Steppin' Out of the Box

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been absent for a day and a half. Yesterday was a busy BSF day, and this morning has been busy too downloading pictures and helping hubby with his resume. I finally got around to posting just this very minute!

I had so much fun making the card I'm sharing with you today, and just so you know, it's COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone to stamp like this! That's right. I do not have a single, solitary "cowboy bone/country western bone" in my body, and that's a fact! Up until recently, I wasn't at all attracted to any of the new SU stamp sets like Wanted and Bronc Buster! That's not to say I didn't LOVE seeing all the beautiful cards YOU guys made with these sets. There were some beauties out there, that's for sure! But those stamps for my collection? Nadda, never, no way!

That is, until I had money burning a hole in my pocket to spend on SU stamps! I decided I would give Wanted a try, just to see what all the fuss was about. I was lucky enough to even have a few sheets of "countryish" paper in my stash to use along with my new stamps! I was set and ready to roll once my stamps were delivered by Mr. Brown!

Since my layout mojo is still suffering a serious setback, I drew on the help of Julee's Mojo Monday sketch to help me get started. I think this is her most recent sketch. I started off with my paper, I think it's by Crate. Can anyone tell for sure who makes it? I mounted a piece of the paper on a piece of metallic red cardstock. Then I sewed a straight stitch around the edges. For the horizontal piece that sits underneath the main image, I stamped on a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock with a bunch of the different stamps in the Wanted set I used three different colored inks, Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink in Chestnut Roan and Burnt Sienna, and Cool Caribbean ink. I distressed it with a sponge and Ranger Distress Ink in Tea Stain. I mounted this piece to some brown metallic cardstock. I also sewed a straight stitch around the edges of this piece as well.

For the main image, I first stamped a narrow piece of Very Vanilla cardstock with the horse from the Wanted set. I stamped it three times across the paper. Then, on top of the horse image, I stamped the sentiment "wanted" with a combination of two inks, Colorbox Fluid Chalk ink in Chestnut Roan and Dark Brown. It gave the sentiment great dimension! The sentiment was matted with the brown metallic cardstock, and the edges were sewed around with a straight stitch. Do you see the decorative edge on the right side of the "wanted" sentiment? That was actually a scrap piece of cardstock I had that fit the width of the sentiment perfectly, so I just left the decorative edge there! How's that for creative thinking?

The sentiment in the lower right corner was stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock with Chestnut Roan and adhered to the front of the card with dimensional tape. A brushed copper brad on each end finishes it off.

I guess I have to eat crow for saying I'd never get this set, uh? What's even worse is that I love this card AND the others I made using the set! I can't wait to show you the other cards I stamped, which I'll do later this week........ok?

For now, it's time for me to head out to a business lunch. I have a question for you. Would you like me to cut all the "card making" verbiage of my posts? Does it really matter that I explain what I do? I think it's just so much work to do it this way, and I'm thinking people are just looking at pictures, not really worrying about the intricate details like those I explain above. Your insight into this question would be very helpful to me! Maybe you just want products and any "SPECIAL" details about how I made the card, but not the full boring details like I provide above? Tell me, tell me, tell me. Inquiring minds want to know!

I'm off for lunch. Have a great day, peeps!

Hugs,
Amy