Sending Hugs and Prayers

a2z Scrapbooking's challenge this month is "To Die For": use a Hero Arts die somewhere on your project. I admittedly do not have many Hero Arts dies, but I used two on this card.

I decided to CASE this card, that I found on Pinterest. I really liked the circular element, and the bird on the edge (though I substituted a butterfly). I stamped one of the images from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' "Serene Silhouettes" onto a piece of Strathmore Smooth Bristol paper, in Versafine Onyx Black ink. Then I clear heat embossed it, and die cut it with a Spellbinders "Standard Circles SM" die. I inked the panel with Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans, and Chipped Sapphire Distress inks to create a bit of an ombre look. I also cut a mat for the circle with a "Standard Circles LG" die from black cardstock. I adhered the focal image to the mat, and set that aside.

For my basic design, I used Sketch #219 from Operation Write Home. I cut a piece of brown gingham paper from My Mind's Eye's "Unforgettable" 6x6" pad, and another panel of butterfly paper from the Authentique "Latest & Greatest" 6x6" pad. For the background, I inked a piece of white cardstock with the same inks I'd used on the circle. After the ink had dried, I adhered my patterned papers to that, with a black strip in between.

I stamped one of the butterflies from Hero Arts' "Butterflies #3" set (discontinued) onto a piece of bristol, again using Versafine & clear heat embossing. I colored it with 2 Zig Clean Color pens, and die cut it with the coordinating die.

I used one of the greetings from the "Prayers" stamp set by Hero Arts & Simon Says Stamp. I stamped the large "prayers" word onto some white cardstock with Versafine, and clear heat embossed it. Then I cut it out with the coordinating die. I stamped the first part of the greeting on the black strip with Versamark, and heat embossed it with Ranger Super Fine Detail White embossing powder.

To finish the card, I adhered my focal panel to the card front, and glued the butterfly in place. I glued the "prayers" down, and mounted the completed card front to a white A2 card base. I will be sending this for the Lasting Hearts card drive, for parents who have lost a child to miscarriage.

I'm also entering this card in Die Cut Divas: "Anything Goes" challenge.