Hello, Crafters.
If all goes according to plan, today I will meet the new lady in my team who I should have met up with last week! We will finally meet each other! This afternoon I have a hospital appointment – just a check-up – and this evening I’ll be going to my church house group. It’s very rare I ever arrange two appointments in one day and I don’t think I have ever had three appointments in one day! Tomorrow I’ll let you know how it went, and if I’d avoid it like the plaque in future!
Yesterday I spent time preparing a card for today’s blog and also for tomorrow’s blog. With three appointments, my crafting time today will be very restricted, and I don’t want my blog to be adversely affected. The stamp set I chose to use for today’s car is called Positive Thoughts which has a matching set of dies called Nature’s Thoughts. I love the oblong die that “punches” holes all around the edge in a way line – it’s quite different from all our other dies!
I chose the sentiment HUGS PRAYERS LOVE because I think it can be used to uplift recipients who are going through a difficult period in their lives apart from bereavement, e.g. divorce, redundancy, accident, etc. Times like these I think the card needs to be attractive in an upbeat way rather than sombre. This is a very difficult generalisation to make because we’re all different and we all cope with life’s problems in our own way.
As I was creating this card, I kept in mind the kind of occasion it would be used for, hoping this would keep me on track with the design. I think this idea worked well and I’m very pleased with how my card turned out. It would be very suitable to send to a good crafting friend of mine who has just had an operation for carpal tunnel and can’t craft for five weeks – oh the misery! – and equally suitable for another crafting friend who’s going through chemo. Do you agree?
I knew I wanted to tie lace around my card which meant I needed to use Very Vanilla Cardstock (CS) which is something I don’t do often! As you know, I don’t like multi-coloured cards, and my first choice was Crumb Cake. To help me decide what images and other colours I needed I prepared my stamps first – this is my first play with this stamp set – and I stamped the butterfly in Cajun Craze and Soft Suede; the leaves in Call Me Cover, Garden Green and Mossy Meadow.
I decided on a Crumb Cake CS card base with a Very Vanilla CS layer and a top layer in Crumb Cake CS. Before I started working on the images, I dry embossed the top layer using the Scripty 3D Embossing Folder. When I laid the die-cut oblong on the top, it left a fabulous amount of embossed cardstock showing all around the edge.
Using Mossy Meadow Ink, I stamped the leaves more or less in the centre of the Very Vanilla CS panel and then I stamped the sentiment in the top left-hand corner using Crumb Cake Ink. I adhered the oblong on to the embossed Crumb Cake CS layer, and then onto the Very Vanilla CS layer. Before I did anything else, I tied my last piece of retired Very Vanilla Lace Ribbon around the top two layers plus the oblong.
I positioned my ribbon where I thought it looked best and adhered the flower – chrysanthemum – by the side of the bow, and over the ribbon. I slid extra Mini Dimensionals where I thought it was necessary. To finish the front of my card I thought I’d add some very small pearls either one each end of each of the three words, or as a cluster as a centre for the flower – the latter won!
I added a layer of Very Vanilla CS and then a layer of Crumb Cake CS inside the card. When I was stamping and die-cutting images for my card, I prepared three flowers because I thought I’d use two on the front and one inside. I misjudged it for the front, but I did adhere one inside my card which means one flower joins my collection of stamped, coloured and die-cut images not used box! I had also stamped and die-cut some butterflies that I didn’t use! They’re also in the box.
As I said earlier, I’m very pleased with how my card turned out as a card of support but not a sympathy card! I think that’s about it from me today. There’s no time for me to lose today so I must get on! 😃 I look forward to being back with you tomorrow and in the meantime, happy crafting.
JanB. xx
Cardstock Layer Sizes: (A4) Card base 8¼” x 5¾” scored and folded at 4 1/8” First layer: 2 pieces 3 7/8” x 5½” Top layer: 2 pieces 3¾” x 5 3/8”
Cardstock Layer Sizes: (Letter-size) Card base 8½” x 5½” scored and folded at 4¼” First layer: 2 pieces 4” x 5¼” Top layer: 2 pieces 3 7/8” x 5 1/8”
Products used for this project: please click on any of the links to be taken to my 24/7 online Stampin’ Up! shop. The Hostess Code for February 2020 is TWEMK47B. Thank you. xx
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Such a beautiful card, Jan and one definitely suited to a healing wish. I do wish your friend who is undergoing Chemo, positive wishes, thoughts and hugs from far, far away. She will certainly need all of her friends during her treatment periods. Sending hugs: XX Mal
Many thanks, Mal. xx