Sympathy Cards are Hard

The hardest cards in the world to make, write and receive are sympathy cards. No one receives a sympathy card unless they have endured a great loss. Knowing what to say to someone who has suffered a loss is difficult at best. 

Mondo Peony by Julie Ebersole for Essentials by Ellen (Hutson)
colored with Copic Markers. Sentiment from Hero Arts.

 Last week I had planned to show you all a few cards I sent to a family of friends who lost their mother/grandmother. She was a nice lady that my son knew as Grandma Betty.

Image is from a retired Stampin' Up! set, water colored with
Stampin' Up! inks.

While I was preparing this series, my brother-in-law lost his mother. She was a very kind woman who wanted to take my whole family home to India with her. 

Images and die cuts are Henna Elements from Altenew.
Sentiments are from Hero Arts.

Before I could get too far into the series two aquaintances lost their dogs. I was beginning to think that I should abandon the idea of sharing sympathy cards at all. 

I colored this beauty with Copic Markers. I have no idea who made this image,
if you know let me know. The maker of the sentiment is also a mystery,
again if you know let me know.

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Happy Crafting,

Let's Fiesta

Recently a friend of mine celebrated his 40th birthday. He likes tequila, so I purchased a bottle for him. I made a tag/bottle decoration to celebrate his Mexican heritage using two SugarPea Designs sets, Let's Fiesta and Hug-A-Bull. They were the perfect stamps, but there seemed to be something missing. There was too much white space. So I looked around for a way to make Papel Picado for the background.

"Papel Picado ("perforated paper", literally "pecked paper") is a decorative craft made out of paper cut into elaborate designs. It is considered a Mexican folk art. The designs are commonly cut from tissue paper using a guide and small chisels, creating as many as forty banners at a time. Papel picado can also be made by folding tissue paper and using small, sharp scissors. Common themes include birds, floral designs, and skeletons. They are commonly displayed for both secular and religious occasions." — Wikipedia

I found a white doily that's probably been in my stash for years. I die cut mini Papel Picado with a Kelly Purkey die from Hero Arts. Once cut I used ink to color the doilies. I love the way they turn out and will but making more cards using these stamps and mini Papel Picado.

Saving My Sanity One Card at a Time

Sweet Kitchen Card
Originally uploaded by Kalyber
Between planning a party for my son's first communion and practices for said communion and classes and seminars and house guests and Easter travel and, and, and…I needed a quick craft fix and this was perfect.

This card was made with images that were in my prestamped/precut drawer. All I had to do was stamp the sentiment and assembled things I already had. I changed the string that came on the tag for baker's twine and called it good.The amount of stress that can be relieved in 10 minutes of crafting is amazing.

The flatware is from Stampabilities and the rest of the images are from Hero Arts. I love that bowl. If I am honest with myself that was probably the reason I bought the set because the stripes are just like the ones on a set my grandmother had. To get the mottled effect I cut a mask around the bowl and used the color spritzer tool from Stampin' Up!

When our schedule gets back to normal, whatever that is, maybe I'll show you. But I promised you a Silhouette tutorial first.