Father's day card for Creative Expressions

Since going to Ally Pally there's been a certain kind of buzz in the air on Twitter and Facebook with all the people we met up with. They're not just words on comments any more, you can see their faces and mannerisms and you feel like you know them that little bit more. I love it, we need more big events so we can meet up more.

Father's day is on the 16th of June this year, and that's not too far away, so I've got ahead of myself and made this grungy painty card. 

I have racks of card stock but I hardly ever use it, I find myself more and more making my own backgrounds with lots of layers, especially when it comes to male themes, it's just easier to make your own. Here's how I made mine.

I started off making a background of brown acrylic paints on good quality card and dried it with a heatgun.

Then I smudged some Vaseline on the dried paint, in vertical strokes, concentrating it on the edges mostly.

Then I painted some cream coloured paint over the top, taking care not to drag the Vaseline. I used the end of my paint brush to make lines in the paint like floorboards.

Wait for the paint to dry, don't use a heat gun or it will melt the Vaseline.

Paint over the top of the cream with some blue paint. When the blue is dry, wipe off the Vaseline with a kitchen towel, to get the distressed paint look.

When all the paint is dry, cut down the paper to the size of your card and start layering the stamps and stencilling for the background.

I've used stamps from Tim Holtz classic collection for the background. I really like the contrast of the white text on the blue and the brown areas.

The car stamp is the Singles stamp by Sam Poole for Creative Expressions. A great stamp for male themes.

I finished off the card by putting some Cast Bronze Gilding Wax (Creative Expressions), on my finger and rubbing it on the card in vertical and horizontal movements. Then edging the background with a black Adirondack Dabber.

I really enjoy making my own backgrounds because then they're completely unique.

It looks like the sun has definitely got his hat on this weekend!

I'll be out in the garden doing some much needed weeding, and going for a nice bike ride along the beach. 

Hope you have a great weekend, I wonder what you'll be getting up to?

Take care

Michelle xx