Hello Handsome. . .

People who know me know I am fairly nontraditional & that translates into my crafting.  I really enjoy stretching myself and making holiday cards that don't rely on expected colors or images.  I was looking through some of my paper stash last night when I hit upon this awesome cut out and I immediately decided to make a card featuring this retro man, he looks so dapper, how could I leave him?   

This is what I used:

• Kraft Card Base, 5 ½” x 4 ¼”
• Pattered Cardstock from MME LifeStories Collection 
• “Hello Handsome” is a cut out from 3Birds Estate Collection, Treasured Layouts 2 (I got this kit from HSN)
• Distress Marker in Forest Moss
• Be Mine Stickers from Tim Holtz Chit Chat stickers, Seasonal
• Masonite Heart from Coffee Break Designs (I got mine from Retro Café Art Gallery)
• Globecraft & Piccolo Antique Gold Embossing Ename
• Enamel & Embossing Powder Adhesive Fluid 
• Crafters' Pick The Ultimate Glue

I took my Masonite heart and embossed it twice with the Antique Gold Embossing Enamel, using the Embossing Fluid each time.  Set aside to cool.

Close up of the heart

I cut the “Hello Handsome” out and found a background paper that I thought matched well in the MME LifeStories Collection.  I cut the background paper to 5” x 3 ¾” and adhered it to the Kraft base card.

I got my Chit Chat stickers and edged them with the Forest Moss Distress Marker and then swiped them with a paint brush dipped in water – they looked stark next to the muted colors of the design so adding just a hint of color helped to soften them.  I took the Masonite heart attached that to the middle of the “Hello Handsome” cut out, placed the 2 Chit Chat stickers around the heart and I was done!  It took me longer to pick out the background paper than it did to construct the card!

It was difficult to get the colors to come out so I posted 2 versions

I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial ~ thanks for stopping by! Christi

I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Get Krafty! 

Creative Inspirations Challenge #252 - Love

Rhedd & Rosie Challenge #26 - Love is in The Air
The Kraft Outlet - Love
Cards in Envy - Love is in The Air
Crafty Cardmakers #109 - This is a Man's World
Crafty Catz #217 - Love is in the Air
A Creative Romance - Show Us Some Love 
Fussy and Fancy Challenge #107 - Be My Valentine

Thanks!! Looking for challenges to enter?? Please give Challenges for Days a chance to show you how EASY it is to find great challenges!

What's Cooking?

I haven’t been creating much lately – it is too damn hot here (we have no AC) and my bestest (I tend to make words that fit what I am trying to say - works for me <grin>) sister in the world is here from Florida – in fact, today is her birthday – Happy Birthday Seester – I LOVE YOU!! (99% of my family is born in June & July). 

I saw a few challenges recently for postcards so I figured I’d give it a go.  I cut up an old priority mail box to 4 x 6 then covered it with my tea stained “fabric” (same stuff I used in the “Stars” project here).  I knew I wanted to make something that reminded me of those old Betty Crocker cookbooks – my mom had one – the one with the red and white cover and all the cool retro pictures inside so I dove into my stamps and pulled out these great images that I got from Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers back when Paula owned the company and had a monthly kit (you can still get some of RBBB stamps at Stamp Francisco).  I think they look 1950ish.  I stamped the men right on the fabric using my trusty Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black (I swear, this is the BEST black ink ever!) and then I stamped my woman on regular white card stock.  I fussy cut her out and then stamped her again on some yellow card stock, fussy cut out the apron and added that.  I thought the men needed a bit of something so I stamped them again on some olivey (yes another new word!) green card stock and cut out his jacket.  Then I stamped “What’s Cooking?” on kraft card stock with a really old alphabet stamp set that I got from Stampin’ Up! – I liked this alphabet because I thought it looked kinda retro.  I edged my words with Fired Brick Distress Ink.  Then I cut the house out of an eggplant colored card stock using my brand new (don’t you just LOVE brand new toys?!?) Spellbinders Media Mixage Houses One dies.  Glued it all down and here ya go!  Didn’t take long at all (well, fussy cutting the woman took me the longest) and I think I am going to use this in another project eventually.  Hope you like it!

That white spot is not part of the project - LOL

 

I am entering this in Simon Says Stamp & Show “AnythingGoes” challenge and Crafts-Too Challenge “Choose a Decade or Era”.