Hummingbird Garden Sympathy Card Tutorial with Layered Stencils and 3D Embossing

Hi, crafty friends! Lea Lawson here with you today, creating a card featuring the beautiful new Butterfly Garden collection by Simon Hurley. I’m sharing my step-by-step process in easy-to-follow photos and instructions!

To start, we are going to ink blend the Layered Hummingbird Garden stencils in numbered order. Align stencil 1 over top of a 6” x 9” Classic White cardstock panel, then ink blend in the hummingbirds in aqua & citrine inks, the beaks in orange, the feet in dark gray, and the stems in teal. https://spellbindersblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/LeaLawson-SPB-HummingbirdGarden-Step-1-710x710.webp I prefer to use a grip mat when ink blending, taping the stencils in place with Best Ever Craft Tape as needed. Align stencil 2 to the panel, then ink blend the hummingbirds in aqua & citrine inks, and the floral layers in light pink. Align stencil 3 to the panel, then ink blend the hummingbird wing in aqua & citrine inks, and the flowers in light orange. Align stencil 4 to the panel, then ink blend the hummingbird eyes in black, the flower centers in darker orange, and the large flowers in mid-pink. Align the stencil 5, then ink blend in teal ink. Align the stencil 6, then ink blend in an aqua gradient. Remove the final stencil to reveal your beautiful panel! Align the hummingbird dies to the front, then hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape. Align the ink-blended panel into the Hummingbird Garden 3D embossing folder, then close it together.

TIP: I like to ink blend before 3D embossing to get a smoother ink blend, but you can also ink blend after embossing if that is your preference!

Run the Hummingbird Garden 3D embossing folder through a Platinum 6 using the following sandwich: Platform Base A, 3D embossing folder w/ cardstock, and Adapter Plate D. Trim the top half of the ink-blended panel to 4.25” x 5.5. Cut and fold a landscape A2 card base from Classic White cardstock, then glue the ink-blended panel to the front. Add foam squares to the back of each diecut hummingbird, then adhere to the card front. Die-cut the With Sympathy die three times: once from Gold Matte Metallic and twice from white cardstock. Die-cut the shadow layer from vellum. Stack & glue the sentiment layers together to create the finished sentiment. Add liquid glue to the back of the sentiment, then adhere it to the bottom of the card, covering up the small die-cut area from the hummingbird beak. To finish, accent the flowers with Aura AB gems. I like to use the Precision Tool from the Handy Craft Tool Set to help adhere those tiny gems! I hope you enjoyed seeing this serene sympathy card come to life! Sympathy cards are so important to send when someone suffers a loss, and it is always a good idea to have some on hand. I loved ink blending this beautiful garden scene, and watching it come to life with the 3D embossing folder was such a treat! I share lots of inspiration on my Instagram feed and YouTube channel - follow and subscribe to see even more inspiration with this beautiful collection. Happy crafting!

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