Beige and brown Quiet Meadow Sympathy Card

Hi everyone!  I've been MIA for quite a while as I've had some things going on in my life, but I'm back in the saddle and I've created this sympathy card using brown muted tones and the new Stampin' Up! Quiet Meadow stamp set and matching Meadow dies.  The subtle stamped background is shabby chic and very understated and I just love how it turned out.  I hope you do too.  Here's how the magic happens:

List of Ingredients:

Stamps:  Quiet Meadow, Heal Your Heart (this set is retired, but you may use any sympathy sentiment you desire)

Dies:  Meadow Dies

Ink:  Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake

Cardstock:  Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla

Accessories:  Lovely Labels Pick A punch, Basic Patterns Decorative Mask, Crumb Cake linen thread, paper snips, blending brushes, Dark Soft Suede Stampin' Blend, bone folder, Tombow liquid adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals, Very Vanilla envelope, paper trimmer

 

Dimensions:

Card base:  8 1/2" x 5 1/2 ", scored at 4 1/2" – Crumb Cake

Inside of card:  5 1/4" x 4"  -  Soft Suede and 5" x 3 3/4" Very Vanilla

First layer:  5 1/4" x 4" –  Soft Suede

Second layer:  5 1/4" x 4" – Very Vanilla  (Will be trimmed down after stamping to 5" x 3 3/4"

Scraps:  Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede

 

Basic Instructions:

1.  Cut and fold card base. 

2.  Stamp top layer of Very Vanilla using stamps from Quiet Meadow stamp set including the text and splatter images randomly to create a background as desired.  Using a blender brush, blend Soft Suede ink using the basic mask as desired and also around the edges of the card to create a shabby chic appearance.  Then trim this panel to 5" x 3 3/4" and save the longer strip for use on the inside layer of the card.  Using paper snips, rough up the edges of the front panel and add more Soft Suede ink around the edges.  Adhere this panel to the Soft Suede panel and then adhere to the card base.

3.  Using the Meadow dies, cut out several different flowers using Very Vanilla, Soft Suede and Crumb Cake scraps as desired.  Using blending brushes, brush Soft Suede ink over the flower shapes to create a mottled type appearance on the flowers.

4.  On a 1" x 5 1/2" scrap of Very Vanilla, stamp the sentiment using Early Espresso ink.  Then punch it out to the desired length using the desired Lovely Labels punch.  Stamp over the sentiment using the splatter stamp and Crumb Cake ink stamped off to create a muted background.  Sponge around the edges using the blending brush and Soft Suede Ink.  Adhere dimensionals onto both ends of the sentiment strip but avoiding the middle, as this will be straddling the stems of the flowers and also the linen thread bow.  Set aside until flowers and bow are adhered.

5.  Dry fit the flowers as desired into a small bouquet on the front of the card, crisscrossing the stems near the bottom.  When you are satisfied with your arrangement, adhere them to the card front with Tombow liquid glue, again crisscrossing the stems near the bottom. 

6.  Tie a loopy bow with linen thread as desired and adhere onto the stems where they cross in the middle.

7.  Adhere the sentiment strip over the stems and bow using dimensionals.  If the bow is too high for one dimensional layer, add a second layer of dimensionals on top of the first so the sentiment is even. 

8.  Add some Wink of Stella onto the flowers that you stamped to give them a subtle sheen.

9.  For inside layer, stamp the desired sentiment in Early Espresso ink and blend Soft Suede ink around the edges of the Very Vanilla layer.  Adhere the small strip that you trimmed from the front layer of the card to the Very Vanilla layer on the right side, leaving a small border.  Adhere the Very Vanilla layer to the Soft Suede mat layer.  Using an extra flower left over from the front of the card, adhere this with Tombow glue to the lower left corner of the Very Vanilla layer.  Adhere this matted layer to the inside of the card using Tombow liquid blue.

10.  For the envelope, use the flower stamp from the Quiet Meadow stamp set and stamp the image in the lower left corner of the front of the envelope and also stamp a few sets of the flower stamp onto the flap so they are at varying heights.  Using the Dark Soft Suede Stampin' Blend, tap it against your bone folder of an acrylic block to create muted splatter on the front left corner of the card as well as the envelope flap.

 

If you would like to purchase the products used to create this card, please click on the picture below, which will bring you to my shopping page with a complete list of these items already checked and ready to add to your cart.  If you don't need or want all the products checked, just uncheck any of the items you don't wish to purchase. 

I hope this inspired you to get your fingers inky!

 

Chris