Sympathy Card

... Good afternoon! I've had a fun day in my craft room. I need to rebuild my card stash - I didn't make many cards last year, and I've worked my way through all my stash. So, today I made a start on a sympathy card. I used lots last year and I sincerely hope that I don't need any this year, but it is always so much easier to make them when you don't actually need them. So here's my card:

Stamps: Waffle Flower - With Sympathy Duo; PTI - Random Stripe

Inks: Kaleidacolor - Cappuccino Delight

Dies: Marianne Design - Forest Branch LR0150

Accessories: White & Brown Card

I'm submitting this card to Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#256 where the keyword is 'monochrome'.

Last week I started going through my old stamps and dies. I found the PTI stripe stamp set and used it for a clean, simple birthday card. I like this set, so I used it again today. I stamped the 'barcode' style image directly onto a white A2 note card. I used shades of brown. The sentiment I picked has a clean, crisp font and works perfectly with the stripe image. I finished the front by die cutting the forest branch (a very, very old die) in brown shimmer card along with two white dies. I layered them together and then added them to the card.

Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of the shimmer brown card - it's a bit smaller than I'd normally do, but I was running out of card! On the white panel I added another sympathy sentiment. The stamp set has lots of mini sentiments which can be added when needed.

That's all from me today. See you again soon.

Sympathy Cards

.... Hello again! Yesterday I shared some sympathy cards I've had to make. Today, I'm sharing some more. This is the first:

Stamps: MFT - Deepest Sympathy; Gina K - Fancy Feathers

Inks: Gina K - Lovely Lavender, Ocean Mist, Soft Stone; Versafine Claire - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Fancy Feathers, Master Layouts 8, Lots of Dots

Accessories: White & Black Card; SU Card - Smoky Slate; Silver Satin Mirri Card

I'm submitting this card to Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - HLSAGD#09.

This card was inspired by the card Gina K made in a five minute video using the Fancy Feathers die. I changed up the colours, the feather used, the direction of the dots and the stamps used. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped two of the smaller feathers and added a simple greeting in black.

This is the second:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Fine Feathers; Waffle Flower - With Sympathy Duo

Inks: Gina K - Lovely Lavender, Ocean Mist, Stormy Sky; Versafine Claire - Nocturne

Dies: WMS - Fine Feathers

Accessories: White & Grey Card; Gina K Stencil - Lush Leaves; Silver Thread; Crystal Gem; Copic Marker

I'm submitting this card to Happy Little Stamper Stencil Challenge - HLSSC#09.

I started by stencilling a background pattern onto white card - I simply used the ink left over on the brushes. I trimmed the panel to size and added a black border to the top and bottom with a black Copic marker. I stamped the message in black ink and added some wings below with a tiny gem in the middle. I finished the front by adding two feathers - one stamped in blue and one in lilac. The stamp set and dies from WMS are both discontinued. For the inside, I cut a piece of white card which I edge with a black marker. I then stamped a simple message and added another of the feathers to the corner of the panel.

And this is the final card:

Stamps: Gina K - Bold Bloom, So Many Sentiments; WMS - Frame It

Inks: Versafine Claire - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Master Layouts 2

Accessories: White & Black Card; Copic Markers; Sakura Stardust Pens

I'm submitting this card to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#54 - this is the first time I've used that beautiful flower.

I used my MISTI to stamp the image on white card, removed it and coloured it with Copic markers. I returned the image to the MISTI and restamped with Versafine Claire Nocturne ink - such a deep black. I used a stitched edge die to cut out the image, stamped a sentiment below, adhered it to a black mat and glued it to the front of an A2 (US size) white note card. I added a touch of sparkle to parts of the flowers and leaves with Sakura Stardust pens. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped a simple sentiment and added the flower in the corner.

I mentioned yesterday, that these have been the hardest cards I've had to make. They were all for my family. My lovely cousin, Neil, died on Monday 18 September - he was only 57 years old. 

Neil was such kind man and much loved by all the family. Neil's passing has left a huge hole in our hearts.

A Trio of Sympathy Cards

... Good morning! The cards I'm sharing this morning are amongst the hardest I've ever had to make. I used a technique that Gina K demonstrated last week - to use paper, stamps, and card. Here are the cards I made:

Stamps: Altenew - Dot Botanicals; Waffle Flower - With Sympathy Duo; Gina K - Sympathy & Love

Inks: Gina K - Fresh Asparagus, Black Onyx; Versafine Claire - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Master Layouts 2

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Soft Sea Foam, Pear Pizzazz, Gumball Green

I'm submitting these cards to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#54 - I've had the stamps for a while, but never used them!!

The technique that Gina showed us is brilliant. I picked three shades of green card and cut the strip to ½", although you could use more colours and have thinner or thicker strips. Once each panel was assembled and stamped with the message, I used a stitch edge die to cut out the panel and adhered each to a black mat layer and then added them to the front of an A2 (US size) side-opening white note card. On the inside of each card I cut a mat layer of green card and on the white panels I stamped the dot leaves in pale green and added different sympathy messages in black ink.

Two of these card have been sent to my cousins; their brother passed last week. And that's why these were so hard to make.

That's all for today. See you again tomorrow. 

SHC - A Trio of Cards

.... Morning!! I'm here with my last post for Seven Hills Craft. It's been an honour and privilege to be part of Tara and Rick's team. I'm finishing off with a trio of cards, and the first is a bold, bright, birthday card:

Stamps: Avery Elle - Inside Birthday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Sweet Mango, Bubblegum Pink, Lipstick; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Waffle Flower - Zigzag Texture Die; Gina K - Master Layouts 2

Accessories: White & Black Card; Waffle Flower - Zigzag Stencil Trio; Copic Markers; Nuvo - Clear Aqua Shimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to AAA Birthday - AAAB#46 where the team want us to use Stencils, and also to Time Out Challenges - TOC#232 where it's Anything Birthday goes as they're celebrating their 9th birthday.

I used the Zigzag Texure die to cut out the stitched pattern and panel. To add colour, I used the matching trio of stencils. However, you may notice that there are actually four colours on my panel! I had a mishap, I put one of the stencils in the wrong place and added ink. I realised immediately that it was an 'oops', and I didn't want to waste the panel, so I simply put the stencil the right place and added the red ink. I rather like the new pattern with the sweet white diamond!! It did result in some odd marks around the edge of the panel, so I simply used another stitch-edged die to make the panel a bit smaller and layered it onto a black mat layer. I stamped a bold birthday greeting in black directly onto the panel and added the whole piece to the front of a side-opening A2 (US size) note card. I used my MISTI to stamp the floral image, removed it and coloured with Copic markers, replaced it in the MISTI and restamped with a dark black ink. I then fussy cut the flowers and used dimensional pads to add it to the card. I finished by adding some sparkle to the flowers. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. on the white panel I stamped the floral image in soft grey ink and added a fun birthday greeting. This card is for my aunt.

I made two further cards - one with the zigzag die and stencils, and one with a turnabout stamp. I wasn't expecting to have to make sympathy cards. My son, Ben, rang last weekend to let me know that his cat, Luna, had been hit by a car and was so seriously injured that she had to be put to sleep. Ben was, and is, absolutely devasted, so I made a card for him and for his housemate, Harry. This is the card I made for Ben:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Sketched Dots Turnabout, So Happy for You; MFT - Deepest Sympathy; Waffle Flower - With Sympathy Duo

Inks: Gina K - Light Lilac, Soft Stone, Slate; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Accessories: White & Black Card

I used the turnabout stamp to create the background directly onto the card - I only did three turns to keep it reasonably clean. I added a sentiment - which I think is so appropriate - in the corner of the card. I added some embossed leaves and a flower, from my left-over stash, to complete the front of the card. Inside, I cut a mat layer of black card and on the white panel I stamped a message and added some dots.

The next card was made for Harry, and this time I used the zigzag stencil to add colour as planned:

Stamps: MFT - Deepest Sympathy; Waffle Flower - With Sympathy Duo; Concord & 9th - So Happy for You

Inks: Gina K - Soft Stone, Stormy Sky, Slate; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Waffle Flower - Zigzag Texture Die

Accessories: White & Black Card; Waffle Flower - Zigzag Stencil Trio

I'm submitting this card to Inkspirational Challenge - INK#283 where they want us to use a stencil.

This time I used the zigzag trio of stencils correctly to add colour to the die cut panel. I stamped a sentiment onto the panel and adhered it to the front of a black A2 note card. I used embossed leaves and flower from my stash to complete the front of the card. Inside, I cut a panel of white card and simply added a message and another flower.

I hope that Ben and Harry can take some comfort from the cards. Pets bring so much joy into our lives and they leaves such big holes when they go. 

Anyway, that's all from me today - it's been a joy to be part of Tara and Rick's team. I may be back from time to time, but that's all for now. See you soon.