The Beauty of Compassion...

Good morning! Today I want to share with you, a beautiful new sentiment stamp set called, "Christian Sympathy". The typefaces on this set are lovely and will express your heartfelt expressions beautifully. I always like to have a card handy for those unfortunate times when a friend needs encouragement or consoling from life's tragic seasons, and this set was a welcome addition to my collection! Many uses await "Christian Sympathy" by Clear Dollar Stamps, releasing February 1st. Ordering and pricing details may be found HERE. Be sure to see my team members' blogs, Stacy Morgan and Linsey Rickett for some other samples to view using "Christian Sympathy".

Stamp Sets Used: Clear Dollar Stamps "Christian Sympathy"
Cardstock & Papers: Basic Grey "Offbeat" Designer Paper Pad, K&Co."Remake" Earth Browns Mat Pad, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Inkpads: Stampin' Up! Baja Breeze Ink & Chocolate Chip Inks, Stazon Black Ink
Accessories: Nestabilities Labels Two Dies SU! Mat Pack, Piercing Tool, Karen Foster Click-It Hole Punch Set, Tsukineko Sponge Daubers, Martha Stewart Leaf & Bird Punches, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Sewing Machine, Thread, American Crafts Dimensionals, Adhesives, Kaiser "Bliss" Self-Adhesive Pearls, Spare Parts Paper Flowers, K&Co. White Glitter Bloom, Offray Satin Ribbon, K&Co. "Smitten" Adhesive Paper Ribbon
Special Techniques: Basic Stamping, Sponging, Machine Stitching, Paper Piercing

INSTRUCTIONS:
A 5"x 5"" card base was cut from Paper Trey White Cardstock and set aside. Three square mats were cut to size: Blue - 5" x 5", Brown - 4.5" x 4.5", Blue Print 4.25" x 4.25. All three square mats were glued together and then I embellished the smallest square blue, patterned mat with K&Co. "Smitten" Adhesive Paper Ribbon around all four sides. Using my Janome Hello Kitty Sewing Machine ; ) I machine stitched around the 4 sides of the largest blue mat, as well as the smaller, blue patterned mat (over the adhesive paper ribbon white trim), and set aside.

The main sentiment is from Clear Dollar Stamps "Christian Sympathy" and was stamped onto Paper Trey White Cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. The sentiment was centered and cut out using the Nestabilities Labels Two Die and then lightly sponged around the sentiment using a Tsukineko Sponge Dauber, and then more heavily around the edges. I "tipped" the sentiment die cut using Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip Ink. Using a Paper Piercing Tool, I freehand pierced around the edge of the sentiment die edge. Using the same Nestabilities dies, I created a white mat for the sentiment, and freehand paper pierced a double row border around the white mat edge for interest. I glued the sentiment and the white mat together. A bird was created using a Martha Stewart Bird Punch with Paper Trey White Cardstock. I lightly sponged the interior of the bird body with Stampin' Up! Baja Blue and then more heavily around the bird edge and more heavily with "tipping'. Using a Signo Black Gel Pen, I highlighted the bird's eye (he needs to see, right?)

A strip of Offray Brown Satin Ribbon was cut and anchored to the back of the card front, making a "V" at the bottom. I popped up the matted sentiment on American Crafts Dimensionals overtop the satin ribbon, and popped up the bird overtop the lower right edge of the sentiment. I embellished the sentiment with three Kaiser "Bliss" Self-Adhesive Pearls to represent the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

The floral ornament was created with two Paper Flowers from Spare Parts and a small part of a White Glitter Flower from K&Co. I added a smaller "Bliss" matching pearl from Kaiser as a flower center. The foliage around the flower was created with a Martha Stewart Leaf Punch and White Paper Trey Cardstock. The leaves and the flower were then anchored to the card, using a brad and adhesives. To finish, the card front was glued to the white cardstock base.