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Sympathy Cards
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The last quarter of 2024 was harsh for many of us. There were four of us stampers who lost our mothers and one of my Bible study friends lost his father. The old saying that deaths come in threes didn’t prove true this year.
Stamps: Stampin’ Up! ‘Love & Sympathy’, and Acushla Stamp by Petticoat Parlor- I will link Petticoat Parlor in the computer below.
That second one is the stamp you won at the Scrapbook Fair!
Yes, Sal, and I stored it in the ‘Love & Sympathy’ stamp case to remember that I have it.
Dies: The BigZ Lattice Die, the Window Frames Framelits Dies, Cherry Blossom Dies, Cross of Hope Die, Forever Flourishing greenery die
Recipe
- Base: Basic Gray, 5 1/2 X 8 1/2, scored @ 4 1/4
- Layer 1: Basic White, 5 1/4 X 4, die cut with Window Frames Framelits Dies
- stamp Love & Sympathy in lower right corner
- use the cut out for the greeting on the inside
- Lattice under the Layer: Basic White, 4 X 4 1/4, die cut with BigZ lattice Die
- Bouquet: Flowers from the Cherry Blossom Dies
- Flirty Flamingo cut outs with Petal Pink centers; 2 large & two small flowers, (one for the inside), glue the flower on top of the Petal Pink for centers
- Mint Macaron stems using Forever Flourishing dies, 5 outside and 1 inside die cut
- Cross: Silver Foil cut with Cross of Hope Framelits
- Embellishments: Pearls on the lattice
While I had all the dies out I made a Thank You card with the same design and a butterfly in the middle.
I used the Love and Sympathy stamp set a little differently for this sympathy card:
Thanks for stopping by!
SAL, Sailing ALong into the new year
Karen
Riddle of the day:
Question: Kids can make it, but never hold it or see it. What is it?
Answer: Noise.
Retirement Wishes and Sympathy Wishes
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Paul received many cards for his retirement and we also received so many cards expressing sympathy for the passing of my mom. Thank you everyone! This post will display the many cards that were handmade though all the other cards were just as wonderful and touched our hearts. This post is for crafters – and myself- when we are struggling to find a retirement or sympathy idea in a handmade card. We can pull up the blog and type ‘retirement’ or ‘sympathy’ in the search bar and get ideas.
RETIREMENT CARDS
Thank you, dear friends.
SYMPATHY CARDS
My Mom passed away September 2, 2024. She had a fall August 30 and broke bones in both her lower legs. She was 91 years old and had lived a blessed life.
SAL, Soaking In A Lot of Love
Karen
Riddle of the day:
Question: What is always by your side, yet never stands in your way?
Answer: A true friend.
Sympathy & Get Well with Eden’s Garden
Oh how sad it makes us to need to prepare a sympathy card; but remember that as you craft your card you can pray for their family and friends. I am using the Eden’s Garden Suite from my Stampin’ Up! stash. I also had the Forever Gold Specialty Laser cut paper to use on the card and Lovely Words dies for the inside. Take a look:
SU Delicate Dahlias stamp set had the greeting I used.
I made a get well card at the same time:
The greeting is from SU Speedy Recovery.
How did you get gold foil on the little leaves?
Well, Sal, it was the DSP itself that had gold foil. I didn’t use the Minc machine to foil, that would be a challenge! I do have a pen that I could use to color part of a DSP and then run it through the machine with gold foil but that is a challenge for another day.
Recipe
- Base: Soft Succulent, 4 1/4 X 11, Scored at 5 1/2
- Top: Ever Eden Foil Designer Series Paper (DSP), 3 1/2 X 4
- Top Middle: Ever Eden Cotton Paper, 3/4 X 4 1/4, gives the look of a belly band
- Top Bottom: Ever Eden plain DSP, 3/4 X 4
- Gold Flourish: Forever Gold Specialty Paper, already laser cut so just punch out
- Greeting: Soft Succulent, 2 1/2 X 2 1/2 stamp then cut with #4 circle die (4th from smallest)
- Stamp greeting in Evening Evergreen using stamparatus so you can stamp twice for darker greeting
- Sympathy: Delicate Dahlias stamp set; Get Well: Speedy Recovery stamp set
- Inside Layer 1: Cotton Paper, 4 X 5 1/4
- Inside Layer 2: Ever Eden plain DSP matching front bottom DSP, 3 3/4 X 5
- Inside Layer 3: Ever Eden Foil Side of DSP, 3 1/2 X 4 3/4, die cut ‘Hugs’ from Lovely Words die
- Hugs Layer: Gold Foil, 2 1/2 X 1 1/2, die cut the ‘Hugs’ only to layer on the DSP of layer 3
- Bow: Evening Evergreen, 8″
Easy Peasy! Especially if you have the measurements. Getting those correct took a bit of time.
Imagine what you could do with other DSPs!
Exactly, Sal, with two coordinating DSPs and two coordinating card stocks for the base and the band you could do a lot.
So you’re going to add to your stash of ready to go cards by making several?
Well, I really don’t have much of a stash, and I have a friend who thinks its bad luck to make sympathy cards, and you pray a lot longer when you aren’t just pulling from the stash, and….. So, the short answer is ‘no’, I need to move on to the next needed cards.
Thank you for spending a bit of time with me today as we…
bring a pinch of creativity to spice up your crafting world!
SAL, Sending A Little prayer with each card
Karen
Riddle for the day:
Q=What do you call a bear with no teeth?
A=A gummy bear!
Bee With Heart
Let’s take a trip to a fantasy land where bees are pink! I used a digital stamp by Connie Fong called Bee With Heart! I saw this cute pink bee on a card by Gloria Shirr and just “had to have whatever stamp it was”. You all know that feeling! Little did I know it would lead me to a new world– digital stamping!
After printing the digital images on Basic White cardstock, I cut them out with a Stampin’ Up! ‘Deckled Rectangles Die’ and adhered to a layer of retired pink marble designer series paper. For the inside greeting I used Stampin’ Up!’s ‘Prized Peony’ stamp set. By duplicating the images and printing landscape I could print four fronts to a sheet of 8 1/2 X 11. The digital stamp set has a boy bee and a girl bee with two greetings and a flower. Here is the second greeting on a card for my mother.
The inside greeting is a stamp Lucille gave me before she moved far far away to New Jersey. Miss you, friend! The clear heart and pink pearls are retired Stampin’ Up! embellishments.
Well, Sal, we learned to do mirror images with regular stamps using the stamparatus and a silicon sheet, but with a digital stamp it is just a click of a button!
Recipe
- Base: Basic White 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 scored at 4 1/4
- Border Layer: Designer Series Paper (DSP), 5 3/8 X 4 1/8
- Top Layer: Basic White 5 1/2 X 4 1/4 cut with Second Largest Deckled Rectangle Die
- Inside Strip: DSP, 1/2 X 5 3/8
- Embellishments: 3 pink pearls for outside, 4 clear dots for middle of flowers and 1 clear heart on inside
- Copic Markers
- RV10 and RV23 for the bee’s body and heart
- RV09 for the Nose and Inside of the flowers
- R00 and a tiny touch of RV10 for the wings and then a coat of Wink Of Stella
I hope you enjoyed a trip to fantasy land!
Here I am adding a sympathy card made with one of the digital images from Connie Fong Art but this time in more traditional colors:
- Copic Markers
- R27 for the heart, flowers and tiny touch on nose
- Y13 Inside flower
- C9 Black on Bee
- YR12 Yellow on Bee
- E000 Face
- R00 and a tiny touch of RV10 for the wings and then a coat of Wink Of Stella
- Deckled Rectangle Dies are used to create the frame with a piece cut out of the middle of the front used to borde the back
- Inside Greeting: Kindness & Compassion stamp set, love how it ties to the digital greeting on the front.
By combining digital with the dies and stamps I have in my stash I have a new realm of card making!
SAL, Sending A Lot of Love
Karen
Sending Smiles, Blossoming Happiness and New Horizons
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The Tea Boutique Cards & Envelopes in the annual catalog use all five of the new In Colors with cards and matching envelopes. I challenged myself to make a card that matched the envelope!
I chose the smaller of the flowers in the Blessings of Home stamp set and the long stem flower and greenery from the Sending Smiles stamp set cut out with the Sending Dies which even have a die for that itty bitty flower. The envelope has a Starry Sky little flower on the flap so I replicated that look. The Flowers of Home Dies cut out the flower image and the die set has many other images to add greenery!
Recipe for Sending Smiles Tea Boutique Cards
- Base: Tea Boutique Card in Orchid Oasis, Measures 8 1/2 X 5 1/2 folded at 4 1/4
- Layer 1: Basic White, 3 3/4 X 5
- Layer 2: In Color Designer Series Paper in plaid, 3 5/8 X 4 7/8
- Top for die cut pieces: Basic White, 6 X 4 1/2
- stamp smaller flower in Blessings of Home stamp set with Orchid Oasis ink, color with Stampin’ Blends- Lt Fresh Freesia, Lt Granny Apple Green, Lt Call Me Clover and use a Blender pen & Orchid Oasis ink
- stamp in Fresh Freesia ink 2 long stem flowers from Sending Smiles stamp set (outside & inside flower) and use the blender pen and Orchid Oasis ink to add color on the flowers
- stamp one green leaf for outside in Granny Apple Green and one double green leaf for inside, die cut
- Cut ‘sending’ background from the Basic White
- Stamp ‘Love & Big Hugs’ in Orchid Oasis and cut with die in Sending Dies, cut off right edge even with the DSP layer and leave a little on the left edge for a gem when you line up the greeting die
- ‘Sending’ Top Layer: Use the In Color Designer Series Paper left over from layer 2, 1 5/8 X 3 5/8, and add backing of double back adhesive paper 1 1/2 X 3 1/2
- You should have enough of the In Color Designer Series Paper to make two 1 1/8 X 1 1/8 squares to cut diagonally for inside corners
- Greeting on inside of second picture: Basic White, 3 X 3 , Flowering Tulips stamp set, stamped in Starry Sky and cut with a retired Hippo & Friends Die
- Greeting Layer: Starry Sky, 3 X 3, die cut with retired Hippo & Friends Die, cut in half and glue to back of greeting
- Little Flowers (X2): Starry Sky, 1 X 1, die cut with Sending Dies and glue on a scrap of Daffodil Delight
- Embellishments: 5 In Color jewels, 4″ of Fresh Freesia ribbon tied in a knot
The top pieces are all adhered with Stampin’ Dimensionals, inside corners and flowers are glued directly down.
The Tea Boutique Cards & Envelopes have 20 bases with matching envelopes so I have some left of all the colors. (Click for Catalog Launch details). I would love to do more of what I have done here in all the colors!
Recipe for Blossoming Happiness Card
The front of this card is from a kit sent to me when I played Bunco online with Debra Harrison at Simply Sweet In Ink Designs. I created the inside using matching Hues of Happiness DSP and Blossoming Happiness Dies.
Base: Thick Basic White, 4 1/4 X 11, scored at 5 1/2
Layer 1: Hues of Happiness DSP, 4 X 5 1/4
Top Layer: Basic White, 4 X 4, Die cut with large Blossoming Happiness Die; Stamp sentiment from Pansy Patch stamp set in Granny Apple Green in upper right of die cut piece
Flower & 2 sets of Leaves: Hues of Happiness DSP die cut with Blossoming Happiness Dies.
Inside Layer: Hues of Happiness DSP with center cut out using retired Ornate Layers Die and stamped in Melon Mambo using the Limited Edition stamp set.
Recipe for New Horizons Card
Base: Misty Moonlight, 8 1/2 X 5 1/2, Scored at 4 1/4
Layer 1 (X2): Soft Succulent, 5 3/8 X 4 1/8
Top Layer: New Horizons DSP, 5 1/4 X 4, and 5 1/4 by 2; I wanted the lake in the middle so I cut 3/4″ off the top of the 6″ DSP, then cut the 6″ width into two pieces – 4″ wide with the remaining 2″ wide for inside
Use the Oceanfront stamp set for grass in Evening Evergreen and Boulders in Basic Gray. Note: Stamp the boulders first, mask them, and then stamp the grass
On the Horizon stamp set is used for the birds but stamp lightly or they become blobs -practice makes perfect!
Horizon Dies are used for the fence with a scrap of Basic White and the grass with a scrap of soft succulent.
Thank you for your order is the retired You Always Deliver stamp set.
Embellishments are the retired Pebbles Enamel Shapes.
I hope I have brought you a “pinch of creativity to spice up your crafting world!”
Have a wonderful day!
SAL, Sending A Lovely set of cards to inspire you
Karen (click on little Sal in the computer to go to my online store)
Simple Side Step Card
Hello Stamping Friends,
Let’s look at a Simple Side Step Card. I saw this design on Lori Pinto’s Lollipop Paper & Ink blog and used it for my Case The Creator #2 Challenge with my stamping group. It is so cool to see all the different cards from one set of instructions!
Case The Creator #2 printable pdf file
And here is the file if you don’t want to print it out:
I used the SAB Daffodil Afternoon designer series paper for my background and the Daffodil Dies for my card:
Joy Meadows used the Pierced Blooms Dies for her beautiful card:
Ann Hausmann used the Sale A Bration Friendly Hello set with the Friendly Hello Designer Series Paper:
Heather Guitreau used the Art In Bloom bundle with its Bloom Hybrid Embossing folder and dies:
They are all beautiful and so fun to see the variety! Thank you for participating!
I made a thank you card using this same style. I used the Happy Hedgehogs stamp set and the retired Love You Lots stamp set and the SAB Thoughtful Blooms set. I used the New Horizons DSP and then sponged the front to match the DSP after masking the stamped images. The hedgehog is the little one in the set and I used the reverse image technique to face him toward the right. Just use a silicone pad and your stamparatus, stamp the image several times in Memento on the silicon pad and then carefully lay your paper on top and burnish to get a nice reverse image.
Thank you for sharing some of your precious time with me!
SAL, Spring At Last
Pencil Box & Sympathy Cards/Eden Garden
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Hello Stamping Friends,
The gold leaves are foil and just beautiful! I would like a whole pack of just that sheet! The sympathy greeting on Susie’s card is from the ‘Peaceful Moments’ stamp set.
So if you haven’t been making cards with the new set, what have you been doing?
Well, I haven’t been slacking, Sal (Slave driver At Large). October is pastor appreciation month and we have three main pastoral staff at our church so I purchased a nice pen and refill for each of them and then created a Pencil Box. Check it out:
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Here is the recipe for future pencil boxes to decorate with whatever you have in your stash:
Pencil Box Recipe
I started by measuring the pen and refill I was putting in the pouch. This takes a 12 X 12 cardstock.
- Base: 10 3/4 X 9 1/4; Score at 4, 4 1/2, 8 1/2, 9, 10 1/4
Fold and burnish all your score lines.
Place Tear & Tape on the 1/2″ flap at the right, fold over and corner round the edges.
I used the Crop A Dial to add an eyelet to the flap on two of the pencil pouches, the pink one I just tied with ribbon.
Angle your little side tabs when you cut them for ease and then glue them to the inside.
- First Layer (2): 3 3/4 X 8
- Second Layer (2): 3 1/2 X 7 3/4
- Envelope Flap: Gold Foil, 8 X 1 1/8 corner rounded
- Envelope Flap: DSP, 7 3/4 X 7/8 corner rounded
From there, I found the greetings I wanted and then let the creative juices flow.
“You make the ordinary extraordinary” – Simply Succulents
“You’re absolutely amazing” – Color & Contour
“Thank you”- Hand Drawn Blooms
“You Are So Special” – Tasteful Touches
Unfortunately, I also needed several sympathy/friend cards. Mary Ann Cowan used Soft Sea Foam on one she had made and it looked soft and comforting. The Hippo Dies gave me the layers and the Forever Fern Stamp Set and Forever Flourishing dies were used for the greenery. The Positive Thoughts stamp set has the ‘Hugs, Prayers, Love” greeting and the set also has the little flourish you see here under the ‘With Sympathy’ greeting from Lasting Lily(retired). The friend card uses the same little flourish and greetings from Welcoming Window (My Sweet Friend) and Seascape (I’m here for you …always).
- Base: Soft Seafoam, 8 1/2 X 5 1/2, scored at 4 1/4 and 2 1/8
- Layer: Soft Seafoam, 2 X 5 1/4, embossed with Tasteful Textile embossing folder
- Inside: Basic White, 4 X 5 1/4, emboss 2″ on the right hand side with Ornate Floral embossing Folder
- Vellum: 5 1/4 X 4
- Ink: Old Olive, stamped full strength on one leaf and stamped off on the second
- Dies: Forever Flourishing, Hippo Dies
- Stamp Sets: Positive Thoughts, Lasting Lily, Welcoming Window, Seascape
The greeting on the next one is from the Kindness and Compassion stamp set. Very Versailles was used for the vine and the words. The card stock used is Pale Papaya and Soft Succulent. It is so much prettier in real life. The die used is Detailed Bands. The sympathy greeting and rose are from the Painted Glass retired set.
I need a scrapbook to look back on when I am designing cards and even if you are new to stamping, the layout can inspire you. I go to the blog Recipe Box when I need the measurements for a certain fold. Hopefully others find this useful as well. Please leave a comment if you have used the Recipe Box at any time. It is encouraging to know the time spent is valuable.
Did I sideline you with my ‘scrapbook’? I really want you to see Eden’s Garden so you don’t miss out on those beautiful papers!
Thank you, Brian, for a great view of the papers!!
SAL, Scrapbooking A Lot of ideas
Karen
Music From The Heart
Today I am sharing three cards with several of my favorites:
First Card with my favorite- Music From The Heart:
Dawn Olchefske achieved one million dollars in sales and designed this stamp set as one of her many rewards!
When you reach one million will you design a set with me?
Of course if Toons4Biz will allow it.
This is Whisper White with a white background and natural light just like I researched would be best for picture taking and now I have a bluish white instead of yellow.
Better go back to the Youtube videos on that one.
Sigh….
The hearts have Wink of Stella to add some sparkle. I felt like Cinderella with the birds making the bow.
Recipe:
Base: Basic Black 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 Scored at 4 1/4
Top: Make 2 – 5 7/16 X 4 3/16 I know, crazy, but I wanted just a little black. Go to the 5 1/2 mark and move back 1/16 to get 5 7/16. For 4 3/16, go to 4 1/4 and move back 1/16. That is easier than counting 16ths.
Piano: Whisper White 2 1/8 X 2 3/4
Two Keyboard Pieces to layer at the bottom: 3 X 2 1/4, stamp twice and fussy cut. Adhere to bottom and then fussy cut around the bottom inside and out.
6 ” of twine
To cut your white top piece:
- place a pencil mark from the top right corner over 3/4″ and from the corner down 2 1/4″
- place two pencil marks from the bottom left corner up 1/4″ and up 1/2″
- cut diagonally from the 1/4″ mark at the bottom to the 2 1/4″ mark at the top right
- cut diagonally from the 1/2″ mark at the bottom to the 3/4″ mark at the top right
- shave off 1/16″ on each side of the middle piece
Okay, let me grab the sketch book.
Once they are cut remember to cut off just 1/16″ from each side of the middle piece so you have the black showing.
Second Card with two Favorites: Beautiful You and Special Celebrations:
I have used a stamp from this set on so many different cards. Today I used it on a graduation card that I am casing from Sharon Armstrong.
The Congratulations is from the retiring Special Celebrations set:
Recipe:
Base: Gorgeous Grape 8 1/2 X 5 1/2 Scored at 4 1/4
Layer 1: Smoky Slate 3 3/8 X 4 5/8
Layer 2: Gorgeous Grape 3 1/4 X 4 1/2
Top Layer Outside and Inside: Whisper White 3 X 4 1/4 – make 2
Inside Layer: Smoky Slate 3 3/8 X 4 5/8
Cap: Gorgeous Grape 1/2″ square
Diploma: Copy Paper 1/2″ X 5/8″ rolled up and tied with a double wrap of 2″ of colored twine
Tassle: 8″ colored with the Highland Heather Stampin’ Blend
- wrap twine 4 times around 1″ of cardstock
- cut the bottom ends and remove from cardstock
- slip the top ends on the end of your Take Your Pick tool
- tie another short piece of twine twice around 1/4″ from the top
- Use a glue dot to adhere the top to the middle of the cap
- punch a 1/16″ circle from Gorgeous Grape and put on top of the tassle
I used the Highland Heather Stampin’ Blend to color the dress and create sleeves then used a black journaler pen to color the edges of the sleeves. Ivory Stampin’ Blend was used for the legs and arms and Smoky Slate for the shadow. Wink of Stella was used to color the slip.
‘Congratulations’ was stamped in Versa Mark and then sprinkled with Silver Embossing Powder and heat set. The inside greeting is a retired Stampin’ Up! stamp.
Third Card with Two Favorite Retiring Items – Flourishing Phrases and the Pretty Label punch:
The Flourishing Phrases greeting set and the Special Celebrations set are excellent additions to your collection and you will use them over and over. I used Flourishing Phrases for a sympathy card in a Mystery Card Challenge. That is a challenge where you are given a specific list of supplies and measurements and you create a card with just those supplies.
Recipe:
- 1/2 sheet cardstock
- Designer Series Paper 3 X 5.5
- Coordinating Card Stock 3.25 X 5.5
- Stamp Set with words
- Punched Shape
- Ribbon
- Matching Ink
- Adhesive
I know, Sal, it was a fun challenge but I found out none of us avid crafters can make a card without blinging it up. I even had to add a few jewels.
Here is a card I made for my upline’s Mystery Card challenge that meets most of the criteria. I did use two ink pads, though.
SAL, Sharing A Love of stamping
Karen