Crack Me Up!

I'm the hostess this week at Stampotique Designer's Challenges. My challenge is called "Crack Me Up"! Here's what I said about it.

"Create a humorous project that also has crackled texture!"

If you'd like the chance to win your choice of $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along with this challenge. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules so that you'll have the chance to win that great prize!!! Remember to check to see the deadline for all of this month's Stampotique Designers Challenges!

The left-most cat of the four cats included in Stampotique's Kitty Squad stamp (Kira Nichols) is a Maneki-neko, the beckoning cat, which is a cat figurine with one paw upraised. It's supposed to bring luck to its owner.

Here's my card which is crackled, but not particularly funny! I think this stupid flu bug has made my funny bone disappear! 

Kitty Squad was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink three times and the Maneki-neko cat was fussy-cut from the image. The other kitties were put into an envelope for later use! Each Maneki-neko cat was colored with Copic markers, edged with a black pen, then painted with a layer of Crazing Distress Collage Medium (Ranger). I wasn't totally thrilled with just one layer, so I painted on another layer and was much happier.

A happy accident occurred when the Crazing Distress Collage Medium buckled the paper kitties a bit, so I flipped 'em over and used a shaping tool to add a bit of dimension to them.

The Maneki-neko cats were set aside while I created a setting for them. Initially my plan was to have them sitting atop a table, but then I remembered that I had purchased a super-cute Fireplace die set (Impression Obession) and used that to die-cut 140 lb. Mixed Media cardstock (Strathmore). The brick portion of the fireplace was colored with Copic markers. A Picket Fence Distress marker was used to add a bit of detail. A Gold Leaf marker (Krylon) was used to color the fireplace grate, then black ink was added and wiped off in places. The log and flames were colored with Copic markers and the fireplace bits were complete!

A muted patterned paper was chosen for the background. Wood-patterned Washi tape was added to the the bottom edge, and the fireplace die-cuts were assembled.

A chipboard frame was painted with a layer of Carbon Black Media Fluid Acrylic (MFA) paint (DecoArt), then Metallic Gold MFA was pounced atop it with a pouncy tool (its scientific name). White Mixed Media cardstock was cut to back the frame and colored with Copic markers to dull the white. Black cardstock was die-cut with A Hint of Lime die (Die-versions). The sentiment, "Good Luck" was adhered to the white cardstock and the sentiment-bearing cardstock was adhered to the painted chipboard frame. A thick layer of Diamond Glaze (Judikins) was applied to the aperture. Sadly, rather than set the piece aside overnight, I rushed things and had to pull off the sentiment cardstock and do it all over again. You can see where I messed it up along the edges. This time, I did leave the sentiment frame overnight to cure, only to discover that the black cardstock ran! Whattabummer! Oh well, perfection is overrated. So I went with the imperfect sentiment frame and the unfunny sentiment.

Once I decide who will get the card, I will likely add "You'll need it!" to the inside to go with the "Good Luck" on the outside. Because I'm so funny that way.

Thanks for visiting and reading all this!

P.S. I will be back with at least one other project that (I hope) will be a tad bit funnier and even more cracked!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:
• Alphabet Challenges: C is for Cats
• Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards Challenges: Spring is in the Air
• Creative Card Crew Challenges: Die Cuts
• Show Us Your Pussies Challenges: Furrything Goes