Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Pastel Sympathy Card

One of my higher up co-workers recently lost his mother. I wanted to make a card a bit larger than the standard so all my office mates would have space to sign. Our company is donating a tree to be planted in his yard in her memory. It was just the 6 month anniversary of my mother’s passing and I know all too well the struggles one can face. I apologize in advance for the photos. I had a difficult time getting true colors with the shimmer pieces.

With Easter approaching and the promise of new life in our hearts, I opted for soft, ‘hopeful’ colors (if there can be any). The butterflies were a last minute addition. As I’ve mentioned they are HUGE in my life as signs from my loved ones in heaven and I always associated them with rebirth. The reason they were last minute, was that I had a HECK of a time adhering the pearl ‘twigs’. Glue dots were too big (even when I tried the roll ‘em up trick) and just didn’t want to stick to the metallic or pearl. I used a thin line of Stickles behind the lower branch hoping the bit of glitter that would show would add to the card. Well, it didn’t stick to the metal either. What the heck is this twig made of? As a last resort I used Diamond Glaze. It worked to adhere the twig, but it spread into a horrible looking blob on the ribbon. In addition the layer I’d added to the cross, bled outside the lines overnight. I awoke this morning to realize I had to try and ‘fix’ the card or start over.

I restamped the cross and added Stickles to a few points. The Diamond Glaze worked the way I’d wanted on the cross (it looked really cool with the Stickle ‘gems’ layered below), but the edges were far from crisp and the big drip really ruined it. I opted to leave the glaze off the cross this time. I was stumped on how to fix the blobby spots on the ribbon and thought I’d have to rip it all apart to replace the ribbon and then start the ‘how do I stick the twigs down without making a mess’ again. I was already late for work and needed a cup of coffee. I found the butterflies in a corner of my desk and gave them a try. They covered up the blobs pretty well and added a bit more hope to the overall theme.

Now that you know the back story, let's get on to the card!

Sketch Inspiration ~ Mojo Monday #131
Color Inspiration

Inspiration
A Passion for PaperTrey Challenge ~ Spring My theme isn't spring, but I was inspired by spring colors.
365 Cards Day 2 ~ Tuesday’s Trio: Circle, Silver, Pearl I'm a bit of a rebel as the only real circles are the pearls themselves, but they are there!
Hand Full of Stamps #20 ~ Remove the Dust (Use your old supplies) The pearl picks have been in my stash for quite awhile. I found them in the clearance bin at Hobby Lobby in the wedding supplies aisle.
One Stop Craft Challenge #72 ~ Let it Shine I used shimmer white for the image, a few dots of stickles on the cross and the butterflies are all sparkly.

My Creation

Image Detail

INS AND OUTS ~ Pastel Sympathy Card
Stamps: PaperTrey Ink (Everyday Blessings & With Sympathy)
Paper: PTI Shimmer White, SU Designer Paper
Ink: Memento (Bamboo Leaves, Cantaloupe)
Accessories: Diamond Glaze, Pearl Wedding Picks, Nesties, SU Ribbon, Vellum Butterflies (Wedding Supplies)

11 comments:

  1. What a beautiful card and so thoughtful of you too! I'm glad you persevered and fixed your card!
    This totally counts for our challenge with the inspiration of spring colours so thanks so much for entering!
    Aimes
    x

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  2. Fab card. You did a wonderful job with it - especially the trees you shaped out of wire and pearls. So nice of you to make such a lovely card for your coworker. Terrific job on the color challenge. So happy you could have some fun with us this week at Creative Inspirations.

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  3. what a lovly card and it will be appreciated i am sure. Thanks for joining us at creative inspirations

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  4. Beautiful card ... love the pearls & your take on the sketch.

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  5. What a lovely card! Your story is so inspirational. I find sympathy cards so difficult to make and yours is truly beautiful. Glad you decided not to start over. The end result is perfect.

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  6. What a thoughtful card for your coworker! I have long loved to put butterflies on sympathy cards because they are so hopeful. I love your card! Thanks for fluttering with us this week!

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  7. Beautiful card! Those butterflies are gorgeous! Thanks for playing along with the FBW challenge this week!

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  8. gorgeous...love what you've done with the pearl wedding picks..wow! Thanks for joining us at Jacksonbelle!

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  9. beautiful and I'm sure your co-worker appreciated your special card

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  10. Wow! This is an amazing card! Beautiful!

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  11. Stunning, just stunning!!! Thanks so much for playing along with HFOS.
    Trish

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Thanks for stopping! I am so inspired by the amazing crafty blogs out there and honored you took the time to visit my little corner of the world.

Kitty Kisses and Blessings ~ Cat Spicer