Chessmen Photo Card

Inspiration

I do a lot of photography, even though I don't post a lot of photos here. Most of my shots are not "people" shots - I like scenic nature vistas most. But I also like macro photography, especially taking pictures of items that provide a different point of view.

Today's card uses a photo I took of an antique chess set that sits on a table in the "Officers' Club" room of the Hangar Hotel in Fredricksburg, TX. It's a cool hotel that is built to look like a WWII hangar on the outside, and a 1940's-style hotel featuring airplane memorabilia, model planes, and USO history. The chess set, made of glass, was catching sunlight from the nearby windows and I got down very close to capture the chessmen receding in focus.

I used the photo to create a birthday card for a friend's father - a long-time Texan turning 80 years old this fall, who loves to play chess and is someone I thought would appreciate the origin of the chess set in the photo. I used a full sheet of card stock to create the base card, so it's a nice big card for an important birthday event!

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size is 5 1/2" x 8 1/2"

Paper

Basic Black (SU!)	8 1/2" x 11"; score at 5 1/2", and 4 1/4" x 5 3/8
Real Red (SU!)	5 1/2" x 7 3/4", and 3/4" x 8 1/2", and 2" x 3
Jackpot DSP (SU!)	5 1/2" x 7 1/2", and 1/2" x 4 1/2" (3 pieces)
Very Vanilla (SU!)	1/2" x 8 1/2", and scraps

Inks

Basic Black (SU!)

Stamps

Game Night (SU!)

Floral Wreath (Gina K)

Father's Day Centers (CHF)

Accessories

Cuttlebug (Provo Craft)

Ribbon Tag Trio Shapeabilities (Spellbinders)

Oval Punch (SU!)

Scor-Pal

ATG (Scotch)

Scissors (Cutter Bee)

Rotary trimmer (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD

Score a sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" at 5 1/2" and fold. Mount a red mat, measuring 5 1/2" x 7 3/4", in the center of the card front. Mount the chess-board patterned paper, measuring 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" on the red mat layer.

PHOTO

Cut three strips of patterned paper with the pawn pattern, measuring 1/2" x 4 1/2". Mount these from the left edge of the base card toward the center, with the first one 1" from the top of the card, and each one 1/8" apart.

Trim the photo to 4" x 5 1/4, and mount on a mat of black paper, measuring 4 1/4" x 5 3/8. Mount the matted photo so that it covers the ends of the pawn paper strips, and leaves some of the chess board mat showing on the right.

CHESS MEN TRIM

Cut/emboss a ribbon tag from red paper. Stamp the sentiment in black ink on ivory paper and punch out with the oval punch. Mount the sentiment on the ribbon tag.

Mount an ivory strip measuring 1/2" x 8 1/2" on a red strip measuring 3/4" x 8 1/2", and slide through the ribbon tag. Mount this across the front of the card.

Finish by stamping the chess men images in black ink on ivory paper. Trim them closely, and mount at varying angles along the ivory "ribbon" on the front of the card.

Thanks for stopping by!