the CLASSroom

Black Velvet and Perfect Pearls Sympathy Card

It is with a sad heart that I create these cards for my cousins today. Perhaps using the word "journey" for a sympathy card may not be the best, but it is the word I settled on as I reflect today on the life of my dear aunt. 

 

Remembering the good times and reflecting on her "journey" through life brings a smile through the tears and my hope is that during the difficult months ahead as they struggle through the heartache that death leaves, they will be able to focus on the positive moments of my aunt's journey through life.  

 

Stamp your image using Distress Embossing Ink and heat emboss with Super Fine Clear Embossing Powder.

 

Mix perfect pearls together with water on your non-stick craft sheet.

 

Paint over the heat embossed surface and watch your image appear.

 

I used a color palette that would coordinate with the colors I wanted to use when coloring my flower. Allow the surface of your project to dry.

TIP: If your paper is bent, simply swipe it gently over the rounded corners of your table or desktop in various directions and it will pull out those awkward "kinks."

Black Velvet Technique Using the Position It

 

A couple of month's ago I shared a wide variety of techniques using the Metallic Gelatos. In that post I refreshed your memory regarding the black velvet technique. To create my white butterflies in that post I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig and had to try several times to align it correctly. I had heard about the Position It by Scor-It, but had never tried it. Well, I must tell you that if you are wanting a tool that helps you align stamped images repeatedly and precisely this is definitely the tool for you!

I began first by "positioning" my image. Just as with the Stamp-a-ma-jig the Position It comes with a piece that helps you to figure out the perfect placement for your stamped image. I began by stamping my image on the acrylic piece and then using this piece determined the best placement of my floral image on my background.

 

The edge of my background is secured beneath the Position It bar, but to ensure that my project not move with repeated stamping I used my trusted, and oh so handy, Tissue Tape to attach my stamped image to the gridded background as shown above.

 

I "inked" my stamp using a Snow Cap dabber and stamped my first "take." As you can see the image was quite light. Allow to dry.

Repeat. I believe that I stamped it three times allowing the image to dry completely between stampings.

 

With the background being sparkly, I wanted the focal point to be matte. The Position It would have made it super easy to apply color using Gelatos but coloring is soothing to my soul and so I opted to return to the roots of the Black Velvet technique and use Prismacolor Color Pencils to add color to the flowers.

Life is a journey and sadly it comes to an end, but remembering the moments of love helps us to continue on our own journey. Auntie you will be missed.

 
stamps: Unity Stamps Moments in Bloom, Memory Box Journey Collage

ink: Distress Embossing Ink

paper: Black Cardstock, Memory Box Meadow Notecard

accessories: Scor-It Position-It, Perfect Pearls - Green Patina, Perfect Gold, Perfect Bronze, Non-stick Craft Sheet, Clear Super Fine Embossing Powder, Snow Cap Dabber

Stamping on Cork and Coloring with Copics

Cork - I love the natural earthiness of this product and have been looking for a quality cork for some time. I was thrilled to discover the Magenta cork! It comes already backed with adhesive - this makes it so easy to attach to your projects. Not only can you add these images to flat surfaces, BUT you could also adhere these to rounded surfaces! Oh so fun!

 

Sadly I needed to create a sympathy card for dear friends who recently lost their son in a tragic accident. The sentiment in the Unity "WIth Sympathy" set is so beautiful. I know that words cannot bring solace during such hard times, but my hope is that love and memories will carry them through these hard times.

 

To begin I stamped the Floral Trio on the cork using Memento ink. I then colored in the image using the same technique as I do when I color on paper. I found that the colors actually intensify and the yellow cast of the cork comes through the ink creating a lovely coloration.

Copic Colors Used: YG00, YG63, YG17, V01, V15, Y21, Y24

 

The new Book Covers stamps are a must-have in my opinion! There is something about the face of an old book that I absolutely love. The small image is sized perfectly to fit with the new Small Creative Covers Art Parts and the large one fits with the Large Creative Covers Art Parts! I can hardly wait to try creating a project with these. Also the binder rings from Tim Holtz Advantus line are scaled perfectly as well! I love it when things are well thought out and work together!

I first inked the stamp with distress ink and then randomly inked the stamp with Vintage Photo Distress ink, evening it out using an ink blending tool. This gave a more weathered appearance to the book cover.

Using clear embossing powder and applying heat made the image really pop off the Kraft cardstock and give a very realistic "old book" feel.

The edges were then further distressed with Antique Linen.

 

The 7 Gypsies seam binding we carry in the store is SO fun to work with. To get the wrinkled appearance I simply spritz it with water, wad it up in my hand and then use my heat it tool to quickly dry it. Perfectly wrinkled ribbon every time!
 

A little trim, an accoutrement button and a handcut sentiment tag completed my card.

Give your kids a hug tonight and be certain to let them know you love them!

 
stamps: Magenta Flower Trio, Tim Holtz Book Covers, Unity With Sympathy

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Embossing Ink, Vintage Photo and Antique Linen Distress Ink, Copic Markers (see list above)

paper: Boysenberry Notecard, Hero Arts Kraft Cardstock

accessories: Magenta Cork, Accoutrements Button, Savannah Seam Binding, Prima Alencon Trim H, Clear Embossing Powder

Organza Window Sympathy Card

I love my girl Jules - she always has THE bestest ideas :-D It was on our very first meeting that Julie brought me some of the most GORGEOUS organza ribbon. She used it to create a beautiful window card WAY back at that time. Well, I was so very lucky to have her come to my house for a "playdate" a few weeks ago and once again she shared her genius with me (I say as I monkey clap - yes, we monkey clap when we get excited about something - LOL!)

Sympathy cards are some of the hardest for me to create - I really should make a stash of them so that I have them ready when they are needed. Sadly a friend lost both her father and brother and so my quest to create a card to share with her that we care and appreciate her. I wanted something that was soft and pretty and I think that this organza really suits this look.

Now the genius that Julie shared is that you can stamp on this ribbon! Oh my - it is so soft and pretty! I tested several different inks that we carry and met with good luck using the following types of ink:

• Ranger Archival Ink Pads (scroll down the page)
• Ranger Adirondack Pigment Ink Pads
• Memento Ink Pads

I'm not certain if you can tell that I stamped on the ribbon shown above on the left. I also stamped and colored the butterfly again on Neenah cardstock and colored it in with Copic markers.

I discovered that I can also use the darker colored Copic markers on the Organza and it gives a beautiful hint of color. I still need to play with this idea more to make certain which ink I should recommend for this technique.

This colored image was set behind some beautiful Webster's Pages Vellum and then the Organza butterfly layer was adhered over top.

There are SO many ways to layer your beautiful stamped ribbon - my imagination is wandering with the possibilities.

Place your layered image beneath a frame created from Thistle and Chocolate cardstock.

I hope that you are having a lovely weekend and thank you for stopping in here at the CLASSroom today!

stamps: Hero Arts Antique Engraving

paper: Webster's Pages 6x6 Vellum and Diecut, Hero Arts Daffodil card, Memory Box Thistle

ink: Archival Coffee, Memento Rich Cocoa

Copic Markers: Y21, Y26, Y28, R20, R29, BG72

accessories: 24 Karat Pearls, Large Label, Ivory 5" Sheer Ivory Organza, Damask Texture Fade Folder

 

Sympathy Card

Life is a gift we can never take for granted. The life of one man's family changed in the blink of an eye when they lost him at the young age of 49, a couple of weeks ago. My life changed. Tyler was a man who helped me out of what seemed to be the big black hole of computer problems. He is missed around here and his family is constantly in my thoughts. Tyler and I shared some wonderful laughs as he worked on our computers. We would joke about how as parents of teens and preteens we could best be employed as taxi-cab drivers and videograpers/photographers.

Creating during times when I feel down helps bring me through some of lifes tough moments. As I created this card I thought about Tyler's wife Andrea and the challenges she now faces. I also thought about his two boys and the loss that they are going through and now face at such a young age. Andrea shared the following quote on a special website and I feel compelled to share it with you.

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I wanted to create a card that was feminine, yet had masculine touches to it. I poured my soul into this little creation and was able to smile when it was completed. It's odd that now when I sit down to type and share the details of how to make this card - I find this part difficult. What an emotional being I am?!? So following are just little snippets - I hope that this helps you to be able to recreate something similar that you can pour your emotions into.

Adhere the Sticky Back Canvas to your non-stick craft mat and use the ink blending tool to add color.

Stamp using Palette Noir Ink. Allow to dry.

Stick the two pieces of sticky back canvas together (opposite side is the vine pattern shown above) and cut out flower using non-stick scissors.

Add color to copy weight paper using ink blending tool. Copy weight paper on the opposite side of your sticky back canvas will give you a little stability to shape your flowers and have them hold the shape.

Adhere the sticky back canvas to your colored copy paper and cut out.

The wood product you see in this photo is a fabulous new product that will be arriving in our store soon. I had to use it because of the soft masculinity it brought to this project.

 

The beautiful brass butterfly is also from a new line that we will be carrying. The Vintaj products we have ordered fill a huge hole I have felt is missing from the products we carry.

I'd like to bring this post to a close with some additional words that Andrea has shared. I can hear Tyler saying them and I would like to encourage you to do at least one of the things on this list when you finish reading this post.

Tyler would say:

• be with the living
• hug your kids
• call your grandma
• what are your goals
• what is your vision

Tyler was appreciated around here so very much and I hope that he knew that when I would say THANK YOU each time he would leave I sincerely meant it. I breathed easier due to Tyler - Tyler's life was a success! Once again I silently say, "Thank you Tyler."

 
stamps: Studio 490 Rose Art Part 2, Hero Arts Big and Small, Kim Hughes Silhouette Blooms I, Scrapblock Vintage Text

paper: Graphic 45 8x8 A Proper Gentleman, Memory Box Licorice CS

ink: Palette Noir, Antique Linen Distress Ink Pad

accessories: Sticky Back Canvas, Wood Veneer (to arrive soon), Jenni Bowlin Vintage Button, Jenni Bowlin Pearl Flower, Hero Arts Felt Flower, Vintaj Brass Buterfly, Prima Lace Black Banner, Nestability Large Labels