Graduation Cards with Gift Card Pocket Ideas

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I was tasked with a major project of creating 13 graduation cards. Aside from the graduation theme, the request was for the graduation cards to have a pocket for a gift card. If you follow my blog, you already have a preview of two of the graduation cards. I added these two cards on this post.

The card on the right is a pocket card with a belly band for accent. I am so happy to be able to add some stitching to this card since my fingers have been itching to stitch. The one on the right is a gift card box. I used the We R Memory Keepers Shadow Box Punch Board to create this. The features of these cards can be more appreciated on the short videos below.

Belly Band Grad Card with Stitching

Shadow Box Grad Card

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These graduation cap cards are fun to create. I designed the graduation caps how the caps are jazzed up these days. The tassel is made of rolled up, fringed crepe paper. The card on the left stands up for display as shown on the photo below.

The features of these cards are better shown in the short videos below. 

Stand up Grad Cap Card

Folded Grad Cap Card

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The card on the left features a wobbly Cricut cut graduation cap. The one on the right is an oversized tag to which I added a gift card pocket. I also added two elements that I love, stitching and rosette.  Below are videos showcasing these two cards.

Wobbly Grad Cap Card

Oversized Grad Pocket Tag 

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I created a slimcard sized graduation card with the gift card pocket on the front which can be seen through the front panel year window. 

See Through Gift Card Pocket Grad Card

So as not to waste the number drop outs of the previous two cards, I used these numbers to create the above cards. The gift card pocket was a simple pocket which I forgot to take a photo of.

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Let's not forget the first two cards of this graduation collection which I created for Stick It Down. This a two-for-one card. The card on the left is a shaker card and the card on the right has 3D stars. Details of this card can be seen on this post: 2-for-1 Graduation Cards.

And for the star of these graduation cards collection, the card made especially for the son of the person who commissioned me to do this graduation project. (Thank you for allowing me to share this card.)

I used the Karen Burniston Photo Collage Pop-Up Craft Dies. This die set may look intimidating at the start but after putting the elements together, it is actually fun. Opening and closing the card is like ASMR. I added a bit of twist on this pop-up card by substituting some of the pop-ups with letter/number dies. I personalized the card to the graduate's faves and his future college. 

This card does not have a gift card pocket. I added stitched rectangles for the sender to write a message on.

Below is a video showing the ASMR moment of the card. 

If you got this far on this post, thank you so much. I apologize for a very long post but I hope you enjoyed the short videos showcasing the grad cards I made.

Have a blessed, brilliant and created day!

Maria Giselle B.

Bookmarks on a Card Sketch

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. It is time for a new challenge @ Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge on FB. Joining is very easy. Create a new project following this month's sketch. Upload your project to the SID FB June folder. There are 3 sketches to choose from, a single scrapbook layout, a double page scrapbook layout and/or a card. Choose one or choose all!

I got busy last month with a huge project that I had to set aside my paper stitching. I am so happy that I was able to add stitching to this month's card sketch. The pattern is from Just CrossStitch Magazine, Volume 44, Number 2, Summer 2026 edition. The name of the pattern is Tapestry of Twelve which is a large pattern. I did spotlight stitching on parts of the pattern.

The die I used to add the hole impressions on the cardstock is from Altenew. It created a faux 14-count Aida cloth on paper. I used an 80 lb light gray cardsotck on my project. I used 2 strands from the 6-ply DMC embroiderry floss. 

After I stitched the patterns on the cardstock, I used a craft knife to carefully trim off the excess leaving a thin border around the patterns.

I adhered this stitched panels to a darker gray cardstock using a double adhesive tape. I trimmed off the excess using the stitched panels as a guide. Now, there are two bookmarks created. 

I made this into an A6 card (4.5" x 6.25") to accomodate the length of the bookmarks. I trimmed a gray cardstock at 4.5" x 6.25" for the front panel. I added details to this panel with the use of The Greetery Aida Cloth Texture Plate to tie up with the stitching theme of the bookmarks. Since the plate is smaller than this front panel, I added the impressions on a staged fashion. I partially impressed the die cut on the top half of the front panel with the die laid horizontally to it. Afterwhich, I moved the front panel so that the die will be positioned on the area where there is no impression. I matched a portion of the impressed area with the die before running it through the die cut machine. I felt it lock in place that's why I know that the position will be just right.

For the sentiment on the sketch, I used a vellum to hold the stamped and die cut sentiment. At the same time, this vellum band will keep the bookmarks in place. The sentiment stamp and die is from Pinkfresh Studio. I stamped this on a dark gray cardsotck using a green dye ink. I stamped the sentiment again with Versamark ink so I can emboss it with clear powder. I love it that the sentiment was intricately die cut especially the space on the center of the words. I die cut an extra piece to layer it on the back of the stamped die cut sentiment for a bit of dimension. The vellum band was secured with a piece of tape on the back.

To keep the bookmarks from slipping down, I created vellum photo corners using scrap strips of vellum. I want to give a shout out to Aunt Annie's Crafts for this technique. I folded the vellum strip at a 45 degree angle to form a corner.  I slipped this to the corners of the bookmark. I applied a dot of glue to the back of these vellum corners, where the slit is. I slipped the bookmarks through the vellum band and pressed the photo corners to the front panel to adhere it. I placed something heavy over the photo corners, magnets in particular, while the glue is drying. 

Below is a video showing how the bookmarks stayed in place on the front panel, what it looks like when it is removed, and how to put it back. 

I hope you like today's card and my take on the sketch. I hope you join this month's challenge. We can't wait to see your projects.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

Simon Says: Anything Goes #150

Watercolored Panel

Hello! I am on the Blank Page Muse Blog with this watercolored panel. The BPM products I used are:

• Butterfly with Woman Mariposa Eyes rubber stamp
  
• Vintage Text with Bird & Flowers Background Rubber Stamp
  
• Butterfly Trails Circles patterns Mixed Media Stencil
  

I used the Misti Lite, which is a new tool for me. It is a stamping tool that helps with precise stamping especially when restamping is needed. A magnet is necessary to keep the tool in place. As for the paper, it needs to be secured with a less tacky tape or with another magnet which I did not do. I think if you use a larger paper, the tool might be able hold the paper in place. 

I used different mediums in coloring this panel. I used Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stains on the girl's hair. I used Gansai Tambi on most of the watercoloring except for the circle swirls on the background. I aslo used Tim Holtz Distress inks on this panel.

I switched brushes when I was watercoloring. I used different sized small round brushes on watercoloring the image and the area to ground the image. I used a flat brush on the background.

My initial plan was only to use the girl image on this project. Sometimes, ideas flow as I work on a project. I used the text background stamp to add details to the background. Even if the watercolor wash background has harsh lines, it was less noticeable once the text was stamped. I used a Tim Holtz Distress ink to stamp the text background.

Since I am not after a crisp impression, I used my hand to press the background stamp to transfer the inked impression to the paper. If you like it to be crisp, adhere the rubber stamp to an acrylic block. 

I used the stencil to add another layer of design to the panel. I added ink to the open circles of the stencil. I used Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain for this.

Some of the ink seeped under the stencil making it look like a blob instead of a circle. I am not too worried about this since I am going for a loose look. I picked up the excess ink with a dry paper towel.

I added details to the stamped image using a white gel pen for the eyes and a black enamel pen on the butterfly.

I hope you like today's project. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

Blank Page Muse is having a FLASH SALE! 10 HOT red rubber stamps are featured for sale with an amazing 50% discount. What a deal, right? 

But if there is nothing on the sale category that interests you, BPM is generously offering a 15% discount to their online store to YOU, my blog readers. Just use the code BPMMaria when you check out.

Only 1 code per transaction please. Enjoy!

I shared this project at

simonsayschallenge IG~Bright & Colorful

2-for-1 Graduation Cards

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. It is time for a new challenge at Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge on FB. It is very easy to join the challenge. There are three options to choose from. You can create a scrapbook layout, a double page scrapbook layout or a card. Choose one or choose all! 

I am commissioned by a college peer to create graduation cards that she will give away. Aside from the occasion, she specifically wants cards with gift card holder. I used this month's sketch to create two-for-one graduations cards since she ordered a dozen.

The first card I created was a shaker card. I trimmed a dotted Simple Stories patterned paper at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I die cut the stars on this panel using a star die from Altenew. I adhered an acetate on the back of the window patterned paper. I adhered strips of foam adhesives around the stars over the acetate. I wanted to contain the confetti in each star that's why I surrounded each star with foam tape. You don't need to do this. You can just surround all of the stars with foam tape to create one well.

The messy part of this project is putting the confetti in the shaker well. I treated the acetate and the sides of the foam with an anti-static powder tool to lessen the cling of the confetti. Somehow, the confetti has a mind of its own, adhering to places where it should not. 

I applied liquid glue to the foam before covering the well with patterned paper. The liquid glue allows some wiggle time in positioning the patterned paper over the shaker well. The down side of this is sometimes the confetti gets attracted to the liquid glue. 

I die cut star frames on a dark gray metallic paper. I used the star die I used to die cut the star windows and the next smaller sized star from the same Altenew die set. I pieced this on the acetate star window, adhering it with glue. 

I die cut the sentiment on gold glitter cardstock. The sentiment die is from Paper Smooches. I performed a bit of surgery on the die cut sentiment. Instead of using the original die cut of "congratulations", I trimmed the sentiment down to "congrats". The exclamation point is from a Hero Arts die set.

I created a gift card pocket using a We R Memory Keepers Goodie Bag tool. I adhered this to the inside of the card and embellished it with a grad cap which I cut using the Cricut. I stamped the inside and the grad cap with sentiments from my stamp stash.

I was tempted to add some gold splatters on the front but I was afraid it is going to take the eye away from the shaker so I kept the background as is. 

For the second card, I used the negative cut stars from the first card. I scored the gray star die cuts from the points to the center to make it 3D. I added a foam square to the back on the center to keep it raised as I adhere this to the dotted patterned paper star die cut. For the points, I used Ranger Glossy Accents to adhere this to the dotted star and keep the score folds up.

For the background panel, I partially embossed a white pearl cardstock with an alphabet embossing folder. I adhered the stars to this panel.

For the sentiment, I stamped this on gold pearl cardstock with black pigment ink. I poured black glitter cardstock to the wet ink and heat embossed it. I die cut the sentiment into a strip using the coordinating die. The stamp and die are from Pinkfresh Studio.

I curled the sentiment banner. I added a foam adhesive on the center and curled the ends up adding a dot of glue close to the edge to keep it adhered to the panel. 

For the inside of the card, I adhered a scrap patterned paper to the bottom to act as gift card pocket. I stamped the sentiment with a dye ink. Dye inks are supposed to dry quickly. My stamped sentiment did not. I accidentally smeared a part of the sentiment. Uggh! I was tempted to pitch the note card. I even thought of restamping the sentiment on another paper then fussy cut it. Then I remembered my white gel pen. I wrote over the mess to cover it up. Now, the boo-boo is hardly noticeable.

I hope you like today's cards and that you join this month's challenge. We always love to see your projects.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared these cards at

Simon Says: Anything Goes #59

Challenge 5~Anything Goes #119

Mirror Stamped Card

Hello! I am on the Blank Page Muse Blog with this interactive card. The stamp I used is the Blank Page Muse Bird in Flight Open Wings Steampunk Cogs Gears Art rubber stamp. 

Mirror stamping is when you get a reverse image of the original stamp impression. A stamping tool is very helpful with this technique. It allows you to re-stramp the image if needed. A clear stamp that is larger than the image that will be mirror stamped is also essential for this technique. The clear stamp I used is specifically made for this purpose although it can also be used to stamp a colored scallop edged background. A pigment ink is also needed since this ink tends to remain wet long enough to do the image transfer. I used Versafine Onyx Black ink. I also tried mirror stamping using VersaFine Clair but the result was not as good as the VersaFine Onyx Black ink. I used a brayer to help with the image transfer. I also think the paper is a factor to a successful image transfer. I initially used a smooth watercolor paper. It was harder to do the mirror stamping on this paper because of the thickness of the paper. On my second try, I used a smooth 80 lb paper and the transfer was better. 

Please visit the BPM blog for details on how I created this card. Mirror stamping is a great way to stretch out those stamps. I hope you give it a try. Below is a short video showing the interactive feature of this card.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day.
 

Maria Giselle B.

Blank Page Muse is generously offering a 15% discount to their online store to YOU, my blog readers. Just use the code BPMMaria when you check out. Enjoy!

I shared this card at

simonsayschallenge on IG~April: Things with Wings

Challenge 5~Anything Goes #109

Vintage Scene Panel

 

Hello! I am back on the Blank Page Muse blog with this panel. I used the following BPM products: 

• World Map Hot Air Balloon Steampunk rubber stamp
  
• Wildflower Silhouette Border Style red rubber stamp
  
• Clouds & Drops 5x5" Mixed Media stencil
  

I used Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks on the clouds and the hot air balloon. The colors I used are Speckled Egg on the clouds and Broken China on the hot air balloon. It is recommended to use different brushes for oxide and dye inks. I don't have a lot of brushes on my stash so I only designate the brushes by color family. I just make sure to clean the brush after each use to avoid contaminating the inks with a different color and/or with a different ink property.

I changed to a softer and larger blending brush from Pinkfresh Studio. I do like the coverage this brush provides. It creates softer blends. I only have three of these brushes that comes in a box since I am just trying it out. I will probably invest on more of these brushes as the color need arises.

I used several tools on this project. I used a sticky mat and a rotating platform. The sticky mat keeps the paper in place while I blend ink. The rotating platform was very useful because instead of lifting the paper and/or the sticky mat to blend ink on a different part of the panel, I just rotate the panel. 

I also used the Misti Stamping Tool which is helpful on repeated stamping. I also used a plastic film which came with the Stamp-a-majig. It helps with planning the placement of stamped images on the panel. I also used the Misti Creative Corners. This tool is helpful when stamping images on the edge of the panel.

I also used a pressure tool which is actually a white board eraser. This helps in putting equal pressure to the stamp for better results. 

Lately, I have been using the Versafine Clair Nocturne ink a lot. I like the impression it makes on the stamp images. 

I created a mask using Post-it Notes. It is extra work with stamping and cutting but much cheaper. It gave me an opportunity to blend ink and add color to the hot air balloon which does not have a coordinating stencil.

I hope you learn from the tips I shared on this post. For more details on how I created this panel and more creative inspiration, please visit the BPM blog. 

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

It is back! Blank Page Muse is generously offering a 15% discount to their online store to YOU, my blog readers. Just use the code BPMMaria when you check out. Enjoy!

Happy, Frosty and Sparkly Card

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I participated on an online Altenew Workshop by @tracisjoyfulpapercrafting yesterday. This is the card that I created during th workshop. 

I don't have the same supplies that Traci used on her card. I used Altenew products that I have.

Traci used a stencil-die leaf combo on her card. I used the Altenew Just Leaves die set instead. I die cut the leaves on white cardstock. I blended ink on the leaves die cut using Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks. I used a small blending brush on appying the ink. After I pounced the brush on a scrap paper, I applied the ink heavily but gently (since these are dainty die cuts) on the center. I went light handed as I move the brush towards the end of the leaves. With these dainty die cuts, I recommend using a sticky mat to keep the die cuts in place while blending ink on it. Another tip is to piece the die cut back on the negative cut to add support to this dainty die cuts during the ink blending.

I die cut several colored glitter paper and adhered this to the back of the matching color die cut leaves. I slightly offset this for a shadow effect. With the die cut being so dainty, it was a tough job to do the offset look.

I adhered the leaf die cuts to a white cardstock panel cut at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" following a rainbow order. I overlapped some of the leaves.

I added colored sequins to the panel, adhering the sequins close to the matching leaf color. 

For the sentiment, I die cut the sentiment on black mirror cardstock using the Altenew Timeless Sentiment die set. I die cut the shadow on hollographic paper adding more sparkle to the card.

I always enjoy attending Altenew workshops. I don't only get to craft but I also get to listen to other fellow crafter's stories. 

I hope you like today's card. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

Bright & Cheerful #55