John Wayne Birthday Card

Soon it will be my friend, George's birthday.  I find it difficult to make masculine cards, but this one wasn't too difficult.  I imagined it in my head with the stamp in brown and I wanted to do some faux leather, but that didn't work out.   I just kept putting pieces together until I felt it was finished.  I almost didn't put the cacti on it, but it was very bland and monotone.  I think they finished it off nicely. 

Here's how I made it:

This is a center step card which I found the directions on the internet.  Very easy to do.  These are the measurements I used:

The paper used was a mixture.  The base is SU natural which is what I used for the stamped image, wagon wheel and label.  And the brown is from a packet of handmade mulberry paper I've had for years.  The cacti were done in a green vellum paper that has "star bursts" printed on it.  It makes them look like they have needles. The John Wayne stamp I used I've had since April.  It's a Deep Red brand.  They make wonderful realistic stamps.  It's the 1st time using it and it stamped crisp and clean.  When I saw it in the store, I just knew I had to have it for a card like this.  The Happy Birthday stamp is a Stamps by Impression.  Both were inked with Memento Rich Cocoa.  The main image and frame were cut using Spellbinders dies, the brown side panels were run through an embossing folder for snake like texture, then distressed with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, the main image, wagon wheel and label were distressed using Distress Inks Antique Linen and Walnut Stain.  The cacti, wagon wheel and label were cut using my Slice Happy Trails cartridge. There's a gun brad which I just had to incorporate into this card.  Not sure I like it where it is placed, but it's there now.  I haven't finished the inside yet, but I have an extra cacti cut out that I'm going to try to incorporate.  LOL 

It was fun making this card.  Thanks for taking the time to look!

Cherie