A Warm Place to Rest My Soul...

Since I've started hosting Stamp-A-Stacks, I've struggled with the Father's Day card I wanted to create for the June class. The biggest hurdle for me has been that every Father's Day set that SU! has published hasn't fit my honey or my father AT ALL. This year's version in the Occasions Mini was a pun-oriented set, and selections from the main catalog have included tool sets, old cars, and fishermen. Okay, that one would fit my honey and my FIL, but it didn't come with any sentiments! So, I've avoided purchasing any of these and put myself in a bind for three years running.

I persevere, though, because I know there's something that will work. What I found this year is actually the rediscovery of a technique I learned in 2007 and deployed first in the form of a baseball bat card for my nephew Drew. It's called woodgraining, and has been used to create this faux hardwood floor.

Woodgraining is a simple technique with big WOW. Simply choose a color of card stock (mine for the card is More Mustard; it was So Saffron for the baseball bat), drag one or more classic ink pads over it, and a "grain" pattern that simulates wood is created. The inks I used for the floorboards were Really Rust, Ruby Red, and Chocolate Chip. On the bat, I used Creamy Caramel. Some crafters even streak the card stock with Whisper White craft ink before using the darker colors. I tried this, but didn't like it as well.

The "planks" were created by scoring the card stock at 1" increments and then going back and inserting perpendicular lines. The "nails" are pewter brads.

Now to the focal image. It's supposed to be a rug on the floor. Did I succeed or not? I hope so! The interior of my Father's Day card is going to say something like, "Thanks for being a warm place to rest my soul." Corny? Probably, but I know my dad will like it. The card the gals make at SAS will be blank inside so that they can write whatever they want to their fathers.

Well, it was a bit rainy here this morning, and my dogs are now muddy. This means I need to go give them a quick bath with the hose. "You play, you pay" is my saying! Have a great weekend.