Oh Happy Day

My poor husband.  Here I am up late the night before Father's Day, finally making his card.  I guess that is better than when I made my son's birthday card on his birthday.  Why do we so often put those closest to us last?  There is a possible explanation to the habit of doing that: I know he loves me unconditionally no matter what I do.  (Or maybe I know that he doesn't really care about Hallmark holidays.)

There is evidence that my husband is not the only father who does not worry too much about this holiday.  I hunted high and low for a Father's Day stamp, but to no avail.  (I had no trouble finding all sorts of Mother's Day stamps to choose from.)  Apparently, they don't sell well enough in stores to bother stocking.

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Modern Warfare

Meet them where they are.  That's probably the best advice for teens.  This card is for my son to welcome him to his teen years.  The theme is the same for his party: Modern Warfare 3 (a video game to those in the know).

I started with a background of mica paint that goes on like sandpaper, and added some bronze.  Then the aluminum sheeting was embossed, stained, texturized, and attached with screw brads.  Then some gears and stringy paper finish off the piece.

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Photo Credit to Anonymous

I am hoping my father will not see this before Father's Day.  I was perusing some public clipart, and these prickly pear flowers reminded me of him since he lives in the Southwest.  Now I am inspired to go to Quail Gardens to shoot some closeups of my own, after using this public clipart.  It is just not the same using someone else's photo in my artwork, even if I am just giving this away instead of offering it up for purchase.  There is just something so satisfying about being able to say, "I took that picture!"  Instead, I can only say, "Hey! I found that picture in the sidebar of Word!"  Just doesn't have the same ring.

And while we are not on the subject, what is it with famous landmarks renaming themselves?  I will always call Quail Gardens by its original name, and will not be using the name San Diego Botanical Gardens anytime in the near future.  Nor will I ever deviate from calling the Del Mar Fair, well, the Del Mar Fair.  Don't even get me started on the renaming of every arena or stadium based on who is footing the bill. It's amazing anyone ever ends up at the right venue.

Maybe some photos that I take at the Del Mar Fair or Quail Gardens later this week will make it onto a card or two.

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Father's Day Greetings

Hopefully my father-in-law won't notice his Father's Day card on this blog before he receives it!  I actually made the inset of this card at a class at Stamping Details in Poway, so it is not my original design.  I found myself out in Poway one day, on my way back from Ramona with some time on my hands.  I jumped into the class after they had started, and caught right up.  I enjoy learning about techniques that I did not dream up, and using die cuts and other tools that I do not own.  The inset was meant to be on a smaller note card, but I backed it with a distress-painted card to make it fit on a larger card.  The detail I love the most is the mica sheet used to line the car windows to make them look like they are paned glass.

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New Combo Gift

I happened upon this combo gift concept when I had a little leftover paint and wanted to use it up.  It wasn't enough for a card, so I grabbed a bookmark.  I ended up also stamping and finishing the bookmark in a similar manner as the card.  Later I happened to notice them on my desk, and they looked really nice paired together.  A few clear photo corners later, and I had a combo gift!

I really wish with this one that there was a texture button on the computer, because the paper feels like leather, and shines when it catches the light.  The bookmark is also similarly coated, which means that it will not leave marks when used in a book.  This combo can be an appropriate gift when a card is not enough, but a present is too much.

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