Grateful Me

I know it doesn't look like it, but I managed to spend the better part of a day making this card.  I had several ideas in my head inspired by the Essentials by Ellen Pin-Sights Challenge, but I had a heckuva a time getting any of them translated to paper.

I really loved the look of the peeling paint in the middle right, so I tried a variety of wood grain embossing folders with paints and inks, but none were quite the right color or look.  Next I tried Crackle Distress Paint, but that color wasn't right either (and I didn't get a lot of crackle despite applying a medium coat and waiting forever to air dry).  I finally settled on Broken China Distress Stain swiped across kraft cardstock for my background.

The prize stag and card base are both cut from a dark bronze metallic cardstock, although for the life of me I couldn't get the shimmer captured in the photograph.  I managed to miff-up 6 different Doodlebug mini doilies (either tearing them while inking with Distress Stain or applying adhesive or getting some other color from my craft table on to the paper ... one of the risks of working with Color Burst ... the powders hang around if you don't really sanitize your area).  It only took two attempts at the EBE Prize Stag before getting that one right.  

I love the final result with a sentiment from Essentials by Ellen Fancy Thanks ... but I think I should just walk away from the studio and go read a book (I just started reading the Biography of Alexander Hamilton).

Comments

[~amy~]

Looks awesome!

[Gabby]

Terrific card! The effort was worth the result. :)

[lauren]

NO ONE would guess the growing pains involved in this GORGEOUS CARD!!! (but yeah sometimes the times when we have the strongest IDEAS are the hardest to achieve.) (i'm seein' a cool serendipitous torn-n-stained doily background as a bonus for your toils tho...?!?!?) ♥♥♥