Sympathy

I decided to create a sympathy card because it never fails that I need one when I don't have time to make one. When I was finished making it this afternoon, my husband said that he needed a sympathy card and wondered if I could make one for him. See what I mean? Anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, other occasions ... you know in advance that you will need a card for that occasion.  Not sympathy cards, though.

I've gotten into the habit of making 5 x 7 cards lately. It seems like there's more real estate to do some designing on as well as to add more elements and embellishments. So this is what I came up with.

I am entering this into Cheery Lynn Designs' Anything Goes Challenge #233; I used my Lace Corner Deco I die to layer under the paper.  The challenge ends July 20.

I am also entering it into Artistic Inspirations' Challenge #160 Anything Goes.  The challenge ends July 16.

I cut the fancy thingamob at the bottom from my Cricut Ornamental Iron cartridge and the main sentiment backing from Elegant Edges.

Finally, I used my We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board to make a coordinating envelope.

Pastels, Pearls, Pretty Papers

Earlier this week I cleaned my craft space.  It was a long time coming, and my dust bunnies were all fashionable because they were wearing glitter.  Summer vacation is my time to recharge, clean, and spend time crafting/reading craft blogs.  There are several blogs that I visit on a regular basis (check my blog list on the right), and I've luxuriated in reading and playing in my space.

Yesterday after I had lunch with some friends, I came home and just played.  I pulled papers and dies and paints and Perfect Pearls and all sorts of goodies from my stash.  This is what I came up with:

I'm loving all of the layers I added.  Papers from Teresa Collins' 6x6 Designer Pad He Said She Said, pearls, die cuts, cheesecloth, paper doilies tinted with Distress Inks and Perfect Pearls.

An image from a set of ephemera that I received for my birthday.

Tiny flowers cut from my Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die with pearls added to the centers ... they make me swoon!

A large tag with more swoon-inducing pearls. Add to it a Cheery Lynn Designs B117 Fanciful Flourish Right die that I cut and tucked into various locations on the card.

And a little sentiment tag cut with my Tim Holtz Tag & Tie die as well as a little resin flower gussied up with some Alcohol Inks.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

• Frilly and Funkie's Pastels and Pearls
• Cheery Lynn Designs Sizzlin' Summer Colors (my colors don't sizzle ... they are cool pastels which I wear in the summer)
• Artistic Inspirations Challenge 158 - Anything Goes
• Let's Craft and Create Challenge 114 - Hearts &/Or Flowers (just flowers on mine)
• Crafty Creations Challenge #317 Tic Tac Toe (sentiment/image/tag)