Stampin’ Up! Better Together Bloomin’ Heart Sympathy

Hey, y’all.  It’s Sunday – hope you’re enjoying the weekend!  I’m card making and Good-willing and avoiding-cleaning….  and contemplating a re-arranging of my crafting area.

Contemplating is hard work.  It’s way more intense than what Wayne does, which is Debating.  He’s always Debating what to do.  This?  That?  Neither?  Debating is a long-term exercise.  It can last for…years!

Contemplating, on the other hand, is more difficult.  Contemplating has a time-limit.  When you contemplate – you’ve already done your debating and decided that you will do something.  You probably even know what the something is…contemplating is where you determine the how to do the something you’ve done decided to do.  Do you see? 😉

My contemplation will continue for a bit longer – my Russian visitor is not coming now until the end of the year….so…I have a bit of a cleaning/contemplating/re-arranging reprieve!

My card today is for a friend who just lost her dog.  Her story hit me pretty close to home, because her dog became ill rather suddenly, spent time at the vet and then died.  Just like our Buck did last summer.  So when I heard the news, I needed to send a card.  I went with the super stamp set called Better Together, and a little bit of Thoughts & Prayers.  Take a look-see:

You can see I used my non-Stampin’ Up! paw print stamp, too….

I used a couple of challenges to help guide my card – the first is a sketch challenge from Fab Friday.  Challenge #95:

And my colors came from the TGIF Challenge #71:

I started with a panel of Very Vanilla card stock that I ran thru the Big Shot in the new (in this Annual Catalog) Festive TIEF.  For the next element, I cut the large and detailed heart from the Bloomin’ Heart Thinlits die set in Rich Razzleberry and adhered it to the panel with my Fine Tip Glue Pen.

Over that, I ran a length of Sweet Sugarplum 3/8″ Ruched Ribbon, securing it in the back with scotch tape.

I used my Squares Layering Framelits and cut two scalloped squares – one each in Sweet Sugarplum and Blushing Bride.  I laid them out in the orientation I wanted for my card front, and ran them thru the Festive TIEF that way.  Then I adhered them together with Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue and popped them on the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

My heart is cut with the smallest of the Sweet & Sassy Framelits dies, in Rich Razzleberry.  I inked my paw print stamp in Tuxedo Black Ink and then in Versamark and stamped it on the heart.  Then I sprinkled it with Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder and heated it up.

Finally, I made the sentiment banner, stamping the Better Together sentiment in Rich Razzleberry on a strip of Very Vanilla card stock.  I rounded both ends with my Envelope Punch board outside rounder and adhered the strip to the underside of the paw print heart.

I popped the sentiment and heart on the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals, matted the whole thing on Blushing Bride and that was it for the card front!

On the inside, I stamped part of the sentiment from Thoughts & Prayers in Rich Razzleberry on a Very Vanilla panel.  Over that, I stamped the paw print again, this time in Sweet Sugarplum, that I’d stamped off once before stamping the card.

I SNAILd the panel to a Blushing Bride mat and into my Rich Razzleberry card base.  I also SNAILd the card front on.  I didn’t mean to SNAIL it – I meant to pop it with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  But apparently I fell asleep or something for a second and when I woke up, I’d already run three sides in SNAIL….so….SNAILd it was!

On my Very Vanilla Medium Envelope, I added a couple of Rich Razzleberry paw prints on the front…

…and then I ran the envelope flap thru in the Festive TIEF to add a little textural interest.

Et Voila!  I like this color combo for a sympathy card – I wasn’t sure I would, but….  The good thing about this card is that, if you eliminated the paw print, it would work just fine for a non-pet sympathy card, don’t you think?  Hope you like!

Scroll on down for the card cuts and all the goodies you need to make this for yourself! 

HOST CODE FOR 1 SEP – 15 SEP: 79MW2XBX 

Use this host code when you order and receive a free gift from me! But, if your order is over $150, please don’t use this code (you’ll miss out on your own Stampin’ Rewards if you use it) but you’ll still get the free gift – your choice of any item valued up to $8.00 in the 2015-16 Annual Catalog or the 2016 Holiday Catalog.

To celebrate the kickoff of the 2016 Holiday Catalog, everyone who orders $50 or more (before shipping and tax) thru the 7th of September, will receive Double Peppermint Reward Points!

Here’s the fine print:

• All orders of $50 or greater (before shipping and taxes) placed through my online store from now thru 7 Sept will earn DOUBLE PEPPERMINT REWARD POINTS!!
• Don’t forget to add the Host Code below if your order is under $150 to get your free thank you gift (orders over $150 automatically get the free thank you gift!).  SPECIAL NOTE:  If you’re in my Online Host Program – don’t use this Host Code!  Use the September Host Code you received from me this morning! 🙂
• For more information about my Punkin Head Peppermint Reward points (my buyer reward program), click here.

Let me know if you have any questions. 🙂

Thoughtful Branches is Still Available!

Stampin’ Up! announced that Thoughtful Branches will be available after 31 Aug – but only while supplies last!  If you don’t have it yet, be sure to get it ordered right away!

If you want more ideas for how to use this great bundle, check out our Pinterest board to see lots and lots of inspiration!  

Thoughtful Branches Photopolymer Set – Item 143539 – $27
Beautiful Branches Thinlits – Item 143538 – $31
Thoughtful Branches Bundle – Item 144328 – $52

You can save 25% on select annual catalog products through from 1 – 21 Sept!  Check out the discounted products for the week of 1 – 7 Sept below.

The sale products will change weekly so check back often – you don’t want to miss out on these great deals!

Click here to go right to them in my Online Store!

Only three more days on the Double Peppermints ordering special – this is a great time to get all those Holiday Catalog goodies!

Enjoy your Sunday! 🙂

TTFN

STAMPIN’ UP! PRODUCTS USED IN THIS PROJECT:    

CARD CUTS FOR THIS PROJECT:

Rich Razzleberry Card Stock: 4 1/4″ x 11″ (card base, scored and fold at 4 1/4″); Sweet & Sassy Framelit heart

Blushing Bride Card Stock: 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″ (mats for card front and for inner liner); 1 3/4″ scallop square

Sweet Sugarplum Card Stock: 2″ scallop square 

Very Vanilla Card Stock: 4″ x 5 1/4″ (card front and inner liner); 3/4″ x 2 3/4″ (sentiment strip)

If you need any stamping supplies, I’d be very happy to be your Demonstrator. Just click on the Order Stampin’ Up! Online Now button on the right side of the screen to go directly to my online store or drop me an email if you have any questions. Happy Stamping!