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I know I haven't posted in over a week...I had no choice but to take time-out to work on tax preparation!
I decided to make a different sympathy card for a swap I had joined, than the one I had originally posted about (a smaller version of the recent inspirational card I made using the Light Unto My Path stamp set).
Sympathy cards are the one type of card that is best to have on-hand, so when you need one, you don't have to worry about being creative on short notice....creativity doesn't come easy at such times, for me, so I decided I need to spend some time making more of them.
I wanted to keep the stamping simple, and I just got a new Stampin' Up! set called BEST KIND OF FRIEND. This 7 piece stamp set is just adorable! I used the larger grouping of flowers to make this sympathy card:
The color of this photo isn't coming up quite accurate-it's more teal than blue, but if you are familiar with Stampin' Up!'s IN COLORS Soft Sky and Blue Bayou, you will know the difference.
This card is not difficult to make, but it if you have to make a bunch at one time, it rates as moderate on the time scale. (the bow-making can slow you down if this is something you struggle with).
I chose the striped Soft Sky Designer Series Paper and the Blue Bayou Double-stitched Ribbon complements the striped pattern nicely.
First I used a bit of SNAIL adhesive to attach
a straight piece of ribbon vertically along the left side of the D.S. paper. I cut it longer than the paper and wrapped the ends behind the paper. Then I made a bow with another piece of ribbon and attached this to the center of the ribbon with a mini glue dot.
Next, I used the Crop-o-Dile to attach the white eyelets. This tool makes eyelet setting a breeze to do, plus it's QUIET! The Crop-o-Dile also works great on ribbon, as well as paper!
The reason I attached the ribbon first, was to have a better idea of the placement of the stamped flowers and image. I stamped the flowers once, then stamped again BEFORE re-inking to give the impression of more depth. Since this is basically a monochromatic card
(variations of one color for entire card), I used Blue Bayou ink and paper, and Soft Sky papers, which coordinate. The saying stands out more when stamped with black ink. Part of the saying is stamped on the front of the card, the rest of the saying is stamped on the inside! This is one way of using a saying stamp in a different way if you don't have an appropriate saying such as "With Sympathy".
The words come from a 4-line stamp in the God's Blessing set. I used the "omitting technique". To do this technique, select the words you want from a larger saying. Color only these words with the brush tip of a black Stampin' Write marker held sideways. Stamp. Using the Stampin' Mist cleaner & Stampin' Scrub pad, thoroughly clean the ink from the stamp, then color the next set of words with the marker. If you get interrupted during this process, you don't have to color words all over again-simply breathe on the stamp to moisten the ink, then you'll be able to get a nice inked image. For a full strength inked image, you will have to repeat the coloring process each time you want to stamp the image.
Here are the Stampin' Up! supplies I used to make this card:
Stamps: Best Kind of Friend, God's Blessings
Cardstock: Soft Sky and Blue Bayou IN COLORS, Soft Sky D.S. paper
Ink Pads: Blue Bayou
Accessories: Crop-O-Dile, White Eyelets, Blue Bayou Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker, Mini Glue Dots, SNAIL Adhesive
HOST A WORKSHOP-UNTIL April 30, earn an EXTRA $25 in product!
If you have never stamped before and would like to learn more about it, consider hosting a workshop-where you will earn hostess benefits which include free stamps and products and hostess-only sets, while I teach you and your friends the decorative art of rubber stamping! It's a fun night for you and your friends! To learn more about being a hostess, visit my Stampin' Up! website.
To learn various stamping techniques, I sometimes host Technique Classes at my in-home stamp studio in Sussex County, NJ. To learn more about classes and events I offer, sign-up and join my mailing list (see link on upper left sidebar under my photo), or visit my calendar on my Stampin' Up! website.
To view the products used in this card, check out the on-line Stampin' Up! Spring-Summer Collection 2008 or the Occasions Mini Collection catalogs.
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