Two Father's Day Cards

I've been busy this week making Father's Day cards for Send a Smile 4 Kids. They generally prefer to have these by May 15, but the particular woman I send to hand delivers hers, so she can take them later. These are 2 of the ones I've made.

For my first card, I used one of the sketches that My Favorite Things has for their "Blueprints 13" die set. I first die cut the background panel from Strathmore Mixed Media paper. I stamped the "Highline Ironwork" background stamp by Hero Arts/Basicgrey using Versamark, then heat embossed that with Ranger Super Fine Detail White embossing powder. I used a technique I saw on OWHtv, by Sandy Allnock. Basically, I took Distress inks in Forest Moss, Frayed Burlap, Stormy Sky, and Weathered Wood, and smooshed them directly onto my background panel. Then I sprayed it liberally with plain water. I discovered that you do NOT want to sop up the water with a paper towel too soon, because it will take most of the color with it. (Unless you want a more pastel look, of course.) So I did have to reapply the ink and spray it again. This time, I set it aside to air dry, while I worked on the other elements.

I die cut the 2 banners from patterned paper scraps that were on my desk. I adhered the ruler one on top of the blue, making sure that the "Evers Hardware Inc" text would be visible. I did have to cut off the left edge to get it to fit on the card front, but thankfully that did not affect the text too much. I then die cut the blue pinked circle & the white circle from cardstock. I scanned the white circle into my computer, and used Photoshop to add a text layer to that image, then printed the "#1 Dad" directly onto the circle.

By this time, my background was dry. I adhered my banner piece, but felt the greeting circle needed a little something else to make it pop. So I die cut another white circle with a Spellbinders "Standard Circles LG" die, and glued the 3 circles together, then adhered them to the card front. I die cut a white star, and glued that in the upper right corner. Finally, I mounted the panel onto a white A2 card base.

For my second card, I turned to Operation Write Home's Sketch #203:

I stamped the bears--from Hero Arts' "Lil Hoot" set--onto a scrap of 140 lb. watercolor paper, using Ranger Archival Jet Black ink. I did stamp off once on scrap paper first, so I would only get a grey outline. I colored both bears with a Neutral Grey Inktense pencil, using a damp brush to blend the color. I then went back with a black marker, to put the eyes and mouths in. I felt the baby bear's features were a little too "heavy" then, though, so I ended up stamping and coloring him again. I fussy cut him out, went around the edges with a grey marker, and glued him in place. I did take a fine-point black pen and go over his features, making sure not to be so heavy-handed this time! Finally, I used a Spellbinders "Standard Circles" die to trace around the bears, and cut that out.

I cut a piece of green cardstock as per the sketch, and cut 3 banners from patterned paper scraps, then glued them in place. I cut a piece of blue cardstock, and printed one of the greetings from this set by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps onto it. I matted it with navy cardstock, and also die cut a circle from navy to mat the focal panel. Finally, I glued the greeting to the focal panel, and popped all that up with foam tape. I double-matted the background, added some Glossy Accents to the bears' eyes & noses, and this card was done!

I'm entering both cards in a2z Scrapbooking's May "Anything Goes" challenge. I'm also entering the "bears" card in May's watercoloring challenge at Live Love Cards.