International Art and Soul - Distressing

This theme is 'distressing' so please come along and join us in our challenge at International Art and Soul. It's just for fun but there are some super badges available for your blog if you're chosen as one of our favourites.

My card blank is a 7x7 by Craft UK and for me it's the perfect size. I painted about an inch round each edge of the card, let it dry and then added Pentart Cracking Primer in a thin coat on top. After that had dried I added a thick layer of Pentart Cracking Paste on top of that and waited for the magic to happen. Yes, it began to crack, just what I wanted for the base of my design. I stamped an image (I bought it at Ally Pally a couple of years ago but I have no idea who made it) of trees in Memento brown ink and then tore roughly round the image, making it big enough to cover the centre of the cracking. I used Distress Ink round the torn edges and then roughed the edges with my scissors before adding to the base card.

When we first visited America, in 1984, we were staying in North Carolina and one day we were taken by friends to the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest to see the wonderful, fantastic, HUGE trees. We took photographs of them and then when we were home Eric added Joyce Kilmer's poem to the images, you can read it below:

Trees by Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks to God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me.

But only God can make a tree. 

Happy memories and this is why I used the first two lines as the sentiment. I generated it on the computer before giving it the same distressed treatment as the image! 

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes