In Time

Last night we learned that my mom's sole surviving uncle had a fall at home, broke his leg, and is rehabbing at a local care center.  We don't know how long he'll be there, so I made a card to go into the mail ASAP.

For this card, I used an image by Paperbag Studios that was one of the early stamps I bought when I started to make my own greeting cards.  I stamped it on a Daisy D patterned paper from my stash and set it aside until I chose my overall color scheme.

I used two patterned papers by DCWV for the bottom layer, but of course had to doctor them up a bit.  I stenciled distress ink through a piece of punchinella, then added coarse molding paste through a measuring tape stencil.  Once the paste dried, I tinted it with stormy sky distress ink.  I added more stenciling using just the ink.  Then I went back to my focal image and sponged on coordinating inks to tie everything together.

Making my own cards brings me such joy, and I don't know anyone that doesn't appreciate receiving a card or letter in the mail.  I think this is especially true of my generation and my elders, who grew up without email, texting or Facebook (or even cheap phone calls!  Remember how expensive it used to be to call long distance?).  For past generations, the mail was the method used to keep in contact with friends and family, both near and far.  It feels good to carry on that tradition.

Thank you for stopping by my blog.  Have a great day!

Supplies:
Dark gray cardstock by Bazzill; patterned papers by DCWV and Daisy D; In Time stamp by Paperbag Studios; splatter background stamp by All Night Media; Ranger Archival ink jet black; punchinella; Tim Holtz measuring tape stencil; Golden coarse molding paste; bundled sage, stormy sky, brushed corduroy distress ink; Ranger Archival ink watering can; oval and lacy oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders; EK Success border punch; pop-dots.

He Never Wrote - Altered Cabinet Card

I was catching up on my blog reading the other night and you know what a rabbit hole that can be (but in this case, in a good way).  After following a few links and going back in time, I stumbled upon some altered cabinet cards.  This is something I've been meaning to try, and seeing these particular samples was just the impetus I needed.

Since this was my first attempt at one of these, I chose a rather plain cabinet card that didn't have any advertising on it.  Usually the photography studio put its name and location on the bottom of the card, and some have quite ornate graphics on the back.  But this particular card had none of that and therefore it didn't feel as precious to me, giving me the courage to just jump in and go for it.

"Before" picture

The first thing I did was to make a copy of the card and cut out my gent to use as a mask while I worked on the background.  I sponged some distress ink around the edges, but because of the photograph's slick surface I knew it would not stay.  So I dry-brushed titanium white acrylic paint all around my gent to give everything else something to stick to.  Along the bottom I adhered a scrap of vintage text, a piece from an old atlas and a strip of washi tape before brushing on more white paint.  The border is also a washi tape.

Then I started to fill in the background.  I stamped a crackle background, splatters and some handwriting using various colors of permanent ink.  I sponged gathered twigs distress ink around the edges and through a Tim Holtz stencil.  I lightly colored around my gent with a tinted charcoal pencil and smudged it with my finger.  I had already found the "He never wrote or received a letter" in an old book and with a bit of irony, decided to add a couple of vintage postage stamps.

I don't know who this gentleman is.  I rescued him from a box of old photos at an antique store and in return, he helped me to get over my fear of "ruining" him.  When he sat for this photo a century or more ago, I'm sure he couldn't even imagine that one day someone would give him new life in this way.  Makes you think, doesn't it?

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day. 

Supplies:
Vintage cabinet card; titanium white acrylic paint; peeled paint, antique linen, and gathered twigs distress ink; vintage book text; vintage atlas page; Tim Holtz washi tape; crackle background stamp from Stampin' Up; splatter background stamp by All Night Media; handwriting stamp by Hero Arts; postage cancellation stamps by Stampa Rosa and Deep Red; Ranger Archival watering can ink; Stazon saddle brown ink; Derwent forest pine charcoal pencil; Tim Holtz bubble stencil; vintage postage stamps.