Sympathy Card

Sympathy cards are one of the hardest for me to make.  I always worry that my card will look too "happy" or too "cute", but then again, I don't want it to look "sad".   For this card I used Heidi Swapp's Sugar Chic paper pad and a color magic butterfly.  I think the soft colors of the papers keep this card perfectly acceptable as a sympathy card.

In addition to Heidi's paper products I used a Kraft card base, nestabilities, washi tape and some pearls.

On the inside I put a poem that I read at a recent funeral, I think it's perfect for a card.  Here is a copy of the poem.  Feel free to use it on your next sympathy card.

His Journey's Just Begun
By Ellen Brenneman
Don't think of him as gone away--
his journey's just begun
life holds so many facets
this earth is only one.


 Just think of him as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years.

Think how he must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away.


And think of him as living
in the hearts of those he touched...
for nothing loved is ever lost--
and he was loved so much.

Memory File Adventure - Inspiration - Heidi Swapp

 Memory File Adventure with Heidi Swapp contines, and how could I possible do an inspiration section and not include her?  Any of you who follow me, know that she inspires me in most of my crafty life.  If I am not using a Heidi Swapp project, then I am certainly using at least a part of one of her creative ideas.

 

On this page I used a mod podge of products.  A little Heidi Swapp Serendipity, some Heidi Swapp Sugar Chic,  and a few odds and ends from my color drawers. 

Here is a closer look at Heidi's page. 

You can purchase the entire Heidi Swapp line at Scrapping Clearly

Heidi Swapp Sugar Chic Layout - #Scrapmyoutfit

The other day I challenged Instagrammer followers and a few of my friends to post a layout inspired by what they were wearing that very moment.  I was wearing a black suit with a black and white stripped shirt and a silver/red necklace.  This is the layout I came up with.  It's fun to just have a direction to start and see where you end up.  In my mind I was going to do a very black/white/red layout, but once I started creating this is where I ened up.

 I used the Heidi Swapp Sugar Chic paper pad, buzzwords and color magic hearts/arrows, all of which are available at Michaels right now. 

I also used Pink Paislee's digital cutting file for the cute circle/heart cut piece.  I cut it on the Silhouette.

Thanks for looking.  If you'd like to try to scrap your outfit, I'd love if you would post it on Instagram hash tag #scrapmyoutfit.  I will try and do this again, since it was a holiday weekend, a lot of people didn't have time to play.

Heidi Swapp Color Shine & Sugar Chic Mini Album

 

I made this album to put my spring flower pictures in this year.  It's so bright and cherry.

 I used the Heidi Swapp Color Magic Papers and Color Shine spray in Mustard for the outside covers.  The inside pages are all from the new Sugar Chic Paper Pad now available at Michaels
 

 For the inside pages I cut a sheet of 12 x 12 in half to 12 x 6, then folded it in half, rounded the corners and punched with the cinch.

The shorter pages are from the tag page included in the paper stack.  This album went together in minutes and I love how everything coordinates in Heidi's line.  So easy!

 Now, about that awesome binding wire?  I had an idea the other night.... spray paint!!  Yep, that's all I did and it worked!  I was so excited!!!  Check out these cutie patooties!

Can you imagine how cute these would be on a fun album?  I am so flipping excited!!!!

Circle Journal Part 2 with Heidi Swapp Sugar Chic/Vintage Chic

 This is my input into the wonderfully, uber taleneted Colette Nederhoff's Circle Journal.  Her theme was "a Favorite Quote".

For Colette's Journal, I started with an idea that I created in my Silhouette Studio Software.  This is how I looked in my head.  The weird looking thing on the top is a bow when it's folded.

 And this is how it looked once I printed it and cut it out with the Silhouette.  Colette also used Heidi Swapps File Folder system as a base for her journal.   The insta-frames are only sealed on 3 sides so that Colette can add her photos to the layout. 

I have used the Silhouette Studio software do "design my layouts" for all 3 circle journals.  I like to use this method to get the scale right for the individual elements.

Check out Colette's work at her blog.  She is also an amazing photographer.

I will post my journal soon.  It's still working it's way back to me. 

Circle Journals using Heidi Swapp and Vintage Chic/Sugar Chic

 I've been talking about it for awhile and now I can post most of it.  I participated in a circle journal project with 3 lovely ladies.

If you are not familiar with a Circle Journal, here's how it works.  You gather a group of special crafty friends and you each make a journal.  Each person decides on a theme for their journal (or you could all do the same). 

 

This particular journal was WhimseyGirl.blogspot.com 's journal.   Her theme was a series of questions that each person had to contribute to her journal with their answers.  She titled her journal "She Asked".

 I titled my section as "She Answered".  The picture above is the front cover of a file folder that contains my answers to some of her questions.  I used a combination of Heidi Swapp Vintage Chic, Sugar Chic papers and embellishments as well as a few odds and ends from my stash.

 On this page I answered her question... "what life advice would you give to your daughter?".  I decided to include a letter that was addressed to my daughter in a vellum envelope.  I attached a photo of Ashlea and I to the outer flap of the envelope.

 This is the two page spread.

 This page answered the question..."are you doing what you always thought you would do?"  I included my answer inside the openable (the flowered card).

 "What makes you happy?".  I answered that question in a simple layout I created in photoshop and added only a coupe of elements.

 Each person sends their journal out with the theme set and usually the originator completes the outer shall (cover) and adds their own thoughts related to theme as well.  As a group you decide when each person will send their journal on to the next.  When you receive a journal you have a certain amount of time allotted to add your input to that journal, then you swap again, and so on until the originator has their own journal back.

 This was such a fun project.  If you are interested in a circle journal, I suggest you just go for it!  It's so fun and so inspiring to see all of the different interpretations of the theme.  I thoughly enjoyed it.

If you would like to see the incredible full journal, check out Kathryn Morrow's blog (WhimseyGirl.blogspot.com).  She will show you not only her incredible work she put into the journal, but Colette's input as well.

Next up, I will show you what I put into Colette's journal.