MDF Book - 60 is the new 40!

Happy birthday to my brother-in-law who happens to share his birthday with my middle son.  I made this for him to complement the MDF book that I made for my sister's 50th birthday last year.
 

The matching book.

 

 

Having given all three pieces of MDF a white gesso undercoat, I went with a more masculine colour scheme than I used for my sister's lilac and green book.  The bottom and top layers were painted with Reeves acrylic paint in Bronze and the middle layer in Gold.  Once again, I stamped everything with black Archival ink and heat embossed using detail clear embossing powder.
 As the family is helping him celebrate his birthday later in the year by accompanying him on a 'drive a train' day, the theme for the bottom layer was easy.  The train and happy birthday text come from the Plane, Train & Automobiles A4 set by Crafty Ideas by Kaz. The 'Celebrate Your Special Birthday' are all from the Claritystamp Wordchain 3 set.  I stamped my bespoke stamp from Claritystamp on the back as there is no way to sign the book without spoiling it.

The words and '40' on the top layer were stamped using the Worn Text stamp set designed by Tim Holtz for Stampers' Anonymous.  Before stamping the middle layer, I lined everything up to ensure that the stamps would show through the top layer in the correct places when the book is closed. 
The wee folk were also used on my sister's book, so that if the two are displayed together there will be an obvious connection - here I obviously chose the more masculine stamps. 
The man holding an umbrella is a Tim Holtz stamp from a mixed acrylic set that I got ages ago from QVC when I bought his first Compendium which came with a range of his products to try them out.  60 distress pads, 61 pens, 65 paints and numerous alcohol inks later - I refuse to count the number of stamp sets, stencils, embossing folders and die sets - I think I have to admit to an addiction to all things Tim Holtz.  The verse comes from the Good Thoughts set by Stampers' Anonymous.

The only thing I would have done differently if I had thought about it, is to have added the date of the birthday on the bottom panel in the same way as I did for my sister's book.  I am pleased with the finished book however; especially once I added some black satin and gold organza ribbon to the book rings which hold the pieces together.