Father's Day Tool Box

I had such a great time putting this card together today. The inspiration came from a couple of challenges on Splitcoast Stampers. Wednesday's sketch challenge and today's Free 4 All challenge. I needed to make a Father's day card for my step-dad, so the F4A challenge that called for use of tool or machine stamps was perfectly timed.

Although I love using embossing folders, I find that in doing so I often forget about background stamps. I was happy that on this card I found uses for both dry embossing and a couple of my favorite background stamps. 

It may sound strange, but the thing that makes me happiest about this card is the color combination, mostly because I kind of stumbled into it while coloring the tool box image. The tool box is simply too busy to use only my go to browns and grays, so I was forced to inject some color and chose the blue and yellow shades almost randomly. I love how well they work together and sort of wake up the card. 

I really like the way this card turned out. Hopefully my step-dad will too. Fortunately he has no idea this blog exists, so I don't have to worry about posting it early ;-).

Details:

1. card base is chocolate chip.
2. Crushed curry layer is stamped with wonderfully worn background in crushed curry ink.
3. Bliss Blue layer (no, that's not a misprint, just a blast from the past) is stamped with the Hardwood background in basic gray ink. As an aside, Bliss Blue was the best match from my scrap pile for the middle hue in the Night of Navy Stampin' Blendabilities assortment. Marina Mist and Brocade Blue were close, but just a bit too bright and not bright enough respectfully.
4. Basic gray layer is topped with the smoky slate layer, which has been embossed with the Sizzix wood grain embossing folder.
5. The toolbox was stamped on whisper white with the memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Stampin' Blendabilities before being die cut with the Sizzix framelit.
6. The sentiment was stamped in chocolate chip ink on whisper white and punched out using the word window pinch. The chocolate chip layer behind the word window punch was die cut using on of the Lori Whitlock Ornate Labels Thinlits by Sizzix.  I really love the Ornate Label assortment. So many great layering pieces for sentiments and the larger labels are great for main images too.  

Recipe (all products Stampin' Up! except as otherwise indicated):

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry, Bliss Blue, Basic Gray, Smoky Slate, Whisper White

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Basic Gray, Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry, Stampin' Blendabilities from the following assortments: Night of Navy, Daffodil Delights, Smoky Slate and Skin Tone.

Stamps: For Father, King of the Grill, Wonderfully Worn, Hardwood

Accessories: Silver brads, dimensionals, Word Window Punch, Sizzix wood grain embossing folder, Lori Whitlock Ornate Labels Thinlits by Sizzix, Hero Arts Everyday Eclectic Framelits by Sizzix