Encouragment Cards

Making Cards is so therapeutic for me. I make cards at least once a week.  Lately, I have been making lots and lots of encouragement cards.  Why?  I'm not sure.  I think, because I can give an encouragement card to anyone at any time of year.  It doesn't have to be their birthday or a special occasion for me to give an encouragement card.  Not only that, you usually surprise people with an encouragement card and I love surprising people.  Anyway, here are some encouragement cards I have made lately.

Just Keep Swimming!

This is not my favourite card, but the recipient appreciated it and now I have done it, I have lots of ideas of ways to make it better next time.

The background is blended blue inks from Catherine Pooler (I used a make up brush).  I then added a stencil over the top and blended Faded Jeans distress oxide ink through the stencil to make the wavy pattern.  Then, I wet my fingers and flicked water onto the background. It wasn't water colour card stock so I had to be careful not to get it too wet.  I dabbed the water with a paper towel so that it looked like bubbles or water.

I coloured and fussy cut a fish stamp from Kaisercraft and attached it using an action wobbler.  So cute!  Then I die cut the alphabet letters from Lawn Fawn to create my own sentiment.  Then I distressed the edges of the panel before adhering it to a standard sized card base.

Hang in There

This card was a CaSE of a card made by Lisa Lara on Splitcoast Stampers.  You can see her card here.  I didn't have the same stamp set that she used (from Paper Smooches) so I used the Chit Chat stamp set from Lawn Fawn.  I got the sentiment from an Essential Sentiments stamp set by Uniquely Creative (an Australian craft company that makes photopolymer stamps and metal dies).  I used the 8 colours in the Catherine Pooler Life of the Party Ink collection.  I had so much fun creating this card and it's so cute! I would love to make more of these.  I gave this card to a colleague who needed some encouragement this week.  The tiny black dots were made using a fine point black pen as is the line they are all sitting on.

Paper Hugs

This card was also a CaSE, but this time it was a CaSE of a card I made a few years ago!  I wanted to try a new technique with the flowers (ink blending around the edge of the flowers) and I was having a bit of a rainbow thing that day!  Here is photo of my original card.

Here is the new card.  You can see the flowers have more depth of colour, I used a green background and a completely different embossing folder.  The sentiment "this card is a paper hug" is just adorable and it's from the same Uniquely Creative Essential Sentiments stamp set.  The flowers were made using two different sized flower punches in rainbow colours.

Quotable Butterflies

I love this quote from Winnie the Pooh (by AA Milne)!  This layered butterfly stamp set from Catherine Pooler Designs is just beautiful.  It has a few sentiments that are perfect for sympathy, encouragement and just because cards. The layered butterfly and the quote really pack a punch on this clean and simple card. Check it out.

The Quote Says: 

"You're braver that you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think."

- AA Milne

FYI: I am not affiliated with any of these companies and don't receive any compensation for my comments about products I have used.

Remember to encourage the people around you.  They will appreciate it- probably more than you know.  Have a wonderful week!