Frosted Sympathy

Hi! 

I'm back from a very lovely and relaxing few days away with Stuart. We had a really nice time in Chester - went to the zoo, did some walking and wandering around pretty gardens. Everywhere seems to be overflowing with gorgeous rhododendrons at the moment (some of my fave flowers). Now I'm home and we're back to work Monday! 

A while ago I had to make a few sympathy cards. I really hate making them and didn't want to share them too soon, but I think enough time has passed now. Its also using some very pretty products that have hit the retirement list as of yesterday! Ruffled ribbon, Venetian Romance designer paper and the Petals a Plenty embossing folder are all on there! Get them before they're gone forever! 

To see the full list of retiring stamps and accessories, check out the link below...

GOING, GOING, GONE!!

Stamp Set: Thoughts & Prayers

Ink: Pistachio Pudding

Cardstock: Pistachio Pudding, Very Vanilla, Vellum

DSP: Venetian Romance

Punch: Bitty Butterfly

Big Shot: Petals a Plenty TIEF

Embellishments: Gold Baker's Twine, Pisachio Pudding Ruffled Ribbon, Pearls

There's the scattered frosted embossing technique I'm loving at the moment! I'm going to miss this embossing folder that just works so perfectly with this technique! 

I'm also really going to miss the pretty ruffled ribbon - I think a lot of us were pretty shocked to see it added to the retirement list! It and the baker's twine work great at hiding the adhesive along the top. I also added glue dots behind some of the flowers to keep the vellum from curling towards the bottom.

I kept the sentiment nice and simple and added a little bit more of a sentiment to the inside. I'm afraid I'm not very good at these difficult to say cards. I struggle to know what to say in a birthday card let alone a card of substance! 

Shortly after this first card Stuart asked if I could make one for soneone who'd lost a family member at work. I though I'd do pretty much the same design but just bigger for more space for everyone in his department to write a message.

I concertina'd a full sheet of card into three sections which definately gave more than enough space of everyone to write, apart from that, the card is pretty much identical, only taller! 

Hope you're having a great weekend! 

Catch you tomorrow! 

Happy Stampin',

Spring Get Well

Hello! 

Its a long and busy week this week, not much time for crafting and blogging I'm afraid. I'm super busy at school each day, plus helping Aunty Lil and my parents' church has a Bible exhibition on this week with live actors of which I happen to be one. I'm not much of an actor but anything to help them out and the local school kids attending seem to be really enjoying it too which is nice to see! 

Oh and to just add a little more interest to my week, I've got a bit of an eye infection. I went to see my friend Emma at the pharmacy and she was able to give me some eye drops so I'm hoping this will work. 

I have another get well card I made a little while ago for a friend having an op.

Stamp Set: Petite Petals, Thoughts and Prayers

Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Crisp Cantaloupe, So Saffron

Cardstock: Crisp Cantalouope, So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, Pistachio Pudding

Embellishments: Pearls

Punch: Bird Builder, Itty Bitty, Petite Petals

This is pretty similar to previous cards I've shown you. I used the scoring stylus and the foam sheet to give the flowers some body. 

I'm just loving the Pistachio Pudding and Pear Pizzazz together, I think they really play off each other so well.  The dashed line is just a nice simple detail around the outside edge of the card. 

The itty bitty flowers are stamped with the Petite Petals flower and just the middle punched out. I really like doing this as it just seems to blend and tie the card together that extra little bit. 

Lots of little leaves finish it off with some pearls for a finishing touch.

Inside is just another bit of a sentimen and a few more flowers. I used the stylus to add some shape bit left the pearls off so that it didn't bulk up the inside of the card. 

Happy Stampin',

Get Well...

Hello!

As promised, here's a little scheduled post while I'm in London! Today, if all is going according to plan I'm at the Knitting & Stitching Show! Its always fabulous and I'm looking forward to seeing pretty sew things, plus, choosing and buying some fabric bargains!!

My downline, Debbie had an op a couple weeks ago and I wanted to make her a pretty get well card - here's what I came up with...

Stamp Set: Thoughts & Prayers

Ink: Coastal Cabana

Cardstock: Coastal Cabana

DSP: Eastern Elegance

Punch: Petite Petals, Itty Bitty

Embellishments: Pearls

I was origionalls just going to punch a line of flowers with the petite petals punch along the side. Add some DSP inside and a sentiment. That's all I'd planned to do - I thought it'd make a very simple and pretty card. 

But then I saw the flowers I'd punched out and thought it'd be a real shame not to use them. I also thought maybe the card was a little bare. 

I used the embossing stylus on the foam sheet in a circular motion in the centre of the flowers. I also punched a few itty bitty flowers to fill in and added some pearls. 

Here you can see the pretty paper inside. I think it looks just lovely peeking through the punched flowers!

Happy Stampin',

Paper Players 131

Hello!

I've been meaning to start entering some challenge blogs a little more regularly for a while now. Its great to be stretched or challenged to make a card/project with a certain theme/colour combination etc. So the last few weeks I've half heartedly tried - by that I mean that I thought through, and made something to enter but didn't get it posted in time. This week I am more on the ball and I have made a card, and I am posting in time too - woo hoo! 

This is for The Paper Players challenge...

So, sympathy cards aren't the most fun cards to make, because they come with a sad occasion! It just happened however that I needed to make one for the death of a dear friend and its coincided perfectly with this challenge.

Stamp Set: Thoughts & Prayers

Ink: Old Olive, Lucky Limeade, Gumball Green, Soft Suede

Cardstock: Whisper White, Gumball Green, Lucky Limeade, Rose Red

Punch: Itty Bitty, Corner Rounder

Big Shot: Woodgrain TIEF

Accessories: Dazzling Details

Sympathy cards are difficult, not only because of the sad occasion but also because you want it to be nice but not too over the top and fancy! Hopefully this hit the spot. The tree was coloured with markers - the leaves randomly coloured with 3 different greens for some variety and difference. I really like how its turned out, the flowers just add the last little touch. 

Its for the children of the man who was our cook and shopper when we lived in Pakistan. He and his wife were both so lovely and hard working. It was so sad to hear of his passing. So this tree with the pink flowers, reminds me somewhat of the bougainvillea that grew everywhere out there! 

So I hope you enjoyed this card, 

Thanks for stopping by,

Amanda xo