Before COVID 19 I started a card making group at my parish as part of The Healing of Hearts Ministry. We would gather quarterly and pray for sick parishioners and those shut-in and unable to attend church services. We would also make cards to send, get-well, thinking of you, and sympathy. I planned the card designs, but we created them as a group.

I mailed out cards on behalf of the group to those in need and we would send everyone on the list a Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter card. The coronavirus has put a huge damper on our gathers, in fact we have not met since November of 2019.

You may not think that a simple card can make a difference, but it can and it does. I have heard from a number of parishioners that they enjoy getting this kind of happy mail. It reminds them that they are important and that someone really does care. We all need that don’t you think?

Today’s card featuring Healing Hugs is a sample of one of the cards made for our community.

• Begin with a Pretty Peacock card base that measures 5 ½ x 8 ½ ”. In landscape position, (aka the long side) score at 4 ¼”.  Fold and burnish.
• Cut a 4 x 5 ¼” piece of the Basic White cardstock and stamp the several of the large flower from Healing Hugs in Pretty Peacock ink.
• On a scrap piece of Basic White cardstock stamp a large flower, again in Pretty Peacock ink and fussy cut out.  Use a sponge dauber to add Pretty Peacock ink to the edges in a flicking motion around the flower.
• Add the cut out flower to the stamped flowers on the Basic White panel. 
• Stamp the greeting in Pretty Peacock ink on a piece of Basic White scrap and punch out using the scalloped oval from the double oval punch.  Next punch two scalloped ovals in Pretty Peacock cardstock.
• Cut one scalloped oval in half lengthwise and the other in half widthwise.  Attach the pieces to the white scalloped oval creating a Pretty Peacock border and attach to the white card panel of flowers and adhere to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
• Next attach the panel of flowers to the Pretty Peacock card front.

• For the inside, cut a 4 x 5 ¼” piece of Basic White cardstock to inside panel and stamp the greeting in Pretty Peacock Ink.
• Repeat the process of stamping one flower directly to the cardstock and stamping two others to a piece of Basic White scrap and fussy cut out.
• Again use the sponge dauber to add a darker dimension around the outside using a flicking motion around all edges.  Attach the flowers to the white card panel.
• I layered the flowers in the lower left corner hanging off the cardstock and trimmed them before attaching to the inside panel.

This Healing Hugs stamp set is in the annual 2020-2021 catalog. Don’t forget this catalog will only be available through the end of April. The Pretty Peacock ink and cardstock used in this card sample will be retiring. If you have all the 2019-2021 ink pads but not the re-inkers, now is the time to add those to your shopping cart.

Retiring items in the 2020-2021 annual catalog will be while supplies last so don’t delay. Once the retired list is available, I will post it here on my blog, but again if you do not have those re-inkers, I would not take the chance on waiting! Yes, that is experience talking, what can I say!

Order before the end of the day Sunday February 28th while it is still Sale-a-Brations! Our Host code is: WYXSZPMJ
Happy stamping and Happy shopping!

It is always sad when we have to create sympathy cards for our loved ones, but what a great opportunity to use our awesome products and our creative crafting talents to bless others.

A good friend of mine recently lost her husband and I hope she will take comfort in this simple Sympathy card made just for her.

I created this card using the Framed For You and the Heal Your Heart stamp sets. I love the calming yet elegant font in the Heal your Heart set!

• Begin with a Blackberry Bliss card base that measures 5 ½ x 8 ½ ”. In landscape position, (aka the long side) score at 4 ¼”.  Fold and burnish.
• Cut a 4 x 5 ¼” piece of the Basic White cardstock and stamp the several flowers in Blackberry Bliss ink in the upper left corner.  Add some leaves and ferns in Shaded Spruce ink. Attach to the front of the Blackberry Bliss card base.
• To the center of the flowers, add a silver metallic pearl.  I also added an extra one to the fern and to the greeting.
• Use the double oval punch to punch a scalloped oval from Blackberry Bliss cardstock.  Use a scrap piece of Basic White cardstock to stamp the With Sympathy greeting in Blackberry Bliss ink.  Punch out the greeting using the smooth oval from the Double Oval Punch.  
• Attach to the front of the card using Stampin’ Dimensionals. Add a small silver pearl to the greeting.

• Cut a 4 x 5¼” piece of White cardstock and stamp the greeting from the Heal Your Heart set in Blackberry ink and attach the cardstock to the inside panel of the card base.
• Feel free to embellish the inside with flowers and leaves or leave it plain as in the sample.

I know sending sympathy cards is never fun and my heart breaks for those who have lost a love one, especially, a significant other! Let us lift up in prayer and send our loving thoughts to all those who have loved and lost!