo is now owned by Floracraft, and the parent company has decided to close down the Petaloo blog and disband the design team.

Life is a journey with lots of destinations along the way. A little more than 2 years ago, I literally danced for joy when Cheryl, the owner of Petaloo, asked me to guest design for a month. At the end of the month, she asked me if I would like to stay on as a permanent designer. Would I? You betcha!

It has been such an honor to design with gorgeous Petaloo flowers, stick pins, and trims for the past 2+ years. Cheryl has been a dream to work for: supportive, kind and generous. My Petaloo teammates have been a joy to work with and I’ve been blessed to forge some friendships that will endure even after this gig is over.

You will continue to be able to purchase Petaloo flowers in retail shops and online in stores such as Scrapbook.com, JoAnn’s, and A Cherry on Top. Thank you so much for being on the journey with me.

All good things must come to an end, and I exit with a heart that is filled with gratitude for the wonderful experience I’ve had designing for Petaloo. As the sentiment on the post card in my project says, “The Best is Yet to Be!”

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope I’ve shared some tips and tricks that you can use in your own crafty adventures. If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Cheerio,

kathy

Authentique Seafarer: Have Courage, Set Sail & Dream High Nautical Themed Graduation Cards

Hello, Friends! Do you feel the rustle of the silk robes and hear the whisper of parchment paper? Yes, people…it’s graduation season and all across the globe, young people are lining up to receive their hard earned diplomas. There will be tears and cheers, perhaps a few fears and loads of good wishes as friends and loved ones gather to send these grads out upon the Sea of Life. I’ve used Authentique’s Seafarer collection to create this trio of Have Courage, Set Sail & Dream High Nautical Themed Graduation cards.

Dream Higher Than the Sky Graduation Card

Masculine cards can be a challenge, but I found that this collection made them very easy to design. This 5″ x 7″ top fold card came together very quickly thanks to the wonderful designer paper and focal image.

I tied hemp string with a bowline hitch knot to amp up the nautical vibe, then suspended an antique brass sailing ship from it. Tim Holtz’ Ribbon Flags die makes wonderful little embellishments . Double matting the layers on red and navy cardstock gave everything a clean, crisp finish. A bow, a nautical button and a charm made by fussy cutting an image from a sheet of designer paper finish the front of this card nicely.

Because I created the card base with a 1/8″ spine, I was able to add two pockets to the interior. The smaller pocket is made with one of the 3×4 images from the cut apart page. It’s just the right size to hold a gift card.

The larger pocket on the bottom of the card holds a 4.25″ x 6″ folio that is the perfect spot for those keepsake graduation photos. A decorated belly band and a few more ribbon flags dress the folio up nicely.

Set Sail Nautical Themed Graduation Card

What could provide a more perfect graduation metaphor than this image of a ship, its sails full-blown and ready to meet life’s challenges full on?

I used a star shaped die to create the accent on this card, then topped it with an Idea-ology metal compass coin, a muse token and wooden anchor.

More bowline knotted hemp string and a pretty white sea gull complete the front of the card.

This 5″ x 7″ top fold card has a 1/8″ spine to accommodate the inner pockets.

The top pocket holds a little tag/bookmark. Write your best wishes on the back of the tag and tuck into the pocket. Interactive cards like this are always a hit!

The large bottom pocket contains another folio that I decorated with images from the paper collection.

The folio contains a gift card pocket, and room for a graduation photo.

Have Courage Graduation Card

The sentiment on this 7″ x 5″ Have Courage card is just perfect for graduation. I turned the card base on its side to accommodate this large sentiment panel. Then I added banner flags, machine stitching, knotted hemp string and some nautical charms to complete the card front.

The interior contains a gift card pocket that is just the right size for a little chocolate treat. Good wishes can be written on the journaling card. The sentiment strip reads’ It’s out there at sea that you are really yourself.”

While these nautical themed graduation cards are not your typical graduation cards, the strong masculine images, classic color palette and wonderful sentiments make them stand out from the crowd, just like the proud graduates who are setting sail on new adventures.

I hope I’ve shared some tips, tricks and ideas you can use in your own crafty adventures. If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Cheerio

kathy