Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Handmade Sympathy Cards

2020 has sure been a sad year for us, as I know it has been for everyone on our planet.  In addition to Covid and all the political and social issues, we've lost a lot of loved ones to cancer, heart disease, and dementia.  It seems I have had to make more sympathy cards than cards to celebrate life.

If I have the time, I always prefer to send a handmade sympathy card than a store bought one.  I feel taking the extra effort to put some time into making a card is the very least I can do.  The first card is made using two old retired Stampin' Up! sets "Brighter Tomorrow" and "Happy Harmony".  I know, it's kind of ironic that I made a sympathy card from a set called "Happy Harmony" but I loved the flower image.


To make the card, using a Stampamajig I randomly stamped the flower image from the "Happy Harmony" set all over a sky blue card base.  I then cut a scalloped border out of white card stock along with a strip of "Close to Cocoa" card stock and sewed them directly onto the sky blue card base using a sewing machine. Sewing on a card seems odd to some, but I feel it adds just a little bit of interest to a card and it's so easy to do.


I then stamped the sentiment onto white card stock with an image from retired Stampin' Up! "Brighter Tomorrow" and cut it into a scalloped oval shape using a die from Spellbinder's Nestabilities.  I sponged light blue ink on the edges, then I popped it up on dimensionals.  The butterflies were cut using an old Cuttlebug die.  I glued just the bodies of the butterflies to the card to add more dimension.  Small, metallic pearls were added to some of the dots in the flower images.


My next card only uses images from the retired Stampin' Up! set "Thoughts and Prayers".  Since it's fall, I decided to create a fall sympathy card and stamped the image in fall colors.  I picked a dark purple and brown to frame the main image then I decorated the card with a bow.



I used Stampin' Up! Watercolor Markers to color different fall colors directly onto the stamp.  Then I huffed on it to remoisten the ink, and stamped.




Have A Great Day!

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19 comments:

  1. Lovely cards! You are very talented 😉

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  2. It's hard to find a good sympathy cars that conveys the message of my heart. How wonderful that you can make your owm.

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  3. You make the most beautiful cards! I think sympathy cards are extra special when they are handmade!

    Jill - Doused in Pink

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    1. Thanks Jill, I agree. I think anything handmade Is extra special.

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  4. Those are wonderful Amy!! I used to make my own cards but gave that up when we moved. I always love buying them from our club here in our retirement community.
    XOOX
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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    1. Thank you! Oh, I'm sure you can buy lots of gorgeous handmade cards in your community. That's a great idea.

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  5. These are lovely. I prefer to make my own sympathy cards too. Pinned.

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  6. Very nice. Thanks so much for linking up with me at my #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 18, open until November 26. Shared.

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  7. Both are very beautiful and I am sure they will be/were much appreciated. I love the stitched accent.

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    1. Thank you Ellie. Yes, adding the stitching seems to always add that extra special touch.

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  8. Sympathy cards are challenging to make but yours are beautiful and soothing Amy.
    Congrats for being one of our Featured Guests at Inspire Me Monday 461 at Create With Joy! :-)

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