Grateful Me

I know it doesn't look like it, but I managed to spend the better part of a day making this card.  I had several ideas in my head inspired by the Essentials by Ellen Pin-Sights Challenge, but I had a heckuva a time getting any of them translated to paper.

I really loved the look of the peeling paint in the middle right, so I tried a variety of wood grain embossing folders with paints and inks, but none were quite the right color or look.  Next I tried Crackle Distress Paint, but that color wasn't right either (and I didn't get a lot of crackle despite applying a medium coat and waiting forever to air dry).  I finally settled on Broken China Distress Stain swiped across kraft cardstock for my background.

The prize stag and card base are both cut from a dark bronze metallic cardstock, although for the life of me I couldn't get the shimmer captured in the photograph.  I managed to miff-up 6 different Doodlebug mini doilies (either tearing them while inking with Distress Stain or applying adhesive or getting some other color from my craft table on to the paper … one of the risks of working with Color Burst … the powders hang around if you don't really sanitize your area).  It only took two attempts at the EBE Prize Stag before getting that one right.  

I love the final result with a sentiment from Essentials by Ellen Fancy Thanks … but I think I should just walk away from the studio and go read a book (I just started reading the Biography of Alexander Hamilton).