The Family Man 7x5

Fathers’ Day is in September in Australia, so I have plenty of time to choose a card suitable, however I could not go past this design as it epitomises the care and nurture my son who is a single Dad has shown in rearing his family, and like this photograph has 2 cubs.

I have made it smaller to keep within the accepted postage weight and size. I printed the sheet provided onto CB white 120gsm matte card, at 12. 7 x 17.78cm and used the main image as the main backing sheet.

I then printed the sheet provided onto 80gsm white copy paper and used the image of the lion as the first piece of the step by step method to complete the decoupage.

I mounted the main image onto a deep cream backing sheet cut at 11.75 x 8.5cm and used a brown marker and a ruler to define all the outer edges.

I then made a deep gold shade of yellow backing sheet cut at 13.5 x 9.5cm and before attaching it using D.S. tape I defined the edges the same way using the brown marker.

I then made smudges on the backing sheet, by colouring my index finger and repeatedly stamping and smudging marks onto this backing sheet.

I then made a backing sheet from a very bright orange card that has bright red swirls as a pattern, cutting it at 14.5 x 10.5cm.

I then used a jungle print ribbon, that has a giraffe type of colouring, across horizontally, 4cm down from the top edge of the orange backing sheet.

I attached this firmly at the back of the orange backing sheet and then used a 14cm length of the same ribbon to slip around the ribbon on the left and tie a simple knot.

I then attached this group of backing sheets onto the green main card.

I made this card from a linen finished pale green card, cut at 30 x 11.5cm. I weathered this card by using a yellow marker to colour and smudge all the edges, both inside the card and on the outside before I attached the completed topper.

I then used D.S. tape to attach the photo copy paper image of the male lion to some light weight card, cutting it out carefully, and attached it using very thin padded D.S. tape.

I then used the smaller elements from the 120gsm matte card copy and attached them using some thick white glue and some this D.S tape.

I then used the paper copy image of the lioness to cut out and use her face and the hind hip and leg including the tail, and attached these in the same manner.

I used red power tape to hold down the tails of the ribbon. I printed the sentiment, and aged the front of this using brown and yellow markers smudging in the way I had previously described.

I attached 2 stars just to embellish the card front.

I used the photo copy image of the lioness and her cubs to attach to the inside left hand side of the insert , and wrote the verse, which I have included, and you may use if you wish, and attached it to the right hand side of the insert section.

This is a perfect card for me to send, thank you Fran for this heart melting image. Pamela Horton. The Whispering Platypus.