Stamp-tacular Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stamp-tacular Blog Hop. This is my FAVORITE blog hop of the whole year. I can't wait to see what all the Makers have created. You should have come from Michelle's blog, but don't worry if you started here. The hop is a circle so just keep going until you've seen all the fabulous inspiration from these incredibly talented ladies. If you get lost along the way, head to Melinda's blog for a full list of participants.

Most of the time when I make a card, it needs to be one I can create quickly. But sometimes I need to slow way down and do something that takes extra time. Usually that's for the sake of the recipient; once in a while it's for me because art is my therapy. For this card, it was both.

I've recently realized just how much winter and the pandemic has taken out of me. I'm suffering from mild depression. Art, as I said, is therapy--and the more time I take to create something beautiful, the more I get lost in it and the better it is for my soul. I also have a friend whose teenage daughter committed suicide a few months ago.

You don't send a quick and easy card for something like that.

One of the greatest fears of parents who lose a child is that they'll be forgotten. I plan to keep sending cards to my friend throughout the year--and for years to come--to let her know I remember.

I combined Where Happiness Blooms with Thin Cuts, on sale for $20, and Sweet Fruit with Thin Cuts, on sale for $25, for this card. I also used eight different ink colors and some sponge daubers to create my shading. Here's the list of colors:

• Linen with Mink shading (watering can)
• Avocado with Fern shading (all leaves)
• Peach with Desert Rose shading (tulips and grapefruit slice)
• Lemonade and Sundance (two-tone lemon)

Everything was cut using the coordinating thin cuts except the leaves around the fruit and the solitary tulip on the bottom left. I hand cut those using Micro-tip Scissors. The only extra coloring I did was to add some colored pencil lines for the tulip stems. The background paper is from the Eat Play Love collection cut with the largest Stitched Rectangle Frame Thin Cuts. After everything was cut and assembled, I accented with White Liquid Pearls. 

The whole saying is "Where flowers bloom, so does hope." I can't think of a better sentiment to send a grieving mom when spring is in the air.

For more artwork featuring the Sweet Fruit stamp set, click here. For more featuring the Where Happiness Blooms set, click here and here, but be aware that not all the supplies used are still available.

Now you're off to Gina's blog. I'm right behind you because over twenty ladies contributed to this hop, and I can't wait to see what they have created to inspire us!!

Until next time,
Becca