Tim Holtz Skeleton Leaves Sympathy Card

Sympathy cards are the hardest to make, but this one was made with so much love and many prayers as I worked bit by bit...  From death comes life, just as the fading leaves bring forth fresh soil for new growth.  There is hope, my friends.  From the ashes of this life God can bring beauty and wholeness.  If you would like to talk about the promises of God and how He can bring you from death into life, please email me through the link in my sidebar. 

For this card I wanted to use spring green, with a bit of fall hue.  I pulled a plaid background I had shared earlier in THIS post.  Here is the video I made for two-toned plaid background stamping.

I used 5.5 x 4.25" mixed media cardstock that was precut in a pack.  I wanted to elongate my design, so I ran the Tim Holtz Stitched Rectangle die through my machine until I got to the end and stopped. 

I lined up the opposite end with the die and put it upside down in my machine for a second run, this time just barely going over the top end.  

Here you can see where the die cut pattern meets.  I knew I was going to add a strip across this section, so it works just fine and gave me the elongated shape I needed.

I have many beautiful scripture stamps by Verve, but none so encouraging as this verse.  I cut it freehand like a scroll and sponged the edges, then curved it with a paintbrush handle.  I tucked it beneath my Skeleton Leaf die, which I had stained with Twisted Citron, Frayed Burlap and Vintage Photo Distress Inks.  I used the 3D Scallop Impresslit to cover the gap on my background. 

The leaves rest on a die cut Stitched Oval, stained with Antique Linen Distress Oxide.   The panel behind the plaid was stamped with the Entomology stamp set script.  On the inside of the card I added another sponged die cut.

I finished it off with a wrap of bakers twine and a Tim Holtz brad.  With love and condolences to the Thomason family...