Red and Brown Explore Invoke Arts Tags

Well, here is the first of the masculine 40th birthday cards that I need to make. Got to get my thinking cap on for the second one now!

A piece of white card was coloured using Tim Holtz Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany and Frayed Burlap distress inks using the shaving brushes.

This was then overstamped with the Explore tag from the Invoke Arts Travel Tags stamp set and the 'Happy Birthday' sentiment stamp from the See D's Celebration Messages stamp set. All were stamped using Memento Rich Cocoa Dye ink.

Using a damp paint brush and a piece of tissue (OK, toilet roll, but I couldn't be bothered going downstairs to get a tissue!!), some of the colour was removed from the face image on the tag. Areas of the compass were then lightly coloured using the Angel Green Mica Pigment from Stamps Away. Unfortunately that doesn't show up on the scan.

The tags were then cut out by hand and matted onto cream card and dark brown card. Holes were punched in the top of each tag using the Big Bite and small cream eyelets from Papermania were set in the holes. Each hole was then threaded with cream embroidery thread.

The sentiment was also matted onto cream and dark brown cardstock and large cream brads from Papermania were added either side of the sentiment, with a length of cream embroidery thread threaded through the legs of the brads.

A strip of the red/brown paper from the DCWV Old World mat stack was embossed using the Moroccan Screen embossing folder from Cuttlebug and Frayed Burlap ink was added to highlight the embossing using Cut 'n' Dry foam.

This was then matted onto cream and dark brown card and then matted across a panel of the dark brown flourish paper from the same paper pad.

Once matted onto the dark brown cardstock, the panel was then paper pierced all the way around using the Stampin' Up Mat Stack piercing template.

The tags were adhered onto the card in the centre over the embossed strip and the sentiment was added beneath, wrapping the lengths of embroidery thread behind the panel before adhering to the card front.

The inside of the card was also decorated, using another strip of the embossed cardstock. The sentiment was stamped using the Rich Cocoa ink and stamps from the See D's Lower Case Script stamp set ('4', '0' and 'th') and the HOTP Sentiments stamp set (Happy and Birthday).

Here are the blog challenges I am entering this card into:

• Kenny K's Krafty Girlz - #59 - Vintage/Grunge
• Pile It On - #36 - B Is For..... (Brads)
• Stampin' Sisters In Christ - #105 - Muted Tones
• Stamptacular Sunday - #127 - The Sky's The Limit (Anything Goes)
• Card Caravan - #1 - Use Twine
• Catch The Bug - Anything Goes
• Secret Crafter - #150 - Colours Of Autumn
• Clearly Inspired - #35 - Patterned Papers
• Crafty Catz - #98 - Monochromatic
• Inspire Me Fridays - #22 - Anything Goes
• Our Craft Lounge - #81 - Anything Goes
• Patties Creations - #29 - Birthdays
• Crafting Misfit - Anything Goes
• Heidi's Hobbystuggu - Fall/Autumn Colours
• Craft Us Crazy - #16 - Autumn Colours
• Crafty Purple Frog - Birthday Cards
• Rainbow Lady - #168 - Let's Emboss It
• My Mum's Craft Shop - 1, 2, 3 (1 Embossing Folder, 2 Brads, 3 Tags)
• Paper Shelter - #29 - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
• Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes
• Scrap Creations - Decorate Inside Of Card
• Partytime Tuesdays - #31 - Anything Goes
• Crafty Boots - #1 - Anything Goes
• Kreative Stempelfreunde - #33 - Card For A Man
• Lexi's Creations - #48 - Autumn
• Lia Stamps - #2 - Birthdays
• Make It Monday - #53 - Anything Goes
• Paper Creations Ink - #8 - Vintage or Distressed Look
• Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything Goes
• Stamp With Fun - #127 - Autumn
• Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central - Anything Goes (Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads)