Midweek throw down- Masculine cards

On the OWH Stars and Stamps blog the midweek throw down challenge is to make masculine cards. I combined the OWH Stars and Stamps sketch for this week with the masculine card challenge. The wonderful freebie motorcycle digital images is by Bird on her blog.

http://www.birdscards.com/Default.aspx?tabid=65 The metal looking plates are cut from tetra pak and embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. It makes such a great masculine touch in my opinion! The ticket stamp is from Hero Arts. This is the first time I've used it. Felt just right with the motorcycle.

Miss you dear

I really enjoyed the play of making this pair of cards. The new Distress inks I'd gotten hadn't been taken out for a test drive yet so this was my chance. A book I pulled out of the recycle bin is just right for coloring and printing over. The text is unintelligible so it isn't distracting from the images. The deer are part of a digital freebie I fell in love with.

The layer under the deer is from the newspaper, the stocks! Brayered with distress inks it made a touch of color and pattern. Worked for me, lol.

The sentiments were printed using the computer. The scrolly bits on this bottom card are an Inkadinkado stamp. On the top card I added some punched bits in black.

Double Delight!

Well as you can see I added the measurements to my copy of Peggy's sketch. It makes it so easy for me to create the card from it that way. By making up 2 cards I filled to challenges at the same time. The sketch is from Mo's Challenge blog so that is one of the challenges. And making a card up twice, one in a masculine style and one in a feminine style is a challenge at the OWH Stars and Stamps blog.

This little sweetie is a new-ish image from Mo Manning, Baby Fairy Flora. I colored her with Prismacolor pencils and added some diamond glaze to her wings and the tiny bees.

This dude and his dog are clearly having a blast! The image is It's Hot, also from Mo Manning. This image is also colored with Prismacolor pencils. The water is highlighted with Diamond Glaze too.

The sentiment for both cards is computer printed. I used a selection of great tools; Cuttlebug embossing folder, Martha Stewart & SU! punches, Nestabilities dies and Distress inks.

Stars and Stamps sketch challenge # 12

Carol's sketch is a good one for showing off patterned paper and a simple stamped image. At least it worked for me ;-) A few years back I found a roll of wrapping paper with fun beer labels on it. Perfect for cards for guys. Then I found a set of Studio G stamps which included a beer mug. Obviously I had to buy it. The smiley face was added. The sentiment was made on the computer. Fun to make!

The Cheshire Grin

Shirley's 2 Girls (S2G) sell a wonderful line of digital stamps. All original images with lots of attitude! With the release of Alice in Wonderland the stamp world, digital and otherwise, has gone wild for Alice and company. S2G designed a wonderful line of digital stamps In a fresh, Tim Burton kind of style. They kindly offered the Cheshire Cat as a freebie for their Twisted Thursday blog challenge. They had the cat, a sketch and a twist- using stripes on the card.

Of course I was so excited to work with their stamp I totally forgot the sketch and the twist on my first card. When it was time to upload it I had an Oops! moment. That was ok. I loved getting to color and make up another card for the sketch. It was fun! http://s2gpapercraftingcontest.blogspot.com/

As most of my cards go to OWH I keep my eye open for stamps that can go to boys as well and girls. This handsome feline fits the bill. Thanks S2G!
http://shirleys2girls.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=31

Stars and Stamps sketch #7

Erika kindly shared her sketch with us at the Stars and Stamps blog. I confess I took liberties with it. I've been working on Father's Day cards for OWH and this sketch plus the sentiment stamp felt like a good match.

I pulled out some earth tone scraps to see if I could use some on these cards. I also added some sections of color from printed ads. The stamp was from Michaels dollar bin last year. It came out too late for OWH cards so I got to use it fresh this week.

The border punch from EK Success echoed the pattern on the sentiment stamp. Had to use them together don't you know! There is dry embossing on the center section which I didn't manage to catch with the photo. More cards finished for our troops to send home. I love that.

Stars and Stamps Masculine card challenge

Success! Wee Henry is camping out on my computer. He is a Hambo digital stamp that we were able to use for our mid-week card challenge at Stars & Stamps. He actually looks like someone I know...but I'll never say who, lol. Wee Henry and the sentiment were printed out using the computer and then colored with Prismacolor pencils.
Thanks to Sandy for helping with the digital download and to Tim and Monica Hunter of Hambo stamps! http://www.hambostamps.com/index.htm

Wheels

The fourth prompt for the 15 - 21 year old guy card challenge is up at Stamp Haven. Wheels. Bicycles, cars, motorcycles, skates and skateboards, trucks and tanks. Do you remember the sense of freedom having your own (or access to) wheels gave you? To get on your bike and ride away without the cautioning voice of your parents in your ears? The cache' of a driver's license? The speed at which your skateboard took you out of reach? As old and gray as I have become I do remember. I don't have stamps for this these so I needed to branch out. This skateboarder is a ding bat. No not THAT kind of ding bat ;-) A font of images rather than letters. This one is called 4yeoSports and is free at DaFont.com. I colored cardstock with a brayer and Kaleidacolor ink plus a touch of Distress ink and let it dry. Then I ran it through the printer and voila, Skateboarder! Sentiment was printed out too.

Back when I was young our family really had a copper colored Mustang. It was a trip down memory lane to make this one. The image is a coloring page offered as a freebie by Dover Publications. I sized it and printed it out twice. The card was colored, cut out and covered with Diamond Glaze before being popped up with foam on the card.

The cyclist here is clip art I've had on the computer for so long I can't remember where I first found it. I printed him out, colored with Prismacolor pencils and added him to the card. The metal embellishments were punched from an aluminum can and embossed using a Cuttlebug embossing folder. They are attached with eyelets. So I hope you feel inspired to create some paper wheels! Look beyond the obvious for images to use. Have fun.

Doodle Factory funnies

I love the Doodle Factory stamps from StarvingArtistamps! My cards had gotten stuffy and overly polite so I needed a change.

The birthday card sentiment uses a fabulous font from

http://www.kingthingsfonts.co.uk/ as well as stamps from Inque Boutique, Maryse Carrier and, of course The Doodle Factory. Party On! Did you grow up with the legend of William Tell? He was said to be able to shoot an apple off his son's head with an arrow. Don't try this at home folks!

Goofy guy is a stamp from The Doodle Factory, alphabet stamps from PSX, and the apple is a G stamp. I colored him with Prismacolor pencils using oil as a blender. It was fun to make those arrows and the target from misc. dies. Check out the Doodle Factory images
http://starvingartistamps.com/

15-21 y.o.guys challenge #2 Puns

Definitely a young guy kinda pun! The stamp is from Scottish Borders Stamping You know this one will tickling a funny bone or two! The dancing skeleton is an oldie from Stampa Rosa. Sentiments were computer printed. I used masking on these to create the spot lights.

Does the Count give you a nervous giggle or two? He was clip art I downloaded years back. I gave him a little color in his face. He didn't look like he'd had a good meal of late. ;-)

Cowboys and CASEing Pt.2, cards

Sorry to make this 2 posts. I'm not too swift with Blogger and couldn't get the images where I wanted them. They go with the following post!

Cowboys and CASEing

On StampHaven one talented cardmaker worked with clipart to create a papercut silhouette that she then used to make some very cool cards. Take a look at two of Karen's cards http://www.stamphaven.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=23&pos=11 She kindly shared the link to the cowboy silhouette clipart with us. http://www.freeclipartnow.com/people/professions/cowboys/

I thought it would be fun to try making a full sheet of Distress ink background and then print the silhouettes onto the colored cardstock using the computer. The Distress inks were swiped on a non-stick craft sheet, sprayed with water and then soaked up with the cardstock.

The sheet would make 4 cardfronts so I decided to use a silhouette image of troops on 2 sections of the sheet.

15 - 21 Challenge #1

Sketch by Julee on Mojo Monday http://www.mojomonday.blogspot.com/I've been thinking about 'hosting' a series of prompts on cards for boys in the 15 - 21 age range. Each one lasting 2 weeks. My interest comes from wanting to have more of these cards sent to CFH.
Want to play along?

Sketch by Jen del Muro http://iheart2stamp.com/ I've never been a guy aged 15 to 21 but I have been in that age group. In my memory it was a time of feeling grown up and wishing everyone else would treat me that way. Of course in time I discovered a few of the down sides (can we say taxes & power bills?) to actually being an adult but that isn't what this is about. This is about making cards for the guys.

Our first prompt is "Western Swing" Make a card focusing on the west. Cowboys, deserts, high mountains, First Nations/Native Americans. Kraft card stock, maybe Distress inks. This is just a jumping off place so don't feel constrained if you get an idea that wasn't spelled out.

The Cat's Pajamas

The sketch is the only part that is from The Cat's Pajamas actually. This is Carole's sketch found on Jen del Muro's blog. How fun it is that! I like stampers helping stampers.

The River City Rubber Works stamp of the 2 boys is a current favorite of mine when paired up with the sentiment from Inkadinkado. Such a guy card!

Cheeky little card

I made this card hoping it would make a soldier laugh. The fun little creature is from Starvingartistamps' line- DoodleFactory. They are so fun! The background I made on my computer.

Journeys

The first time I saw this stamp I knew I wanted it. Over Memorial Day Pamela at FireCracker Designs had a blog hop featuring this image AND a sale. That did it. I had to buy the set. This is my first card made using it. The sentiment stamp is by Rubber Stampede. Any travel changes a person. It is hard for me to imagine how intense the change would be from serving in war time.

The background paper is made using the Technique Junkies' Camouflage technique (Oct-Nov 2008). The stamped image is colored with a combination of Prismacolor pencils and Fresco chalk inkpad used direct to paper. I was so happy to discover that the arch of the stamp fit with the curve on the Petite Ovals from Spellbinders.

I made this card for the Journeys challenge at Gingersnap Creations blog http://www.gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com/ The card will be written and sent to Cards for Heroes.

Father's Day cards

This goes with a favorite Father's Day sentiment; "A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way".

I love the challenge of creating masculine cards. With Father's day coming up I thought I would share some of my past cards for this occasion. This card also indulges my love of recycling. The papers behind the images are liners of bills which I stamped on and colored. The DAD seal is cut and embossed from a washed yogurt liner.