Simple Saturday...

Happy Saturday,

Just a simple card today I am demoing at Strikes Garden Centre in Daleside today, pop in if you are in the area!

Today's card was made at a demo day a few weeks ago when I was asked about men's cards.  I have a simple approach to men's cards, what I do is to make a similar card to my usual fare I just make them in Masculine colours and make them less fussy (far less flowers is usually a start!)

This card is a version of the delicate Canadian background card I made a few weeks ago in Primrose and Milk foundation card.  The colours were chosen by the people attending the demo and we felt that making it ion Taupe and Black would make it more Male!

I started by die cutting the outline die from the Canadian background die in the taupe.  Whilst in the die I hand cut the aperture (using my scalpel) by running it along the edge of the inside of the die.  I left a large 2cm wide border around the die cut.

Next I cut an aperture in the middle of an A5 piece of black card using the die as a guide and again my scalpel.  I adhered the die cut over the aperture and added a 1.2cm border all around.

Next I cut the centre die from the same background ( the pieces have been separated in this background to make it easier to cut and to give greater flexibility) set in the centre of a larger piece of the taupe card and foam mounted the frame over this.  I then added a black layer and again left a larger border.

Finally I added a stamped sentiment (from my daisy Chains clear stamp set) stamped on the taupe card in black archival ink.  I added one of the classic folder flowers (the larger one) cut in coconut white foundation card to which I added a sprinkling of iced snow so that there was a little but of bling! To lift the card I added cosmic pearl PVA at the centre of each flower,




Ingredients:
Creative Expressions Craft Dies by Sue Wilson
Canadian Background
Classic folder flower
CE Clear stamps daisy Chain elements from me
Taupe and Black foundation card
Cosmic Pearl PVA

Enjoy...

Last Mens Card

Happy Friday,

Hurrah I hear you all shout today is the last of men's card week and yet this is the first one I made.  Now I have to apologise for the poor photography on this one as it was made for a friend of my Mums and I had half an hour one morning to take the pictures so its natural light at 7am!

This is a trifold card made using a single sheet of slate grey A4 card stock.  I started by cutting the three panels in black using Spellbinders Rectangles set B which I stamped using the Waltzing Mouse My Kind of Guy set in white embossing for the first and gold pigment ink for the next two.

The gold ink does not show well on the picture but in real life it shines (slightly)

The effect of the pinstripe is made by scoring the card at 1/2cm intervals then using a silver gel pen down each ridge.  This gives a nice pinstripe effect I was trying to make the card stock look like suit fabric.

The sentiment is made using the same DoCrafts stamp from Wednesday this time in detail white embossing powder.  I made this into a banner and attached it with a large button, again to match the suit 'feel'.

I made a simple box with a detachable lid for the card I was trying to get the look of an old fashioned cigarette case however I think I needed more time on this one.

Hopefully I have given everyone some inspiration for the men this week.

Enjoy...

Back to the Navy...

Happy Thursday,

I seem to be getting carried away with the dark blue this week I feel like the Village People (In the Navy etc) lol


This card started with the stamped image.  This paisley stamp is a really old one from Graphicus which I bought second hand on eBay.  I am always scanning eBay for bargain dies and stamps and sometimes find that when one person is tired of a die I can get a new, old, die at a great price.

The image is stamped with Versamark onto Navy card and then embossed in detail white embossing powder.  I fussy cut this out then based the remainder of the card around it.

The backing paper is one sheet of double sided card from First Edition Neroli pack with a reverse design on each side.  I cut two different sized square and using the alternate side mounted these with a thin mat of Navy.  I added in a square of the white again edged in the Navy card and foam mounted these to a large 21cm x 21cm hand cut card blank (i used PMD A3 white hammered for the blank)





The top decoration is made using Spellbinders Labels 38which I cut a piece of the pattern using the 2 largest die to make a frame.  I edged this, by hand, in Navy card and added a frame cut from the next 2 sizes in white which I inked in navy whilst in the dies.

There is then a strip of white and navy cut with Spellbinders bracket borders one.  I added these pieces at different levels and orientations, with a strip of navy grosgrain ribbon of course, across the card front.

I wanted to show that die cut pieces are not just for Christmas and ladies cards but used right they can be effective whilst still keeping relative simplicity for a man card.  I even managed to add a pearl!

Enjoy...

Male Feathers...

Happy Wednesday,


Whilst there is more navy blue and also a little grey and black to come this week I thought I should show a different shade today (mainly so everything doesn't look the same shade!)

Today's card is again relatively simple.  I started by Die cutting Spellbinders Peacock fathers however I inked the dies first to give a die cut letterpress look.

Now whilst it looks like I placed these back in the piece I die cut them from I didn't.  The piece they are cut from has a ring of colour around the edge so I cleaned off the dies and cut them from a new square of cream hammered card carefully placing them at an equal distance.

This piece is then mounted onto matching burgundy card.  The whole piece is them foam mounted onto a larger card blank onto which I added a cream mat and corners cut using the corner die from Spellbinders A2 filigree delight die in three corners.


The sentiment is an old DoCrafts stamp which is edged in the burgundy and foam mounted in the remaining corner over a strip of thread.

Hopefully an idea you can take forward for lots of projects not just for men!

Enjoy...

Mans week day 2...

Happy Tuesday,

Still rolling with the men's cards today's is again in blue however it is a little more subdued that yesterdays colour fest!

This is made really simply with a mask which is a product I have not tried before so this is my first attempt.  I stuck the mask down then simply inked through it.  I tried to use a few layers at the top and get lighter as it moves down to give a graduated colour running to the white at the bottom.  For a first attempt I really liked the look and will be playing more with masks as I get hold of more (note to self stop buying new stuff)










I hand cut the piece that I coloured with the mask and simply mounted it on Navy card then foam mounted this onto a larger mat of white before adding to a hand cut card blank.








The centre section is die cut in navy from Spellbinders Tranquil moments and the sentiment panel is spellbinders labels 28.  I inked the piece in the die and stamped three separate words from the waltzing mouse My Kind Of Guy stamp set along with a bowler hat that comes with this set .



















The tag is made in the same manner however I used Spellbinders Labels 38 for the tag and the I say Old Bean (which I Love) from the same set.










Simple yet striking,  Enjoy...

It's a Man Week..

Happy Monday!

Recently there have been so many comments about whether a particular card would make a good men's card that it got me thinking.  I posted a card I had made specifically with guys in mind last week however I thought it would be good to make a selection of cards that are made specifically for the guys.

Now as Fathers day is juts around the corner (well we have started selling Fathers Day stuff at work!)  so today's card is a fathers day card made in a traditional British colours of red, white and blue.

This would be a great card for Americans as well I guess it just needs a few stars ( I can hear stars and stripes forever playing in the back of my mind)


The card base is a 20 x 20 cm square the colour is added with different width strips of red, white and blue card added with foam pads at different levels across the front.

Hopefully these next two pictures will show the different levels of the card.


I added strips of matching ribbon across the front with a strip flowing down the front behind the focal element.

The focal element is Spellbinders Grate works die cut in red, mounted onto Blue and finally white card.  This is foam mounted above the ribbon to hide the knots at an angle with a pearl in the middle.

Finally A hand cut banner tag with the Happy Fathers Day sentiment which could be changed for Happy Birthday or any other sentiment.

One for the guys I hope you all get some inspiration and , as always,


Enjoy...

Keeping it Simple...

Happy Wednesday,

I thought I would carry on from where I started  on Sunday by showing a range of simpler cards that don't take much time or work.  I like to use, as you may have noticed older dies and as much as possible one die per card.

This card is made surely from Grate Works die from Spellbinders.  All i did was cut the die twice out of the base white hammered card making sure there was room for another die cut in the centre.

I added one of the cut shapes, with small foam pads, in the middle before mounting the whole piece over a sheet of brown card.  I then folded a wide brown satin ribbon (Chino shop bargain) into pleats and stuck this down the side.

Finally I added a few matching gems and foam mounted the front piece onto a hand cut brown card blank with a matching white mat.

This is a simple card and would, hopefully, be suitable for a mans card which is something I know lots of people, myself included, have difficulties with.

Enjoy...