I have a couple of friends that recently had surgery, and I needed cards to send to wish them well. I know that both of them have been struggling with pain and difficulties for a while and I really hope that the surgery is successful and they get relief and improvement in their daily lives. I won’t be able to get these cards in the mail today since it is a US holiday, but I’ll be up at the Post Office first thing tomorrow so these special people know that I’m thinking of them.
I have to say that I am absolutely in love with the Inspired Thoughts stamp set! But I was a little confused because when I looked at the Annual catalog when it first came out because there are two stamp set/die bundles that have tree images in the dies. Why would they do that? I really like the Beauty of Friendship bundle, and was happy to add that to my stamping stash. But I couldn’t really justify spending the money on a second die set with trees. This caused me to overlook the stamps for a while until I was looking for a set with a sentiment that I needed for a specific occasion. Then, finally, I really saw this great set and added it to my next shopping cart when placing an order. I don’t have a lot of options for sympathy and get well greetings, and this set has both. AND it has birthday and even Christmas – it just doesn’t really get any better than that!
This current sketch challenge is the inspiration for my card design. I used it directly with the only adjustments being additional layers to the card. I really like layers because I think that they really make the card seem more finished.
For this card I used a cardstock-saving trick that I want to share with you. I cut out the scalloped mat from the middle of the base Early Espresso mat. Since I was going to be covering the mat completely, nobody will know that there’s a hole in the middle. This is a great way to be thrifty with your paper. One tip that I have if you try this is to think ahead in your card design. For instance, I made sure that the little pierced leaves wouldn’t look any different in the area that had been removed since the color behind is Crumb Cake instead of Early Espresso for the rest of the layer. I have seen a white layer over a dark mat can show where a portion of the mat has been removed – especially for thinner white papers. So – be thrifty, but make sure you don’t regret it.
Updated Oct 13, 2021 – I’m super excited to share that my card was selected as one of the Princesses of Clean for the challenge. Woot – that totally made my week!
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Amazing! I love this combination of colours and texture you’ve given your card. Thanks for joining us at FMS this week!
Thanks so much Narelle! I’m so glad that you liked my colors – Autumn colors are among my favorites.
This is oh so perfectly fall! Beautifully done! Glad you shared this at FMS!
Thank you so much Linda – your kind words brightened my day!
What a beautiful card! I love that stitched background and the diecut leaf! The colours are perfect for fall! Your friends will love these! Thanks for joining us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!
Thanks so much Jen! I do really love the Stitched Greenery die, and I was so happy to use it for my card.
Love everything about this perfectly layered and textured design! Thanks for playing along with us at FMS this week, Andrea.
Thanks so much Jacquie – I had a lot of fun with the sketch!