A Sympathy Card with a Horse and a Dog Sympathy Card

The Cut It Up challenge wants to see die cuts of critters.  I still had this horse die out on my desk as I made a card from it a few weeks ago but this time I gave it a very different treatment.

My sister asked me to make a sympathy card for her riding coach whose father suddenly passed away. She wanted a horse on it. So I thought I could make a night sky to go with the sentiment I used as it talks about stars. I created the sky by smooshing with dark blue Distress inks. Then stamped the sentiment over it in black. I layered the die cut over it, popped it up on fun foam, and added some die cut gold stars.

My other card today is for Try It On Tuesday "Add Some Text". 

I stamped and fussy cut the dog. The sentiment is stamped and cut with a narrow rectangle die, and then sponged around the edge. I created a background with a mixture of stencilling, text stamping, watercolouring, and sponging.

   

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Stampotique sentiment
Ink - various dark blue Distress inks, Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - white and gold cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - small star dies, Starlit Studio horse die, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Technique Junkies dog, SU sentiment, Kaiser Craft script
Ink - Distress Tea Dye, Memento Rich Cocoa
Paper - cream cs
Size - A2
Accessories - TCW stencil, watercolours, sentiment rectangle die, dimensionals

Sympathy Card Using Generation Stamping with a Very Old Stamp

I'm part of the Group of Seven design team but shamefully failed to get my card done in time for their newest post.  I do have a good excuse - my sister and brother-in-law were visiting and we did a lot of work around my house and garden.  I had to make the most of the help while I had it.  My wonderful brother-in-law is the ultimate handyman and excellent gardener, and my sister is an amazing organizer and de-clutterer (though she refused to help me organize my craft room.

They've left now so I have crafty time again.  Sadly my dear friends just had to let their very old beloved black lab go so I decided to use this month's Group of Seven technique of "generation stamping" to make a sympathy card for them.

I created a background with the letterpress technique of rubbing black ink over the raised part of the paw print embossing folder and then running it through my Cuttlebug.

The focal panel is the dog stamp inked up once and then stamped three times in a row going off the edge of the panel as if it was the dog gently fading out of life.

I'm also adding the card to Stamping Sensations "Our Furry Friends", Can You Handle the Pressure? (Dog or Cat - I used my embossing folder for the letterpress technique), and The Neglected Stuff Challenge (this Stampin' Up set is many years old and I rarely use it).

For more ideas on using the generation stamping technique, head over to Group of Seven and feel free to give it a try and post your results.

   

 

Supplies:
Stamps - Stampin' Up
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Black Soot
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - unknown paw print embossing folder

A Sad Card and Two Christmas Cards

First of all today, for Festive Friday "International Animal Rights Day", a dog sympathy card to have on hand. 

For Festive Friday, you have to choose at least 3 things from their list - I chose animal, supportive sentiment, texture (the embossing folder), neutral colours, and animal patterns (the paw prints).

I did a letterpress technique on the embossing folder by running dark grey ink over the raised area of the folder before embossing.  The dog and the sentiment are stamped in black.  The condolences sentiment is inside the card.

Next up, Can You Handle the Pressure? challenge wants dry embossing with a twist of Christmas, and Shopping our Stash "Splish Splash" (use a water medium - I used Magicals, a powder that is activated with water).  My best friend always asks me to make her several Christmas cards with a dove / peace theme.

The background was made with the embossed toilet paper technique.  I layered 5 squares of toilet paper, misting with water in between each one and again on the top layer.  I placed it inside a script embossing folder and ran it through my Cuttlebug.

Then I took a piece of mixed media cs, sprinkled it with Magicals and spritzed with water.  When dry, I stamped and heat embossed the dove on it and then fussy cut.  The sentiment was die cut out of the same piece.  I created a frame with a pierced die, cut twice and layered for more substance.  I find using a frame of some sort over a toilet paper background prevents the edges from coming apart.

The embossed toilet paper has a wonderful feel of homemade paper.  For more ideas for using it, see this video and this tutorial.

For both this card and the first one, I used some cs I bought at a paper outlet.  I don't know what brand it is but the colour is labelled "chalk" - it's a great neutral colour.  I have a big pack of it so I'm sure it will show up often!

A threefer today!  For AAA Cards Challenge "Black, White, and Gold" and My Time to Craft Christmas "Snowflakes":

I started by using gesso to stencil the snowflake on black cs to create a resist for my stamping, then stamped the Christmas script background stamp over it in gold. I replaced the snowflake stencil and sponged gold ink through it.  I splattered with a bit of white acrylic paint and trimmed the panel.  I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in white on vellum and wrapped it around the panel, then popped the panel up with fun foam on a gold shimmer card base.

   

       

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - SU dog, Technique Junkies sentiment
Ink - SSS Intense Black, Versafine Clair Morning Mist
Paper - chalk cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders rectangles, unknown embossing folder

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - unknown dove stamp
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - toilet paper, chalk cs, mixed media cs
Size - 5.25" square
Accessories - Sizzix embossing folder, blue Magicals, clear embossing powder, MFT pierced square frame, TH peace die

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - unknown Christmas script stamp, Stampabilities sentiment
Ink - gold and white ink
Paper - gold shimmer cs, black cs, vellum
Size - A2
Accessories - snowflake stencil, gesso, white embossing powder, white acrylic paint, fun foam

Music for Guys and a Simple Pet Sympathy Card

I've been away for a few days so no crafting or blogging.  Here's a Twofer to make up for it.

Cardz 4 Guyz wants to see "Music" so I did a notecard with a bird against a musical background:

The image is stamped and heat embossed, then trimmed and layered on green and red cardstock, popped up on fun foam on a square card base, and added red stick-on dots to the berries on the leaves.   

The second card is for The Sisterhood of Crafters "Keep It Simple".

A very simple card - stamped the sentiment and pawprint in navy on the card base, die cut a heart out of navy cs, and layered it over the base.  I like to have a few dog sympathy cards on hand as well as people sympathy cards.

  

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Magenta
Ink - ColorBox gold
Paper - cream cs, red and green cs
Size - 4.25" square
Accessories - gold embossing powder, Spellbinders square dies, red Stampendous dot stickers, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Technique Junkies sentiment, SU paw print
Ink - Memento
Paper - white and navy cs
Size - 6x4.25"
Accessories - Memory Box heart die

Pet Sympathy and Poinsettias

A close friend just had to put her 10 year old dog to sleep so I made this card for her:

Festive Friday Challenge is celebrating National Pet Day.  They require three elements from their list.  I chose dog, paw prints, and embossing folder.

I stamped the dog in solid black first, then second generation inking, then third generation inking to depict the dog's departure from life.

I have a second card and it's for My Time to Craft Christmas challenge "poinsettias".

The poinsettias are coloured with Twinkling H2Os so have a lovely sparkle in real life.  They are die cut with an oval die and popped up on a gold panel cut with a stitched rectangle die.

Festive Friday Challenge "National Pet Day"

My Time to Craft Christmas "Poinsettias"

Supplies for Card 1:
Stamps - SU D is for Dog
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - unknown embossing folder

Supplies for Card 2:
Stamps - SU Bells & Boughs; SSS sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white and gold cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Twinkling H2Os, Spellbinders oval die, fun foam, Lil Inker stitched rectangle die

A Couple of Masculine Cards

I really struggle with masculine cards so follow two challenges that focus on them so that I can get ideas. 

First up The Male Room where the current challenge is "Sentiment in Focus".

 

I made a pet sympathy card that uses the sentiment as the focal point.

I stamped it and heat embossed it in black, then die cut with a label die. I left the cs in the die and sponged the exposed part. That left a nice white border around the edge. I added a black background die cut label - so I've got three sets of curved borders around my sentiment.  Added it all to a paw print dp background.


And then there is Cards 4 Guyz where the current challenge is "Vintage".  I used a vintage ship image.

I made a "wrinkle free distress" background in blues and greens, and stamped the ship on it. I popped it up on fun foam and bordered with blue and green. I used a Tim Holtz rub-on for the sentiment.

I'll be back with something more feminine next time! 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Wordsworth sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Antique Linen
Paper - white and black cs, unknown dp
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders label dies, clear embossing powder

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Tim Holtz ship
Ink - Archival Jet Black, various green and blue Distress inks
Paper - ivory, green, and blue cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Tim Holtz rub-on sentiment, fun foam

Sadly Repeating Dog

My sister asked me to make a pet sympathy card for her to give to a close friend - he just lost his beloved dog.  

I stamped the image in brown ink once, then stamped off two more times, getting the image lighter each time.  I love the idea of the dog wagging its tail right to the end of its life.

Added a sentiment above and trimmed the panel down before adding it to an embossed background.

I'm going to link it up with CASology for their "Repeat" challenge.



And to The Male Room "Anything Masculine Goes".

 
 
If you have a pet, go and give them a hug.  Their lives are sadly far too short.

Supplies:
Stamps - SU D is for Dog
Ink - Archival Potting Soil
Paper - PTI Vintage Cream
Size - A2
Accessories - unknown embossing folder