Tuesday, April 14, 2015

"LOVE & SYMPATHY" & CUSTOM-MADE SYMPATHY CARDS

 
When you flip the pages of the Stampin' Up! catalog, do you ever pause on a certain page and wonder why you haven't yet purchased the stamp set that's on that page . . . the stamp set that always catches your eye?  Love & Sympathy was that stamp set for me.  I wanted it for what seemed like a long time, and yet I didn't seem to mind repeatedly bumping it to a lower position on my wish list.  ;-)  Each time I use this set, it's like I remember all of those times that I passed it by for something else that I thought I wanted more.  It is a wonderful sympathy set, of course, and it's more versatile and easy to use than one might think.  There are only three images in the set, and sometimes it's a good thing to lay a stamp set on the table and only have three image options.  I have used Love & Sympathy several times, and I can honestly say that I have created some of the quickest cards with it--cards that I was very pleased to send.  This is a good thing since I normally (99.9% of the time) create sympathy cards at the time when I need to send one.  I might go to my stash to select birthday, get well, and hello/thinking of you cards, but I don't keep sympathy cards on hand for my use because I like to make them as needed.  At the risk of sounding cheesy, the truth is . . . making sympathy cards when needed is like giving a moment of silence--respect--because I am thinking of and remembering the person who has passed and/or the person for whom I'm making the card.  That feels right to me.  And so I needed a card recently.  I love how this one turned out!  After embossing the stamped layer, I cut the card stock into three strips, and sponged the edges before adhering the strips to the card.  All that the sentiment piece needed was a little twine and distressing.  Simple, handmade, sweet, and definitely not boring.

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