Arigato ( Thank You) Card

 This simple card was made using an old Sizzix die (the thick heavy kind).  Because I couldn't find just the right Asian-looking card stock, I sprayed (Elmer's Spray Adhesive) on a card stock and adhered two different Japanese printed paper (from HM Ben Franklin Crafts) to both sides of the card stock before cutting it with the Sizzix die.

The inner circle is a die cut watercolor paper piece that was stamped with the girl image (Dandelion Designs), colored in and then painted with masking fluid.  Once the fluid was dry, I spritzed the circle with water and applied green watercolor paint before stamping with a cherry blossom stamp inked with Distress ink.  The kimono was paper pieced and the Japanese characters plus stamped, colored flowers were adhered with foam dots.

Since this card is going to someone who can read the 'arigato' Japanese characters, I didn't need to include an English translation, but a simple 'thank you' die cut could easily be added to the card.  The back of the card has ample room to write a sincere thank you message for the well-chosen birthday gift I received.  With the prevalent use of text messages, very few people send 'real' thank you notes but I really would love it if the courtesy of a handwritten gratitude would return. I guess I'm just an old fashioned dreamer living in an age of impersonal electronic devices.