Good afternoon,
About one week ago when I made my nephew his wedding card and I said that it looked like it could be a sympathy card before I added the pink gems, little did I know that I would have to make a sympathy card now. The man who passed away was a friend of my brother's and leaves behind his wife and two teenage children. He was in Ontario visiting his 98 year old mother but he was the one who passed. Let us all remember that time is precious.
I had never used my Waterfront stamp set before. Can you believe it? It is a great set and can be used for so many kinds of cards.
I took a card base of Sahara Sand, cut it in half and scored it at 4 1/4". I then used the fourth largest stitched rectangle die to cut a piece of Sahara Sand card stock. I then die cut a piece of Old Olive card stock using the third largest die and the largest die to make a frame. I die cut the frame like this so that there would be a piece to adhere my other die cut piece to. If you did not want to make a "frame" you could just die cut the Old Olive piece using the largest die. TIP: If you are using a foil sheet, glimmer paper or some other kind of specialty paper making a "frame" is an excellent way to conserve the paper. You can use the middle part to cut something else or you can use it as the backing for another card sentiment for example.
To stamp I stamped off each time except for the trees in the foreground. I used Soft Suede (which I actually stamped off twice before using), Balmy Blue, Pear Pizzazz and Old Olive. The sentiment that I stamped was full strength Old Olive from the retired lasting lily stamp set.
It didn't turn out perfect but I had to do it in a hurry and I couldn't redo it. When thinking about it, I thought that his widow was not going to be judging it, she would just be happy to receive it. She would not be looking at how it did not line up perfectly. I think that we are much too hard on ourselves sometimes as card makers. When I receive a homemade card in the mail I am so excited that someone took the time to think of me and made a card especially for me. I do not look to see if everything is perfectly straight and if it isn't then I just throw it away! People love receiving cards especially homemade ones and the feeling that we get when we mail one is awesome!!!
Remember to LIVE each day! Have a good one,
Mary
