How did you like the spiffy projects at DawnMarie's blog? I am stop number thirteen on your Stampin' Addicts tour–but if you're just starting out, don't worry about going back to stop #1–just continue following the links all the way around and come full circle! Our tour begins at noon on Saturday and ends at midnight on Tuesday, so you have plenty of time to browse and bookmark your favorite sites to return to later for complete instructions and further elaboration on the great projects you are going to see today. Enjoy your tour!
For the theme of this tour, we each chose a retiring Stampin' Up set that is on the Last Chance List. These sets are no longer available after June 30th. My assigned stamp set was Great Grads, a great versatile graduation set that can be used to make fun and cute cards AND serious inspirational cards, that spans all the ages of the great grads in your life.
You knew I had to work my little award-winning owl in somewhere, right? Well, he IS just perfect for a graduation theme, after all. His banner/sash is stamped by using a marker to color just the saying I wanted from the stamp on the right–there's all sorts of cute congratulatory sayings on it in different sizes and fonts, or you can use it as a block stamp as well. It makes good backgrounds, too!
The four-inch tall box my little guy is perched upon has a lid made from the Scallop Envelope Big Shot die cut, and it's quick and cute to make. Stay tuned for a photo tutorial on it on Wednesday morning!
This card is also stamped using markers to go back and change the hat to black after having inked it up with Kiwi Kiss. You just use a cotton swap with a little Stampin' Mist cleaner on it to remove the unwanted ink, and color it in with your marker. This works on wheels, too, by the way.
I used up a lot of leftover tiny strips of DSP by trimming the ends at funky angles and layering them like a picket fence on this card. Some black brads and narrow black grosgrain added texture and dimension, and as a final touch I added a Round Tab punch with just the word "bravo" inked from the block stamp in the previous photo. Inside is a mini envelope I stamped and sponged to match, which will hold a gift card just perfectly. 
This third project is likewise a gift card holder, and a fun new size for me, 5.25 square. I shadow-stamped the main image, then inked just the "congratulations" that I wanted with edge of the awesome exclusively raised ink pads from Stampin' Up, and punched it out with the Word Window. A little bit of Good Morning Sunshine owl paper in Pacific Point complements the Bashful Blue base and Kiwi Kiss texturized cardstock that I ran through the Big Shot. Everything was sponged to soften, and a couple of dabs of ribbon stapled to the upper left hand corner, with a little paper piercing to embellish.
I really like this fourth and final project for the blog hop. I ran my card through the Big Shot with the argyle texture plate so that only the lower two thirds of the card front got texturized/ Then I wiped my Gold Encore ink pad over it so the raised places picked the color up. The medallion is embossed with gold EP and mounted on a strip of Brushed Gold cardstock. The ribbon is DYED GOLD, made by pressing Whisper White taffeta ribbon into the Gold Encore pad. A little messy but the results are gorgeous! Just to be different, I tied several knots in the ribbon before I adhered it to the card.
So there you are! I hope you enjoyed this stop on the blog hop and I hope you will stay tuned to my site to see the photo tutorial for the owl box (along with three fun variations on the theme) after the tour is over.
Now for the blog candy! I bought this set primarily for the Shakespeare quote stamp above. You can win an assortment pack of the NEW IN COLORS '09-'10 8.5×11 cardstock for free by leaving me a comment below with your favorite inspirational quote. I'll go first. Mine is DREAM BIG! Check back Wednesday for the winner! Head now to stop number #14 on the tour– A New Song.
First, I love your grad projects. Your owl is WAY cute, and I haven’t collected all the stamps to make him yet, but I’m working on it!
Second, fav. quote I found on a Verve Stamps stamp. It is by Dr. Suess and says: ‘If you never did, you should. These things are fun and FUN IS GOOD -Dr. Suess’ Too fun! Thanks for a chance to win the ‘in’ colors! I still think your cards and projects are amazing.
Great job, Lyssa! You know we love the owl!
My favorite quote is “It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into the doing that matters.” –Mother Teresa
I just love All of her quotes…
Debbie
essay18@verizon.net
Love the grad cards, and the use of the owls. Very adorable!
Question – how come your posted date says June 16, but today is the 13th?
Love your blog – I visit it all the time!!
Great cards! Love the colors and techniques. One of my favourite quotes is “The most beautiful things in the world are not seen nor touched. They are felt with the heart” by Helen Keller. Keep up the great work =)
Love your projects! I’ve been trying to resist this set, but you’re making it hard.
One of my fav quotes, but don’t know who said it is. I’m too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed!!
Deb
I love all of your projects lyssa. great work! And CONGRATS on the offical news!!
Brandi
Great project Lyssa! I love the way you used the Sunshine Garden paper with this set. Congrats on cruise, you deserve it my friend!!
Jenny, my posting date is set that way so that this Blog Hop post stays at the top of my blog through midnight on the 16th. I don’t know how else to make it stay when I plan to put up new posts after it. Good question–I’m sure people wondered!
Fun set and I love the Quote too. My favorite quote is “It’s the special people in our lives thet make our lives complete!”Hugs from Michigan
Amazingly cute projects Lyssa! Fantastic job!
I love your grad projects! I especially love the one with the argyle texture swiped with gold. Amazing!
My favorite quote is: “Sometimes you just have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down!”
Thanks so much for sharing, and cogratulations on your cruise qualification!
Alicia
Your projects are wonderful.I always struggle with grad cards. While mine always look boring, yours are amazing! Love your little punched owl too! My favorite quote…I always tell my girls that, “if they can dream it, they can be it!”
-Diane
Loved your grad cards, especially the punch owl! My favorite: “If it is to be, it is up to me!” Congrats on earning cruise!
Great projects, look forward to the tutorial on Wednesday. jmniffer
How cute your owl is. All your projects are wonderful.
What cute projects you made! Great job.
what fun stuff to look at! I especially love the tip about dying the ribbon gold! I never would have thought to use the Encore pad. This is a GREAT stop in the blog hop.
Super projects! Love the card with the DSP strips down the middle!
That owl is too cute and I love the card with the gold! My favorite quote is “My God is big enough to hold the whole world in his hand and small enough to fit inside your heart”
Such fun to see my little girl creating such beautiful junk, er, stuff.
No offense to the others on the “blog hop”, but you ROCK.
Great set, Lyssa. I love that last card! What a neat idea. Congrats on your FREE trip!
Flourishes just came out with a set that has several versions of one of my favorite quotes.
Peace be with you
I hear this every Sunday at Church and it always fills me with calm and joy and of course peace 😀
I would love to see SU come up with this one too.
Terrific projects Lyssa and I’m looking forward to the tutorials.
Thanks for sharing the inspiration, creativity and the blog candy.
Hugs and blessings – Jean
Wonderful cards! The owl is awesome and I really love the last card! Great technique with the gold Encore ink!!
Fabulous projects! I love them all, but especially the owl!
Oh my word, these cards are beautiful! I especially liked that last one with all the gold. Favorite inspirational quote:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
– Philippians 4:13
Great projects! I love the Kiwi Kiss card! I may have to case it….
Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful cards! “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie ten Boom
What a great variety of samples! I love how you did the collaging with the different stamps in green. Just wonderful!
Oh my goodness, I love that little owl in his mortar board, Lyssa! The way you used the texture plate and gold Encore on the final card is stunning.
I think my favorite quote is from Psalm 27: “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?” I just like that one, especially.
Love your projects here! Fun blog hop!
Love your cards! When my children were young my favorite saying was “Patience is a virtue.” I’m reminded of it often now that they’re teenagers! Mary Jo
Great cards, thanks for sharing.
My favorite inspirational quote — “Dreams are almost always bigger than you, that’s why you have to reach for them”
Forgot to give one of my favorite quotes! It’s from Vince Lombardi:
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
Great projects, really love the owl! It rocks 🙂 You did a great job with this set!
too fun – love the quote in this set and all the ones commented. have to share one of mine
“with mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.”
Shakespeare
Your projects are great! I especially love your Bravo Graduate card! TFS!
Love them all Lyssa but that Owl pouch is awesome. Thanks for sharing all your talent with us. I guess my favorite inspirational quote is “That which does not kill us, makes us strong.” Not sure who said it first, but I first heard it in my favorite movie Steel Magnolias.
Love your cards- especially that little grad owl! I never get tired of seeing punches creations!
My quote: “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” James Barrie
Sharon
These are wonderful graduation cards – something I have a hard time getting creative with! Thanks for the great ideas!
All your projects are great Lyssa! I’m so glad you could show off the owl. My favorite I think, is the one with the strips of DSP. What a great use for scraps!
Great job with this set. My favorite saying is: “You can never do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” Thanks for a chance to win your blog candy!
All your projects are sooo cute! I love the strips of DSP (and of course the award winning owl!)
Great Cards! I love your owl.
You are so talented Lyssa! Love all these projects!
Great projects Lyssa! I couldn’t wait to see what you did with your super owl on these, he’s DA bomb!
Yep-your owl ROCKS!! Love the funky look of the paper strips on the black/kiwi Grad card & cute use of the wise ‘ole owls on the blue/kiwi Grad card – and the gold Grad card…WOWZERS!! TFS!!
cute! Love the first project, how unique!
my favorite quote is “believe in your dreams”. love your creations
“Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be!” – Miguel de Cervantes in Don Quixote is my favorite quote (this week). Thanks for sharing your creativity – and as if that’s not enough, you’re giving away stuff, too!
Hello Lyssa!
Your cards are awesome! I’m crazy about your owl. How cute:)
One of my favorite inspirational quotes is “It’s the little moments that make life big.”
Great cards! I especially liked the owl card. My favorite quote is “We do not quit playing because we grow old, we grow old because we quit playing. Guess that’s why I love to play with my stamps! Thanks for the chance to win!