A Happy Stripy Accident

Hi everyone and a very happy Friday. It's been a frenetic week culminating in DH's birthday today - he also FINALLY got his promotion confirmed too, so that's a pressie he will really be celebrating (when time allows). A nice restful weekend would be SO welcome right now, but the eldest needs taking on a round trip to Leeds tomorrow to find out more about uni courses (many happy hours to be spent in the car on the motorway -whoop, whoop!) Then there's some ferrying around to do on Sunday too. No rest for the wicked...

Anyway, having worked hard on perfecting hubby's birthday card earlier in the week I decided to just play with this one and got some unexpected results.

So my Wendy Vecchi paste arrived with some of her superb stencils, including this striped border, and I decided to rework an idea used a long time ago

(with debatable results the first time round).

First time round I dripped acrylic paints down card, but it was rather thick and difficult to control. This time a runnier medium was required, but first a base.

I started with chipboard and covered it in layers of gesso, Picket Fence Distress Paint, and Picket Fence Crackle Paint. Then came the texture paste - it has the consistency of whipped double cream and goes on like a dream.

That provided the perfect base for running alcohol inks and blending solution through. They bled beautifully and seeped into all the cracks. But wait, there's more!

Purely by accident I discovered that if you then use a craft tool (ok, ok, my finger:) to rub a touch of water over the surface it becomes chalky and shabby chic looking courtesy of the various Picket Fence layers underneath.

With so much going on in the background little was needed to embellish this card. A time traveller gentleman coloured with Distress Stains, some of those new rub ons, a simple sentiment and a 'watch chain' worked a treat. Oh, and I added a layer of matte Glue n Seal over the background to ensure the rub ons remained fixed in place.

And so to challenges;

Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge - Stripes

(sponsored by Simon Says Stamp)

Pan Pastel UK Challenge - Lots of layers

Fashionable Stamping Challenges - Show us Something New 

(sponsored by Flonzcraft)

The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Challenge - Makes for Men

(sponsored by The Artistic Stamper)

Now, it's time to shuffle off to my bed to prepare for a ton of driving tomorrow before we can all celebrate in more style in the evening. I hope you are all going to get a far more relaxing weekend and get time out for yourselves if you need it.

Take care of yourselves, hugs Jenny xxx