By: Stephanie Loomis, Editor & Artistic Guide

 Finished card size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

I love my Silhouette Personal Die Cutter. I know a lot of people swear by the Cricut, but I love the versatility of a machine that lets me create my own designs, cuts any TruType font, AND has inexpensive downloads as an option. I have the original machine, but if someone wanted to give me the new version with the SD card, I wouldn't say no!

I needed to create a couple of graduation cards, and my Silhouette helped me create two unique cards for two very different graduates.

Supplies:
Stamps:
Graduation and Congratulations (The Angel Company-retired)
Paper:
Fruitcake  (Basic Grey)
Sparkling blue and silver paper (Marco's Paper)
White Cardstock (Georgia Pacific)
Ink:
Prussian Blue Palette ink pad (Stewart Superior)
Other:
Silhouette personal die cutter (QuicKutz)
Birdcage, leaf, and bird downloads from Silhouette Online Store
Photoshop Elements 7.0
Adhesive of choice (I use a Scotch ATG gun, Scotch tape, and a glue stick from Office Depot)

Directions:

1. Open the leaf and bird downloads. Cut two leaves (about 1.5") and one bird (about 2.25") from the Fruitcake cardstock (Yes, technically Basic Grey designed this for Christmas, but no one said I have to be limited by seasons!)
2. While those are cutting, create a note card from the white cardstock. (Cut it in half longways, then fold one of the rectangles in half.) Cut a .5"  x 1.5" strip and fold in an accordian shape.

   

3. Open Photoshop Elements and create a document of four layers (2,0,1,0) in a bold font. Push the layers together so that they overlap a little. Combine layers and save as a .jpg file.
4. Back to the Silhouette: Remove the bird and leaves and set aside. Open a new page and insert the new PSE file. Don't forget to "get outline." Then open the birdcage download and size to about 3.5" high. Cut these from the blue paper.
5. While those cut, create a slit in the bird body in order to insert one of the leaves--this is now a wing. Turn the bird over and place the second leaf-now-wing on the back side. Use tape to secure.

   

6. Attach the accordian folded strip to the back of the bird.

   

7. Stamp the graduation elements and sentiment with blue ink on the inside of the note card. Add the bird as shown. The accordian folded strip will give the bird some movement.

   

8. Remove the newly cut 2010 and birdcage from the cutter and attach to a 5.5" x 4.25" piece of silver paper. Adhere to the card front.

   

9. Sign your art--a graduation card symbolizing the freedom from high school and the flight into a new world.

   

The second card was made much the same way. The word "Congrats" and "2010" were created in PSE and transferred to the Silhouette for cutting. I used the same blue paper for both and then did a second cut of the word on the Fruitcake cardstock. The yellow paper was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder before assembly.