Altered Playing Card, Week 7

I'm once again joining Claudine at Claudine's Art Corner with my latest edition of the Altered Playing Cards, or APCs.  I've been so busy this and last week, I completely forgot to check the theme for Week 7 until I visited another player and I was suddenly reminded that I had not started my cards.  I usually make them on Monday, but don't post until Wednesday because the first of the week is so busy, post-wise.

It never comes as a surprise to me that I have none of the requisite tools and products that Claudine uses, so I was amazed I had a stamp similar to hers, although I think my "Compass" is larger.

I thought of Claudine's playing cards as having a nautical feel, so that's how I designed mine.

I began by spreading blue metallic paint on one playing card using a plastic card.

While the paint was drying, I spritzed three of my handmade shimmering mists on the second card.  Something in the gesso makes these cards lose their shimmer and bright colors.

I was impatient and wanted the paint to dry, so I grabbed my heat tool.  I never use it, unless I want bubbles, which I got.  I was thrilled.  I couldn't have asked for better background texture.  Doesn't that look like a foamy sea?

Of course, my stamping skills aren't the best, so I knew I couldn't stamp directly onto that texture.

I couldn't believe I had chosen the middle image as my choice,

so I was really glad this was going on card stock, rather than directly on the playing card.

Better than I expected!

After the mists dried, I stamped both images directly on the playing card, right over that uneven texture.  All that was left now was to create the sentiments and cut out the shell.  As an aside, I've stamped more since I started these playing cards than I've stamped in my entire life.

I did a bit more than cut the shell out.  I also colored it yellow.  Then I painted some masking tape and wrote the words "By the SEA."  I wish I had stuck with one color pen only, because I thought I made a mess of the words.  And that was the last thing I did, which is usually the case when I mess up!

I wasn't about to take any chances with my second card, and generated the words on my computer.

Here are both my nautical inspired playing cards for Week 7.  Don't forget to stop by Claudine's and see her wonderful cards.  Thanks also for stopping here, because I'm not on Facebook and not a member of Pinterest.