Another Sympathy Card

Unfortunately, I needed a sympathy card on short notice.  I combined sentiment and bird stamps with some Distress Oxide ink blending to create this simple card and heartfelt sentiment on the inside.

There just isn't words to say, but I send the card anyway as a way to comfort and support.

Feeling Profound Loss and Friends Expressing Deep Sympathy

It seems a little weird to write this post.  I am nearly a half a century old (I'll be 49 in November).  I have had great grace to be able to have my grandparents in my life.  At 89 and 91 they moved to Arizona early last year and I took advantage of that change to spend time almost every week since then. 

My grandma Mabel passed away on August 7th.  She was 91 and was suffering from cancer.  Her health was tolerable except for the last 5 weeks which were a steady decline and increase in pain and challenges to breath.  We are very blessed that her time of suffering was relatively short, but it also means that she's now gone home to be eternally with her Savior, Jesus. 

I wanted to share this card that Brandy made for my family.  It expresses how very much love and support was poured out on our family from our friends.  My front room is filled with new plants (showing hope!), baskets which were delivered with food and snacks (which were much needed with the commitments to family and other schedule requirements through the week of planing and executing the funeral), and lovely cards to express sympathy and support (that I still thumb through for encouragement). 

Brandy knew that grandma's favorite color was navy.  This card is a perfect reflection of her love and care.  She knew that we would need support and brought the card with a lovely mason jar filled with flowers to brighten our somber home.  Brandy also came to sit beside me at the funeral, an act of love I will never, ever forget.  We don't ever want to experience loss of this kind, but the good part is how it shows you the blessings which are one heartbeat away. 

Thank you, Brandy, for your care and love.  There are no words that can adequately express my gratitude.

Andie for 

A Sympathy Card

I made this sympathy card a while ago now.  I'm realizing that these photos are sub-par, but I don't have others at this point since it took so long to edit and post.  I stamped the image in a light colored ink and then colored with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers.  After the coloring was completed, I stamped the image again (I left it in my MISTI stamping tool) with black Archival ink.  The sentiment was stamped over the image to create a one layer card.  There is a little glitter pen on the iris'.

I made this card before I had a need because it can be tough to make these kinds of cards when the need arises.  I'm hoping it stays in the stash for a while.

With Sympathy

I, unfortunately, needed a quick sympathy card.  I decided to use this beautiful poppies stamped image from the stash.  I'd stamped the image from a set that Brandy owns one day when I was over with her and colored using my Clean Brush markers.  The image sat in the stash until I needed this card.  I matched with some patterned paper, ribbon and simple stamped sentiment to create the card front.

On the inside - a message, heartfelt and grieving with the family.  I'm hoping they felt the love in the handmade card.  In fact, I'm sure they did.

A Sympathy Card with Spring Flowers

I'm checking in to share this sympathy card.  I've had more cause this year to make sympathy cards and they never get easier.  I decided to go with a very pale watercolor theme for this card.  I stamped the Simon Says Stamp's Spring Flowers and leaves onto Bristol cardstock and then used my Clean Color markers and a waterbrush to finish the accent.  I fussy cut out the flowers and the leaf stems.  I used my Mission Gold watercolors to make a soft wash for the background and splattered some of the rose gold Starry Colors watercolor over the background.  A simple sentiment in London Fog grey ink.

Since Sorry is a word that starts with an "S", I've decided to link this card up with the City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 372 - Something Beginning With S.  That's why I sent the card - because of something beginning with S.

I've also linked to the following challenges:

Word Art Wednesday's Challenge 292/293: Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge: Simon Says Anything Goes

More Sympathy Cards

Sympathy cards are difficult to make - especially since they come upon you all unaware and unprepared.  I'd like to tell you that I made these cards in an effort to be a little more proactive, but those in my social, familial and professional circles have all experienced loss recently.  It has felt a little like being in a boxing ring.  I have become clearly aware that they only productive and useful thing that I can do in the face of death is to pray to the One who is able.  Able to comfort, strengthen and heal.

These two cards were made with a combination of stamps and dies.  Using my retired Heartfelt Creations Delicate Aster stamps in black Archival Ink on Bristol I was able to color the images with my Zig Clean Color markers and add just a hint of glitter pen.  The sentiment was stamped using the same black Archival Ink and my Hero Arts Prayers stamp and die set.  I think the result is stunning and hopefully comforting, letting them know how cared for they are with something made using lots of care.





For both cards, a simple sentiment on the inside where I write my note.  There have been too many of these lately...

Art in all it's forms is a reflection of God's love - He created and painted this world with beauty to remind us of who He is.  I sent these cards with the same intention - created and painted with beauty so that those of us left behind could remember there is good when we are hurting from the loss.

My instinct is to apologize for getting somber, but I'm not going to do that trusting this blog community with tender feelings and knowing that one of the best parts of the community is the fact that we encourage one another.  Thanks to all for your encouragement through comments on my creativity.  It has meaning and I am grateful.

Sympathy Cards II

I'm back today sharing some more of the sympathy cards that I made.  These used an iris stamp that is just lovely in it's design - perfect for sending love and care over the miles.  The background of this card is more of the aged gold embossing powder that I used on the flowers from the cards I shared earlier this week.  

I switched up the design creating a frame for the flowers and leaving the background brighter.  It's hard to think brighter when loss is so near, but I truly wanted to give the recipient something to hold in their hands which expresses my love.  I'm praying this worked...

Sympathy Cards

We've had our share of losses this past month.  This makes for an unusual time of support and encouragement to others.  It is one of the reasons why my blog posts have slowed so considerably.  With more than one reason to make them, I'll be sharing a few sympathy card designs with you.  This set was made using my Concord & 9th You are Enough stamp set on Bristol paper so that I could color with the Zig Clean Color watercolor markers.

The Zig markers make coloring easy and the final product very pleasing - a small mercy that I can send to let loved ones know I care during their time of grief.

I kept the background of these cards simple - letting the flower be the focal point and a simple, heartfelt sentiment on the front.  The flower is heat embossed with some aged gold powder - softening the edges and yet adding some definition to the card.

I'm sorry to say these are all used up and I had to make more.  Yet, in our fast paced world where things move pretty fast it is one way to demonstrate care across the miles to spend time making something to express your love.  That's what I can do now...

I'm entering these cards in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge : Handmade Flowers
Word Art Wednesday's Challenge Weeks 274/275: Anything Goes

An Altenew Sympathy Card

Unfortunately,  I had need of a sympathy card.  These are never easy to make, but in this case I focused on making something that expressed my emotion and meant to be a comfort.

I used my Altenew Peony Bouquet stamp set to stamp the flower in Antique Linen Distress ink onto watercolor paper. My first thought was to attempt a no-line watercoloring technique.   After a few layers of color, I realized that I liked how the Distress Ink framed the flower, so I didn't try to blend it in.

I will tell you that I couldn't get a photo if this card that captures what it looks like in person.  This exposes my limited photography skills!  However, it was difficult to capture the soft colors without washing out the colors.  I finally decided to just go with this photo because you could see the details.  The card is much more subtle in coloring when viewed in person.

My friend needed to see beauty despite her pain and I needed to let her know I loved her and was praying for her. The card served it's purpose and for that, I am grateful.

I'm linking up to the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes

and

Word Art Wednesday's Challenge Week 240/241 Anything Goes

With Sympathy

As you might expect, Brandy didn't hesitate to express her sympathy to my husband and our family.  This is the card that she created to express her sympathy.  The picture cannot do it justice.  There is rich hues of yellow and brown distress inks.  The images were stamped in watercolor inks onto watercolor paper onto a paper previously distressed with the yellow and brown background.  A little blending and water drops to finish the look.  The brown cardstock creates a perfect backdrop for the stamped image.  A little cream color twine to soften the edge and create interest for the eye.

I can't even describe the emotion this card still raises in my heart.  I'm sure one or two of my tears are represented by those droplets on the card front.

Heartfelt Creations- Sympathy Card

Working my way through to caught up.  This is the second of three cards from the Heartfelt Creations card class that Brandy and I missed at the CK convention earlier this year. I will admit that of the three cards in the class kit, this was the one I was least impressed with the finished design.  There's a couple of things that my matchy, matchy mind struggle with- the fat and flat look of the swirly oval window in comparison to the very intricate stamped background, the white oval inset to the window is too small and you can see the mismatch peaking through, and finally the too-simple color palette that just doesn't create much interest. 

Surprising for me- I usually am just stunned by the design efforts of Heartfelt Creations.  Still, trying to make some lemonade with my lemons I thought that this would make a very smart, non-flashy sympathy card.  I, thankfully, am not currently in need of a sympathy card.  However, I think I salvaged something gift worthy from this card. 

Since we weren't in class, we missed out stamping a very intricate swirl onto the white oval.  I found this substitute in my Fiskars set and stamped using a purple teardrop Brilliance ink.  I added glitter to the pre-cut swirly window, the stamped swirl and the butterflies (which were pre-stamped/cut and provided in the kit).  The vellum butterflies are simply fabulous.  I stamped the sentiment in silver Brilliance ink.  Its a little too light, but again, I think it works with the mono-chromatic design.  The picture doesn't really capture the finished look. 

Ack- they can't all be stunning, right?!  This will go in the card stash and I hope to have it for some time without needing to offer my sympathies. 

Sending Sympathy and Prayers

The company I used to work for (and recently returned to do some contract work for) experienced a layoff in January and the sweet receptionist, Melissa, was unfortunately one of those let go.  Melissa is a single mom, so the loss of income was very concerning.  In and amongst all this change, her mom turned sick (she'd been ill off and on for the past year) and passed away three weeks after the layoff.  Melissa had found another position by that point, but the loss of her mom has been deeply felt and certainly has affected Melissa's ability to work.  Fortunately, the new company has a very big and understanding management, so they've allow Melissa some time to deal with things.  My heart feels wretched for her losses- they seem too many even from the distance of a co-worker.  I wanted to send my heartfelt sympathy for her loss so I made this card.

 

I had this little embossed scrap of white paper hanging around and it seemed the perfect frame for my glitter butterfly.  The embossing folder is Brandy's and I had ran the piece of white cardstock through her Grand Calibur at a crafting evening months ago.  Instructions for making the butterfly can be found in this post.   I used Scattered Straw, Worn Lipstick and Peeled Paint Distress Ink with my blending tool to created the multi-colored background.  Everything is edged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  The fiber and pearls were from the scrap heap, I mean, Scrapbox.  

I'm sending my prayers to Melissa, her daughter Jullian and the entire family.  Loss is hard.  This is what I can do.

Andie

Glassine Paper Flowers

When recently shopping with Brandy, we happened across a pad of Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine Paper.  Don't ask me why I felt like I needed a pad of this paper.  Don't ask me what I thought I was going to do with it.  I can't explain these things any more.  I find that sometimes it is just about how cheap it is (you better bet that I used a 40% off coupon and the cost was just north of $5).  Sometimes it is because I like it (the texture that is inherent to this paper is fabulous).  Sometimes it is just that you don't want to walk out of the store empty handed (this is particularly true when shopping with friends). 

Either way, I did have occasion to use the paper in a couple of recent cards.  We had the misfortune of losing a close friend earlier this year and a good friend lost her mother in December.  The memorials happened to occur within days of each other and these adorable flowers came in handy for a monochromatic looking sympathy card.

These flowers were cut using Cricut's Mother's Day Bouquet cart.  I worked the ends of the flowers around a thin paint brush handle to curl the edges back and create more of a 3D effect.  The pearl brads were punched through the center of the flower to finish the look.  Although I considered inking the flower, I ultimately decided that the cracking and "wear" of the flowers from the curling provided enough texture and I didn't want the color difference.

The background is the Walnut Stain Distress Re-inker made into a mist (similar to the layered misting technique in my Creative Chemistry 101 class).  The mask is a Tattered Angels snowflake mask I've had for a while.  The cream card was lightly misted creating much variation in color (and adding to the monochromatic color scheme).  The flowers are adhered with a glue dot and the waxed twine tied around the inside of the card.  The tiny flower on the tag was cut with my Quickutz die, shaped and layered with a tiny pearl brad.  The tag is a 1 1/2 inch cut of <tag1> from Cricut's Plantin Schoolbook that was cut from a preprinted sheet of tan cardstock I ran through my printer to print the "In Sympathy" sentiment.  A tiny Tim Holtz bronze paper clip holds the sentiment in place by anchoring the tag to the twine.

This card expressed heartfelt sympathy to our good friend who lost her husband (whom my husband was close with) to ALS earlier this year.  ALS is a devastating disease and as we watched our friend approach the loss of his ability to talk and walk around, he never lost his deep and abiding faith in the God who made all things, including this horrible disease.  His peace at knowing he was still in the hands of a loving God who has wisdom beyond our understand will stand as a testament to me and many others.  Although I still feel sorry for his wife and family (and truly myself), I am comforted by the thought that all his questions can be asked and answered as he spends eternity with his Lord and Savior. 

This next card used many of the same techniques, but the flower was made slightly differently.  The inner 3d portion of the flower was cur from Cricut's Flower Shoppe cart.  The cut was then twisted and adhered to the layered petals cut from Cricut's Mother's Day Bouquet cart.  The petals of the larger flowers were folded in half and then curled around a thin paint brush handle.  The flower was then mounted to the card base with a glue dot. 

This card was given to a friend who lost her mother suddenly and tragically in December.  Although my friend has faced this loss with deep sadness, she has been able to begin the process of working through the layers of grief.  My sympathy is genuine and deep for this friend.  When they held the memorial service in March, my thought was to try to encompass this sympathy and express it to her.  I love how this card turned out.  Even though I love it, I can hardly see how a simple piece of paper can express how my heartfelt sorrow is mixed with encouragement and admiration.  My prayer has been and continues to be that my friend may know how tender and supportive I might feel and that she knows her comfort is on my mind even now.

I really would like to close this post with some deep and comforting wisdom on loss.  As I am middle aged (how in the world did that happen?), I know that the number of losses ahead of me will far outstrip the number behind me.  This is true for both me and for most of the people in my life.  I consider that I am unable to think of anything profound because I am so humbled by loss and sorrow.  So, I will continue to cling to what I know to be true. 

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

Andie