A Whitewashed Happy Mother’s Day with The Paper Players

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of summer afternoons when I would whitewash the wooden fence outside of our country house.  Mom would sit with me on the weekends and tell me stories while I painted.  Such wonderful memories.  She would recite some of the Great American stories like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  Oh, wait!  I’m confused.  I’m actually telling you the story of Tom Sawyer.  We didn’t have a fence, so I had nothing to whitewash – but it sure is a pretty look.

As I sat down to make a card for this week’s Mother’s Day-themed challenge for The Paper Players, I whitewashed this paper from Natural Composition.  It really set the tone for the rest of the project.  Here’s my card: Natural Compostion, Everything Eleanor, Loving Thoughts, Stampin' Up!, Brian King

Tips, Tricks and Reminders: 

  • Not Your Typical Mother’s Day Card.  When I set out to make this card, I challenged myself to make an atypical Mother’s Day card – one that’s not filled with pink flowers and fluffy ribbons.  While I met my self-imposed flower and ribbons challenge, I let the pink in.  It just looks so good with the natural brown color of the paper.  Too good to pass up!   
  • Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper.  I love this paper.  Over the past year, I’ve played around with different ways to use the paper.  I sponged it here and here and left it alone here and here.  For today’s project, I added a different twist by whitewashing it.
  • Whitewashing.  With an old Aqua Painter, I gathered up some Whisper White Craft Ink and swiped it across the paper.  I kept the painter moving in one direction – back and forth, back and forth.  When I covered the area, I swiped the entire card with a paper towel to remove the ink from the embossed areas.  I also whitewashed the Primrose Petals piece in the center of the Everything Eleanor shape.  Here’s a close-up: Whitewashed Mother's Day

Stamp Sets:  Everything Eleanor, Loving Thoughts  Inks:  Primrose Petals, Whisper White Craft  Papers:  Primrose Petals, Whisper White, Soft Suede, Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper  Accessories:  White Embossing Powder, Aqua Painter, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!  Check out the other inspiration cards at The Paper Players site.

Brian

30 Comments

  1. I am a new follower and your things are just so totally AmAzing……….you have such great ideas – Very WELL DONE YOU!!!!!!! 🙂 x

  2. Beautiful! I’ve got to try that aqua painter / white craft ink technique.

  3. Yet another Brian WOWSER….love it!

  4. You’ve inspired me to use the Natural Comp. DSP. Wonderful card.

  5. he he you’re so funny! Tom Sawyer! Man I love that Everything Eleanor pc! That’s the only stamp I want from that expensive set! Happy Mother’s day to all!

  6. So different – so lovely!

  7. My first words when I saw this card: “Now isn’t that neat!” This is great, Brian! It’s also great timing as I just got Everything Eleanor this week as one of my SAB incentive sets. : )

  8. Brian, you are a nut! I’m reading along thinking I’ve never been to Atlanta…picket fences, storytime…sounds so southern and pleasant, heehee! The card is gorgeous! Never tried the white-washing but you make it sound easy and look great…will have to give a whirl. Thanks for the inspiration and the chuckle! 🙂

  9. Nice job with the white wash Brian………………hhhhhmmmmmmmmmm no glitter on this card? LOL

  10. Brian — just love your work. I look forward to viewing what you do everyday. I don’t comment on all days you post — but just wanted you to know you inspire me to go create after I read your posts. Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us.

  11. Wow, Brian, another stunning card! I’ve never even thought of whitewashing, but now I MUST try it…looks fabulous! I hope you know your cards are all over my Pinterest Board…LOL! Love them! Need to do this for my sweet MIL!!
    Toodles!

  12. My daughter used to live just outside Atlanta and I could just picture you whitewashing a picket fence in your youth………….and then you popped my little fantasy bubble! I love your card and your delicious humor! Don’t know which I look forward to most – your humor or your awesome cards!

  13. You are a funny man, Brian. I honestly pictured you as a little kid, with overalls, nose, hair, hands all stained in white, barefooted in your back yard white washing the fence…..until I came to the part where you mentioned that you didn’t have a fence and were just daydreaming about Tom Sawyer and, just like it happened to Bette, you totally erase this lovely image of a young Brian King white washing the fence on a nice Summer day, I also pictured you mom reading you this stories and sipping ice tea, Sheeesh!!
    Ok now, this card of yours is beautiful, I must try the white washing technique, the results are lovely. Thank you for the daily dose of laughs and inspiration.
    Have a great Sunday.

  14. Beautiful card Brian. I’m sure you are a great accountant but you really missed your calling…you are funnier than any comedian I have ever seen! Happy Stampin’!

  15. WOW!!! BEAUTIFUL. I have been thinking about this paper for so long…. I think I REALLY NEED IT! LOL Great blog

  16. AWESOME CARD!!! Love the idea of the whitewashing, I am SO HAPPY they did not retire this dsp!! I can picture the wood-grain patterned piece whitewashed to look like birch. There’s a happy thought for a matching father’s day card! 🙂

  17. Brian, you’ve done it again! (naturally). I love this card and your white wash technique. I am also sort of miffed that your story wasn’t really real, because I had a sweet picture of your Mom watching you work (we Mom’s love to watch our kids work). I believe that if you ever decide to try another career, writing books should be it! You are so genuinely creative…with pen, in videos, and on paper. I’ll bet you’re an outstanding accountant! 🙂 Oh wait, I got off track… the card. yes, the card! I LOVE IT ! Just to be sure I understand, did you use water in that water color brush to apply the white? I also love this paper; so glad they didn’t retire it. Hugs !

  18. What a cleaver use of words. Evidentially I thought a mothers day card had to say Happy Mother’s Day. I’ll look at this set of words (which I have) closer.

  19. Very cool technique….I just think this specialty paper is so fun to work with!

  20. Lovely as always!

  21. Lovely card, Brian. Pink and brown are so pretty together–cool and refreshing as neapolitan ice cream!

  22. I absolutely love this card! It’s so unique! You are quite a funny guy too! You really had me going with your story.

  23. Carol Carriveau

    BEAUTIFUL Brian….will try recreating this one….gorgeous! Loved your ‘story’ about your childhood memories….oh yes, that wasn’t you….LOL!

  24. Love the whitewashed look! 🙂

  25. Awesome card Brian! I love the colors and you “Framelit like” cutting is quite impressive! 🙂

  26. Love the whitewashing, Brian. Great idea with that card stock.

  27. Brian, your post cracked me up! Ha! Love that whitewashing technique and now I want to bust out that Natural Composition paper and give it a go. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂

  28. absolute perfection. love the whitewash effect!

  29. Pingback: Flowers for The Card Concept | STAMP WITH BRIAN

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