Hello there, it is Verity here from Pretty Little Buttonfor the Bumbleberry Design team. For a lot of card makers, masculine cards can be more of a challenge to make. As stampers and crafters, we are drawn to pretty stamps whether they're florals, critters or intricate designs. But our styles don't always suit the recipient the card is intended for, and this can often be quite common with male cards. Don't get me wrong, a Man could like any card we make, but quite a few won't appreciate a floral card with all the time we put into it. So instead, I'm showing you a duo of masculine CAS cards to get your inspiration going for when you next need to make a card of a male recipient.
Video tutorial for Duo of masculine CAS Cards:
Written process and photos for Duo of masculine CAS Cards:
For this first card, I'm using Fog Cardstock by Lawn fawn and the Grid stencil from Altenew. To add subtle texture to the background of the card, I'm dry embossing the stencil design. You need to use a rubber embossing mat in your die cutting machine, with your sandwich set up according to your machine to emboss. For my Sizzix machine, I use the platform with adapter b, then a clear cutting plate on top, the embossing mat followed by my cardstock and the stencil lying over the top of this. I also use the Sizzix impression pad over the very top instead of another clear cutting plate.
Once this is run through the machine, you get the stencil design dry embossed into the card. To create the sentiment, I'm using the Fine Alphabet dies from Altenew to die cut the word Birthday out of Tranquil Teal cardstock from Gina K Designs. However, to step the die cut up a notch, I heat embossed the Pinstripe background stamp from Altenew onto a piece of the cardstock. I'm using Metallic Platinum from WOW! Embossing powders, as this has a lovely grungier feel to it as opposed to a bright gold or silver.
I used my craft mat to align the dies up to the tape altogether. Originally I planned to die cut the word out from the embossed panel and use the negative embossed panel to create a second card. However, I forgo the reduce the tackiness of my tape before adhering it, and once it had gone through my machine, it had adhered well. Therefore, it tore some of the card off when I removed the dies. I can use the remainder of the embossed card with different design cutting off the bottom. For added interest, the were letters added to black foam die cut letter, this creates dimension and also a pop of colour from the side. Using the Altenew watercolour pan set, I added some Jet black paint spatter and allowed that dry. The happy sentiment comes from the birthday builder sentiment stamp set from Altenew, and I wasn't sure which happy I wanted. So I stamped multiples of them onto some black cardstock with MISTI and did this twice, so to cover one with White embossing powder and another with Platinum.
Now I don't need that many, but I can then play about with which one looks right. And then afterwards, I have several that I can save for next time, saving me time with my next project.
To finish the card off the panel was foam mounted onto a matching card base and few Black Nuvo Drops were added. This is quite a clean and simple card, but the texture of the stencilling and embossing adds a little geometric design to the card.
The second card uses very simple stamping to great a geometric abstract background to sit the birthday sentiment on. Using the square frame from the Altenew Geo Frames stamp set, I stamped off the side of a piece of Neenah Solar White classic crest 80b cardstock in a selection of Altenew warm grey inks. I used Morning Frost, Evening Grey and Moon rock. For added pop of colour, I stamped the hexagon from the Geo Frames set in Persian Blue from the Glacier Caves Altenew ink collection.
I didn't quite like how this blue overlapped the greys, so I stamped it again onto some card and use the coordinating dies to die cut it out. The card panel was adhere to a black card base and then the hexagon was foam mounted onto the front for added dimension.
As I had already heat embossed several sentiments, I choose a couple with different fonts for more added interest and added these onto the hexagon and finished it off with some black Nuvo drops. The black and white colours of the card tie in well with the geometric design, and the pop of blue adds a little pop art ish nod to the card.
If you enjoyed today's card, please let us know and we would love to see your cards if this has inspired you.
Shopping list for Duo of masculine CAS Cards:
Links to supplies at Bumbleberry Papercrafts Shop: