Inlaid Rose Sympathy

#stampinup   #faithfulinkspirations   Sadly, I've needed to make several sympathy cards over the last few months. I actually like making sympathy cards because I feel like hand-made cards are more heartfelt than just running by the grocery store and picking up a card. I think about--and pray about--each person and family who has suffered a loss as I make the cards. They're truly a labor of love.

I received a similar card in one of the card swaps I've participated in, so I CASEd that design, while adding a few of my own.  It takes a little time--but less time than I feared it would take--to lay in the pieces, but I have a pro-tip to share within my "recipe."

I used the biggest rose and leaves Thinlit from the Rose Garden set to cut the outline image from a quarter sheet of Tip Top Taupe Card Stock. PRO TIP 1:  I positioned the Tip Top Taupe Thinlit on the Thick Whisper White Card Stock card base before I adhered it. I used a pencil to lightly trace the inside of the rose outline, where the Basic Black pieces would be added. I used a glue stick to really cover this area. I applied Fine-Tip Glue to the leaves and adhered the Tip Top Taupe piece onto the card base. I held the leaves down until I knew they had adhered really well.

Then I used the same Thinlit and cut just the rose out of a piece of Basic Black Card Stock. PRO TIP 2: Keep the pieces in the Thinlit and "poke" them out piece-by-piece when you lay in the pieces. It didn't take as long as I feared it would to lay in all the pieces. Covering the area with the glue stick really helped that process along!

Next, I stamped the frame outline and sentiment from the "Rose Wonder" stamp set in Basic Black Archival Ink onto a Whisper White scrap and cut the label out with the matching Rose Garden Thinlit. I adhered the label to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

For a finishing touch, I added a row of Basic Pearl Embellishments underneath the sentiment and three tiny pearls placed strategically around the card. I think this card is elegant and conveys my sympathy to friends who have lost loved ones.

tams# 9158

Product List

Rose Wonder Photopolymer Stamp Set [140697] $27.00	Rose Garden Thinlits Dies [140619] $31.00	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $7.00	Tip Top Taupe 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [138336] $8.00
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $8.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272] $7.00	Pearl Basic Jewels Embellishments [119247] $5.00
Fine-Tip Glue Pen [138309] $7.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00