A crafty St. Kate's shout out

I graduated from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University) in 1998 with a B.A. degree in English and Philosophy. And yes, for those of you doing the math, that means this year is my fifteen-year college reunion. (Excuse me, but how did that happen?) Today is Shout Out St. Kate's Day, and in honor of the celebration, I put my crafty skills to use and made two cards that display my Katie pride.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!^®):
Stamps: Everyday Flexible Phrases, Polka-Dot Posies, Kind and Caring Thoughts
Card stock: Shimmery White, Elegant Eggplant, Yoyo Yellow
Ink: Jet Black StazOn
Accessories: 1" and 1-3/4" circle punches, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, Bitty Buttons, Chevron embossing folder, Daffodil Delight stitched grosgrain ribbon, white baker's twine, Dimensionals, Glue Dots

The starting point for both of my purple and yellow cards was a set of shout-out stickers included in the alumnae magazine. (Today I'm wearing the "Proud to be a Katie!" sticker. The toddlers in my class will be terribly impressed that I have a giant purple sticker on my shirt.) For this card I aimed to answer the question "What's a Katie?" It's a little hard to read the words on the purple card stock circles, so here are all of them (left to right, top to bottom): caring, genuine, mother, sister, friend, just, wise, daughter, kind. I know every Katie out there can lay claim to at least one of these words.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: DefineYour Life, Everyday Flexible Phrases, Expressive Flexible Phrases, Think Big, Strokes of Wisdom (Raisin Boat)
Card stock: Elegant Eggplant, Yoyo Yellow, Silver Glimmer paper
Ink: Elegant Eggplant
Accessories: 2-1/2" circle punch, silver cord, rhinestones, Dimensionals

Making the background for this card was a fun but challenging experience (ooh - just like my four years at St. Kate's!). I searched through many, many stamp sets trying to find the best words and phrases to capture the Katie spirit and the myriad ways, both big and small, that we make a difference in our lives and in the world. I hope I succeeded! And since Shout Out day is something of a celebration, I thought a little sparkle was only appropriate.

So, want to know a little more about St. Catherine University? Here are just a few fun facts:

• The University offers degrees at the associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctorate levels, making it the most comprehensive private college or university in Minnesota.
• St. Kate’s was the first Catholic college or university in the country to receive a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in 1937.
• We rank in the top 10 percent of all U.S. News and World Report colleges and universities in our category.
• The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet founded the College of St. Catherine in 1905 and remain active in campus life today.
• Our College for Women, which grants four-year degrees in both traditional and hybrid formats, is the largest women’s college in the country.
• Men can be Katies, too. Our graduate, associate and certificate programs are open to women and men.
• St. Catherine’s main campus in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul is often touted as the prettiest urban campus in Minnesota.
• Both ethnically and economically, our student body is the most diverse of all Minnesota private colleges or universities.

If you are heading to college for the first time or are thinking about returning to school, consider St. Catherine University. I'm definitely proud to be a Katie!