Made It: Happy 4th Of July!

Hello! My dad would have been 96 today (he lived to be nearly 94), so my siblings and I planned a get-together in his honor. Alas, the gathering fell through, so instead today my husband and I visited the one sibling who wouldn't have able to attend: a brother who was hospitalized over a month ago with life-threatening health issues. Fortunately he is much improved now and may be allowed to go home soon. 

I made him a decoration in honor of the holiday:

Materials used:

• white card stock backing
• 1880's ledger paper (there are subtle red and blue lines on this paper)
• Uncle Sam stencil set
• white card stock decorated with red marker (pants, hat)
• vintage time card, altered with blue acrylic paint and stars stamped with white acrylic on top of the  blue paint (jacket, hat, stars in upraised arm) 
• white card stock scraps (beard and hat brim)
• black art paper scrap (shoes)
• beige art paper scrap (hands)
• red art paper scrap (stars)
• 1974 catalogue (man's face)
• red ink (July 4) 
• blue ink (2018) 

This was the first time I'd used the Uncle Sam stencil set, which had been a garage sale purchase years ago. I think another time I'd use more vintage catalogue images- for example, men's shoes instead of shoes cut from art paper scraps. I think this would bring more interest to the piece. 

As it was, the man's face from the catalogue was a late edition. I'd cut a face shape from beige art paper, using the corresponding part of the stencil set, then I drew a face on the shape. But after I was done I wasn't overwhelmed by what I'd drawn. So out came my scissors and the vintage catalogue. 

I forgot to measure the finished work, but I'd guess its dimensions are around 6"x9". My brother seemed to appreciate this simple gift, but to me the real gift was seeing him back on the mend!