Versatility with Sympathy

This month at Papertrey, Nichole presented us with a special challenge of creating sympathy cards. We all know that sympathy cards are probably not our most favorite to make simply due to the nature of why we're sending these types of cards. Unfortunately, these cards rank high on the list of of cards we need though. Nichole has designed a beautiful and thoughtful stamp set this month called With Sympathy.

Below is a card that I made using a beautiful, vine-like image. There are several varieties of flowers that can be stamped with this image, allowing different ink colors because of the separate stamp images. For my card(s)day, I used soothing colors of Ripe Avocado and Spring Rain paired with the crispness of white card stock with black ink.
The sentiment I chose to use for my card has a very special meaning to me. Nichole chose beautiful sentiments for this set, many I've never seen before. Below is a close up of the vine image on my card. I included blue sequin stars to tie in with the sentiment on this card. I also colored in some leaves with a Copic marker.

I also added the With Sympathy sentiment from the Birds of a Feather set. The script like font is so beautiful and coordinates well with the main sentiment. I cut and embossed it with a long oval die template from Spellbinders, then adhered it to my card front with pop dots. The cardstock that has the main images has been embossed using my Scor-Pal, making raised lines on each side of the Ripe Avocado Twill ribbon.

When choosing stamp set for sympathy cards, I usually reach for images that are nature oriented, such a flowers or trees. I also reach for sets that are not too cutesy looking. A sympathy card should convey the feeling of serenity and comfort. Choosing colors that are found in nature, such as greens, blues and browns, also helps to create a soothing color scheme. I shy away from bright colors when creating sympathy cards. The With Sympathy stamp set has beautifully illustrated images that work well with sympathy cards, but also can be used for every day type greeting cards.

Below is a card that I created using the exact same supplies as my sympathy card. I simply changed out the sentiment and added the nest and eggs image from the Birds of a Feather stamp set. The *take Flight* sentiment is also from this set.

If you compare my two cards, you can see that they are identical except for the sentiments and the nest. This is what I love about this stamp set, it's versatile enough that it won't just sit on your shelf until you need a sympathy card. I know that I'll use the supporting images in this set all year long.

Above, you can see a detail shot of my little nest. I stamped it in Dark Chocolate ink and then added the stamped eggs on top. I used some Ranger Glossy Accents to make the eggs have some shine. I think the nest looks perfectly natural, resting on the vine image. The sentiment I chose for this card front is from Birthday Basics.

I paired the sentiment with the *take Flight* from Birds of a Feather. I think the blend together perfectly. This card could be used for a birthday card, a card of encouragement or how about a Happy New Year card? This card would be great for this time of year.

My best tip for you today is to really think about your stamp sets and study the images that they contain. The versatility of Papertrey stamp sets make it so easy to mix and match images and sentiments. I am always thumbing through my sets, looking for those perfect images. And while you have all of your supplies out, consider making several cards of the same type to have a few extras on hand...or change out a few images like I've done today and make an entirely different batch of cards. It's a good thing.

For more beautiful Sympathy Cards using the new With Sympathy set, visit Nichole's blog and the other Papertrey designers' blogs here:

Niki Estes
Lisa Johnson
Lauren Meader
Nichole Heady
Geny Cassady
Dawn McVey
Becky Oehlers
Melissa Phillips
Heather Nichols
Debbie Olson
Betsy Veldman