Missing and "Wanted"

One of my coworkers is ill, and will be off of work for several months. The office is kindly taking food to his family every week....but I don't cook. And for those of you that know me at all, you know that taking MY food to a sick friend is really NOT an act of kindness. So I decided to make some cards to send ALONG with the food that others are taking instead.
Of course, if you know me, you know that masculine cards are not my best thing either...but I am working on that. I had an excuse to buy these fabulous (truly FABULOUS!) new western stamp sets so that I could make a special "WANTED" card. I am so excited by these stamps.




I aged the paper used for the focal image on this card using lemon juice. This is a really simply technique, and looks GREAT for cards that you want to look aged and distressed. You simply take your neutral colored paper (in this case, I tore the edges of mine first) and use a sponge or paintbrush to apply lemon juice. I like to use an uneven coat of the lemon juice so that I get "puddling" in some areas if possible. Then you heat the cardstock with a heat tool. The heat burns the lemon juice on your cardstock and turns it brown. This takes a while, so don't give up! Heat it more in some areas than others for the variation in color. And BE CAREFUL - the paper can catch fire, and fingers can get burned (no real need to ask me how I know) so take your time and proceed with caution :)

You might also notice that I have been adding Jumbo Eyelets to everything lately - well that is because they ROCK! These ones are the pewter eyelets, and gol' dang if I don't just love em! And of course you can't love the jumbo eyelets without the crop-a-dile. I bought this tool on a whim one day when I HAD to make a chipboard coaster box, and then it sat on my shelf for months. I am so glad I dusted it off and put it back into use - it really is a nifty little gadget.

Ingredients for this card: (note that this is a 5 x 7 card)
Stamps: Wanted, Bronc Buster, Canvas
Paper: Outlaw DSP, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip (both classic and craft), Really Rust, Clost to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel
Ribbon: 5/8" Chocolate Grosgrain
Accessories: Lemon Juice, Heat Tool, Crop a Dile, Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, Sponge Dauber