I made this card for my DH's birthday which is in a few weeks. Woo hoo - early for a change and not burning the midnight oil trying to get it finished like I usually do!
The image was stamped onto 140lb Watercolor paper and coloured with Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils and a small round #2 paintbrush. Once I had finished colouring, I added a little bit of clear Sakura glaze onto the seagull's eye, beak and legs - alas, not captured by the camera but adds a bit of shine IRL.
Because I had chosen a "sea" image, I wanted to make a frame that kind of looked like a porthole so I used my CB to diecut an oval with 2 oval nesties, added the brads, then popped this frame up on doublesided foam pads (dimensionals).
I decided to add some stitching just to add a bit of texture. I pierced the holes with a paper piercer then hand-sewed all the stitches with teal sewing thread - yep, all hand-sewn.
The side panel was punched with a Martha Stewart Embossed Diamond edge punch then I added some rope tied in a sailor's knot. This type of knot is also called The Anchor Bend, Carrick Bend and Full Carrick Bend. I actually used four pieces of rope instead of two as two just seemed to look "lost" on the panel - the four made for a bolder statement. I learnt how to do one from a post in the SCS Tutorials section by SCS Member lynnephelps aka Lynne Phelps - see this link: Nautical Knot by GypsyRoseStamper at Splitcoaststampers - see post #5 by Lynne. THANK YOU LYNNE :-) This side panel is also up on doublesided foam pads.
To finish, I tied the same rope through the button then glued the button on, then glued on the "happy birthday" metal sentiment which I have had forever. I got it FREE with an order from some store that I bought something from ages ago - which is why I am entering this card into the SCS Free for all Friday Challenge F4A66 of "Anything goes" BUT you must use something on your project that was FREE. See this link for the deets on the challenge: F4A66...Literally...(5/27/11) by dawnmercedes at Splitcoaststampers
The button is from a Basic Grey Granola set and the brads are by Printblocks. I "think" the metal sentiment is also by Printblocks but I have lost the original packaging so I can't be sure (sorry). The string came from my local hardware store.