Botanical Sympathy Card with Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts and Graphic 45 Botanicabella
Hello, Friends! I’m so happy to be sharing another project with you as a guest designer. While I don’t have a tutorial, I do have some great tips for working with chipboard titles and laser cut doilies.
This 5″ x 7″ sympathy card is made with Graphic 45’s Botanicabella Deluxe Collector’s Edition. I kept fussing with all the layers, but the card just wasn’t coming together for me. I liked all the elements, but the composition just wasn’t working. Then I remembered that I had a package of Words & Phrases I in my chippie stash.
Adding this elegant chipboard title was the key to making this composition work. I painted the chipboard with Black Soot Distress ink, and sprinkled it with Stampendous Aged Black Embossing Enamel while the paint was still wet. In no time flat the chipboard was transformed into a thing of beauty.
I think it looks like metal, and I love the dimension that embossing with enamel lends to chipboard. I backed the title with paper from the collection, then trimmed away the excess. Magic! I also cut a gorgeous GSL laser cut doily in half and tucked it behind my fussy cut bird. This helped the image stand out from the background. These are not currently in the shop, but Gina assures me that more are on the way, so keep your eyes open for them!
Cheerio,
kathy
Product links:
- Words & Phrases I
- Doilies (coming soon!)
- Graphic 45 Botanicabella Deluxe Collector’s Edition
- 3/8″ white satin ribbon
- Gold Metallic String
- Antique Gold Netting
- Arianna Natural Crochet Lace
- White Botanica Blooms
- White Botanica Minis
- Tea Dye Distress Ink
- Stampendous Aged Black Embossing Enamel
- Black Soot Distress Paint

Hi Kathy,
You may have struggled with this card, but it certainly doesn’t show in the end! What a beautiful composition; using that chippie sentiment was a genius move and further creative genius by backing it with the papers. Using the doily behind the bird really gives him importance and looks so elegant. I love the sentiment on the inside (I have it,but have never used it; as I’m short on sympathy sentiments, I will remember this when the time comes). Kathy, you are so talented; I would love to spend a few days crafting with you to soak up all your incredible skills and ideas! Sorry for my extended absence; we went on vacation, and as you know there’s always extra work to be done before and after. Trying to get around to see everyone, and when time permits to work backward! Big hugs! I hope you had a wonderful birthday!
Ohhhh Kathy! What a beautiful, inspired, gentle, wonderful card. Had someone suggested that I make an In Sympathy card for someone, I wouldn’t ever have thought ‘Graphic 45’. The G45 papers are always so full of jolly and happy, so when I read the title I couldn’t wait for the page to load so that I could see how you handled this. It’s brilliant Kathy. I love it.
Well done you clever thing. ~ Cobs. x
Lovely card Kathy. That sentiment on the inside of the card is wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
Another beautiful card. Love the altered chippie.
Sympathy cards are tough ones, especially for relatives. This is lovely. What a sweet touch to have a pocket for including a photo your cousin will treasure. Thanks, Kathy!
Hugs,
Kris