This is my second card for Inspired by Stamping’s Masculine Challenge.

First, dye the cheesecloth.

Because I knew I would need drying time for the cheesecloth/netting, I dyed it the day before.  Here’s how I did that:

I used:-

Forest Moss Distress Stain
Vintage Photo Distress Stain
Tarnished Brass Distress Stain
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Chalkboard – Medallion (which is a pale green colour)

Using the lid of a margarine container, I put several splotches of each distress stain colour then spritzed with the Medallion Glimmer Mist until it was quite liquid. This was required because the cheesecloth needs to be ‘run’ through it to ensure all parts of the cloth are covered in colour. Once that was done, I scrunched it up, and put it aside (overnight) to dry. If you don’t have time to do this, use your heat gun to dry it more quickly.

If you want to highlight one colour more than the others, make sure you use extra of that particular colour.

* I know I’ll be using cheesecloth for another masculine card, so dyed way more than I needed for this project.  This can be quite a time saver.

 Next, prepare the card-topper.

This was easy – using Fired Brick Distress Ink, I stamped the script and map stamps onto the card-topper.  For the script (from Ahoy, Matey), I stamped off onto a piece of scrap paper first.  I didn’t do this for the map (from Pirates), as I wanted it to show up more.

With the ship (also from Pirates), I stamped with Iced Spruce Distress Ink.  This time I didn’t stamp off first.

Then I wrapped this crimson and gold netting over and around the topper, pulling it together on one side.  Just to be different.  I secured it on the back with double-sided tape.

 

I do get a bit messy on the back, but it won’t be seen, so it doesn’t matter. You can see I made a mistake with this, and forgot to stamp of in one area, so I just turned it over and started again.

Next I sponged around the edges with Fired Brick and Vintage Photo Distress Inks, and then more lightly all over.

Next I added ‘screw’ brads to each corner, and taped them down because I didn’t want them moving around.  Once I glued the topper down, there would be no way to fix it if they twisted around.

Next I stamped the main focal image, using Jet Black Ranger Archival Ink. The stamp is from Masculine Tags from Inspired by Stamping.

After stamping, I sponged lightly with Vintage Photo and Fired Brick Distress Inks – just to pull the colours together from within the card.

Then I added the dyed cheesecloth to the back of the focal image using wet glue.

 

While the glue was setting, I got my ‘trinkets’ ready.  I added two nautical trinkets, tying them together with some twine.  I made a small knot in each one, so they would be on different levels, and would both be seen. The photo on the right shows how I used double-sided tape to secure them to the crimson netting, and then another piece to pull them to the right-hand side.  I did that to ensure they were seen once the greeting went on.

 

Last of all, I added the main focal image, along with the netting.  I was aiming to make it look like fishing net, to keep with the nautical theme.  Not sure if I pulled that off or not!

I added a big pile of wet glue to the back to secure the netting and main focal image to the card-topper.  However, I couldn’t get the top and bottom to sit up properly, so added a foam dimensional to each.  Once I did that, it sat perfectly.

I again used some double-sided tape, to pull the netting into the position I wanted it in.

Once I was happy with that, I added the topper to the cardbase.

Then….. I decided the left-hand side looked a little bare.  So I cut a piece of chain from a cheap chain I’d bought for another project, and coloured it with Alcohol Inks. I used Rust and Current.  I would have preferred a darker colour, but this was after about three coats, and it wouldn’t go darker. I might have been better off putting some twine, or even something to represent fishing line, but I’m not unhappy with this.  (Make sure you use rubber gloves with alcohol inks, otherwise you’ll be covered in ink – it takes forever to get off!)

Okay, that’s it.  I must admit this was a bit more work than I would normally do for a masculine card, but I decided to make this for hubby’s birthday on September 2nd, so put in a bit more effort. (He loves fishing, so it’s a perfect fit!)

Thanks for looking, and as always, if you want to comment, and the comment box isn’t showing, click the title of this post and it will magically appear!

 

 

 

 

 

*I’ve also entered this card into the IBS Anything Goes Challenge