Running With Scissors...

Sympathy

I found myself without a sympathy card recently and had to buy one.  Though it was lovely, I felt bad that I didn’t have a hand-stamped card in reserve.  Heaven forbid I should need a large collection of sympathy cards, but it’s a good idea to have one or two on hand.

I made this card with Flourishes’ Calla Lilies set.  I colored the image with Copic markers and cut it out with Spellbinders Labels Seventeen S5-025.  I sponged around the edges of the panel with Adirondack Sandal ink while the die was still in place, then added a narrow line around the edge with a Stampin’ Up! Creamy Caramel marker.  These are the Copic markers I used:

I have to keep this brief on a busy day, but I hope you enjoy the card and I sincerely wish you all good things and a happy rest of the week.  See you soon!

Stamps:  Calla Lilies (Flourishes)  Paper:  Brown textured, Flourishes Classic Ivory, Prima Romantique designer paper  Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa, Adirondack Sandal, Copic markers for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, lace, Spellbinders Labels Seventeen S5-025

Clean and Simple Sympathy with Coloring

This is one of my favorite cards I’ve made recently.  Lots of white space, a tiny bit of pretty designer paper, and a simple colored image to satisfy my ever-present urge to color.

The sentiment is another from my Stampendous Sincere Sentiments set.  It has no images with it, so I’m left to select from among the many choices in my stamp room.  These lovely Great Impressions Roses (#G30) are an old favorite.  I colored them to somewhat match the rose on the far left edge of the designer paper strip (Prima Annalee).  These are the Copic markers I used:

A simple post for a simple card.  Love that!  Now let’s all go and have a fabulous weekend.  Wally and LuLu will be waiting here for you tomorrow!

More Simple Sympathy Cards

There’s not much to these cards, but when I don’t have a lot of time to stamp I can’t get too detailed.  That’s when I like to go clean and simple and fall back on my solid image stamps.

I used a new-to-me Hero Arts set called So Sorry.  I love the leafy branch as well as the sentiments.  I also brought out some old Hero Arts shadow stamps to set off the image.  The shadow stamps on each card are stamped in Soft Wheat.  I don’t know if Hero Arts still sells these inks.  They were formulated to be especially light yet pure in color.  The first card has an Old Olive (Stampin’ Up!) inked branch and a Chocolate Chip sentiment.  The designer paper is Kaiser Kraft Hunt and Gather.

The second card has a little more to it, but not much.  I actually prefer the first, simpler card.  Thought I’d make one masculine and one feminine card.  The second card uses True Thyme and Bravo Burgundy inks and retired BasicGrey Perhaps designer paper.

The score lines on each card add a teensy bit to the design, but their primary purpose is to aid in perfectly straight and quick placement of the designer paper borders.  I cut the designer paper slightly larger than needed, align it at the score line, and trim off the excess.

I’m heading to the couch now for a little down time.  The babies are sleeping and with LuLu cuddled up beside me I won’t have to worry about any potty issues.  Don’t you just love a sleeping baby?  Have a wonderful day!

Embracing the White Space

I spent some time over the weekend working on the 22 card order I recently committed to, six of which are sympathy cards.  This is one of them.

I don’t charge a lot for my cards.  In fact, the price is too embarrassingly low to mention, and because of that, I’ll frequently keep them clean and simple.  Not always, but a few CAS cards balance out the cards I put more work into as I charge the same price for all of them.

Now, the thing is, I love this card – no bows, buttons, brads, designer paper.  A length of pretty lace and an embossed border are all that enhance the stamping.  Quick, easy, and very mail friendly.  When I was done with it I felt good.  I’ll be making more CAS cards and, in fact, have already finished several in the time it normally takes me to make one of my cards.

The floral image is a Hero Arts solid rubber stamp which I inked up with Stampin’ Up! markers in Always Artichoke, Ruby Red, and Basic Black.  After stamping I partially edged the image with the fine tip of the marker in the same colors, then went over it with a Tombow blender pen (NOT the same as a Copic colorless blender pen).

The sentiment is one of my newer sets – Stampendous Sincere Sentiments.  Lots of ideal sympathy and thinking of you–type sentiments for inside and out.  I’m happy that I’ve finally given it a good dose of ink.

Enough about this card.  I shouldn’t spend longer writing about it than I did making it, right?  I hope you enjoy it.  Have a lovely day!

Stamps:  Hero Arts flowers (old), Stampendous Sincere Sentiments  Paper:  Flourishes Classic White  Ink:  Always Artichoke, Ruby Red, and Basic Black Stampin’ Up! markers, Memento Tuxedo Black  Accessories:  Lace, Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder

How About a Sketch Challenge?

Here I am again!  So soon, you say?  Well, I’m back with a sample for the sketch challenge which is part of Flourishes’ release week festivities.  Reminder:  See my previous Zinnia post if you’re looking to leave your Mystery Blogger comment for a chance to win today’s set.

Love how these Zinnias color up.  I wanted to be sure and use these single blooms before I put the set away, so I made a little floral arrangement to fit the sketch.  Coloring was done with Flourishes’ Tea Rose and Sunflower Copic collections.  The paper is an older Memory Box collection called Grove.  Got that from Flourishes, too, but it was a long time ago.  I liked the soft green behind the blooms, and it all seemed to work nicely for a sympathy card, which I can always use, unfortunately.

If you participate in the sketch challenge and link it to the sketch post on the Flourishes Newsletter, you’ll have a chance at winning all three of this month’s new stamp sets.  Certain rules apply to this challenge, so please see more details on the Newsletter.  Here’s the sketch:

More droolworthy Zinnia sketch samples can be seen here:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Julie Koerber

Enjoy, and good luck to all the players!

Stamps:  Zinnias  Paper:  Green Bazzill textured, Flourishes Classic Ivory, Memory Box Grove designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, ribbon slide, brads, Martha Stewart branch punch, SU! Word Window and Modern Label punches

I’m Out of Sympathy Cards Again

I wasn’t expecting to do any stamping this week, but I needed a sympathy card and my supply was depleted.  As it turns out, two sympathy cards do not constitute an adequate reserve.  This card needed to be made quickly, yet with loving care and respect to the bereaved and the departed.

I relied on pretty paper and a thoughtful sentiment – JustRite Sympathy Nested Sentiments – to help me accomplish the task.  I layered two Spellbinders shapes, underlined with pearls, and added decorative machine stitching.  Very understated.  Now, to find time to restock…

Please know how I appreciate all of you for stopping by.  I’m a little behind in my visiting, but I’ll be around soon.  Take good care, and have a pleasant day!

Stamps:  JustRite Sympathy Nested Sentiments  Paper:  Pale and paler yellow Bazzill textured, Prima Fairy Flora designer paper  Ink:  Chocolate  Accessories:  Pearls, Spellbinders Fancy Tags and Long Rectangles

Simple Sympathy

Once again I find myself in need of a sympathy card and I've stamped it in the simple style I lean toward on these occasions.

I've not even used any ribbon or hardware this time; just some layered papers and stitching.  This will be sent to a girlfriend whose mother passed, but while I was at it, I stamped a duplicate for my $2 card basket at work.  It's quick and easy, requires no extra postage, can be either masculine or feminine, and is one of the most frequently requested cards (sympathy).  The other top seller is birthday.  I know, $2 isn't much for a hand-stamped card, but I do this for the joy of stamping and, in a sense, it's a gift to my coworkers who are also some of my best friends. 

I've used Flourishes' Ferns and Fiddles, and Thinking of You (sentiment).  There's something very calming and restful about ferns.  I'm not sure why that is, but I do know that I feel peaceful when surrounded by the greens of the forest and garden.

Thank you for joining me today.  Wishing you good health and happiness!  

Stamps:  Ferns and Fiddles, Thinking of You (Flourishes -- see links, above)  Paper:  Flourishes Classic Ivory, Bravo Burgundy, BasicGrey Perhaps (retired?)  Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa, Bravo Burgundy,  Copics for coloring  Accessories:  None other than machine stitching

Ruby Tuesday: Stella Helps with Sympathy Cards

 

 Hello again!  Every now and then I skip a Tuesday with Stella.  Either she doesn't have it in her, or I don't have it in me.  However, today I decided to get busy with some sympathy cards I was asked to make for a friend's Mom.  Some of my small Stella scraps were perfect for the clean and simple look I like for this type of card.

For both cards I used Flourishes Thinking of You,  one of my few sympathy sets, save for some random sentiments.  Both use the retired BasicGrey Stella Ruby designer paper and Flourishes Classic Ivory cardstock.  I think they're self-explanatory, so I've listed any additional ingredients below each card.

 


 Ink:  Adirondack Sandal, Chocolate Chip  Accessories:  5 mm rust Crystal Stickers, Cuttlebug Diamonds in the Rough embossing folder, Spellbinders Classic Square Nestabilities, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

 

For the second card I added the Vintage Wallpaper background and a pretty Prima pearl embellishment, and matted the image oval on Blush Blossom cardstock:

 

Ink:  Certainly Celery, Old Olive  Accessories:  Prima Say it in Pearls, Spellbinders Classic Oval Nestabilities, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

That's it!  Very simple in every way.  Thank you for your time!  Have a wonderful day!

Gentle Thoughts

Welcome to Monday!  I hope you all had a good weekend, and mothers a sweet day of recognition.  I spent my weekend planting flowers and stamping, then trying to catch up on all the other things I didn't get done while I was busy enjoying myself.

Today I have a card made with a Penny Black stamp called Sparklers.  If I had applied glitter to these dandelions they'd probably look very much like sparklers.  They turned out quite a bit brighter than I intended and, looking at the finished product, I think vanilla would have been a better choice than the white.  Next time, maybe.

I inked the stems with a marker directly to the rubber, and applied Versamark ink to the seed heads by sponging directly from the pad to the rubber.  I then stamped on the designer paper and embossed with white embossing powder.  If the card looks a little under-adorned it's because it's a sympathy card and I try to keep those subtle.

I'll list the rest of the ingredients below and wish you a good day.  Time has slipped away from me once again.  If only weekends were longer...  Happy stamping!

Stamps:  Penny Black Sparklers, Stampin' Up! sentiment  Paper:  Prism Herbal Garden Light, Classic White, Memory Box Gossamer designer paper  Ink:  Olive, Cocoa, Versamark  Accessories:  Ribbon, white embossing powder, Stampin' Up! edge punch, oval punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

The Cards Most Difficult to Make

Contrary to the title of this post, today's cards are very simple, made with Flourishes' Thinking of You set.  Both cards use Classic Ivory cardstock, BasicGrey Perhaps designer paper, and Palette Cognac ink.  I've recently fallen newly in love with this set -- classic, elegant, understated, but with a touch of sweetness.  Ideal for sympathy cards, an occasion for which you don't want to go flashy or overboard with the design.

 

Many things come to mind when I have need of a sympathy card, primarily the beloved departed and the bereaved who will receive the card.  I want to put love, care, respect and compassion into it without it being all about me and my love of stamping.  It's a delicate balance.  The crafting process, the time involved, and the details of a custom creation can pay great tribute to a lost loved one, whether made ahead, or at the time of need.  Generally, I appreciate having a suitable card at the ready when I want to express my condolences without delay.

 

I hope my sincere and heartfelt sympathy is understood when I send a card.  As I open the card and write my sentiment, then seal it and mail it, I think of the life and loss it recognizes, the broken hearts, the difficult healing process.  Most of us have been through that, ourselves, at some point.  When I've received sympathy cards in the past, it's meant so much to me that someone simply cared enough to tell me so.

May it be a long, long time before you need to send a sympathy card.

Just a note:  If you're in the mood to see some cool Copic techniques, hop on over to the Flourishes Newsletter where Christine is sharing some great information.  I think you'll enjoy it!

Thank you for your time today.  Take care, and happy stamping!

Stamps:  Thinking of You (Flourishes)  Paper:  Classic Ivory, BasicGrey Perhaps designer paper  Ink:  Palette Cognac  Accessories:  Kaiser flat-backed pearl, satin flower with pearl, Spellbinders Curved Rectangle Nestabilities, Scotch brand foam mounting tape