Congratulations to a Favorite Nephew!

Aloha, all!

     Let me begin by saying that ALL my nephews are favorites!  I say this in the unlikely event that any of them actually reads my blog posts!

     My nephew, Matt, is the youngest of my nephews and is graduating this weekend from Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  He's already received honor recognition and I know how much my brother and sister-in-law must be so proud of his accomplishments.  Aunt Robin is, too.  Unfortunately, Matt lives 6,000 miles (plus or minus) from me, and I don't get to see him that often.  But I did have a visit with him last fall, and I could tell how much he was enjoying his studies in Political Science.  Being so near the Washington, DC, area is a real plus for someone in that field of study.

     And now to the greeting card.  As it's Friday, you might well suspect that I made the card based on the Sketch Frenzy Friday sketch challenge.  And so I did.  I don't think that my design is what the sketch designer had in mind.  But, hey, it's close!

     And here's the Sketch Frenzy Friday sketch.  It works, doesn't it?!  I was afraid that all the other members of the SFF Design Team would be using some of the fab flowers that Stampin' Up! has in its collection of stamp sets.  But I am NOT the only one with a different kind of theme for this sketch.  Whew!

     I remember from quite awhile ago many people using this little owl from the Stampin' Up! Owl Builder Punch for Graduation Cards. Just put a "mortarboard" style hat on him (or her if it's for a girl) and, voila!  We have a graduate.  I'd also seen someone use a scallop circle punch to make wings, which I think is just a great idea.  I used the 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch.  I cut it in half and each half became a "wing."  I hand cut the mortarboard hat and added a piece of 1/8" Silver Ribbon.  I used the same ribbon to tie the "diploma" in one of his little wings.  I "attached" the ribbon to the mortarboard with a Pacific Point Candy Dot from the Brights Candy Dot Collection.

     For the strip of Whisper White Cardstock that I used for the left side element, I applied the Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Then I stamped the sentiment from the Sassy Salutations Stamp Set, put it all onto a piece of Pacific Point Cardstock which I matted with a piece of Whisper White cardstock before mounting the whole thing onto a Pacific Point Cardstock base.

    Off in the mail this goes today.  Graduation is tomorrow, so it's going to be late.  But May snuck up on me!  I've missed two birthdays as well as the graduation so far this month.  I have GOT to get organized!

     Speaking of getting organized.  The main reason I've not been posting lately is that I'm doing a major overhaul of my craft room.  You would not believe the small space that I had, not only for making this card, but also for photographing it.  My goal is to have this project all done by Saturday afternoon.  I'll report next week!

     Here are the products that I used in today's project.  Amazingly NONE of these products is retiring.  Hard to believe!