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Thursday, May 26, 2011

Reach for the Sky


Graduation.
It marks the beginning.
And it marks the end.
The beginning of a future that is unknown.
The end of a path greatly traveled.

 
Another great new beginning of a CAS-ual Fridays Challenge and the end of the third fabulous gallery. Wow, you all can bring on the clean and simple bling! Now, how about joining me and the rest of the Girl Fridays in celebrating a graduate in your life?!

I started my masculine graduation card by stamping the absolutely wonderful and ginormous Vintage Notepad Stamp onto kraft paper and then ink distressed the edges. I combined two different stamp sets to form the sentiment and finished the piece with Vintage Notepad stamped clouds and a graduation hat.
(I know, I know, I can't really see the details so much, I've got to have my camera checked out. Sorry! If you click on the picture it too will become ginormous and you can see the details better.)

There is a fabulous sponsor for this week, Market Street Stamps. For all the details, prize information and to visit the amazing Girl Friday creations, stop by the CAS-ual Fridays blog!


I wasn't allowed to throw my cap in the air at my high school or college graduations, I wonder if that was a thing of the past...?

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49 comments:

  1. Erin (Homemade Cards by Erin)May 26, 2011 at 11:05 PM

    So glad you found your clouds... the notepad stamp is perfect... must case that idea. Fabulous card.

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  2. Julie RanaeMay 26, 2011 at 11:16 PM

    Lovely card Karen!!!

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  3. LaurelMay 26, 2011 at 11:17 PM

    A perfect grad card, I love it!

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  4. Virginia L.May 26, 2011 at 11:26 PM

    SO cool!! I love love love this!

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  5. Sharli SchaitbergerMay 27, 2011 at 12:05 AM

    Hi Karen,
    This is a terrific card! I love the note paper details (yes, they were easier to see when enlarged!) and the overall effect of the card is perfect! Just wonderful! Excellent work as ALWAYS!
    Hugs!

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  6. yyamMay 27, 2011 at 12:09 AM

    Fabulous card! Love the color combo! Just perfect for graduation! :)

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  7. LynnMay 27, 2011 at 5:31 AM

    Karen, We weren't allowed to throw our caps either :)...love your card today...I love the sentiment...the skys the limit!

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  8. Sherry EckbladMay 27, 2011 at 6:41 AM

    LOVE IT! CAS perfection!

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  9. AnonymousMay 27, 2011 at 6:42 AM

    I love the colour combo... and those clouds.. Lovely card Karen :)

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  10. AnonymousMay 27, 2011 at 6:42 AM

    I love the colour combo... and those clouds.. Lovely card Karen :)

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  11. ChristinaMay 27, 2011 at 7:17 AM

    Love this design and the ledger stamped clouds. I'll have to CASE this one when I need graduation cards for the neighborhood kids!

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  12. JennyMay 27, 2011 at 7:28 AM

    This is brillant Karen, love how you managed to incorporate the clouds:)
    Jenny x

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  13. KryssiMay 27, 2011 at 7:39 AM

    This card is AMAZING, karen! I loveee the colors you used! kraft + white + anything else! :)

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  14. BrandiMay 27, 2011 at 7:42 AM

    Karen,
    This is great. I think that is the PTI cloud die? It is on my next list. I love how your picture turned out. I always thought you took great photos of your cards.
    Brandi

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  15. Heather InnusaMay 27, 2011 at 7:45 AM

    Great grad card!!! I love how the clouds are die cut from ledger paper - makes it so fun!

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  16. Heather InnusaMay 27, 2011 at 7:48 AM

    Holy smokes... that's a stamp! Awesome!!! (Dono how I missed that!) I love the clouds! Everytime I see them on a card I smile. I recently got the fiscars cloud punches, but those PTI clouds are just amazing!

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  17. LindsayMay 27, 2011 at 7:53 AM

    I love this card Karen! The colors and those clouds! EVERYTHING!

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  18. LaurieMay 27, 2011 at 8:23 AM

    Karen this is beautiful! I love the clouds on the kraft! The navy blue color added in is just perfect!

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  19. Cassie_luMay 27, 2011 at 9:14 AM

    wonderful card and I really like the clouds with the graduate cap. It goes so perfectly with the sentiment.

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  20. Amy KollingMay 27, 2011 at 10:42 AM

    Love this Karen! This just reminds me of when the grads toss their caps in the air! You've captured it perfectly here!

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  21. Emily LeiphartMay 27, 2011 at 1:57 PM

    This is fantastic, Karen! I don't know if I've ever made a graduation card. I guess there's always a time to start. ;)

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  22. DarlaMay 27, 2011 at 2:14 PM

    This card is VERY FAB! I LOVE the color combo, the sentiment, the clouds, EVERYTHING!

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  23. AnetteMay 27, 2011 at 2:28 PM

    WOW, love this!! The one rounded corner adds sooo much interest, perfect!!!

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  24. CristinaMay 27, 2011 at 5:16 PM

    Love this, Karen! The way you combined those sentiments is perfect.

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  25. Laura DavisMay 27, 2011 at 8:32 PM

    SWOON.... this card is perfection!!
    hugs
    Laura

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  26. artfuldelightMay 27, 2011 at 9:34 PM

    I LOVE your CAS graduation card, it's FABBY!!! I didn't actually attend my high school graduation. I graduated in January instead of June with my class, (at the time) I didn't want to go back and attend my graduation. I kinda regret that now. :-(

    Have a wonderful weekend!!

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  27. jenMay 27, 2011 at 9:55 PM

    what a great grad card! the details show well when clicked on! :)
    I was allowed to throw my cap in high school & college too, I think. guess I'm that old. I'll be able to say, 'when I was in school they let us THROW our caps in the air at the end of the ceremony' (maybe I'll say I walked uphill both ways in snow, for good measure... *wink*

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  28. ~Tammy~May 27, 2011 at 11:02 PM

    I can see the details! I love the layers and the colors. This is the perfect guy graduation card. I wasn't allowed to throw my cap up either.

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  29. alexandra s.m.May 28, 2011 at 12:44 AM

    How wonderful Karen!
    YOu really have captured something special here again ;-)

    Love it!!

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  30. farmhouse-storyMay 28, 2011 at 1:59 AM

    this is just darling, karen! the last graduation i went to--the kids sprayed silly string from cans!

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  31. Jocelyn OlsonMay 28, 2011 at 9:17 PM

    Awesome card! The dimension in the cloud is so cool and I am completely in love with the notebook stamp (I was just looking for one of those!). Great pop of blue!

    I wasn't allowed to throw my cap, either :(

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  32. Jen W.May 29, 2011 at 9:57 AM

    Awesome! Love that cap flung up in the clouds and that note paper background is so cool.

    I went to an all girl school and my class voted against graduation caps because cpas might mess up their hair. I was not a happy bunny - I really wanted a cap to fling in the air!

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  33. ReneeMay 29, 2011 at 2:05 PM

    Love it all...
    the colors...
    those clouds...
    a truly inspiring card!

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  34. Andrea MMay 29, 2011 at 11:13 PM

    Wow! Karen this is so FANTASTIC!!! WOW! Love the lined paper clouds - what a great touch! AWESOME card!

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  35. BabyBokChoyMay 30, 2011 at 4:42 PM

    I need these clouds, so so so cute!

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  36. Alice May 30, 2011 at 7:01 PM

    simply fabulous! love all the subtle details, too! super card, Karen!

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  37. JanetcraftMay 30, 2011 at 7:47 PM

    ooo I love this card...really reminding me reached for the sky after a streched of painfully years of EXAMS!

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  38. Emily LeiphartMay 30, 2011 at 8:25 PM

    I forgot to mention (since we have the same camera) that I thought mine had an issue but it turns out it's Blogger that's blurring the photos. I've been told to pull my photos from Flickr but I can't be bothered to do it that way. Let me know if you find another solution! ;)

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  39. KendraMay 31, 2011 at 5:54 PM

    I love this card, what a great use of this stamp/die set (one of my faves!).

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  40. Marlena M.May 31, 2011 at 6:23 PM

    The lines are such a cool detail. ;)

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  41. Anne TussingMay 31, 2011 at 7:06 PM

    Awesome male (or female) card! I love the vintage notepad die and the sentiment that is so perfect for the clouds. And, yes, in '84, I could throw up my cap! My son could in '09, too!

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  42. TrinhMay 31, 2011 at 8:52 PM

    Perfect grad card, Karen! I love the color scheme and how you cut the clouds from lined paper.

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  43. Karolyn at Paper TherapyMay 31, 2011 at 10:29 PM

    Karen, you are a design phenomenon! I love every detail of this project. The color scheme is super fun, and those clouds with the notebook paper very subtly imprinted everywhere is absolutely outstanding! This blows my mind!

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  44. DanaJune 1, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    You are amazing. Really. A clever use of sentiment for a grad card, and the layering of the clouds is just so perfect. Love the one rounded corner.

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  45. Basement StamperJune 1, 2011 at 1:54 PM

    Gorgeous card, I wonder the same thing about the caps as I'd be thrilled to throw mine up again ;-)

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  46. AlbertaJune 1, 2011 at 8:17 PM

    Love how the sentiment and the clouds play off each other. Great color combo.

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  47. lexiJune 2, 2011 at 12:31 AM

    amazing details - total love!!

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  48. AnonymousJune 2, 2011 at 8:39 AM

    Love your card Karen! The color combo is great and I'm crushin'' on those notebook lined clouds, love em' :) Fab CAS design!

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  49. ValerieJune 4, 2011 at 7:59 PM

    Love this Karen - those clouds are so awesome!!

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