Raise The Red Lanterns

I almost forgot I promised one of my favorite cards ever. Well, I got distracted adding map links to Wikimapia. Sadly some of the items I wanted to add don't exist except in my memories. For the Flint area, the former site of Buick Motor Division AKA Buick City is noted on the map but is now gone to the great brick conservatory in the sky. Check out that Buick City link-a terrific blog and worth spending some time with.

I had a hard time deciding which one to show you-so I chose this one. Have any of you seen the wonderful movie Raise the Red Lantern? As soon as I started to make this card, I knew what my title for it would be. You have to see the movie to understand but it's so worth your time to do so. Most good rental shops have it as does Netflix.

I had already done the embossed piece. It used metallic embossing paste-silver in fact. If you go back to my other recent postings, you will find the directions for wet embossing-this is a Dreamweaver stencil and I used a variegated package of gold leaf flakes. I saw how the flakes took on the colors of orangy red and gold and knew I had some scraps left over that would go so well as mats. I almost just added that and matted to my card but I knew this card needed something special. I remembered having a textured 12 x 12 piece tucked away that I wanted to use with an Asian stamp set so I had to go digging. And I found it! The back is plain brown on this gorgeous sheet of blossoms.

The base card is simple black and when the layers were added, I tied some metallic Christmas ribbon (it has wire in it) into a flat bow and after using a Trio to lay a piece across the top, added it. I think this is my most goose bumpy card because of the reference to the movie. Sadly, there is an odd connection too. Just the fact that Buick is so popular in China (and not coming from here!) made me quite nostalgic tonight. Both my dad and hubby worked for Buick on opposing ends of the plant system (and polarizing sides of the picket line)-but I myself haven't owned one since 1980 (I am a Chevy girl now.)

I hope you will visit the history lessons above. And maybe just smile remembering your dad's old Buick.