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With Brave Wings She Flies Card

April 6, 2020 April 2, 2020 Autumn Zenith26 comments
With Brave Wings She Flies encouragement card

It’s safe to say that spring has officially started to return when I – perpetual lover of all things dark, spooky, and fall toned – delve into colours as vibrant as those featured in today’s project share. 😄

With Brave Wings She Flies pink and orange handmade encouragement card

Indeed, the intensity of these juicy hues – which immediately reminds me of classic Popsicles – is as suitable for spring as it is for summer.

Plus, as we’ll discuss later on in this post, there are a number of different occasions and events throughout the year for which this design card would also work smashingly.

With Brave Wings She Flies card

At the start of 2020, someone who is immeasurably close to me went through a breakup. While the relationship itself hadn’t lasted all that long, it was the first one of serious merit for that person following the very abrupt and unforeseen end of a twenty-year partnership they had experienced with a different individual.

Within minutes of hearing the news about this most recent conclusion of a relationship, I knew that I wanted to make a heartfelt card of support for my loved one.

With Brave Wings She Flies pink and orange handmade encouragement card

Mere moments later, an image of angel wings sprung to my mind and proved to be the catalyst for the creation of this thinking of you card.

I knew that I had a package of two pairs of fabric angel wings in my stash. They were a circa 1980s or early 1990s Etsy find a while back that I’d been tucking away for just the right paper crafting project.

This was definitely it and once I’d dug them out of a basic of assorted dimensional embellishments, I set about finding a suitable sentiment for my card.

I scanned my stamps, dies and stickers, and there were some lovely options, but none that felt 100% right for this instance.

Next, I turned to my 12×12 inch cut-apart sentiment papers and it was there that this touchingly beautiful message all but leapt off the page at me. Its colour scheme of warm oranges and intense pinks set the tone for the rest of the elements that I used on this project.

With Brave Wings She Flies pink and orange handmade encouragement card

The fact that the orange and dark pink sentiment was grounded in a sea of pale pink worked excellently with the white angel wings, and between the two components, very few other colours entered the picture.

Conveying a strong sense of positivity and support was paramount for me with this card.

To that end, I embraced the strong, energy bolstering hues, used multiple types of heart embellishments (to represent the love and support I have for my recipient), and utilized the inherently upbeat properties of both flowers and dragonflies.

The later of which came in the form of both a paper die cut and pre-made embellishments complete with that most cheerful of crafting ingredients: glitter!

Putting this encouragement card together

As usual for me, I started with a decent sized card base (I didn’t measure it before giving this card to my recipient, but I’d guess that it was in my normal 5” x 7” size range). Classic, subtly textured white cardstock did the trick there this time around.

Next, I selected two patterned papers (one floral print, the other tone-on-tone orange) and a solid coloured dark pink (almost fuchsia) cardstock to compliment the colours in the sentiment.

With Brave Wings She Flies pink and orange handmade encouragement card

I die cut a rectangle with a standard stitched border die and then embossed it with a cute heart design embossing folder.

This was followed by die cutting two different elegant shaped frames (one from the orange patterned paper, the other from the dark pink cardstock).

Using the backside of the pink floral print paper, which had a different orange print from the paper that I just mentioned, I die cut an ornate border strip.

With these elements ready to go, and having lightly inked a few paper and cardstock edges, I began assembling my card.

I don’t own a lot of washi tape at the moment. However, I felt the urge to dig into my tiny collection for this project and was delighted to find a white and dark pink floral print washi that coordinated wonderfully with this upbeat card.

It was put to work alongside the orange die cut border strip, as well as on the top and bottom of the sentiment.

With Brave Wings She Flies pink and orange handmade encouragement card

While I wasn’t going for an overly thick/dimensional design this time around, I do love including at least a few layers on most of my makes, so once the paper and cardstock elements – plus the washi tape and fabric wings – were in place, I dove into my die cut shapes and found these thoroughly lovely flowers from Schimelle’s Head In the Clouds collection.

I partnered these die cut shapes with natural coloured wooden hearts, two sparkly pre-made dragonfly embellishments, and some cute adhesive heart gems that I picked up a while back from Pink and Main.

When everything was in place, I stepped back – something I do with almost all of my paper crafting makes – and assessed if this card felt complete or not to me.

It was close, no two ways about it, but I felt that it needed just a little something more so I reached for my trusty white Uniball pen and drew some faux stitching on the dark pink die cut layer (which echoes the die cut stitched design of the heart embossed white cardstock layer).

That’s it, my dears. This card is quite easy to make and took somewhat less time to construct than many of the others that I create.

Card making tips and ideas from this project

-No premade angel wings of any kind (fabric, resin, wood, chipboard, etc)? No problem! You could use pre-made die cut wings (Christmas die cut packs sometimes include angels and angel wings), die cut your own with metal dies or an electronic die cutting machine, fussy cut some from patterned paper, use wing-shaped stickers, shape white feathers to resemble wings, stamp and cut out a pair of wings, or drawn and cut some out freehand.

–Dragonflies are a fun, somewhat unexpected change of pace from butterflies, but if you don’t have any dragonfly products to hand, that’s totally fine. Butterflies would look smashing here, too. As would ladybugs, some types of birds, and even bumblebees (especially if they were in similar colours to the rest of the card).

With Brave Wings She Flies pink and orange handmade encouragement card

-Tilt some of the elements of your project at an to add visual interest to your design. When doing so, I generally like to keep some elements straight (be it vertically, horizontally or both) and slant others at an angle. This helps to ground the angled pieces and create a lovely sense of balance throughout your design.

-Hand drawn stitching is one of my all-time favourite paper crafting techniques. It’s easy, versatile and can really add a lot of pizzazz to your projects. You could, of course, use hand or machine stitching, stitched design run-ons or stickers, or stitching themed stamps here as well. Each would be classic, fun and delightful looking.

-I’ve touched on this in past project shares and no doubt will again in the future, as it’s such an important design element, but don’t forget to work in uneven numbers for at least some of your design components.

Here, for example, I used three wooden veneer hearts and two glittery, dimensional dragonfly embellishments. This totals five, which is itself an uneven number. I also utilized one flower-shaped and one dragonfly shaped die cut piece. Once more, this totalled up to an uneven number: seven. As did the three heart-shaped bling embellishments.

With Brave Wings She Flies pink and orange handmade encouragement card

-If you don’t have – or don’t want to use – washi tape, sub in ribbon, twill tape, seam binding, a border strip, border die cut, long rub-on applied to a slender piece of cardstock or paper, fabric trim, strip of burlap, piece of felt (or other fabric), skinny sentiment strip, or even a row of pre-attached rhinestone gems instead.

–Repeat design elements in different forms throughout the same project. Here, for example, hearts appear three times, stitching elements twice, dragonflies twice, and each main colour at least times. Taking this approach really helps to pull a paper crafting make together and can aid in ensuring the various components involved jive well with one another.

-While not done intentionally, the colour palette here would be a natural fit for someone dealing with breast cancer.

Products used to create this feminine pink and orange card

-Stitched border square or rectangle-shaped die (such as this set of stitched square dies from Lawn Fawn)

-One or two different elegant border dies (or border punches)

-Heart patterned embossing folder

-Dew Drop Memento Ink in Tangelo and Love Letter

–Singo Unibal White Gel Pen

-Fabric angel wings (or see alternative ideas above) – somewhat similar looking fabric angel wings

-White and dark pink cardstock

-Sentiment cut-apart or another sentiment of your choice – the one that I used here came from the Paige Evans 01 sheet from Pink Paislee

-Two – three printed papers of your choosing

-Die cut ephemera pieces – Shimelle Head in the Clouds Ephemera from American Crafts

-Wood veneer hearts – similar looking wood veneer hearts

-Dimensional dragonfly embellishments (try dollar stores, craft stores, Ali Express, eBay, and Etsy for similar looking products)

-SMall heart-shaped embellishments – Rose Gold Glossy Hearts from Pink & Main

-Dark pink washi tape (or see notes above for alternatives)

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

Other occasions that this angel wing design would work wonderfully for

If you like this general design, but aren’t feeling the combo of pink, white and orange, why not swap in 2 – 4 other colours that you’d prefer instead?

The following are a few possible options:

-Red, white (or grey) and pink for Valentine’s Day.

-Aqua or mint green, light purple, dark purple and soft yellow for a spring, Ostara or Easter card.

-Dusty rose, pine green, burgundy and cream or ivy for a Mother’s Day card, anniversary card, birthday card, or thinking of you card.

-Peach, turquoise, and either coral or navy blue for a summertime greeting, birthday card, or party invitation.

-Rose gold, white, black and clear (sequins, acetate, sheer vellum, etc) for a wedding card, anniversary card, love card, or New Year’s card.

-White, black, grey and/or silver for a sympathy card.

-Baby blue, soft peach and light butter yellow for a baby shower or baby’s first birthday card.

-Orange, silver and black for Halloween (bat or owl wings would make a fun alternative to the angel wings).

-Copper or terracotta, olive green, kraft or soft brown, and teal for Thanksgiving.

-Red, green and white or grey plus (cabbage roses and holy leaves partnered with doves or cardinals could be gorgeous) for Christmas.

-Gold, ivory and chocolate or espresso brown for New Years, Imbolc, or a more masculine design.

These are but a small handful of possible options. The sky is the limit! And there’s nothing to stop you from going monochromatic here as well.

With Brave Wings She Flies pink and orange handmade encouragement card

I am happy to report that things have, thankfully, turned around for the better already for my loved one who received this cheerfully hued handmade card.

It helped to brighten their week and bolster their mood, plus it reminded me to utilize wings more often in some of my paper crafting makes.

As for the ultra-bright colours? They’re unlikely to become an everyday occurrence here, but they are certainly fun to bust them out every now and then. 😃

Project share

Pin the image below – or any other in this post – to Pinterest, pop it into your Instagram Stories, post in on Twitter or Facebook, or share it anywhere else you wish to help yourself find it again and to inspire others at the same time.

With Brave Wings She Flies pink and orange handmade encouragement card

If you make a project based on or inspired by this card – or want to share any of your other handmade crafts with me – please use the hashtags #WitchcraftedLife and #WitchcraftedLifeMakes on social media so that I see can your beautiful creations.

angel cardangel wingsbreast cancer cardcard makingcardsdie cut carddragonfly cardencouragement cardfeminine cardshope cardlayered cardpaper craftingPink & Mainpink and orange cardsupport card
Autumn ZenithApril 6, 2020
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Autumn Zenith

Autumn Zenith

Old-souled Pagan witch. Empath. Passionate paper crafter. Taphophile. Fall obsessed. Spoonie. Dog mom. Creator of the #MakeHalloween365 hashtag. Dedicated to providing an inclusive space in which to inspire, inform, and support others on their own wonderfully unique spiritual and creative journeys.

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26 Comments

  1. Shybiker says:
    April 6, 2020 at 6:46 AM

    What beautiful colors and embellishments. Projects like this make both the creator and recipient happy. Good work!

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      April 6, 2020 at 9:41 AM

      Thank you immensely, my very kind friend. How right you are about the twofold happiness of creating projects for others. Terrific point!

      That’s something I’ve felt since the get-go over the years with website running and blogging, too, though would say that differs a bit, as there is usually less of a one-on-one comment, given that posts (and articles) are generally intended for a multi-person audience.

      Still, there are shared points between both crafting projects for others and creating digital content – the latter usually involves less glue, ink and paper though! 😄

      I truly appreciate your heart-touching support of my paper crafts, Ally. Thank you again.

      May you have a sunny, safe, beautiful Easter week,
      ♥ Autumn

      Reply
  2. Sheila (of Ephemera) says:
    April 6, 2020 at 11:33 AM

    That’s just lovely, Autumn! Orange and pink is one of my favourite colour combinations. I really like that you added the white “stitching” after you stepped back and assessed it – I think it makes it perfect.

    I am with you on the “law of odds” – always use odd numbers!

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      April 9, 2020 at 8:43 PM

      Hi lovely Shelia, thank you very much for your kind compliments on this vibrant creation. I adore stitching – be it real, hand-drawn, stamped, etc – on paper crafts and employe this technique fairly often in many of my projects.

      Definitely the “law of odds” is another biggie for me! Clothing, crafting, home decor, you name it, I’m liking aiming for a visually appealing uneven number of items.

      Many hugs & sunny wishes for a beautiful holiday weekend,
      ♥ Autumn

      Reply
  3. Donna says:
    April 6, 2020 at 9:25 PM

    Another beautiful and extraordinary example of your extensive creativity, dear Autumn!! I feel sure your dear friend felt valued and special to receive such a delightful surprise, as nothing beats handcrafted beauty!! The colour combos are perfect and I particularly loved the dragonfly, as I have always believed it to be my spirit animal, along with eagles, snakes amd so many other animals!! Lol
    Thank you for bringing some welcomed light into my day!!
    Donna 🧚🏻‍♀️❤️🐝https://donnadoesdresses.com

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      April 9, 2020 at 9:14 PM

      Thank you so much for your radiantly lovely comment and compliments, my beautiful friend. You’re such a caring, supportive person.

      I adore that you’re not only a huge fan of dragonflies as well, but that you feel/have a spirit animal connection with them as well. What a glorious creature to share such a profound bond with.

      While I have had/currently have certain primary spirit animals, I connect with a great many critters big and small on that level as well, so can relate to the wonderful wildlife menagerie that resonates with your deepest soul as well.

      Thank you again, dear Donna. May you have a serene, blessing filled Easter weekend.

      ♥ Autumn

      Reply
  4. Ann says:
    April 7, 2020 at 10:36 AM

    I’m loving the vibrant colours you used, Autumn. Pink and orange are such a joyful but very underrated combination. I’m also loving the sentiment. With brave wings she flies, how utterly heartwarming. And aren’t well all flying with brave wings these days? Thank you for sharing, my lovely friend xxx

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      April 9, 2020 at 9:23 PM

      Superbly said, dear Ann. I’m with you entirely on all fronts. I remember there being a brief vogue for this pairing in the fashion and home decor world during my early childhood (late 80s/early 90s) and then another resurgence in the late 90s/early 2000s, but by and large these days, we don’t see this pairing all that often, despite how fab these two punchy colours often look together.

      And we are indeed all flying with brave wings these days, as we navigate uncharted territory, immense uncertainty, and the reality that life as we know it has forever changed in certain ways. There will be certain silver linings to that in the long run, IMO, but right here and now, as we place our faith in the unknown ethers of tomorrow and a pandemic stricken world, we must keep flying and hoping as best we can. Both for ourselves and for the sake of others.

      Sending immense hugs & beautiful Easter weekend wishes your way,
      ♥ Autumn

      Reply
  5. Debi says:
    April 10, 2020 at 2:09 PM

    This beautiful card must have been an immense source of comfort to your loved one! I know it lifted my spirits even more just seeing it.
    What a stunning array of colors, layers, and textures! And that glitter dragonfly… definitely my favorite.

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      April 12, 2020 at 11:35 PM

      Thank you deeply, sweet Debi. I’m happy to report that it did indeed brighten and comfort my loved one (and that she is doing is already excellently again following this recent breakup).

      Aww! Thank you! I just adore the glitter dragonflies here as well. Dragonflies in general are a create that have resonated with me throughout my life. Several years back now, my husband and I used to visit a small local lake (that’s about 2.5 hours south of where we currently live now) during the summer months. One of my favourite aspects of doing so was the glistening winged dragonflies that would often come and waltz around us as we sat leisurely on a small wooden dock and let the heat and serenity of the season wash over us. (The same spot also had many darling little turtles which were an equally welcome sight.)

      Thinking of you, my lovely friend, and sending the very happiest of wishes for a serene, beautiful, and endlessly safe Easter season your way.

      ♥ Autumn

      Reply
  6. Willow says:
    April 17, 2020 at 10:13 AM

    All of your papercrafts are so lovely. I can’t wait for this crud to be over so I can send you your package. Can you design my Grimoire pages? Haha!

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      April 20, 2020 at 12:50 PM

      You’re tremendously kind – blush inducingly so – and sweet, Willow. Thank you very much for your awesome support of my paper crafting projects.

      I’d be honoured and elated to help you design your grimoire pages anytime. ❤️

      So true! For countless reasons, this incredibly dark chapter can’t come to an end quickly enough. I doubt we’re anywhere near that point quite yet, but I’m remaining optimistic that might be able to happen still this year (fingers, toes, and athames all firmly crossed!).

      Many hugs & the loveliest of wishes for a safe, beautiful second half of April,
      ♥ Autumn

      Reply
  7. Tammy says:
    April 17, 2020 at 2:09 PM

    What a stunning card, full of beautiful embellishments and color! I love all of the layers and the gorgeous fabric angel wings! Your loved one will cherish this. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
    Tammy x

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      April 20, 2020 at 12:56 PM

      Hi Tammy, thank you very much for your splendidly sweet compliments on this vibrantly coloured make. I’m a “layers for days” kind of paper crafter, so it’s a safe bet that you’ll usually find plenty of them (and embellishments) on my makes. 😄

      That’s very caring of you to say. Thank you! I’m happy to report that this card was loving received and that my relative is already doing substantially more positively than she was earlier in the year. She’s such a strong, inspiring person – and one of my all-time favourite people to make cards for. 🥰

      I sincerely appreciate your lovely visit to my blog as well, am following you in my feedreader now, and look forward to getting to know you + your fabulous creations all the more.

      ♥ Autumn

      Reply
  8. Anesha says:
    April 19, 2020 at 12:48 AM

    Beautiful card, love all the lovely layers and colours.

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      April 20, 2020 at 1:45 PM

      You’re wonderfully kind, Anesha. Thank you so much!

      I tend to favour a darker or more muted palette (periodically diving into the pastel end of the rainbow, too), but sometimes – especially when spring comes barreling into town again, you just have to go wild on the colour front and let vibrant gems like these shine in all their energizing glory.

      Thank you again. I really appreciate your commend and am delighted to connect with you and your own wonderful paper crafts online.

      ♥ Autumn

      Reply
  9. Sanne says:
    April 21, 2020 at 3:39 AM

    What a dream card to receive. Truly beautiful. You mention you don’t have much washi tape, and then I thought about that I have never really understood what washi tape is meant for. Perhaps you could one day make a short post with washi tips. Have a lovely day, dear. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      April 26, 2020 at 4:25 AM

      Hello lovely Sanne, what a terrific idea for a blog post. I really appreciate your suggestion and have added it to my ever-expanding list of posts I hope to write. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s ever anything else you’d like me to try and cover here.

      In a nutshell, washi tape is rather like a thin, (generally) not overly tacky version of masking tape. It comes in a huge array of patterns, various widths, and assorted qualities, and stemmed originally from adhesive being applied to strips of traditional Japanese washi paper. These days (and for several years at least now) it’s been a popular crafting and journaling related product, which can be obtained online and off from a wide array of sources.

      Thank you very much for your beautiful compliment on this vibrant card and again for your question. I look forward to hopefully transforming it into a blog post.

      Many hugs & the happiest of wishes for a safe and serene weekend,
      ♥ Autumn

      Reply
  10. Pauline says:
    April 22, 2020 at 4:15 AM

    Your card is beautiful Autumn, fabulous colour choices and lots of lovely details.
    I’m sorry I can’t read your entire post – I have macular degeneration, fortunately only the early stages but it strains my eyes to read lots of text. I have tried different coloured backgrounds and enlarging it but it does not seem to make much difference – at least I can see the fabulous photographs without any problems though.
    Pauline – Crafting with Cotnob
    x

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      April 26, 2020 at 4:33 AM

      Hi Pauline, thank you very much for your lovely compliments on this card, as well as for sharing with me about your MD.

      I am tremendously sorry that you’re living with this serious medical challenge. May I ask – as it is highly important to me that my site be as accessible to my readers – do you find it hard to read text on my blog specifically or on blogs/websites in general? If you find it’s mostly here, please feel free to be as specific as you wish about how your experience of trying to use/read my site is. While I’m not a graphic designer or programmer myself, my husband is a software engineer, so he may be able to help me make my site more accessible for visually impaired individuals.

      Thank you again, sweet lady. I hope that you’re having a serene, safe and very enjoyable final weekend of April.

      ♥ Autumn

      Reply
  11. Donna says:
    April 26, 2020 at 1:48 PM

    Such a beautiful card, like the colors and all the layers, the dragon fly is so cute!

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      April 27, 2020 at 3:21 PM

      You’re very kind, Donna. Thank you so much! I just adore dragonflies and look forward to hopefully spotting some in our yard again this summer.

      I really appreciate your visit and was delighted to recently discover your own wonderful site + creations.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Autumn

      Reply
  12. Ivana says:
    April 27, 2020 at 8:54 AM

    Such a striking card! I love the combination of colors and the dragonflies are absolutely perfect!

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      April 27, 2020 at 3:25 PM

      Thank you so much, my darling friend.

      I adore, absolutely adore dragonflies. When Tony and I lived considerably further south in the Okanagan, we would sometimes go to a charming little lake called Yellow Lake on warm summer days, sit or lay on the dock, and watch dragonflies, various birds, adorable little turtles, and assorted fish come and go around us for hours on end. Anytime I work with dragonflies now in my crafting, I think back fondly on those wonderful afternoons.

      Many sweet thanks again. Your comments and kindness are appreciated beyond measure. 🙏

      ♥ Autumn

      Reply
  13. Cassandra says:
    May 23, 2020 at 11:25 PM

    Great colour combo and love all the layers! Beautiful creation! 🙂

    Reply
    1. Autumn Zenith says:
      May 27, 2020 at 12:37 AM

      Thank you so much, Cassandra. What sweet, supportive comment (compliment!). I’m a serious “layer addict”, if you will, so it’s quite rare to see a paper crafting project from me that doesn’t have at least a few layers (and plenty of embellishments) going on. 😄

      I’m a big fan of your inspiringly gorgeous work (having discovered your blog, which I’m following via Bloglovin’, earlier this year), and am really touched that you visited my blog.

      Many thanks again! May you have a sunny, safe, and very enjoyable week.

      ♥ Autumn

      Reply

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Welcome to Witchcrafted Life

Want to know more about witchcraft/Paganism, paper crafting or both?

I’m Autumn Zenith, a Pagan witch + empath with a serious passion for paper crafting, nature, vintage, photography, and anything fall time related.

I like to think of myself as part Martha Stewart, part Morticia Addams.

I believe that both Paganism/witchcraft and paper crafting should be inclusive and open to everybody.

I love to help inspire, teach and support others in their own meaningful life journeys.

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