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Hello! Melissa here with you today, sharing a few cards created to cheer, brighten, and show compassion to someone in need.  I have struggled with sympathy cards over the years, but they have grown to become one of my most favorite type of cards to create.

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There are a few images that come to mind when creating sympathy cards, and flowers and butterflies are just a couple. For my first card, I chose to use a large butterfly along with a sentiment that could work for many different occasions. I've used the Beautiful Butterflies Card Kit from My Favorite Things, layering a stamped and heat embossed butterfly, die cut from vellum, over a stamped butterfly.  Vellum is one of my most favorite mediums to create with because of the instant softness it lends.  I framed my butterfly by using the Single Stitch Line Rounded Rectangle Die-namics. I wanted to create a bit of movement to my butterfly, so I added a couple of vines using the Fancy Foliage Details Dies, tucking them underneath my butterfly wings. I embellished the center of my butterfly using a clear, acrylic flower from Queen & Company.

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Across the bottom of my card, I added my sentiment (from the Beautiful Butterflies Card Kit), heat embossing it using WOW! Golden Flame embossing powder.  It has a beautiful sparkle and shimmer to it, that is the perfect addition to this card.  

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I created my butterfly first by die cutting one from white cardstock and one from vellum.

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I then stamped the cardstock butterfly in two different ink colors from My Favorite Things, Peach Bellini and In the Buff.  I stamped my vellum butterfly using watermark ink, and heat embossed the image using white embossing powder.  Next, I adhered the two layers together in the center, lightly folding the wings upward.

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There are so many wonderful and heartfelt sentiments that are appropriate for many different types of sympathy cards.  This sentiment is one of my favorites.  It can be found in the Inside & Out:  Well Wishes stamp set from Papertrey Ink.  

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I used the Friendship Jar:  Spring Fillers stamp set and coordinating Friendship Jar:  Tulips die to create my flowers.  I added the butterfly to top it off.  It is from the Flower Favorites stamp set.

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After adding a layer of vellum, once again to bring in softness, I added my stamped flowers and sentiment, tucking the flowers behind the sentiment and bringing some of the leaves forward. The sentiment is stamped on a Keep it Simple:  Frames die from Papertrey Ink.

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I created my flowers by first stamping them in watermark ink on watercolor cardstock.  I then heat embossed them using white embossing powder.

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My Zig Clean Color Markers are my favorite way to add color right now:).  They make me feel like a pro every time I use them.  I began by using the lightest color of pink.  First, I would wet down my surface area using my water brush and then I'd add color with my markers.  I'd blend much of the color using my water brush, instead of coloring the entire surface area.

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I then moved on to a bit of orange and ended with hot pink, just in certain areas, like the tips of the flowers, and a bit near the base.  Like I said, I let my water brush do the work, just adding a bit of color with the marker, and then blending with water to move the color around.

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Lastly, I used three different shades of green for the leaves.  I began with the lightest shade and ended with the darkest shade, using it down the centers of the leaves and a bit at the bottoms and tops.  If you're ready to try your hand at watercoloring, I highlighy recommend treating yourself to some Zig markers…you'll love them!

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One last card before I go, this time created with a sentiment most likely associated with a sympathy card.  I love mixing it up a bit for occasions like these, but sometimes something simple like "With Sympathy" is most appropriate.

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I used more flowers on this card, this time using the Brushed Blooms stamp set from Papertrey Ink.  I added a bit of dimension to my largest flowers by adding a second stamped layer, adhering them with dimensional adhesive.

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My sentiment at the bottom is from the Birds of a Feather stamp set and is simple yet so elegant.  

It's always so nice to have a few of these cards on hand, but sure is sweet to create one for a specific person you have in mind who may be struggling and in need of something straight from your heart and hands.

Thanks for your visit today!

Melissa

With All My Love Card

Supplies Used: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Butterfly stamps, dies, and ink:  My Favorite Things; Paper:  Graphis 45 and Kaisercraft; Leaf die and vellum:  Papertrey Ink; Embossing Powder:  Wow!; Flower embellishment:  Queen & Company

Hope Card

Supplies Used: Cardstock:  Bazzill Basics;  Stamps, dies, vellum, rainstones, button, and ink:  Papertrey Ink; Markers:  Kuretake Zig

With Sympathy Card

Supplies Used: Cardstock:  Bazzill Basics:  Stamps, dies, ink, and button:  Papertrey Ink; Paper:  Kaisercraft; Seam Binding:  Needle Traditions