Today’s card really is the final one using the retiring Seaside Spray ink. It’s a beautiful blue colour that I am going to miss terribly. So it seems only fitting that my final project is a sympathy card.

DOG SYMPATHY

The Pampered Pets Stamp Set is one I’ve had for a while but not used much. It contains images of two dogs and two cats plus some great sentiments that are not specifically pet related.

Today I began with a 4″ x 5-1/4″ layer of Very Vanilla Card and using Early Espresso ink stamped one of the dogs in the bottom left corner. Then towards the top I stamped “Always in your heart… So sorry for your loss”.

On a second 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Very Vanilla Card I stamped the same dog in the bottom right corner. I also stamped the dog on the front of a Very Vanilla Medium Envelope in the bottom right corner.

Next I stamped the dog image onto a Full-Adhesive Post-It® Note. Then I created three masks by cutting out the dog from a stack of three Post-It Notes at once using my Paper Snips. With that done I placed one of the Post-It masks on top of each of my stamped images to project them through the next phase.

Using a piece of retiring Stampin’ Sponge I lightly sponged some Soft Suede ink over the ‘ground’ around each dog. Then changing to a clean piece of Stampin’ Sponge I added some ‘sky’ just around the dog on the sentiment layer with Seaside Spray ink. Now the sponging was complete I removed the masks to reveal the stamped images underneath.

CONTRASTING COLOURS

To create contrast between the soft ink sponged background and the dog images I decided to colour them using Stampin’ Blends alcohol markers. I began by adding some detail to the dog using the dark Crumb Cake marker. Then I coloured over the whole dog using the light Crumb Cake marker. Finally I coloured the collar with the light Bermuda Bay Stampin’ Blends. Once one dog was done, I moved on to the next until all three were complete. Now all I needed was to assemble the card.

First, using my Paper Trimmer I cut and scored some Bermuda Bay Card. Then I folded it along the scored line and sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder to create a card base.

Next, using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow) I fixed the sentiment layer directly onto the front of the card base. Then with the other Very Vanilla layer attached to the inside my project was finished.

This really was a quick card to make, and cutting out more than one mask at a time really speeds up the process.

PRODUCT LIST

UPDATED 2021 – Stampin’ Up! has created a set of Pets Dies that coordinates with the Pampered Pets Stamp Set. Sadly although the stamp set and dies are still available, the discounted bundle offer has ended.

RETIRING PRODUCTS – The Seaside Spray ink pad is retiring and now showing as low inventory so only a limited number remain. Once sold out they will be gone for good. Stampin’ Sponges are also retiring and currently available at 20% off.