Set Sail Birthday

*SIGH* Where to even begin with this card?! LOL

Like I said, this card goes in an entirely different direction from the OLCs I've been making lately. I think after all that simplicity, I was ready to stretch creatively and challenge myself a bit. ;)

It's for my Dad - his birthday was this past weekend, and even though he's not really the nautical type, he IS into model ships. I can rememebr "helping" him put them together as far back as age 4 (me, not him LOL). The REALLY intricate ones, too... yards and yards of twine, a miniscule wheel and ornate deck railings. These images really remind me of back then. :) I've had this gorgeous stamp set forever and never felt brave enough to attempt inking it until now. I hope I did it justice (click to see larger):


In case anyone's interested, here's the full instructions (with some **handy tips**):
1. Stamp Cheesecloth BG with Soft Sky ink onto Soft Sky card base and sponge edges with Timber Brown StazOn
2. Using the SAMJ, line up the compass image and stamp with Blue Bayou ink
3. Stamp ship/frame image with Timber Brown StazOn onto Very Vanilla card stock
4. Stamp ship/frame image with Blue bayou ink onto Soft Sky card stock and set aside
5. On the Vanilla/Timber image, color with Prismas, blend and shade with Gamsol & a stump
6. Using an X-Acto knife, CAREFULLY cut out the negative spaces of the ship (between the ropes and sails), then the ship itself, then the inside edges of the frame... discard everything but the ship and frame
7. Very carefully, tear around the frame and sponge the edges with Timber Brown... apply 1/16th inch pop dots to the back
8. Apply 1/16th inch pop dots to the back of the ship (this is kinda tricky because you need to cut your pop dots into tiny, little slivers so they will fit in between the open spaces that were cut and removed, make sense? You'll do the same thing with the sentiment later on)
9. On the Sky/Bayou image, cut about 1/4th of an inch off the outside of the frame... color the seagulls with the Unibal Signo gel pen
10. Carefully adhere the Vanilla frame image directly over the Sky/Bayou image, lining everything up... do the same with the ship
11. Stamp Linen BG with Blue Bayou ink onto Blue Bayou card stock panel and sponge edges with Timber Brown... mat with Chocolate Chip card stock and distress the edges
12. Adhere the framed/dimensional image onto the Bayou/Chocolate strip and set aside
13. Stamp AYCI sentiment with Timber Brown onto Vary Vanilla card stock
14. Using an X-Acto knife, CAREFULLY cut out the sentiment... apply (the slivered) 1/16th inch pop dots to the back
15. **BIG TIP**: Ink up the same sentiment with Soft Sky ink, STAMP OFF ONCE, and then use your SAMJ to position the sentiment over the compass and then stamp - what this does is gives you a VERY faint ghost-like image of the sentiment so you'll be able to put the now cut up letters in their right places, nice and straight and perfectly spaced, just like the original image... you won't even be able to see the stamped image underneath, because you made sure to stamp off once first ;)
16. Adhere the sentiment
17. Measure out where you want your eyelets on your twill ribbon and attach them... adhere to the top and bottom of the card base using red-line tape
18. Adhere the Bayou/Chocolate/dimensional panel and admire! :)

*Whew!* Yes, the card really DID take me that long. And YES, I am a complete nutjob for cutting out the ship and the sentiment like that! LOL All in all, I think I went through about three sponges, 2 X-Acto blades, but just one transfusion. LOL ;)

One **BIG TIP** when using your X-Acto knife, always use a glass cutting mat. Glass mats are smooth and give you the best possible control when using your knife. It also helps keep the blade sharper, longer.

My next **BIG TIP**, always turn the paper while cutting and not your wrist... it allows for more fluid movements and control when going around curved areas.

Another **BIG TIP** about using an X-Acto knife for cutting out small areas with negative spaces... always cut out the INSIDE of your image or letter FIRST, then cut away at the outside. It's much easier to handle the paper when it's still large and in tact while cutting out these teeny, tiny details than it is to try and hold a teeny, tiny image/letter and THEN cut the centers out! LOL Talk about some serious blood loss doing it the wrong way! ;) Not that I injured myself while cutting, no... I'm just a clutz and stupidly chose to try and catch my X-Acto as it started to fall off of my work space. :P Yeah, uhh... BIG TIP numero 5: When a sharp object is in motion, DON'T TRY TO TOUCH IT until it comes to a COMPLETE stop. LOL Although this should be common sense for most people. ;) (I have since purchased this adorable little tool to prevent that very thing from ever happening again... not to mention, it was just too darn cute to resist! ;))

Anyway, enough chatter. I hope you like it. :) Have a great day and thanks for the peek!


CARD SUPPLIES
Paper: SU's Very Vanilla, Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, and Chocolate Chip
Stamps: SU's "Set Sail", "Cheesecloth" background, "Linen" background, and "All Year Cheer I" sentiment, all retired... All night Media "compass" image
Ink: SU's Soft Sky and Blue Bayou, StazOn Timber Brown
Misc: Prismas & Gamsol, sponges, X-Acto knife, paper distresser, white Unibal Signo gel pen, twill ribbon, aged copper eyelets, and red-line tape