The Perfect Sentiment- Brand New Blog, Brand New Challenge!

Welcome! I am so glad you stopped by today. It is a very special day!

Today, The Perfect Sentiments challenge blog debuts! I am really excited to be part of the design team, and have no doubt you will understand why when you hop on over there to see what it's all about!

First of all, let me tell you a little bit about the challenges and how we do things at The Perfect Sentiment. Then I'll share my card with you.

Every week, we will have a card-making challenge for you. But there's a bonus: there will always be a little something extra, or as we like to call it: a "twist"! This adds to the fun and gives you, well, and added "challenge" so to speak, and makes for some really great cards, too!

All of us on the Design Team will have cards we have made for the challenges to share with you. (You'll find a list of everyone's blogs below.) These will give you plenty of inspiration! Then, you can join in on the fun by creating your own card, submitting it to us and.... you just might win a prize provided by one of our wonderful sponsors!

To top it off, we also pick "The Perfect 3" each week. And one of them just might be you!

So lets get started. I will share my first challenge card with you:

This challenge is to make a Sympathy card. (So, that's where the sentiment part comes in.)

But the fun "twist" for this particular challenge is... lace!

Here is what I have come up with

I love this sentiment. And it fits well right in the middle so the message is pretty much the first thing you see. I embossed the frame in silver, to make it stand out a little more. I wanted to keep things soft and subtle, but also wanted a little "pop" and decided to do that through my embellishing.

I chose these flowers for a few reasons: to me, they just go hand in hand with a sympathy card. And I thought these particular ones were of the perfect color to pick up the peachy tones in the patterned paper and butterflies and in the white lace ribbon as well.

And when I made my bird, I decided to use lace, too. This was really fun! I die cut it out of chip board. I then painted it with pearl paint. Then, I die cut the pieces out of white lace, too. I took the lace and sprayed it with Tattered Angels glimmer mist and let it dry. Then I adhered the lace with Mod Podge, and brushed a little over the top as well. Finally, when it was completely dry I added a tiny pearl for his eye. I just love how it came out!

And here you can see a little more of my lace ribbon. I also added some pearl swirls, which I think provide a soft and pretty touch. And although I distressed the edges of the patterned paper, it still has an elegant feel to it. And, for just a little more "lace", I stamped the blush blossom card stock layer- and the punched butterflies- faintly with a lace background stamp in Versamark ink.

So there's my take on it! Please be sure to visit ALL of the design team's blogs to see their beautiful interpretations of a "lacy sympathy" card and to get even more inspiration!

Then, I hope you'll create your own card and share it with us! Please keep these rules in mind:

#1 Your card must be submitted to The Perfect Sentiment by Sunday at 10:00 p.m. EST. for a chance to win the prize.

#2 Identify your challenge. Today's challenge is Lacy Sympathy PSC01

I can hardly wait to see what beautiful card you create!

This week we are very fortunate to have a prize from Stef over at Glitterbabe Diji stamps! She will be awarding our challenge winner a $10.00 gift certificate to her store; enough to get yourself 3 Dijis!

Thank you Stef, for being our sponsor for our first challenge!!

Now go have fun checking out all these great cards made by the other members of our design team, and then have a blast creating your own! :-)

And remember... every Wednesday The Perfect Sentiment Challenge Blog will have another new challenge for you!

The Perfect Sentiment design team member's and their blogs:

Jennipher

Sami

Lynn

Abby

Jan

Kimberly

Rochelle

Shaunna

Shelly

Stacey

Tere

Theresa

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Items used in my Lacy Sympathy card~

Papers: SU! Brushed silver and Blush Blossom c/s; SU! Bella Birds dsp; PTI white c/s

Sentiment stamp: SU! Close As A Memory set; Border: ODBD Border stamp; SU! lace background stamp

Accessories:

Ellison chip board; Tim Holtz Caged Bird die; ODBD border die; Martha Stewart butterflies punch; Prima flowers; small paper roses by My Moments; Zva Creative pearls; white lace ribbon from JoAnn's; white lace material; Adirondack Pearl Acrylic paint dabber; Tattered Angels moonlight glimmer mist; Varsamark ink; SU! silver embossing powder; SU! dimensionals.