It’s amazing what a big difference a few little extras can make on a card. For instance, take a look at these two sympathy cards…

Soft Seafoam card base: 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ scored at 4-1/4″
Soft Seafoam (embossed): 4″ x 5-1/4″
Very Vanilla: 2-5/8″ x 4″ and 1/2″ x 2-1/2″
Fresh Fig (embossed): 1/2″ x 4″

You can keep this card simple or step it up a little.

In the photo above, the card on the left is a little more basic and the card on the right has a few extra ingredients that step it up. Here’s a closer look at the stepped-up card along with some tips for making these cards…

• Tips for embossing the background: It’s easier to emboss a piece and add it to your card front than to emboss the entire card front. When you have a deep texture like this it would warp your card. Stampin’ Up! recommends that you spritz your card stock lightly with water first so that your card stock doesn’t crack. I did not do this and my card stock didn’t crack, but if your’s does give the water trick a try!
• Step it up by sponging ink over the top of your embossed piece. The raised images will collect more of the ink and create some nice shading that gives your card even more texture and dimension. For this card, I sponged Crumb Cake ink over top with a Sponge Brayer. You could also use a stamping sponge or sponge daubers. Sponge a little extra around the edges too.
• Use the same color card base as your embossed background. I just love this subtle look for the base of my cards.
• The flower image is stamped with Jet Black StazOn ink and colored in with a blender pen and ink using Fresh Fig on the flowers and Soft Seafoam and Tranquil Tide on the leaves. (Watch the Coloring with Blender Pens Video for more tips)
• Step it up by adding a little Clear Wink of Stella to your flowers to give them some extra shimmer.
• Use your extra paper scraps to add color to your cards. I always seem to end up with these 1/2″ strips that I can’t throw away so I use them to add a little extra color to my cards like the strip of Fresh Fig here.
• Step it up by embossing your paper scraps! For these cards, I used the Subtle Embossing Folder.  It’s subtle but it adds AMAZING texture!
• This is a “generic” card that you could use for any occasion. Replace the “With Love & Sympathy” with any other greeting from the Itty Bitty Greetings stamp set. 
• Step it up by adding some linen thread with a bow and popping your entire floral piece up with Stampin’ Dimensionals when you add it to your card base.

And one last look at the Sympathy Cards…

Supplies Used: (Flowers are from the retired Touches of Texture stamp set, words are from the retired Itty Bitty Greetings stamp set)

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