Penny Black: Where's Dinner? - a birthday card for my Godfather

Hi blogging friends - and a very SPECIAL welcome to my new Followers - so lovely to have you

I made a birthday card for my Godfather who holds a very special place in my life.  He was my late father's lifelong best friend and has always been there for me and was a tower of support when my father passed away suddenly in 1996.  Even though my Godfather lives a couple of hours by plane away, we talk to each other often and he is the most gentle and kindest man you could ever meet and ALWAYS makes you feel like you are wrapped up in a warm blanket.  I am so blessed to have him in my life! And I love that I have that special connection to my father through him which I treasure.   So, onto my card......

Isn't this dog sweet?  I know I say that about all my Penny Black stamps, but I *love* the quizzical expression on the dog's face!  I stamped him onto watercolour paper and coloured him with Faber Castell and Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils. I tried to give him lots of texture by scribbling different coloured brown Inktense watercolour pencils on a scrap piece of watercolour paper, adding water with my paintbrush and "dabbing" the dog with little strokes.  Once that had dried, I then made a wash with a mustardy-coloured pencil on a scrap piece of watercolour paper and applied that over the strokes to tone them down and blend them into the dog's fur.  I added used my clear Sakura glaze pen to add some shine to his collar, but you can't tell that from the photo - oh well!  The sentiment is from my Penny Black clear set:  Make a Wish - which seemed the perfect choice for this image.  This main panel is also up on dimensionals.  Here is a wee close-up:

I diecut the image with my Square Nesties - but trimmed around the tail first so the tail wouldn't get cut off.  This technique is called "Out of the box with nestabilities" and you can find the step-by-step tutorial here on Splitcoaststampers.   I did the same with the mustard and black cardstock layers.  If you are not a member of Splitcoaststampers, you will not be able to see the step-by-step written tutorial on their website, however, here is their video tutorial for this technique from You Tube:

Please note:  if you are reading this post in a Reader (such as Google etc.) or have received an email and you just see a black screen, you will need to come to my Blog to view the video.

The black paw border on the side panel is an EK Success punch:  Paw Print - isn't it fab??!!  I attached the ribbon in two separate elements and glued the paw print button on - the button had a shank which I cut off with pliers.

Lastly, I added the 3 black brads.

Challenges:

I am entering my card into the following challenges -

Crazy 4 Challenges - C4C101 - Bingo - where you have to pick 3 items in a row/diagonal line from the choices on their bingo board.  I chose Square card, Embossing and Brads.

Penny Black at Allsorts - August Challenge of Free and Easy

Before I go, I wanted to share some happy news that the card below was one of the top 3 at the Craft your Days Away Challenge #25 so I have another little blinkie which I have added to my blog sidebar.   Woo hoo!

And that's not all!  This next card was picked as one of the Splitcoaststampers Clean and Simple Favourites for the week ending 31st July - that sure rocked my socks off!

If you want to leave a comment and you are in a hurry, scroll down to under the Card Recipe, and click on one of the Reactions.
Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great week!

Jocelyn

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Penny Black - Where's Dinner 1705J, Sentiment from Penny Black - Make a Wish 30-052 clear set

Ink: Versafine Onyx black

Designer paper:  Rusty Pickle - Cap'n Jack - Black Pearl RP718 (probably retired now - it's been kicking around my craft room for a couple of years).

Accessories:  Cuttlebug, Spellbinder Square Nestabilities, Crafts Too Dots 5" x 5" embossing folder, black grosgrain ribbon, paw print button by Buttons Galore and more - Pet - Little Paws #4120, black brads by Basic Grey from Urban Prairie collection, Faber Castell and Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils, 140lb watercolour paper, small round #2 paintbrush, dimensionals, clear Sakura glaze pen, cardstock: mustard, black

Punches:  EK Success Paw Print edge

Penny Black: Fetching Slippers - a masculine card

Hi blogging friends    Long time no post!  I received a phone call from one of my closest friends late last week to let me know that their father had passed away.  I worked with my friend and their father for many years in their family business and although it wasn't unexpected, it is still a shock when it actually happens.   The funeral was last Wednesday (2 days ago) and the weather was really terrible:  wet, freezing cold and miserable - most of us still got wet under our umbrellas because the wind was blowing it under.   It was like the angels in heaven were crying along with the rest of us.

I started this card last week but only got as far as colouring the image before the phone call so I put it aside and only finished the remainder of the card in a bit of a rush last night as I had to pop it in the mail today.  Hopefully my BIL should get it in time for his birthday this coming Monday.

The adorable image is by Penny Black - a stamp which I bought very recently from PB Stamps in the USA.  When I saw this image on someone's card a few months ago, I just HAD to get it - I LOVE it and it makes me happy to look at it   Check out those cat slippers!!  Cute as a button!! 

I stamped the image onto watercolour paper and coloured it with a mix of Faber-Castell and Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils and a small #2 round paintbrush.  You can't see in the photo, but I added some clear Sakura glaze pen to the dog's collar.  Here is a wee close-up:-

I wish I knew who made the designer paper.  It is a fairly recent purchase but there is no name on the back which is rather unusual for designer papers these days.  If you know, please leave me a comment or drop me an email, and I will update this post.  Plus I would LOVE to know so I can get some more of it:  I do really like it as it is so perfect for masculine cards IMHO.

The sentiment is by Lili of the Valley (UK) and is from their circular sentiments set:  For you.  I stamped it with Indigo pigment ink, poured on some clear embossing powder and heat-set it  The sentiment originally had flowers where the sparkly red star brads are, but I couldn't have flowers on a man's card, so searched through my stash to find something I could pop over the top to hide them.  Here is a close-up so you can see:

Both the main panel and sentiment panel are up on dimensionals.

Challenges:

I am entering this card into the Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge #14 of Spots and Dots.  I tried to use as many dots and spots as I could:  my dp, embossed dot red cardstock panel across the centre and the dots on the border punched panels.

I am also popping this card into the Stampalot August Challenge of "Anything Goes".

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Hope you have a fab weekend!

Jocelyn

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Penny Black Fetching Slippers 2085F, Lili of the Valley (UK) Circular sentiments - For you (set of 7 stamps)

Ink:  Versafine Onyx black, Artnic Indigo pigment

Designer paper:  I haven't a clue!

Accessories:  Cuttlebug, Crafts Too dots square 5" x 5" embossing folder, Spellbinder - rectangle, circle and scalloped circle nestabilities, 140lb Watercolour paper, #2 round paintbrush, Faber-Castell and Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils, red sparkly star brads by Making Memories - Stars in Bloom - shimmer, navy blue ribbon, Sakura clear glaze pen, heat-gun, clear embossing powder, cardstock: navy blue, red

Punches:  Fiskars threading water