Faux Suede/Colored Chipboard

I made this masculine card Saturday night. Get this...I stayed up until about 4:45am! Every now and then I get a major second wind on a weekend night and just create until the wee hours. Kevin and Macy had gone to bed and she later came down to be with her momma. I think she and I took a break about 3:45am and it was just magnificent outside. It was windy, there was a slight humid feeling in the air and the crickets were super loud! The moon is what really captured my attention. It was shining full and bright behind a veil of clouds and there was a spectacular ring of light around it. No, I didn't take a picture. I love being outside sometimes when the rest of the world is sleeping. Well, except the crickets! LOL

I had this stamp set (Lovely Leaves, retired) on my table knowing I wanted to create a card. I needed a piece of Kraft cardstock, so I checked my scraps first. This folded piece with the sentiment was in there and was perfect for finishing my card. How neat is that? Happy me! I love that I had saved it and it was just waiting for this card! The sentiment is from another older retired set that I can't part with just because of this stamp! Love it!

Here's a fuzzy close-up of how I layered the piece. I colored the chipboard piece with Chocolate Chip craft ink and dried it with my heat tool. I then added large eyelets with my Crop-a-Dile in the pre-made holes. The leaf was stamped onto Kraft cardstock and punched out with my Marvy scalloped square punch. I adhered the chipboard piece with mini glue dots. The entire piece is on the card with Stampin' Dimensionals. I love to fray the ends of twill tape. SU! has the softest cream twill tape that does that easily. This picture also shows the cardstock colors as they truly appear. The True Thyme is one of the retired In Colors from two years ago. Really Rust is in the current Earth Elements group. I love the rustic feel of this color combo.

The Really Rust layer had a bit of a Faux Suede look to it. Hold cardstock in one hand, bone folder in the other. Run the cardstock over the edge of the bone folder to break down the fibers. The cardstock will separate and you can carefully peel the two layers apart. Use the outer or inner side for different looks. I used the inner side on my card above. Easy! *click for a closer look to see the texture on each side*

I love to color bare chipboard using Craft Inks. I have the Stampin' Spots and simply dab the color onto the chipboard until covered. Then, I dry the ink with my heat tool (careful not to burn fingers!!) until it lightens to its true color and is no longer shiny. I do about 2-3 coats to ensure the chipboard is colored evenly. Try it! My heat tool is always on my craft table because I use it for so many things besides heat embossing.

I had said in an earlier post that Macy usually likes to have her nose or tail or body literally inches from my craft chair down in our basement. If I move, she is immediately alerted to what her momma is doing. LOL After she came back down last night I caught her sound asleep with her nose just inches from the chair wheel. Thank goodness I was up and about and not sitting or she'd have a flat nose now! She was so exhausted and never knew I took this picture. Bottom line: She loves me and wants to be right where I am. I just love her! Since I was up so late and she was my creative partner (aka snoring dog), she actually slept in later 'til about 8am today. LOL Uh and she's asleep right now as I type this on Sunday afternoon.

Ok, one more thing....I find out today how my scrapbook page entry in the fair did (3 pages=one entry). We are planning on going to the fair later, weather permitting. I'll let you know how I did in tomorrow's post. Thanks for stopping by...