Good Saturday morning! Boy our neighborhood was lit up last night with fireworks and things that cracked, popped and went boom. I’m surprised the neighbor’s house is still standing actually. Don’t know what they were shooting off over there last night – sounded like M80s – but I know my dogs were scared! I couldn’t find Sydney at all and thought she was hiding under my bed. NOPE! She was down in the stamp room, in the corner, under the table. I walked down to work on some more cards, Miss Ellie right behind me, and there was Syd! Needless to say, all three of us stayed down there. Me working away and both of them laying on my feet. That was a first! They never stay in the stamp room long enough to please me. They run in, whine or bark a little, maybe play for a few minutes, and then off they go! Just long enough for me to know they are still around. I really enjoyed them staying close by last night – even though I know the only reason they were there was because of all the noise.

I came home to so much new rubber that I’m still working on sorting it, and putting it away. The problem is . . . I start to sort and see an image that I just have to work with NOW. I went downstairs last night with the goal in mind to get the new unmounted stuff put away. Yeah right! I was sorting my new High Hopes stamps, getting reading to hang them up when . . . . well, I couldn’t help myself when an idea immediately popped into my head . . . I had to settle in at my table, and here’s the result of last night’s stamping.

I stamped the image of the pirate, colored him with Copic Markers, and then decided that he would look cool standing on a ship’s deck. I sketched out my background with pencil, then went back with a small nibbed calligrapher pen and India ink and drew it in. Now trust me when I tell you this. I was in doubt whether the India ink would work with the Copics. I drew a few lines on scratch paper and then colored over them. It looked okay and the ink didn’t smear, so I decided to use it on my card. When I went to color the deck area, the black DID smear. However, not that much and I did like the results. It made the wood look more aged and I kept at it! The map was stamped on vanilla cardstock, and then the edges were torn around the image before I began to work the paper. Using different colors of Distress Inks, I worked the ink around the page, misting with water and wrinkling the paper as I went. I did sponge the edges with Vintage Photo first and then with Black Soot to make the map was burned. The only problem is I couldn’t leave well enough alone, and lost the Vintage Photo into the background. Hmmmmm live and learn! The sentiment was stamped, punched out, and then the edges were sponged like the map, but I used a distress tool and went around the edge. Instead of brads, I decided to use black hemp twine as my embellishment.

• Stamps: Ahoy, Treasure Map and On Guard Oberto from High Hopes Rubber Stamps
• Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU Real Red, Chocolate Chip, and Very Vanilla; Making Memories League Collection
• Ink: Ranger Adirondack Pitch Black and Tim Holtz Vintage Photo, Black Soot, Antique Linen, and Tea Dye Distress Inks; Bombay Black India Ink; Stazon Timber Brown
• Accessories: Copic Markers; Calligrapher Pen; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Circle Punches; Mounting Tape; Red Twill Ribbon; Black Hemp Twine; Ranger Mini Mister

I hope you enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend!