Get Well Mr. Blue Jacket

Apparently when Sean asked me to make a card for someone I regularly see skating around on television my little creative brain decided to freeze for three days.  That's a very long time to sit on one's studio floor surrounded by paper and ribbon scraps.  I'm used to making "man cards" that include things like glitter (Sean is very tolerant) and I didn't think that sort of embellishment would fly on a card for a pro athlete.  I went with twine and copper brads instead (though I did sneak in a little ribbon).

I started with a Kraft base that I stamped with the linear design from Background Basics: Retro.  In order to get a really straight, consistent pattern I lightly penciled my lines onto my base before I stamped them.  I think I'll use a brown pencil in the future, but it's not really visible so I'm not going to fret too much about the residual lines.

Next, I stamped the branchy tree image from Beyond Basic Borders onto white cardstock, sponged the edges and rounded the corners.  I mounted that to a piece of Spring Moss (also with rounded corners) and stamped my sentiment (from Faux Ribbon) in Ripe Avocado.  Then, I took tiny strips of Spring Moss cardstock and ran them through the Cuttlebug with a Quickutz die to get the tiny dots.  I would have loved to use a punch, but I didn't have on in the right size, so I opted for the little rocket die instead (the circles are the windows).  I adhered those to the end of the branches and let that dry while I sponged the base with Burnt Umber ink.

When the dots were dry, I wrapped the focal layer with a strip of Ripe Avocado saddle stitched ribbon and a little twine.  A brad was popped right over top of the twine to add a little more masculine appeal.  Those layers were adhered to the base using foam tape and I added a little clear glaze over the branchy dots.

I think it's a mighty nice little card.  I hope he likes it.  Gosh, I've never been nervous over a card like this before.  I was close to nervous all through the Gallery Idol contest last year, but this is intense.  I think it's because I'm trying two make to boys happy at once.  Or maybe it's because if one of those boys isn't happy he could snap my dear little husband like a hockey stick.  Or maybe it's because I can't get over the feeling that randomly sending a pro athlete a "get well" card is a little creepy, no matter how often he came into your restaurant and chatted with you over flatbread.  Whatever the reason...enjoy!

Recipe:

Cardstock: Kraft, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Sthrathmore

Stamps: Beyond Basic Borders, Faux Ribbon, Background Basics: Retro - Papertrey Ink

Ink: Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Frost White - Colorbox; Burnt Umber - Palette

Ribbon: Ripe Avocado Saddle Stitched - Papertrey Ink; Hemp Twine - Darice

Tools: Medium Corner Rounder (green) - EK Success; Rocket Die - Quickutz; Cuttlebug - Provocraft

Metal Embellishment: Copper Mini Brad - American Crafts

Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; Glossy Accents - Ranger