Landscape Sympathy Card

Sympathy cards aren’t really “fun” to create. However, I needed three sympathy cards this week. For inspiration I grabbed some of my retired 6 x 6 Designer Series Paper and decided to make a landscape sympathy card. As it turns out, all three of the cards that I needed to make were for dads who had passed away. I think making a landscape sympathy card is perfect for masculine cards.

Often times needing a sympathy card catches one off guard. By using the 6 x 6 paper, I was able to create two cards from one sheet of paper. In the end, I easily created four cards. So, now I have one set aside for the next time the need for a sympathy card arises.

Getting the most out of the DSP

To start out, I cut the DSP in half vertically. After that, I decided how much of the top and how much of the bottom of the image I needed to cut off. I knew that I was going to be adhering the paper to a piece of cardstock that was 3-1/2 x 4-1/2 inches. The end result needed to be 4 – 1/4 inches tall. So, I trimmed some off the bottom and some off the top repeating until I had an image that I was happy with. For the second half of the DSP I did the same thing. For one card, I ended up cutting off more of the sky. But this is personal preference. As long as you end up with a piece that is 4 – 1/2 inches tall, you’ll be good.

After centering your image the way you would like, you will cut the image into one inch vertical strips. You can glue the three images onto your cardstock. I chose Boho Blue cardstock as my background color. That is the piece that is 3-1/2 x 4-1/2. All of those pieces can be adhered to a mat that is 3-3/4 x 4-3/4. I chose Night of Navy as my mat.

A few details

I enjoy adding details to make my cards extra special. One such detail can be found in the 4 x 5-1/4 inch piece of Misty Moonlight. After running the cardstock through in the Scripty 3D embossing folder (retired), I used the brayer to very lightly go over the embossed lettering with Misty Moonlight ink. You can see the effect up close in the photo below.

The other detail that I think makes a difference is the use of Dimensionals. I used Dimensionals under the sentiment. (the sentiment came from an old Paper Pumpkin kit). In addition, you can find Dimensionals under the Night of Navy mat. Popping up both of those elements gave the card the extra depth it needed.

Inside details

To tie the pretty landscape on the front of the card to the inside, I used a stamp from the Painted Lavender stamp set. I inked it in Boho Blue and Misty Moonlight stamping directly and stamping off. Then I took my Fresh Freesia Stampin’ Write marker and added little dots of color to the grass. That little pinkish/purple detail helped to really tie the two images together.

Below you will see a picture of both of the cards that I created from the same piece of DSP. If you look carefully, you can see how the image was cut in half vertically with the lefthand side going to the card on the left and the righthand side going to the card on the right. Once I had the measurements and details ironed out, I was able to quickly create four cards.

Thanks so much for stopping by the Treehouse today! Please leave a comment to let me know you were here. And if you need anymore inspiration for sympathy cards, you can see another card that I made here. Last but not least, I have a weekly newsletter that you can sign up for here. When you sign up, you will get a free pdf tutorial and you will be in the know for upcoming classes and specials.