Male Card with Typewriter

I love this week's Inkspirational sketch, it's perfect for so many different types of cards - CAS, layered, male or feminine designs! I hope I'll find the time to make more cards using this sketch as in(k)spiration!

My first entry is a male card. I'm trying not to "get stuck" in a certain type of style or design. That's quite tricky, isn't it? I have a tendency to do square or rectangle shaped cards and add stitching, as I did for this card, but apart from that I tried to do something not so typically me, so I used a good, old typewriter image, suing a stamp from Prima. Also, I tried not to make things too even and straight, but rather a bit distressed and uneven. But from there I was a bit lost... How to proceed? What do other crafters use for embellishments? Couldn't come up with any new ideas, so I added a kraft ticket with sentiment (love those!), letter stickers (love those too) and some pearls. Kind of vintage, kind of male and I think (hope?) not so typically me!

This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #9 Sketch
2) Anything Goes Challenge - #87 Make It Manly
3) Craft Room Challenge - Something For A Man
4) Crafty Sentiments - 1 image (Typewriter), 2 papers (2 different DPs), 3 embellishments(Pearls)
5) C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Embossing (Heat embossed image)
6) Eclectic Ellapu - Masculine
7) 4 Crafty Chicks - #131 Stitching
8) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Male Card with Vintage Cars and Buttons

I've made this card for my father's birthday - he loves vintage cars, and I bought the Papirdesign DP with him in mind. 6 months later on I came over a stamp set from Prima containing this vintage car stamp. I heat embossed it with black embossing powder on kraft paper and fussy cut the image.
The sentiment is made of letter stickers. I've got so many buttons, so I picked 5 black ones in various sizes and attached them to the Memory Box die cut border. I also added 2 black pearls in each corner. I machine stitched around the kraft panel before attaching it to the black card base. Today I also wanted to show you the inside of my card - I often use the same papers as on the front. I used some black ribbon and a stamped sentiment saying "Happy Birthday" in Norwegian.



This card is for these challenges:
1) Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge - Very Vintage
2) Aud Sentiments Challenge - Share the sentiment on the inside
3) Craft Room Challenge - Something For A Man
4) Here Come the Boys - Layers 
5) Cards Galore - One for the Men
6) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Blue & Brown Baby Card with Boat & Buttons

This is my version of the Inkspirational CASE card. I was inspired by the layout of the card.
I've used stamps from "Snag'em Stamps" - a bargain buy from some time back. I stamped both boat and sentiment directly on the DPs and heat embossed with Chestnut colored embossing powder. Both DPs are from Graphic45's Little Darlings Collection.
I've got plenty of buttons, but don't use them very often, so I decided to use some for this card.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - Case photo
2) Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Buttons and Bows
3) Crafty Ribbons - #38 Button up
4) Paper Crafting Journey - Bingo (Die Cuts+Embossing+Buttons)
5) Sweet Stamps - #105 Sweet & Simple
6) A Gem of a Challenge - #68 Add a Bow
7) Deep Ocean Challenge - #45 Letter "B" (Blue, Brown, Buttons, Boat) 2nd entry

CAS Hot Air Balloons

This card was a rather quick one to make, as soon as I decided on the colors and layout.
I used a Spellbinders M-bossabilities folder and a Tim Holtz Embossing Diffuser to make the background. I sanded the paper to make the pattern more visible.
The stamps, from Our Craft Lounge, were part of a candy I received from "The Crafty Math Chick" - the perfect gift as I've wanted to get hot air balloon stamps for some time.  I colored the images using grey and orange Promarkers. The clouds were part of the same set.
I added a sentiment in one of the clouds using a rub-on saying "For You" in Norwegian.
I used foam to pop up the smallest hot air balloon and the cloud with the sentiment.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Less Is More - #107 Up in the Air
2) Hiding in my Craft Room - #85 Embossing
3) Created With Love - Things that Fly
4) Incy Wincy Designs - Pop It Up
5) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Inspiration from a Sketch, a Photo and a Birthstone

There's a photo of flowers for the  Inkspirational challenge. I've used the purple flowers as inspiration for this card. I had this little piece left of a Maja Design DP with purple roses. I used it for the center panel of this card. I've had this purple ribbon with flowers for ages, thought it would work perfectly with the purple flowers theme. The layout of the card is inspired by the wonderful sketch over at Our Creative Corner
The image is a digi from Darcy's Diaries, colored with Promarkers. I made folds of organza and punched a border of vellum paper, added a doily, two ribbons, and all edges have been machine stitched.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Our Creative Corner - Sketch
2) Inkspirational - #7 Photo
3) ABC Challenges - Stitching
4) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Sailor Edwin

I haven't had any time to make cards the past week, and I've had very limited time all in all, so my apologies if I haven't been around to visit you lately.

I've had this Sailor Edwin for a long time, but I haven't used him much, poor thing.
I made a nautical themed background for him and kept to white and blue colors.
I added a bit of cheese cloth, a, to me, new die cut element, die cut letters for the sentiment ("hugs in Norwegian") and stitching around all the edges.

I enter this card into these challenges:
1) My Time to Craft -#209 Men Only
2) Deep Ocean Challenge - #45 Letter "B" (Boy)
3) Crafty Boots - Blue & White
4) Natalie and Amy's Challenge -Something Old & Something New
5) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Valentines Card

Valentines cards are SO not my thing. I see all those fabulous+striking+gorgeous looking cards out there, with glitter and lace, pearls and swirls, the sweetest of images and lovely pinks! I won't even try and recreate something like that, I think I'd end up losing all confidence even trying, so I made a rather clean one, with more blue than red and pink! Phew - glad I only have one man in my life! But now I have a whole year ahead of me to practice for next year's Valentine card!

I used a digi from Darcy's Diaries, colored with Promarkers, adding glitter glue to her wings and glossy accent to the heart, a ticket sentiment, some kraft leftover hearts and an embossed paper which I've sanded.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Come and Get It Challenges - Show Us Your Heart
2) Digi Haven – Love/Valentines
3) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Dressmaker with Wings

I can honestly say I've never made a card with the color combination they've set for us over at Inkspirational this week. But I found it so fun to work with these colors that I hope I'll find time to make another one!
I've used a blue and white DP, blue paper for my die cut dressmaker. I heat embossed some angel wings with white on kraft, and I used a doily patterned stamp, heat embossed with white on purple DP, panelled onto kraft, then onto an oval die cut of purple.  I finished off the card with a ticket for the sentiment and some pearls .

I enter this card into these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - # 6 Colors
2) Divas by Design - #71 Winged Things
3) Artistic Inspirations - #27 Embossing
4) Make it Monday - Anything Goes 



I also wanted to show you what I received by mail today - a fantastic candy given to me by the lovely Meredith - The Crafty Math Chick - of Canines & Card Designs. Thank you so much!

 

Red and White card with Dressmaker

There are lots of love themed challenges running now. I haven't made a Valentine's card, but I've been inspired by the colors of love and chose to play with the red and white color combination!
I love papers with spots, and the floral paper in the background is my favorite paper at the moment. So I made a card base with these papers without knowing exactly what do next. Added a doily, then I got the idea of using my dressmaker Spellbinders die. Then I remembered a stamp set I got with a magazine recently, with spools of thread and measuring tape amongst other things, so I heat embossed them in red and white on kraft paper. 
The edges have been stitched, and I've made the birthday sentiment with letter stickers. A pearl in each corner and voilà!

This card is for these challenges:
1) ABC Challenge - Going Dotty
2) Ett Trykk - Norsk Stempelblad AS - Doily
3) 2 Sisters - #129 White and Red and/or Pink
4) Mema's Crafts - Hello doily
5) Make it Monday with Kraft Outlet - Seeing Red
6) Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes
7) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Vintage Card with Stamped Flowers

I usually pick up ideas for my cards from several blogs. This time I wanted to use stamped flowers on my card. I've had a set of stamps with doilies and lace for some time, and I got the idea of using one of the doily ones to make my flowers. I stamped on kraft paper, heat embossed with white embossing powder, added lace to make the leaves and added a pearl in the center of each flower. I also embossed the sentiment, using a stamp from the "Film Strip Sentiments" set from Whimsy Stamps.
It's been quite a while since I did a monochromatic card, and I kept to neutral colors to fit them to my vintage image. I've used several Spellbinders dies and a butterfly punch. I added gesso around the edges of the base.

1) Catchy Challenges - #3 Stamped Flowers
2) It's All About the Vintage - #36 Lace and Pearls
3) Creative Moments - #9 Neutral colors
4) Anything Goes Challenge - #85 Monochrome
5) The Perfect Sentiment - Diecut
6) Moving Along With The Times - Punch it Out
7) Card and Scrap - #48 Bruk et stempel
8) Desert Island Crafters - Pearls+Lace+Sentiment+Paint
9) Make it Monday - Anything Goes