Sympathy Cards

I had a request this week to make some sympathy cards. Here's what I came up with yesterday afternoon.

This first one is my favorite -- but then I tend to be partial to purples. I used a piece of handpainted paper for the daisy background and the sentiment.


Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Canvas background
Colors: Lavendar Lace, Basic Black
And: Black Craft ink, clear embossing powder, brads
Handpainted paper: Reinkers, iridescent medium

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I struggled with the following card, but finally it came together once I added the Chocolate Chip panel and figured out what to do with the sentiment.


Stamps: Branch Out, Warmest Regards
Colors: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Lovely Flowers DSP
And: Modern Label punch, brads

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Here's a simple one. It was my first card of the afternoon, so I think of it as a warm-up card. :)


Stamps: Flower Lines, Warmest Regards
Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive
And: Ticket corner punch, Wide Oval punch, Slot punch, Whisper White Taffeta ribbon

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Here's another simple card, made with the sympathy set Close as a Memory. I'm not sure why the photo's wonky, but you get the idea.


Stamps: Close as a Memory
Colors: Pixie Pink, Garden Green
And: Big Shot, Texturz plate

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I used the Manhatten Flower embossing folder and my Big Shot to create this last card for the day.


Stamp: Warmest Regards
Colors: Riding Hood Red, Whisper White Craft ink
And: White wide organdy ribbon (retired), Flower brad

Just Jessica

In my many years of being a stamper, I'm sure I've used thousands of stamps -- some once or twice, some over and over again. I "met" Just Jessica (by Hero Arts) shortly after I moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Columbus, Ohio, and Jessica has since become one of my most cherished stamps. I've used her to make countless birthday, holiday, and special occasion cards as well as paper dolls, tags, gift wrapping, and framed art. I just love paper piecing distinctive outfits for her using different stamps and designer papers! I've been neglecting poor Jessica for over a year now, so I pulled her out this afternoon to put her to work once again.



Hero Arts stamps: Just Jessica, Handwritten for You

Stampin' Up! stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Canvas background

And: Trio Flower punch, Word Window punch, handheld 1/8" circle punch, Stampin' Write markers, Stampin' Dimensionals



Today's first Jessica card has a Pretty in Pink card base stamped with the Canvas background in Rose Red. A bit of Bashful Blue offsets the bright colors in the Raspberry Tart designer series paper.






My second card for the day features Jessica wearing a Raspberry Tart print dress again, but this time with Kiwi Kiss offsetting the print on a Cameo Coral card base. I found some non-SU! brads in my stash that work perfectly with these colors.






I used the new In Colors Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, and Crushed Curry in my last card for the day. I don't have my In Color markers yet, so I just used a watercolor brush to paint some reinker for Jessica's shirt and tights. I couldn't work with these colors and NOT use the new polka-dotted grosgrain ribbon!




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I'm wondering if any of my readers are noticing an improved picture quality on today's posts. I have a new camera with an auto-focus feature (hooray!), and it seems to be adjusting the lighting as well. I still have to learn the ins and outs of this new camera, but I'm thinking the difference is already noticeable... ?



Wishing you a peace-filled day!

Joyce Spear

a.k.a. StamperJoyce

Glass Vases on Regal Rose

While I had the Hero Arts Glass Vases stamp out on my desk, I just had to made a few more cards with it.



The card base is Regal Rose, and the images are layered on Lavendar Lace. I used the SU! Canvas stamp as a background. Images are colored with markers and blender pens, and there's a bit of bling on the flower at the far right. Pretty simple, but I like it.

More Western Sky

I've been drop-dead tired today, but I still managed to complete four more cards using SU!'s Western Sky double-sided designer paper and quotation stickers from Wordsworth.

Got the Blues

I played around today with a sample of double-sided designer paper (Western Sky, to be exact) and some of my newest stamp sets. In keeping with the colors on the DSP, I worked mostly with Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, River Rock, and (eventually) Ruby Red. I also broke open my Soft Sky double-stitched ribbon.



The quote on this first card is a sticker from Wordsworth.






I used the Paisley background stamp on this next card. The scallops on the right edge of the card were made using the 3/16" corner rounder punch minus the paper guide. Cool, huh? The Rumi quote is by Hampton Art Stamps.






Another card with a Wordsworth quotation sticker...






The "Happy Hellos" is markered/huffed with one of the stamps from the Lots of Thoughts Sale-a-Bration set. I just love using the Paisley background with Soft Sky ink on Soft Sky paper!






Another Rumi quote card, this time with the Canvas background stamp in Blue Bayou on Blue Bayou. I really got into the scallops on this one. The posies were made using the Three For You punch box kit.






You know, I hardly ever make birthday cards, and I don't know why. The So Many Scallops Sale-a-Bration set made this card easy. I'm really happy with the background made with the Spot On jumbo wheel, which seems quite versatile.






And finally, after a day of the blues, I flipped over a piece of the double-sided paper and made a card in Ruby Red and River Rock.







And now.... I'm ready for bed!