Deepest Sympathy

For me, sympathy cards are by far the most difficult cards to do. I always strive to find just the right balance between pretty/light images and a sentiment that aims to convey my deepest condolences. Death is pretty devastating. I had a dear friend pass away a week ago. He loved life, he loved his family, he loved the lake he lived on, and he loved God. I wanted a serene card to convey to his family the Larry I knew.

So I pulled a couple of my favorite stamps from Technique Junkies to create this loving card of sympathy.

The stamps I used were Asian Landscape and With Sympathy. I love the relaxing scene. It's serene, calming, and a little ethereal. And this sympathy set of 5 stamps always comes through with the perfect sentiment. Here are the "before ink" samples:

This is, by far, the best sympathy set I have encountered. The fonts and the sentiments are perfect. I stamped the image with Versamark, added a dark teal embossing powder, and used a combination of Spectrum Noir markers and colored pencils to color the image. After stamping and embossing (in black) the sentiment, I then added a beautiful sparkly sheen using Shimmering Bliss Topper (Gold). A few bits of clear stones added just the right touch.

For the inside of the card, I stamped the image again using Ink On 3 FadeOut Ink. This ink is designed for no-line coloring, but it was perfect for creating a simple background that doesn't overpower the sentiment, which was stamped with Memento Ink (Tuxedo Black).

I am happy with the outcome of this card. As emotional as it was to make, it conveys my thoughts to Larry's grieving family.

Hopefully you were able to draw some inspiration from this card today. As his widow told me, "Live every day like it's your last."

Til next time,
Keepin' it inky.


Stamps and Shimmering Bliss are available through Technique Junkies. Simply enter the code "TJ10" at checkout and receive a 10% discount on your purchase of these and any other products.