Sympathy Card - You Are In My Prayers

This little 5" x 5" sympathy card was made with love. About a month ago, three of my friends (Hi, Kelle, Tina and Dawn) lost a parent...all in one week. I wanted something beautiful to share with each of them to let them know that my thoughts and prayers were with them.  This is what I came up with.

I used some pretty cool techniques on this card that you might want to try.  I'll just give you a step-by-step written tutorial here:

1. Start with a 5" x 10" piece of Chocolate Cardstock folded in half to make the 5" x 5" card base.
2. Next, cut a 4 3/4" x 4 3/4" piece of Colonial White Cardstock.  Sponge the edges with a Round Sponge and your Chocolate Stamp Pad.  
3. You can either stitch around the edges with a dark brown thread or stamp with a stitching stamp. I did the latter. I used a Versamark Pad and Cocoa Embossing Powder to emboss both the stitching and the sentiment (which came from the Card Chatter-Sympathy stamp set).
4. Cut a 3" x 3" and 3 1/4" x 3 1/4" squares of Colonial White Cardstock and a 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" piece of Chocolate Cardstock.
5. On the 3" x 3" piece, you will want to use the doily stamp from the Pirouette stamp set (my current fave!) to stamp your image with a Versamark Pad.  I let mine go over the edges of the piece and be off center. I liked the look.  Sprinkle with Clear Detail Embossing Powder and heat that puppy up with your heat gun.  I realize that you can't really see it very well. That's the whole point!
6. Fill a Spray Pen up to the first fill line with Chocolate Reinker and then add enough water to make it reach the third fill line.   Spray the doily embossed piece heavily until all of the colonial white is covered.  Your doily will now peak through.  Rub off the extra spray ink with a paper towel.  Cool beans!  Let this dry, or help it along by drying it with your heat gun.
7. Next, using a Round Sponge and your Cocoa Pad rub the doilie in a circular motion. This will create the darker brown you see poking out from behind the doilie.
8. Using the excess Chocolate Reinker and water ink in your spray pen, lightly mist the 4 3/4" x 4 3/4" piece.
9. Lastly, fill to about 1/2 the way to the first fill line of a Spray Pen with Black Reinker and then to line 2 or 3 with water.  Shake it up and lightly mist the 3" x 3" square. Let it all dry and assemble as you see so your card looks like my photo.

Here is a detail shot that might help you see the details (which is why I called it a detail shot. Ha!) better.

 Have a wonderful weekend!