SSS & PTI Challenges Entry: Sympathy Card

Unfortunately, it's inevitable that we're going to need a sympathy card at some point.  Since many of these moments come unexpectedly, I like to have a stash of them made up.  One of the biggest problems I've had with sympathy cards is finding sentiments that don't sound cheesy or overly gushy.  Well, my problem was solved when I purchased Papertrey Ink's "With Sympathy" stamp set.  It has six lovely sayings to choose from along with other images.

This particular sympathy card is an entry in two blog land challenges:  Simon Says Stamp "Show Some Buttons" and Papertrey Ink's "Make It Monday #12:  Line Frame 101"

The Details:

• I had purchased some pearl floral stamen a while back and hadn't used them for anything yet (yeah, well actually that's true of 80% of this squirrel's stash!).  I re-discovered them when digging for flowers and wanted to work them into my challenge card somehow.  Then it occurred to me to make the button the flower's center and have the stamen "grow" out of the buttonholes!  I love the effect...and you can adjust the length of your stamen.  The bonus is they will crush down rather easily for mailing and bounce back for the recipient.
• So I had my flower center, but it was too white for the rest of my design.  Alcohol ink to the rescue!  Oregano alcohol ink was just the ticket to make these buttons and stamen the right color (and my fingers the wrong color...Alcohol Blending Solution and soap to the rescue!).

• The other lovely details are the PTI leaf ribbon "branch" that the bird is poised on and Glossy Accents on said bird (which is also layered using cardboard and foam tape...I know, I know, I'm on a layering kick lately!)
• The required elements are one PTI product (I feature four), the hand drawn line frame, and the buttons.

Supplies:

Paper:  Papertrey Ink ‘Kraft’ card stock; scrap pattern paper

Stamps:  PTI ‘With Sympathy'; Chatter Box ‘Fabulous’

Inks:  StazOn ‘Timber Brown’; Distress Inks ‘Vintage Photo’, ‘Tattered Rose’, ‘Crushed Olive’, ‘Wild Honey’, ‘Barn Door’; Alcohol Ink ‘Oregano’; Alcohol Blending Solution; Le Pen ‘Brown’

Embellishments:  PTI Leaf Ribbon; PTI Rustic Button Twine ‘Cream’; Darice Paper Petals; pearl stamen; mother-of-pearl buttons; Glossy Accents

Tools:  Tim Holtz Paper Distresser; ruler

Misc:  adhesive; foam tape, cardboard, glue dots

The Squirrel's Little Helpers:

I had "help" in the studio today...  

I wish I could get a good photo of these two next to each other to show you the size difference.  They remind me of that movie "Twins" with Danny Devito and Arnold Schwarzenegger!

Mr. Dodger (Devito) just turned 1 year old this week!  (He's a stray/rescue so I'm not exactly sure of his birthday, but it's close.)  He is an absolute lover and likes to sit on the footstool under my work table and bat at me when he wants attention or wants to play with whatever I'm working with at the moment (which is often).  He's a chewer, so I have to keep my eye on him around cords, ribbon, fringe of any kind, scarves, receipts hanging out of my purse...

Oliver (Schwarzenegger) will be 12 in July and loves to visit me in the studio because he knows that's where momma keeps the treats.  And he'll always get some love if he comes to see me there.  He must have been feeling his age today because he wouldn't stay on the chair (out of Dodger's reach) until I added the pillow.  I guess I'll start calling him Prince Ollie!  His beautiful green eyes are just slits because he also has learned that a camera flashes.