Geisha with Letter: Thinking of You - Shabby Chic

I made this card with my 5-year-old, J, happily crafting beside me.

He's really taken to card-making with me in the past few days,

and enjoys picking out stamps, counting to ten for each impression,

putting them back carefully in their places.  He really is pretty conscientious about it,

which is fantastic.  I don't dictate where he should put any of his elements,

and although a few of my designer papers that had a plan in place have

succumbed to his scissors, that's OK.

Time with my boy is a far better plan.

 

So the background paper I had originally planned to go with this

fantastic vintage woodcut image met its fate...

But he was so proud of the little banners

he had made--so that his card could have rocket jets coming out the bottom.

Now come on, which one of us would have thought of THAT?

Really.  It's great the things they come up with.

It was all worth it, as you will see tomorrow.

 

I plan to post J's recent card creations in their very own post in the

morning, because he has worked very hard on all of them.

It's a promise I made, and one I will keep.

If you get a chance to drop by tomorrow and leave my J an encouraging  comment, this mama would sure be grateful :)

 

So, on to my own (admittedly less cool than a rocket-jet card) creation. 

J's claim of the planned background paper (and yes, he did say please first)

actually led me to stretch myself a little more than usual for this project.

 



 

I'm slowly getting used to the idea of spraying mists on things.  Paper, stamps.

It's a process, since I'd like to try out mixed media at some point but I've

just never been very comfortable with really messy art.

Call it a carry-over from childhood.

I try not to flip out over boyhood art messes because I know that

nervousness too well, and it stifles creativity.

I do make them clean up AFTERWARDS, but that's different.

While the art is happening, I try very hard not to lecture too much about the mess.

For myself, though, I still have trouble going out of that box.

 

So this card, with its background, was a bit more of a challenge for me

than it probably would be for others.

Just getting inky fingers is rather a lot.

Dirt I can deal with--no problem.

Acrylic paint when I'm working on a mural?  OK there too.

 

Chalk?  Forget it.  There's got to be a Greek name for it

because it's a phobia.

Love the chalkboard look, but

Absolutely.  Hate.  The feel.

I don't do chalk.  I don't do limestone.

 

Ink?  I'm working on it.  This card's a start.

 

 

My first inspiration really came from the Retrosketches layout,

which I worked with the other day for my Orchid Flourish Card.

This time I picked out the woodblock image and

just built it all up around that central diagonal line.

Since J was very busy and we were having a nice chat about things,

I didn't want to rush the moment by finishing my card too soon.

It ended up rather full but then, so is my memory of crafting with J today.

T-I-M-E.

 

Retro Sketches #215: (2nd entry)

 

Everybody Art #369: Lace and Pearls

(Mine is a rustic woven lace, but still a lace)

Twofers Challenge #19: Asian (2nd entry)

Timbro Scrapmania #120: ATG

613 Avenue #176: ATG

 

 

 

Materials Used on this Card:

Cardstock {Rustic white, kraft - Papertrey Ink}

Vintage Image {Public Domain}

Mists {Perfect Pearl copper - Ranger; Glimmer Mist Gold - Tattered Angels}

Papers {Lost and Found 2 - My Mind's Eye; American Crafts

Stamps {Asian writing background - Stamp Antonio;

Organic Fabric Flourish - Inkadinkado; Sentiment - Papertrey Ink}

Inks {Archival Black - Ranger; Coffee pigment ink - Craftsmart}

Thai woven decorative trim {stash}

Pearls {The Paper Studio}

Flowers {Recollections, La Petites by TPS}

Wooden flourish {Momenta}

Eyelet edge punch {Martha Stewart}

 

Thank you so much for visiting.

If you do get a chance to stop by for J's special cards tomorrow,

I think you will see that an observant little crafter is emerging...

with a style all his own, of course :)

 

I hope you will take just a second and

enter for my Spring Giveaway before you go!

Inlinkz is so quick and I've opened the giveaway to both US and

International crafters as well.

Picture and link are on my right-hand sidebar. :)

Take care,

Be well,

and enjoy the sunshine,

--Kathryn