So, on the topic of sons, or males in general - do you find it difficult to make a card that is suitable for a 'guy'? I always find that I have lots of 'pretty' stamps and embellishments, but to make a card that won't embarrass the men in my family, I have to work at it!
I find the key is to keep it clean and simple (or CAS). Knowing the colours your recipient likes helps, as well as if you're able to incorporate one of their hobbies or special 'likes'.
Here's a birthday card I made recently for my youngest son's 14th birthday:
Obviously, knowing what my son likes was a big boost here! He plays bass guitar, he likes music, and being a teenager, likes to be an individual while not sticking out too much! So here, I started with a basic A2 card base (5 1/2 x 4 1/4), layered a Real Red on top of that, then layered DSP (Designer Series Paper) from the 'Well Worn' collection on top of that. To make the coloured squares on the smaller Whisper White mat, I inked directly onto my clear blocks - using the colours to match those in the DSP. I sponged around the edge of the WW mat with 'Early Espresso' ink, to soften the edge so it blended better with the card. I then stamped and cut out the 'Extreme Guitar' stamp (it's retired - I bought it from another demonstrator 'specially for my son's card!) and popped it up on dimensionals next to the colour blocks. Then I used the Scallop Oval punch & punched a Real Red oval, and topped that with an oval stamped from another retired set 'Birthday Wishes'.
The good news is that he liked the card! Of course, everyone knows that a hand-made card has a lot of time and love spent on it, and that makes it extra special :)
Let me know if you have had any challenges with making masculine cards, and how you've solved them! I'd love to hear from you.
Until next time,
Happy Stamping!
~Deborah
Hi Deborah,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great card for a teenage boy. I like how you used a clear block to make those background squares.
Check out my blog at tinadavisstamps@blogspot.com .
Tina