Sympathy for the Loss of a Son!

A kind and thoughtful lady that I met, probably, ten years ago, who is my Mom's Stampin' Up demonstrator, lost her 16-year old son due to a car accident a few months ago.  I was unable to make a sympathy card for her son due to recovering from hand surgeries.  So, I had to be satisfied with sending thoughts and prayers to her and her family, as well as joining a Facebook condolence post on her behalf, but I made a note that I really wanted to make her a card in the future as soon as I was able.

Meanwhile, I had a card idea started "brewing" in my head based an Easter card made by my Stampin' Up demonstrator, Dar Peterson, several years ago.  I loved her idea of the pretty oval floral-printed vellum oval, which reminded me of a church stained glass window, that she used as the backdrop for the cross on her card.  I thought it would make a lovely feature for a sympathy card.  At the same time, I was reading up a little on the Splitcoaststamper challenges available at the time, especially the Inspiration Challenge, which I always like to enter.  I found a metal scroll, rustic cross and a light blue cross ornament, which reminded me of a scrolled lattice background stamp that in blue might make a lovely oval vellum "window" for my masculine sympathy card.  I searched through my background stamps and found the lattice-style stamp that I was thinking of and place it on my craft table as a reminder for the future when my hands were better.

My hand recovery came about just before my four-week visit to my Mom in California in October and November.  Before I left, I tried out my vellum oval "window" idea and made several ovals to take with me.  Space was limited as I was flying.  While there, Mom and I got busy making cards to try and catch-up on missed occasions and also to build our Christmas card stashes.  I specifically worked on my three needed sympathy cards...the first being the one for this lovely Stampin' Up friend's sorrowful loss.   

Using Dar's original design as an idea base, I made several modifications to her card to make it fit for a sympathy card, plus make it a "more me" card.  I enlarged my card by adding more color layers with a different embossing folder pattern, plus a different color treatment, ribbon style, and sentiment layering dies.  I also added Copic color to my dove, stamped my lattice-patterned oval vellum "window" using a background stamp in Baja Breeze ink, added a scallop mat layer, and composed my own sentiment and interior verse.  Take a peek below at the finished card inside and out!

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstocks--Whisper White, Dapper Denim, Vellum-Translucent.  Stamps--Serene Garden (dove).  Dies--Crosses of Hope (cross), Layering Ovals.  Ink--Baja Breeze (oval window), Sahara Sand (dove)  Embossing Folder--Stripes.  Other:  Stamps--Just Rite Modern Lattice Background stamp (oval window).  Dies--Spellbinders Grommet Tags w/modified ends using Spellbinders Classic Triple Scallop Edges. Ribbon--Offray 5/8" Stitched.  Punch: EK Victorian Corners.  Copic coloring--dove.  Wink of Stella-Clear (dove wings).  Chatterbox sentiment/ verse.  Size:  4-3/4 x 6 inches.  (Thank you Dar Peterson for the wonderful card design from which my card evolved).

A Birthday Card for Josh, the Family Hiker!

October is full of birthdays in our family.  This week's family birthday celebration is for my son-in-law, Josh, who is my youngest daughter's husband!  He is away on a camping trip, so I had time to be late with his card!  (Love it when it's okay to be late!)  

Per my usual cardmaking style, I began searching for a theme ideas that might fit him.  I checked out Splitcoaststamper challenges to give me ideas, which brought to mind a card made by my friend, Luci Kirschbaum, featuring an outdoor afternoon sunset scene that you might see on an outdoor hike.  Since Josh loves to hike and my daughter and their 7-month old granddaughter often accompany him, I decided an outdoor scenery card would be the perfect theme for Josh.  

I decided to use Luci's card as inspiration for my card, along with some other ideas from the challenges I reviewed.  Of course, I had to add my own modifications and ideas to make the card more "me."   Take a look below at my finished card and inside coordinated design.  Josh really seemed to be thrilled with his card and had a big appreciative hug for me!

Ingredients:

Stampin' Up Products:  Cardstocks--Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron, Soft Suede, Naturals-Ivory (retired).  Inks--Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Real Red (sky sponging/ stamping).  Stamps--Friend Like You (sentiment/ dragonflies).  Dies--Friendly Silhouettes (pussywillows/ dragonflies).  Punch: Tailored Tag.  Marker: Early Espresso (pussywillows).  Mini Pearls (Copic colored).  Other:  EK Victorian corner punch (inside).  Size: 4-3/4" x 6". 

A Birthday Card All About the Past!

I was looking for some mojo for a theme idea to make my son, Mark, a birthday card.  I checked out my Splitcoaststamper Challenge List, which got my juices flowing.  I found a fun card theme from the Free 4 All Challenge... all about the little things that make life fun.  I started reminiscing  about all the fun times and events in Mark's life while he was growing up, which led to this memory.  One year I made him a treasure chest birthday cake, and we had a Pirates Treasure Hunt around the neighborhood to look for pirate booty.  That was the same year that he and his sister became the cutest pirates ever on Halloween. 

I had some old October Afternoon patterned papers featuring a pirate theme and I thought the paper and the challenge would go well together. . .a pirate theme it would be!   I got further inspiration for the layout from a Sketch Challenge and a Featured Stamper card, and several other challenges lent me ideas as well.  Take a peek at my finished pirate/ treasure card below with its inside card design and the birthday treasure verse that I composed to keep up with the theme!

Ingredients List:

Stampin' Up products:  Cardstock: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Kraft.   Mini Gold Tinsel Trim (2018 Holiday).  Silver stars (Copic colored red).  Ink: Baked Brown Sugar (edge distressing).  Other:  Patterned papers:  October Afternoon Treasure Map Collection/ X Marks the Spot.  Echo Park: Kate Lowercase Alphabet dies.  Chatterbox sentiment/ verse.  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".

A Thank You Needed for a Wonderful Gesture!

In late August, my daughter and I wanted to go on a mini-vacation for my birthday.  A long-time friend offered her Long Beach, oceanside condo for our use, insisting we take it for the cost of the cleaning fees only.  I really tried to get her to let us contribute some or part of the rental fees she would ordinarily receive, but she firmly refused.  Right then and there, I decided I would make her a thank you card and enclosed a dining gift card to one of her favorite restaurants in the Long Beach area.

Though I purchased the gift certificate while in Long Beach, I was not able to get to that thank you card immediately, because I was still recuperating from my right hand surgery.  I attended a Stampin' Up card class in late September when I was able to start a little cardmaking, and with the help of a friend, I was able to get whatever embossing and die-cutting I needed done.  I planned to finish at home if my hand got too tired.  I was delighted that one of the card designs was a thank you card, which I very much needed to fulfill my plan to thank my good friend.

The thank you card sample had a basic good design and a pretty color palette, but my creative mojo came up with changes I wanted to make, which I completed at home later.  I also wanted to check out some Splitcoaststamper challenges, to see what I needed to meet some requirements, and I was delighted to see if I completed the card using the same basic design and colors, that it would work well with several.  Now, it was time I got to work.

To start, I enlarged the card to my favorite size 4-3/4 in. x 6 in. by adding a new white cardbase and Early Espresso mat layer beneath the top embossed layer.  Then, I applied my thoughts to make the card reflect my creative mojo.  I shifted the sentiment rectangle layers more to the center both to the top and left, as the original was placed very far to the right and to the bottom.  I added three more mini leaves in Pretty Peacock, Old Olive, and Early Espresso to fill in my desired leaf layers.  I added sparkle with Wink of Stella to the added espresso little leaf and the thanks die-cut.  I also added the sequins to add a bit more pizzazz.  I am pretty happy with my modifications and thank Dar Peterson for letting me elaborate upon her original design.

I hope my friend will love her card and thank you gift card.  I know she will enjoy the dinner for two and dessert upon her next visit to the coast. 

I designed an inside layout and composed a little verse to send along in my friend's thank you card.  Take a peek below.

Ingredients List:

Stampin' Up products... Cardstock:  Whisper White, Early Espresso, Pool Party, Pretty Peacock, Old Olive.  Patterned paper:  Come to Gather dsp (Holiday 2019).  Stamps: Colorful Seasons (leaf vein stamp).  Dies:  Seasonal Layers (leaves); Well Written (thanks).  Embossing Folder: Subtle 3D (background).  5/8" white flax ribbon (sponged w/ Pool Party ink).  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".