So I had to do the thing no card maker wants to do.  I had to sit down and create a sympathy card.  A sympathy card that I have been putting off making for a little over a week.  My family lost someone important to us, and I have to go home and say goodbye.  I know I need a card, and yet how do you sit down and create when your heart is heavy.

I wanted to create something pretty.  Something that doesn’t scream sadness.  And yes it had to be somber enough to fit the occasion.  I really felt the new Poinsettia stamp set from Elizabeth Craft Designs designer Krista Schneider.

Step One:  Stamp out the Poinsettia stamps onto some 85lb White Soft Finish Cardstock using copic friendly black ink.

Step Two:  Color the stamped images in with alcohol markers.  I used copics and colored the red tones with R11, RV42, R43, and R46.  I colored the green tones with YG91, YG93, YG97.

Step Three:  Die cut the images with the coordinating Poinsettia die set.

Step Four:  Trim a piece of Dove Gray Soft Finish Cardstock to 6×12 inches, and score and fold at 6 inches to create a 6×6 card frame.  Trim a piece of Wood Effect printed paper to 4.25×4.24.  Die cut a piece of Bonnie Blue Soft Finish Cardstock using the Stitched Squares die set.  Die cut a piece of Cafe au Lait Soft Finish Cardstock using the Dashing Rectangle die set.

Step Five:  Adhere the Wood Effect paper to the Bonnie blue die cut paper using 10mm Clear Double Sided Adhesive, and adhere the Bonnie blue paper to the center of the card frame.  Adhere to the cafe au lait die cut paper to the bottom right corner.

Step Six:  Using Kids choice glue, adhere the die cut flora and fauna to the card frame.  Adhere the large poinsettia to the card using three dimensional tape to pop the poinsettia up.

Step Seven:  Die cut the sentiment from the Words 4- Remember die set and some 85lb White Finish Cardstock.  Adhere to the card frame using Kids Choice Glue.

I hope you enjoyed my card today, despite the fact I hate the reason I had to make it.  I am off to say goodbye to someone I love.  I know this card and the words I put inside of it won’t mean much today, but I am hoping the message warms hearts eventually.