Using a Card Design to Express Multiple Sentiments

In a recent post, I mentioned my use of the same design for multiple purposes.  Here again is another example.  Over a weekend I found myself needing to generate a sympathy card and a birthday card.  How to get that complete in a few short hours while still enjoying the process and being satisfied with the outcome?  The wildly diverse needs made it a unique challenge.  Nobody wants to get a somber birthday card and bright colors are not appropriate for times of expressing sympathy and sorrow.  Pictured here is the birthday card I designed using some scraps from an old 6 x 6 K & Company paper pad.

The paper strips are inked with a cranberry ink pigment ink pad.  The ribbon is a teal suede 1/2 in. ribbon.  The centerpiece is a Close to My Heart stamp set which includes the emblem, the outline of the emblem, and the sentiment.  The emblem was stamped using a yellow pigment ink and the sentiment and the emblem outline were stamped with the cranberry pigment ink.  The yellow embellishment is actually much nicer in person.  I used the Cricut French Manor cart to cut the embellishment out of cream cardstock.  Then, I sprayed the embellishment with gold Glimmer Mist to give it a sparkly finish.  I used a cream cardstock card and inked the outside edges with the yellow pigment ink.  Inside I printed an elegantly scripted "Happy Birthday".  The finished project looks very elegant and has much more depth in person.  So, how to change this into a sympathy card? 

I decided to keep the layout and embellisments the same.  The "In Sympathy" was printed on cream cardstock using MS Word.  All other finishing touches for the card  were exactly the same. 

I used a verse from Isaiah 26 to express my heartfelt sympathy.  Clinging to the Rock of our salvation is the hope by which we feel sorrow mingled with joy in times of loss.

You keep him in perfect peace
   whose mind is stayed on you,
   because he trusts in you.
Trust in the LORD forever,
   for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.