Anything Goes-Use stash items: Sympathy Cards!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

 the Father of SYMPATHY (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source]

 of every comfort (consolation and encouragement)…

II Corinthians 1 : 3  (AMP)

Hello and Welcome to the Terrific Tuesday Challenge in conjunction with My Paper Crafting !  There are lots of wonderfully creative ideas on that blog, great Cutting and Digital files and links to the other Design Team members’ blogs.  I’m really enjoying my time there on the Design Team and am happy to have you visit my blog!

Our Challenge this week – “Anything Goes! – Use items from our stash of crafting goodies.’  Easy for me, as I have Lots of crafting goodies and I use every scrap possible.  There were many things that came to mind as I was preparing to work on this week’s project, but I decided to do an understated project – for a change – as I have had some very full days here recently.

It’s an unfortunate possibility, but there are times when one needs to offer comfort to those we love because of the death of someone we have loved.  I have learned through my many years - and many and varied life situations - that at these times, sometimes ‘ less is best.’  Because mere words can fail us – and may seem ‘empty’ to those who are in tremendous heartache – a simple, sincere hug and a listening ear might be the best thing to offer.  A simple, elegantly understated note of condolence from afar would be essentially the same thing.  It’s always good to have some of these on hand for just such an occasion.

Using the ‘Box Top Flourished Frame’ cutting file from MyPaper Crafting, I made several cards to have on hand for just this occasion.  I sized them to fit 4 to an 8.5 x 11” cardstock and applied them to a 4.25 x 5.5” card.

 I offer two versions of them for today’s post –

 The center oval is cut out during the process.  I then stamped the ‘Sympathy’ sentiment onto it, inked the edges and adhered it with PopDots to raise it up.  I added pearls and gems to the designs on each card…

Simple.  Elegant.  Sincere.

(It did occur to me as I was typing this post that – as it is Election Day today - it might be appropriate to send a Sympathy Card to the candidate who loses the Election…  Just a thought… ) 

*Impish grin*

Now YOU make a project with this Theme, link it at My Paper Crafting and share it with all of us!  You can get this week’s FREE file to use in your project –

Come again for our Digi Dessert Fridaze – on Fridays!

Be sure to watch for announcements and details regarding our ’25 Days of Christmas’ coming in December!  It will be a tremendously creative time with our many Regular Design Team members and several new Guest Designers contributing to the myriad holiday treats that we have planned for you!

NOTE:  I thought I would include some of my favorite poems that would be appropriate for inside of these cards if you so desire to use them.

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal –

Love leaves a memory no one can steal.

And if I go

While you’re still here…

Know that I live on,

Vibrating to a different measure

Behind a veil you cannot see through.

You will not see me

So you must have faith

I wait for the time when we can soar together again

both aware of each other.

Until then, live your life to its fullest and when you need me

Just whisper my name in your heart

I will be there.

he is

   

"Death ends a life, not a relationship."

                  Mitch Albom

"All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time."

Mitch Albom   (Five People You Meet in Heaven)

A human life is a story told by God. 

Hans Christian Andersen

To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
                  Thomas Campbell, "Hallowed Ground"

Life is eternal, and love is immortal,
and death is only a horizon;
and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.

Rossiter Worthington Raymond

For some moments in life there are no words. 

David Seltzer, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Unable are the loved to die. 

For love is immortality. 

Death  -- 

Emily Dickinson

Because I could not stop for Death --
He kindly stopped for me --
The Carriage held but just Ourselves --
And Immortality.

We slowly drove -- He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility?

We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess -- in the Ring --
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain --
We passed the Setting Sun --

Or rather -- He passed Us --
The Dews drew quivering and chill --
For only Gossamer, my Gown --
My Tippet -- only Tulle --

We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground --
The Roof was scarcely visible --
The Cornice -- in the Ground --

Since then -- 'tis Centuries -- and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity --

Variations on a Theme...

 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing of birds is come,

and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

Song of Solomon  2:12

Recently I happened to pick up the stamp featured here On Sale.  Flowers – specifically Sterling Roses – are ‘special’ to me.  With the last name of ‘Blossom,’ it seems appropriate, wouldn’t you say?!  This stamp caught my eye and I thought it would be fun to use it in a variety of ways.  I’m sharing some of these with you here –

Sterling Rose

First, I made these 3 ‘any occasion’ cards.  I cut the frame for them with my Cricut/SCAL2.

Then I made 2 other cards using a different frame cut with my Cricut/ SCAL2.  The cardstock is light gray.  The frames are black, and on the second one I inked it with silver, as well as the edges of the card.  I stamped the first light lavender inset with Dusty Concord (Tim Holtz /Distress Ink), then without reapplying ink, I stamped the second inset – which made it fairly faint.  I then stamped it with Silver (Color Box).  I added gems (Recollections) on each of the frames.  These will be used as Sympathy Cards, which I unfortunately need at this time for the families of friends who recently passed away.

I decided to experiment with the stamp, some inks and some Glimmer Mist sprays.  Here are some of the combinations I came up with –

I stamped with Light Lavender ink (Studio G), sprinkled with Light Lavender embossing powder and heat embossed.  Then I inked faintly with a slightly Darker Lavender ink.

I stamped with Fired Brick (TH/DI), then spritzed with Burgundy Glimmer Mist and then with Gold Mist.

I stamped with Tea Dye (TH/DI) and then with Dusty Concord (TH/DI).  I spritzed with Deep Violet Glimmer Mist.  NOTE:  The spray ‘blotched’ more than I liked…so…I added a bouquet of mini-flowers with leaves made from brown-ish daisy petals and gem (Recollections) centers.    ;-}

I stamped with Bronze (Color Box) ink, sprinkled with Bronze embossing powder, heat-set it, and then lightly inked it with Tea Dye and Crushed Olive (TH/DI).

I stamped with Dusty Concord (TH/DI), then spritzed with Deep Violet Glimmer Spray, then Silver.

I stamped with Fired Brick (TH/DI), spritzed with burgundy, then silver Glimmer Mists.  I made a flower with 2 petals from a hyacinth blossom and added a pearl center.  I made leaves from petals of another flower.

My flowers all come from the ‘$ Store.’  The gems are from Michaels – on sale.  I’m quite a Thrifty Scrapper in all I do.  How do You make beauty from very little  - adding 'An Elegant Touch…' to all that You do?...