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Rubber Road
Scenic Byway:

Wire Writing                                           

By Nancy Leimer
Rubber Roadsters
Advanced Stamping Team Designer

Wire in all grades and size can be manipulated into any design you can imagine. This card was inspired in honor of my husband and our trip to see the Soo Locks in the Upper Peninsula of MI.  Making the wire into any shape possible from sweeping circles and curves to sharp corners will accent all your designs.
 

Supplies:

• Thing-A-Ma Jig-(Darice)

• Lighthouse Stamp-(Stamps Happen Inc)

• Seagull Stamp-unknown

• Outdoor Denim  Cardstock- 8.50” x 11”-(CTMH)

• White piece of cardstock- 8.50” x 11”-(CTMH)

• Desert Sand Cardstock-2 ½ “ x 3 7/8”-(CTMH)

• Vellum- 8.50” x 11”-(CTMH)

• Black Stamp Pad (Memories Dye Ink)

• Dutch Blue Stamp Pad-(CTMH)

• Hollyhock Stamp Pad-(CTMH)

• Frost White Stamp Pad-(Color Box Pigment)

• Clear Embossing Powder-(Ranger)

• Tombow Markers-452, 152, 772, 393, 451, N79

• Rosewood Marker-(Marvy Le Plume)

• Brilliant Yellow Marker (Marvy Le Plume)

• Red Pigma Brush Marker

• Metal Glue-(Making Memories)

• Glue (Zig)

• Personal Paper Trimmer (Fiskars)

• Sponge-(CTMH)

• Scissors (Fiskars)

• Glue Dots-(CTMH)

• Heat Gun-(Stampabilities)

• Dyco cutting knife-(CTMH)

• 24 gauge Gold Wire-(Darice)

• Small Cork

• Piece of Sand Paper- fine grade

• Misc. tools to cut wire

• Small Needle Nose Pliers

Instructions:

1.    Cut the Outdoor Denim cardstock in two pieces measuring 5½” x  8½”.  Fold one piece of Denim        cardstock in half to equal size 4¼” x 5½”.  Cut the other piece of cardstock to size 2 ¼” x 3 11/16”.

2.    Using the black ink, coat the lighthouse stamp and stamp on the white cardstock. Make sure that the stamp is heavily coated with the ink.  Then, cover with the clear embossing powder and heat to melt the powder. Trim out the square design of the lighthouse making sure the top of the lighthouse isn’t cut off.  Also, stamp a seagull in the same fashion.  Heat emboss, cut out shape and set aside.

3.    Take the small pieces of remaining cardstock (denim and desert sand) and sand with the sand paper to make them look weather worn.  Set aside.
 
4.    Color in the stamped images of the lighthouse and the seagull.  Use the sponge to add the blue and hollyhock to the sky.  See attached photo for color reference and placement.  (Photo 1 below)

5.    On a small piece of vellum write the word “travel” in the size it will appear on the card.  Next lay the word on the Thing-A-Ma Jig and add the pegs where you will wind the wire around them.  Use the photo as your guide to placing the pegs and adding the wire.  Leave a long tail at the end of “travel”.  Using a pair of needle nose pliers wind the tail as ropes would look on ships.  Also, wind the top of the “T” and the piece used to cross the “T”.  Carefully remove the wire from the pegs and lay on a cutting board or hard surface.  Use an old magazine and place on top of the word and begin to tap the magazine with a hammer to make the wire lay flat.  (Photo 2 below)

6.    Use your computer to print the words “with you, my favorite thing to do” on the velum.  The font is Artisan and the size is 14 using the Print Master program 10.  Allow the ink to dry well and tear out the words to the size of a 1” x 1” square. 

7.    Cut the cork into a small thin piece that would appear to be part of an old pier on the waterfront. 

8.    To assemble the card, use the photos for placements.  Center the lighthouse onto the sanded denim cardstock using Zig glue.  Next, glue the sanded denim piece of cardstock into the center of the sanded desert sand cardstock.   Now, glue this layered assembly to the denim cardstock that is stamped with the white seagulls.  Refer to photo for placement.  Use the Zig glue to attach the small piece of vellum to the lower right hand corner of the card front.  Refer to photo.  Use the metal glue to attach the wire word to the card.  This glue is very thick and you will only need small drops to attach the word.  Put small drops onto cardstock and lay the wire in the glue and hold each piece until it is set.  Add the piece of cork using the metal glue and hold for about a minute, then add the seagull using a glue dot, allowing the tail of the gull to standup.   (Photo 3 below)

                                                  Photo 2

                  Photo 1

                           Photo 3

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