Pet Sympathy Cards featuring Simon Says Stamp
It is never easy to lose a pet. Most people consider them another part of their family, so losing a pet is like losing a family member. I experienced this personally in 2010 when my 3 ferrets became suddenly ill and were all put down or passed within the same two-week span. That was heartbreaking. One was enough, but three? It took me a while to get back onto my feet after that.
*pictured from left to right: Shadow, Gizmo, and Zorro - RIP buddies! Miss you*
The one thing I enjoy most about making cards is being able to use my creativity to show friends and loved ones that I care about them. Cards aren't just for birthdays, but for holidays, encouragement, thanks, sympathy, etc. Being able to make a sympathy card for someone who is experience pain and grieving over the loss of a pet is always the least I can do.
Working at a vet hospital, seeing sick pets and performing euthanasias is part of the package. As I have created cards for birthdays and other holidays for my coworkers, they have shown their appreciation and admiration of my creativity. Many feel I should sell my cards and others have asked personally for me to create some cards to have on hand for euthanasias we perform on pets we know really well. A card is a great way to show compassion, but sending reproduced, generic cards to every family who has lost a pet lacks some of that compassion. Being able to create a card especially for pets/owners we have a close relationship with gives us the chance to show them they're not "just another patient/client." Yesterday morning I was asked by one of the veterinarians I work with to create a card for a pet she was close to that we recently euthanized. She wanted to be able to show a little more compassion than just being one of many to sign a generic sympathy card, so I made her a card, plus some extras to keep on hand.
I began the card by searching Pinterest for some ideas to get started. I was inspired by one from Nichol Magouirk, which was actually one that I had come across previously and inspired me to buy the pet sympathy stamp and die sets that I have.
I had previously only used them once or twice:
Since I was short on time, I decided to make a similar card to Nichol's but would fit the time restraints that I had. I picked out a gray patterned paper to keep the sex of the pet neutral. I have my loose patterned papers separate by color, then theme, so I just went to my gray folder and picked out one. Then, I die cut a stitched rectangle from that paper using Lawn Fawn's Small and Large Stitched Rectangle Dies to fit the front of the card (4.25"x5.5"). I also picked some white paper and die cut them using another stitched rectangle die, 3.75"x5" I believe.
I then die cut the sentiment "with sympathy" with SSS's With Sympathy die using some Whisper cardstock from CTMH and adhered that to the bottom of the white piece. I then stamped the paw print twice from SSS's Pawprints on Our Hearts stamp set in the same Whisper dye ink color, and finished off the card with some Clear Wink of Stella and enamel hearts from CTMH (no longer available). As a last minute touch to complete the card, I built the sentiment "pets leave paw prints on our hearts" using Lawn Fawn's Milo's ABCs stamp set and SSS's Pawprints on Our Hearts.
While I was making this card, I decided to make a few more with a similar design to have on hand when needed since this card would be easy to duplicate. In the end, I made two vertical cards and two horizontal cards. Despite not wanting to think ahead about pet euthanasias/deaths, I know that I am prepared just in case to bring that comfort to someone else's home.
I am also entering this card into Simon Says: Anything Goes :)
Thanks for stopping by! Happy crafting :)
