It’s Thursday and time to play at Pals Paper Arts! This week the Pals are having a “Dress for Success” challenge. The recipe is simple. Just use 1 piece of Designer Series Paper, 1 Punch, and 1 Sentiment. How easy is that! Having just received the Daring Adventure set, I could hardly wait to ink it up and make a card for my son, Brady. Since he will be enrolling in his final year of college, I felt that the Helen Keller quote from this set was perfect. I know that I will miss him immensely, as will the Twins. But before I get all teary-eyed, let’s move along!
The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips: Masculine and Distressed
- Pick your Designer Paper! For my masculine card, I decided on this fabulous geometric design from the Well Worn collection. I drew my colors (River Rock, Cajun Craze, Not Quite Navy) from the colors in the pattern. Geometric patterns are often great choices for masculine cards. I opted for a busier pattern since the only major stamping was a sentiment and there would be no competition with an image.
- Pick your Punch! I love using the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch for masculine creations. The Linen Thread cross-stitching adds texture and interest.
- Pick your Sentiment! In this case, the sentiment says it all and was perfect for the motherly advice I was wanting to convey.
- Pick the Perfect Details! I am a fool for the tool…the Color Spritzer Tool! Soft Suede speckles were added instantly. A Sponge Dauber and Soft Suede ink were used to age the edges. Of course, who can resist the “Waterspot” stamp from French Foliage! I inked it up with Soft Suede ink, stamped off once, and then stamped away!
- Pick the Unexpected! Whoever said you can’t place Pearls on a masculine card never asked me! I like the interest they add. Brads would do the same, but the pearls are just so…ME!
- Pick a Panel! A back panel was stamped with the Lettering, Flourish and Footsteps from Daring Adventure. A Houndstooth embossed strip anchors and balances the design.
So, what do you think? I love mixing up styles, and it felt great to get down and dirty after the clean card I created for Sunday’s The Paper Players challenge. What about you? Do you like to mix it up, or do you find yourself getting stuck in a rut? Won’t you please leave me a comment and share your thoughts? Now that my Internet service provider seems to be providing me with Internet service, I feel as if I am back in the land of the living! I can’t wait to respond to your emails and check out your blogs! Woo hoo! As always, if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create and the techniques that I use, I am only an email away! Until next time…
Stamp Sets: Daring Adventure (W 122600, C 122602), French Foliage (W 120845, C 121166); Ink: Soft Suede (115657); Stampin’ Write Markers: Cajun Craze (119678), Not Quite Navy (100059), Early Espresso (119680); Designer Series Paper: Well Worn (122359); Card Stock: Naturals Ivory (101849), Cajun Craze (119684), River Rock (108640); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Houndstooth Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (123134), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Sponge Dauber (102892), Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch (119275); Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247), Linen Thread (104199)
oh my gosh, that kitty’s tie is beautiful! I hope you survive the bye bye’s. Gosh they are painful! Your card is really wonderful and I especially love how you have taken it apart, step by step and highlighted close up your process. What a wonderful way to do a tutorial, of sorts. Just great!
Very pretty! I love the sentiment.
Hello Ms. Queen of Perfect Details! This is such a perfect card for your son. You put so much love into it! XOXO
Lovely as usual, Ann!
I’m sure Brady will absolutely love this card. I love the stitching you created. Contemplated getting this stamp set but haven’t yet, too much going on with all these new catalogs!
Beautiful card … it’s a wonderful sentiment for your son.
Hugs, M
Oh my goodness. Okay, just one word. No,no. I can not not use just one word. your card is a stunning masculine card that I will be casing at some point. Any man would love this card!!!
Mary
Ann, this is SO fabulous! I love the grungy-chic-Schach-style! That DSP is a must-have! That kitty photo is TOO cute to resist….can’t wait to play along! Hugs! 🙂
Love it! Brady would expect at least one pearl but we all know your “rule of 3’s” which I hope there are three pearls on the card! I love the anchoring strip too – just really pulls it all together even more! Love the stitching as well. I hope the card gets “well worn” just with Brady and friends looking at it! Great job Ann!
Chris R. from Iowa
Fabulous, I’m sure you son will love it. So hard when they spread their wings and fly away from home 🙁
What a great card, Ann. Love everything about it. It is certainly and eye-catching masterpiece! Kathy in AZ
Oh this is fabulous. Brady will love it. Wish him the best in his final year of school. Hugs,
Wonderful card for your son. Another wow coming from me. Just love what you do with everything you add to the card.
The texture in this card is fantastic! Love the color combo, too. I really like your new cleaner vintage style, Ann. Really nice!
This is fabulous! I always have a tough time with masculine cards, yours is awesome. Good luck to Brady! And who is the little kitty with a tie, cute!
What a fabulous card and work of love for your son. He will be so touched. Perfect paper and sentiment. Love the distressing and your pearl ‘signature!.
Best wishes to Brady as he enters his senior year of college.
I love how you mixed it up … awesome card! You pulled the pearls off perfectly too! This card is a winner! Glad to know that I’m not the only one fighting the teary eyes … it’s killing me!
This card is so beautiful. I love the color combination! The idea with the linenthread is great and it really looks masculine. Your son will love it.
Greetings from cold and wet Germany
Sabine
Great job! Love the color combo.
Mike
Oh Ann….I so wish I had your creativity!!! Love this card!!! Hope you are doing well…
Love it, Ann! All the masculine elements are fabulous–even the pearls! Hope your son has a great final year!
Ann, your card is wonderful and just right to send Brady back to school. I love how you break down the elements that you chose to use on your card. It really does make the choices so much easier. Thanks for the tips.
Definitely Ann colors and all the “little extras” add up to a truly masculine card.
That DSP is on my wish list–so thanks for using it today–it moved up my list–LOL. I know your son is just going to cherish that card. What a great sentiment for someone in their final yr of college! Very nice job. Dar
This came together perfectly! That DSP is made for your style – love all of the splotching and smudging with it! Can’t believe Brady is going to be a Senior – wow the time flies!
Great masculine card for your son, Ann. It still has your special touch on it, especially the pearls!
love the masculine card. I find them the hardest to do. I love all the textures you put into your cards. And the pearls work!!! I am sure Brady will love this one. Good luck in his final year of College. The inspiration picture of the kitty was so cute.
hugs
Darlene-Joy
What a great card! Boy doesn’t time fly. I bet you have a hard time thinking about your son finishing college when it seems he just started school the other day. I know it is that way for me!
Love your kitty. Is he yours?
I find myself in a rut. You help me find my way out at times. I tend to do straight forward clean lines etc. I love your cards and every once in a while I try one! I’ll get there on my daring adventure!
What a fun challenge this week. I LOVE what you did with it and I know your son will as well. I have the paper on my wishlist, but I think I need the stamps to go with it. I need to stop visiting your blog; I get a bit poorer with each trip here. 🙂
I read so much about Helen Keller in my grade school days and still find her so inspiring. I love that we have a set featuring one of her quotes. I just wasn’t sure what I’d do with… Thanks for the inspiration.
Love the card! The colors are amazing together. Best Wishes to your son!
Your son will love it! The colours are awesome, that new set is really fabulous, love the saying too!
Ann your son will just love this card with the motherly advice and I’m sure he’ll miss you too!
Your card is such a great masculine card, but I LOVE how you fit the pearls in too… {smile}. I also LOVE that I ‘learn’ something all the time from details, like the way you ‘anchor’ the focal point. So cool. thanks for always giving such wonderful inspiration… hugs.
This is absolutely stunning! Great masculine card! Love the colors and that DSP is awesome! I know your son will cherish this card as he embarks on his final year. I tend to get in a rut and do the same things over and over, I definitely need to mix it up and you are certainly inspiring me to do so!
Awesome card! I really really want this set now!
(What a cute Kitty Cat…I’m such a sucker for kitties:)
Hugs,
Lisa
Oh, Ann! Such a wonderful masculine card. Don’t you just love the well worn dsp? Love this card!
Think of me today, Ann. I am just about ready to head out the door for my first day back to school. Not ready!
Wow…you really put a lot of time in your card and it shows! Love the color combo too. I sure your son will love this card. So it is his last year. How wonderful! “Best times” to him from all of us over here.
Beautiful card, Ann! This is a wonderful sentiment! and that kitty is so cute! Best of luck to your son!