Liberty Single Layout

This one is my favorite recent layout.  Photos are mounted on Walnut Cream cardstock, my most recent favorite color of cardstock.  The one thing that is hard to see in the photo is on the dark gray background piece, I used a script stamp with VersaMark to create the background.

The stamp is by Stampendous, "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness".  I stamped and embossed it, distressed the paper with Pumice Stone Distress Ink, double matted on red and blue, and used mini gold star brads on either side.  Top photo is matted, has medium gold stars in the upper right corner and natural twine wrapped around the bottom.  

Here is the entire view of the layout.  I still look at this layout and am in awe, over the gorgeous photos (taken by my brother).  I am amazed at the grandeur of the bald eagle.  I get chills when I think about this symbol of our country and get verklempt over how looking at this makes me feel.  The beauty...  The patriotism...  The intense look of the eagle in the top photo, something about it reminds me of how we look at those who defy us as a country, or those who are enemies of our allies, it's a "don't mess with me look."  I just love it and I am reminded of how thankful I am to be an American and how especially grateful I am for the men and women of our military.

The three lower photos have the natural twine tied around them, and have a gold spiral clip at the top of each photo.  The bottom piece is stamped multiple time with a stamp by Northwoods.  I ten colored in the areas with Copic markers.  I also distressed the piece with Pumice Stone Distress Ink.  It is double matted on red and blue.

Card--Shabby Chic

First, sorry the photo is sideways...  I promise it was upright and every time I've uploaded it's sideways...

So, this card, I love this one, it is a total favorite.

I started with white card stock and painted it with black acrylic paint.  After the paint dried, I stamped the fleur de lis/flourish with VersaMark and embossed with clear embossing powder.

After the embossed images cooled, I took a light green acrylic paint and pounced it randomly on the piece.  Then I also used an off-white color and an antique gold.  Pouncing these around blended the colors and created a faux patina-esque finish.  After the paint dried, I used a damp paper towel to wipe the paint from the embossed images.  I did have to redo a little bit of the painted areas, but I know next time to allow the paint to dry a little longer.

I stamped the butterflies in the antique gold paint, when they were dry I applied a little bit of Peeled Paint Distress Stickles.

The sentiment was stamped on a separate piece of card stock.  The corners are punched using the scallop Corner Chompers and the edges distressed with Distress Ink, Pumice Stone.  It is adhered with pop ups.  The ribbon at the top is by Pebbles.

I love this shabby chic look, it is a fun look and while it does take a few steps and some time to achieve a vintage type look, I think this card turned out terrific.