Thursday, May 17, 2012

Hope Blooms

When I was a teenager, I spent three years working as a Candy Striper at Baptist Memorial Hospital. My first two years, one of my jobs was to deliver flowers to patients. People were always so pleased to receive a vase of flowers. It was obvious that flowers were given to cheer up those who were recuperating. There's something bright and happy about looking at flowers.

My husband and I spent Mother's Day with a group of family at a Botanical Garden. The flowers and trees were amazing and inspired this shaped card along with these lovely challenges: The Shabby Tea Room Week #114 inspiration photo and request to make Shaped Cards. Dutch Dare Card Challenge #165 is also for shaped cards. I used the Shopping Our Stash Weekly Challenge #52 Bingo, the column under "G" - patterned paper, blue, sentiment, ribbon, and tag. (They are celebrating their birthday so you can enter as many times as you like!)




This is a really fun shape to make. I traced a template making sure that the front of the card is higher, revealing the inside of the card where a strip of patterned paper will show. The top was embossed after using a brayer with ink on the raised leaf portion, so that the colored debossed side shows on the front. My intent was to decorate the leaves as if they were a bouquet of flowers tied with a ribbon and tag like the ones I used to deliver.

I'm hoping that this card with it's flowers and verse will bring loving cheer to someone who needs to encouragment that God is with them in their time of need and will help them.

Challenges:
Basic Grey Challenge #58 - Anything Goes with Baisc Grey paper (I used Sweet Threads)
Dutch Dare Card Challenge#165 - shaped cards
Shopping Our Stash Weekly #52 - Bingo
The Shabby Tea Room #114 - Inspiration photo and shaped card

4.25: x 5.5" Encouragement Card Recipe:
Paper - Basic Grey "Sweet Threads;" Close To My Heart White Daisy, Hollyhock cardstock
Stamp - Verve "Hope Blooms"
Inks - CTMH Sweet Leaf, Hollyhock
Accents/Tools - Cuttlebug embossing folder; brayer; CTMH Pearl Opaques; Michaels silver cord, Recollections floral embellishments; white satin ribbon



3 comments:

Dawn said...

Flowers do cheer a person up whether in the hospital, Mother's Day or Get Well Soon... I love your card, it is super pretty and as cheerful as a vase of flowers! Hugs, Dawn

MIE(Mieko) said...

Beautiful card! Thanks for joining us at Basic Grey Challenges. Hugs Mieko xx

Deena said...

this card is gorgeous! love the debossed leaves on it and the colours are fabulous. Thanks for joining in the Shopping our Stash Birthday Bingo Bash!