Craft-Room Challenge - Father/Male

Hiya!  Beautiful Black & White entries last week over at the Craft-Room Challenge - as always it will be so difficult to choose a top 3!  However, it's time to move onto the next challenge, the theme of which has been chosen by the very talented Mervi, and the theme is "Father or Male".  As always there will be a Top 3, and a random winner will be chosen to win a £10 voucher for spending on goodies at the Craft-Room Online Shop. 

I'm sure I'm not alone in struggling when it comes to making a card or project for a guy!  In the end, I chose to make a paperweight for my brother's upcoming birthday in December:

I used the wooden block from an old mounted rubber stamp (which I will now need to mount on EZ mount!), and painted it a couple of times with brown acrylic then, once dry, a layer of the amazing Eco-Green Glue, then a layer of cream acrylic.  I used a heat gun (from a distance) to slowly dry it and it crackled!  This is a technique that I don't have much luck with!!!  Once dry, a layer of Glue & Seal Matte, then the CI image & sentiment were stamped onto tissue then laid onto the wet glue, and brushed over with more Glue and Seal.  A couple of further coats of G & S , then I coloured the image with neat distress reinkers, added a cog with attached word tiles and a zipper pull coloured with a bit of alcohol ink (to make it look a bit rusty).  I went around the edge of the block with a little frayed burlap, then a little metallic rub on.  My aim was to make it look as aged and old as possible!

I chose the image because my brother always looks after my springer spaniel Jack when I go on holiday - Jack adores him and follows him everywhere!  I hope he likes it, because if he doesn't, he's getting nothing else!!!

Eco-Green Paint, Cog, Alcohol Ink and Distress Re-inkers are from Craft-Room, Stamp is from Crafty Individuals and Metallic Rub On is from Happy Daze.

I did enjoy making this and that crackle is definitely a challenge for me!  Check out the projects by the rest of the Design Team for inspiration as they are fabulous!

I am entering my paperweight into the following challenges:-

Fashionable Stamping Challenge: Coffee and Cream with Dark Chocolate
StampsFun=Creativity: Vintage
Stamps R Us Challenge Blog: Masculine
Addicted To Stamps: Shabby, Shabby Chic or Vintage
Pan Pastel UK:  Distress It
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle: Monochromatic
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes
Moving Along With The Times: No Girls Allowed

Have fun, I hope you like it and I look forward to visiting you to see your fabulous creations.

Maria x