Graduation Balloon

I felt like playing in a couple of challenges today, and these caught my attention:

• Paper Players - Summer time theme - for me, that's graduation time!

• Kraft Journal - graduation celebration card
• Stampendous - June challenge - all about summer
• Fab n Funky - celebrations
• Inspired by Stamping - use crochet trim or lace 

Well, I already had made a graduation card for my 8th grader a few weeks back, and then THIS happened:

I can still use the other card, for another grad I know.  This one will stay in the family.  :-)

I'm using a set by 'Inspired by Stamping' called The Sky's The Limit.  I like the sentiments and the selection of balloon styles.  Look at the basket above:  HAD to include pearls somewhere...just HAD to!

Although I've used a lace screen print by Hambly, I also included some genuine crochet trim, and twine, too.

And I wanted to show you my new personalized stamp, which I bought from an Etsy shop called JLMould.  She does custom stamps, or offers standard styles.  I created my own look.

With all the cards I am delivering to the local boutique on consignment, I need a professional look.  BTW, I popped in the shop last week to find out how many cards have sold, but the person helping me did not know, but recalled selling one himself.  So that makes at least two sold that I know of!  LOL

My friend Vicki asked me to take a picture of my photographing set-up.  Here it is, and brace yourselves for the ugly appearance of my cellar 'studio':

I bought a light tent kit HERE, and it includes the two lights and the tent.  It's a pretty big tent, but if it were much smaller, I would not be able to get good shots.  I don't know how to explain, but trust me.  ;-)  If you look closely, there IS a small light shining from the top of the tent.  Please ignore that.  I bought a clip-on LED lamp from Target, to see if that might aid in the lighting situation, but it contributed nothing.  It's going back to the store.  Most of the photos you've seen on my blog for the last month or so have been taken in that tent, using only the two side lamps.  I use a program called GIMP (free download) - which is very similar to Adobe PhotoShop - to photo edit all my pix.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me (it's on my sidebar).

Thanks for coming by!



Dimensions:  4.25" x 5.5"
Stamps: The Sky's The Limit  - Inspired by Stamping
Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla - SU
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko
Fibers: twine - Creative Impressions; lace trim - Hero Arts
Other: pearls - Recollections; Lace Screen Print - Hambly